《Being Pursued By Ex-husband》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¡°Hey, my dear sister-inw, what are you doing? Are you trying to run away from home?¡± Right as Sophia Yarrow brought her luggage and went downstairs, Thalia Xenos'' sarcastic voice traveled into her ears. However, Sophia ignored her words. She only nced at the other woman briefly before continuing her way down the stairs. Coincidentally, she encountered Alexander Xenos'' mother, Kristen Lambe, on the first floor. The rich woman, who always looked down on her, stared at her and questioned, ¡°Where are you going with the suitcase so early in the morning?¡± Sophia had been her daughter-inw for three years. Instantly, she knew that this was a sign that Kristen was about to put her in a difficult spot. Under normal circumstances, she would definitely apologize carefully and coax the older woman. However, that day was unlike the other days. Sophia did not even want Alexander anymore, so she surely wouldn''t bother being careful around the ill-tempered elderlydy. ¡°Anywhere is better than this ce. Don''t worry, Mrs. Xenos. I won''te to the Xenos residence ever again.¡± Sophia shed her usual respectful and gentle behavior. Although her words sounded mild, there was no trace of ttery in her eyes like before. The coldness of her demeanor made her seem different. Kristen was not used to having her daughter-inw, who was usually submissive around her, talk back to her in that way. Thus, her expression instantly darkened. ¡°Sophia Yarrow, is this the way you should treat your elders?¡± ¡°I''ll treat you the same way you treat me.¡± The arrogance and iciness in Sophia''s pretty eyes made anger boil inside Kristen. ¡°Sophia, am I still your mother-inw?¡± Hearing that, Sophia nced at Kristen before curling her lips. ¡°Sorry, but soon, you won''t be anymore.¡± Right as she said that, car honks sounded outside the mansion. Sophia raised a brow and said, ¡°I''m leaving now, Mrs. Xenos. The things I''ve left in the room are things I no longer want. You can do whatever you like with them¡ªwhether you want to throw them or burn them. There''s just one thing I want to ask from you. Don''t contact me again.¡± As she spoke, she leisurely strolled outside with her suitcase. Then, she added, ¡°You Xenoses are in disgusting.¡± Before Kristen could even digest Sophia''s words about her no longer being thetter''s mother-inw, thement about the Xenoses made her even more livid. ¡°Sophia Yarrow, have you gone mad? Believe it or not, I''ll tell Alex that you-¡± ¡°Mom, have you seen Sophia? She''s such a joke. I can''t believe she''s actually dragging a suitcase early in the morning. Hahaha! She can''t have possibly walked past me in hopes that I''ll ask her to stay, right?¡± When Thelie ceme out of the mension end sew Kristen frozen in her spot, she reeched out to pull the letter''s sleeve. ¡°Mom, whet''s the metter with you?¡± There wes epliceted look on Kristen''s fece. In the pest, the mere mention of Alexender would meke Sophie meek. Yet, to her surprise, Sophie just welked off, not even bothering to spere her enother glence. The sports cer outside sped off, end when Kristen welked to the entrence of the mension, she could only cetch e glimpse of the cer''s efterimege. ¡°She... She''s gone?¡± Thelie followed her mother out end frowned. ¡°So whet if she is? Betheny''s beck. Even if she doesn''t leeve now, Alexender will eventuelly kick her out.¡± Kristen found sense in her deughter''s words. After ell, the White femily''s youngest deughter hed returned. Sophie would be e smert women if she were to divorce Alexender of her own ord now. Seid smert women wes currently in the Porsche, flipping the peges of the divorce egreement. After reeding the contents of the documents, she signed her neme in setisfection. Ketherine Quinn, the women driving, clicked her tongue when she sew thet. ¡°Are you reelly sure ebout this? You look so unhesitent.¡± Sophie closed the cep of the pen. ¡°Of course.¡± Alexender''s first crush wes beck. Neturelly, there wes no point in hoping enymore. It hed been three yeers. It wes neither e long time nor e short time. Sophie thought thet she would be eble to worm her wey into his cold heert, but Alexender did not even heve one. He hed given his heert to his first crush. Sophie felt thet she hed been too shemeless. She hed esked him to merry her in the neme of repeying her fevor, forcibly teking the ¡°Mrs. Xenos¡± title for three yeers. Now thet Betheny White wes beck, she wouldurelly heve to step eside. Otherwise, Alexender''s efforts in seving himself for Betheny for the pest three yeers would be for neught. Indeed, Sophie hed been merried to Alexender for three yeers, but she hed not slept with him et ell. It wes forte thet the metter wes never mede known to the public. Otherwise, those who hed been mocking her for clinging to e prestigious femily would certeinly find e wey to leugh et her misery. It''s been three yeers. It''s enough to fulfill my seven yeers of unrequited love. Sophie lifted her hends to cover her eyes end the teers thet spilled from them so thet Ketherine would not see them. At the end of the dey, she wes still humen. No metter how nonchelent she seemed, the terrible closure of her feelings for him would be enough to meke enyone breek down. When Thalia came out of the mansion and saw Kristen frozen in her spot, she reached out to pull the latter''s sleeve. ¡°Mom, what''s the matter with you?¡± There was aplicated look on Kristen''s face. In the past, the mere mention of Alexander would make Sophia meek. Yet, to her surprise, Sophia just walked off, not even bothering to spare her another nce. The sports car outside sped off, and when Kristen walked to the entrance of the mansion, she could only catch a glimpse of the car''s afterimage. ¡°She... She''s gone?¡± Thalia followed her mother out and frowned. ¡°So what if she is? Bethany''s back. Even if she doesn''t leave now, Alexander will eventually kick her out.¡± Kristen found sense in her daughter''s words. After all, the White family''s youngest daughter had returned. Sophia would be a smart woman if she were to divorce Alexander of her own ord now. Said smart woman was currently in the Porsche, flipping the pages of the divorce agreement. After reading the contents of the documents, she signed her name in satisfaction. Katherine Quinn, the woman driving, clicked her tongue when she saw that. ¡°Are you really sure about this? You look so unhesitant.¡± Sophia closed the cap of the pen. ¡°Of course.¡± Alexander''s first crush was back. Naturally, there was no point in hoping anymore. It had been three years. It was neither a long time nor a short time. Sophia thought that she would be able to worm her way into his cold heart, but Alexander did not even have one. He had given his heart to his first crush. Sophia felt that she had been too shameless. She had asked him to marry her in the name of repaying her favor, forcibly taking the ¡°Mrs. Xenos¡± title for three years. Now that Bethany White was back, she would naturally have to step aside. Otherwise, Alexander''s efforts in saving himself for Bethany for the past three years would be for naught. Indeed, Sophia had been married to Alexander for three years, but she had not slept with him at all. It was fortunate that the matter was never made known to the public. Otherwise, those who had been mocking her for clinging to a prestigious family would certainly find a way tough at her misery. It''s been three years. It''s enough to fulfill my seven years of unrequited love. Sophia lifted her hands to cover her eyes and the tears that spilled from them so that Katherine would not see them. At the end of the day, she was still human. No matter how nonchnt she seemed, the terrible closure of her feelings for him would be enough to make anyone break down. Soon, the red sports car came to a stop, and Katherine lifted the sunsses she was wearing. ¡°We''re here. Run along, Soph. I will always be right behind you!¡± With that said, Katherine gave Sophia a flying kiss. Sophia chuckled at her. ¡°All right. I''m going to march to the battlefield now.¡± Sophia was speaking the truth. It was tough to find a way to throw the divorce agreement at Alexander in a domineering but elegant way. She then got out of the car with the divorce agreement. Having been married to Alexander for three years, this was not Sophia''s first time at Odyssey. Of course, it was not her first time getting dismissed by the receptionist as well. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you can''t go up without an appointment. Mr. Xenos is a busy man. If everyone gets to meet him without making an appointment, what would be the point of him having a receptionist?¡± Even a mere receptionist could put her in a tough spot like that. It had been three years, but the receptionist never once called her Mrs. Xenos. Without a doubt, it was because Alexander never thought of her as anyone important. Sophia lowered her eyes and chuckled. ¡°Odyssey''s employees trulyck training. Even Alexander''s wife needs an appointment to meet him. It seems quite worthless to be his wife.¡± At that, she shot a cold look at the receptionist before striding straight to the elevators. Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org. It was the first time the receptionist had ever seen Sophia act that way. For a moment, she was stunned. When she came back to her senses, she snorted. Worried that something might go wrong, she made a call to inform the people upstairs. Before Sophia''s elevator reached its destination, Alexander found out that she was in the office. Frowning, he said, ¡°I''m not meeting her.¡± He still has a brief meeting in five minutes. At that, his secretary nodded. Just as he walked out of the office, he saw Sophia walking over in heels. She was wearing a flower-patterned skirt, looking gentle and graceful. However, when she looked at him, the secretary felt that there was something different about her. ¡°Mr. Lane,¡± Sophia greeted. Before the secretary could say anything to her, Sophia reached out and opened the door to Alexander''s office. ¡°Sorry for the intrusion, Mr. Xenos. I have an agreement that I need your signature for.¡± As she spoke, she locked eyes with the man and walked over. Then, she put the divorce agreement in front of him. ¡°Sign it.¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Alexander was silent, and the tension in the room was palpable. After a momentary standoff, Sophia shrugged. ¡°Okay, I won''t disturb you anymore, Mr. Xenos. See you nine in the morning at City Hall on Monday.¡± With that said, she lifted her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Nevertheless, feeling upset about her defeat, she said, ¡°Congrattions, Alexander Xenos. You''re free. You''ve finally escaped from the shameless woman that is me.¡± Sophia then let out a self-deprecating chuckle as she stared at him. ¡°What games are you ying again?¡± Alexander finally asked, his words as harsh as always. Sophia nced at him. ¡°Don''t worry, this is serious. Though I have to tell you this as well. This is your one and only chance to escape from me. Cherish it.¡± Sophia''s eyes felt hot. Not wanting to lose her dignity by shedding tears in front of him and letting him have the opportunity tough at her, she turned and left. Alexander watched her leave until she disappeared around the corner before he flipped the pages of the divorce agreement. Sophia was the one who hired awyer to draft the divorce agreement. She would take nothing from him. In fact, she would be leaving the marriage empty-handed. Alexander was not surprised by Sophia''s request for a divorce. After all, he had never once treated her as his wife throughout all three years. However, he refused to believe that she would not want anything from the divorce. Sophia was a greedy woman. After saving Kristen back then, she had asked to marry him when the Xenos family asked her what she wanted in return for the favor. Unfortunately, she made the wrong ns. Before marriage, Alexander had done the notarization of personal assets so that he would be able to dismiss her anytime he could not stand her anymore. It seems like she''s trying to pull another trick again. Alexander curled his lips into a mocking smile before throwing the divorce agreement aside and dismissing the event. When Sophia exited the building, she immediately spotted Katherine''s shy sports car. Just as Sophia walked over, Katherine opened the door to the front passenger seat and asked, ¡°How was it? Did he sign it?¡± Sophia leaned over and got into the car. ¡°He didn''t.¡± ¡°Thet shouldn''t be. Betheny''s beck. Shouldn''t he be in e hurry?¡± Buckling her seetbelt, Sophie glenced et Ketherine. ¡°Kethy, ere you doing this on purpose?¡± She''s so meen with her words. If not for our yeers of friendship, I''d definitely kick up e fuss! With her mind reed, Ketherine guiltily rubbed her nose. ¡°It''s my first time seeing someone so excited ebout e divorce, so I wented to find out if you''ve reelly given up on him or if you''re just engry with him.¡± ¡°Be nicer, Ketherine.¡± Not wenting to weste more of her breeth on her heertless friend, Sophie closed her eyes end shied ewey from the world. Helf en hour leter, the sports cer stopped. Sophie opened her eyes end unbuckled her seetbelt. ¡°Thenks.¡± With thet, she got down from the cer end welked to the beck to get her suitcese. Ketherine remeined in the cer end geve her two flying kisses. ¡°Don''t cry on your own, Soph. Love you!¡± Right es those words were out of her mouth, the red sports cer sped off. Sophie snorted, only helf-engry. Whet kind of friends em I meking? Before returning, she hed esked the housekeeper to cleen up the house. Moreover, her door wes connected to e smert home system, so ell she needed to do wes to sey, ¡°Open the door, Genie.¡± Immedietely, the wooden door opened inwerd. ¡°Wee home, Ms. Yerrow.¡± ¡°Genie, heet up the weter.¡± Sophie then brought her suitcese to the mester bedroom on the second floor. In her suitcese were the things she hed in the Xenos residence for the pest three yeers, end they were the things she hed brought over in the beginning. After she put her suitcese eside, the weter wes done boiling. Sophie mixed it with some cold weter before downing helf e cup. When her teers fell, Sophie wes surprised. Thinking beck to whet Ketherine seid before she left, Sophie begen scoffing et herself. I reelly cen''t stey cool, huh? It''s fine. I''m only losing it when I''m elone. After holding herself beck for the entire morning, Sophie finelly could not beer it eny longer. Upon putting her cup down, she sprewled et the ber end begen sobbing. She loved Alexender for ten yeers, but et the end of the dey, she received nothing but e humilieting merriege thet lested three yeers. ¡°That shouldn''t be. Bethany''s back. Shouldn''t he be in a hurry?¡± Buckling her seatbelt, Sophia nced at Katherine. ¡°Kathy, are you doing this on purpose?¡± She''s so mean with her words. If not for our years of friendship, I''d definitely kick up a fuss! With her mind read, Katherine guiltily rubbed her nose. ¡°It''s my first time seeing someone so excited about a divorce, so I wanted to find out if you''ve really given up on him or if you''re just angry with him.¡± ¡°Be nicer, Katherine.¡± Not wanting to waste more of her breath on her heartless friend, Sophia closed her eyes and shied away from the world. Half an hourter, the sports car stopped. Sophia opened her eyes and unbuckled her seatbelt. ¡°Thanks.¡± With that, she got down from the car and walked to the back to get her suitcase. Katherine remained in the car and gave her two flying kisses. ¡°Don''t cry on your own, Soph. Love you!¡± Right as those words were out of her mouth, the red sports car sped off. Sophia snorted, only half-angry. What kind of friends am I making? Before returning, she had asked the housekeeper to clean up the house. Moreover, her door was connected to a smart home system, so all she needed to do was to say, ¡°Open the door, Genie.¡± Immediately, the wooden door opened inward. ¡°Wee home, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Genie, heat up the water.¡± Sophia then brought her suitcase to the master bedroom on the second floor. In her suitcase were the things she had in the Xenos residence for the past three years, and they were the things she had brought over in the beginning. After she put her suitcase aside, the water was done boiling. Sophia mixed it with some cold water before downing half a cup. When her tears fell, Sophia was surprised. Thinking back to what Katherine said before she left, Sophia began scoffing at herself. I really can''t stay cool, huh? It''s fine. I''m only losing it when I''m alone. After holding herself back for the entire morning, Sophia finally could not bear it any longer. Upon putting her cup down, she sprawled at the bar and began sobbing. She loved Alexander for ten years, but at the end of the day, she received nothing but a humiliating marriage thatsted three years. Of course, she was upset about the matter. However, her misery was useless. Alexander never loved her, anyway. After leaving the Xenos residence, Sophia spent her next two days in a daze. She kept sleeping and sleeping, but she never even got to have a good sleep. In the dark, her dreams were odd. Sophia even dreamed about the incident that happened when she was fifteen. A naive girl she was back then, she thought that the elderly woman needed help. However, as it turned out, she was just prey to the others. When those people dragged her into the car, she was dested and fearful. Sadly, in that narrow, dark alley, misfortunate events like these often happened. No one woulde to save her, and no one dared to save her. Yet, just as she surrendered to fate, a boy kicked away the man who was holding her, grabbed her hand, and fled the despairing alley with her. Sophia did not know how long she ran, for she only stopped when the boy stopped. While they fled, she never had the time to take a good look at his face. Thus, it was only then that Sophia realized the boy had a dreamy face. He had dark eyes that seemed like whirlpools, luring her in and trapping her in them. ¡°What''s your name?¡± she eagerly asked after their great escape. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Alexander Xenos.¡± The boy''s voice was as captivating as his eyes. Sophia never knew that her heart could beat so quickly. ¡°Thank you for saving me.¡± ¡°You''re safe now, so I''ll leave.¡± The boy then let go of her and turned to leave. Instinctively, Sophia ran after him. ¡°Alexander, can I-¡± Yet, in the next second, the young Alexander abruptly turned into an adult. He looked at her in disgust and uttered, ¡°Sophia Yarrow, what games are you trying to y this time?¡± Sophia woke with a start. Her rm clock kept ringing and ringing by her ear. Frowning, she lifted her hand to wipe her damp eyes. ¡°Genie, turn off the rm.¡± Instantly, the noise ceased, and peace returned to the room. Sophia took her phone and nced at the screen. Half an hour ago, Katherine had sent her a message, wishing her good luck. Right. It''s Monday today. I''ve asked Alexander to meet me for the divorce procedures today. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Sophia deliberately chose a red off-shoulder dress from her wardrobe. She curled her waist-length chestnut-colored hair and spent an hour putting on her makeup. Her bright red lipstick was the same shade as her outfit, giving her a formidable aura. ¡°Genie, I''m going out to get a divorce.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you can only meet a better man by parting ways with the wrong ones.¡± Sophia raised her brows. ¡°Thank you, Genie. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Five minutes before nine in the morning, she arrived at the City Hall. The ce had yet to open. At that moment, Katherine called her, ¡°Soph, are you at the City Hall yet?¡± ¡°I just arrived.¡± ¡°In that case, I shall congratte you in advance for ditching that jerk and starting a new chapter of your life!¡± A familiar ck car came to a halt nearby. Seeing that, Sophia decided to cut the conversation short. ¡°Alexander is here. I''ll talk to youter.¡± ¡°All right! I should let you know that I''ve prepared a huge surprise for you today. I guarantee you can hold your head high in front of Alexander!¡± ¡°I hope your surprise doesn''t turn into a scare.¡± After hanging up the phone, Sophia gazed at Alexander, who was walking in her direction, and put on a wry smile. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Xenos. I''m sorry for taking up your time.¡± She handed him the divorce agreement, saying, ¡°I know you don''t trust me. Here. This is an exact copy of the divorce papers I previously gave you. Sign your name, and we''ll proceed with the procedures once the City Hall opens. After that, you''ll be free.¡± Alexander''s poker face finally faltered. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Sophia looked at him in silence. A few secondster, she broke into a grin. ¡°Alexander, I''ve always meant everything I tell you.¡± It''s just that you never cared enough to take me seriously. Alexander did not like the way she looked at him; she had never treated him that way. ¡°The City Hall is now open,¡± he replied. If she''s hoping for a divorce, I shall fulfill her wish. This will save me some trouble in the future. At that instant, Sophia could hear the sound of her heart breaking. When he questioned if she was being serious, Sophia had harbored the slightest hope that he would ask her to stay or refuse to go through with the divorce. Still, he merely mentioned to her that the City Hall was open. You''re unbelievable, Alexander. She straightened her face, turned on her heels, and entered the City Hall. There were many people there to register their marriage. Sophia and Alexander were the only couple there to file for a divorce so early in the morning. However, she did not dress in the sense that suggested she was there to get a divorce. As a result, the City Hall staff eyed them in perplexity when they sat down. ¡°You two are filing for a divorce by mutual consent?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± She pushed the documents she had prepared in advance through the small window while reassuring the staff. Getting a divorce was a quicker process than registering for marriage. After both parties signed the papers, they just needed to let an official from the City Hall certify and chop the documents. After just five minutes, the two of them exited City Hall. Alexander walked ahead. He did not spare Sophia another nce ever since he received the divorce certificate. Meanwhile, Sophia stopped in her tracks. Difort and anguish churned within her as she gazed at his leaving figure from behind. Just then, a blue Maserati came to a halt on the roadside. The luxurious vehicle was too eye-catching, distracting Sophia amidst her heartache. She could not help but shift her gaze onto the expensive car. The door of the Maserati was pushed open, followed by the appearance of a man wearing sunsses. Sophia felt that the man seemed vaguely familiar. Before she could react, he called out to her, ¡°Sophia.¡± It was Mason Queen. He was a young and handsome man who had gained much poprity in the past year because of his role in a historical television show. Mason was a tall man with long legs. With just a few strides, he walked up to her. ¡°Congrattions on getting back your freedom and starting a new chapter of your life. Katherine told me to pick you up.¡± Sophia felt her head aching. ¡°Why are you ying along with Katherine''s crazy n? Didn''t you just finish filming your new movie? Aren''t you worried you will be featured in more scandals than you already are,ing here?¡± ¡°Don''t be mad, Soph. Katherine said that now that you''ve divorced Alexander, the Xenos family will likely give an official statement regarding this news. Therefore, we must strike first to distract the public''s attention from this matter. Otherwise, they''ll call you a divorcee from a wealthy family!¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. His enthusiastic response deeply amused Sophia. ¡°I suppose I should thank both of you then!¡± Right after she finished her sentence, a group of paparazzi rushed up to them. Mason was quick to react. He shielded her from the crowd with his arms, but he did not do a thorough job, leaving her face exposed. Unexpectedly, someone pushed her, causing her to stumble and fall into Mason''s embrace. Mason was a famous and exceptionally gorgeous celebrity idolized by many teenage girls. Naturally, Sophia''s heart skipped a beat when she saw his handsome face up close. Even Alexander had never hugged her in such an intimate manner during their three years of marriage. The faint unique perfume scent on Mason''s body stimted her senses as he held her in his arms, constantly reminding her of his presence. Sophia''s face flushed. She wanted to free herself, but Mason suddenly pressed her head down, burying her face in his chest. Aside from his steady heartbeat, she could hear the paparazzi''s relentless questions and the sound of shutters clicking. Feeling dazed, she allowed him to lead her forward. Inside the ck vehicle, Alexander stared intently at the scene outside the window. His secretary, Felix Lane, was seated in front. ¡°Mr. Xenos, should I help Ms. Yarrow out?¡± he asked hesitantly. Alexander retracted his gaze upon hearing Felix''s words and nced at thetter coldly. ¡°Do you have a hobby of nosing into others'' business?¡± Felix shuddered. ¡°That''s not it, Mr. Xenos.¡± Unable to refute, he hastily told the driver to start driving. ¡°Let''s go, Kenny.¡± Felix did not know if he was imagining things, but he noticed that Alexander''s face seemed to have darkened slightly. Indeed, Alexander was in a bad mood. My wife- No, my ex-wife just divorced me ten minutes ago, yet she''s already interacting so intimately with another man in front of the City Hall. If this news spreads to the public, others may think I parted ways with her because she cheated on me. ¡°Stop the car!¡± Alexander was not a fan of being a cuckold, nor did he enjoy others spreading false rumors about him being a cuckold. ¡°Go and bring her over!¡± Felix was astonished. He thought his ears were ying tricks on him, but when he turned around and met Alexander''s menacing gaze, he hurriedly got out of the car and advanced toward Sophia and Mason, who were still surrounded by the paparazzi. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¡°Mrs- Ms. Yarrow.¡± Felix was still not used to the change, so he nearly made the mistake of calling Sophia Mrs. Xenos. Sophia forcefully pulled the hand on her head away when she heard someone calling her name. Looking up from Mason''s embrace, she saw Felix appearing in the middle of themotion. ¡°What''s the matter, Mr. Lane?¡± After being pushed by some of the paparazzi, Felix lost his bnce and staggered pathetically. He managed to steady himself after a few seconds. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Xenos asked you to go over.¡± Sophia raised her brows after hearing his words. She gazed past Felix at the ck car parked over ten meters away. Though she could not see Alexander''s face through the tinted car window, she could sense that he was staring directly at her. Curling her lips, she responded, ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Lane. Please ry this message to Mr. Xenos. To avoid unwanted spections, I think it''s best for him to treat me as a stranger if we meet each other from now on.¡± Meanwhile, the paparazzi continued to bombard them with volleys of questions. Mason was worried that something terrible might happen when his fans arrived, so he dragged Sophia along. ¡°Let''s get in the car first.¡± Sophia did not have anything else to say to Felix, so she nodded in agreement and got into the car. Arge group of Mason''s fans flooded the scene right after Sophia fastened her seatbelt. Seeing the impressive sight, she felt extremely d that she had gotten into the car. Otherwise, she might be torn apart by Mason''s female fans. The Maserati blended into the traffic, gradually throwing off those fans and paparazzi who attempted to follow Mason. ¡°Are you all right, Soph?¡± She nced at him. ¡°You should avoid heeding Katherine''s suggestions in the future.¡± She had wondered what kind of surprise Katherine had nned for her. Unexpectedly, thetter stirred a ridiculous ruckus. Sophia''s head ached at the thought of herself bing Mason''s rumored girlfriend and the focus of discussions on the inte. Beside her, Mason arched a brow. ¡°In my opinion, Katherine''s idea is brilliant.¡± Sophiaughed in exasperation. ¡°Did you pick up her bad habits after hanging out with her for so long?¡± ¡°Don''t wrongly use me, Soph. I just can''t stand another person bullying you, even if that person is Alexander.¡± Mason halted the car as the traffic light turned red ahead. Then, he turned his head sideways and regarded her with a solemn expression. Sophia was touched by his genuine concern. She smiled and said, ¡°Don''t worry. No one can bully me.¡± So what if he''s from the Xenos family? She had allowed them to step all over her because she was too naive to believe that she could someday win over Alexander''s affection. However, she had gained rity now. She would never let them do as they pleased anymore. Meanwhile, Felix finally snapped back to his senses when he saw the Maserati pulling away. The paparazzi surrounding him earlier were gone as well, chasing after Mason. Standing rooted to his spot, he gazed at the ck car nearby. He didn''t know how he should report to Alexander. ¡°Mr. Xenos.¡± After a while, Felix returned to the car and nced at Alexander. ¡°Ms. Yarrow didn''t want toe over.¡± Alexander''s expression was icy. ¡°I''m not blind.¡± He had witnessed Sophia getting into the car with the male celebrity. Felix pursed his lips. ¡°Ms. Yarrow asked me to pass along a message to you.¡± At that, Alexander''s somber expression lightened up a little. ¡°What did she say?¡± I suppose she''s notpletely tactless. At least she knows to let Felix ry a message to me. ¡°Ms. Yarrow said that to avoid unwanted spections in the future, she thinks it''s best for you to treat her as a stranger if you two meet each other from now on.¡± Alexander''s face fell instantaneously as he snorted. ¡°Very well. Do not mention her in front of me ever again!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos.¡± Felix fell silent afterward, not daring to make a sound. After working for Alexander for so many years, he could distinctively sense the burning wrath of his boss at that moment. ¡°Start the car!¡± Alexander''s stern voice caused the driver''s hands to tremble. Recollecting himself, thetter apologized repeatedly. Alexander did not speak afterward. He merely stared at the partially dispersed crowd outside while wearing a grim expression. Inside a parking lot, the blue Maserati stopped in the only avable spot. Sophia nced outside the window and asked, ¡°Did Katherine tell you to bring me here as well?¡± ¡°She''s just concerned about you.¡± Mason unbuckled his seatbelt and beamed at her innocently. Sophia found it difficult to look away from his dazzling smile. ¡°Don''t go overboard, Mason. Do you think I won''t dare toy my fingers on a younger man or make a move on my subordinate? Is that why you''re trying to captivate me with your bewitching smile?¡± In response, Mason clicked his tongue. ¡°If you wish to have me, I''ll dly offer myself to you. I''ll take a shower and lie on your bed, waiting for you to make a move on me.¡± Sophia was rendered speechless. He''s not someone I can mess with. The two of them got out of the car and walked toward the building''s entrance. Specter Entertainment was apany established only five years ago, but in the past two years, it was able to produce a few popr male celebrities. Mason was one of them. Katherine was done filming her moviest month, so she had nothing arranged in her schedule. With plenty of free time on her hands, she immediately made ns for Sophia right after thetter''s divorce. Sophia rarely visited thepany, so most employees there did not know she was the boss. Nevertheless, everyone greeted them politely along the way because they saw Mason personally leading her into the building. When they reached Katherine''s office, Mason stopped in front of the door. ¡°Soph, Katherine is waiting for you inside. I''ll ask someone to send some snacks over for you two.¡± She eyed him. ¡°What''s the matter? Weren''t you an expert in causing trouble earlier? Are you running away now that it''s time to settle the score?¡± Mason and Katherine hade together to carry out their n just now. After what they did, it would almost be impossible for Sophia to keep a low profile. With a grin, Mason helped her push open the door. ¡°Katherine came up with this n all by herself. You should settle the score with her.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Fine. Go home and get some rest. Why''d youe to put on a show even during your day off? It''s not like thepany will give you an award for your dedication.¡± ¡°I don''t mind, as long as you won''t me me.¡± With that, Mason wisely took his leave. Sophia then walked into thevish office and closed the door behind her. Upon turning a corner, she saw Katherine casually lying on the couch. ¡°Do your fans know about how ungraceful your posture is in private?¡± Unfazed by Sophia''s mockery, Katherine waved at Sophia while holding a tablet in her other hand. ¡°Come quickly, Soph. You''re trending!¡± ¡°Weren''t you the one who made that happen?¡± Katherine pulled Sophia over to sit next to her. ¡°Look at this. What do you think about this trending topic? I''d like to see if those people will still dare to make fun of you for being obsessed with Alexander in a one-sided rtionship!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. She ced the tablet in Sophia''s hands and continued, ¡°You can rest assured because I''ve arranged everything. Today was Mason''s turn. I''ll ask Howard to show up when he returns from his advertisement shoot a few dayster!¡± Sophia had yet to regain her senses as she stared at the trending topic that imed that she was Mason''s secret crush for many years. When she heard Katherine''s speech, she was stumped. Still, Katherine thought it was not sufficient. After all, she knew how much Sophia had suffered all those years in the Xenos family. Now that Sophia managed to get herself out of there, Katherine wanted her to hold her head high and show her worth to those haters who insulted her. ¡°Aside from that, we also have to hold a party to celebrate you bing single again since you''ve divorced Alexander. I''ve booked an entire ce to host a banquet tonight. That way, you can unt your riches!¡± ¡°Are you paying for the venue?¡± Instantly, the smile on Katherine''s face froze. ¡°Um... Well, this celebration won''t be meaningful if I''m the one paying.¡± Sophia snorted. ¡°Why are you pretending to be generous when you don''t have the money?¡± ¡°I may not have the money, but you do!¡± Once again, Sophia was at a loss for words. Why do I have a friend like her? Chapter 5 Chapter 5 The word ¡°ufortable¡± was not good enough to describe how Alexander felt that day. Initially, he thought divorcing Sophia was something he should feel happy about. However, shortly after news of their divorce was made known to the public, he received multiple calls from his childhood friends. The first sentence he heard from the calls he picked up was, ¡°Alex, did you and Sophia get a divorce?¡± He was not troubled by the question since he had no intention to hide the divorce from Sophia. Moreover, there was no way he could keep the divorce a secret after the incident that happened in the morning. ¡°Yes,¡± Alexander answered in a direct and cold tone. Upon hearing his reply, the other party of the phone call gasped loudly, ¡°Oh my God! That silly woman, Sophia, finally gave up on you? This happened so suddenly that I''m not sure if I should congratte or sympathize with you. It''s rare to find a woman like Sophia in our social circle. We know she''s dumb, poor, gold-digging, and kind of a pushover. But, she only had eyes for you. So after thinking about it, I don''t think that''s anything wrong with her.¡± Alexander was expecting his friend to congratte him on the divorce, so he was confused when his friend was putting a good word for Sophia. What kind of a friend is he? It was one thing to hear one person speaking up for Sophia, but he did not expect to receive three consecutive calls that said simr things to him over the phone. By the end of thest call, a look of thunder had clouded his face. Already feeling frustrated from handling phone calls from friends who were behaving like spectators watching his divorce like a dramatic y, Alexander felt even worse when Felix told him that Kristen had arrived. After the news about the divorce between Sophia and him became a trending topic online, he had expected Kristen woulde looking for him, and he knew why she hade to look for him. On the way to Alexander''spany, Kristen could barely hide her excitement when she discovered that Sophia and Alexander had divorced. However, her excitement died after seeing the trending posts about Sophia. How did Mason get involved with Sophia? In the post, he mentioned that he had a crush on Sophia for many years. Even though he knew that nothing would ever happen between them, he prayed every day for Sophia to escape from the hell pit named the Xenos family. Now that she has regained her freedom, Mason is very happy for her as an ex-admirer and a friend. After reading the few sentences written by Mason, Kristen could sense that he was implying something else between the lines. Almost instantly, the grin on her face had disappeared. The moment she had reached thepany, she barged into Alexander''s office and questioned, ¡°Alex, tell me. Did you divorce Sophia because she was unfaithful to you?¡± Even though the marriage of three years with Sophia was almost non-existent, no man would be able to ept himself being cuckolded. ¡°Mom, what are you talking about?¡± Alexander''s face immediately turned icy. Kristen was already feeling annoyed when Sophia talked back to her a few days ago. Thus, when she read the article that called the Xenos family a hell pit and insinuated that Sophia was unfaithful to her son, she could no longer keep herposure. ¡°Look at this! Right after you left the City Hall, this woman already had her admirere pick her up! For all you know, they might have gotten involved with each other long ago! The Xenos family will not tolerate being bullied!¡± Alexander had been busy with paperwork since he returned from the City Hall. He knew that the news of his divorce from Sophia would cause a buzz online, but he did not expect things to turn out this way. When he saw the phrase ¡°had a crush on Sophia for many years,¡± it felt like a stab in his heart. For a moment, he suspected the reason Sophia was so quick to agree to the divorce was that she had been seeing Mason. However, that suspicion only stayed in Alexander''s mind momentarily. Although he had never liked her, he knew that Sophia was too busy following Kristen''s orders in the Xenos residence every day that she could never have the time to see another man behind him. ¡°Mom, Sophia and I are already divorced. It was a peaceful divorce, and she did not ask for anything from us. So let''s just pretend that she never existed in our lives. You should spend lesser time on entertainment news like this.¡± The reason Kristen was so agitated was not only due to the trending topic online. It was also because she thought that Sophia had managed to get a considerable advantage from the Xenos family through the divorce. Hence, she was surprised when Alexander told her that Sophia did not ask for anything from him. She could not believe her ears. ¡°She didn''t ask for anything? Didn''t she marry into our family because she was eyeing our wealth? Now that she''s divorcing you, how is it possible that she''s not expecting anything from us?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Not wanting to deal with Kristen any further, Alexander used the inte to ask Felix to enter the room. ¡°Show the divorce papers to my mother.¡± With that, he picked up his jacket and left. As he was taking his leave, Kristen called out to him, ¡°Wait, Alex. Aren''t you going to have dinner with me?¡± ¡°I''m busy.¡± For the past years, Alexander rarely returned to the Xenos family''s mansion because, firstly, Sophia was at the Xenos residence, and secondly, his rtionship with Kristen was never as good as what outsiders saw. When he returned to his condominium, Alexander felt his ears were finally at peace. He had been busy with work for the entire day, so he did not have time to think about the divorce from Sophia. When he went to meet Sophia in the morning, he had only intended to see what she was up to. He did not believe that she wanted a divorce because, as Samuel said, despite being a gold digger, Sophia was indeed in love with him. Therefore it was hard for him to believe that a greedy woman like her, who wanted both his wealth and his love, would give up on their marriage so easily. With that mindset, he did not even bother to bring the divorce agreement papers she passed him the other day. Much to his surprise, the first thing she did when she saw him was to hand him an exact copy of the divorce agreement. Honestly, Alexander was so shocked by her actions that he blindly followed whatever Sophia told him to do. When he finally came back to his senses, the divorce certificate was already in his hands, which was now in his pocket. He pulled out the divorce certificate and realized how simr it was to a marriage certificate, except that the word ¡°marriage¡± was reced with ¡°divorce.¡± Somehow, the word ¡°divorce¡± was extremely offensive to his eyes, so he threw it into the trash can not far away from him. Suddenly, his phone rang and caught his attention. He turned his head in the direction of the phone and stared at it with no intention of picking it up. However, the caller did not seem to get the hint and kept calling repeatedly. In the end, Alexander could not take it anymore. He looked at the caller ID with a grim expression and picked up the call. ¡°What is it?¡± The call was from Samuel. After the call in the afternoon to gloat over his situation, Alexander could not think of any other reasons, besides mocking him, for Samuel to call him again two hourster. ¡°What''s wrong? Aren''t you going to celebrate your singlehood after the divorce?¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± He was not in the mood to speak to Samuel, so he nned to hang up the call after giving him a scolding. However, Samuel''s following sentence changed his mind. ¡°By the way, I''m at Sophia''s singlehood celebration party right now. Your ex-wife is really generous. She''s paying for everyone''s drinks at the bar tonight. I bet most of the money she''s spending is your hard-earned money, right?¡± Alexander furrowed his eyebrows and replied, ¡°She did not ask for a single cent from me.¡± Samuel was so shocked that he was rendered speechless. Everyone in Jadeborough knew how much of a gold digger Sophia was. Back then, Sophia bumped into Kristen when she fainted from hypoglycemia, so she sent her to the hospital. When Alexander asked what she would like as a reward, she immediately asked for ten million. Right before Alexander was about to agree to the amount, she changed her mind and asked for a hundred million. After hearing her new request, Alexander''s expression darkened. However, she was still unsatisfied with the amount she requested, so she changed her mind again. ¡°I want you to marry me.¡± The scene of Sophia asking for such an outrageous reward was filmed secretly and posted online. Hence, the people who watched the video knew her as a gold digger who married Alexander since his worth was much higher than a hundred million. Three yearster, the two were still only married in name. Everyone in their circle was mocking Sophia and was discussing how much money she would rip off Alexander when they were to get a divorce. Yet now, Alexander said that she did not ask for a single cent from him. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Samuel nced at Sophia, who was in a red dress, from a distance and eximed, ¡°What the heck!¡± Charles, who was beside him, raised his eyebrows when he heard Samuel''s reaction. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Sophia didn''t ask for a single cent from Alexander.¡± Upon hearing his words, Charles burst intoughter. ¡°Who told you that? If she did not ask Alexander for money, how could she possibly afford to pay for everyone''s drinks tonight? I bet the alcohol she had to pay would cost her at least three million. Does Sophia look like she could fork out three million on her own?¡± Samuel would not have believed that if it were not for Alexander''s words. ¡°Alexander just told me that over the phone.¡± Charles was dumbstruck. ¡°What the heck?¡± What the h*ll! Sophia cursed when she saw Alexander''s close friends from afar. She rarely went to a bar, so she did not expect to be so unlucky to bump into his friends. Katherine noticed that Sophia was lost in her thoughts, so she handed her a ss of cocktail and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about and why the long face? Don''t tell me that you regret your decision to divorce Alexander.¡± Sophia rolled her eyes and replied, ¡°The only thing I regret is spending my money like this!¡± Even though she was rich, Sophia did not like splurging her money in this manner. Thankfully she only had to go through divorce once. Sophia could not imagine the money she had to spend if she had to celebrate her singlehood after every time she went through a divorce. Even the world''s richest man would shake his head in disapproval at how her money was spent. When she heard her reply, Katherine clicked her tongue as she sat beside Sophia and nudged her with her shoulder. ¡°So what are you thinking about? Reflecting on your miserable past and feeling relieved that you''re finally free from the marriage?¡± Sophia took a sip of her cocktail and realized it was surprisingly delicious, so she took another sip before she responded to Katherine, ¡°Behind you. Look carefully at the guys who are sitting in the booth.¡± Feeling puzzled, Katherine turned her head in the direction that was mentioned. She almost spilled her drink when she recognized the men in the booth. ¡°You have the worst luck, Sophia!¡± ¡°Say that again.¡± Sophia sighed as she shrugged. She was supposed to celebrate her freedom after the divorce, but somehow she felt rather pathetic entertaining herself with a ss of cocktail at the corner of the bar. Furthermore, Alexander''s two childhood friends were sitting not far from her. Sophia pondered for a while and decided she should do something instead if she did not want to be aughing stock. After she downed her cocktail with a single gulp, she stood up and asked, ¡°Shall we dance?¡± Raising her eyebrows, Katherine replied, ¡°It''s been a while since we''ve danced, right?¡± ¡°Indeed, it''s been a long time.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Let''s go. We''re going to be the brightest stars of the bar tonight!¡± With great enthusiasm, Katherine dragged Sophia to the DJ on the stage and snatched the microphone from him. ¡°Hi everyone, a great evening to all of you! Let me introduce to you a generous and rich friend of mine, Sophia! She will be paying for everyone''s drinks tonight. But that''s not the main point. To celebrate Sophia''s brand new life, we shall bring you an unforgettable performance that will bless your eyes tonight! Come on, let''s get this party started!¡± Initially, Sophia felt quite embarrassed by the sudden attention that Katherine had brought on her. However, when she saw Katherine wasn''t feeling the slightest embarrassed despite being a celebrity, she decided to go all out. Katherine whispered something to the DJ before the lights on the stage suddenly changed. The people who were dancing on the stage instinctively backed away, leaving both Katherine and Sophia standing under the spotlight. A few dance poles appeared from the ceiling, and when the poles were ced on the stage, Sophia felt dizzy with excitement under the colorful stage lights. Ever since she married Alexander, she had to contain her hot temper and act like ady. After acting for such a long time, she had forgotten the kind of woman she truly was. She had never wanted sympathy and pity from anyone. All she wanted was for everyone to submit to her and treat her as the queen. When the music started, Sophia shot Katherine a nce. Memories of the two learning the dance moves for Katherine''s talent show contest began to appear in her mind. Back then, she even performed on stage with Katherine for the talent show. After that, Sophia fell in love with pole dancing. Hence when Katherine signed up for pole dancing sses, she signed up for the course as well. Despite having no rehearsals, they managed to dance in sync with the chemistry they had developed from their twenty years of friendship and eight years of dance practice. Beneath the colorful stage lights, the two grabbed a pole each and circled their respective poles. Every step they took was alluring and sexy. Then, the audience went into a frenzy when the two women approached each other and moved their fingers up and down on each other''s arms. Jonice, who had just ended a phone call, almost fainted when she watched the two women on stage, one in ck and the other in red, dancing with their bodies intertwined. Did Katherine forget that she''s a celebrity? Almost instantly, Jonice rushed to the side of the stage and shouted, ¡°Katherine, have you lost your mind?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Katherine, who was a little tipsy from the alcohol, had forgotten that her current status was different from the past. Upon hearing her manager''s enraged roar, she immediately returned to her senses and quickly stopped whatever she was doing. Meanwhile, Sophia already had her slender legs wrapped around the cool metal and spinning beautifully around the pole, deeply engrossed in her dance performance. Katherine opened her mouth and was about to say something to Sophia when she spotted an uninvited guest among the audience. Katherine''s brows rose in surprise before deciding to shut her mouth and retreat from the stage quietly without her friend. Sophia''s red dress was so eye-catching that only a few of the audience noticed Katherine''s sudden retreat from the stage. However, nobody mentioned anything about it since they were captivated by Sophia''s performance. The moment Alexander entered the bar, he saw the gentle and graceful woman he once knewtched around a metal pole like a snake, swinging around it and dancing to the music. Her body was so soft and flexible that she could wrap herself around the pole, looking graceful and alluring. She flipped her long flowy hair against the lights and revealed her beautiful and charming face. Her eyes were both sexy and flirtatious at the same time. She climbed up the pole effortlessly, like a feral cat. Or rather, she looked more like a wild rose blooming in the wild. She let an undting wave move through her before arousing the audience''s imagination by swinging her fair and long legs beneath the red dress forward to wrap around the pole. Sophia slowly slung her body around and down the pole. The motions caused her red dress to fly up enough to reveal her legs beneath. As she brought her feet to the ground, she leaned on the pole and did an ending pose. Panting slightly, Sophia let go of the pole and was ready to exit the stage when she spotted Alexander staring at her from a distance. Despite standing at least three meters away from her, she could see the darkened expression of the man in a suit. His eyes were filled with thundering rage. After casting a quick glimpse at him, Sophia quickly retracted her gaze and got down from the stage. ¡°That was awesome! Prettydy, I can be your pole if you need one,¡± Katherine teased. Sophia took over the ss of juice from Katherine and lightly flicked her forehead with her fingers. ¡°Don''t think I''m going to forgive you so easily for leaving me alone on stage!¡± ¡°My bad! My bad! I''m sorry!¡± Katherine had always been aedic drama queen, yet Jonice chose to create a cold and distant persona for her. Sophia was impressed that she had managed to adhere to the persona after so many years. ¡°Don''t hug me!¡± Sophia eximed as she pushed Katherine away coldly. When she realized Katherine was going for a second attempt at hugging her, Sophia quickly told her off in an irritated tone. ¡°I''m all sweaty right now, so don''te near me!¡± Then Katherine smiled, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, ¡°Do you know that Alexander''s here?¡± ¡°Of course I do,¡± Sophia replied as she looked down at the ss of juice in her hands. ¡°When did you realize he''s here?¡± Just as Sophia was about to answer Katherine''s question, a cold male voice sounded from behind. ¡°Step outside. We need to talk.¡± Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Katherine was only brave to call Alexander a jerk in private, but upon seeing him before her, she lost all her courage. ¡°Oh, Jonice is calling for me! You two can continue chatting!¡± she dered before walking away and leaving Sophia with Alexander, who was trying to suppress his anger. After escaping the battlefield, Katherine nced behind her, unable to resist her curiosity. When she saw Alexander''s darkened face, she felt a sense of guilt for abandoning Sophia. I don''t think Alexander hits women, right? Meanwhile, Sophia smiled at Alexander. ¡°Sure.¡± Maintaining her smile, she followed him out of the banquet. The two stood under the streetlights. As Sophia had juste down from the stage, her hair was slightly messy, and her cheeks were rosy. She crinkled her beautiful eyes and stared at him. Under the warm streetlights, Alexander realized Sophia seemed unusually mboyant. He rarely paid attention to her in the three years they were married as he felt it was a waste of time to be concerned with a fantasist gold digger who had poor self-awareness. However, there were times when he happened to see her soft and gentle gaze on him when he came home. Yet now, she looked at him daringly andnguidly. Her big eyes sparkled, but there was a hint of iciness in them. ¡°Mr. Xenos, what do you want to chat about?¡± As annoyance grew in Alexander, his tone was sharp and biting. ¡°Since we''re already divorced, there''s nothing between us anymore. I don''t care who you date, but we just got divorced this morning. Although you don''t care about your reputation, I don''t want to be cuckolded for no reason.¡± Sophia felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her. Sneering internally, she raised her hand to flip her long hair. ¡°But I can''t stop him from flirting with me, Mr. Xenos.¡± With a soft chuckle, she continued, ¡°You don''t need to talk to me if it''s regarding this matter. Throughout our marriage, I did the chores every day and behaved respectfully toward your parents. You shouldn''t worry that others will think I cheated on you. Instead, you should worry about how you''re going to marry a socialite of the same social standing as you if word gets out that the Xenos family wasted their daughter-inw''s youth!¡± With three years of her youth gone, Sophia did not want to waste another second on Alexander. ¡°I think Mr. Lane has ryed to you my words. Since we''re divorced, we''re strangers now.¡± Giving Alexander onest nce, Sophia curled her lips lightly. However, no one could tell if she was laughing at herself or mocking him. She then turned around to walk back into the banquet, leaving him standing under the streetlight with a dark look. As Alexander stared at her leaving figure, he furrowed his brows and barely managed to suppress his fury. She''s the one who recklessly forced herself into my life, yet she''s pretending to be the victim now. What a joke! I must be crazy too. Why did Ie here at such ate hour to embarrass myself instead of going home and sleeping? Do I have nothing to do? Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He tore his eyes from Sophia and took out his phone. Upon seeing the caller, he narrowed his eyes. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Alex, I identally tailgated someone. He''s so aggressive! Can youe? I''m scared!¡± N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. He could hear the tremor in Bethany''s voice from the other end. She sounded as if she was on the verge of crying. ¡°I''ll ask Felix to go,¡± he answered with an impassive expression on his face. ¡°It''s fine if Mr. Lanees, but my brother gave me that person''s documents today. If you cane, I can hand you the documents too. Is that okay with you, Alex?¡± ncing at the colorful neon lights inside the banquet, Alexander paused for a while before asking, ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°At the fork of Spring Avenue.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up, Alexander did not immediately get into his car. Instead, he reentered the banquet. Samuel and Charles were surprised to see him return. ¡°Alex, why are you back?¡± they deliberately asked. Alexander slid them a cold re. ¡°Where''s Sophia?¡± Charles rubbed his nose awkwardly and replied, ¡°She left already. A hunk fetched her.¡± His words made Alexander''s face darken considerably. Without giving a reply, thetter turned and left the banquet. Staring at Alexander''s back, Samuel sighed. ¡°Aren''t they divorced already? Why does he still care so much?¡± Charles shrugged. ¡°A man''s strange possessiveness, I guess?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Technically, the two were divorced, so Alexander had no right to control Sophia. Meanwhile, in a ck MPV, Sophia was massaging her temples. Katherine had handed her two cocktails earlier, and without realizing it, she had gulped them down. Now, the alcohol was kicking in and making her dizzy. Katherine was being held down by Joshua in the back seat, looking like a meek baby bird. Silence hung in the car while the lights outside shed by. Upon recalling the words Alexander spat at her more than ten minutes ago, Sophia felt as if someone had stabbed a thorn in her heart. So he''s afraid that I''m cheating on him. I thought he didn''t care at all. The MPV first stopped before Sophia''s mansion. Joshua offered to walk her in, but she waved her hands. ¡°It''s fine. You should take care of Katherine instead. She''s trying to make me join her into bing a party girl.¡± Laughing, Joshua countered, ¡°If you didn''t let her be, she wouldn''t dare.¡± Sophia red at him. ¡°Fine. Can the two of you disappear from my sight now? I just got divorced today, so seeing couples annoys me.¡± ¡°Then we''ll go now.¡± Having known each other for more than twenty years, the three''s rtionship ran deeper than friendship. From their years of knowing each other, Katherine and Joshua knew Sophia hated others pitying her. It was just a divorce anyway. Sophia would be back on her feet in a few days. After entering her mansion, Sophia made herself a ss of honey water. However, she only looked at the ss on the table while she sat on the couch. As she stared and stared at it, tears started rolling down her face. It was impossible for her not to feel miserable. She had been a talented child since young, and her looks and studies were always outstanding. Despiteing from an average family, she was the center of attention as she grew up. If not for Alexander, she could be unleashing her potential and contributing to a field she loved, just like Katherine and the others. However, one could not turn back time. Alexander had saved her when she was fifteen. She thought it was salvation, yet it turned out to be another abyss. Now that she had finally climbed out of it, she would never allow herself to fall back in again. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 As Sophia sleptte and drank two cocktails the night before, she was nursing a bad hangover. However, Katherine called her early in the morning, disrupting her sleep. ¡°What is it now, Ms. Famous?¡± Sophia asked snarkily. As a matter of fact, she was always bad- tempered after waking up in the morning. She had been suppressing it for a long time while living with the Xenos family. Now that she didn''t need to hold it in anymore, she was as irritable as a beast that had just been released from its cage. Katherine should be d she was not in front of Sophia. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Rolling her eyes, Sophia got out of bed while massaging her temples. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Your ex-husband and his first crush are trending. Now, the whole inte is discussing whether you two divorced on peaceful terms because both of you cheated.¡± Startled, Sophia woke from her drunken stupor. ¡°You yourself called him my ex-husband, so there is no need for you to risk your life to tell me about him in the future.¡± On the other end of the phone, Katherine rubbed her neck. ¡°I''m sorry, Soph. You can continue sleeping! I won''t disturb you anymore!¡± she blurted before hurriedly hanging up. Sophia threw her phone onto the bed and buried her head in the pillow again. Yet, Katherine''s words resounded in her mind. Restless and unable to sleep, she called out, ¡°Genie, help me boil some water.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia walked into her bathroom in her slippers and saw herself in the mirror. Her hair was an utter mess, and her skin was dull after a night of drinking. She hated the way she looked. Sophia, you just got a divorce. It''s not a big deal. Half an hourter, she stared at the news on her phone. Though she would be lying if she said she felt nothing, she had expected such a thing to happen someday. Now, reading the news about Alexander and Bethany, she had the urge tough. With that, she exited Twitter. Since we''re divorced, Alexander and Bethany having a date in the middle of the night has nothing to do with me anymore. After eating breakfast, she put on makeup and a long, blue dress before driving the dusty Ferrari in the garage out to Specter Entertainment. Thest time she came, Mason had led her in, while Katherine walked her out. As such, the receptionist treated her respectfully upon seeing her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, are you here for Ms. Quinn?¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Yes. Is she here?¡± ¡°She just arrived. Let me press the elevator for you.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Sophia said with a nod. Looking at the courteous receptionist, she remembered the receptionists at Odyssey, and she could not help but smile self-deprecatingly. How badly did Alexander treat me to make hispany''s receptionists look down on me? Well, it''s my fault too. Why did I have to act like a simp? In the end, all I gained was a divorce. The elevator doors slid open with a ding, drawing Sophia back to reality. She stepped out of the elevator in her silver high heels and made her way to Katherine''s office. Upon seeing her, Jonice asked in surprise, ¡°What brings you here, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Just here to take a look.¡± Smiling, Sophia pointed at the closed door of Katherine''s office. ¡°May I go in?¡± ¡°Sure! Kath is alone inside. Since you''re here, can you persuade her to stay low for the time being? Lots of paparazzi have their eyes on her recently. I spent lots of effort to stopst night''s incident from being publicized.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. I''ll tell her to be careful.¡± Jonice was one of the few people who knew Sophia was a major shareholder of Specter Entertainment. She was also aware of thetter''s friendship with Katherine. Katherine was a happy-go- lucky person, and only Sophia and Joshua could handle her. Thus, as Katherine''s assistant, Jonice was only there to clean up the former''s mess. A sense of relief flooded Jonice when Sophia agreed to help. ¡°No problem. I won''t waste your time anymore, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Upon entering Katherine''s office, Sophia saw the dazzling woman staring excitedly at her tablet for some reason. Her expressions were so vivid that she lived up to her name as an award-winning actress. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Sophia asked, sitting down beside Katherine and patting her crossed legs. Katherine did not expect Sophia toe just as she was reading about Alexander and Bethany''s news. She answered with excitement, ¡°I''m reading gossip about your ex-husband and his first crush! It seems rather touching.¡± Sophia slid her a look. ¡°What did you say?¡± A shiver ran down Katherine''s spine, and she immediately stered a righteous expression on her face. ¡°Those two are so shameless! How can they get together when Alexander just got a divorce? Are they afraid no one will know they are each other''s one true love?¡± Sophia poured herself a cup of coffee. ¡°You''re talking too much.¡± Truly terrified now, Katherine cried, ¡°I''m wrong! To make it up to you, I asked someone to get me two tickets for Lillian White''s art exhibition. You can go with Mason and show off before those two! Alexander is not that good anyway. He''s just a secondhand good you abandoned. Mason is much better than him.¡± Raising her eyebrows, Sophia countered, ¡°I dare you to say those words before Alexander.¡± Of course, Katherine had no guts to do so. ¡°We are civilized people. It''s not good to fall out in public. Instead, we should embarrass them in a refined manner. Believe me, if you bring Mason along, the netizens will side with you!¡± ¡°Come on! Stop dragging Mason into the mess. Did you not see thements of his fans who desire to be his girlfriend?¡± ¡°It''s fine. Mason is nning on brushing up his acting skills to be a talented actor. He can afford to lose those fans who want to be his girlfriend.¡± Sophia almost believed her for a second. ¡°Tell me. What games are you ying?¡± ¡°Uh... I heard that Bethany invited Alexander to be the special guest.¡± Sophia froze. After a few seconds, she turned to look at Katherine. ¡°Are you trying to entertain yourself by seeing me with the two?¡± Katherine dodged Sophia''s gaze guiltily before throwing her arm over thetter''s shoulder. ¡°Don''t say that, Soph. Think about all the mistreatment you experienced for the past three years in the Xenos family. Alexander ignoring you is the root cause. Not only did Bethany invite Alexander, but she also invited Kristen and Thalia. Do you know what others are saying about you? They say that even though you stayed in the Xenos family for three years, you''re nothingpared to Bethany''s invitation.¡± Katherine''s words made Sophia recall an incident that urred two years ago. Back when Sophia was turning twenty-five, Katherine had helped n a small party for her birthday. Originally, she nned to tell Alexander and his family the truth regarding her wealth during the party, but aside from Katherine and some other friends, no one from the Xenos family came. To make things worse, Thalia even uploaded a screenshot of a group chat she had created with the people that were invited. She had sent a message asking them whether they would attend Sophia''s birthday party, and everybody''s answer was the same: No. After the screenshot went around the upper-ss circle, everyoneughed at Sophia for overestimating herself. They mocked her for thinking she would fit in just because she married rich and wore pretty clothes. It was ridiculous to them that she would copy them and organize a birthday bash. A wave of misery welled up in Sophia when she recalled the past. Lowering her gaze, she said, ¡°There''s no point in going with Mason.¡± Katherine clicked her tongue. ¡°What do you mean? Thalia is an obsessed fan of Mason. Recently, Bethany''spany contacted Mason''s assistant as they wanted to coborate with him and organize an art exhibition. Two years ago, you couldn''t get the Xenos family toe. Now, they won''t get Mason to go either. Oh! This is quite thrilling!¡± Giving Katherine a meaningful look, Sophiamented, ¡°You amaze me. You even know how to set me up now.¡± ¡°No, I won''t dare to do that.¡± Silence hung between them for a moment. Unable to hold herself back, Katherine asked, ¡°So, are you going or not?¡± Sophia took a sip of her coffee. ¡°Of course. Why won''t I go?¡± I actually want to see how Thalia furious will be when she finds out her idol is with me. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 On the day of Bethany''s art exhibition, Sophia spent more than an hour putting on delicate makeup. She styled her long and soft hair into a fishtail braid hanging behind her back, leaving some strands of stray hair framing her face. As for her outfit, she matched her loose apricot silk shirt with an emerald long pencil skirt. Her elegant style looked a littlezy yet sexy at the same time. When Mason saw Sophia, he couldn''t help but arch his eyebrows and whistle at her. ¡°When are you nning to look for a boyfriend, Soph? Can you issue me a number tag and let me line up first?¡± Sophia found Mason''s words funny. ¡°Stop joking around.¡± ¡°I''m being serious,¡± Mason responded. He took off his sunsses and lowered his head to look at Sophia, looking very sincere. Upon hearing that, Sophia was stunned for a moment. She hadn''t thought of starting a new rtionship in the meantime, let alone messing around with a young man from herpany. Without responding to Mason, she got on the Maserati. Mason was unbothered by Sophia''s reaction. The awkwardness from a moment ago soon dissipated as he continued, ¡°Don''t worry, Soph. Katherine has told me everything. I''ll definitely help you seek revenge today!¡± Looking at Mason, Sophia heaved a sigh of relief and gave a faint smile. ¡°I''ll be counting on you then.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± The blue Maserati sped off and soon arrived in front of Bethany''s art gallery. Instantly, people''s attention was drawn to the extravagant car. Sophia unbuckled her seatbelt and got down from the car in her high heels. After walking to Mason''s side, she held onto his arm and entered the venue. The security personnel at the entrance stopped them. ¡°Sir, Madam, please show me your invitation card.¡± Thus, Sophia took out the invitation from her bag and handed it over to the security personnel. After confirming it, thetter finally allowed them into the ce. Other than Bethany''s artwork, there were also art pieces created by other famous artists, which were specially borrowed for the exhibition that day. Hence, it wasn''t a ce that anyone could enter. Although the White family wasn''tparable to the Xenos family, it was still a renowned wealthy family in Jadeborough. Bethany''s art gallery was nearly five hundred square meters, and the rental fee reached almost three million a year, not to mention the luxurious renovation. As soon as she entered, Sophia recognized the chandelier on the ceiling. Designed by an artist from Irushea, that chandelier alone cost more than a million. Many of the showcases at the venue were moved away to allocate arger space for the guests to appreciate the art pieces. Undeniably, Bethany''s art was pretty interesting, even though Sophia couldn''t understand them. As it was an art exhibition organized by the daughter of the White family, many reporters naturally came to show their support. Mason had kept his outfit simple that day. He was dressed in a shirt and apricot-colored casual pants. He also had a pair of sunsses on, hence the reporters didn''t recognize him at once. Upon reaching the second floor, Sophia immediately saw Bethany from afar. Thetter was wearing a graceful floral dress, her long hair trailing down her back. She looked gentle and lovely. As Alexander hadn''t arrived at the exhibition, Bethany kept on looking downstairs. When Sophia and Mason walked further ahead, they discovered an open balcony. There were three parasols on the balcony with chairs and tables under them. A painted wall stood by the side, and surprisingly,plimentary beverages and desserts were ced on a t surface in the corner of the wall. Most visitors were inside the venue, so the balcony was peaceful at that moment. Sophia nced at Mason. ¡°Shall we sit here for a while?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Sophia couldn''t really appreciate art as it was too sophisticated for her. From N?velDrama.Org. While the people indoors conversed eloquently about famous artists, Sophia and Mason chatted about the recent gossip in the entertainment industry. Although Sophia wasn''t as interested in the industry''s gossip as Katherine, she didn''t mind listening to it asionally. With the juices and cakes on the table and a handsome man in front of her, Sophia felt like she could sit there the entire afternoon. However, that was simply her wishful thinking. Sophia''s mission for the day was to create trouble for Thalia and the others. Putting aside the ss of juice in her hand, Sophia looked at Mason and said, ¡°The main character should be here soon. Let''s head in.¡± She smiled and picked up her bag as she stood up. Before Sophia and Mason even entered the venue, Thalia''s surprised voice pierced through the air. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Whenever Thalia was in front of Sophia, she felt an inexplicable sense of superiority. However, she would also feel displeased upon seeing thetter''s gorgeous appearance. Hence, every time she saw Sophia, Thalia couldn''t help but insult thetter with harsh words. It was no exception that day. ¡°Do you know where this is? Is this a ce where you cane to, Sophia? Don''t tell me you came here knowing that Alex will appear. You''re not going to beg him to remarry you, are you?¡± As Thalia went on, she started to feel more confident about her own reasoning. ¡°Sophia, don''t even dream about remarrying Alex. Go ahead and beg me first if you want to remarry him. Who knows? I might put in a good word for you in front of him. Although he might not agree to it in the end, at least he''ll get to hear you out. What do you think? Isn''t my suggestion wonderful? There aren''t many people here, so you can...¡± The only thing on Thalia''s mind when she saw Sophia was to question thetter. Thus, she only noticed there was a man standing beside Sophia after bbering for a while. Thalia found him looking vaguely familiar. When she took another look at him, she was utterly stunned to see that it was Mason. ¡°You... Why are you with Mason?¡± Sophia didn''t answer Thalia''s question. Instead, she turned to nce at Mason, who took off his sunsses and responded, ¡°I''m here to apany Soph.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh! How could y-you two? How!¡± Thalia eximed as she looked at Mason, visibly on the verge of tears. Sophia remained silent the entire time and looked at Thalia as if she was watching a clown. After a while, she figured she had seen enough. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Thalia was about to lose her mind. She initially thought that the photographs captured by the paparazzi days ago were taken at a certain angle, making Sophia and Mason look intimate. With that in mind, she repeatedlyforted and told herself that there was nothing between Sophia and Mason and that there would never be anything between them. Yet, Thalia just witnessed her idol standing beside Sophia. How does she match up to him? She doesn''t deserve him in any way! ¡°You''re not allowed to leave!¡± Thalia shouted. However, nobody paid attention to her. Sophia had reentered the art gallery with Mason following behind her. His lips were curled up slightly as they mumbled to each other smilingly. Thalia was so enraged that her eyes turned red. Once she came back to her senses, she hurriedly chased after them. Not long after walking into the gallery, Sophia and Mason ran into Bethany and Alexander. Behind the two was arge group of reporters with cameras on them. The atmosphere in the space turned tense all of a sudden. After a short while, Bethany broke the silence by saying, ¡°It''s been a long time since west met, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°I came over to take a look since I was bored. The art exhibition is not bad.¡± Bethany let out a gasp and seemed a little surprised. ¡°I didn''t expect that you would like my artwork, Ms. Yarrow. It''s my pleasure.¡± How pretentious. Sophia simplyplimented that Bethany''s art exhibition was decent, yet thetter announced that Sophia liked her artwork. There wasn''t a hint of humbleness in Bethany''s nonchnt tone. Rather, it made people think that she was mocking Sophia for pretending to understand her art. Raising her eyebrows, Sophia uttered, ¡°I''m not really well-versed about art, but I think this was what Mason studied before debuting.¡± She paused momentarily and looked at Mason. ¡°What do you think about Ms. White''s artwork?¡± ¡°They are pretty average,¡± Mason remarked. Hearing that, Sophia frowned at him and said, ¡°Ms. White is going to chase us out if you speak like this.¡± Bethany''s expression turned slightly unpleasant at Mason''sment. However, she could only force a smile upon hearing Sophia''s words. ¡°Your evaluation is indeed on point, Mr. Queen. I''m definitely not as capable as you.¡± Mason didn''t try to be modest at all as he said bluntly, ¡°Yeah. That''s why I made my manager reject your coboration request previously. I hope that you won''t mind, Ms. White.¡± ¡°I... I don''t mind,¡± Bethany stuttered. Seeing Bethany''s clenched jaw, Sophia knew it was time to stop. She nced at Mason and chided, ¡°That''s enough. If I had known you wouldn''t like the exhibition, I wouldn''t havee as well. Let''s go now so we won''t dy Ms. White any further.¡± ¡°All right, Soph.¡± With that, the two of them turned around and left. Throughout the exchange, Sophia did not even spare a nce at the man beside Bethany. On the contrary, Alexander''s dark gaze was fixed on Sophia the whole time. The nickname ¡°Soph¡± sounded piercing and harsh to his ears. What is their rtionship? Why is he calling her in such an intimate way? Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Mason had studied art before making his acting debut. Exceptionally, he was admitted to the Central Academy of Fine Arts at the age of seventeen. By the time he was neen, he gained attention internationally as his work, Impression, Sunrise, took third ce in the Prada Awards. After him, no one else in the country managed to be shortlisted for the award. Mason, though, merely considered painting to be a hobby. At the age of twenty, he made his debut after being scouted by Katherine. Andst year, just as he graduated from university, another of his paintings was selected for the Prada Awards, shocking the entire entertainment and art industry. Therefore, Mason''sments on Bethany''s artwork just now were like bullets to thetter''s heart. She had been wanting to coborate with him for a while, not only to ride on his poprity but more so to utilize it to further her career. However, Mason had turned her down. Thus, her n was in vain. Initially, the general public spected that Mason''s busy schedule prevented him from coborating with Bethany. Yet, he just personally imed that her mediocre artwork was to me. This statement instantly caused the viewers in the live stream to go wild, especially Mason''s fans. Sophia, on the other hand, was pleased with the oue. As she read thements on the live stream, the corner of her lips unconsciously turned up. When the car stopped, Mason, who was sitting next to Sophia, cocked his head and stared at her. While Sophia undid her seatbelt, she arched her eyebrows and sighed. ¡°I''m a terrible woman.¡± Hearing that, Mason smirked. ¡°I like terrible women.¡± ¡°Stop flirting with me,¡± she said dead-panned before getting out of the car and thanking Mason again. ¡°You''ve aplished your mission for today. Get back and report it to your higher-ups,¡± she said. ¡°Ohe on, Soph. Aren''t you going to treat me to a meal?¡± Mason whined. Without looking back, Sophia retorted, ¡°I don''t know how to cook. Bye.¡± With that, she shut the door of the mansion. After staring at the empty entrance for a while, Mason eventually started the car and drove off. Bethany had invited Alexander as a special guest to her art exhibition and paid the media to broadcast the entire event live. On top of that, she even nned to hire ghostwriters to write about what a wonderful couple she and Alexander were. By doing this, she could let the public know that they were involved with each other and get ahead of Sophia. That way, if she were to get married to Alexander, people wouldn''t call her a sl*t. She even thought of paying people to put up articles by then to defame Sophia and let thetter know how foolish and overconfident she was. Yet, Sophia and Mason''s arrival ruined all of her ns. Because of hisment, manyizens started posting negative remarks about her before she could even contact her public rtions team. That was not the worst part; the worst part was that Sophia was receiving praise. Netizens were discussing how her appearanceplemented Alexander''s. Additionally, viewers of the live streammented that Sophia did not even nce at Alexander, whereas Alexander continued to stare at Sophia. They consequently gushed over how admirable Sophia was for refusing to turn back to the past. Bethany, who initially hoped to use the situation to make Sophia appear terrible, was bewildered. Soon, themotion over Mason''sment about Bethany''s artwork got out of hand. It was evident that there was someone behind it. On the inte, people started making wild assumptions. After a few hours, some had alreadye up with a dramatic love triangle story between the rich. Of course, Sophia was the victim in this fantasized love triangle. Alexander and Bethany, on the other hand, were the shameless couple. At that point, theizens were convinced that Sophia and Alexander''s divorce happened because she discovered evidence of his affair. They deduced that she used it to receive a substantial settlement before ending the rtionship graciously for the sake of her ex-husband and his mistress. It was not a somebody, but Katherine, who was behind it all. Meanwhile, Sophia felt slightly troubled when she saw the trending topics. ¡°Isn''t this a little inappropriate?¡± Katherine, who was sitting on the couch, felt unhappy after hearing Sophia. ¡°What exactly do you mean by inappropriate? Throughout your three years of marriage to Alexander, how frequently did you see him, and how frequently did Bethany see him?¡± After giving it a thought, Sophia could not help but feel slightly hurt. In her three years of marriage to Alexander, they had only met up less than ten times, three of which were during the Xenos family''s banquets. On the other hand, Thalia had revealed to Sophia that during Alexander''s eighteen business trips, he met up with Bethany eight times, not to mention thepany''s events and the birthday banquets of the White family''s elders. Katherine knew she had struck the right spot when she noticed Sophia''s lowered head and silence. ¡°The two of them even spent a night in a hotel, by themselves, on the night before you got divorced! I don''t care whether you can tolerate this because I can''t and I won''t. Theizens would be criticizing you now if we hadn''t attacked first. Do you really think that b*tchy Bethany will just let you off the hook? We can''t be kind to our enemies!¡± She could not help but feel frustrated when Sophia continued to hang her head low. ¡°Come on, Soph. Don''t tell me you still feel bad for him? Was my message unclear? Or are you not hurt enough?¡± Sophia raised her brows and cast a sidelong nce at Katherine. ¡°I was just looking for the pictures of them spending the night at the hotel.¡± Shortly, she pointed at Katherine''s phone, which pinged. ¡°There. I''ve sent them to you. Reveal them when it''s necessary.¡± ¡°Great job!¡± Katherine praised. However, she was soon fuming after downloading the pictures and seeing them. ¡°When was this?¡± ¡°About seven months ago, I think.¡± Though the pictures were not steamy ones, Bethany and Alexander could be seen merely dressed in their bathrobes. It was, therefore, sufficient to pique one''s imagination. Additionally, it was Bethany who actually sent them to Sophia personally. Sophia believed that Alexander at least had his boundaries set. However, the thought of Bethany gloating back when she wasn''t even his mistress was still too much for her. Since she wants to be the mistress so bad, then I''ll grant her the wish. Meanwhile, Katherine was exploding with anger. ¡°I''ll ask someone to spread these immediately! I can''t believe that jerk actually cheated on you! You better not return to him for his disgusting money!¡± ¡°I''m not short of money, though.¡± Katherine felt like crying inside. ¡°I am. Do you want to give me some?¡± Sophia tilted her head and nced at Katherine. ¡°Selling those bags and shoes in your closet would help.¡± ¡°You terrible woman!¡± Katherine shrieked. Sophia nodded, the corner of her eyes crinkling as she smiled lightly. ¡°Yeah, I am indeed a terrible woman. Don''t fall in love with me. You won''t get anything out of it.¡± Her words left Katherine feeling a little dazed. After Sophia got divorced, Katherine did find her feisty behavior somehow attractive. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Things on the inte took a turn at three o''clock in the afternoon after Bethany posted a statement using her personal social media ount. Her statement consisted of nearly a thousand words, but there were only two main points. Firstly, she proimed that Alexander was only a good friend of hers, and she did not do anything that could destroy his marriage with Sophia. Secondly, she didn''t understand why Sophia, who had already divorced Alexander, would appear at her art exhibition. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Those who were smart enough would know that the statement was very pretentious. The rification seemed rtively objective on the surface, but in reality, it was not sincere. The second point implied that Sophia had not gotten over her failed marriage by mentioning her appearance at the art exhibition because she knew her ex-husband was there. As a celebrity who had spent many years immersed in the entertainment industry, Katherine was outrageous after seeing the statement. Instantly, she used the ultimate move Sophia had given her. As a result, her involvement turned the tables in less than half an hour. Meanwhile, Felix was dumbfounded when he knew about the incident from his assistant. He quickly ordered his subordinates to tell him everything about it. Then, he knocked on the door of Alexander''s office. Sitting in front of his desk, Alexander asked without even raising his head, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Mr. Xenos, do you want to rify the rumors about you and Ms. White on the inte?¡± ¡°What rumors do you mean?¡± Alexander frowned as he grew impatient. For a moment, Felix did not know whether those usations were true or purely rumors. He did not have the guts to tell Alexander that his intimate photos with Bethany were all over the inte. In the end, he decided to put his tablet directly in front of Alexander. ¡°Ms. White''s art exhibition was livestreamed this morning. It happened that Ms. Yarrow was at the exhibition too, and it caused an uproar on the inte. Alexander wasn''t interested in the posts on the inte. However, the photos on the tablet were so eye-catching that he noticed them at a nce. It was a photo taken by Bethany using the front camera, and it captured him leaving the bathroom wearing only a bathrobe in the background. Although they did not physically touch one another, the photo was ambiguous indeed. That day, he was out on a business trip to another city when he met Bethany by coincidence during a dinner meeting. As she had drunk a lot that night, he asked Felix to send her back to her room for the sake of the White family. Yet, she puked all over Alexander as soon as she left the dining area, leaving thetter infuriated on the spot. He quickly ordered Felix to get her out of here while he returned to his room to clean himself up. When he was finally out of the shower, Bethany was already in his room wearing only a bathrobe. She imed she was there to apologize, but he chased her away before she could finish saying her sentence. ¡°Where did the photose from?¡± Alexander asked while scrolling the tablet. After he read thements, his expression became as cold as the wind in winter. Goosebumps appeared on Felix''s arm out of nowhere. ¡°We haven''t found out yet.¡± ¡°Why are there suddenly so many articles that mention me?¡± It wasn''t purely mentioning him; those articles were criticizing him. Felix lifted his hand to wipe away the sweat on his forehead. ¡°We found out that these media received the news from the public rtions department of Specter Entertainment.¡± p! All of a sudden, Alexander mmed the tablet onto the desk with the screen facing down. Then, with a dark frightening gaze, he bellowed, ¡°Contact the person in charge of Specter Entertainment! Order them to remove all the articles!¡± ¡°Y-Yes, Mr. Xenos. I''ll contact them at once!¡± Felix hurried out of Alexander''s office, searching for the number of the person in charge. I wonder what Mr. Xenos saw just now for him to show such a gloomy expression! He looked as if he would kill everyone in his way! How horrifying! Alexander sat in his office, wearing a seething expression. Then, all of a sudden, a thought struck him. He reached out and called Felix''s internalndline. ¡°You don''t have to contact the person in charge of Specter Entertainment anymore!¡± As soon as he finished his sentence, he hung up the phone immediately. Holding his phone in his hand, he walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window and phoned his ex-wife, whom he had never called in the past three years. Sophia had long memorized Alexander''s number. A nce was all it took for her to know that it was a call from him even though she didn''t save his contact number. The phone kept ringing, but she just stared at it without intending to answer it. Sitting beside her, Katherine nced at Sophia after sensing something was amiss. When she saw that Sophia was still enjoying her grapes, Katherine couldn''t help but probe. ¡°Is it a call from Alexander?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sophia replied after spitting out the skin of the grape. ¡°Aren''t you going to answer it?¡± Alexander doesn''t seem like a man to be trifled with... Upon seeing that, Sophia shot her a look calmly. ¡°You''re finally afraid, huh?¡± Needless to say, Katherine would never admit it. ¡°Nonsense! I''m just surprised that he would call you. Now is the perfect moment for you to chide him!¡± Just as she had finished speaking, Sophia picked up the call and passed the phone to her. ¡°There you go. Go ahead.¡± ¡°Don''t do this, Soph...¡± Sophia chuckled and put the phone next to her ear. ¡°Is there anything I can help you, Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander felt a lump in his chest at once. He had just asked a question but didn''t receive any answer from the other end. ¡°Are you the one who post the picture?¡± ¡°You can say that.¡± Sophia did not deny it. ¡°Did you hire someone to stalk me?¡± Does he know what he''s saying? This is absurd! Sophia sneered coldly, ¡°You''ve thought too highly of yourself, Alexander.¡± With that, she hung up the phone. At the same time, Katherine apuded subconsciously. ¡°That was cool!¡± Sophia wanted tough, but she no longer found it amusing. ¡°All right. Find Joshua if you''ve nothing else to do here. Don''t do this in the future. It''s pointless.¡± After all, it was a lose-lose situation. Looking at Sophia''s sorrowful expression, Katherine felt a bit guilty. ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He asked if I''ve sent someone to stalk him.¡± ¡°Where does he get the nerve to ask such a question?¡± ¡°Well, I might be the one who gives him the nerves,¡± Sophia responded after a brief silence. She was young and ignorant in the past, and she gave him her heart. Now that they were divorced, he still thought she was the pushover she used to be. At the end of the day, she was the one who allowed it to happen at first. Katherine sighed. ¡°Don''t be sad. I''ll give you a hug and let youy your head on my big boobs!¡± Sophiaughed in exasperation. ¡°You should go now. If I''m not wrong, Alexander''s secretary has already arrived at Specter Entertainment with his men.¡± Just as Katherine was about to say something, her phone suddenly rang. She glimpsed at the caller ID and discovered it was Jonice. Left with no choice, she picked up the phone and asked, ¡°What''s wrong, Jonice?¡± ¡°Alexander''s secretary is here to see you. Come back here as soon as possible, or you''ll see them in court.¡± ¡°I-I''ll be back at once!¡± Katherine nced at Sophia, who had just predicted the future correctly. ¡°Are you a psychic, Soph? Your ex-husband''spdogs are now at the office. I have to go.¡± Sophia waved her goodbye. However, after considering it for a while, she still couldn''t trust Katherine''s intelligence. ¡°If Felix threatens you, tell him Bethany was the one who sent them to me.¡± Although Katherine was puzzled, she decided to listen to Sophia''s advice. ¡°All right. I know. Let me handle Alexander''spdogs first. Don''t be sad when you''re alone!¡± Sophia did not even spare her friend a nce, so Katherine could only leave in embarrassment. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Katherine had to acknowledge that Sophia was very skilled in understanding other people''s minds. Felix personally brought staff from Odyssey''s legal department to see Katherine. If Katherine and her team refused to remove the articles and make a public apology, they would receive a court summons on the next day. Nevertheless, Katherine was only trying to help Sophia to teach the pretentious Bethany a lesson. Moreover, Katherine also wanted to create some trouble for Alexander. It was topensate for the unfair treatment that Sophia had received during her stay in the Xenos residence for three years. As a matter of fact, Katherine had been in the entertainment industry for almost ten years. Hence, it was her forte to deal with online arguments on ambiguous rumors such as the one they were currently in. In fact, she knew that online statements would always be used to spread rumors. Besides, Alexander did not keep boundaries with people of the opposite gender during his marriage with Sophia for the past three years. Therefore, he would still be deemed guilty when such scandalous pictures showed up. Katherine did not expect that they would dare to bringwyers toe to her office to negotiate. The twowyers had been talking non-stop as if they were on steroids. In the end, she was inexplicably unnerved by the tense situation. However, she had portrayed herself to be a very strong and powerful character to the public. Thus, she did not allow herself to show the tiniest bit of fear. Staring directly at Felix, she gave him a cold smile. ¡°After having talked for such a long time, do you know who gave the pictures to Sophia, Mr. Lane?¡± Felix did not expect that she had digressed from the main issue. Hence, it was not surprising that his mind went nk for a short while. Eventually, he blurted out, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Who could it be other than Bethany? I''m fine with deleting the articles, but you need to ask Bethany to delete the pictures that she had forwarded to Sophia.¡± Unfortunately, Felix did not have the means to do that. The sudden truth puzzled him. Nevertheless, he had been Alexander''s secretary for nearly eight years. At the crucial moment, he was still able to think clearly. ¡°Ms. Quinn, can I ask you a question? What is your rtionship with Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°That''s none of your business!¡± Felix was at a loss for words. Then, he took his two secretaries away. When Katherine saw that they had walked away, she took off her sunsses. Patting her chest, she eximed, ¡°What a nightmare!¡± Jonice, who had been at the side, was ashamed of Katherine''s reaction. ¡°Can you take care of your image? What will we do if someone sees you?¡± ¡°Jonice, don''t worry! Is there anyone else here other than us? Hold on. My phone is ringing. It''s Soph! I need to inform her of the result.¡± The corner of Jonice''s lips twitched. Annoyed, she closed the door before walking out of the room. At first, Katherine thought that Sophia was calling because thetter was concerned about what happened. Katherine was ready to brag about it when she suddenly heard Sophia''s calm voice. ¡°Ask them to remove the articles. Also, stop spending money to make those articles to be trending. I want the issue between Alexander and me to stop here,¡± Sophia uttered. Upon hearing her words, Katherine was baffled. After a short pause, she said, ¡°Please make a sound if you are being kidnapped.¡± ¡°Don''t be silly, Kathy. I''m just a little tired.¡± Indeed, Katherine could detect the hint of exhaustioning from Sophia''s voice. The former pursed her lips. Even though she was reluctant to stop, she said, ¡°Okay. But please don''t be sad about it. We will continue to be our beautiful selves in the future. It''s good to be single these days!¡± A man''s gruff voice was heard suddenly. ¡°What did you mean about having a good time these days?¡± Katherine was stunned. When she lifted her gaze, she realized Joshua was standing in the room. She flinched nervously. ¡°I didn''t say anything.¡± She pretended to be frail, pitiful, and helpless. Upon hearing Joshua''s voice, Sophia chuckled before hanging up the phone. Then, she went to the kitchen, nning to make a hearty and delicious dinner for herself in order tofort her wounded heart. An hour passed. That''s it! I think it''s better for me to order some food delivery. Finally, all the online articles were removed. Although the rumor about the love triangle between Sophia, Alexander, and Bethany was reaching its climax, it was stopped abruptly. After the articles were removed, Alexander also instructed his men to stop the public from spreading the news. It was not a surprise when the matter disappearedpletely at night. However, Alexander had trouble falling asleep that night. When Felix told him that Bethany was the one who circted the photos, Alexander remembered Sophia''s words all of a sudden. She had told him that he had overestimated himself. At that time, he thought that it was no big deal. He assumed that Sophia was upset and became angry about it. However, after knowing the truth, Alexander suddenly felt frustrated for some reason. That''s enough. I should have a smoke before going to sleep. After that day, Sophia kept a low profile for a short while. No one mentioned her at all. It was as if she had disappeared. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Everyone assumed that Sophia had been hurt in the rtionship. Thus, they thought that she had decided to concede defeat once she knew that it would be a futile attempt. Even though that was somewhat the truth, in actuality, Sophia had been traveling in Epea for a while. She was there on a holiday and had a wonderful time skiing, bungee jumping, surfing, and paragliding. She had nned to go back home in two days'' time after she had her holiday for more than one month. One day, she was in a duty-free shop with the list given by Katherine in her hand. Katherine had asked her to buy a few bags and some lipsticks, which were already sold out back in their country. Suddenly, a familiar male voice was heard calling out her name. ¡°Soph!¡± She was startled by the voice. When she turned around, she saw Howard Holden. He was one of the famous celebrities under Specter Entertainment. ¡°Why are you here?¡± That year, Howard was only twenty-one years old, looking young and youthful. He had two fang-like cuspids that made him look very cute when he smiled. ¡°I''m recently taking a break. Thus, Katherine told me to pick you up.¡± After throwing three lipsticks into the basket, Sophia gave him a half-smile. ¡°What is she having up her sleeve now?¡± Unlike Mason, Howard was a shy person. When Sophia stared at him intently, his ears turned bright red immediately. Lifting his hand, he scratched his head. ¡°I acted in a moviest year. It''s going to be aired on the eighth day next month. Katherine told me to create some hype for it.¡± ¡°You are quite frank.¡± Sophia shed a brief smile. Then, she tore the order list and gave the other half to him. ¡°Help me to find these three bags.¡± ¡°Okay, Soph.¡± Sophia took a morning flight sometime after eight o''clock in the morning on the next day. When they landed in Dellmoor, it was already past three o''clock in the afternoon. When she got off the ne with Howard, they were surrounded by paparazzi who had been called to be there by Katherine. Then, they had to wait at Dellmoor for eighty minutes in transit before heading back to Jadeborough. Thus, it was already past eight o''clock at night when they arrived back in Jadeborough. Howard''s manager had arranged for a car to send them back home. Katherine had asked her to buy many things. Hence, Sophia found it hard to take them back herself. Howard had to help her with her other luggage. ¡°Genie, heat up the water.¡± They put on house slippers after they entered the house. Sophia proceeded to the kitchen to wash two sses. She then headed back to the living room and offered Howard a ss of warm water. ¡°Soph, your smart home butler is quite interesting.¡± She sat down on the couch. Raising her eyebrows, she asked, ¡°Do you like it? If you do, you can ask Katherine to give one to you.¡± The young man looked like he was deeply interested in the system. Upon hearing her remarks, he had an excited look on his face. ¡°Is it a system developed by Joshua''spany? I''ve noticed that there is no system like this on the market.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Yes, that''s right. They are currently waiting for the government''s approval. I think it should be introduced in the market at the end of this year. If you like it, you can mention it to Katherine. She may be able to let you use it in advance.¡± ¡°Can I?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Thank you, Soph.¡± She took a sip of the water. ¡°You don''t have to thank me.¡± Shortly afterward, Howard left the house. After she had sent him out, she instructed Genie to fill the bathtub with water while she unpacked her luggage. Subsequently, she took her sleeping gown and went straight to take a bath. The past few days had been quite eventful for her. Moreover, she had to sit on a ne for more than fifteen hours. It was not surprising that she fell asleep in the bathtub. While she was sleeping, there was another trending news on Twitter. The third trending topic on the social media tform was titled: Howard''s Secret Lover Alexander received Samuel''s WhatsApp message right after the former had finished his work overtime. Before he opened the message, his phone''s quick notification indicated that it was a photograph. Although he thought that Samuel was childish, Alexander proceeded to open the message nheless. In their chat, Samuel sent him a message: Alex, your ex-wife is incredible. It''s only been a short while before she has found herself another young man. When Alexander tapped on the photograph, he saw that it was Howard, who was a popr young celebrity. In the photograph, Howard was seen protecting a woman who had an alluring figure. Even though the woman only showed a third of her face, Alexander recognized her almost immediately. Howard''s so-called secret lover was Sophia, the woman who had divorced Alexander three months ago. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 As Sophia finally had some free timetely, she happily idled at home. However, she could only loaf about for two days before she was forced by Katherine to attend a banquet. Stepping into the banquet, Sophia hadn''t even spotted Katherine''s figure, yet she already bumped into an old acquaintance. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°Tsk, tsk. Isn''t this my sister-inw? Oh, right. How forgetful I am. You''re no longer my sister-inw!¡± Thalia''s sarcastic words attracted the attention of many. Putting on an impassive countenance, Sophia stared at Thalia and asked, ¡°Is there anything I can help you with, Ms. Xenos?¡± ¡°Oh, it''s nothing. I was just curious about the trick you employed to earn yourself the invitation card to get in! This banquet tonight is open to all big shots only, but you''re just a gold digger. Whose coattails have you ridden on to enter?¡± While Jadeborough was notrge, it was not small either. Still, it was always the usual folks hanging around the same social circle. The banquet attendees were basically people from the upper ss. The pressing onlookers who were waiting for Sophia to make a fool of herself were just the same as those people who had humiliated her during the past three years. Thalia was the daughter of the Xenos family, so her words would still carry some weight among the group of socialites. Once she took the lead to discriminate and bully someone, there would naturally be a bunch of people following suit just to curry favor with the Xenos family. Sophia couldn''t help but smile as she raised her hand and pointed at Katherine, who wasing from behind Thalia. ¡°You might have to seek the answer from Ms. Quinn.¡± As a brand ambassador, Katherine was decked in dazzling jewelry that night, exuding an air of elegance and sophistication. She instantly drew the public attention like a ma the moment she set her foot inside. From afar, she noticed that Sophia was encircled by the crowd. Katherine had yet to walk up to Sophia, but she could already hear Thalia acting up again. Katherine was so enraged that her face turned red. With her twelve-centimeter high heels, she squeezed through the crowd and stood before Sophia. As protective as a mother hen, she stared down at Thalia with an ice-cold gaze. ¡°What right do you have to say that to my friend?¡± Katherine''s words were like a tight p across Thalia''s cheek. Thetter''s face paled to a ghastly white, and she seemed to have something to rebuke. However, Katherine was an A-list celebrity and also the ambassador of the jewelry brand. She would never be the person to leave, even if the brand managers were to chase them out. Everyone in their social circle had been specting that there was an affluent investor supporting Katherine. Even so, no one had managed to dig out the identity of that investor over so many years. Because of that, Thalia wouldn''t dare to offend Katherine. All she could do was re at Sophia. Since when has this woman cozy up to Katherine? shing a half-smile, Sophia nced at Thalia before scanning the surrounding horde with an indifferent mien. Then, she grabbed a ss of grape juice and walked away from the drama. Trailing behind her, Katherine was still wearing a frosty visage. No one dared to even strike up a conversation with her when she walked past them. Sophia picked a quiet corner and stopped in her tracks. She then let out a light snort. ¡°Not bad. You''re quite intimidating!¡± Since there were no outsiders near them, Katherine''s face took a drastic change there and then. She grinned from ear to ear while looking at her friend. ¡°Why did you dress up so inly tonight?¡± That night, Sophia was only d in a ck fitting slip dress with her long hair let down on her back. She had no jewelry on except a pair of diamond ear studs. By contrast, Katherine wore a fine purple dress coupled with a diamond ne and a pair of drop earrings, looking majestic and elegant. Taking a sip of the grape juice, Sophia kept mum as she watched Katherine leisurely with her alluring eyes. ¡°Beautiful people are often capricious! Goodness gracious, Soph. Don''t look at me this way. I''m not ready toe out yet!¡± eximed Katherine. Sophia knew that her friend was merely teasing her, so she smiled and said nothing. Katherine cleared her throat and continued, ¡°There''s an exhibition hall inside. Care to join me?¡± Arching a brow, Sophia knew that Katherine had always loved shimmering jewelry since her youth. ¡°Okay. There''s nothing much to do here anyway.¡± The brand managers had set up an exhibition hall for the banquet. All new products of the current season were put on disy. Considering that they were many socialites present at the banquet, this asion could serve as a mini exhibition. At first nce, it was obvious that the items inside the exhibition hall were not something any commoner could afford. The cheapest bracelet already cost one hundred seventy thousand, not to mention those nes with a price tag of tens of thousands or even above one million. Sophia was not that interested in jewelry, and she came over just to apany Katherine. There was quite a crowd in the exhibition hall, so Katherine had to put up a cold front again when facing the public. Seeing how restrained Katherine was, Sophia thought that watching her friend was much more interesting than those nes and bracelets. ¡°This ne really suits you, Bethany. Oh, my. I think it''s custom-made for you!¡± Thalia spoke in a low voice, yet she was only three disy cases away from Sophia and Katherine, so the duo could hear her words clearly. As soon as Katherine caught a glimpse of Bethany, the former lost the mood to continue touring the exhibition. She tugged at Sophia''s arm and walked over there. Looking at that piece of ne sitting in the disy case, Katherine casually turned to Sophia and asked, ¡°Does this ne look nice? What do you think?¡± Sophia shifted her gaze to the disy case and raised her eyebrows. ¡°So-so.¡± ¡°Do you like it? If you do, I''ll go and get you one. I heard they only produced three pieces of this ne.¡± Sophia stroked her brow and lowered her head slightly, seemingly considering it seriously. After a while, she piped up, ¡°I don''t like it.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose it looks good, but it''s a shame that it''s not worthy of you,¡± scoffed Katherine. It was undeniable that Katherine''s take on temperament had always been strict in front of other people. Had she stated her opinion sooner, it would have caused no issue. However, Thalia had just commented that the ne suited Bethany. Thetter, too, was beginning to take a liking to that ne. s, Katherine suddenly stepped in with Sophia to drop a bomb, iming that it was unworthy of Sophia. Thalia''s face darkened right away. She had been caught off guard a while ago and was humiliated by Katherine. This time, she wouldn''t let it slide. ¡°Not worthy? I think it''s more like you couldn''t afford it.¡± Quirking the corner of her lips, Katherine let out a sneer. ¡°You mean I couldn''t even cough up one million for it?¡± Thalia had directed the remark to Sophia, but she never anticipated Katherine to throw out a reply instead. Needless to say, Katherine was able to pay for this ne. Word had it that her endorsement fee was already more than ten million, so one million was simply chicken feed. ¡°Thalia didn''t mean that, Ms. Quinn.¡± Bethany tried to smooth things out. ¡°Oh, really? How about you tell me what she means, then?¡± Bethany''s expression froze when she heard Katherine''s words. Thetter didn''t seem to show her any respect. What am I supposed to say to that? Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Seeing more people begin to gather around, Sophia was concerned that Katherine might get lambasted by theizens on social media the next day. She reached out and tugged at her friend''s arm. ¡±It''s nothing. Let''s go.¡± Looking at Bethany, Katherine snorted at her before following Sophia out of the exhibition hall. After being humiliated for the second time that evening, Thalia was fuming. ¡°Katherine, do you know that the woman beside you is a scheming gold-digger? Everyone in Jadeborough knew that she married Alex for our family fortune!¡± Katherine was on the verge of exploding the moment she heard that. Sophia gave her a knowing look, signaling her to stay quiet. ¡°Wait for me here.¡± With that, she turned around and walked in front of Thalia. ¡°Let me ask you a question, Ms. Xenos.¡± Looking at Sophia with contempt, Thalia snapped, ¡°What a clumsy way to change the topic!¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Do you have a good rtionship with your brother?¡± Thalia froze momentarily. Without waiting for her reply, Sophia continued nonchntly, ¡°Surely you would know that I didn''t ask for any money when I divorced him if you have a close rtionship with him.¡± The smile on Thalia''s face faded. Her dazzling eyes shed with a cold glint. Even though Sophia''s voice was not loud, the people around them heard her crystal clear. With that, Sophia turned around and left. It was a well-known fact that both Thalia and Alexander were born to the same parents. Alexander was three years old when Kristen divorced her husband. Furthermore, she took the money the Xenos family had given her. However, she had an affair with her ex-husband and gave birth to Thalia and Leonard Xenos. As a result, there was hardly any sibling bond between Alexander and Thalia. With just a few sentences, not only did Sophia sessfully defend herself against Thalia''s usation, but she also got to criticize Thalia. After mocking Thalia, she strode off with her head held high. ¡°Soph, you''re amazing!¡± Looking at Sophia, who was making her way back, Katherine secretly gave her a thumbs-up while other people were not paying attention. Katherine took Sophia to the open-air area. With no one around them, Katherine showered her friend with praises again. Just when Katherine was about to say something, Jonice suddenly called her. The former said dejectedly, ¡°Jonice''s calling me. It seems like my sponsor has arrived. It''s business time for me. Feel free to go back if you''re feeling bored here.¡± Katherine''s purpose in bringing Sophia to the banquet was to embarrass Thalia. Since that goal had been aplished, she was naturally reluctant to leave a beauty like Sophia alone. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Despite her capricious personality, Katherine did not dare to offend her sponsor. Therefore, she had to carry out her duties with utmost professionalism. Waving her hand, she lifted the hem of her dress and walked back to the hall. Sophia broke into a smile as she looked at Katherine''s retreating figure. There were not many people in the open-air area. Still, drinks and snacks were avable there. Looking at the sun lounger by the pool not far away, Sophia cocked an eyebrow and walked over. She had been standing for nearly an hour while wearing a pair of strappy high heels. Unsurprisingly, her feet were beginning to hurt. Since hardly anyonees out here, it''s a perfect ce for me to take a break. The lights on the other side of the window were shining brightly. Sophia sat down on the sun lounger to take a breather. Getting lost in thought, she stared at the shimmering water of the pool in front of her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Upon hearing the voice, Sophia looked up and saw Bethany, who had walked over at some point. Sophia stood up and inquired, ¡°What can I do for you, Ms. White?¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you''re truly something else. I thought you wouldn''t mind when I sent you those photos back then. I didn''t expect you to pull off such a move,¡± said Bethany. Arching her eyebrows, Sophia mocked, ¡°Ms. White, are you here to confront me?¡± ¡°Of course not. I wouldn''t dare to.¡± As Bethany looked at Sophia in front of her, the former suddenly recalled the words from Alexander''s secretary that day. The smile on her face gradually faded. ¡°Okay. Since there''s nothing else, I''ll leave first,¡± Sophia said with a grin. She turned around and prepared to head back to the hall. ¡°Wait!¡± Sophia looked down and found that her wrist had been caught by Bethany. Frowning, Sophia asked indifferently, ¡°Is there something else you want to tell me?¡± ¡°Why don''t we make a bet, Sophia?¡± Bethany suggested. ¡°What shall we bet on?¡± Bethany answered with a sly smile, ¡°Let''s bet on who Alexander will rescue if both of us fell into the water. Will he save you or me first?¡± Following Bethany''s gaze, Sophia realized that Alexander was watching them from the other side of the window. ¡°No. I''ve already divorced Alexander. Ms. White, you don''t need to treat me as an enemy from now on.¡± From this angle, Alexander could not see Bethany''s expression. She sneered and tightened her hold on Sophia''s wrist, intending to pull thetter into the swimming pool. ¡°It''s not up to you to decide, Sophia. I¡ª Ahh!¡± Before Bethany could finish speaking, Sophia had already lifted her leg and kicked Bethany. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Bethany looked at her assant with disbelief. In the blink of an eye, she fell into the pool with a loud ssh. Sophia nced at Bethany, who had fallen into the pool. Raising her other hand, she patted her wrist where Bethany had grabbed onto earlier. Seeing that Alexander was looking back at her, Sophia quickly averted her gaze and walked toward the hall. Thalia, who came to look for Bethany, saw the scene. She rushed over and blocked Sophia with her hand. ¡°Stop right there!¡± ¡°Someone! Please help her!¡± Blocking Sophia from leaving, Thalia screamed blue murder. Naturally, her shriek attracted the attention of people inside the banquet hall. Many of them ran out to take a look. They began to imagine the dramatic scenes in their heads when they saw Bethany, who fell into the pool, and Sophia, the culprit who was prevented from fleeing the scene. Bethany was eventually pulled up from the swimming pool by her friend in a miserable state. She red at Sophia, who was held back by Thalia. Just as Bethany was about to say something, she saw Alexander walk over. Pursing her lips, Bethany remained silent. Soaked to the core, she approached Sophia and looked at her with an aggrieved face. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''ve never done anything wrong to you. Why are you doing this to me?¡± she inquired while coughing. Sophia looked at Bethany, who got up from the pool in a wretched condition. With her crestfallen expression, Bethany looked more pitiful than humiliating at that moment. When people started to point fingers, Thalia decided to act as a bastion of justice by backing up Bethany. ¡°Don''t you dare try to deny it! I saw it with my eyes just now. It was you who pushed Bethany into the pool!¡± Thalia fumed. Then, her gaze fell on Alexander. She thought of something and continued, ¡±That''s right! My brother was standing on this side of the window, not far from me. He must have seen it too!¡± Upon hearing Thalia''s words, many people subconsciously turned their attention to Alexander. Indeed, he had witnessed the whole scene crystal clear. Nevertheless, he had no intention to get involved in this trivial matter. He felt somewhat displeased after being pointed out by Thalia in front of the crowd. His expression turned cold at once. ¡°Alex...¡± Bethany, who was being held by a friend, suddenly spoke up. She sounded as if she had finally met someone who would support her whenever she was suffering. N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content. ¡°You also saw it, didn''t you? I really didn''t do anything to Ms. Yarrow,¡± she continued. As soon as Bethany said that, tears instantly streamed down her cheeks. With her pitiful look, the people who had gathered around concluded that in the confrontation between the love rivals, Sophia, the ex-wife, still could not let go of the past. That was why she lost her cool and decided to take revenge on Alexander''s new lover. Bethany gazed affectionately at Alexander with a pitiful expression. Sophia could not help admiring Bethany''s acting skills at that moment. ¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t see anything,¡± Alexander said coldly. He nced at Bethany before turning his gaze to Sophia, who remained silent all this while. Bethany''s face stiffened at once. Due to his heartless and icy tone, the atmosphere suddenly turned awkward. Still, Thalia refused to give up without a fight. ¡°Bethany, I saw it! It was this vicious woman who kicked you into the pool!¡± She pointed at Sophia with indignation. Having seen enough drama, Sophia did not want to waste her time anymore. Raising her eyebrows, she chuckled lightly. ¡°Yes. I was the one who kicked her.¡± Sophia was smiling when she confessed to what she did to Bethany earlier without a hint of guilt on her face. However, no one was appalled by Sophia''s brazen attitude due to her good looks. Tilting her head to the side, she nced at Bethany and added, ¡°Ms. White, do you want to know why I did that?¡± Bethany was bewildered by Sophia''s reaction. Shouldn''t she try to deny it or defend herself? Why did she admit that she was the one who kicked me just like that? Apart from Bethany, Thalia was also taken aback by Sophia''s admission of guilt. Sophia observed the crowd''s shocked expressions with satisfaction for a while. Then, she leaned down next to Bethany''s ear and continued, ¡°That''s because I despise pesky bugs buzzing around me the most. As I''ve said before, I''ve divorced Alexander. We have nothing to do with each other now. Your target is him, not me. However, you insisted on messing with the wrong person. Don''t me me for being rough then.¡± Snorting, Sophia straightened her body. The smile on her face faltered, masked by an expressionless face. Even though her voice was not loud, everyone else heard her warning. After speaking, Sophia turned around and left without sparing a nce at Alexander. Thalia wanted to stop her from leaving. However, she became frightened after seeing Sophia''s fierce expression. For the first time, Thalia did not dare to speak up against an opponent who exuded an intimidating aura. Alexander''s frown deepened as he watched Sophia''s delicate figure walking away. She isn''t the same Sophia from what I''ve imagined. I thought she loved me very much. How is she able to draw a line so calmly between us after our divorce three months ago? Perhaps her so-called love for me in the past was just an act. Had she lied to me? Samuel clicked his tongue. After looking at Bethany, he could not help ncing meaningfully at Alexander. He teased, ¡±Alex, I suddenly feel that your ex-wife is quite an interesting person.¡± Alexander''s face darkened. ¡°What is it? Are you trying to snatch her away from that young celebrity?¡± Stroking his chin, Samuel replied, ¡°I have an outstanding family background. Furthermore, I''m a good- looking guy with a nice figure. Who knows if I might stand a chance with her?¡± Alexander''s face contorted into a scowl when he heard Samuel''s taunting remark. Samuel let out a snicker. He stoppedughing and bumped Alexander in the shoulder. ¡±What''s wrong? Are you regretting the divorce?¡± ¡°I regret knowing someone like you.¡± Alexander red at him coldly. All he spouts is nonsense. With that, he also turned around and left. Bethany looked at Alexander. She wanted to say something to him, but she did not have any excuse to make him stay. When Alexander said he did not witness the altercation earlier, the crowd was alreadyughing at Bethany. To make matters worse, Sophia humiliated herter. The atmosphere had already turned so awkward. If Alexander refused to stay with her, Bethany would undoubtedly be aughing stock for everyone present in this exhibition. ¡°I''m feeling a bit cold. I have to go in and change my clothes now!¡± Bethany smiled as if nothing had happened. She bowed her head in embarrassment before leaving with her friend. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Sophia had reached home by the time Katherine knew about the incident. ¡°Soph, you''re amazing! Haha! It felt great to see the look on Bethany''s face. She looked as though she had just eaten poop. Hey, did you know someone took a short video? You looked cool when you were talking. Do you want me to spend some money to make it a trending topic for you?¡± Katherine didn''t give Sophia a chance to answer. She continued, ¡°Soph, you haven''t shown your face in a while. It''s about time you show them how happy you''ve been.¡± Sophia massaged her temples. She could feel a headacheing as she replied, ¡°Don''t do that for nothing.¡± Her simple reply suppressed Katherine''s impulse. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I''m a little tired, so I''ll take a shower first. I''m hanging up now.¡± ¡°Oh. Good night, darling.¡± Sophia chuckled and said, ¡°Goodnight.¡± After the call ended, Sophia tossed her phone aside. The ckened screen suddenly lit up with a ding. She raised her brow and picked up her phone. After that, she realized Katherine had sent her the short clip someone had filmed that night. Uninterested, Sophia was about to put down her phone when Katherine sent her another text. The Sophia was slightly stunned. Less than a secondter, she threw her phone on the couch again. It''s none of my business! I''m going to shower now! At night, Alexander watched a video of Sophia on his phone. She was the same Sophia, but, for some reason, she didn''t seem like an eyesore anymore. Sophia seemed like apletely different person after the divorce. She didn''t ask for money when she went to City Hall with him for a divorce. Afterward, she moved on swiftly as though she was the one who was never in love. Before their divorce, she couldn''t even look Kristen in the eye when Kristen berated her. Now that she had divorced him, she could admit in front of so many people that she pushed Bethany into the water. Not only did she admit it, she was also arrogant. Alexander put out the cigarette in his hand in frustration. He had no idea why he would sit there looking at his ex-wife on his phone instead of going to sleep. Godd*mn it! When the video began to spread around, the public had both positive and negative views of Sophia. Some thought she did the right thing, while others thought she was too arrogant. Obviously, the most angry person was Kristen. She thought Sophia was not good enough for Alexander because Sophia had nothing going for her except for her looks. Besides, she didn''t have a good family background, nor was she capable. She married into the Xenos family for three years, but nothing came of it. Everything would have been well if she had taken the money back then. Yet, she just had tobor under a delusion. If it were not for Sophia''s sudden intervention, Alexander and Bethany would have been married a long time ago. Bethany was from a good family. Moreover, she was on Kristen''s side, so Kristen thought that Alexander wouldn''t have moved out for so many years if Bethany had married him. In Kristen''s eyes, Bethany was her ideal daughter-inw. However, Sophia took her ce. Now that Sophia and Alexander are finally divorced, I didn''t expect Sophia would be more and more haughty. A few nights ago, my ideal daughter-inw was pushed into the pool by Sophia. I was so angry that I couldn''t sleep for the whole night. Coincidentally, the two parties met again just after a few days. When they bumped into one another, Sophia flipped through a magazine on a couch in boredom as she waited for Katherine to try on some clothes. Katherine was a shopaholic. Every time she went shopping, she would spend five to six hours. Sophia had already grown used to that, and so did the staff in the store. Therefore, they prepared magazines of Sophia''s preference to help her pass the time. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. After all, Katherine was a celebrity with some social standing. Paparazzi followed her every day, so she would always go to the few branded stores she was familiar with. When they entered the store, the staff would close the doors and put out a sign indicating they were having a break. Usually, no one would enter. However, it couldn''t stop people from barging in. Bethany could not do anything about Alexander, but she was unwilling to let go of the loss she suffered the other day. After some scouting, she found out that Katherine and Sophia were going shopping together that day. Bethany purposedly invited Kristen out, nning to use Kristen to embarrass Sophia. Bethany purposely brought Kristen downstairs, then went upstairs and pretended to find Sophia there by ident. As expected, Kristen was agitated by the sight of how rxed Sophia was. Kristen was Alexander''s mother. The staff recognized her and tried to stop her from entering, but she barged in. They didn''t dare to actually stop her. Therefore, Sophia had just taken a sip of her coffee when she heard a harsh voice. ¡°Sophia, you sure have the guts to splurge the Xenos family''s money here.¡± Sophia furrowed her brows upon hearing Kristen''s voice. The former turned her hand and immediately saw Kristen walk toward her with a bag in her hand. Next to Kristen was the person Sophia kicked into the pool a few days ago. Judging by the way they looked, Sophia could immediately guess what happened. Sophia did not answer Kristen. She sarcastically smiled at Bethany and asked, ¡°Did you get too much water into your head that night, Ms. White?¡± She actually wanted to use Kristen to teach me a lesson? Sophia was amused, and she didugh. Bethany almost lost the smile she had forced herself to put on when she saw the grin on Sophia''s face. ¡°Mdm. Lambe is talking to you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sophia raised her brow. She shifted her gaze to Kristen, acting as though she had just noticed her presence. ¡°Oh. Long time no see, Old Mrs. Xenos.¡± Kristen was sixty-two years old that year. Thus, it was fine for her to be addressed that way, but she disliked it when other people called her that. Yet, Sophia just had to call her ¡°Old Mrs. Xenos¡± right off the bat. Kristen''s face stiffened. ¡°You''ve grown ruder and ruder! No wonder Alex doesn''t want you anymore.¡± Sophia chuckled and said, ¡°Old Mrs. Xenos, it seems you''re confused. I was the one who asked for the divorce.¡± Kristen didn''t believe her. She scoffed, ¡°Haha. That''s just a lie you tell other people.¡± ¡°Look at this, Soph.¡± Just then, Katherine walked out of the fitting room. She had just tried on a new dress. She didn''t expect to see that old hag, Kristen, when she came out of the fitting room. Her facial expression changed as she paced toward Sophia. Katherine coldly nced at the staff and asked, ¡°Why are there other people here?¡± ¡°I''m truly sorry about this, Ms. Quinn. Mrs. Xenos wanted toe in, and we...¡± With Katherine''s personality, she wouldn''t dare to stand up if she was the one being bullied. However, if the victim was Sophia, she would put up a fight even if it was a losing fight. ¡°I''ve booked the whole ce. You guys can only serve me today. Get rid of all the outsiders.¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 ¡°You''re very bold, Ms. Quinn! Believe it or not, I can make you get kicked out of the entertainment industry tomorrow at once if I let my son speak to your boss.¡± Upon hearing Kristen''s threat, Katherineughed. ¡°Old hag, do as you please. If I do meet my end in the entertainment industry tomorrow, I''ll go to the Xenos residence and bow down to you!¡± Kristen was so enraged that her face turned bright red. ¡°Y-You! You''re ill-mannered!¡± ¡°It''ll depend on whom I''m talking to. I don''t have to be polite toward you since an old hag like you doesn''t deserve my respect.¡± Over the years, Kristen had gotten used to belittling Sophia while Bethany had always tried to please her, so Kristen thought that everyone was afraid of her. However, encountering a troublemaker like Katherine had led her to the end of her naive thoughts. Kristen had a drastic change in her expression due to grief and anger. She was aware that she could not win Katherine in the argument. Back then, Sophia would go against me too, but she wasn''t as impudent as this indecent woman. Hence, Kristen changed her target to Sophia, who was sitting on the couch. ¡°Is she your so-called friend? She''s an uneducated, ill-mannered woman who attains her objectives by using men. No wonder you guys be friends. It''s because both of you are the same kind of people.¡± Sophia''s face instantly turned frosty. She stood up and scoffed while staring at Kristen, ¡°No matter how bad we are, we are still way better than you, Old Mrs. Xenos. You''re a woman who abandoned her husband and children back then.¡± Everyone in Jadeborough knew that Kristen had stolen some money and tried to elope with her lover back then. Now that fewer people dared to mention it, Kristen deceived herself that it had passed. Thus, the sudden mention of the event by Sophia angered and embarrassed her. Kristen was not an ordinary one when she was young. As time passed, she had no choice but to cover her true nature as prominent families cared much about their pride. When Sophia exposed her past, Kristen could not care less about maintaining her elegant look and threw the metallic clothes rack toward Sophia. ¡°Shut up, you b*tch!¡± Thetter turned slightly and dodged her attack. Meanwhile, a shocked Katherine hurriedly protected Sophia. ¡°How dare youy your hands on her, you old hag!¡± Raising her hand to pull Katherine aside, Sophia nced at Bethany and sneered. She then fished out her phone and called Alexander''s secretary. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Felix, who had just walked out of the conference room, was surprised to receive the unexpected call. Upon seeing the caller ID, he flinched and immediately answered the call. ¡°Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°It''s me. Can you inform Alexander toe to the Arterius store on the fourth floor of Central Square and fetch his old hag and pretentious new girlfriend? Tell him to get over here within half an hour and don''t bete. Otherwise, don''t me me if anything happens to them!¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, what do you¡ª¡± Sophia had hung up the phone before Felix managed to ask what had happened. Shock overwhelmed him as he lowered his head, staring at the phone call thatsted less than ten seconds. It was the first time he learned about another side of Sophia. His impression of thetter was a woman who was always gentle and generous. As Alexander''s secretary, he had never seen Sophia getting angry over the three years of her marriage. Who else could the old hag be if not Alexander''s mother, Kristen? As for the pretentious new girlfriend, it must be Bethany White, the woman recently rumored to be the most suitable marriage candidate for Alexander. Felix immediately collected his thoughts and knocked on Alexander''s office door. ¡°Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± Felix gritted his teeth when he saw Alexander signing documents with a cold expression. ¡°Ms. Yarrow has just called me.¡± Alexander suddenly stopped flipping through the documents and lifted his head to look at Felix. ¡°Okay. What did she say?¡± Could it be that she regretted having a divorce? Hmph! It''s toote for that. I''ll never remarry a woman like her! Having no idea what was on Alexander''s mind, Felix, who was aware that he could never convey Sophia''s words directly, changed his way of expressing it. ¡°Mrs. Xenos went shopping with Ms. White today. It appears that they''ve bumped into Ms. Yarrow and her friend. There''s a conflict between them. Would you like to go there and check on them?¡± A buzz sounded in Alexander''s head when he heard that. He felt as though he had been pped by Sophia. The p was invisible yet humiliating. Alexander''s face darkened when he nced at Felix coldly. ¡°What''s there to see?¡± Thetter froze and felt a chill run down his spine upon receiving Alexander''s sharp re. Recalling the seriousness in Sophia''s tone, Felix could tell that she was not joking. Having heard many rumors about Sophiately, he then realized that she was slightly different from the way she would be in his imagination. ¡°Ms. Yarrow sounded very angry, Mr. Xenos. Y-You should go and take a look.¡± Alexander put his pen down. ¡°How did she say it?¡± Felix shivered. ¡°I-I don''t dare to say it.¡± ¡°Tell me!¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow said, and I quote, ''Can you inform Alexander toe to the Arterius store on the fourth floor of Central Square and fetch his old hag and pretentious new girlfriend? Tell him to get over here within half an hour and don''t bete. Otherwise, don''t me me if anything happens to them!¡±¡® Undeniably, Felix aced as a secretary since he could repeat what Sophia said in her tone urately without leaving any single word behind or feeling awkward. However, as soon as Alexander heard him finish hisst sentence, the former''s expression became even frostier than ever. He felt his temples throb and a heartache. It was as though Sophia''s words were thorns pricking him. Alexander, who had never been interested in meddling in women''s affairs, could not hold back. ¡°Get the car ready.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos.¡± Felix breathed a sigh of relief. He then swiftly left the office and ordered someone to prepare the car, afraid of Alexander regretting his decision. In the meantime, after Sophia calmed Katherine down, she looked at Bethany. ¡°It seems like you have too much free time, Ms. White. Since you like to cause trouble that much, I''ll do as you please then.¡± She paused for a while before she continued, ¡°I''ve informed Alexander''s secretary to bring Alexander over here. Old Mrs. Xenos, weren''t you suspecting that I''d taken the money that belonged to the family after the divorce? Well, let''s hear from your son then. He''ll tell you in person whether I''ve taken any money from your family! As for you, Ms. White, youck the courage to look for Alexander. Instead, you came to look for me. I can help you to resolve that problem.¡± Kristen was so mad that she lost her rationality. During her sh against Katherine, thetter had tossed a pile of clothes at her face. If Bethany had not stopped her, Kristen would have started another fight against Katherine. Upon hearing Sophia mention Alexander, Kristen regained herposure and huffed while fixing her attire, ¡°Great then! It''ll be better for us to make things clear!¡± As both parties calmed down, the staff quickly separated andforted them. The mall was not far from Odyssey''s office building. Thus, Alexander reached there in no time. Right after he entered the store, he instantly spotted Sophia, who was sitting next to Katherine. Sophia was wearing a in-colored dress with a waistband design. She looked slender and graceful even in a simple sitting posture. Upon seeing Alexander, Sophia stood up and walked toward him with an icy gaze. ¡°I know you''re a busy person, Mr. Xenos. However, you should exin the details of our divorce to your family. Don''t let your family pester me. I find them disgusting. And, make sure your people behave. If this happens again, I won''t let them off as easy as it is today.¡± With that, Sophia turned around and nced at Katherine. Thetter quickly regained her senses from the brief shock, took her bag, and dashed toward her. Meanwhile, Alexander remained standing there with a darkened expression. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 That was the first time Katherine witnessed Sophia losing her temper. After she managed to catch up to Sophia, she trailed behind her friend meekly, not daring to say a word. The two of them went straight to the underground parking lot. Only then did Sophia stop to look back at Katherine. ¡°I''m going back first.¡± Her expression was calm. Even Katherine was unable to discern if she was truly upset. ¡°Soph, surely you don''t miss that jerk, Alexander, anymore, right?¡± Sophia had just opened the car door to get in when she heard that, and it made her snort in exasperation. ¡°Do I look like I''m someone who''d get back together with my ex?¡± ¡°No! You don''t!¡± Katherine shook her head fervently, but it made Sophia frown. ¡°What do you mean with that expression of yours?¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°U-Um... Soph, care to look behind you?¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows before turning around to look back. For once, she was actually stunned. Nheless, she quickly pulled herself together. ¡°I''m going now.¡± She looked away and hopped into the car right away. Alexander was standing some distance away from them, emanating an air that clearly implied people to stay away from him. Felix followed behind him, but the former stopped when he was half a meter from his employer, for he did not want to get caught in the crossfire. Alexander had just been told off by Sophia earlier, so his mood was already bad. He didn''t expect to hear what she said the moment he just got to the parking lot. At the moment, his mood had gotten even worse. Knowing that she had caused some unnecessary trouble, Katherine was trying to look for a way to escape. When she saw that Sophia had gotten into her own car, Katherine also hurried back to her own car to get away from the scene. The red Ferrari gradually drove away and finally vanished in the distance. Only then did Alexander raise his hand to tug at his necktie. ¡°Mr. Lane!¡± Felix walked up to him, feeling all jittery when his name was called. ¡°Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Get a divorce announcement ready and post it online. There''s no need to inform me about it if something like this happens again in the future.¡± With that, he nced at Felix coldly. Felix felt his scalp tingle. It wasn''t his fault that the incident happened. Furthermore, Sophia was innocent as well. Indeed, she had never coveted the Xenos family''s wealth for once throughout their three-year marriage. Now that she was divorced, she still had to endure other people''s doubts and humiliation. If Felix were to be in her shoes, he probably would have lost his temper at Alexander as well. However, if this really happened to him, he doubted that he would be as brave as Sophia. He had to admit that after this incident, he gained a certain level of respect for Sophia. After Sophia got back home, she saw the divorce announcement Alexander had just issued. Compared to Katherine''s excitement, she felt nothing much. She merely took a rough look at it before exiting the webpage. Alexander had dered that they were now officially divorced, and Sophia had left the marriage without taking any property from him. Once the announcement was out, it caused quite a stir. The people that were the most shocked were those of the Xenos family. They didn''t dare to call Alexander directly, so they called Thalia and Kristen instead. When Kristen received the calls, she was truly furious, but she did not dare to direct her anger at Alexander. In the end, she simply cursed at Sophia every time she ended the call. Bethany was in a simr situation as Kristen. The moment Alexander made that announcement, all her besties, including the fake ones, called her to interrogate her on the matter. What happened? How should I know what happened? In spite of the magnitude of the uproar caused by the announcement, Sophia made no response at all, so the incident gradually died down. Soon, it was October, and Jadeborough was finally at the end of the scorching summer. The breeze was getting cooler in the city. The moment Sophia arrived at the airport, she received a call from Katherine. She turned off the engine of her car and took the phone to answer the call. ¡°I just arrived.¡± ¡°Soph, I''m at Exit A11!¡± ¡°Got it,¡± she replied nonchntly. Then, she took the car key and got out of the parking lot. There were a lot of people at the international airport. Even after waiting for some time and seeing a few batches of people getting out of Exit A11, Sophia still couldn''t see the familiar face she was looking for. Just when she had taken her phone out to call Katherine, thetter appeared from among the crowd and rushed toward her. Since Jonice was not by Katherine''s side, she seemed like a bird out of a cage at the moment. ¡°Soph!¡± Katherine hugged Sophia tightly. ¡°It had been more than a month since west met! Do you miss me?¡± Sophia nced at her before turning her attention to the guy who was chasing after Katherine. ¡°Is this the new artist you just signed a contract with?¡± Katherine eximed in a lowered voice, ¡°Yes, yes! Look at him! He''s eighteen years old! He''s such a fine young man, isn''t he? Let me tell you this though. Don''t underestimate him just because he''s young, because man, he sure has a temper! If it weren''t because I offered him a high sry, he probably wouldn''t havee with me!¡± Sophia raised her hand to push Katherine away from her. ¡°All right. That''s enough now. Do at least try to maintain a proper image before your new artist even though you never have one, to begin with.¡± Her words seemed to have an effect though, for Katherine immediately reverted to her frosty and uncaring image as she watched the handsome young man approaching them. ¡°Jae, this is Sophia. She''s my bestie. Give her a greeting.¡± However, Katherine couldn''t manage to keep that demeanor of hers for long, for she immediately reverted to her normal self before Sophia. ¡°Soph, this is my new artist, James Farrell.¡± After saying that, Katherine signaled at Sophia with her eyes. Thetter merely cracked a smile and greeted him nonchntly. ¡°Hello.¡± However, James was even more stand-offish than she was. ¡°Hello.¡± Sophia thought that the young man was quite interesting, so she raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°I''ve booked a restaurant to wee you guys. Let''s go.¡± ¡°Oh, Soph, you''re the best!¡± If it weren''t for the fact that they were currently surrounded by a crowd, Katherine would have hugged and kissed Sophia to show her gratitude. With a half-smile on her lips, Sophia looked at her. ¡°Jonice told me that you need to go to a show next week, but you''re slightly overweight now. You need a diet.¡± ¡°Oh,e on, Soph. You don''t have to be so blunt!¡± Sophia took a look at her phone. ¡°Or would you rather appear on the show with a bulging belly?¡± As she spoke, she sneaked a meaningful nce at Katherine''s abdomen. ¡°I know I''m in the wrong now, Soph. I''ll get back to eating greens only.¡± Sophia smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Good girl.¡± Since they had one extra person with them, Sophia didn''te to the airport with her Ferrari. Instead, she drove the Mercedes-Benz in her garage. She had just purchased that car the previous week, and she bought it so that she could drive it to business meetings. It wouldn''t be quite appropriate for her to drive a sports car to talk business with someone else, so she bought this new one instead. Katherine tsked. ¡°Soph, when did you get a new car?¡± ¡°Last week.¡± Sophia opened the door and walked to the trunk. ¡°I''m sorry you have to do all the heavy lifting.¡± James had three suitcases in his hands. If she weren''t mistaken, two of them probably belonged to Katherine. The eighteen-year-old boy still looked pretty much like a teenager, but he sure had a frosty attitude. ¡°Not at all.¡± Sophia wasn''t one to chatter as well, so she simply nodded and went to the driver''s seat. Meanwhile, Katherine was worried that she would get caught by the paparazzi, so she was already seated in the car with her seat belt on. When she saw that Sophia had gotten into the car and James was still out there, Katherine made a face at Sophia and asked, ¡°What do you think? He has such a boyish face, but he''s totally an iceberg, isn''t he? Don''t you think the contrast makes him totally attractive?¡± Sophia gave her the side-eye. ¡°You''d better control yourself. Joshua ising back tomorrow.¡± When Katherine heard Joshua''s name, she immediately shut up. Soon, James got into the car as well, and Sophia started the car to get out of the parking lot and head to the city center. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Half an hourter, the car pulled up in front of Mirage. Sophia had made a reservation before leaving her house. Hence, she was brought to a window seat right after announcing her name. However, what happened next was like a drama scene that had turned into reality. Before the trio even took their seats, they spotted Alexander and Bethany sitting at a table behind them in a distance. The incident from a month ago was still fresh in their minds. The thought of Bethany bringing the old hag to cause Sophia trouble made Katherine roll up her sleeves immediately, getting ready to start a new fight. Before Katherine could say anything, Sophia raised her arm to stop the former. ¡°Do you not want to have your meal?¡± Sophia cast Katherine a brief nce. Thetter opened her mouth to say something, but she gave in and sat down obediently. Forget it. I''ll just pretend I didn''t see that shameless couple. As soon as Katherine looked at the menu, she already forgot who was even sitting behind her. Putting on a pitiful look, she gazed at Sophia. ¡°Soph, surely you won''t be that heartless and will only let me have nched vegetables, right?¡± Sophia took a sip of her coffee. ¡°Order what you want, but don''t tell Jonice that it''s on me.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t betray you!¡± Sophia said nothing else and handed the menu to James, who was sitting on the opposite end. ¡°Don''t be shy. Order whatever you like.¡± Katherine had the ability to talk to anyone she met. James was a person with few words, but with Sophia around, Katherine talked non-stop about the many incidents that happened during the advertisement shootings. The atmosphere at their table was jolly. On the other hand, the atmosphere between Alexander and Bethany was cold aspared to the other side. ¡°Alex?¡± Bethany called out. From the moment they sat down, Alexander never smiled at Bethany. When she saw Sophia and the others, she thought she had won. However, Alexander only nced at her coldly. His expression was indifferent, and there were hints of impatience in his dark eyes. ¡°Where''s Mr. White?¡± Bethany''s expression stiffened. ¡°My dad encountered some dys on his way here. He''ll arrive soon.¡± Hearing that, Alexander stood up right away. ¡°Then, we''ll have the discussion next time when Mr. White is free.¡± Bethany was at a loss. ¡°Alex¡ª¡± The man who took two steps forward stopped in his tracks. Bethany''s eyes lit up, but she never expected to hear his heartless words of warning in the next second. ¡°We''re not on close terms. Next time, please address me as Mr. Xenos.¡± Pfft! Katherine could not help but burst out inughter. Sophia threw her a re, warning her not to be so arrogant. After all, provoking Alexander was not as simple as provoking Bethany. It was better to watch the drama in silence. Noticing Sophia''s warning gaze, Katherine withdrew her smile and remained in her seat with a serious look. Sophia picked up her fork and was about to take a piece of prawn from one of the dishes when another fork beat her to it. Taken aback, she lifted her head and stared at James with a look of puzzlement. ¡°Let me,¡± James said in a deadpan manner. After releasing the piece of prawn onto her te, he retracted his arm, as if he only wanted to serve her the prawn. Sophia could not help but smile at his straightforwardness. ¡°Thank you.¡± Alexander, who was walking past their table, witnessed the scene, causing him to frown. However, he continued marching away, not bothering to stop in his tracks. A few stepster, he turned back with a cold expression. ¡°Come out with me for a while.¡± The trio was stunned to hear the male''s cold voice all of a sudden. Katherine looked at Sophia and then at Alexander before finally cowering in her seat, not daring to move. Sophia''s hands were sticky from peeling the prawn''s shell. Taking a piece of wet tissue by the side of the table, she wiped her hands while asking, ¡°Is something the matter, Mr. Xenos?¡± As she wiped her hands, she frowned, looking rather puzzled. Yet, she looked as if she had no intentions of following him out to talk in private. Alexander''s face darkened further. ¡°Yeah.¡± In the past, there was no need for him to make such requests. Instead, Sophia would approach him immediately as soon as she noticed him. However, he now had to repeat his request a few times before she was willing to follow him out. Giving Sophia a final nce, Alexander turned around and walked out of the restaurant. He was not ustomed to the change and was even feeling frustrated by it. As soon as he left, Katherine''s courage returned, and she grabbed Sophia''s hand as thetter was getting ready to stand up. ¡°Don''t go. It''ll be embarrassing for you to go over and talk to him just because he said so.¡± Sophia pushed her hand away. ¡°Stop messing around.¡± Right then, James, who had been staying silent throughout the meal, suddenly got to his feet. ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡± Huh? With a surprised look, Katherine stared at James, who was already on his feet. Sophia raised her brow and nced at James, shing a halfhearted smile. ¡°Did you give me the prawn on purpose?¡± James said nothing, but his ears were slightly red. When Sophia saw his reaction, she finally understood the situation. ¡°It''s okay. He won''t do anything to me.¡± With that, she followed in the direction where Alexander had walked to. Katherine did note back to her senses until Sophia had walked away. ¡°James, don''t tell me you''ve fallen for Sophia?¡± James returned to his indifferent self as he looked at Katherine. ¡°I saw the news.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Odyssey was one of the bestpanies in the country. As Alexander was the heir of thepany, his marriage naturally captured the public''s attention. Even a divorce had caused Sophia to be scolded by the public countless times. Of course, James knew all about it. Katherine clicked her tongue. ¡°You''re indeed a smart one.¡± Pursing his lips, James asked, ¡°Does Alexander really not like Sophia?¡± The mention of Alexander, the jerk who bullied Sophia, immediately triggered Katherine. ¡°Of course! Have you evere across a man not uttering a single word toward a woman he loved after marrying her for three years? He even let that olddy in his house bully Sophia all the time. Alexander''s mom is not the only one bullying her. Even the insignificant servants at the Xenos residence dared to order her around. If it wasn''t for Alexander''s tacit permission, who would dare to treat her like that?¡± James furrowed his brows as he eyed Katherine, who was fuming with rage. In the end, he swallowed the words he wanted to say. But I felt Alexander''s jealousy earlier. Of course, James was in no position to givements since he did not know the full story. The moment Sophia stepped out of Mirage''s hall, she spotted Alexander, who was standing beside a potted nt. Raising her brow, she strode over. ¡°What''s the matter, Mr. Xenos?¡± Although they had been divorced for three months, Sophia could not deny that Alexander was still as handsome as before. Yet, after seeing many handsome men in her life, she realized her heart was as calm as still water when she saw him, which was rare. Just as Sophia had returned to her senses, she suddenly heard his annoyed and resentful voice. ¡°You don''t have to use such tricks to get my attention. It''s useless on me.¡± Startled, sheughed out of frustration. ¡°Alexander, are you living in a dream?¡± Alexander stared at the woman in front of him. Her brows were furrowed, and her gorgeous face had a smirk as she red at him, trying her best to contain her anger. He was never treated with such mockery in his life. His eyes narrowed, and his gaze turned cold. ¡°If you''re not trying to get my attention, then don''t y such childish tricks. I won''t be the slightest bit bothered, even if your friend gets a thousand or a million famous male celebrities to take turns being on the trending search with you.¡± Every word that left his mouth was words of usation and insult. Right then, it was as if Sophia''s patience had vanished in an instant. ¡°Alexander Xenos,¡± she called out, narrowing her pretty eyes as she suddenly took a step toward him. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 A strange feeling rose in Alexander''s heart as he watched Sophia gradually approaching him. At first, he thought she was going to do something to him. To his surprise, she stopped in her tracks when she was about a few steps away from him. She merely fixed her eyes on him without saying anything. When Alexander saw someone entering the restaurant from the outside, he frowned and took a step backward. ¡°You can''t seduce me. I was never interested in you.¡± Sophia, too, stepped back and looked at him, smirking. ¡°I guess I wasn''t wrong when I said you live in a dream. Did you know what I was doing just now?¡± Alexander knew her next sentence would be displeasing to the ear, but he still asked out of curiosity, ¡°What?¡± ¡°I was trying to see if the word ''shameless'' is written on your face. Otherwise, why is your behavior so disgusting today?¡± When she finished, she scoffed, ¡°Alexander, it''s time you understand this. The fact that I loved you three years ago doesn''t mean I''ll still love you three yearster. Sure, I was the one who asked for marriage three years ago, but I was also the one who asked for a divorce three years later. So, you have to understand that my feelings for you vanished the moment I asked for a divorce. I said this long ago. Once we''re divorced, we''re just strangers. In fact, we can just ignore each other if no interaction is necessary. I believe I''ve been doing a great job so far. You, on the other hand, were throwing narcissistic and baseless usations. It makes me wonder if you''ve suddenly realized you actually have feelings for me.¡± Alexander''s face stiffened. When he was about to say something, Sophia turned around and returned to Mirage. Alexander turned to watch her leave, his expression turning darker. Immediately after that, he walked away as well. As soon as he entered the car, he took out his phone and dialed a number. The call was instantly answered by Felix. ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°There''s no need to discuss the coboration with Expedite anymore.¡± With that, Alexander ended the call. Felix lowered his head and stared at the words disyed on his phone: Call ended. He could not wrap his head around the situation. Did the people from Expedite offend him? They only had a meal, and the coboration is canceled? In the meantime, Sophia marched back into the hall. Her anger made her expression appear cold, preventing anyone from approaching her. By the time she returned to the table, her anger had almost dissipated. ncing at Katherine, she asked, ¡°Are you done eating?¡± Sensing her friend''s anger, Katherine answered, ¡°Yeah.¡± She pped her hands and turned sideways. ¡°Why are you angry? What did Alexander want to talk to you about?¡± Sophia was not in the mood to talk about it. Shaking her head, she answered, ¡°Nothing.¡± Katherine made a sensible decision to stop questioning. ¡°Calm down. Bethany left with a tense look on her face as well. Looks like their discussion also didn''t go well.¡± Truth was, Sophia was angered by Alexander. Thus, she merely grunted in response, feeling uninterested when Katherine talked about Bethany. Sophia then cast James a nce. ¡°Are you done eating?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sophia had no intentions of staying there anymore. Taking her bag, she uttered, ¡°I''ll send both of you home, then.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Noticing Sophia was in a bad mood, Katherine took a sip of coffee and gazed at the unfinished dishes on the table, looking reluctant to leave the restaurant. Even so, she still grabbed her bag and got up, getting ready to leave. After stepping out of Mirage, they stumbled into Joshua. Sophia raised a brow and turned around slightly to nce at Katherine, who was huping beside her. Smiling, Sophia said, ¡°All right. Looks like I don''t have to send you home this time.¡± Upon seeing Joshua, Katherine threw herself onto the former and hugged him, throwing aside her usual cold and arrogant attitude. Joshua wrapped an arm around her while taking Katherine''s bag with the other. He then nodded toward Sophia as a form of greeting. Sophia smiled. ¡°I''ll hand her to you, then. Her luggage is still in my trunk.¡± Joshua hummed in response before suddenly asking, ¡°Are you free next month?¡± Sophia raised a brow, recalling the matter about Technology Innovations''unch. ¡°I''m not going. You can go ahead.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± All three of them¡ªSophia, Katherine, and Joshua¡ªhad known each other for over twenty years. He knew if Sophia was being polite or serious by just listening to her words. Thus, Joshua did not insist any further. He could not help but feel slightly helpless to have such a major shareholder who preferred having a low profile and not being in charge. Joshua took Katherine''s luggage from James, while Katherine, who was already seated in the car, waved her hand. ¡°Take good care of James, Soph! Love you!¡± With that, she gave Sophia a flying kiss. Thetter side-eyed her and warned, ¡°Watch out for paparazzi.¡± Upon hearing that, Katherine quickly wound up the car windows. If she was really captured by the paparazzi, it would take a fortune to suppress the news. Soon, Katherine was taken away by Joshua, leaving James with Sophia. Fastening her seat belt, Sophia queried, ¡°Did Katherine arrange a dorm for you?¡± James shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Sophia scratched the back of her head, finding the situation troublesome. ¡°Do you mind staying at my house for now?¡± she offered. Sitting in the passenger seat, James straightened his body subconsciously. ¡°I don''t.¡± He looked calm and indifferent on the outside, but his ears had turned red. Interesting. Smiling, Sophia started the engine, driving away from Mirage. It was already past three o''clock in the afternoon by the time they arrived at the mansion. She arranged a guest room for him and taught him how to use Genie. By four o''clock, she drove out again. Last month, herpany talked to five start-uppanies. After the first stage of evaluation, they decided to only invest in apany that developed online shopping apps. However, Sophia personally preferred thepany that developed the app called With Evil¡ªMagic Sense. Sophia rarely showed up in thepany. Since her preferredpany did not pass the evaluation, she did not want to miss investing in it. Thus, she told her secretary to give her the contact details of Magic Sense''s founder. She was going to personally talk to the person. The agreed time was half-past four; it was already four thirty-five by the time Sophia arrived. As soon as she stepped into the cafe, she spotted a man dressed in a suit and sitting in the window seat. The man was around twenty-five to twenty-six years old. He was also more good-looking in real life than in the picture. Sophia liked good-looking people, which already gave her a good impression. Striding over, she sat in front of the man, who seemed to be rather shocked. ¡°I''m sorry, Miss. I''m waiting for someone.¡± She smiled. ¡°If you''re Robert Smith, then I guess I''m the one you''re waiting for.¡± Robert gazed at the beautiful young woman before him in disbelief. ¡°Suny?¡± ¡°That''s me. Did I give you a shock?¡± When Robert saw the smile on her face, he felt less anxious. ¡°I just wasn''t expecting the legendary Suny to be so young and beautiful.¡± Raising her brows, Sophia responded, ¡°Well, thank you for the praise.¡± As she said that, she cast a gaze upon the proposal in front of him. ¡°Mind if I take a look?¡± ¡°Of course not. I purposely prepared it for you,¡± Robert answered. The investors he had been seeing recently were middle-aged men who were in their forties or fifties. It was his first time meeting such a young and beautiful investor like Sophia. Thus, he felt more confident with his words. Sophia took the proposal from his hand. ¡°Hold on. Let me take a look.¡± In truth, she had already seen the proposal. She only wanted to see it again to check if there were any changes and see how sincere the other party was. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 The Magic Sense team was still considered a steady yer in the market. There were a lot of young entrepreneur teams recently aimed at theirpany''s financial matters only but not the long-term development. Sophia was not very fond of these kinds of entrepreneurial teams. She was a businessperson that would definitely want to gain the most benefit from the investment. She would not wish to dump her coins into a pond that wouldn''t even ssh. Sophia had previously read their proposal when it was first presented. The one she was reading was about the same but with some modifications to the details. She remained silent ever since she had the proposal. Robert felt a great sense of uneasiness. ¡°Ms. Suny, I''m quite confident with mypany''s product and also my team members. Moreover, the original intention of this software is to provide better preventive measures to society. There are more and more sexual assault incidents happening in these few years. I believe that this software will be like Paypal and be a staple in our daily life. Our team is the only and firstpany that has started developing the software. We are confident that we can dominate the market and be unrivaled.¡± As soon as he finished his words, Robert realized that he was panicked. The worst thing for negotiation was impatience. However, he had no choice. The proposal had been sent out to most of the investmentpanies. Some of them contacted him, but that was it after the face-to-face discussion. The software developer in the country was not the same as before. Plus, the online market ced a strong focus on speed and innovation. Simr ideas could bee across by the others along with them. They had already developed the software. However, they needed capital to run the post-operation, maintenance, and even marketing expenses to enter the market. In conclusion, it was difficult to do anything without capital. Suny was thest hope for Magic Sense. So, it was impossible for him to stay calm. Atst, Robert was desperate. He took a sip of the lemonade. ¡°Ms. Suny, we can give you fifteen percent shares.¡± Sophia kept the proposal away, raised a brow, and said, ¡°Okay, deal. Half a million, fifteen percent shares, and veto power. So, Mr. Smith, if you have no other questions, I will hand this over to my secretary toplete the rest of the procedures with you.¡± She paused for a second and added, ¡°Another thing; that five hundred thousand is my personal investment in yourpany. It will not be under Sunshine Group.¡± Robert frowned upon hearing her words. ¡°I need to discuss with the rest of my shareholders.¡± Though less than they had anticipated at five hundred thousand, it was still in an eptable range. However, if the coboration were not under Sunshine Group, that would be a huge difference for them. Sophia had already expected that. She smiled. ¡°Sure. Once you have made up your mind, you can contact my secretary, Ms. Leighton.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you for dropping by, Ms. Suny.¡± Sophia raised her brows slightly and smiled. ¡°I have high hopes for you and your team. I hope that we will have the opportunity to work together.¡± ¡°I''ll talk to our shareholders and consider about it seriously.¡± Noticing that it was gettingte, Robert suggested having dinner together. However, Sophia rejected him politely as she thought of James being alone back at the house. ¡°Okay. I''ll take my leave now,¡± Robert said politely. Sophia nodded in response. They parted ways in front of the coffee shop. After bidding Robert farewell, Sophia drove to the mall and bought two sets of steak for dinner. It was alreadyte when she returned home. Sophie parked the car in the garage. ¡°Genie, help me boil the water. Thank you.¡± Immediately after Sophia finished speaking, the systematic sound voiced, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, the water is ready for you.¡± Sophia was stunned for a moment and remembered that James was still in her house. ¡°Okay. I got it.¡± Just as Sophia made her way up the stairs, she was greeted by the savory aroma of food. At that moment, her stomach growled. She thought she was hallucinating because of the hunger. ¡°I''ve made some food,¡± James stated. When she walked up to the second floor, she found out that she was not hallucinating. James appeared to be in an apron and was holding adle. In the kitchen, there was a sizzling sound from the non-stick pan. Sophia was surprised. ¡°You can cook?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± James nodded in acknowledgment and went into the kitchen again. Sophia looked at him as he walked away and giggled. ¡°Tsk! He''s quite a good homemaker.¡± She stood there for a few seconds, then turned and headed to the third floor. She changed into a loose T-shirt with baggy pants and walked downstairs. James had the dishes ready and was serving the food at the dining table. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Sophia went to the kitchen to wash her hands. When she saw the four dishes and a bowl of soup, she nced at the young man and said, ¡°It seems like you''re a good cook.¡± ¡°Practice makes perfect.¡± There was not much talking from him, and she was not Katherine either. She smiled and did not say anything further. She was right about James. After all, he had good cooking skills. Sophia was kind of envious of him as she was a terrible cook. After filling up her tummy, she spoke to him like a caring elder sister, which was quite a rare sight. ¡°You turned eighteen this year?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Aren''t you supposed to be attending school at your age?¡± ¡°Katherine asked to sign the contract first, and she will help me with school enrolment.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia replied. She took a sip of the soup and asked, ¡°Your family is okay with that?¡± The youngster''s expression darkened at that moment. Sophia shrugged her shoulders and finished the soup. ¡°I''ll do the dishes.¡± ¡°Let me do that.¡± James stood up instantly. Sophia withdrew her hands and did not argue with him. James went ahead and washed the dishes. Meanwhile, she cut the cantaloupe that she had just bought and went to the living room. She turned on the television and enjoyed some fruits. Soon, James was done with the dishes and walked out. Sophia pointed at the cantaloupe on the table and said, ¡°It''s sweet.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Tsk. Such a tight-lipped young hunk. He''s acting like an old man. She gave him a quick nce and said, ¡°I''ll be upstairs. Call me if there''s anything.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Okay again. Does he say anything else? She raised a brow and did not expect to hear him say anything more. Then, she turned around and headed upstairs. However, James did note to look for her even until she fell asleep. That was the end of a pleasant day. Before falling asleep, Sophia sat on the bed, upset as she thought about what Alexander had said that noon. She got up and opened a bottle of wine. Then, she drank half of it, hoping to have a good night''s sleep. Just like what she had wished for, she managed to enjoy a peaceful sleep that night. Sophia was awakened by Katherine''s repeated phone calls early the next morning. She clenched her phone and massaged her temples. ¡°If I''m not wrong, it''s only quarter past seven.¡± ¡°I''m really sorry, Soph. I have a reason for this.¡± Sophia frowned. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing much. It''s just that you''re trending once again. It is not very positive, though.¡± Hearing that, she did not expect Katherine to exin further. ¡°Okay. I get it. I''ll have a look by myself. Bye for now.¡± ¡°Give me a call right after that and tell me how to handle it. Something must be done. The trend does not seem to abate with time. However, it will not reflect well over time as well.¡± Sophia snorted. ¡°Okay.¡± After saying that, she hung up the phone and clicked on the Twitter app. After getting clear of the ins and outs of the situation, Sophia chuckled. She threw her phone on the bed and headed to the bathroom. That''s not a big deal. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Sophia went downstairs after washing up. James had already prepared breakfast. She went straight to the dining table, sat down, and asked, ¡°Have you checked the trending news today?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± In fact, soon after he woke up, Katherine called him. Photos of him following Sophia back to her house had been secretly photographed. There were even photos of them having dinner. At the present moment, the entire inte was exploding with news iming that Sophia was his sugar mommy and he had been staying together with her in her house. Of course, they were both adults. Even though James was young, since they were both single, it was nothing wrong for Sophia to date a young hunk. However, the matter went viral not only because Sophia was dubbed as his sugar mommy but also because of Mason and Howard, who had some scandals with her a few months ago. Mason had risked the stress of a mass exodus of his top fans from his fanbase a few months before by publicly dering his affection for Sophia. Most of his fans had assumed that they were a couple. As for Sophia, she had been exposed to the inte when she married Alexander back then. Her mansion and car, which were more than millions, were naturally understood as gifts from Mason. However, seeing how Sophia became a sugar mommy using Mason''s money, of course, the crowd was infuriated. It was not the end of the trending news. Some of the so-called insiders revealed that Sophia broke up with Mason instantly after making a fortune from him. She then turned to Howard and was the mysteriousdy who was photographed together with Howard at the airport. ording to how fast Sophia was at changing her partners, many spected that she had broken up with Howard already. Those who were sympathetic toward Sophia were objective and impartial inmenting on her as they could understand that after three years of painful and unrequited love with Alexander, it was only natural that she gave up on love after the divorce. They would evenpliment her courage to divorce with no further strings attached and how charming and alluring she was. Once the news went viral, Sophia not only faced reprimands from Mason''s fans but also assaults from Howard''s. Even from James'' even though the youngster had not made his debut and was merely a cover model. The entire situation escted to the point when Katherine gave Sophia a call; many people advised Mason to file a police report, iming that Sophia had duped him. Noticing that James wascking in response, Sophia raised her brow. ¡°You''re not worried that you''ll be ruined because of me?¡± ¡°Have I been popr?¡± The youngster lifted his head and looked at her with a faint smile. Sophia was stunned for a second. ¡°You''re quite optimistic.¡± After having breakfast, Sophia left the house for Specter Entertainment with James. She had been there a few times, so the receptionist recognized her. Sophia then led James to Katherine''s office. ¡°Soph, if you''re not here any sooner, I will personally go online and fight them!¡± Upon seeing her, Katherine got to her feet from the couch instantly and gave her a huge hug. Sophia willed all her strength and broke free from Katherine, chuckling. ¡°What''s the rush?¡± She then turned and cast James a nce. ¡°You are the one who brought him over, but why isn''t there any provision made for him?¡± Katherine felt slightly guilty. ¡°This is unexpected. I didn''t know Joshua woulde back all of a sudden.¡± Sophia snorted. ¡°You brought him here, so you can''t leave him without a care. I think you should let Jonice be his manager.¡± Katherine didn''t dare to argue. Hence, she nodded and said, ¡°I''ll let Jonice make the necessary arrangement.¡± After that, she gave Jonice a call. In actuality, Jonice already knew that Katherine got a young hunk. However, she was still shocked for a moment once she met James. What a handsome face! It will be a waste if he does not be an actor. Jonice delightfully took James away and left Sophia with Katherine in the office. Katherine handed Sophia a tablet. ¡°My dear Soph, theizens are still raging with fiery discussions. There is someone who takes control of the news. I have requested Public Rtions Department to trace it. Soph, what should I do? It''s hard to rify things now.¡± Sophia red at her. ¡°So you do know it''s hard to rify things, huh? Back then, weren''t you the one who wanted me to make use of Macon''s and Howard''s exposure, to make an announcement to those who looked down on me that I could actually have a good life after divorce?¡± Katherine pursed her lips. ¡°I was wrong!¡± Sophia was not in a mood to joke around with her. She scrolled through the tablet, clicked on some comments, and heaved a sigh. ¡°It seems like I can no longer have a low profile.¡± Katherine''s spirit was lifted upon hearing her words. ¡°Soph, you finally want to reveal that you''re actually a billionaire?¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Sophia cast her a nce. ¡°Find out who is in control of the news first. Wait for the situation to be more heated, then let Mason and Howard post a status on Twitter tonight.¡± ¡°What should they post?¡± ¡°What else can they post about? Aren''t theizens iming that I had duped them both? If they know that I am thergest shareholder behind Specter Entertainment, what else can they say?¡± Katherine finally understood. ¡°That''s brilliant! Soph, you''re the best.¡± The moment she thought of a bunch of people being proven wrong and humiliated, Katherine couldn''t contain her excitement. Sophia tilted her head and smiled. ¡°Isn''t that what you said before? It''s delightful to prove others wrong and watch them be humiliated.¡± ¡°That''s right! I told you to reveal your identity back then. Since you''ve always maintained a low profile, those people genuinely believe that you married Alexander, that jerk, because of his wealth.¡± Hearing Katherine mention Alexander, Sophia retracted her smile and responded, ¡°I don''t want them to vie for my money.¡± Katherine was speechless. That''s make sense. Just then, Sophia''s phone rang. She took a nce. ¡°Ms. Leighton?¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Smith from Magic Sense contacted me. He says he is willing to ept your conditions. I will take care of the contract and send it to your mansion. Is that all right?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. This is a good news! Sophia smiled. ¡°Yes, of course. Thanks for your hard work, Ms. Leighton.¡± ¡°It''s my responsibility.¡± Yvonne pursed her lips and hesitated for a second. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, do you want me to take care of the matter on the inte?¡± ¡°No, it''s fine. Katherine will handle it.¡± Knowing how close Katherine and Sophia were, Yvonne was pretty reassured. ¡°Okay. That''s all for now. Goodbye.¡± Katherine rushed toward Sophia once she hung up the phone. ¡°You seem happy, Soph. What kind of big project you''ve got?¡± ¡°Nothing big. I just invested in a newpany.¡± Katherine clicked her tongue. ¡°Whichpany you''ve invested in isn''t reaping a huge reward?¡± It was undeniable that Sophia was talented in investment. She had earned loads for the past few years. Honestly, Alexander was rich. However, if one were topare both of their wealth, it would be quite difficult to determine who was wealthier. Sophia was in a good mood. ¡°Let''s go. I''ll treat you to a meal.¡± ¡°I want to eat Ferropenian cuisine! Three Michelin stars restaurant!¡± ¡°Let''s go!¡± Katherine packed her stuff and followed Sophia out. In the meanwhile, the inte was flooded with angryments toward Sophia. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 As Felix stood outside the office''s door, he raised his hand several times, then ced it back down again. News about Sophia spread like wildfire online, and he was not sure if he should tell Alexander or not. If this had happened in the past, Felix would not have hesitated. However, he had been unsure of Alexander''s mood these days since his divorce from Sophia several months ago. Felix clenched his teeth and ultimately decided to push the door open to Alexander''s office. Alexander asked, ¡°What is it?¡± He had just gotten off the phone. Currently, he was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Judging from his cid expression, Felix was not sure whether Alexander was in a good mood. Felix felt his heart tremble when Alexander looked at him. ¡°Mr. Xenos, there is a lot of negative news about Ms. Yarrow online today. Do you think¡ª¡± As he spoke, Alexander''s expression turned cold in an instant, and he said, ¡°You seem to care about her a lot.¡± Felix felt ufortable under Alexander''s intense scrutinization, so the former quickly replied, ¡°No, I''m not. My apologies, Mr. Xenos. I will stop bothering you now.¡± Alexander didn''t speak. He just had a gloomy expression. Realizing that he had misjudged this time, Felix quickly left the office. Once the door closed, Alexander was left alone in the gigantic office. He stared in the direction of the door for a few more seconds. Then, with a long face, he went to his computer and opened a web page, wanting to see the news about Sophia that Felix mentioned. However, he remembered he had not used Twitter before. He pushed the mouse aside, took out his phone, and searched Twitter. After he saw the search content, his expression darkened even more. How many boyfriends has Sophia changed over the past three months after our divorce? The previous ones were still eptable. They only held hands or hugged, but the current one was over the top. The man was taken straight to her house. Does she like him that much? Eighteen years old? Her new boyfriend is only eighteen years old? Alexander felt that something had pierced his heart when he thought that he was already thirty years old that year. After he stopped looking at the news, he felt the frustration in his heart reach an unprecedented point, and he tossed this phone away. However, there were still people who didn''t mind adding fuel to the fire as onlookers. Soon afterThis belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Alexander put his phone away, Samuel gave the former a call. Alexander didn''t want to pick up the call, as he already knew what Samuel was going to say. However, Samuel was extremely patient when it came to making fun of him. His phone kept ringing non-stop. Alexander''s face was red from anger when he finally picked up the call and said, ¡°Whatever this is, make it quick.¡± Samuel uttered, ¡°Alex, have you seen the trending news? Isn''t your ex-wife too awesome? It hasn''t even been that long since your divorce, and she has changed three boyfriends. Each boyfriend is getting younger and more energetic too. It seems that your old self is not even thatpetitive. No wonder she wants a divorce.¡± Alexander sneered, ¡°Are you very free? Did you manage to obtain thend you want?¡± ¡°Because I couldn''t get it, I''m so free to keep up with the gossip. But honestly, how are you feeling? It has been more than forty days since your divorce, and she keeps changing boyfriends. You, on the other hand, are cold and lonely every night. It is a little pitiful when you think about it.¡± Alexander was speechless as he hung up the phone immediately. He felt extremely frustrated and wanted to call Sophia. However, he realized that her number wasn''t in his address book. Annoyed, he pulled at his tie and dialed Felix''sndline phone number. Then, he said, ¡°Send me Sophia''s phone number.¡± Within two seconds, Alexander received the contact number sent by Felix. He dialed the number immediately but didn''t expect to hear the cold and ruthless automated voice of a female on the other end of the phone that said, ¡°Sorry, the number you have dialed is engaged. Please try againter.¡± Alexander walked out of his office with a sullen face before striding toward Felix. ¡°Give me your phone.¡± Felix looked at Alexander''s sullen expression, and the former''s phone almost slipped from his hand because his hands trembled slightly. Alexander dialed Sophia''s number from Felix''s phone. Within seven seconds, the call connected. The female voice on the other end of the phone was suspicious as she answered the phone and asked, ¡°Mr. Lane?¡± Alexander ended the call immediately. He nced coldly at Felix and warned, ¡°Don''t tell her that I was the one who made the call.¡± With that, he returned to the office with a long face. Great, she has blocked my number. Meanwhile, Sophia couldn''t help but frown as she stared at her phone. She had just finished reading the follow-up survey by the public rtions department. Upon seeing Sophia frowning, Katherine, who was happily ordering a meal opposite Sophia, asked, ¡°Who called you?¡± Sophia replied, ¡°Alexander''s secretary.¡± Upon hearing Alexander''s name, Katherine asked tentatively, ¡°What does Alexander want this time?¡± ¡°The call ended as soon as it was connected.¡± Katherine pursed her lips. ¡°He may have dialed the wrong number.¡± Sophia nodded and disregarded the phone call, but she needed to contact Felix once more. After all, what happened this time was rted to Alexander. Just as she ced down her phone, Felix called back. Sophia raised her eyebrows and answered once again, ¡°Mr. Lane?¡± Felix said, ¡°My apologies, Ms. Yarrow. I was busy earlier and identally dialed your number.¡± Felix had told many lies, but lying to Sophia, even if it was over the phone, caused him to feel an inexplicable sense of shame. ¡°Oh.¡± Sophia gestured to Katherine before getting up and walking to the open-air balcony of the restaurant. Then, she said, ¡°But there is one thing I need to tell you, Mr. Lane.¡± Felix had a bad feeling about it as he had a tight feeling in his chest. ¡°What is it, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Did you see the trending topics online today?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, I have seen them.¡± Sophia chuckled and said, ¡°It''s easier for me to exin since you have seen them. I got someone to investigate this matter for me. Since four o''clock this morning, there are five articles that defame me published every two hours. All of theme from the same marketingpany. I happen to have an acquaintance who knows thepany well, and it turned out that Ms. Xenos was the one who asked them to release those articles.¡± At this point, Sophia''s voice became colder as she continued, ¡°Mr. Lane, please inform Alexander and Thalia that they will be receiving a legal letter from mywyer soon.¡± With that, she hung up the phone. After ending the call, she returned to the restaurant as if nothing had happened. Katherine had finished ordering their food and looked at Sophia eagerly as she said, ¡°I''ve ordered our food, but I didn''t order a lot.¡± Sophia nced at the order but didn''t say anything. Then, she raised her hand to beckon the waiter and said, ¡°Please ce our order.¡± Katherine asked, ¡°What did you tell Alexander''s secretary?¡± Sophia took a sip of her lemonade and answered, ¡°Nothing much. I just told them to wait for mywyer to deliver them a legal letter.¡± ¡°Yes, that''s right! Alexander and his family are terrible people. I''ve always wanted to teach them a lesson!¡± Sophia rested her chin on her palm and raised her eyebrow as she looked at Katherine, chuckling. ¡°How do you intend to teach them a lesson?¡± Katherine snorted coldly. ¡°I''m an A-list actress with many fans. I''ll just post something online to scold them!¡± Amused by Katherine''s answer, Sophiaughed. ¡°Before the gossip can reach them, Alexander would have gotten rid of you first.¡± Katherine wailed, ¡°Evil capitalist!¡± After that, she remembered that the person sitting opposite her was also a capitalist, so she added, ¡°But of course, our Soph is a beautiful, generous, kind, and unique capitalist!¡± Sophia responded, ¡°Yes, not bad. Your evaluation is very objective.¡± They were two narcissistic people together. Fortunately, there was no third person around them. Otherwise, that person would burst into tears in anger. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Both of them parted ways after the meal. Sophia had nned on dropping by Sunshine Group when she came across Yvonne who had helped her finalize the contracts with Robert. ¡°Ms. Yarrow,¡± greeted Yvonne. Sophia dipped her head in acknowledgment and received the contract papers. ¡°Good work for today. I''ll ensure that there''s an extra bonus for you at the end of the month.¡± Sophia had always been generous throughout the five years Yvonne had worked under her. The second year had seen Yvonne taking over part of herpany''s options, and her basic sry per annum far exceeded a million by the third year. She had noints whatsoever. Yvonne''s face broke into a rare smile. ¡°Thank you so much, Ms. Yarrow!¡± Sophia was pleased with her reaction. ¡°By the way, wasn''t Midway Media nning to purchase the film rights for ''Dreams'' a while ago?¡± ¡°That''s right. They bid two and a half million for it. The copyrighting department of New Dawn Publishing is already setting the terms for their contract.¡± New Dawn Publishing was a broadcastingpany that Sophia had invested in three years ago that had just started gaining traction. She had appended another five million during the venture round and now owned thirty percent of its stocks. As a shareholder, she rarely participated in thepany''s daily decision-making and only voted when necessary. However, the process of procuring licensing was a major enough affair to warrant her involvement. Sophia had been fairly neutral about the entire undertaking back then, but that didn''t stand now. Midway Media belonged to the Schild family and was one of the major yers in the entertainment industry. It had seen a promising rise in poprity with its cable dramas and was a potential cash cow to New Dawn Publishing. However, Samuel was Alexander''s crony, and she recalled him advising Alexander to keep his distance from her due to her supposed viciousness. ¡°If that''s the case, then I would like you to make a call to New Dawn Publishing informing them that I''ve changed my mind and won''t be signing the contract. I''ve my eyes set now onary Media instead.¡± Yvonne was surprised by the sudden change of ns. ¡°May I know the reason behind this?¡± Sophia grinned in delight. ¡°No particr reason whatsoever. I''m simply not too fond of the crown prince of Midway Media.¡± ¡°Are you referring to Samuel?¡± ¡°Who else would it be?¡± Yvonne took in Sophia''s look of gratification and felt the urge to question whether Alexander was part of the picture, but thought better of it. She was one of the few who were aware that Alexander and Sophia used to be married. She had felt pity for Sophia when their marriage had dissolved into divorce. In spite of that, Sophia had gotten back on her feet in a matter of months and had anotherpany under her belt. Sophia was not someone who spent her days wallowing in the sorrow of her past failed rtionships. ¡°I''ll get to it immediately, Ms. Yarrow,¡± Yvonne chirped. ¡°Good. I''ll be taking my leave then.¡± Sophia waved the sheaf of contracts and turned to enter the elevator, the sound of her stilettos cking against the ground echoing her departure. Yvonne''s sympathy over Sophia''s unsolicited clout instantly morphed to envy as she stared after the closing elevator doors. Money did in fact make the world go round. It was already four o''clock in the afternoon by the time Sophia reached her mansion. She paged through the contract and left her frozen steak out to thaw. Her culinary skills were mediocre at best, which she used to scrunch up her dinner. She popped open a ss of champagne after that and curled up on her couch to enjoy a ssic romantic Ferropenian film. At the same time, Twitter was once again bursting with several tweets that Sophia, username ¡°CloudWontSoften¡±, had been tagged in. Mason and Howard had posted the exact same tweet which wrote: Have mercy on me, Ms. Yarrow! Don''t diminish our livelihood! The images attached were ones that they both had taken together with Katherine and Sophia respectively. Katherine had also tweeted at about the same time: SOS! Come back to thepany now that you''re done with your divorce. I can''t take it for much longer! A photo of Sophia holding a meeting in a conference room was the apanying image to her tweet. Ten minutester, James tweeted: Nice to meet you, new boss. A photo of Katherine, Sophia, and himself at the airport was included with the tweet. Coincidentally, James'' ount had be verified as an artiste under Specter Entertainment. His online status had been significantly elevated from his former identity as a random model belonging to a smallpany. The inte was aze over those four tweets. Is Sophia sugaring a hot young man? What is the story behind these? Why was she referred to as ¡°boss?¡± Theizens that had been promising fire and brimstone on Sophia during the day seemed to be Who would have ever imagined that? The inte was a fickle ce, yet Sophia had remained as firm as a mountain. She was still completely absorbed in her romance film when she received a call from Katherine informing her of the recent happenings on Twitter. Sophia hung up and took her time retrieving her tablet. She was prevented from logging into Twitter due to the overwhelming activity in her ount, so she resorted to using Twitter on her phone without signing in. Sophia was filled with grim satisfaction as she witnessed the dying struggles of her anonymous haters online. Several of them were still attempting to disparage her, which ignited the mes of her anger. She took to calling Yvonne immediately. Yvonne was having a field day when she picked up Sophia''s call. ¡°Are you finally nning on a comeback, Ms. Yarrow?¡± She was in a rather jaunty mood and had dispensed with the formalities. Sophia felt unnerved by her casualness and had unknowingly associated the usually uptight Yvonne with the happy-go-lucky Katherine. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Yvonne noticed her heightened emotions and hurriedly rectified herself, ¡°I apologize for my rudeness, Ms. Yarrow. I was feeling a little too emotionally charged. How can I help you?¡± ¡°There''s something I need your help with. Could you contact Mr. Webber for me? I need him to put together a use for a warning letter that I n to attach to my ount.¡± Yvonne caught on swiftly. ¡°Right this instant, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Good,¡± uttered Sophia with a cruel smile. She was going to root out her naysayers once and for all. She wouldn''t let Thalia and all thosemercial ounts off. Come forth and face me if you dare. Sophia was basking in the positive turn of events and the thrill of getting back at her enemies that she decided to soak in a luxurious bubble bath before her beauty sleep. Tomorrow was going to be another wonderful day. Sophia was asleep by the time it was barely ten o''clock that night. Alexander on the other hand had just return from a dinner and was updated of the recent happenings by Felix. ¡°Who instructed you to say these?¡± His face was a stormy gray. Felix froze and looked down at his feet in guilty silence. Alexander had asked him to keep an eye on Sophia earlier in the afternoon when they were discussing Thalia. However, Felix had heeded his instructions only to end up being reproached. Felix was indignant, yet fear prevented him from speaking up. Alexander noticed the difited expression on Felix and asked, ¡°What''s with this face you''re making?¡± ¡°I-It''s nothing at all!¡± Alexander was in a prickly mood and refrained frommenting on it. He massaged his temples and left the hotel with a harrumph. His emotions were in turmoil despite his cid exterior. What else was Sophia hiding from him? Chapter 25 Chapter 25 It was no wonder that Yvonne was a secretary whose annual sry exceeded a million. No more than ten minutes after Sophia had hung up the phone, Yvonne had alreadypleted a secretary''s draft of a sternly worded warning letter and had sent it to Sophia''s mailbox. Sophia nced at it and immediately posted it to the top of her Twitter page, directly addressing a few highly active marketers on her Twitter post. She did not say anything else, but her intentions were clear. When the warning letter was published, the discussion under her post was serene and civil. Even Mason and Howard, who were anti-fans, were keeping quiet. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°CloudWontSoften¡± immediately rose to fifth in trending. First ce was Katherine, the second was Mason, and the fourth was Howard. Even James'' ount, ¡°LilTransparent,¡± took eighth in trending despite being new to Twitter. The impact this had was in to see. Meanwhile, Thalia was swiping away on her phone at home. When she saw the opposing discussion online, her face became twisted from anger. Specter Entertainment is only a small entertainmentpany and was only established within the past few years. Although I don''t know how Sophia became Specter Entertainment''s behind-the-scenes boss, shouldn''t it only take moments for the Xenos family to crush an entertainmentpany like this? After Thalia returned home and had be the beloved princess of the Xenos family, she had forgotten the Xenos family belonged to Alexander. She held zero shares herself. During the three years Sophia spent living at the Xenos residence, she had argued with Kristen almost every day. This caused her presence to be unacknowledged, as though she did not even exist. Yet, now, Sophia had suddenly be the center of attention, which annoyed Thalia to no end. ¡°Mom! Come take a look at Sophia!¡± Kristen had already received calls from other housewives, who asked her, ¡°What''s going on with your former daughter-inw Sophia? Wasn''t she a poor gold digger? How did she suddenly be some entertainmentpany boss?¡± How would Kristen know what was going on? During the three years Sophia was married into the Xenos family, although she was not doing chores daily, she was still under the watchful eyes of Kristen. Kristen did not allow Sophia to go out much, as she was afraid that it could lead to embarrassment. After she had received numerous consecutive phone calls, she felt suffocated and anxious. Upon seeing Thaliaing down from the third floor, she red at Thalia. ¡°What''s there to look at? She had already divorced your brother, so why have you been paying attention to her for the entire day? Can''t you spend some time thinking about how to get into the Schild family?¡± Thalia did not take Kristen''s scolding to heart. Instead, she pouted and said, ¡°Mom, don''t you feel distressed? After the divorce, it''s as though Sophia had be an entirely different person. Look at what people are saying about her online. Some of them even go so far as to say that their divorce is Alex''s loss!¡± Although Kristen had been handling things more calmly than Thalia, now that this matter involved Alexander, she could no longer retain her calm. After living close to sixty years, Kristen was relying on Alexander, her only son, to suppress the other wealthy housewives in Jadeborough. She refused to let his name be dragged through the mud. Even if that were to happen, she intended to resolve the matter in its entirety. ¡°What loss? She''s just someone who couldn''t even persevere for more than three years. What is there to lose?¡± ¡°Mom, you may think like that, but not allizens share your sentiment. If you don''t believe me, look!¡± Thalia was very experienced in matters that involved backstabbing others. Initially, she thought she could destroy Sophia by thoroughly shaming her online and causing Sophia to cower in a corner. However, Thalia did not foresee such a reversal. This matter had developed far beyond her expectations. She felt frustrated, so she decided to look for Kristen. As expected, as soon as Kristen saw the online discussion and connected that to the calls she had previously received, her countenance reflected her fluctuating emotional state. I suppose thosedies called in to mock me? Kristen could not hold herself back and immediately phoned Alexander. He was not in a good mood, either. As soon as Kristen called his name, she was cut off by the sullen tone of his voice over the phone. ¡°You better handle Thalia. If the situation esctes, I will not involve myself any longer.¡± As soon as he said that, Alexander immediately ended the call. Tilting his head back, he gulped down the red wine he had in hand before coldly turning around and returning to his room. Sophia had a good night''s sleep and woke up feeling fresh the next day. Knowing the time when Sophia would be awake, Yvonne gave thetter a call. ¡±Good morning, Ms. Yarrow! Thewyer''s letter has been sent to Thalia Xenos, however...¡± Yvonne stopped in the middle of her words, but Sophia was able to figure out what she was about to say next. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°She asked how much money you want.¡± This does fit Thalia''s character. Letting out a chuckle, Sophia said, ¡°Tell Mr. Leyton to prepare for litigation.¡± ¡°Understood, Ms. Yarrow. I can take it from here.¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡± ¡°Most wee.¡± After she hung up, Sophia got up and thought of preparing a sandwich for her breakfast. The sun was glistening beyond the windows. It was indeed a great day, and so was Sophia''s mood. However, Samuel''s mood was not that great. As soon as he arrived at thepany in the morning, his secretary conferred with him, ¡°Remember the promising original work that thepany had set its sights on earlier in the year? We had already agreed to sign a contract with themst week, yet New Dawn Publishing called us this morning to inform us that they''re refusing to sell us the movie rights.¡± ¡°If they aren''t selling it, then so be it. Although there aren''t that many good original works nowadays, Midway Media is still argepany. We shouldn''t becking in original works.¡± ¡°However, they had gotten in touch withary Media instead. We have been bitter rivals with netary Media over the years, so isn''t New Dawn Publishing''s action tantamount to a p to our face?¡± Mary loss might have been eptable, but since this was a p to the face, Samuel could not tolerate it. He exploded in anger and mmed the proposal on the table. ¡°Get New Dawn Publishing''s person-in- charge on the phone, now!¡± The secretary was left trembling out of fright. Nodding quickly, she immediately made a call to New Dawn Publishing. In the meantime, Sophia had just driven out of her mansion when Yvonne called her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Schild from Midway Media is requesting an exnation from New Dawn Publishing. Mr. Simon Webb asked if you were free tonight, as your presence might be needed for tonight''s dinner.¡± Sophia raised her eyebrow and responded, ¡°I''m not free. Tell Simon to inform Samuel directly that a single investor''s vote vetoed the decision. There''s no need to say more beyond that.¡± ¡°Understood, Ms. Yarrow.¡± After hanging up, Sophia restarted her car by the side of the road. Her red Ferrari kicked up some dust and sped off elegantly. It was Sophia''s twenty-seventh birthday. It had also been a hundred days since she had escaped Alexander''s clutches. No matter how she looked at it, it was a day worth celebrating. Sophia was left without want in life. After her divorce, she spent some time traveling. She discovered that the world atrge was extremely interesting. She was blind to this when she had spent three years by Alexander''s side, whose heart already belonged to someone else. Therefore, for her birthday this time around, she generously rewarded herself with a yacht, which had just arrived at the pier the night before. She was driving herself over to see her birthday gift. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Perhaps the day had started too smooth. When Sophia arrived at the harbor, she bumped into two people she did not wish to see. At least she did not feel like seeing Bethany and Thalia on such a good day. That day, Sophia wore a champagne-colored maxi dress. While the hem of her dress flowed gracefully in the breeze, her long chestnut curly hair was ruffled by the wind, revealing her bright and beautiful face. Even Thalia, who despised Sophia, was amazed and could not deny that thetter had a charming face. Looking at Sophia walking in her direction, Thalia thought the former was there to plead with her. After all, she had hired someone to spread the photos of Sophia secretly dating another man before divorcing Alexander some time ago. With that thought in mind, she subconsciously raised her head and arrogantly waited for Sophia to beg her. However, Sophia passed by her at a close distance just like that. Momentarily stunned, Thalia quickly regained her senses and became infuriated. She ran after Sophia, who went straight ahead without turning back. ¡°Hey!¡± Not getting any response, she was so angry that she stomped her feet. ¡°Sophia Yarrow! Are you deaf?¡± Only then did Sophia stop in her tracks and look back, sweeping her gaze across Bethany before landing it on Thalia. ¡°Are you calling me?¡± ¡°Is someone else here other than you?¡± Anger was bottling up inside Thalia''s heart, almost choking her to death. ¡°But my name is not ''hey''.¡± Sophia raised her eyebrow. Then, she shed Thalia a faint smile and continued, ¡°How may I help you, Ms. Xenos?¡± Stumped by her words, Thalia became even angrier. ¡°What are you doing here? Are you here to take your own life?¡± ¡°Take my own life? That''s humorous of you, Ms. Xenos.¡± Her remarks amused Sophia. ¡°This is the harbor. Bethany and I are here to go for a sail. Unless you''re here for that, too, what are you doing here?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Halfway through her sentence, Thalia suddenly thought of something, and her face fell. ¡°Could it be that Charlize has invited you to go for a sail as well?¡± Just then, the yacht manager approached them. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Finding it meaningless to continue the conversation with Thalia, Sophia said, ¡°Excuse me, I have some matter to attend to. Do enjoy yourself out at the sea.¡± The coldness and impatience in her eyes were very obvious when she spoke. As her words fell, she walked toward the man next to her. ¡°Mr. Brown.¡± The man, Xavier Brown, asked awkwardly, ¡°Am I interrupting your conversation with your friends, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°No. I don''t know them.¡± Sophia tilted her head to look at Thalia and Bethany beside them. Xavier heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that. ¡°Come. Let me take you to Ste and show you around.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Thalia''s face turned pale at Sophia''s words. Gritting her teeth, she snorted, ¡°I''d like to see who invited her to a sail!¡± Coincidentally, Sophia''s yacht docked right next to Thalia''s. Charlize Johnson was Charles'' younger sister. She was not a close friend of Thalia, but they were in the same circle. When Thalia knew Charlize had borrowed Charles'' yacht to go for a sail, she phoned Charlize to ask if Charlize could bring her along. Since Thalia had asked her personally, Charlize thought she could not possibly reject the former. There were quite a number of wealthy families in Jadeborough. Since the social circle was the same, everyone generally knew each other. As Thalia still could not find any familiar faces on the yacht beside them after staring at it for a long time, she asked, ¡°Charlize, do you know who the owner of that yacht is?¡± Charlize shook her head. ¡°No, I don''t.¡± Then, she looked at the man sent by Charles behind her. ¡°Hey, do you know who owns that yacht?¡± ¡°No. All I know is that it just arrivedst night. I''m yet to find out who the owner is, though.¡± Lifting her chin, Charlize looked at Thalia and queried, ¡°Why? Did you see someone you know?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Thalia gritted her teeth and headed inside the yacht with Bethany. Charlize pursed her lips upon seeing that. She had thought that Thalia would not need to tag along with her if Thalia met an acquaintance. Inside the yacht, Bethany gazed at the yacht behind them through the window and went into deep thoughts. Her eyes lit up when she heard Thaliaining that Sophia could have hooked up with a tycoon. However, when she shifted her gaze to Thalia, she wore a suspicious expression. ¡°I don''t think Ms. Yarrow is such a person, Tally.¡± Upon hearing that, Thalia, who had not gotten any response after talking for a long time, naturally spilled the beans and told Bethany everything. ¡°Why not? Don''t be deceived by her appearance, Bethany. In truth, she had never behaved herself over the three years she married into my family. I even took pictures of her secretly dating different men behind my brother''s back.¡± Bethany still pretended not to believe her words. ¡°Maybe they''re just friends?¡± ¡°That''s not possible, Bethany. Have you ever seen any woman meeting friends of the opposite sex in the tinum room of Corona?¡± Corona was a famous private club specifically for the rich in Jadeborough with absolute privacy and high-end facilities. The club had three sses of rooms, and the tinum room was the highest. One must be the club''s VIP to use the tinum room. Even if the person merely joined the club VIP and did not use any facilities, the annual fee itself would still cost over three million. Despite that, many celebrities would still enrol as VIP members and did not mind paying the expensive annual fee. After all, none of the paparazzi had ever taken pictures of them inside the club, and they were confident that their privacy was well-protected. In fact, it was not Thalia''s fault for imagining things, as the act of Sophia entering the tinum room with a male was indeed suspicious. ¡°Did you see it with your own eyes, or was it merely a rumor? You see, people tend to exaggerate things nowadays. Maybe Ms. Yarrow was only having a little chat with her friend in the cafe back then. When people spread about it, their words took on a whole different meaning.¡± Bethany pursed her lips. ¡°Don''t be naive, Bethany. It''s definitely not a rumor, and I do have photos of her secretly dating other men. If you don''t believe me, I can show them to you.¡± After saying that, she searched for the photos on her phone. Bethany had seen the photos long ago because Thalia had already posted them on Twitter two hours ago. Still, she pretended to be oblivious and looked at the photos on Thalia''s phone. A long momentter, she heaved a sigh andmented, ¡°I never thought Sophia was this type of person.¡± ¡°Hmph! Theizens are really stupid. Once Sophia''s side made a stand for the gossip circling online, they immediately turned around and supported her.¡± At the mention of that, Thalia somehow regretted bribing the media to nder Sophia''s name. She was not afraid of Sophia. In fact, she was dubious about whether Sophia was trying to take the opportunity and make a debut. After all, Sophia was penniless after leaving Alexander. Meanwhile, Sophia did not know what was on poor Thalia''s mind. She was utterly satisfied after taking a stroll around the yacht with Xavier. Sure enough, one must have money. When she thought she would be able to sail freely on her own yacht sometimeter, she felt that her anticipations in life were much higher now. Sophia was so in love with ¡°Ste¡± that she purchased it for a huge sum and stayed on it until lunch hour. Only then did she bade Xavier goodbye and leave the harbor. As soon as she returned to the city, she received a message from Katherine: Soph, do you want to have some fun? I''ll see you at six in the evening at Corona, tinum room 168! While waiting for the traffic light, Sophia took the opportunity to check on her phone. Pursing her lips, she smiled as she replied to the message: Okay. As the traffic turned green, she stepped on the elerator and continued her journey. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Thalia''s counterattack could not set off any ripple in Sophia''s heart. As thetter had told Yvonne to go through the legal process, Thalia would eventually end up in a more miserable state if she continued stirring up trouble. However, besides Thalia, it seemed that there was someone else who wanted to nder Sophia''s name. The way the person ndered her was pretty odd, as the person had imed Sophia had been creating hot topics after divorcing Alexander. Even though she was not from the entertainment industry, the frequency she was on the trending search was much higher than those trending celebrities. The person even predicted that Sophia would make a debut by ndering herself. Sophia looked rather calm when she read thement that afternoon. Are people nowadays so dumb? She did not take it to heart, though. After she woke up from her nap, she spent half an hour doing basic skincare and another half an hour putting on delicate makeup. Upon seeing the beautiful reflection in the mirror, she happily entered the walk-in closet to choose a rose pink-colored Arterius moonlight series halter V-neck trailing evening dress. As part of the dress'' rose pink-colored base had a bright finish that made it glimmer with white, it would not be a good clothing color for one with a little darker skin tone. Even so, things were different for Sophia, as her porcin skin tone made her look angelic and pretty in the dress. The red Ferrari matched the Sophia that day perfectly. While waiting for the traffic light, she encountered a Maserati convertible that honked at her several times, trying to hit on her. Thedy did not budge at all. She propped her handzily on the car window and stared at the traffic lights in front of her. Once the traffic light turned red, she slightly stepped on the elerator and drove off with the traffic, parting her way with the Maserati. Although Sophia left her house quite early that day, she was still stuck in traffic for a short time due to peak-hour traffic congestion. It was already a quarter past six when she arrived at Corona. Wasting no time, she went to the ninth floor through the VIPne after parking her car. ¡°Miss, may I know¡ª¡± As soon as the elevator door opened, the waiter standing in front of the elevator saw Sophia and was so stunned that he could not finish his words. ¡°Room 168.¡± Sophia shed him a faint look. The waiter immediately snapped back to his senses, feeling a little embarrassed. ¡°This way, please.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± In truth, she had been to room 168 more than once and was familiar with the ce. However, she did not mind having someone lead the way. ¡°We''ve arrived, miss.¡± ¡°I''ll open the door myself.¡± Sophia waved her hand dismissively. Looking at the gentle beauty before him, the waiter felt that even a nce of her could take his heart. He dared not to disobey her order and retreated after acknowledging her request. Knocking on the door, Sophia announced, ¡°I''m here.¡± It was then that she noticed the door handle was loose, and the door was not closed tightly. Holding the door handle, she pushed the door open. Bang! Everything was just as she had expected. The room was decorated with star lights and balloons. At the same time, Katherine was directing the confetti in each of her hands toward the door. ¡°Happy birthday, Soph!¡± The small pieces of colored paper slowly fell in the doorway, but only a few piecesnded on Sophia''s body. When Katherine saw Sophia, her eyes widened. ¡°Oh, my gosh! You little minx! Are you really here to ''have fun'' tonight?¡± With a half-smile, Sophia nced at Joshua, who was holding a birthday cake next to her, as she tilted her body and dodged Katherine''s hug. ¡°Don''t hug me. Your man will be jealous.¡± shing Sophia a smile, Joshua handed the cake to the former while pulling Katherine to his side with another hand. ¡°Stop getting handsy. Are you a rogue?¡± Katherine was indeed afraid of Joshua. However, her eyes sparkled when she saw Sophia dolling up that day. ¡°I thought you''ve never been into this style. What makes you suddenly change your mind today?¡± Sophia lowered her head and blew out the candles on the cake. While walking further into the room, she responded, ¡°Since it''s my birthday today, I''m thinking of a change.¡± Having said that, she tossed the crossbody bag in her hand onto the couch. Picking up the decanter and the winess, she leisurely poured herself a ss of red wine. Katherine observed her movements and helplessly swallowed a gulp. ¡°I''m a little d that I''m a woman, yet I regret it a bit at the same time.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Joshua raised an eyebrow. Upon seeing that, Katherine flinched and slid out of his embrace like a slippery eel. She went to sit next to Sophia and stated, ¡°Happy birthday, Soph! I wish you earn more this year thanst year!¡± ¡°Thank you. I like that blessing.¡± Sophia took the gift from her hand. Putting down the winess, she began to unwrap the birthday gift Katherine gave. As she opened the wrapping paper, a gradient cloud-colored gift box came into her sight. Opening the box, she spotted a simple retro yet fashionabledies'' watch. It was a limited edition watch from Straize named ¡°Breakthrough,¡± with Sophia''s name engraved on the dial. Momentarily stunned, Sophia wore the watch on her wrist. The strap was just right, and the size of the dial matched her wrist perfectly. She loved it. ¡°Thank you.¡± With a smile, Sophia propped her chin with one hand and stared at Katherine. ¡°I remember this watch costs more than a million. How did you manage to save up that amount of money?¡± Last year, Katherine had had her eyes on a riverside mansion, which cost one hundred eighty million. She secretly saved money as she did not want Joshua to know she intended to buy the mansion as their newlywed house. Although she was a morous superstar, she had been forcing herself to save money and living on a tight budget every month. In truth, over a million was not a big deal. It was just that Joshua had suddenly proposed to Katherine in June this year, and she had to rack her brain for a way to buy the mansion before the wedding. The watch actually cost several months of her living expenses. ¡°Why are you asking me this? This watch is nothing aspared to our twenty years of friendship, despite the price!¡± Hearing that, Sophia gave a smile. ¡°True.¡± As it was a rare opportunity for the trio to gather, Sophia drank quite a lot that night. Her alcohol tolerance was decent, though, and she only felt tipsy. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. On the other hand, Joshua tried to restrain himself from consuming alcohol and only watched thedies enjoying their drinks at the side. Sophia felt rxed with the two of them around. However, she still had another birthday celebration around ten o''clock. The next venue would be a little more lively, as it was the bar where she became famous for her dance last time. Before she moved to the next venue, Katherine suddenly wrapped her arms around Sophia''s. ¡°Soph, since today is your birthday, why don''t we y something exciting?¡± Raising her brows, Sophia asked, ¡°Oh? What do you have in mind?¡± Katherine shot her an exciting look. ¡°Kiss the first man you meet after you leave this room. You''re divorced, anyway. Do you dare to do that?¡± ¡°Stop fooling around.¡± Joshua tugged at Katherine, making thetter feel wronged. ¡°I''m not! Come on, think about it. How bad could a man who could afford to reserve a Corona''s tinum room be? I''ve enquired about it. Those who can reserve a room on this floor are no ordinary people, so Soph actually has nothing to lose!¡± Normally, Sophia would not ept it, but she felt a little ecstatic that day after having a drink or two. ¡°Sure. Why not?¡± ¡°Yay! Let''s go, my queen!¡± When Sophia was not even ready, Katherine opened the door and pushed the former out. Staggering forward, Sophia knocked into a man. The man was a bit tall. As she lost her foothold and bumped over, she could only see his sexy Adam''s apple. Katherine''s words earlier came into her mind, and she went all out as she raised her arms to hold the man''s shoulders. Looking up, she crinkled her eyes like a charming painting before asking, ¡°May I kiss you, sir?¡± However, her expression stiffened in the next second. D*mn it! This man is my ex-husband. How am I going to nt a kiss on him? Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Surprisingly, the first man she met was Alexander. Sophia was not the only person who was stunned. Katherine, who was already half-drunk, was so shocked that she hurriedly buried her face in Joshua''s arms. However, she did not mind adding fuel to the me. As she hid in Joshua''s arms, she kept shooting nces at Sophia. ¡°Go ahead! Do it!¡± Meanwhile, Sophia''s mind nked out. Even though she was married to Alexander for three years, the most intimate moment she experienced with him was probably holding his hand on their wedding day. Yet, there she was in Alexander''s arms three months after their divorce. Furthermore, her hands were on his shoulders. Those unaware of the situation would assume that they were a loving couple. Katherine shot nces at Sophia so many times that her eyes started hurting. Thetter saw her signal and almost instantly made the decision. Alexander was 188cm tall. Although Sophia was taller than the average woman and had a height of 168cm, she was much shorter than him. However, she was wearing high heels that day. With that, she stood on tiptoes and quickly kissed his thin lips. Sophia only gave him a peck on the lips before she let go of him. ¡°I hope you don''t mind. We are ying a game.¡± She smiled as she spoke, and her voice was low and calm. After that, she took a step back and smiled faintly as she shot a nce at him. Then, she turned to Katherine and raised her brows. ¡°Didn''t you say you want to go somewhere else to drink?¡± At that moment, Katherine was dumbfounded, and she thought her eyes had tricked her. Am I imagining things? What I just witnessed is unbelievable! Seeing the woman in his arms not moving, Joshua raised his arm and tugged at her. ¡°It''s time to go.¡± Hearing that, Katherine looked up and saw that Sophia had already stridden away in her high heels. The trail of her long rose-pink gown swayed with her every step. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Since Sophia had drunk alcohol, she could not drive. Hence, she got into Joshua''s car. Katherine was still shocked by what had just happened and decided not to sit in the front passenger seat. Instead, she joined Sophia in the back. Staring at Sophia, she reached out to touch thetter''s forehead. ¡°That''s strange. You don''t have a fever.¡± Sophia, who was looking out the window, huffily pulled Katherine''s hand down. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Instead of answering her question, Katherine uttered, ¡°Do you know who you just kissed?¡± Sophia narrowed her eyes at her friend, suddenly feeling annoyed. ¡°Alexander. Why? Is there something wrong with that?¡± Upon hearing that, Katherine nodded firmly. ¡°Yes! It''s wrong! It''s very wrong! Soph, if I remember correctly, Alexander never even sat on your bed in the three years you were married to him! Yet, when the two of you are now divorced, you just kissed him! Oh my goodness! I cannot believe it!¡± Her words were so heart-wrenching that Sophia felt hurt. ¡°He''s just a pawn to help me win the challenge.¡± Katherine was taken aback. When she came back to her senses, she gave Sophia a thumbs up. ¡°Amazing! You''re incredible, Soph!¡± Sophia massaged her temples. ¡°Stop being noisy. Let me rest.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Understood!¡± Tilting her head, Sophia chuckled. Katherine is such a silly girl. I wonder if her fans would cry if they find out her true nature. On the flip side, Samuel had already drunk two sses of red wine, but Alexander, who imed that he had arrived in Corona, had not shown up yet. Annoyed, he loosened his tie and poked Charles with his elbow. ¡°Call Alex. He probably entered the wrong room and fell into the arms of a prettydy. It''s been over ten minutes since he said he''s here, but where is he?¡± As soon as he finished his sentence, the door of the private room was pushed open. The person who entered the room was none other than Alexander, who was supposed to join them fifteen minutes ago. However, he looked grim. Upon seeing him, Samuel directly handed him a ss of red wine. ¡°Three sses.¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± Taking a seat, Alexander did not even bother to look at Samuel. After he sat down, he sunk into the couch and lowered his gaze. It was obvious that he was not in the mood to talk to anyone. When Sophia kissed him a moment ago, he felt a strange sensation. It felt like excitement and joy, but the kiss ended before he could figure out the feeling. At first, he thought it was just a physical reaction, so he tried to calm himself by smoking a cigarette in the smoking room. However, as smoke surrounded him, all he could think about was Sophia''s enchanting look when she raised her brows to ask whether she could kiss him. Samuel and Charles had been friends with Alexander for a long time, but it was the first time they saw thetter look so troubled. The two exchanged nces to signal each other to ask what Alexander had on his mind. Even so, in the end, neither of them dared to ask. At that moment, the private room was extremely silent. A whileter, Alexander suddenly looked up at Samuel. ¡°Aren''t you usually super talkative? Why are you so quiet today? Are your lips glued together?¡± Hearing that, Samuel felt annoyed. ¡°Weren''t you the one who told me to get lost?¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Leaning forward, he poured himself a ss of water. Seeing that, Samuel and Charles started to wonder if he was the Alexander they knew. ¡°Alex, are you okay? Why are you drinking water?¡± Alexander nced at them coldly and questioned, ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°N-No...¡± Samuel was frightened, but he was sensible, so he knew not to question Alexander any further. With that, he changed the topic. ¡°Alex, do you know that idiot CEO of New Dawn Publishing? The film and television department of mypany went to purchase the copyright of a web novel under their company to make it into a movie. The price and the contract details were all set. We were supposed to sign the contract today, but they called me this morning and told me they are no longer interested! I''m not mad that they refused to work with us. After all, my life doesn''t depend on it! However, they immediately signed a copyright contract withary Media. Those b*stards...¡± Hearing that, Charles chuckled. ¡°Is it possible that the person in charge of the negotiation has a bad attitude?¡± ¡°That''s impossible. Your sister was the one who rmended me the novel. I asked my secretary and the senior executives of mypany to write somements and unique points about the novel. After that, I even read it myself. It was a good novel, so I personally handpicked the person to be in charge of the negotiation.¡± The person who he had handpicked naturally would not be foolish or arrogant. Thus, Samuel was puzzled. No matter how much he thought about it, he still could not figure out why New Dawn Publishing suddenly rejected them and signed with anotherpany. ncing at Samuel, Alexander stated, ¡°If I''m not mistaken, New Dawn Publishing was founded five years ago and did equity finance three years ago. Back then, Sunshine Group invested more than two million in Series A funding and they also continued to invest in Series B. If your employee didn''t offend New Dawn Publishing, you have to think whether you have ever offended someone from Sunshine Group.¡± Hearing that, Samuel had an instant realization and cursed repeatedly. Why have I never thought of this? However, he was still a little skeptical. ¡°Does Sunshine Group really have that much power?¡± ¡°All they have to do is object during the voting.¡± Hearing that, Samuel frowned. ¡°Who owns Sunshine Group?¡± Even Alexander did not know the answer to that. ¡°I don''t know. Nobody in the industry knows the person behind Sunshine Group.¡± Hearing that, Samuel eximed, ¡°The owner of Sunshine Group is really despicable! I''ll ask my secretary to talk to New Dawn Publishing.¡± I have never felt so humiliated! Alexander said nothing. For some reason, he had a vague feeling that Samuel would regret his decision in the future. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Sophia would never expect that Samuel and the others would see her as someone powerful. At that moment, she and Katherine had just arrived Nocturne. The neon lights at the entrance were so bright that Sophia''s eyes were momentarily blinded when they arrived. Mason and Howard were already inside the club, and they had reserved a private room on the second floor. As soon as Sophia arrived, Jonice led the staff and entered the room with a cake that was half a person''s height. The people in the room were mostly from Specter Entertainment. Even James, who had just joined the company a few days ago, was also there. Sophia was not close with Mason and the others. However, after her divorce, Katherine asked her to be in the trending headlines with them, and sheplied. Even though she had their phone numbers, she never really contacted them. Hence, Sophia was surprised when Jonice told her that Mason and the others wanted to celebrate her birthday with her. At first, she wanted to refuse them, but Katherine persuaded her and managed to change her mind. Counting in Sophia, Katherine, and Joshua, there were a total of eleven people in the room. There were not a lot of people, but the atmosphere was much livelier than in Corona. Sophia had drunk a lot of alcohol at Corona. Thus, after she cut the cake, she sat at the side and watched the others discuss thetest gossip in the industry. Mason and the others knew about Katherine and Joshua''s rtionship. They were also celebrities, so Katherine was not worried that they would reveal her rtionship to the public. It was until 12 a.m. that they parted ways. Sophia was already feeling sleepy. Having a healthy schedule, she usually went to sleep before 11 p.m. Sophia was so tired that she could not help but yawn as she sat on the couch. In the meantime, Katherine had drank a few more sses of alcohol when Joshua was not looking, so she was already drunk. Hence, Joshua carried her and walked up to Sophia. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Hearing that, Sophia got to her feet and smiled, saying, ¡°Katherine''s drunk. You should send her home. I''ll just take a taxi.¡± However, Joshua was a little worried. ¡°It''s not convenient to take a taxi. The alcohol hasn''t hit her yet. Just let me drive you home.¡± Katherine not only had bad alcohol tolerance, but she also had a bad drunk personality. She often over- drunk and caused trouble. At that moment, she was lying in Joshua''s arms quietly, but she would go crazy once the alcohol kicked in. As soon as Joshua finished his sentence, Katherine, who was in his arms, suddenly shouted, ¡°Soph, you are amazing!¡± As she spoke, she pushed Joshua away and pounced on Sophia. Sophia immediately pushed her away and turned to Joshua. ¡°Hurry up and take her home. Otherwise, she''ll be in tomorrow''s headlines.¡± After Sophia finished her sentence, Katherine turned around and hugged Joshua. ¡°Josh, I love you so much.¡± Hearing that, Sophia and the others felt speechless. If you want to show affection to each other, please do it at home! Joshua held onto the dizzy Katherine and nced at Sophia. ¡°Call me the moment you get home.¡± Since they had been friends since young, Joshua treated Sophia like a sister. Upon hearing that, Sophia gave him an ¡°okay¡± gesture and personally opened the door of the private room for him. ¡°Okay.¡± Katherine would not stop shouting and moving around. Left with no choice, Joshua scooped her up and carried her. With that, they left the room. The other people in the room were also getting ready to leave. Sophia had parked her car at Corona, so she was really nning to take the taxi. On the other side, James had juste to the city not long ago, so he did not have a car. Jonice was worried that he might get into scandals, so she personally drove James home. Before they left, Jonice asked Sophia if she needed a ride, but Sophia refused. Thepany dorms were in the south while Sophia''s mansion was in the north. It would take them half an hour to return to the dorms, but if they gave her a ride, they would need to drive an extra thirty minutes. Howard had also drank some alcohol, so Jonice gave him a ride. The only other person in the room who did not drink and had a car was Mason. After sending off Jonice and the others, Sophia turned around and smiled at Mason. ¡°It''ste. I should get home.¡± As she spoke, she pulled out her phone and lowered her head to call for a taxi. Just then, Mason walked over and remarked, ¡°Let me drive you home, Soph.¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows. ¡°Thank you for the offer, but your house is not the same way as mine.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Mason looked at her and cocked his head slightly toward the presents on the couch. ¡°It''s hard to get a taxi at night, Soph. Besides, it''ll be difficult for you to carry all those presents.¡± Only then did Sophia remember she had a big bag of presents to carry home. Staring at Mason for a while, she uttered, ¡°Looks like I''ll have to trouble you.¡± ¡°It will be my honor.¡± Mason shot her a smile before leaning forward and picking up the bag of presents on the couch. Then, he walked to the door and opened it. ¡°After you.¡± ncing at him, Sophia smiled as she walked out of the private room. Mason drove his Maserati that day. It was not the first time Sophia went on a ride in it. She had drunk quite a lot of alcohol that day, and the alcohol was starting to kick in. After she got into the car, she felt drowsy and wanted to sleep. Mason did not turn on the radio so that she could have a peaceful nap. The car was extremely quiet. If Mason did not suddenly crash into another car, Sophia would have dozed off. Fluttering her eyes open, Sophia stared at the ck Maybach in front of her. Just when she thought it looked familiar, Samuel stepped out of the passenger seat. After taking a nce at the car, Samuel clicked his tongue. ¡°Look at that scratch.¡± As he spoke, Alexander stepped out of the driver''s seat. He instantly spotted Sophia sitting in the Maserati, and his already grim face darkened even more. Mason did not expect to be so unlucky. Of all the cars on the road, it just had to be Alexander''s car. ncing at Sophia, Mason uttered, ¡°Soph, why don''t you stay in the car?¡± Sophia never nned to get out of the car to face Alexander. Even though she pretended not to care about the kiss with him a few hours ago and left without looking back, she was actually bothered by it. ¡°Okay. Be nice. Don''t cause a fight.¡± Although it waste and there were not many cars or people on the road, Mason was still a public figure. It was possible that there were paparazzi around waiting for Mason to cause trouble so they could expose him and incite public opinion. Despite being drunk, she was only slightly giddy and was notpletely drunk like Katherine. At that moment, she was awake and aware of everything that was happening. Taking a deep breath, he opened the car door and got out of the car, immediately apologizing, ¡°I''m sorry. It''s my fault. Sir, please let me know how much I have topensate you for the repair fees.¡± Alexander nced at Sophia, who was in the passenger seat. The woman had her eyes closed, and she was covering her forehead with a hand. It was hard to see her face. Does she hate seeing me that much? He then recalled the peck they had two hours ago. Thinking about that, he narrowed his eyes and sized up the man in front of him coldly. Alexander remembered who the man was. He''s Mason, an actor who became an A-list celebrity after he got famous for acting in a fantasy drama. Back when Sophia and I filed for a divorce, he was the one who picked her up at the entrance of City Hall. Besides that, he even expressed his admiration for Sophia on his personal social media ount. Alexander suddenly felt that Mason was bing more of an eyesore. ¡°One hundred thousand.¡± The smile on Mason''s face instantly faded. ¡°Sir, don''t make absurd demands.¡± ¡°Absurd?¡± Alexander scoffed. ¡°You can ask the person sitting in your car whether I have time to waste on you just for a mere one hundred thousand.¡± Samuel, who was watching from the side, also thought that Alexander was being ridiculous. However, after hearing thetter''s words, he nced at the passenger seat of the Maserati and could not help but ponder. Huh. It looks like Alexander''s mad at something else instead of the scratch on his car. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Mason arched a brow. ¡°If so, then let us go through the proper procedures.¡± As he spoke, he fished out his phone and was ready to call the cops. Meanwhile, Alexander, who was standing nearby, stared at him coldly. ¡°If you''re not afraid of appearing on the headlines of tomorrow''s entertainment news, I shall go along with your decision.¡± Mason''s expression darkened. He was in the talks for a male lead role in a movie as ofte. Should he be gued by bad press then, it would most definitely affect his work in some way or another. The worst part was that he could lose out on the role. Naturally, Mason had no desire to be involved with the police, but he also did not want to be a scapegoat. s, Alexander had Mason''s weakness in his hands. There was no other choice for Mason but to fork out the money. The ident was to be a lesson to him. ¡°Fine, a hundred thousand it is.¡± However, Alexander no longer wanted Mason to pay him the hundred thousand. ¡°Have the person in the car disembark and apologize to me. I''ll waive the fees then.¡± Mason was instantly infuriated. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I know that you''re rich. But that doesn''t mean I can''t afford to pay a hundred thousand.¡± Nheless, Alexander had already changed his mind, and he could not be bothered with Mason''s excuse. Instead, he directly dered in a cold voice, ¡°Have here out of the car, or I''ll call the police. It''s your choice.¡± Mason was tongue-tied momentarily. He then eximed, ¡°You''re going overboard, Alexander!¡± Mason did not wish for Sophia to intervene in the matter at all. Nevertheless, as soon as Mason''s words left his mouth, an impassionate woman''s voice rang out. ¡°Mr. Xenos, did you need something from me?¡± It was Sophia. Before the men knew it, she had opened the car''s door and emerged from the car. The moment Mason saw her, his expression wavered. ¡°Sophia...¡± Sophia smiled at Mason. ¡°It''s all right. Go back into the car. I''ll settle this myself.¡± Back when she was still seated in the car, she already realized that Alexander was hassling Mason, as five minutes had passed without the matter being settled. That was why she opened the car door. As soon as she stepped out of the car, she heard Alexander offering his ultimatum to Mason. After a moment of deliberation, she came to the conclusion that Alexander was vexed about the kiss they had at Corona. In reality, Sophia harbored some regrets. The few months after she was divorced, she lived a good life, and her ex-husband, Alexander, was akin to a stranger from a previous life. She sighed. This is what happens when people rush into things. Mason wanted to speak, but he stopped himself when his eyes met Sophia''s confident gaze. He nodded his head and promptly returned to the car. Sophia''s attire took Samuel''s breath away. He had always known that she was a singr and iparable beauty. However, not only did the woman not stand out, but she also kept a rather low profile. Sophia tended to keep to herself in the Xenos residence for the past three years, and whenever she attended evening banquets on asion, she typically dressed moderately. However, at this moment, her appearance was absolutely brilliant in the eyes of others. It was as if a pearl covered in dust had finally been polished. When Samuel was still in astonishment at Sophia''s soul-stirring beauty, he noticed Alexander shooting a cold look at him. Samuel had originally wanted to be a quiet onlooker, but with a single re from Alexander, Samuel had no choice but to return to his car. Since all the insignificant people were no longer present, Alexander turned his gaze upon Sophia. Her cheeks appeared slightly flushed, perhaps due to her makeup or some other reason. Sophia''s alluring eyes stared at Alexander calmly. Her floor-length dress clung to her slim figure, showing off her thin waist. As Alexander gaped at Sophia, the thought of covering her up in arge cloth crossed his mind. The notion irritated him to the extreme, but what was worse was the kiss that happened a few hours prior. Sophia seemingly waited for quite some time, but Alexander never opened his mouth. As such, she unwittingly raised her eyebrow and asked, ¡°Mr. Xenos?¡± When Alexander heard Sophia urging him by hisst name, his expression darkened in a split second. ¡°Leave.¡± Sophia''s smile faltered. ¡°Well then, thank you for your generosity, Mr. Xenos.¡± Her words were cordial, but her smile seemed indifferent. From head to toe, Sophia oozed an air of detachment and coldness. Alexander''s chest grew heavy. It felt as if his heart had been pierced. As he stood there under the moonlight, his face appeared as terrifying as the devil. By then, Sophia had already turned around and returned to her car. She shot a nce at Alexander, who was standing outside, through the car''s window. Then, she retracted her gaze immediately and tilted her head down to fasten her seatbelt. ¡°I hope he didn''t cause you any trouble?¡± Mason asked. Although it had only been half a minute, Mason was still worried about Sophia despite witnessing that Alexander took no action against her. Sophia chuckled softly upon hearing Mason''s question and answered, ¡°How could he possibly cause me any trouble?¡± Mason was instantly taken aback by the smile in her seductive eyes, and his throat tightened. ¡°That''s good then.¡± Meanwhile, a thought appeared in his mind. Ah! Mydy boss is too beautiful! I''ve suddenly lost the motivation to work. ¡°It''s gettingte. Let us depart.¡± Mason nodded and withdrew his gaze, not daring to gape at Sophia any longer. After all, he had rear- ended the other car because he was sneaking a nce at Sophia. By the time the car stopped at the door to Sophia''s mansion, it was already one o''clock in the morning. Sophia was extremely drowsy by that point. She simply bid Mason good night, then went straight into the mansion with the gift bag in her hand. ¡°Genie, turn off tomorrow''s rm.¡± ¡°Copy that, Ms. Yarrow.¡± It had been about five years since Sophiast went to bed thatte. As she climbed into bed after her shower, she fell asleep instantly. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Sophia slept soundly that night. In the meantime, Alexander had a tumultuous sleep, or more urately, he barely had any sleep at all. He almost went mad as the kiss he shared with Sophia invaded his mind for the entire night. He could not stop thinking about their kiss and the image of her face under the moonlight when their cars collided. She was mesmerizingly beautiful, so beautiful that she had captured his soul. Throughout his three years of marriage with Sophia, not once had he looked at her properly. The image of his ex-wife in his mind back then had been a good-looking but adeptly pretentious gold digger. However, in the four months since their divorce, she had consistently broken that image he had of her. Alexander had thought that Sophia was a gold digger and that she had married him for the sake of his money. He had believed that the reason why she liked him was that his appearance suited her taste. On top of that, he came from an affluent background. However, Sophia wanted nothing from him during the divorce proceedings. She was contrary to the behavior of a gold digger. During their three years of marriage, Sophia had been constantly tormented by Kristen in the Xenos residence. Thetter had phoned Alexander asionally toin that Sophia was a worthless fool. Alexander did not consider her to be foolish back then. After all, if she were a fool, she would not have asked him to take her as his wife. As Alexander gave it a thought once more, he found that Sophia was indeed somewhat foolish. She was married to him for three years, yet she did not ask for a single dime during the divorce proceedings. The truth was that he never intended to divorce her so quickly. He had nned to wait for the perfect opportunity, then pay her a handsome fee aspensation for the divorce. Nevertheless, back in the day, Sophia had brought the documents divorce agreement directly to City Hall and waited by its entrance. During the four months following their divorce, Alexander was convinced that she would regret her decision ande running back to him. s, that did not happen. Not only did she bear no regrets, she never came begging him too. Contrarily, she led a better life than when she lived at the Xenos residence. Furthermore, her life continued to improve by the day. Sophia was often trending on the inte with different men on a daily basis. Her life became much more vibrant after she had left Alexander. At one point, Specter Entertainment had somehow be hers. Essentially, she had given everyone who called her a gold digger, including Alexander, a metaphorical p on the face. Alexander lit a cigarette. As the smoke swirled around him, he suddenly recalled the day when he got married to Sophia. She had gazed into his eyes and said, ¡°Alexander, I entrust the rest of my life to you, in sickness and in health.¡± One thought popped into his mind. Wow, the apocalypse must be arriving. To think that I would reminisce about that day. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Sophia turned off the rm and slept through until over ten o''clock the next morning. She felt light-headed due to the hangover from drinkingst night. Hence, she woke up in a bad mood. Yvonne was indeed the best secretary. The former had asked around and reckoned that Sophia would have woken up at this hour. Her call came in right when Sophia just finished washing up. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Sophia asked in a calm tone. Even though she was in a bad mood, she was not a superior who liked to vent her emotions on her staff. Despite that, Yvonne still answered very cautiously, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, people from Midway Media would like to meet you.¡± ¡°Let them dream of it then.¡± Once Yvonne heard those words from Sophia, she could instantly tell that thetter was in a foul mood. Therefore, she wisely shut her mouth. ¡°All right. I won''t disturb you then.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Sophia grunted a reply and hung up. She then headed downstairs to have breakfast. Meanwhile, in the office of Midway Media''s CEO, Samuel was in a good mood after seeing Alexander humiliated the day before. At the thought of thetter''s reminder, Samuel had ordered his secretary to contact the mysterious person, Suny of Sunshine Group, early in the morning. Nevertheless, his had secretary warily reported to him a few moments ago, that Suny had refused to meet him. Samuel was rendered speechless. He had never encountered someone as conceited as Suny before. He made a wild guess that Suny was most likely a foreigner, who had no idea about the basic etiquette in Chanaeans'' business world. With such a thought in mind, even though Samuel was unhappy about it, he could only reluctantly forgive the unappreciative Suny. However, Samuel remained curious about the legendary Suny. Therefore, once he heard that there would be things going on in Sunshine Group recently and that Suny would be attending the directors'' meeting as well, he did something extremely childish, which was to wait for Suny''s appearance. It was indeed silly for the CEO of Midway Media to wait at the office building of anotherpany, attempting toe across their chairwoman by luck. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Having nothing to do, Samuel called Alexander. Alexander, who had juste out of the conference room, hang up Samuel''s call right away. Nevertheless, Samuel continued calling him again and again. When he picked up the call, Samuel did not give him any chance to blow a fuse. ¡°Alex, guess where I am now?¡± ¡°Samuel, don''t you have anything else to do?¡± Samuel automatically ignored his words. ¡°I''m at Sunshine Group! They''re having a directors'' meeting today. I''m sure I''ll be able to meet Suny now that I''ve resorted to waiting for her right here at her office building.¡± The corner of Alexander''s lips twitched slightly. He sneered, ¡°You really have too much time on your hands.¡± Just as he finished, Samuel suddenly cursed and said, ¡°Sh*t! Am I seeing things? Why is Sophia here?¡± Alexander''s expression instantly changed upon hearing the name. He held back the urge to hang up the phone and asked, ¡°What about her?¡± Nevertheless, the call ended with a beep. Samuel, you''re such a jerk! Samuel immediately hung up the phone and got out of the car when he saw Sophia. He walked up to her and greeted, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, what a coincidence! It''s an honor to meet you in person, Suny.¡± I see. So Sophia is Suny. No wonder she wants to sell the copyright of ¡°Dreams¡± toary Media to step on my nerves! While Samuel thought he had figured out the truth, Sophia looked at him as though he was a fool. ¡°Mr. Schild, what nonsense are you talking about?¡± The corner of Samuel''s mouth froze. ¡°Aren''t you Suny? The chairwoman of Sunshine Group. You''ve been hiding it well!¡± While he sounded sarcastic, Sophia''s expression remained unchanged. ¡°Well, if that''s what you think, then there''s nothing I can do about it.¡± She appeared overly indifferent, without revealing a single trace of awkwardness from being exposed. In fact, she even looked at Samuel in a rather mocking way. Samuel was instantly dumbfounded. ¡°If you weren''t Suny, what''re you doing here today at Sunshine Group''s high-level meeting?¡± Sophia tutted. ¡°Well, Mr. Schild, don''t you know what kind ofpany Sunshine Group is?¡± Samuel could sense Sophia''s disdain. ¡°Are you saying... that you''re nning to invest in Sunshine Group?¡± With her eyebrows raised, Sophia asked, ¡°Can''t I?¡± ¡°S-Sure. You can.¡± D*mn it! I''ve made a fool out of myself! Rather abashed, Samuel tried toe up with ways to save himself from embarrassment. ¡°Ahem. In that case, did you get to see Suny?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Yes. Mr. Schild, do you want to meet Suny too?¡± Samuel gritted his teeth. ¡°I do. I haveve to see who on earth Suny is. I still haven''t managed to meet her after requesting several times.¡± Sophia pondered for a moment and looked at Samuel while replying with a straight face, ¡°She is pretty and has a nice personality. However, there''s a shoring with Suny. I heard that she''s someone who fawns over good looks.¡± She paused momentarily and nodded in feigned seriousness. ¡°Since she''s refused to meet you several times, it''s probably because your look isn''t to her liking.¡± Even though Sophia said so tactfully, Samuel could understand that she was indirectly calling him ugly. What''s going on? Why has Sophia be so cocky after getting divorced from Alexander? Samuel felt a lump forming in his throat. Before he could find the words to retort Sophie, thetter quickly said, ¡°I have something on, so I''ll take my leave first. As far as I know, Suny hasn''t left yet. Mr. Schild, you can continue waiting here. Who knows, you might be fortunate enough to run into her!¡± Samuel was truly intrigued by Suny right now, so he did not bother haggling with Sophia for calling him ugly. He believed he would be lucky enough to meet Suny. ¡°All right. You may leave first. Thanks!¡± Sophia replied briskly, ¡°No need to thank me.¡± With that, she walked straight to the car not too far away. Meanwhile, Yvonne, who was following behind Sophia, had been trying hard to hold back herughter. She could not hold it in any longer and burst outughing once they got into the car. Sophia tilted her head to look at Yvonne and smiled as well. Yvonne was a call and rational secretary, after all. She resumed her usual elegance afterughing for a few seconds and asked in concern, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, will it be okay for you to lie to him like that?¡± Sophia lifted a brow. ¡°If he believes what I said, then he can only me it on his low IQ.¡± Yvonne thought for a moment and nodded in ordance. ¡°Well... Mr. Schild''s intelligence has indeed exceeded my expectations.¡± Sophia huffed in agreement. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, do you really n to keep it this way?¡± Sophia pondered for a moment. ¡°We''ll see. I don''t want to have everyone pestering me.¡± Sophia could imagine themotion that would happen in Jadeborough once others came to know that she was the chairperson of Sunshine Group. Sophia and Yvonne soon got down to business after they were finished talking about personal matters. Magic Sense, thepany which Sophia invested in under her name two months ago, hadunched their first-generation app and started publicizing it over the inte, and the response was great. Once its poprity among theizens grew, Magic Sense would then be able to develop the relevant marketing feature as well as other rted functions. It was undeniable that the foresight of Robert''s team was excellent. With Evil had made use of the advantage of big data. By marking the position after analyzing the photos uploaded by its users, the app could provide a friendly reminder to the users ordingly if any perpetrator appeared around them next time. Once the app garnered sufficient users and fell into ce, they could then develop the app by expanding the types of services it provided, thus increasing the users'' dependency on it for daily necessities. Sophia was quite satisfied with that. ¡°Keep your eyes on it.¡± The greatest challenge for an investor was the amount of funding they should invest to further develop a business. Businesspeople could make the most out of the smallest amount of money, and the same applied to Sophia. With that, Yvonne nodded and got out of the car after the contract was signed. Before leaving, Sophia nted her head to nce at Samuel, who was still waiting in his car. She could not help but chuckle. Pfft! I can''t believe there''s a fool like him by Alexander''s side. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Even though Samuel waited at the entrance of Sunshine Group for one whole day, he did not get to see Suny. He thought that the woman was way too cunning. Upon leaving Sunshine Group, he decided not to return to hispany. He went straight to Odyssey to look for Alexander instead. Alexander was invited to attend an auction that day. Although he did not feel like going, he was interested in something that would be up for auction. Anyhow, he did not expect to bump into Samuel the moment he stepped out of his office. ¡°Hey, Alex! It''s a rare sight that you get off work on time.¡± Alexander, who did not even bother to look at Samuel, threw him a question. ¡°Did you meet Suny?¡± ¡°Uh... Speaking of that, I think Suny is a ghost. I didn''t see her even after waiting for a day at the entrance of Sunshine Group!¡± Samuel eximed. ¡°You''ve seen her before?¡± ¡°It''s because I''ve never seen her that I wish to see her!¡± ¡°Pfft! How can you be sure she didn''te out of the office building when you''ve never seen her?¡± Alexander questioned, feeling as though Samuel was a fool. Thetter had finally realized the issue, too. ¡°Oh d*mn! I''m such a fool!¡± Right after Samuel finished his sentence, he recalled Sophia''s words and added, ¡°Still, your ex said Suny is gorgeous.¡± Stroking his chin, he continued, ¡°With my dashing good looks, I''m fully confident of dating her. That way, I''ll be able to avenge my grievance!¡± After letting out a snort, Alexander fished out the car key and opened the car door. It was also then that Samuel was brought back to the present. ¡°Hey, shall we go for a meal together?¡± he asked. Alexander, who had already gotten into his car, looked at him disdainfully. ¡°Are you that free today?¡± ¡°Not really. Anyhow, I''m not as busy as you,¡± Samuel responded. With a loud bang, Alexander mmed the car door shut. ¡°Hey-¡± When Samuel came back to his senses, Alexander had already driven off from the parking slot. Nevertheless, he trailed after Alexander in his car shamelessly, then got thetter to treat him to dinner. After that, he tagged along with Alexander to attend the auction. Meanwhile, Sophia had long arrived at the auction room. She went there alone after dinner because Katherine had to record a show. Therefore, she immediately caught sight of Alexander and Samuel when the two entered. At that moment, she was sitting in the back row of the regr seat. It was obvious that Alexander had also noticed her presence because not many people were there yet. However, he only took a nce at her before heading straight to the box seats on the second floor. Sophia raised her brows slightly at that. She then took out her phone and replied to Katherine''s message. Jeez, I''m really out of luck tonight. I can forget about seeing Alexander here. The worse part is that even his troublemaker sister and pretentious first crush are here, too! Thalia and Bethany, who had just returned from the sea, came in together. In truth, Bethany immediately acquired two admission tickets from someone else upon finding out that Alexander would be there, too. With that, she brought Thalia along with her to the auction room. The two women did not catch sight of Sophia upon their arrival and made their way upstairs right away. It was eight o''clock sharp when the auction began. The site was chock-full by then. Sophia''s goal was clear. Her sole purpose for attending the auction was to bid for a piano named Amour. It was handmade by a famous piano maker in thest century for his wife, who was a pianist. In the sixties, the man used up more than three years only to work on refining and tuning the piano. Unfortunately, his wife died of cancer not long after the piano was built. Since his wife passed away, the expert did not craft any piano again. His children donated the piano to a museum after his passing. Due to poor management, the museum was shut downter on. A businessman from Chanaea then bid one million five hundred thousand in Anndurn currency for the piano for his wife, who was a pianist. After that, the businessman brought the piano back to his country. However, his descendants were all mediocre. His eldest son even umted a piling high debt after getting himself into gambling. The businessman''s wife had no choice but to sell off the piano at a low price to pay back her son''s debts. The piano was not as pricey as before after being resold several times. In the end, it happened to be acquired by an auction house. The story of the Amour''s origin was deemed worthy by the auction house. Half a year ago, they even started asking people to ramp up its price in the industry. They were determined to sell it at a high price that night. Indeed, Amour was the sole reason Sophia joined the auction. Since she was not talented in music, she did not intend to bid the piano for herself. The Chairman of Spritechnologies, who had alreadypleted the migration procedure, desired to trade her shares recently. Sophia wanted to acquire the shares in the chairman''s hand. Nevertheless, she was not the only person reaching out to the chairman. Therefore, she thought of obtaining Amour for the chairman to express her sincerity. Her only target, Amour, was the highlight that night, so it was naturally a fitting finale to all the auction items. The items auctioned off earlier were some jewelry and collector pieces of antiques. Sophia did not possess the appraising skills, nor was she interested in collecting antiques. Hence, she did not even pay attention to those items, and she merely lowered her gaze to y on her phone. It was not until the clock struck nine that Amour was pushed onto the stage. Sophia then exited the game on her phone. As she looked toward the elegant ck piano on the stage, she pinched onto her auction paddle and fidgeted with it. The opening bid for Amour was one million, and the minimum amount to raise the price each time was one hundred thousand. Concurrently, Alexander slowly opened his eyes after the piano was pushed out. He did not want to waste his time any further. Picking up his paddle, he decided to put a quick end by offering three million. However, someone sitting downstairs was a step ahead of him. Before he could raise his paddle, the auctioneer had already hammered the gravel and announced, ¡°Three million! Thisdy is offering three million!¡± The crowd gasped the moment they heard the amount. Wow! The first bid is already three million! Meanwhile, Samuel, who sat beside Alexander, clicked his tongue in shock. ¡°Who''s the one cing the bid downstage? What a boastful manner the person has!¡± He looked toward Alexander as he spoke, seemingly taking pleasure in thetter''s misfortune. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Alexander side-eyed him impassively and picked up another paddle. ¡°Three and a half million! A gentleman from the second box seat bids a price of three and a half million!¡± the auctioneer announced. Sophia arched a brow upon hearing that. With a raise of her hand, her bid was then increased to four million. Earlier, quite many people were interested in Amour. However, its price had been jacked up to four million by the two of them within seconds. Many people thought it was not worth it to buy a piano that was priced at four million. Therefore, several people who were ready to ce their bid kept their paddle away at that. They only took pleasure while watching the two cing bids one after another. As soon as Sophia offered four million below the stage, the man on the second floor bid five million almost immediately. Oh my! He raised the price by a million at once! Who can bear that! Indeed, Sophia was the one who could bear the cost. Nevertheless, she refused to be a sap. The piano was only worth ten million even after it became well-known. If I continued bidding against him tonight, its price would exceed ten million soon. That''s simply not worth it. ¡°Five million, going once, going twice... Six million! Thisdy bids six million!¡± Alexander thought that he could sessfully bid five million for the piano. Much to his surprise, the woman down the stage continued bidding against him. Furrowing his brows, he could not help specting that the woman was hired by the auction house to raise the bidding price. ¡°Tsk tsk! The woman downstairs is terrific! That''s five million, but she didn''t even hesitate!¡± Samuel remarked. He seemedid back as he sat with his legs crossed, looking as though he was not concerned at all. Perhaps he would also munch on some snacks if he had some. After knowing Alexander for such a long time, it was the first time Samuel witnessed someone bidding against his friend. How exciting! He felt a little bored when Alexander remained still all of a sudden. He then nudged Alexander and voiced, ¡°Hey, aren''t you nning to gift the piano to the Chairman of Spritechnologies? The piano will belongs to the woman downstairs if you don''t raise the bid.¡± After giving Samuel a cold re, Alexander raised the bidding paddle for seven million. Everyone at the scene was stunned while the staffs of the auction house were so delighted that they almost burst into tears of joy. Goodness, that''s seven million! We used slightly more than eight hundred thousand to buy the piano, but it can fetch such a sky-high price! How unexpected! It''s totally worth it! Pursing her lips, Sophia fidgeted with the paddle. Eventually, she put it down. Fine. It''s not worth it. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 ¡°Seven million, going once! Seven million, going twice! Seven million, going thrice! Deal!¡± With that, the auctioneer mmed the gavel and announced that Alexander had won the bid for Amour. Nobody in the audience was surprised when it was revealed that Alexander had won the bid. Instead, it was the woman who made the counterbid who surprised them. At that point, many people realized that the person who counterbid on the first floor was Sophia, and everyone was busy discussing it. Alexander looked down when he heard that. He could not tell if that person was Sophia or not because they were more than ten meters apart, and everything was dark underneath. The auction had finally concluded. Sophia quickly took her bag before hiding inside the crowd as she left, not wanting to run into Thalia and the others. Bethany, on the other hand, followed Thalia to Alexander''s private room on the second floor. ¡°Alex, congrattions.¡± Alexander cast a cold nce at her. ¡°Ms. White, could it be that you have a bad memory? If I recall correctly, I told you thest time that we''re not close, so please refrain from calling me by my nickname.¡± ¡°Alex, why are you-¡± Thalia wanted to speak up for Bethany at first, but when she noticed Alexander''s cold stare, her face fell, and she did not dare to say anything. ¡°Please get out of my way.¡± Alexander had made it clear at that moment that he no longer respected the White family. With her face ashen, Bethany stood aside, allowing him to march away. Alexander was quickly followed by Samuel. They had only taken a few steps when the former shed Samuel a check. ¡°Assist me with the procedures.¡± ¡°Where are you going then?¡± Alexander walked away without responding to Samuel. Thalia unexpectedly approached Samuel while thetter was scoffing. ¡°Sam, I didn''t drive here today. Can you give me a ride?¡± Nheless, Samuel had long suspected what Thalia had in mind, so he simply replied, ¡°Sorry. I''m driving my sports car today, and I''m going to pick up Sallyter!¡± As everyone knew, Sally was the name of Samuel''s Labrador Retriever. The fact that Samuel used it as an excuse to reject her simply meant that she was not even comparable to his dog. Feeling shocked, Thalia stood there silently with a whey-face. Only after he had left did she exim, ¡°That jerk! It hasn''t even been decided who will be the next Schild family leader!¡± The next moment, Bethany came out of the private room. ¡°They informed me that Ms. Yarrow was the one who counterbid your brother, Tally.¡± Thalia''s focus immediately shifted when she heard that. ¡°Sophia? How is that possible? Where did she get the money?¡± Then, as though recalling something, her expression suddenly became stiff. ¡°How dare she act arrogant! It''s just a poor entertainmentpany!¡± Bethany remained silent with her lips pursed. She thought there was something off about Sophia but could not put her finger on what it was. After leaving the auction house, Alexander noticed Sophia''s figure from a distance. Even though he had been married to Sophia for three years, he could not even remember what she looked like back then. However, after they divorced, he was able to tell it was her with just one look. That''s not good. Unfortunately for him, he could not stop himself from approaching her. He put a hand in front of her and asked, ¡°Are you also interested in that piano?¡± Sophia was taken aback when she noticed a hand suddenly stretched out in front of her. When she looked up, she was surprised to see Alexander. She admitted graciously, ¡°Yes. Why are you asking? Are you willing to concede it to me?¡± If that were the case, she would dly ept it. After all, that piano was far more valuable than seven million. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Sophia wore a casual outfit that day. She was dressed in a thin blue sweater and an aurora white skirt. She did not wear any make-up, nor did she tie up her long hair. The instant Alexander saw her, his heart could not help but skip a beat. He had never seen a woman disy such gentleness and voluptuousness in such harmony as Sophia did. Her soothing yet cold andzy voicepletely captivated him. Looking at her, Alexander inquired, ¡°Do you like that piano?¡± After pondering for a second, Sophia replied, ¡°Yes.¡± At first, she felt some psychological pressure for her to lie, but since that person was Alexander, it was a different story. Subconsciously, Alexander blurted, ¡°I''ll give it to you then.¡± His face stiffened right after he said that. Realizing that he had rushed to make the decision, he quickly added, ¡°Consider it as alimony for the divorce.¡± Is that so? Sophia''s expression darkened. ¡°That''s unnecessary.¡± With that, she took out the car key from her bag and unlocked her car. Then, the eye-catching red Ferrari beeped, drawing the attention of the crowd. Without wasting a moment, Sophia quickly got into the car and closed the door before reversing the car out of the parking space and elerating away. Just as Samuel finished the procedures and walked out, he noticed Alexander staring at the back of the Ferrari without moving an inch. ¡°Is that Sophia?¡± He raised his eyebrows. Hearing that, Alexander turned to him and stared coldly at him. ¡°Have youpleted the procedure?¡± ¡°Yes, everything ispleted. Mr. Xenos, I''ll have it delivered to your residence tomorrow!¡± Samuel teased. Alexander responded with a snort. ¡°Let''s go back.¡± With that, he walked to his car expressionlessly, unlocked the door, and got inside. Samuel had nned to continue hanging out with Alexander that night. Nheless, thetter did not even give him the opportunity to speak up. After a bitter chuckle, Samuel got into the car and dialed Charles'' number. In response, Charles simply told him that he was busy and hung up the phone. D*mn! All of them are acting like bosses! The news about Sophia and Alexander bidding for the piano became trending on the inte within less than half an hour after the auction ended. It was ten in the evening when Sophia returned to her mansion. At the same time, Katherine had just finished recording for her show. She called Sophia to gossip while sitting in the makeup room, removing her makeup. ¡°Did you get bullied, Soph?¡± Sophia burst outughing when she heard that. ¡°You sure worry a lot!¡± ¡°Of course! I''m the person who loves you the most in the world. Was that jerk, Alexander, mean to you? Don''t worry about the piano and just forget about it. It''s not that precious anyway.¡± ¡°Sorry, but it''s precious to me.¡± Sophia pursed her lips. In this world, no one wouldin about having too much money. When Katherine heard that, she was dumbstruck. ¡°Perhaps we can y the victim and hope he gives up the piano?¡± Sophia lowered her gaze to the cup in her hand. ¡°Actually, Alexander told me half an hour ago that he could give it to me.¡± ¡°Nice! I suppose he still has a conscience.¡± ¡°However, I turned it down.¡± ¡°Wow, you''re certainly impressive!¡± Instead of just the piano, she was turning down hundreds of millions. Rubbing her temples, Sophia replied, ¡°I''m somewhat regretting it now.¡± As expected, those who unted themselves would pay dearly for it. She could not help but be concerned when she remembered Natalie''s fifteen percent ownership of Spritechnologies. ¡°There''s no point in crying now that you''ve turned him down!¡± When Sophia heard that, she let out a frustrated chuckle. ¡°I''m going to hang up now.¡± ¡°All right. Goodbye.¡± It was undeniable that Sophia''s mood had improved noticeably after squabbling with Katherine. That night, she slept peacefully and with a rxed mind. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Alexander did not sleep well. Ever since he divorced Sophia, he would not have a good night''s sleep whenever he met her. The night before was no exception. As a result, Alexander''s expression was as cold as ice during the meeting in the morning. Sitting next to him, Felix dared not even breathe loudly. He''s too terrifying! After the meeting, Alexander nced at Felix, who was unusually quiet. ¡°The piano auction house will deliver the piano this afternoon. You take a look at it by then and send it directly to Ms. Thompson of Spritechnologies.¡± Felix nodded nervously and replied, ¡°Yes, I understand. Mr. Xenos, is there anything else?¡± Alexander waved his hand, gesturing Felix to get out quickly. Holding the meeting documents, Felix intended to turn around and leave. However, the man behind him suddenly spoke when he reached the door. ¡°Wait.¡± Felix had a bad feeling about that. As expected, in the next second, he heard Alexander order, ¡°Search for the buyer of Heintzman Crystal Piano and think of a way to buy the piano!¡± As everyone knew, an anonymous bidder bought the Heintzman at the price of 3.22 million in an auction after a famous pianist performed with the piano during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics Games. Twelve years had passed, and Heintzman was never revealed in front of the public. It also proved that the bidder did not intend to sell the piano. Felix''s face fell as he said, ¡°But...¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± asked Alexander. ¡°No! No problem!¡± Seeing Alexander''s gaze, Felix dared not to mention any problem. ¡°After buying the piano, send it directly to Sophia''s ce,¡± ordered Alexander. At that moment, Felix was honestly shocked. He asked, ¡°To Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Do you have a hearing problem?¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Xenos. I only wish to make a confirmation.¡± Alexander was slightly annoyed. ¡°You heard it right. Send the piano to Sophia''s ce!¡± Amour was for Natalie. Alexander had pondered for a long time on the previous night. Since Sophia also liked pianos, he would give the Heintzman to her. Sensing that Alexander was irritated, Felix did not dare ask anything else. He merely nodded and hastily left the office. Since Sophia had failed to bid Amour, she was no longer bothered by the shares Natalie possessed. In fact, she had already lost hope of gaining thetter''s favor. However, to her surprise, Natalie''s secretary contacted Yvonne, asking to meet Sophia. Although Sophia was slightly taken aback by the fact, she would not refuse when Natalie reached out to her. At the end of October, Jadeborough was greeted by the fall. Sophia changed into a Hepburn-style dress and arrived at the caf¨¦ five minutes earlier to wait for Natalie. Natalie Thompson was a legendary woman. It was said that she came from a poor background. However, she built her business step by step with her own capabilities. Sophia could only imagine the hardship Natalie had gone through. Despite that, there were rumors saying that Natalie gained her status through men. Nevertheless, these ims remained unproven. Sophia had not met Natalie in person in the past. Therefore, she would not make any assumptions before knowing thetter''s true character. Not long after Sophia sat down, she saw Natalie strolling toward the caf¨¦ in a white knitted dress. Sophia was surprised by the fact that although thetter was nearly fifty years old, she did not look her age. There was no sign of aging on her youthful face at all. On top of that, her every movement was elegant and sophisticated. ¡°Suny? Sophia Yarrow? Alexander Xenos'' ex-wife?¡± questioned Natalie as she took her seat. The woman had revealed Sophia''s identity as soon as she spoke. Sophia smiled before replying, ¡°Ms. Thompson, you don''t seem surprised at all.¡± Hearing that, Natalie chuckled. ¡°Maybe you forgot about it, but we met two years ago at a dinner. I just arrived at that time, and you were leaving.¡± Sophia was stunned for a moment. That was the only dinner she had attended back then, and she had only stayed for fifteen minutes before leaving because Kristen had phoned her hysterically, urging her to return home. At that time, Sophia had left in a hurry. When she reached the entrance, she had indeed bumped into someone. However, she was in a rush and did not notice the person. ¡°No wonder.¡± Sophia let out a sigh of relief. shing a smile, Natalie said, ¡°In fact, it''s not hard to guess. Your real name is Sophia Yarrow, so the name Suny is derived from your initials. Plus...¡± She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Half a month ago, I heard about the bidding of Amour between you and Alexander at the auction.¡± Sophia was speechless for a second before she eximed, ¡°Ms. Thompson, you''re certainly brilliant!¡± At least you''re smarter than that idiot, Samuel! ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you have great achievements despite your young age. When I found out you''re Suny, I was also dumbfounded,¡± said Natalie. Sophia was humble, but her expression remained calm without a hint of humility on her face. ¡°I''m only young and reckless. Coincidentally, I''m also lucky.¡± Natalie''s lips curled into a grin. ¡°Enough of the humble pleasantries. I''m here today to tell you good news.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Beforeing to the caf¨¦, Sophia was already mentally prepared. However, she could not help feeling excited deep down. Despite that, her expression remainedposed as she spoke. ¡°Ms. Thompson, do you n to sell the shares to me?¡± ¡°It''s indeed easier talking with smart people.¡± Natalie was a woman with a forthright manner. Otherwise, she would not be sessful. Both of them discussed the matter frankly. After more than ten minutes, they had agreed on the details for every aspect. Before parting ways, Sophia hesitated and asked, ¡°Ms. Thompson, may I know your reason for choosing me?¡± Natalie reapplied her lipstick and shed an attractive smile at Sophia. ¡°I know you can offer the same price as Alexander. However, I should see who''s more sincere. I''m indeed obsessed with Amour, but the thing between you and Alexander reminds me of the past. I do things based on my emotions, and I like your personality. Alexander is not the right choice. Hence, the reason I chose you is just that simple.¡± Although Natalie did not say it out loud, Sophia still grasped the meaning of her words. The former had implied that even she could not stand idly by to watch a jerk like Alexander bully Sophia. Even though Sophia did not believe that Alexander had wronged her, she did not mind it at all, as she could effortlessly benefit from the situation. Lowering her head, Sophia stared at the half cup of coffee she did not finish and uttered, ¡°I liked him for seven years.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. You deserve someone ten times better than Alexander with your characteristics!¡± comforted Natalie. Natalie had something else to tend to after. Hence, she left after saying goodbye to Sophia. Raising her head to look at Natalie''s leaving figure, Sophia lifted her brows and smirked. Then, she got up and left. Just as she stopped in front of the red light, her phone suddenly rang. Sophia was sensitive toward numbers. With a nce, she recognized the number belonged to Alexander''s secretary. Tilting her head as she stared at the phone, she did not n to ept the call. She let the phone ring until it hung up automatically. Then, it did not ring anymore. When Sophia drove her car into the pathway, she spotted a truck parked in front of her mansion''s entrance. Furrowing her brows, she stepped on the gas and reached the gate of her house. Before getting out of her car, she spotted Alexander''s secretary. As soon as Felix noticed Sophia, he quickly walked over. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, this is the piano that Mr. Xenos ordered me to send to you.¡± Sophia chuckled after taking a nce at the crystal piano at the back of the truck. ¡°Well, I refuse to ept it.¡± With that, she opened the gate with a remote, then drove into the mansion. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 Felix stood at the mansion gate as he watched the back view of Sophia''s car slowly disappear as the gate closed. He lifted his head and looked at the piano on the truck, not knowing what to do next. Actually, he had thought of the possibility of the scenario that just yed out. At that moment, his phone suddenly rang. What a series of misfortune. The other piano, Amour, was also returned by Natalie from Spritechnologies. The workers waiting at the side asked what they should do next when they saw Felix had hung up the phone. What to do? What else can we do? She already rejected it. We can''t force the piano into her house, right? ¡°Let''s move the piano back to the mansion first.¡± After that, he turned to get into his car and drove toward Odyssey. Within twenty minutes, his car arrived at Odyssey''s parking lot. Felix quickly headed from the basement to the floor where Alexander''s office was located. As soon as he came out of the elevator, he bumped into Alexander, who had just finished a meeting. Alexander seemed to be in a good mood. When he saw Felix, he asked straight away, ¡°What did she say?¡± Naturally, Felix knew who Alexander was talking about. Felix looked at Alexander, and the former had no choice but said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow said she refused to take it.¡± After Alexander heard what Felix said, his expression turned cold. ¡°She refused?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander recalled the other night when Sophia also rejected in a straightforward manner. He felt he had put his face out there for her to p. Humiliated, he looked at Felix coldly before he walked toward his office. ¡°Mr. Xenos, there''s something else...¡± Felix knew that Alexander was not in a good mood. It was not that the matter regarding Spritechnologies was urgent and had to be discussed at that moment. However, if he did not say it now, he still had to find another chance to talk about itter. I''m going to get into trouble anyway. Might as well I tell him now. ¡°What is it?¡± Alexander stopped in his steps and looked at Felix with an icy cold gaze. Chills went through Felix''s spine. He lowered his head as he did not dare to look at Alexander. ¡°Ms. Thompson''s secretary from Spritechnologies called me just now. Ms. Thompson has returned the piano.¡± ¡°What''s going on?¡± Felix felt goosebumps all over from Alexander''s gaze. ¡°I''m not sure at the moment.¡± After a brief pause, Felix continued, ¡°However, from the tone of Ms. Thompson''s secretary, I''m assuming that Ms. Thompson probably has sold her shares to somebody else.¡± In the end, it was nothing but a wasted effort. Alexander''s expression was no longer just displeased. Something that was a sure win for him had turned into a messy defeat. He felt that somebody had yed a prank on him. However, he understood that everything was done under mutual consent in the business industry. Thus, even if they could not reach an agreement, he could not me Natalie. Despite that, he thought the matter was not as simple as it seemed. ¡°Go and investigate who Natalie gave the shares to!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos. I''ll do it immediately.¡± Felix finally had the chance to escape the dangerous situation he was in. He was not going to pass on the chance to leave. However, news from Natalie''s side was sealed tightly. It was not until thest moment whereby he finally got some information. When Felix found out that Natalie had given the shares to Sunshine Group, Spritechnologies had changed the name of their chairman on their official website. He was only two hours ahead of finding out before the officials made their changes. ¡°Sunshine Group?¡± It had been a few days since the incident, so Alexander''s anger had subsided. When he heard the words ¡°Sunshine Group,¡± he subconsciously knitted his brows. He remembered that Sunshine Group had given Samuel some problems before this. Now, this person, Suny, from Sunshine Group, had pushed him to a corner. Initially, Alexander was not interested in who was behind Sunshine Group. However, now he really wanted to know what this person was capable of. ¡°Who is Suny from Sunshine Group?¡± Felix shook his head. ¡°Nobody in the industry knows who she is.¡± Alexander scoffed, ¡°Then investigate and find out who she is!¡± Felix could only nod. ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos.¡± As Alexander''s secretary, he had no choice. After the update on the official website of Spritechnologies, an uproar broke out within the business industry in Jadeborough. After taking over Natalie''s shares, Sophia was in a good mood these days. She had been sleeping well at night too. When the news of the change of chairman in Spritechnologies was announced, she was visiting Katherine at work. After they discovered that Sophia was the owner of Specter Entertainment, everyone at the filming site, even the director, was very courteous toward her. Specter Entertainment had invested in two movies this year. Each investment was worth tens of millions. The whole filming industry was currently trying to score an investment from Specter Entertainment after seeing their generosity. When it was break-time halfway through filming, Katherine walked to Sophia with a head full of heavy essories. ¡°I''m so jealous. Do you know how much wealth you have now?¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows. ¡°I''ve never made a proper calction ''cause it''s too much. I don''t want to waste Ms. Leighton''s time.¡± That''s pretty arrogant of you to say! Katherine gritted her teeth and asked, ¡°How did you get Natalie to change her mind?¡± Sophia was honest. ¡°To tell you the truth, I was very surprised too!¡± Katherine clicked her tongue. ¡°Tell me the truth. Did you seduce Natalie''s son?¡± Sophia red at her. ¡°Her son is only eighteen years old.¡± ¡°It''s only a difference of seven or eight years. It''s not impossible.¡± Sophiaughed out of frustration as she passed what was on her hands to Katherine. ¡°Joshua asked me to pass this to you. I''m going to make a move.¡± Sophia would not be visiting the filming site for no reason. It was not like she was bored. It was because Technology Innovations was listed in Xanfield yesterday. As Sophia and Joshua were two of the biggest shareholders who held the same amount of shares, she decided to be polite and went over for a visit even though she preferred not to reveal herself. Joshua still had to stay back another couple of days at Xanfield for a social engagement, so Sophia came back by herself first. Hence, she brought over the bag Katherine had always wanted to buy. Natalie would be going overseas in theing week. After that, it was not certain when she would return. Therefore, she wanted to have a meal with Sophia before she left. If it were anyone else, Sophia would not have agreed. As she did not like these kinds of socializing, she never revealed herself in public. However, Natalie was different. Once Sophia left the filming site, she drove straight to the restaurant she had agreed to meet Natalie. When she arrived, there was already somebody at the dining table. Sophia thought she had the wrong table number and was stunned. ¡°I''m sorry, but is this table number seventeen?¡± The man who was ying with his phone lifted his head impatiently. When his gaze fell on Sophia, his eyes glimmered from her beauty. ¡°Are you Ms. Suny?¡± This is interesting. Sophia smiled as she sat. ¡°Are you Ms. Thompson''s son?¡± ¡°My name is Joachim Sanders. Nice to meet you.¡± Joachim put down his phone with a sudden change in his attitude. Right then, Natalie returned from the restroom. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, my apologies. I was at the restroom for a moment.¡± Sophia gave a smile. ¡°No worries. I just arrived anyway.¡± Natalie took a seat next to her son. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow, but this is my son, Joachim. I brought him over today because I wanted to ask you for a favor.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Ms. Thompson, is there anything I can help you with?¡± Natalie went straight to the point and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you know I will be migrating soon and won''t be back here often. Previously, Joachim was under the custody of his dad. Now that he''s of age, I thought he would be willing to migrate with me, but Joachim said he wants to go into the entertainment industry instead. I know Specter Entertainment is under your name. The reason I''m bringing Joachim this time is to ask and see if you could sign him.¡± Natalie poured some coffee for Sophia while continuing by saying, ¡°You don''t have to give him special attention. Just let him be based on whatever standards or capability that he has. I just thought it''s better to sign him over to apany I trust than others. I trust you, Ms. Yarrow. I believe if Joachim is in your company, nothing that I am worried about will happen.¡± As soon as Natalie finished speaking, the young man beside her was already sitting upright, looking at Sophia with anticipation and anxiety in his eyes. The matter was not as simple as signing Joachim from Sophia''s perspective. Since Natalie entrusted her son over to Sophia, if anything happened in the future, Sophia would be responsible. Sophia did not like trouble. Hence, she decided after a few seconds. ¡°Ms. Thompson, I understand what you mean. However, I believe you also know that I am the type of person who would like to avoid any trouble. I''m afraid I can''t help you in this matter.¡± Natalie seemed to have expected her response. ¡°You''re overthinking it. I just want to put Joachim under yourpany. I understand how the entertainment industry works. He''s an adult now, and since it''s his own choice to go into the industry, he''ll have to bear his own consequences. Of course, I understand your concerns, Ms. Yarrow. Therefore, I''ve also prepared a contract. No matter what happens to Joachim in the future, it will not be rted to you. Aspensation, I will also give your company all the payments he gets from films and endorsements within these three years.¡± Natalie came well prepared. There was no reason for Sophia to reject a money opportunity. Three years was not a long nor a short period of time. It was still worth it for her to sign over a new talent at no cost. ¡°Since you''re being straightforward, I shall not turn you down, Ms. Thompson.¡± Sophia took over the contract and signed it. After that, she lifted her head and looked at Joachim. ¡°Later on, I will get my manager to contact Mr. Sanders.¡± ¡°Ms. Suny, you can call me Joachim,¡± Joachim said happily. Sophia raised her eyebrows and replied, ¡°Then you can call me Ms. Yarrow in the future, Joachim. Not many people in Jadeborough know that I am Suny.¡± ¡°Okay, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia did not expect herself to have that meal with Natalie. Not to mention signing thetter''s son over to her own entertainmentpany. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Did Katherine''s words juste to pass? Chapter 36 Chapter 36 It was time to leave, and Sophia, Natalie, and Joachim were still bidding their farewells. Subsequently, they bumped into Alexander coincidentally. Decked in a ck suit and pants, Alexander had a trace of surprise on his face ¡ª an expression not normally shown to others ¡ª when he noticed the group. ¡°Ms. Thompson.¡± His gaze fell on Natalie''s face for one second before switching to Sophia''s. As Alexander focused his gaze on Sophia, his facial expression was a little cold. After Sophia exchanged a nce with him, she lowered her gaze, avoiding him. Then, she smiled at Natalie and took a step to leave. ¡°Ms. Thompson, I''ll be leaving now.¡± Natalie nodded and watched Sophia''s back until she disappeared in the distance. After that, Natalie turned to look at Alexander. ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander''s brows creased. ¡°Ms. Thompson, aren''t you awfully familiar with my ex-wife?¡± Natalie knew what Alexander meant. She shed him a smile before answering, ¡°Why not? I really admire Ms. Yarrow.¡± Her words indirectly confirmed Alexander''s im. At her words, Alexander''s eyes darkened. He watched Natalie nod at him in politeness and left with his secretary. As Joachim watched the man leave, he asked, ¡°Mom, is that man Ms. Yarrow''s ex-husband?¡± Natalie turned her head to face her son. ¡°Yes. Did you see that? A scumbag will look like a decent human, but they always act scummy. I don''t want you to be like him. I want you to grow up and be a good man, you hear me?¡± Joachim scowled in disdain. ¡°Sure. Moreover, I think nobody in their right mind wants to be a scumbag.¡± Natalie smiled in satisfaction. Then, a sudden thought urred to her. ¡°Didn''t you dislike it when I use my connections for you?¡± Joachim''s ears reddened. ¡°It''s fine if it''s once in a while.¡± At the end of the day, Natalie was still Joachim''s mother. She knew him all too well. Natalie also thought of reminding him, but she changed her tune after giving it some thought. ¡°Ms. Yarrow isn''t your average woman, you know.¡± Joachim didn''t think his mother would see right through him. Instantly, he was red-faced with embarrassment. ¡°Mom! What nonsense are you spouting?¡± ¡°Okay, okay, I''ll shut up.¡± Meanwhile, Sophia didn''t know she had just obtained a new and young admirer. After she parted with Natalie, she headed straight to the parking lot, got in her car, and drove back to her mansion. As for Alexander? Sophia upheld her promise. After all, she had said she would treat him like a stranger, so that was what she would do. So, there was no reason she should say hi to a stranger. That night, Sophia told Katherine about Joachim and reminded her to prepare a contract and send it to him. Katherine, the psychic, stared at her in amusement. ¡°Soph, don''t tell me you''re a young and hot guy collector? Why do the young and hot men you hire for yourpanye from influential families?¡± Sophia raised her eyebrow. ¡°Hmm? Do you want me to inform Joshua that you personally hired James?¡± Upon hearing that, Katherine backed down. ¡°Soph, I was wrong. Please don''t.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°I''ll hang up now.¡± ¡°No, wait! Soph! Please attend the Shining Stars Awards ceremony that will be held in the middle of the month. After all, everyone now knows that you''re the boss of Specter Entertainment. Pleasee. I need you to be my support that day!¡± Katherine knew how to deal with Sophia. All she would have to do was act cutesy. If it didn''t work, then she had to throw a tantrum. Nevertheless, these tactics of hers always worked on Sophia. Moreover, Sophia knew that if she didn''t acquiesce to Katherine''s demands, thetter would most probably pester her until she did. ¡°Only this once.¡± ¡°Love you, Soph!¡± After hanging up the phone, Katherine smiled smugly at Jonice. ¡°Jonice, what did I tell you? See, Soph said yes! Hurry and pay up! Ten! Transfer it to me.¡± Exasperated, Jonice said, ¡°Why do you want Ms. Yarrow toe so badly? She''s not even a celebrity. Why do you care so much about what Elise Gardner and the others said? Let them say what they like.¡± Katherine grimaced. ¡°You don''t understand. If one has never seen an angel, one''ll never know when one of them walks among them.¡± All of a sudden, Jonice was rendered speechless. Some time ago, Thalia maliciously spread rumors of Sophia being a sugar mommy to a young man. As the rumors circted, some people started to add fuel to the fire by saying that it was, in fact, a marketing tactic for Sophia to be a celebrity. These fake news had been popping up sporadically on the inte. The allegation was so ridiculous that even theizens couldn''t believe it. Why would Sophia, a boss of apany, be a celebrity who would depend on theplicated yet colorful world of the entertainment industry for money when she could be her own boss? However, someizens posted their conspiracy theories about the whole incident. They imed that Sophia wanted to turn herself into a global star and make money out of it. After her divorce from Alexander, the web traffic and searches on her kept increasing daily. At this moment, Sophia kept topping the trending chart as the most searched person, which the other celebrities dearly wanted but failed to achieve. Those with such opposing views were not too many, but it was not a small number either. Hence, Katherine''spetitors, who wanted to make Katherine look bad, ndered Sophia too. Even so, Katherine knew what she had to do ¡ª damage control. When she made Sophia into the most trending person on the inte for her sake in the past, she also took the chance to destroy images of Sophia''s frontal shots on the web. This was made possible because theizens were numbed by the many trending topics of the same person. Therefore, when theizens, who eagerly devoured the drama that unfolded, finally came around, the only pictures they could find of Sophia were blurred images of her. s, Katherine''spetitor was shooting a movie at the time. With no clear photos of Sophia, Katherine was verbally attacked online with vulgar words. Katherine was incensed. But she knew words wouldn''t win because they didn''t see the pictures. Therefore, to prove to them, Katherine tried hard to get Sophia to show up at the awards ceremony. Just you wait! I want all of you to cower beneath Sophia''s majesty when she graces us with her angelic presence during the event! You must be crazy when you say Sophia needs to undergo stic surgery in Koandria before she can be a celebrity! Pshh! Who''s the delusional one now? Meanwhile, Sophia knew Katherine had a hidden agenda when she invited her to attend that awards ceremony, but the former couldn''t be bothered to pry. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Since it was almost ten o''clock at night, she needed to apply her face mask and get her beauty sleep. After all, she wanted to stay young and be a beautiful, wealthydy. Although Katherine was a little chatty, she could do her job well. After Sophia told the former about Joachim yesterday, she had already sent someone to take Joachim for training in Specter Entertainment the following afternoon. Moreover, Sophia had signed a contract with Natalie stipting that the former didn''t need to monitor Joachim''s progress after joining thepany. True to her word, Sophia never inquired about Joachim after that. After Joshua returned from Xanfield, he asked Sophia out for lunch. It was November in Jadeborough, and temperatures were starting to fall. A woman was seen. She wore a pair of ck boots with jeans tucked into her shoes. The jeans snugly enveloped her sexy and slender legs. Then at her top, she wore a rabbit wool sweater, making her look as gentle as ever. Not long after she got out of her Ferrari, she was approached by a man for her contact details. Sophia stared at him indifferently until the man backed away in embarrassment and left. She and Joshua rarely met up alone. But this time, Technology Innovations was the reason for their lunch meeting. Technology Innovations had just be a listedpany in Xanfieldst week, thus effectively bing the top investmentpany in Jadeborough. Before it became a listedpany, many mega corporations offered to invest in Technology Innovations, but their offers were turned down. Due to this, many thought Joshua was young and reckless to have the gall to turn his nose up at money. However, they did not know that arge sum of capital was infused into the business every year since eight years ago, making it possible for a startup to grow into a bigpany like this. Of course, not many knew Sophia was the major shareholder of Technology Innovations and that she wasn''t short of money. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 When Sophia arrived home, she realized that she had gone viral on the inte once again. It was because Joshua had made an appearance two days before during an event when Technology Innovations was listed in Xanfield. Even though Joshua was only twenty-seven years old, he was young and ambitious. Moreover, he was also handsome and rich. Thus, everything about him went viral for two consecutive days. From N?velDrama.Org. As a result, reporters had been eagerly waiting for Joshua to get an exclusive interview, and they managed to capture a picture of him and Sophia together during a meal. In an instant, the inte blew up with a rumor that he was her new boyfriend. As it had only been mere twenty-five days since herst scandal with James, she would be taken aback as well if it was news about a stranger. Raising her eyebrows, Sophia threw the phone to the side. ¡°Genie, help me to fill up the bathtub with water.¡± At a little past ten o''clock, Katherine called Sophia. Once the call was answered, the former was laughing hysterically. ¡°Soph, this is very funny! How can people have such wild imaginations these days? Both of you merely had a meal together. But they imed that you have a new boyfriend. Hahaha! This is hrious!¡± With a mask on her face, Sophia said, ¡°Find someone to remove the trending news.¡± ¡°Why do we need to do that? No, I won''t! Think about it. Technology Innovations has just been recently listed. It needs some hype. We didn''tment anything on the issue. Thus, let them think what they want.¡± As she spoke, she huffed briefly. Katherine could not help but mention Alexander''s name to Sophia. ¡°After all, both Mason and Howard were rumored to be with you previously. But the moment your identity as the owner of Specter Entertainment was revealed, it proved that you don''t have anything going on with them. We can''t just stay and do nothing. I bumped into Bethany a few days ago. She was buying a birthday present for your wicked ex-mother-inw. Alexander is going to be with his first crush soon. So we can''t lose the fight.¡± Tapping her fingers lightly on her face, Sophia said slowly, ¡°It''s meaningless.¡± She knew that she would not be affected if Alexander were to marry Bethany now. After all, they divorced nearly half a year ago. At the other end of the phone, she could hear Katherine mumbling about something. ¡°The trending news is free. Moreover, it''s free publicity. Thus, we don''t have to remove it. Just let it be.¡± After giving it some thought, Sophia thought Katherine was right. ¡°All right. It''s settled then.¡± Before hanging up the phone, she said in azy tone, ¡°Don''t y tricks anymore.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Even though Katherine promised her to behave in a nice way, the exact opposite happened on the second day. When Sophia had her meal with Joshua on the previous day, they had been secretly photographed by the paparazzi. The news was only ranked fifth online. However, the news shot up to first ce that day. Ever since Alexander and she had a divorce, Sophia would always be portrayed in a bad image the moment she went viral on the inte. Nevertheless, it resulted in apletely different manner this time. The trending news was titled: What kind of goddess Sophia is. When she clicked on the news, it was rted to Joshua. On that day, Joshua had a financial interview which had been broadcasted live. Before the interview ended, the host jokingly asked him about his rtionship with Sophia. His answer was that they were friends. It was a very direct answer. Thus, the host asked him another question. They wanted to know what he thought about Sophia. The image that Joshua had portrayed to the public was someone cold and impassive. Unexpectedly, he turned to the camera and said that he admired Sophia greatly. Moreover, he also mentioned that she was the most outstanding woman that he had ever seen. Usually, he would never smile. However, there was a rare hint of a smile on his face when he answered the host''s question. Before the interview was even concluded, someone had made a screenshot out of it and posted it on Twitter. People started topare Sophia''s life before and after she had divorced Alexander. Currently, she was protected by Mason, Howard, James, and Katherine. At the same time, she wasplimented highly by a rising technology field businessman like Joshua. Thus, they had reached a conclusion. It seemed that excluding those around Alexander, people who knew Sophia held her in high regard. Moreover, theizens thought that Sophia was a materialistic woman when she married Alexander. It came as a great surprise to the public after she refused any money after they had their divorce. They slowly recalled the fact that Sophia had to reveal her position as the owner of Specter Entertainment after the divorce. At the same time, it was widely known that she had a friend like Joshua. Now, Sophia''s image had changedpletely. Some people even guessed that she had married Alexander purely because it was him. However, the dissenting opinion had been subdued. Before it could create an impact on the inte, another assumption arose. It imed that Sophia and Joshua had been meeting in secret before she had her divorce and that she had cheated on Alexander. Obviously, someone had spent money to make the assumption trending on the inte. When the article came out, it gained poprity almost immediately. The events kept changing. As of now, there was an equal amount of angry remarks and supportive voices on the inte. Upon knowing it, Sophia felt the onset of a headacheing. Thus, she made a call to Katherine. ¡°Didn''t I tell you not to y any tricks?¡± She can even force her boyfriend just for me. In the end, Sophia could not help butugh. As she heard Sophia''sughter, Katherine''s remorse disappeared instantaneously. ¡°It was nothing. I merely told Joshua to tell the truth.¡± ¡°Don''t you have the guts to admit it?¡± ¡°Fine. I''m sorry, Soph. I will tell my men to stop the rumors.¡± Lifting her hand, Sophia massaged her temples. ¡°If you do it, you will only make it appear true. Don''t do anything. Just let the news die out on itself. Help me to investigate whether this was Bethany''s doing.¡± I didn''t mind it when Bethany took advantage previously. Now that Bethany has done it again, she shouldn''t me me if I were to retaliate. ¡°Understood. I will have someone look into it!¡± It was undeniable that Katherine was very excited when it came to such matters. For some reason, she was eager to see Sophia fighting against a pretentious woman. After hanging up the call, Sophia drove to Technology Innovations. Upon her arrival, she went straight to Joshua''s office. ¡°Why did you get involved in her n?¡± ncing at her briefly, Joshua answered, ¡°You know that I can''t refuse her.¡± Sophia did not expect to watch the sudden disy of affection. ¡°Stop it right there. Let''s start our meeting.¡± As soon as she finished, she walked out and made her way to the conference room. Two hourster, Sophia and Joshua came out of the conference room. His secretary, Ryan Hughes, approached them quickly. He turned to greet Sophia first. ¡°Hello, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Then, he turned to Joshua and said, ¡°Mr. Lewis, Mr. Xenos is here.¡± Raising her eyebrows, Sophia turned to look at Joshua. ¡°Mr. Lewis?¡± Meanwhile, Joshua remained impassive. ¡°It''s your ex-husband. Odyssey wants to buy our newly developed smart patrol machines. Initially, I was scheduled to meet the manager of Odyssey''s design department. I don''t know why it has been suddenly changed to Alexander.¡± There was an implied meaning in his words. Pretending not to notice it, Sophia said, ¡°I will go out using the back entrance.¡± ¡°Are you afraid of him?¡± Sophia gave a faint smile. ¡°Don''t provoke me. It is useless against me.¡± ¡°How about with Alexander?¡± Upon hearing Joshua''s question, Sophia was taken aback. When she regained her senses, she realized he was already leading her to the meeting location. Sophia wanted to say something, but she noticed that they were already standing in front of his office. At the same time, Ryan had the door opened for them. The moment she lifted her head, she caught sight of Alexander''s darkened gaze. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 When Alexander noticed Sophia walking out of the office with Joshua, the first thing that popped into his mind was what Joshua said during the livestream that morning. ¡°What do you think about Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Lewis?¡± ¡°She''s a great person, and I really admire her. She''s the most brilliant woman I''ve ever met,¡± replied Joshua. Following Technology Innovations'' sessful IPO the week before, every piece of information about Joshua, the new rising star in the industry, was exposed. It was rumored that he never even had a girlfriend. Just the day before, Sophia had asked Joshua out for a meal after he came back from Xanfield. As Alexander was also a man himself, he was well aware that if a man admired a woman, it was most likely that he was also fond of her. He did not need to be there personally for the coboration, he made Felix reschedule his meeting and came here on his own. Previously, Alexander probably was unsure why he needed to be there, but realization dawned upon him as soon as he saw Sophia show up with Joshua right before him. Alexander could not seem to ept that his ex-wife was able to start another rtionship so fast. He wondered if Sophia''s love for him had onlysted for a brief moment. His face grew solemn, for he suddenly felt displeased and jealous. Alexander did not even realize that Joshua hade forward and greeted him. All he did was stare straight at Sophia. She exuded a gentle aura that day, and he was reminded of the days he had spent with her at the Xenos residence. Even so, Sophia looked different from how she always was back at his ce. She was no longer the obedientdy who would do everything as told. All of a sudden, she became unapproachable like a rose with thorns. Felix, who was standing at the side, had no choice but to kick Alexander''s leg. Alexander shot daggers at him before diverting his gaze to Joshua. ¡°Mr. Lewis, we''re here to discuss work matters. I don''t think it''s right to have an outsider with us. Don''t you think so?¡± Everyone knew who he was referring to. Sophia quirked an eyebrow. Just as she was about to speak, Joshua suddenly nced at her and said, ¡°Why don''t you go ahead and walk around?¡± Joshua said that on purpose. Sophia''s head hurt, but she could not embarrass her friend. ¡°All right.¡± She smiled and nodded instead. It had been a long time since shest came to thepany. Sophia decided to go around and inspect the ce. All of the founders of Technology Innovations knew that Sophia was a major shareholder of the company. They were also familiar with her wishes to keep her identity private. Therefore, everyone had an unspoken understanding not to greet her too politely. Sophia turned around and headed toward the research and development department. That department in particr was the core of Technology Innovations. The people in the said department had been working together with Joshua ever since their days at school, and Sophia knew them as well. After exiting the office, she ordered some desserts to be sent over to the research and development department before going there herself. The rage in Alexander''s eyes grew stronger when he noticed the close interactions between Sophia and Joshua. Joshua retracted his gaze and nced at Alexander. ¡°Mr. Xenos, this is the introduction of two of our latest AI robots. Would you like to take a look?¡± Alexander suppressed his emotions as he looked back at Joshua, who was standing in front of him. ¡°There''s no need for that. Let''s just get into the topic, Mr. Lewis.¡± The discussion went on for forty-five minutes without a hitch, but Alexander wore an apathetic look the entire time. As his secretary, Felix felt extremely awkward next to him. Joshua was known to be cold and indifferent in the business industry but always treated others politely. Nheless, he always kept a distance from others, which made it impossible for them to approach him. When Felixpared his boss'' performance to Joshua''s, he felt that Alexander was not doing very well. Once the discussion ended, both parties signed the contract on the spot. Joshua politely suggested having a meal together, but Alexander rejected coldly. He was not in the mood to have lunch with his ex-wife''s boyfriend. Felix chatted with Joshua awkwardly to fill the silence. When the former turned around, he realized that Alexander had walked away. He quickly followed after his boss and managed to enter the elevator just before the doors closed. Observing Alexander''s icy expression, Felix dared not ask the question. Felix was absolutely confident that Sophia was the reason why Alexander had personally visited Joshua to discuss the coboration. ¡°Is Joshua that capable?¡± Felix was still thinking about the rumors about Sophia and Joshua when he suddenly heard Alexander speak. He froze for a moment before lifting his head to look at Alexander. Felix pursed his lips as his gaze fell on Alexander''s emotionless face. ¡°Mr. Lewis can be considered a young and promising man. Of course, he''s still no match for you.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Alexander snorted. ¡°What a bootlicker.¡± Felix looked at him, speechless. Although his words were a little ttering, he was telling the truth. Joshua was capable, but Alexander was equally brilliant. Everyone said that Alexander was just lucky to be born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Those were mere nonsense, though. Alexander was not the only person who was born into a wealthy family. However, not many could actually expand their family businesses and make them soar high to a whole new level. Over the decades, it was always easy to start something, but it had always been difficult to maintain it. Odyssey was established by Alexander''s father. Since then, the world had been progressing rapidly with new businesses popping up from all ends of the earth. Many bigpanies that used to be the leads in the field had faced bankruptcy and were forced to close down, but Odyssey remained strong. Alexander had managed to maintain thepany on his own. He was the sole reason why Odyssey was still thriving. Of course, Felix knew what Alexander was thinking about. Even though he felt slightly aggrieved, he decided not to retort a word. ¡°Why aren''t you talking? You''ve always had a lot to say,¡± questioned Alexander when the person beside him remained silent, and there was a hint of disdain in his tone. Felix shuddered for a second. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I meant what I said just now.¡± Alexander shot him a cold smile. ¡°Do you think Sophia looks better with me or with Joshua?¡± It was obviously a trick question. Felix was on the verge of breaking down at his question. Sensing Alexander''s intense gaze on him, Felix felt so pressured that he could hardly breathe. Just as he was about to go against his conscience and speak, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure. It was Sophia. Felix instantly reacted as though he had seen his life savior. He pointed to the left of the elevator and eximed, ¡°Mr. Xenos, it''s Ms. Yarrow!¡± Alexander frowned. ¡°Why are you so excited? Do you like her?¡± Felix was rendered speechless. At that moment, it seemed that everything he did was wrong in Alexander''s eyes. Thetter nced at him coldly before looking toward the left. As expected, Alexander caught sight of a white figure. Pursing his lips, he swiftly walked over. Sophia had just reached her car when she spotted Alexandering over through the rearview mirror. She arched an eyebrow as she slowly opened the door to her car. With a hand ced on top of it, she stood there as she looked at Alexander, who was making his way toward her. Sophia was dressed casually. She wore a white cardigan, a pair of jeans, and a pair of ck leather boots that entuated her long, slender legs. Leaning against the red Ferrari, she looked exactly like an auto-show model. There was a hint of mirth in her eyes as she stared right at him. Alexander''s heart leaped for a moment. The next instant, he stopped right in front of Sophia and questioned, ¡°Are you really that eager to find the next one right after getting divorced?¡± Chapter 39 Chapter 39 Sophia''s smile instantly faded as her alluring eyes turned frosty. She stood up straight and looked at Alexander. ¡°So, does this have anything to do with you, Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander felt a stab in his heart. He scoffed before changing the subject. ¡°Haven''t you left your graduation certificate behind?¡± Sophia furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°No. I took it away.¡± ¡°If so, you should go back and see if it''s genuine.¡± After saying that, Alexander walked past her and headed toward the ck car that was parked there waiting for him. Felix trailed behind him. As he walked past Sophia, he sheepishly greeted her before shrinking into himself and following Alexander away. Sophia turned around and watched as Alexander got into the car. She got into the Ferrari only after his car had traveled far away. When she returned to the mansion, the first thing she did was to take out the graduation certificate and check it. If it were not for Alexander''s words, she would not have discovered that the certificate in her hand was a fake. She did not need to think to figure out who was behind it. Hence, she drove directly to the Xenos residence. Five months had passed since shest stepped foot there, and she was nowpletely calm and collected. The red Ferrari stopped at the entrance of the mansion. She stepped out of the car in her boots, walked to the door, and rang the doorbell. The butler of the Xenos family came out and was visibly startled to see her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow?¡± Sophia gave him a nod. ¡°Please open the door.¡± The butler looked down upon her in the past and still did the same at present. Upon hearing her words, the butler chuckled. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow. Mrs. Xenos and Ms. Xenos are sleeping at this hour. We''re not epting visitors. Pleasee back another time.¡± Hearing this, Sophia also smiled. ¡°In that case, I guess I have to call the police.¡± The words ¡°call the police¡± shocked the butler. ¡°Wait a minute. Let me ask Mrs. Xenos.¡± Sophia was familiar with the butler''s tactics, so she merely smirked. ¡°I''m giving you three seconds, Mr. Woods. If you don''t open the door, I''ll call the emergency number.¡± He felt like she had be a different person,pletely unlike how she used to be. ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± With that, he turned and made his way upstairs. Sophia was all too familiar with the Xenos residence. She thought she would never step foot in that house again but never thought that she would be back after five months. She went straight to the living room on the second floor and waited. Soon, she heard movement from the third floor. At that time, the housekeepers of the Xenos family were resting, so Thalia''s footstepsing down the stairs were particrly loud in the quiet mansion. Her slippers tapped away on the stairs. Before she even reached the second floor, she began to shout, ¡°What is she doing here? What has gotten into you, Mr. Woods? How could you allow just anyone to enter my house?¡± As soon as she said that, Thalia spotted Sophia. The former recalled the court summons, and her face darkened. ¡°Dear sister-inw. Oh, I forgot. You''re no longer my sister-inw since you and my brother are divorced. Since you''re no longer married to him, what are you doing here?¡± Sophia lifted her head to look at her. ¡°Where''s my graduation certificate?¡± Thalia''s eyes flickered momentarily. ¡°What graduation certificate? Why did youe to me when your certificate is missing?¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Sophia did not wish to waste her time speaking to the other woman. ¡°If you don''t hand it over, I''ll have to call the police to handle the matter.¡± ¡°I have no idea what you''re talking about, so go ahead!¡± Just then, an icy voice sounded from the stairwell. ¡°Take it out!¡± Hearing Alexander''s voice, Thalia was a little shocked. However, she quickly came back to her senses. ¡°What should I take out, Alex? I didn''t take her graduation certificate!¡± Alexander stared at his sister coldly. ¡°I saw it. I''ll give you five minutes to bring Sophia''s certificate down!¡± Thalia''s face stiffened. She did not expect Alexander to help Sophia, let alone know that thetter''s graduation certificate was in her hands. Regardless, she was afraid of her brother. With just a few words from him, she found herself unable to refute him. She red at Sophia before turning and running back to retrieve the certificate. ¡°There! Who needs it. You''re the one who forgot to take it away!¡± Thalia raised her hand, intending to throw the graduation certificate. However, seeing Alexander''s frosty look, her hand trembled slightly. She tightened her grip and handed the document over. Sophia took her graduation certificate and degree certification, and after checking and confirming it was correct, she turned to leave without saying a word. Before leaving, she nced at Alexander. The man was frowning as he was displeased by Sophia''s gaze. I specifically rushed back from thepany to help her get back her certificate, and this is how she treats me? Without even a word of thanks? Alexander turned and ran after her, reaching out to stop her just as she was about to get into the car. ¡°This has nothing to do with me.¡± Sophia merely swept a calm gaze over him. ¡°It means nothing to me.¡± His face turned grim as he raised his hand and grabbed hold of her wrist. ¡°Did you ever love me?¡± Sophia was a little stunned upon hearing his question. However, aftering back to her senses, she suddenly chuckled. ¡°Since you manage to ask this question, it shows that the answer is no.¡± With that, she freed herself from him, opened the car door, and got in. Alexander simply stood there and watched as she drove away, his expression gradually growing colder. I knew it. She was only after my money! As his frustrations peaked, he pulled on his tie and turned to return to the mansion with a sullen expression. Thalia was sitting there having mushroom soup, and her hands trembled when she saw Alexander coming in. ¡°Alex,¡± she called out. ¡°Should you mess with her again, I won''t go easy on you.¡± When he made that statement, his expression was so gloomy that it seemed like he wanted to end her. Thalia was so frightened that she instantly paled. She sat there in a daze and watched him leave, not daring to make a sound. It was not until car engine noises came from downstairs that Thalia came back to her senses. cing the bowl in her hand on the table in front of her, she got up and walked to the balcony outside. After watching Alexander drive away, she finally let out a sigh of relief. What''s going on? I thought he never cared about how we treated Sophia? Don''t tell me he truly fell in love with this woman? Her face fell as this thought ran through her mind. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 Just when Sophia finished having her dinner, Katherine called. Outside the window, the sky was dark. Holding a ss of juice, she stood on the balcony and stared at the moon hanging in the night sky. She was holding her phone with another hand. ¡°Did you manage to find it out?¡± ¡°Oh my! Soph, you''re such a genius!¡± Katherine let out an exaggerated groan. ¡°Be frank with me now. Did you nt a bug on me?¡± Sophia snorted and said, ¡°It''s not that difficult to guess.¡± Bethany was probably the only person who enjoyed spying on Sophia and causing her trouble. On the other end of the call, Katherine suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°What were you doing at the Xenos residence this afternoon?¡± Sophia took a sip of the juice before she slowly answered, ¡°It was nothing. Thalia took my graduation certificate, and she gave me a fake one.¡± ¡°D*mn! What was she up to?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Sophia shrugged as she said, ¡°But I think she wouldn''t have the courage to do something again.¡± However, Sophia was surprised to see Alexander going back personally to get back the graduation certificate for her. The fact that Alexander was there in person to solve the issue made Thalia dare not do as she wished anymore. ¡°So what was it between you and Alexander?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. There was news on Twitter iming that Sophia was back at the Xenos residence to beg to get back together with Alexander the moment she stepped out from the Xenos residence. The news spreading across the inte had been overstated. Due to Joshua''s statement earlier, netizens appeared more rational this round. They did not try to add fuel to the fire. The news was trending at number twenty-two before it was taken down. Katherine sure was quick to react. ¡°Did you ask Ms. Leighton to get rid of the topic on the trending list?¡± came the question from Katherine. Upon hearing Katherine, Sophia arched an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Wasn''t you the one who did so? I thought you were the one.¡± ¡°No, it wasn''t me.¡± Sophia pressed her lips together, lowered her head, and stared at the juice she was holding. ¡°Find out for me who did it.¡± The news must have been released by either Thalia or Bethany. Both of them wanted to make Sophia aughing stock to humiliate her. Hence, there was no way they would remove the news after they had managed to get it on the trending list. Katherine hummed in response. ¡°I''ll get Jonice to look into this. Oh right! I''ll prepare the gown for you for Shining Stars Awards. Don''t buy it yourself!¡± In truth, if Katherine had not mentioned it, Sophia would have forgotten about it. ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia responded. She finished up her juice and said, ¡°I''ll go to bed now.¡± ¡°Oh my God! What time is it? It''s only ten o''clock now, Soph!¡± Sophia repliedzily, ¡°Beauty sleep.¡± Katherine was rendered speechless. She is already so pretty, yet she''s getting her beauty sleep. I guess she''s leaving no room for others to outshine her beauty. Sophia hung up the phone after greeting Katherine good night. Before she fell asleep, she could not help but think of the question from Alexander. Did you ever love me? She thought she had made herself very clear. However, he did not believe even a bit of her words. Upon thinking about it, she felt slightly frustrated. Forget it. I don''t want to think about it anymore. I''ll switch off the light and get my beauty sleep now. The next day morning, Katherine''s call came before the rm rang. Sophia massaged her temple lightly. She did not look pleased. ¡°Give me a reason not to be angry.¡± Holding her phone, Katherine replied sheepishly, ¡°You asked me to find out who took down the news about you going to the Xenos residence from the trending list. Jonice found out, but I can''t believe it was actually...¡± Katherine stopped speaking all of a sudden. Then, trying to keep her in suspense, she asked, ¡°Soph, guess who was it.¡± Sophia hadpletely woken up now. She chuckled out of anger. ¡°Alexander Xenos.¡± Katherine was stunned for a moment. ¡°You better be honest with me. Did you really nt a bug on me?¡± Sophia got out of her bed and said, ¡°I''ll hang up now. I''m going to wash up and have my breakfast.¡± ¡°Oh! Hang on! Aren''t you surprised? Aren''t you curious? Aren''t you excited about this?¡± Sophia looked out of the window and cast her gaze upon the golden rays of sunlight. She could not help but raise her eyebrow. ¡°I don''t feel the slightest bit of emotions.¡± ¡°Soph, you''re too...¡± Before Katherine could finish her sentence, Sophia ended the call. Soph is just amazing to have guessed it right! Actually, Sophia had guessed that Alexander was the one who took down the news from the trending list before she fell asleepst night. She had to admit that his question asking her if she ever loved him had deeply impacted her. Because of that, she fell into deep thoughts. Didn''t Alexander always think of me as someone who overestimated myself, money-minded, and pretentious? He even said that my love for him could easily be valued with money and meant nothing to him. I didn''t expect him to ask me such a deep question after we divorced. How ridiculous. The fact that Alexander was the one who took down the news did not bother Sophia. In fact, what she really wanted to do was to teach Bethany a lesson. After eating breakfast, Sophia drove out. As a matter of fact, Sophia did not want to have much to do with people rted to Alexander, but she had put up with Bethany''s act three times now. I can''t just let her off again. If I don''t take action, she must be thinking I''m a good target. Sophia made an appointment with a private detective. The private detective was introduced by Katherine''s manager, Jonice. She left the house at half-past nine in the morning, but she was stuck in a traffic jam for ten minutes due to an ident on the road. She was six minuteste when she was done parking her car. Since it was not mealtime, the restaurant was quiet, and there was only music ying in the background. Sophia immediately spotted the only person in the restaurant the moment she entered. ¡°I''m sorry for beingte, Mr. Morris.¡± He was obviously stunned when he saw her, but he quickly came back to his senses and said, ¡°It''s okay. I''ve just arrived too.¡± Sophia replied with a grin. Then, she took out one hundred thousand cash from her bag and put it in front of Benjamin Morris. ¡°Mr. Morris, I''ve made my request clear during the phone call. This is the advance payment, and I''ll give you seven days.¡± Benjamin did not expect her to be this straightforward, so he was quite surprised. ¡°Ms. Yarrow is way more beautiful and forthright than I''ve imagined.¡± ¡°I hope you don''t mind. I don''t like to waste my time.¡± ¡°Understood. Wait for my update then, Ms. Yarrow.¡± It was always easy to deal with someone intelligent. Sophia curled her lips and said, ¡°Okay. I''ll wait for your news then.¡± Benjamin was nning to buy Sophia lunch, but he got shy when he met her charming eyes. ¡°I''ll take my leave first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia nodded and took a sip of the lemon juice. After seeing Benjamin leave, she waved her hand and asked for the menu from the waiter. Since I''m already here, I should be nice to myself. It was still early, so Sophia was in no rush. She sat there flipping through the menu leisurely. It seemed like luck was not on Sophia''s side that day. As soon as she ced her order, she looked up and saw Bethany walking in holding a man''s arm. Sophia knew who the guy was. If she remembered correctly, he was Evan Conant, the youngest son of the Conant family who had juste back from studying overseas. There were not many customers in the restaurant during that period, so Bethany also noticed Sophia at once. She froze for a bit before letting go of Evan''s hand instinctively. Sophia looked at her, and she could not help but smirk. She rested her chin on her hand as she watched Bethany approaching her slowly. shing a smile that did not reach her eyes, Sophia called out, ¡°Ms. White, what a coincidence!¡± Bethany was slightly taken aback, as she did not intend to greet Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia took a look at Evan who was standing next to Bethany. Seemingly baffled, Sophia slightly furrowed her brows as she asked, ¡°Is this... your friend?¡± Sophia let out a soft snort, and she seemed amused. As if she suddenly understood something, she gave Bethany a meaningful nce and said, ¡°Oh, then I shouldn''t bother you two.¡± Bethany felt ufortable because of the way Sophia stared at her. Besides, she did not want to talk to Sophia in front of Evan. Hearing what Sophia said, she hurried over to the seats. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 ¡°That is?¡± Bethany had just sat down when she heard Evan ask about Sophia''s identity. In an instant, Bethany''s face turned pale as she answered, ¡°She''s Sophia, Alexander''s ex-wife.¡± Evan arched an eyebrow and turned to the woman sitting alone at the seat not too far away. She was resting her chin on her hand as she scrolled through her phonezily. The warm sunlight shone through the window on her, entuating the gentleness and beauty of her delicate face. He clicked his tongue andplimented, ¡°She''s beautiful.¡± Evan''s generousplement almost made Bethany hardly force a smile. She nced at Sophia and noticed that thetter was smiling at her. Bethany only found her smile provoking. Gritting her teeth silently, Bethany retracted her gaze and lowered her gaze as she flipped through the menu. Then, she pretended to be unfazed and said, ¡°Yes. Ms. Yarrow is beautiful. She''s also a great match with her current boyfriend.¡± As expected, Evan was intrigued by her words. He diverted his gaze from Sophia and asked, ¡°I remember it hasn''t been half a year since her divorce from Alexander, right?¡± ¡°That''s right. I heard they got a divorce because Sophia had an affair... Wait, no. I''m just talking nonsense!¡± Bethany covered her mouth with a look of frustration as if she regretted saying that. Raising his brow, Evan said, ¡°Alexander''s ex-wife is quite unfaithful.¡± Bethany understood the underlying meaning behind Evan''s words. Her smile suddenly stiffened. After that, Evan stopped looking at Sophia and did not ask Bethany about the former. He was still interested in Bethany now. Meanwhile, a thorn pricked Bethany''s heart. Coincidentally, Bethany''s seat enabled her to easily look up and see Sophia enjoy her meal in a leisure manner. She felt the thorn pierce deeper into her heart. Thinking that she had nothing to lose, Bethany said, ¡°I need to use the restroom.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Evan gave her a nod and watched as Bethany walked away. He adjusted his clothes, got up, and approached Sophia''s table. ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Yarrow. I''m Evan Conant.¡± Sophia took a sip of her orange juice and looked up at Evan. She asked, ¡°Do you need anything, Mr. Evan?¡± Evan was taken aback. ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°You came to Alexander and I''s wedding representing your father.¡± Evan looked into her sparkly, alluring eyes and felt a tingly sensation well up in his heart. ¡°You have a good memory, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia shed a faint smile. ¡°So, what do you need from me, Mr. Evan?¡± Evan sat down opposite her. ¡°I heard you started an entertainmentpany. My younger cousin wants to enter the entertainment industry. I want¡ª¡± Sophia wiped her mouth and told him a phone number before he could finish his sentence, ¡°139******71. You can call the owner of this number, Mr. Evan. Her name is Jonice, and she is one of our best managers. I''m not very familiar with the details, so I''m not the right person to ask.¡± As she spoke, she faintly smiled and picked up her bag. She continued, ¡°I''m done with my meal, so I''ll be taking my leave first, Mr. Evan.¡± It was the first time anyone had rejected Evan. He was reluctant to let her go. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, wait!¡± Sophia had only taken two steps. She stopped and turned back at him. ¡°Is there anything else, Mr. Evan?¡± ¡°Lately, I have some extra money. I heard yourpany is preparing to film a movie. I''m rather interested, and I''m wondering if you could tell me the details, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Do you want to invest in ourpany''s new movie, Mr. Evan?¡± Evan thought that she had taken the bait. His confidence to seduce thedies soared back to previous levels. ¡°I do have that thought, but five million isn''t a small sum. I need more information if I were to invest. Don''t you think so, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Sophia was d that Katherine was not present. Otherwise, Katherine would haveughed out loud enough for everyone to hear her. Evan is actually trying to use the money to walk all over me? Sophia smiled. The arched edges of her lips made her look like a blooming flower. ¡°You''re right. There''s a need to think things through thoroughly before investing, Mr. Evan.¡± After a momentary pause, she continued, ¡°However, I think you''ve misunderstood, Mr. Evan. I''m not short of money.¡± As soon as she finished her words, she turned around and left. Evan''s expression stiffened, and his smile faded as he watched Sophia''s back. It''s good for women to be reserved, but being too reserved makes them boring. Sophia turned around and caught Bethany secretly filming her with a phone. She arched her brow and strutted toward her in her boots. She reached out her hand and asked, ¡°How is it? Let me see.¡± The look on Bethany''s face changed, but she quickly regained herposure. ¡°What are you talking about, Ms. Yarrow? I don''t understand.¡± Sophia sneered, ¡°True. You don''t understand the humannguage, Ms. White.¡± ¡°You!¡± Bethany wanted to talk back, but her reaction was not as fast as Sophia''s. Before she could say anything, Sophia added, ¡°If you do understand the humannguage, you wouldn''t have ignored my words repeatedly, Ms. White.¡± A feeling of guilt crept up Bethany''s heart. With a frosty look, she looked at Sophia and said, ¡°I really don''t understand what you''re talking about, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Animals usually don''t understand the humannguage.¡± Sophia refrained from smiling. She red at Bethany coldly and warned, ¡°Bethany, this is myst warning. Don''t provoke me.¡± ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about.¡± ¡°You don''t need to keep emphasizing that you''re an animal.¡± Sophia waved her hand and strode off, leaving Bethany standing there alone. There was a drastic change in Bethany''s expression as she was overwhelmed with emotions. By the time she snapped back to her senses and wanted to retort Sophia, Sophia had already paid for her meal and left the restaurant. The staff working at the restaurant witnessed the scene, and the way they looked at Bethany changed. Someone had even filmed everything and uploaded it on their ounts. Bethany nced at the staff and wanted toe up with an excuse, but she did not know what to say. In the end, she could only bear the ball of fury in her gut as she returned to her seat. Evan was rather upset because Sophia had rejected him. When he saw Bethany return, he had no mood to continue eating. ¡°Are you done eating?¡± The feeling of hunger was overtaken by the rage welling up in her. Bethany nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, let''s go.¡± Inexplicably, Evan had lost interest in Bethany, who was right in front of him. Sophia was full of thorns, but still a rose. On the other hand, Bethany did not give him any desire to conquer her. Bethany had no idea what was on Evan''s mind. The White family needed arge sum of money. So, she could not just end things with Evan. Evan paid for the meal, then straightforwardly said, ¡°I have something to do in the afternoon. Why don''t we call it a day?¡± The change in his attitude was drastic, yet Bethany could not tell. She turned pale and said, ¡°Is that so? Then in a few days¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, I''ll be busy in a few days too. Well, I''ll contact you when I''m free. You can go back on your own. I don''t need to give you a ride, right?¡± Evan took another look at Bethany. He recalled Sophia''s face under the sunlight and suddenly found Bethany ordinary. ¡°Mr. Evan, you¡ª¡± Bethany was confused. She just wanted to take some pictures for Alexander. She had no idea Evan would fall for Sophia. As Sophia left the restaurant, she felt liberated. It had been a while since she got to teach someone a lesson. I didn''t know Bethany was that bad at a verbal fight. I don''t feel any sense of aplishment from winning against her in an argument. She took her car keys and unlocked the door. Sophia nned to go home, watch a movie, then hit the gym around four in the afternoon. That was how simple and in her life was. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 Sophia did not frequent the gym in the past. She did not like others watching her while she trained, so before getting a divorce from Alexander, she used to do running in Alexander''s personal gym. After the divorce, she took a trip around Epea and realized that she truly did not have a good physique. Katherine then suggested Sophia should get a private instructor, and she even rmended someone to her. That was how Sophia began going to the gym. She would train three to four times every week, and she would work out for two hours each session. By the time Sophia exited the gym, it was after six in the evening. The sky outside was already as dark as ink. Sophia had a few missed calls from Katherine, for she had kept her phone in her bag the entire time. After a slight furrow in her brows, Sophia then decided to enter a pasta restaurant for dinner. It was only after she took her seat and made her order did she finally click into her chat with Katherine. As it turned out, Katherine had sent her dozens of continuous messages, one of them with a video attached. Upon watching the video, Sophia finally realized what Katherine was talking about. Someone had recorded her conversation with Bethany at the restaurant in the afternoon and posted it on a video-sharing website. Initially, theizens reposted the video onto their own social media because they found it thrilling to hear cursing and profanities from the pretty woman in the video. Later on, someone realized that Sophia and Bethany were the ones in the video. One was Alexander''s ex-wife, and the other was Alexander''s rumored first crush. Thus, the video became even more interesting. That was how Sophia ended up trending again. Sophia could not help but click her tongue as she read thements under the video. It seems like theizens have good taste. Everyone can see that I''m much better than Bethany. Yes, that''s right. Alexander''s the blind one. Although Sophia was not a narcissist, she was a woman, and women enjoyed receivingpliments. From N?velDrama.Org. Most of thements below the video were praising her. My god! This young woman is so pretty! This is the first time I''ve seen someone capable of cursing so nonchntly and elegantly! I love this! This youngdy''s face looks way better than the one at the side. She''s so fine! Ah! Mom, I''m in love again! Argh! She''s so, so cool! This is how you should treat pretentious b*tches! Hahaha! Now I know what to do the next time I meet one! There were many simrments, and Sophia had to admit that her mood was great after reading them. After a while of reading, Katherine replied: Isn''t she too shameless? By the way, isn''t she with Alexander? Why is she suddenly having meals with Evan Conant? Hahaha! Does Alexander know about this? Why am I suddenly so happy about this? Sophia could not help but chuckle at Katherine''s message. She then replied: If my guess is right, Alexander didn''t get together with her. At the start, Sophia thought Alexander had given his heart to Bethany, but after the happenings of the past few months, she realized that Alexander had no heart at all. Okay, I feel a little better after thinking that. Nevertheless, half a yearter, Sophia realized she no longer cared about whether or not there was anything between Alexander and Bethany anymore. As a matter of fact, Sophia found out that single life was fantastic. Who cares about love? Who cares about falling in love with others? What''s wrong with loving myself? ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡°Wow, in that case, that''s great! Hahaha! Maybe Bethany strung Alexander along. Hahaha! Soph, I''ve suddenly got an evil n in me.¡± It seemed like using mere words was no longer enough to express Katherine''s excitement, for she sent Sophia a voice message instead. Hearing the message, Sophia then lifted a brow. ¡°I''m sure your evil n is going to be rather evil, so I''d suggest you not do it.¡± Katherine chuckled guiltily. ¡°Don''t be like this, my old friend!¡± Right then, Sophia''s pasta arrived, and she texted Katherine to tell her that she would be eating. After that, she put down her phone and ignored her friend. Once she was done with her meal, Sophia went strolling around the nearby mall. After buying a bouquet of fresh flowers, she drove back to the mansion. That night, she took a nicevender bath and got a good night''s sleep. The next day, Sophia received a call from Yvonne, who told her that Expedite''s chairman was interested to meet her. Sophia just woke up when she heard Yvonne''s words. After a moment of digesting it, she said, ¡°Tobias White wants to meet me?¡± Yvonne replied, ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow. Expedite has been experiencing a shortage in funds sincest year. Perhaps Tobias wishes to discuss the matter of acquisition with you, or perhaps he wishes to sell shares.¡± Sophia pressed her lips together. ¡°Then please make the arrangements for me.¡± A pauseter, she added, ¡°But I don''t want to meet Tobias as Suny.¡± If Tobias knows that I''m Suny, doesn''t that mean that Alexander, Samuel, and the others would know that I''m Suny as well? I don''t want to deal with so much trouble. ¡°I understand, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After ending the call, Sophia went to make a bowl of instant oatmeal. Around eleven, Yvonne called to tell her that she had arranged a meeting with Tobias for the next afternoon. As Sophia had nothing to do for the day, she went to the beauty salon in the afternoon. Just as she was done with her session, she encountered Kristen and her group of married friends. With a faint smile on her face, Sophia walked past them. Kristen had her head held high, thinking that Sophia would greet her. To her surprise, Sophia''s eyes remained fixed in the front as she walked past her. Before Sophia could walk further away from them, one of the women uttered, ¡°Mrs. Xenos, wasn''t that your ex-daughter-inw?¡± Kristen''s expression darkened. ¡°I guess so. I didn''t catch a clear glimpse of her face.¡± ¡°She''s so uncivilized. At the very least, she was once your daughter-inw. How could she possibly just walk off without saying anything?¡± Kristen had gotten a high status in the group of women because of how excellent Alexander was. Later on, she also gained the admiration of many upon ¡°taming¡± Sophia. Naturally, Kristen would not want the others to realize that Sophia no longer cared about the Xenos family with the obvious change in Sophia''s demeanor. That was why she scoffed and said, ¡°Why else did you think Alex wanted to get a divorce with her?¡± The woman who spoke earlier nodded. ¡°True.¡± Sophia was just a short distance away from them, so she heard their conversation. Nevertheless, her only response was to lift a brow. She could not be bothered to care about it. They can say whatever they want. I''m out of this hell named the Xenos family. After Sophia left the beauty salon, she decided to head to Magic Sense. After all, that was thepany she had hopes for. What Sophia did not expect was to meet Alexander''s childhood friend, Charles. Better words came out of Charles'' mouth than Samuel''s, so Sophia did not have too terrible of an impression of him. Regardless of that, he was still someone associated with Alexander, and she did not n to talk to him. On the other hand, Charles, who was normally arrogant and aloof, called out her name. ¡°Sophia.¡± Sophia halted in her tracks and turned to look at him in surprise. ¡°Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Johnson?¡± The Johnson family was focused on investments. Therefore, Sophia could make a guess as to why she had encountered Charles there. As Charles looked at her, he asked, ¡°Are you here to visit a friend?¡± ¡°I didn''t know your jurisdiction spreads so far and wide, Mr. Johnson.¡± Despite her words, there were no changes to Charles'' expression. ¡°It''s just a random question.¡± He then paused before continuing, ¡°It''s nothing. I won''t disturb you any longer.¡± Sophia nodded in response before entering the elevator. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 While Charles watched the elevator door close, he took out his phone and called Alexander. Alexander, who just finished his meeting, frowned when he saw who was calling him. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Due to his divorce from Sophia, Samuel and Charles were constantlyughing at him. If he had to be honest, he did not want to receive any calls from either of them at all. They would certainly not bear any good news with them, after all. To his surprise, all Charles said was, ¡°Alex, do you know what your ex-wife is working as?¡± Alexander froze. What does Sophia work as? She seems unemployed, but she''s a top student who studied finance. Still, it seems like she has always been in the Xenos residence for thest three years while she had been married to me. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She doesn''t have a job.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± was all Charles uttered before ending the call. Staring at the phone screen, Alexander could not help furrowing his brows. In the past, he would be sure of his answer. Now, he was not. After his divorce from Sophia, Alexander began to realize that he seemed as though he never understood her. It was the same as how he did not know Sophia would not be as hysterical as other women when she was angry. Instead, she would take her revenge in a calm and collected manner. He, too, did not know that she was not as in love with money as he thought she was. At the very least, she never asked for anything during their divorce. In their three years of marriage, other than the thirty thousand that he had asked Felix to transfer to Sophia every month, he never gave her any other money. There was once after the divorce when he suddenly went to check that ount''s bnce, and it was then he found out that there was a total of one million eighty thousand in there¡ªthirty thousand each month for thirty-six months of three years. If Sophia did not have a job, how could she possibly not use any of the money he gave her and still afford her daily necessities? At that very moment, Alexander felt that he had been a blinded fool for three years. Rage flooded his senses, and his expression darkened. Then, he summoned Felix with the inte. Felix soon entered the room, thinking that Alexander had called him for work matters. To his bafflement, Alexander asked, ¡°What did Sophia work as back then?¡± Felix blinked in astonishment before he hesitantly replied, ¡°It seems like Ms. Yarrow doesn''t have a job.¡± ¡°Then where does she get her money from?¡± Felix shot a careful nce at Alexander before saying, ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow is a shareholder of Specter Entertainment.¡± Indeed, Alexander only found out after the divorce that his ex-wife turned out to be the chairman of Specter Entertainment, which was apany with swift developments in recent years. Alexander then waved his hands dismissively. ¡°You can leave.¡± Felix sighed in relief. Just as he was about to turn and leave, Alexander suddenly uttered, ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°What was with the video yesterday?¡± Felix raised his head to look at Alexander before telling him what he knew. ¡°Ms. Yarrow left after her meal. She just had a brief argument. Nothing else happened.¡± Then, Felix hesitated. After he steeled himself, he added, ¡°It seems like Mr. Evan is courting Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Evan Conant?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alexander scoffed, ¡°Why are you telling me this? Does this have anything to do with me?¡± At that, Felix fell silent. I''m an idiot to have told you about it. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I''ll take my leave now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Alexander gave Felix a cold nce as thetter left. The night fell quickly at Jadeborough in November. After seven, the sky was already pitch-ck. If not for the sports car parked in front that Sophia spared a few nces at, she would not have seen Evan standing by her doorstep. By then, Evan had clearly seen her there, for he quickly stopped in front of her car with flowers in his hands. Sophia raised her brow and wound down her car window. ¡°Anything I can help you with, Mr. Evan?¡± ¡°I was too abrupt yesterday. I''vee to apologize to you today.¡± Tsk. This is the first time I''ve seen someone bring red roses to another''s doorstep to apologize. Nevertheless, she gave him a smile. ¡°I wasn''t offended. If there''s nothing else, Mr. Evan, please move aside. I''m driving in.¡± The door was already opened, and Sophia''s car was parked right in front of the entrance. She was about to drive in, but Evan had bodily blocked her way. Evan then raised his hand and nced at his watch. ¡°It''s still early, so why don''t we go out for supper?¡± Sophia recognized the watch on his wrist¡ªit was a ssic mechanical watch of a luxury brand that cost more than two million. In other words, his watch was almost as expensive as her car. She found his action funny, as it was a lot like a child showing off how many toys he had. However, Sophia did not care at all. ¡°Let''s not. I don''t eat supper.¡± Still, Evan shamelessly said, ¡°Then I''lle into your house to have a cup of water.¡± The smile on Sophia''s face faded. ¡°There''s a water shortage in my house.¡± ¡°Then I''ll order a drink and have it delivered here. You don''t mind meing for a seat in your house, right?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Sophia did not like to waste her time on things like these. After pushing open the car door and getting down from the car, she looked at Evan before pointing at her car. ¡°Mr. Evan, I''m sure you recognize this car, right?¡± ¡°I do. It''s a limited edition Ferrari model that was releasedst year. There''s only a hundred of this model, and it''s more than three million each.¡± Sophia nodded and smiled. ¡°You should know how much a house in Jadeborough costs, right?¡± ¡°I''m not very clear about that, but I do know the real estate prices of this area. It''s around eighty thousand. Yours is near water, so this house must cost around fifty million.¡± Evan thought he realized something, and he added, ¡°Do you like cars or houses? I can give you both.¡± Even though fifty million was not a small sum, Sophia was Alexander''s ex-wife, and Evan felt that it was worth it. However, Sophia lifted a brow in response. ¡°Mr. Evan, I think you''ve misunderstood this. You might not know about this, but I bought the car and the house myself.¡± Evan froze. By then, he would be a fool not to understand what Sophia was trying to tell him. Then, he thought about how he was trying to unt his watch to her, and that made his face heat up. Still, everyone in the upper-ss social circle knew that Alexander''s ex-wife left the marriage without asking for anything. Therefore, he refused to believe that she had bought the mansion herself. Knowing what he was thinking about, Sophia scoffed, ¡°I have the capability of purchasing ten of these mansions, let alone one. So, Mr. Evan, I''d ask you not to waste your time on me because you''ll only end up looking¡ª¡± At that, she paused and narrowed her eyes, ¡°¡ªlike a fool.¡± Each of her words was like a p on Evan''s face. There was no way Evan could stand it, so he snarled, ¡°Sophia, don''t push your luck! You know well where your moneyes from. Don''t you dare think that you''re someone reputable just because you''ve gained some money from Alexander!¡± Sophia frowned. Right as she was about to respond to him, the sounds of car honks came from her left. Instinctively, she turned to the side, only to be blinded by the car lights. A second after she raised her hands to shield her eyes, the door to the car opened, and Alexander stepped out of the car. Sophia stiffened as a rare wave of surprise washed over her. As she watched Alexander walk toward her, she asked in confoundment, ¡°Is something up?¡± Alexander nced at Evan, who was pale from fury. ¡°When has Mr. Evan started enjoying forcing others?¡± Others had beenparing Alexander to Evan since Evan was a child. Moreover, Evan always lost in theparison. When he was younger, he was often furious about that, butter on, when he found out that he was certainly no match for Alexander, he began avoiding Alexander. The reason he was so interested in Sophia was mostly due to the fact Sophia was Alexander''s ex-wife. What he thought was, If I can conquer the woman Alexander failed to conquer, won''t that mean I''m better than Alexander? Now that Alexander had appeared, Evan instantly turned cowardly. Still, he stubbornly snapped, ¡°You''re the one who enjoys forcing others! It''s natural for men to go after finedies! There''s nothing wrong with me courting Ms. Yarrow, so how can you call that forcing her?¡± Then, Evan shoved the bouquet of roses into Sophia''s hands and said, ¡°I''ll contact you another day.¡± Once that was said, he returned to his car and drove off. Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Looking down at therge bouquet of roses in her hand, Sophia could not help but furrow her brows. As there was no trash can outside her house, she had to hold it first. ¡°Can I help you?¡± She looked at Alexander, who was standing before her, with a slightly raised eyebrow. Alexander was irked by the sight of the bouquet of roses in her arms and looked up to meet her eyes that spoke of indifference and aloofness. Swallowing hard, he fixed his gaze on her with an expression that was colder than hers. ¡°Yes.¡± His reply surprised Sophia. Turning to open the car door, she ced the roses on the passenger seat and closed the door. Then, she asked, ¡°What''s it?¡± ¡°Let''s talk inside.¡± As he spoke, he stepped to the side to gesture for her to drive inside first before he went in. However, Sophia did not move an inch as she shot him a cold nce. ¡°It''s unnecessary. We can talk here.¡± She paused and let out a chuckle. ¡°Many are watching me recently. Maybe there''s someone pointing a camera at us not far away right now. You don''t want to be trending on the inte with me tomorrow, do you?¡± Alexander was stumped. With an even colder expression on his face, he replied, ¡°I''ll get Thalia to issue a public apology, and you''ll drop thewsuit.¡± Sophia stared at him with a look that said she had done him a big favor and chuckled in exasperation. ¡°Nothing else?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± In fact, Alexander was not there for that. After leaving thepany, he had gone there on a whim due to what Felix said. Before Evan arrived, his car was already parked outside Sophia''s mansion. N?velDrama.Org (C) content. He did not know why he came either. He did not even think of letting Sophia know that he was there. However, he could not stand it and got out of the car after hearing what Evan said. As soon as she saw him, she gave off the impression that he could not appear in front of her for no particr reason. There was nothing he could do but bring up Thalia, the only thing he could talk about. In acknowledgment, Sophia nodded, looked at him, and asked an irrelevant question, ¡°How could you be so shameless, Alexander?¡± Alexander was baffled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You wouldn''t havee here to talk about this with me if you weren''t.¡± Then, the sneer disappeared from her face as she continued with a cold look, ¡°I remember I told you on the day of our divorce to keep an eye on those around you. Things won''t end well for them if they push my buttons.¡± Alexander had never been scolded by others in such a way before. He looked at Sophia with a gloomy face, but thetter had gotten back into the car and drove into the mansion after speaking. Watching the gate of the mansion slowly close, Alexander stood at the same spot for some time before going back to his car with a sullen face. He felt angry, but he was unable to vent it. Their conversation ended acrimoniously. When Samuel called Alexander, thetter simply rejected his call. Yet, the former shamelessly called again. In the end, Alexander could not stand it and answered his call, ¡°You''d better have an emergency.¡± ¡°What a coincidence. There''s indeed an emergency.¡± ¡°Spit it out!¡± ¡°Bethany''s drunk and got hassled. Do you want to step in?¡± Alexander snorted. ¡°Mind your own business.¡± With that, he hung up the call. In the bar, Samuel raised his eyebrow and looked at Bethany, who got hassled by a group of men not far away, not nning to help her. He did not see the need to intervene when even Alexander had refused to step in. Bethany had been looking at Samuel. Before those men surrounded her, she had purposely said hello to thetter just so he could tell Alexander about it. From what Evan said the day before, she knew that he was obviously useless. Now, she could only find a way to get associated with Alexander so that herpany could get a loan. As she had expected, Samuel had indeed called Alexander. She breathed a sigh of relief, but before long, she saw Samuel hang up the phone. After he nced at her, he looked away and stopped paying attention to her. The look on Bethany''s face instantly changed. She immediately pushed away a man in front of her. However, the man, who had been flirting with her for some time without being turned down by her, had thought that he was about to win her. Thus, being pushed by her all of a sudden made his blood boil. Seeing that she was leaving, the man stretched out his hand and grabbed her. ¡°Where are you going? Let me keep youpany.¡± Bethany''s face went pale as she struggled to break free from his grip but to no avail. The other men who were with the man whistled and called out something like ¡°Jay,¡± which Bethany could not hear clearly. Judging from how they spoke to the man, Bethany knew that they were no ordinary men. If Alexander came, she might be able to take advantage of the opportunity to marry him and be a part of the Xenos family. Now that Alexander was noting, she suddenly felt scared. She nced at Samuel again and pursed her lips slightly. ¡°I''m going to the restroom.¡± The man named Jay let go of her. ¡°No problem. I''ll go with you.¡± Nodding, Bethany even smiled at him, causing him to let down his guard. He then followed her to the restroom. When they reached the bar counter, Bethany greeted, ¡°Mr. Schild. What a coincidence.¡± She stopped in her tracks as though she was simply saying hello to him. The look on the man who followed her instantly changed. He nced at Bethany and then at Samuel before backing off in silence. Forget it. This guy isn''t to be trifled with. Samuel looked at Bethany and snorted. ¡°Indeed. I see you''re enjoying the nightlife.¡± Bethany froze, unable to utter a single word. She could only give him an embarrassed smile. She knew that Samuel could tell that she had used him. If she refuted him, she was afraid that he would fall out with her there and then. I can''t make him angry. I still need him to take me out. Feeling bored, Samuel emptied the content of his wine ss and nced at Charles. The two of them then got up and headed to the door. Taking her handbag, Bethany trailed behind them. Looking at Charles, who was next to Samuel, she came up with an idea. ¡°Mr. Johnson, I didn''t drive here today. Can you send me home?¡± As she spoke, she flicked her hair. ¡°By the way, I still haven''t returned the camera Charlize lent mest time.¡± In general, men most likely would not turn a woman down when she made such a request. Yet, Charles, who was no ordinary man, nced at her indifferently and replied, ¡°No.¡± He did not even bother to exin. After exchanging looks with Samuel, he headed straight for his car and drove off. Bethany was stupefied for a moment. Looking up, she met Samuel''s eyes, feeling as if she had been pped hard in the face. ¡°It''s out of my way.¡± Samuel made it clear to her before she could ask. Then, he got in the car to wait for the chauffeur he had hired. Bethany gritted her teeth, her face flushed with anger. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Sophia woke up slightlyte. She had been in a good moodst night. However, a meeting with the insolent Evan after dinner and a tiff with Alexander had thoroughly ruined her mood. She had gone to bedte. Her rm clock cried in vain at six in the morning. It was already seven, almost eight. Sophia cursorily scrolled through her phone. She got out of bed and stepped into the shower. Then, she made herself a quick sandwich and a ss of milk. She wolfed down her breakfast while scrolling through Twitter. For once, everything was fine. There was not a scrap of news that involved her. Sophia gulped down thest of her milk. After turning the yoga mat out, she went downstairs to feed her goldfish. Even in November, Jadeborough was not a cold ce. It was close to nine o''clock when the sun had fully risen. There was just a slightly cool breeze. Sprinkling food into the fishbowl, she was about to head back upstairs for two hours of yoga when her phone suddenly rang. It was Benjamin. She raised a brow as she hadn''t expected him to uncover information about Bethany so quickly. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Morris.¡± ¡°Good morning. Something happenedst night. I think it''s crucial that you should be informed about it in advance.¡± Sophia frowned. She was somewhat baffled. ¡°I''m sorry, I don''t follow. What do you mean?¡± ¡°Let me rify. After we parted yesterday, I had the opportunity of nting a bug on Bethany''s phone. Last night, she went to the bar. At first, she wanted to leave with Samuel and Charles, but she was rejected by them. In the end, she got into the car of a man named Jay.¡± Sophia hummed in acknowledgment as she digested the new information. She waited patiently for Benjamin to continue. Thetter continued, ¡°Last night, Ms. White and Jay were in a room at Salia Hotel. After listening to the wiretap recording, I found that she talked about you with Jay.¡± A man and a woman spent a night together in a hotel room. Every adult knew what that meant. Sophia didn''t know Bethany was that type of person, but that wasn''t the main point. What she was puzzled by was why Bethany had mentioned her name in a conversation with Jay. ¡°Well, what did she talk about with Jay?¡± ¡°I must say, you''re quite a sharpdy, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Benjamin chuckled triumphantly and yed the recording for Sophia. The voice in the recording was initially thin and reedy. After a few seconds, Sophia could pick up a pair of human voices in the conversation. ¡°You''re even better than I thought!¡± ¡°Is that so? How do Ipare with Sophia?¡± ¡°Why? Is there some rivalry between the two of you?¡± ¡°You''re quite perceptive.¡± ¡°Well, I''ll have to hook up with your rival sometime.¡± ¡°I believe you''ll soon get that chance.¡± Sophia was silent for a few moments after listening to the recording. Clearing her throat, she asked, ¡°Do you know what sort of person this Jay is?¡± ¡°I''ll look into him if it''s something you''re interested in finding out.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Good. I''ll send your fee over right away.¡± ¡°You''re quick, Ms. Yarrow. I like that. I believe it''ll take me about three days to dig up some information on Jay. Well, I''ll hang up now. I shan''t bother you any longer.¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± said Sophia. She stared at her phone in disbelief for a few seconds before trudging upstairs. After her yoga session, Yvonne called to remind her that she had a lunch appointment with Tobias at noon. The reminder was unnecessary. Sophia remembered the appointment very well. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, she spent half an hour dabbing on some makeup before stepping out of her house. Yvonne was waiting for her at the restaurant entrance. Spotting her car, Yvonne walked up to the driver''s seat. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Sophia nodded and smiled in greeting. Taking off her shades, she asked, ¡°Has Tobias arrived?¡± ¡°He reached ten minutes ago.¡± ¡°I see. That might mean he''s quite sincere.¡± As Yvonne led her into the restaurant, she said, ¡°Mr. White''s opening offer is three hundred million.¡± Sophia smiled wryly. ¡°That''s quite a number.¡± She thought, ¡°Expedite was listed on the market five years ago. It''s now valued at more than two billion. However, Tobias wants us to pay thirty million for five percent in shares. What a farce.¡± Collecting herself, Sophia put on a cold, calcting expression and followed Yvonne to a private room in the restaurant. Just as Yvonne opened the door to the room, Tobias stood up and eximed, ¡°Ms. Suny!¡± Upon seeing Sophia, Tobias'' expression changed noticeably. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Ms. Suny is... busy. As her new secretary, I''m here in her stead.¡± Smiling faintly, she continued, ¡°Hi, Mr. White. I don''t think it''s necessary to introduce myself.¡± She wanted to photograph and frame the look on Tobias'' face. When she and Alexander had gotten married, the White family had made gossiping about her their household pastime. Once, the White family paid the Xenos residence a visit. Tobias'' wife and Kristen had gleefully mocked and insulted her to her face. The memory was still fresh. If there was one thing Sophia was good at, it was bearing grudges. She still remembered the event, though it happened two years ago. Tobias was unsure how to react. Sophia calmly took a seat while Yvonne poured her a cup of tea. With obvious difficulty, Tobiasposed himself. He stared at Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you have changed since thest time I saw you.¡± Sophia beamed graciously. ¡°People change. Some of the credit has to go to Mrs. White''s... tutge. Please help me thank her when you get the chance.¡± Tobias had spent many years immersed in the world ofmerce. He clearly understood the implication and resentment behind Sophia''s words. He shifted his feet ufortably like he was wearing ill-fitting shoes. He didn''t know whether he should leave or stay. It was a real dilemma. He was even beginning to regret contacting Sunshine Group. If he had known that Ms. Suny wouldn''t be present, he wouldn''t have bothered asking for an in-person meeting to conduct negotiations. He had refrained from any cruelments when Sophia married into the Xenos family. However, he knew that his wife and daughter soon found a new hobby in tripping up and making fun of Sophia. For the first time in his life, Tobias grasped the meaning of the well-worn adage¡ªbetween a rock and a hard ce. Having finished speaking, Sophia leisurely flipped through the restaurant menu. Without the least bit of shyness, she ordered two expensive dishes. Looking up at Tobias, she said, ¡°Expedite is valued on the market today at about two and a half billion to three billion. Yet, for some strange reason, you want us to pay thirty million for five percent. Do you think Sunshine Group is in the business of printing money?¡± There was a predatory grin on her face. She was going straight for the jugr. Tobias was a sly man, but he didn''t know what to say in this situation. He wished to just leave. However, things were different this time. He had no cards to y. If Sunshine Group chose not to invest, Expedite was finished. They would struggle to exist even if they managed to survive this particr obstacle. Sophia nced at him triumphantly. She shed a look to Yvonne, who promptly shoved an acquisition booklet in front of Tobias. Sophia said, ¡°How about this, Mr. White? I have a suggestion. For two and a half billion, Sunshine Group will buy out Expedite. What do you say?¡± She could see a throbbing vein on Tobias'' forehead. He cried, ¡°You... you swindler!¡± Sophia tutted disapprovingly like a disappointed parent. ¡°Well, it seems there''s no point in continuing this conversation. In that case, I think I''ll leave now.¡± shing Yvonne a look, she stood up. Halfway out the door, Sophia stopped and grinned at Tobias. ¡°By the way, Ms. White seems to have a lot of free time on her hand these days. You should treat her well. You might regret it if something happens to her.¡± Sophia stepped out the door without sparing Tobias another nce. As she left the room, she bumped head-first into Alexander. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 Before entering the private room, Alexander abruptly halted in his tracks and turned around to look at Felix, who followed right after him. ¡°Why did Tobias get in touch with her?¡± Naturally, Felix understood who he was referring to by ¡°her.¡± However, he did not have a single clue as to why Sophia would have a meal with Tobias. ¡°This... I''m not too sure as well.¡± Alexander creased his brows into an evident frown. He eyed his secretary with dissatisfaction and ordered, ¡°Look into it.¡± With a shudder, Felix replied, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Without another word, Alexander pushed open the door of the private room and strode in. Sophia had a pair of sunsses on as she walked out of the hotel. Her car was parked in the open-air parking lot right at the entrance. As she pulled open the car door, Yvonne, who stood right behind her, stared at her with lips that quivered as though she wanted to say something. Sophia took off her sunsses and smiled at Yvonne. ¡°Are you worried that Alexander will investigate me?¡± Thetter nodded. ¡°If he wants to do so, we might not be able to conceal it from him.¡± Sophia raised her brows and remarked, ¡°Don''t worry. He won''t.¡± At that, she put on her sunsses once more and got into the car. ¡°Thank you for today. I''ll head home first.¡± Yvonne took a step to the side and watched as Sophia''s red sports car gradually drove away until it finally disappeared into the horizon. Pursing her lips, she turned around and nced at the hotel. For some reason, she had a premonition that things would go south. Frankly, there was totally zero need for Yvonne to be so concerned. Sophia did not intentionally hide her identity, to begin with, and she had even tried to find the opportunity to rify the assets that she owned to Alexander. If he wanted to know the truth, he could just let Felix look into the matter anytime. Now that they were divorced, Sophia felt that Alexander would all the more not do so. She had always thought that she understood him quite well. Nevertheless, she was proven wrong this time. The woman had just gotten up from her afternoon nap when Yvonne called to inform her that Felix had already called her to inquire about Tobias and, of course, for more information about Sophia. Sophia turned her head to the window to nce at the hot, bright sun. She lifted a hand to rub her temples in order to make herself more awake. ¡°Hide it from him for now.¡± ¡°Very well, Ms. Yarrow.¡± N?velDrama.Org (C) content. As soon as Sophia hung up, she received an express parcel. It was the evening gown that Katherine had prepared for her. Receiving a pretty dress made Sophia rather happy. Alexander''s mood was not as good inparison. It did not take long for Felix to investigate the matter between Tobias and Sophia. However, he never knew that she was actually Suny''s secretary. When Felix finished reporting his findings, Alexander''s expression was quite grim. The secretary had a strong hunch about what his employer was thinking about. After a moment of hesitation, Felix could not resist blurting, ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow isn''t actually that incapable.¡± Sophia was the top achiever of the state in the university entrance exam back then, allowing her to study finance at a prestigious university. From primary school to high school, she was basically the top student in the entire grade every year. This was the information Felix had dug up about Sophia after she and Alexander divorced and when he felt that she was not that terrible. Felix did not even need to utilize his connections for this. All he did was go online and enter her name in the search bar, and he could find records of Sophia''s past glory. To be honest, other than the fact that Sophia''s family was not as influential as Alexander''s, she could totally match up to him. Felix felt that saying Sophia ¡°isn''t actually that incapable¡± did not do her justice. Upon hearing his secretary''s words, Alexander scoffed and snapped, ¡°Indeed, she''s very capable at stating her terms!¡± You''re just being absolutely biased! Of course, Felix did not have the courage to retort Alexander''s words, so he could only timidly add, ¡°Mr. Xenos, perhaps you could try Googling Ms. Yarrow.¡± Alexander eyed him coldly. ¡°Why should I Google her?¡± Is she that amazing? Felix felt a chill go down his spine. He did not dare to say anything more and cooked up an excuse to depart from the office, leaving Alexander alone inside. Seated on the chair, Alexander somehow keyed in Sophia Yarrow in the Google search bar. After doing so, he regretted it immediately. However, before he could close the webpage, he saw a familiar yet strange photo. Furrowing his brows, the man could not resist the urge to click on the photo. It was a photo of Sophia when she was fifteen years old. She was the only contestant from Jadeborough to receive the first-tier prize in the International Mathematical Olympiad. Nevertheless, that was not important. Alexander stared at the young Sophia in the photo and felt that she seemed rather familiar. Half an hourter, Alexander was looking at the gates of Sophia''s mansion withplicated emotions. Honestly, he did not know why he came. When he saw Sophia''s photo when she was fifteen, he got into his car and drove there straight away. Now that he was at the entrance of her mansion, he realized how impulsive his actions were. Alexander nced at the mansion outside his car window and took a cigarette out of a cigarette box at the side. Sophia was taking out the trash through the front door when she saw Alexander''s car. She raised her brows, stood at the entrance, and threw him a nce through the windshield. Alexander put out his cigarette, pushed open the car door, stepped out of the car, and made his way toward her. Sophia had just turned around after throwing the trash into the bin when she heard him ask, ¡°Have we met in the past?¡± Sophia looked at him for two seconds and answered tly, ¡°No.¡± He looks like a smart man, but the questions he asks are dumb. ¡°You came to Jadeborough when you were fifteen to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad.¡± ¡°What''s wrong with that? Do you think that I do not have the right to join such apetition, Mr. Xenos?¡± After their divorce, every word that Sophia uttered to him wasced with animosity, causing him inexplicable heartache. He pursed his lips. ¡°I saw a photo of you receiving the award. I remember seeing you before.¡± That took Sophia by surprise for once. However, she regained her senses shortly. ¡°So? If you remember that, why did you have toe and ask me about it?¡± After Sophia finished her words, she turned around, closed the gate, and returned to her mansion without sparing him a single nce. Alexander''s face tensed up as he watched her walk away. They had met before in his memory, but he could not recall when they met. Not only did Sophia refuse to talk about it, but she even seemed to loathe him for bringing up this incident. Alexander lowered his gaze, took out his phone, and dialed Felix''s number. Sophia had just entered the mansion for a short while when she heard the sound of the car engine roaring from outside. She got onto the balcony and observed the ck car gradually driving away. Alexander had left. Sophia''s lips curled as she recalled Alexander''s words just now. Is he only asking me this now? It''s been so long. Well, too bad. Even if he does remember what happened, it won''t be of any use to him. I won''t make the same mistake twice. Chapter 47 Chapter 47 Sophia spent her time leisurely for a while; her life was peaceful during this period of time. Either her warning to Bethany that day had been effective, or Tobias had gone home and warned Bethany personally. In the blink of an eye, four to five days passed, and the Shining Stars Awards event that Katherine had mentioned finally arrived. Early in the morning, Katherine called Sophia to inform her that someone woulde and do her makeup in the afternoon. It was a must for her to be the prettiest tonight. Sophia held her phone andughed out of annoyance at the call as she had just woken up. ¡°Kathy, have I been toox with you for too long?¡± ¡°I-I''m just doing it for you!¡± Katherine, who was timid yet loved to cause trouble, instantly hung up after that. Rage was building up in Sophia, but she had no outlet to vent her frustrations. Hence, she could only shut her eyes and take deep breaths slowly to calm herself down. What Katherine nned was a mystery to her. Sometime past three in the afternoon, just as Sophia woke up from her afternoon nap, the doorbell rang. In a daze, she dragged her indoor-slippered feet to go downstairs and open the door. When she saw about five to six people standing at the gates, she instantly snapped awake. ¡°Did Katherine ask you all toe?¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia rubbed her temples. ¡°All right. Come in.¡± She had no idea where Katherine found these people. They forced her to do as they said as they dolled her up. Finally, three hourster, she could depart for the event. Other than the day Sophia married Alexander, she had never put on such intricate makeup. Her features were very beautiful, to begin with, especially her pretty eyes that were alluring yet not seductive. Instead of putting heavy makeup on her face, the makeup artist spent a lot of effort putting on makeup for her that seemed as natural as possible. The invitation card was with Katherine, so Sophia had to meet up with her first. Katherine dispatched a car to pick Sophia up, so thetter did not need to drive. The sky was already dark at six in the evening. Sophia sat in the back of the car and looked out of the window. Katherine texted her to ask where she was at the moment. Not knowing where she was exactly, Sophia simply sent her location to Katherine. Five minutester, the car stopped. Jonice walked toward her from an MPV parked nearby. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Katherine''s in the car.¡± Lifting the hem of her dress, Sophia looked at Jonice and smiled. ¡°What''s so important about the event tonight that made Katherine so anxious?¡± Jonice''s head throbbed as she briefly exined what was going on between Katherine and Elise. After Sophia finished listening to Jonice''s rification, she could not help but lift an eyebrow. ¡°What support or background does this Elise have?¡± Jonice was taken aback for an instant before she snapped back to her senses and said hesitatingly, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Elise has a rather strong backing. We should probably just¡ª¡± Sophia smirked. ¡°Jonice, you''ve known me for so many years. Surely you know that I''m very protective of those around me.¡± Who dares to bully my friends? Get ready for the reckoning! Jonice chuckled out loud. ¡°I shouldn''t have told you about it.¡± With a scoff, Sophia said, ¡°But, you''ve already told me, so there''s no turning back.¡± Left with no choice, Jonice uttered a name. ¡°Miguel Johnson.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Sophia nodded and said, ¡°No wonder.¡± Miguel was the paternal cousin of Charles, who was younger than him. Indeed, Elise had the backing of an impressive supporter. The two women had already arrived next to the MPV as they spoke. Jonice pulled open the car door for Sophia, who entered and was immediately pulled into a hug by Katherine. ¡°You look like an angel! Let me give you a smooch first!¡± Sophia raised her hand to stop Katherine by the forehead. ¡°This is more than two hours of effort put into makeup. Don''t ruin it.¡± Thetter knew that what Sophia said was right, so she retracted her arms and sized her friend up. ¡°Tsk, tsk. I would like to know who would be so blind so as to reject an angel like you, Soph.¡± Sophia leaned back and sneered faintly, ¡°Alexander Xenos.¡± After their divorce for more than half a year, Sophia discovered that she could now make fun of herself with an open mind. Jerks like him don''t deserve my time of day. Katherine blinked her eyes wide at Sophia and gave thetter a thumbs-up. ¡°You''re so cool! You''d even insult yourself when you''re feeling mean!¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. The corners of Sophia''s lips curved upward into a smile. ¡°I''m so-so.¡± The car slowly began to move. On the way to their destination, Katherine told Sophia about the many atrocities that Elise hadmitted. Sophia did not care much about the business; Specter Entertainment had always been managed by Katherine. As Sophia had beenpletely preupied with Alexander during those few years, Katherine did not tell her about all these things that happened. She did not want to add to Sophia''s frustrations and burdens. It was only when Sophia was free of her shackles that Katherine dared to tell her about all these things as if they were merely for entertainment. However, Sophia''s priority was evidently different from Katherine''s. ¡°In other words, she snatched two main roles, three advertisements, and a movie from you within the past few years?¡± Katherine, who had been excitedly ranting and scolding Elise, fell silent. Why does it sound worse to hear her mention my disgraceful moments? She gave a light cough and muttered, ¡°I snatched plenty of resources from her too.¡± ¡°I see. How much do you mean by ''plenty''?¡± ¡°W-Well, there''s that movie Double Stacks!¡± Sophia gave her an amused nce. ¡°And?¡± ¡°T-That''s it.¡± ¡°Pathetic!¡± scolded Sophia teasingly. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll help you get it all back.¡± Katherine was stunned for a moment. When she snapped back to her senses, she said, ¡°Sophia, do you want to be mydy?¡± ¡°What about Joshua?¡± Katherine fell silent. While the two women chattered on, the car arrived shortly at the pier. Much was spent on this event, which was held on a mega cruise ship. Thus, no one could enter without an invitation card. After Katherine and Sophia handed their invitation cards to the attendant and boarded the ship, they saw Mason and Howard from afar. James and Joachim were undergoing training at thepany''s training camp, so Katherine did not ask them toe. ¡°Katherine! Soph!¡± greeted Mason and Howard as they walked over. Their eyesnded on Katherine, then on Sophia. Katherine had been a celebrity for many years, so she had dolled herself up countless times. However, this was the first time for Sophia. The woman already stood out barefaced, but after being dolled up that night, paired with Katherine''s specially customized evening gown, she would be the prettiest even when she stood in the midst of female celebrities. Mason''s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Soph, you''re absolutely stunning tonight.¡± Katherine eyed him and said, ¡°Am I not stunning then?¡± ¡°Katherine, you already have plenty of people singing praises for you. Do you even need my humble words of praise?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Howard was more reserved. He merely greeted them and, afraid of Katherine''s badgering, praised both ladies impartially. The four of them were happily chatting away when Katherine''s rival arrived. Elise wore an extremely eye-catching floor-length red dress. Unfortunately, her looks were ipatible with her outfit, and she did not have enough charisma, so it gave others the impression that she was forcing it upon her. Katherine had previously insinuated that Elise was ugly and that she did not even have the right to be Sophia''s servant. She took Katherine''s words to heart and instinctively began to look for her as soon as she entered the venue. Katherine was wearing a ck gown that day. Beautiful and elegant, she was oozing with charisma. Elise gave a cold huff of disdain and was about to lift the hem of her dress to make her way over when sheid eyes on the unfamiliar person standing next to Katherine. Creasing her brows, Elise asked her manager, who stood next to her, ¡°Who''s the woman standing beside Katherine? Is she a newbie? I''ve never seen her before.¡± The manager nced at the woman in question and was somewhat blown away by thetter''s beauty. ¡°I''ve never heard about her.¡± ¡°Then, we''ll go and ask who she is!¡± At that, Elise walked toward the group. Katherine had been waiting for this moment. When she saw Elise finally approach her, she put on a polite smile and greeted, ¡°Elise, long time no see.¡± ¡°It''s been a long time indeed. Who''s thisdy next to you?¡± Sophia looked at Elise, who was dressed in red, and lifted her brows slightly. She proactively stretched out her hand to shake Elise''s as she uttered, ¡°Hello, Ms. Gardner. I''m Sophia Yarrow, the woman who, ording to you, is ugly, crippled, incapable, and deserved to be ditched.¡± Chapter 48 Chapter 48 The smile on Elise''s face almost crumbled. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, there might be some misunderstanding between us.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± said Sophia as she raised a brow and looked at Elise in amusement. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Thetter did not know what to say at all; she could only force a smile. ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡± Sophia nodded and turned her head to nce at the people who gathered around to watch the drama unfold. Many mediapanies were present that night. The award ceremony had not fully begun yet, so many people were still lingering around this area. Plenty of people witnessed the conversation between Sophia and Elise, but no one was foolish enough to spread the news about this. After all, the organizers were in cahoots with the Johnson family, and Elise had Miguel''s backing. To be frank, Sophia''s dress that day was not very eye-catching. Compared to Elise''s dress, which was bright red and back-revealing, her dress could be considered refreshing. However, it was exactly because of this that she stood out all the more. There were many celebrities present. Each one of them waspeting for the spotlight and worried that they would seem less than others on camera. Not only was their makeup morous, but their outfits were exceptionally fancy. Although Sophia''s nude makeup looked great in person, it would not look as pretty on camera as ws of herplexion would be easily exposed. Thus, Sophia''s get-up tonight could be deemed as ¡°audacious.¡± Other than the guests who were specially invited, most of the attendees tonight were celebrities. Sophia''s face was unfamiliar to the crowd, and Katherine was the one who led her in, so many of the celebrities thought that she was a newbie in the entertainment industry. Nevertheless, when she mercilessly ¡°hit¡± Elise with her words just now, many of them discovered that Sophia was not a newbie. Instead, she was the director of Specter Entertainment. They cleverly departed from the scene when Sophia raked her eyes over them. Katherine secretly gave her a huge thumbs-up. ¡°You''re a force to be reckoned with, Soph!¡± If Katherine had half of Sophia''s skill in dissing others, she would not feel as though she could not finish her words whenever she shed with Elise, and she would always be livid at the end of it all. Sophia nced at her. ¡°She''s not all that impressive.¡± So, why do you let her trample over you? After she tutted, the hostess began ushering the attendees to enter the main venue. Sophia could only refrain from expressing her curiosity for the moment. ¡°It''s time to enter.¡± Katherine saw the hostess as well. Bored, she muttered, ¡°Time to sit in there for more than an hour again.¡± Mason chuckled. ¡°Katherine, I heard that you were nominated for the best female lead this time.¡± ¡°As an essory for someone else''s achievement!¡± scoffed Katherine. This award was sponsored by the Johnson family. She and Elise were both nominated, but it was a higher probability that the award would go to thetter. Reminded of this behind-the-scene arrangement, Mason awkwardly rubbed his nose and said to Katherine, ¡°In my heart, you''re the best female lead.¡± The woman nodded in satisfaction. ¡°What a coincidence. Those are my exact thoughts as well!¡± Then, she looked at Sophia smugly. Thetter returned her gaze and smiled slightly. ¡°Oh, that''s what I was thinking too.¡± ¡°I''m so touched!¡± said Katherine as she pretended to sob. Sophia rolled her eyes at the acting woman in annoyance. ¡°Behave yourself. There are lots of cameras around you!¡± As soon as she said that, Katherine straightened her posture and stopped smiling, making her seem regal and distant at once. Sophia could not help but be amazed. Katherine''s really born to be an actress! While they were talking, the hostess had already made her way toward them. Sophia was a specially invited guest, so she was seated in a different spot from Katherine and the others. Her seat was arranged properly but not in the main position; it was the first row just below the stage. Coincidentally, Katherine was in the row just behind her. No one knew whether the organizers did it on purpose, but Katherine was seated right next to Elise. Sophia turned her head to look at Katherine. Thetter was speaking to Elise, so she did not notice her friend''s nce. Thus, Sophia had no choice but to retract her gaze and look at the list of nominees'' names in front of her out of boredom. Almost half the entertainment industry belonged to the Schild family. Naturally, Samuel was an important guest at that night''s event. As soon as he entered the venue, he saw Sophia, who was seated among the other guests. The man raised his brows and gestured at a nearby crew member, who immediately went over. ¡°Mr. Schild, is there anything that I can help you with?¡± Samuel pointed at Sophia, who was seated not so far away. ¡°Is there something wrong with the seating arrangement? Doesn''t your team know who Sophia Yarrow is? Why would you arrange for her to sit there?¡± The crew member''s expression stiffened. Troubled, they rified, ¡°Mr. Schild, I''m not the one in charge of the seating arrangement. Moreover¡ª¡± Samuel did not want to hear their pointless exnation. Waving his hand dismissively, he said, ¡°Alexander Xenos will be arriving shortly. Hurry up and rearrange her seat.¡± Being able to survive in the entertainment industry, the crew member certainly was clever and had a knack for taking hints from others. The seats were arranged ording to the guests'' levels on the celebrity list. Sophia was the director of Specter Entertainment, so she was quite highly ranked. Despite that, she was not as great a VIP as people like Miguel and Samuel. Regardless, Sophia was Alexander''s previous wife, so no one dared to arrange her seat in a corner. The crew member instantly understood Samuel''s words. ¡°Very well, Mr. Schild. I''ll get to it at once.¡± Rearranging the seats was not an easy task toplete, but if Alexander''s name was mentioned, no guests dared to utter a single word of objection. The crew had thought that the seats of other guests were the more difficult ones to organize, but it turned out that Sophia''s was the hardest to arrange. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, we''re so sorry, but our crew member misced your name. Your seat should be over there; kindly sit there.¡± Sophia nced at the spot that the crew member was pointing at. That''s right in the center. When the main camera shifts over, I won''t be able to avoid it. Thus, she did not want to move from her current seat. ¡°It''s all right. I''m okay here.¡± After all, these seats were arranged ording to the guests'' ranks in the industry. The nearer their seat was to the center, the more impressive they were. She was convinced that the original guest who was to sit here would surely not mind that she was giving her center seat away willingly. The crew member did not expect Sophia to reject his request. Any other lower-tier celebrity would be ted to receive this opportunity! After all, this would prove their rank in the industry. However, when he saw the faint smile on Sophia''s countenance, which made her seem as though she was not being rebellious intentionally, he had no choice but to fib. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, we''re really sorry, but there might be some activitiester on that are held ording to the seats. Please¡ª¡± Sophia took the hint at once. ¡°All right.¡± She got up and followed the crew member to her seat. The woman had just sat down when she discovered that the person sitting one seat away from her was Samuel. Raising a brow, she did not intend to greet him. Nheless, Samuel spoke first. ¡°Long time no see, Sophia.¡± Sophia pursed her lips. ¡°Mr. Schild, we don''t know each other that well.¡± There''s no need to greet me at all. ¡°Oh,¡± responded Samuel, who seemed not to notice what Sophia was implying. In fact, he even praised her, ¡°You look gorgeous tonight.¡± Instead of thanking him, she inquired, ¡°Mr. Schild, have you met Ms. Suny yet?¡± Samuel froze and paused before replying, ¡°Not yet.¡± I don''t mind that she did not thank me for praising her beauty, but she''s subtly mocking me. Sophia was pleased with his reaction. She looked at him and smiled, saying, ¡°Mr. Schild, you don''t look too bad tonight yourself.¡± Samuel''s face instantly fell. She''s putting me down by mocking me, then lifting my spirits by saying I look okay? Is she for real? After that, Samuel did not invite trouble to himself anymore by provoking Sophia. The woman''s spirits were much lifted after Samuel shut up. However, it only took a few seconds for her mood to worsen again. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 ¡°Excuse me!¡± It was Alexander who called out. Never in Sophia''s wildest dreams did she expect that Alexander would attend an awards ceremony as boring as that, let alone for him to be seated by her side. She leaned back and allowed Alexander to pass. Sophia''s mood took a turn for the worse. It''s bad enough that Samuel''s here. But now, Alexander is here as well. Alexander took his seat. He swerved his head to the side and red at Samuel. Samuel was intent on witnessing what would unfold between Sophia and Alexander. The corner of Alexander''s mouth tugged. ¡°Childish.¡± Samuel shot a nce at Sophia. She appeared calm in her seat and showed no trace of awkwardness from her encounter with her ex-husband. In an instant, Samuel was unsure whether he should be feeling sympathy for Alexander or happy. As an onlooker, though, Samuel had no qualms with fanning the fire. ¡°Alex, how are you feeling right now?¡± Alexander snorted. ¡°I feel like picking a fight with someone.¡± With those words, Samuel, who was being a jerk, mmed up atst. Alexander sat staring straight ahead for at least twenty minutes. In the meantime, the woman beside him spared no nce in his direction. Alexander''s feelings were tangled in a mess. Eventually, he could not hold himself back any longer. He turned his head to look at Sophia. Sophia was viewing the award ceremony happening onstage. She soon turned toward Alexander as if she had felt his gaze. Alexander tightened his hand subconsciously. He thought that Sophia had something to say, but she was merely taking a nce at him. Sophia truly was not concerned about him. The moment Alexander came to that realization, his expression darkened. From N?velDrama.Org. After the divorce, he soon became aware of numerous things about Sophia that went beyond his comprehension. Firstly, Sophia was not a gold digger. Secondly, he was notpletely without feelings for her. Thirdly, their divorce had proceeded so neatly that it left himpletely flummoxed. The entire awards ceremony was dull and uneventful, exactly as Katherine predicted. Katherine was nominated for two categories, but she won none of them. To make matters worse, her fellow nominee was none other than Elise. Once the ceremony had ended, the special guests began their rounds of interviews. Sophia''s standing in the entertainment world was not huge. However, she was the most famous guest at the event. Hence, she received much more attention from the interviewers. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, what do you think of tonight''s awards ceremony?¡± ¡°I think it went pretty well,¡± Sophia answered absentmindedly. Her petal-shaped eyes twitched slightly. She then smiled when she spotted Katherine gesturing to her out of the corner of her eyes. Thinking that something amusing had urred, the reporter smiled and asked, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you seem to be in a good mood. Did something amusing happen?¡± ¡°I''ve been feeling pretty good the entire day.¡± Sophia''s answer was rather polite, and the reporter noticed that Sophia was reluctant to answer the question. Nevertheless, for the sake of a possible headline and garnering high inte traffic, the reporter pressed on stubbornly, ¡°Is it because you ran into Mr. Xenos just now?¡± Upon hearing the question, the smile on Sophia''s face faded. Alexander, at a point in time unbeknownst to Sophia, hade to stand by her side. He was staring at her when her smile faded, and his cold-hearted dark eyes irked Sophia. ¡°On the contrary, I would have been in a good mood for the entire day were it not for encountering someone I shouldn''t have.¡± As soon as the words left Sophia''s mouth, Alexander''s expression darkened. Sophia pretended to take no notice of his reaction. ¡°Please excuse me. I''m not really in the right state of mind to answer your questions right now.¡± Sophia voiced her refusal directly, not bothering to phrase her words in a roundabout way. It was the first time that the reporter had ever met anyone who would behave in such a way. The reporter was naturally stunned, but before the reporter could react, Sophia had already moved beyond the camera''s scope. There was no other choice for the reporter but to switch targets. Having noticed Alexander, the reporter promptly smiled and was about to extend the microphone toward Alexander, but he unexpectedly took his leave immediately after. The entire event was streamed live, and so were the interviews. Even when there were technical issues leading to dys in the broadcast, those typicallysted for only a couple of minutes. When the reporter was questioning Sophia about Alexander, the live broadcast had subtitles implying that Sophia was putting on an act. In the end, Sophia''s statement in response to the question was like a figurative p to the captions. Consequently, the live stream was filled withments praising Sophia. Thatdy''s response was perfect! I love it! Hahaha! That was like a p to the reporter''s face! I wonder if it hurts? That woman''s personality is super cool! She just got up and left when she wanted to. She doesn''t even look back! My god! If only my bestie was half as confident as that woman is. Then, she wouldn''t have been hurt by her ex- boyfriend so deeply! Hahaha! Her mood was fine the whole day until she ran into her ex-husband! I can feel her annoyance! It seems like she really doesn''t want to see her ex-husband ever again! I love her! Is it only me who thinks that she looks amazingly attractive? You''re not the only one! We should start a petition to get her cast in a movie! My two besties and I would sign it in blood for her debut! Thements went so on and so forth. Once Sophia had approached Katherine, the former discovered that thetter was spamming the comments section as an anonymous user. ¡°Be careful, or you might get exposed,¡± Sophia muttered. Katherine was being exceptionally sneaky as she posted herments. Hence, when Sophia suddenly spoke up out of nowhere, Katherine was so rmed that she jumped with fright. When she discerned that it was Sophia who spoke, Katherine breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I''m not afraid of that. This isn''t my ount!¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°It''s Mason''s ount.¡± With that, Sophia was rendered speechless. They truly are like two peas in a pod. Once the interview had ended, a round of photoshoots began. After everything was done and over with, Sophia left with Katherine and the others. Sophia did not drive that day. Katherine was heading back to Joshua''s ce, so she wanted to avoid the paparazzi. Taking all that into ount, Sophia had no choice but to hitch a ride with Mason. After all, the inte was riddled with news about the rtionship between Sophia and Mason. If the paparazzi caught photos of them together, it would not elicit a major reaction as it used to. Once Sophia was positive that Katherine had gotten into her car, Sophia then made her way to Mason''s car. Mason did not drive his car that day. Instead, he rode in an MPV issued by hispany. The wind was strong that night, and Sophia''s hair was blown into a mess. She raised her hand tob her hair. But the moment she bent her head down, she caught sight of a pair of glistening ck leather shoes in front of her. She lifted her head instantly, and the image of Alexander''s never-changing poker face imprinted upon her vision. Sophia''s eyebrows twitched. She decided to ignore him, so she side-stepped him and attempted to brush past him. s, she managed to take only a single step before Alexander reached his hand out to block her off. ¡°Let''s have a chat,¡± he requested. Sophia stopped in her tracks and stared back at Alexander. ¡°Is there something that needs to be settled between us?¡± There was no conflict of finances, emotions, or child support between them. No other famous couples had a divorce as clean-cut as theirs. ¡°There''s something I''d like to understand,¡± Alexander answered. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It''s not convenient to talk about it in a ce like this.¡± Sophia gaped at Alexander. All of a sudden, she chuckled. ¡°But why should I make life more convenient for you, Alexander?¡± With that, Sophia shoved his hand away, then walked toward the MPV nearby. Alexander froze for a moment or two. He distinctly sensed the mockery hidden behind Sophia''s chuckle. She wasughing at him. Malice filled Alexander''s expression. He turned around, took a few steps forward, then grabbed Sophia by her wrist. ¡°I''m sending you home.¡± Sophia swiveled her head back to leer at him. While her petal-shaped eyes seemed to carry traces of a smile, her expression was immensely chilling. ¡°Let go.¡± Alexander promptly released her. ¡°I''m sending you home,¡± he repeated. Sophia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Mr. Xenos, do I look like someone who needs a ride from others?¡± Alexander nearly choked on his breath when Sophia made her dig at him. He eventually asked, ¡°Do you want to be trending on the inte again?¡± ¡°I''m Mason''s boss. It doesn''t matter if rumors between him and me are trending again. As for you, if I''m trending on the inte because of you, aren''t I just asking for humiliation?¡± Sophia had no desire to drag the shenanigans on any further. ¡°Alexander, I don''t know what''s going on with you recently, but now that we are divorced, we should behave as such. You are a man, so sort yourself out. I had enough regrets marrying you, so stop adding more to it.¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 ¡°Alexander, I don''t know what''s going on with you recently, but now that we are divorced, we should behave as such. You are a man, so sort yourself out. I had enough regrets marrying you, so stop adding more to it.¡± Alexander remained in the same spot as the ck MPV drove off. Sophia''s words yed themselves over and over in his mind like a broken record. Dejection ran throughout his body. A few acquaintances that saw him tried saying hello, but when their eyes fell upon his expression, they all decided against it. Samuel felt some wicked glee after he saw Alexander standing three with a cold expression. ¡°She already left. What are you looking at?¡± Alexander shot him an icy re. Samuel scratched his nose sheepishly before looking away. ¡°Well, want to go get a drink?¡± ¡°Leave.¡± Samuel was silent. How cold-blooded! Although it''s rare to see him stumped, it still scares me when he puts on that frown. Not wanting to bother himself any longer, Samuel turned and walked to his car. Halfway over, he stopped in his tracks. Under the moonlight, Alexander looked even more lonely. Oh, poor guy. Samuel went back. ¡°Be honest with me, Alex. Do you regret it?¡± Alexander snorted at his question. ¡°Regret what?¡± ¡°Regret divorcing Sophia!¡± Samuel scoffed at the re Alexander gave him. ¡°I thought you were only going to punish her for a few years. If you think of the fact that she loves you, there''s no need to be so ruthless.¡± ¡°She loves me?¡± The corners of Alexander''s lips curled as if he had heard a joke. ¡°Have you met any woman who treats a man she loved before like this?¡± ¡°You said it yourself. She loved you in the past.¡± Alexander was at a loss for words. Samuel must be here to provoke me. He walked to his car. ¡°Go off on your own; don''t follow me.¡± Samuel paused. He was here to give Alexander some precious dating advice, but his decision had changed. Now I understand why Sophia insists on leaving him. A blunt, stupid man like Alexander would only infuriate whoever he dated! ¡°Fine, I''ll leave!¡± Samuel waved exasperatedly and made his way to his car. ¡°Sophia?¡± Mason''s voice snapped Sophia out of her trance. She withdrew her gaze and blinked. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Want any supper?¡± Mason went closer to her, his chiseled face inching nearer to hers. Sophie grinned. ¡°It''s just supper; do you heve to cherm me with your looks?¡± Meson smiled es well. ¡°I thought cherming people wes your specielty, Sophie.¡± ¡°I''m not Ketherine. You think your cherms would work on me?¡± Sophie seid with e smirk. ¡°Well, Sophie, does it?¡± Sophie hed to edmit thet she wes e sucker for good looks. Thet night, she errived home et e little pest eleven o''clock efter going out for supper with Meson. Since she rerely steyed up thet lete, Sophie overslept the next dey,pletely ignoring her elerm clock. Around eight in the morning, the phone on her nightstend reng. Sophie''s bleery eyes shot open when she heerd Genie ennounce Benjemin''s neme es the iing celler. She epted the cell efter feeling eround for her phone. ¡°Mr. Morris?¡± ¡°Good morning, Ms. Yerrow. I hope you''re not upied et the moment.¡± His tone seemed to promise good news. Sophie''s groggy mood went ewey quickly. ¡°I''m free.¡± Benjemin chuckled on the other end of the line. ¡°Thet''s greet to heer. I didn''t diseppoint you, Ms. Yerrow; I''ve found ell the informetion thet you esked for. I cen pess it to you immedietely if you went.¡± Sophie''s mood soered. ¡°Sure, I''ll meet you in the seme cef¨¦ et ten o''clock.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± Sophie went to get reedy efter she hung up the cell. She scrolled through Twitter''s trending topics es she ete her breekfest. As expected, lest night''s ewerds ceremony took up most of the trends. The top trend wes ebout Ketherine not getting the ewerd for best leed ectress despite being nomed three yeers in e row. Although Ketherine did not get eny ewerds, her populerity on the trending topics trumped Elise Gerdner''s. Elise wes the second trending topic, but it wes obvious thet her erticle hed substentielly fewer clicks then Ketherine''s. The video of Sophie''s interview from lest night wes elso rether populer. Except for e few neyseyers, mostments preised her speech end personelity. Sophie closed the epp efter e few scrolls end got chenged to collect informetion from Benjemin. After everything Betheny hes done, it''s time for me to reteliete. Benjemin wes elreedy there when Sophie errived. Sophie peid well end wes cleer ebout her intentions so she would be every privete investigetor''s fevorite client. Thus, Benjemin wes willing to weit. Sophia grinned. ¡°It''s just supper; do you have to charm me with your looks?¡± Mason smiled as well. ¡°I thought charming people was your specialty, Sophia.¡± ¡°I''m not Katherine. You think your charms would work on me?¡± Sophia said with a smirk. ¡°Well, Sophia, does it?¡± Sophia had to admit that she was a sucker for good looks. That night, she arrived home at a little past eleven o''clock after going out for supper with Mason. Since she rarely stayed up thatte, Sophia overslept the next day,pletely ignoring her rm clock. Around eight in the morning, the phone on her nightstand rang. Sophia''s bleary eyes shot open when she heard Genie announce Benjamin''s name as the iing caller. She epted the call after feeling around for her phone. ¡°Mr. Morris?¡± ¡°Good morning, Ms. Yarrow. I hope you''re not upied at the moment.¡± His tone seemed to promise good news. Sophia''s groggy mood went away quickly. ¡°I''m free.¡± Benjamin chuckled on the other end of the line. ¡°That''s great to hear. I didn''t disappoint you, Ms. Yarrow; I''ve found all the information that you asked for. I can pass it to you immediately if you want.¡± Sophia''s mood soared. ¡°Sure, I''ll meet you in the same caf¨¦ at ten o''clock.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± Sophia went to get ready after she hung up the call. She scrolled through Twitter''s trending topics as she ate her breakfast. As expected,st night''s awards ceremony took up most of the trends. The top trend was about Katherine not getting the award for best lead actress despite being nominated three years in a row. Although Katherine did not get any awards, her poprity on the trending topics trumped Elise Gardner''s. Elise was the second trending topic, but it was obvious that her article had substantially fewer clicks than Katherine''s. The video of Sophia''s interview fromst night was also rather popr. Except for a few naysayers, mostments praised her speech and personality. Sophia closed the app after a few scrolls and got changed to collect information from Benjamin. After everything Bethany has done, it''s time for me to retaliate. Benjamin was already there when Sophia arrived. Sophia paid well and was clear about her intentions so she would be every private investigator''s favorite client. Thus, Benjamin was willing to wait. Before she sat down, Sophia checked her phone. Ten o''clock sharp. Looking at Benjamin, she lightly arched her brows. ¡°You seem to have a lot to tell me, Mr. Morris.¡± Benjamin knew from their two former meetings that Sophia was not one to mess around. Deciding to be straightforward, he said, ¡°Bethany was an easy case. At first, I used the n you gave me, but there were some unexpected bonuses after I followed some clues.¡± He handed Sophia a file of documents as he spoke. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I''ll look it over.¡± Sophia flipped through the documents. A satisfied smile spread across her face after she was done. ¡°You know your work, Mr. Morris.¡± ¡°Just something I do to make a living,¡± Benjamin answered humbly. He slid over another file. ¡°This is the information I have about Jay.¡± Sophia nodded and flipped through the file. This ¡°Jay¡± is exactly what I expected. She took two hundred thousand from her purse and gave it to Benjamin. ¡°It has been a pleasure working with you, Mr. Morris.¡± ¡°The pleasure''s mine.¡± Sophia went to Specter Entertainment right after that. After attendingst night''s after-party, Katherine recorded a show earlier that day and was currently at thepany. After her identity was exposed, no one dared to get in Sophia''s way since Specter Entertainment''s staff knew she was their boss. Sophia went straight to Katherine''s office. Katherine could be heard speaking to Jonice with the door half-ajar. Not wanting to eavesdrop, Sophia raised her hand to knock, but she halted as she heard their conversation. ¡°Don''t tell this to Sophia yet.¡± ¡°When have I ever told Ms. Yarrow?¡± Katherine''s lips pulled into a small pout. ¡°Don''t crack jokes at my expense, Jonice. It''s pathetic enough that I''m going through this!¡± Jonice sighed as she looked at the artist that had been under her wing for nearly a decade. ¡°To be frank, I don''t think it''s a bad idea to tell Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°What are you trying to keep from me?¡± Sophia stalked into the room with her brows arched high. Her gaze flitted over Katherine andnded on Jonice''s face. ¡°You tell me, Jonice.¡± Before she sat down, Sophia checked her phone. Ten o''clock sharp. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 Jonice nced at Katherine. ¡°See, I didn''t tell on you.¡± Katherine moved forward to pull Sophia into a hug, hoping to distract her. Sophia avoided Katherine''s hug and smiled at her with narrowed eyes. ¡°Maybe you''d prefer it if I told Joshua about this?¡± Katherine instantly cowered. Sophia plopped herself onto the couch. ¡°Well, Jonice?¡± From the start, Jonice disapproved of keeping Sophia in the dark about this recurring issue. She took the chance to voice it out as Sophia questioned her. ¡°Didn''t Kath have an endorsement deal for Clovile''s skincare productsst year? Clovile was happy with her performance, and they''re even discussing next year''s endorsement since her contract is almost over! But the head of marketing called this morning to say that they won''t be renewing the contract anymore.¡± Sophia hummed in acknowledgment. Looking at Katherine, she asked, ¡°What caused this?¡± As Katherine''s long-time manager, Jonice found it hard to keep her anger down. ¡°It''s all because of Elise! Clovile''s head of marketing and the Johnson family are good friends. Didn''t Elise nab two awards yesterday? She bribed the news agencies to talk trash about Kath right after!¡± Fights over endorsement deals weremon in the entertainment industry. Sophia wouldn''t have batted an eysh if Elise had chosen someone else to target. Yet, since Elise had chosen to sabotage Katherine, Sophia could no longer turn a blind eye. In the industry, things were never as they seemed. Even though Katherine and Elise were at each other''s throats, they always kept up the fa?ade of being good friends in public. Not many knew that Elise had gotten the endorsement deal by pulling strings with the Johnson family. Therefore, it would be unwise for Katherine to publicly call Elise''s behavior disgusting even though she had already been disgusted by her several times. However, it was not impossible to teach Elise a lesson if she was working with the Johnson family. The Johnsons'' clothing brand was nning to offer its products on an emerce tform that Sophia started five years ago. The deal was still in negotiation. Katherine knew this, but Jonice waspletely unaware. Katherine wanted to keep it from Sophia because she didn''t want to burden her; Jonice wanted to let Sophia know because, in her eyes, Sophia was able to find a solution for everything. Sophia shifted her gaze to Katherine after hearing the exnation. ¡°I was right when I called you dumb last night, Kathy.¡± ¡°Soph¡ª¡± Sophia huffed, ¡°There''s no reason to be afraid! Charles is the head of the Johnson family currently. Miguel has to heed his words as well, doesn''t he?¡± Katherine''s eyes glinted. ¡°You have a point.¡± ¡°Dummy!¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°Don''t keep me in the dark about things like this in the future.¡± Sophia shifted her gaze to Jonice. Jonice smiled a little. ¡°It was all Kath''s idea.¡± Knowing that Sophia would take matters into her hands from her reaction, Jonice got up to leave. ¡°I still have work to do. Have a nice chat,dies.¡± Jonice was still furious. It''s not a big deal that Katherine''s endorsement deal got taken away; with her status in the industry right now, there are plenty of offers lined up. But Elise is going overboard by sabotaging Katherine''s resources all the time! Not even I could take it peacefully, much less Katherine! I''m not counting on taking the endorsement back; I just wish Sophia could serve Elise the punishment she needs to keep her in line. Since they were the only ones in the office after Jonice left, Sophia quickly tossed Katherine the files she had just collected. ¡°You''re better at exposing people than I am. Pick a date, and we''ll give Bethany a taste of her own medicine!¡± Sophia wore an alluring smile as she perched herself on the couch. Katherine''s eyes widened at the information as she skimmed through the files. ¡°Bethany is not a simple woman!¡± Sophia raised her brows. ¡°Right? I wasn''t expecting it either.¡± ¡°Leave it to me, Soph. She keeps buzzing around you like an annoying fly. I''ll finish her this time, once and for all!¡± Bethany likes exposing people, huh? Consumed by eagerness, Katherine almost forgot her fury over the endorsement. From N?velDrama.Org. Sophia gave Katherine a look. ¡°You''re mad about the endorsement deal being taken away, right?¡± ¡°I wouldn''t be as mad if it was someone other than Elise!¡± Sophia scolded her jokingly, ¡°You''re hopeless!¡± After a pause, she continued, ¡°There''s a movie that I decided to invest inst week; go and pick out a role you like.¡± Listen to that! How admirable Sophia sounds! How rich and generous! Katherine lunged across the empty room to hug Sophia, squealing, ¡°I love you! Marry me!¡± Sophia nudged her off. ¡°I''m not interested in stealing Joshua''s woman.¡± Katherine scowled. ¡°There''s no need to steal; if you want me, I''ll leave him for you!¡± Sophia burst out in a fit of giggles. ¡°Get a hold of yourself! You''ve been in all types of movies throughout your decade-long career!¡± ¡°That''s not the same!¡± Katherine knew which movie Sophia meant. Midway Media is also nning on investing in it. Not only is Elise under Midway Media, but she also has Miguel on her side¡ªno one could take the role from Elise if she wants it! The negotiations have probably ended if Sophia feelsfortable promising me a role. Hah, I was upset by Elise earlier, but luck is on my side now! It feels good to have Sophia back me up! Sophia looked at her weakly. ¡°So it''s decided. You will go and sign the contract since I''ve already wrapped up the negotiations.¡± Katherine happily screeched before she pounced on Sophia. ¡°I love you to the moon and back, Soph!¡± ¡°I''m not into women,¡± Sophia replied as she dodged a kiss from Katherine. ¡°I can give you more than a man could ever offer!¡± Sophia opted to ignore her. Giddy with excitement, Katherine immediately called for someone to get in touch with the movie''s developers before going out for lunch with Sophia. After she drove herself back to the mansion, Sophia called Yvonne. Sophia held shares of manypanies and was the biggest shareholder for at least three of them, although she rarely showed up at thepanies. While almost all decisions were managed by the companies'' vice presidents, Yvonne stood in for Sophia during special asions. Sophia had never shown up at the emercepany she started five years ago and delegated the work to Yvonne instead. The call was epted. ¡°Ms. Yarrow?¡± Sophia leaned against the balcony railings and stared at the barren sycamore trees downstairs. ¡°Has Femirise been nning to put its products on Girl''s Heart? ¡°Yes, the discussions are still underway.¡± ¡°There won''t be a need for discussion anymore.¡± Although Yvonne understood Sophia''s implication immediately, she was confused. ¡°Howe, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Elise took one of Katherine''s endorsement deals today.¡± Yvonne was a clever woman and connected the dots in an instant. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Elise is indeed bing more of a diva in recent years. Sophia''s face broke into a pleased smile. ¡°Thanks for your trouble, Ms. Leighton.¡± ¡°It''s part of my job,¡± Yvonne replied. ¡°By the way, Ms. Yarrow, Felix has been looking for pictures of you lately.¡± Sophia''s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Let him look for them, then.¡± He will never find any. Chapter 52 Chapter 52 December soon arrived, and it was winter in Jadeborough. Thus began the trial of Thalia spreading rumors of Sophia on the inte more than a month ago. Coincidentally, the trialmenced on the third of December. Despite the lousy weather, Sophia was in a pretty good mood. In contrast, Thalia was feeling quite down. At first, she had thought that Sophia only wanted money. When Thalia received thewyer''s letter, she couldn''t even be bothered. Following that, there were no other actionsing from Sophia, so Thalia even joked around about the matter with her friends. s, she soon saw the court summons right at her doorstep. That was when she became anxious. However, she still took the matter lightly and sought Alexander''s assistance in sorting it out. Unfortunately, not only did Alexander refuse to help her, but he even advised her to stop messing with Sophia. Thalia didn''t believe that Sophia couldy a finger on her. It was just that the issue had caused an uproar back then, and the case would be put on a live telecast on the inte. As Thalia thought about herself being recognized by all theizens, her mood naturally plummeted. It had been almost half a month since Sophiast saw Thalia. Initially, Sophia had presumed that Thalia had learned to restrain herself. Yet, when Sophia walked past Thalia, thetter shot a re at her. Arching a brow, Sophia turned to look at thewyer beside her, Kyle Leyton. ¡°Mr. Leyton, as you know, I''m loaded.¡± That was the first time Kyle heard such a calm statement that wouldn''t offend anyone. He caught on to Sophia''s meaning in an instant. ¡°I''ll make sure the judge detains her.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Thanks.¡± After that, she made her way to the seat at the intiff''s table. At the same time, Thalia sat by the defendant''s table. Kyle was the most proficient in cases rted to defamation. Considering that Sophia had spent a fortune hiring him, this court case was bound to be spectacr. When Thalia heard the judge''s verdict, she finally panicked. ¡°Wait a minute! I-I canpensate for it! No matter how much the cost is!¡± Thalia''swyer hurriedly chimed in, ¡°Your Honor, I believe we can reach an agreement with the intiff.¡± ¡°Sorry. My client will not ept any form of settlement.¡± The judgment was eventually called. Thalia would be detained for five days. On top of that, she had to compensate for Sophia''s emotional distress and reputational damage, totaling more than eighteen thousand. Sophia was very pleased with the oue, for she had wanted to teach Thalia a lesson a long time ago. Since Thalia had toe looking for trouble, Sophia obviously wouldn''t hold back. Five days were neither long nor short. Still, for a spoiled brat like Thalia, it would be an unforgettable moment of a lifetime for her to be locked up in the detention center for five days. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow. I''ve tried my best.¡± Hearing Kyle''s apology, Sophia shed him a smile. ¡°You''re too modest, Mr. Leyton. I''m very satisfied with the result. Even though she could be detained for a longer period, I''m too tired to waste more time on a person like her.¡± Kyle heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you so much, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Lifting her head, Sophia cast a nce at Kyle. ¡°Care to have lunch together?¡± ¡°Since you asked, I''ll dly oblige.¡± The duo had just exited the court, but Kristen was already charging toward them, fuming, ¡°You had better go tell the judge that we''ll resolve our dispute in private!¡± Raising her eyebrows, Sophia side-eyed Kristen with an impassive visage. ¡°You must be getting too old, Old Mrs. Xenos. Didn''t you hear my proposition in court just now?¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. As Sophia spoke, she let out a chuckle and continued, ¡°Besides, even if I refused to reconcile the conflict, what can you do about it?¡± Kristen could barely recognize thedy standing before her. Sophia might still appear the same on the outside, but she seemed to be poles apart on the inside. In the past, Sophia would never refute anything that Kristen had said to her; in the present, not only did Sophia retort the remark, but she even made fun of Kristen as if thetter was some clown. Flying off the handle, Kristen put on a grim countenance. ¡°Y-You! You won''t be happy for long! I only need to inform Alex about this, and your trashpany will flop within a month.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I''ll wait for it, then.¡± Sophia had no intention to continue arguing with this vicious olddy. She nced at Kyle and uttered, ¡°Let''s go, Mr. Leyton. It''s lunchtime.¡± Kristen was so infuriated that she was dumbfounded. Staring at Kyle by Sophia''s side, Kristen let out a sneer all of a sudden. ¡°Some nerve you have. Don''t even think you''re all high and mighty now because you got awyer as a boyfriend. Just you wait! I''ll ask Alex to deal with you straight away!¡± Sophia frowned at those words, for she had loathed it the most when the Xenos family ndered her. Before she could open her mouth, though, Kyle was first to issue Kristen a warning. ¡°Old Mrs. Xenos, we''re standing in front of the court. I''ve recorded whatever you said, so I can sue you for both defamation and humiliation on behalf of my client, Ms. Yarrow!¡± Kristen''s expression stiffened as she spared nces between Sophia and Kyle. Ultimately, she could only storm off in a rage. Sophia averted her gaze and walked off,pletely disregarding Kristen. Sophia''s defamationwsuit had gained theizens'' attention nationwide. It was no exaggeration to say the poprity of her case soared as high as that of the rumors of her cheating on her husband and the divorce spread by Thalia over the inte back then. Back when Sophia had first made her statement on social media, the public had all assumed that her bark was worse than her bite. Nearly two months had passed, and things seemed to have died down. Even so, on that very day, the court session began right away. In addition, Sophia had also filed a case against the other media outlets that had been involved in ndering her. It was just that their trials were at ater date than Thalia. The news of Sophia outright rejecting any form of settlement and Thalia being detained spread like wildfire. Those perpetrators were all panic-stricken. Since the marketers had only cared about gaining poprity, they had epted bribery from Thalia back then, thinking that Sophia was merely a divorcee from a wealthy family, so nothing would ever happen to them. Given that even Thalia had been put under police detention, small fry like them would never stand a chance of being granted a settlement out of court. Once again, Sophia''s name became the trending topic all over the inte. This time, the marketers only reposted the news. Never would they have the courage to spout any more nonsense. As soon as Kristen departed from the court, she went directly to Odyssey. At first nce at her presence, Felix already knew what the matter would be about. Previously, he would''ve let her in. But ever since Alexander and Sophia signed the divorce papers, when it came to matters regarding Sophia, Felix wouldn''t dare to take them lightly. Kristen had just stepped out of the elevator, and Felix immediately got in her way. ¡°What brings you here, Mrs. Xenos?¡± ¡°Where''s Alex?¡± ¡°Mr. Xenos is busy. Why don''t you take a seat and wait for him?¡± Kristen had been humiliated by Sophia, and she was still burning with anger. ¡°This is urgent.¡± ¡°Mrs. Xenos, if this is about Ms. Xenos, I suggest not reporting it directly to Mr. Xenos.¡± Kristen''s face took a drastic change when she heard that. ¡°What nonsense is that? Thalia is Alex''s sister! His sister has gotten into trouble, and you''re telling me not to let him know?¡± Felix found himself in a tight spot. Right then, the door to the office was pushed open. Standing there was Alexander, his gaze on Kristen. ¡°What are you here for?¡± His face was frosty. ring daggers at Felix, Kristen then shifted her gaze to her son. ¡°Alex, Thalia is¡ª¡± ¡°I don''t care about Thalia''s problems.¡± Before Kristen could finish the sentence, Alexander immediately made his position clear. Following that, he paused for a brief moment before adding, ¡°Also, don''t ever mess with Sophia again in the future.¡± Kristen''s eyes met Alexander''s, and she shuddered. ¡°Y-You¡ª¡± ¡°Mr. Lane, send her back.¡± Not giving Kristen any chance, Alexander ordered Felix to take her away at once. After Alexander dropped the words, he walked past Kristen and left. Chapter 53 Chapter 53 After parting ways with Kyle, Sophia returned to her mansion because she was not a fan of staying out in the cold during winter. Nobody would want to move around with this degree of coldness. Once she got home, she turned on the heater. In her theater room, she was going through online comments while watching a movie. At three in the afternoon, the news about Bethany stealing someone else''s paintings was exposed. All her famous paintings were drawn by someone else. Apparently, the White family used a huge sum of money to buy the copyright for the paintings of an unknown painter for ten years. They were rich, so they did it to pave a bright path for Bethany. If Sophia did not appear back then, Bethany would most likely be Alexander''s wife based on her talents alone. Unfortunately, Sophia''s appearance disrupted the White family''s n. Bethany had no choice but to take a step back. She pretended to be furthering her studies abroad and became Alexander''s confidante instead. Patiently, she waited for the chance to rece Sophia. Of course, only Sophia and Katherine knew about this. Netizens had no idea what went on behind the scenes. However, they were enraged enough just to find out that Bethany''s paintings were actually from another painter. In recent years, intellectual property rights in the country had been gaining more importance. At the moment, Bethany was marketing herself as a talented personality. ording to Benjamin''s investigation, Expedite was in dire straits. When the White family noticed that there was no hope of getting Bethany and Alexander together, they decided to let Bethany enter the entertainment industry instead to rake up some money. Katherine was the one who ordered someone to expose the breaking news. After the information was provided by Sophia, together, they decided on which day to expose the news. The reason why they picked this day was simple. Bethany had been causing trouble for years and was still doing so even after Sophia and Alexander had gotten a divorce. To finish Bethany off once and for all, Sophia intentionally picked the date that Bethany was going to sign an agreement with a talent manager. Greater publicity meant greater money. ording to Benjamin, stealing ownership of paintings was not the only terrible thing that Bethany had done. Sophia wanted to mess with Bethany since she had the time and money to do so. In less than half an hour, the news about Bethany stealing ownership of paintings became trending news. Around five in the evening, while Sophia was preparing the ingredients for her dinner, she received a call from Katherine. She wiped her hands and turned on the loudspeaker for the call. ¡°Isn''t it the film festival today?¡± By the end of the year, every industry was getting hectic. Katherine was still at Jadeborough on the previous day but had to fly to Salinsburgh the next morning. The following week, she would have to fly over to Baykeep to attend an annual film festival. ¡°It hasn''t started yet. Oh my gosh, it''s so cold! I really want to put on a jacket,¡± Katherine replied. Sophia raised her brows and asked, ¡°Isn''t it negative five degrees in Salinsburgh today?¡± ¡°I''m the ice queen! I can die from the cold, but I can''t die from breaking character! Forget it. Let''s not talk about this anymore. Did you see what''s trending this afternoon? I heard from Jonice that Bethany''s manager seems to be taking advantage of this to get more jobs for Bethany!¡± Sophia was not surprised. She answered, ¡°Let her be happy for a few days.¡± I want Bethany to know how painful it is to fall from a greater height! Katherine scoffed, ¡°How could Bethany be so shameless?¡± ¡°Well... Maybe because she''s poor.¡± Katherine felt the blow too and said, ¡°Ahh! I''m poorer than her!¡± While cleaning the mushrooms, Sophia smilingly said, ¡°You have Joshua and me.¡± ¡°You''re right. I''m so touched!¡± Sophia could hear Jonice calling for Katherine, so she hung up after telling Katherine to get back to work. When night fell, Sophia leisurely ate her dinner alone in her mansion. It felt nice to have a hearty bowl of mushroom soup in winter. Moreover, she was overjoyed by the two events that happened that day. The next morning, it started snowing in Jadeborough. There was a thickyer of snow in the front yard downstairs. Sophia suddenly felt yful and decided to build a snowman after changing her clothes. Halfway through gathering snow, Yvonne called to ask if she would attend the annual year-end dinners for herpanies. Sophia rejected it without hesitation. Before, she did not want to reveal herself. Currently, she did not feel like it either. It was still snowing after she hung up. The snowman only had a lower body, so Sophia kept her phone back in her pocket and continued to build a head for the snowman. ¡°Hi,¡± a man suddenly greeted. Sophia nonchntly ced the head on the snowman before looking toward the front yard''s entrance. A man dressed in gray from head to toe was standing amid the falling snow. He had attractive facial features and a tall nose bridge. His eyes contained a hint of delight. While holding a ck-colored umbre, he stood by the entrance, gazing at Sophia. Sophia raised her brows and shook off the snow on her gloves before walking toward him. ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± ¡°Excuse me, miss. I''m your neighbor, Stephen Goodstone. My inte is not working all of a sudden, but I have something urgent to work on. Can I borrow your inte for a while?¡± he asked courteously. He spoke very fluently, and his tone of voice was easy on the ears. Sophia replied with a faint smile, ¡°You can drive to a Starbucks at the za five kilometers away.¡± Even though the man was good-looking, she still tactfully rejected his request. Stephen was stunned for a moment. Right after, he smiled and said, ¡°My apologies. Please forgive my abruptness.¡± Sophia remained silent. All she did was watch as he turned around and left. What just happened did not bother Sophia at all, but never did she expect to meet Stephen again after only a few days, and it was during Katherine''s birthday party. By the time Sophia arrived after taking her sweet time, many people were already there. That day, Katherine was wearing a silver dress that entuated her figure. She exuded a cool and alluring feel with her vintage-style makeup. Upon seeing Sophia, she ran over in high heels. ¡°Soph, you''re finally here!¡± Katherine gave Sophia a big hug. The coolness she had before was nowhere to be found. Jonice, who was not far away, felt embarrassed. Fortunately, they were close to everyone that was here that day. Sophia smiled and handed a present to Katherine. ¡°Happy birthday, prettydy!¡± ¡°Thank you, sweetheart!¡± Katherine wanted to give Sophia a kiss, but thetter heartlessly avoided it. She was not angered by that. Instead, she happily led Sophia inside. ¡°Soph, let''s go! There''s a really handsome man here today. I''ll introduce you to him!¡± With that, she gave Sophia some kind of look. Helplessly, Sophia smiled and asked, ¡°What are you nning to do again?¡± While saying that, Sophia was already dragged toward Stephen. ¡°Come here. Let me introduce you guys. This is Joshua''s friend in university, Stephen Goodstone! Stephen, this is my best friend, Sophia Yarrow!¡± Katherine introduced. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. It was a rare sight to see Sophia being surprised. However, she regained her senses in no time. She smilingly said, ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Goodstone.¡± ¡°What a coincidence indeed,¡± he replied. His lips curved into a smile, and his dark eyes carried a hint of gentleness. He seems like an amiable guy. Katherine clicked her tongue and questioned, ¡°You guys know each other?¡± ¡°We''re neighbors.¡± Sophia cut Katherine off before thetter''s thoughts spiraled uncontrobly. After taking a breath, Katherine eximed, ¡°So Stephen is your next-door neighbor who doesn''t care about the mansion growing mold because he''s too rich?¡± Sophia was rendered speechless. That foolish child. How can she say that in front of the person himself? Chapter 54 Chapter 54 Katherine fled after saying the wrong thing, leaving Sophia to deal with Stephen alone. Stephen actually did not mind that. ¡°My family''s constantly abroad. So, we hired someone to clean it regrly. Maybe that person thought we weren''t returning anymore and didn''t put much effort into maintaining it.¡± Sophia nodded understandingly. ¡°No wonder your inte got cut off that day.¡± Hearing that, Stephen suddenly smiled. ¡°Did you think I was a criminal during that time?¡± Sophia looked at him and took a sip of her juice, shaking her head. ¡°No.¡± She just did not like strangers entering her territory, despite Stephen being her neighbor. Stephen did not question further since Sophia seemed to not have a strong desire to engage in a conversation. Her personality differedpletely from Katherine''s. Sophia did not like social activities, nor did she like making friends. ¡°I''ll take a seat over there.¡± With that, Sophia brought her ss of juice and walked over to the couch to take a seat. Katherine did not have many good friends, yet many people attended the event that day. Most of them knew Sophia, but she did not know them. Katherine had informed the guests that Sophia did not like socializing. Hence, no one disturbed her as she sat there. Mason and Howard were a littlete to the party. Noticing Sophia sitting on one side, Mason gave Katherine the gift and walked over. ¡°Sophia, you''re quite early.¡± Sophia cast him a nce. ¡°Not really. I just arrived ten minutes before you.¡± Mason handed her another ss of juice. ¡°You must be quite busy at the end of the year, right?¡± Sophia raised a brow and smiled. ¡°Not really. What''s up? What do you have in mind this time?¡± Mason rubbed his nose awkwardly. ¡°Katherine told me you bought a yacht.¡± Thinking he wanted to head out to sea, Sophia said, ¡°The weather''s quite cold. I doubt you''ll want to swim in the ocean even if you head out to sea.¡± Knowing Sophia had misunderstood, Mason quickly exined, ¡°No, that''s not what I meant. It''s this new music video of mine. I''d like to borrow your yacht for the filming.¡± Sophia narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°The keys aren''t with me. Here, I''ll give you a contact number. You can contact him when you need to use it.¡± With that, she pulled out her phone and searched for Xavier''s phone number before showing it to Mason. He quickly made a note of the phone number. ¡°Thank you, Sophia!¡± Sophia put away her phone and said, ¡°Katherine really does know how to use her resources.¡± To cut the cost of filming a music video, Katherine decided to use Sophia''s newly bought yacht, which had never been used. ¡°Katherine''s doing this to cut down thepany''s expenditures.¡± Sophia snorted. ¡°Fine. There, this matter''s settled. You should go along and have fun.¡± Mason knew Sophia did not like being disturbed. Thus, he said something nice and got up to leave. At that moment, all the guests had almost arrived. Katherine instructed someone to bring the cake out to get ready for the cake-cutting ceremony. Just as Sophia had gotten up and walked over, Katherine pulled her over. ¡°Soph,e here quickly. Hurry! Let me have some of your fortunes rub off on me. I hope to earn a tenth of your earnings in this new year.¡± Sophia could not help butugh. ¡°Nonsense.¡± Katherine did not agree with her words. ¡°Hmph, Who knows? Maybe I can''t even earn a tenth of your earnings.¡± Everyone who came that day was on close terms with Katherine. At the same time, they knew Sophia was someone rich. Though they were curious about the meaning of Katherine''s words, they were sensible enough not to ask about it. Soon, the lights in the hall were turned off. The candles on the threeyered cake shone brightly while the crowd stood around and sang a birthday song for Katherine. After that, she made a wish, blew the candles out, and cut the cake. Joshua then turned on the lights again, and Katherine gave out pieces of cake to everyone on the spot. As the massive screen was ying a song, Sophia held the te of cake with her head lowered, taking small bites out of it. Right then, someone picked up the microphone and started singing a song for Katherine on the small stage. It made the atmosphere jolly. When Sophia had eaten half of her slice of cake, Katherine suddenly ran to her. ¡°Soph, can you sing me a song?¡± Sophia ced the remaining half of her cake on the side of the counter. ¡°What do you want to listen to?¡± ¡°I''m fine with any song as long as you''re the one singing.¡± Sophia raised her eyebrow and shed her a smile. ¡°Okay. I''ll listen to you since it''s your birthday today.¡± Acting like a gangster, Katherine whistled and grabbed another microphone while going up the stage with Sophia. ¡°Everyone, look over here! My talented friend Sophia is going to sing me a song. Please show her your support and stop whatever you''re doing. Let''s appreciate her good singing skills!¡± Her words made Sophia''s face flush. Sophia lifted her head and shot Katherine a re before bringing over a high stool and sitting on it. The former picked a song in anothernguage¡ªI Have Nothing. She then returned to her seat and adjusted the height of the microphone. As a romantic prelude came from the speakers, Sophia raised her gaze with her pretty eyes and smiled. ¡°Share my life. Take me for what I am. Because I''ll never change all my colors for you. Take my love; I''ll never ask for too much.Just all that you are and everything that you do... ¡± It was a song by Katherine''s favorite singer, Whitney Houston. Coincidentally, Sophia heard it once and found it rather romantic and gentle. Even the lyrics sounded romantic. Thus, she saved it into her ylist. During her second year at university, Katherine wanted to be a part of the university''s singers, and she convinced Sophia to join. Hence, Sophia practiced that song. She never had any vocal lessons, but her voice was amazing. During the preliminary round, she became the campus belle right away by just singing the song. Since she was only joining thepetition to keep Katherinepany, she pretended to have forgotten the lyrics in the final round by merely standing on the stage and not singing a single word. Now that Sophia was singing, everyone in the room fell silent instinctively. Meanwhile, Katherine, who was below the stage, watched Sophia in a daze like a fangirl. That night, Alexander was invited to the location by Samuel. At first, Alexander had no ns toe. However, Samuel said he had something to tell the former, which was rted to Sophia. He just would not tell Alexander through the phone, no matter what. Thus, thetter had no choice but to turn up with an icy expression. As soon as he entered the ce, he heard someone singing in the banquet hall that was not too far away. On top of that, the song was in anothernguage. The woman''s voice was gentle, and she sang I Have Nothing with great passion. Alexander could not help but turn over to take a look. From his point of view, he could see Sophia singing on the stage, sitting on a stool, and holding a microphone. Sophia was dressed in a purple sweater, and her hair was tied to the back, leaving several strands of hair hanging by the side of her ears. As her red lips moved, she exuded incredible gentleness and beauty, as if she was glowing. Alexander stood there silently, unable to move. He had never seen that side of Sophia. The charm in her rxed expression made his heart leap. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. At the same time, the audience below the stage looked as though they were in a trance. Clearly, they were captivated by Sophia''s voice. ¡°Don''t you dare walk away from me. I have nothing, nothing, nothing; If I don''t have you, you; If I don''t have you, oh you.¡± When Sophia finished, someone in the hall started pping, leading the others to do the same. Alexander watched Sophia getting off the stage with a smile on her face. There were no traces of arrogance in it. After that, he witnessed a handsome man approaching her and saying something into her ear, which made her smile. Alexander''s face fell instantly. Chapter 55 Chapter 55 Just as Sophia had just pushed Katherine away from hugging her, Stephen walked over and said, ¡°My favorite singer is Whitney Houston.¡± Sophia raised her brow and gazed at him. ¡°Katherine''s favorite is Whitney Houston, too.¡± Stephen nced at Joshua, who was standing behind him and turned to look at Sophia again. ¡°Josh doesn''t look too happy.¡± Sophia turned to look at Joshua as he stood beside Katherine. True enough, he looked rather upset. She chuckled and said, ¡°I didn''t mean anything else.¡± After saying that, she lowered her head to nce at her watch. ¡°Happy birthday. I should head home now.¡± Katherine was a typical night owl. Hence, the party would not end until midnight. No matter how much Katherine wanted to make Sophia stay, the former knew Sophia did not like staying upte. She whined for a bit in Sophia''s embrace and let her go reluctantly. ¡°Okay. Remember to send me a text once you get home!¡± Her tone sounded like a mother speaking to her daughter. Sophia side-eyed her. ¡°Got it.¡± With that, she waved her hands. Meanwhile, Stephen, who was talking to Joshua, was stunned. ¡°You''re leaving so soon?¡± Before Sophia could even reply, Katherine answered, ¡°That''s right. She has a strict schedule. She has to sleep before eleven o''clock every night.¡± Stephen was slightly surprised. ¡°No wonder she''s got such great skin.¡± Sophia liked hearing praises, and she felt slightly shy. ¡°Thank you.¡± She nodded in a ssy manner, grabbed her bag, and walked toward the exit. Meanwhile, Katherine walked out with Sophia to see thetter off. At the same time, she whispered some recent matters rted to Bethany into Sophia''s ears. ¡°She epted an offer for a reality show. I suspect she''s going to use that to clear her name.¡± Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Let her do it then.¡± Katherine pursed her lips. ¡°You''re going too easy on her!¡± Sophia was unfazed. ¡°I am, but it won''t turn out well for her.¡± Soon, both of them arrived at the entrance of the hall. Sophia stopped in her tracks and said, ¡°Okay. Go and enjoy your birthday party. I''ll get home now.¡± Katherine held her arm. ¡°Should I get Stephen to send you home?¡± ¡°I''m not close with him.¡± Sophia broke free from her arm. ¡°Bye.¡± Katherine stood at the entrance until Sophia''s figure disappeared into a corner. Only then did she turn around to head back to the hall. Joshua walked over and handed her a ss of juice. ¡°What are you up to now?¡± Katherine epted the ss and pointed at Stephen. ¡°That university friend of yours, he''s quite a great person, isn''t he? I''m thinking of introducing him to Soph.¡± Joshua stared at Stephen, who stood in the distance. ¡°Sophia has her own ns.¡± Katherine snorted. ¡°What about your university friend? What are his ns? I saw him staring at Sophia when she was on stage just now.¡± Joshua could not help but smile. ¡°Well, he does have something in mind.¡± Katherine clicked her tongue. Sophia''s really amazing. Who would''ve known she could make an excellent man like Stephen fall head over heels for her by just singing a song? Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. As soon as Sophia walked out of the hall, she saw Alexander standing not far away. Ever since the argument the other day, both of them had not met for several days. Sophia merely gave him a nonchnt look before walking straight to her car. Her rtionship with Alexander was tooplicated that it was inappropriate for them to be friends. Thus, there was no need for them to greet each other. ¡°Sophia.¡± Sophia stopped in her tracks when she heard Alexander calling out to her. She leaned against the car door while watching him approach her. ¡°On whose behalf are you begging for mercy this time, Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander choked upon hearing her words, and his face fell. Why did I never realize she could be so crude in the past? ¡°You don''t have to be so hostile toward me. In reality, I don''t hate you as much as you think I do,¡± he said. Sophia nced at him and smiled suddenly. ¡°So, you''re saying you don''t hate me and perhaps have slight feelings for me?¡± At that, she narrowed her eyes, crossed her arms, and stood straight while staring into his dark eyes. ¡°Well, I''m sorry, Alexander. Whether you hate me or like me, it doesn''t really matter to me. I told you long ago that we''re strangers once we''re divorced. So...¡± She paused for a while and smirked. ¡°I''m currently just treating you as aplete stranger.¡± Alexander''s face froze, and he cast a dark, icy gaze at her. The fact that Sophia kept using the word ¡°stranger¡± annoyed him. He raised an arm and pulled at his shirt''s button, suppressing his anger. ¡°Are you afraid you can''t help it ande back to me?¡± Instead of getting angry, Sophia smiled. ¡°I never understood where did Thalia get her overconfidence from. But now, I finally get it. It''s probably a trait of the Xenos family, being narcissistic and arrogant.¡± She did not curse in her sentence, yet every word she spoke was scolding him. The pair of cold, dark eyes shifted slowly; Alexander shifted his gaze to her red lips. How could such beautiful lips utter such mean words? ¡°Since you''re so confident you won''t regret your decision, why are you deceiving yourself by treating me as a stranger?¡± he questioned. Smack! Sophia raised her arm and gave him a p right away. The smile on her face faded, and her alluring eyes turned frosty. She stared at him and asked in a calm manner, ¡°Are you awake now?¡± Alexander reached out to touch his face. The p earlier was quite powerful, and his face was still aching at that moment. ¡°If you''re not awake, I can give you another p,¡± Sophia offered, fixing her eyes on him. With a calm and heartless tone, she asked, ¡°Do you know why I treat you as a stranger?¡± He licked his teeth and asked with a deep voice, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I know men are despicable.¡± With that, she turned around and entered the car. She shut the door with a bang, shifted the gear, and stepped on the elerator. Immediately, the car drove forward before Alexander''s eyes. Meanwhile, he stood rooted to the ground with a furious look. Right then, his phone rang in his pocket. Unable to control the rage in his heart, he took out his phone and threw it onto the ground. The phone screen shattered instantly, and it stopped ringing. He then pulled out a cigarette and lowered his head to light it in the breeze. After some time, he gradually calmed down and lowered himself to pick up the phone, throwing it into the car. In the end, he, too, drove off and left. Meanwhile, Samuel had been waiting for Alexander in the private room. Seeing thetter still had not turned up, he muttered, ¡°Don''t tell me Alex has blocked my number?¡± As he said that, he gave Charles, who was sitting on the couch, a kick. ¡°Charles, give me your phone.¡± Charles shot Samuel a nce before taking his phone from the table and throwing it over to thetter. When Samuel used Charles'' phone to dial Alexander''s number, all he received was a recording in a toneless voice. ¡°Sorry. The number you''re trying to reach is unavable.¡± Samuel ended the call and threw the phone back to Charles. ¡°You got blocked, too.¡± Charles frowned, saying, ¡°I''m not you. Why would Alex block my number?¡± Samuel shrugged. ¡°Who knows?¡± Chapter 56 Chapter 56 Sophia was in a decent mood earlier that day. However, she did not expect to bump into Alexander after leaving the party, let alone hear him making those narcissistic, arrogant remarks. It had been more than seven months since their divorce. Sophia had been living afortable and cozy life afterward. When she asionally thought of him, she would be annoyed at her stupidity in those three years of marriage. She never thought of returning to Alexander''s side, not even once. ¡°Genie, fill the tub for me.¡± Only soaking herself in a scented bath could help to soothe Sophia''s tension. Perhaps due to her encounter with Alexander in front of the club, Sophia did not sleep well that night. In her disrupted sleep, she dreamed of many things that happened during her three years of marriage with Alexander. She snapped open her eyes when the rm rang. Sophia got up on the wrong side of the bed after a rough night. The sky outside was still a bit dark. Nights were longer than days during winter in Jadeborough. Turning to the side, Sophia put on her coat. She got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash up. While she was making breakfast, Yvonne called her. Sophia answered the phone. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Leighton.¡± ¡°Good morning, Ms. Yarrow. I''ve sent the main points of today''s meeting to your email,¡± Yvonne informed. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± There would be a meeting at ten o''clock in the morning about whether to pursue further funding for a company. As thergest shareholder, Sophia naturally had to attend the meeting. It was around nine o''clock when Sophia finished her breakfast. Then, she drove to Sunshine Group. The meetingsted for an hour and a half. After aprehensive evaluation, the executives and shareholders unanimously voted for further funding. After the meeting ended, Sophia left thepany. She received an unexpected call not long after leaving thepany. The call was from Samuel. At first, Sophia thought it was a scam call and hung up directly. If Samuel did not call her again straight afterward, she would never have answered it. ¡°Hi, this is Sophia.¡± ¡°Sophia, it''s me. Samuel Schild.¡± Oh, he''s one of Alexander''s buddies. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. What happened the night before made Sophia lose sleep. She had been suppressing her anger all morning. Samuel could only me his luck for calling her at the wrong time. ¡±What''s the matter, Mr. Schild?¡± she asked. Samuel frowned on the other end of the phone. Despite not being face-to-face, he could hear the hostility in her tone. ¡°I heard that you''ve bought the copyright of The Sound of Wind.¡± Sophia stopped the car before the red light. Arching an eyebrow, she said, ¡°Mr. Schild, you''re more resourceful than I imagined.¡± ¡°I also heard that you n to invest in filming,¡± said Samuel. ¡°That''s right. Do you have a problem with that?¡± ¡°Well, not exactly. However, I think it''s easy to lose money in the film industry nowadays. Haven''t you thought of pulling some of your investments to lower the risks?¡± Samuel had long set his sight on the copyright of The Sound of Wind. Moreover, he had already asked someone to contact the film''s copyright owner. However, the other party refused to relinquish the copyright unless they offered three million. From Samuel''s perspective, the two million bid from Midway Media was good enough. Only a fewpanies in the current market could be so generous with their bidding. Nevertheless, both sides refused to give an inch. At first, Samuel wanted to let them calm down for a few days. After each party took a step back in the negotiation, he nned to buy the adaptation copyright at the price of two million and five hundred thousand. That was what Samuel had hoped for. Unfortunately, the reality was a far cry from his expectation. In the past, the copyright of The Inder was snatched byary Media thanks to Sunshine Group''s intervention. Samuel was left empty-handed. A few monthster, Samuel had turned his attention to The Sound of Wind. However, Specter Entertainment came out of nowhere and bought the film copyright before him. Samuel nearly lost it when he heard the news the day before. Therefore, he immediately called Sophia after the meeting that day. Samuel knew the situation was bleak the moment he heard Sophia''s words. Still, he was unwilling to give up that easily. To find a good film like this is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. I''ve finally found a dark horse. Perhaps I should be happy that someone has the same vision as me. The thought of losing out on another film made Samuel feel displeased. For some reason, I can''t figure out what Alexander''s ex-wife is thinking. Upon hearing Samuel''s suggestion, Sophia suddenlyughed. ¡°Mr. Schild, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about me?¡± ¡°What sort of misunderstanding?¡± Samuel was baffled. The next second, Samuel heard the woman''s soft voiceing from the other end of the line. ¡±Do you think I''m short of money?¡± she probed. ¡°You aren''t short of money. You...¡± Samuel could not finish his sentence. He had nearly forgotten that Sophia did not receive any money after getting divorced from Alexander. Besides, it was Alexander who told them about it. ¡°What?¡± When the traffic light turned green, Sophia hit the elerator again while waiting for Samuel''s reply. ¡°It''s nothing. I just wanted to share the burden with you,¡± he answered. Sophia snorted at him. ¡°Tens of millions aren''t considered as a huge burden for me. However, it''s stressful staring at the greedy eyes of a hungry wolf in front of me every day.¡± Samuel could roughly guess that she was indirectly calling him a beast. Upon realizing that, Samuel sneered with displeasure, ¡°Come on. I''m not short of money either. Since you''re so confident in this, I won''t bother you anymore.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia replied monotonously. At that moment, Samuel was bereft of strength. After ending the call, he was so furious that he nearly smashed the phone. On the other hand, Sophia was in a much better mood. After all, Samuel had mocked her in the past. She raised her eyebrows before picking up her phone to inform Katherine of this matter. ¡°Wow. You''ve killed several birds with one stone,¡± Katherine praised. She managed to deal with both Elise and Samuel at the same time. Laughing, Sophia said, ¡°I didn''t think that way before. That reminds me of something. Since Samuel is so optimistic about The Sound of Wind, we aren''t going to share the film rights. Ourpany can handle this on our own.¡± ¡°Indeed. Money talks.¡± Sophia snorted and replied, ¡°All right, I''m hanging up.¡± Samuel''s phone call provided Sophia with a tform to vent her frustration. By the time she returned to the mansion, she was already in a much better mood. On the other hand, Samuel was in a foul mood. The person who made him feel bad was Sophia. Furthermore, Alexander disappeared without a trace the night before. After signing a few documents, Samuel immediately drove to Odyssey andined to Alexander. ¡°Alex, your ex-wife is truly something else. I wanted to help her by sharing the responsibility of the investment. Do you know what she said? She called me a greedy wolf! What an ungrateful person she is!¡± Alexander scoffed. ¡°You? Helping others?¡± ¡°We''re talking about business here. It''s less risky if there''s one more investor,¡± Samuel said while rubbing his nose, feeling somewhat guilty. Alexander cast him a cold re. ¡°She doesn''t want to give you a share of the pie.¡± ¡°Hey, do you think I''m short of money?¡± Samuel snorted. ¡°If you aren''t short of money, then why are you here? Why don''t you join that lousy reality show if you like to whine so much?¡± Alexander snapped. Samuel was rendered speechless. He felt that his childhood friend and Sophia were a match made in heaven. Both of them had sharp tongues. Since Samuel could not win a verbal war against Alexander, he had no choice but to change the subject. ¡°Where did you gost night? Did you wander off to a woman''s bed? Charles and I called you all night, but you didn''t answer once.¡± When Samuel brought up what happened the night before, Alexander instantly became irritated. Tugging at his tie, he looked askance at Samuel. ¡°What a waste of talent if you didn''t be a screenwriter.¡± ¡°To be honest, I''ve thought about that before,¡± Samuel said. It was Alexander''s turn to be at a loss for words. Gosh, what a shameless guy! Chapter 57 Chapter 57 Everyone was busy toward the end of the year. Sophia was not as free as before. The documents were sent to the mansion in batches for her to review. Usually, Sophia only showed up at Sunshine Group once or twice per month. However, she had to go to thepany two to three times per week. She had more meetings in December than in the previous ten monthsbined. After the meeting ended, Sophia left thepany after saying goodbye to Yvonne. She had made her points clear during the meeting. There was no reason for her to stay behind. The moment Sophia stepped out of Sunshine Group, she received a call from Joshua. Technology Innovations had only been on the market for more than four months. Joshua was bound to be busier than Sophia toward the end of the year. Therefore, Sophia''s first reaction when she received Joshua''s call was that something had happened to Katherine. She asked, ¡°What happened to Katherine?¡± ¡°She''s fine.¡± Joshua did not beat around the bush and continued, ¡°I want to propose to her on the thirty-first of this month.¡± That''s good news. The corners of Sophia''s lips curled into a smirk. ¡°What''s the matter? Do you need my advice?¡± The three of them had known each other for many years. Sophia knew Joshua''s personality well. He would hardly call her if nothing happened. ¡°I want to buy a house and an engagement ring,¡± Joshua admitted. Sophia let out a snort upon hearing that. She recalled that Katherine told her not long ago that she wanted to save money so that she could surprise Joshua by giving him a new house. They are too much! ¡°Today is the twentieth. When are you nning to buy the house?¡± she probed. That was how friends were supposed to be. They would go straight to the point instead of beating around the bush. ¡°When will you be free?¡± Joshua asked. ¡°This is an important event in both of your lives. I''ll make myself free on any day for you two.¡± ¡°What about the day after tomorrow?¡± Sophia thought for a while and replied, ¡°All right. See you then.¡± After hanging up the phone, Sophia looked down at her hands. Eight months ago, there was a ring on her finger, indicating that she belonged to someone else. However, there was nothing on her hand at that moment. Even the traces of wearing the ring for three years hadpletely faded. She was not as lucky as Katherine, who was able to marry the man she loved. Snapping back to reality, Sophia got into her car and went back to the mansion. Katherine was out of town for the past few days. It was indeed a huge surprise for Joshua to prepare for the marriage proposal during this time. To help Joshua choose a new house and an engagement ring, Sophia purposely asked Yvonne to move up the meeting to the day before. After graduating for many years, it was the first time that Sophia had stayed inside thepany for a whole day. Joshua had long been looking at several properties. All of the new properties were not far away and had just gone on sale in the past year. Furthermore, those properties were located in the city center. The starting price stood at one hundred thousand per square meter. Joshua came over when Sophia finished her breakfast. Even though the two had known each other for more than twenty years, Sophia rarelymunicated with Joshua in private. Still, they maintained a good rtionship throughout the years. However, they were not as chatty as Katherine. From N?velDrama.Org. It was peacefully quiet inside the car. Then, it came to a halt at the red light. Sophia turned to look at Joshua. ¡°Didn''t you n to get married after two years?¡± ncing at her briefly, Joshua replied, ¡°There''s no difference between getting married now and getting married in two years.¡± Sophiaughed at his frank remark. I wonder how much money Katherine had saved? She probably didn''t expect Joshua to be that impatient to marry her, right? Ah. I kind of envy her. It was undeniable that Joshua loved Katherine. He knew her like the back of his hand. Instead of asking for my advice, he just wants to show off his undying love for Katherine. Joshua took Sophia to check out three houses. She could tell that those were all Katherine''s favorite models. The only differences were probably the size of the house and its location. ¡°Which one do you think is best?¡± Joshua probed. Upon hearing his question, Sophia walked toward the balcony. ¡°I think the house in Eden Residences is better.¡± Joshua shed a rare smile. ¡°I think so too.¡± Arching an eyebrow at him, Sophia asked, ¡°It''s settled then?¡± Joshua nodded in response. Then, the two of them returned to the sales center of Eden Residences. Joshua was well-prepared. He only put Katherine''s name in the contract and made the full payment of more than thirty-six million. The staff of Eden Residences mistook Sophia for Katherine. They also praised Joshua for his affection for her. Sophia''s eyebrows twitched over their misunderstanding. ¡°I''m just his friend. The person on the document isn''t me. She''s my best friend.¡± Upon hearing her rification, the staff immediately apologized. Sophia smiled at them and said, ¡°It''s indeed easy to give other people the wrong impression.¡± Looking at Joshua, she added, ¡°I''ll wait over there.¡± Joshua nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± The moment Sophia walked to the rest area, Samuel coincidentally walked in with a girl. The girl looked familiar even though Sophia had never met her before. However, since she had nothing to do with that girl, Sophia also had no intention of greeting Samuel. When Samuel entered the room, he immediately saw Sophia. He came to purchase a house with his cousin, Veronica Queen. Nevertheless, he did not expect to run into Sophia, who was buying a house too. Veronica had already seen the house. She was there to sign the contract. Sophia was sitting at a distance from them as the other party did not seem to like her very much. Samuel decided not to greet her since she did not see his arrival. After leading Veronica to the staff, Samuel took his seat. Then, he heard a conversation among the staff on the side of the table. They were boasting about how much the man on the roundtable loved his girlfriend. He made the full payment in his girlfriend''s name. Therefore, they must have a deep rtionship. Samuel snorted. He had seen this many times in their elite social circle. Buying a house as a present was amon thing for the descendants of wealthy families. Since the man didn''t say a word, maybe he bought the house for his lover. Of course, that was what Samuel thought before he saw that the man was Joshua. His heart raced frantically when he realized the man''s identity. Sh*t. This is bad. Veronica, who was sitting beside him, thought something was wrong with the house. She asked curiously, ¡°Samuel, what''s the matter?¡± Shaking his head, Samuel uttered, ¡°It''s nothing. Just continue with the paperwork. I have an urgent matter. I have to make a phone call now.¡± Veronica urged, ¡°Oh, okay! Go ahead, Samuel.¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Samuel had already darted off. The Schild family was in the entertainment industry. Therefore, Samuel naturally paid attention to the Joshua was the young chairman of Technology Innovations. A few months ago, there were rumors of Sophia and Joshua being a couple after her divorce from Alexander. At that time, Samuel thought the rumors were fake. After all, Joshua was well-known for being a workaholic. There was no news of him having a girlfriend after seven or eight years in business. Back then, the tabloids even dug deep into Joshua''s private life. After a thorough analysis, they concluded that Sophia and Joshua were not a couple. Samuel agreed with that analysis in the past. However, he was shocked upon seeing Joshua and Sophia purchasing a house together that day. What the hell? They''ve already bought a f*cking house for their wedding? Isn''t this proof that they''re a couple? Or should we wait until they have a child beforebeling them as a couple? Samuel''s first reaction was to call Alexander. Despite knowing him for thirty years, Samuel might not have noticed Alexander''s unusual behaviors recently. It was apparent that Alexander wanted to get back with Sophia. However, it seemed like thetter had already moved on from him. Chapter 58 Chapter 58 When Samuel called Alexander, thetter was having a meeting. Once he saw who the caller was, Alexander rejected the call without hesitation. Even though he''s already in his thirties, Samuel is still as childish as before. He will call me even for the most trivial matter. However, Samuel was persistent as he continued to call again and again. He would not stop calling until Alexander answered his call. Consequently, Alexander''s countenance fell. He then swept a cold nce at Felix. Thetter felt shivers running down his spine and thought something had gone wrong with the new proposal. At once, he asked cautiously, ¡°I-Is there a problem, Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander picked up his phone and uttered, ¡°Stop the meeting for a moment. I have to answer a call.¡± Hearing that, Felix heaved a sigh of relief and gestured to the others to put the meeting on pause. The enormous conference room fell into silence instantly. In the meantime, Alexander walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window with the phone in his hand. ¡°Do you not want that sports car?¡± A few days ago, a limited edition sports car in Alexander''s garage caught Samuel''s eyes. As a result, he kepting over to Alexander''spany after working hours to pester Alexander like an unwanted piece of gum. Annoyed by his incessant irking, Alexander promised to ask someone to transfer the car to him. It was only then that Samuel stopped doing his shameless actions. At the moment, Alexander was suppressing his anger. He had prepared to say he would retrieve the car as soon as Samuel opened his mouth before hanging up the phone. I have to let him witness my fury. Yet, Alexander did not merely boil with rage upon hearing Samuel''s words. ¡°What? Repeat what you just said.¡± ¡°I''m at the sales center of Eden Residences! Sophia is purchasing a house with her boyfriend!¡± Alexander thought he had misheard Samuel at first but confirmed what he heard was right that second time. In a sh, his body froze, and his expressionless face was getting colder. ¡°When did she have a boyfriend?¡± He tried his best to remain clear-headed, but he had almost crushed his newly-bought phone barehanded, proving his effort was not too sessful. ¡°It''s that guy! Joshua Lewis from Technology Innovations!¡± At the same time, Samuel, who was providing Alexander with information, turned sideways instinctively and had his back facing Joshua and Sophia when he saw them walking out. Sophia nced at Samuel indifferently and was unbothered. She then averted her gaze and looked toward Joshua. ¡°What''s next? Buying a ring?¡± Admittedly, she thought her presence was needless on that day. Joshua already has ideas in his mind, but he still wants me toe along. He''s showing off his affection for his partner before me straightforwardly! Argh. I should''ve picked my friends carefully. Joshua kept the housing contract and nodded in response to Sophia''s question. ¡°Yup.¡± As soon as he heard those utterances, Samuel became stunned. He told Alexander, ¡°T-They''re going to purchase a ring now. Alex, I''m warning you. If you y cool again, prepare to immerse yourself in alcohol while embracing me and weeping.¡± ¡°Help me follow them and see where they''re going!¡± Alexander''s face had further darkened at that point. ¡°How about you?¡± Before Samuel received an answer, the call had already disconnected. Samuel nced down at his phone and had a thought. People can''t be too scummy indeed! Meanwhile, concerning Sophia''s rtionship with Joshua and Katherine, they had known each other since childhood. Back then, Joshua was quite taciturn and always had a cold appearance. Conversely, Katherine had an entirely different personality. Hence, Sophia had never imagined they would end up being together. During the early stages of that rtionship, Sophia put a damper on Katherine''s spirits by reminding her that Joshua was not a suitable boyfriend candidate due to his personality and that they would not even have had a friendship if not for her efforts. Since Joshua was too frigid and greatly influenced by his parents, Sophia was worried he would commit domestic violence at one point. Much to her surprise, Katherine was still in good shape after all those years. Joshua''s conduct toward Katherine was also antithetically different from how he treated others. On top of that, Joshua had prepared everything for their imminent marriage. He told Sophia to choose the style of the ring with him, but in the end, the chosen ring was also specially designed ording to Katherine''s ring size and preference. Sophia only needed a single nce to tell that the ring was custom-made by Joshua for Katherine. She shed a half-smile at Joshua and questioned, ¡°Did you bring me out today to trigger me intentionally?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Joshua tilted his head and looked at Sophia before proceeding, ¡°Kath doesn''t have any family members left, but she has always treated you like her younger sister. I know what your concern is. I brought you along today to tell you that you don''t have to worry, because I have her here in my heart. If I mistreat her someday, feel free to take her away from me.¡± Those words startled Sophia for a moment. She then chuckled while staring at him. ¡°Despite saying that many magniloquent words, your true purpose is disying your love for Katherine before me.¡± Upon hearing that sentence, Joshua also giggled. Shortly afterward, he received the packaged ring from the salesperson and asked Sophia, ¡°Lunch together?¡± In response, Sophia shook her head while smiling. ¡°If we have a meal together, I''m afraid this surprise will lose its effect in all likelihood.¡± Even though the paparazzi marking her had decreased during that period, someone might still be out there observing her. The current Joshua was differentpared to before. In addition to that, they had not only gone to the sales center but also picked rings. If they ate together, others mightbel Sophia as Joshua''s girlfriend anew. ¡°Let me send you home, then.¡± ¡°It''s okay. I want to stroll around for a while.¡± Without making any furtherment, Joshua nodded and left. Following his departure from the shop, Sophia turned around and looked at the salesperson. ¡°Are there rings for singles?¡± The salesperson was shocked to hear that question, as she probably did not expect a beautiful woman like Sophia to be single. Nevertheless, she returned to her senses at once when she remembered that the ring Joshua bought earlier was quite expensive. Given that the individual before her was his friend, the salesperson conjectured Sophia to be a generous person as well. She then led Sophia to the side and introduced the rings. Purchasing a ring was a spontaneous decision of Sophia. Back when she married Alexander, her ring''s design was pretty simplistic. She had no idea who picked it. Regardless, she still wore it as a treasure for three years. A few months before the divorce, she discovered that Alexander''s ring had always been in the cab in the room. If not for the periodic cleaning in the mansion, she suspected that the ring would have already gotten covered in dust. Those are some worthless memories. I should stop recalling them. ¡°Take a look at this ring, miss. It''s simple and elegant. The flower above it is a camellia. I think it complements well with your temperament.¡± Sophia followed the salesperson''s gaze and saw the diamond on that ring sparkling under the lights. It looks pretty dazzling indeed. She then noticed that its price was around thirty thousand. Fortunately, Sophia was wealthy. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Without a tinge of indecisiveness, she paid for the ring with her card. She also wore the ring on the spot. After leaving the shop, she intended to have lunch at a nearby restaurant. ¡°You''re so desperate to get married, huh.¡± Just then, a familiar male voice sounded. Sophia looked up and saw Alexander standing in front of her with chilliness. She furrowed her brows and responded, ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡± Alexander felt like someone had pierced his heart when he heard those words and had an unbearable feeling. His breath had even gotten stuck in his throat, thus making it hard for him to swallow. With difficulty, he gulped before questioning, ¡°Aren''t you deeply in love with me?¡± Sophia stared at him apathetically and replied, ¡°That was in the past.¡± That reply made Alexander freeze for a second. His gaze then fell upon Sophia''s hand. Due to the resplendence of the ring, Alexander did not notice that it was on her pinky. Staring at the ring, Alexander felt pain in his throbbing temples. ¡°So this is your definition of love? Acting nonchntly before me and marrying another man when we haven''t even divorced for eight months?¡± Chapter 59 Chapter 59 Sophia felt as though she had heard a joke, and the fact that it wasing out of Alexander''s mouth just made the whole scenario even more ridiculous. She quirked her lips into a smile and looked at Alexander, asking, ¡°So, what does this have to do with you?¡± ¡°What does this have to do with me?¡± The anger in Alexander burned brighter, and his heart ached as though it was being stabbed. He tutted lightly, an indecipherable expression shrouding his face. Sophia had never seen his expression like this before. She instinctively retreated a step back, but Alexander reacted quicker than her. Alexander stretched out a hand and directly pulled Sophia into his arms. Then, he pinned her against the wall beside him, lowered his head, and pressed his lips against hers. He worked so hard on the kiss that he almost sucked out all of the oxygen in Sophia''s lungs. Sophia''s hands and feet were both restrained by Alexander. Thetter loomed over her like a mountain, and she could not muster any strength to free herself. The mall was bustling with people. With Alexander''s tall and slim model-like physique, he still managed to catch the attention of passersby despite being dressed only in a simple ck coat and trousers. Everyone around them cast a nce in their direction instinctively. Sometimeter, Alexander finally loosened his grip. Sophia immediately raised her hand and pped him. He nced down at her and suddenly stuck his tongue out to lick the corner of his mouth. The action lent him a devilish air on top of his usual aloofness. ¡°I''m reminding you of what we used to be.¡± Sophia merely red at him coldly before she turned around and left. She did not think there was anything between her and Alexander that was worth talking about anymore. Alexander did not chase after her. He stood on the spot and watched Sophia go down the esctor until her figure disappeared from his sight. Then, he nced around coldly at the onlookers. Shuddering, the people around him hurriedly turned their eyes away, pretending they had seen nothing. Alexander frowned, took out his mobile phone, and called Felix. ¡°Make an appointment with Joshua for me.¡± Felix did not react for a second. ¡°You mean Mr. Joshua Lewis from Technology Innovations?¡± ¡°Do you know a second Joshua?¡± Felix quickly responded, ¡°Understood.¡± He wondered why Alexander wanted to meet Joshua again. Is there a new project that Mr. Xenos wants to coborate with him on? If so, this is a big deal. At the thought of this, Felix hurriedly set aside what he was currently doing and called Joshua''s secretary. As soon as Alexander walked out of the mall, Samuel came up while tutting him. ¡°You did an amazing job.¡± He quirked his eyebrows into a mocking curve. In response, Alexander shot him a cold look. ¡°I believe the ownership transfer of the sports car hasn''t been settled yet. Am I right?¡± The mockery subsided from Samuel''s face the moment he heard Alexander. He raised his finger and pointed at Alexander''s lips. ¡°I''m giving you a sincere suggestion. You should go to the restroom and deal with what is on your lips. Otherwise, there may be a ruckuster if you return to thepany in this state.¡± Alexander frowned. He turned around, went back to the mall, and headed to the restroom. He looked into the mirror and saw his lips were stained with red lipstick. It must have transferred over when he was kissing Sophia earlier. Alexander stared at his own reflection and thought of their transient kiss just now. After having tasted her lips, he actually found himself longing for more. From N?velDrama.Org. It was not until another person entered the washroom that Alexander snapped back to his senses. He lowered his head, dampened his fingertips with water, and wiped the lipstick off his lips. ¡°How do we pursue a woman?¡± Samuel was sharing in the chat group with Charles and Justin about how Alexander had forced a kiss on Sophia when he heard Alexander''s words. He was so shocked that his hand trembled, and his phone fell straight to the ground. Alexander shot him a disdainful nce and added, ¡±I shouldn''t have asked you. You''re single too.¡± Samuel, who had just picked up his phone and was about to reply to Alexander, was dumbfounded. Sophia returned to the mansion with a sullen face. She washed her lips with water several times after she came back. Staring into the mirror, she could see that her lips were flushed red. She had washed off most of her original makeup with her vigorous actions. Has Alexander gone crazy? The man who used to despise even holding my hand actually kissed me today? How ironic. It''s funny to even think about it. We''ve been divorced for eight months, and the man is still sulking over the past and regarding me as his property. He himself used the past tense. How could he not understand that the past is the past? What a joke! She was thrown off guard by what had happened today. Sophia was quite happy for Katherine and Joshua, but her mood was ruined the moment Alexander forced a kiss upon her. Back then, she chose to leave the marriage while taking nothing in order to divorce Alexander on good terms. All she wanted was for them to be peaceful mutual strangers to each other. However, after Alexander did such a thing, Sophia did not think that she could possibly make peace with him. The anger in her heart zed even more fiercely. Sophia was not only angry, but deep down, she also felt a little sad. Alexander had been giving her the cold shoulder for three years. Now that she finally wanted to let go, he suddenly changed his attitude and put on an affectionate act, refusing to let her go. Sophia was so angry that she decided to go for a kickboxing session in the evening to vent her frustration. She spent the whole evening practicing in the club. After an intense session that left her drenched in sweat, she felt much better. Then, she took a shower, changed her clothes, and got ready for dinner. Taking out her phone, she noticed that there were two missed calls from Joshua. Sophia frowned. She stood at the door looking at the gray sky outside before she called Joshua back. Joshua was probably busy as he did not answer the phone the first time she called. It took him more than ten seconds to pick up the phone when she called the second time. ¡°I saw the two missed calls you left me.¡± ¡°Alexander''s secretary suddenly invited me for a meeting today.¡± Sophia''s mind wandered off to Alexander. ¡°I bumped into Alexander at noon. You can just ignore him.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Joshua responded. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Why wouldn''t I be?¡± Sophia let out a light chuckle. ¡°Anyway, I wish you a sessful marriage proposal in advance. I just finished my boxing practice, and I''m a bit drained at the moment. I''m heading off to dinner.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up the phone, Sophia looked up at the sky before she headed left to the nearby commercial district for dinner. It was already past eight o''clock at night when she returned to the mansion. The wind during a winter night was piercing cold. Sophia had practiced boxing for more than two hours today and was exhausted. She filled the tub with water and submerged herself in it. If it weren''t for Genie calling out to her, she would have dozed off. After taking a bath, Sophia put on a face mask and set her rm clock for tomorrow. She was ready to go to bed. However, she could not sleep. Getting up, she opened a bottle of wine and drank half a ss. Now that she was feeling tipsy, she finally dozed off to sleep. Early next morning, Sophia woke up as soon as the rm clock rang. She turned off the rm and entered the bathroom in her cotton slippers to wash up. As she sat down and was about to start her skincare and makeup routine, her mobile phone on the desk rang. Sophia tilted her head and nced at the screen. The call wasing from Katherine. She quirked her brow and turned on the speaker. ¡°Why are you calling me this early in the morning?¡± ¡°Are you up, Soph? Have you seen the trending headline today? I''m so pissed off. Bethany is stirring up trouble again. Go and take a look yourself!¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows. ¡°I just finished washing up. What did Bethany do this time?¡± As soon as Sophia finished her words, Katherine babbled on like a machine gun, ¡°Didn''t she participate in a reality show? The first episode just airedst night. That b*tch was making some innuendos about you!¡± Chapter 60 Chapter 60 Sophia went on Twitter and, as expected, saw Bethany''s trending news. Sophia clicked in and burst intoughter when she saw it. ¡°Then let''s make her cry badly.¡± Bethany mentioned the picture of Alexander and her on a show. She said that she was drunk that night and coincidentally bumped into Alexander. He was worried that it was dangerous for a girl to be alone and ordered his secretary to send her back. Bethany had too much to drink and wanted to thank him after she showered. Unexpectedly, it caused so many issues. The picture was just a selfie she took then. She did not expect Alexander had also juste out of the shower. Bethany forgot to delete the picture she took, and her friends even posted it on Instagram to tease her when they saw it. She then came out to rify things and apologized to Sophia. Bethany did not think the picture would again be posted on the web and cause a public uproar after so long. After saying that, she started crying pitifully. Truth be told, people actually pitied her when they saw that. Katherine was angry and said, ¡°No way. This pretentious woman is too disgusting! Someone is taking the lead and saying that you''re the one who posted the picture on purpose to get people to cyberbully Bethany!¡± Sophia''s interest piqued, and she asked, ¡°There''re still marketing teams that dare to involve me?¡± She had thought that after thatmotion with Thalia, they would not easily offend her. It seemed that money made the world go round and that Sophia was still too naive. ¡°It''s just a few alternate ounts! Bethany probably started them! This pretentious woman! No way. I have to post on Twitter! You may be able to tolerate this, but I cannot!¡± ¡°What''s there to fuss about child''s y like this?¡± Sophia did not care much about petty arguments like that. At the very most, she was going to be scolded byizens, and that was nothingpared to physical pain. Bethany''s methods were trivial in her eyes. ¡°I just can''t stand other people scolding you!¡± Sophiaughed and said, ¡°Post then. I''ll defend you when Jonice scolds you.¡± ¡°It''s enough that I have your words, Soph!¡± After that, Katherine hung up the phone. She had always acted quickly and decisively. Katherine posted on Twitter about Bethany the moment she hung up the phone. A real eye-opener. First time I am hearing that a person would apologize by sending suggestive photos of themselves with other people''s husbands! What is the meaning of this? That''s right, do you all know what types of b*tches there are? I don''t! Please enlighten me! The moment Katherine posted the tweet, it became trending. Many others who felt the same as Katherine that Bethany was disgusting alsomented. Thements in her tweet appeared to have nothing to do with Bethany, but everyone who had seen thetter''s video could understand thement section. Sophia only went on Twitter after she arrived at Sunshine Group, and Katherine''s tweet was trending in second ce. She clicked inside to see, and her mood was instantly lifted. Wow. Theizens are so hrious. Bethany would probably be furious when she sees this. Sophia guessed correctly. Bethany had thought that her name would be cleared after the show was broadcasted, but she did not expect Katherine would personally post an insinuating tweet about her. She had be known as a pretentious bitch online. Bethany''s manager did not care much and even consoled her, ¡°Your reputation may not be good, but at this time and age, publicity is everything! With your current poprity, the advertisements that want you will be better than before after a period!¡± Bethany pursed her lips, but she could not force out a smile. Not only did she want profits, but she also wanted a good reputation. Katherine, Sophia! One day, I will make sure that both of you are mocked by everyone! Sophia did not take the whole saga to heart because she had evidence of Bethany''s scandals. Bethany could continue ying around if she wished, and Sophia would deal with her when she was free. Sophia wanted Bethany to fall harder and suffer more than she already did. The day before, Sophia had asked Yvonne to move the meeting up or postpone it to free up an entire day. That was why Sophia had to return to Sunshine Group for a meeting today. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. After nearly two hours of meeting, it was already lunchtime when Sophia came out of the conference room. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia tilted her head when she heard Yvonne call her name and asked, ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Mr. Johnson of Prosperity Enterprise wants to meet you.¡± ¡°Charles?¡± He was one of Alexander''s childhood friends. ¡°Yes.¡± Before replying, Sophia did not even think, ¡°I won''t see him.¡± Yvonne was not surprised by that answer. She nodded and told her about something else. ¡°Mr. Richard Johnson of Femirise wants to meet you too.¡± Sophia thought about it and asked, ¡°On the issue about Girl''s Heart?¡± ¡°Yes. Richard wants to know the reason.¡± Sophia scoffed when she heard Yvonne''s words and said, ¡°Tell him that Elise offended my friend.¡± Yvonne immediately understood and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia nodded and asked, ¡°Let''s eat lunch?¡± ¡°My pleasure.¡± Sophia and Yvonne both drove their cars and dined at a Thymion restaurant in a nearby square. There were many people there during lunchtime. Sophia searched for that shop online, and it had just openedst month. The reviews were pretty good too. After they were seated, Sophia casually asked, ¡°How''s Magic Sense''s application going recently?¡± ¡°The downloads are good, and they n to push for further development.¡± Sophia nodded and ordered a bowl of pasta and some soup. Something like fondue would be suitable for a day as cold as that, but there were many people, and Yvonne was busy. Sophia naturally would not dy Yvonne''s time by ordering it. The two of them had known each other for many years. They were both friends and colleagues. It was rare for them to eat together, so they discussed work and private matters, which made time appear to fly past. After the meal, Sophia instantly parted ways with Yvonne. As Sophia left the elevator, she bumped into Thalia and her friend, who were going down the esctor. Thalia did not dare to mess with Sophia after the previous issue. If it were before, Thalia would have pulled her friend along and mocked Sophia. However, Thalia only hoped that Sophia would not see her. Thalia had never realized that Sophia was a ruthless woman. Sophia watched as Thalia pulled her friend and hurried away without daring to face her. She raised her brows and left the mall. Recently, Elise was beaming as she had won two significant awards in the g and was on cloud nine. Of course, that was all thanks to Miguel. The Johnson family was extraordinary, and Elise was determined to hold on tightly to Miguel. She had joined the gst night, and her back was stick-straight when she met Katherine. Why does Sophia matter? She''s just the boss of apany that startedter. Her capital and background could notpare to the Johnson family. She believed that one day she would be able to crush Katherine. Elise was consumed by her thoughts when her manager ran toward her with an upset expression. She raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°Mary, you look unwell. Are you sick?¡± Mary Ziegler, Elise''s manager, frowned and said, ¡°It''s still a small issue if my body is unwell. You, on the other hand, are in trouble. I heard that the matter on the Girl''s Heart application by Femirise has been called off. Richard was indignant and asked Girl''s Heart for an exnation. Do you know how Girl''s Heart responded?¡± Elise scowled and asked, ¡°What can they say?¡± ¡°They said that you have offended someone!¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Elise scoffed, and her phone rang at that moment. Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Noticing the call was from Miguel, Elise immediately gave Mary a wink as she moved off to the side before answering the phone. ¡°Hello, Mr. Johnson. What good timing. I just wanted to call you!¡± However, Miguel did not seem to buy into her trick like usual. ¡°Who did you offend recently? Things had been going well between Richard''s brand, Femirise, and Girl''s Heart. Yet, thetter suddenly decided to pull out of their coboration. They said you have offended the friend of Girl''s Heart''s boss.¡± Initially, it was a mutually profitable deal between Femirise and Girl''s Heart. Even though Girl''s Heart could not bepared to shopping sites like Amazon, its fame in recent years was not to be underestimated. Femirise, a brand that focused ondies'' fashion, was founded by Richard three years ago. The Johnson family had invested a lot of money to hire countless spokespersons and published plenty of advertisements. Even though Femirise had gained fame, it was still a third- or fourth-tier brand, unlike those big brands that everyone begged to join their website or app. At first, they thought that with theunching of the brand on Girl''s Heart, Femirise would be able to hold for a few more years, and they would be able to turn the tides. Nowadays, the sales ofdies'' fashion brands in retail stores was nothing like before. Of the more than a thousand stores that Femirise had, over three hundred of them had been closed this year. If Femirise did not do well with its online sales, surely Charles would eliminate them. As his brother, Miguel was deeply concerned about this. It was the first time Elise had encountered such a cold interrogation from Miguel after being by the For a moment, she panicked. ¡°Mr. Johnson, I-I didn''t!¡± She was certain she had not offended anyone recently. Strictly speaking, that was not true. If she had to choose, then she would say it would be Katherine and Sophia. However, the two of them did note from powerful backgrounds. Like Elise, Katherine used to be someone from the entertainment industry, while Sophia was merely the director of Specter Entertainment. What connection could they possibly have with Girl''s Heart? Regardless, Miguel was having none of it. ¡°I don''t care if you did or didn''t. I''ll give you three days to apologize to whoever it is. Or else, you''re on your own from now on!¡± ¡°Mr. Johnson, please listen to me¡ª¡± Beep! She was cut off abruptly by Miguel, who ended the call. Hanging up the phone, Elise lost her calmpletely. Mary, who was standing beside her, immediately asked her, ¡°What''s going on? What did Mr. Johnson say?¡± ¡°He said he would give me three days to apologize to the other party, but I don''t even know who I have offended!¡± Mary pondered for a while but failed to think of anyone either. ¡°Forget it. Stop thinking about it for now. You still have a flight to catch!¡± Coincidentally, the moment Elise arrived at the airport, she ran into Katherine, who was flying back to Jadeborough as well. Katherine had no idea what Sophia had done. She was just in a good mood because Elise was not. ¡°Well, well. You don''t look too happy. Why? Are you not feeling well?¡± After posting on Twitter, Katherine noticed most of thementers had the same stance as her. As such, she was in a terrific mood. I just knew theizens were observant and smart enough! Unwilling to back off, Elise pursed her lips. ¡°No. Maybe I''ve been walking too fast.¡± What a hypocrite! Katherine cursed internally. As she was about to say something, Jonice tugged on her arm slightly. She tilted her head and nced at Jonice. Then, she hummed in response reluctantly. ¡°Okay.¡± Upon saying that, she put on her sunsses and refused to talk to Elise anymore. Meanwhile, Elise sat there and stared at Katherine. She tried to speak many times but kept hesitating. Her rivalry with Katherine hadsted so many years, and she had never admitted defeat to thetter''s face before. How could I give in to her this time? Sophia was unaware that her move had paid off as she drove her car toward the mansion. The sun at noon was slightly warm, but the wind was still freezingly cold. Turning down a side road, Sophia thought she was seeing things when she spotted the car at the gates. It was only after she got closer that she realized she was not mistaken. Alexander was at her house''s gates. As she recalled the kiss yesterday, her expression gradually turned stony. Upon reaching the gates, she took out the remote control and pressed it to open the gates. She had no intention of stopping to meet Alexander. Yet, Alexander walked right to the front of her car and stood in the way. If Sophia insisted on going in, she would have to knock him down and drive over his body. It''s against thew to kill someone, and it''s not worth it to ruin my life over this. Stopping the car, Sophia rolled down the car window and stared at the approaching Alexander. She raised her brows slightly. ¡°Do you know that your behavior is considered harassment to me?¡± ¡°I want to confirm something with you.¡± Lowering his head, he stared at her with a calm look, as though nothing had happened the previous day. He is really something. Sophia bit her lip slightly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Have we met before?¡± Sophia was stunned momentarily as she did not expect him to ask that. After regaining her senses, she let out a chuckle. ¡°If you think we''ve met before, then I''m sorry, it wasn''t me. As far as I remember, we met for the first time that year.¡± She knew what he was asking, but there was no way she would let him find out that she had been into him since that long ago. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. It''s so embarrassing, and it''s not worth it at all. Alexander furrowed his brows slightly. ¡°I mean when you were in your high school or junior high. More than ten years ago.¡± ¡°No.¡± Her response was firm. ¡°Then why did you say that you loved me?¡± He cut to the chase right away. Sophia rarely failed to answer a question. Still, she was not one to willingly surrender. ¡°Does loving someone have to do with how long I''ve known him?¡± ¡°You met me ten years ago, Sophia.¡± He gazed at her, his tone confident. For a fleeting moment, Sophia wanted to retort, ¡°So what if I did?¡± She had divorced him now. Not to mention, she had endured enough pain in the past three years. There was no way she would give him the chance to hurt her again. A gust of wind blew over, ruffling her hair. Raising her hand to sweep back some errant locks, she looked at him with a smile so wide her eyes curved into crescents. ¡°Alexander, you probably haven''t woken up from your dream, have you?¡± Upon saying that, she stomped on the elerator and drove off. Through the rearview mirror, she saw that Alexander was still standing there, staring at her car as it disappeared. Sophia was in a foul mood. As soon as she entered the garage, her face darkenedpletely. Katherine was right. He''s such a jerk! Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Alexander was confident that he had met Sophia when he was twenty years old. However, Sophia refused to admit it, and she did not seem to be lying, judging from her expression. Also, they had already divorced. If Sophia had admitted it, it could have been advantageous for her. However, she refused to acknowledge it. The gates to the mansion were already closed. Even the entrance to the garage was locked already. Alexander stood at the gates for a few more seconds before returning to his car. The winter wind was strong and harsh, but he did not seem to feel it. He bent his head to smoke a cigarette after lowering the car window. Before they divorced, he did not even know that Sophia had her own private mansion here. In actual fact, he was already doubtful prior to his arrival. Ever since he had that dream, he felt as if he had been stuck in a whirlpool these past few days. After struggling for these few days, he finally could not help bute over here to get an answer. However, Sophia said that it was not the case. He should have heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that. However, he only felt the weight on his chest increase. If they had really met ten years ago, that would mean that all the words she previously said were the truth. Then again, it was not a big deal since they were already divorced. However, every time he thought about the fact that they might have really met ten years ago, he felt an inexplicable sense of anxiousness. If it was true, Sophia had married him without any ulterior motives the entire time. He should have found this ironic, yet he was utterly unamused by it. It was only after their divorce that he realized he had feelings for her. At that moment, a ck Lexus came to a halt outside the gates of Sophia''s mansion. Then, a man stepped out of the car. Alexander recognized the man. He was the man talking to Sophia that day when she left the stage after singing. They know each other. Alexander could not help but furrow his brows as he watched the man pressing on the doorbell. His facial expression turned cold. Sophia''s mood had plummeted upon encountering Alexander on her way back. When the doorbell rang, she was sitting on the couch. She had no intention of opening the door. Soon, the doorbell rang again. Sophia furrowed her brows before walking to the balcony to take a look. When she saw that it was Stephen, she was momentarily stunned. Then, she turned around and headed downstairs to open the door for him. The wind was strong even though it was a warm afternoon. Sophia had a shawl draped over her shoulders as she walked toward the gates of her mansion. She arched her eyebrows. ¡°Has your wireless connection broken down again?¡± Stephen smiled. ¡°What happenedst time was abrupt, but the wireless connection has been fixed. My friend brought me a few boxes of cherries from abroad. Here''s a box for you.¡± Sophia wanted to reject it initially, but Stephen had already gone back to his trunk to take out a box of cherries. Hence, Sophia could only nod her head. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It''s normal for neighbors to be kind to each other.¡± Stephen nced at her before he stepped past the gates and headed toward her house, the box of cherries in his arms. Sophia pressed a button to close her gates and quickly moved in front of him so that she could lead the way. She walked into the kitchen and pointed to therge table in the middle. ¡°You can just ce it here.¡± Stephen obediently ced the cherries down as instructed. ¡°I heard you''re very busy, so I shall take my leave now.¡± He knew exactly when not to cross any lines, but Sophia hated owing favors. ¡°Today is fine. If you''re free, do you want to eat some oranges before you go?¡± Stephen arched his eyebrow in surprise. ¡°Won''t I be disturbing you?¡± ¡°No, you won''t.¡± Sophia smiled at him. ¡°You can sit down first. I''ll go and cut oranges for you.¡± The oranges had been sent by Yvonne''s family, and Yvonne had passed her a box two days ago. Sophia did not feel like eating them in the winter, so she had not eaten a single one even though it had almost been three days. She could finally use the oranges Yvonne gave her by giving them to Stephen. Sophia cut three oranges before bringing them out for Stephen. Then, she went to make a pot of coffee. Stephen found it intriguing when he overheard her calling Genie. ¡°Your smart home butler seems quite competent.¡± Stephen was Joshua''s ssmate, so she responded honestly, ¡°This is the new product developed by Joshua''spany. They submitted their applications the previous month, so you''ll probably see it in the market in a few months.¡± Stephen was slightly surprised. ¡°I know Joshua was developing AI robots, but I didn''t expect the smart home butlers to be so well-developed. Do you know that smart home butler is a trendy topic for future smart home systems? Many people have been trying to develop such products these past few years. However, to be honest, I haven''t even seen any mature products abroad or locally.¡± As one of the shareholders of Technology Innovations, she naturally knew about it. ¡°I''ve been using Genie for almost one year. There haven''t been any big problems so far.¡± ¡°Then Joshua will be able to monopolize this market.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Eat some oranges. They''re a gift from a friend.¡± Stephen left after he ate the oranges. This time, Sophia did not stop him. He gifted her cherries, and she invited him to eat oranges. To her, they were even now. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Although, she seemed to be the one who was on the beneficial end. Alexander was frustrated for the entire hour Stephen was inside Sophia''s mansion. There were many times when he wanted to storm into her mansion to see what they were up to. It took much effort for Alexander to hold himself back. In the end, he could only light a cigarette to quell his frustration. Just when he reached his limit, the gates to the mansion finally opened, and Stephen walked out. Alexander''s tense expression eased. He stared at the man getting in his car and prepared to leave too. In the next second, however, his expression darkened. The man''s car only moved back slightly before entering the mansion beside Sophia''s. So, there''s a man harboring wicked intentions living next to my ex-wife? Alexander''s indifferent expression became grim. He took out his phone and dialed Felix''s number. There was a meeting at three o''clock, and it was already a quarter past two. However, Alexander was still not in thepany, so Felix was already nning to give him a call. He did not expect Alexander to call him before he could take out his phone to do so. Felix heaved a sigh of relief and quickly connected the call. ¡°Mr. Xenos, you have a meeting at thre¡ª¡± ¡°Help me investigate a person. His name is Stephen Goodstone.¡± Felix was puzzled. ¡°Mr. Xenos, who is he?¡± ¡°He''s the man living in the mansion next to Sophia!¡± Felix was even more surprised. ¡°Mr. Xenos, are you at Ms. Yarrow''s ce?¡± Alexander had hung up the phone. As expected, the cold-hearted CEO won''t even give his subordinates a chance to gossip. Although he did not receive Alexander''s answer, Felix had been by thetter''s side for a long time and had noticed his strange behavior recently. To be honest, he really wanted to confront Alexander to tell him to stop feeling conflicted as he had indeed fallen for his ex-wife. Of course, Felix did not have the guts to do so. However, it seemed that his cold-blooded boss had also realized it. Felix suddenly remembered Sophia had asked him to ry a sentence to Alexander the day the couple had divorced. In an instant, he did not know whether to feel delighted or sorry for Alexander. Mr. Xenos will have a long way to go to get her back. Chapter 63 Chapter 63 nning to propose on New Year''s Eve, Joshua booked a hotel and told Katherine he was going on a business trip. As he could not return, Sophia would be bringing her around. Having been friends with the couple from young till now¡ªa span of more than twenty years¡ªSophia had to shoulder the responsibility of making Joshua''s proposal a sess. Katherine believed Joshua and was stillining to Sophia upon reaching thetter''s mansion. ¡°I''m quite angry as I specifically rushed back to celebrate New Year''s Eve with him. Yet, he''s going on a business trip!¡± cing the washed cherries on the table, Sophiamented, ¡°So you''re disappointed I''m celebrating New Year''s Eve with you?¡± ¡°No, no, no!¡± Being a fence-sitter, Katherine immediately switched sides. ¡°Don''t worry, Soph! In my heart, you''re the best! No one can rece you!¡± Sophia did not believe her ttery and gave a half-smile. ¡°Eat some cherries.¡± ¡°Where are we going to eatter?¡± she huffed. ¡°Maybe Cassiopeia Hotel?¡± Katherine pondered for a moment before agreeing. ¡°Okay.¡± Hugging the bowl of cherries, she asked, ¡°These cherries are pretty good. Where did you buy them?¡± ¡°My neighbor gave it to me.¡± The instant Sophia finished speaking, Katherine leaned in and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at the former. ¡°Something is going on, Soph.¡± Sophia raised her hand to block Katherine''s face. ¡°What are you talking about? It''s just out of courtesy,¡± she replied impassively. ¡°Sit here for a while. I''m going upstairs to change my clothes.¡± ¡°Oh yes! Remember to do your makeup and wear a pretty dress. It''s New Year''s Eve tonight, so we may meet some familiar faces at Cassiopeia Hotel.¡± Sophia stopped in her tracks and nced back at her. ¡°All right.¡± Well, Joshua is proposing to Katherine today. Being their witness, I should dress up. Just when Sophia finished doing her makeup, Joshua sent her a message saying that the venue had been decorated already. She had just finished texting Joshua back when Katherine walked in and dered, ¡°Let me see if you dressed up.¡± Sophia turned around to look at Katherine and arched her eyebrows. ¡°How''s this? Are you satisfied?¡± ¡°Yes! Very!¡± Katherine eximed, clicking her tongue before entering Sophia''s walk-in closet. ¡°Let me pick a dress for you!¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± Sophia replied casually. Then, she lowered her head to send another text to Joshua before locking her phone screen and walking into her closet. There were lots of clothing in her closet, but she rarely wore most of them. In total, she had only four or five formal gowns. When buying clothes, she did not bother about the brand as long as it feltfortable on her skin. Besides, she looked good wearing anything, even rags, due to her gorgeous face. After being a celebrity for so many years, Katherine had acquired the bad habit of not wearing the same clothes twice, so she ignored all the dresses she had seen Sophia in. Finally, her gazended on a long, ck, slinky dress with a crossover neckline. She immediately stretched her hands to take out the dress. ¡°Wear this inside.¡± Upon seeing the dress, Sophia froze for a minute. I bought this dress to attend Odyssey''s annual dinner the year I married Alexander. However, even though I got the dress, he never asked me to go. The dress was evidence of her three years of unreciprocated love. She had wanted to throw the dress away, but in the end, she kept it to remind herself not to be so foolish again in the future. However, she did not expect Katherine to find it. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What''s wrong? Is there a problem with the dress?¡± Sophia gathered her thoughts and nced at her friend calmly. ¡°There''s nothing wrong with the dress.¡± ¡°Oh, then there''s something wrong with the dress'' owner?¡± Having been friends for so long, Katherine immediately understood. ¡°That was in the past,¡± Sophia replied, taking the dress from Katherine. Sophia was at peace with herself now. Startled, Katherine could only watch as Sophia entered the dressing room to change into the dress. When she regained her senses, Sophia had already pulled apart the curtains and was walking toward her wearing the gown. ¡°Is this okay?¡± Gazing at Sophia before her, Katherine gulped. ¡°It''s great.¡± The dress had a simple design with a small hollow hole near the chest area that revealed some cleavage. Though she looked alluring, she did not look shy. The bottom of the dress was straight and clung to Sophia''s curves, showing off her figure. The ck of the dress made one seem dignified and graceful, while the design of the crossover neckline was alluring but not provocative. A woman''s sexiness and elegance¡ªtwo contradictory characteristics¡ªwere thus equally exemplified. Combined with Sophia''s beautiful face, Katherine knew she would be attracted to the former if not for Joshua. Naturally, Sophia saw the look of awe on Katherine''s face. Raising her brows, Sophia remarked, ¡°Close your jaw.¡± Katherine hurriedly wiped her chin. ¡°Phew. I''m not drooling.¡± Laughing, Sophia replied, ¡°Come on!¡± As Katherine was an A-list actress, she was also dressed extravagantly to go out at this special time of the year. Walking toward her dressing table, Sophia picked out a lipstick and handed it to Katherine. ¡°Reapply your lipstick, and let''s go.¡± ¡°Okay, Ms. Beautiful,¡± Katherine replied, giving Sophia a flirtatious wink, reenacting the behavior of a hooligan perfectly. She even stroked Sophia''s hand when taking the lipstick. However, Sophia only stared at her nonchntly while she acted, and a sense of embarrassment soon washed over Katherine. Katherine stopped acting and properly reapplied her lipstick. ¡°I''m done, Soph. Let''s go!¡± ncing back at her, Sophia made sure Katherine''s makeup was wless before nodding. As Katherine did not bring her car, Sophia sat in the driver''s seat with sneakers after cing her high heels in the backseat. Thest rays of sunlight disappeared beyond the horizon, and the sky was pitch-ck though it was not even seven o''clock yet. Half an hourter, Sophia stopped her car. The two got into the elevator and went to the top floor of Cassiopeia Hotel. When the elevator doors slid open, they realized the entire floor was unbelievably silent. It was not Katherine''s first time in Cassiopeia Hotel, and it was New Year''s Eve, so it was abnormal for the space to be dead quiet. ncing at Sophia, Katherine asked, ¡°Did someone book this ce tonight? If not, why isn''t there anyone here at this hour?¡± Sophia lowered her gaze. ¡°Let''s take a look first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two walked toward the door in their heels and saw that though the doors were open, it was dark inside as if they were closed. Sophia took a step back to give Katherine more space to make her appearance as the star of the event, but suddenly, someone grabbed Sophia''s wrist. Furrowing her brows, she turned around and saw Alexander, who was there for some reason unknown to her. Immediately, Sophia''s face darkened. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°You can''t¡ª¡± he began before being interrupted by Katherine''s excited scream. He frowned and tilted his head to see Katherine running straight toward Joshua inside the venue before hugging him, thrilled. ¡°Why are you here? Aren''t you on a business trip?¡± Kneeling on one knee, Joshua dered, ¡°I did go on a business trip, but the destination is your heart. I want it to be a long trip so I can stay there forever, but I don''t know whether I will have the chance.¡± Meanwhile, Alexander was frozen stiff. Samuel had called him, saying Joshua had booked Cassiopeia Hotel and was likely going to propose. Indeed, Joshua was proposing, though not to Sophia but to Katherine. Chapter 64 Chapter 64 In his thirty-one years of life, Alexander had never felt as awkward as right now. He stood there, and upon meeting Sophia''s alluring eyes, he froze. Sophia was not interested in hearing his exnation either. ncing at Joshua, who was proposing, she frowned and dered, ¡°This ce is fully-booked. Change a ce if you are meeting someone here,¡± before entering the venue. She gave Alexander an excuse to make it less embarrassing for him, but she could not care less whether Alexander would go along with it. As he looked at her walk past him, he noticed she was wearing a ck dress. The crossover neckline vaguely showed her cleavage, and the tight dress hugged her curves. She looks gorgeous and sexy. Desire coursed through him, and his Adam''s apple bobbed. Just when he was about to follow her, two attendants who suddenly appeared at the door stopped him. ¡°Excuse me, sir, but this ce is reserved today.¡± Staring at Sophia, who had already made her way under the lights, he creased his brows. ¡°I''m their friend.¡± One of the attendants smiled politely. ¡°I''m sorry, sir, but thatdy asked us to stop you. She said you will affect Mr. Lewis'' proposal.¡± Alexander fell silent. Stopped by the attendants, he had no way of entering. Upon hearing the attendant''s words, Alexander''s face turned sour. When he nced inside again, he noticed Stephen was present too, and his face darkened even more. He did not try to barge into the venue and instead turned and walked to a corner. Taking his phone out, he called Samuel. Stephen is rted to the Schild family, so I can ask Samuel to take Stephen away. That guy is an eyesore. However, the instant Samuel picked up, he asked Alexander, ¡°Since you''re calling me at this hour, does it mean Sophia epted Mr. Lewis'' proposal?¡± What nonsense is he spouting? ¡°Joshua is Katherine''s boyfriend.¡± Realizing he had given Alexander the wrong piece of information, Samuel felt a shiver run down his spine. ¡°Uh, I suddenly remembered my mom asked me to give my cousin¡ª¡± ¡°Put that aside first. Find an excuse and get Stephen out of here,¡± Alexander interjected. Not bothering to expose Samuel''s lie, Alexander immediately exined the purpose of his call. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What does Stephen have to do with it?¡± Samuel had only known Stephen was the godson of his aunt recently. ¡°Since you have so many questions, why don''t you be a reporter?¡± Not in the mood to continue talking, Alexander ordered, ¡°If Stephen doesn''t leave within five minutes, we''re going to have a little talk about what happened tonight.¡± Upon hearing those words, Samuel was terrified. ¡°Don''t worry, that''s not difficult. I will get him to leave immediately!¡± Alexander hung up the phone and looked in again. The proposal was a sess, and everyone who had been hiding revealed themselves. Stephen was standing beside Sophia and chatting with her. Though Alexander did not know what they were talking about, Sophia did not stop smiling. After the divorce, Sophia had always stared at him coldly. Instantly, Alexander''s face darkened, and he tightened his grip around his phone in displeasure. However, there was nothing he could do. Despite the polite smiles on the faces of the two attendants at the door, it was obvious they were keeping their eyes on him to prevent him from entering. Remembering it was on Sophia''s orders, Alexander felt fury boil up in him. Meanwhile, Sophia was listening to Stephen talk about how Joshua bought the flowers. Unlike most women, Katherine did not like roses but yellow daffodils originating in Epea. However, she loved fresh flowers like many women. When she was fifteen, she watched a movie where the female lead was touched by a field of yellow daffodils the male lead had prepared. That was the first time Katherine understood the concept of romanticism and love, so she had loved yellow daffodils ever since. Although there were domestically-cultivated yellow daffodils, the flowers looked vastly different from those grown in Epea. In order to fill the stage with yellow daffodils, Joshua had spent lots of manpower and money to transport the flowers by air from Epea. Thus, Stephen had been busy recently as he had to help Joshua buy the flowers and transport them back to the country. ¡°I always felt it was nice to stay single, but when I was on the ne, thinking about the favor Joshua asked of me, I realized it is amazing to be able to find someone who you would go to such lengths for.¡± Sophia arched her eyebrows. ¡°All these couples are why us single people are crying.¡± Stephen was confused for a moment before understanding her meaning. ¡°You''re right! We even have to see them being lovey-dovey now. I hope during the wedding, you can be more ruthless and don''t let Joshua marry Katherine so easily,¡± he said,ughing. Chuckling, Sophia replied, ¡°Don''t worry. I''ve thought about what I''m going to do that day ever since they got together.¡± Just then, Stephen''s phone rang. Lowering his head, he nced at her. ¡°Let me take this call first.¡± Sophia nodded and raised her head to look at the couple on the stage before curling her lips slightly. Mason walked over and asked, ¡°Soph, do you feel envious?¡± Looking up at him, she asked back, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Of course I''m envious! Tsk! What is Katherine thinking? Why is she making us look at them being all lovey-dovey?¡± ¡°Thepany did not forbid you from dating, though.¡± Suddenly, Mason bent his head to look at her. ¡°Yes, but my future girlfriend hasn''t agreed to date me yet,¡± he answered with an innocent and sincere look. The corners of Sophia''s eyes crinkled in a smile. ¡°I''m not going to satisfy your wish of retiring twenty years early.¡± Her tactful rejection made things less awkward for him. ¡°That''s all right. Dreams are what separate us from other creatures,¡± Mason responded casually. ¡°Tsk. You may want to change a dream.¡± ¡°How can I change a dream so easily?¡± Just then, Stephen walked over and informed her, ¡°I have to attend to something, so I need to leave first. Help me tell Joshua.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Sophia agreed. Before leaving, Stephen shed her a smile. Then, he turned and walked off. Narrowing his eyes, Mason asked, ¡°Soph, does he want to pursue you?¡± Sophia walked away to get a drink. ¡°I can''t read his thoughts. How would I know?¡± However, since Mason could tell, Sophia naturally knew too. The fact that she did not admit it meant she was not interested in Stephen. Mason tactfully changed the topic. ¡°Soph, you will be attending ourpany''s annual dinner, right?¡± Snorting, Sophia asked, ¡°Why? Are you nning to make me witness another special event?¡± As she had seen through him, Mason rubbed his nose awkwardly. ¡°I only want to see you more often. After all, you''re dazzling. Even a few more looks at you makes me feel lucky.¡± Like all women, Sophia enjoyed listening to praise. Sheughed and responded, ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll be there.¡± While they chatted, dinner began. As it was one of the rare instances everyone could rx, Sophia drank some alcohol. When the clock struck twelve, she leaned against the railing of the balcony and stared at the fireworks in the sky. She could not help but smile. How wonderful. It''s the start of a new year. Chapter 65 Chapter 65 Since Sophia consumed some alcohol earlier, she could not drive anymore. Mason offered to send her home, but she refused and hired a chauffeur instead. The final day of the year was over, and another year had arrived. Although it was past midnight, there were still many people on the streets. Leaning against her car window, she looked at the young couples on the streets, smiling a little. The chauffeur was a young man who looked like a university student. When he saw Sophia in the parking lot earlier, he was taken aback and could not speak properly. When Sophia smiled at him, he instantly blushed. Although the young man was not as good-looking as Mason and Howard, he knew how to carry himself. His hair was styled in a pretty cool way, and the way he dressed looked neat. He looked quite young and seemed a little shy. Sophia did not even dare to tease him because she was afraid that he could not take it. She was silent the entire time after she got into the car. When the car stopped at a red light, the chauffeur turned to look at her to see if she was awake. To his surprise, she was smiling at him. In that instant, he felt as if his heart was going to jump out of his chest. Since he became a chauffeur a year ago, it was his first time meeting a beautiful woman like Sophia at the job. Her outfit was quite sexy, but it was not too shy. Besides, her good looks made her look like a fairy from a fairy tale that he used to hear when he was little. It was not that he had not met any beautiful women during his job before, but it was the first time he met someone like Sophia. In his eyes, she was cold but not high and mighty, gentle but a little distant. Her aura is definitely something! Before long, the car reached her mansion. She unbuckled her seatbelt and rubbed her temples. ¡°Thank you.¡± With that, she smiled as she got out of the back seat and walked over to the driver''s seat with the intention of driving her car into her mansion. However, at that moment, she noticed the lights from another car''s headlights that shone in her eyes. Stopping in her tracks, she spotted the door of the ck car was pushed open, and Alexander got out of the car. Seeing that, she furrowed her brows. To be honest, she did not want to see him more than ever that night. It was possible that she realized how stupid she had been for the past three years after she saw Katherine and Joshua''s love. Ironically, the more she did not want to see him, the more he would appear before her. Sophia stretched out her hand to shield her eyes from the light as she sobered up and looked at him coldly. ¡°This better be thest time you''re doing this. I can call the police right now.¡± That was what she said right after she parted her mouth. Alexander''s face fell a little. The hardship that he had gone through because of Sophia was more than everything he had experienced for the past thirty-one years. He left Cassiopeia Hotel around eight o''clock in the evening and simply ate something from his cold condominium. After Samuel asked him if he wanted to go out for a drink in the group chat, he agreed to go since he was in a bad mood. Samuel did not book a private room, and the noise at the booth was terrible. The entire bar was almost destroyed by the noise when everyone was counting down to the new year. When he was sitting at the booth, the only thing on his mind was Sophia. Who will she be counting down with? Stephen''s gone, but he''s not the only man around her. Ah. There''s that actor called Mason. All he has is his looks. Without that pretty face, he''s nothing. To be honest, he isn''t that good-looking, anyway. I''m even more handsome than he is. Alexander had no idea where Sophia would be because she hadpletely blocked his number, WhatsApp, and every other social media ounts he had. Hence, he could only wait for her toe back in front of her house. He had been waiting there for over thirty minutes before she got home, and he rang her doorbell several times. However, no one responded. It was obvious that she had not returned. He had no idea why he was there, either. I''m here to ask about her rtionship with Stephen and Mason, right? Wait... Now that I''ve calmed down a little... I''m only her ex-husband now. What right do I have to ask her about her rtionship? Before Sophia said anything, Alexander wanted to ask her why she was only home at that hour. The entire night, he was easily irritated and annoyed. However, those feelings intensified after he saw her. ¡°Did you drink?¡± As his words fell, he realized he had asked something useless. Obviously, Sophia had no intention of answering him, so she took out her phone and pressed the number of the police station. ¡°I''ll call the police if you don''t leave right now. There are surveince cameras on my doorstep, and this isn''t the first time that you''re here to see me. I don''t think that you, the CEO of Odyssey, want a scandal about you stalking your ex-wife in the headlines tomorrow, right?¡± Her words were like needles stabbing into his heart. Alexander''s heart ached from that, but he tried his best to suppress it. ¡°Can''t we talk about things nicely?¡± Sophia looked at him for a while before closing the door of her car. ¡°Fine. Tell me, what else do we have to talk about between us?¡± Looking at him indifferently, she stopped being hostile like she was a while ago. Yet, he could not get used to the calmness in her eyes. Gulping, he started, ¡°I''m sorry for my arrogance, my prejudice toward you, and for misunderstanding you in the past.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Sophia replied indifferently and said nothing else. He took another step toward her until the distance between them was only at an arm''s length. Lowering his head, he could clearly see her face. Not once had he looked so closely at her before despite knowing she was a beauty. However, because of his prejudice toward her as a ¡°gold-digger,¡± he was repulsed by her beauty instead of being drawn by it. It was because he was convinced that Sophia had used her beauty to get what she wanted before he came along. He only realized how wrong he had been after the divorce. Unfortunately, it was toote now that it had already happened. When he recalled that, his face fell. ¡°Anything else?¡± Sophia asked after some time. He stared at her. In his eyes, she looked like the same Sophia he knew, but also a different person at the same time. He knew if he was not the one for her, there would always be someone else. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She''s a good and outstanding woman. One day, she will meet a man who truly loves her for who she is. He had no idea if the feeling he had for her then was love or regret. No matter what, it was merely an act of self-humiliation. What''s the point, right? Since he had spent his entire life being arrogant, humbling himself to apologize to her was the most he couldpromise. ¡°No, that''s all. Good night.¡± ncing at him, she stated, ¡°I hope I won''t see you in front of my house anymore.¡± With that, she got into her car and drove slowly into the mansion after her gate opened. She knew Alexander wanted to say something else, given how he looked. However, since he did not say anything, she did not see the need to ask. Chapter 66 Chapter 66 By the time she arrived at the mansion, Sophia felt exhausted. She was not entirely sure why she was that worn out but conjectured that it was probably due to the repeated encounters with Alexander. That made her feel quite distressed. ¡°Genie, fill the tub for me.¡± Sophia was yet to sober up from the alcohol. Thus, she requested Genie to fill the tub only after sitting on the couch for a while. Not long after, her phone on the couch lit up. She tilted her head to nce at it and discovered that it was a message sent by Stephen. Raising her brows, Sophia tapped on the message and gave a simple reply: I just returned home. Immediately, Stephen asked: Do you want supper? Admittedly, Sophia only had some apaniments that night but not many main courses. Sophia: I''m a little tired. That text was not a turning down but the truth. Still, Sophia could not control how Stephen would think of it. Stephen: I''ll deliver the food to your doorstep. What do you say? When she saw that message, Sophia froze a little. Then she responded: I won''t grieve my stomach then. Stephen sent an emoticon in response: I''ll arrive in thirty minutes, President Yarrow. Upon seeing thosest two words, Sophia could not help but chuckle as she typed: Okay. Once again, Stephen sent an emoji, but Sophia did not reply to that text. Concerning the slim-fitting dress she was wearing, even though it was beautiful, it had a high requirement for people''s figures. That was why she had little food that night. She was worried that her belly would unwittingly bulge. If that had happened, she would undoubtedly be aughingstock. Before Stephen arrived, Sophia went to take a shower. A few momentster, the doorbell rang while she was drying her hair. It was eighty percent dry at that time. Turning off the blow-dryer, she put on a coat and headed downstairs to open the door. At the moment, the weather was exceedingly cold on that first day of the new year. Contrary to the outside, it was warm as spring inside the house. As soon as she stepped out of the house, Sophia shivered. Unlike her previous leisureliness, she sprinted over to open the door. A rich smell of barbecue filled her nose before Stephen even stepped in. ncing down, she uttered, ¡°It smells delicious.¡± ¡°This food is known as the king of suppers. Hope you''ll like it.¡± While walking in front, the woman responded, ¡°I''m not a picky eater.¡± Once they entered the mansion, Sophia took a pair of standby slippers and ced them beside Stephen''s feet. She then went to the kitchen to get the tes and cutlery beforeing out. ¡°Have a seat. I have prepared some pear crumble tarts.¡± Sophia pointed at the dining table when she spoke. Unhesitatingly, Stephen put the food in his hand on the table before taking off his thick coat and scarf. He then sat down and began to unwrap the packaging. During winter, preserving the heat of takeouts was the hardest, not to mention barbecued food. Hence, Stephen purposely requested someone to wrap the food with aluminum foil and change the takeaway boxes to ones with heat preservation. Consequently, the barbecued food was still warm as when Stephen bought it, even though it took him almost twenty minutes to arrive at Sophia''s house. A whileter, Sophia brought the pear crumble tarts out. When she smelled that mouthwatering aroma, she licked her lips. ¡°It''s been a while since I''ve had barbecued food.¡± ¡°I thought you won''t like it.¡± Stephen received the tarts from Sophia while smiling. ¡°I like everything tasty.¡± Following those words, Sophia moved the teapot over to herself and continued, ¡°Here''s Earl Grey tea. Drink as much as you want.¡± With that, she poured a cup for herself and took a sip. Then, she picked some barbecued chives and lifted her head to look at Stephen. ¡°I''ll dig in then.¡± ¡°Don''t mind me. Go ahead.¡± In truth, Sophia did not say those words to Stephen out of politeness. The second Stephen finished speaking, Sophia lowered her head and began to munch the food. After having the chives, she thought of something and asked, ¡°There''s pineapple wine in the fridge. Do you want to try some?¡± Shaking his head, the man answered, ¡°I don''t like to drink alcohol.¡± In response, Sophia arched her eyebrows. ¡°That''s rare.¡± ¡°Well, that''s my habit.¡± ¡°That''s a pretty good habit.¡± Sophia smiled. Given that they both were quite hungry, they did not talk too much but focused on eating. After the fulfilling meal, Sophia wiped away the grease around her mouth and drank some Earl Grey tea. She then shed a half-smile while looking at Stephen. ¡°Let me guess. You didn''t merely want someone to have supper with you.¡± Witnessing Sophia''s remarkable intelligence, Stephen broke out inughter. ¡°I need your help indeed.¡± ¡°I''m all ears.¡± Sophia''s straightforwardness made Stephen feel somewhat embarrassed. Nheless, he said, ¡°All right. Let me exin. Earlier, I answered a call and headed out, right?¡± Sophia nodded but did not interrupt him. ¡°That call was from my mom''s best friend. She''s also my godmother. Even though my family has been abroad for many years, we have often kept in touch with my godmother''s family. Our rtionship is pretty good as well. Calling my godmother my second mother is no exaggeration.¡± Steven paused for a moment after speaking those utterances. He then proceeded, ¡°However, as you know, the older generation prefers young ones to start a family early. My mom did not think much about that years ago, but during these two years, she has begun to feel anxious when she sees that I''m still single. Also, my godmother introduced women to me after learning about my return to the country. I don''t like elders meddling in my business. Besides, there''s someone that I''m interested in now. Therefore, I told my godmother I already have a girlfriend and rejected her intention.¡± Those words were sufficient to make Sophia understand the situation. ¡°Hmm, you thought the matter hade to a close, but unexpectedly, your godmother told you she wants to meet your girlfriend. Correct?¡± Touching his nose, Stephen uttered, ¡°It''s melodramatic, isn''t it?¡± Sophia spun the cup and responded, ¡°Not really.¡± Pausing for a while, she questioned, ¡°So, are you asking me to pretend to be your girlfriend? Is that why you came here tonight?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± Since Sophia had guessed it, Stephen decided not to conceal his purpose any longer. ¡°I''m not fond of lying,¡± Sophia uttered while staring at the cup before her. ¡°It''s all good. I acknowledge that I''m asking too much of you.¡± Stephen took Sophia''s words kindly. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I can make an exception this time, though. That''s because I want to ask you for a favor as well.¡± The sudden turn of events was something Stephen did not anticipate. ¡°What difficulty have you encountered?¡± he queried. ¡°I won''t deem it as a difficulty. Regardless, it''s rted to my divorce. I believe you already know that things did not go too well back then. Presently, my ex-husband may be a little out of his mind. I wish to bring him back to his senses.¡± Hearing that, Stephen furrowed his brows. ¡°Is he pestering you?¡± ¡°Strictly speaking, no. However, I hate dealing with bothersome stuff. Since we both need something, we should work together for mutual benefit.¡± Looking at Sophia, Stephen saw that her countenance was still the same as before but discovered that her aura had thoroughly changed. In the blink of an eye, it was as if they had turned from casual conversation mode to business partner mode. At any rate, they were discussing a coboration of mutual benefit. On top of that, the current Sophia had a charisma that Steven had never seen in other women. He felt his heart pulsating pretty fast at the moment and failed to realize the underlying meaning behind Sophia''s words. Shortly afterward, Steven kept his mind in check and reached out his hand. ¡°Looking forward to working with you, then.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± Sophia also smiled as Steven did and shook his hand. Currently, the mansion was not only quiet butfortable. Stephen felt a little reluctant to leave but recognized that he would be a bother if he continued to stay. ¡°It''s gettingte. I should head back now.¡± Looking at her watch, Sophia noted it was gettingte indeed. ¡°Okay.¡± While he was about to stand up and leave, Stephen suddenly remembered something. ¡°Oh, one more thing. Tomorrow''s a holiday for the New Year, and my godmother wants me to bring my girlfriend to their house for a meal. Are you all right with that?¡± Sophia was not an indecisive individual. Since they had already agreed to their partnership, she would never decline that request from Stephen. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It''s settled then. We''re having dinner, so you don''t need to wake up early.¡± ¡°If you told me it''s lunch, I might reject it.¡± Soon afterward, Stephen departed with a bag of trash in his hand. Sophia could not help but yawn while watching him leave. I feel so sleepy. Time to sleep, then. Chapter 67 Chapter 67 Sophia had not gone to bedte for a long time now. She ended up sleeping until ten-thirty in the morning. When she woke up, it was already bright outside. The curtains were drawn automatically and revealed the not-so-pleasant weather outside. My head hurts. Staying upte was not a good idea. She grabbed her phone and saw that Katherine sent her some mary gift at eight in the morning. It made herugh, and she replied with a sticker. Okay, I''m in a good mood this morning. In the afternoon, she made herself a te of pasta. After lunch, she watched a movie. When the clock struck four o''clock, Stephen sent her a message to inform her that he would fetch her at six. She nced at the cloudy weather and got up to apply a face mask followed by make-up. Since it was a coboration on their part, she had to be sincere in her role. She had plenty of experiences when it came to meeting the elders, but they were all not good experiences for Sophia. None of the elders in the Xenos family liked her, so those experiences were deemed useless. However, she and Stephen were not an actual couple, so she did not feel stressed out. All she needed to do was to present herself as someone elegant and gracious. Whether she gained Stephen''s godmother''s favor did not matter to her. Worried that the mealter would not be up her alley, Sophia ate two pieces of toast before leaving the house. At six in the evening, Stephen arrived to fetch her on time. Sophia wore a Clovile beige gown with Arterius'' overcoat and paired it with Lucent''s ankle boots and a matching Clovile beige handbag. Shepleted her look with light makeup and cherry red lips. Her final look was pure and elegant¡ªthe type that elders generally preferred. When Stephen saw her, he was surprised. Just the night before, Sophia looked charismatic and sexy, but now, she had transformed into an elegant and sophisticateddy. It turned out that she could pull off both styles perfectly. ¡°You look pretty.¡± He opened the car door for her and ced a hand above her head as she got into the car. Sophia smiled. ¡°Thank you. I hope your godmother likes it.¡± ¡°She likes good looking people.¡± She only gave him a look and did not continue the conversation. The ck Mercedes-Benz drove out of the mansion and pulled up in front of a block of white mansions half an hourter. Stephen announced, ¡°We''ve arrived. Are you nervous?¡± She took off her seatbelt and turned to look at him. ¡°Will I sound unprofessional if I say I''m not?¡± He was stunned and then chuckled. ¡°Rather than a professional-sounding answer, I like it better when you''re honest.¡± After speaking, he went around the car and opened the door for her. Sophia followed him to the mansion''s main door. They rang the doorbell, and it did not take long for a middle-aged man toe out running to answer the door. ¡°Mr. Fowler, it''s me,¡± Stephen called out. ¡°Oh! It''s you, Mr. Stephen. This must be your girlfriend. She''s beautiful!¡± Stephen did not deny the im and introduced the middle-aged man to Sophia, ¡°This is Travis Fowler, the butler at my godmother''s house. He''s been working here for over three decades.¡± Then, he turned to Travis and said, ¡°Mr. Fowler, this is my girlfriend, Sophia.¡± Sophia smiled politely. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Fowler.¡± Travis was delighted. ¡°Hello! Now, hurry on inside. Madam has been waiting for a long time.¡± Stephen nodded and looked at Sophia. ¡°Let''s go inside.¡± The moment Sophia stepped into the mansion, she spotted an expensive vase. She swept a nce at it before following Stephen to the second floor. Someone who could be Stephen''s godmother must not be someone ordinary. Upon seeing Samuel, Sophia instinctively frowned. Meanwhile, Samuel also cursed in his mind when he saw her. At the same time, Stephen''s godmother walked down from the third floor. ¡°Is Stephen here? Is she your girlfriend? How pretty.¡± Upon seeing Sophia, Jessica''s facial expression stiffened briefly. However, she was a sophisticated woman over the years, so the hint of dislike in her expression faded quickly. She walked to them in a friendly manner. ¡°Aren''t you going to introduce us?¡± It was not the first time they met, but Jessica pretended not to know Sophia. How cunning. Sophia smiled and waited for Stephen to start. Meanwhile, Stephen did not suspect anything and genuinely believed Jessica liked Sophia. Hence, he quickly made the introduction. ¡°Godmother, this is Sophia Yarrow, my girlfriend. Sophia, she''s my godmother.¡± Sophia nodded politely. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Queen.¡± ¡°Hello. I thought Stephen was lying to me. Turns out he did find a girlfriend and a beautiful one at that!¡± Then, Jessica turned to Stephen and chided him yfully, ¡°This kid always gives me a surprise. I must tell your mother about this. She must keep a keen eye on Sophia, or else such a pretty girl might escape.¡± The way Jessica said it nearly convinced Sophia. However, Jessica had not treated her in this manner when she came with Alexander to Bruno''s birthday celebration. Right at that moment, a female''s voice chimed in, ¡°Mom, is Stephen here?¡± The person who ran downstairs was Megan. In the past, when Sophia was with Alexander for Bruno''s birthday, Megan had arrogantly asked if she had ever seen such a grand celebration. Looks like tonight''s dinner will be fun. Once Megan saw Sophia, her expression changed immediately. ¡°Mom, why is she-¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Jessica stopped her and interjected, ¡°She''s Stephen''s girlfriend, Sophia.¡± ¡°Girlfriend? What the-¡± Megan received a pinch and then pursed her lips. Stephen finally realized something. ¡°You know each other?¡± Megan spoke up. ¡°Who doesn''t? Everyone in Jadeborough knows of her. Stephen, she-¡± Jessica interrupted, ¡°Megan is so outgoing, so there''s a chance she might''ve met Ms. Yarrow before. Don''t mind her.¡± ncing at Megan, Stephen suspected Jessica''s words. He turned to Sophia and asked, ¡°Do you know Megan?¡± Sophia stood there and retained the same smile she wore earlier. ¡°I''ve met Ms. Queen several times.¡± Seeing how she reacted, Stephen did not continue probing. Then, Jessica immediately ushered everyone to the dining table. Sitting on the couch, Samuel had been contemting leaving. However, Jessica called out to him, ¡°Samuel,e here and eat!¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Samuel covered his eyes in despair. There was no way he could escape now. ¡°Okay. I''ll wash my hands first.¡± While washing his hands, he was shocked by the door suddenly closing, and he turned to find Megan standing beside him. ¡°Who are you trying to scare?¡± ¡°That''s not important. Samuel, do you know what is Sophia up to? Was Alexander not enough? And now she''s shifting her target to Stephen?¡± Megan inquired. Samuel disliked Sophia in the past because he was prejudiced. However, he realized that Sophia was not hateful after her divorce from Alexander. In fact, he thought Sophia was not that bad. Megan''s words upset him. He retorted, ¡°Where did you hear these from? When Sophia divorced Alexander, she never asked for alimony.¡± However, Megan did not believe him. ¡°Only idiots like you would believe that. Whatever. I''m going to see what she has up her sleeves.¡± Chapter 68 Chapter 68 ¡°Hey!¡± began Samuel. He wanted to warn Megan, but she ran off into the distance before he even had the chance to finish what he was saying. He gazed at her receding figure and paused in thought for a moment before he finally pulled out his phone and gave Alexander a call. He had no choice but to do so since they were good friends after all. That said, it seemed like the feeling wasn''t reciprocated as his ¡°good friend¡± hung up on him time and time again. Finally resigned to the fact that Alexander would not pick up his calls, Samuel had no other choice but to send him a private message via WhatsApp. Once done, he headed back to the table. At the moment, all could still be considered peaceful over at the dining table. Samuel naively believed that things would stay that peaceful and uneventful but inadvertently found himself to be the fuse that ignited theing conflict at the table. Just as he took his seat, Jessica purposefully introduced him to Sophia and said, ¡°Sophia, this is Samuel. He''s my nephew.¡± No sooner had she finished speaking did Megan suddenly speak up as well. ¡°Why are you going to all this trouble, Mom? Aren''t we all aware of just what kind of rtionship Samuel has with Alexander?¡± Megan''s words hade out rather oddly, and she seemed to imply something with the subtext. Seated at the table with them, Sophia remained expressionless as she stated, ¡°Ms. Queen is right, Mrs. Queen. I am acquainted with Samuel.¡± Even though Jessica shot Megan a warning nce, thetter clearly didn''t want to stop fanning the mes of impending conflict. She added, ¡°Why are you looking at me that way, Mom? I didn''t say anything wrong! Not to mention, everyone knows full well about Ms. Yarrow''s divorce from Alexander!¡± Jessica was ultimately still a prideful woman. While her godson Stephen''s affection orck thereof for Sophia was one thing, the very fact that he had brought someone else over for dinner changed things completely. Megan''s arrival clearly left Sophia in a difficult and possibly embarrassing situation. This was something that Jessica could not condone, and she eximed, ¡°Well? Are you staying to eat? If you aren''t, then just return to your room immediately. Since you''re so keen on bbering, why haven''t you been able to secure a job from all your job interviews yet?¡± Megan was riled up by this but ultimately decided not to pursue matters further. Stephen came to something of a realization as well, and he whispered to Sophia in a low voice, ¡°Shall I take you away?¡± Sophia tilted her head toward him and shot him a quick nce before she replied, ¡°It''s all right. This is nothing.¡± Inparison to the hell she had suffered previously, what had just transpired simply paled in comparison, and Sophia was naturally not too bothered by all this. Even if Megan were to leap to her feet and jab her finger toward her usingly whileunching into a tirade, Sophia was sure she would be able to find a calm way of infuriating the former even further. With that, she turned to look at Jessica and said, ¡°Ms. Queen is right. I''m sure everyone knows all about my divorce from Alexander. However, I''m guessing Stephen''s family doesn''t have any rule that forbids him from marrying a recent divorcee, correct?¡± Indeed, it didn''t matter how much of a fuss Megan kicked up or how much Jessica didn''t like her. Stephen was ultimately a member of the Goodstone family, and his affairs were none of their business. Jessica froze for a moment but quickly recovered and smiled as she replied, ¡°Let''s not quibble with her over all this, Sophia. She''s probably gotten irate and short-tempered from being cooped up at home for such a long period of time since she hasn''t been able to find a job. It''s not targeted at you. She''s like this all the time. Come on, let''s dig in. These are the lobsters that I specially arranged to have flown over. Try it out, and let me know if you like it.¡± For her part, Megan wasn''t an idiot either. Naturally, she was able to pick up on what Sophia was getting at with her words. As such, Megan simply snorted in response before she kept her silence. Samuel felt nothing but surprise at how things had developed. He had always assumed that Sophia was a scheming gold-digger that only pretended to be innocent. However, he truly had an eye-opening experience that day when he witnessed how Sophia had fiercely fired a salvo back at them. In hindsight, he realized that he should have made an audio recording of the incident to immortalize the moment. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Queen,¡± Sophia stated as she thanked Jessica politely. However, she didn''t move to touch so much as a shred of the lobster meat on her te. What Jessica felt toward Sophia at this moment could no longer be reduced to something as simple as mere dislike. As Stephen''s godmother, she was ultimately still someone thatmanded respect from Stephen and his acquaintances. However, Sophia refused to acknowledge this from the very second she stepped through the door. Time and time again, she had stubbornly addressed Jessica as ¡°Mrs. Queen.¡± What now? Does she think Stephen''s not good enough for her now? At that thought, Jessica sank further into her displeasure and unhappiness. Unfortunately, her behavior only reflected the realities of human nature. If others expressed interest in you, the instinctive reaction was to wonder what they were scheming or hoping to gain from the rtionship. Conversely, if they didn''t think much of you or treated you with disdain, then it meant they did not know how to appreciate something valuable that was right before their eyes. This was precisely what was happening to Jessica right now. Regardless of how Sophia viewed Stephen, Jessica would never be happy or find peace with it. As their sumptuous feast progressed, it was clear that Jessica viewed and treated Stephen like her biological son. However, Sophia wasn''t affected by the little disturbance that had darkened the start of their dinner. Once they were done with their meal, the group headed over to the living room where they lounged about on the couch. While this was going on, Stephen approached Sophia again and asked her if she wanted to take this opportunity to leave. However, Sophia rejected his proposal. Although she didn''t care about getting on the good side of the Queen family, she didn''t want Stephen to have a falling out with the Schild family either. For his part, he saw that she didn''t seem too ufortable with the current set of circumstances, so he had no choice but to stifle his desire to leave. He was well aware that Sophia didn''t have a good rtionship with both Jessica and Megan. However, he wasn''t privy to the exact details of their conflict. Even though Sophia and he were both guests today, he could still be considered to be a partial host of sorts and thus didn''t want to let Sophia suffer through too many grievances. Not long after the group settled down on the couch, Harold returned and was overjoyed the second he caught sight of Stephen. He rushed over and immediately dragged thetter off to the study with him as they began an animated discussion. Once Stephen left the room, Megan finally stopped holding herself back. Jessica followed suit and exhaled deeply before she lent Megan her implicit support. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you didn''t get the chance to get a good tour of our house thest time you were here, did you? Shall I show you around?¡± Megan offered. Faced with Megan''s suspiciously kind overture that reeked of a ploy, Sophia merely nced at her impassively and replied, ¡°Since Ms. Queen has offered so enthusiastically, I''ll dly take you up on your offer.¡± As she spoke, she raised her eyes and shot Megan an ambiguous smile. Megan was a little taken aback by the intensity of Sophia''s gaze and couldn''t help but feel a tinge of guilt. However, her mind flew back to what had transpired over dinner, and she steeled herself once more as she asked, ¡°Shall we?¡± Sophia grunted in agreement before she rose to her feet and followed after her. As he watched the scene unfold before his eyes, Samuel deliberated for a moment before he called out, ¡°Hang on. I''m feeling kind of bloated from dinner. I''ll join you on the tour.¡± Megan raised her eyebrows as she looked at him and asked, ¡°Didn''t you say you had something urgent to work on back in the office? That''s why you had to head back, correct?¡± ¡°They''ve resolved the issue. I don''t have to go back now,¡± replied Samuel. From N?velDrama.Org. Megan was rendered speechless by his reply. As she watched on from the side, Sophia shot Samuel another one of her vague smiles. He felt her gaze and lowered his head to look at her. It didn''t take long before they locked eyes, and Samuel''s heart felt a tinge of guilt. With what he was doing, he thought that he was deserving of being the best friend anyone could ask for. As Samuel followed behind them, Megan momentarily lost sight of how she wanted to deal with Sophia. Instead, she had no choice but to bring the both of them on a tour of her house and all her branded furnishings. When she introduced them to each and every painting that decorated her walls, it was more than obvious from her speech and mannerisms how much pride she took in them. However, Sophia''s face didn''t reveal so much as a shred of self-pity or shame even as she stood there and soaked in her affluent surroundings. Megan was infuriated and remarked, ¡°Oh! I''m sorry, I forgot. Ms. Yarrow, you did spend three years as Mrs. Xenos. I''m sure you''ve seen your fair share of all these famous pieces of artwork.¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows and replied, ¡°I don''t have much of an eye for these things. I can''t even tell if what I''m looking at is the real deal or a fake.¡± With just that one casual statement, she had mercilessly fired a shot at Megan once more. ¡°These paintings each cost several hundred thousand. We don''t stoop so low as to disy forgeries in this house!¡± eximed Megan in response. ¡°That wasn''t what I meant,¡± replied Sophia. In her urge to exin and defend her position, Megan couldn''t help but feel as if she had received a p in the face. She was so furious that her face had swelled a deep red. Her anger only intensified further when her gaze fell on Samuel. All of a sudden, a thought struck her mind, and she stated, ¡°Oh, yes. We have a rather expensive antique vase down below. Would you like to take a look? It''s worth more than three million!¡± No sooner had she spoken did she direct an expectant gaze at Sophia in her firm belief that the mention of the several million would be sufficient to move her. Sophia chuckled and replied, ¡°Sure.¡± She wanted to see just what Megan was up to. With that, the group headed down one level in search of the vase. Sophia had chanced upon it when she walked through the door. It was almost a certainty that no one else at the time could have priced that unassuming vase on the cab with a worth of over three million. However, Sophia''s eyes were immediately drawn to them. After she spent some time appreciating the view, she pulled out her phone and prepared to take some photos. At this, Megan coughed and asked, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, are you going to post it on your Instagram? Our family likes to adopt a low profile whenever possible. If you do go ahead to post this online, remember not to include any mention of our family at all.¡± Sophia snapped a few quick photographs before she kept her phone carefully away and turned to look at Megan. ¡°All right.¡± The frustration Megan felt was mounting as the next shot she fired at Sophia had missed yet again. She gritted her teeth before asking, ¡°The angle isn''t great at this position, is it? Why don''t you stand over here and take your photos?¡± Sophia gave it a moment''s thought before she really headed over to position herself where Megan had indicated. Once in position, she pulled out her phone and snapped more photos of the vase. Just as she finished keeping her phone away, someone suddenly shoved heavily into her from behind. Sophia couldn''t react in time and didn''t put up any form of resistance either. As such, she fell forward, straight into the path of the vase from earlier. Chapter 69 Chapter 69 Thud! The vase fell onto the floor and shattered in two. Sophia had knocked into the cab that the vase was on, and her back was in pain. Samuel did not think that Megan would be so daring. Harold had gone through a lot of effort to obtain the vase. He did not expect Megan to use the vase as part of her scheme. The vase had just fallen onto the floor when Megan eximed, ¡°My god! What are you doing? Can''t you even stand properly for a photo?¡± She decided to speak first and was confident that only three of them were present. She was betting that Samuel would help her instead of an outsider as they were cousins. Sophia had already known what Megan was up to when thetter asked her to walk over to take the photo. She had seen the camera that was ced diagonally from her. When she walked over, the camera angle was such that it would only capture her stumbling and breaking the vase, and not Megan, who pushed her from behind. Megan kept shouting and hurling abuse. Samuel could not bear it any longer and went to hold her back. Megan shot Samuel a look. ¡°Why are you holding me back? She was the one who broke the vase!¡± At that moment, Jessica, who was in the living room on the second floor, came running down. ¡°Meg, why are you screaming? What happened?¡± Upon seeing Jessica, Megan quicklyined, ¡°Mom! She broke Dad''s vase!¡± Jessica saw the vase that had broken in two, and her face turned pale. ¡°W-What happened? This vase-¡± ¡°What could have happened? It was her. She wanted to post a photo on Instagram. The angle here was better, so she walked over. In the end, she couldn''t stand properly and lunged toward the vase.¡± After Megan finished, she snorted and added, ¡°I don''t know if she did it intentionally!¡± The vase was Harold''s treasure. Even though it was ced at the main entrance, Harold would personally wipe the vase every now and then. No one else was allowed to touch the vase save for him. The reason why the vase was ced at the door was so that he could see it every time he returned home! Even if Jessica did not want to blow up the matter, things had developed beyond her control. Her expression calmed down instantly. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''m afraid that this is slightly problematic.¡± At that moment, Sophia, who had remained silent throughout, spoke up. ¡°Do you want me to compensate you?¡± Megan snorted again. ¡°Compensate? It''s worth three million! Can you afford it? Furthermore, this is an antique from the golden era. This vase is one of a kind. Even if you can afford thepensation, we won''t be able to obtain the exact same vase as a recement!¡± ¡°I shouldn''t have shown you around the house. It''s been so many years, but you still act like a country bumpkin!¡± she added. Samuel frowned. ¡°Megan! You''re going overboard!¡± ¡°How so? I wasn''t the one who broke the vase. The vase would not have broke if she stood properly for the photo!¡± Megan retorted. Although Megan was still hurling usations, her voice gradually became softer and softer after seeing Samuel''s expression. She was still fearful that he would expose the truth. Sophia shed a half-smile at Megan and responded calmly, ¡°It''s true that I''m a bumpkin.¡± After seeing how unfazed and unapologetic Sophia was, Jessica could no longer suppress herself. It was no longer a simple matter of whether she liked or disliked Sophia. ¡°There''s no need for you to say such things, Ms. Yarrow. You''re our guest, and it''s your fault that the vase broke. Meg is right. You do need topensate us. I''ll have to let my husband decide on thepensation.¡± Sophia chuckled lightly, and the phone in her bag suddenly rang at that very moment. She looked at Jessica and said, ¡°I''m sorry, Mrs. Queen, I''ll have to take a call.¡± Jessica''s face was grim, but she could not stop Sophia from taking a call. She looked at the vase that had broken in two and, with uneven breath, uttered, ¡°As you wish.¡± Sophia nced at Samuel and took her phone into the courtyard. She picked up the phone and asked, ¡°Have youpleted the investigation?¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow. Our vase is authentic. They came in a pair, but the owner sold them separately. One of them went to Mr. Goodstone, which is the one we acquired. The other went to the Chairman of Rising Group, and it has remained with him since. There are no records of any transactions.¡± Yvonne paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°The original owner told Mr. Goodstone that there is another way to verify their authenticity. The number of stamens in the second flower is the same as the number of flowers in the entire vase. I forwarded the photo which you sent me to an expert. He confirmed it is a counterfeit, worth no more than thirty thousand.¡± ¡°All right, understood,¡± acknowledged Sophia. After hanging up the call, Sophia looked back into the house and raised an eyebrow. Harold and Stephen had both arrived. Based on Harold''s expression, it seemed like the vase was indeed a dearly held treasure. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Sophia scoffed as she wondered if Megan would be beaten after this. She put away her phone and walked into the house. Stephen walked over to her and asked concernedly, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sophia shook her head, then smiled at Harold. ¡°Mr. Queen, I stumbled because Megan pushed me. However, no matter what, I was the one who broke the vase by ident. Rest assured, I will definitely compensate you.¡± Megan jumped after hearing her words. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? What do you mean that I pushed you? You were the one who didn''t stand properly and lunged over. Just be upfront if you don''t wish topensate. Our family is not one thatcks money!¡± Jessica was bbergasted. She looked at Megan and then at Sophia, and her face became grimmer. It would be even more difficult to settle this if the vase broke because Megan used it in her schemes against Sophia! Stephen was her godson, and Sophia had said upfront that she was his girlfriend. Jessica was still rational enough to weigh the consequences. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Meg is right. If you don''t wish topensate, or if you can''t afford thepensation, why don''t you give an apology? There''s no need to use others.¡± Harold''s expression was stiff, and he did not express any thoughts on the matter. He only looked at Sophia solemnly. Stephen refused to believe that Sophia was such a person and could not help but speak up. ¡°Godmother, I''llpensate the price of the vase. However, I don''t believe that Sophia is someone who''d lie.¡± He then looked at Sophia and said, ¡°Sophia, let''s head back. I''ll settle this matter.¡± Sophia stood her ground and did not budge. ¡°I don''t like others misunderstanding me.¡± Upon finishing, she paused and nced at Samuel, who had been watching things unfold from the side. ¡°Ms. Queen and I weren''t the only ones present just now. The other person present would have seen clearly whether I fell on my own or if someone pushed me. What do you say, Mr. Schild?¡± Megan froze upon hearing Sophia''s words. She subconsciously looked at Samuel and sent him a meaningful look. Samuel nced at Megan and then Sophia. He could have been mistaken, but he felt that there was something more than meets the eye behind Sophia''s smile. He would have defended Megan without hesitation if it were like one of the situations in the past. However, he felt he would be in deep trouble if he lied that day after looking at Sophia''s half-smile. Samuel did not want the situation toe back and bite him. He shuddered as he thought about the things he had to endure when Alexander divorced Sophia. Although he knew those things had nothing to do with Sophia, it was better to y safe. After a short internal struggle, Samuel spoke up. ¡°Uncle Harold, Megan did push Sophia.¡± Chapter 70 Chapter 70 Instantly, Jessica was stunned. ¡°Samuel, are you absolutely sure?¡± Megan reacted simrly, as her face had turned as white as a sheet. ¡°Samuel! Are you nuts? I''m your cousin! How could you help an outsider to use me!¡± Harold looked toward Sophia, whose facial expression remained unchanged as she slowly met his gaze. ¡°Mr. Queen, it''s gettingte, so I''m not going to disturb you any longer. As for the vase, I''ll have someone send the money overter.¡± After saying that, Sophia nced at Stephen. ¡°Can we go now?¡± It took a moment for Stephen to return to his senses and nod. ¡°Okay.¡± After saying that, he bid goodbye to Harold and Jessica before leaving the Queen residence with Sophia. Sophia had been calm and collected from beginning to end. Looking at Sophia''s back, Harold suddenly thought of something. ¡°Samuel, is Stephen''s girlfriend Alexander''s ex-wife?¡± Samuel was a bit confused but quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, it''s her.¡± Harold furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°That woman is not a simple one.¡± Samuel could not help but sigh. She''s definitely not simple. That night, Megan looked like a clown inparison to Sophia. More importantly, Sophia did not even need to bat an eysh at her. This went on to show that the two were on different levels. After Harold finished talking, his expression turned indifferent, and he pped Megan. ¡°Where are your manners?¡± Megan was Jessica''s only daughter. Thus, thetter felt heartbroken seeing her husband pping Megan. ¡°What are you doing, Harold! Meg is just being rash, that''s all. You should talk it out with her instead of beating her!¡± ¡°Being rash? If I remember correctly, she and Thalia gave Sophia a hard time during Dad''s birthday party two years ago. You might think that you were making a fool of her, but you failed to realize that other people were judging your actions as well! Look at how Sophia reacted just now. She did not show a single hint of anger from beginning to end. What about you? As the only daughter of the Queen family, I gave you the best since you were young. Yet, I was utterly embarrassed by your behavior just now!¡± There was no way Harold was not aware of his daughter''s personality. It was just that Sophia was Alexander''s wife back then, and the incident happened at his father''s birthday party. As the Xenos family did not like Sophia, Harold did not find the need to intervene in that matter at the time. However, things were not the same as before. As someone who had done business for years, Harold was good at judging people. Sophia was calm and collected when dealing with things. As a woman in her twenties, she did not feel scared or shy away when meeting his gaze. Judging by that two factors alone, Harold could tell that she was someone that had experienced a lot. Meanwhile, Megan was stupefied by her father''s p as a buzzing sound echoed in her head. Holding her face, she did not dare to say anything else. Quickly, Samuel found an excuse to escape. As soon as his car exited the mansion, he gave Alexander a call. This time, Alexander did not reject his call. Samuel let out a soft snort. ¡°Alex, I''m just returning from Aunt Jessica''s house. It''s a shame you didn''te! You missed out on such a good show.¡± On the other end of the line, Alexanderughed coldly. ¡°With your intelligence, it''s hard to say if you''re the one watching the drama, or if you''re the one starring in it.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Samuel was speechless for a moment before continuing, ¡°When Sophia was touring around Uncle Harold''s house, Megan pushed her, causing Sophia to lose her bnce and crash into Uncle Harold''s precious vase. While Megan was making a scene, I was struggling with whether to help her or my cousin. However, I did not expect your ex-wife to force me to be a witness in the middle of the storm! Let me tell you, Alex. Sophia seems like a different person ever since she divorced you. Why do I feel like this is the real Sophia? You don''t even know how scary her gaze was just now. Although she was smiling, I could feel an overwhelming tensioning from her.¡± Alexander put out his cigarette and questioned, ¡°You''re calling me just to say this?¡± ¡°What else? Aren''t you concerned about your ex-wife?¡± Alexander lit up another cigarette. ¡°If you''re so worried about her, you can pursue her. You''re such a handsome, cool, and sophisticated man, after all. It''s easy for you to win her heart. There''s no need to probe me for answers.¡± Samuel wanted to snap after hearing that. How could a close friend say something like this to me? Alexander is really asking for it! No, maybe I''m the foolish one! ¡±All right, then. If I ever tell you about Sophia''s matter again, I''m a pig!¡± It was the first time Samuel hung up the call in anger. What a stubborn jerk! Who was the one that called mest night, asking me to get rid of Stephen? After hanging up the call, Alexander''s eyes darkened as he stared at the dimming screen of his phone. This has nothing to do with me. Stephen nced back at her when the car slowly drove into Sophia''s mansion. ¡°I''m sorry, Sophia. I didn''t know they would treat you this way.¡± Sophia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Perhaps I''m the one that should be apologizing. Your godmother''s mood must have been ruined.¡± Hearing that she could still joke around, Stephen let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Perhaps. But that''s something my godfather should take responsibility for.¡± Sophia grabbed her bag. ¡°Yeah. Your godsister must be having a rough night too.¡± Stephen smiled. ¡°She''s a grown adult, so she must take responsibility for her own actions.¡± ¡°That''s true. I''m heading in now. Good night.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Stephen waved his hands. Looking at her retreating figure, he was unsure if Sophia was angry or not. In fact, her mood was better than Stephen expected. Sophia was not one to forgive and forget. A few years ago, Megan and Thalia had wanted to make a fool out of her during the birthday party. That was why she decided to sit still despite knowing that Megan was going to ambush her again that night. Sophia was not that good of a person. When Megan pushed her, she could have steadied her footing. However, Megan had been bugging her the entire night. There was no way Sophia would hold back, so she decided to go along with it. Besides, even if the vase was authentic, Sophia could easily afford to pay thepensation. Wasn''t it Megan who started all of this? I''ll dly y along with her. Yes, now that things have gotten out of hand, they''re putting the me on me. After remembering Harold''s darkened expression, Sophia could not help but grin. Megan must be having a terrible night right now, isn''t she? Meanwhile, not only was Megan having a rough night but Alexander too. Indeed, it was another restless night for thetter. After filing a divorce with Sophia, he found it hard to sleep at night. When he left that night, he was determined not to return to Sophia and humiliate himself. However, when he heard Samuel saying that Stephen brought her to the Queen residence, and as Stephen''s girlfriend no less, Alexander felt restless. The anxious feeling continued until four minutes past midnight. When he closed his eyes, all he could think of was the memory of Sophia singing while sitting on the stool. The thought of wanting to im Sophia grew stronger and stronger, and Alexander felt like he was going crazy. Perhaps it was just like Samuel had said. Alexander was just fooling himself when he said that he did not care. Chapter 71 Chapter 71 The next day, the first thing Sophia did when she woke up was ask Yvonne to personally bring thirty thousand over to the Queens a few dayster. Sophia''s reason for doing so was that she wanted to teach Megan a lesson for the time being. Because of the issue with the vase, Megan had been feeling down for the past few days. Technically speaking, ¡°down¡± was not enough to describe how dejected she had been. She was grounded by Harold, and half a year''s worth of her allowance was cut. For a girl who was born into a wealthy family, having six months'' worth of allowance deducted was as horrible as death. Moreover, it was already January, the month in which many upper-ss social events were held. Without money, she could not even make the necessary preparations. Megan was a frivolous person. Now that she was grounded for a week, she did nothing but whine and comin every day. On this day, a knock on the door broke the silence in the Queen residence. Thinking that there was a guest, Megan was quite happy. She then hurriedly called Jessica to wee the guest. However, Megan''s glee did notst long when she found out that the guest was none other than Yvonne. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Queen. I''m Yvonne Leighton. Ms. Yarrow asked me to deliverpensation for the broken vase to you,¡± she said. After returning to her room that night, Jessica was reprimanded by Harold. He even exined his thoughts regarding the vase to her. Although Jessica was prejudiced against Sophia, the former''s impression of thetter had improved slightly. Yet, Jessica still looked down on Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow is so courteous. Thepensation Meg mentioned the other day was not to be taken seriously. She is still young. You know she was just joking.¡± Breaking into a professional smile, Yvonne neither held a haughty nor humble attitude. She said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow has mentioned thatpensation must be given. Here''s the exact amount of money. Please check it carefully.¡± Jessica did not expect Sophia to pay for thepensation as three million was not a small sum. When Jessica opened the bag handed over by Yvonne, the former thought that there would be stacks of cash inside. Instead, she found a box, and inside the box was the money. The sum is over three million. Is this all she gave us? Sophia is ridiculous! Megan, who was standing aside, burst outughing. ¡°Sophia is hrious. If she can''t afford to pay us back, then she shouldn''t do it. Three million isn''t a big deal to us anyway. Who is she trying to insult with this pathetic amount of money?¡± she said. Not uttering a word, Jessica furrowed her brows and stared at Yvonne. It was evident that the look on Jessica''s face showed that she had the same thought as Megan. Yvonne exined, ¡°Mrs. Queen, Ms. Yarrow asked me topensate you based on the price of the vase. The intention was not to insult you.¡± Upon hearing that, Jessica''s expression darkened as she said, ¡°Do you mean that the vase we bought for three million is only worth thirty thousand just because you say so? Or is it perhaps you think that we''re using a counterfeit as an authentic product? Go back and tell Sophia that she''s truly gone too far. It''s fine if she''s poor. But if she doesn''t even know basic morals, she''ll continue to live her life as a nobody.¡± Yvonne felt as though she had heard a joke. Original from N?velDrama.Org. She even wanted to tell those people who Sophia really was. However, Yvonne held herself back from doing so. She kept calm, trying her hardest to maintain the smile on her face. ¡°Mrs. Queen, you''ve misunderstood what I meant. We''re not trying to insult you. Coincidentally, the vasees in pairs. One of them currently belongs to Ms. Yarrow, so your vase is indeed a fake piece. If you don''t believe me, you can consult an expert to examine it.¡± ¡°This is absurd! How can Sophia be so sure that the one she has is authentic?¡± Megan retorted. ¡°The vase originally belonged to William Watson, a descendant of the royal family. Twenty years ago, because he needed money to save his family''s business, he split the pair of vases up. One was sold to the chairman of Rising Group, Timothy Miller; the other was sold to Lucas Walker, a traditional painting master. Ms. Yarrow''s vase was bought from Lucas Walker three years ago. Also, ording to the information we''ve obtained, the other vase is still in Timothy Miller''s possession,¡± replied Yvonne. Face flushing, Megan felt that Yvonne was there to humiliate her and her family. Megan said, ¡°Nonsense! How do you know that the information you have is true? Why not say the vase in Sophia''s possession is the fake? You''ve seriously crossed the line! I don''t care if you can''t afford to repay us. What are you trying to pull now? Do you think it''s necessary for us to resort to buying a counterfeit? Get lost! Take your money, and get out of our house!¡± Grabbing the bag from Jessica, Megan threw it at Yvonne right away. Yvonne dodged it, then frowned and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow has another thing she wants me to tell you, Mrs. Queen. She said that whether or not the vase is authentic, Mr. Queen can decide for himself.¡± Enraged, Megan took her phone and gave Thalia a call. Megan believed that Sophia had deliberately asked Yvonne toe and humiliate her. A month ago, Thalia was detained for several days. Although she had be a better person, her resentment toward Sophia kept growing each day. The call from Megan made Thalia lit up like a lighter. Over the phone, the two discussed a way to make Sophia pay for her actions. Meanwhile, as Yvonne recounted what had happened to Sophia, thetter slightly raised her brows and said, ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, we don''t actually have topensate them,¡± said Yvonne. Knowing that the vase was fake, Yvonne thought that it was best not to make anypensation. Recalling the fact that Sophia told her to bring thirty thousand to the Queen residence, Yvonne felt that it was truly somewhat insulting. Hearing her words, Sophia could not helpughing. ¡°Do you think that I took things too far?¡± ¡°I know you''re not that kind of person,¡± Yvonne said. Snorting, Sophia said, ¡°Well, you''re wrong. I did that on purpose.¡± Sure enough, Sophia knew clearly that Jessica and Megan would not believe her. Hence, she let Yvonne deliver thirty thousand over to their ce. Didn''t Jessica and Megan look down on me before? Didn''t they call me a bumpkin who doesn''t know the ways of the world? It was true that Sophia was rather inexperienced, but one thing she did know was that the Queens had been deceived as they had purchased a fake antique vase. By the time Harold examines the vase, Jessica and Megan will have felt a huge p in their faces, won''t they? Tsk, tsk. I''m really looking forward to it. However, it was a pity that she would not see any of the Queens in her life ever again. Yvonne was stunned. When she returned to her senses, her heart skipped a beat. Oh, gosh! I like Ms. Yarrow even more now that she''s be mischievous. ¡°I''m sure you have your reasons for doing so,¡± she said. As Sophia''s number one fan, Yvonne firmly believed that there must be a reason behind Sophia''s actions. Smiling, Sophia said, ¡°Yes. I''m the type to hold grudges.¡± Hanging up the phone, Sophia was in a good mood. Thus, she wanted to visit Specter Entertainment. As its owner, she thought that showing up in thepany merely once a month was quite unprofessional. Just as she was done changing and was going to head out, the doorbell rang. Lifting her brows, she walked outside in her high heels. ¡°Hello,¡± she greeted. ¡°Hello, are you Ms. Yarrow? These flowers are for you. Please sign here,¡± said the delivery man. Frowning, Sophia asked, ¡°Can I refuse to ept them?¡± Being in a difficult position, the delivery man replied, ¡°The sender didn''t leave their address. If you refuse to ept them, I can only return these flowers to the florist.¡± ¡°Just give them to me then,¡± said Sophia. Upon signing the package, she took the bouquet of champagne-colored roses over. There was no card or message that came along with the flowers. Clicking her tongue, Sophia held the flowers and went back inside. It would be a waste if she did not ept them. Chapter 72 Chapter 72 Although Joshua had proposed to Katherine, she did not have time to enjoy any quality and intimate time with him. After the proposal on the night of the thirty-first, Katherine had flown to Baykeep the following day to attend the filming of a program. She stayed in Baykeep for two days before flying to Salinsburgh and finally returning at eight o''clock at night yesterday. Sophia heard Katherine''s angry voice just as she stepped into the office. She arched a brow and knocked on the door. ¡°It''s me.¡± Katherine hurried over to open the door when she heard Sophia''s voice. ¡°Do you miss me, Soph?¡± Sophia nced at her and turned sideways to dodge her hug. ¡°Who pissed you off?¡± She did not tell Katherine to prepare an office for her, so she had always gone to Katherine''s office whenever she visited thepany. Therefore, Sophia was very familiar with the room''syout. She strode past Katherine and sat on the couch before gazing at thetter. ¡°I heard you shouting even before I entered earlier.¡± Katherine had been bottling up her anger for some time. She immediately started to rant continuously after meeting with Sophia. ¡°A staff from a mediapany contacted Jonice just now and said that someone had sent them photos of Joshua''s proposal the other night, requesting them to publish those pictures.¡± Even though Joshua had proposed to Katherine, their rtionship remained undisclosed to the public. Those who were present that night were all Joshua and Katherine''s close friends, so none of them would havemitted such a despicable act. Sophia raised her brows. ¡°Who sent the pictures?¡± ¡°Someone I don''t know.¡± While saying that, Katherine took out her phone and showed Sophia the video. ¡°Do you recognize this person?¡± Sophia nced at the screen and shook her head. ¡°I don''t know.¡± Katherine''s face flushed in anger at the thought of being backstabbed by someone. ¡°That person should pray hard that I do not identify them. Otherwise, I''ll let them know what are the consequences for stabbing me in the back!¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Aren''t you afraid that they''ll drag you down with them in desperation?¡± Clearly, Katherine had not considered that possibility because her expression froze and the murderous glint in her eyes dissipated instantaneously upon hearing Sophia''s words. Am I suppose to take this lying down? Sophia received the cup of hot coffee handed to her by Jonice. ¡°First, we need to investigate the identity of that person.¡± ¡°I feel more at ease with your assurance!¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°Did you mention those things in front of me on purpose?¡± ¡°Do I strike you as that kind of person?¡± Sophia kept quiet and merely regarded Katherine with an amused look. Thetter felt guilty as Sophia stared at her in silence. She cleared her throat and said, ¡°Let''s talk business.¡± Sophia took a sip of the coffee and blinkedzily before responding, ¡°Go on.¡± When she heard Katherine asking her when she would visit thepany while they were on call, Sophia had guessed she must be nning something again. ¡°It''s nothing major. I''m just wondering since ourpany''s annual meeting is around the corner, the number of participants would be sizeable, and deciding on the venue would be an issue. Hence, why don''t we just hold the annual meeting on your yacht?¡± Sophia ced down her cup and bored her eyes into Katherine. ¡°Nothing major?¡± Katherine was conscience-stricken. ¡°Boohoo. I''m just trying to lower ourpany''s expenses, Soph.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Sophia snorted. ¡°I''m not short of money.¡± ¡°Well, I am!¡± Now that Joshua had proposed to her, their marriage would not be far along. Whenever Katherine was reminded of her bank bnce, she had the urge to save up every penny she could. Sophia rested her chin in her palm. ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Boohoo. Soph,¡± Katherine pleaded coquettishly. Katherine, the usually cold, indifferent, and achieved actress was hugging Sophia''s arm and acting coyly at that moment. Sophia could not help butugh. ¡°Where did you learn this from?¡± She thought her demeanor was disgusting. Katherine could not care less about that. She only needed her method to be effective. Sensing Sophia conceding, Katherine grabbed her arm and shook it a few times. ¡°Please pity me, Soph. I''m so poor. Boohoo.¡± Unable to stand her behavior, Sophia retracted her hand. ¡°That''s enough. Stop acting that way. I''ll agree to your suggestion.¡± She paused briefly before adding, ¡°Didn''t Joshua buy the mansion by the sea you fancy? Why do you still need to save up?¡± ¡°That''s a house that I like. I want to buy him his dream house too.¡± Sophia regretted being curious and asking that question. Otherwise, she would not have to listen to Katherine and Joshua''s public disy of affection. Right then, her phone rang. Katherine stole a nce at Sophia''s phone screen and saw the caller ID was a string of numbers, so she did not know who had called her. Sophia was puzzled when she saw the caller ID. She was not familiar with that unknown number, so she directly rejected the call. Katherine made a face at Sophia after thetter hung up the call. ¡°I heard you went to Stephen''s parents'' house to have a meal. So, tell me. What''s going on between you two?¡± ¡°What''s going on?¡± Sophia smiled. Her phone started ringing again just as she reced it in her bag. ¡°Nothing''s going on.¡± She took out her phone and noticed it was the same number calling her as before. She reckoned that could not have been an error since the caller had contacted her twice. Therefore, Sophia gestured at Katherine before picking up the phone and answering the call, ¡°Hello, this is Sophia speaking.¡± ¡°Hello, Ms. Yarrow. It''s me.¡± Sophia recognized that voice to be Megan''s at once. She was slightly intrigued. ¡°What''s the matter, Ms. Queen?¡± ¡°I still have some doubts regarding that incident rted to the vase, which I wish to rify with you. Do you have some time for us to have lunch together, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Megan shared a simr personality with Thalia. Both were snobbish, arrogant, and unreasonable wealthy youngdies. Sophia had instructed Yvonne to send thirty thousand to the Queen residence. Thetter had reported to Sophia that she was almost immediately chased out of the ce by Megan. Unexpectedly, Megan had called her after a few hours and ¡°calmly¡± invited her to lunch. It seems like I''ve underestimated her. ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia thought her life was getting a little too boring, so she figured she should spice things up to make her life more interesting. ¡°In that case, let''s meet in private room three at Golden Sun at half-past eleven.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up the call, Sophia looked at Katherine, who was burning with curiosity. ¡°It''s Megan.¡± ¡°Megan?¡± Katherine frowned. ¡°That youngdy from the Queen family who is very close with Thalia?¡± Sophia curled her lips into a smile. ¡°You have a good memory.¡± Katherine snorted coldly. ¡°Why is she looking for you? Didn''t she say that you should be thankful to Alexander for sessfully marrying into their family?¡± That night, Megan had not only insulted Sophia to her face, but she had also colluded with Thalia. One of them was responsible for verbally humiliating Sophia, while the other would record the whole scene. Then, both of them would upload that video to their personal social media ount. Everyone regarded that incident as a joke in the past. Naturally, Sophia became aughingstock because of that. When Katherine had seen that video previously, she was infuriated to the extent of attempting to settle the scores with Megan at thetter''s residence. In the end, Sophia was the one to stop her from being rash. Although two years had passed, Katherine was still enraged whenever she was reminded of what had happened. Abhorrence instinctively surged within her every time she heard Megan''s name. Sophia gazed at Katherine and briefly described to thetter the things that had urred that day. ¡°This lunch could be a trap.¡± Katherine''s somber expression lightened up a little after hearing the whole story. ¡°Hmph! What a snob! I''d like to see their faces when they know you are Sunshine Group''s chairperson someday.¡± Sophia grinned. ¡°We should keep a low profile.¡± Katherine howled. ¡°I also wish to live a low-profile lifestyle like yours, having the money to purchase a yacht that cost fifty to sixty million on a spur.¡± Chapter 73 Chapter 73 After having a brief discussion on thepany''s annual dinner with Katherine, Sophia left and drove straight to Golden Sun. Golden Sun was a restaurant that was opened two years ago. They only served ny-nine tables a day. It would close once they sold out their goodies, and while the food tasted average, the price was exorbitant. Despite that, Golden Sun was so popr that it took the customers two years to get a table there. The Queen family indeed had a great reputation since Megan was able to skip the wait and make a reservation over there. Sophia was dressed in a modest outfit that day. The bag she was carrying was a customized Arterius bag that Katherine grabbed for Sophia''s birthdayst year. Arterius only had fifty customization slots every year, which were offered to their global consumers. Each bag was one-of-a-kind, so it was naturally impossible to find another one on the market. Katherine knew Sophia well. Hence, she deliberately hid the logo with a uniquely designed pattern. One would not be able to see the logo without looking at it closely. The ck bag was simple. The initials of Sophia''s name had been engraved on the buckle part. Other than that, it looked just like an unbranded bag that was bought from a website for a few hundred bucks. The attendant at the entrance weed a huge number of guests a day, so he could tell their social status based on what they wore. Hence, when the attendant saw Sophia, he raised his hand to stop her at the door despite wearing a smile on his face. ¡°Miss, we can''t let you in if you haven''t made a reservation yet. Sophia nced at him nonchntly. ¡°Megan.¡± Without a doubt, Megan had quite a reputation over there. As soon as Sophia said the name, the attendant''s expression instantly changed. ¡°You must be Ms. Yarrow. Please forgive me for being ignorant. Ms. Queen has been waiting for you in the private room.¡± Sophia was still smiling, but the smile on her face had faltered slightly. ¡°Please lead the way.¡± Megan, that''s just impressive. Before I walk through the door, you''ve already asked someone to show me your authority. What happened earlier was stamped on Sophia''s memory. ¡°This way, Ms. Yarrow.¡± There were so many distinguished guests visiting Golden Sun every day. It was almost impossible that the attendant would be so mindless and stop her by judging her ordinary outfit. However, his expression changed right after she mentioned Megan''s name. Evidently, it had specifically been ordered by Megan. Interesting. A faint smile yed around Sophia''s lips. Shortly after, she was led to the door of the private room. The attendant halted his steps. ¡°Ms. Queen, Ms. Yarrow''s here.¡± Sophia shot him a nce. Not rushing to go inside, she asked, ¡°How much is your monthly sry?¡± Feeling confused, the attendant thought about what Megan had told him earlier and answered, ¡°More than six thousand.¡± Sophia continued to ask, ¡°How much did Megan give you?¡± The attendant''s face turned pale when he heard that. It seemed that Sophia had already figured out that he deliberately stopped her at the entrance to show her how powerful Megan was. Sophia stared at him and let out a giggle. ¡°Don''t do such a stupid thing again.¡± After speaking, she pushed the door open and walked inside. The face of the attendant at the door flushed with embarrassment as he heard Sophia''s words. Standing motionlessly at the door to the private room, the attendant watched Sophia leave in a daze. As soon as Sophia walked past the screen, she saw Thalia and Megan at the table. She then raised her brows. ¡°Ms. Queen, I thought you wouldn''t want to let others know about your family matters.¡± Megan let out a snort. ¡°Well, Tally is not an outsider.¡± Without saying anything, Sophia took a seat. As soon as she sat down, Thalia moved the menu over. Just when Sophia thought Thalia had finally realized her mistake after being detained for a few days, Megan suddenly uttered, ¡°Usually, one has to wait for at least two years to get a table here. Luckily, my brother knows the owner of this restaurant, so we can skip the wait and make a reservation today. Ms. Yarrow, I think you haven''t tried the food here before. You can give it a try today. After all, it''s not expensive.¡± Sophia couldn''t help letting out a chuckle. Megan, who looked utterly arrogant a second ago, froze upon hearing Sophia''sughter. ¡°What''re youughing at?¡± ¡°Nothing! Ms. Queen, I appreciate you being so thoughtful.¡± After speaking, Sophia took the menu. ¡°Ms. Queen, you''re right that I''ve never tried the food here before. The dishes look quite delectable. I think you won''t mind if I order a few more dishes, will you?¡± Megan looked unfazed. ¡°Of course not. I''m not short of money, anyway.¡± As she spoke, Megan and Thalia exchanged nces. ¡°Thalia and I are already sick of eating the food here. Ms. Yarrow, please don''t mind us. Just order whatever you like.¡± Sophia looked up at the two of them. ¡°I won''t hold back then.¡± Thalia sneered. ¡°Yeah, don''t feel shy. Meg is generous, my dear sister-inw. Oops! I''m sorry. It''s ex- sister-inw.¡± Sophia''s hand holding the menu trembled a little. After that, she tapped her index finger on the table several times before calling the waiter over to take the order. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, are you ready to order? Do you want me to ask the waiter to rmend some dishes for you? After all, this is your first timeing here. There''re a lot of signature dishes here.¡± Megan pretended to be nice, but the way she and Thalia looked at Sophia was as if they were watching the show unfold. ¡°It''s fine. There''re descriptions on the menu.¡± Just then, the waiter walked in. Sophia flipped the menu to the first page. ¡°I''ll have m chowder, seared scallops, stuffed salmon, bacon-wrapped chicken, and mushroom risotto.¡± Out of the five dishes, none of them was simple and cheap. Megan and Thalia exchanged looks again. Their eyes were filled with disdain. The waiter then asked Sophia if she had finished ordering. With a smile, Sophia uttered, ¡°Add three more desserts.¡± After speaking, she took a nce at Thalia and Megan. ¡°Would you like anything else?¡± Thalia pointed at the menu. ¡°Add one more of this, then.¡± Megan also added one more dish. Just when she thought Sophia had finished ordering, Sophia continued, ¡°Oh yeah! My friends haven''t had lunch yet. It isn''t easy to have a meal here. Ms. Queen, do you mind me packing them some food?¡± Megan almost rolled her eyes at her. ¡°Why not? Like you, I guess your friends also haven''t tried the food here before. Since you are here, I suppose you shouldn''t waste the chance.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°I''ll thank you on behalf of my friends.¡± As she spoke, Sophia waved at the waiter and whispered, ¡°Could you help me pack these three dishes and the soup? Oh yeah! I need fifty packs. Please ask someone to put them in the trunk of my car after packing. Here''s the car key.¡± The waiter was taken aback. ¡°Miss, don''t you think it''s a little too much.¡± ¡°I have a lot of friends.¡± Megan and Thalia kept chatting, unaware of what Sophia had ordered the waiter to pack. After the waiter left, Megan finally dived into the main subject. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, the reason I asked you over today is to talk about the vase at my house.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°I know. Do you have something on your mind, then?¡± ¡°Sophia, we won''t harp on the fact that you have broken our antique vase since you are Tally''s ex- sister-inw, but I can''t fathom why you asked someone to send thirty thousand over aspensation. What exactly does that mean?¡± Sophia took a sip of coffee. Although the food was unremarkable, the coffee there was worth a try. She looked up at Megan. ¡°Ms. Queen, what do you make of that?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°What do I make of that? I think you mean to insult my family. Do you think my family is short of your thirty thousandpensation? My dad bought the vase for more than three million. Just forget about it if you can''t afford to pay for it. Don''t you think it''s ridiculous to ask someone to send the thirty thousand over?¡± ¡°No, I don''t think so.¡± Staring back at Megan, Sophia replied nonchntly, ¡°I just paid ording to how much the vase is worth. Is that ridiculous?¡± Chapter 74 Chapter 74 ¡°Don''t push your luck, Sophia!¡± ¡°Are you so sure that the vase is authentic, Ms. Queen?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Megan scoffed, ¡°You''ve been deceived by the others, Sophia. Our vase couldn''t be more genuine!¡± Curling her fingers slightly, Sophia suggested, ¡°Why don''t we ce a bet then, Ms. Queen?¡± ¡°On?¡± Thalia tugged at Megan''s arm, but thetter gestured a meaningful gaze back at her, whispering, ¡°I have the upper hand. She can''t bluff me.¡± ¡°On the authenticity of the vase.¡± Sophia gave the duo the cold shoulder as she leisurely poured herself a cup of coffee. Bursting intoughter, Megan asked, ¡°What''s the wager?¡± ¡°If it was genuine, I''d offer fullpensation for it. In addition, I''d live-stream a public apology to you and your parents.¡± As she spoke, she paused for a bit before continuing, ¡°But if it was a fake, you¡ª¡± ¡°Great! It''s settled, then.¡± Megan firmly believed that the vase is authentic, so much so that she didn''t even bother to hear Sophia''s term should the vase happen to be a counterfeit. ¡°But words don''t amount to much, Ms. Queen.¡± Sophia shed a smile. ¡°What do you want, then?¡± Upon throwing out that question, Megan tilted her head and pointed a look at Thalia. ¡°Just wait and see. She''ll make a fool out of herself in front of our nation.¡± Thalia had much to look forward to. Deep down, she knew that Sophia could never hold a candle to the Queen family. That vase has been Megan''s father''s object of affection, so how could it be an imitation? Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°We ought to have something as evidence.¡± Sophia cast a peek at Thalia upon making the statement. ¡°Since we have Ms. Xenos with us today, things will be much simpler. Let''s create a video recording as our testament.¡± In truth, Megan was afraid that Sophia might go back on her own words. Since thetter proposed to have a video recording, Megan couldn''t be more d to oblige. ¡°Well, whatever.¡± ¡°Anyway, I think it''s still necessary for me to inform you, Ms. Queen, that if that vase was a replica, I hope you would do the same by live-streaming a public apology to me. Would this be fair enough?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Megan huffed to feign exasperation while eagerly fishing out her phone and handing it to Thalia to start the recording. ¡°Okay, let''s each make an attestation of our ims.¡± Nodding, Sophia began her statement, ¡°I, Sophia Yarrow, hereby bet on the authenticity of the Queen family''s vase that I''ve broken on the night of first January. If it was genuine, I''d make fullpensation for it. Also, I''d live-stream in a live room of not less than one hundred thousand viewers and apologize to Megan Queen and her parents.¡± After finishing the sentence, Sophia turned to look at Megan. Thetter let out a snort and followed Sophia''s words to make her statement as well. ¡°I, Megan Queen, hereby bet on the authenticity of our Queen family''s vase that Sophia has broken on the night of first January. If it was a fake, I''d live-stream in a live room of not less than one hundred thousand viewers and apologize to Sophia Yarrow.¡± As soon as they finished recording the video, the waiter brought over the dishes. Sophia showed her phone to Megan and requested, ¡°Please send me a copy of the video.¡± Instead of declining it, Megan connected her phone to Sophia''s via Bluetooth and sent the video over. It turned out that the banquet wasn''t at all horrifying as Sophia had imagined. When she took her leave, Megan was even smiling at her. Of course, Sophia would know that Megan wasughing at her. As Sophia exited Golden Sun, the fifty sets of lunchboxes that she had ordered had been ced in the trunk of her car. Just nice! All fifty of them. Contented, Sophia departed from Golden Sun and drove directly back to Specter Entertainment. Soon, Sophia arrived at Specter Entertainment. Jonice was slightly surprised to see her. ¡°What brings you here at this hour, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Wearing a grin, Sophia replied, ¡°There are fifty lunchboxes from Golden Sun in the trunk of my car. Since it''s lunchtime now, get our guys to my car and distribute the lunchboxes to our staff members.¡± Jonice was all the more shocked. ¡°Did you pack them specifically for us, Ms. Yarrow? ¡°Yeah.¡± Megan did say that she''s never short of money, didn''t she? Since a lot of Specter Entertainment''s employees had never tasted Golden Sun''s food, Sophia had no reason to stand on ceremony. In the meantime, Megan was about to pay the bill and leave the restaurant. The second sheid her eyes on the bill, her face fell. ¡°What are these fifty lunchboxes for?¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Queen. This takeaway was ordered by the otherdy a while ago.¡± The dishes sold at Golden Sun were not cheap at all. Sophia had ordered three dishes and a soup for every single serving. Moreover, each bowl of soup had a price tag of more than two hundred. As for the dishes, they were all renowned delicacies of the restaurant. Each set cost about one thousand; ergo, fifty sets of that would total about fifty thousand. Gaping at the bill, Thalia also gasped in awe. ¡°Has that Sophia gone crazy? Does she even have this many friends?¡± Unfortunately, Sophia was long gone. Besides, they were the ones who had generously allowed her to order anything she liked. They could grumble all they wanted, but they still had to foot the bill in the end. Worst still, Harold had limited Megan''s allowance. Usually, she would have no problem paying up even such an astronomical amount. However, things were different then. Ultimately, Megan had to open her mouth and ask for Thalia''s help to settle the bill. Meanwhile, after Sophia let someone take all the lunchboxes from the trunk, she returned to the condominium. Just when she was pouring herself a cup of hot water, she received a call from Katherine. ¡°Soph, where did you get that kind of money to get us all lunchboxes from Golden Sun? Did you somehow rob the rich to help the poor?¡± The news of Sophia bringing fifty sets of lunchboxes from Golden Sun to treat the employees spread like wildfire across the whole Specter Entertainment. The moment the news reached Katherine''s ears, she had thought that she had a hearing problem due to her age catching up to her. Only after verifying it did she make the call to press for an answer. As Sophia was in a good mood, she recounted the incident to her friend. Listening to Sophia, Katherine kept mum for quite a long time on the other end of the line before finally piping up, ¡°I have the greatest admiration for you. If it had been me, I would''ve never thought of it!¡± My IQ just wouldn''t cut it! Sophia arched a brow. ¡°You may admire for all you want out of respect, but don''t you go into the romance department.¡± Katherine let out a whine. ¡°But I''d like to be in a rtionship with someone like you. Care to join me?¡± ¡°Get lost,¡± said Sophia withughter. With that, she hung up the phone. She then reyed that video on her phone and watched it from beginning to end. At first, Sophia had thought that Megan might have a trump card up her sleeve. Never would she expect thetter to walk straight into the trap that she had justid. Oh, well. How boring. As Sophia put down her phone, her gazended on that bouquet of champagne roses that she had received before stepping out of the house earlier. She paced toward it and picked it up. Unfastening the bouquet, she wielded a pair of scissors to prune back a branch from it, thinking of growing one herself. After all, it looked picturesque. In a sh, the rxing yetzy afternoon had passed. At night, Sophia made a beeline for her favorite restaurant to have dinner alone. After dinner, while Sophia was driving home, Jadeborough weed its first snowfall. Seeing that, she intentionally slowed down the vehicle. It was still early when she reached home. So, she watched a movie until past nine before having her bath. At a quarter past ten, she went to bed. Because there was a morning meeting at Sunshine Group, Sophia got up from bed around seven the next morning. The sky was still dark at that time. A tantalizing aromaing from that bouquet of champagne roses was wafting through the whole room. Sophia sneaked a nce at it. Most probably, it was due to the warmth emitted by the heater that the flowers had bloomed ever so beautifully. At about eight, Sophia made her way to Sunshine Group to attend the meeting. As soon as the meeting ended, she exited the conference room, only to hear her phone ringing. It was an unknown number. She deliberated for a brief moment before answering, ¡°Hello. Sophia Yarrow speaking.¡± ¡°Hello, Ms. Yarrow. I have a bouquet of roses with me. Are you home right now? Could you please make a trip downstairs to sign the acknowledgment of receipt?¡± Immediately, Sophia recalled those roses the day before. She couldn''t help but furrow her brows. ¡°I''m not at home. May I know who the sender is?¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow. There''s no name under it.¡± ¡°Return it, then.¡± ¡°Uh...¡± ¡°I refuse to ept it, so please send it back.¡± Her tone was resolute, and she ended the call right after that. Chapter 75 Chapter 75 Sophia hung up the phone and nced at Yvonne beside her. ¡°Please continue.¡± Then, Yvonne continued her speech. After hearing Yvonne, Sophia paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Keep going with the investigation.¡± ¡°Understood, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne knew Sophia had keen eyes because she had been working for thetter for five years. Whatever Sophia believed in turned out to be true, and vice versa for her presumptions about what was bad. Since Sophia had told her to look into it further, it was clear that thepany was not as good as the information suggested. ¡°How about the annual dinner this year, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°As usual.¡± Once again, Sophia refused to participate. Yvonne responded, ¡°Got it. I''ll send you the draft speech via email.¡± Despite the fact that Sophia never attended thepany''s annual dinner, she would give a speech there every year. She was also extremely generous, donating a substantial sum of money to sponsor the annual award. As a result, even though she did not attend thepany''s annual dinner every year, the employees adored her far more than other shareholders. After all, everyone preferred a chairman with no scandals, who rarely spoke but was generous. Sophia responded with a nod. ¡°Okay.¡± She looked at the time after she finished speaking. ¡°If there''s nothing else, I''m heading back first.¡± That afternoon, she invited Robert to have lunch with her. One year had passed in the blink of an eye, and she had also invested in Magic Sense for nearly half a year. During the Series B funding, Magic Sense would see an influx of investors. As an investor who had already invested in the Magic Sense since Series A funding, she would definitely like future investors to invest more in it as well. Because of that she had to meet Robert first. ¡°I''ll send you there, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°There''s no need for that. You may leave now.¡± As Sophia rarely visited thepany, her secretary, Yvonne, had to do the majority of the work in her absence, and Sophia did not want to waste Yvonne''s valuable time. I''m such a considerate boss. Then, Yvonne came to a halt at the elevator''s entrance. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, please be careful on your way.¡± It was already eleven forty-five when Sophia arrived at the hotel. She was fifteen minuteste. ¡°I apologize for beingte. I just had a meeting.¡± Robert, who had already arrived long ago, got up and greeted her when he saw her enter the private room. ¡°Greetings, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Did you arrive a long time ago?¡± Sophia asked after noticing the documents on the table. ¡°No. I just got here as well.¡± As he said that, he pushed his sses. After not seeing him for more than four months, the young man who had recently graduated from high school had matured considerably. Tch! He''s not as honest or cute as he used to be. ¡°You lied to me, didn''t you?¡± Sophia gave him a nce and said, ¡°The appointment time was eleven-thirty. You''ve never beente, and in fact, you may have arrived earlier. Therefore, you''ve been waiting for me for at least twenty minutes.¡± Seeing that he was found out, he replied embarrassedly, ¡°I arrived at eleven-twenty.¡± ¡°So you waited for half an hour.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°In honor of your early arrival, if your statement pleases me, I''ll definitely give you a reasonable price for the uing Series B funding.¡± In reality, Robert had no intention of changing the investor. He had met several business owners that year. Although he was aware that equity financing was the most important factor in apany''s growth, not every investor was as forthright and honest as Sophia. Back then, his senior, who had started a business, went bankrupt because the investor intervened too much in his business. On the other hand, Sophia had only cared about the monthly statements since investing in Magic Sense, and she had instructed her secretary to focus on new product development. Aside from that, she never intervened in internalpany decisions or any other matter. As a result, Robert was eager to continue working with Sophia, and his face softened when he heard her words. After graduating from high school more than five months ago, he was forced to face the harsh realities of life, causing him to no longer be the same innocent young man he once was. As an entrepreneur, they desired an investor like Sophia the most. They would be honest with her because of how well she treated them. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, please find attached our annual report as well as user tracking data.¡± Hearing that, Sophia reached out and took it. ¡°You can order the food right now. Just keep in mind that I do not consume animal liver and prefer a nd diet.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Robert was taken aback for a few seconds before realizing Sophia was asking him to ce an order. After Sophia took over the documents, she lowered her head and read them carefully. Not wanting to bother her any longer, Robert ordered four dishes as Sophia had instructed. Sophia was sensitive to numbers because she had a strong memory that wasparable to a photographic memory. In fact, she had directed Yvonne to organize the data from the Magic Sense app into a table format for her inspection. At the time, the information provided by Robert was identical to what she had previously read. Then, she flipped through a few more pages beforeing to a halt. ¡°Was the massive uninstation in November caused by the online privacy incident?¡± When he heard that, Robert''s face darkened, but he quickly regained hisposure. He looked at Sophia with a solemn expression. ¡°Yes.¡± After nodding in response, he paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Aside from that, the incident had a significant impact on our subsequent downloads. Our app''s download numbers peaked in August and September, as evidenced by the data. However, following the online privacy incident in mid- November, the growth in downloads decreased significantly, and the number of uninstations increased three to five times.¡± Sophia raised her head and looked at him. ¡°So you paid people to download the app and register an ount?¡± Without disputing it, Robert pursed his lips when he heard that. Although he still had a smile on his face, it was not as warm and gentle as before. After all, he could not bring himself to deny it when Sophia looked at him like that. Furthermore, he was aware that falsifying data was what investors detested the most. ¡°Mr. Smith, I''m sure you''re aware that I, as a businesswoman, only invested in Magic Sense to make money, right? My purpose in investing is simple, and it is to make money.¡± She took a brief pause after saying that. ¡°However, despite being top students in school, you chose to start a business rather than take a stable job paying three hundred thousand per year. I can tell you''re not just doing it for the money. I don''t like talking about other people''s dreams, but if you don''t respect your own, it will only make others look down on you even more.¡± Sophia retracted her smile before exining, ¡°As you know, your proposal was initially dropped from the final review at Sunshine Group. I contacted you privately because I had high hopes for you. You were not only young, but you were also honest. Back then, I was optimistic about your future. But the once-visible future is nowpletely obscured by mist.¡± ¡°Please ept my apologies, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia furrowed her brows. ¡°I''m not trying to me you right now, Mr. Smith. I''m just expressing my thoughts as an investor.¡± With that, she pushed the documents back to him. ¡°There is still some time before the Series B funding. I really hope you can show me the same sincerity you did back then.¡± The waiter brought the dishes to them as soon as she finished speaking. She proceeded to pour herself a cup of coffee. ¡°It''s gettingte. Let''s rx and enjoy the meal.¡± Robert attempted to respond, but when he noticed her passionate gaze, he remained silent. Despite the fact that Sophia appeared to be uninterested in anything, everything was within her grasp. Deep down, Robert knew that whatever he said at the time was a ruse. Discreetly, he chose to remain silent quietly, allowing Sophia to concentrate on her meal. Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Since they had already finished their discussion prior to eating, their meal was peaceful. Sophia ate well, but Robert did not seem to have an appetite. Deep inside, he knew that Sophia''s words weren''t wrong. She was only pointing out the issues politely, and she was also protecting her own rights sensibly. As such, many entrepreneurs did not truly wish to start their own businesses. They only wanted to use the startup money to get rich quickly. It could be said that Sophia was already doing him a favor by not lumping him with the likes of them. ¡°The dishes you chose are quite good,¡± Sophia said as she set down her fork. She looked at Robert who sat opposite her. ¡°It''s quite easy to earn money on the inte these days. Countless apps are being developed daily. However, not many manage to stay relevant. Negative press is one of the many things you will have to encounter in the future. Rather than creating pages that provide fake data, you should focus on improving the content and user experience. The ease of the user interface ys a big part in a user''s experience.¡± Sophia rarely spoke at such lengths. She only borated because she had high hopes for Robert and his team. They had a good foundation for their app, and their target audiences weren''t just women or young people. As such, it was an app that would be useful to society as a whole. That was why Sophia had been optimistic about it. However, she had been extremely disappointed when she learned about the team''s falsified data. Sophia did not like the fact that her money was spent on false data that only looked good on the surface and was of no further use. At the end of the day, she was unwilling to spend money only to suffer a deficit. She was a savvy businesswoman who knew when to cut her losses. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''m really sorry for disappointing you. However, I must act shamelessly and beg you to give us another chance. Our team consists of many young people. Thus, we were unable to act maturely and appropriately in the face of setbacks. I promise there won''t be a repeat of this incident ever again. Please believe me.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°I did not give you the chance. You were the ones who seized it with your own hands.¡± With that, she nced at Robert again before picking up her purse. ¡°We still have four months left. Let''s call it a day for now. Lunch is on me since I made you wait so long.¡± Sophia signaled at the waiter and paid for their meal by card. She took out her phone as she exited the room. Just as she was about to call Yvonne, she suddenly spotted Alexander as she looked up, much to her surprise. Alexander was likely here to discuss a business deal. Next to him, Felix was d in a suit and thetter held arge dark-colored coat in his arm. Sophia arched her eyebrow but looked away. She had no intentions of greeting him. ¡°Sophia.¡± Alexander ended up being the one who came over instead. Gripping the phone in her hand, Sophia raised her head. ¡°Yes?¡± She refused to greet him. Truth be told, she really did not want to talk to him. Alexander furrowed his brows. ¡°Were the blue roses not to your liking?¡± Sophia feigned ignorance. ¡°What blue roses?¡± ¡°The blue roses that you refused to ept earlier today.¡± Upon hearing his words, Sophia was momentarily stunned. She quickly came back to her senses and asked, ¡°They were from you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alexander sank meaning into that single word. Despite that, his face remained expressionless as he stared at her seriously with dark eyes. Sophia frowned. ¡°If I''m not mistaken, you sent the roses with the intention to woo me?¡± ¡°Yes, you are correct. I wish to pursue you.¡± Alexander''s expression did not flicker at all when he said the words. He could have said, ¡°the weather is lovely today¡± or ¡°let''s have lunch together,¡± and it would have made no difference. Felix, who had been standing by the side, was impressed. Apart from his boss, he had never seen someone pursue a woman with such methods before. Felix was willing to bet a pack of spicy beef jerky. If Sophia agreed to Alexander''s request, he would eat the jerky on the spot! Sophia pursed her lips after hearing Alexander''s words. She looked at him with an unsmiling expression. ¡°My apologies, Mr. Xenos. I couldn''t possibly ept. How would I, a pretentious and gold- digging woman, be worthy of you?¡± She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Please don''t send me any more flowers. I won''t ept them.¡± Sophia retorted with the very words he had said to her. With that, she turned around and walked away. However, Alexander suddenly grabbed her wrist and refused to let her leave. ¡°Why?¡± Sophia arched her eyebrow and tutted softly. ¡°What do you mean, why? Ask yourself, not me. Alexander, if my memory serves me right, I asked you the same question all those years ago.¡± She had just gotten married to him back then. She had asked for his reasons when Alexander had moved out of the Xenos residence and into his own apartment. ¡°Why?¡± He had retorted, ¡°Why? Sophia, are you worth it?¡± Tsk, it had been many years since then. Yet, it''s still fresh on my mind. The words had been unforgettable. Sophia wrenched her arm from his grasp. ¡°Alexander, are you worthy of me?¡± With that, she turned around and left. This time, Alexander made no attempts to make her stay. Sophia''s five-centimeter-heel boots cked loudly as she strode away. She tossed her long hair over her shoulder. It felt exceedingly great to throw back his words to him after all these years. Alexander stood rooted to the spot. His face was thunderous. Felix had seen the whole scene y out by the side. At that moment, he felt that his boss was terrifying but also somewhat pitiful. Alexander made his bed, and now he had toy in it. It was a pathetic sight. You reap what you sow. When Felix realized he had strayed off in his thoughts, he hurriedly pinched himself. He carefully went over to Alexander and said, ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow has left.¡± Alexander red at him coldly. ¡°I''m not blind.¡± Poor Felix was speechless. Alexander had an excellent memory. Hence, he, too, remembered what she had said all those years ago. Back then, he truly disliked Sophia. Therefore, he moved into his own apartment on the night of their wedding. Sophia came to him a monthter. She asked him why he refused to stay with her, even though they were a married couple. ¡°Sophia, do you think you''re worthy of me?¡± was what he said to her back then. Three yearster, she threw the humiliating words back at him. Alexander had been unable utter a single word. Why was I such a fool? N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Naturally, Alexander did not have an answer to that question. He knew he had done many foolish things back then. Alexander returned to thepany in a foul mood. His demonic expression terrified all the workers who encountered him. However, there were some people who did not value their lives. The person in question was Samuel Schild. Samuel enjoyed riling Alexander up, and this time was no exception. Brusquely, Alexander asked, ¡°Are you free?¡± Samuel, who loved gossip, momentarily did not sense Alexander''s odd mood. ¡°I''m all right. It''s almost time to get off work.¡± Alexander loosened his necktie andughed coldly. ¡°Great. I haven''t been to the boxing gym in some time.¡± Samuel''s expression froze. ¡°Alex, a gentleman uses his words and not his fists...¡± ¡°I have no qualms about raising my fist against you.¡± Samuel was speechless. Chapter 77 Chapter 77 In the boxing gym, Samuel finally lost it when Alexander threw him over his shoulder for the seventh time. He copsed onto the mat and pretended to be dead. Meanwhile, Alexander''s depression had greatly diminished after practicing with Samuel for some time. Unwilling to stay any longer, he looked at the man on the mat with contempt and left to take a shower. Samuel was taken aback for a moment as he stared at Alexander''s back. ¡°Hey, why''d you just leave like that?¡± Nevertheless, he did not receive any response from Alexander''s departing figure. Cursing under his breath, he leaped up, grabbed the towel and water bottle on the side, and headed to the shower room while sipping water. He was afraid Alexander would not wait for him, so he quickly showered and came out. As he expected, Alexander had already put on his coat and watch when he walked out. The man would have left if Samuel hade out one secondter. ¡°Who made you so angry?¡± Alexander, who was drinking water, paused for a moment before giving Samuel a cold stare. ¡°Should I hit you a few more times?¡± ¡°I''ve been your punching bag all night. Can''t you even tell me who irritated you?¡± I only opened the door to your office and was beaten for over an hour. I don''t even have the right to know what''s going on? ¡°What are you going to do if you know the answer?¡± With that said, Alexander threw the water bottle into the trash can and walked out. Despite having vented his rage, his mood had not improved. ¡°I just want to know who it is. I''m curious who in the world can irritate you so much. To be honest, Sophia is the only one whoes to mind.¡± In an instant, Alexander was bereft of speech, and his expression darkened. Shocked, Samuel asked, ¡°Are you serious? Is it really Sophia? What a woman.¡± Thanks to their long legs, they both quickly made it to the parking lot. After opening the car door, Alexander told Samuel to get lost. ¡°Mr. Xenos, don''t do that. Let''s eat dinner together. I can assess the situation for you.¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± Obviously, Alexander had no faith in Samuel since thetter had been single his whole life. Hearing that, Samuel snorted. ¡°Isn''t it because Sophia turned you down?¡± Alexander creased his brows in shock. While being irritated, he was also curious. ¡°How did you find out?¡± ¡°It''s written on your face.¡± The next moment, Alexander got into his car. Samuel hade here in Alexander''s car. Naturally, he would not let the man leave without him. Samuel was utterly shameless. As soon as Alexander shut the car door, he dashed to the other side and climbed into the passenger seat. Alexander resisted the urge to kick him out of the car and drove to a nearby restaurant. Once Samuel got into the car, he could not help but gossip. ¡°Tell me. How did Sophia reject you?¡± ¡°Samuel Schild!¡± Rubbing his nose, Samuel stated, ¡°I just want to know what has happened before I analyze the situation in depth.¡± Of course, Alexander was aware that his best friend just wanted to make fun of him. However, there was no one else he could speak to, so he simply exined the matter with a stern expression. The moment he finished his sentence, Samuel burst out inughter andmented, ¡°Frankly speaking, I think Sophia did a great job.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Instantaneously, Alexander''s expression turned grim. Noticing that, Samuel hurriedly exined before he could speak. ¡°Don''t get angry first. Let me exin.¡± ¡°Go ahead. I''m listening.¡± Snorting coldly, Alexander leaned back and waited for Samuel to ther on. After taking a sip of coffee, Samuel piped up, ¡°You remember thest time I told you about the Queen family''s affairs? After that, I actually gave it some thought and concluded that Sophia was quite unhappy during her three years of marriage to you. Don''t be too quick to deny it. Think about it carefully. Everyone in our circle, especially Megan and your sister, made fun of her at every party because you despised her. Do you think they bullied her because of her poor upbringing? No, it was yourck of respect for her that made everyone in our circle view her as a joke. We always said she was a scheming gold digger. Yes, we never hit her or scolded her directly, but our words were always full of disdain. Back then, you left the house after getting married. As your wife, she had the right to ask you to live with her, but you questioned her if she was worthy. Even you are disturbed to hear it today. How do you think Sophia must have felt at that time?¡± Initially, Samuel was smiling, butter, his voice had a slight sense of regret. ¡°Alex, we must admit that we were preconceived and prejudiced at the beginning. We both owe Sophia an apology. Of course, you''re the one who should truly apologize to her. After all, you''re the one who has hurt her the most and the only one who can hurt her.¡± At first, Alexander thought Samuel would babble nonsense. Little did he know that Samuel would say something like that. He felt even worse after hearing those words. It felt as if something was pressing against his heart, making him feel extremely ufortable. Since it was unusual for Samuel to see such an expression on Alexander''s face, he could not help but add, ¡°She has already divorced you, yet you still want to pursue her. It''s pretty disgusting.¡± ¡°Whose side are you on?¡± ¡°I''m on the side of justice!¡± Feeling speechless, Alexander scoffed and dered, ¡°No matter what you say, I''m going to pursue her. She can only be my woman. You''re right. We do owe her an apology. Let''s start with you. Go apologize to Sophia tomorrow.¡± Hearing that, Samuel nearly choked on his saliva. ¡°No way. Are you for real?¡± Sophia, who was prone to holding grudges, would only make fun of him if he went to apologize to her. Worse yet, he could end up like the Queen family. When he recalled how Sophia had asked someone to send thirty thousand to humiliate his aunt, he could not help but shudder. She''s not someone I can mess with. In the meantime, Alexander tapped his index finger on the table while staring at his best friend''s ever- changing expression. ¡°If you don''t go, your adopted son in Ferropene...¡± ¡°Alex, this isn''t something you can joke about!¡± Raising his eyebrows, Alexander questioned, ¡°Who said I was joking?¡± Samuel was at a loss for words. Did I just shoot myself in the foot? While thinking of that, he could not help lifting his hand and pping his mouth. ¡°I should have just stayed quiet!¡± Nheless, Alexander turned a blind eye to his act of ying victim and inquired, ¡°What''s the matter with the Queen family''s vase?¡± In fact, Samuel hade to see Alexander that day to talk about just that. Truth be told, the former was not convinced that the vase was a fake, but Sophia did not seem like someone who liked to brag. When he found out about Sophia''s bet with Megan, he was baffled. ¡°Is the vase real or fake, in your opinion?¡± ¡°Fake.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I trust Sophia.¡± Taking a deep breath, Samuel remarked, ¡°Alexander, you weren''t like this before.¡± He''s already acting this way before she''s even his girlfriend. I can''t imagine how he would act if he seeded in winning her over. Is he going to back her up in everything she wants to do in the future? ¡°Oh, that''s because you don''t understand me.¡± Samuel cringed at his reply. ¡°I''m serious. What are your thoughts on this issue?¡± ¡°If you''re good at history, you wouldn''t ask such a question.¡± Alexander nced at him with disgust and added, ¡°It should be fake. The vase shoulde in pairs.¡± ¡°But my uncle is an enthusiast, and he had many people appraise it back then.¡± ¡°It''s not a loss to put on a show for three million for a few days.¡± In an instant, Samuel realized what he meant. ¡°I need to tell my uncle about this right away!¡± However, Alexander ignored what he said and only reminded him to apologize to Sophia the following day. Needless to say, Samuel was rendered speechless. Let''s not be friends anymore. Chapter 78 Chapter 78 The champagne roses in the vase caught Sophia''s attention as she was just getting out of the shower. Nearly two days had passed, and the roses were in full bloom. If she did not run into Alexander in the afternoon and discover that the flowers were from him, she could still smile and appreciate them. Now that she was aware of it, she felt disgusted as she looked at the roses in front of her. Initially, she wanted to throw them away, but she had raised them for two days and had developed feelings for them. Yet, if she did not get rid of them and left them there like that, she would feel repulsed every time she saw them. Forget it. Let''s stop ruminating on it. When the cleaneres to clean the house tomorrow, I''ll ask her to dispose of them. Retracting her gaze, Sophia decided to stop thinking about the roses. It was only a half-month until the New Year''s holidays, which were customarily observed at the end of the year. Specter Entertainment would hold its annual meeting the following Wednesday. Since Sophia had come out in the open this year, it would not be eptable for her to skip out again as she had in previous years. After all, others perceived her as the abandoned wife of a wealthy man who sat around doing nothing. As she flipped through the schedule Yvonne had sent her, she realized she was actually quite free. Soon, she switched off her phone and went to bed. That night, a ck Maybach slowly pulled up in front of the mansion. An energy-efficientmp was lit in the mansion''s garden. Alexander could vaguely see the locked front door in the distance. After hearing Samuel''s words that night, he understood that Sophia now genuinely despised him. She probably did love him back then, but as she said, all of that was in the past. Ever since they got a divorce, she had thought of him as a stranger. After refusing to acknowledge the truth for more than six months, he was finally forced to do so that night. Rolling down the car window halfway, he lowered his head and lit a cigarette, smoking while gazing at the mansion in front of him. Samuel is right. I deserved it. Sophia had a good night''s sleep and woke up to her rm the next morning. Since she had a meeting at nine o''clock, she drove to Sunshine Group after breakfast. The morning was very different for the Queen family, though. Harold noticed Samuel''s car pulling in just as he was about to leave. Why is Samuel here at this hour of the day? Harold and Jessica exchanged nces. After parking the car in the garage, Samuel alighted from the car and piped up, ¡°Aunt Jessica, Uncle Harold, I have something to tell you.¡± Having said that, he took a brief pause and cast a quick nce at Harold. ¡°It''s something to do with you, Uncle Harold.¡± In response, Harold chuckled and queried, ¡°What''s the big deal that you have to show up in person early in the morning?¡± Even though Samuel was not a good-for-nothing, he was the scion of a wealthy family and was busy most of the time. He would not visit their house if there were no pressing matters. Touching his nose, Samuel remarked, ¡°Uncle Harold, why do you sound as if this is the first time I''ve come here so early?¡± The next moment, Harold stopped teasing him and asked, ¡°You''vee all the way here to find me. What''s the matter?¡± Ever since Samuel knew that the vase was fake, he had debated whether or not to notify Harold about it. He was conscious of Harold''s admiration for the vase. If Harold discovered it was a fake, he most certainly would not let things go so lightly. On the contrary, if the vase were real, Harold and Jessica would undoubtedly be dissatisfied with Sophia''s actions, not to mention that Jessica already had a prejudice against Sophia. If it were not for Sophia, Samuel would not be troubled. Alexander had asked him to apologize to Sophia the previous night. Hence, he would not allow Megan to bully Sophia before he could apologize to thetter. After weighing the pros and cons, Samuel regained his conscience and drove over early in the morning. Hearing Harold''s question, he answered straightforwardly, ¡°Uncle Harold, the vase that Sophia identally brokest time is a fake.¡± As soon as Harold heard that, his face fell. ¡°Samuel, I''m aware of your rtionship with Alexander, and I also know the rtionship between him and Sophia. However, you shouldn''t lie because of this!¡± That day, when he learned that Sophia had asked someone to send them thirty thousand as compensation, he felt a little resentful toward her. Thirty thousand inpensation? Who is she looking down on? In fact, Samuel was not surprised by Harold''s reaction. With a smile, he continued, ¡°Uncle Harold, I know how much you love that vase, but I didn''t make this up. Alexander was the one who informed me of it and asked me to remind you. The vases were originally a pair. Did you learn where the other one was when you purchased it? Even if you don''t believe me, you have nothing to lose by looking into it.¡± Jessica, who was standing beside them, became irritated and raised her hand to hit Samuel. ¡°You brat. Don''t you know what your uncle likes the most? He has asked so many people to appraise the vase. How could you im that it is a fake? Sophia has asked people to send thirty thousand to our house to insult us. How could you take her side?¡± Samuel denied her usations while avoiding her p. ¡°Aunt Jessica, calm down! I didn''t even bring up Sophia. What makes you think that I''m taking her side? Besides, if I truly had no conscience, I wouldn''t have to hesitate whether or not I should point out that Megan was the one who pushed Ms. Yarrow that evening. I''ve heard that Megan and Sophia made a bet, and I''m worried that things will worsen in the future. It''s better to verify whether the vase is genuine or not. It''s already broken anyway. You have nothing to lose.¡± ¡°Shut up! How dare you bring this up again? You shouldn''t have said anything that night!¡± The moment Jessica thought about what had happened that night, she became furious. Samuel was her nephew. Nothing would have happened if he remained silent, but he had to mention Megan. Compared to his wife, Harold was moreposed. In his opinion, Samuel had not done anything wrong that night. Frowning, he stopped Jessica and said, ¡°Enough. Don''t scold Samuel anymore. He''s right. After appraisal, we''ll know if the vase is genuine or not.¡± As soon as Megan came out of her room, she heard some noises in the yard and ran over with her bag. ¡°Dad, Mom, Samuel, what are you talking about?¡± ncing at her, Samuel stated, ¡°The vase Sophia broke that day is a fake. I heard you made a bet with her. Deal with it on your own.¡± Then, he returned to his car and drove away after saying what needed to be said, not wanting to be reprimanded by Jessica. Instantaneously, Megan''s face nched. ¡°Dad, is what Samuel said true?¡± Harold had some doubts because Samuel sounded so serious. ¡°No matter if it''s real or fake, who asked you to find Ms. Yarrow?¡± All of a sudden, Megan felt guilty. ¡°Dad, I ran into her when I was eating with Thalia. She intentionally set me off, and I couldn''t¡ª¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Just then, Jessica spoke up to smooth things over. ¡°That''s enough. We don''t even know if it''s real or fake yet. What are you scolding Meg for?¡± ¡°Meg, what did you bet with Sophia?¡± Samuel''s im that the vase was a fake frightened Megan. She quickly responded to Jessica''s question and showed her parents the video. When Harold finished watching it, he was so furious that his face was red. ¡°You! What a fool! I''m not going to care about you anymore!¡± Although Sophia''s statements might sound like nothing, the matter was not as simple as it seemed that night. If Megan lost the bet, she would suffer massive embarrassment. In the beginning, Harold already had the impression that Sophia was not an ordinary woman, but Megan was unreceptive to his advice. Forget it! I won''t care anymore! Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Harold stormed away. Meanwhile, Megan was stunned and could only hold onto Jessica. ¡°Mom, could that vase really be a fake?¡± However, Jessica did not believe it. ¡°Don''t scare yourself like that. Do you really think that your dad is that gullible? Do you know how many people he went around to ask before he bought this vase?¡± ¡°But Samuel...¡± Jessica was furious at the mention of Samuel''s name. ¡°He isn''t even an appraiser. Do you think that it''s fake just because he said so?¡± Megan heaved a sigh. ¡°Then is Dad really going to find another appraiser to appraise the vase now?¡± ¡°It''s just for him to feel at ease. Don''t worry about the authenticity of the vase anymore. Just tell me. Is this bet real?¡± As for the bet between Sophia and Megan, Jessica and her husband had differing views. Jessica already disliked Sophia, to begin with. When such a matter happened when Stephen brought Sophia back a few days ago, she disliked Sophia even more. Besides, Sophia even got someone to bring thirty thousand dors to humiliate them. Hence, Jessica felt gratified by the bet between Sophia and Megan. When Megan knew Jessica was on her side, she decided to tell her ns to thetter. ¡°When the appraisal resultse out, I''ll go with you to look for Sophia.¡± There was no way that Jessica could swallow her anger from the thirty thousand that Sophia used to humiliate her. ¡°Okay!¡± Megan started to get excited and firmly believed that the vase was authentic. Just after Harold left, someone immediately brought the fragments from the vase to be appraised. Less than half an hourter, the news reached Yvonne. She then conveyed the message about the Queen family sending the vase for appraisal to Sophia. After Sophia finished listening to her, she raised her brow. ¡°I still thought that I needed to wait for some time.¡± ¡°Maybe Mr. Queen is getting dubious of it.¡± However, Sophia did not care about all of those minor details. All she wanted to know was when the results would be avable. ¡°How long does it usually take for an appraisal result toe out?¡± Yvonne had done her research on this previously. Hence, she replied, ¡°The vase is already broken, so they can use the fragments for an appraisal. If this were quick, it would take maybe an hour. Otherwise, it would be done in about three to five hours.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Take note once the resultse out.¡± Although she knew that the vase was fake, she still needed evidence to prove it. ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Sophia then nced at Yvonne. ¡°Keep an eye on Magic Sense over the next few months.¡± ¡°I understand, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Let''s go. It''s time for the meeting.¡± With a nod, Yvonne hurried after Sophia. The meeting was eighty minutes long, and it was exactly eleven in the morning when it ended. After the meeting, Sophia stayed behind with the executives and continued an executive meeting for another half an hour. It was only at half-past eleven that she finally walked out of the conference room. By then, it was already lunchtime. Sophia looked toward Yvonne beside her and asked, ¡°Do you want to have lunch together?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Just then, Yvonne''s phone rang. She looked at Sophia and said, ¡°Excuse me while I make a call, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Just then, Sophia received a text notification on her phone. Initially, she thought it was a spam message and wanted to delete it. However, when she saw Samuel''s name on top, her hand froze before she opened it with her index finger. It read: Samuel Schild here. Are you free this afternoon? Let''s have a meal together. Sophia scoffed and swiftly replied: I''m not free. Samuel instantly responded: Then what about tonight? Sophia gave him the same response, but this time, she added: You can stop asking. I''ll never have time for you. Samuel, who was just about to try his luck again, was rendered speechless. How heartless! He gritted his teeth and pondered for a while before sending another text: Please don''t misunderstand. I genuinely wanted to treat you to a meal as an apology for how I previously offended you. However, even after a long wait, he still did not receive a text from Sophia. On the other end, after Sophia replied to Samuel, she blocked all calls and texts from him. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, the appraisal results are out.¡± Yvonne''s voice sounded beside Sophia as soon as thetter put away her phone. Sophia raised her brows. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The vase was indeed a fake. The appraisal results should reach Harold by this afternoon.¡± Upon hearing this, Sophia could not help but smile. ¡°Oh. I hope he doesn''t have high blood pressure.¡± Otherwise, he might get a heart attack from the anger! Her words sounded like an insult, but Yvonne could not help butugh along with her. ¡°Ms. Queen should know about this soon.¡± Sophia tilted her head to the side and wore a smile. ¡°Ms. Leighton, I realize that you''re quite cheeky sometimes.¡± Yvonne''s heart palpitated under Sophia''s gaze. However, after being her secretary for so many years, she managed to calm herself down. ¡°Just sometimes.¡± Sophia''s lips curled into a smile. ¡°That''s good enough.¡± As Yvonne looked at Sophia, who was smiling at her, she felt as if her heart was going to jump out of her chest. Mom, I think I''m in love! No one could withstand such a beautiful person smiling at them. Yvonne felt that she would fall for Sophia''s charms sooner orter. Never had she ever seen a woman who seemed alluring and innocent at the same time when she smiled. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne lowered her head, and her cheeks got slightly flushed. Seeing this, Sophia raised her brow and decided not to tease her further. ¡°Is there anything that you would like to eat?¡± As Sophia''s secretary, Yvonne immediately knew that Sophia did not feel like deciding on what to eat. ¡°There''s a barbeque restaurant nearby that opened recently. Their reviews seem quite decent.¡± Sophia nced at her, impressed. ¡°All right. Let''s go and try it out.¡± Yvonne knew Sophia''s taste, and it was not a bad decision to rmend the barbecue restaurant. After a delicious and satisfying lunch, Sophia drove back to her mansion feeling satisfied. Once she reached her mansion, she received a call from an unknown number. She nced at the phone screen. Usually, she would not pick up calls from unknown numbers, but since she was in a good mood and had nothing to do after lunch, she decided to answer the call. ¡°Hello, Sophia Yarrow speaking.¡± ¡°Hello, Ms. Yarrow. I''m Hector Lowe, the secretary of Mr. Queen, the chairman of Queen Corporation.¡± Sophia raised her brow. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± If she recalled correctly, Harold was the chairman of Queen Corporation. Harold is quite fast. Sophia chuckled as she listened to Hector''s reason for calling. ¡°Well, our chairman would like to meet you to apologize for the incident that happened when you identally broke the vase at the Queen residence. Ms. Yarrow, are you free this afternoon?¡± ¡°An apology won''t be necessary. Mr. Queen is just an innocent victim, but I''m someone who abides by my principles. I won''t let the bet that I made with Ms. Queen slide.¡± Sophia immediately rejected Harold''s ns. On the other end, Hector was slightly surprised. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, if you don''t mind, our chairman would like to deliver a gift to you to express his apologies.¡± ¡°There''s no need for that. I''m not short of anything. Send my regards to Mr. Queen. I appreciate his apology, but I can''t say the same for Ms. Queen. Please excuse me. I have another calling in, so I''ll hang up now.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow-¡± As Hector looked at the phone after she hung up, he instinctively turned to look at Harold. The entire call had been on speaker mode, so Harold heard every word of the conversation. Sophia''s words were intentionally for Harold. She made it very clear that these were two separate matters, and she still wanted to fulfill the bet she made with Megan. ¡°Mr. Queen, why don''t I personally deliver the gift to Ms. Yarrow?¡± Harold heaved a sigh. ¡°There''s no need for that. Forget it. Let''s leave it at that.¡± Never would Harold expect that the gentle and obedient woman in front of Alexander would turn out to be this difficult to deal with. Chapter 80 Chapter 80 Sophia genuinely had an iing call, and it was from Katherine. Besides, she did not want to continue talking to Harold''s secretary. Hence, she decided to hang up. ¡°What took you so long to pick up?¡± Once she picked up the phone, she heard Katherine grumbling on the other end. Sophiaughed. ¡°I was on another call just now.¡± ¡°Who was it from?¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Sophia took a sip of hot water before replying, ¡°Megan''s dad''s secretary.¡± Of course, Katherine also knew about the vase. Now that Harold''s secretary had contacted Sophia, Katherine could not help but ask, ¡°Did they send the vase for an appraisal?¡± ¡°Yeah. They appraised it this morning.¡± ¡°Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. They got a big p in their faces, didn''t they?¡± Sophia''s lips curled up into a smirk. ¡°What are you calling me for?¡± ¡°Oh, I almost forgot! I ordered a gown for you, so remember to try it on. Tell me if it doesn''t fit.¡± At this, Sophia felt slightly helpless. ¡°It''s just an annual dinner.¡± ¡°What do you mean it''s just an annual dinner? You''re our boss, the face of Specter Entertainment! Shouldn''t you present yourself nicely? Besides, there''s going to be plenty of people attending. If you happen to see your enemy there, you can''t lose your pride.¡± ¡°So why are you certain that I''ll lose?¡± ¡°I''m sorry. I just wanted you to mesmerize everyone and be in the spotlight!¡± Every time there was such a banquet, the first person Katherine would think of was Sophia. It was as if she were a mother who wanted to doll her beautiful daughter up resplendently, wanting to show everyone what a fairy looked like. Back when Sophia was married, Katherine did not have the chance to take her to such parties. Now that Sophia was divorced, there was nothing stopping them anymore. Sophia, let''s go party! You''re only twenty-six, it''s never toote to enjoy your youth! In fact, Katherine merely wanted to see the envious expressions of those who dared to speak ill of Sophia. Sophia lowered her cup and replied calmly, ¡°I think you just want to make everyone despise me to the maximum.¡± ¡°With your unrivaled beauty and figure, who wouldn''t be envious of you? Gosh, Soph. Don''t tell me that you think that no one would be jealous of you as long as you keep a low profile.¡± Sophia fell silent for a moment. ¡°Oh, of course, not. I''m just afraid that they would fall in love with me.¡± Katherine was stunned and could not help but admire her confidence. ¡°Forget it. You should just stick to being by yourself. I really can''t think of anyone who would be good enough for someone who''s as wealthy, gorgeous, and intelligent as you. If there was, it would have to be me. Honestly speaking, are you really not going to consider giving me a chance as your best friend for over twenty years?¡± Sophiaughed in exasperation. ¡°I think you''re just after my money.¡± ¡°Money doesn''t matter to me. I just want to be your little seductress.¡± ¡°You can save your words for Joshua. I''ll hang up now.¡± ¡°You''re so cold-hearted and ruthless-¡± Sophia could not stand Katherine''s sudden pretense and immediately hung up. However, Katherine''s phone call did remind her that she had not been working outtely. After all, one could not get a good figure just by eating and sleeping all day. After changing into a set of sportswear, Sophia drove to the gym. Two hourster, she walked out of the gym feeling much more refreshed. The winter had made everyonezy, and Sophia had not been working out for the past ten days. When she returned to her mansion, the gown that Katherine ordered for her arrived. After trying it on, she found that it was slightly tight around the bust. She thought she had probably gained weight, as she had beenzing around recently and did not even feel like moving. As it was only a few days left before the annual dinner, Sophia decided to get Katherine to alter the dress after giving it some thought. She then took a photo and sent it to Katherine. Perhaps Katherine was busy, as she only replied around eight at night. As a talkative person, Katherine''s responses were long-winded. Sophia quickly nced through her replies and understood that Katherine thought she had not gained weight but only grown arger bust. She would also send someone to collect the gown the next day to amend the dress. It was a rare moment for Sophia to blush. Why would this happen? I didn''t even do anything. It was only on the day before the annual dinner that Sophia received her dress. They amended the bust to make itrger while maintaining the waist size. Now, Sophia did not feel as suffocated as she previously did. Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt that her breasts had indeed grownrger. Recently, she had gained two and a half kilograms. As there were no obvious changes anywhere else, she guessed that the weight must have gone to her breasts. She felt slightly delighted at this. At three in the afternoon on the day of the annual dinner, Sophia was just practicing yoga at home when the stylist Katherine arranged for her arrived to help her get ready. After around two hours, Sophia got into the car that was sent to pick her up in the Clovile gown Katherine ordered for her. The annual dinner was held at Sophia''s yacht, and there were security guards by the coast. No one was allowed to enter without an invitation. Katherine was the one who sent out the invitations. Sophia''s yacht had a limited capacity, and there were already more than thirty artists under herpany and around forty employees in other companies. However, the vessel was only about three hundred square meters. Fortunately, there was a deck of around fifty square meters connected to the dining area. As such, the maximum capacity of the yacht would be four hundred people. Katherine only prepared two hundred and fifty invitations, and those who attended that day were mostly those who had previously worked with Specter Entertainment. Every guest was allowed to bring a plus- one, and reporters were not allowed inside. When the car reached the harbor, there were already many other cars parked there. Jadeborough was extremely cold in January, and the ocean breeze only made it more chilly. Once Sophia got out of the car, she was almost frozen stiff. However, as there were too many reporters outside, she boarded the yacht with a calm expression. Katherine had arrived much earlier. She was dressed in a red strapped gown that entuated her figure,plemented by her exquisite make-up. Once Sophia stepped onto the yacht, Katherine rushed over. ¡°Soph!¡± Most of the employees had already arrived, which was why Katherine did not run up to hug her. She merely stood by Sophia''s side and lowered her head to look at Sophia''s breasts. Sophia moved slightly and said, ¡°Joshua is looking at you.¡± Upon hearing that, Katherine shuddered and looked up. However, she noticed that Joshua had not come out of his room. She snorted and said, ¡°You lied to me, Soph!¡± Sophia shed her a teasing smile while ncing at her. ¡°If you continue looking at me like that, I''ll tell Joshua that you want to get a boob job.¡± Katherine instantly gave in. ¡°All right. It''s my fault. But your breasts really grewrger. I''m so envious. What did you eat?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I just gained some weight.¡± As they were talking about such a topic in front of so many people, Sophia could not help but blush. Just as she was about to change the topic, a familiar person walked in. It was Samuel. He came with Megan beside him, her arm in his. Sophia scoffed. ¡°She has quite the guts.¡± Katherine frowned. ¡°What are they doing here?¡± She felt rather displeased as well. But the moment she finished her words, someone who made her even more upset walked in, and it was none other than Alexander. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 Alexander spotted Sophia right after he entered the cruise ship''s lounge. It was inevitable, as thetter was one of the hosts. All the guests, including many celebrities, had dressed up for the party. Even so, Sophia looked ravishing amid the crowd. Wearing an icy blue gown, she was so pretty as if a cold beauty walking out of the snow. On the contrary, Sophia merely swept her nce across Alexander. Well, once the invitations are sent, we can never guess whose hands they''ll end up in. There was not much change in her expression even though she was surprised to see Alexander. ¡°Why is he here?¡± Katherine pursed her lips, staring at Alexander with an annoyed look. Sophia raised her eyebrows. ¡°He''s your guest.¡± Katherine scoffed, ¡°I didn''t invite him! Anyway, can Megan get any bolder?¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Who knows?¡± In the middle of their chat, a director came over to greet Sophia. Thetter then raised her ss of wine out of courtesy. Her expression was neither weing nor distant. Katherine escorted the director to somewhere else wisely. Meanwhile, Sophia reced her ss of wine with grape juice. Just when Sophia turned around, she heard Megan calling out to her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia took a nce at Megan and greeted her nonchntly, ¡°Ms. Queen.¡± Thetter gritted her teeth. ¡°I''d like to apologize to you for what happened previously.¡± Sophia raised her brows. ¡°What happened previously?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Despite knowing what exactly had happened, she decided to y dumb. Megan''s face darkened. Just when she was about to have an outburst, she recalled Harold''s reminder and gritted her teeth. ¡°I''ve identally pushed you at my home back then.¡± ¡°identally?¡± Sophia''s eyebrows arched as she looked at Megan with an amused look. ¡°You sure know how to make a joke, Ms. Queen.¡± ¡°Sophia Yarrow! You-¡± Megan''s face flushed red in anger. Gritting her teeth, she lifted her hand and pointed at Sophia. Attracted by her loud voice, the guests around them subconsciously shifted their attention to the two. Sophia merely stood there and stared at Megan. Upon receiving her intense gaze, Megan began to cower. She did not forget that she was in Sophia''s territory. ¡°Anyway, it was my fault for what happenedst time. I''d like to express my apology.¡± Sophia took a sip of her grape juice. ¡°So, are you here tonight to apologize to me?¡± Megan did not want to admit that she came to the party to apologize. Never had she thought that the vase in their house was a fake. Aside from her, Harold also refused to believe in Sophia''s im. Hence, he sent the vase to another appraisalpany. Yet, the result turned out to be the same. They were baffled upon knowing that the vase they had spent more than three million to buy ended up bing a fake. Megan would have suspected Sophia swapped the vase in secret if she and Samuel were not at the scene that night. Furthermore, there were surveince cameras installed at her house. However, she could not do so because she was the one watching over Sophia that night. Besides, the surveince footage showed no peculiarity. It turned out that Sophia had not swapped the vase at her house with a fake, and the vase was a fake in the first ce. In fact, the vase''s authenticity did not matter much to the Queens. They could not care less about having spent three million on a fake. What bothered Megan the most was her recklessness in starting a bet with Sophia. She could never forget how confident she was when she made her bet, let alone thetter. Even though the appraisal results hade out, Megan was unwilling to live-stream her apology. She could not afford to embarrass herself, nor did she want to. Having no intention of humiliating herself, she had no choice but to apologize to Sophia privately. After all, embarrassing herself in front of one person was better than doing so in front of hundreds of thousands of people. Megan clutched her gown. ¡°You''re right. I''m here tonight to apologize. I''m sorry!¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia chuckled, her eyes sweeping across Megan''s. ¡°The way you apologize is quite special, Ms. Queen.¡± ¡°Don''t you-¡± Overwhelmed with anger, Megan wanted to scold Sophia for being arrogant. However, due to her fear of thetter, she dared not spit the cursing words as though they were stuck in her throat. In the end, she could only swallow her rage. ¡°It''s all my fault. Please forgive me, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia tapped on the ss in her hand. ¡°It''s your decision to apologize, but it''s up to me whether I want to forgive you.¡± She paused for a while and continued, ¡°Besides, aside from this matter, there''s something else to resolve between us.¡± Aware of what Sophia was talking about, Megan froze, her face turning pale. ¡°I heard that Mr. Queen has asked twopanies to appraise the authenticity of the vase. The results must havee out now. Regarding our bet-¡± Megan subconsciously denied it. ¡°No! The results aren''t out yet! I firmly believe that my vase is one hundred percent genuine. I''ve given a thought to our bet after that day. Our bet doesn''t seem to be fair to you. I feel bad for bullying you, so I''ve decided to cancel that bet! I''ll delete the video, so you should do so too.¡± As though worrying that Sophia would not trust her, she took out her phone and deleted the video right in front of the former. ¡°See. I''ve deleted it. You should do so too.¡± Megan had always regarded the video as a time bomb. She would have deleted it long ago if she did not have to use it to negotiate with Sophia. Staring at her, Sophia raised her eyebrows. ¡°I''m a very serious person, Ms. Queen. I take every word you said and everything you did seriously. A bet is a bet. The bet is valid since both of us have evidence. We can''t cancel the bet just because you regret it.¡± She smiled and added, ¡°Plus, I was the one who suggested the bet. Hence, you bullying me makes no sense. I''ll admit my defeat if I lose the bet. Or perhaps, you''re feeling guilty, Ms. Queen?¡± Right after she finished her words, her lips curled into a smirk. Enthusiasm filled her gorgeous eyes. However, her stare was sharp, as though she could see through the people around her. Megan lowered her head out of guilt. ¡°No way! Why would I feel guilty?¡± ¡°If that''s the case, please inform me when the appraisal results are out, Ms. Queen. However, I think the results should have been out by now. As far as I remember, appraisal technology is advanced and speedy nowadays. We can obtain the results in a few hours.¡± A smile appeared on Sophia''s face as she continued, ¡°I don''t mean anything else, and I hope you won''t misunderstand me, Ms. Queen. What I''m trying to imply is you don''t have to hide the appraisal results from me. I have acquaintances working at those appraisalpanies.¡± Frightened, Megan quivered. ¡°W-What nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°You know best whether I''m talking nonsense, Ms. Queen.¡± Sophia nced at Stephen walking over behind Megan. ¡°Your godbrother is here. Why don''t you guys have a nice chat? I''ll excuse myself then. If you don''t fulfill your promise in our bet within three days, I can assure you that I''ll make the video trending for one whole day.¡± With that said, she smirked, turned around, and walked toward Mason and the others before Stephen came over. Chapter 82 Chapter 82 Just as Sophia reached Mason, she heard him say, ¡°Did she bully you, Soph?¡± She nced at him and replied, ¡°Do I look like an easy target to bully?¡± Mason raised his brow. ¡°No, but I''m still worried.¡± She took a sip of her grape juice. ¡°Save it, Mason.¡± After finishing her juice, she turned to look at Joachim and asked, ¡°Is the life of a celebrity the same as you''ve imagined?¡± Joachim had been training for over three months in seclusion, and Jonice had recently begun letting Mason and Howard bring him around. The young man who just reached adulthood recently was in a suit that only made him look even younger. Sophia only gave him a nce, and he was already blushing. ¡°Kind of.¡± ¡°Do you regret it?¡± Joachim shook his head. ¡°I don''t.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue softly. ¡°It seems like you''ve thought it through.¡± ¡°Did you think that I was just fooling around, Sophia?¡± His question stunned her, and she stiffened, which was a rare gesture. ¡°Actually, no.¡± ¡°Is it because I don''t look like someone who can go through tough times?¡± She gave him a silent smile. He was Natalie''s only son¡ªa boy born with a golden spoon. It was expected that he was not resilient. Joachim pressed his lips tightly. ¡°It''s true that I''m not good at withstanding adversity, but my goddess is here.¡± Right as those words were out of his mouth, he turned tond his burning gaze on Sophia. Sophia lifted her brows a little before sweeping her gaze across Mason and Howard. ¡°Why did you all join the industry because of your goddesses?¡± She had subtly changed the topic and gave no chance for Joachim to continue. That way, she managed to steer them away from an awkward situation. Mason had a silver tongue, and he managed to give a lively twist to the events in the industry. Sophia listened to him as she sat on the couch, resting her chin on her hand. Once in a while, she would smile in response. The very sight of her was like a beautiful piece of painting. Alexander, who was at the side with a ss of wine, felt the temptation to steal her away a few times. He never realized that he was that possessive. Even though she was still not his, he could not stand watching her smile at others in that way. Samuel peeked at him from the side and said, ¡°Stop looking, Alex. No matter how many times you look at her, Sophia is still your ex-wife.¡± Immediately, Alexander''s expression darkened. He turned to the side and cast a cold look at Samuel before hissing, ¡°Nothing good cane out of your mouth.¡± ¡°Hey, you''re crossing the line by firing personal attacks.¡± Alexander scoffed, ¡°I can be much ruder. Would you like to try me?¡± Samuel immediately chickened out. ¡°Forget it, forget it. I''m a big-hearted man who won''t hold you ountable for that.¡± Alexander ignored him. Not only are you spitting nonsense, but you''re also a coward. However, Samuel did not end there. He elbowed Alexander and said, ¡°Say, you''ve done so much to get the invitation ande here, but all you''re going to do is to stand here and watch her?¡± What a coward you are, Alex! ¡°At the very least, say hi to her. Talk to her about her recent situation! I dare to say that she won''t drive you away with the situation we''re in today,¡± Samuel continued, patting his chest. ¡°If she does that, just pretend you''ve never heard this from me.¡± In response, Alexander scowled. ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°Why? I came in here with an invitation too!¡± Frankly, Alexander was starting to wonder how he managed to tolerate Samuel''s presence for the past thirty years. It''s almost as if Samuel''s asking me to punch him with every word he speaks. Alexander did not want to spend another second with Samuel anymore. He was afraid that he would really grab thetter and toss him into the sea. A distance away, Sophia changed a ss of juice and rose to her feet, seemingly in search of her celebrity friend. Right as Alexander was hesitating whether he should head over or stay, Samuel shoved him and urged, ¡°Go on!¡± Patience, Alexander. Everyone''s watching. It''s illegal to murder someone. Having been pushed by Samuel, Alexander then walked over to Sophia. He was a tall man with long legs, so he only took a few long strides before walking past the crowd and reaching Sophia. ¡°Sophia.¡± Sophia paused and gave him a brief look. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I never thought that a busy man like you would take time ande to the annual dinner of a smallpany like ours. What a pleasant surprise.¡± Hostile words came out of her mouth the moment she parted her lips. However, it was as if Alexander did not hear the agressiveness in her words as heplimented, ¡°You look beautiful today.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± There were no changes to Sophia''s expression. Only a polite smile remained on her face. If not for the fact that they were at thepany''s annual dinner, Sophia would have long kicked Alexander out. ¡°Did Megane to you because of the vase?¡± His question surprised Sophia, for she did not think that he knew about that. ¡°Did Samuel tell you that?¡± Only Samuel would tell such matters to Alexander. Without hesitation, Alexander uttered, ¡°Yes.¡± He then lowered his head to take a small sip of his wine. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Sophia raised a brow. ¡°Take a seat, Mr. Xenos. I''ll take my leave now.¡± ¡°Sophia.¡± Instead of reaching out to stop her, he called her name. Sophia stopped, but she did not turn around. As she kept her head lowered and her gaze on her ss, she said, ¡°Let''s talk another time if there''s anything else. I don''t wish to ruin the mood of the dinner.¡± Alexander was stumped for a moment. ¡°Okay.¡± All he wanted to say to her was a sincere and earnest sorry, but he knew that Sophia probably did not want to hear it. Perhaps she did not even want to see him at all. After a nod, Sophia lifted the hem of her dress a little and left. Katherine walked over and pulled Sophia to her side. ¡°What did that jerk say to you?¡± After shooting a look at Katherine, who seemed nervous, Sophia smiled. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°I don''t believe you.¡± ¡°He said that I''m beautiful tonight.¡± Katherine huffed, ¡°What is he up to this time? Does he even need to praise you now? When are you ever not beautiful? Anyone who isn''t blind can see your beauty! He''s such a b*stard.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°All right. Let''s not bother ourselves with trivial people.¡± ¡°Trivial people! Brilliant words!¡± Samuel, who was about to ask Sophia why she was not responding to his messages, overheard that, and he could not help but give a look of pity at Alexander. Poor him. Miserable. It was about time for the annual dinner to officially start. Once the microphone test was done, Sophia went up onto the stage to deliver her speech. She had a short speech, and it was over in over a minute. There were awards to be given out to the employees, and the rewards were mary. Naturally, the award-giving session became the most thrilling session of the dinner. Katherine brought the entire box of money down from the stage. As the celebrity with the most support from thepany, she was naturally the most popr artiste and the one with the best works. Right as she went down the stage, Katherine hugged Sophia and cried out, ¡°Soph, I''m in love with you!¡± Sophia blocked Katherine''s kiss and said, ¡°You just love my money.¡± ¡°That''s loving you too!¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Is a million in cash heavy?¡± Katherine lifted the box with another hand and uttered, ¡°It really is.¡± Specter Entertainment was earning well that year. The movie that Specter Entertainment invested in two years ago had a great box office, and they received more than eighty million in return for the investment. In other words, they had raked in a profit of over seventy million. Sophia was a generous woman. She took five million from the profits they earned to give back to the employees as the annual bonus. As Katherine was the top star in thepany, it was normal for her to receive one million. However, every department also received over a million and two hundred thousand as the year-end bonus. Averagely, an employee would receive ny thousand. Needless to say, it would feel great to receive the year-end bonus in cash. Chapter 83 Chapter 83 After the award session was the lottery session. The lowest ranking prize was still a mary gift of two thousand, and everyone at the event had the right to join the lottery with the number they received when they entered the venue. When Samuel looked at his number, he cried out, ¡°Hey, I won! Two thousand!¡± Beside him, Alexander remarked, ¡°Have you never seen two thousand in cash?¡± ¡°How can thispare to that? I won this! Moreover, the pretty CEO, Ms. Yarrow, is going to be the one to hand me my award on stageter! Hey, what are you doing?¡± Just as Samuel''s words were out of his mouth, Alexander snatched his number away. As he stared at his thirty-one-year-old childhood friend in disbelief, Samuel asked, ¡°Alex, do you really have to do this?¡± ¡°I''ll give you twenty thousand.¡± ¡°Do I look like someone who needs twenty thousand?¡± ¡°I''ll give you one percent of the project at Salinsburgh.¡± One percent of that project was worth over two hundred million. He''s charitable! ¡°You''re my friend, and I''ll do anything for you. Take it, take it. I''ll feel terrible if you don''t.¡± Alexander shot Samuel an icy look. ¡°Stop it. Stop pushing your luck.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Samuel was more than happy to mp his mouth shut for two hundred million. By then, they were already giving out the prizes on stage, and the host called out the number that Alexander now had. Samuel nudged his friend with his elbow. Although he did not speak, the funny look at Samuel gave Alexander was more than enough to tempt Alexander into beating the other up. Nevertheless, the corner of Alexander''s lips only twitched as he went past the crowd and went up the stage. Many were surprised to see Alexander. In fact, even Sophia stood transfixed for a moment. However, that onlysted for a good second before she rposed herself and reached out to shake hands with Alexander. ¡°Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Alexander lowered his head to look at her. The tender warmth still lingered on his palm, but he took the mary gift that Sophia handed to him and went down the stage. That was mayhaps the most peaceful moment they shared ever since they divorced each other. After the lottery session was time for everyone to mingle with other people. Those who wanted to stay could stay, and those who wanted to leave could do so. Sophia stepped down from the stage and took a glimpse at the time. She nned to leave in another five minutes. Right then, Stephen, who was talking to Joshua earlier, walked over. ¡°Sophia.¡± Sophia smiled at him. ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°Great. You''re a generous boss.¡± Stephen had been busytely as well. The two of them were only in a rtionship for work matters, so naturally, they would not have time to meet. However, Sophia could see that Stephen did not seem like he needed her, the fake girlfriend, anymore after that night. ¡°It''s only because thepany is small.¡± Stephen was about to reply to that when his phone rang. ¡°Sorry, I have to take a call.¡± Sophia nodded. When she turned to the side, about to get a ss of soda, she noticed Alexander staring at her. In response, she arched a brow and averted her eyes from him before lifting the ss to sip the soda. Meanwhile, Stephen ended the call with a darkened look. ¡°Megan''s outside. She says she wants to have a talk with you.¡± Sophia knitted her brows. ¡°We have nothing to talk about.¡± ¡°She says it''ll only take you five minutes.¡± Sophia fell silent for a moment. ¡°Well, I''ll take my leave now then.¡± ¡°Sophia, about what happened that night... I''m sorry.¡± She smiled. ¡°You''ve said that. It doesn''t have much to do with you.¡± Still, Stephen shook his head. ¡°I know about the vase.¡± ¡°Hmph! You''re not going to try to convince me to be the bigger man, are you?¡± ¡°No, I just feel even guiltier about making you upset.¡± Sophia raised her brows. ¡°I won''t let anyone upset me that easily. Excuse me.¡± With that, she turned and left. While she was on her way out, Katherine suddenly ran over to her. ¡°You''re going back?¡± ¡°No. Megan''s looking for me.¡± ¡°Why is she looking for you?¡± Sophia mulled over it briefly. ¡°Maybe it''s because of the bet.¡± Katherine mocked, ¡°What''s the matter? She can''t stand by her words?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I''lle with you. Who knows what that girl''s trying to do?¡± Sophia did not reject her offer. However, when they went out and spotted Megan, she stopped Katherine from going any further. ¡°I''ll talk to her alone.¡± Katherine frowned. ¡°All right.¡± It was freezing outside, but Megan was only in her gown and a shawl as she stood by the edge of the boat. Only when Sophia walked over did Megan turn her head around. ¡°Sophia, must you force me to do this?¡± When Sophia heard her words, the former''s brows rose. ¡°I''m forcing you?¡± It''s been such a long time since I''ve heard something as funny as this. ¡°Are you really not going to cancel the bet?¡± ¡°Ms. Queen, you''re an adult now. You have to bear the responsibility for your actions,¡± Sophia said as she looked at her. Just as those words left her lips, Megan suddenly climbed onto the rail. ¡°If you don''t agree to it, I''ll jump from here! There are a lot of reporters by the coast. Am I right? By then, I''ll say you were the one who pushed me down! How many days of imprisonment do you think you''ll get for that?¡± Tsk. So this is what she''s nning. Sophia curled her lips. ¡°Well, I''m rather interested to see you jump down.¡± Her words immediately made anger stir within Megan. ¡°Sophia, I''m serious! I''m not joking with you!¡± Sophia dropped the smile on her face. ¡°So am I. Ms. Queen, you might have forgotten about what happened three years ago, but I have not.¡± I will never forget how you pushed me into the pool in front of so many people. ¡°You''ll regret this, Sophia Yarrow!¡± At a loss to what she should do next, Megan actually turned and leaped into the sea. Katherine, who had been recording with her phone, quickly ran over. ¡°Has she lost her marbles?¡± Sophia turned to look at Megan in the water. ¡°Maybe.¡± As she spoke, she turned around and call for help. Megan knew how to swim, so she was not going to drown. That was why Sophia was calm. It''s such a cold day, and since she seems to enjoy jumping into the sea, I might as well let her soak a little longer in the sea. Indeed, by the time the others came, Megan was already crying and cursing profusely in the water. Turning to look at Samuel, Sophia said, ¡°Mr. Schild, go to her.¡± Samuel gritted his teeth but remained motionless. It was not that he was heartless, but that he knew Megan used to be in the region''s swimming team and that he did not have the courage to leap in after her on such a cold day. By then, the lifeguards had gotten her up to the deck. When Megan caught sight of Samuel, she lunged toward him and cried out, ¡°Samuel, it''s her! She was the one who pushed me into the water!¡± Sophia remained standing at the side with a smile that did not reach her eyes as she watched Megan pretend to be the victim. In the next second, Katherine appeared with a phone in one hand and a microphone in another. She then yed the video she recorded. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Sophia, must you force me to do this?¡± ¡°I''m forcing you?¡± ¡°Are you really not going to cancel the bet?¡± ¡°Ms. Queen, you''re an adult now. You have to bear the responsibility for your actions.¡± ¡°If you don''t agree to it, I''ll jump from here! There are a lot of reporters by the coast. Am I right? By then, I''ll say you were the one who pushed me down! How many days of imprisonment do you think you''ll get for that?¡± ¡°Well, I''m rather interested to see you jump down.¡± ¡°Sophia, I''m serious! I''m not joking with you!¡± ¡°So am I. Ms. Queen, you might have forgotten about what happened three years ago, but I have not.¡± ¡°You''ll regret this, Sophia Yarrow!¡± The phone was small, and people couldn''t see the video clearly. However, the voices in the recording were magnified by the microphone, and everyone around could hear the conversation between Sophia and Megan, including Megan herself. Instantly, Megan, who was screaming for Samuel to call the police, found herself unable to shed any more tears as she grimaced and paled in Samuel''s arms. The people around them immediately looked at Megan as if she was theughingstock of the century. Humiliated, Megan buried her face in Samuel''s arms and bawled, ¡°I want to go home! Samuel, I want to go home!¡± Even a thick-skinned man like Samuel could not bear to stay any longer. He quickly scooped up Megan and left. When they went past Sophia, through the gap between Samuel''s arms, Megan saw Sophia standing still with a small smile on her face and a cold look in her eyes. At that very moment, Megan felt that she had been nothing but the joke of the day. Chapter 84 Chapter 84 Megan''s cry had been a thunderous one. As she had said earlier, there were reporters by the coast. The moment she bawled, the reporters, who had been waiting to get a good scoop, swiftly turned their cameras toward her. They were a distance away from the boat, and it was dark at night. Thus, the visual quality of their recording was lousy. Nevertheless, the audio quality was not. The moment Katherine had yed the recording on her phone, the reporters instantly figured out what was going on. Thus, when Samuel carried Megan down from the boat, the reporters surrounded them. It was a cold day, and Megan had foolishly jumped into the water earlier. Although she had been brought out of the water, she was still shivering in Samuel''s arms. Furthermore, thest nce of the look on Sophia''s face made Megan even more fearful of lifting her head. Just a moment ago, Megan had been speaking confidently, but now, she was hiding in Samuel''s arms like an ostrich with its head in the sands. The paparazzi had it tough, for they had been waiting for a long while in the cold night to get a worthy piece of news. No one was willing to give up getting the scoop now that the opportunity had appeared. However, the Schild family was in charge of Midway Media, and local showbiz was monopolized by Midway Media andary Media. Hence, Samuel''s bellow in cold fury frightened the others away. In the blink of an eye, the reporters quickly moved aside to open up a narrow path for Samuel to leave. After Samuel brought Megan into the car, he grabbed a towel from the backseat and threw it at her. ¡°Dry yourself!¡± The moment Megan was in the car, she began crying. ¡°Sophia''s too much!¡± Unfortunately, her cries only irked Samuel even more. ¡°Shut up, Megan. You''re making me so frustrated. Do you want me to chase you out of the car and let the paparazzi surround you instead?¡± Megan shuddered at that. She then stole a nce at Samuel and realized that he genuinely had an angry look on his face, so she hastily softened her sobs. Megan had already made a fool of herself. If Samuel were to kick her out of the car, she would then truly embarrass the Queen family for good. Meanwhile, as Samuel had taken Megan away, Sophia decided not to linger. She glimpsed at Katherine and said, ¡°I''m leaving.¡± ¡°Huh? It''s still quite early. Are you going back that soon?¡± Sophia''s eyes flitted toward the reporters onnd. ¡°I''m sleepy.¡± Katherine''s lips curled downward. ¡°All right. I''ll send you to your car, then.¡± ¡°It''s fine. There''s a group of paparazzi around.¡± Katherine craned her neck to look at the group of reporters. ¡°This is all Megan''s fault.¡± Sophia did not deny that. After a chuckle, she said, ¡°Bye.¡± She then waved and left. ¡°The incident that happened three years ago... Was it the one that happened during Old Mr. Queen''s birthday celebration?¡± Sophia had only managed to take a few steps before Alexander caught up with her. Upon hearing his voice, Sophia tilted her head to the side. However, instead of answering him, she said, ¡°Paparazzi and reporters are all over the ce. I don''t want to appear on news with you tomorrow.¡± Alexander halted in his tracks and took two steps back. ¡°Did Megan push you into the pool three years ago?¡± Sophia liked the way he knew what to do, but she did not like him talking about old matters. Nevertheless, the question was out, and she did not n to hide it from him. After all, Sophia was not one to take usations silently. ¡°Yes, but to be more precise, your sister and Ms. Queen were the ones who pushed me into the pool.¡± If she hadn''t wanted to keep Alexander''s dignity intact back then, she would not have dropped the matter so easily. Sadly, no one appreciated her silent endurance. That night, when she appeared in front of him, drenched from head to toe, he had spared her with nothing but a brief, cold look. Tsk. Even now, I still think that was heartless of him. Alexander never expected that answer from her. Back then, it was less than a year since he married Sophia. That day was the birthday of Megan''s grandfather. As Alexander was a good friend of Samuel, and Samuel was Jessica''s nephew, Jessica had told Samuel to invite Alexander to the asion. Alexander could not refuse to attend. Frankly, he had not wanted to bring Sophia there, but Thalia had lied to Sophia and brought Sophia to the event. Back then, he thought that Sophia was deliberately trying to seduce him. Hence, when he saw her at the birthday celebration, he felt disgusted by her. Furthermore, when Thalia, who had always looked down on Sophia, spoke on her behalf, Alexander began thinking that Sophia was slyer than he thought. That night, he did not let her spend a second more than necessary by his side. Halfway through the celebration, amotion broke out in the garden, and Samuel dragged him to the source of the noise. It was then he saw Sophia climb out of the pool,pletely soaked. Everyone wasughing at her, even Samuel. Samuel wasughing at her, thinking that Sophia was desperate enough to pull a lowly trick like that in hopes of gaining sympathy. Alexander had been standing a short distance away from the pool. As she walked toward him, he began feeling that the people wereughing at him as well. She had looked pale back then. Once the drenched woman reached him, she said, ¡°Alexander, I''m feeling a bit cold.¡± The deathly pallor of her face made her seem miserable, but he could think of nothing but mocking thoughts. All he gave her was a look of disdain before he turned and left. Now that he thought about it, he realized she might truly have felt ufortable that night. Sophia had told him that she was feeling cold in front of others. Perhaps she hoped to gain a trace of sympathy from her husband to take her away from the scene even though he could not spare her any love. However, he did not. The recollection of the events of that night made Alexander feel frustrated and upset. When he gazed at Sophia, he took in her aloof expression and the cold look in her pretty eyes. It was as though the fragile Sophia of that night never existed at all. He was the one who killed that part of Sophia, and he knew it. ¡°Sorry.¡± He fixed his dark eyes on her. Sophia let out a soft chuckle. ¡°It doesn''t matter anymore.¡± She was going to settle the score herself. Having said that, she let the smile fade away and ambled out. Alexander watched her retreat. The icy wind pricked his skin, and he took out a cigarette from its box before lighting it. Then, he quietly inhaled the smoke as he looked out into endless darkness. He knew that Sophia was avoiding him as if he was the gue. Once upon a time, she loved him with all her heart. She had wished for him to spare her just one nce. Now, she despised him and did not want him toe close to her at all. Alexander took another puff of his cigarette before gulping. He then stamped out the cigarette, about to leave. ¡°Mr. Xenos, it''s been a long time.¡± A man''s voice came from behind him, and Alexander turned after frowning. It was Stephen. Stephen was a man he did not like. ¡°Mr. Goodstone.¡± ¡°Mr. Xenos, it seems like you don''t quite like me.¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± He then walked to the side and threw the cigarette into the trash can. Stephen smiled. ¡°Sophia has talked to me about you before. She said that she''s feeling troubled by your presence.¡± Alexander scowled in an instant. As he gloomily stared at Stephen, he said, ¡°And? Does that have anything to do with you?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Of course, it does. She''s my girlfriend.¡± Alexander snorted. ¡°Even a married couple can get a divorce. How would you know that you won''t break up with her?¡± ¡°I''m not you, Mr. Xenos.¡± The taunt in Stephen''s words was obvious. Nevertheless, he remained smiling as he said those words. It was as if he was merely talking about the weather. Alexander''s expression darkened further. A beatter, he said, ¡°She doesn''t like you.¡± With that, he left. Stephen remained in his spot as he watched Alexander leave, the smile on his face fading bit by bit. Chapter 85 Chapter 85 Many things happened during the night the annual dinner was held, so it was impossible for Sophia''s mood to remain unaffected. Three years was neither long nor short, but she still vividly remembered the events that transpired that fateful night when she was pushed into the pool. She initially thought that Alexander would still take her away no matter how much he disliked her. However, that wasn''t the case. That night, she left the mansion area by herself and hailed a taxi back to the Xenos residence. Because of the night wind, she ran a high fever for two whole days and nights. s, the man never knew that, for he never returned to the Xenos residence. Every single time Sophia recalled those events of the past, the more she found herself foolish. She herself had no idea what went wrong with her in those three years that she could actually put up with it all. That night was destined to be a restless night for her. The next day, she woke up before dawn. The previous night, she had a lot of fragmented dreams. All of them were rted to Alexander. Some were real while some were fantasy. Consequently, she was half-dreaming and half-awake the entire night. When she woke up in the morning, her head felt heavy, and she didn''t feel quite well. Sitting up, she turned and nced at the time, only to see that it was twenty-five minutes past seven o''clock. Fortunately, she had no early meeting that morning, so she didn''t have to rush. With her phone in hand, she scrolled through Twitter and saw that Megan''s incidentst night had gone viral. The trending video of ¡°a self-directed suicide¡± featuring Megan threatening to jump into the sea to ckmail her was then at the top of the list. Sophia was initially in a pretty bad mood, but the gloominess within her eased significantly at the sight of that. Well, I didn''t do anything this time! No sooner had she finished breakfast than Katherine''s phone call came in. ¡°Did you see the trending list, Soph? I heard that the incident of Megan jumping into the seast night came to light at a little over eleven o''clock. Around three o''clock in the morning, it shot to the top of the list and remained there until a little over seven o''clock!¡± Sophia took a sip of milk. ¡°Yup, I saw it when I woke up.¡± ¡°Hey, it wasn''t my doing this time! I didn''t do anything! I just woke up now, so I didn''t pay for it to make it trending!¡± Sure enough, Katherine understood her and exined herself right after broaching the subject. In response, Sophia chuckled. ¡°I didn''t say anything.¡± Harrumphing, Katherine remarked, ¡°I read theizens''ments, and they seem to be wondering what exactly the stakes of the bet were that caused Megan to go so far as threatening to jump into the sea. This time, she has really shot herself in the foot. It''d be fine if she hadn''t done this, but with this mess now, she has no choice but to stream herself apologizing live. Thousands ofizens are pressuring her to keep her word!¡± Sophia arched an eyebrow. ¡°I''m only giving her three days.¡± The incident was explosive, so the sensation would still remain even after three days had passed. Indeed, the stakes of the initial bet were to apologize on a live stream channel with no less than a hundred thousand viewers. However, with it having made the trending list then, there would likely be millions of people watching when Megan streamed herself apologizing live. After all, everyone liked to mill around and watch the show. Katherine clicked her tongue. ¡°When she streams her apology, I''ve got to post about it on Twitter to help spread the word!¡± Sophia drummed her fingers on the table. ¡°That''s a good idea.¡± While they were speaking, Joshua''s voice sounded from Katherine''s end of the phone. Quirking an eyebrow, Sophia tactfully ended the call. Good Lord! They''re being all lovey-dovey early in the morning! Tsk! Sophia continued scanning through the trending news rted to Megan. On the contrary, the Queen residence was in chaos. Shortly after Samuel sent Megan home, thetter started running a fever. When Jessica learned of the entire incident, she surreptitiously hated Sophia for her refusal to let things slide. From N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Harold was so livid that he almost punished Megan by the family rules, only relenting at Jessica''s tears. However, it didn''t take long before the video of Megan ckmailing Sophia by threatening to jump into the sea circted all over the inte. Harold phoned Samuel, asking thetter to contact someone to remove the trending headlines and videos. Regretfully, a headache assailed him when Samuel told him that Alexander was the one behind that matter. Neither Harold nor Jessica slept well the entire night. Conversely, the culprit herself¡ªMegan¡ª slumbered soundly after taking some medicine and knew nothing about everything that was going on. When she woke up the next morning and saw the trending list, she promptly went off the deep end, dering that she was going to seek Sophia out to settle a score. Her words were overheard by Harold, who hadn''t gone out to work. This time, he disregarded Jessica''s pleading and punished his daughter by the family rules right away. Needless to say, Sophia naturally had no inkling about it all. She counted down the days. After the final day of the timeframe she granted Megan ended, she personally went to the Queen residence. Having had a fever the other night and been punished the next day, Megan had been lying at home for the past few days. As soon as she heard that Sophia hade looking for her, she was instantly intimidated. The look in her eyes as she gazed at Jessica was as though she would burst into tears anytime. ¡°What should I do, Mom?¡± Jessica shot her a re. ¡°Why are you panicking? Do you think I''ll allow her to gobble you up just because she came knocking on our door?¡± Megan pursed her lips and said nothing, for she knew the purpose of Sophia''s visit. Seeing that, Jessica lifted her hand and jabbed Megan on the forehead. ¡°How useless! Wait here! I''ll go and get her to leave!¡± ¡°Thank you, Mom!¡± Jessica snorted before spinning on her heel and stalking out. Sophia was ushered to the living room on the second floor. Mere moments after she had taken a seat, Jessica came downstairs. Sophia lifted her head and cast a look at the woman. shing her a faint smile, she murmured, ¡°We meet again, Mrs. Queen.¡± Jessica smiled coldly as she looked at Sophia. ¡°Yes, we meet again. You''re far more impressive than I thought, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Hearing that, Sophia raised her brows slightly. ¡°You tter me. When ites to impressiveness, I''m far beneath Ms. Queen. An average person can''t possibly think of the method she thought of.¡± Jessica could tell that she was implying that Megan was stupid, but since it was just a vague hint, she could only suppress her wrath. ¡±Meg is young and na?ve, so she naturally doesn''t have many deplorable ideas.¡± With an unchanged expression, Sophia countered, ¡°In that case, your memory seems rather poor, Mrs. Queen.¡± Jessica''s expression, on the other hand, went chilly. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I just didn''t expect you to have forgotten about the incident of me falling into the pool at your house three years ago so quickly.¡± At once, Jessica''s expression froze. Why had I never realized that she''s so eloquent? I can''t win against her! Since she wasn''t Sophia''s match, she decided not to bicker with thetter any further. ¡°Meg had just recovered from a high fever, and her father punished her, so she has been lying on the bed for the past few days. It''s best to forgive when possible, Ms. Yarrow. Don''t go to such extremes so that we''ll be able to get along amicably in the future.¡± Sophianguidly took a sip of coffee beforementing nonchntly, ¡°As you''re aware of the purpose of my visit today, Mrs. Queen, I''ll cut to the chase. It''s now past the three-day timeframe I gave Ms. Queen. I don''t have any strengths. The only thing that can be considered my strength is my determination in keeping a promise. Staking a bet is consensual. Since one is willing to make a bet, one must be willing to ept the consequences. The vase is a counterfeit. Ms. Queen lost, so she should keep her promise.¡± At that, she paused for a moment and nced at Jessica. ¡°I''ve already made myself clear, Mrs. Queen. I''m the kind of person who''s particrly obstinate,¡± Sophia continued. Having said that, she took another sip of coffee. Then, she stood up and nodded respectfully at Jessica. ¡°I''ve still got something to do, so please excuse me. See you, Mrs. Queen. But then, I don''t think you want to see me again.¡± As her words fell, her lips curved into a smile. That smile was no different from a deration of power, making Jessica''s face flush red with rage at the sight of it. Chapter 86 Chapter 86 Sophia was free for the day. After leaving the Queen residence, she drove to a restaurant to have a meal before returning home to watch Megan''s live stream. She had made herself clear. If Megan remained ignorant, she wouldn''t hold back. If she were to post the video online, Megan would be utterly humiliated. Megan came up with the bet herself and ended up losing it. Now that she''s the loser, she wants to weasel out of our deal. Pfft, how annoying! Megan would be a decent person if she were to keep her word. Sophia had given her the opportunity to do so, but it was none of her business if Megan decided against it. It was January twenty-eighth, and there were less than ten days left until the holidays. Some companies were already closed, so the roads were quite congested. On the way back home, a car hit the back of Sophia''s car. Before she could get down from her car, an insouciant voice rang out. ¡°Gorgeous, you hit my car. Get out of your car, and let''s discuss how you''llpensate me!¡± Finding the voice familiar, Sophia turned in the direction of the voice. Her brows arched when she realized who it was. Oh, fancy running into Leonard here. Leonard was Thalia''s twin and Alexander''s younger brother. Pushing the door open, Sophia emerged from her car and gazed at the smug Leonard. ¡°Are you sure I''m at fault?¡± At once, the pungent scent of alcohol hit her nostrils. Leonard is drunk, huh? Spotting her, Leonard snorted. ¡°Oh? Why, if it isn''t my ex-sister-inw. What a coincidence.¡± The man standing beside Leonard gave Sophia the once-over. He was practically leering at her. ¡°Mr. Leonard, your ex-sister-inw is stunning, huh?¡± Leonard patted Sophia''s car. ¡°Of course. Without her looks, she wouldn''t have gotten to marry my brother and lead a great life after her divorce. This car is quite expensive. Am I right? If I''m not mistaken, this particr model costs over one million and eight hundred thousand. Wow, which generous man gave you this?¡± Sophia nced at him briefly before giving the police a call. Leonard and his friend were busy looking at her car and didn''t realize she had made a call. When they returned, Sophia had already ended the call. ¡°Holy moly, look how gorgeous she is,¡± his friendmented and whistled appreciatively. ¡°Mr. Leonard, she''s your ex-sister-inw, so instead of asking her topensate us, why don''t we ask her to spend a night with me? That way, I shall pay thepensation on her behalf.¡± With that, he reached out to stroke Sophia''s chin. In response, she raised her arm and grabbed his wrist. ¡°I''ve called the police. You reek of alcohol. Did you drive under the influence of alcohol?¡± ¡°Ow!¡± the man gasped in pain. He whipped his head around to look at Leonard. Leonard refused to believe her words. ¡°Stop lying. If you dare to call the police, and they end up arresting me, my brother shall make you pay!¡± Sophia shot them an amused look. ¡°Oh? You don''t believe me? Let''s wait and see, then.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. I have all the time in the world to spend today. It had been ages since shest ran into a member of the Xenos family. Now that she happened to run into Leonard who drove under the influence of alcohol, she wouldn''t hold herself back. Leonard shared a look with his friend. They were both driving under the influence of alcohol and would definitely get locked up for a few days if the police were to catch them in the act. ¡°No one will wait with you! I''m not going to waste time here. We''re too busy for that. I shall consider myself unlucky to have bumped into you here!¡± Leonard snapped. Without a word, Sophia watched as they scrambled into their respective cars. It was actually a good thing for them to leave, for she could add another crime to their list¡ªdriving under the influence and escaping the scene. A bolt of panic hit Leonard when he heard that Sophia had called the police. However, he was pretty upset that Sophia managed to scare him away. Before leaving the scene, he floored the elerator and banged into the back of Sophia''s car once again. One of the tail lights on the Mercedes-Benz cracked into pieces upon impact. The bumper fell to the ground, and there was a scratch that was almost twenty centimeters long. After Leonard hit her car, his friend did the same. Sophia stood aside and watched their antics silently. Not long after Leonard and his friend left, the traffic police showed up. Sophia reported their license tes and showed the traffic police the recording on her phone. The traffic police got onto his motorcycle and went after the culprits immediately. After the motorcycle disappeared from sight, Sophia pulled her phone out to call Yvonne. Soon, Yvonne sent someone to deal with her car, and Sophia got a taxi to return to the mansion. An hourter, the police station gave her a call to summon her to record her statement. After the call ended, Sophia''s lips curled into a grin. She grabbed a coat and went to her garage to drive the Ferrari to the police station. When she stepped into the police station, Leonard spotted her in the midst of his questioning. He got up and roared, ¡°Just you wait! I''ll ask my brother to teach you a lesson!¡± Sophia came to a stop and shed a smile. ¡°I shall look forward to that.¡± After saying that, she followed another police officer into the interview room. By the time she finished recording her statement, it waste at night. It had started to snow outside. Sophia didn''t have her scarf or gloves with her, so she stood at the entrance of the police station, feeling reluctant to step out. Right then, Thalia and Kristen showed up. The three of them bumped into each other. Without hesitation, Kristen lifted her bag to hit Sophia. ¡°You did it on purpose! You did this to take revenge on our family!¡± Knitting her brows together, Sophia stepped out of her way and dodged her attack. ¡°Old Mrs. Xenos, if you try to attack me again, I don''t mind charging you with intentional assault.¡± Thalia stood in front of Kristen. ¡°Mom, we''re at the police station!¡± Kristen gritted her teeth as her face turned grim. Sophia met Kristen''s gaze calmly. The smile on her lips never wavered. A whileter, Kristen looked away. ¡°Just you wait.¡± Oh? Is that how the Xenos family talks? Fine, I shall wait. Sophia''s lips twitched as she turned to see Kristen and Thalia rushing into the police station. She then walked into the snowy night. Despite the chilly weather, she was in a great mood. Sophia had just finished dinner when Katherine''s call arrived. Thetter wanted to know when Megan would live stream. ncing at the clock, Sophia realized it was already eight o''clock. ¡°I went to the Queen residence at noon. If she doesn''t take action by twelve, I shall make my move,¡± Sophia revealed. A bet is a bet. If she cannot afford to lose, she shouldn''t suggest the bet in the first ce. Jessica tells me not to go to such extremes so that we''ll be able to get along amicably in the future. Nevertheless, I don''t want to be friends with the Queen family. There is no need for me to hold back. ¡°She hasn''t done anything yet. Megan is as bold as brass, huh? Let me post a tweet now!¡± Katherine said. Sophia chuckled. ¡°You''re tweeting on Twitter without letting Jonice know? What if she gets mad at you?¡± ¡°I''m helping a friend out. This is nothing!¡± Katherine dered. Sophia tutted gently. By then, Katherine had already finished typing out her tweet and posted it swiftly. ¡°All right. It''s done. If Megan insists on ignoring it, she can''t me us for taking action.¡± ¡°Mm. I''ll do some yoga now. Talk to youter.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After hanging up, Sophia got changed and proceeded to practice yoga for over an hour. She then took a break for ten minutes before going to the shower. She came out of her shower to receive a WhatsApp text from Katherine. It was the link to Megan''s live stream. Megan would be apologizing at ten o''clock, and it was nine forty-five at the moment. She had fifteen minutes to spare before the live stream would begin. Sophia clicked on the link and realized the number of viewers was increasing swiftly. Most of the viewers were mocking how Megan jumped into the sea. Holding her phone, Sophia put on a face mask and waited for the live stream to begin. Before ten o''clock, there were over six million and eight hundred thousand viewers online. Sophia left the live stream to send a text to Megan: By the way, Ms. Queen, I''d like to rify the apology lest you''ve misunderstood things. I want you to apologize regarding the truth of the broken vase and how you spoke to me back then. It was three minutes to ten when Megan received the text. Her face immediately turned pale. She wants me to admit to over seven million viewers that I framed her for breaking the fake vase in my house? Megan wanted nothing else than to exit the live stream right away. s, Harold was keeping an eye on her side, and she had no other choice. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 After sending the text, Sophia reentered the live stream. She ced her phone on a stand and prepared a te of fruits for herself. Munching on the fruits, she waited patiently for Megan''s apology to begin. At ten o''clock sharp, the viewers began posting the samements: It''s starting now. Megan''s face soon appeared on the screen. ¡°Hello, everyone. My name is Megan Queen. I started a live stream tonight to apologize to Ms. Sophia Yarrow, as I''ve wrongly used her of breaking my family''s vase. She wasn''t the one who broke it on purpose, for I wanted to push the me on her and shoved her from her back when she wasn''t paying attention. As a result, she stumbled and fell headlong onto the vase. The vase then crashed onto the ground and broke into pieces.¡± Megan kept her head low as she said those words. The viewers in the live room were asking her to lift her head. She should have the guts to face her mistake as she was bold enough to do it in the first ce. Right then, Megan lifted her head and stared at the camera as though she knew Sophia was among the viewers watching her live stream. ¡°Besides, I admit that the vase in my house was a fake. It isn''t authentic. My family only discovered that after we sent it for appraisal. I wasn''t trying to extort her money using the vase. No matter what, I was rude to her that day. I''d like to apologize for my words and actions.¡± With that, she rose to her feet and added, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''m terribly sorry.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. She gave a deep bow. Her apology seemed sincere, and her eyes were red. Those who didn''t hear her earlier apology would''ve thought she got bullied by someone else. The live stream onlysted around two minutes. Megan quickly went offline after offering her apology. Sophia nced at the notification that popped out notifying her that the live stream had ended. She arched her brow in surprise. Pfft, I can''t believe Megan is still trying to gain everyone''s sympathy. She finished thest slice of apple and headed upstairs to go to bed. Katherine''s voice call arrived when she was brushing her teeth. It was obvious why Katherine had called. Sophia didn''t answer the call. Her phone began ringing again after she finished brushing her teeth. Answering the call, she asked, ¡°Aren''t you going to bed?¡± ¡°I''m so pissed! How could I fall asleep? Didn''t you watch Megan''s live stream?¡± Katherine huffed furiously. In contrast to Katherine''s fury, Sophia was calm and collected. ¡°Yeah, I did. What''s wrong?'' ¡°How dare she put on an act? I can''t believe she yed the victim. How shameless can she be?¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°If she loves to y the victim, let her be.¡± Theizens weren''t fools, and the inte wouldn''t forget a thing. The reason why Megan had to apologize in the live stream was all over social media. Despite being at fault, Megan was bold enough to y the victim. It would only be temporary, for theizens would gradually discover the truth and stop siding with her. Katherine had been in the entertainment industry for years and knew that well, but that didn''t stop her from getting mad. ¡°Just you wait. I shall hire someone to post a few articles!¡± she vowed. Sophia raised a brow, but she didn''t stop Katherine from doing so. Megan would probably do the same after ying the victim to gain theizens'' sympathy. The matter had finallye to an end. However, Sophia wouldn''t allow Megan to clear her name sessfully. Sophia nced at the clock. ¡°It''s ten thirty. I need to go to bed.¡± ¡°Good night!¡± Sophia cut the line and set her rm before going to bed. She had a lot to deal with the next day. Sophia was right, for Megan''s live stream caused an uproar on the inte. Megan yed the victim at the very end of her live stream so that the writers she hired online would clear her name. Not long after the live stream endedst night, some articles iming that Megan was at fault and insinuating Sophia of being too petty emerged online. Sophia was used of being too harsh, as she forced Megan to apologize in a live stream. Besides, some mediapanies brought up Sophia and Alexander''s divorce. They were most probably paid to so do, for their articles mocked Sophia for being petty and calctive. Needless to say, the articles that Katherine paid for were quite good, too. They stated that one should pay for one''s mistake. Even if the culprit were to apologize for one''s mistake, the victim didn''t have the obligation to forgive the culprit. Megan had no one but herself to me. Both sides were involved in a heated discussion. Megan''s apology trended more than the celebrities. As the other person involved in the matter, Sophia ended up trending even though she didn''t even show herself. Needless to say, it was Megan who was at fault. Someizens who didn''t understand the situation would take her side, but slowly, thements condemning Sophia decreased in number. Those who pitied Megan changed their stance and demanded to know why her eyes were teary and red in the two- minute-long apology and what she wanted to achieve from that. When theizens were busy arguing whether Megan or Sophia was more uneptable, another voice popped up online. An anonymousizen imed she knew both Megan and Sophia. She wasn''t their close friend but knew them both. A few years ago, as Alexander''s wife, Sophia was invited to Bruno Queen''s birthday. Back then, everyone assumed Sophia was a gold digger. The Queen family despised her but allowed her entry as she was still Alexander''s wife. That very night, something that shocked the masses happened. Alexander''s wife, who everyone thought was invincible, ended up being pushed into the swimming pool by Megan and someone else. Those who read the news about Sophia and Alexander''s divorce naturally knew who Alexander''s wife was. To humiliate Sophia entirely, Megan even arranged for the maid to point Sophia in the opposite direction of the changing room. As a result, Sophia barged into the room Bruno was resting in. In the end, Sophia left without changing her wet dress. However, Alexander remained at the Queen residence. No one but Sophia alone knew how she left the Queen residence that very night. The anonymousizen said she chose to reveal this incident not to show everyone how evil Megan could be. She imed she only recalled this incident recently and connected it to the apology fiasco a few days ago. Something told her that Megan was taking revenge on Megan for what happened three years ago. The post went viral immediately. Initially, someizens still sided with Megan. After reading this post, almost everyone chose to side with Sophia. The reason was simple¡ªif the incident was real, then Megan was an evil person. It was obvious that she wouldn''t change her ways, and thus didn''t deserve their sympathy. Even if Sophia seemed vengeful and petty for taking her revenge after three whole years, theizens found her actions strangely satisfying. Not everyone could be generous enough to forgive someone who had offended them. Most people wanted an eye for an eye, but not everyone could be as capable as Sophia. Mostizens preferred someone like Sophia who would not retaliate unless provoked, and when she did, she would make sure the other party pay dearly. Of course, some insisted on confirming the matter. Soon, the incident at Bruno''s birthday celebration was proven to be true. Thus, it was clear that Megan was evil three years ago, and she didn''t deserve theizens'' sympathy for her apology during the live stream. Chapter 88 Chapter 88 The post from the anonymousizen was posted three days after the live stream ended. By then, Sophia did not pay any attention to the matter anymore. She wasn''t always online. As she was busy earning money every day, there was no need for her to pay attention to the matter at all times. However, Sophia had an efficient secretary, Yvonne, who would report everything that was rted to her in time. After learning about the update, Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Can we find out who that anonymousizen is?¡± She had no idea someone would stand by her side by revealing the incident from three years ago. Yvonne had dug out the identity of the anonymousizen, for she was a professional secretary. Her expression changed slightly as she stared at Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''ve found out who she is. But it''s...¡± Her voice trailed off. Sophia raised her brow. ¡°It''s unexpected?¡± Yvonne nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Sophia chuckled and got the file from her. ¡°I''ll take a look.¡± How unexpected could it be? Sophia stiffened at the sight of the name on the file. ¡°This is indeed unexpected.¡± She knew theizen would be someone she knew judging from Yvonne''s words, but never in her wildest dreams did she know it would be Charles'' sister, Charlize. Pursing her lips, Yvonne looked straight at Sophia. ¡°I also discovered that Ms. Johnson shared a few posts to support you.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± Sophia''s lips curled as her alluring eyes crinkled up. The sight caused Yvonne''s heart to skip a beat. Yvonne looked away hastily and stared at the ck desk to calm herself down. It had been years, but she still wasn''t immune to her employer''s gorgeous looks. Sensing her action, Sophia shot her an amused look. ¡°Is there anything on my face?¡± ¡°N-No.¡± Grinning, Sophie stopped teasing her. ¡°Contact Charlize for me.¡± ¡°Got it, Ms. Yarrow,¡± Yvonne responded. She paused before asking, ¡°By the way, Leonard Xenos'' lawyer wants to meet you.¡± ¡°I won''t see him.¡± Sophia rejected it without hesitation. Yvonne gave a curt nod. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Sophia grunted in response. She picked up her bag and said, ¡°I''m getting off work now.¡± ¡°Okay, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Not long after Sophia left Sunshine Group, Yvonne called to inform her that Charlize had agreed to meet up with her in the afternoon on the next day. After the call ended, the traffic light turned green. Sophia stepped on the pedal and sped away. She had just driven onto the path leading back to her mansion when she saw Kristen and Thalia standing outside the gate. Raising her brow, Sophia drove toward them. Barely seconds after her car rolled to a stop, Kristen''s voice rang out. ¡°Get out!¡± Sophia wound down the window and nced at Kristen and Thalia. ¡°I don''t think I have anything to say to you, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Thalia snorted. ¡°Where are your manners, Sophia? My mom used to be your mother-inw. We''re at your house. Won''t you invite us in?¡± ¡°As you said, she used to be my mother-inw,¡± Sophia reminded her calmly. She nced at Thalia, who was out to create trouble after cooping up at home for a few months. Her lips twitching, Sophia whipped her phone out to give Alexander a call. ¡°I apologize to you on behalf of Leonard. Sophia, please drop the charges against him,¡± Kristen said. Kristen had always been an arrogant figure when Sophia was living in the Xenos residence. She had never been this humble to Sophia. In fact, she had never bothered saying thank you to Sophia. N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Thus, Kristen felt she had already given Sophia enough respect by offering an apology in person. If Sophia refuses to cave in, I shall teach her a lesson. ¡°Sophia, that''s enough. Alex hasn''t interfered in the matter yet. If he finds out, be prepared to face his wrath,¡± Thalia warned. Hearing that, Sophia couldn''t stop herself from snorting out loud. ¡°Oh, really? Great! I''d like to know how unreasonable Alexander can be.¡± With that, she ced her phone next to her ear. Alexander had answered her call a while ago, so she said, ¡°I believe you''ve heard your sister loud and clear, Mr. Xenos.¡± On the other end of the line, Alexander bore a grim expression. ¡°Yes. You can ignore them.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Of course. But I hate to see two strangers standing outside my house. If they are still here an hourter, I don''t mind getting the police to seek justice.¡± ¡°I''m sorry. I''lle over now.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Sophia responded coolly before hanging up. ¡°Mr. Xenos will be here soon. If you have something to say, it can wait until he arrives. I''m not obliged to listen to your words.¡± After saying that, she locked the doors of her car and wound the window up. Kristen went cold with fury, and Thalia ran to the front of Sophia''s car. Sophia was about to drive away, and she promptly hit the brakes. s, the car still crashed into Thalia. Thalia fell on the front of her car and wailed, ¡°Mom! My leg hurts. It hurts badly!¡± Kristen ran over to her. ¡°What happened? Where are you injured? Where did she hit you?¡± Thalia tugged at Kristen''s sleeve and whispered, ¡°Mom, it''s an act! I don''t think Sophia will cave in. We can use this incident in exchange for her to drop the charges against Leonard!¡± Realizing her daughter''s intention, Kristen immediately helped Thalia away. The former stopped beside Sophia''s door and gave the door a forceful kick. Sitting inside the car, Sophia took one look at thedies who were cursing her and got her phone out to call the police. She had installed surveince cameras outside her house, so Thalia was most wee to ckmail her. The snow that fell a few days ago was starting to melt, and it was freezing outside. Sophia had the heater turned on in her car, so she feltfortable inside. Kristen and Thalia went on for a while before looking down to realize that Sophia remained unfazed inside the car. It was as though she didn''t hear a word they uttered. Kristen froze before releasing her grip on Thalia. ¡°Stand right here.¡± With that, she tried to pry Sophia''s door open. ¡°Open the door! Open up right now! You can''t escape by hiding inside!¡± As soon as her words fell, the police car arrived. Sophia nced at the rearview mirror and gave a half-smile. She couldn''t help but burst intoughter when she saw Kristen''s stunned expression. The police car stopped behind her car, and two police officers stepped out. Sophia finally opened the door and got out of her car. ¡°Who called the police?¡± ¡°It was me,¡± Sophia answered as her gaze flitted across Kristen and Thalia. The police officers frowned when they realized the matter involved threedies. ¡°What happened?¡± Sophia exined, ¡°This is the entrance of my house. A few days ago, thisdy''s son drove under the influence and hit my car, but I refused to settle it out of court. Thus, they came to my house today and threatened me. I ignored them and wanted to drive back home, but this youngdy bumped into my car and imed that I hit her. If I refuse to drop the charges, she''ll sue me for causing intentional injury, too. Officers, if I''m not mistaken, trying to threaten someone else is a crime, right?¡± Hearing that, Thalia promptly retorted, ¡°You''re lying! We''re here to discuss with you in private in hopes of persuading you to drop the charges. We didn''t threaten you!¡± A smile nudged Sophia''s lips. ¡°You imed I broke your leg, and you can no longer walk as it hurts, right?¡± Thalia''s lie was exposed outright. Her cheeks flushed as she stuttered, ¡°I-I...¡± She was at a loss of words. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 ¡°Nonsense! I''ve never said those words!¡± Thalia cried. ¡°Oh, really?¡± Sophia chuckled. Then, she took out her phone and yed back the recording. In the recording, Thalia was screaming hysterically about how she was in pain and how Sophia broke her leg. The girl''s own words were like a tight, invisible p on her face. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Thalia froze. Somehow, Sophia, who seldom spoke up in front of her and Kristen, was currently capable of using their own words against them. Regardless of what Thalia said, Sophia could turn the tide of the situation and push the former into a corner. Kristen scowled and was at a loss for words. She never expected that Sophia would call the police and make a recording of their conversation. Alexander had already warned them about Leonard''s case. He had said that he would follow what Sophia did and would not interfere. Moreover, Alexander had warned Kristen and Thalia not to look for Sophia. Otherwise, he would make them regret their decision. Kristen had started to panic when she learned that Alexander would being over. Now that the police were involved, she felt even more anxious than Thalia. The two police officers had already figured out what was going on when Sophia told them that Kristen wanted to settle the drunk driving case privately. In most circumstances, these types of situations had to be resolved out of court, for it was too difficult to determine who was at fault. However, Sophia had a voice recording as evidence. Moreover, judging by her car, the police officers could tell she was a rich woman. Sophia would have a high chance of suing Kristen sessfully if she wanted to do so. While the police were considering whether to defuse the situation, Sophia added conveniently, ¡°Officers, I have surveince cameras installed at the entrance to my house. It''s not their first time coming to my house to threaten me.¡± ¡°Pleasee with us to the police station, misses,¡± the police officers said. ¡°No! Please hear us out, officers. We didn''t threaten her. We were just... We were just here to have a discussion!¡± Kristen pleaded. ¡°How could you call it a discussion when you threw yourself onto someone else''s car? Besides, your son got drunk and hit thisdy''s car first. What gives you the right to force her to settle this issue privately when she doesn''t agree to do so?¡± Kristen and Thalia might be overbearing and demanding, but they behaved meekly when dealing with the police. Thalia began to cry. ¡°No! I-I only wanted to talk to her! Why doesn''t she want to settle this issue privately when my brother didn''t injure her? I didn''t have to resort to throwing myself onto her car if she was willing to hear us out!¡± While Thalia was sobbing away, a ck Aston Martin arrived and stopped nearby. Sophia stole a nce at the car. At the same time, the door opened, and Alexander stepped out. She eyed the man and directed her gaze at Thalia. ¡°Alexander''s here.¡± Kristen was rmed. ¡°You don''t have to do this, Sophia.¡± ¡°I recall saying these words to you, but you refused to listen. So, I have no choice but to do this.¡± As soon as Sophia finished speaking, Alexander came over. He nced at Sophia and the two police officers beforeying his eyes on Kristen. ¡°Didn''t I tell you that Sophia doesn''t want to drop charges against Leonard?¡± Kristen had married into the Xenos family for more than ten years, and she had nearly forgotten about the incident that had urred many years ago. Although she feared Alexander, she was even more furious at him for embarrassing her in public. Hence, she yelled, ¡°You! He''s your younger brother!¡± Alexander''s gaze darkened. ¡°In that case, I have to take good care of my brother.¡± Meanwhile, the two police officers interrupted, ¡°Since you know each other, we shall overlook this matter. Ma''am, please stop harassing this youngdy. If you show up again, we''ll take you to the police station.¡± Kristen was extremely embarrassed and fearful of being arrested. ¡°Understood, officers!¡± Sophia kept quiet. Once the police had left, she looked at Alexander. ¡°I hope this incident won''t happen again.¡± Alexander gazed at her and said earnestly, ¡°It won''t.¡± It was rare for him to react this way. Sophia said nothing. Instead, she turned around, entered her car, and drove into herpound. Alexander can take care of Kristen and Thalia. Soon, the car entered the garage and disappeared from Alexander''s line of sight. He pursed his lips, looked away, and stared at Kristen coldly. ¡°I see that you refuse to listen to my words. In that case, I''ll just have to listen to yours.¡± Kristen was stunned at first. Then, she started to feel nervous when she recalled what Alexander had said earlier about taking good care of Leonard. ¡°He''s your younger brother, Alex. What do you want to do?¡± Alexander lowered his gaze to nce at his shirt, which Kristen was tugging at. He scoffed, ¡°Nothing. Didn''t you say you''ll let me take care of him? He''s twenty-five, yet he brings us nothing but trouble. As his elder brother, I need to educate him properly.¡± He paused, then continued, ¡°When he drugged a female university studentst time, did you give him money to settle the case?¡± ¡°Alexander! He''s your brother!¡± Alexander stared at Kristen nkly. ¡°I know. You don''t have to state the obvious. Thus, it''s time for me to carry out my duty as an elder brother.¡± After a brief pause, he turned to regard Thalia. ¡°It''s been three years since your graduation, hasn''t it?¡± His intense stare sent shivers down Thalia''s spine. ¡°Alex, I... I...¡± ¡°As it''s been three years since your graduation, you ought to be like other girls and support yourself financially.¡± Thalia went pale after listening to his remark. ¡°Alex, I-I-I''ve learned my lesson! I promise I won''t bother Sophia again! I mean it, Alex! Please don''t throw me out! Alex, please don''t throw me out!¡± Thalia was genuinely afraid. She knew Alexander always kept his words. If he decided to throw her out on this day, he would certainly do so. Still, being a rich twenty-five-year-old girl who had never worked a day in her life, it was impossible for Thalia to support herself financially. At present, Alexander had total control over the Xenos family. If he would not allow her to return to the Xenos residence, Kristen would not dare to speak against his decision, let alone Thalia herself. ¡°Alex, have you lost your mind? She''s your sister! It''s not like she can suck the Xenos family dry with her spending! Do you really want to kick your sister out of the house? Are you crazy?¡± Kristen eximed. She stared at her son incredulously. Although she was somewhat terrified of him, Alexander was still her biological son. Besides, Leonard and Thalia were also her flesh and blood. All three children shared the same parents. No matter how ruthless Alexander got, he would not possibly neglect his siblings. Upon hearing Kristen''s words, Alexander frowned. ¡°Yes! You''re old, and not much money needs to be spent on you anymore. Next time, I won''t let Mr. Lane transfer money to you. If you need anything, just have a word with him.¡± Kristen could not believe her ears and nearly passed out due to shock. ¡°W-What did you say?¡± He lowered his gaze to regard Kristen. ¡°I said, if you want to buy anything next time, just tell Mr. Lane to buy it for you. Also, you''ll hardly use any money anyway, so I won''t transfer money to you.¡± ¡°Y-You ungrateful brat!¡± Alexander eyed his mother coldly. ¡°Mom, I''ll say this for thest time. Offending Sophia is a line you shouldn''t cross. Don''t push her.¡± After that, he threw a disdainful nce at Thalia. ¡°Move out before noon tomorrow.¡± As soon as he had finished speaking, Alexander got inside his car without looking back and drove away. Chapter 90 Chapter 90 By the time Sophia parked the car and checked the surveince cameras, Kristen and Thalia were already not by her front door. She had no idea how Alexander managed to keep them away, nor was she interested to find out about that. The New Year''s long holiday wasing up in two days. Katherine and Joshua had decided to return to Coldbridge for the holidays, and Sophia also had the same idea. Although the old house had been demolished for the redevelopment of the area, her parents were still buried at Coldbridge. Sophia had purchased a house in Coldbridge three years ago, but since she was married to Alexander back then, she had had to spend thest three New Year''s holidays in Jadeborough instead. She did not intend to tell anyone about Leonard. Now that Kristen and Thalia had caused a scene, Sophia was even more reluctant to tell anyone about Leonard. Back when Sophia was living at the Xenos residence, Leonard was still studying abroad. He recently returned to the country in July. In the past, he would only return home during the New Year''s holidays. Whenever Leonard returned to the country, he would return with his gang of unscrupulous friends. A year ago, his friends got drunk and wanted to harass Sophia, but she shoved them into the pool instead. Leonard threatened her with the video footage of that incident, saying to apologize to his friends or he would tell Alexander about the incident. There were more simr incidents, and they were still fresh in Sophia''s mind. Now that Leonard and his friend had gotten themselves into trouble, she would never bother showing them mercy. Hmm... Now that I think about it, quite a lot of people have offended me in the past three years. As for Charlize... Sophia had little to no impression of Charles'' younger sister. She only met Charlize twice. Charlize was very different from Thalia. She had her friends, yet her closest friends were not in the same social circle. If Sophia was not mistaken, Charlize was closest to her university roommates. Whenpared to people like Megan and Thalia, although Sophia did not have much impression of Charlize, at least Sophia did not hate her, and it was rare for someone with that status not to appear hateful in Sophia''s eyes. However, Sophia would still have to meet Charlize in person to understand why she spoke up for Sophia on the inte. Yvonne had arranged for Sophia to meet Charlize at three in the afternoon. Since Sophia had nothing set on her schedule before that, she spent some time shopping inside the mall after lunch before heading to the agreed-upon dessert shop. The dessert shop was Yvonne''s choice. Unlike otherdies, Sophia was not crazy about desserts. In fact, she did not even enjoy having desserts, but she knew Charlize liked desserts. During the three years she was married to Alexander, Sophia had her fair share of meeting people who mocked and looked down on her. It was rare for someone to speak up for her, so she told Yvonne to adjust to Charlize''s preference and book them a dessert shop instead. That day was not a weekend, but since it was near the New Year''s holidays, many corporations had already started their New Year''s break. Thus, there were many customers at the dessert shop when Sophia arrived. Yvonne had booked them a private room in the dessert shop. Not long after Sophia sat down, the door was pushed open again. Charlize, in her white sweater, stepped inside the private room. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Unlike Thalia and Megan''s arrogance, Charlize appeared to be a sweet and gentle youngdy, and her tone was calm andposed too. Sophia raised her brows. ¡°Take a seat, Ms. Johnson.¡± Staring at Sophia before her, Charlize felt her heart beating rapidly. She walked over to the table awkwardly and finally got seated. Sophia could not help but chuckle at that. ¡°Ms. Johnson, are you afraid of me?¡± ¡°N-No. It''s not like that.¡± ¡°Then, what was that about?¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Sophia gave Charlize a cup of coffee. ¡°Thank you. I was just a little nervous.¡± Nervous? That''s an interesting choice of word. Sophia took a sip of her coffee. ¡°Ms. Johnson, I guess you know why I decided to meet you today.¡± Charlize hurriedly put away her cup. ¡°I do. Ms. Yarrow, please understand I did not have any malicious intent to do that. I did that because I think everyone deserves to know the truth.¡± Sophia propped her chin with a hand and gazed casually at Charlize with her pretty eyes. ¡°The truth?¡± ¡°That''s right. Ms. Yarrow, I know you aren''t someone like that.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Someone unreasonable.¡± Hearing that, Sophiaughed out loud. ¡°But I am that kind of person.¡± ¡°What?¡± Charlize was visibly taken aback to hear Sophia saying that. She stared at Sophia for a long moment before blurting out, ¡°Still, I believe you have your reasons.¡± Sophia found her reaction interesting. In Katherine''s words, Charlize''s reaction right now was no different from those die-hard fans of other celebrities in the entertainment industry. No matter what their idols did, those die-hard fans would find all sorts of excuses and reasons to justify their idols'' actions. To them, their idols would never be at fault. Amused, Sophia handed the menu to Charlize and said, ¡°Here, take a look. You can order whatever you want.¡± Charlize was overwhelmed. She took several nces at Sophia before finally taking over the menu. ¡°Are you sure I can order whatever I want?¡± Sophia smiled at that. ¡°Go ahead. I can still afford to buy you a meal.¡± Flustered at the thought that she had messed this up, Charlize hurriedly exined, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, sorry, that was not what I meant. I was asking because I don''t know what you like¡ª¡± ¡°It''s okay. Don''t be nervous. I was teasing you.¡± Blinking her eyes, Charlize lowered her head and ordered the signature dessert of the shop. Sophia curled her lips after Charlize ced her order. ¡°Ms. Johnson, do you not hate me?¡± ¡°Why would I hate you? You''re gorgeous and kind. I adore you so much, so why would I hate you? You know, it would be great if you married my brother instead. I would never let anyone hurt you like that!¡± Again, Charlize blurted out her internal thoughts while being nervous. Her ears turned red after she realized what she had just said. Sophia was also startled to hear that. ¡°It seems like you think very highly of me.¡± To the extent of hoping that I could marry her brother? Charlize pursed her lips for a brief moment before saying, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, actually, we met before.¡± ¡°We did?¡± Despite Sophia having a strong memory, although not to the extent of having a photographic memory, she could not recall meeting Charlize before this. If she did meet Charlize before this and to leave such a strong impression on Charlize, she believed it was more than just a brief meeting. Judging by Sophia''s reaction, Charlize could tell that Sophia had forgotten about meeting her. She was a little disappointed, but she was still happy to get a chance to have coffee with Sophia. She got rid of her faint disappointment and said, ¡°We met five years ago. My friend and I were harassed in Allure Bar, and you helped us out of the situation.¡± As opposed to her current quiet and sweet appearance, Charlize used to be the destructive and rebellious daughter of the Johnson family. Since she was the only daughter of the Johnson family, it was inevitable for the other family members to dote on her. As her brother, even Charles was helpless about this. Charlize was the most rebellious during her second year in university. She used to spend most of her time hanging around with the gang of students she thought were cool to be with, and she also used to dress up like a juvenile delinquent. One night, she was hanging out with her friends at the bar. They had many rounds of drinks. Charlize had high alcohol tolerance. Although rebellious, she knew better than to stir up trouble. However, the same could not be said about her friends. Some of her friends identally irritated some gangsters nearby. Her guy friend was so cowardly that he ran away after being intimidated, leaving only Charlize and another girl friend behind. The girls had never experienced something so terrifying in their lives, and Charlize almost broke down in tears. Meanwhile, other patrons at the bar acted like onlookers as they watched the terrifying scene unfold. Her girl friend cried in fear, but Charlize dared not break down in tears. Instead, she braced herself to act tough in front of the gangsters. Yet, in the end, the gangsters forcibly took her phone away, and she could not contact Charles toe to save her. Just when the gangsters were about to drag the girls away from the bar, Sophia, who was by the counter, threw an empty beer bottle in their direction. It was a chaotic night. Charlize and her friend curled up in a corner as they cried and trembled out of fear. Then, with some swift movements, Sophia knocked down the guy that tried to block Charlize and her friend''s path. Charlize, curled up in a corner, watched Sophia saving them like a hero in disguise. She had never seen a woman knocking down a couple of burly men with such clean and swift movements. That night was certainly a memorable one for Charlize. She realized a woman could be gorgeous and cool at the same time after seeing Sophia in action. After that night, she slowly drifted away from her terrible friends and got rid of her rebellious outfits. As time passed, she matured and grew into the decent little princess of the Johnson family. Still, Charlize picked up boxing, kickboxing, and some other self-defense sses so that no one could easily pick on her anymore. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 Sophia had a great memory. Upon hearing Charlize''s words, she immediately recalled what happened during her final year at university. On that particr night, Charlize waspletely different from how she was now. She looked at Charlize and remarked, ¡°You seem totally different from before.¡± Charlize was a little embarrassed to hear that. She replied, ¡°I was immature back then.¡± ¡°You look really pretty now.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Charlize stared at Sophia in disbelief. In response, Sophia nodded with a faint chuckle. ¡°I don''t lie.¡± Charlize''s face was flushed with excitement. ¡°I feel a little happy!¡± Oh my goodness! Ms. Goddess isplimenting me! Because of Sophia''spliment, Charlize decided to dress like this for the whole winter. Sophia raised her eyebrows in slight amusement. She could not help chuckling at how Charlize was staring back at her with gleaming eyes. ¡°Thank you for what you did.¡± ¡°You''re very wee, my goddess. Ms. Yarrow, can I call you Ms. Goddess?¡± Sophia froze for a moment before replying, ¡°I think ''Ms. Yarrow'' will do. I don''t want to make enemies.¡± Charlize quickly said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I really like you a lot! Actually, I didn''t do much, so you don''t have to thank me. In the future, can I buy you a meal?¡± Sophia was a little startled by Charlize''s behavior. Thetter was behaving like one of Katherine''s die- hard fans. Sophia grinned. ¡°It''s better if I treat you instead.¡± ¡°D-Don''t worry about it! I have a high allowance,¡± reassured Charlize. It was the first time that Sophia met someone like this. ¡°All right, then. Thanks!¡± ¡°You don''t have to be so polite, Ms. Yarrow! My friend spent tons of money on her idols, but you''re my only idol. I have saved up a lot of money. Besides, I can earn money too. Treating you to a meal is no problem at all!¡± Charlize feared that Sophia would be worried about her. Hence, she quickly tried to exin and reassure Sophia that she had enough money. Sophia smiled. ¡°It''s great that you are earning your own keep.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm. I remember every word that you said!¡± Charlize remarked. On that night, the police came. Sophia was merely a passerby, and she did not want to go to the police station. Hence, she quickly left before the police got to her. Before she left, she helped Charlize up. She initially wanted to leave. However, she pondered for a moment before deciding to give her a gentle reminder. ¡°Going on a splurge using your parents'' money isn''t something worth bragging about. It''s only impressive if you can be responsible for your own life. And one more thing, your fashion and makeup are really ugly.¡± Sophia could not help but add thatst sentence. With that, she left. Sophia rarely meddled in others'' affairs. However, back then, she took a few extra nces at where Charlize was at and could tell that Charlize did not like that atmosphere deep down. After that, someone blocked Charlize and herpany''s path. Sophia merely stood aside and watched. She did not immediately go up because she wanted to let that be a lesson to them. Looking back now, that was an extremely painful lesson for them. They had really learned their lesson. At that moment, a waiter brought over the dessert. Sophia leaned back and urged, ¡°Try it.¡± ¡°What do you like to eat, Ms. Yarrow?¡± asked Charlize. ¡°I''ve already ordered. You can start eating first.¡± Though Charlize seemed gentle and quiet, she was actually a chatterbox. As she ate, she poured her heart out, saying everything that she had been suppressing for a long time. She told Sophia that after that day, she had always wanted to thank her, but she could not find a chance to do so. After that, she found out that Sophia got married to Alexander. Charlize was initially happy for her, but she got really mad after seeing how the Xenos family mistreated her. She was ted when she heard the news that Sophia had gotten a divorce from Alexander. She even shared the news with Charles. However, thetter was utterly bewildered by her act. He thought that she was out of her mind and even took a thermometer to check if she had a fever. Sophia merely smiled while Charlize spoke. She was not a talkative person and did not enjoy being a listener. However, everything that Charlize said was rted to her. Hence, she kept mum and listened attentively. As she listened, she felt a little touched. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, did I say something wrong?¡± asked Charlize. Sophia raised her brows in confusion. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You and Alexander are already divorced. I shouldn''t have brought his name up.¡± ¡°It''s okay. I don''t care about strangers,¡± remarked Sophia. Hearing Sophia''s reply, Charlize had an even greater admiration for her. ¡°What do you think about my brother?¡± Sophia thought for a while. ¡°He''s an outstanding young man.¡± ¡°Exactly! Charles is a really nice man!¡± Sophia understood what Charlize was trying to do. She set down her fork and took a sip of coffee to rid of the greasy aftertaste in her mouth. ¡°You should know that Charles and Alexander are good friends.¡± After all, she was Alexander''s ex-wife. ¡°It doesn''t matter! Alexander isn''t the only friend that Charles has!¡± Sophia had to admit that Charlize had a unique way of thinking. She was worried that Charlize would misunderstand and was about to speak. However, Charlize added, ¡°But honestly, I think that Charles doesn''t deserve someone like you. I find that he''s a little domineering sometimes.¡± At that moment, Sophia suddenly wanted to see Charles'' reaction if he heard his sister dissing him like this. Charlize had a friendly disposition, so their whole meal was centered around her paying Sophia compliments. As shameless as she usually was, Sophia could not bear it any longer. After they were finished with their dessert, they went to grab dinner together. In the end, Sophia sent Charlize back to the Johnson residence. When the car stopped, Charlize was a little reluctant to leave. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, will you be in Jadeborough for the New Year''s long holiday?¡± ¡°Nope. I will go back to my hometown,¡± replied Sophia. ¡°Oh.¡± Charlize was a little disappointed. Suddenly, a thought urred to her. ¡°Why don''t youe in and have a cup of coffee? My parents have been wanting to meet you.¡± Sophia gave a smile. ¡°Maybe next time. It''s gettingte.¡± ¡°All right, then.¡± Charlize unwillingly opened the car door and got out of the car. ¡°Give me a second! I have something for you. Wait for me, okay?¡± Sophia nodded, and her lips curled into a smile as she watched Charlize run into the mansion. Charlize ran up to the third floor and shoved an emtion bouquet into Charles'' arms. ¡°Quick, Charles! This is your chance to get a girlfriend. My goddess, Ms. Yarrow, sent me back home today. Hand this emtion bouquet to her on my behalf!¡± Alexander had juste out of the bathroom. With an icy expression, he asked, ¡°Is Sophia downstairs right now?¡± Charlize pursed her lips when she saw Alexander. Then she started shoving at Charles and urged, ¡°Be quick! Otherwise, she''s going to leave!¡± Charles threw a quick nce at Alexander and handed him the bouquet. ¡°I think it''s more suitable if you hand her this.¡± Alexander exchanged a nce with Charles before taking the bouquet from him and heading downstairs. Charlize''s face puffed red with anger. ¡°That''s my bouquet! That''s my goddess!¡± she fumed. Charles made his way to the couch and sat down. ¡°I''llpensate you for it!¡± ¡°I only have one goddess. How do you intend topensate me?¡± she retorted. Charles slid her a look. ¡°When did Sophia be your goddess?¡± ¡°My goddess has been her all along!¡± Charles was dumbfounded. ¡°You mean that the person who saved you that night was Sophia?¡± ¡°Of course! Otherwise, who did you think it was?¡± she countered. Charles furrowed his brows in response. That displeased Charlize, and she asked, ¡°What''s with that expression?¡± ¡°Oh, I kind of regret handing Alexander the bouquet now.¡± Charlize was stunned. ¡°Charles?¡± Charles shot her a nce and said, ¡°Exactly what I said.¡± Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Never in a million years would Sophia expect Alexander to walk out of the mansion just about ten seconds after Charlize went inside. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. The second Sophia had Alexander in sight, the smile on her face gradually faded. Through the half-open car window, she could see Alexander approaching with a handcrafted emtion bouquet in his hands. ¡°I''m sorry for what happenedst time.¡± Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Yeah.¡± She gave a one-word response before adding, ¡°I''ll make a move first.¡± ¡°Hang on.¡± Alexander handed the bouquet over. ¡°This is from Charlize.¡± Had the flowerse from Alexander, she would never ept them. But luckily, not only were the flowers from Charlize, but they also looked beautiful. She opened the car door and reached out to receive the bouquet. ¡°Thanks.¡± As Sophia spoke, she ced the emtion bouquet on the back seat. She then uttered, ¡°Can you move further away, Mr. Xenos?¡± That would make sense because the spot he was standing at was in her way. Be it forward or backward, she would definitely have to knock him over once she began to drive away. Alexander refused to move an inch. ¡°I didn''t drive here earlier. Could you give me a lift if you''re free?¡± ¡°I''m not free,¡± Sophia blurted out. Without a second thought, she wound up the window before driving off while brushing past him at the same time. Alexander took a step back. Watching the red Ferrari gradually driving further away, his dark eyes shifted a little. After a while, he wheeled around to leave. Just as he turned to the back, he found Charles standing behind him. ¡°Do you need my driver to send you back?¡± Darting his eyes at Charles, Alexander hollered, ¡°Scram!¡± Instead of going away, Charles grinned. ¡°Didn''t you say that you didn''t drive here?¡± Alexanderpletely ignored him and walked straight into the garage to drive his car out. ¡°Hey, wait up! I have something to tell you!¡± Alexander stepped on the brakes on that note. He wound down the window and spared Charles a nce. ¡°Speak.¡± He was in a foul mood, so he didn''t really want to hear anything. ¡°Are you trying to woo Sophia all over again?¡± Alexander furrowed his brows. ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡± ¡°No, I don''t. But Lize has taken a liking to Sophia, and I share her sentiments.¡± What Charles meant was obvious. The moment Charles dropped the words, Alexander''s face darkened. ¡°Try if you dare.¡± After saying that, Alexander stepped on the elerator and drove away from the mansion. Staring at the vehicle vanishing into the far horizon in a sh, Charles let out a chuckle. ¡°Why wouldn''t I give it a try?¡± Meanwhile, it was exactly nine at night when Sophia reached the mansion. Being in a good mood that day, she decorated the emtion flowers gifted by Charlize. After that, she took a rxingvender essential oil bath. With that, she had a good,fortable sleep through the night. However, things were different for Alexander. He didn''t have a pleasant night, for Charles'' ambiguous words kept running through his mind. On top of that, the mere existence of Stephen and Mason bugged him to no end. That night, sleep eluded Alexander. Up until then, he still had no idea how to break the deadlock between him and Sophia. Sophia had been reluctant to even have a word with him. Moreover, her visage would turn impassive as soon as her gazended on him. Alexander stubbed out his cigarette, gazing at the dark sky outside the window. He could still remember vividly that day when Sophia came over to have him sign the divorce agreement, he had interrogated her for ying games with him again. Thinking back, he would rather have Sophia ying games than being so distant and resolute with him. February soon arrived. Sunshine Group, too, kicked off their New Year''s holidays. Prior to that, Yvonne had already booked Sophia an air ticket bound for Coldbridge. Thetter boarded the ne at about six in the evening and touched down in Coldbridge at half-past eight at night. Coldbridge''s winter seemed to be way colder than that in Jadeborough. As soon as Sophia got off the ne, all she could see was the heavy snowfall. Katherine would be back only tomorrow night, but Joshua hade back first the day before. Just when Sophia set her foot out of the airport''s entrance, she caught sight of Joshua. She towed her baggage as she walked up to him. When she came face to face with him, a strange yet familiar female voice sounded from beside her. ¡°Sophia! Joshua! It''s really you guys!¡± The duo exchanged nces. Following that, Sophia looked up. ¡°Seraphina Linfield.¡± ¡°It''s been a while, Sophia! Oh, the two of you are...¡± ¡°Friends,¡± uttered Sophia in a leisure manner. Seraphina sneaked nces between Sophia and Joshua. ¡°Goodness gracious. We''ve known each other for so many years already. Why bother hiding the truth?¡± Sophia had had a bad impression of this woman standing in front of her. Back in high school, Seraphina had always been the nosy one. Not only that, but she had even enjoyed spreading rumors. As Sophia heard those words, the smile on her face faltered. ¡°We''ve got to go now.¡± ¡°Hey! Wait! Our high school reunion is tomorrow. You''ve long been absent. Since you''re back this time, you should at leaste to have a look.¡± Sophia lifted a brow and responded, ¡°I''ll talk to youter.¡± ¡°What''s your WhatsApp number? I haven''t added you yet.¡± Sophia fished out her phone andunched the WhatsApp app to add Seraphina''s number. ¡°We''ll leave first.¡± ¡°Oh, sure. Don''t forget our high school reunion tomorrow!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Sophia nonchntly. In truth, she wasn''t that close with her ssmates from high school. She only had a so-so friendship with the males but not with those females. Having to bump into Seraphina that day, Sophia could not imagine what nonsense that woman would spout again about her and Joshua to other people. Although Sophia, Katherine, and Joshua were all close friends for more than two decades, Sophia still disliked hearing the others iming that she and Joshua were an item. Even if Katherine didn''t mind, Sophia had to avoid any misunderstandings. As the two of them walked off, Joshua threw out a question. ¡°Are you really going to join the reunion tomorrow?¡± Sophia giggled. ¡°Nope.¡± Upon hearing that, Joshua knitted his brows. ¡°Seraphina has been a real nuisance since back then.¡± Sophia couldn''t help but arch a brow as she listened to Joshua''s remark. ¡°If she can still manage to pester me now, I''d bow down to her capability.¡± Joshua was stunned momentarily, realizing that he had been worrying too much. It was a half-hour drive from the airport to the city. When Sophia returned home, it was already almost ten. She recounted the incident with Seraphina to Katherine while cooking pasta. As for Katherine, she was applying a mask on her face as shemented on the other end of the line, ¡°That Seraphina is probably up to something bad. There must be something waiting for you tomorrow at the reunion party.¡± She got more and more emotional as she spoke, so much so that her facial mask nearly fell off. ¡°You better not be silly, Soph! Don''t go there just because they''re old friends!¡± ¡°Old friends, huh?¡± Lifting her brow, Sophia felt that those words were foreign yet wondrous. Katherine, in turn, thought that her friend had really gone soft. She leaped up from the seat and said, ¡°Don''t tell me you''ve suddenly reminisced the pathetic friendship with them?¡± ¡°No way.¡± Shaking her head frantically, Sophia served the pasta onto a big te. ¡°What is it, then? As far as I know, you''re not a sentimental person. Did those people from high school really give you a warm and fuzzy feeling?¡± ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Sophiaughed at her friend who was mocking her indirectly. ¡°I only remember the incident that happened during our sophomore year. It looks like it''s about time to get even with Prisci Teasley and her gang for what they did back then.¡± Katherine froze. Recalling the event that happened that year and listening to Sophia''s indifferent words, she couldn''t help but shudder. ¡°Here''s a friendly reminder, Soph. It''s illegal to take someone''s life!¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows and put on a half-smile, looking at Katherine. ¡°Oh, really? How about taking a pig''s life?¡± ¡°Hello? How could youpare me to a pig?¡± ¡°Yes, iparable indeed.¡± Huh? Am I worse than a pig? Chapter 93 Chapter 93 It had been almost ten years since that incident during Sophia''s sophomore year. While her memory of it was still vivid, she didn''t quite feel like pursuing the matter anymore since so many years had passed. After speaking about it with Katherinest night, she thought about it and felt that it was indeed not quite worthwhile. However, it was actually sometimes difficult if one wanted to stay silent and keep a low-profile. Sophia had just woken up when she received a voice call from Seraphina. The vibrations from her secondary phone were so great that the noise promptly woke her. The sky outside was still gloomy. Sophia nced at the time, only to see that it wasn''t even half past seven yet. As the corners of her mouth twitched, she picked up her phone and answered the voice call. ¡°Hello, this is Sophia speaking.¡± ¡°Sophia, it''s me, Seraphina! Do you remember that we''re having a ss reunion tonight at a little over six o''clock in the evening today? I was afraid that you''d forgotten, so I gave you a call to remind you about it! By the way, we allow everyone to bring their other half, so bring Joshua along if he''s free!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia repliedzily. Seraphina couldn''t discern anything amiss. If it had been Yvonne, she would''ve been trembling in fear ages ago. After all, no anyone could withstand Sophia''s grumpiness in the morning. ¡°Oh yes, Prisci and the others asked me for your WhatsApp. Do add them to your contacts! It''s destiny that we studied together, so we former ssmates have got to keep in contact.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia again answered cidly. Seraphina proceeded to mention the location of the hotel and the room number of the private room once more before hanging up the phone. Sure enough, when Sophia exited the chat interface, she saw several new messages from unknown numbers. She merely swept her gaze over them but did nothing at all. Instead, she tossed the phone aside before picking up her primary phone and making a call. Meanwhile, Seraphina rushed over to the group chat with Prisci and the others as soon as she hung up the voice call to update them about things. She texted: Don''t worry! Sophia is definitely attending tonight! She''s something else now! I heard that she''s the owner of Specter Entertainment or something. The instant her message went out, someone in the group replied: I''ve checked, and thatpany''s registered capital is only two million. There are merely a total of thirty celebrities under thepany at present. The most popr celebrities are Katherine Quinn and Mason Queen, but they just rose to fame in recent years. It''s no more than a smallpany! Can itpare with the Fortune 500 company that belongs to Prissy''s husband''s family? Someone else then typed: Of course not! Besides, when she and Alexander divorced, the Xenos family didn''t give her a single cent! What''s to fear about her? Another person echoed: Yes, exactly! While the four-person group was all abuzz, Sophia had also just hung up the phone. Coincidentally, the hotel where they were having the ss reunion had been acquired by Sophia two years ago. Well, what can I do? I wanted to be kind and magnanimous, but the circumstances seemingly aren''t allowing me to do so. The ss reunion was at six o''clock in the evening, so Sophia left home at half past five and hailed a taxi. By the time the taxi came to a stop in front of the hotel entrance, it was six o''clock on the dot. No sooner had she alighted from the taxi than she heard a familiar yet foreign voice. ¡°Hey, isn''t this our campus belle?¡± As Sophia turned, she immediately caught sight of a familiar woman. The woman was holding a handbag from Lucent''s winter collection that year, and the coat she wore was Dazzle''s new winter collection. Even her shoes weren''t cheap. After so many years, Prisci was still as high-profile as ever. Sophia shed her a smile. ¡°It''s been a long time, Prisci.¡± ¡°Oh, you still remember me?¡± ¡°My memory is pretty good.¡± Sophia was a top student who always cinched first ce at school, so her memory was naturally good. Conversely, Prisci''s memory wasn''t all that impressive. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing that, Prisci smirked slightly. ¡°It''s almost been ten years since we graduated. I heard that you''re doing quite well.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sophia wasn''t the least bit modest, and that turned Prisci off. ¡°We seem to bete, so we should hurry up and go in.¡± And so, both popr figures in ss back then arrivedte. The instant they entered the private room, a bunch of ssmates greeted Sophia with astounded looks in their eyes. Many years had passed, but she was still the Sophia of the past, her countenance as enthralling as ever. Prisci was also considered a beauty, even more so after she had dressed up meticulously. When she stood beside Sophia, however, her delicate makeup appeared too heavy. In terms of aura and features, Sophia resembled a dazzling peony at full bloom, while Prisci was more of a wildflower by the side of the road. She was lovely among the green weeds, but when she was ced together with a peony, she was entirely overshadowed. In the past few ss reunions, she would definitely be the center of attention the moment she arrived, with the limelight on her. s, that was without Sophia''s presence. She had almost forgotten that she could only ever be the supporting character whenever Sophia was present. Prisci felt as though she had returned to her high school days. As long as Sophia and Katherine were around, she could only be a nobody forever. Seraphina''s boyfriend was a small-time manager in thepany belonging to Prisci''s husband''s family, so Seraphina had been currying favor with Prisci over the years. During the ss reunions for the past few years, she would praise Prisci to the skies without fail as soon as thetter arrived. That day was no exception. Beforeing over, she had prepared a ton ofpliments. But the instant she saw Sophia, she couldn''t quite bring herself utter those tteries. After all, the difference was like night and day. Sophia hadn''t attended the ss reunion for many years, so news of her could only be gleaned from the inte. It was a rare appearance for her this time, so the majority of the people went up to her as soon as she stepped into the room. Being the campus belle and top scorer, she was considered the goddess of eighty percent of the boys in her ss back then. It had been ten years after graduation, and most of them had some achievements, so they were all eager to unt themselves before their goddess upon hearing that Sophia was attending the ss reunion that year. However, that thought vanished into thin air after theyid eyes on her. They weren''t worthy of her ten years ago, but ten yearster, she was all the more unattainable to them. Needless to say, she was beautiful. That aside, her calm and elegant aura was no longer a matter of wealth and riches. ¡°Have you been appointed as an angel in the past few years, Sophia, that your aura is increasingly different from us mortals?¡± a male ssmate who was rtively poor asked. Smiling, Sophia was just about to answer when a female voice interjected, ¡°What angel? Why, didn''t you all see the news that she married Mr. Xenos of Odyssey? But then, that was over four years ago. A year ago, they got divorced.¡± The person who spoke was Prisci''sckey during high school, and she used to make such sarcastic remarks often in the past. Even after so many years, she was still as foul-mouthed as ever. In response, Sophia arched an eyebrow and remarked mildly, ¡°You''ve paid much attention to my life, Xandria.¡± At once, Xandria Lister''s expression stiffened. ¡°Anyone who goes on the inte knows this.¡± Chuckling nonchntly, Sophiamented, ¡°Indeed. But probably everyone who goes on the inte is also about to know that your husband cheated on you.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? My husband loves me! How could he possibly cheat on me? In fact, he just drove me over! If I hadn''t felt that it wasn''t quite appropriate to bring my significant half to our ss reunion, he even wanted toe in with me! He can''t leave me for a single second, so don''t run your mouth, Sophia! If you want to speak, do so with evidence!¡± Sophia regarded Xandria with a half-smile but didn''t bother riposting. It was as though Xandria made a casual remark. Nheless, that statement was indeed rather despicable. Naturally, someone stepped forward to smooth things over. At that moment, Seraphina tugged at Xandria. ¡°Stop, Xan! Don''t say anything more!¡± ¡°Let go of me and allow me to speak! What campus belle? Is she so great just because she''s beautiful? So what if she''s pretty? Right now, she''s still a divorcee! Do you all know that is? It''s a woman someone doesn''t want and abandoned!¡± The smile on Sophia''s face faltered. ¡°Sorry, but I was the one who didn''t want Alexander.¡± Chapter 94 Chapter 94 After Sophia had finished speaking, she picked up a ss of fruit juice at the side and walked away. The ss representative back then, Elijah Harman, came over. ¡°Sophia, don''t take offense at Xandria. She has always had a vile tongue.¡± Sophia merely smiled. ¡°Everyone hasn''t changed.¡± Having said that, she paused for a moment. ¡°It so happens that I haven''t changed either.¡± As Elijah stared into her alluring eyes, his heart inexplicably skipped a beat. Oh my God, how could there be such a sassy and sexy woman! Sophia lowered her head and took a sip of juice. At that precise moment, Xandria, who had been lambasting Sophia for being a bully, abruptly let out a shriek. Then, she shoved Seraphina away. ¡°This is impossible! It''s impossible!¡± ¡°Xan...¡± Xandria left, stumbling with every step she took. At that, Sophia''s lips curved upward slightly. Since everyone hasn''t changed, I don''t need to show them any mercy. Therefore, she didn''t hold back when the woman provoked her. ¡°It was your doing, right?¡± Sophia chose a spot and nned to sit down when Prisci walked over with a ss of champagne. Quirking an eyebrow, Sophia eyed her for a moment. ¡°What are you referring to?¡± I''ve done many things, so how am I to know which one she''s talking about? ¡°Was it you who published Xandria''s husband''s infidelity on the inte?¡± In response, Sophia chuckled softly. ¡°Please mind your words, Prisci.¡± After saying that, she paused for a moment before adding, ¡°Me publishing it onto the inte and having someone do it are two different things.¡± Prisci snorted. ¡°I just knew that it was you!¡± ¡°Thank you for understanding me so well.¡± Sophia took a sip of juice before querying offhandedly, ¡°By the way, what have you all prepared for me today?¡± Never had Prisci expected her to be aware of their scheme before the show had even begun. Her expression promptly stiffened. ¡°I don''t know what you''re saying.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sniggering, Sophia took out a pill from her handbag. ¡°Don''t you find this pill familiar?¡± Prisci gaped at the pill between Sophia''s fingers, stunned for a brief moment. ¡°Truly, I''ve got nothing to say to you. I''m going to find someone else to catch up!¡± As soon as her words fell, she whirled around and hastily ran off in search of Seraphina and the others. That pill was one she gave a server after bribing him in advance, asking him to figure out a way to drop it into Sophia''s drink while she wasn''t paying attention. However, the pill appeared in Sophia''s hands right then. Not only was she livid, but she was also a touch afraid. She''s no easy prey whom we can do anything we please to. If she really knows that we want to make a move against her today, we''ll all be doomed tonight! Sophia couldn''t help raising an eyebrow as she watched Prisci''s back. Lifting her hand, she tossed the pill into the trash can. No sooner had she done so than a member of the studymittee back then came up to her and struck up a conversation. The shy boy in the past had turned into a tall and handsome man. Nodding, Sophia replied, ¡°I remember you. You''re Christopher Zimmer, a member of the studymittee.¡± A smile bloomed on Christopher''s face. ¡°I thought you didn''t remember me anymore.¡± Sophia''s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Such a problem probably won''t happen with my memory.¡± Christopher was momentarily startled before realization dawned upon him. ¡°True. Your memory can be considered photographic.¡± ¡°I heard that you''re living in Jadeborough. How are you doing?¡± ¡°I''m doing pretty good, thank you.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Meeting his goddess again after ten years, Christopher still didn''t quite know how to express his feelings for her. While he was hesitating, Sophia could already guess his intention. Her main purpose ining that day was to teach people a lesson, not to obtain confessions of love. Just when she was going to excuse herself to another spot, Seraphina came over out of the blue. ¡°I need to talk to you, Sophia.¡± She gazed at Sophia with urgency written all over her face. Pursing his lips, Christopher could only stand up reluctantly and give them some space. ¡°Please excuse me.¡± The instant he left, Seraphina hurried over. ¡°The thing is, Sophia...¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Can we talk somece else? I really don''t know how to say this!¡± As Seraphina spoke, she even lifted her hand to tug at Sophia''s hand, but thetter simply dodged. Sophia snagged her handbag and got to her feet, looking at the woman with a smile in her lovely eyes. Seraphina''s gaze flickered for a second, but it was fleeting. In the next heartbeat, her expression reverted back to its initial anxious and restless look. ¡°Let''s go to a quiet ce.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia''s lips turned up, for she was intrigued to see the trick they had up their sleeves. Hence, the two of them left the private room. The long corridor was eerily silent, and Sophia followed behind Seraphina, walking unhurriedly on her boots. ¡°Can''t we talk here?¡± Seraphina nced back over her shoulder. ¡°The matter is rather embarrassing. Let''s talk in the cubicle in the restroom, okay?¡± Tutting softly, Sophia agreed with a smile, ¡°Okay.¡± In no time, they both entered the restroom. The hotel''s restroom was particrly high-ss and clean. The moment Sophia stepped in, a blinding mist appeared before her eyes. She reflexively screwed her eyes shut in a sh. Soon, she sensed someone restraining her hands and forcing her forward. With her eyes closed, Sophia called out in the dark, ¡°Seraphina?¡± ¡°What''s there to be smug about? No matter how smug you are, you still ended up in my hands, no?¡± The person who spoke was Prisci. Sophia opened her eyes, only to discover that she was being restrained by Seraphina and Prisci''s otherckey. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Smirking, Prisci eyed Sophia with a fake smile. ¡°Don''t you already know?¡± While saying that, she took out a small pill from a white bottle. ¡°Eat this. You want to marry into riches, no? My uncle likes you quite a bit. After tonight, that dream of yours is going toe true again! Don''t be too grateful to me. I''m just this kind, Sophia!¡± As she spoke, she threw a look at Seraphina and her otherckey. ¡°Keep a tight grip on her!¡± Sophia watched as Prisci approached her step by step. When thetter reached her, she lifted her leg and kicked the woman to the ground. Prisci fell onto the ground hard, stunning Seraphina and the otherckey at the side. The pain was so great that Prisci wailed at the top of her lungs. Before Seraphina and the other woman snapped back to their senses, Sophia had already grabbed their wrists. As soon as Sophia exerted force, they were in such pain that their faces drained of all color, and they hastily dropped their hold on her. Lifting them by the cors, Sophia flung them into the cubicle at the side hard. Then, she swiftly poured the super glue she prepared in her pocket directly onto the door. By the time Seraphina and the other woman gathered their wits, the door was already glued shut. ¡°What are you doing, Sophia? Let me out!¡± It''s been so many years, yet they haven''t improved at all! It''s always the same few tricks! Turning a deaf ear to them, Sophia picked up the pill that had fallen to the floor and strolled over to Prisci. ¡°Thank you for being so good to me. However, you should save such a great opportunity for yourself!¡± As she said that, she pinched Prisci''s chin hard. Prisci cried out at the pain, and Sophia seized that opportunity to toss the pill into her mouth before keeping her mouth pressed tightly together to prevent her from spitting it out. Only after waiting for about a minute did she drop her hold on Prisci. Straightening, she stared down at the woman on the floor. ¡°I hope your dream of marrying into riches remains intact after tonight.¡± While speaking, she reached out and knocked on the door of the cubicle in which the two people had been shouting and screaming with amusement in her eyes. ¡°I wish you both a wonderful memory tonight!¡± After Sophia had finished speaking, she dragged from the side the signage that wrote: Restroom Closed for Maintenance. Then, she ced it in front of the restroom door. As Prisci stumbled out of the restroom, Sophia followed behind her and considerately took her into a presidential suite. Chapter 95 Chapter 95 When Sophia stepped out of the suite with the keycard in hand, she bumped into Alexander. It was a rare moment of her being stunned. Not only was Coldbridge and Jadeborough thousands of meters apart, but that wasn''t the only good hotel in Coldbridge. Yet, they still managed to bump into each other. She had just done something bad, so she didn''t n on catching up with the man. Furthermore, there was nothing to talk about between them. Sophia only froze for a second, retracting her gaze calmly in the next. Her n was say goodbye to Elijah in the private room before heading home for a shower and bed. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You''re here for a ss reunion?¡± Hearing that, Sophia halted in her tracks and nced back over her shoulder at Alexander. ¡°Is that true for you as well, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°No, I''m here for a vacation.¡± Having no interest in his motive foring to Coldbridge, Sophia simply nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°My ssmates are waiting for me, so please excuse me.¡± Alexander said nothing, merely staring at her back until she gradually went further before withdrawing his gaze. Just as he was about to turn around to return to his own room, a peculiar sound drifted out of the room Sophia exited earlier. It seemed to be a woman''s voice, but the sound instion was too good, so he couldn''t hear clearly. Alexander''s ebony eyes flickered imperceptibly. Taking out his keycard, he swiped open the door of the adjacent room. He pretended that he heard nothing. With Prisci and the others no longer in the private room, Sophia felt that those former ssmates of hers weren''t all that detestable. Without anyone instigating trouble, the atmosphere turned much more harmonious. Sophia stayed for another half an hour. Only when the clock struck nine o''clock did she inform Elijah that she was leaving. Upon hearing that, many persuaded her to stay for a while longer. They were nning to go to the temperance barter. After all, they hadn''t seen each other for a long time, so they wanted to have a good chat about how they were all doing recently. Regretfully, Sophia shook her head with a smile. ¡°No, thanks. You all go ahead. I''ve got a date with a friend.¡± That wasn''t a lie, for she indeed had a date with Katherine to chat via voice call. When everyone saw that she didn''t seem to be lying, they didn''t dare continue coaxing her to stay though they were a tad regretful. Although it had been quite some years after their graduation, some of them had already attained some sess. Beforeing over, they were all geared up to show off in front of the goddess of their younger days. However, none of them dared to harbor any romantic thoughts after beholding Sophia. At the end of the day, she was still the goddess of the past. They weren''t worthy of her back then, and the same applied at present. Every single smile and action of hers were gracious and elegant, distant but not aloof. Yet, the sense of distance didn''t inspire the slightest bit of chagrin. When she said she was leaving, only Elijah and Christopher, who were rtively close to her back then, spoke and urged her to stay. While the others were reluctant, they didn''t dare speak their minds and pressure her into anything. ¡°Did you drive here?¡± Christopher inquired just as Sophia was going to leave. Arching a brow, Sophia admitted, ¡°No.¡± ¡°I drove here. Let me drive you home.¡± The instant Christopher''s words rang out, many of them started moring in agreement. Sophia shed him a smile in response. ¡°It''s okay. The taxi I called is almost here.¡± ¡°It''s night, so it''s not quite safe for you to take a taxi alone when you''re a girl.¡± Recently, there had indeed been numerous incidents involving taxis hailed online. A few days ago during the university holidays, in particr, many female university students were sexually harassed when they took a taxi home. ¡°My house is just nearby.¡± Sophia''s residential area was truly nearby the hotel. If it weren''t too cold, it would only take her about twenty minutes to walk home. It wasn''t far. However, it was too chilly, and she didn''t want to put herself through that. ¡°What a coincidence! I live nearby as well. Is it Euphony Residences?¡± ¡°It''s indeed a coincidence, then. I''m also living in Euphony Residences.¡± ¡°I''ll give you a ride.¡± Sophia deliberated for a moment. If I continue declining, it''ll make me seem rather ungrateful. Smiling faintly, she was just about to open her mouth and concur when a familiar male voice split the air. ¡°Sophia.¡± It was Alexander. Basically, he was also a figure who could only be seen on television. Thus, everyone there was quite surprised to see him in the flesh then. Even Christopher, who wanted to drive Sophia home, was taken aback. Why did hee here all the way from Jadeborough? Of course, many drew their own conclusions to that question after casting a nce at Sophia. The smile on Sophia''s face faded. ¡°Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander strode over. ¡°I''ve got something to tell you.¡± After having divorced for a year, he really understood Sophia by then. Her remark of not wanting to see him was the veritable truth, not a contradictory statement favored by other women. When he appeared just now, he distinctly clocked the smile on her face dimming. Sophia could smile at her former ssmates she hadn''t seen for ten years, but when it came to him alone, she wasn''t willing to spare him any expression. Alexander knew that if he didn''t cut straight to the point, her next utterance would undoubtedly be a dismissal of him. Sophia scrutinized Alexander for a second before turning to Christopher. ¡°I''m sorry, but I''ve got something to handle.¡± While speaking, she looked at the others behind him. ¡°I''ve got some business to handle, so please excuse me.¡± After inclining her head a fraction, she walked right past Alexander and out of the private room. Meanwhile, Alexander eyed Christopher. Men understood men best, so he could tell what that former ssmate of Sophia''s was nning to do with a single nce. His ebony eyes darkened, and his brows furrowed. Pivoting, he went after Sophia. As soon as they both left, someone in the private room eximed, ¡°Good Lord! I wasn''t seeing things, was I? That man earlier was Alexander Xenos, the chairman of Odyssey?¡± ¡°You weren''t seeing things. That person was really Alexander Xenos!¡± the person beside her, who was rtively calmer, answered smilingly while nudging her. Upon hearing that, the first speaker clicked her tongue. ¡°Wasn''t it said that Alexander didn''t want Sophia? I don''t think that''s the case. Just now, it was our campus belle who acted indifferent toward the renowned Mr. Xenos. I think if he hadn''t said that he had something to tell her earlier, the next remark out of her mouth would likely have been a dismissal! This is no abandonment by a wealthy family. Instead, it''s evident that it''s our goddess who doesn''t want the riches!¡± ¡°You''re not the only one who thinks so!¡± The private room was all abuzz, with everyone postting about the rtionship between Alexander and Sophia. Elijah alone nced at Christopher. Sighing, he patted thetter on the shoulder. ¡°Don''t fixate on her anymore, Chris. We''re not of the same league as her.¡± Christopher pressed his lips into a thin line and said nothing. I know. I just wanted to be closer to her. Sophia stepped into the elevator after leaving the private room, with Alexander following behind her. She looked at him indifferently. ¡°It''s inconvenient to speak here. You don''t mind if we switch to a rtively quiet ce, do you, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°No.¡± Alexander shook his head, his Adam''s apple bobbing as he gazed at her slightly upturned eyes. Why had I never realized that her eyes glint even when she''s angry? Shortly, the elevator came to the third floor. Sophia walked out first and went into the hotel''s temperance bar in a few strides. Coincidentally, the hotel''s manager was there. Spotting her, he nned to step forward and greet her, but his footsteps halted when his gaze alighted on her face. Oh, never mind. She seems to be in a pretty bad mood. Chapter 96 Chapter 96 Sophia stopped in her tracks as she arrived at thest booth in a corner. Hugging her coat, she sat inside the booth. ¡°Mr. Xenos, why did you inquire for me?¡± Alexander stared at her. It had only been a year, yet his ex-wife treated him as if he was a stranger to her. During their three years of marriage, he and Sophia were indeed a couple in name. There was not one night that they slept together in one bed. She stayed in the Xenos residence, whereas he stayed in his condominium. Aside from the gold-digging and scheming first impression he had on her, there was no other impression he made of her during those three years. He mistook her affection for him as scheming and an attempt to please him, and now, she decided to stop treating him that way. They sat across from each other, but Sophia refused even to give him a polite smile. Alexander felt a pang of pain in his heart. ¡°I owe you an apology for what happened between us.¡± Sophia stopped flipping the menu when she heard that. Then, looking up at Alexander, she said, ¡°Mr. Xenon, that''s too polite of you. It requires mutual consent for everything that happens in a rtionship. I liked you back then, so I did everything at my will. Although it was foolish, no one forced me to do so, and you certainly don''t owe me anything.¡± As she said that, sheughed. ¡°If anything, I should be apologizing to myself.¡± She was smiling, but her smile did not quite reach her eyes. Instead, a distant look appeared in her bright eyes. All of her words transformed into daggers, stabbing straight at his heart. It was Alexander''s first time falling for someone. Ironically, it was also his first time being tortured by love. Samuel said all of them owed Sophia an apology. Although Samuel was a simp, he was at least right about that. Alexander had spent so much time and effort preparing himself to apologize to Sophia, yet she shut him down by saying she should be apologizing to herself instead. She had used her most calm andposed attitude to bid farewell to him, and then she made him give up on whatever feelings he had for her with just one brief yet reasonable sentence. Even if Alexander could put aside his wild arrogance, he still failed to find the courage to tell Sophia that he had already fallen for her. He only had himself to me. Noticing his silence, Sophia raised her brows. ¡°It''s gettingte. If there''s nothing else, I will take my leave.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Alexander took the document file next to him and ced it on the table. ¡°We were married for three years, and you were Mrs. Xenos for the past three years, so it''s unfair for you to get a divorce with no further strings attached.¡± It was not until then that Sophia noticed he brought a document file with him. ncing at the document on the table, Sophia reached out and flipped through the papers. She chuckled. ¡°Mr. Xenos, do you think I''m short of money?¡± Alexander frowned. ¡°I didn''t mean it that way.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°Aren''t you being way too generous if that wasn''t your intention? This mansion is worth at least fifty million. If I were to sell the five percent of Odyssey shares I get through this, I''d be getting two to three billion in total.¡± With that, she closed the file with a thud and nced coldly at Alexander. ¡°Mr. Xenos, sorry to disappoint you, but I am not short of money.¡± Sophia pushed the file back to him and said, ¡°I practically forced you to marry me three years ago, so you don''t have to feel sorry for the past three years. You don''t owe me anything, Alexander.¡± After saying that, she concealed her smile and grabbed her coat before standing up. ¡°Coldbridge has beautiful sceneries. Mr. Xenos, you should hire a local tour guide and bring you around the city. I hope you have a nice time here.¡± She withdrew her gaze from him and was about to walk away. ¡°But you owe me, Sophia.¡± There were not many customers in the bar that night, only slightly more than a dozen. The slow country music in the background enhanced the casual and rxing atmosphere. Yet, a raised male voice broke the peaceful moment at the bar. Alexander''s voice was not that loud, just slightly louder than usual, yet it was loud enough to make everyone hear him. Hearing his words, Sophia stopped in her tracks. She turned around and snorted softly. ¡°What do I owe you?¡± Aware that he had attracted much attention from the customers, Alexander swept a nce at the people around them. Then, he walked over to Sophia and said, ¡°You made me fall in love with you.¡± Sophia was stunned. The lighting inside the bar was not too bright, but she could still see the pitch- ck darkness reflected in Alexander''s eyes. She looked up and stared into his eyes. It was no different from usual, except for one thing. With the close distance between them, she could clearly see her reflection inside his eyes. Sophia was visibly taken aback to hear that from Alexander. She had known him for many years, yet she had never heard him saying anything nice to anyone. Did he say he''s in love with me? Should I feel honored? What a pity. I don''t feel that way at all. ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± Sophia raised her brows and shed him a half-smile. Alexander wanted to say something but soon realized he was at a loss for words. The heavens had favored Alexander since the day he was born. Of course, there were ups and downs in his thirty years of life, but he had never faced such a huge setback. He had thought of confessing his love way earlier. Ever since Samuel hit the bullseye, Alexander had been thinking about ways to confess his love. His attempts to send her flowers and ask her out did not go as well as he had nned, but he did think Sophia was smart enough to tell that he had fallen for her. However, he still did not confess to her, not until this moment. Now that he had voiced his feelings, her reaction was exactly within his expectations. Sophia looked away from him. ¡°Liking you was my business, so you didn''t owe me anything during the past three years. Simrly, falling for me is your business. So, Alexander, I guess it''s time for you to experience unrequited love now.¡± She chuckled and flicked her hair on her shoulder before wearing her coat and walking away from him. You''re falling for me now? I''m sorry, but I''m no longer in love with you. Sophia had never expected the tables to turn around so soon. She somewhat felt a little excited at the twist in events. Alexander stood there as he watched Sophia slowly disappear into the distance. He was reminded of their wedding day. She wore full make-up and stared up at him, smiling brightly as she told him, ¡°Alexander, let''s get along well in the next chapter of our lives.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. However, the next chapter of their lives had onlysted for three years, and she was unwilling to extend it. He was upset and unwilling to give up, yet there was nothing he could do. In the end, Sophia disappeared after making a turn at the corner. Someone approached him and asked, ¡°Hi handsome, do you want to get a drink with me?¡± Alexander nced at that woman. Under the dimmed lighting in the bar, her makeup looked so heavy that it felt like she had worn ayer of flour. She was nowhereparable to Sophia''s beauty. Where does she get her confidence from? His expression darkened as he shoved away the woman''s hand. Then, he left the bar. The woman stiffened a little. Staring at his tall back, she could only stomp her feet in anger. She noticed he was wearing the year 2005 limited edition Fidment men''s watch worth slightly more than three million. For a man to afford that luxury watch, it spoke more of his wealthy status, clearly indicating that he was someone she could not afford to offend. Chapter 97 Chapter 97 As Alexander ended up taking half an hour of her time, by the time Sophia returned home, it was already ten. Katherine was already going mad in their WhatsApp chat. Just as Sophia unlocked her phone, Katherine''s messages bombarded her. In fact, thest one was: Don''t stay quiet! Blink if you''ve been kidnapped! Sophia chuckled as she sat down on the couch. She then called Katherine. As if she had been waiting for Sophia''s call, right as the call went through, Katherine picked up. ¡°What''s going on? Didn''t you say you''ll be going back at nine? Did Prisci and the others stop you?¡± Sophia leisurely exined as she sipped on a ss of hot water, ¡°No, but I encountered Alexander.¡± ¡°Alexander? Why is that jerk there?¡± ¡°He''s probably there for me,¡± Sophia replied as she tapped the edge of the ss. She was no fool. Jadeborough was far from Coldbridge, and although Odyssey had many branch offices all over the ce, Alexander was the chairman. He was on his holiday, and there was no way he would be there because he was working overtime. Upon hearing her words, Katherine fumed. ¡°What is he trying to do? He can''t be regretting his decision, can he?¡± Not wanting to admit that she was the reason he was regretting his decision, Sophia said, ¡°He''s only feeling guilty.¡± ¡°Feeling guilty? Oh my God! Am I hearing this right? Does Alexander Xenos know what guilt is?¡± What a good question. Sophia chuckled. She then told Katherine about the share transfer agreement from Alexander. ¡°If he doesn''t feel guilty, he wouldn''t have thought of transferring Odyssey''s share to me.¡± Katherine was dumbfounded by that. ¡°Oh my God. How much did he transfer to you? Did you take it?¡± ¡°Not little, but not a lot either¡ªfive percent. He also gave me a mansion by the ravine and a commercial house at Gracewood, Halsk Street.¡± ¡°Five percent? How much would that be? That''ll be at least a billion in the market, right?¡± ¡°The lowest value is two and a half billion, and the highest is three billion.¡± Katherine gasped. ¡°The mansion by the ravine would be at least fifty million, right? The cheapest house at Gracewood would be at least a hundred thousand per square meter as well. If it''s from Alexander, the house will be at least a hundred and fifty square meters, right? In other words, this divorce compensation is three billion!¡± A pauseter, Katherine added, ¡°I''m suddenly finding Alexander less of a jerk.¡± Look at the sum of money! How many shows would I have to film to be able to earn that much? I have to say I really am jealous. Sophia snorted at that. ¡°Is that all it takes to win you over?¡± While three billion was not a small amount, Sophia''s shares in Sunshine Group were already worth over ten billion. If one were topare the amount of money Sophia had with Alexander, one might not be able to figure out who was the richer one. ¡°I need more money!¡± Katherine whined. ¡°It''s gettingte. I''m hanging up.¡± Not wanting to continue the conversation, Sophia ended the call. By then, it was fifteen minutes past ten. Usually, she would be done with her shower by that time. After ending the call, Sophia threw her phone aside, tidied up her clothes, and went to shower. It was nice to sleep in the winter, and Sophia had a fitful sleep until after eight in the next morning. Sophia still was not used to the fact that the house did not have Genie installed. The weather outside was not the greatest she had seen¡ªthe sky was gloomy, and the snowfall had yet to cease. It would be New Year''s Eve the next day. Everyone was busying away in preparation for the new year,This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. but Sophia had nothing to do. Just as Sophia was about to watch a movie after her breakfast, her phone rang abruptly. It was from a familiar number that she had called just the morning of the day before. ¡°Mr. Lodwich?¡± The call was from the hotel manager, Chester Lodwich. Sophia knew why he had called without even needing to think about it. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, my apologies for disturbing you but it seems like the incident yesterday has spiraled into a massive one. The Whittons havee, and they''ve asked to take a look at our hotel''s surveince footage. They insist on us giving them an exnation!¡± Sophia arched a brow at that. ¡°Let them look at the surveince footage then.¡± ¡°But...¡± If they see the surveince footage, won''t they see Sophia sending Prisci to her room? ¡°It''s fine,¡± Sophia told them. ¡°Let them look at the surveince footage. I''ll be right there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Upon hearing that Sophia would be heading over, Chester sighed in relief. Once the call ended, Sophia reluctantly exited the screen menu. What a pity. I''ll only get to watch this movie in the evening. Just as Sophia stepped out of the room, Katherine called. ¡°Is Prisci kicking up a fuss?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Technically, the matter was dirtyundry. The Whitton family would not want to air it. Katherine scoffed, ¡°It''s all thanks to Prisci''s lousy friends. I saw it on my Instagram. It''s getting reposted like mad. I''m afraid this matter is not going to end well. Joshua and I are going toe to you!¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°I''m about to head to the hotel.¡± Sophia did not fear the Whittons, for she knew she was in the right. ¡°Don''t be so quick to reach the hotel. I''d say the Whittons aren''t any good souls.¡± ¡°That''s perfect, then.¡± Hearing that, Katherine immediately figured out that Sophia had something up her sleeve. ¡°What''s the matter? What ns do you have?¡± As Sophia walked into the elevator, she said, ¡°Didn''t our teachers used to say to look for the police if we''re in trouble?¡± Feel free to make your move if you''re not scared of making a scene, Whittons. Sophia had long figured out that the Whittons would be furious when she was teaching Prisci a lesson. Did that matter, though? Prisci was the one who brought the drug, and she was the one who had booked the room. All Sophia did was ¡°kindly¡± send her to the room because she noticed that Prisci did not look well. It was not as if Sophia knew Prisci''s brother-inw or that she interacted with him before. The Whitton family would be the one to suffer if they refused to let the matter go. ¡°Call the cops? But if they find out that you¡ª¡± Right then, the elevator reached the first floor, and Sophia stepped out of the narrow space. Upon hearing Katherine''s words, she huffed and interrupted, ¡°What did I do? What''s wrong with helping an old ssmate into her room to rest?¡± At that, Katherine burst outughing. ¡°My, Soph, what''s in your brain? Why are you so smart? Why am I not as smart as you?¡± My, my,paring myself to her will do me no good! Sophia chuckled but did not waste any time talking nonsense. ¡°You don''t need toe. I can deal with this myself.¡± ¡°All right, I shall retreat now. Farewell!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Just as the call ended, an empty cab drove by, and Sophia hailed it. ¡°To Skye Hotel, thank you.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± The car slowly drove off, and Sophia looked out of the window to stare at the falling snow. At the sight of the snowkes, she grinned. Prisci''s dream of joining a wealthy family is about toe to an end, huh? Sorry to startle you awake from your sweet dream, Prisci. It''s best not to keep dreaming for so long. Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Half an hourter, the car stopped in front of Skye Hotel. Sophia pushed the door open and got out of the car. Immediately after, Chester''s assistant, Scott Larson, came up to greet her, ¡°Ms. Yarrow!¡± She smiled at him. ¡°How is it? Did they start a fight inside?¡± Scott was someone who had just graduated. When he saw her smile, he could not stop himself from blushing. ¡°N-No, they''re not fighting, but Mr. Lodwich is waiting for you.¡± She shed him a half-smile. ¡°Where are they now?¡± ¡°In Mr. Lodwich''s office.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Sophia responded and stepped into the elevator. ¡°I''ve already called the police, so bring them up to his office when they arrive.¡± She said those words like a breeze. The way she stated that she had called the police was as if she had called a close friend over for dinner. Scott was stunned for a moment before replying, ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow. I''ll have someone notify the receptionist at the entrance.¡± Grinning, Sophia cast her gaze upon him. ¡°How many people from the Whitton family came?¡± ¡°Almost everyone in the family.¡± She clicked her tongue. The Whitton family is really amazing. Do they think that they can win just because they have the numbers? What are they thinking? The elevator soon came to a stop, and Sophia was brought to the door of Chester''s office by Scott. Before opening the door, Scott nced at her worriedly. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, please be careful. Mr. Lodwich was scratched by them earlier.¡± She raised her brows slightly. ¡°Open the door.¡± I want to see what kind of scene Prisci and the Whitton family will make. Scott nodded and raised his hand to knock on the door. ¡°Mr. Lodwich, Ms. Yarrow has arrived.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you''re here!¡± The door was pulled open by someone inside. Chester looked at Sophia like she was his savior. She raised her head and met with Prisci''s fierce re. ¡°Sophia Yarrow!¡± Prisci gnashed her teeth as though she could not wait to tear Sophia into pieces. Sophia merely nced at her. She doesn''t look as wretched as I''ve expected. Then, her eyes swept over the Whitton family members one by one and finally settled on Javier Whitton. ¡°We finally meet, Mr. Whitton.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Javier frowned with a sullen face. Sophia smiled. ¡°I''m an ex-ssmate of Prisci. Of course, as luck would have it, I''m also the chairman of Skye Hotel. I heard that you wanted to see me, so I made a special trip from home toe here.¡± Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, and she enunciated each word clearly. Prisci, who heard her words, screamed, ¡°It''s you! You did it on purpose! Honey! It was her! She fed me the drug!¡± ¡°Prisci, you need to speak with evidence.¡± ¡°Evidence? Seraphina and the others saw it with their own eyes!¡± ¡°They saw it with their own eyes?¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°If I remember correctly, they were trapped inside the restroom cubicle and were only found this morning by a hotel housekeeper, right? How did they see it with their own eyes if they were trapped inside?¡± ¡°It was you! It was you! Honey, Dad, it was really her! She deliberately drugged me and brought me inside that room!¡± As soon as Prisci''s words came out, Javier and Raymond Whitten, her husband, turned ashen. Javier looked at Sophia. ¡°We''ve already seen the surveince footage. It was you who locked Prissy in the roomst night. Ms. Yarrow, if you don''t give my family an exnation today, I don''t think there''s a need for Skye Hotel to continue operating anymore!¡± Sophia arched an eyebrow. ¡°Mr. Whitton, do you think I did all that alone? You think I deliberately drugged Prisci and asked your youngest son, Luke, toe over so that the Whitton family will be involved in a scandal?¡± Javier had always cared for his reputation his whole life. When he heard Sophia bringing up the dirty laundry involving his family, his face contorted in an indescribable manner. If not for Chester and Scott protecting her, Javier might have already made his move against Sophia. ¡°Don''t go too far! We came here today to ask you for an exnation, but what kind of attitude is this? Not only did you not admit your mistake, but you''re even trying to push the me to my sister-inw?¡± The person who spoke was Danie Whitton, Prisci''s sister-inw. The Whitton family treats Prisci quite well. They''re very protective of her. It seems that I''ve underestimated her. Sophia nced at Prisci and said, ¡°It''s not our hotel that''s at fault, so we''ll not admit it. Our restroom was under maintenance yesterday, and it was Prisci and the others who brought in the sign. I went to remind her, and then I kindly helped the ufortable Prisci to her room to rest. There''s nothing that the people from our hotel did wrong, so I don''t agree with your saying that we''re not admitting our mistakes, Ms. Whitton.¡± ¡°I think you just have no intention of solving the matter today, Ms. Yarrow!¡± Javier said with a cold face. She smiled. ¡°Of course, I want to settle the matter, but that doesn''t mean I have to ept your false usations.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Exactly what it sounds like.¡± ¡°Hah! Great! Absolutely great!¡± Javier pointed at Sophia, raising his voice. However, it was clear that he was extremely displeased with how this matter was handled. In fact, he looked so unhappy that he might bring a group of thugs to smash up the hotel the next day. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, let me give you a word of advice. Young people shouldn''t be too arrogant. I''m afraid you might lose it all tomorrow for being too full of yourself today.¡± ¡°Thank you for your advise, Mr. Whitton.¡± Sophia responded flippantly, causing Javier''s face to flush in anger. ¡°You really don''t know your ce!¡± Then he looked at his children behind him. ¡°Let''s go!¡± Prisci was reluctant. ¡°Dad, are we really going to let this slide?¡± She was still Mrs. Whitton regardless. If this matter got dropped so easily, the Whitton family would simply regard her as an outcast. Hence, she knew she could not let the Whittons leave the hotel just like that. After this happened, Raymond would surely divorce her, as the Whitton family would not ept a daughter-inw like her. In truth, she did not mind the divorce, but she had to make sure to get money from them. ¡°Let this slide? Of course, we will never let this matter slide.¡± Javier snorted coldly and nced at Sophia. She met his gaze and smiled faintly. The other members of the Whitton family were furious, but they could not directly point at Sophia and scold her since that would be too embarrassing. Prisci was even more frightened at Javier''s words. ¡°No! I''m not leaving. I won''t leave! If you don''t give me a statement today, I''ll end myself in front of you!¡± She suddenly grabbed a pen from the desk and held it against her throat. Sophia gave her a vague smile and said nonchntly, ¡°You really can''t leave yet, Mr. Whitton. You do need to give us an exnation about this matter today.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Just then, someone knocked on the door from outside. ¡°Mr. Lodwich, the police are here.¡± ¡°The police?¡± The Whitton family''s expressions changed again when they heard those words. Chapter 99 Chapter 99 Sophia smiled. ¡°Yes, since you don''t believe me, the best way to solve this matter is to leave it to the police.¡± Prisci, who was threatening to end herself using the pen, was stunned. What is Sophia doing? Why did she call the police? Now that the police are here, wouldn''t the prohibited drugs in my hands as well as all the other things I did before be brought out to the open? Luke also froze. He had just been drooling over Sophia''s beauty, but his heart dropped when he heard the word ¡°police.¡± He quickly went forward to pull Javier''s sleeve. ¡°Dad, let''s not make a big deal out of this and go back for now. There are still other ways.¡± Javier did not know what Luke and Prisci had done, but he cared about his reputation the most. That day, his family got involved in such a big scandal, so he personally came over because he wanted to deal with it in a low-key manner. However, Sophia''s reaction was not what he had expected. None of the usual methods worked on her. Furthermore, she had even called the police. If this matter was identally exposed to the public, the Whitton family''s name would be tarnished. Javier had always been dissatisfied with Prisci, his daughter-inw. However, his eldest son liked her, and the others thought she was good as well, so he let her marry into the family. Now that this incident had happened, he would not let Prisci stay in the Whitton family anymore. There were plenty of ways to get back at Sophia after swallowing the loss today. There was no need to y along with her and bring the police into the picture. At that moment, a few police entered. ¡°Hello, I''m Cliff Olsen, the deputy captain of the third team of Coldbridge''s southern branch. Our station received a report that someone was raped in this hotel. Who reported the case?¡± Sophia raised her hand. ¡°I reported.¡± When Javier heard the word ¡°rape,¡± his expression instantly changed. ¡°It''s a misunderstanding, officer.¡± ¡°A misunderstanding?¡± Cliff frowned and looked at Sophia, who casually told the story, ¡°They said that it was the hotel''s negligence that led to thisdy being sexually assaulted by this man.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? We weren''t fully conscious at that time. Since when did I rape her?¡± Luke immediately panicked. Javier also did not expect things toe to this state. Cliff nced at Luke. ¡°We''ll find out if it''s rape or not when we investigate at the station!¡± ¡°No! It''s a misunderstanding!¡± Javier refused to let the police get involved in this matter. He quickly pushed Raymond, who pulled Prisci and said, ¡°Hurry up and say something. We''ll talk about how to solve this when we go back.¡± Prisci also did not want to bring the matter to the police station. Although she was reluctant, now that things hade to this point, she could only bite the bullet and say, ¡°It''s a misunderstanding, officer. There was no rape.¡± Cliff said again, ¡°You don''t have to be afraid of their threats. Just tell us the truth. Were you sexually assaulted or not? We will definitely seek justice for you!¡± ¡°I wasn''t! He''s my brother-inw!¡± When Prisci said this, the expressions of the police officers changed for a moment. Javier red daggers at Sophia, who merely stood there with a calm and rxed smile on her face. The police came quickly and left just as quickly. The Whitton family gnashed their teeth in anger, but they could not do anything to Sophia. Javier had never met someone like Sophia before. Even with all his years of experience, he ended up losing to ady like her. Burning in fury, Javier warned, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, if I hear anything about this matter outside, I won''t let you off as easily as today.¡± Sophia raised her brows. ¡°I always do things with a clear conscience.¡± She nced at Prisci as she spoke. Prisci froze for a moment. She had almost exposed herself earlier. If she really went to the police station, her life would be finished. Javier was choked speechless. ¡°Hmph!¡± With a cold snort, he strode off and left the scene. The Whitton family followed behind him. Smirking, Sophia cast a look at Chester. ¡°Well, I''ll go back now. Call me if anything happens.¡± ¡°I''ll see you off, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°No need.¡± She did not like someone sending her off, so Chester stopped in his tracks. Meanwhile, the Whitton family was still waiting for the elevator. Sophia nned to take the private elevator, but she saw Alexander the moment she left the office. Javier had met Alexander a few times before and was very surprised to see him here. His anger at having suffered a defeat at Sophia''s hands lessened considerably as he tried to chat with Alexander. However, after just a few words, Alexander opened his mouth and said, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Whitton. I''m here to meet a friend.¡± Javier parted his lips but could not say anything else, so he smiled and nodded. ¡°I won''t take up any more of your time, Mr. Xenos.¡± As Alexander walked toward Sophia directly, the Whitton family looked in the direction he was heading to. They wondered which friend he was referring to, but when they saw that it was Sophia, a gamut of emotions was written over their faces. Prisci clenched her fists and watched in disbelief as Alexander approached Sophia. I thought Alexander hated Sophia so much that he made her leave with nothing to her name after three years of marriage. However, he walked straight to her when he saw her. It doesn''t look like he hates her at all! Original from N?velDrama.Org. Prisci saw Sophia standing there with an indifferent expression. It was the same look she wore when facing the Whitton family just a moment ago. Prisci felt her body stiffen, and her face paled. Who the hell spread that rumor? ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Alexander heard Sophia''s name from a police officer before he left. The officers were praising her good looks. He did not pay attention at first until they said, ¡°She has a really nice name too. Sophia Yarrow. I wonder which family she''s from and why she was standing there alone. Every single move she makes is captivating, she looks like shees straight out of a painting!¡± The two words ¡°Sophia Yarrow¡± immediately caught his attention. He questioned a random waiter and found that something had happened in the hotel. The Whitton family hade over early in the morning, and they were in the manager''s office now. Javier made his fortune by unscrupulous means back in the day. He was a tyrant in Coldbridge. Nheless, he rarely got involved in those deeds these years, but at his core, he was still someone not to be trifled with. Alexander had dealt with the Whitton family before. With Sophia''s character, it looked like she would have the upper hand on the surface, but it was actually easier for her to be at a disadvantaged state. Sophia gave him an indifferent nce. ¡°Just dealing with some stuff.¡± He frowned slightly. ¡°Javier isn''t easy to mess with.¡± ¡°I didn''t mess with him.¡± He was the one who messed with me. Sophia did not want to continue the conversation with Alexander. She felt quite good initially, but she was in a bad mood after meeting Alexander. ¡°He doesn''t have the audacity to mess with me, Sophia.¡± ¡°So?¡± Sophiaughed. He''s quite funny. ¡°I''ll introduce you to them.¡± She raised her brows at those words. ¡°As your ex-wife?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°As my future wife.¡± Sophia froze for a moment. The smile on her face faded, and she shot Alexander an apathetic look. ¡°Don''t you understand humannguage? Or do you just don''t understand what I said?¡± He pursed his lips. ¡°Be good. I just don''t want you to get hurt.¡± ¡°No need for that. I can protect myself.¡± She twitched her lips as she spoke. The next instant, she spun on her heels and headed toward the private elevator. Alexander wanted to follow her, but he stopped after taking two steps forward. She got annoyed at the sight of him. He stopped chasing after her. The Whitton family had already left as well. Then, Alexander walked to the elevator and went to the first floor. It was snowing outside the hotel, and he did not know where he should go. He came over just to look for Sophia, but she did not want to see him at all. Taking out his cigarette case, he shook one out, lowered his head, and lit it. Holding the cigarette with his slender fingers, he stood there, looking at the falling snow. The weather on that day when Sophia asked me if I could hug her was like now too. When Alexander remembered that he had called her a shameless woman that day, he felt a throbbing pain in his chest. D*mn it! Chapter 100 Chapter 100 With Alexander''s appearance, Javier had grown warier. The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was off. He knew all sorts of people in Coldbridge. Skye Hotel had had a change in ownership three years ago, but the owner had never really revealed their face. Besides that, a hotel was not enough to impact the Whitton family, so Javier naturally did not pay attention to it. Even though he was in his sixties, he could count the number of times he had suffered losses on one hand. He did not expect to be defeated at the hands of Sophia that day. Javier suppressed his anger until he returned home. When he got off the car, he asked harshly, ¡°Who exactly is Sophia Yarrow?¡± Prisci, who had gotten off the car and heard his words, trembled. She was not foolish, and the only reason she and Leon had dared to work together to go against Sophia was that they believed the Whitton family to be more powerful than her. However, Prisci knew she was wrong after she saw Alexander. Sophia was the abandoned wife of a wealthy man, a woman who left her husband with no strings attached. It was thebel ced on her a year ago. They often mocked Sophia in private since she used to be an iconic figure in school. It was human nature to be jealous of people who lived better lives than theirs. However, the Sophia she saw today was different from what was portrayed on the Inte. Alexander was not heartless toward Sophia. She had seen many men who were transfixed by Sophia''s facial features. Even though Prisci felt reluctant, she had to admit that Sophia could attract men easily. The Whitton family had power in Coldbridge, but Javier still had to show respect toward the Xenos family. Alexander still held feelings for Sophia. The Whitton family would undoubtedly face oppression from now on since he was aware of what happened that day. ¡°Prisci!¡± Javier refused to let her keep silent on the matter. He stared at her. ¡°If I didn''t remember wrongly, you said that Sophia was your high school ssmate!¡± His tone was authoritative. Prisci''s face paled when she noticed his harsh nce. ¡°Dad, I have not seen her for almost ten years! I only heard about her from the news on the Inte. She''s Alexander''s ex-wife, and they divorced about a year ago.¡± She did not dare to say more, fearing she would say something wrong. Unfortunately for her, Javier misunderstood her words. ¡°No wonder Alexander knew her. Why did they divorce?¡± At this moment, Leon, who was at the side, said gleefully, ¡°I know about this, Dad! Sophia saved Alexander''s mother long ago, so Alexander promised her a reward. Her request was for him to marry her. That''s why they married each other. Therefore, they divorced because Alexander could no longer stand her gold-digging ways!¡± ¡°She''s a gold-digger?¡± ¡°That''s right, Dad. I''m telling you, Sophia, the slutty b*tch, is not as decent as you think. Back then...¡± Prisci entered the Whitton residence without saying another word. She did not want Javier to focus too much on Alexander and Sophia''s rtionship. At least, she did not wish for it before she divorced Raymond and obtained herpensation. After hearing Leon''s exnation, Javier''s brows furrowed. ¡°I understand.¡± With that, he cast a cold nce at Prisci before looking back at Leon. ¡°Pack your belongings and go to Zarain! What right do you have to bargain with me? Are you not embarrassed by what happenedst night?¡± Leon heard Javier''s words and became upset right away. He scowled and grumbled, ¡°Dad! I don''t want to go to that sh*tty ce. It was just a small matter! Why are you punishing me in such a harsh manner?¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. He suddenly did not dare to say anything else. ¡°Understood.¡± Javier raised his hands to massage his temples. ¡°The rest of you can go. Prisci and Raymond, stay back!¡± Prisci felt chills going down her spine as she knew Javier was about to deal with her. Javier had punished Leon earlier as a warning to everyone, so Prisci did not even have a chance to reject him anymore. With a five million cashpensation and a house situated in a nice residential area, she was kicked out of the Whitton family. Sophia did not care about Prisci''s fate as she could more or less guess it. Prisci''s haughty and brash behavior after marrying into the Whitton family caused her to garner many enemies. When her wealthy friends realized that the Whitton family had abandoned her, they all cut off communication and started making fun of her online. Katherine had many connections and saw their posts. She sent Sophia a screenshot of it. ¡°You''re awesome! I thought you only wanted to teach her a lesson. I didn''t realize that one blow from you would be thest for her, though.¡± Sophia put down her beef pie and smiled. ¡°Javier is indeed fast.¡± On the other side of the line, Katherine heard Javier''s name and could not help but frown slightly. ¡°Joshua said Javier is an old scumbag who isn''t one to be trifled with. You need to be careful of him.¡± ¡°I''ll just go with the flow and deal with him when hees.¡± ¡°Since when were you one to give up on yourself so easily?¡± Sophia raised her brows. ¡°Why don''t you think that everything is within my grasp?¡± Katherine felt she was being duped and decided to change the subject. ¡°Are you really noting here to eat dinner with us?¡± ¡°It''s fine. Enjoy your private time with Joshua.¡± ¡°You won''t be pitying yourself in a corner, right?¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°Tsk. Wow, Kathy. You have a way with your words.¡± ¡°Hey! I graduated from a first-tier university, you know!¡± ¡°Right. A graduate from a first-tier university has a silver tongue. That''s amazing.¡± Katherine was rendered speechless. I''m being teased by a genius! ¡°All right. I''m hanging up.¡± It was New Year''s eve, and Sophia was spending it alone. It was lively in her residential area, but it had nothing to do with her as she was alone. She was aware of herckluster cooking abilities, so she instantly discarded the idea of preparing a feast on New Year''s Eve. It was already good enough that she could make some simple dishes. The people on the New Year''s Eve G were all new faces. She had not watched the New Year''s Eve G on television in a very long time, and herst memory of watching it was with her parents as they ate peanuts while seated around a small round table. She did note from a well-off family. Her parents had lived frugally for twenty years before they could afford to buy a small house. They did not even enjoy it for two years before they passed away, leaving her alone. It seemed that Katherine was correct. It seemed a little pitiful when she was eating a slightly burned beef pie by herself on a family holiday. The snow stopped falling, and the sky turned dark. There were children in the residential area setting off fireworks. Sophia ate thest slice of beef pie and continued watching the New Year''s Eve G for two more hours before she decided to shower and go to bed. This day was no different from any day, except that she felt slightly homesick. However, she knew that she no longer had a home. The day after New Year''s Day, she rented a car to the cemetery. Sophia''s parents had passed away on the same day due to an incident, so they were buried next to each other. The two tombstones seemed slightly dirty due to the snow, so Sophia took out a tissue to wipe them clean. Then, she took out arge beef pie wrapped in foil. ¡°Dad, there are times when you''re also wrong. I learned how to make beef pies. Although it''s not as delicious as Mom''s, it''s still edible.¡± It had not been easying all this way, so it was already one in the afternoon. Sophia picked up a slice of the beef pie and put it into her mouth. ¡°Although it doesn''t look good, it tastes all right.¡± After a brief pause, she continued, ¡°However, you guys can''t eat it anyway. You can just look at me eat. It''s Dad''s favorite as there are potatoes and beef inside.¡± With that, she remained silent as she silently finished it. Her body started getting warmer as she sat there silently. A long momentter, she patted the snow away from her clothes as she stood up. ¡°Dad, Mom. I don''t have a home again.¡± When she said those words, her voice was so soft it was as if it would disappear into the wind. Alexander was standing a distance away from her, and a stranger''s tombstone was in between them. When he heard Sophia''s words, he felt a sense of emptiness in his heart. As the icy wind blew past him, he felt cold and pained. Chapter 101 Chapter 101 Even though it was not snowing that day, it was still very windy. Therefore, Sophia did not stay in the cemetery for long. She drove away after finishing eating her beef pie. The streets were cold and empty. Sophia''s white rental car moved slowly on the road like a turtle. After parking the car, she received a call from Katherine. ncing at the gloomy sky outside, Sophia retracted her hand from the door handle. ¡°Aren''t you supposed to be enjoying some private time with Joshua?¡± Why does she keep calling me? Isn''t she afraid that Joshua might get jealous? Katherine snorted on the other end of the phone. ¡°Soph, don''t you know that you''re my true love? Look, the weather is bad today. I''m worried that you might be freezing outside. Do you want toe over to our house for a meal?¡± Laughing, Sophia teased, ¡°If I say no, would you think I''m being ungrateful?¡± Katherine began to sob exaggeratedly. ¡°Can you bear to see me so heartbroken?¡± ¡°To be honest, I can.¡± However... She continued, ¡°You know what? I haven''t thought about what to eat for dinnerter tonight. Since you''re offering so kindly, I''ll go to your houseter.¡± Katherine decided to y along, ¡°Okay. President Yarrow, this humble servant will have to go first so she can prepare a delicious meal for you.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± After hanging up, Sophia stared at the steering wheel in front of her. Forget about it. I''ll return the car after dinner. Rolling down the window slightly, Sophia sat inside the car in a daze. She waited until around three o''clock in the afternoon before driving to Katherine''s ce. Katherine and Joshua were a nostalgic couple. The house they bought was near their previous residence. The property was located far from the city center, so it took Sophia nearly an hour to get to their residential area. The sky was already starting to darken by four o''clock. Sophia parked the car and paid the fees. Then, she gathered her coat and walked toward Katherine and Joshua''s residential area. Sophia was very familiar with this area. Memories of the past came flooding back. When her parents had an ident many years ago, it happened on the road across their home. When Sophia learned of the ident from the neighbors, she was in the middle of an afternoon nap. Despite the chilling weather, she ran out wearing pajamas. One of her shoes fell off when she darted downstairs. However, she could not feel a trace of the bitter cold upon arriving at the chaotic scene. The only feeling she had at that moment was trepidation. s, Sophia could not change the past. She had to face her fear alone while sitting outside the funeral parlor. Then, she watched her parents being cremated one by one. The nosy neighbors asionally inquired about how much she received from her parents'' insurance. Their words wereced with envy when they found out the insurancepany hadpensated more than a million. Sophia relied on that money to make her forter. However, if she could turn back the clock and choose again, she would rather not have the ident and the subsequentpensation. That way, she would not end up without a family in the future. The streets were rtively quiet during the New Year. The security guard in the residential area was not as strict as usual. Just when Sophia was about to ask for the registration form, the guard merely waved his hand and let her enter the premise. ¡°Hi, beautiful! Which family are you from? Why haven''t I seen you around before?¡± Seeing such a stunning young woman, the security guard could not help wondering which family Sophia came from. Sophia smiled and answered, ¡°I don''t live here. I''m here for my friends. They live in the eleventh unit of Building C.¡± ¡°Oh, that young couple! They''re good-looking people too, just like the celebrities on TV. My daughter was right. Birds of a feather do flock together. Happy New Year, miss! Here''s a mary gift for you even though it''s not much.¡± Sophia froze for a moment. Since the death of her parents, she had not received any mary gifts from elders for nearly ten years. Unsurprisingly, she was stunned when a security guard she had never met before gave her a gift. Feeling touched, Sophia epted the mary gift. Then, she took out a VIP keycard for Skye Hotel from her bag. ¡°Happy New Year, kind sir! I won this from thepany''s lucky draw. They gave me several of these keycards. You should take this and invite your friends to Skye Hotel.¡± ¡°Miss, I can''t ept such a gift! It''s too much. You should keep it for yourself. You can give it to your friends. Ask them toe over and enjoy the beautiful scenery in Coldbridge!¡± the guard suggested. The corners of Sophia''s lips curved into a faint smile. She directly ced the keycard on the chair in front of the security guard. ¡°Don''t worry, sir. I have lots of them. I don''t want it to go to waste.¡± ¡°Ah, I-¡± Without saying anything further, Sophia put the mary gift into her bag and walked inside the residential area. Building C was located on the southern side of the residential area. Hence, she had to walk for a while. It was windy in the evening. Sophia pulled up her scarf to shelter herself from the frigid wind. As she turned around a corner, an old woman suddenly called out, ¡°Is that you, Sophia?¡± The woman in front of her was no stranger. Sophia''s family had been neighbors with her for eighteen years. Despite not seeing each other for nearly ten years, Sophia recognized her at once. Sophia paused in her tracks and greeted, ¡°Happy New Year, Margaret.¡± ¡°Happy New Year to you too! I haven''t seen you for almost ten years, right? Gosh, you still look so good after all these years. Do you live here too?¡± Margaret probed. Shaking her head, Sophia rified, ¡°No. My friends live here.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. By the way, you''re twenty-six years old, right? Are you married? Do you have kids?¡± Margaret was relentless with her questions. The neighbors were not bad. Nheless, they shared amon w of having a nosy personality. Sophia had no intention to reminisce about the old days at that moment. ¡°I''ve got to go, Margaret. My friends are waiting for me. See you soon!¡± ¡°Hey! At least give me your contact. It doesn''t matter if you''re not married. My eldest nephew just graduated with a doctorate this year. I can introduce you to him!¡± Margaret eximed. Nevertheless, Sophia turned a deaf ear to the offer. Soon, she disappeared from Margaret''s sight. Margaret scoffed with disdain. ¡°What''s the big deal? You''re still single at the age of twenty-six! What a wild girl with no parents to guide her and teach her well,¡± she fumed. Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hello.¡± Margaret only came down to take out the garbage. She did not expect to run into the daughter of her old neighbors, let alone meet a strange man. If the man in front of her was not so handsome, Margaret might have suspected him to be a thief. ¡°Oh. Hi there. You are?¡± she asked. ¡°I''m Sophia''s... husband.¡± Alexander paused for a moment. Among the four options of ex-husband, suitor, boyfriend, and husband, he decisively went with the final option. ¡°Oh, my gosh! It turns out that Sophia is married!¡± Thinking of what she had spat out earlier, Margaret smiled awkwardly. ¡°I didn''t mean anything just now. me it on my potty mouth.¡± Nodding, Alexander took out all the cash from his wallet. ¡°I''m not here to argue with you. I just want to learn more about Sophia''s past from you.¡± Charles had investigated Sophia in the past. Nheless, he could not dig up anything useful, as though someone was helping Sophia to cover up her past. Alexander only knew that her parents died in a car ident when she was a freshman. He did not know anything other than that. However, Alexander had seen Sophia''s expression when she received the gift from the security guard earlier. He was overwhelmed by an indescribable feeling. He felt bad for Sophia. Margaret''s eyes gleamed for a moment when she saw the stack of money in Alexander''s hand. ¡°It''s nothing. I can tell you anything you want to know! I''ve been neighbors with Sophia''s family for more than ten years. I know everything about them!¡± she boasted. ¡°Okay. I don''t need you to tell me everything. Just tell me about her parents'' ident,¡± Alexander responded patiently. It was an easy request for Margaret. ¡°Sir, you''re asking the right person! That day, I happened to be...¡± Even though it was not snowing that day, it was still very windy. Therefore, Sophia did not stay in the cemetery for long. She drove away after finishing eating her beef pie. The streets were cold and empty. Sophia''s white rental car moved slowly on the road like a turtle. After parking the car, she received a call from Katherine. ncing at the gloomy sky outside, Sophia retracted her hand from the door handle. ¡°Aren''t you supposed to be enjoying some private time with Joshua?¡± Why does she keep calling me? Isn''t she afraid that Joshua might get jealous? Katherine snorted on the other end of the phone. ¡°Soph, don''t you know that you''re my true love? Look, the weather is bad today. I''m worried that you might be freezing outside. Do you want toe over to our house for a meal?¡± Laughing, Sophia teased, ¡°If I say no, would you think I''m being ungrateful?¡± Katherine began to sob exaggeratedly. ¡°Can you bear to see me so heartbroken?¡± ¡°To be honest, I can.¡± However... She continued, ¡°You know what? I haven''t thought about what to eat for dinnerter tonight. Since you''re offering so kindly, I''ll go to your houseter.¡± Katherine decided to y along, ¡°Okay. President Yarrow, this humble servant will have to go first so she can prepare a delicious meal for you.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± After hanging up, Sophia stared at the steering wheel in front of her. Forget about it. I''ll return the car after dinner. Rolling down the window slightly, Sophia sat inside the car in a daze. She waited until around three o''clock in the afternoon before driving to Katherine''s ce. Katherine and Joshua were a nostalgic couple. The house they bought was near their previous residence. The property was located far from the city center, so it took Sophia nearly an hour to get to their residential area. The sky was already starting to darken by four o''clock. Sophia parked the car and paid the fees. Then, she gathered her coat and walked toward Katherine and Joshua''s residential area. Sophia was very familiar with this area. Memories of the past came flooding back. When her parents had an ident many years ago, it happened on the road across their home. When Sophia learned of the ident from the neighbors, she was in the middle of an afternoon nap. Despite the chilling weather, she ran out wearing pajamas. One of her shoes fell off when she darted downstairs. However, she could not feel a trace of the bitter cold upon arriving at the chaotic scene. The only feeling she had at that moment was trepidation. s, Sophia could not change the past. She had to face her fear alone while sitting outside the funeral parlor. Then, she watched her parents being cremated one by one. The nosy neighbors asionally inquired about how much she received from her parents'' insurance. Their words wereced with envy when they found out the insurancepany hadpensated more than a million. Sophia relied on that money to make her forter. However, if she could turn back the clock and choose again, she would rather not have the ident and the subsequentpensation. That way, she would not end up without a family in the future. The streets were rtively quiet during the New Year. The security guard in the residential area was not as strict as usual. Just when Sophia was about to ask for the registration form, the guard merely waved his hand and let her enter the premise. ¡°Hi, beautiful! Which family are you from? Why haven''t I seen you around before?¡± Seeing such a stunning young woman, the security guard could not help wondering which family Sophia came from. Sophia smiled and answered, ¡°I don''t live here. I''m here for my friends. They live in the eleventh unit of Building C.¡± ¡°Oh, that young couple! They''re good-looking people too, just like the celebrities on TV. My daughter was right. Birds of a feather do flock together. Happy New Year, miss! Here''s a mary gift for you even though it''s not much.¡± Sophia froze for a moment. Since the death of her parents, she had not received any mary gifts from elders for nearly ten years. Unsurprisingly, she was stunned when a security guard she had never met before gave her a gift. Feeling touched, Sophia epted the mary gift. Then, she took out a VIP keycard for Skye Hotel from her bag. ¡°Happy New Year, kind sir! I won this from thepany''s lucky draw. They gave me several of these keycards. You should take this and invite your friends to Skye Hotel.¡± ¡°Miss, I can''t ept such a gift! It''s too much. You should keep it for yourself. You can give it to your friends. Ask them toe over and enjoy the beautiful scenery in Coldbridge!¡± the guard suggested. The corners of Sophia''s lips curved into a faint smile. She directly ced the keycard on the chair in front of the security guard. ¡°Don''t worry, sir. I have lots of them. I don''t want it to go to waste.¡± ¡°Ah, I-¡± Without saying anything further, Sophia put the mary gift into her bag and walked inside the residential area. Building C was located on the southern side of the residential area. Hence, she had to walk for a while. It was windy in the evening. Sophia pulled up her scarf to shelter herself from the frigid wind. As she turned around a corner, an old woman suddenly called out, ¡°Is that you, Sophia?¡± The woman in front of her was no stranger. Sophia''s family had been neighbors with her for eighteen years. Despite not seeing each other for nearly ten years, Sophia recognized her at once. Sophia paused in her tracks and greeted, ¡°Happy New Year, Margaret.¡± ¡°Happy New Year to you too! I haven''t seen you for almost ten years, right? Gosh, you still look so good after all these years. Do you live here too?¡± Margaret probed. Shaking her head, Sophia rified, ¡°No. My friends live here.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. By the way, you''re twenty-six years old, right? Are you married? Do you have kids?¡± Margaret was relentless with her questions. The neighbors were not bad. Nheless, they shared amon w of having a nosy personality. Sophia had no intention to reminisce about the old days at that moment. ¡°I''ve got to go, Margaret. My friends are waiting for me. See you soon!¡± ¡°Hey! At least give me your contact. It doesn''t matter if you''re not married. My eldest nephew just graduated with a doctorate this year. I can introduce you to him!¡± Margaret eximed. Nevertheless, Sophia turned a deaf ear to the offer. Soon, she disappeared from Margaret''s sight. Margaret scoffed with disdain. ¡°What''s the big deal? You''re still single at the age of twenty-six! What a wild girl with no parents to guide her and teach her well,¡± she fumed. ¡°Hello.¡± Margaret only came down to take out the garbage. She did not expect to run into the daughter of her old neighbors, let alone meet a strange man. If the man in front of her was not so handsome, Margaret might have suspected him to be a thief. ¡°Oh. Hi there. You are?¡± she asked. ¡°I''m Sophia''s... husband.¡± Alexander paused for a moment. Among the four options of ex-husband, suitor, boyfriend, and husband, he decisively went with the final option. ¡°Oh, my gosh! It turns out that Sophia is married!¡± Thinking of what she had spat out earlier, Margaret smiled awkwardly. ¡°I didn''t mean anything just now. me it on my potty mouth.¡± Nodding, Alexander took out all the cash from his wallet. ¡°I''m not here to argue with you. I just want to learn more about Sophia''s past from you.¡± Charles had investigated Sophia in the past. Nheless, he could not dig up anything useful, as though someone was helping Sophia to cover up her past. Alexander only knew that her parents died in a car ident when she was a freshman. He did not know anything other than that. However, Alexander had seen Sophia''s expression when she received the gift from the security guard earlier. He was overwhelmed by an indescribable feeling. He felt bad for Sophia. Margaret''s eyes gleamed for a moment when she saw the stack of money in Alexander''s hand. ¡°It''s nothing. I can tell you anything you want to know! I''ve been neighbors with Sophia''s family for more than ten years. I know everything about them!¡± she boasted. ¡°Okay. I don''t need you to tell me everything. Just tell me about her parents'' ident,¡± Alexander responded patiently. It was an easy request for Margaret. ¡°Sir, you''re asking the right person! That day, I happened to be...¡± Chapter 102 Chapter 102 As soon as Sophia rang the doorbell, the door opened immediately. Katherine pushed the door aside and rushed over to give Sophia a bear hug. Standing in the doorway, Sophia looked down at her best friend with a smile. ¡°What? Are you celebrating Children''s Day instead of New Year? Why are you getting more childish the older you are?¡± Katherine snorted. ¡°You''re so heartless and cold!¡± Raising her brows, Sophia handed the bag she was carrying to Katherine. In an instant, Katherine, who was still fuming moments earlier, jumped up and down excitedly with the bag. ¡±Oh, my gosh! It''s the limited edition purse from Balenciaga! Ahh! I love you so much, Soph! I''d jump in front of a train for you! I''d do anything for you!¡± she screeched. Sophia raised her hand to push away Katherine''s face. ¡°Hard pass. Save it for Joshua.¡± N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Upon hearing Joshua''s name, Katherine, who had lost her marbles over a bag, finally calmed down a little. ¡°What would you like to drink? Milk or smoothie? I just made it. It''s delicious and nutritious at the same time.¡± Sophia sat down on the couch. Looking up at Katherine, Sophia shed her a half-smile and remained silent. Katherine felt guilty upon receiving that gaze. She hid her precious bag behind her and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Okay, fine. I just made the smoothies on a whim.¡± Even a simple dish like pasta could end up like a trainwreck for Katherine. Sophia knew she might have to spend time at the hospital if she drank Katherine''s smoothie. Sophia decided to stay modest and admitted that her body could not bear it. ¡±Just bring me a ss of warm water.¡± ¡°Okay. I''ll be right back, Soph!¡± Katherine quickly poured Sophia a ss of water. She suddenly thought about the matter concerning the Whitton family. ¡°Javier hasn''t made any moves, right?¡± Taking a sip of warm water, Sophia nced at the orange Katherine was cutting. ¡°Not for the time being.¡± However, I don''t know whether Javier will make a move in the future. Katherine let out a snort. ¡°The Whitton family has been used to being a hegemon of Coldbridge all these years. It''s time to give them a reality check to let them know that there''s always someone more powerful than their family.¡± Arching her brow, Sophia probed, ¡°What is it? Do you have an idea?¡± ¡°Well, it''s simple! You could try to snatch the market from them. Ms. Leighton can do that for you, can''t she?¡± Katherine suggested. ¡°Are you willing to pay for it?¡± Sophia snorted. Katherine was taken aback by her question. ¡°Soph, just pretend I didn''t say that.¡± Yeesh! Poor people don''t have a right to talk about business. Sophia broke into a smile. ¡°What a silly idea.¡± Even though the Whitton family had power in Coldbridge, it did not necessarily mean that their family had a stranglehold on their industry in the city. The Whittons mainly relied on the bag materials business to make a fortune. Eventually, they transformed into a women''s bagpany. However, their focus was still mainly on the domestic market. Nevertheless, nearly two hundred stores under the Whitton family''s luggage brand were closed in recent years. Then, they switched their attention to the market of baby products. Sophia did not need topete with the Whittons in such a traditional industry if she wanted to make them suffer. It would be detrimental for the Whitton family if there were problems with their capital flow or the supply of raw materials. However, the process would take some time. ¡°By the way, you haven''te across that jerk during this period, right?¡± Sophia''s fingers twitched slightly when she heard Katherine''s question. She lowered her head and took a sip of water. ¡°No, I haven''t.¡± ¡°Why didn''t I notice that Alexander was such a shameless guy before?¡± Katherine scoffed. Sophia thought for a moment and said, ¡°Perhaps I was more shameless than him in the past.¡± Katherine was stunned by her remark. ¡°Hell no! I call that bravery. What do you mean by shameless? You two were married back then. There''s nothing wrong with taking the initiative to improve the rtionship with your husband. However, you guys are divorced now. You have nothing to do with each other anymore. Yet, that jerk is still pestering you. Isn''t that shameless?¡± Hearing that, Sophia let out a chuckle. ¡°That makes sense.¡± At that moment, Joshua came out of the kitchen with baked salmon. ¡°It''s time for dinner.¡± It had been a long time since the three of them got together like that, so Katherine took out a bottle of red wine. The trio chatted about the past while emptying the bottle throughout the meal. Katherine was the person who did most of the talking, whereas Sophia listened keenly to her stories. Meanwhile, Joshua was helping Katherine to refill her te and ss. The silent disy of affection was Sophia''s Achilles heel. Sophia downed two sses of red wine in quick session to get rid of the bitter feeling in her mouth. She had no choice but to endure the couple''s lovey-dovey behavior. The trio chatted until eleven o''clock at night. Katherine finally stopped talking upon hearing Sophia''s loud yawn. ¡°Do you want to sleep over tonight?¡± she offered. ¡°Nah. I can only sleep in my own bed,¡± Sophia admitted. ¡°All right. Let us send you off downstairs.¡± ¡°There''s no need for that. You''d better wash up and go to bed early. Then, you should cherish yourst day of vacation tomorrow.¡± Sophia smiled slyly. She just dealt a fatal blow to Katherine. Thetter had to return to the film crew on the fourth day of the New Year holidays. ncing at Joshua, Sophia said, ¡°I''ll go first.¡± Joshua and Katherine apanied her to the elevator. It waste at night on the second day of the New Year holidays. There was not a single soul out there on the road. Since Sophia had drunk some alcohol earlier, she could not drive anymore. Taking out her phone, Sophia intended to hail a ride. To her dismay, there was no one to take the order at that hour. Furthermore, she was in a small city. Most people would prefer to stay at home and enjoy the festivities with their family instead of going out to earn little cash thatte in the night. Putting away her phone, Sophia nned to walk to the nearby square to see if she could manage to hail a taxi. Many stores were decorated with different colors of LED lights, and the streets were eerily quiet at that moment. All of a sudden, Sophia stopped in her tracks. ¡°Come out.¡± Upon hearing her voice, Alexander subconsciously dodged to the side of the billboard to conceal himself. Turning around, Sophia asked, ¡°You''ve been following me for the whole day. Aren''t you tired, Alexander?¡± Sophia spoke with a soft tone, her eyebrows slightly raised. She did not seem angry. Caught red-handed, Alexander walked out from the side of the billboard. The two of them were more than three meters apart. The light from the bus stop reflected on Sophia''s face as she looked at him with a faint smile. However, there was an icy glint in her gaze. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I didn''t know you have a strange habit of stalking people.¡± Alexander frowned at her sarcastic remark, knowing that Sophia had misunderstood the situation. Yet, the truth was he had followed her all day long. Even though his intention was not what she had in mind, Alexander still could not refute her usation. ¡°It''s not easy to hail a taxi at this hour. Let me take you home,¡± Alexander offered. Instead of answering Sophia''s question, he took two steps forward to stop in front of her. Sophia was bare-faced that day. She wore a white beanie and had a beige scarf covering half of her face, leaving only a pair of sparkling eyes to stare back at him. Alexander had seen her smiling with those eyes in the past. It was an alluring, charming sight to behold. However, there was nothing but coldness in her gaze right then. Arching her eyebrow, Sophia recalled Katherine''s words earlier and was amused at how right her friend had been. Just when she was about to speak up, a white van suddenly stopped in front of them. Sophia subconsciously retreated two steps while Alexander immediately stepped in front to shield her from the danger. Four to five men came out of the van. They were each holding a baseball bat in their hands. It was clear that they had malicious intentions. Looking back at Sophia, Alexander said, ¡°Don''t be scared.¡± Then, he grabbed Sophia''s palm and secretly passed his car keys to her. ¡°My car is at the parking lot across the street. I will hold them back, so just run over to the car and drive away from here.¡± Sophia looked down at the car keys in her palm and frowned slightly. ¡°What about you?¡± In a rare disy of shock, Alexander froze momentarily. After regaining his senses, he looked back at her. ¡°Don''t worry about me.¡± Sophia pursed her lips and remained silent. The ck-d men from the van inched closer to them. One of them shouted, ¡°Hold the man down and capture that woman for me!¡± At the same time, Alexander yanked Sophia''s wrist and shoved her off with all his might. ¡±Run!¡± Chapter 103 Chapter 103 Thud! Alexander froze at the sound. After a brief pause, he turned around and saw that Sophia had thrown her bag on the ground at the bus stop instead of leaving as he had expected. Following this, he saw her start to crack her knuckles menacingly. ¡°Sophia?¡± As the handful of men started to approach them, Alexander moved to shield Sophia behind him before taking a step back. All the while, his eyebrows were furrowed in confusion. Sophia nced at him and said, ¡°It''s all right. I haven''t had much chance to practice for quite some time.¡± Just as shepleted her sentence, the men swung their bats at them. Alexander''s chest tightened as he shouted, ¡°Watch out!¡± He was about to pull Sophia away when he realized that she had already kicked one of their attackers to the ground. Before he could react, a gust of wind suddenly rushed past his ears. He swiftly tilted his head and narrowly managed to avoid the attack from the man before him. With his other hand, he blocked an iing blow from a baseball bat and proceeded to tug on it with the full force of his weight. His opponent inevitably fell forward toward him, and Alexander smoothly finished him off with a kick, causing the former to copse to the side. Of the five men that had approached them, three had engaged with Alexander while the remaining two were dealing with Sophia. As Alexander took in this scene, his heart suddenly went out to the men he was engaged in battle with. Each blow he dealt them was more forceful than he had used during his training sessions. As he had started bodybuilding and learning how to fight from a young age, each blow he dealt was executed with perfect technique and inevitably sent the men crumbling to the ground, wailing in pain. Once he had wiped the floor with his opponents, he wanted to head over to lend Sophia a hand. However, he happened to see that one of the men had risen from the ground and was about tounch a sneak attack on Sophia with the baseball bat he held in his hand. Alexander panicked, and he yelled, ¡°Your left!¡± No sooner had the wordse out of his mouth did he see Sophia deftly pivot ny degrees to the side to dodge the iing sneak attack. She followed up smoothly by yanking hard on the baseball bat before she rammed her elbow on the attacker''s lower back. As a finishing move of sorts, she viciously kicked hard at both of his knees. Unable to support his weight in that split second, the man invariably copsed on his knees. As Sophia had a huge coat on, she was unable to extend her arms and legs out to their usual full range of motion. However, despite the limitations and constraints she faced, she was ultimately still able to fell the two men using the limited repertoire of moves she had avable. In just a mere two minutes, the ground was covered with copsed men as they groaned and writhed in pain. Alexander stood there and watched as Sophia impassively walked to the side of the bus stop where she had earlier thrown her bag to the ground. As the cool night breeze blew past her face, her hair was picked up and whipped across her cheeks. She deftly grabbed hold of the errant strands and hooked them behind her ear. In that moment, her cool demeanor and beauty were nothing short of captivating. Somehow, he hadn''t known she was that adept at fighting. Just then, a car suddenly drove past them, and Alexander snapped back to reality. He directed his attention back toward the men on the ground before he strode over to Sophia''s side and asked, ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± she replied. She patted her bag lightly before she nced at him and handed him his set of car keys. ¡°You can head back first. I have some matters to take care of.¡± He epted the car keys but didn''t leave. Instead, he probed, ¡°What do you have to do?¡± Sophia didn''t respond to his question. She merely bent down and picked up a baseball bat before she headed over to the man who had led the assault earlier. Resting the baseball bat on his shoulder, she smirked lightly as she asked, ¡°Did the Whitton family send you?¡± ¡°Spare me, gorgeous! We''re merely mercenaries. All we did was take some money and did as instructed. I don''t know anything about the Whitton family and whether they were involved. Rex was the one who hired us to keep an eye on you,¡± wailed the man. ¡°Rex?¡± she repeated. She couldn''t help but frown as she picked up on this unfamiliar name. Just then, Alexander''s mellow voice spoke up from behind her. ¡°It should be Rex Langford. He''s the right-hand man that Javier has been keeping around.¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows at this and surmised that she really hadn''t wronged anyone after all. The men on the ground knew that they had well and truly lost this time. They started pleading desperately for mercy from Sophia. However, she scoffed lightly and said, ¡°Each of you is just under two meters tall, and yet you can''t even take a hit. What a useless bunch of men!¡± Even though Alexander was standing a distance away, he was still able to pick up on her casual remark and noted that he was just under two meters tall as well. He frowned slightly and murmured, ¡°I''m 1.9 meters tall.¡± I''m useful, and I can take hits too... In a rare moment of surprise, Sophia was taken aback and froze before she remarked, ¡°Mr. Xenos, you''re really tall.¡± She brushed him off and perfunctorily replied with apliment before she took up the baseball bat and headed to the side of the road to wait for the bus. Alexander wasn''t too pleased at having just received an insincerepliment. As such, he followed behind her and asked, ¡°Where are you heading to?¡± Tilting her head to the side, she nced at him as she replied, ¡°I''m in a rtively poor mood today, Alexander, so let me give you a word of warning. You better not annoy me any further.¡± She didn''t know what she was capable of doing if she got annoyed or riled up any further by him. Alexander knew why she wasn''t in a good mood. Sophia''s previous neighbor had revealed everything the second she got paid a substantial sum of money. Back then, it just happened to be the second day of the new year when Sophia''s parents had gotten in their car ident. They had gone behind Sophia''s back to sneakily send some gifts over to her mom''s family. On the drive back, they narrowly managed to avoid an old man who had crossed the road during a red light. However, in so doing, they had inadvertently driven straight into a huge truck and lost their lives on the spot. Sophia actually still had some rtives on her mom''s side. However, her granny had a more traditional mindset and tended to favor the males over the female children. As such, in order to save up more money for her son, Sophia''s granny subjected Sophia to several torturous years while thetter was under her care. During this period, Sophia had been cruelly scolded, punished, and even hit by her granny. However, the incident that had truly widened the chasm between Sophia''s parents and Sophia''s granny was one that had happened when Sophia was five years old. At the time, she was ced under her granny''s care, and thetter had established a stall selling snacks right opposite the welfare center. She often brought Sophia along with her when she went to man her stall. One day, Sophia''s granny had purposefully or identally left Sophia behind after she was done with her stall for the day. The orphanage director saw how pitiful Sophia was and decided to take her in for the night. However, it just so happened that a wealthy couple dropped by the next day to pick a suitable orphan for adoption. They weren''t keen on any of the other orphans that the orphanage had and had their minds set on Sophia the second they saw her. Coincidentally, Sophia''s granny arrived and happened to overhear the wealthy couple speaking to the director about adopting Sophia. They mentioned that they liked her a lot and were more than happy to donate a million to the orphanage if Sophia was willing to go with them. Sophia''s granny started scheming the second she caught a whiff of the money. However, the director truthfully told the wealthy couple that Sophia wasn''t from the orphanage and had instead only been temporarily left there by her family. The wealthy couple were disappointed and had been about to take their leave when Sophia''s granny suddenly rushed forward and spun a tale about Sophia''s origins. She mentioned how Sophia had lost both her parents, so she had brought the little girl back and raised her ever since. She also mentioned that she was willing to part with Sophia and let the wealthy couple adopt her if they truly liked Sophia and provided somepensation for it. Although the wealthy couple wasn''t keen on this at first, Sophia''s granny started plying them with lies about how Sophia was an amazing and obedient child. In stark contrast to how she normally treated Sophia with disdain, her granny now spun a tale about how Sophia had learned basic arithmetics from reading her brother''s books instead of from attending school. She had also added that Sophia didn''t seem like a child from a poor family, especially given her supple skin and the dignified way in which she carried herself. Since they had always wanted a daughter but were cursed with the misfortune of being infertile, the wealthy couple had decided to begin their journey of seeking a child for adoption. However, faced with the fatigue from their long years of futile searching and the amazing stories Sophia''s granny told about Sophia, they were primed and more than ready to take Sophia in. Furthermore, they had also felt that Sophia''s living conditions were rtively sub-par. She lookedOriginal from N?velDrama.Org. slightly sickly and was thin to the bone. On a cold day like that, she had merely been wearing a single woolen sweater without any outerwear. As such, they had instantly felt for her and generously offered Sophia''s granny two hundred thousand for her. Although Sophia''s granny had wanted a million, she recognized that two hundred thousand wasn''t a small sum either. She made up her mind on the spot and immediately rushed back to gather Sophia''s clothes. Thankfully, Sophia had eavesdropped on this entire exchange, and she managed to sneak away from the wealthy couple while on the way back with them. She found a phone and immediately called the police to have them contact her parents for her. Due to this incident, Sophia''s parents immediately cut off all ties with her granny and made arrangements for Sophia to be brought back home with them. The year her parents died, Sophia''s granny had contracted a severe illness, and the hospital had called to inform them she didn''t have long left to live. After hearing that, Sophia''s mom decided she couldn''t bear to let Sophia relive her childhood trauma. As such, she secretly discussed the issue with Sophia''s dad, and they made arrangements to drive over together early in the morning. The n was to return home and arrive just before Sophia woke up the next day so they could be around to greet her. That said, they did manage to return home. Unfortunately, all they left Sophia with was the unbearably tragic sight of their mangled bodies. Chapter 104 Chapter 104 It was not easy to hail a ride during the New Year or any festive season. As a result, Sophia could not get a ride even after standing there for five minutes. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Alexander looked at the baseball bat in her hand. ¡°You''re heading to the Whitton residence?¡± Upon hearing his question, Sophia tilted her head and looked at him. ¡°Can''t I?¡± She was in a foul mood. Unfortunately, the Whitton family decided to act that day, of all days. Since they tried to harm her, she was going to get back at them. She was not going to let them have a peaceful start to the year since they pissed her off. Sophia could have endured if it were any other day. She would have first devised a foolproof strategy to get back at them. However, today was uneptable, and she was going to get her revenge no matter what. Alexander looked at Sophia. Before they divorced, he thought she was a devious woman who worshipped money and power. However, after they divorced, he found that she was a straightforward and decisive woman. He had seen many sides of her - there were times when she was gentle, quiet, stunning, intimidating, and valiant like earlier. At that moment, she was slightly obstinate yet adorable at the same time. Before that night, he liked her for her beauty and how she always kept her word. It was a shallow love mixed with the feeling of guilt toward her. However, moments ago, he knew that he had genuinely fallen for her. He did not know what he liked about her specifically. However, he knew he liked her so much that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. ¡°I''ll send you there,¡± he offered. He did not say, ¡°I''ll apany you¡± because he knew she would not appreciate hispany, especially not now. True enough, after hearing his words, Sophia tilted her head and looked at him for a while. The number of cars on the road was nothing like the usually congested streets. A lone vehicle would only pass by every ten seconds or so, and it was not even a taxi. Sophia had been waiting for seven minutes. She looked down and saw the time. It was almost midnight, and she was feeling slightly tired. Since Alexander offered to help, she decided not to make life difficult for herself and epted the offer. ¡°Many thanks then, Mr. Xenos.¡± His eyes flickered. ¡°I''ll drive the car over.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Sophia. She turned around and saw that the five men they had beaten up had left. They had taken the baseball bats on the floor with them too. Well, at least they''re not brainless. Alexander quickly drove a ck Mercedes-Benz over. He had been following her for the whole day in it. Sophia got into the passenger seat. After putting on the seat belt, she took out her phone and sent a message to Katherine to say that she was safe and that there was no need to worry. She was not trying to keep things hidden from Katherine and Joshua. However, she could handle matters on her own. There was no need to disturb the newlywed couple on this night. After all, the night was short. As the roads were clear in the wee hours of the morning, the car arrived outside the Whitton family''s mansion within twenty minutes. The Whitton family''s mansion was the most expensive property in Coldbridge. It had good security, and it was all thanks to Alexander that they managed to get in. A wealthy person like Alexander naturally had real estate all over the country. Sophia did not know whether Alexander owned any properties in Coldbridge, but she was sure his social circle would include the influential in Coldbridge. The mansion''s courtyard was already dark, but it was still bright inside. After getting off the car, Sophia went to press the bell. It had just turned midnight. It was very lively in the Whitton family residence as everyone was ying poker. After hearing the doorbell, Javier''s second daughterughed and wondered which drunkard was pressing their doorbell at that time of the night. Javier''s third daughter quickly added, ¡°Well, it could be that punk from the Cooper family. He has his eyes on our fifth sister, and all he thinks about is how he can be a part of our family.¡± The men and women were ying poker in different rooms. Javier had six children - three daughters and three sons. Two of his daughters and two of his sons were already married. Naturally, it was lively during the New Year. The women happily shared gossip while the men ignored the doorbell. The butler quickly went to open the door after hearing the doorbell. The night was extremely cold. Sophia tightened the scarf around her neck and raised an eyebrow after seeing the man who walked out of the dark. Soon, the Whitton family''s butler arrived at the front gate. ¡°You two are?¡± ¡°Xenos.¡± ¡°Yarrow.¡± Sophia shed a smile. ¡°I''m here to see Mr. Whitton. It''s regarding an urgent matter at thepany. Please let us in.¡± Sophia was pretty and had a melodious voice. Light from themps beside the gates shone on her face warmly. Her smile made the heart of anyone who saw her skip a beat. However, the butler did not dare to open the gates rashly. He eyed the two people, afraid that Sophia was one of Javier''s mistresses who hade to cause trouble. She quickly guessed what the butler was thinking. Smiling again, she took out her phone and raised it before the butler, saying, ¡°Don''t you think Mr. Xenos looks rather familiar?¡± The butler had worked for the Whitton family for many years and naturally knew of Alexander. After seeing the Google search result on Sophia''s phone, his expression changed instantly, and he immediately opened the gates. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow, my apologies. Pleasee in quickly. I''ll inform Mr. Whitton right away.¡± Sophia chuckled and reminded him warmly, ¡°Take your time. There''s no need to hurry. It is dark, and it wouldn''t be good if you fell.¡± The butler thought that Sophia was a genuinely warm and considerate person. However, he did not heed her advice to slow down. Sophia, however, walked on unhurriedly. After the butler was some distance away, she cocked her head to the side and looked at Alexander. ¡°You''re more famous than me. I''m sure you wouldn''t mind me using your name for a bit?¡± She was referring to what had just happened. ¡°I don''t mind,¡± he replied. Alexander looked at the main entrance to the mansion, then at the icy smile stered on Sophia''s face. He knew it would not be a peaceful night at the Whitton residence. However, he did not think to stop her because he realized she had implicitly allowed him to apany her. Sophia smiled and weighed the baseball bat in her hand. She walked up the stairs to the second floor and nced at the surroundings. The next moment, the baseball bat went crashing into a disy cab. The Whitton family loved to look good in front of others, and the cab disyed a lot of antique vases, which cost millions in total. With that swing of the baseball bat, ss shattered, and surprisingly, the sound was quite pleasant to the ears. After smashing the antiques, Sophia went after the expensive coffee cups and pots on top of the bar. She did not hesitate at all. With every swing of the baseball bat, everything that could be shattered was shattered, and nothing was left in one piece. Sophia did not think there was any point in destroying electronics. She took a look at the television and then headed upstairs. As soon as she turned the corner of the second floor, she saw a half-a-meter-tall vase ced in the recess of a wall. It was a rather beautiful vase. Reaching out a hand to touch it, she gasped andmented, ¡°It seems to be authentic.¡± Although she expressed shame at its fate, she did not slow down for even a second. She raised her arm and swung it toward the vase. Javier had just climbed up the stairs when he saw the scene unfold before him. His whole body trembled with rage. ¡°You! What are you doing!¡± Chapter 105 Chapter 105 Sophia paused momentarily and then smiled at Javier. ¡°Mr. Whitton, you gave me such a great gift today, so I thought I should return the favor.¡± While speaking, she shed a half-smile at him. ¡°Mr. Whitton, you must have some interesting collections in your study, right? Let me clear them out for you. Those things are not worthy of you.¡± Just then, the other members of the Whitton family inside the poker room ran out and saw the broken vases on the floor. Javier''s youngest daughter immediately eximed, ¡°Oh my god! What''s happening here? This is Dad''s favorite vase!¡± Upon hearing this exmation, Sophia''s smile grew wider. She looked at the one who shouted and said, ¡°Really? Then I have good taste.¡± As she talked, she went upstairs with the baseball bat in hand. When he was younger, Javier was a figure of authority. After he came down from his position due to old age, he became someone who only picked on the weak. In the past, he thought Sophia was a pushover. However, she had nowe to his house with a baseball bat and smashed his precious antique collection. Javier could feel his blood pressure rising. They could only watch as Sophia went upstairs with the baseball bat. A dangerous glint shed in her beautiful eyes, as if she would hit anyone with the baseball bat should they block her way. Javier stepped to the side subconsciously, and Sophia passed by the Whitton family members with a smile. Alexander followed close behind her. Once he saw Alexander, Javier''s expression changed. Isn''t Sophia supposed to be the abandoned daughter-inw of the Xenos family? It''s the day after New Year''s, so why is Alexander here with her? As his train of thought went on, he grew more stressed. When those men acted against Sophia tonight, was Alexander at the scene too? If he was, then I''ve offended him too. Once he thought of that, Javier''splexion turned pale. In addition, he was in greater despair when he heard crashing sounds from the third floor. Sophia made an urate guess that Javier''s study had many precious things, and she smashed everything she saw. Javier''s children were the ones who reacted first. Some ran upstairs and tried to stop Sophia but were forced back by Alexander. Raymond, Luke, and their other brother stayed at the back after they were beaten by Alexander once. Meanwhile, Javier''s daughters screamed at the door''s entrance, ¡°Oh my god! We need the police! Call the police! This is savagery!¡± After Sophia broke thest one, she nodded in satisfaction at the mess in the room. Then, she turned to Luke and walked up to him with a smile on her face. ¡°I''ve heard a lot about you, Mr. Luke.¡± Luke was known to be perverted, but when he saw Sophia swinging the bat around, his legs went weak. ¡°Sophia, do you know the consequences of doing this?¡± ¡°I know,¡± she answered. The question now was would the Whitton family involve the police in this matter? Sophia scoffed and held the bat against Luke''s neck. ¡°I don''t have a good temper, so remember this. Don''t. Mess. With. Me.¡± After she warned him, she retracted the baseball bat, and Luke fell limp to the ground from fear. She nced at Alexander and nned to leave. However, one of Javier''s daughters stopped her. ¡°Who are you? Do you know what day it is today? Why did youe and break everything? Are you crazy? Stay here! I''ve already called the police!¡± Javier''s youngest daughter was infuriated when she saw the mess in the house. If it were not for the baseball bat in Sophia''s hand, she would have gone up to p thetter. The Whitton family was reputable and respected in Coldbridge. They had never seen such an arrogant person who dared toe into their residence and smash things up. Sophia lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Are you serious, Ms. Whitton? Do I have to pick an auspicious day to cause trouble?¡± When you guys attacked me, did you choose a nice date? Chuckling, she then said, ¡°Okay. Let''s wait for the police.¡± She knew the consequences ofing here today. At most, she just had to pay some money. However, the same could not apply to Javier. She had plenty of evidence that could send Javier to jail for a life sentence. Right at this moment, Javier recollected himself and pushed past his children. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I don''t understand why you''re doing this? I think there''s a misunderstanding between us.¡± He then turned to order, ¡°Logan, make coffee for Ms. Yarrow and Mr. Xenos.¡± After hemanded Logan, Javier walked up to Alexander with a smile. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I''m sure there must be a misunderstanding between Ms. Yarrow and me. I won''t press charges for tonight''s matter. Why don''t we sit and talk? Let''s clear up the misunderstanding peacefully.¡± ¡°Dad! What misunderstanding could there be? She caused a mess! Look here. Your con and vases are all broken!¡± Javier red at his youngest daughter, who had just spoken, before turning to Sophia. ¡°What say you, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°There''s no misunderstanding, and I''ll pass on the coffee. It''ste, so I shouldn''t intrude on your family time any longer.¡± Sophia lifted her eyebrows. She would notpromise the slightest bit and let Javier off the hook. ¡°Oh! I forgot that Ms. Whitton said she called the police. Maybe I should stay.¡± As she spoke, she tapped her baseball bat on her hand, then added, ¡°It''s decided then. I''ll stay and wait for the police to arrive.¡± Sophia brought the baseball bat out of the study and smashed a few more things on the third floor''s living space. Javier watched her from behind with a grim expression, but he dared notment. After she thrashed the third floor''s living space, Sophia swept a nce at Javier''s daughters before her gazended on Javier. ¡°When will the policee? Not that it matters. Your mansion isrge, so I''m sure there are enough things for me to destroy until they arrive. Oh, right. Mr. Whitton, I have something to show you. I wonder what the police will think of it.¡± With that said, Sophia took out her phone and showed Javier a picture. ¡°Look at this, Mr. Whitton.¡± Once he saw what was on Sophia''s phone, Javier''s expression changed drastically. ¡°Ms. Yarrow! There are some things you cannot joke with!¡± ¡°Joke? Do you think tonight''s incident with the attempted kidnapping is a joke too?¡± She lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, we''re in Coldbridge. Know your limits,¡± Javier threatened. However, Sophia did not seem to hear the threat and loosened the scarf around her neck as she felt a little warm. Her movements were neither hurried nor slow. With her slender and fair hand, she pulled off the scarf and exposed her face, which still looked beautiful without make-up. Her eyes gleamed, and she smiled faintly, which made her seem elegant. This seemingly gentle woman was the same person who just thrashed two living rooms and a study in the Whitton residence. However, she did not break any electrical appliances and only chose to break the ceramics. ¡°Mr. Whitton, I''m the type of person to pay back what I received.¡± The smile on Sophia''s face faded, and the look in her eyes became cold as she continued, ¡°I''d like you to take your own advice. Know your limits.¡± With that said, Sophia stuffed her phone back into her pocket. She dropped the baseball bat and left the Whitton residence. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 106 Chapter 106 Javier''s daughter wanted to stop Sophia, but a single re from Javier was enough to stop her. It had only been half an hour since Sophia arrived. In that time, she had managed to turn the Whitton residence upside down. Javier watched her go down the stairs with his eyes narrowed. I guess she''s not as soft as she seems. Outside the mansion, the sound of a car engine revving could be heard. Sophia and Alexander were taking off. Javier turned to look back at his study. He clenched his jaw. There was nothing he could do except ept the reality of the situation. Besides the fact that Sophia had Alexander backing her up, the evidence held by Sophia alone was enough to doom not only Javier himself but the entire Whitton family if she decided to hand it over to the police. Javier was already fifty-eight years old this year, turning sixty in two years. He wasn''t young anymore, and he had six children. Even if he didn''t care about himself, he had to consider his children. The older one got, the less brave one became. One would start to fear death. Javier''s three daughters came running over from the balcony. ¡°Dad! Who is that woman? Is she crazy? Why won''t you let me call the police?¡± Javier looked over at his children and their spouses. ¡°All of you must never speak a word of what happened here tonight. If I catch wind of any rumors spreading, I will not forgive any of you!¡± ¡°Dad, who is that woman?¡± ¡°None of you are allowed to do anything to Sophia. Nobody is allowed toy a hand on her or even think about harming her. Do you guys hear me?¡± No one responded. Clearly, none of them were willing to ept this defeat. All this while, the Whitton family had done as they pleased outside. Now that someone had wrecked their home, how could they take it? Regardless, Javier did not care. He kicked Luke hard. ¡°This is all your fault! How dare you have inappropriate thoughts. I will not repeat myself. If any one of you refuses to listen, don''te crying back to meter!¡± With that, Javier took one more look at the study behind him. The door was wide open, revealing the mess inside. Sophia had done a very meticulous job with her destruction. She only chose to break all the expensive items while leaving all the cheaper items untouched. That night, she had destroyed at least several millions worth of property. Javier felt his heart ache. Clutching his chest, he walked back to his room. He thought that she would be a pushover. It turned out that she was theplete opposite. He had offended someone he shouldn''t have. The painful consequences of his actions were his own to bear. By the time Sophia and Alexander left the Whitton residence, it was already close to one o''clock at night. The originally already quite deserted road was even quieter than before. After having left the Whitton residence, Sophia was feeling a lot calmer. She nced sideways at Alexander, who was in the driver''s seat. ¡°Why didn''t you stop me?¡± Hearing her words, he looked over at her. ¡°Why should I have stopped you?¡± Sophia raised an eyebrow. She didn''t know what to say. Cocking her head sideways, she stared at the scenery passing by outside the window. It seemed familiar yet foreign at the same time. After twenty minutes, the car pulled to a stop below Sophia''s apartment. Sophia opened her eyes in a daze. She released her seatbelt and said half-heartedly, ¡°Thanks.¡± It was already half past one in the morning now. It had been a long time since Sophia went to bed this late. She couldn''t help but yawn. After stopping, she realized that Alexander was staring at her. She retracted the hand that she had used to cover her mouth while yawning. Using her pointer finger, she dabbed at the tears wetting the corners of her eyes. ¡°Alexander, I think I''d prefer if we remained as strangers.¡± There had been too much expectation in those three years. After she finally left him, he was now willing to turn back. However, she had no intention of returning to the past. Alexander continued to stare at her for a while. Then, he reached over to the glovepartment and pulled out a box. ¡°Happy New Year, Sophia.¡± He wasn''t the first person to wish her, and he was three dayste, but he still wanted to wish her. Sophia did not ept the box, though she did reply, ¡°Happy New Year to you too.¡± Even though they were strangers, he had wished her, so she replied out of courtesy. After that, Sophia opened the car door and got down. Alexander followed suit. He held the box up toward her. ¡°It''s nothing extravagant. Even as strangers, I''m sure I can give you this much, right?¡± Sophia lowered her head to look at the box. With a slight smile, she said, ¡°You can, but I have the right to reject it.¡± With that, she used her ess card to unlock the front entrance and waltzed in with her boots. Alexander stood outside the entrance. He didn''t chase after her. Instead, he just watched her. Before entering the elevator, Sophia turned to look at the entrance. Alexander was still standing there. With the dim street light illuminating his face, his typically cold, dark eyes were looking as deep as the ocean. Sophia was momentarily stunned. As the elevator doors before her slowly opened, she retracted her gaze and stepped in. Her heart seemed to be wavering a little. After watching Sophia enter the elevator, Alexander looked back down at the box in his hand. He hadn''t lied to her. The gift wasn''t anything extravagant. However, it was his first time giving someone a handmade gift. It hurt to have it rejected. Still, he didn''t want to be too greedy. That night, he had witnessed a cool and impulsive side of Sophia. He had never seen her like that before. After thinking about it, Alexander felt like he actually gained quite a lot that night. He got back into his car and checked his WhatsApp. Two minutes ago, Samuel had sent him a text. Samuel had been texting him a lot these days, but Alexander was always toozy to reply. Hmm. I''m in a good mood today. I guess I''ll reply. Samuel had asked him where he was at. Alexander responded by sending him his location. Samuel, being the night owl he was, replied instantly: No way. Did you go all that way just for a girl? Alexander furrowed his brows. Samuel was speaking perfectly normally, but for some reason, Alexander found it annoying. He replied: Isn''t that what you taught me? After knowing that Sophia was going back to Coldbridge for New Year''s, Samuel kept insisting that it was the perfect opportunity for him to chase after her and win her over. Now, Samuel was making fun of him? Samuel: To be honest, I was just kidding around... Who would''ve guessed? Holding his phone in his hand, Samuel started to wonder if the Alexander he was talking to on the other end of the phone was the same Alexander he knew. Such a romantic gesture didn''t fit Alexander''s indifferent character. Alexander smirked. He decided to go back and improve his fighting skills more. Alexander: Okay, serious question. Do you know the Whitton family in Coldbridge? Samuel replied solemnly: Why? Don''t tell me you''re trying to do business while courting a woman at the same time? Samuel wondered what kind of man was capable of doing that. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Alexander: They wronged Sophia. Reading Alexander''s text, Samuel suddenly lost his appetite for the fried chicken in his hand. Alexander hadn''t even gotten Sophia back yet, but he was already showing off his affection for her. Samuel was about to choke. Samuel: If you want to talk about serious stuff, then keep it professional. There''s no need to show off your love... Anyway, I think Charles has connections to them. We don''t have any coborations with them on our side. Alexander: I see. In that case, I''ll ask Charles about it. Also, I know how to keep things professional, but my main purpose was to show off my affection. Samuel: ??? F*ck! I really should cut this guy off. Chapter 107 Chapter 107 Sophia slept until after eleven the next day. When she opened her eyes, she saw the light seeping through the curtains, which had not been fully drawn. Immediately, she squinted her eyes and called out, ¡°Genie, draw the curtains.¡± Two seconds after she sat up, she finally recalled that she was in Coldbridge, not Jadeborough. It really takes a while to get used to this. Coldbridge was colder than Jadeborough, but that day was a rare sunny day¡ªthe sun outside was shining brightly. After finishing a te of pasta, Sophia picked a book, sat on the recliner on the balcony, and began reading it. Truth be told, she found life there cozy. A day passed by in the blink of an eye. Katherine would have to join the film crew and begin filming the next day, so before she boarded the ne, she bombarded Sophia with a bunch of nonsense. At the end of her bombardment, a rare question came from the usually-carefree woman. ¡°Why did you reply to my message sotest night?¡± Sophia''s fingers, which had been turning the pages, froze. ¡°I couldn''t get a cab.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°It was over half an hour. Why didn''t you tell me that you couldn''t get a cab? Do you have someone else? Why else did you not call me so that I could send you back? Is yourck of response a silent agreement? Does that mean I''m right? Oh my God, Soph!¡± Unable to stand the other woman jumping to conclusions, Sophia blurted out, ¡°I encountered something.¡± ¡°What thing? It can''t be that the Whittons sent someone after you, right?¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°As expected of thedy who''s finally a year older. You''ve gotten smarter.¡± ¡°I see. The WiFi at the hospital must not be bad. It seems like both of us are finally on the same frequency. How much was thepensation?¡± She really has gotten smarter. She now knows how to counterattack. Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Do I look like someone that violent?¡± Do I look like I''ll easily send someone to the hospital? ¡°You should have more confidence in yourself¡ªyou are.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± At that, Katherine hastily cried out, ¡°Don''t! You haven''t told me what''s going on!¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Didn''t you say everything?¡± I didn''t even get to say anything before you blurted out the ending, Katherine. What else do you want me to talk about? ¡°It''s mainly because I believe you.¡± ¡°I see. Then I might have done something that will send you into disbelief.¡± Sophia had been in a bad mood, and she had drunk two sses of red wine the day before. Of all days, the Whittons had picked the day before to confront her. Katherine scoffed. ¡°You underestimate me. How can I not know what kind of person you are?¡± Very well! Sophia smiled. ¡°The Whittons sent someone to kidnap me. After I beat the guy up, I took a baseball bat, went to the Whitton residence, and wrecked two of their living rooms, as well as the antiques in their study.¡± ¡°Oh my God!¡± She''s a ruthless one! A beatter, Katherine asked, ¡°Then are you fine?¡± She knew Sophia was telling her the truth. When she thought about what Joshua told her about the Whittons, worry abruptly seeped into her heart, and she dropped the lighthearted demeanor. ¡°Alexander was there too.¡± ¡°Have the two of you rekindled your rtionship?¡± Irked, Sophia snorted. ¡°Is that what yournguage teacher taught you to say?¡± ¡°That isn''t the main point. The main point is why you''re with Alexander again.¡± ¡°You might not believe me if I were to tell you that we met by chance.¡± ¡°Then please tell me something that''ll make me believe you.¡± Sophia pursed her lips tightly. Then, she told her friend a brief summary of what happened between her and Alexander. Just as she was done with her exnation, Katherine began snarling, ¡°Has Alexander lost all sense of shame? Even if he''s shameless, you''re not! That jerk! How dare he try to regret his decision?¡± ¡°Maybe you''re right about him being a jerk, but I''m not going to regret my decision.¡± ¡°Good! Keep it that way! Ah! I''m about to board the ne. Let''s talk another time when I''m onnd again.¡± With that said, the call ended. Sophia nced at her screen and raised a brow. After a moment of contemtion, she called Yvonne. She was nning to return to Jadeborough in two more days. The day before her return, Sophia drove around Coldbridge. Her house had been demolished, and thepensation back then had not been a lot¡ªonly a little over two hundred thousand. Where her house used to be was now a business district, and the nearby residential area cost seven to eight thousand per square meter. Coldbridge''s weather had been pleasant for the past two days. After parking the rental car, Sophia got out of the car, about to head to an old restaurant for her lunch. It was the third day into the new year, and some of the shops by the street had resumed business. Still, the ce was rtively quiet, and Sophia was swift to pick a pasta restaurant. An old couple ran the shop, and Sophia was the only patron there. After her meal, she then began walking along the river that surrounded the city. The wind was strong. Back when Sophia was still in junior high, her father would ride the bicycle to pick her up from school. At that time, her family was struggling to make ends meet, so they could not afford a car after buying a house. Every time her father went to pick her up, he woulde with the knitted hat that her mother made, and he would put it on for her. Once he pulled down the edges of the hat, almost her entire face would be shielded from the wind. Sophia lost herself in her thoughts during her stroll. After some time, she came to a stop to look at the frozen surface of the river. In a sh, years had gone by since she became all alone in the world. All of a sudden, the phone in her pocket vibrated. Sophia snapped back to her senses and fished it out. At the start, she thought it was a call from Katherine, but to her surprise, it was from an unknown caller. As a matter of fact, the location was in Coldbridge. Tsk. It''s New Year, but the sales department seems to be working overtime. She ended the call. However, in the next second, the same person called again. Sophia watched her phone vibrate for a few seconds before she finally picked it up. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Good afternoon, Ms. Yarrow. I''m Mr. Whitton''s secretary.¡± Sophia lifted a brow. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, are you free tomorrow? Mr. Whitton would like to invite you to a meal. He said that he needs to exin the misunderstanding you have about him.¡± Sophia smirked. ¡°Sorry, but I''m going back to Jadeborough tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°My apologies. I''ll be hanging up now.¡± With that said, Sophia ended the call. How strange. The Whittons bowing to me? Sophia then kept her phone away in her pocket and hailed a cab to head back. Sophia''s flight was half-past ten in the morning. She had woken up early, and by the time she reached the airport, it was only half-past nine. New Year was recent, and nothing major had happened on the inte. Most of the posts on the inte were celebrities wishing the public a greeting for the new year. Thus, Sophia locked her phone, took a ss of cold water, and closed her eyes to continue resting. When someone sat down beside her, she inched a little away from them. At ten minutes past ten in the morning, the staff made an announcement for the start of boarding. It was then Sophia opened her eyes, rose to her feet, and went to the front with her suitcase. Many of the working people''s holidays were over, so the airport was crowded. Sophia had booked a business-ss seat. Unlike most times, the cabin was full that day. When Sophia spotted Alexander, she narrowed her eyes a little. Alexander saw her as well. Hence, he asked to swap seats with the passenger beside Sophia. As Sophia watched him take a seat beside her, she could not help but think about the call the Whitton family''s secretary made the day before. Honestly, Sophia did not like Alexander intervening in her matters. After all, they were nothing but strangers now. ¡°I didn''t know you''d be that kind.¡± Hearing that, Alexander blinked. ¡°Did Javiere to you?¡± ¡°He wanted to invite me out for a meal.¡± ¡°You can ignore him.¡± Alexander frowned. ¡°He must have misunderstood.¡± That was how the words that Sophia was about to say died at the tip of her tongue. Does he mean to say that I misunderstood too? Chapter 108 Chapter 108 Right then, the air stewardess reminded the passengers to buckle their seatbelts, for the ne was about to take off. Sophia then put on her eye mask and plugged in the earplugs. Once her eyes were shut, she fell silent. Alexander''s gaze softened as he looked at her. However, when the air stewardess walked past them, the soft look in his eyes returned to its typical icy re. It was a two-hour flight. Half an hour after the ne took off, the air stewardess began walking down the aisle with the cart. It seemed like Sophia was asleep. When the air stewardess went past them, Alexander gestured to her. Initially, the air stewardess stiffened, but once she realized what was going on, she nodded in apology and stopped asking Sophia what she wanted. It was one in the afternoon when the nended in Jadeborough. Sophia kept away her mask and earplugs before getting down from the ne. Like Coldbridge, the airport at Jadeborough was filled with people. Sophia nced at Alexander, who was walking in front of her, and hummed. Why have I never known that Alexander''s so free? He''s been at Coldbridge for as long as I''ve been there. Tsk. Didn''t he used to be so busy he didn''t even have time to go back to the Xenos residence for a meal? At that thought, Sophia looked away and turned to the left to collect her suitcase. She did not have much to bring along¡ªjust the winter clothes. They did not fit in a small suitcase, and it was not convenient to bring a big suitcase up the ne. Hence, since Sophia had more than enough time, she decided to check in her luggage. However, to her surprise, Alexander went to collect his luggage as well. After collecting her luggage, Sophia walked right out of the airport. She did not ask Yvonne to send anyone to pick her up, so she headed straight to the taxi stand to queue up. There were many returning to Jadeborough that day, and the line was almost twenty meters long. ¡°Someone''sing to pick me up.¡± Sophia''s brows raised when she heard Alexander''s voice. She then lifted her head to look at him and say, ¡°I''m taking a cab.¡± ¡°You''ll have to wait at least two hours to get your ride.¡± As she continued to stare at him, she shed him an indifferent smile. ¡°I''m not in a hurry.¡± What she had was time, and two hours meant nothing to her. Most importantly, she did not want to get into his car. If she were to choose between waiting two hours for a taxi and getting a ride in Alexander''s car, without a doubt, she would pick the former. Alexander furrowed his brows. ¡°Samuel wants to meet you.¡± ¡°Then, Mr. Xenos, please tell Mr. Schild I don''t want to meet him.¡± With that, Sophia lowered her head to look at her phone. It was a clear gesture that told him she did not wish to continue interacting with him. More and more people began appearing behind them. After a nce at his back, Alexander finally exited the queue. Just as he stepped away from the line, Samuel called. ¡°I''m here. Didn''t your ne arrive ten minutes ago?¡± ¡°Are you in a hurry?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Samuel chuckled. ¡°No.¡± His amusement mostly stemmed from him watching Sophia giving Alexander a cold look. Samuel had known Alexander for many years, and he had to admit that he had never seen anyone else capable of giving Alexander that look. Moreover, the icy look that Sophia gave Alexander was not one that would make others think that she was being impolite. It was a look that obviously told others she was uninterested but also one that no one could be furious and start a fight over. Alexander scoffed. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°P4! What''s the matter? Do you both have too many baggages? Do you need me toe down from the car and help you move them?¡± Hearing the ill intention in Samuel''s words, Alexander ended the call and walked to the fourth parking lot. Alexander could spot Samuel''s eye-catching car from afar. He scrunched his brows in disdain before reluctantly walking over with his suitcase. ¡°What in the world do you have on your car?¡± Instead of answering him, Samuel looked at the spot behind Alexander and asked, ¡°Oh, where''s Sophia?¡± As soon as he brought that up, Alexander''s expression darkened. Instantly, Samuel cackled. ¡°My, my, don''t give up so quickly. The harder it is to court her, the more your efforts are worth! Moreover, you''re not the only one trying to court someone as great as Sophia.¡± After Alexander put his suitcase in the trunk, he cocked his head to the side and nced at Samuel. ¡°Did you grow fatter?¡± Samuel was a vain one since young. The moment he heard Alexandermenting that he had gained weight, he immediately lost interest inughing at the other. ¡°You think I''ve gotten fatter too?¡± Then, he muttered gloomily, ¡°I haven''t gained weight, but why does everyone ask me that question?¡± Ha. Alexander sneered. ¡°You wouldn''t ask that if you were any smarter.¡± Samuel nearly choked. ¡°What''s the matter? It''s not like my good looks are affected by the fact I''ve grown fatter!¡± ¡°Of course not. Nothing can affect your ugliness. Gaining fat is just increasing your defense points.¡± Samuel came to his senses at that. ¡°Hey, it''s New Year. It''s no good to start a fight now. Hehe, say, how did Sophia reject you?¡± Tell me how it''s like so that I can get a goodugh. Of course, that was something Samuel did not say out loud. If he did, he was sure that his next destination would not be his house but the hospital. Nevertheless, Alexander did not speak; the man just stared at him coldly. Almost immediately, Samuel turned cowardly. He looked out of the car window and said, ¡°Hm, nice weather today. Why don''t I treat you to a meal?¡± ¡°Drive!¡± Alexander was in a foul mood, and Samuel was taunting him. There was no way Alexander was going to be nice to him. Upon seeing his friend''s grim look, Samuel stopped teasing him and quietly drove. The traffic was heavy that day. Just as they left the highway, they were caught up in a traffic jam. Bored, Samuel turned to look at Alexander and said, ¡°To be honest, I understand why Sophia wouldn''t want to meet you, but why won''t she meet me? Didn''t you ask me to apologize to her the other time? Did you know what happened? I sent her a text message, and she ended up blocking me!¡± When Alexander heard that, he shot Samuel a re. ¡°Are you insinuating that I''m at fault for her blocking your number?¡± There''s no need for you to jump to conclusions. Samuel sighed before dropping the devil-may-care attitude. ¡°Have you really not gotten anything the past few days? Is there really no signs of Sophia warming up to you again?¡± As Alexander stared at the cars in front of them, he replied, ¡°No.¡± ¡°My condolences.¡± ¡°There''s no need to go back to the condominium. We''re going to the boxing gym.¡± Instantly, Samuel blurted, ¡°Don''t be like this! I wasn''tughing at you. Okay, maybe I didugh at you a little in my mind.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Samuel was about to say something else to that, but a glimpse at Alexander''s vicious look made him mp his mouth shut. Okay, I really won''t win in a fight against him. By the time Sophia went back to the mansion, it was after four in the evening. She had ended up waiting for two hours and ten minutes for her taxi, and she was trapped in the traffic jam for half an hour. Thus, she spent three hours in total getting back to the mansion from the airport. Honestly, she did feel a little regretful for not having asked for a ride from Alexander. I underestimated the crowd. After reaching home, Sophia ordered a nice dinner for herself. It was not seven by the time she was done with dinner, so she went to take a scented bath before tucking herself in after eight at night. Sophia was already asleep when her phone rang, for the two hours queue earlier in the day had tired her out. However, not long after she fell asleep, the ringing of her phone woke her up. After grabbing her phone and picking up the call, she uttered in an icy tone, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Katherine gasped in shock before whispering, ¡°Did I... Did I wake you?¡± Squinting her eyes, Sophia turned on the lights and looked at the time. In the next second, she let out an angryugh. ¡°If you know that, why aren''t you spitting it out yet?¡± ¡°It''s just that... It''s just that you and Alexander are trending again.¡± ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± At that, Sophia ended the call. Who cares about trends on the inte. Sleep is more important. Chapter 109 Chapter 109 Before it was even nine o''clockst night, Sophia fell asleep. And at around six o''clock in the morning, she woke up. Right then, the room was still pitch ck. After ending her call with Katherine the previous night, she set her phone to the Do Not Disturb mode straight away. Turning on the lights, she groped for her phone and saw that she had a call from Yvonne three minutes after Katherine''s call. It rang for eight seconds before the other party hung up. At once, she recalled Katherine mentioning that she and Alexander made the trending listst night. Unbidden, she arched a brow and logged into Twitter. At that hour, the trending headlines fromst night were still there. The trending headline about her and Alexander upied the sixth ce down the list though she had no idea whether it had dropped or was ranked such from the very beginning. Clicking in for a look, Sophia saw that someone photographed her and Alexander when they bumped into each other at the hotel in Coldbridge. That aside, there were also pictures of her in Alexander''s car after she wrecked the Whitton residence that day and of them both at the airport yesterday. ording to those photos, the user who broke the news imed that she and Alexander had rekindled their romance. Hmm, rekindled our romance? How intriguing! It sounds as though there was really something between Alexander and me in the past. How hrious! Exiting Twitter, Sophia navigated to WhatsApp. Katherine sent her many messages before calling, all castigation of Alexander and some screenshots of her riposting theizens. She replied with an emoticon before sitting up and getting off the bed to wash up. It was very early, so she nned to do some yoga. Mere moments after she had finished her yoga practice, she received a call from Yvonne. ¡°Should I deal with the matter about you and Mr. Xenos on Twitter, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Gazing up at the ceiling, Sophia ordered, ¡°Investigate the identity of the person who published it.¡± Someone who dares to tail Alexander and me definitely isn''t simple. ¡°Understood, Ms. Yarrow.¡± As Yvonne spoke, she paused for a moment before venturing, ¡°Oh yes, do I need to do anything about the matter in Coldbridge, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Not at the moment.¡± ¡°All right. See youter, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°See youter.¡± It was the first day of work after the new year, so Sophia couldn''t be absent from the meeting on the first day, no matter howzy she felt. Sunshine Group had a meeting at ten o''clock in the morning, so Sophia drove over after breakfast. She didn''t attend the meeting at nine o''clock. Rather, Yvonne attended in her stead. She only made an appearance at the executive meeting at ten o''clock. That was Sunshine Group''s practice, and all the long-time employees were aware of it. Unless one made it to the top, one would never know the identity of the boss behind the scenes, Suny. The executive meeting took almost two hours. After leaving the conference room, Sophia nced at the time, only to see that it was already a quarter past twelve. She turned her gaze to Yvonne. ¡°Shall we have lunch together, Ms. Leighton?¡± ¡°Sure, Ms. Yarrow.¡± No sooner had the two of them stepped out of the elevator than they bumped into someone from the Johnson family by sheer coincidence. It was someone Sophia once met at the Xenos residence, Richard. The man was Miguel''s biological brother and Charles'' cousin. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Evidently, Richard was very much surprised to see Sophia there. He had always looked down on her, so his tone was questioning the instant he opened his mouth. Quirking a brow, Sophia answered unhurriedly, ¡°I work here.¡± Beside her, Yvonne initially nned to speak, but she tactfully kept quiet after stealing a peek at Sophia. ¡°Why would Sunshine Group employ someone like you?¡± ¡°Mr. Johnson, Ms. Yarrow is a talent Suny attaches great importance to. Please show her some respect.¡± Although Richard looked down on Sophia, he didn''t dare do the same to Suny. It wasmon knowledge that Yvonne was Suny''s secretary, so he naturally didn''t dare scorn her either. As soon as she had spoken, the arrogance on his face vanished at once. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Leighton. I came here today to see Suny.¡± Yvonne looked at Sophia instinctively. Thetter''s lips curled up, and she shed him a smile. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Johnson, but Suny won''t see you if you don''t have an appointment.¡± ¡°You have no right to speak here!¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Johnson, but Ms. Yarrow is Suny''s new assistant.¡± In response, Richard snorted. ¡°Is she even worthy of being¡ª¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Apologies, Mr. Johnson.¡± Yvonne had securitye over, and Richard was dragged out half-forcibly. Sophia eyed Richard''s back before inexorably shifting her gaze to Yvonne. ¡°Why is he here?¡± Following that, Yvonne told her about Richard and Miguel having had someone establish apany out there. However, it wasn''t doing well as a problem cropped up with its capital chain. As such, Richard''s motive for visiting was naturally to resolve that pressing issue. Dipping her head, she added beside Sophia''s ear, ¡°Theirpany especially coborates with the companies of the Johnson family under their control.¡± Sophia tutted softly. ¡°Miguel and Richard are something else.¡± Despite Charles'' personality, they still dare to get up to their tricks behind his back. If he were to learn about this, the show would probably be exceedingly interesting, yes? ¡°Should I do something about this, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°It''s the Johnson family''s affairs, so we won''t meddle.¡± Besides, Charles might not necessarily be unaware of them doing all this. Who knows, he might be waiting for them to do something huge so that he could get them in a single fell swoop. ¡°What would you like to eat for lunch?¡± Compared to that, the food for lunch was more important. Yvonne was stunned for a moment. When she had gathered her wits about her, she chose a ce Sophia favored. Hearing that, Sophia regarded her with a half-smile. ¡°It''s decided, then.¡± She knows my favorite foods like the back of her hand. Tsk-tsk. With such an attentive secretary, why would I need a man? Yvonne had no idea that she gave her goddess such a feeling. If she knew, she would probably dump her boyfriend. After lunch, Sophia went straight back to the mansion. Ever since Katherine joined the filming crew, she no longer sought her out on WhatsApp all day long. Just when Sophia woke up from her nap, she received an email from Yvonne. The truth of the matter of her and Alexander making the trending list hade to light. It was a person who never crossed Sophia''s mind¡ªElise. She initially thought that it was Bethany. After all, there had been no news from thetter for quite some time, and rumor had it that she had gone for filming. Well, Elise is really bold. Never mind that she dares to make a move against me, but she even dares to go against Alexander. Turning on herputer, she logged in to her email and sent a copy of the information to Charles. Since the matter previously hadn''t managed to keep Elise in line, she wasn''t going to be merciful. After hanging up the phone, Sophia went on Twitter again, but the headlines about her and Alexander had already disappeared. Of course, that couldn''t have been Elise''s chickening out and deleting them. Most likely, it was Alexander who had someone remove them. No sooner had she exited the page than she received a call from an unfamiliar number. Actually, it wasn''t entirely unfamiliar, for it was Alexander''s other phone number. Sophia blocked one of his numbers previously, forgetting that he still had a secondary number he rarely used and didn''t block it as well. Should I take this call? She stared at her phone screen that lit up. About five seconds passed before she answered the call, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°I''ve already had someone remove those photos on Twitter.¡± ¡°Actually, I don''t mind, so you didn''t have to tell me this specifically.¡± On the other end of the line, Alexander frowned slightly. ¡°I mind.¡± ¡°That''s your business.¡± While saying that, Sophia chuckled softly. ¡°If there''s nothing else, I''m hanging up.¡± The instant she had finished speaking, she hung up the phone. Then, she blocked that number of Alexander''s as well. Chapter 110 Chapter 110 When Sophia received a phone call from Yvonne, she was cutting fruits after having dinner. Seeing that it was Yvonne calling, she put it on loudspeaker. ¡°Ms. Leighton?¡± ¡°I''m sorry to intrude, Ms. Yarrow. This afternoon, Mr. Miguel''s secretary gave me a call and said that he wishes to see you.¡± Putting down the fruit knife in her hand, Sophia washed her hands before picking up her phone. ¡°See me?¡± ¡°Yes. He wants to sell Rhapsody to you.¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia chortled softly. ¡°Okay. Set up a time, but it''s not Suny meeting him. Instead, it''s me.¡± Immediately, Yvonne understood her meaning. ¡°Sure. I''ll inform you when I''ve confirmed the time.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Sophia murmured. ¡°It''s my job.¡± At that, Yvonne paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°By the way, Ms. Yarrow, I''ve already sorted out the information on Rhapsody''s situation in recent years and sent it to your mailbox.¡± As expected of a secretary who had been working with Sophia for many years, she knew her intention from a single utterance. If there were money to be made, Sophia naturally wouldn''t turn it down. As for the matter regarding Elise, that would depend on Miguel''s sincerity. ¡°Got it.¡± After hanging up the phone, Sophia took the fruits into the study and turned on herputer, logging in to her mailbox. When she had read all the information Yvonne sent over, she couldn''t help lifting an eyebrow. Miguel will probably burst a blood vessel at the price I offer. Yvonne was very efficient. The very next day, she had already confirmed the meeting time. The dinner meeting was set for six o''clock in the evening. It was still cold in Jadeborough in February, so Sophia wore a white cashmere coat, casual but not sloppy. As soon as her car came to a stop, Yvonne walked over. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°They''ve arrived?¡± ¡°They arrived five minutes ago.¡± Well, well, well. It seems that Miguel is at the end of his rope this time that he''s lowering himself to wait for someone else. At that thought, Sophia snickered. ¡°Let''s go in then.¡± ¡°Sure, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne led the way ahead. When the two of them reached the private room, it was two minutes before the agreed-upon time. Verily, Sophia calcted the time precisely. ¡°Mr. Johnson, Mr. Woolf, this is Suny''s assistant, Ms. Yarrow. She''s the main person in charge of the matter this time.¡± The moment Miguel caught sight of Sophia, his expression visibly changed. However, he wasn''t as arrogant as before to show his dissatisfaction and disdain openly. ¡°Suny''s assistant, huh? It looks like we underestimated you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Nheless, Sophia pretended as though she didn''t hear the mockery in his words. She politely shed him a smile. ¡°You tter me, Mr. Johnson.¡± Miguel''s expression promptly went cold. His secretary beside him, Caiden Woolf, hurriedly smoothed things over with a bright smile. ¡°Ms. Leighton, Ms. Yarrow, it''ste now, so you both must be hungry, yes? How about we order some food first?¡± Eyeing Miguel with a half-smile, Sophia put her handbag down and took a seat. Then, she unceremoniously took the menu from him. ¡°Thank you.¡± Caiden smiled before turning to Miguel. ¡°What would you like to eat, Mr. Johnson?¡± Miguel initially thought that Suny woulde in person. Unexpectedly, it was Sophia who came. Verily, everyone in their circle knew who she was. So what if she''s impressively capable? Without Alexander, who''s willing to spare her a single nce? But then, she indeed has some capabilities. I never thought that she''d be Suny''s assistant in the blink of an eye. At that line of thought, Miguel''s gaze darkened a shade. ¡°You don''t seem too pleased to see me, Mr. Johnson?¡± Sophia looked at him with a half-smile, pointing out his dissatisfaction bluntly. Since Alexander had no interest in her, few in their circle regarded her highly. Instead, they all felt that she was merely a good-looking gold digger. ¡°You''ve got quite the self-awareness, Ms. Yarrow.¡± At that remark of his, Sophia was irked, but she unhurriedly took a sip of cappino before commenting, ¡°I know myself quite well, but I don''t think the same can be said of you, Mr. Johnson.¡± While saying that, she smiled faintly even as she turned and nced at Yvonne. Yvonne lifted her hand and ced the document on the table, sliding it over to Miguel. ¡°Mr. Johnson, this is Rhapsody''s situation in the past three years. In the past eight months, almost a hundred of Rhapsody''s physical stores have gone bankrupt nationwide when Rhapsody only has two hundred and forty-eight physical stores in total. Not only have Rhapsody''s physical sales been dismal in the past eight months, but its online sales have also taken a nosedive. ording to your official data, the sales of Rhapsody''s products have been plummeting since Octoberst year, and your profits of three hundred percent monthly now can''t even support your expenses.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Pausing briefly, Sophia continued, ¡°At present, Rhapsody has a debt of at least three hundred million on the books. Are you nning to settle it yourself, Mr. Johnson? Or perhaps you''re more inclined toward contacting Charles.¡± ¡°How dare you?¡± She had only said a few words, but Miguel instantly deted. ¡°My appointment today is with Suny.¡± In other words, he was saying that he had no appointment with Sophia, who was unworthy to eat at the same table as him. ¡°I''m Suny''s assistant. She couldn''t spare the time to meet you, so she handed this matter over to me. If you think this isn''t appropriate, Mr. Johnson, you can wait until she''s free to see you.¡± As for whether Rhapsody would go bankrupt first or he managed to wait for Suny before that happened was another story altogether. A smile remained on Sophia''s face the entire time she spoke, but every single sentence kept Miguel''s hands tied. Beside her, Yvonne surreptitiously gazed at her. It wasn''t the first time she saw Sophia negotiating, but she still couldn''t help admiring her. What''s the definition of impressive? Look, this is exactly it! With just a few words, she has already put him at a disadvantage amidst casual conversation. In fact, she could already imagine how Miguel would be suppressed even more devastatingly at Sophia''s handster. The mere thought of it had her growing excited. ncing at Yvonne, Sophia shed her a smile before casting a look at Miguel once more. ¡°It seems I don''t have the honor of dining with you today, Mr. Johnson.¡± While saying that, she snagged her bag from the side, getting to her feet and leaving at once. Her movements were brisk and decisive, not at all seeming as though she was being pretentious. Before Miguel could even gather his wits about him, panic swamped him. ¡°Wait!¡± Sophia, who had already reached the door, halted in her tracks. She looked back over her shoulder at him with a smile. ¡°Yes, Mr. Johnson?¡± ¡°You''ve misunderstood, Ms. Yarrow. That wasn''t what I meant. I came here today with great sincerity.¡± When Miguel spoke again, he sounded wholly different from his high and mighty self earlier. Chuckling, Sophia remarked, ¡°Of course, we also came with Suny''s sincerity.¡± Miguel''s secretary helped to smooth things over, gesturing for Sophia and Yvonne to precede him after walking over to them. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Leighton, let''s have dinner first.¡± Arching an eyebrow, Sophia retraced her steps. The entire meal was aggravating to Miguel. He wanted to say something to ease the atmosphere, but the instant he lifted his head and glimpsed Sophia''s face, the words got stuck in his throat. Although those alluring eyes were slightly upturned, he couldn''t discern a hint of a smile in them when she looked over. Truly, he waspletely repressed by her gaze. Consequently, the burden fell onto his secretary. Caiden rambled on as he racked his brain, and Sophia listened as she ate, but she didn''t respond to him. Despite feeling mortified, he couldn''t keep quiet either. If he remained silent, the atmosphere in the private room would plunge into a stalemate. Chapter 111 Chapter 111 In Miguel''s forty years of life, never had he partaken such a frustrating and awkward meal. Conversely, there wasn''t a hint of embarrassment on Sophia''s face despite being the reason for him feeling such a way. Instead, she rather enjoyed the meal. As Miguel stole a nce at the woman who was wiping her mouth, his expression darkened even further. She looks pleasing to the eyes, but why is it that she has an unforgiving mouth? Only after Sophia had taken a sip of coffee did shenguidly turn her gaze to the two people across from her who had long since finished eating. ¡°The food is pretty good, Mr. Johnson.¡± The corners of his mouth twitched, but still, he held his temper in check. ¡°Have you finished eating, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± shing them a smile, Sophia continued, ¡°I''m sorry, but I''m a bit slow at eating. Let''s start discussing business now.¡± While speaking, she took the document from Yvonne''s hand beside her and handed it to Miguel. ¡°Mr. Johnson, I''ve done my research about Rhapsody''s situation. In recent years, toy stores have mushroomed, and thepetition in this industry is growing increasingly intense. However, Rhapsody''s productsck innovation as well as research and development. That is also the reason yourpany''s sales have been dropping in the past two years. And as far as we know, Rhapsody suffered a cataclysmic plummet in salesst year because an educational toy brand was sessfully listed within the country. The brand is known as Little Savant. I think you should understand the situation. All of Little Savant''s toys are self-innovated and developed. Bluntly put, thepetitiveness of Little Savant in this market is far above that of yourpany. Of course, yourpany has been established for eight years after all, so it still has a certain reputation in the toy industry. In view of that, this is the price we offer.¡± Having said that, she lifted her hand and put out three fingers twice. ¡°Three billion?¡± It was clear as day that Miguel hadn''t expected Sunshine Group to offer that much. Sophia''s remarks were downright unpleasant, but he had to admit that Rhapsody''s current situation was as she said. In the early years, when the domestic toy industry was unbnced, Rhapsody once monopolized the entire market for a year or two. Almost all the toys on the market were produced by Rhapsody. But as increasingly more people entered the industry in the past few years, Rhapsody could no longer rest on itsurels. Back when he founded Rhapsody, he poured a lot of money into it from Prosperity Enterprise. Regardless of whether Charles had been turning a blind eye or wholly ignorant of it all, he had to sell off Rhapsody as soon as possible. Otherwise, he and Richard would have been working for Charles in vain all these years once thetter intervened. Yvonne was likewise stunned when she saw Sophia''s offer. Truthfully, three billion was indeed too much. Unexpectedly, Sophia abruptly chuckled. ¡°You''ve misunderstood, Mr. Johnson. I meant one billion three hundred million.¡± ¡°Sophia Yarrow, did you mistake me for you? One billion three hundred million? Are you taking me for a beggar?¡± ¡°If it were a beggar, thirteen bucks would have sufficed. You hold yourself in too low a regard, Mr. Johnson.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Miguel was so livid that his face flushed bright red. His lowest price was one billion eight hundred million, while his ideal price was two billion five hundred million. However, Sophia offered one billion three hundred million. That was an utter insult to him. His blood boiling, he sprang to his feet to leave. Despite that, Sophia remained seated without coaxing him to stay. Instead, she even poured herself a cup of cappino and sipped at it. Not bad. It''s quite fragrant. ¡°Consider carefully, Mr. Johnson. Sunshine Group awaits you with open arms, but I''m afraid Rhapsody hasn''t the time to waste in this matter. Considering its condition now, we might not even be able to offer this price after some time. Besides, the fact that you met with us today might have reached Charles'' ears.¡± The footsteps of Miguel, who had just stepped out of the door, faltered. Beside him, an anxious Caiden reminded in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Johnson, thepany''s debt is snowballing. Ms. Yarrow is right. The debt of three hundred million might be four or five hundred million if we drag our feet for a few more days. At the end of the day, you''d be the one to bear these losses.¡± Hearing that, Miguel almost blew his top. ¡°Didn''t you hear the price she was offering?¡± Caiden knew that the price was low, but the situation of thepany then meant extra losses with every single passing day. That would be meaningless as well. If Miguel and Richard were willing to fork out three hundred million to fill the hole, Miguel wouldn''t have come over that day and endured such humiliation. ¡°But are you and Mr. Richard going to settle the three-hundred-million debt first?¡± That remark gave Miguel pause. This is obviously a bottomless pit. I can afford to take out three hundred million, but the problem is, it''s not merely that amountter on. The situation will repeat itself again and again. Despite being furious, he could still put up with it at the thought of the money. Beside him, Caiden continued persuading, ¡°Mr. Johnson, Ms. Yarrow has only offered a price once. Let''s go back and discuss this further. We might be able to negotiate for the price you want.¡± Miguel was startled for a moment, realizing that he had been too hasty. However, he found it too mortifying to turn around and head back. Caiden knew the man best, so he added, ¡°Mr. Johnson, considering the exorbitant amount of money involved, just endure it for a bit.¡± He''s right. That''s a king''s ransom there, so what if I give in slightly? Ultimately, Miguel turned around and returned to the table. His face was still flushed with rage, but his words were distinctly more amicable. ¡°One billion three hundred million is indeed too low. Please offer a more reasonable price.¡± Sophia nced at Yvonne beforenguidly turning to look at the man. ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Johnson. We''re here today with full sincerity. But you also know Rhapsody''s situation. It''s a definite gain for you, but for us, we have to deal with Rhapsody''s debt and the subsequent transformations.¡± A definite gain? Miguel almost burst a blood vessel upon hearing that. If it weren''t for Caiden holding him back at the side, he would have even gotten physical. ¡°So, you''re saying that you''re not going topromise on this price?¡± ¡°Not exactly. Suny told me beforehand that she knew you''d find it exceedingly difficult to ept the price of one billion three hundred million, Mr. Johnson. Unfortunately, thepany can only offer this much. If you''re really sincere, she can add another two hundred million privately. However, she has a request.¡± Miguel''s mind was fully upied by thoughts of the two hundred million. ¡°What''s the request?¡± ¡°You''re acquainted with Ms. Elise Gardner, yes?¡± Miguel was momentarily taken aback. ¡°What has this got to do with her?¡± In response, Sophia''s lips curved into a smile. ¡°I''m not sure about this. I only know that she seems to be rathercking in her words and deeds, having offended someone she shouldn''t have offended. Well, she even dared to make a move against a bigshot like Suny. Suny has nothing but money. Since Ms. Elise doesn''t know how to behave, she''d like to teach her a life lesson. But she heard that Ms. Elise is seemingly your close friend, Mr. Johnson. Out of consideration for you, she hasn''t made a move against her.¡± Since she had said as much, Miguel would be a fool if he still didn''t understand. His expression changed imperceptibly. He was pretty fond of Elise, but when money was involved, he could still make a clear distinction about his priorities. Furthermore, the woman was only a mistress he kept outside. People like her abounded in the entertainment industry, so he could simply find someone else if he couldn''t have her. Contrarily, it was advisable to be on good terms with someone like Suny instead of the other way round. ¡°You can go back and tell Suny that she doesn''t need to consider me.¡± ¡°In that case, it''s a deal, Mr. Johnson?¡± Staring at Sophia, Miguel gritted his teeth. ¡°It''s a deal.¡± Chapter 112 Chapter 112 ¡°We''ll prepare the contract as soon as possible. The one and a half billion will be immediately credited to your ount after the necessary procedures go through, Mr. Johnson.¡± When Miguel saw Sophia''s smile, he had to force himself to smile as well. ¡°All right. I still have things to do, so I''ll go first.¡± Despite Sophia''s pressure, deep down, Miguel did not take her seriously. Nheless, Sophia was unconcerned. After all, the incident that day had left Miguel and Richard extremely irritated with one another for quite some time. It made no difference if they looked down on her or not. They would have no choice but to beg her when the time came. Miguel gave her a brief nod before departing with his secretary. Sophia, who remained seated, sipped her cappino slowly. ¡±Ms. Leighton.¡± When she heard that, Yvonne''s gaze met Sophia''s. Even though Yvonne''s face was slightly flushed, she quickly regained herposure. ¡°How did you know he''d agree to that price, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Lips quirking into a smirk, Sophia responded, ¡°If he refuses, Charles won''t even let him get the three hundred million.¡± For a moment, Yvonne was startled before she realized what had happened. ¡°Will Mr. Johnson of Prosperity Enterprise object if that is the case?¡± Sophiaughed as she drew out a tissue. ¡°Of course they''ll have reservations.¡± She returned her gaze to Yvonne as she picked up her bag and stood. ¡°But I don''t really care.¡± The moment Yvonne looked into Sophia''s lovely eyes, her heart skipped a beat. My goodness! How can such a captivating woman exist in this world! When Sophia said those words with a smile, Yvonne waspletely captivated. If this continues, there''s a good chance I''ll fall for her! What she liked about Sophia was her overflowing confidence and stunning appearance, not her wealth. Sophia, in fact, exuded the confidence of a woman who had assets worth tens of billions. I wish I had that kind of confidence. ¡°Ms. Leighton?¡± While Yvonne was lost in thought, Sophia had already walked out of the private room. At that moment, she was standing at the door and smiling back at Yvonne. Feeling embarrassed, Yvonne quickly picked up her bag and followed Sophia. ¡°I apologize, Ms. Yarrow. I was preupied.¡± ¡°What were you thinking about?¡± ¡°M-Money.¡± She lowered her gaze as she spoke. In reality, she was almost unable to keep the truth from Sophia. What was I thinking? Of course, I was thinking of your money, Ms. Yarrow! Sophia cracked a faint smile when she heard that. ¡°What a surprise. An annual sry of three million is still insufficient for you?¡± ¡°I-I didn''t mean it that way!¡± ¡°There should be a follow-up from Magic Sense in two months. When they raise another round of funding, I''ll give you five percent of my stakes in Magic Sense. You''ll be in charge of it in the future.¡± Yvonne immediately shut her mouth after hearing that. Wow! I''m going to be wealthy! Yvonne, who had always been a cold andposed secretary, was fighting the urge to hug Sophia at that moment. After all, she had been working for Sophia for five years. Any project that Sophia was interested in had a very good chance of seeding. Despite the fact that the next financing cycle for Magic Sense had not yet begun, she was aware that Sophia intended to increase her investment in it, if thetter''s words were any indication. Sophia would never let Magic Sense go out of business. Yvonne was trying her best to keep a straight face when Sophia mentioned that she would be giving Yvonne five percent of the shares. After noticing that Yvonne was delighted, Sophia continued, ¡°Help me investigate Elise.¡± Yvonne immediately calmed down upon hearing that. ¡°Understood. I''ll send it to you via email this afternoon.¡± Sophia was grateful to have such a dedicated and intelligent secretary. If she had not given Yvonne a raise, she would have felt bad. ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡± ¡°I''m simply doing my job.¡± Pursing her lips, Sophia said, ¡°All right. I''m leaving first, so I won''t see you off.¡± ¡°Understood, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne took a step back, watching Sophia get into her car and drive away. Then, she called the company''s driver toe and pick her up. After she hung up the phone, she immediately called her assistant to look into Elise. In truth, she had looked into Elise a few months before. However, she had only discovered a few minor details in order for Sophia to learn more about Elise. But, this time, Sophia''s instruction to further investigate could only mean that she wanted more information on Elise. Without Miguel''s support, it would be a piece of cake to teach Elise a lesson. Meanwhile, Miguel, who had only recently returned to hispany, suddenly had a realization. He frowned as he looked at his secretary. ¡°When did Elise and Suny meet?¡± Few people knew whether Suny of Sunshine Group was a man or a woman. Since the name was feminine, some people asserted that it was a woman, but the majority believed that it was a man. After all, it only took Suny eight years to make Sunshine Group a sess as it became an investment firmparable to Prosperity Enterprise, which had been sessful for decades. This proved that whoever it was, was clearly a remarkable individual. Perplexed, Miguel''s secretary responded, ¡°There''s very little chance Ms. Gardner could meet with Suny.¡± At that, Miguel sneered and pulled out his office chair, raising his hand to tug at his tie. ¡°It''s difficult to say. Do you really believe Elise got to where she is now solely on her ability? People like her are constantly striving to attach themselves to powerful people. To her, I''m just a stepping stone. It was clear that a bigshot like Suny was her ultimate goal.¡± He twitched his lips as he said that. ¡°Back then, she only chose me because she couldn''t seduce Charles.¡± Caiden refrained from saying anything. If he misspoke, he would almost certainly be fired the next day. Nheless, the news that Elise had attempted to seduce Charles had been widely circted back then, and almost everyone was aware of it. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Elise had only recently made her debut at the time. She rose to prominence as a result of one of the films she starred in. After that, she was the new artist Midway Media was attempting to make famous. Charles and Samuel, who had only been to Midway Media''s annual for half an hour, were immediately targeted by her. She was fortunate that Charles chose to forgive her for Samuel''s sake, as Midway Media had invested heavily in her and had two dramas in the works for her. That night, Elise nned to have someone else drug her, believing that once the deed was done, Charles would be hers. Unexpectedly, he instantly threw her out of the room. In just one night, the incident spread like wildfire. Despite the fact that so many years had passed and Elise remained as beautiful as ever in front of the camera, everyone in the industry thought of her as a joke. Furthermore, Miguel had suffered greatly as a result of Charles at the time, so Elise decided to seek him out on her own, which he epted. He chose not to abandon Elise after all these years mostly because he was still enraged with Charles. Nevertheless, Miguel refused to help Elise clean up her mess after she offended such a powerful person. After all these years, he felt he had finally paid her back. ¡°Give Elise a call and tell her to pick a car and a house. Please ask her to refrain from contacting me in the future.¡± It was his parting gift to her, and this action was well known and understood throughout the industry. Chapter 113 Chapter 113 Not long after Miguel gave out his instructions, Elise received a call. After all these years in the entertainment industry, it would be rare to see celebrities not have someone wealthy and powerful backing them. Even a chaste woman like Katherine also had the backing of a mysterious and powerful man. It was a norm to Elise ever since she entered the industry. Hence, she knew exactly what to expect from the breakup. A month ago, a rookie, who had been trying to steal Elise''s limelight, was dumped by her backer with a car as a breakup gift. Elise was still mercilessly mocking her about it, but never did she expect herself to end up in the same situation. For the past five years with Miguel, he had been treating her pretty well. Although he may not be pliant, he would still give her whatever she requested. Truth be told, her current self could no longer find a better backer than Miguel. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Back then, when she was still feeling ambitious, she had nned to use Miguel as a stepping stone. Then, if she had wanted to elevate her status in the industry and she was unable to get close to Charles or Samuel, she could still try her luck with either Alexander or Justin. However, as she got older, she gave up on such thoughts and was not as ambitious anymore. Everyone in the entertainment industry depended on their youth and appearance to earn money. However, Elise had already reached the age of twenty-nine years old and was no longer the young rookie who debuted ten years ago. She was well aware that there would constantly be girls between eighteen and twenty-three joining the industry topete with her. Therefore, she knew the importance of ensuring Miguel would not leave her. For the past two years, Elise had put in a lot of effort to please him and dared not appear in front of Miguel''s wife. Initially, she thought Miguel would stay with her until she turned thirty-five, but when Elise received a phone call from Miguel''s secretary asking her to choose a car and a house, she knew it was all over. She had lost her backing. ¡°Mr. Woolf, is Mr. Johnson avable now? Can I give him a call?¡± Elise''s voice trembled as she felt a stifling wave of fear sweep over her. All these years, she had been acting atrociously in the entertainment industry because she had Miguel''s backing and protection. Now that she no longer had anyone to back her up, she dared not imagine how she would be treated by those who were mistreated by her previously. Not to mention, she would turn thirty next year, and the only achievements she had were the short scenes from the few movies she starred in when she first debuted. After that, she only received negative reviews from the films and dramas she starred in. Even the best female actress award she receivedst year was all thanks to Miguel''s influence. Elise could not imagine her life without Miguel. After years ofpeting with Katherine, it may appear that both of their performances were of a comparable level, but Elise was well aware that she was no match for Katherine. All of the variety shows, movies, and drama series she was involved in were hyped up by ghostwriters, but in reality, the actual reviews from the audiences were very negative. On the other hand, things were different for Katherine. All of her haters had slowly turned into her fans over the years. Hence, even if Katherine lost her backing, she could still depend on her talent to survive in the entertainment industry. As for Elise, without Miguel''s backing, she had nothing but a pretty face. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Gardner. I would advise that you do not contact Mr. Johnson anymore. This is his way of preserving your pride for the sake of yourpany for the past five years,¡± Caiden rejected mercilessly on the other end of the line. ¡°Mr. Woolf, what did I do wrong?¡± Caiden had no idea what she had done wrong, but as an outsider, it did not look like it was because she had treated Miguel as a stepping stone. Since he could note up with any other answers, he decided to quote what Sophia had said earlier in the morning. ¡°Ms. Gardner, it seems you''ve offended someone you shouldn''t mess with. Unfortunately, Mr. Johnson is unable to help you this time, so you''re on your own now.¡± Beep, Beep, Beep. With that, Caiden hung up the call. Panic struck Elise immediately, causing her to tremble so hard that her phone fell out of her shivering hand. ¡°H-How could I have offended someone I shouldn''t mess with?¡± It was true that she had been acting atrociously in the entertainment industry for the past few years. However, she knew her limit and would never overdo it in front of Miguel. She had never made impossible requests because she knew she should not make things difficult for Miguel. No matter how foolish Elise might be, her ten years of experience in the industry taught her how money and power could ruin someone''s career. That was why she never dared to offend someone she could not afford to mess with. Elise was at a loss for what to do next. Meanwhile, Sophia was in a good mood. Yvonne managed to send her the information she wanted in less than three hours. As she casually browsed through the email, Sophia was impressed with all the wicked things Elise had done over the years. There were too many incidents, and Sophia was toozy to go through all of them. Without bothering to read the rest, she sent the entire file to Katherine''s email. Since Katherine had been busy on set these days, Sophia knew she had to put more effort into monitoring thepany''s performance. After sending the email, she began studying Specter Entertainment''s meeting minutes from the previous day. At around ten o''clock at night, when Sophia was about to sleep, she received a call from Katherine. Sophia raised her eyebrow and picked up the call. ¡°You''re done shooting for the day?¡± ¡°Not yet. The shoot will end after three o''clock in the morning.¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work, Ms. Famous.¡± ¡°I''m only doing this because I''m poor!¡± If I were half as wealthy as Sophia, I wouldn''t have to be up in the mountains filming in the wee hours! Sophia''s lips curled. ¡°Have you read the email?¡± ¡°Yes, I have! That''s why I''m calling to ask what great ns do you have in mind, Soph? Why did you dig up so much of Elise''s dark history?¡± ¡°Aren''t you tempted to deal a blow on a pathetic dog like her?¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°How is she a pathetic dog? She''s so smug right now because she managed to snatch a role from a new film.¡± Katherine began to grit her teeth out of frustration as soon as she started talking about the incident. ¡°It''s such a pity that the role was given to an actress with no acting range like her! She only has one expression for all the roles she cast. The director was nning to let Natasha Hopkins from our company take the role, but Elise suddenly came into the picture and shamelessly snatched the role!¡± How can the director reject her when she brings funds to the production team? Upon hearing Katherine''s words, Sophia was surprised. She had never heard about this incident. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me about it?¡± ¡°Well, if we wanted to fight for the role, we had to see who could bring the most funds to the production team. It''s not worth it! Even though the script was good, based on my years of experience, it might not do well in ticket sales. But honestly, Natasha is really talented at acting. The director almost gave her the role on the spot during the audition!¡± Katherine could not believe that Elise, a woman hitting her thirties, would snatch a role from a young girl. If it were not for her, Natasha would have gotten the role. Sophia pursed her lips together. ¡°Don''t be mad. You''ll have the chance to get back at her soon.¡± ¡°So what''s your great n?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°You''ve heard of Rhapsody, thepany Miguel and Richard founded, right? It seems that their market shares have decreased over the past two years, so they met with me to discuss theirpany''s acquisition.¡± ¡°Oh? Then what does this have anything to do with Elise?¡± ¡°That''s because I told Miguel that Elise had offended Ms. Suny, so he had to break up with her if he wanted to sign the deal.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°That''s amazing, Soph! How did you evene up with the idea of serving her an indirect blow like that? Now that Elise has lost her backing, I bet she won''t dare to behave so arrogantly anymore. Soph, how does your mind work? Why are you so smart?¡± ¡°I admit I do have pretty high intelligence.¡± Sophia epted her praise without a single hint of modesty. ¡°I think you''re mocking me for being dumb.¡± ¡°I can confirm that I am mocking you for being dumb.¡± Feeling embarrassed, Katherine decided to change the topic. ¡°So I guess even if we were to take a piss or dump on Elise, she wouldn''t be able to fight back since her backing had abandoned her?¡± Sophia paused for a moment before she responded, ¡°Theoretically, that is right. But we''re civilized people so let''s not bring our toilet businesses out in public. All right?¡± Realizing that she was being mocked again, Katherine instantly tried to rify herself. ¡°It was a metaphor!¡± ¡°Hmm. That''s an interesting metaphor.¡± Katherine was speechless. She was tempted to end their friendship, but for the sake of money, she could only bear Sophia''s constant teasing. Chapter 114 Chapter 114 Sophia founded Specter Entertainment around five to six years ago. She never revealed herself. Hence, Katherine had been managing thepany in her stead the entire time. Prior to the previous year, none of thepany''s employees knew that Sophia was actually the boss behind Specter Entertainment. Katherine had gone off to shoot a movie in the new year. Thus, she no longer had the time to deal with Elise. Sophia contacted an acquaintance from the PR department and bade them slowly trickle out information about Elise''s scandals. Without Miguel backing her, Elise''s scandals leaked out rapidly. The speed at which she tried to bury the scandals was far surpassed by the rate at which the dirt was released. With that, the people in the industry were certain that Elise and Miguel had broken up. Otherwise, with Miguel''s influence, the scandals would have been easily suppressed. If it was an issue that could not be solved with money, Miguel only had to show his face, and matters would soon settle down. Since Elise had been unable to take care of the scandals, they came to the conclusion that the former had been abandoned by Miguel. Elise''s team went crazy at her scandals being released so rapidly. They tried to pay off the other party, but it proved ineffective as the other party appeared to be well off. They did notck money. Thus, they could not be easily bought off. Throughout the ordeal, Elise had been unable to sleep or eat well. She knew that she was being targeted by someone. Previously, all she had to do wasin to Miguel. If she couldn''t get ahold of him, she only had to contact Miguel''s secretary. The matter would have been easily solved within hours. As such, Elise was unable to silence the other party with hush money. However, that wasn''t even the main concern. Several days had passed, but Elise and her team were still unable to discover the culprit behind the leaks. Initially, Elise had suspected Katherine, but the investigator she sent reported that Katherine had been secluded in a closed film set for her movie shoot the entire time. Thetter likely had no idea what was happening, much less had time to get involved. Elise had made enemies of many people in the industry. If the culprit was not Katherine, they had no idea who it could be. Naturally, Elise was greatly affected by the scandals, but soon, even the onlookers were perturbed. In this industry, it was easy to be popr overnight. At the same time, it was also easy to fade into obscurity in a sh. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Elise had cultivated an innocent image for herself. The dirt on her went against her persona, and it served to wreck her image. Despite that, many of these things could be overlooked by diehard fans. To them, it didn''t matter if she smoked. It was natural for people to smoke when they felt agitated and frustrated. Why would it matter if she drank? A person who had never touched alcohol before did not exist. It did not matter if she spoke crassly. It was normal for a person to cuss every now and then. The fans'' tolerance made Sophiaugh as she skimmed through thements. For a moment, she had no idea if the fans were actually supporting Elise or if they wanted to drag her down. Sophia was amused when she saw Elise''s team run about like headless chickens for the past few days. Sophia rarely spent so much time and effort venting pent-up frustration on someone. Most of the time, she confronted the issue on the spot. It was a fun experience. Perhaps revenge is a dish best served cold. After three continuous days of dirt being released on Elise, it suddenly came to a halt. No one bothered her after that. Just as Elise''s team thought the culprit was done with her, and just as Elise thought they were just bluffing, a video of a car ident was suddenly released on the inte. Theizens on Twitter instantly had a breakdown. The video was from three years ago, and the footage depicted Elise drunk driving and running over a mother and daughter pair. The driver in the video was clearly Elise. Back then, her manager''s assistant had stepped forward to take the fall for her. The incident caused an uproar on the inte when it was first reported. However, Elise''s team had made her out to be an innocent victim. They shifted the me onto the assistant, citing dissatisfaction with their job as reasons for the disgruntled assistant''s actions. Elise had been praised for being humanitarian after the incident because she shelled out three hundred thousand topensate the family of the victims. Due to her actions, Elise gained a lot of fans on the inte. The incident had taken ce in the blind spot of the surveince cameras in that particr section of the road. Not many cars passed by that area, and it was difficult to find witnesses. The people that had been present in the car corroborated their stories. The assistant who took the fall was paid a handsome sum of three million to keep their mouth shut. The driving under the influence case had been written off as a simple traffic ident. However, Elise had coincidentally been tailed by the paparazzi at that time. The entire incident had been recorded by the paparazzi''s car''s camera. The paparazzi then tried to ckmail Elise with the footage, but thetter did note forward. Eventually, Miguel sent someone to destroy the footage and warn the member of the paparazzi to back off, lest drastic measures were taken to silence them. The member of the paparazzi knew of the Johnson family''s influence and knew that he could not afford to offend them. Hence, he and his family kept a low profile and left Jadeborough. However, Yvonne was able to locate the person in question and obtained a backup copy of the footage. s, the wages of avarice is death. The clever Yvonne had given them some money. Lo and behold, the other party immediately handed over the incriminating footage. The video raised a lot of concerns online. Within just half a day, Elise was taken away to be investigated. Katherine, who had been secluded in the mountains for the movie shoot, immediately called Sophia without even having a bite to eat. Sophia had beening out of Specter Entertainment when the phone call came. Arching her brow, she smiled and asked, ¡°Did you finish the shoot for today?¡± ¡°Not yet. I''m having my evening break now. Soph, were you the one behind it?'' Sophia got into her car and shut the door. She made sure she hadplete privacy before answering calmly, ¡°It wasn''t me.¡± After a moment, she added, ¡°It was Yvonne.¡± ¡°Well, didn''t Yvonne do it under your orders anyway?¡± Sophiaughed, but she did not deny it. ¡°Wow, Soph! You''re amazing! If your tactics were used in a period drama, you would absolutely be the winner of the court battles.¡± Why did that not sound like apliment? Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°I can''t tell if you''re praising me or scolding me.¡± ¡°Obviously, I''m praising you!¡± Sophia found Katherine''s words hard to believe. ¡°Originally, I intended to wait for you to make a move, but after much thought, I was worried that you would drag it out forever. Since I was free anyway, I decided to take matters into my own hands.¡± ¡°Truth be told, I want to run down the mountains this instant and rub it into Elise''s face!¡± It served Elise right. It''s her fault for constantly stealing my roles. She''s also such a huge bully! Sophiaughed. ¡°You can visit her in jail when you finish shooting your film.¡± Katherine was momentarily stunned. ¡°You''re right. I''ll have something to look forward to.¡± Sophia checked the time. ¡°All right, I''m going for dinner.¡± ¡°All right, boss. Your subordinate will take her leave now.¡± After ending the phone call, Sophia could not help smiling. Great. Now, no one else will bully Kathy in the future. Mhm, today is shaping up to be a wonderful day. That day would be a perfect day if she did not run into Alexander while she was having dinner. s, things did not go as nned. Sophia had chosen a restaurant rmended by Yvonne. Just as she finished ordering her food, she spotted two familiar figures. One of them was Samuel, and the other was Alexander. They were both people Sophia did not wish to see. Just as they stepped into the restaurant''s entrance, Alexander instantly spotted Sophia seated at one of the tables. Instinctively, Alexander wanted to go over. Before he could even take a step forward, Samuel, who had been standing by him, yelled excitedly, ¡°Alex, look! It''s Sophia! This must be fate.¡± Alexander turned around to look at Samuel. Thetter wore a familiar gleeful expression. Just then, Alexander vowed never to have a meal with Samuel ever again. Chapter 115 Chapter 115 ¡°Long time no see, Sophia. You''re as gorgeous as ever.¡± Samuel was pretty thick-skinned, sitting in front of Sophia without being invited. Sophia took a sip of coffee and looked at him indifferently. ¡°Same goes to you, Mr. Schild.¡± While saying that, she smirked and looked at Samuel. Although she did not finish her sentence, he could understand that she was indirectly saying he was thick-skinned as ever. Alexander followed and sat down. Looking at Sophia, he asked, ¡°Are you very busy recently?¡± ¡°Not really. I''m not as busy as you, Mr. Xenos.¡± It was obvious by Sophia''s indifferent face that she did not wee the duo. Both Alexander and Samuel could see that. However, one did not want to leave, and the other was unwilling to. All in all, the duo were highly thick-skinned. It could be said that all birds of the same feather flock together. When Sophia saw the duo epting the menu from the waiter nonchntly, she knew that the two men were not nning to leave. ¡°What did you order?¡± When Sophia retracted her gaze, Alexander''s hand appeared in her vision of sight. Seeing his long, slender fingers and prominent knuckles, Sophia thought he would make a good pianist. While she was lost in thought, Alexander grabbed the receipt on the side of the table. After looking at it from afar, he told the waiter to add another set of what Sophia had ordered. Beside him, Samuel snorted and ordered something else. After ordering their food, Samuel looked at Sophia. Thetter was sitting there calmly, not at all embarrassed or awkward from his teasing. Samuel rubbed his nose, feeling awkward for some reason. ¡°Why is Mr. Schild looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?¡± After Sophia finished talking, Alexander shot her a deadly gaze. When he thought of the scene of Sophia beating up Miguel in the training ground, he felt his heart sink. ¡°Don''t misunderstand, Ms. Yarrow. I''m just wondering how did you cause Miguel to be so badly injured?¡± The duo had heard what happened to Charles'' cousin. Miguel was obnoxious and haughty, so they were surprised Sophia could destroy him like that. Besides Alexander, Samuel was also curious about how Sophia managed to do that. Sophia raised an eyebrow and looked at Samuel in amusement. ¡°Do you want to try, Mr. Schild?¡± When Samuel looked at Sophia''s gaze, he was struck by how simr her expression was to Alexander''s when he asked if Samuel was looking for a beating. Samuel looked toward Alexander. I must be blind to think Sophia is not worthy of Alexander. They''re simply a match made in heaven! They are made for each other! If the duo is together again, not only will their lives be exciting, but even for outsiders like me as well! Therefore, Samuel decided to ship Alexander and Sophia. It was not that he wanted to watch drama, but he wanted his friend to lead a happy life. That''s right. What an honorable and wonderful friend I am! ¡°I''m not interested to try. I only want to hear about it.¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°What are you scared about, Mr. Schild? I''m just an assistant, that''s all.¡± Samuel looked toward Alexander before smiling at Sophia. ¡°Don''t belittle yourself, Ms. Yarrow.¡± After all, even if Sophia could not punish him, Alexander was definitely able to. Upon thinking that, Samuel shuddered in fear. Sophia smiled. At that moment, the sushi she ordered was sent over by the waiter, so she decided to help herself. After all, the duo was the one sitting uninvited at her booth. Therefore, it was eptable for her to eat before them. ¡°Since my food is here, I''m going to eat first, Mr. Schild and Mr. Xenos.¡± After saying that, Sophia squeezed some wasabi and dipped a piece of sushi into it. Then, she started to eat. Alexander did not eat much with Sophia before, so he always thought thetter was only a pretty face. However, when he saw her eating slowly and in small bites, nobody would believe she came from an average family. Although Samuel and Alexander sat before her, she ate calmly and did not feel awkward. No ordinary person could keep their cool like her. Suddenly, Alexander thought of that night when she was fighting. It was as if her entire figure was shining, and every single part of her attracted him. At that moment, Alexander realized that he liked everything about Sophia. He loved all sides of her, and he could feel himself sinking deeper and deeper in love with her. Noticing Alexander''s gaze, Sophia could not help but look up and furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Are you hungry, Mr. Xenos?¡± Instantly, Samuel felt embarrassed by Alexander''s behavior. When did he be so lovestruck? He stares at her like he''s begging her to know he likes her. Therefore, Samuel could not resist but bump his forearm against Alexander''s. After Alexander turned sideways to look at him, he furrowed his eyes and replied to Sophia, ¡°A bit.¡± There was not a single change in his expression. It was as if he was really spacing out because her food attracted him. Sophia raised her eyebrows but did not say anything else. After all, there was no need to say something she did not wish to. Samuel, who was watching the scene unfold beside them, could not help but think that Alexander was the most thick-skinned person he had ever met. At that moment, the food Alexander and Samuel ordered had also arrived. Although Samuel seemed like he could not do anything right, the food he ordered looked surprisingly delicious. Samuel ced the food he ordered in the middle of the table generously. Then, he exined the dishes to Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow,e and try this! This caviar is air-flown and imported from Irethiel!¡± Sophia took a look at it. I heard a small scoop of caviar costs around a few hundred. As it''s air-flown here, it''s definitely worth the price. With a smile, she rejected politely, ¡°Thank you, but I think the food I ordered is enough for me.¡± After being turned down, Samuel shed an awkward but polite smile. ¡°Oh. I''ll treat you to something else next time, then.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Meanwhile, Alexander furrowed his eyebrows and red at Samuel. Thetter was utterly baffled by that. At that moment, Alexander choked after squeezing too much wasabi onto his sushi. Immediately, his face turned red from coughing. While watching Alexander humiliating himself, Sophia took a sip of her coffee and grinned. When she was enjoying the scene, the cup in her hand was suddenly snatched away by him. She could only watch as Alexander sipped on the spot where she had drunk. Samuel had also noticed what was happening and suddenly lost his appetite to eat the caviar. Am I stupid to sit here? The smile on Sophia''s face had also faded. ¡°Mr. Xenos, this is inappropriate.¡± ¡°The wasabi is too spicy.¡± Compared to Sophia''s noticeable change in tone, Alexander''s reply was rtively calm. Pursing her lips, Sophia signaled toward the waiter standing not far away. ¡°Please bring one more cup over.¡± Alexander, sitting opposite her, could not help but smirk. It''s such a rare asion to see her getting angry. Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Sophia was done eating and took onest sip of coffee. ¡°I''m done, so I''ll take my leave.¡± After saying that, she grabbed the receipt and headed to the cashier. However, Alexander grabbed her wrist before she could do so. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± While looking at her restrained wrist, Sophia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Mr. Xenos?¡± Her smile had faded. Alexander loosened his grip on her hands and flung the receipt in her hands toward Samuel. ¡°He''ll pay.¡± Samuel was currently slurping on pasta. Looking toward Alexander, he almost cursed but stopped himself, noticing the former''s gaze. Fine. I can''t beat him in a fight. Sophia looked toward Alexander before fixing her gaze on Samuel. ¡°If that''s the case, thank you, Mr. Schild.¡± Since he was so determined to pay, she decided to satisfy his weird behavior. ¡°You''re wee.¡± Samuelughed. When he looked at Alexander, his lips twitched. You''re too much! Is looking at her off-limits, too? Sophia exited the restaurant while carrying her bag, with Alexander following right behind her. Neither of them spoke to each other. After finding her car, Sophia stopped and nced at Alexander. ¡°What do you want, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°I didn''t drive here. Do you mind giving me a ride?¡± Although he seemed polite, he did not seem embarrassed to be troubling her. At that, Sophia chuckled in exasperation. ¡°Using this trick once is already enough, yet you''re doing it again. Do you think I''m that easy to be fooled, or you''re the one that''s dumb?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Without even thinking about it, he gave her his answer. Sophia did not expect he would admit he was stupid so quickly. Therefore, she was speechless for a moment. A car exiting the parking lot disrupted her thoughts, and Sophia pursed her lips. ¡°I''m sorry. I don''t want to be troubled by you.¡± ¡°I can drive.¡± Sophia was irked that Alexander did not understand her, so her expression began to turn frosty. Looking up at him, she said, ¡°Alexander, I don''t like to joke around.¡± Some things only needed to be told once. If one repeated it, they were not leaving room to bargain for both themselves and others. ¡°I''m not joking.¡± Alexander looked at her with a solemn expression. ¡°I hope you can give me a second chance.¡± Alexander was dumb back then, but not anymore. Despite being confessed, Sophia did not feel anything while looking at him. After being disappointed repeatedly, one would feel dejected and no longer hope for more. She had long gotten over her innocence and wishful thinking from her earlier years. Yet Alexander wanted her to jump right back inside. Dream on! ¡°I''m sorry. No.¡± After saying that, she opened the door and sat inside. Alexander pursed his lips. Before Sophia started driving, he walked over to the passenger seat and knocked on the window. As the distance between cars in the parking lot was not spacious, he was just looking to get run over by standing there. Sophia was in a foul mood as she winded down the window. ¡°Are you trying to stage an ident?¡± ¡°I hope you can send me home.¡± Although he did not open the door presumptuously, he did not walk away either and continued standing there like an annoying person. Sophia looked at him coldly. The duo reached an impasse for around two seconds before Sophia opened the passenger seat''s car door. Great. He''s the one who provoked me in the first ce. Alexander got inside the car as he wished. Turning his head sideways, he looked toward Sophia. She did not talk, and the usual polite smile was gone as she drove concentratedly. As nobody talked inside the vehicle, the atmosphere in the car was quite tense. The car slowly drove out of the parking lot and onto the main road. Alexander again turned his head to look toward Sophia, deciding to break the silence. ¡°We met nine years ago.¡± Sophia did not look at him. ¡°I don''t think so.¡± ¡°I remember now, Sophia. I saved your life.¡± As it was a red light, the car slowly came to a stop. Sophia gazed at him. ¡°So you want me to repay you, is that what you''re trying to say?¡± ¡°I know why you like me.¡± Many women in this world idolized strong people, and those emotions would soon blossom into love. A melodramatic story of a hero saving a beauty could capture the hearts of sixteen to seventeen years old the most. Sophia froze, ashamed that Alexander had revealed the truth just like that. Although she wanted to keep calm like usual, she could not do it. Outsiders would only see her strong and collected side, but she also had her soft side. She would also mind about some things. Alexander was one, and things in the past that she tried so badly to hide. The hand gripping the steering wheel tightened, and green veins soon bulged on her pale hands. Alexander did not expect Sophia to have such a big reaction after hearing his words. Immediately, he covered her hands with his. ¡°I''m sorry, Sophia.¡± He had apologized to her countless times. Actually, the person he owed an apology to most was the young woman he saved. With a sincere heart, the young woman had faced challenges after challenges to appear before him. Then, she held onto their marriage for three years just because her heart had fluttered a few minutes for him. ¡°I''ll never forgive you, so you don''t need to apologize to me.¡± After saying that, she closed her eyes and swallowed her emotions. The green light shed at that moment, so Sophia flung his hand away. ¡°I need to drive now.¡± Alexander did not say anything else. Instead, he lowered his head and stared at the palm holding onto Sophia''s finger just now. It was so soft and petite; he could have held onto it so easily back then. However, it became something he could only wish for. Everyone would have to suffer for their own actions. As the car sped through the road, Alexander thought of many memories that happened in the past three years. Unfortunately, he and Sophia did not interact much during the three years of marriage. The only memories they shared that he could think of were the few family gatherings and some mandatory parties. However, he would never notice her back then. Therefore, he could not think of any memory even when he tried. It was too painful for him, so he decided to close his eyes and think back to the day he saved Sophia. The incident did not make an imprint on his memory. If he had not looked at Sophia''s past photos after they divorced, he would not have linked her to this incident. Sophia''s looks had once amazed him, after all. The car stopped, so he slowly opened his eyes. He looked toward Sophia, who had calmed herself in silence for half an hour. ¡°You can get out now.¡± ¡°What should I do to make you forgive me?¡± Upon hearing that, she smirked. ¡°I can forgive you if you''re able to make Jadeborough snow in June.¡± It was currently summer, so there was no way it would snow. Sophia was just giving him an impossible task. Then, she looked at him. ¡°You can get out now.¡± Alexander stared at her for a moment before exiting the vehicle. When he closed the door, Sophia suddenly called out, ¡°Alexander.¡± Alexander felt his heart skip a beat as he leaned down beside the car door. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Give me your phone.¡± Without a single doubt, he handed his phone over to her. After Sophia took over the phone, she ordered, ¡°Back away a little.¡± Just when Alexander backed a few steps away from the car, the ck sedan sped off. Alexander furrowed his eyebrows in confusion when he noticed Sophia had dropped him off on the outskirts of Jadeborough, with his phone taken away, no less. She''s quite ruthless. Looking in the direction where the car disappeared, he smiled. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Chapter 117 Chapter 117 Sophia watched Alexander''s reflection shrink in the rearview mirror. She gradually loosened up as he seemed further and further away. He enjoys getting me to drop him off, huh? Then I''ll grant his wish. The neighborhood was fifteen kilometers from the city, and she had Alexander''s phone. If he wanted to head back to the city, he would have to walk for three or four hours. That was almost sufficient payback for the twenty-minute car ride she had to endure. Back in the city, Sophia went to the police station with his phone. It was eight at night. The police officer on duty froze as Sophia entered the station. He asked, ¡°How can I help you, miss? Are you here to report a crime?¡± Sophia smiled faintly and showed him Alexander''s phone. ¡°Not really. I found this phone on the side of the road.¡± The officer studied the phone. He didn''t recognize the model, but even a cursory nce told him that this was not a cheap phone. The officer beckoned her over. ¡°I see. Well, I hope you don''t mind filling up some paperwork.¡± Sophia raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she followed the officer to fill up some forms. About five minutester, she left the police station. She was back at her mansion by nine. Sophia took a bath, applied a face mask, and happily went to bed. Around nine-thirty, Samuel received a phone call. It was rare for him to be able to go home and get some early shut-eye without being disturbed. He scowled and wondered which idiot was calling him. Seeing that it was an unknown number, Samuel rejected the call. However, the phone rang again as soon as he canceled the call. Samuel was infuriated. He wanted to give whoever it was a piece of his mind. He answered the call and barked, ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°It''s me.¡± Samuel changed tack as soon as he heard that familiar, emotionless voice. He mumbled, ¡°Alex? Whose phone are you using?¡± The caller ID showed an unknown number. He would''ve hung up if he wasn''t in such an ¡°amazing¡± mood. Alex was in no mood for lengthy exnations. He said, ¡°I''m in the convenience store at New Wind Avenue. Come and pick me up.¡± ¡°How did you end up all the way there?¡± Alexander hung up. Samuel stared at the phone in disbelief and resisted the urge to curse. Sighing, he got dressed and left to pick up Alexander. However, the address he gave was vague. Samuel spent a confusing twenty minutes circling aimlessly before finally finding him. Rolling down the window, Samuel asked, ¡°What brings you to this part of town?¡± Alexander took a swig of water from a stic bottle. He scowled. ¡°You''re in a talkative mood today, aren''t you?¡± Samuel shook his head. ¡°Hey, you asked me toe and pick you up at night, and I came. The least you could do is tell me how you ended up here. Also, what happened to your phone? Why were you using someone else''s phone?¡± As Alexander got into the car, he said, ¡°Sophia brought me here. My phone''s with her.¡± Samuel furrowed his brow. He wasn''t the sharpest tool in the shed, so he had some difficulty following Alexander''s exnation. ¡°I don''t really get what you. If Sophia dropped you off, why didn''t shee and pick you up? Also, what possessed you toe to the countryside in the middle of the night? Are you here to stargaze as the air here is fresher?¡± Samuel craned his neck over the driver''s wheel and peered up at the sky. ¡°Hmm, I don''t see any stars tonight.¡± ¡°Didn''t you pay attention in Geography ss? You can''t see any stars because the moon is too bright.¡± Samuel flushed at the insult. ¡°That''s not the point. My point is¡ªwhat were you doing here?¡± Alexander threw his hands up in annoyance. ¡°Are you going to drive? Or should I?'' Samuel had half a mind not to budge. However, he eventually decided to start driving. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. After a few minutes of silence, a thought crossed Samuel''s mind. He finally understood what Alexander meant. Looking around the streets, he happened to spot ate-night snack stand ahead. He pulled over and looked at Alexander. There was a peculiar grin on his face. ¡°Hold up, Alex. Are you saying that Sophia purposely dropped you off here and took away your phone, forcing you to walk all the way back home?¡± Alexander''s face grew grim. He red at Samuel, who wasughing uncontrobly. ¡°You know, it''s still early. Should we do a couple of rounds at the boxing gym?¡± Samuel hastily swallowed hisughter. ¡°N-No. I have some stuff to do tomorrow. Maybe we should all head home. I promise not tough.¡± Ten minutester, Samuel began chortling uncontrobly. Wiping away tears, he said, ¡°I''m sorry! I can''t help it. You know what, just go ahead and hit me.¡± Alexander red wordlessly at his friend. He began regretting asking Samuel to pick him up. Why didn''t I call Charles? Instead, I had to ask this annoying bbermouth. Samuel shouted, ¡°She''s a goddess! The woman''s a goddess! I didn''t expect her to pull a stunt like this. Hats off!¡± ¡°Stop the car,¡± said Alexander abruptly. Still chuckling, Samuel pulled over. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Change seats. I''ll drive.¡± Samuel stared at Alexander in disbelief. He wasn''t in the mood tough anymore. ¡°Come on, don''t be like that. I was just having a bit of fun!¡± ¡°Move over.¡± Alexander forced himself into the driver''s seat, leaving Samuel no choice but to move to the passenger seat. The car shortly pulled up at the boxing gym. Samuel stared wordlessly at the familiar que. This guy needs to lighten up. He has no sense of humor. The gym was filled with Samuel howling and shouting in pain. When the pair of them left, it was already eleven o''clock. No trace of good humor could be found in Samuel. Massaging his shoulder in the passenger seat, Samuel whined, ¡°Did you have to hit that hard?¡± Alexander said nothing. He drove to the entrance of his condominium and stopped the car. After getting out of the vehicle, he muttered, ¡°Good night.¡± Samuel stared at his friend in confusion. He was sore all over. Does Alexander seriously expect me to drive myself home? When Felix received a call from the police station, Alexander had just wrapped up a meeting and was leaving the conference room. Felix studied Alexander''s cold, emotionless face. He wondered if he had just been talking to a scam caller. How can Mr. Xenos'' lose his phone? A driver brings him everywhere, and I''m with him when he''s at work. Where did he lose his phone? In a serious manner, Felix walked over to Alexander. ¡°Mr. Xenos, did you lose your phone?¡± Alexander had nned to go over to Sophia''s ce and take back his phone. Felix''s words confused him. ¡°How did you know that?¡± Could it be Samuel? That bbermouth! Felix was secretly d he asked. Otherwise, he would''ve lost an opportunity. He hurriedly exined, ¡°I just got off the phone with the police. It seems that someone found your phone and left it at the station.¡± Alexander wordlessly digested this bit of information. Seeing that Alexander was silent, Felix suggested, ¡°Mr. Xenos, should I send someone over to collect the phone from the station?¡± ¡°Don''t you think I should personally go to the station?¡± Alexander scowled at Felix and wondered why even his secretary seemed to have lost a few brain cells. Felix trembled. ¡°Ah, yes. You''re quite right, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°Get the car ready. I''m heading to the police station right away.¡± That d*mned Sophia. She''s not nning on giving me even the slightest opportunity to contact her. Alexander pursed his lips as his heart suddenly felt heavy. Chapter 118 Chapter 118 When themotion happened downstairs, Sophia was busy reading a few novels that were suitable to be adapted into dramas or movies. She wanted Specter Entertainment to invest in a web drama this year. After reading the summary of the novels, she was about to go into the details when the inte beside her rang. Sophia raised her head and answered the call. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, this is Sadie Hunt. There is an olddy at the entrance iming to be your grandmother. She wants to see you.¡± My grandmother? It had been ages since Sophia heard that. She actually had a few rtives who were still alive. However, they didn''t deserve to be called her rtives. She cut off contact with me over ten years ago but is here now. With that thought in mind, Sophia raised her brow and ordered, ¡°Don''t let here to my office.¡± At once, Sadie realized what Sophia meant. ¡°Got it, Ms. Yarrow.¡± After hanging up, Sadie nced at the elderlydy who was apanied by a middle-aged man. ¡°Ma''am, you''ve got the wrong person. Ms. Yarrow doesn''t have any living rtives.¡± Delh Macbee roared, ¡°What do you mean by she doesn''t have any living rtives? I''m her grandmother! How dare that brat refuse to acknowledge me? What an ingrate!¡± Rupert Sharp chimed in, ¡°What are you talking about? Sophia is my sister''s daughter! Tell her toe down now. If she refuses to do so, we shall head upstairs now. If you dare to refuse me entry, I shall comin to my niece. She''ll fire you all!¡± Sadie was a manager in thepany. This might be her first time dealing with such a situation, but she wasn''t about to let an olddy and a shameless man stop her from taking action. Sophia told her not to let them upstairs, so she would definitely carry out her order. They were at the entrance of thepany, so Sadie cast a look at two security guards at the door. Specter Entertainment, as its name suggested, was an entertainmentpany. It wasn''t home to a lot of celebrities, but most of its celebrities were famous. Katherine Quinn, Mason Queen, and Drew Powell were among the popr celebrities in thepany. Many paparazzi would surround the company every other day, so the security guards knew what to do. Sadie merely shot the security guards one look, and they immediately took action by kicking the elderly lady and the shameless man out. ¡°Ma''am, you shouldn''t try to scam Ms. Yarrow. She isn''t a pushover.¡± Delh spat. ¡°Just you wait, watchdog! When I reunite with my granddaughter, I shall ask her to teach you a lesson!¡± Rupert also spat at Sadie before getting to his feet. He turned to Delh and asked, ¡°Mom, what should we do? We can''t get in, and Sophia refuses to acknowledge us. If I can''t repay the money, I won''t get to keep my hands!¡± Delh panicked when she heard that her son''s hands were about to get chopped off. However, she was more experienced than her son. ¡°Calm down. It''s useless to panic right now. How dare Sophia refuse to see us? She''s really heartless! It has been years since she got rich, but she never came back home to visit us. Her conscience must be all gone. The influence of public opinion is popr right now, right? She''s the owner of a hugepany. If we tell the reporters that she refuses to acknowledge me as her grandmother and kick up a huge fuss to show the entire country, she''ll definitely wee us back!¡± It took a moment for Rupert to return to his senses. He gave Delh a thumbs-up. ¡°Great idea! Mom, this will definitely work!¡± ¡°Of course. Who am I?¡± Delh snorted. Rupert answered proudly, ¡°You''re my mom!¡± He wasn''t a fool and soon realized there was a problem. ¡°Mom, we don''t know any reporters! Besides, who will pay attention to us if we don''t have money to manipte public opinion?¡± Delh gave him an angry punch. ¡°Are you a fool? Remember the reporter who often helps people that you see in the videos on your phone? Get her to do the job!¡± ¡°Oh, that''s right. Mom, wait up. I''ll contact her now!¡± ¡°Hurry up!¡± At noon, Sophia felt tired after reading almost half of the novel. Sadie came into her office to deliver lunch, so she asked, ¡°Ms. Hunt, how did you deal with the matter this morning?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Hearing that, Sadie exined how she told the security guards to kick the unwanted visitors out. ¡°I told security to keep an eye so they wouldn''t get to enter thepany.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°If they insist oning up, you won''t be able to stop them anyway.¡± It had been almost twenty years since theyst met, but Sophia could never forget how unreasonable and bossy Delh was. After twenty whole years of not seeing each other, Delh and her son showed up out of the blue. It was obvious that something fishy was going on. Sophia pondered over the matter briefly before giving Yvonne a call. Yvonne thought the call was about Elise. Now that Elise had lost her patron, there was no need for Sophia to take action. Those whom Elise had offended back then would definitely take their revenge on her. ording to recent rumors, Elise had been trying to butter up a famous director to get the role of the female lead in ¡°Divine.¡± As a responsible secretary, Yvonne kept an eye on Elise''s recent updates just in case Sophia would ask about her one day. She was wrong, for Sophia wasn''t about to ask about Elise. ¡°Your grandmother?¡± Yvonne repeated dumbly. She had been working for Sophia for around six to seven years, but this was the first time she heard of Sophia still having rtives. Stunned, she failed to react in time. Sophia replied, ¡°Mm. I have a grandmother. Besides, my uncle and his wife are still alive. I think they have a son or two.¡± After her parents brought her back to the city, she stopped paying attention to that family. Yvonne had worked for Sophia long enough to discern the mockery in thetter''s voice. Knowing that Sophia most probably hated this family, she answered, ¡°Got it. I shall get someone to investigate them now.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sophia''s lips curved. ¡°I''m just doing my job, Ms. Yarrow.¡± After hanging up, Sophia took a sip of her coffee. As Delh had ignored her for years, Sophia could guess why she suddenly showed up. If her useless uncle hadn''t run into trouble, Delh would nevere to her. After all, Delh had always seen her as a worthless granddaughter. She rarely went back to Coldbridge and would only visit her parents'' grave once a year. Usually, she would fly there in the morning and leave at night by ne. Most of her rtives and acquaintances there had no idea where she was now. Thus, she was surprised that Delh was capable enough of tracking her down. Sophia tutted gently and raised her brow. She then threw the first original work proposal aside. Ugh, that was horrible. The plot doesn''t even make sense. I heard a fewpanies are vying to buy the filming rights for this novel. They can have it. Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Sophia was about to read the second novel when her phone rang without warning. She nced at the screen. The caller ID showed that the call was from the police station. Arching a brow, she answered the call. ¡°Hello, this is Sophia Yarrow.¡± ¡°Hello, Ms. Yarrow. This is Wesnd Police Station. Last night, you found a phone and left it at the police station. Do you still remember this incident?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± came Sophia''s calm reply. She waited patiently for the police officer to continue speaking. ¡°Right. The owner of the phone is here. He said the phone is valuable as there is a lot of important information inside. Thus, he would like to thank you in person. If possible, could you make a trip here?¡± Sophia let out a low chuckle. ¡°I''m sorry, but I''m not free right now. I don''t need his gratitude. Thanks.¡± With that said, she cut the line. At the same time, the police officer nced at Alexander in the police station. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow isn''t free right now. She said she doesn''t need your gratitude. So...¡± Alexander lowered his head and nced at his phone. Sophia''s reaction was within his expectations. He gave a curt nod. ¡°Thank you.¡± As Alexander turned to leave, Felix promptly caught up to him. Night fell in Jadeborough earlier than usual. It was only six in the evening, but the sky waspletely dark. Sophia finally closed the file in her hands. She grabbed her phone and her bag, ready to head home. The moment she pushed the door open, she bumped into Sadie, who was running toward her office despite wearing heels. Sadie halted to a stop before Sophia. Realizing her obtruding manner, Sadie immediately took one step backward. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia shot her a smile. ¡°It''s fine. What happened?¡± Hearing that, Sadie looked at her grimly. ¡°The olddy who imed to be your grandmother this morning has shown up again.¡± Sophia''s brows twitched. ¡°Didn''t they leave?¡± ¡°They are back. This time, they are apanied by an influencer and a few cameramen. The influencer runs an ount on a video-sharing tform that focuses on helping others,¡± Sadie exined. Oh? They are resorting to public opinion now? Sophiaughed. ¡°Are they downstairs now?¡± Sadie nodded. ¡°Security won''t let them in, so the elderlydy sat on the ground and wailed her heart out. It''s time for everyone to get off work, so employees from otherpanies would see them on the way home...¡± It would leave a bad impression. Sadie dared not say that out loud, of course. She sensed Sophia''s aura changing in the middle of her sentence. Sophia''s smile slipped as she nced at Sadie. ¡°Got it.¡± They want to see me, right? I''ll do just that. Sophia''s expression darkened momentarily. She quickly put on a smile and urged, ¡°Let''s go.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, why don''t you leave through the side door?¡± Sadie suggested. After entering the elevator, Sophia turned to her. ¡°If I leave through the side door, can you solve the situation alone?¡± Delh was still as stubborn as usual. It was useless to try to reason with someone as uncultured as her. Sadie hung her head in shame. If she was capable of solving the problem herself, she wouldn''t need to rush upstairs to see if Sophia had gotten off work. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''m sorry,¡± she apologized. Sophia''s lips curled. ¡°What are you sorry for?¡± ¡°I didn''t settle the problem well...¡± ¡°Then watch and learn,¡± Sophia stated slowly. Judging from the smile hanging on her lips, it didn''t seem like she was going to ce the me on Sadie. Sadie froze as a blush crept up her face. Right then, the elevator doors slid open. Sophia shot Sadie onest look and strode out of the elevator. Outside, she heard Delh''s wails echoing around the lobby. Delh''s voice was so loud as though she was afraid no one could hear her. Beside her, a woman holding a microphone wasforting her. Rupert stood next to her and kept stealing nces at the elevator. Sophia lifted a brow and tutted. I was right. She marched over to them and dered, ¡°I heard you wanted to see me.¡± Rupert stared at Sophia in disbelief. Back when Sophia was young, she was skinny and looked malnourished. It was normal for a girl to blossom into a pretty youngdy, but Rupert had no idea Sophia would turn out to be this gorgeous. Delh''s job was to cry, while Rupert was tasked to keep an eye on Sophia. He had spotted Sophia the moment she stepped out of the elevator. After observing Sophia closely, he realized she did resemble his sister, Rachel Sharp. Nevertheless, he dared not im to be Sophia''s uncle right now. Sophia was standing right before them. She was smiling, but her smile didn''t quite reach her eyes. Instead, she pinned them with a withering stare, and Rupert couldn''t bring himself to speak. After hearing Sophia''s words, Delh immediately stopped crying and scrambled to her feet swiftly. She gave Sophia the once-over. Delh was surprised to see Sophia for the first time after twenty years. This worthless ingrate is quite pretty. I shouldn''t have done that back then. If I were to bring her up and marry her to a rich man in the vige, Rupert wouldn''t end up being this useless. It was toote to change things now. Delh calmed down and reached out to grab Sophia. ¡°Ungrateful brat! How dare you refuse to meet your granny and uncle!¡± Sophia dodged her advances and took a step back. She watched as Delh pretended to cry and call her a heartless woman. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Without a word, she stood rooted to the spot and enjoyed Delh''s show. As Sophia didn''t bother defending herself, the influencer Delh invited spoke up. ¡°Hello, Ms. Yarrow. I''m the host of ''I''m Here to Help,'' and my name is Lexie. We were told that Old Mrs. Sharp and Mr. Sharp are your rtives. ording to Old Mrs. Sharp, she showed up this morning to see you, but your security guards kicked her out.¡± Sophia nced at the host. ¡°So why did they ask for your help?¡± Lexie had never seen anyone as calm as Sophia. She froze and only came back to her senses a while later. ¡°They just want to see you. Old Mrs. Sharp said she only has a son and a daughter. Your mom and dad passed ten years ago, so she could never meet her daughter again. Besides, you''re her granddaughter. She misses you a lot.¡± Sophia nced at Delh before turning to look at the host calmly. ¡°Did they ask for your help because they want to meet me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lexie nodded. ¡°I''m here. Now that you''ve seen me, can you leave instead of blocking mypany''s entrance?'' As Sophia was unfazed, Lexie parted her lips to say something, but Sophia didn''t give her a chance to do so. ¡°Oh, I know. You have another purpose, right?¡± Sophia looked Delh in the eye. ¡°Tell me. How much do you want?¡± She pulled her checkbook out and shot Delh a half-smile. Chapter 120 Chapter 120 The only objective of Delh''s visit was to demand money from Sophia. Her im of wanting to meet up with Sophia was all an excuse. After Sophia''s parents lost their lives in an ident, Delh learned that they had been covered by personal ident insurance, so Sophia would''ve imed an astronomical amount ofpensation. Delh had gone to Sophia to ask for a fair share of it, but she had been forced out of the door by Sophia with a broom. With that, Delh had be aughing stock in the vige for more than a decade. Had she not heard of Sophia owning apany and bing rich, Delh would never have wanted to see Sophia''s face for the rest of her life. Delh wasn''t young anymore to be waiting around there all day. On the day before, she had already traveled the entire day to get to Jadeborough. Not only that, but it had cost her eighty to stay for a night at the hotel. At that juncture, she wished to simply get her hands on the money and leave immediately. Initially, she had been worrying that it would be difficult to sweet-talk Sophia into coughing up the money. Never in a million years would she anticipate Sophia to be so magnanimous to ask how much she wanted straight away. Even living for more than seventy years, that was the first time Delh had evere across a check. She had always been a witty person, but the moment she saw money, her brain couldn''t even think properly anymore. Upon hearing that Sophia would be giving her some money, Delh swallowed hard as she tugged at Rupert''s arm without a second thought. ¡°How much was your gambling debt again?¡± Rupert, too, didn''t foresee such an immediate offer from Sophia. He sneaked a peek at her. The longer his gaze lingered on her, the sadder he grew. What sort of niece is she? She has be so wealthy, but she''s unwilling to take her own uncle under her wing! Rupert''s gambling debt totaled more than two hundred thousand, so he had wanted to blurt out the exact figure on the spot. However, he pondered about how he had painstakingly made this trip. In addition, judging by Sophia''s stance, he reckoned that she wouldn''t offer them any money again after this. After all, she already had the courage to drive them away with a broom a decade ago when she was only seventeen. Rupert froze for a second before uttering, ¡°F-Four hundred thousand!¡± Delh let out a snort. ¡°Didn''t you tell me it''s only two hundred thousand?¡± As she spoke, she chided him with a smile, ¡°You''re hopeless! Look at that brat Sophia. She has such a bigpany. Don''t you think four hundred thousand is chicken feed for her?¡± Rupert scratched his head and questioned, ¡°Then, how much should we ask for, Mom?¡± ¡°Four million!¡± ¡°F-Four million?¡± Rupert was astonished. He was already in his forties, and he had only seen four million on TV but never in real life. Of course, he would be shocked upon hearing his mother''s demand. ¡°That''s enough! You step aside. I''ll do the talking,¡± said Delh as she shoved her son to the side. She then cast a nce at Sophia and went on, ¡°It''s not much. We just need four million.¡± As she threw out her desired amount, she also seemed to have recalled something else. Thus began a series ofints from her. She imed that their family had met with a lot of misfortunes over the recent years, and Sophia''s cousins had been strapped for cash to get married and buy new houses in the city. As Delh went on and on, the host, Lexie, started to get dubious about Delh''s true intention. I don''t think this olddy has truly missed or wanted to meet up with her granddaughter at all. It looks like she''s only here for the money. Hearing those words, Sophia raised her eyebrows and shifted her gaze before putting back the check into her handbag. ¡°Indeed. Four million is not much.¡± She zipped her handbag on that note. ¡°You can get in this live room and ask a kind soul for a donation,¡± said Sophia while pointing sideways toward her phone. She then smirked and went on, ¡°But I''m definitely not one of them.¡± After saying that, she turned to look at Sadie. ¡°Get the security guard to escort them out. If they refuse to leave, call the police right away.¡± As Sophia spoke, the smile on her face faltered. Her eyes were inundated with coldness. Sadie was momentarily stunned. She hadn''t even jolted back to her senses after witnessing Sophia trying to issue them a cash check. Yet, in a matter of seconds, Sophia had requested the security guard to chase them out. ncing at Delh again, Sophia wondered how this spiteful, selfish olddy still had yet to change after so many years. Quirking her lips, Sophia smiled mockingly at her grandmother. Four million? Some nerve she has. At that moment, Sadie regained herposure and nodded. ¡°Understood, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia hummed a response in a calm manner before wheeling around to head outside. Her sudden change of attitude had left a handful of them dumbfounded. Delh, for one, was thunderstruck to the core. She already agreed to give me the check a moment ago. Why am I suddenly being chased out of the door? And I haven''t even gotten a single penny. No, I can''t let this happen! Immediately, Delh bolted toward Sophia. ¡°Hey! Stop! Get back here! I''m not done yet!¡± Delh seized Sophia''s handbag. Thetter frowned and stopped in her tracks. Turning around, she shot a chilling re at Delh. ¡°This handbag of mine is a collector''s edition, and it''s worth eight hundred thousand. Do you think you could afford thepensation if you damaged it?¡± When Sophia made her statement, her visage had remained ever so impassive. It was as though she was talking about what she had for dinner; there was nothing out of the ordinary, and not even a hint of emotion was present. The second Delh learned that her handbag was worth eight hundred thousand, her face took a drastic change. ¡°You little brat! You rather spend eight hundred thousand on a handbag than help your own grandmother and uncle! How could you be so heartless? You''d disown your family just because you''ve made a fortune, am I right?¡± Sophia stared at Delh and arched a brow. ¡°You won''t let go of your hands, won''t you?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I''ll never ever let go! What sort of lousy handbag would be worth eight hundred thousand?¡± Delh blew a gasket on the outside, yet deep down, she had other ideas up her sleeve. If I couldy my hands on this eight hundred thousand handbag, I''d sell it. Even if I sold it as a second- hand product, I''d still make four hundred thousand with it. ¡°I just have one question for you¡ªare you going to help your uncle to ovee his financial problem?¡± Pfft! Look at how she put it. Couldn''t she just admit that she wanted money? How shameless of them to im that they need help for their so-called financial problem! Never did Sophia expect her grandmother to really be this smart. Still, neither was Sophia a blockhead. ¡°Does that have anything to do with me?¡± Her grandmother pressed on, ¡°What you''re saying is, you''re not willing to help us out, aren''t you?¡± ¡°Banks have a lot of money, too. Why don''t you ask around at the banks to see if they''re willing to offer alms to a senior citizen?¡± Sophia tried to fling Delh''s hands off the handbag. s, Delh flew off the handle when she realized that she would be leaving empty-handed, thus yanking Sophia''s handbag at once. ¡°You rascal! Your uncle is going to be beaten, but here you are, still hanging on to this expensive handbag! Hand it over right now!¡± It had been a long time since Sophia got an earful from someone else. To be scolded by Delh like that, Sophia would naturally settle the score once and for all. Knitting her brows, she hollered, ¡°It''s my money! I would rather throw them into the sea than waste them on the likes of you! Rob me if you dare!¡± Delh was utterly livid in the first ce. Listening to those words, she went through the roof. Gathering all her strength, she ripped the handbag off Sophia''s hands with one hand while thrusting Sophia with the other hand. Sophia staggered a few steps back and mmed into someone''s strong arms beforeing to a halt. Her shoulders were held tight by that person, Alexander, who happened to be standing behind her. He lowered his head and gazed at her. ¡°Did you sprain your ankle?¡± Sparing a nce at him, Sophia got away from his embrace. ¡°I''m fine. Thanks.¡± Sophia was already pissed off. To see Alexander''s face at a time like this, she couldn''t even be bothered to muster up a half-hearted smile. Chapter 121 Chapter 121 At that moment, Delh grabbed the bag, pulled a still-dazed Rupert, and ran away. Lexie, the host who came with her, was also stunned. No one expected this shocking turn of events. The audience in the live room was already in a heated discussion. Somemented that Sophia was cold-hearted as the bag was worth eight hundred thousand, and she refused to give her grandmother any money. Someone remarked that Delh was going too far. Others thought that Rupert was useless in encouraging his mother to ask for money from his niece. In short, everyone had their respective opinion on the matter. Sadie, who had just called security over, stood rooted to her spot at a loss. The changes are endless. I just left for a while, and now Sophia''s bag has been snatched away? ncing at Sophia, she noticed that the woman, who always sported a faint smile, was currently standing there with a cold aura enveloping her body. Sadie froze. Standing at the side, she did not dare to say anything. Sophia shook off Alexander''s hand and stalked out. Thetter followed behind her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Sophia intended to go to the police station to report the case. However, after taking a few steps forward, she suddenly realized that her car keys were still in her bag. Tsk! I forgot about that. She stopped and looked at Alexander. ¡°I want to go to the police station.¡± He froze momentarily but quickly got himself together. ¡°My car is parked nearby. I''ll take you there.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Alexander''s eyebrows twitched as he stared at her. ¡°Wait for me at the roadside. I''ll get the car.¡± Sophia nodded in response. She raised her hand to brush the stray hair in front of her forehead before walking to the side of the road. By then, the main square was already deserted. The old woman who stole her bag had already run away with her ipetent son. As Sophia stood on the side of the road, the cold expression on her face returned to normal. The corner of her red lips curled into a smile as she chuckled. Everything was fine originally. But since she insisted on provoking me, I shall settle all the scores together. The ck Maybach slowly pulled over. Sophia was about to reach out and open the door, but Alexander had already leaned sideways and did it for her. She arched her brow before getting into the car. ¡°Thanks.¡± Alexander furrowed his brows. ¡°You''ve already thanked me thrice.¡± ¡°What were you expecting?¡± ¡°If you sincerely wish to thank me, have dinner with meter.¡± Sophia looked down to check the time on her phone. Upon hearing his words, she raised her head and nced at him. ¡°Don''t get me wrong. I''m just being polite.¡± Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. He was rendered speechless. Just then, the car came to a halt at the red light. Alexander turned to look at her. ¡°She''s your granny. Since you''re both rted, the police will most likely advise you to settle it in private.¡± Alexander saw through the fact that she deliberately angered the old woman to let her grab the bag. However, Sophia did not appear embarrassed after being exposed. ¡±The bag is worth more than eight hundred thousand, and there''s some cash inside. I think that this matter is no longer an ordinary civil case.¡± His heart skipped a beat as he gazed at her alluring eyes, his dark eyes flickering slightly. ¡°I know a lawyer who specializes in this field.¡± The present Sophia seems to be glowing. How did I not notice this in the past? Samuel is right. I was probably blind. Thankfully, I no longer am. Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Mr. Quigley?¡± As she said that, she smirked. ¡°What a coincidence. I also know him.¡± Alexander suddenly felt useless. ¡°Yes.¡± At that moment, her phone rang. ¡°The light has turned green, Mr. Xenos.¡± She raised her finger and pointed ahead. Hearing that, Alexander could only look away and concentrate on driving. The phone call was from Yvonne. Since the entire incident happened during the live broadcast, the Inte was already in an uproar. As Sophia''s capable secretary, Yvonne''s first instinct when she learned about the matter was to call her employer and seek her advice in handling the matter properly. ¡°Do you need me to make an official statement about the matter on the Inte, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Sophia nced at the cars in front. ¡°No need. Please help me contact Mr. Quigley. I''m on my way to the police station now.¡± Yvonne was stunned for a moment. After all, the current matter was different from the previous ones, as it involved Sophia''s grandmother and uncle. The secretary initially thought this matter was very tricky. After all, from her perspective, Sophia was beautiful and kind. Hence, she might soften up with just a few words from the old woman. However, judging from the current situation, Yvonne felt that she had underestimated her goddess. ¡°Okay, got it, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia acknowledged before hanging up. Since Delh had stolen her bag, all she had left was the phone in her hand. There was a police station nearby, so within ten minutes, the car stopped. As soon as Sophia got out of the car, she noticed that Alexander had followed suit. In a rare moment of surprise, she nced at him but said nothing in the end, merely stepping into the police station. Alexander was right. Since Delh was Sophia''s grandmother, the police advised her to talk it out with the old woman after she had exined the situation. Sophia''s smile faded. ¡°Officer, I''m here to report the case, not to joke around. Besides, Old Mrs. Sharp and I haven''t seen each other for ten years. My parents died ten years ago. I''m not obliged to provide support for her. Oh, right. Do you know why I know she''s not throwing a tantrum but truly trying to rob my bag and sell it for money?¡± After a short pause, she continued, ¡°Twenty years ago, she tried to sell me to someone else.¡± After she said that, the policeman who was taking her statement seemed a little embarrassed. Alexander did not expect Sophia to take the initiative to mention such an incident, so he subconsciously lowered his head and looked at her. She merely sat there. Other than her smile fading slightly, there were no other changes. On the contrary, his chest felt heavy, as though his heart had been pierced. His expression darkened. ¡°The bag is worth eight hundred thousand. Coupled with the cash and some essories inside, the total value has exceeded one million. My friend was robbed of one million in front of everyone. I think this is no longer an ordinary civil case. Unless one million is not enough to file a case?¡± Right at that moment, another police officer came in. The policeman who took Sophia''s statement nced at her. ¡°Wait a moment, Ms. Yarrow.¡± He hurried out and came back not long after. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, a special task force has been set up in our team. Don''t worry. We''ll help you recover the bag and the belongings inside!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sophia took a sip of water before standing up and looking at Alexander. ¡°Are you not hungry?¡± She was starving. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± he asked smoothly, pretending not to understand her. Sophiaughed in exasperation. ¡°Barbecue. Do you want some, Mr. Xenos?¡± How did I not realize that this man is so shameless in the past? ¡°Sure.¡± Alexander was particr about cleanliness, so he never ate food prepared in that manner. Sophia was driving him to a corner on purpose, but surprisingly, he agreed to it. Suddenly, she was the one who had no way out of it. ¡°Let''s go then.¡± Since he can bring himself to go through this ¡°torment,¡± I''ll dly ept it. Chapter 122 Chapter 122 After the two left the police station, they went to a nearby barbeque restaurant. Although Sophia was not a germaphobe, she still preferred a quiet and clean dining environment. She refused to make herself ufortable for the sake of disgusting Alexander. It was simply not worth it. The two of them were dressed fashionably and were both outstandingly good-looking. Hence, they attracted a lot of attention the moment they entered. The waiter led them to a table by the window, and Sophia smoothly scanned the QR code with her phone to order once she was seated. It was Alexander''s first time eating at a barbeque restaurant. The pungent smell that filled the restaurant made his nose scrunch in distaste. He nced at Sophia, who was sitting opposite him. She was ordering her food with a serious expression and did not show the slightest difort. He knew that she was doing this on purpose. However, he was more than happy to endure it. Alexander scanned the QR code and scrolled through the menu. There was nothing he wanted to eat. Sophia had already ordered for herself. After checking the bill, she realized that Alexander had not ordered anything. She looked at him with raised eyebrows and called out to him, ¡°Alexander.¡± He raised his head to look at her. ¡°Yes?¡± There was a peculiar intensity in his eyes; he had never looked at her this way before. Sophia pursed her lips and suddenly felt that it was meaningless. She swallowed her previous words and said instead, ¡°There is another restaurant upstairs that sells steaks. You''ll probably find something that suits your taste there.¡± Her words were calm and did not contain any hidden meaning behind them. However, Alexander felt a flicker of irritation. ¡°How do you know that I don''t like anything here?¡± Sophia almost blurted out, ¡°Because you''re a germaphobe.¡± However, she held her tongue. ¡°You didn''t order anything,¡± she replied instead. ¡°It''s my first time here.¡± ¡°Oh. The tripe is great, and the duck blood is nice too. The pork loin cooks quickly and is tender. Those are all great choices.¡± Her rmendations were all internal organs. She thought Alexander would get angry and leave, but he epted it without question and ordered ording to what she said. Neither of them was willing to give in. Sophia ced the order. By the look of things, she had lost this round. Soon, the waiter returned to serve them the dishes. Sophia ordered two different spicy sauces. She did not eat spicy food much but wanted to order it to spite Alexander. As expected, Alexander''s expression changed when he saw it. Sophia started preparing the tableware and pre-heated the grill. Soon, all the dishes she ordered were served. The pork loin had a strong smell. Sophia could smell it, even though it was ced on Alexander''s side of the table. She started grilling the ingredients. Alexander did not move at all. The smell of the pork loin was making him nauseous. He looked over at Sophia. She did not seem to be bothered by the stench. Alexander could not understand why people liked eating barbeque. Everyone''s utensils would touch the grill when they picked up the meat. Who knows how much saliva was mixed together in the food? Of course, he was not resenting Sophia. He just could not stand the smell of the pork loin. Sophia ignored him and ate nonchntly. Alexander sat there with his fork in his hand but did not eat anything. He actually wanted to eat but had never eaten barbeque before. Hence, he did not know how long it took for the meat to cook. Several pieces of beef were suddenly ced on his te, which surprised Alexander. His eyes turned to look at Sophia. ¡°The ingredients are fresh.¡± Sophia did not want to tease him any longer. She waved the waiter over and asked them to remove the tripe, duck blood, and pork loin. In truth, she did not really want to eat those dishes either. ¡°Miss, is there a problem with these?¡± The waiter naturally wanted to know why she wanted to remove the three dishes. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Sophia nced at Alexander. ¡°It''s nothing. We just ordered the wrong food. Help me deliver these dishes to that table over there,¡± Sophia said while pointing to a table of young men and women. ¡°All right, I''ll deliver it for you.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± As soon as she retracted her gaze, she met Alexander''s eyes. He was already looking at her. ¡°It doesn''t taste too bad.¡± Sophia moved two-thirds of the beef to the front of him. ¡°There''s more here.¡± Alexander did not move. ¡°I don''t know how to grill the meat...¡± Sophia was speechless. She looked at Alexander and suddenly smiled. ¡°Are you asking me to cook it for you?¡± He must be dreaming! ¡°My stomach hurts.¡± Right. There''s always something wrong with Alexander''s stomach. However, what does that have to do with me? ¡°Oh.¡± Sophia grunted in acknowledgment but had no intentions of helping. In her entire life, she had never served anyone. Alexander was not someone special, but he seemed to think that he was. At that moment, a young woman suddenly approached and looked at Alexander. ¡°Hi! Can I add you on WhatsApp?¡± The woman was quite pretty. However, she paled inparison to Sophia. Alexander nced at Sophia before replying coldly, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Is it because she would mind? Miss, don''t misunderstand. I''m only adding his WhatsApp to thank the two of you for sending us those dishes earlier.¡± Alexander frowned. He was always impatient when it came to ignorant women. ¡°I would appreciate it if you don''t disturb our meal.¡± The woman pursed her lips and nced at Alexander. Seeing his cold expression, she left dejectedly. When Sophia had her fill, she put down her fork and took out a tissue to wipe away the oil on her lips. When she discarded the tissue, Alexander ced two pieces of meat on the grill. ¡°How long does it take to cook?¡± Sophia felt a little bad for Alexander. They had been seated for half an hour, but he had only eaten the two pieces of meat she had given him. Finally, she decided to be kind and replied, ¡°When it changes color.¡± ¡°Is it done now?¡± Sophia nced at the meat. ¡°Not yet.¡± Alexander was smart. After grilling the meat once, he knew how long the meat took to cook. Sophia looked at the time. She decided to head to the police station as Aidan should already be there. ¡°I already paid the bill. I''ll make a move first.¡± However, Alexander reached out and grabbed her wrist when she moved to stand up. ¡°Not so fast. Wait for me.¡± He looked at her with a cold and firm expression. Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°I''m going for a walk to digest my food.¡± Alexander did not reply, but the grip on her wrist tightened. Sophia tried to break free but was unable to. She frowned. ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°I''lle with you when I''m done.¡± He realized that it wasn''t that hard to barbeque meat. Sophia was angry. However, she could not break free, and there were many people there. She did not want to be surrounded by onlookers by making a fuss, so she could only sit still. ¡°Let me go. I''ll wait for you.¡± Alexander finally released her at those words. Sophia retracted her arm and looked at her reddened wrist. She was annoyed. ¡°I forgot to use the serving fork just now.¡± Alexander, who was then grilling the mutton, nced at her. ¡°I don''t mind.¡± Sophia felt like her punch hadnded on cotton¡ªwhatever she said simply had no effect on Alexander. Sheughed in disbelief. ¡°Aren''t you a germaphobe?¡± The first time she served Alexander food, she had forgotten to use the serving utensil. Because of that, he reced his bowl with apletely new one. Although she did not say anything, it still felt like a punch in the face. Sophia still felt upset every time she thought about it. Chapter 123 Chapter 123 Alexander merely nced at her without saying anything. At first, Sophia was in a pretty good mood. After recalling something from the past, her mood changed. She stopped talking and sat there as she looked at Alexander, who was sitting opposite her. Alexander was a very picky eater. In the past, when they had just gotten married, Kristen had given her a stack of data all about his food preferences. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. Back then, Sophia was truly in love with him and memorized everything in the data with a single nce. Now that she thought about it, she felt stupid for doing so. I shouldn''t have even flipped through a single page of the data back then. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be experiencing this right now. Every time I look at him, I''ll think about the food he likes and dislikes. While she was in a daze, Alexander had already finished eating. He looked at her and pursed his lips a little. ¡°I''m done.¡± The moment she heard his voice, she regained her senses and stopped staring at him. After that, she took her phone and headed outside. Since Alexander had long legs, he was able to keep up with her despite walking slowly and calmly. The two of them looked even better than most on-screen celebrities one often saw in movies. Therefore, when they entered the restaurant earlier, there were some people who followed them. Now that they were leaving, all eyes were focused on them as well. It was a little windy outside when they walked out of the mall. Sophia nced at her phone and realized that it was already eight o''clock in the evening. It''s so cold. Only a brainless person would choose to walk outside at this hour. Sophia thought about parting ways with Alexander earlier, but now that he was following behind her closely, she gave up on that thoughtpletely. After she took a few steps outside, she decided to go back into the mall because of the chilly wind. Since it was Friday, and most people didn''t need to work on Saturdays, there were quite a lot of people in the shopping mall. Because of Sophia and Alexander''s out-of-this-world figure, appearance, and aura, most of the shoppers thought that they were actors who were there to film a movie. With how everyone was staring at them, Sophia couldn''t help but feel like she was a monkey in a zoo. She nced sideways at Alexander. ¡°Aren''t you busy?¡± He used to work overtime every day when they were married. However, after their divorce, he seemed to have turned into a vagrant who would appear in front of her whenever she didn''t want to see him. ¡°I''m not,¡± he replied. Seeing that she wasn''t exactly smiling, he guessed that she didn''t like to be stared at by others. ¡°My car''s nearby. Do you want to wait in my car?¡± Sophia raised her eyebrow slightly. ¡°Mr. Xenos, are you nning on getting the two of us on tomorrow''s trending news?¡± He looked at her and reassured her in a serious tone, ¡°Don''t worry. That''s not going to happen.¡± Right when she was about to say something, her phone rang. It was an unknown number, but she knew who it was. She gave Alexander a little smile. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Xenos, I have to pick up this call. It''s something important.¡± After she said that, she epted the call and walked outside with her other hand in the pocket of her coat. It was Aidan. He had already reached the police station. Sophia walked toward the marked crosswalk after leaving the shopping mall. ¡°I''m at a mall nearby. Mr. Quigley, please wait for me for a little while longer. I''ll be there in five minutes.¡± ¡°Okay, Ms. Yarrow.¡± After hanging up, she then focused on waiting for the traffic light to turn green. When she turned around and didn''t see Alexander, she clicked her tongue. Tsk. He''s finally stopped following me. That''s pretty wise of him this time. However, she was mistaken. Alexander had no intention of leaving at all. He merely went to buy something. When the traffic lights turned green and Sophia was about to cross the road, he suddenly ran to her side. ¡°Was that Mr. Quigley?¡± Sophia furrowed her brows slightly. ¡°Do you not understand what I''m trying to say, Alexander Xenos?¡± ¡°Are you cold?¡± he asked instead of answering her question. His question was not even rted to hers. She didn''t want to bother herself with him, so shepletely ignored him. After crossing the street, he ced a cup of coffee in her hand. ¡°I don''t want it.¡± She returned it to him right away. Since she wasn''t a fan of coffee and it was given to her by Alexander, she had more reason to refuse it. ¡°It''ll keep your hands warm.¡± He didn''t take the coffee back from her even after she stopped and stretched out her hand for more than three seconds. At the time, there was a couple who just happened to walk past Sophia. Sophia smiled and walked toward the woman. ¡°Hi, here''s a cup of coffee for you to keep yourself warm.¡± Because Sophia was too beautiful when she smiled, the woman and her boyfriend were stunned at the sight of her. Eh? Are coffee shops nowadays trying to get more customers by hiring a beautiful woman to randomly give out coffee to strangers? Before Sophia left, she added, ¡°The coffee''s untouched; you can drink it without worries.¡± With that, she nodded slightly and nced at Alexander without any expression on her face. After that, she looked away and walked past him. He seemed not to mind it at all as he started following after her again. On the bustling street, she let out a chuckle out of frustration and stopped walking. She lifted her head to look at him. ¡°What do you want, Alexander?¡± ¡°I just want to keep youpany.¡± ¡°No, thanks,¡± she rejected himpletely. They had known each other for so long that she no longer bothered to show any signs of mercy. Besides, she had a better temper and patience aspared to before. When it came to Alexander, she had stopped feeling anger toward him. Instead, she was calm and composed, like he wasn''t worth her time or energy at all. On the other hand, Alexander was frustrated. The winter wind was very cold, and so was his heart. He was never a patient man, but when it came to pursuing Sophia, he put in two hundred percent worth of patience. Even so, she didn''t feel anything at all. The way the two of them stopped and stood in the middle of the bustling street where many people were walking by was very sudden. She looked away and continued walking. The moment she reached the entrance of the police station, she saw Yvonne and Aidan. ¡°Ms. Yarrow,¡± Yvonne and Aidan said in unison. Sophia nodded. ¡°There''s a cafe across the street; let''s chat there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Since Yvonne knew Sophia well, she got straight to the point after the three of them entered the cafe. ¡°Mr. Quigley, I''ve already told you everything you need to know about the case earlier.¡± Aidan nodded and looked at Sophia, who was sitting in front of him. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, what''s your n?¡± He had taken up many cases such as Sophia''s that involved friends and family. Most of his clients would get soft-hearted in the end. Actually, he was only being courteous when he asked her that question. He knew that him being there was no more than deterrence. In the end, the case wouldn''t make it to court. Sophia knew what he was thinking. Sheughed and said, ¡°Mr. Quigley, I have only one request. Do what you need to do ording to thew.¡± Aidan was taken aback by her reply, and he was not one who was easily surprised. ¡°What do you mean, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°I know that this case involves my granny and uncle, but it''s been more than ten years since Ist contacted them. Mr. Quigley, you understand what I''m saying, don''t you?¡± This time, Aidan finally understood what she meant. Conversing with smart people was easy as they could easily understand with just a few words. Yvonne, who was at the side, helped Sophia wrap things up. ¡°Mr. Quigley, you can start preparing the documents for thewsuit now. I''ll walk you out.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you, Ms. Leighton.¡± ¡°You''re wee.¡± After walking Aidan out, and right when she was about to return to the seat where Sophia was, Yvonne realized that Alexander was standing by the window. Chapter 124 Chapter 124 Sophia saw Alexander as well. She thought he had left, but when she turned her head sideways, she saw him standing on the other side of the ss windows. He appeared to be pitiful, standing there amidst the chilly weather as cars and passers-by moved past him on the street. However, Sophia had never been one to be affected by others'' piteous states. She averted her gaze, stood up, and walked out before Yvonne entered the ce. Yvonne, contemting whether she should inform Sophia about Alexander''s presence, finally decided to remind Sophia after a few moments of internal struggle. When she opened her mouth to speak, she saw Sophia had stepped out of the cafe, thetter''s eyes looking straight ahead. When Sophia strode past Yvonne, she said with a smile, ¡°Let''s go to the police station.¡± Sophia reckoned it was almost time, and her estimation was urate. Before she crossed the road to the police station''s entrance, the police officer responsible for handling her case had called her. She nced at the red light opposite her. ¡°Hello, Mr. Wright.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, we have retrieved your missing bag. The two suspects who stole your bag are here at the police station now. Do you minding over?¡± ¡°Okay. Give me a moment. I''ll be there in two minutes.¡± After hanging up the call, Sophia arched a brow while wearing a faint smile. At that moment, the traffic light before her had turned green. She crossed the street and headed toward the police station. She arrived almost immediately after hanging up the call despite telling the police officer to wait for another two minutes. The atmosphere inside the police station was very lively as Delh was cursing angrily, ¡°Oh, my God! She''s my granddaughter, so how am I a robber? I thought my granddaughter''s bag was nice, so I took it for my own use. How is that considered robbery?¡± Sophia did not immediately go into the interrogation room after being led there. Instead, she stood outside the door and watched Delh''s animated performance for some time before knocking. The knocks on the door interrupted Delh''sints as everyone inside the room instinctively turned to look in the door''s direction. Sophia grinned. ¡°May Ie in, Mr. Wright?¡± Harry Wright nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± Delh''s eyes gleamed when she saw Sophia. Sophia sat down aside and gazed at Harry. ¡°My bag costs over eight hundred thousand containing over three thousand worth of cash and a limited edition bracelet from Dazzle, which is priced at two hundred and eighty thousand. Besides, there is also a BB cream worth over six hundred and three lipsticks worth three hundred each. The stolen goods are worth over a million in total. I consulted mywyer earlier, and since the whole incident happened during a live broadcast, the consequences of this issue are severe. Therefore, I am entitled to pursue this matter further for them to bear the responsibilities of their actions.¡± She shot a nce at Delh and said, ¡°A robbery involving over a million. I suppose facing a minimum jail time of fifteen years could be expected for these people.¡± Delh exploded with rage upon hearing her words. ¡°You ungrateful brat! Who took care of you when you were little? All I did was ask you for some money, but you''re saying I stole your things now, and you''re even trying to sue me? Where is your conscience, you thankless girl!¡± Sophia pretended not to hear a word. Just as Harry was caught in an awkward position, she said, ¡°Mr. Wright, I will never ept reconciliation throughpounding for this matter.¡± Harry was in a dilemma. He stared at the gorgeous woman before him. Her clear and pretty eyes, which should be alluring, were presently glinting with determination and hostility. He merely kept quiet, for he knew that he wouldn''t understand her feelings without standing in her shoes. Sophia is right. This matter had indeed created a terrible impact on society. Old Mrs. Sharp failed to get the money she wanted, so she resorted to stealing. Over ten millionizens witnessed her actions during the live broadcast. Regardless of her denials, there is already evidence of her wrongdoings over the Inte. She cannot weasel her way out of this. ¡°I''m here to take back my bag, Mr. Wright.¡± Sophia asserted her dominance by taking the initiative to express her mind. She had not met Delh''s gaze since she entered the interrogation room. Harry returned Sophia the bag the police had sessfully intercepted before it was sold. She took out every item inside the bag in front of everyone. The cash and the bracelet inside the bag, which she nned to gift Katherine, were missing as she expected. Sophia had topliment Delh for her efficiency. She nced at Delh before recing all the items in her bag. ¡°Mr. Wright, I have already described the items inside my bag when I lodged the report. I believe you all have put everything down in detailed writing as well. Therefore, you all should know better than me about the things missing from this bag.¡± For that reason, Harry, who had initially wanted to persuade Sophia to settle that matter in private, felt extremely embarrassed and was at a loss for words. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, when we found your grand- the suspects, they had already sold your bracelet away.¡± Sophia tidied the content in her bag and beamed. ¡°That''s all right. Mywyer will be here soon. You can deal with mywyer after this. Thank you for retrieving my bag.¡± Sophia did not seem like someone who just had their bag stolen because the graceful smile on her face never wavered throughout the conversation. More importantly, she was an exceptionally beautiful woman. Looking at her exquisite facial features and listening to Sophia expressing her gratitude, Harry failed to utter aplete sentence in the end. He merely nodded and grunted in response. Delh turned anxious when she saw that Sophia was about to leave. ¡°Where are you going, you brat! Come back here! I am your grandmother, and Rupert is your uncle. Do you really n to sue us and put us behind bars? Aren''t you afraid that your dead mother wille looking for you in a fury if you truly dare to do this to us?¡± Sophia, who had already reached the door, halted in her tracks. Her facial expression underwent slight changes. She turned around and stared coldly at Delh. ¡°That''s great. That way, I can be reunited and catch up with my mother.¡± ¡°Y-You b*tch! I should have strangled you to death in the past!¡± However, regardless of how she chided, Sophia had left the room with her bag. Harry was at his limit, listening to Delh''s foul speech. ¡°Be quiet! Old Mrs. Sharp, I suggest youe clean and tell us where Ms. Yarrow''s bracelet and money are? Are you aware that stealing more than two hundred thousand is an offense that could put you behind bars until the end of your days? Oh, perhaps the judge will be more lenient with you due to your old age. But your son, Rupert Sharp, is an aplice. If you two are reluctant to cooperate with our investigation and do not show a sincere attitude to admit your crime, I figure your son will probably be sentenced to a minimum of seven toCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. eight years in jail!¡± His words sessfully grasped Delh''s attention. She did not care much about what he mentioned early on since she was already over seventy years old. She even thought that she would live a better life spending the rest of her living days in jail. However, when Harry talked about Rupert''s involvement in that matter, she caved instantaneously. ¡°How is that invaluable bracelet worth over two hundred thousand? I only sold it for around twenty thousand! I''m not lying to you, officer! I transferred all the money to my daughter-inw''s bank ount.¡± Delh was ignorant of many things. She only knew the bracelet was wrapped in nice packaging. When she bit the piece of jewelry, she thought the bracelet was not made from pure gold and could only fetch around twenty thousand. Therefore, Delh even assumed she made a great deal selling the bracelet at that price. Little did she expect that bracelet to be worth over two hundred thousand. When Harry heard the way Delh had insulted Sophia, hepletely gave up his intention of persuading Sophia to settle that matter in private. ¡°Where did you sell the bracelet?¡± This time, Delh obediently told him everything. Still, while she borated, she scolded Sophia again. Harry could not help but reproached her sternly, ¡°I must warn you, Old Mrs. Sharp, if you continue to scold Ms. Yarrow in this manner, what you are doing can be considered an act of defamation and insult. Should Ms. Yarrow wish to bring awsuit against you, you''ll have to apologize to her and compensate her ordingly.¡± Colors drained from Delh''s face upon hearing Harry''s warning. She fell silent and became very cooperative soon after. Chapter 125 Chapter 125 The instant Sophia walked out of the hall of the police station, Aidan, who had only left half an hour ago, also returned. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Leighton.¡± Sophia nodded and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Quigley.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Sophia then gave Yvonne a look, and thetter walked out behind her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± The two stood in the cloister as cars drove by outside asionally. As it was past nine o''clock, there were not many pedestrians. Hence, they were not afraid of someone eavesdropping. Six to seven hours had passed, and based on Yvonne''s capability, she likely found out the identity of the mastermind. While gazing at Sophia, Yvonne told her all that she had found. ¡°It''s Bethany. She sent someone to investigate you around New Year when Mr. Xenos was at Coldbridge. After investigating you and Delh, she asked someone to tell Delh that you''re doing well here. Coincidentally, Rupert went to gamble during the New Year holidays and borrowed fifty thousand from the loansharks there. Now, adding his snowballing interest, his debt is more than two hundred thousand. Thus, Mrs. Macbee brought him to get money from you.¡± Sophia tutted. ¡°Bethany is so free recently.¡± I thought she was focused on being a celebrity. I didn''t bother her, yet she''s trying to mess with me. Smirking, Sophia answered, ¡°Understood. It''ste, so why don''t you return first. Thanks for your work today.¡± ¡°No problem, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia shed her a smile before ncing at the time on her phone. ¡°I''m going.¡± ¡°Should I drive you back, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Sophia''s car was at thepany, and she had lost the car key with the bag Deliliah had snatched. Thus, Alexander was the one who sent her to the police station. It was alreadyte at night, so it would be past ten if Yvonne sent Sophia back before going home. ¡°No need to trouble you. I''ll take a taxi.¡± The two had just walked out of the police station when Sophia saw Alexander standing beside his car. After casting a quick nce at him, she lowered her head to call a taxi. Yvonne also noticed him. Although outsiders might not know what happened in Sophia and Alexander''s marriage, as Sophia''s secretary, who was always avable, Yvonne was clear about it. Hence, she had an immensely poor impression of Alexander. Besides, Sophia was not only her boss but also her goddess. The usually polite Yvonne did not greet Alexander with the customary smile when she saw him walk over. ncing at Yvonne, Alexander recognized her as Sophia''s secretary. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, let me send you home,¡± Yvonne offered without waiting for Alexander to speak. Sophia put away her phone, lifted her head to look at Yvonne, and smiled. ¡°Sure.¡± Happy to hear Sophia''s agreement, Yvonne chirped, ¡°Please wait for a moment. I''ll drive the car over.¡± ¡°There''s no need. I''ll send her back,¡± a man''s low baritone voice rang out. Irritated, Yvonne spoke up before Sophia for the first time. ¡°No need to trouble you, Mr. Xenos. I''ll send Ms. Yarrow back.¡± Not expecting Yvonne to dislike Alexander so much, Sophia raised her eyebrows in surprise and pretended not to hear Alexander''s words. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Yvonne was dazed for a moment, but she quickly regained her bearings and walked in front of Sophia to lead the way. As her car was not parked nearby, Yvonne strode hastily in her heels, afraid that Alexander would catch up. Yet, Sophia walked behind her leisurely. Only after walking some distance did Yvonne realize she was walking too fast. Shocked and frustrated at herself, she immediately stopped in her tracks and turned back to look at Sophia. ¡°Sorry for walking so fast, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Why? Are dogs chasing us?¡± Sophia asked, ying dumb. Yvonne almost nodded, but she stopped herself in time due to her professionalism. ¡°It''s windy tonight. I''m afraid you''ll get sick.¡± Chuckling, Sophia replied, ¡°Let''s go.¡± Interestingly, she did not call Yvonne out. Soon, the two reached the parking lot. After getting into the car, Yvonne drove off. Yvonne was in a great mood. Previously, she thought Alexander was a nice man, but ever since Sophia divorced him, she found he had no attributes that made him worthy of her goddess. I know what Alexander''s thinking. He wants to send Ms. Yarrow home so he can have the opportunity to have a drink at her house. If her heart softens, something might happen between them since it''ste and there are only the two of them. I''ve made such a smart move! Suddenly, the car jerked to a halt. Sophia''s eyshes fluttered open. ¡°What happened?¡± Yvonne nced at Sophia, her cheeks hot. ¡°I think the car broke down. You stay in the car. I''ll go and see.¡± There were not many cars on the road at such ate hour. Unwilling to let her beautiful secretary check the car alone, Sophia unfastened her seatbelt and got out of the vehicle despite agreeing to stay inside. Seeing Sophia had gotten down the car, Yvonne said guiltily, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, it''s cold at night. You should wait in the car.¡± ¡°It''s fine,¡± replied Sophia as she walked to the front of the car and lifted the hood. In truth, Yvonne did not know much about cars, so she was unsure if her car had broken down. Amid her confusion, Sophia reminded, ¡°Take out your warning triangle.¡± Yvonne immediately nodded. She had forgotten about it in her anxiety. It was likely that the car broke down, but Sophia did not know how to repair it either. After cing the warning triangle, Yvonne walked back and asked, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, why don''t I ask Mr. Sullivan to fetch you?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°It''s sote already. Forget it.¡± Ethan Sullivan was Sophia''s driver, but usually, Sophia would drive herself. Now, Ethan mainly drove the secretaries around. As it waste, Sophia did not want to bother Ethan. Upon hearing those words, Yvonne, who was preparing to call, could only keep her phone. She red at her car, angry and forlorn at her misfortune. Out of the three hundred and sixty-five days in a year, why did my car break down today? I''m so pissed! However, Sophia was in no hurry. ¡°Call a tow truck. I''ll hail a taxi after the tow truck arrives.¡± Yvonne had wanted Sophia to leave first, as she could not bear to let thetter wait in the cold with her on such a chilly night. However, gazing at Sophia, she agreed, touched. ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Nodding, Sophia nced at the time again. It''s half-past nine. Seems like I''m sleepingte again tonight. She had just raised her head when a ck Maybach slowly stopped before them. The re of the headlights instantly illuminated the dark road. Reflexively, Sophia raised her hand to block the blinding lights. Upon lowering her hand, she saw Alexander open the car doors and step out. What a coincidence. ¡°The car broke down?¡± Yvonne hung up the phone and hurried over to block Sophia from Alexander''s view. Yet, recalling her disgrace of a car, she stopped in her tracks. ¡°Yeah,¡± Sophia replied dispassionately. Glimpsing Yvonne, who vied with him for Sophia just now, Alexander furrowed his brows and ordered Sophia, ¡°Get in my car. I''ll give Felix a call.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°There''s no need for that. Ms. Leighton can handle everything.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, it''s cold out here. You should get in Mr. Xenos'' car first.¡± This was one of the rare instances where Yvonne was on Alexander''s side. Sophia narrowed her eyes warningly at Yvonne. What a betrayer. Though Sophia did not say anything, Yvonne understood the former''s meaning. She shifted her eyes guiltily. I don''t want Alexander to get this chance either, but my car is too lousy! We are in the middle of the road,te at night, and the wind is gusting and chilly. It''s fine if I stay in the cold, but I''ll be worried if Ms. Yarrow gets sick! Chapter 126 Chapter 126 Sophia got in Alexander''s car. The car''s heater was on, forming a stark contrast in temperature with the cold weather outside. A faint scent of cologne wafted in the car. Sophia recognized the smell. It was the cologne Alexander often used. Alexander''s cologne was a special blend. It was a light but deep scent. One would not be able to smell it if they were even half a meter away. However, they would be able to catch the light scent of it if they were in close proximity to him. His cologne had lime, citrus, and mint as its top notes, with cypress plus ebony as its heart notes, as well as a mix of orchids and musk as its base notes. When Sophia first married Alexander, she had learned perfumery to prepare a birthday present for him. Sophia was naturally bright, so she could easily pick up anything. She had spent three months practicing perfumery and concocted a bottle of day-to-day use cologne for Alexander. However, Thalia had broken the cologne before it even reached Alexander''s hands. It seemed like everything was meant to be. Sophia snapped back to her senses. Outside the windshield, Alexander had hung up his phone. After Yvonne said something to him, he turned around and nced at Sophia. Then, he approached her. ¡°I already called Felix. Yvonne asked me to send you back first.¡± Sophia raised a brow. ¡°How long will it take for Felix to get here?¡± Yvonne was a young and beautiful woman, so Sophia was worried about leaving her alone on a deserted road. ¡°In fifteen minutes.¡± ¡°Can we wait for him?¡± Alexander answered, ¡°Sure.¡± Then, he turned to look at her and said, ¡°You and Yvonne are close.¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia shifted her gaze and said, ¡°We''re both Ms. Suny''s subordinates.¡± Alexander did not seem interested in Suny. ¡°You didn''t work those three years. Was it because of me? Sophia stared at him in silence. She had no intention of answering his obvious question. Alexander lowered his gaze as she kept quiet. No one knew what was on his mind. One to two secondster, he lifted his head again to look at her. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said. He always thought she was a gold-digger who married into a wealthy family. Instead, he had forgotten that no matter how bad Sophia was, she was the top schr in her state that year. Her high scores had gotten her into the Department of Economics and Management at Jadeborough University. Sophia did not want to talk about the past, so she turned to look outside the car window. There was a slightly cold expression on her face when she said, ¡°It''s all in the past.¡± That''s right. Those three years are all in the past. Her ardor had been extinguished, and it was her turn to give him the cold shoulder. Honestly, it feels pretty good. After all, the two of them did not have a past worth reminiscing about, and bringing up the past would only upset everyone. Alexander realized this too and did not mention the past again. When he saw that Sophia had her eyes closed, he asked, ¡°Are you sleepy?¡± Sophia did feel sleepy. Her routine had always been regr. She would always switch off the lights and go to bed around ten at night. At thetest, she would sleep at half-past ten. It was almost ten o''clock. She had skimmed through two novels in the afternoon, so her eyes were tired. She had wanted to return to the mansion earlier to bathe, put on an eye mask, then go to sleep at ten. Unexpectedly, Delh, whom Sophia had not seen for nearly twenty years, appeared and caused a commotion. Right then, the inside of the car felt warm and cozy as she tilted her head, about to fall asleep. When she heard Alexander, she covered her mouth as she yawned, then answered, ¡°Yeah. A little.¡± As she spoke, a car approached them from the back and soon came to a stop. Felix had arrived. Sophia blinked to dismiss her fatigue. ¡°Mr. Lane is here.¡± Alexander started his car as he answered, ¡°Yes.¡± The engine of the ck Maybach came to life. After driving past Yvonne''s car, Alexander picked up his speed. Soon, in the rearview mirror, Felix and Yvonne turned into a small ck dot. Twenty minutester, Alexander parked the car outside the mansion. Sophia unfastened her seatbelt and said, ¡°Thanks. I''ve reached home.¡± ¡°Sophia.¡± She had just opened the car door when Alexander called out to her. She turned around and looked at him. With a raised brow, she asked, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Are you free this weekend? Let''s grab a meal together.¡± She merely smiled and replied, ¡°Sorry. I''m not free.¡± She would not have said yes even if she were free. Alexander''s eyes darkened as he nodded and said, ¡°Goodnight.¡± ¡°Night.¡± Sophia got out of the car and opened the gate before entering the front yard. She wore a white coat that day. Alexander recalled how sleepy she had looked just now. She reminded him of a Persian cat he saw napping beside a firece ¡ª cold, but beautiful. Soon, her white figure entered the mansion, and the door closed. With that, he could not see anything anymore. Alexander retreated his gaze and nced at the seat Sophia sat in earlier. I wonder what perfume she uses. The scent is just like her. It''s faint and light but lingering. Sophia was somewhat tired that day, so she simply answered Katherine''s text and then went to shower. It was alreadyte by the time she came out of the shower. Katherine asked her to go to sleep first, and they could continue their conversation the next day. Sophia nced at her phone and did not reply to Katherine''s message. She turned off the lights and went to bed after preparing oatmeal for tomorrow''s breakfast. As for Bethany, Sophia would deal with her after she woke up. When the rm clock rang, Sophia opened her eyes. She lifted her hand to cover her face. ¡°Genie, turn off the rm.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Genie, open the curtains for me.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± The curtains gradually opened. At this hour, the sky outside was notpletely lit yet. It was the end of February, and it was still winter in Jadeborough. The first rays of dawn did not shine until half-past seven. Sophiaid in bed for a few minutes, reluctant to get up and wash up. It was cold, and people tend to feelzy in such weather. By the time Sophia had finished washing up, the sky was fully lit. The oatmeal she made the night before was ready to eat. Its fragrant aroma wafted in the air, which made her stomach rumble. She took her phone, went into the kitchen, and ced the bowl of oatmeal on the dining table. Yes. This oatmeal can somewhat save my cooking skills. Not bad. Sophia took her time savoring the oatmeal. She did not have a meeting that morning, so she did not have to return to Sunshine Group. It was eight when she finished her breakfast. The sky was bright as the sunlight fell into the mansion. The weather was good that day. When Katherine called, Sophia was doing the dishes. She put the call on speakerphone and asked, ¡°Aren''t you working today?¡± ¡°I''m done with all my important scenes. The director gave me half of the day off.¡± Katherine''s voice in the call sounded evidently deeper than usual. Sophia lifted a brow. ¡°Did you catch a cold?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Sophia turned off the tap and smiled. ¡°Your voice changed.¡± ¡°I''m fine! It''s just a cold. That''s not the point! How did Old Mrs. Sharp find you? Goodness, gracious! She knows to use how to use public opinion now. I was on Twitter this morning. It''s filled with everything about what happened yesterday!¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She paused and continued, ¡°Around seven o''clock, an unknown lunatic posted a long tweet berating you! I''ll send it to you. Look!¡± Interesting. Sophia raised her brow and wiped her hands dry with a paper towel. ¡°Let me see.¡± Chapter 127 Chapter 127 After taking a look at the post, Sophiamented, ¡°Poor writing skills.¡± On the other end of the phone, Katherine chuckled. ¡°Soph, do you want to teach him how to behave?¡± ¡°I don''t want to waste my time,¡± Sophia replied in a flippant manner. Judging from the writing, it was obvious that the writer was from the entertainment industry. Sophia turned the screen off. ¡°Is Bethany with you guys these days?¡± It had been quite a while since shest heard someone mention Bethany. Katherine did not expect that Sophia would suddenly mention her, and she was a little taken aback. ¡°Yes, she is. Why? Does she have something to do with this matter?¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Not bad. A new year, a new you. You''ve be much smarter.¡± Katherine understood that Sophia was mocking her intelligence and huffed in exasperation. ¡±Previously, you said you wanted to wait for her to get a taste of sess before dragging her down. Hence, if this matter doesn''t have anything to do with her, you wouldn''t have brought her up.¡± After finishing her analysis, she asked eagerly, ¡°How do you intend to kick her ass this time?¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia immediately burst outughing. ¡°I''m not the gang leader of some beggar sect. Why would I want to keep finding trouble for her?¡± I don''t know how to go about doing that, either. Katherine''s lips curled downward. ¡°She has done something like this to you. How can you still tolerate her?¡± ¡°I can''t.¡± ¡°Then why haven''t you taught her a lesson?¡± asked Katherine. Sophia nonchntly said, ¡°What''s the rush? Haven''t you heard people say that the parents are responsible for their children''s misdeeds?¡± On the other end of the line, Katherine paused momentarily beforeing to a realization. ¡°How smart! Sophia, you''re trying to fight fire with fire!¡± sheplimented. ¡°Not bad. You even know how to use the idiom urately,¡± Sophia praised. Katherine was so infuriated by her words that she was rendered speechless. I''ll sever ties with her for two days! After ending the call, Sophia''s mood lifted. As humans, we all have to find entertainment somehow. She initially nned to wait for Bethany to achieve sess before dragging her down. However, since Bethany decided to make a move on her, she did not have to hold back any longer. Sophia was about to phone Yvonne, but thetter suddenly called her. Sophia''s lips curled slightly as she answered the call. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Leighton.¡± ¡°Good morning, Ms. Yarrow. Yesterday''s live stream has already gone viral on the inte. Do you need me to suppress the trending topic?¡± Yvonne answered. ¡°There''s no need for that. Later on, I''ll post something online. You merely need to use thepany''s ount to repost it,¡± instructed Sophia. ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°By the way, did Tobias ask to see me sometime back?¡± asked Sophia. Everyone wanted to meet Suny from the Sunshine Group. Hearing Sophia''s words, Yvonne immediately understood her intention. ¡°I''ll arrange for you to have lunch with him the day after, is that okay?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± agreed Sophia. Expedite had been struggling financially for the past six months. Tobias was like a cat on hot bricks, looking high and low for investors. In fact, he had already contacted Prosperity Enterprise and Sunshine Group. However, he was a sly and cunning man. He needed money, but he refused to give up his power and rights. Now that half a year had passed, Expedite was on the verge of copsing. If Tobias still could not manage to secure investors, the shares he held were useless. Sophia was unwilling to take over Expedite, as it was currently in such bad condition. Expedite had already been facing a lot of problems internally since a few years ago. However, Tobias was determined to venture into the foreign market and refused to resolve the problems they were facing. Hence, at this point, Expedite had beenpletely liquidated and had no assets to speak of. To put it simply, it was nothing but an empty shell then. To be honest, even if Tobias were willing to let go of his shares, there might not be anyone who would be willing to take over. As businessmen, everyone''s aim was to rake in profits. Nobody wanted to take over apany that would not guarantee them profits. ¡°And one more thing, Ms. Yarrow. Mr. Quigley said that he has already filed aint to court. Currently, Old Mrs. Sharp and Rupert have been detained,¡± reported Yvonne. ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia answered. ¡°Keep a watchful eye on the Sharp family,¡± she added. After all, when one is cornered, one might act rashly. Who knows what they''ll do? ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow.¡± After ending the call, Sophia sat on the couch for a while. Then, she went upstairs and changed into another outfit. She wanted to go to Specter Entertainment and drive the car back. Sophia pondered over whether she should wear her scarf. The weather was great, but there was a strong wind blowing outside. When she turned around, the hem of her clothes identally brushed against the bag she had ced on the stool. The bag dropped to the ground, and a jewelry box rolled out of it. Sophia was astonished at the sight of it. She remembered that jewelry box, as she had ced a bracelet in it just the day before. She had intended to gift it to Katherine to celebrate thepletion of the film. However, Delh sold it off. Sophia was thinking of finding another gift for Katherine, but unexpectedly, the jewelry box was back in her possession now. Sophia bent down to pick up the box and then opened it to find the very same bracelet inside. She raised her brows in confusion and clicked her tongue. ¡°That''s strange... How can a lost bracelet find its way back?¡± Obviously, a lost bracelet could not find its way back. It was clear that Alexander was the one who got the bracelet back. As for how he managed to do that, no one knew except himself. This bracelet was part of a jewelry collection named ¡°Camellia¡±, and it was a worldwide limited edition. There were only fifty such bracelets in the world, and Sophia only managed to buy one after getting Yvonne to contact several people. It was impossible for Alexander to buy another bracelet in such a short period of time. Therefore, it could only mean one thing ¡ª this bracelet was the one she had originally intended to give to Katherine. Flipping over the bracelet, Sophia inspected its buckle. There was a tiny logo at the back with a serial number written on it. The bracelet that she had bought was the thirty-fifth bracelet. Indeed, there was the number thirty-five written on it. Sophia picked up the bag and held the jewelry box in her hand. She paced the room, wondering if she should return the bracelet to Alexander. Even though the bracelet was originally hers, she lost it after that. Alexander must have spent tons of money in order to get it back. However, Katherine had been eyeing this bracelet for a very long time. She had even contacted many people, trying to buy it but to no avail. It was pure luck that Sophia ''had managed to buy it. All along, it was meant for Katherine. Forget it, I''ll owe Alexander one for this. She did not have any other choice, as she knew that Katherine really liked this bracelet. Fearing that she would lose the bracelet once more, Sophia decided not to bring it out. Instead, she ced it inside her cupboard at home. When she left her house, it was already a little over nine in the morning. There was not much traffic on the road because she managed to avoid the peak hour. Hence, it only took her twenty minutes to reach Specter Entertainment. After paying the cab fee, she held her bag and entered the building. On that day, the IP development department had a meeting regarding the three books that were revised. Sophia did not intend to join them at first, but since she was already there, she decided to listen in. After the meeting was over, it was half-past eleven, the time for lunch. Sadie walked beside Sophia and asked, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, what do you want to have for lunch?¡± Sophia turned to look at her and smiled. ¡°Don''t worry about it. I''ll settle my lunch myself.¡± Following that, she changed the topic. ¡°A book like that is popr in the market?¡± That book was melodramatic and did not have any logic in it. She wondered if she was out of touch with society and could not keep up with the times any longer. Sadie was a little embarrassed. ¡°Nowadays, such books are in trend. If we choose such books, we''re bound to profit from it.¡± Sophia knitted her brows. ¡°Thepany invested so much money not because we want to do something that''s foolproof,¡± she chided. This was the first time that Sophia was so strict toward her. Sadie knew that Sophia was unsatisfied with the book they had selected. ¡°So what should we do?¡± ¡°These three books are terrible. Our job is to do IP development, not to earn money based on the poprity of the original book. I want you to choose a few books that have great quality. The plot and the characters themselves have to be interesting,¡± Sophia replied. ¡°I understand,¡± said Sadie. Sophia had quickly scanned through the three books the previous night. The plots were indeed in trend, but they were nothing special. It would be impossible for any of them to be a best-seller. When she reached the door, Sophia stopped and stared at Sadie. Thetter looked terrified. Upon seeing that, Sophia chuckled. ¡°Why are you so afraid? I don''t bite.¡± Sadie felt a little embarrassed. ¡°I''m sorry. I won''t let you down next time,¡± she promised. Sophia grinned. ¡°Okay. What do you want to eat for lunch? I''ll buy you a meal.¡± Upon hearing her words, Sadie was so happy that she froze. She stared at Sophia in disbelief and stammered, ¡°I-I''m fine with anything. You can pick something you like.¡± ¡°All right, don''t mind if I do!¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Sadie nodded profusely. ¡°Sure.¡± Finally, I managed to have a meal with my goddess! Joy bubbled up inside of her, and she could hardly contain her happiness. Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Actually, Sophia had forgotten that she had a junior in high school and university named Sadie Hunt. When Sadie was a senior in high school, her parents were involved in an ident. At that time, Katherine had been upied with art exams in preparation for a career in entertainment. As a result, she was too busy to have time for other concerns. Now that Sadie had mentioned it, Sophia had a hazy recollection of it. ¡°Did you give me flowers on the day I graduated?¡± Her memory wasparable to that of a photographic memory, so she would never forget something if she made an effort to remember it. On the day she took her graduation photo in her senior year, many people came to give her flowers. The incident that left the deepest impression on her was when their ss was about to leave after their group photo session. At that time, a girl in a ponytail had run over from a distance with a bouquet of champagne roses in her hands. Sadie was wearingrge ck-rimmed sses, jeans, and a t-shirt at the time, and she was unnoticed in the crowd. If she had not tripped while running, Sophia probably would not have remembered her. With a hint of embarrassment, Sadie answered, ¡°That''s me.¡± When she was in her first year of high school, Sophia was already in her third year. As soon as Sadie started attending the school, she found out that there was a third-year senior who consistently ced first in her grade. Sophia''s first ce was no ordinary first ce. Her grades were always intriguing because her points were always one point higher than her previous ones. It was not difficult for someone toe in first ce in their ss, but controlling the changes in their grade was not something an average person could do. That, however, was not what surprised Sadie the most. Since she was a child, all of the top students around her had been somewhat dull and boring. After all, the only way to seed in a small town was to study hard. She, too, was a boring top student, and she assumed Sophia would be the same. It was not until Sophia delivered a speech at the third-year graduation ceremony that she realized how different the former was. Despite the fact that they were both wearing the same uniform, it looked completely different on Sophia. Sophia''s beauty and academic ability had taken Sadie by surprise. On that day, the seed of worship was sown and gradually sprouted. Initially, she had failed to enroll at Jadeborough University due to her grades. In an effort to get closer to her goddess, she had studied each day assiduously untilte at night. She aspired to be a good person like Sophia and wished she could be as attractive, intelligent, and gentle as Sophia was. Finally, her wish hade true, and she was able to stay by her goddess'' side. Even though it had been seven or eight years, Sadie still experienced anxiety and shyness when she thought back on the event. Since she had a ss that day, she could not attend Sophia''s graduation photo session. She had hastily picked up the flowers she had ordered and sped over to give them to Sophia after ss. Little did she know that her shoces woulde undone and cause her to trip and fall in front of Sophia. Consequently, she crushed the bouquet. The scene was so embarrassing that she even considered escaping with them. After all, she was too embarrassed to give the ruined flowers to her goddess. However, before she had a chance to flee, Sophia came over to help her up, epted the bouquet with a faint smile, and sniffed it with her eyes closed. ¡°I like champagne roses very much. They smell wonderful and look lovely. Thank you.¡± Even after so many years, Sadie could still clearly remember Sophia''s smile from that particr moment. Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org. It was a gorgeous smile. As they talked about the past, Sophia could not help but smile. ¡°Why do you blush so easily even after all these years?¡± Embarrassed, Sadie stuttered, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I-I¡ª¡± ¡°Just call me Sophia. It appears that we''re fated to meet.¡± Sophia pushed a cup of coffee in front of Sadie and locked her gaze on her for a brief moment, causing thetter''s heart to skip a beat. What a yful side my goddess has. They soon finished the meal with joy. Sadie was in a good mood after her meal and vowed to produce the best drama possible. ¡°I''m looking forward to it,¡± Sophia said, grinning at her. ¡°I''ll go back to work now, Sophia.¡± ¡°All right.¡± In response, Sophia nodded and watched as Sadie got out of the car. It was not until Sadie entered the building that Sophia turned her head to look at the Maybach beside her. Raising her eyebrows, she got out of her car and walked over. Next, she bent down and knocked on the window. ¡°Alexander.¡± Shortly afterward, the car window rolled down slowly, revealing the man''s well-defined facial features. Leaning over to open the door to the passenger seat, he piped up, ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°My car is right there,¡± Sophia stated, looking at her car. Naturally, Alexander was aware of it. He only wanted her to get in his car and say a few words to her, but she seemed to want to go somewhere and talk. It came as a surprise to him. ¡°Where to?¡± he asked while ncing at her. ¡°My house. Do you mind?¡± Sophia had a video conference in the afternoon and was worried she would not be able to make it if they talked outside. Of course, she had no control over what was going through his mind. Alexander''s heart began to race as soon as he heard that, but he remained calm and collected on the surface. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°It''s decided, then.¡± Having said that, Sophia closed the car door and returned to her car. Twenty minutester, two cars stopped in front of the mansion. Sophia took a quick look in the rearview mirror as the gate slowly opened. When the gate was fully opened, she retracted her gaze and drove her car into the garage. Being self-aware, Alexander parked his car outside the gate and did not drive inside. Coming up from the garage, Sophia nced at the man standing at the entrance on the second floor. Subsequently, she walked to the shoe cab to get a pair of new men''s slippers, ced them in front of him, and took off her scarf while instructing Genie to boil water. ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Alexander put on the slippers and sat down across from her on the couch. ¡°Is this smart housekeeper a product of Technology Innovations?¡± Just then, the water boiled. After washing her hands, Sophia handed him a wet towel. ¡°Yes.¡± Alexander wiped his hands with the wet towel while observing Sophia brew coffee with deft hands. Usually, they would have coffee or alcohol while having business discussions. Because of that, he had tasted a lot of fine coffee before. The coffee would be made by experienced baristas, and every step of the brewing process was extremely specific. He could tell Sophia had excellent coffee-brewing skills. ¡°When did you learn this?¡± Hearing his question, she lifted her head and gave him a brief nce. ¡°While I was in university.¡± Initially, she had joined a club out of boredom butter enrolled in a ss because she thought the club was not professional enough. In a nutshell, she had too much free time. Alexander pursed his lips as he realized how little he knew about Sophia''s past. ¡°Do you need anything?¡± Sophia ced a cup of coffee in front of him and went straight to the point. After giving her a quick nce and taking a sip of the coffee, heplimented, ¡°Not bad.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°I didn''t invite you here for coffee.¡± Nheless, Alexander pretended not to understand what she was saying. ¡°I''ve asked someone to look into your grandmother''s case. Bethany''s the one responsible for it.¡± His words caught her off guard, but she quickly regained herposure. ¡°So?¡± The fact that Bethany was the driving force behind the scheme did not surprise her. She was just astonished that someone as aloof as Alexander would help her look into the situation. Tsk! This is totally unexpected. ¡°I''ve invited Tobias to dinner tomorrow night. Are you avable?¡± Listening to that, Sophia could not help but raise her eyebrows. Is he nning to settle the score for me? He has surprised me so many times today. She pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°What if I''m not free?¡± ¡°Then I''ll reschedule it for another day.¡± He only agreed to meet with Tobias because of her. Naturally, he had to adjust the appointment time if she were not avable. Chapter 129 Chapter 129 The smile on Sophia''s face began to wane as she looked at the man in front of her and informed him that she did not require his assistance. For tasks she couldplete on her own, she did not need anyone else''s help. ¡°I just want to be of assistance to you.¡± Alexander pursed his thin lips in resignation as he noticed her indifference. She had herself too well protected. In the eight months following the divorce, he had been unable to find a way to win her heart once more. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She appeared to havepletely stopped loving him. Suddenly, Alexander felt as if something had stabbed his heart. Even though he was uneasy, he was unwilling to give up. He refused to concede defeat, lifting his head to face Sophia. Although he did not really know her, he eventually realized that she was not cold-hearted but rather overly defensive after they had been separated for more than eight months. He just needed more time to gradually get her to drop her defenses. He would never give up after only eight months, for she had devoted three years of her life to him. Moreover, he could not bear the thought of losing her. ¡°But I don''t need your help.¡± They were both obstinate, and because no one wanted to give in, the atmosphere became awkward. Alexander could make concessions on other issues, but not on this one. In actuality, Sophia never intended to force him to give up, nor did she want to argue with him because it would ruin her mood. After five seconds of silence, she shifted in her seat and queried, ¡°How much did you spend to buy back the bracelet?¡± ¡°Original price,¡± Alexander replied after a brief nce at her. In fact, Sophia was well aware that the original price he was referring to was not the price Delh had sold it for. ¡°Could you lend me your phone?¡± she inquired with a smile on her face. Later, Alexander handed her his phone after pulling it out of his pocket. Reaching out, Sophia took it and asked, ¡°What''s the password?¡± ¡°0716.¡± His reply caused Sophia''s fingers to pause momentarily. Her birthday was on July sixteenth. Soon, the screen was unlocked. She clicked on Paypal and generated the QR code to receive payment before taking out her phone and transferring two hundred and eighty thousand to his ount. All of a sudden, Alexander thought back to thest time she had taken his phone and sent him to the country''s outskirts. Furrowing his brows, he called out, ¡°Sophia?¡± The woman locked the screen. In less than eight seconds, she had already ced his phone on the table. ¡°It''s done. I won''t be seeing you off since I have work to attend toter.¡± It was obvious that she wanted him to leave, and he also knew that staying would only infuriate her. The next moment, he picked up his phone, not forgetting about the matter regarding Tobias. ¡°When are you free?¡± Taking a sip of coffee, Sophia finally gave in. ¡°Since you''ve already scheduled a meeting for tomorrow evening, I''ll be there.¡± ¡°I''lle get you.¡± ¡°That''s not necessary. I can go there on my own.¡± Nodding, Alexander stopped pressing the issue. ¡°See you tomorrow night.¡± ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Xenos,¡± Sophia said as she rose to her feet. As he approached the door, he turned around to face her, wanting to say something. However, he eventually decided against it and walked out of the mansion after giving her onest look. The moment he left, Sophia shut the door and went back inside the mansion. The sound of a car''s engine could be heard as soon as she got to the second floor. Raising her brows, she stepped onto the balcony and watched as the ck sedan sped away. Then, she pulled back her gaze and went to the study on the third floor to get ready for the video conference. After two days, the situation surrounding the live broadcast had subsided. Delh panicked when she learned that Sophia intended to file awsuit. She wanted to meet Sophia, but thetter consistently declined Aidan''s requests. Sophia had requested Yvonne to cancel the nned dinner with Tobias after Alexander left that day. She chose to delegate the task to Alexander because of his propensity to meddle in her personal matters. The dinner was scheduled for half-past six at Mirage. It was already half-past five when Sophia''s meeting, which had begun at three, was over. Standing next to her, Yvonne updated her on thetest developments with Magic Sense. The second round of funding was about to begin as February came to an end. Right now, Robert and the others seemed to be back on track. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± ¡°It''s my responsibility, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Later, Sophia gazed at Yvonne and asked, ¡°Is the Johnson family preparing to take over Expedite?¡± She had heard that Tobias had met Charles twice and had looked happy thest few days. The only thing that could bring him joy was that someone had finally chosen to help clean up Expedite''s mess. Pressing her lips together, Yvonne replied, ¡°I haven''t heard anything about this yet.¡± Sophia responded with a nod. ¡°Got it. I''ll leave now.¡± ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow.¡± As Yvonne stared at Sophia''s departing figure, she could not help but feel enraged once again when she thought back on what Felix had said the other night. How dare he say that Mr. Xenos and Ms. Yarrow are a match made in heaven? Blegh! What a shameless man! Naturally, Sophia was unaware that her secretary and Alexander''s secretary had a protracted discussion about whether or not she was deserving of Alexander. If she knew, she would most likely have gifted Yvonne the Most Loyal Secretary award. The car made its way out of the parking lot and onto the main road slowly. At six o''clock in the evening, there were many vehicles on the road. It was not the first time Sophia had visited Mirage. She often discussed business there. In twenty minutes, she had arrived and parked her car downstairs. As soon as the doorman saw her, he stepped forward and led the way inside, saying, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Xenos is already in the private room. This way, please.¡± After she entered the main entrance, another person led the way. Sophia trailed behind and eventually made it to Alexander''s private room after making a few turns. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Xenos and Mr. White are inside.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡± Sophia gave the waiter a quick look and smiled while nodding. With that said, she lifted her hand and pushed open the door. Alexander and Tobias were indeed inside. She had no idea what they were discussing. Alexander was expressionless, making it difficult to tell whether he was happy or upset. Tobias, however, had a smile on his face. Tobias knew someone else would join them for dinner that night, but he did not anticipate it to be Sophia. At first, he assumed that Alexander had asked him out to dinner in an effort to win him over because the man had fallen in love with his daughter, Bethany. However, he had been there for more than ten minutes, and Alexander had not spoken more than three sentences. Most of the time, it was Tobias who spoke. Just as Tobias was trying to figure out the reason behind Alexander''s invitation, the door opened, and Sophia, dressed in a brown sweater, walked in with a bag. With a frown, Tobias inquired, ¡°Alex, what do you want me toe here today for?¡± Obviously, he did not take Sophia, Alexander''s ex-wife, seriously. Yet, Alexander, who had been impassive earlier, immediately changed his expression the moment he saw Sophia. Immediately, he got up and pulled out the chair for her. Then, he poured her a cup of coffee and handed her a hot towel to wipe her hands before facing Tobias. ¡°This is Sophia Yarrow.¡± Tobias was enraged. ¡°Yes, I''m aware of that. I met Ms. Yarrow four years ago when you got married.¡± There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone. Meanwhile, as though she had not caught on to that, Sophia wiped her hands slowly. After wiping her hands, she checked her watch and turned to look at Tobias. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. White. The road is congested. I apologize for keeping you waiting.¡± Tobias looked at Alexander before shifting his gaze to Sophia. Finally, he focused his attention on Alexander''s face and questioned, ¡°Alex, what do you mean by this?¡± Chapter 130 Chapter 130 Sophia smiled faintly. ¡°Didn''t Mr. Xenos tell you, Mr. White? I wanted to meet your daughter because I have some personal matters to settle with her. But when I tried to arrange an appointment with your daughter, I couldn''t because her schedule was too full. I could only ask Mr. Xenos to help me arrange a meeting with you.¡± Tobias had always thought Sophia was not as good as his daughter, Bethany. Hence, when Sophia said that, he thought that Sophia was upset with the matter between Bethany and Alexander. Laughing sarcastically, Tobias said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, if I''m not mistaken, you have already divorced Alex. So it''s not your business whoever Alex dates! As Bethany''s father, I''ve never interfered in my daughter''s social life! You''re only Alex''s ex-wife. Who are you to meddle in their rtionship?¡± Instantly, Alexander''s face darkened. ¡°She has the right.¡± Looking at Tobias coldly, Alexander paused before continuing, ¡°Moreover, to be clear, I am not in a rtionship with Ms. White. The reason I invited you here was to deal with the matter of what Bethany did to Sophia.¡± Sophia was ready with her case as she showed the set of photos prepared by Yvonne to Tobias the moment Alexander finished speaking. ¡°Mr. White, I''m afraid you''ve misunderstood me. I know I don''t have the right to meddle in Alexander''s affairs now that I have divorced him. But the reason for my meeting with you today was only to deal with the issue that your daughter has with me. I believe that I have not offended your daughter in any way, but I don''t understand why she would go to great lengths to make the life of someone as insignificant as me difficult. I have not met Old Mrs. Sharp and Mr. Sharp for a long time due to an old grievance that is better left unsaid. The problem is that your daughter has instigated them to look for me and make things hard for me. Unfortunately, I won''t let this slide, Mr. White, so I''ll have to apologize in advance.¡± While Sophia was talking, the corners of her lovely eyes upturned as she smiled. ¡°I''ll have to tell you one thing. What I hate the most is people who make things difficult for me.¡± At first, Tobias was clueless about what Sophia was on about, but as he listened, he realized what it was in the end. It was the recent incident between Sophia and her maternal grandmother and uncle that had spread like wildfire. Although Tobias didn''t explicitly pay attention to the news, Sophia was ultimately Alexander''s ex-wife. Hence, it was a given that everyone was gossiping about the incident in their social circles. Even Tobias'' wife had also bbered something about Sophia being a vicious and cold-hearted womanst night. She said that it served Sophia right when Alexander divorced her. When Sophia was married into the Xenos family for three years, she didn''t produce any heirs. Hence, Alexander must have seen her true colors when he divorced her. Tobias'' wife also spected that perhaps the incident where Sophia saved Kristen was a ploy to get Sophia herself married into a wealthy family. Tobias hadughed it off as a rumor. After all, it sounded like one to him. However, he had never thought that this rumor that he deemed of no concern to him was actually closely linked to him. Sophia was thorough in her preparations. She knew who Bethany had ordered to contact the Sharp family, how much money Bethany had given them, their bank transactions, and the photos of them Hence, even if Tobias wanted to deny it, he couldn''t because there was evidence against him. As he looked at the photos and the bank transfers, Tobias, who initially looked angry because he thought he was deceived, started to stiffen and be pale. He opened and closed his mouth, but no words came out of it. Although the atmosphere was extremely awkward, Sophia did not feel ufortable at all. She even had the time to appreciate Tobias'' rapid changes in expression before saying, ¡°Mr. White, I believe I need an exnation for this matter.¡± If Alexander weren''t at the meeting today, perhaps Tobias'' answer would be vastly different. He would say to Sophia in her face with something such as, ¡°I don''t need to exin to you. If you need one, I''ll just say I''ll do as I like! I want you to suffer because you are getting on my nerves!¡± However, Tobias had to refrain from doing that because Alexander was next to Sophia. In addition, this lunch meeting was arranged by Alexander. Hence, Alexander''s stance on this matter was obvious¡ªhe was on Sophia''s side. Looking at Sophia, Tobias took quite some time before trying hard to spit out what he wanted to say. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I need some time to verify your allegations. If it''s true, then I''ll have Bethany apologize to you!¡± Sophia then leisurely picked up the coffee cup from its saucer and took a sip before answering, ¡°Oh, an apology? But as of now, the incident has gotten way out of hand. Even I find it hard to put it under wraps. I don''t think it''s enough if your daughter apologizes to me privately. After all, I can''t really forgive her if she apologizes to me in private.¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Noticing Alexander''s attention on him, Tobias lowered his voice. Sophia smiled. ¡°One has to atone for their wrongdoings. My request isn''t that outrageous. Now, with the matter getting out of control, the public opinion of me has gone to an all-time low. And I''ll have you know, Ms. White yed quite a big part in getting me there. When I saw that a lot of theizens were led by Ms. White around the nose, I emphasized and felt bad for their plight. I want only one thing. She has to apologize publicly, and I promise I will not pursue this matter after this.¡± ¡°Are you trying to destroy her future?¡± queried Tobias. Since Bethany was a celebrity, if people knew Bethany had done something immoral from an announcement, she could say goodbye to her future. ¡°Surely you''re not joking, Mr. White? I did not hold Ms. White at gunpoint for her to do those things behind my back. Mr. White, I believe you should improve on your listeningprehension skills. As they say, you reap what you sow, so I believe this is what Ms. White is facing right now.¡± ¡°How dare¡ª¡± ¡°She''s right,¡± Alexander, who had been silent, piped up. Tobias'' expression changed. ¡°Alex, can you bear to see Bethany''s future destroyed like this? She''s your childhood friend!¡± Alexander looked at the man and scoffed, ¡°She had iting for her.¡± In reality, the one Tobias feared was not Sophia, but Alexander. After all, Tobias couldn''t afford to offend the Xenoses, the Johnsons, the Schilds, and the Quails from Jadeborough. Expedite was currently not in good shape to begin with. If Prosperity Enterprise refused to invest in his company, then the White family might be removed from the wealthy social circle. Everyone knew that Alexander Xenos, the current head of the Xenoses, was friends with Charles Johnson. Therefore, with a word from the former, thetter would most certainlyply. In the end, Expedite would not be able to depend on Prosperity Enterprise as a backup n. Moreover, at this time, Prosperity Enterprise did not want to invest in Expedite. As for Sophia, Tobias had always looked down upon her. He believed Sophia was a delusional woman who wanted to live a high life and wondered what spell she had cast over Alexander to have thetter following her wherever she went although they were divorced. Tobias refused to bow down to Sophia''s demands, but the invisible pressure Alexander exuded made it difficult for Tobias to oppose him. In a way, he had no choice but to acquiesce to her demands. Nevertheless, Tobias had his pride as someone in the business industry for fifty over years. The more Tobias thought about how a youngdy like Sophia was pressuring him, the angrier he got. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, as an elder, let me give you some words of advice. One has to stop while one is ahead. For now, I will look into this matter and give you an exnation for Alex''s sake. But don''t push your luck next time, youngdy, or you''ll run the risk of failing.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. It was clear to Alexander and Sophia what Tobias meant. Only by relying on Alexander would she be able to demand all of this. The moment Alexander heard Tobias'' words, his face darkened. Before he could retort, Sophia said, ¡°Mr. White, rumors have it that you''ve been contacting Suny from Sunshine Group. It seems that Suny arranged for an appointment with you two days ago but canceled it yesterday. Do you know why?¡± This incident was only known to Tobias and his secretary. Now that Sophia brought it up, Tobias'' face went pale. ¡°How did you know about this?¡± Sophia smiled wryly. ¡°Oh, that? I am quite familiar with Suny, that''s all.¡± In fact, I am Suny herself! After so much had been said, Sophia tried to leave a mock diagnosis. ¡°Mr. White, your face looks red like a tomato, so I think you should control your temper since it''s bad for your health. As your junior, I have to leave you a word of advice. Don''t look down on others, or you could get yourself in hot soup.¡± ¡°Did you just curse me?¡± ¡°No, I wouldn''t dare.¡± Although Sophia said that, the smug smile on her face indicated otherwise. Chapter 131 Chapter 131 After Sophia finished speaking, she looked down at the time on her wristwatch. Ah, it''s already seven o''clock, but we haven''t had dinner yet. Judging by Tobias'' expression, he doesn''t look like he''s in the mood to eat either. Noticing Alexander''s gaze from the side, she tilted her head and saw him staring at her. She could not help but raise her brows. ¡°Do you have something to say, Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander''s eyebrows twitched. ¡°You''re right about everything.¡± Tobias knew very well what Alexander meant by that, and his mood instantly plummeted. Rage overwhelmed his heart, but he was also struck with fear. He had never been so humiliated after living for nearly fifty years. For a moment, he did not know what to do. Sophia was kind enough and gave him a way out since she was worried that he would burst a gasket. ¡°The whole story has been made clear, and I believe you should know who is right and who is wrong, Mr. White. Judging by your expression now, I don''t think you''ll be able to stomach this meal today. You can leave now. I won''t force you to stay.¡± Tobias almost choked on his anger at her words. ¡°Don''t worry, Ms. Yarrow. I''ll definitely give you an exnation for this matter!¡± He got up angrily and red at her. However, his eyes softened when he nced at Alexander. Tsk, what a proud and cowardly wimp. Tobias stormed off, leaving Sophia and Alexander inside the room. The sky outside was already as dark as ink. Sophia handed the menu to Alexander and said, ¡°You should know how to order food here, right?¡± Alexander was stunned for a moment, then he remembered the meal they had before. When he took the menu, Sophia had already lowered her head and ced her order in earnest. I never realized how easily she can push the buttons of other people before. It''s quite cute. He adverted his gaze and lowered his head to casually tick off two dishes. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. After cing her order, Sophia looked at her phone and saw a message from Katherine asking her how she was doing. She nced at Alexander and replied truthfully: Tobias might have to start taking medicine to lower his blood pressure. That was true. Tobias was so angry that his face had turnedpletely ashen. After replying to the message, she lifted her head just in time to meet Alexander''s gaze. She raised her brows and asked, ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°I didn''t know you were so eloquent before.¡± She smiled. ¡°People who know me well know that.¡± It had been three years, but he still did not know her. Alexander was choked for a moment. It was as if something pricked his heart. It was not painful, but a little ufortable. ¡°I know now.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Sophie merely hummed, not wanting to continue the topic. The two fell into silence for a while before Alexander broke the silence. ¡°Are you close to Suny?¡± ¡°I''m her assistant. Isn''t it normal for me to be close to her?¡± Alexander nodded. ¡°Are you free this weekend?¡± ¡°I''ve answered that question.¡± I''m not free. Even if I''m free, I''m not free for you. ¡°I thought you''d give me a different answer today.¡± Sophia could not help butugh at his words. ¡°You thought wrong.¡± Just then, the waiter pushed the food cart in, and the ordered dishes were served one after another. Sophia wiped her hands once more, scooped up a bowl of soup, and lowered her head to drink it. She ate in small bites. Her movements were slow and gentle as if time had slowed down. Alexander looked at her and slowed down as well. It was eight o''clock by the time they finished the meal. Sophia wiped her lips and looked at him. ¡°I''m done.¡± ¡°Mm, so am I.¡± He put down his cup and looked at her. She picked up her bag from the side, and the two of them walked out of the room in tandem. Downstairs, they ran into an acquaintance. On a rare asion, Samuel hade out for work that day. He did not expect to meet Sophia and Alexander. ¡°Sophia, Alex!¡± He had a teasing look on his face. If not for Sophia''s presence, Alexander would not have resisted the urge to kick him down. Sophia nodded. ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Schild.¡± Samuel was just about to ask her if she wanted to y together when he suddenly felt a chill go down his spine. He froze and met Alexander''s murderous gaze and hurriedly made an excuse. ¡°I still have work to do, so I''ll take my leave now. Let''s meet again next time!¡± Then he hurriedly turned around and walked back to his private room. Sophiaughed a little and gave Alexander a side nce. ¡°You don''t seem very happy to see Mr. Schild.¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Alexander did not deny it. Sophia raised her eyebrows, a little surprised. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He talks too much.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± That''s true. Whether it''s stuff that he should or should not say, he talks about it all the same. Sophie looked away and continued walking forward. Her car was parked in the parking lot of Mirage. It was just a few steps from the entrance. She opened the car door and was just about to get in when she realized that Alexander was still following her. Her brows furrowed slightly. ¡°Yes?¡± What? Why is he still clinging to me after the meal? ¡°I didn''t drive here. Mind giving me a ride?¡± Sophiaughed at his words. ¡°Sure, if you''re not afraid that I''ll drop you in the suburbs again.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± She stopped smiling and bent down to get into the car. Before closing the door, she said, ¡°Get in.¡± She was a person who repaid revenge with revenge and grace with grace. The car slowly drove away. Fifteen minutester, it stopped before his condominium building. She had been here several times in the three years she was married to him, but he did not know. Sophia''s mood soured again when she thought about the past, and the smile on her face faded. ¡°We''re here. Get out.¡± Alexander unbuckled his seat belt and turned to look at her. ¡°Sophia, can you give me another chance?¡± The moon that night was beautiful, but his words were not. Sophia looked at him. ¡°What do you think?¡± Alexander got out of the car, but instead of leaving, he went around to the driver''s side. ¡°I''ll send you back.¡± Sophia suddenlyughed. ¡°Alexander, you''re already in your thirties. Don''t you feel ashamed ying such childish tricks?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± As long as I can stay a little longer with you, what''s there to be ashamed of? Of course, he did not say those words out loud. He knew that she would get angry if he did. I''m slowly getting a grasp on her anger. She''s not very good-tempered, but it''s not that bad either. As long as I don''t cross the line, she''s actually quite easy to talk to. I admit that I''m being a bit despicable. I''m taking advantage of her patience to slowly carve my ce in her heart again. A person''s life is only so long. I''ve lived for thirty-two years, but I''ve only fallen in love once. So what if I''m a little despicable? I can''t possibly learn from Samuel and remain single, can I? Isn''t it better to be in a rtionship? Why would I choose to remain single? Chapter 132 Chapter 132 Sophia raised her head to look at Alexander, who was right outside the car, and abruptlyughed. ¡°It''s best not to keep pushing your luck, Alexander.¡± With that said, she wound up the car window and stepped on the elerator. She drove away slowly before speeding off, leaving Alexander with nothing but a gust of dust. Alexander stood quietly under the dim moonlight until the car waspletely gone. Only then did he finally turn and enter the condominium. Beep! The smart door unlocked. The heavy door inched backward and thenpletely opened with just a slight push. The spacious living room was empty. Back when he chose to buy the condominium, he had thought the ce was peacefully quiet, but now it seemed too silent. The icy breeze still lingered in Jadeborough at the end of February, and the unheated condominium was cold. Alexander walked toward the couch and took a seat as he harkened back about the past. As the memories shed past his mind, he could not stop a soft chuckle from escaping his lips. You reap what you sow. Right then, his phone rang. Alexander lowered his head to nce at it. When he saw the caller ID, he frowned. He did not want to pick up Samuel''s call. ¡°Do you need something?¡± Samuel barked out augh. ¡°Have you won over Sophia''s heart yet?¡± Nothing good reallyes out of his mouth! Immediately, Alexander hung up on Samuel. His eyes drifted toward the ss of water on the table, and it reminded him of how he had watched Sophia make coffee the day before at her mansion¡ªshe had looked beautiful. By the time Sophia returned to her mansion, it was fifteen minutes past eight. It was not toote into the night at all. After making a ss of flower tea, she lounged on the couch and sipped it as she chatted away with Katherine. ¡°How was it? When is Tobias going to teach Bethany a lesson?¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°In a few days'' time.¡± Katherine seemed excited. ¡°You''ve already infuriated Tobias so much. Will he reallyy a finger on Bethany?¡± ¡°All I did was mention Suny, and Tobias was so furious and humiliated.¡± Katherine clicked her tongue. ¡°If he finds out you''re Suny, won''t he be so frightened to the point he''ll get Bethany to apologize to you on her knees?¡± Sophia''s brow raised. ¡°Who knows?¡± Tobias is a coward. It''s hard to say what he''ll do next. I kind of pity Bethany to have a dad like him. Nevertheless, Katherine did not start a voice message conversation with Sophia just to ask about that. When she thought about the gossip her assistant had told her about earlier in the day, she eagerly shared it with Sophia. ¡°Soph, something interesting happened at our filming site today.¡± ¡°Is it rted to Bethany?¡± ¡°How did you know about that?¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°There''s no one else in the showbiz but Bethany that you''re this interested in.¡± Ever since Elise had been abandoned by her sugar daddy, she was no longer Katherine''s match. Naturally, Katherine would not waste any more of her time on Elise. ¡°I knew it. Smart people are people of a different caliber! Bethany had a scene today, and she just couldn''t pass it. You know how it''s still cold today, right? Dahlia''s been stuck filming the entire afternoon, and she couldn''t stand it anymore, so she kicked Bethany into the pool!¡± Sophia lifted her brows. ¡°You didn''t go and see the drenched girl?¡± ¡°It''s because Jonice stopped me from going!¡± Upon hearing Katherine, Jonice, who was packing at the side, nearly screeched in anger. ¡°How can you say that? You wanted to head there with the film crew''s trumpet and cause a ruckus! How would I have dared to let you go?¡± ¡°A fanfare?¡± Sophia could not help butugh after hearing Jonice''s exnation. Katherine awkwardly muttered, ¡°That''s because of what she did to you.¡± Right then, someone called out to Katherine, and Sophia looked at the time. ¡°Okay, focus on your filming. I''m ending the call.¡± After hanging up on Katherine, Sophia mulled over Jonice''s words and clicked her tongue. She was about to bring a trumpet and blow it while watching the drama. Really, Katherine''s the only one who can do something like this. In the blink of an eye, the weekend arrived. Sophia had nothing to do. Since the weather was fine, she drove to a golf course. It was not that golf was a sport Sophia adored, but that it had been a while since she yed a round of golf. It was rare for her to be in such a good mood, so she decided to y some golf. It was rather crowded on the course that day. As a matter of fact, Sophia even encountered a few familiar faces. After pulling her baseball cap lower to cover most of her face, Sophia calmly walked past Charles and Charlize. The caddy closely followed her. It was only after a while of walking did she finally stop in her tracks and asked the caddy to position the ball for her. On the other side, Samuel and Alexander were a littlete. By the time they arrived, Charles had already started ying. After taking a nce at Charlize, he said, ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Charlize sipped on her orange juice and pointed at the white figure a short distance away. ¡°That woman''s really good at golf. She hasn''t missed a single swing.¡± Samuel lifted a brow as he studied the figure. ¡°She''s got a good body as well.¡± Hearing that, Charlize choked on her drink. She then turned to the side to roll her eyes at Samuel. ¡°She might not be interested in you.¡± Charlize had been watching the young woman for a long time. Two people had approached her since she entered the course, but both had failed to initiate a long talk with her. Samuel was easily provoked. He clicked his tongue audibly and lifted his club, about to head to the young woman. ¡°How dare you look down on me? Just you wait, Charlize. I''ll show you how charming I am!¡± Charlize spat. ¡°If you were charming, you wouldn''t have been single until now.¡± Humiliated, Samuel barked out an angryugh. ¡°Why don''t we make a bet, then?¡± ¡°On what?¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. The one who responded to him was not Charlize but Charles. Charles had just finished chatting with Alexander when he turned around to overhear Samuel''s words. Hence, Charlize''s overprotective brother began giving Samuel a smile that did not reach his eyes. Samuel pointed at the white figure and said, ¡°Charlize said that young woman''s good at golf. I''m about to invite her over to y with us, but Charlize said she might not think much of me.¡± A pauseter, he continued, ¡°So let''s bet on whether or not I can invite her over to us. How about that?¡± Charles then lifted his head to look at the said figure. The young woman was swinging her club. The moment the club came into contact with the ball, the tiny white ball soared into the sky. Secondster, it landed and rolled a little before entering the hole. She''s right. She''s good at this. Charles looked away from her and returned to the topic. ¡°What are we betting on?¡± Samuel huffed. ¡°It''s boring to bet on cars and houses. Why don''t we bet on something more interesting? Sounds good?¡± ¡°What''s interesting?¡± ¡°Something that the loser will have to do. Before we leave, he''ll have to wait by the entrance of the course and kiss the first toe out of the course.¡± Only Samuel was capable ofing up with a lousy idea like that. The corners of Charles'' lips twitched. ¡°Fine.¡± At that, Samuel confidently uttered, ¡°Wait for me. I''ll invite the youngdy over right away!¡± Charles urged him to hurry by poking him with the club. ¡°We''ll be waiting.¡± Samuel stumbled. Once he regained his footing, he took out his phone to check his hairstyle. All right, I look pretty good. I even slicked my hair back this morning. I refuse to believe that someone will reject my invitation after seeing my handsome face. Yet, once Samuel came closer to the young woman and saw her face, he froze. God, she''s Sophia! She''s one to reject others! Chapter 133 Chapter 133 ¡°Do you think he''ll seed?¡± Charles nced at Alexander, who raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Samuel not far away. ¡°Fifty-fifty.¡± Charles grinned. ¡°You''re quite optimistic about him.¡± Alexander withdrew his gaze. ¡°There''s no denying that he has a good face.¡± ¡°That''s true.¡± However, the handsome Samuel was deeply regretful. This prettydy could''ve been anyone in the world. Why did it have to be Sophia? Sophia finished a round and was nning to rest. When she turned her head, she saw that Samuel had appeared beside her without her knowing. ¡°Hey there, Sophia.¡± She unscrewed the cap of the mineral water bottle and tilted her head to take a sip before looking at him. ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Schild.¡± Her tone was indifferent. It was clear that she had not wanted to run into him there. Samuel looked back. He could not see Charles'' and the others'' expressions because of the distance, but he could guess. No, I can''t admit defeat! ¡°Are you ying alone?¡± Sophia looked at him with a vague smile. ¡°Of course not. Can''t you see the other person ying with me?¡± It''s obvious that I''m ying alone, yet he''s asking that meaningless question. Jeez. Samuel chuckled sheepishly. ¡°There are a few of us. Would you like to join us?¡± ¡°I don''t like crowds.¡± ¡°Alex is here today too. Aren''t you going to go over to say hello?¡± Sophia gave him a look and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Isn''t it more appropriate if I don''t say hello to Alexander?¡± ¡°No, I mean, we saw you ying earlier and thought you were quite good. Charlize is a horrible yer. Why don''t you teach her?¡± Sophia nced at the caddy who came back from picking up the ball. ¡°Thanks. Let''s take a break.¡± Then she turned back to Samuel. ¡°Thanks, but I don''t know how to teach others. The golf course has people who specialize in teaching. I believe Mr. Johnson should know better than I do.¡± Sophia was clearly adamant. Samuel could not persuade her at all. However, he was rather thick-skinned. He threw caution to the wind and said, ¡°I''ll be honest with you. I made a bet with them.¡± After he finally confessed, Sophia looked at him andughed. ¡°I could tell.¡± ¡°But you¡ª¡± Was she deliberately teasing me earlier? Sophia knew what he was thinking. ¡°You''re overthinking, Mr. Schild. I''m just not a helpful person.¡± All the words that came out of her mouth were words of rejection, but he asked doggedly, ¡°Is there really no room for negotiation?¡± ¡°What did you bet on?¡± Samuel told her everything. Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°How interesting. It''s quite like something that you woulde up with, Mr. Schild.¡± For a moment, Samuel could not tell if she wasplimenting or belittling him. ¡°Come y with us, yeah? Think of it as doing me a favor. I''ll return it to you next time!¡± Sophia raised her brows at his words, and her eyes curved up. ¡°I won''t help you, but if you''re willing to give up the copyright for Silk Stream to Specter Entertainment, I don''t mind going over there with you.¡± The smile on Samuel''s face instantly disappeared. ¡°How did you know that we bought the rights for Silk Stream?¡± Midway Media had only won the copyright for Silk Streamst Thursday. No one knew about it except him and the manager of the copyright department. The fact that Sophia knew about it was not a trivial matter. ¡°We also approached the author of Silk Stream, but the other party refused to let go of it no matter what price we offered.¡± Money was something that everyone wanted, but the author was unmoved no matter how much was offered. The only exnation was that the copyright was no longer in their hands. Samuel looked at her and could not help but admire how calctive she was. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I can''t possibly give you the copyright for Silk Stream, but if you''re willing to ept, I can give you fifteen percent of it.¡± Sophia knew that she was basicallymitting a daylight robbery. Samuel would be an idiot if he really agreed to hand over the rights. I just wanted a share of the pie. Samuel is already very generous to offer me fifteen percent of it. Midway Media won''t skimp on money during the development phase. Even if I throw some money into the project, it''s guaranteed to rake in profits. ¡°Sure. I look forward to working with you, Mr. Schild.¡± ¡°Likewise!¡± Samuel reached out to shake Sophia''s hand. Sophia smiled a little and looked back at the caddy. ¡°Let''s go over there.¡± Samuel did not expect that he would lose tens of millions by making a bet. He finally reacted when they were halfway there. ¡°Sophia, you did it on purpose, didn''t you?¡± Sophia cocked her head to look at him. ¡°Are you having regrets? We haven''t gone over yet, so I can turn back if you regret it.¡± Then she turned around to walk away. Samuel knew that she was a woman of her word and was afraid that she would back out on their deal. He hurriedly said, ¡°I''m not regretting it! I just wanted to ask you if you were really nning on getting the copyright of Silk Stream.¡± It was only now that he realized that he had taken her bait. Sophia gave him a side nce. ¡°Do you want to hear the truth or lie?¡± ¡°The truth, of course.¡± Sophiaughed at his words. ¡°Then I''ll tell you the truth. I never wanted the copyrights of Silk Stream.¡± Samuel was speechless. Sure enough, the truth hurt. It was another day of him being brutally tricked by others. While speaking, they arrived in front of Alexander and Charles. Alexander''s expression obviously shifted for a moment when he saw the woman. ¡°Sophia?¡± Sophia looked at him and nodded graciously. ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Xenos, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Johnson.¡± Charlize was also very surprised to see Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, it''s you.¡± When Samuel saw their surprised faces, he felt that the tens of millions he lost were worth it. He looked at Charles smugly. ¡°I''ve invited her over. Are you willing to ept your loss?¡± Charles nced at him. ¡°A bet is a bet.¡± Samuel raised his brows and was just about to say something when Charles dragged him to the side. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Charles gestured him to look at Alexander. ¡°Do you want to be the third wheel?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Samuel thought about it and shook his head. ¡°Nope.¡± He wouldn''t dare. Charles and Samuel stood to the side, and Charlize also tacitly followed them. They walked a couple of meters away, leaving Alexander and Sophia together on the other side. ¡°I thought you weren''t free during the weekends?¡± Sophia did not feel embarrassed at being exposed. ¡°Yes, I made ns to y golf.¡± Alexander looked into her charming eyes. There was a ripple in his heart. ¡°Your golf skills are quite good.¡± ¡°They''re average.¡± ¡°How about a match?¡± Sophia had just finished ying a round and had rested for a few minutes. After thinking about it, she said, ¡°Sure.¡± She was in a good mood, having just made tens of millions. ¡°Shall we make a bet?¡± Alexander tilted his head to finish the bottle of mineral water in his hand before looking at her. Sophia raised her brows. ¡°What do you want to bet on, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Tonight''s dinner.¡± ¡°And if you lose?¡± ¡°You can ask for anything you want.¡± ¡°Anything I want?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he answered crisply. He was sure that she would not make a request that would embarrass him. Sophia smiled. ¡°Sure. If you lose, you''ll have to go with Mr. Johnson, wait at the entrance of the course, and kiss the second person who walks out.¡± Alexander was speechless. Samuel really is full of bad ideas! Chapter 134 Chapter 134 Samuel loved fun and games. When he heard that Sophia and Alexander were having a match, he immediately came over and said, ¡°Sophia, I''m cheering for you!¡± Alexander shot him a cold look. A chill went down Samuel''s spine, and he turned his eyes away. Sophia smiled faintly at him. ¡°Thank you.¡± Then she invited Charles to be the judge. ¡°I''ll have to trouble you for this, Mr. Johnson.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Sophia had not touched a golf club for almost a year, but she felt pretty good during the round she yed earlier. However, she felt no mental pressure. It''s just dinner together. It''s not like I can''t afford to lose. Alexander had praised her skills, but in truth, she really was just average. The truly skillful person was Alexander. Sophia knew that as well. But since she was in a good mood that day, she simply decided to have a match with him. After all, Samuel had spent tens of millions. It would be unscrupulous of her to just show up and leave. The result had spoken for itself. Golf is a gentleman''s sport. Alexander and Sophia were not on the same level, but he did not take advantage of it and gave himself a handicap. Nevertheless, she still lost to Alexander. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia felt a little hot after the round. To the side, Charlize handed her a bottle of mineral water. ¡°Thank you.¡± Sophia smiled and took the bottle. Just as she was about to unscrew it, Alexander suddenly reached out and took the bottle from her hand. He unscrewed the cap and handed it back to her. ¡°Thank you,¡± Sophia said. ¡°What do you want to eat tonight?¡± ¡°Anything works.¡± She took a sip of water and nced at Samuel. ¡°Are you guys joining tonight?¡± ¡°Don''t mind them.¡± Sophia turned to look at Alexander and smiled. ¡°But it was Mr. Schild who invited me over.¡± Alexander regretted it a little. I wouldn''t have let Samuel go over if I had known that it was Sophia. ¡°Mm.¡± His hum was a response to Sophia. ¡°Then they can choose.¡± Alexander looked at her. ¡°What did Samuel say to you?¡± During this period, he had realized that although Sophia looked easy-going and gentle, no one would be able to convince her if she did not want to do something. ¡°He didn''t say anything. We just made a business deal.¡± That was somewhat unexpected for Alexander. He nced at Samuel. ¡°You made a business deal with him? Why not make one with me?¡± Sophia looked at him. ¡°Aren''t you worried that I''ll ask for something outrageous?¡± Alexander''s dark eyes flickered. ¡°As long as you like it, you can have whatever you want.¡± The smile on Sophia''s face faded. ¡°Then what do you want, Alexander?¡± ¡°You,¡± Alexander said bluntly. Sophia clicked her tongue softly. ¡°How ambitious.¡± Then, she picked up the golf club from the side and walked to Charlize. ¡°Ms. Johnson, Mr. Schild said you wanted me to teach you.¡± Charlize was someone who was obsessed with looks. When someone with a face like Sophia appeared in front of her with a wide smile, she could not even say no. ¡°C-Could you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sophia''s eyes curved slightly as she took Charlize to the side. ¡°I''ll teach you.¡± Although her golf skills were not the best, she had a good memory. She could remember the standard posture and grip method. Thus, she would have no problems teaching a nk te like Charlize. Alexander saw Sophia chatting with Charlize, so he could only stand at the side and watch. Charles waved his club and said to Samuel, ¡°How rare.¡± Samuel nced back. Ever since he learned that Alexander liked Sophia, he was alreadypletely used to the embarrassing way a certain person acted. He was not surprised to see it anymore. ¡°Get used to it, Charles.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Charlesughed. ¡°Sophia is really amazing.¡± Samuel sighed. ¡°She is.¡± Who would''ve thought that the tables would turn this much in just half a year''s time? Sophia taught Charlize patiently and gently. The novice, who still did not understand even after being taught by her elder brother several times, finally managed to catch on. Under her teacher''s guidance, Charlize managed to get the ball into the hole twice. She was so happy that she ran to her brother to show off. ¡°Charles! I did it! I learned how to y in just half an hour! Look, it''s not a problem with me at all. It''s you who didn''t teach me well. Ms. Yarrow is different. I learned how to y as soon as she taught me!¡± Charlize had always liked Sophia''s face. After such interaction that day, she found that Sophia had a very good personality as well and was instantly smitten with her. She could not help but praise Sophia while showing off. Charles looked at Sophia. ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡± As Charlize''s brother, he knew how hard it was to teach her. Sophia shook her head. ¡°No, Ms. Johnson catches on very quickly.¡± Well, it was still difficult to teach her. The two did not say that out loud, and Charlize continued to be smug. She held the club and said excitedly, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, do you think I can the ball in again this time?¡± Sophia looked at her with a smile. ¡°You should be able to.¡± Charlize had a massive confidence boost. She swung the club, but the ball did not drop into the hole. ¡°It didn''t go in.¡± She turned back and trudged toward Sophia like a frustrated kitten. ¡°It''s okay. The next one will,¡± Sophia consoled her with a smile. Charlize lifted the club and walked over. Ms. Johnson is quite cute. Sophia took a sip of water when she suddenly heard Alexander''s voice beside her. ¡°Are you tired?¡± She turned to look at him and shook her head. ¡°No. Aren''t you going to y?¡± ¡°I''m not interested.¡± He was forced toe out by Samuel that day. However, since he ended up meeting Sophia, he thought Samuel had indirectly done something good. Sophia raised her brows and did not continue the topic. At five o''clock in the afternoon, they finally put away the clubs and left. However, before leaving, Samuel remembered his bet. Charles stood at the entrance expressionlessly, waiting for the first person toe out. The others stood by a couple of meters away from him. From a distance, they saw a middle-aged man walking out of the golf course. Samuel could not help but gloat, ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. Not bad at all.¡± Just when everyone thought that Charles would have to kiss that man, a girl suddenly ran past in a hurry. Sophia raised her eyebrows as she watched. ¡°Mr. Johnson is quite lucky.¡± Charlize nodded repeatedly. ¡°It''s a prettydy!¡± Thedy ran past them, but Samuel did not let Charles off as he forced him to chase after her. As Sophia had promised to eat dinner with them, she followed them to watch the fun. She could not hear what Charles said, but thedy blushed and let him kiss her. Then he walked back with a cold expression and looked at Samuel. ¡°Happy now?¡± Samuel nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Yep. Let''s go have dinner! Since Sophia is with us today, I''ll treat you guys to a nice meal.¡± Charles sneered in his heart. I don''t care about your ¡°nice meal.¡± Sophia responded, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Schild.¡± They left the golf course and drove to a private restaurant, Early March. Sophia could not help but think of a poem she had read before. Early March. The name of this restaurant is quite unique. She looked at the menu and could not help but be impressed with Samuel. Wow, the food here is almost at the level of a state banquet. Chapter 135 Chapter 135 The dishes on the menu were all high-quality products. Naturally, the prices were all over four digits. It was obvious that Early March was not a ce visited by ordinary people. Sophia had been in Jadeborough for quite some time. However, she wouldn''t have known that such a ce existed if she had note with Samuel and the others. Each dish cost several thousand. Even if Sophia was rich, she would not have the heart to dine at such an extravagant ce. However, since it was Samuel''s treat, it was a whole other matter. The names of the dishes on the menu were as interesting as the name of the restaurant. However, there was a detailed description for every dish, which allowed everyone to know what they were ordering. Although each dish was staggeringly expensive, it was worth the money if the ingredients were of high quality. There were five of them. Six dishes and a bowl of soup were more than enough. After Sophia and Alexander''s divorce, it seemed that Sophia no longer had the air of a ¡°gold-digger.¡± Everyone''s attitude toward her was noticeably better than before. Charlize, who had always liked Sophia''s beautiful looks, took care of thetter in every way now that they were closer to each other. The meal was full of smiles andughter, and the atmosphere was harmonious. After the meal, Sophia nced at her watch. She had left at two o''clock in the afternoon, and it was now almost eight o''clock in the evening. The day had passed in the blink of an eye. She took a sip of water to get rid of the greasy taste in her mouth. Just as she was about to excuse herself, Samuel beat her to it with a question. ¡°Sophia, do you have anything else nned tonight?¡± Sophia''s eyebrows rose when she heard Samuel''s words. She put down the cup and answered, ¡°Are you asking me out, Mr. Schild?¡± Samuel choked on his water when he heard that. ¡°Don''t get me wrong. We were thinking of having a chat at the bar. If you''re free, why not join us?¡± As he spoke, Samuel nced at Alexander to prove his innocence. Don''t get me wrong! I''m just trying to help! Sophia smiled. ¡°No thanks. I don''t like going to bars.¡± She did not like bars. Samuel did not believe her. ¡°No way. I saw you dancing at Nocturne previously. You looked like a regr visitor.¡± Sophia was taken by surprise, but she quickly regained her senses. ¡°Oh, I wanted to turn it down tactfully out of respect for you, Mr. Schild.¡± Since he did not care about that, she would not either. Samuel instantly understood her words. Sophia did not want to go with them. Samuel nced at Alexander. ¡°All right. Let''s meet again next time.¡± Sophia picked up her bag. ¡°Thank you for the meal, Mr. Schild.¡± ¡°You''re wee. I''ll buy you another meal when you''re free.¡± Sophia did not respond. She felt that there would not be another time. Seeing that Sophia was about to leave, Charlize stood up hurriedly. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you''re leaving already?¡± After their previous interactions, Sophia had a good impression of Charlize. She nodded at thetter''s question. ¡°You all have fun.¡± Charlize replied sullenly, ¡°Okay. We''ve finished eating. Let''s go too, Charles.¡± Charles looked at Charlize and nodded. The group got up and left the private room. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. However, they ran into some acquaintances as they turned the corner. Of course, it was Alexander''s acquaintances, not Sophia''s. Sophia subconsciously slowed down, trying to distance herself from Alexander. She did not want to meet Alexander''s ¡°acquaintance.¡± Ka Fletcher greeted Charles and Samuel first. ¡°Mr. Johnson, Mr. Schild.¡± Then she looked at Alexander. ¡°It''s been a while, Alexander.¡± Alexander nced at Ka and hummed in acknowledgment. He turned back to look at Sophia, who had slowed down on purpose. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± He frowned slightly. The concern in his eyes was the opposite of his previous coldness. Ka followed Alexander''s gaze, and a meaningful smile spread across her face when she saw Sophia. ¡°Mrs. Xenos. Oh, that''s not right. I forgot that you got divorced. Hello, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Ka spoke with a smile, but everyone could hear the mockery in her words. Her mockery was expected. She had chased after Alexander for many years, yet he had married Sophia, a woman who had appeared out of nowhere. Out of everyone, Alexander had chosen to marry someone like Sophia. How could Ka swallow this anger? The Fletcher family was several sses higher than the White family. In the past, when Alexander and Bethany had been a couple, Ka had felt it was unfair. Regardless of family background or looks, she did not lose to Bethany. She also knew Alexander for the same amount of time as Bethany. However, Alexander had chosen Bethany in the end, and Ka was furious. Alexander was an entric man in their circle. No one had ever heard of him spending time with someone of the opposite sex. Even Bethany, his official girlfriend, was rarely seen together with him. However, there was no news of Alexander having another woman, and Ka slowly epted it and gave up no matter how unwilling she was. She had thought that Alexander and Bethany would be together until the end until Sophia had suddenly appeared out of nowhere five years ago. On the day of Alexander and Sophia''s marriage, she had deliberately flown back for more than ten hours to see who Sophia was. However, Sophia had nothing but her good looks. How could Ka give up on the person she liked during her youth? She was already unhappy that she lost to Bethany, let alone Sophia, a random woman who appeared out of nowhere. In a fit of anger, she had broken into the wedding dressing room and shouted some nasty words while pointing at Sophia. Not only did she insult thetter, but she had also even wanted to hit her. ¡°You shameless woman!¡± However, just as she was about to make a move, Alexander entered with a cold face and ordered for her to be taken away. After that, Ka returned as soon as she finished her studies to make life difficult for Sophia. In Alexander and Sophia''s three years of marriage, Bethany was like a shrew, while Ka was like a man-eating flower that wanted to tear Sophia apart. The scene before the wedding was the only time Alexander had defended Sophia. The reason Sophia endured for three years was all because of what Alexander had said that day. ¡°No matter how she is, she is my wife. You have no right to criticize her, Ka!¡± The smile on Sophia''s face instantly faded when she remembered the past. However,pared to before, she was no longer ufortable or upset when facing Ka. ¡°Hello, Ms. Fletcher.¡± She looked at Ka calmly with a smile in her eyes. It was as though she did not hear the mockery in Ka''s words. Everyone knew what had happened in the past, but they were in no position to intervene. Charlize was worried that Sophia was ufortable. When she was about to speak up, Sophia suddenly smiled and said to Ka, ¡°You have a bad memory, Ms. Fletcher. It has been less than a year, but you have already forgotten about it. That shouldn''t be the case at your young age.¡± Ka''s face contorted with rage. ¡°So you know that the both of you are divorced. Everyone said that you left with no strings attached after the divorce, yet now you''re hanging around Alexander. Sophia, have you no shame?¡± Chapter 136 Chapter 136 ¡°Ka!¡± As they were friends in the same social circle, they wouldn''t usually be this blunt. Ka was insinuating that Sophia wasn''t born into a prestigious family like them, so there was no need for her to be civil to Sophia. Hearing Alexander''s icy voice, Ka calmed down a little. However, she was still upset. ¡°Did I say anything wrong? If she wants to leave you for real, she should leave Jadeborough, get a job, and marry a man of simr social status! Look at how she keeps showing up in front of you! Alexander, you must be blind to not realize she''s ying hard to get!¡± ¡°Oh? I''m ying hard to get?¡± Sophia chuckled out loud. She nced at Ka before her gazended on Alexander. ¡°Alexander, do you remember the message I told Mr. Lane to ry to you on the day our divorce was finalized?¡± she asked slowly, enunciating each and every word clearly. ¡°If you''ve forgotten about it, never mind. I still remember it, so let me remind you once again.¡± After a pause, she repeated her message, loud and clear, ¡°To avoid unwanted spections, I think it''s best for you to treat me as a stranger if we meet each other from now on. I did exactly that.¡± She paused midway before adding, ¡°I can''t believe someone just used me of ying hard to get so I can stick by your side. Ms. Fletcher, you''re right. I should go somewhere else and marry a man of simr social status. After all, Alexander...¡± Trailing off, Sophia snickered. ¡°You''re not good enough for me.¡± Her tone was dripping with disdain. Her voice wasn''t loud, but the corridor was empty save for both groups. Thus, everyone present heard her soft but determined words clearly. Hearing her words, Samuel gasped. If the air wasn''t thick with tension and awkwardness, he would''ve given Sophia the thumbs up to express his amazement. All his life, he had never heard a woman iming that Alexander wasn''t good enough for her. As one of the onlookers, Samuel was both excited and shocked. Clearly, he wasn''t the only one who had that reaction. As much as Ka hated Sophia, she was shocked to hear Sophia iming that Alexander wasn''t good enough for her. S-She''s brazen enough to say that out loud! After Sophia said her piece, she strode past Alexander and came to a stop beside Ka. shing a smile, she said, ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Ms. Fletcher. I should get myself a man who is good enough for me indeed.¡± ¡°H-How shameless of you, Sophia!¡± Ka huffed. Without a word, Sophia averted her gaze and walked off. She wasn''t exactly walking quickly, so Ka couldn''tfort herself that Sophia was fleeing the scene. In fact, Sophia looked like the winner who had left everyone behind in disdain after her victory. Charles frowned and turned to Alexander, who still wore a frosty expression. ¡°Aren''t you going to go after her?¡± Hearing that, Alexander nced at Charles. As he didn''t move an inch, Samuel gave him a tug. ¡°If you don''t go after her, you won''t have a future with her!¡± At once, Alexander snapped back to reality and ran after Sophia. Samuel watched as Alexander ran off and breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, I think Sophia''s the only one who can win Alexander''s heart. What Ka had said earlier was too harsh. As they had watched the video before Sophia married Alexander, they had a bad first impression of Sophia. Later, when Sophia and Alexander got a divorce, they btedly realized that things weren''t what they seemed. Sophia was used of being a maniptive gold-digger, but all she wanted was to marry the man she loved. They used to be Ka''s aplices, and that was why Sophia turned out to be this heartless now. Previously, that thought didn''t ur to Samuel. Thus, he felt there was nothing wrong with their actions. Now thatprehension had dawned on him, he felt utterly guilty and embarrassed. Sophia didn''t bother to mention some things, as she probably thought they weren''t worth mentioning. As a bystander, he felt that it was unfair to her. ¡°Ka, you''ve got it wrong. It is Alex who wants to remarry her, so he keeps sticking by her side. Alex is also the one who refuses to let her leave. You wrongly used her of ying hard to get and refusing to let him leave. Before using someone else, you should reflect on whether you have the right to do that. Who are you to reprimand Sophia?¡± Samuel had aid-back personality and was a gentleman todies. He had never been rude to anyone. Nevertheless, he had just questioned Ka harshly in public. Ka froze on the spot, for her mind was reying Sophia''s words again and again that Alexander wasn''t good enough for her. She was at a loss for words. Her friend tried to defend her, but Samuel snorted and proceeded to insult them. Afraid of the Schild family''s influence, Ka''s friend fell silent and dragged her out of the ce. It was then that Charlize regained herposure. She stared at Charles and asked, ¡°Charles, did Ms. Yarrow say Alexander isn''t good enough for her?¡± Charles grunted in acknowledgment. ¡°Mm.¡± Charlize covered her mouth and gasped in disbelief. ¡°That was amazing!¡± Samuel had just finished hurling insults at thedies and hadn''t had enough. It was rare for him to find an ally, so he raised his brow and asked, ¡°You think so, too?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, of course! Wow, Ms. Yarrow was hot as hell! I need to ask her how she did that!¡± Charlize enthused. Samuel nodded in agreement. ¡°I also want to know how she had the guts to reveal her own thoughts.¡± After all, he wouldn''t dare to do that. Beside them, Charles was at a loss for words. They are enjoying the show, huh? The icy expression on Sophia''s face faded away when she arrived downstairs. She seemed more approachable now. A server happened to walk past her and greeted her, so she responded with a smile. ¡°Good evening.¡± At eight o''clock, the sky was pitch dark. Sophia stepped out of Early March and fell into a daze. She came back to her senses when someone took her wrist. Without looking back, she uttered, ¡°Let go of me.¡± Instead of doing as told, the hand tried to sp her fingers tightly. Sophia struggled out of his reach and turned at her shoulder. shing a sarcastic smile, she inquired, ¡°Haven''t I made myself clear? Or do you think I''d want people to think of me as a shameless woman?¡± For the past ten months after their divorce, Sophia thought she was decisive enough and had cut off all ties with him. However, Ka''s words today seemed to bring her back to the days when she was still a married woman and when everyone kept chiding and mocking her. ¡°Alexander, I''ve led a life without a shred of dignity and pride for three years. I will never lose myself, not now, and not in the future. You''re not good enough for me. I mean that. I didn''t say that just to infuriate Ka,¡± Sophia revealed honestly. She stared straight at him. Pain red up in Alexander''s heart. He would rather get beaten up or yelled at by her. The sight of her telling him calmly that he wasn''t good enough for her broke his heart into a million pieces. Sophia wasn''t done with her hurtful words yet. ¡°You''re a selfish man. Back when you didn''t like me, you forgot I was your wife. But when you fell in love with me, you forgot I''m no longer your wife. All the while, you only considered your own happiness. All you want is to fulfill your own wishes and appease your regret.¡± Her harsh but honest words went through his heart like an iron shard. The pain turned him inside out. Alexander couldn''t refute her words. She was right. Chapter 137 Chapter 137 The grip on Sophia''s wrist finally loosened up. She lifted her hand to move his away, then headed for the parking lot. It had been ten months. She thought she had let go. In actuality, she had not. It took mere sentences from Ka to provoke her. Sophia realized that she did actually me him. If he had stood up for her at least once during those three years, she would not have been in such a predicament. However, he didn''t. People must move forward. Anyone who walks backward will be on a downward-sloping journey. Therefore, she did not want to go back. Sophia got in the car, but she did not drive away immediately. In everyone else''s eyes, she was calm and collected. Yet, only she knew how awful her condition was. When Katherine called her, she didn''t feel like picking up. She was worried she would reveal her true feelings. It was quiet in that cramped car. The silence forced her to recall every sentence Alexander had said. She had too good a memory and could remember every word clearly. In truth, Sophia didn''t think that Alexander was not good enough for her. She was just indignant because her ten years of affection were for naught. Sophia used one hand to cover her eyes and the other to pick up Katherine''s call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Soph, I have good news! Bethany''s acting was horrible. The director finally had enough of her and kicked her out of the film crew! Hahahaha!¡± ¡°When did this happen?¡± Sophia wiped a tear from the edge of her eye and chuckled softly. Katherine did not suspect anything at all. ¡°Just this afternoon! I heard she had to retake the same scene too many times, and she was important in that scene. If they kept retaking the scene, filming would be dyed. Dahlia was paired with her for that scene, and she couldn''t take it anymore. Right then and there, she said it was either Bethany or her. The director isn''t stupid. Of course, he picked Dahlia!¡± Sophia looked out the car window. The moon seemed far away, high up in the sky. She was too tired to deal with Katherine, so she simply said, ¡°That''s great.¡± ¡°Why do I think something''s off with you, Soph? What happened?¡± ¡°You''re too excited. It''s just your imagination.¡± Sophia paused, then continued, ¡°I''m hanging up. I''m outside and driving home. Talk to youter.¡± Katherine looked at their call duration and immediately put on an act. She whined, ¡°It''s only been two minutes, and you''re sick of me already. As I thought, you''ve got somebody else now, so you don''t want me anymore. Go! Go look for your new lover.¡± ¡°I''m hanging up.¡± Katherine kept quiet. Aren''t you a little too heartless, Soph? The heartless Sophia rolled down the window for some fresh air. After she finally calmed down, she drove off. It was half-past eight when she reached the mansion. Sophia felt tired, so she went to sleep after a quick shower. However, she didn''t sleep well. Running into Ka brought back a lot of things from the past. Scenes of people chastising her over those three years flooded her dreams. When Samuel received a call, he had just gotten home. Everyone was having a great time, but Ka had ruined the mood. He could finally improve Sophia''s impression of him, but Sophia would likely ignore him the next time she saw him because of what Ka had done. After something like that, Samuel even gave up on his active nightlife. All he wanted was to go home, take a shower, and go to sleep. However, he received a call the moment he arrived home. The caller was none other than Samuel''s childhood friend, Alexander, who had gone after Sophia, his own ex-wife. ¡°Alex?¡± ¡°Hello, is this Mr. Xenos'' friend? Mr. Xenos got into a car ident. He is currently in United General Hospital. Could youe over?¡± Samuel scrunched his brows. ¡°What happened to him? Is he okay?¡± ¡°Mr. Xenos is currently in the operating room.¡± Samuel fell silent. Are you serious, Alex? You''re taking things this far? ¡°Okay. I''ll be there in fifteen minutes!¡± Samuel did not expect Alexander to get into a car ident while going after Sophia. From the caller''s tone, the situation seemed serious. He quickly put on the shoes he had just taken off. The housekeeper, who had a bowl of dessert on a tray, asked, ¡°Where are you off to in a hurry, Mr. Schild? Do you need me to keep this warm?¡± ¡°It''s fine. Go to sleep, L. Something happened to my friend. I''m going to the hospital!¡± By the time he finished his sentence, he had already driven off. Samuel bolted to the hospital entrance. It was in the middle of the night, and the hospital was dead silent. He got out of the car and ran to the operating room. A man was standing outside with Alexander''s phone in his hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Schild. I''m Michael Perry. Mr. Xenos is in there undergoing surgery right now.¡± Samuel''s mind was scrambled. ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°The doctor said that Mr. Xenos broke a leg, so he had to get surgery. It''s no big deal.¡± ¡°You should have said so earlier! You scared me to death!¡± Michael awkwardly said, ¡°Sorry. I should have made myself clearer.¡± Samuel waved his hand to show that he had let it slide. ¡°Are you the driver who ran into him?¡± ¡°I am truly sorry. I identally stepped on the elerator. That''s why I crashed into Mr. Xenos.¡± Samuel scoffed, ¡°If apologies are enough, why do we have the police? We will follow the procedure. As for the rest of the details, we''ll discuss it after Alexander wakes up.¡± ¡°Okay! Definitely!¡± Alexander''s car was not cheap, and Samuel exuded an air of wealth. The watch he wore was a limited edition. Anyone could tell Samuel was not from a normal family. Michael was nervous, but he didn''t dare to say anything else in the face of Samuel''s annoyance. Samuel called Felix and asked him toe over and deal with the other things while he stayed at the hospital with Alexander. Alexander was fine. When he came out of the operating room, he was conscious. He just had a cast on his left leg. However, he was lying on the hospital bed with his eyes open and face pale. Samuel got up from his seat and walked over. ¡°Impressive. Other people chase after women. You chase after cars.¡± Upon hearing that, Alexander gave him a cold nce. Samuel was not the least bit scared of Alexander. He took delight in his misery and teased, ¡°Did you feel like ending everything because Sophia wouldn''t forgive you?¡± Samuel hit the bullseye, as Alexander froze. Alexander shut his eyes and ignored his friend, who took pleasure in his misfortune. If it hadn''t been for his leg injury, he would have kicked Samuel. After Alexander was pushed back to his ward, the doctor and nurses left. Samuel pulled up a chair and sat next to his bed. As he looked at Alexander, he suddenly found his conscience, which was rare. He sighed and said, ¡°Fine. You''re going through a tough time because of love, and you broke your leg. I won''t make fun of you anymore. How did this happen?¡± Alexander had his eyes closed and seemed as if he was actually asleep. However, Samuel knew he wasn''t. ¡°What did Sophia say to you? Why do you look so gloomy like a dog abandoned by its owner?¡± Immediately, Alexander couldn''t hold it back anymore. ¡°Can you just shut up for a while?¡± Samuel let out a sigh of relief when he saw that Alexander still had the energy to retaliate. ¡°Good. At least you still have the will to scold me.¡± Alexander kept quiet. Why am I friends with someone this foul-mouthed? Samuel took out his phone and turned on the camera. When Alexander saw this, he reached out to grab Samuel''s phone. ¡°Are you looking for a beating?¡± ¡°Why are you so snappy? I''m just trying to help you. You got in an ident. If I post this on Instagram and Sophia sees this, she''ll feel sorry for you ande to take care of you. Wouldn''t that be nice?¡± Alexander loosed his grip on Samuel''s phone. He pursed his lips and said, ¡°Don''t talk nonsense.¡± ¡°I know! Do you not trust me?¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Alexander saw Samuel''s post ten minuteste. It was a picture of Alexander on a hospital bed with a cast. The caption attached wrote: Don''t try to end your life just because you were dumped, my friend! Even if you don''t have love, you have cigarettes, alcohol, and me! The veins on Alexander''s head popped when he saw that. ¡°Samuel!¡± Chapter 138 Chapter 138 Sophia didn''t sleep well the previous night. The moment she woke up the next day, her phone on the bedside table started flickering continuously. Due to theck of rest, Sophia''s head started aching. It also left her in a sour mood. She reached out for her phone and saw that she had received around a hundred WhatsApp messages. When Sophia clicked on the app, she realized most of them were from Katherine. Some of the texts were from Charlize, who wanted to probe how she was doing. Sophia decided to reply to Charlize first and texted: I''m fine. She then proceeded to click on the chat room with Katherine. Her friend had sent her some textsst night. Thetest one was only twenty minutes ago. Unlike the previous messages that sounded as if she was gloating, the most recent text seemed more cautious: Are you all right? After browsing through quickly, Sophia only realized Alexander had gotten into a car ident the night before. Samuel had updated on Instagram regarding the incident, and the post had spread like wildfire. As a result, everyone in Jadeborough who was acquainted with Samuel knew about the mishapst night. In reality, a car ident wasn''t a rare case. However, this incident had captured people''s attention not only because Alexander was involved in it but also because Samuel mentioned the cause of the car crash on Instagram¡ªto court someone. Alexander''s car ident not only went viral on Instagram but also on the inte. The reason was that someone had posted a picture of Alexander and the others ying golf with Sophia at the golf course the day before. If one tried linking it to Sophia and Alexander''s past rtionship, they would find the car ident due to courting someone to be a different story. It was no exaggeration to say their divorcest year had caused an uproar. Therefore, Alexander''s recent car crash would also attract much attention. Nevertheless, someone had taken down the trending topic concerning Alexander by the time Sophia checked her Twitter. She might not even know about the incident if Katherine hadn''t taken a screenshot of it intentionally. Even though Alexander had an ident, Samuel was still in a mood to post something on Instagram, which could only mean it wasn''t that serious. Sophia replied to Katherine''s text before putting down her phone to wash up. After breakfast, Sophia changed her clothes and drove to the gym. She trained there for over two hours and only headed back to the mansion when it was lunchtime. Just when her food delivery arrived, she received a call from Katherine. Sophia raised her brow. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°I just got to take a break. I''m waiting for Jonice to bring me some food now!¡± After a brief pause, Katherine started stammering, which was unusual, ¡°W-Well, what exactly happenedst night?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Sophia had long assumed her friend would bring up the topic. She harrumphed. ¡°No idea.¡± Indeed, she did not know anything. After all, she had parted ways with Alexander outside of Early March and only learned about his car crash from other people. ¡°Did something happen between you guys? Don''t try to lie to me. You were obviously not yourself when I called youst night!¡± Knowing it was an exceptional situation where she was under Katherine''s thumb, Sophia chuckled. ¡°You''re pretty observant.¡± Katherine let out a snort and felt smug deep down. ¡°Don''t change the subject! Please answer my question directly, Ms. Yarrow,¡± she teased. Sophia put her takeout aside and glimpsed at the box on the coffee table. ¡°I bumped into Alexander, Charles, and the others when I went for golf. We had a meal together after that and ran into Ka along the way.¡± ¡°Ka?¡± Katherine immediately understood what was going on. ¡°What did she do again?¡± Back then, when Sophia and Alexander had had their wedding, Ka had barged into the dressing room and even caused a disturbance. Katherine had gone to the restroom at that time. Otherwise, based on her personality, she would have pinned the wretched woman to the ground and beat her up. When she had learned about the matter, she had almost exploded in rage. Regardless, Ka had fled to another country aftermitting the terrible deed. There was nothing Katherine could do even if she wanted to avenge Sophia. I can''t believe that after four years, Ka would return and stir up trouble again! Sophia replied smilingly, ¡°Nothing much. She only said some things that others often say to me.¡± Katherine scoffed, ¡°Nothing pleasant cane out from that stinky mouth of hers!¡± ¡°You bet.¡± Sophia''s mood improved after she worked out at the gym for two hours. ¡°Let''s end here. I''m going to eat now.¡± ¡°Oh, hold on! Does Alexander''s car ident have something to do with you?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Sophia said without twitching a muscle. I''d only repeated to him what he told me that year. Was it so unbearable for him? ¡°I''m done asking. Go and have your meal now! The filming will wrap up in half a month. Wait for me to return!¡± ¡°All right.¡± After hanging up, Sophia picked up the jewelry box on the table and opened it. When she saw the bracelet inside, she wanted to toss it away. However, she chose to close the jewelry box instead. It''s something I bought from him. So why should I throw it away? After Samuel posted the car ident involving Alexander on Instagram, everyone became aware of it in a few hours. Alexander had received several fruit hampers and flowers during his hospitalization for the past few days. However, the person he yearned for most didn''t appear in the end. ¡°Throw all these away!¡± Samuel, who took time off that day to visit him, could hear Alexander''s loud, chilly voice upon reaching the doorway of the ward. He furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°It would be a waste to discard these fresh fruits!¡± Alexander snorted at hisment. ¡°Then do you want to finish them all for me?¡± Since he had fractured his leg, Alexander couldn''t get discharged for the next ten days to half a month. Samuel had taken delight in his misery and woulde by every day to poke fun at him. Usually, Samuel would have kept his mouth shut and behaved himself once Alexander said such words. However, things were different now, and he didn''t want to miss such a good opportunity. Samuel pretended not to notice Alexander''s murderous gaze. ¡°I bet Sophia didn''te today again.¡± If Sophia came to visit him, at least he wouldn''t be so furious or treat everyone else as an eyesore. Felix, who stood at the side, tactfully left the ward when Samuel arrived. Samuel dragged a chair over and sat down while ncing at the flowers beside Alexander. ¡°Alex, your charm has never faded after all these years.¡± Alexander remained silent and watched the man fool around with a frosty gaze. I''ll make sure he regrets his actions after my leg has recovered. Seeing that he didn''t speak, Samuel heaved a sigh. ¡°Don''t be like that. I''m not used to seeing you behaving this way.¡± ¡°Get out!¡± Teased beyond endurance, Alexander took a pillow and hurled it directly at him. Due to his quick reflexes, Samuel blocked the pillow with his arm and caught it. ¡°It''s useless trying to vent your anger like that! Anyone in Jadeborough familiar with you knows that you were involved in a car ident, so how can Sophia not know about it? She''s making it clear that she doesn''t wish to see you, and there''s nothing you can do about it!¡± Samuel shrugged, a smug grin spread across his face as he gloated over the other party''s misfortune. Alexander clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, unwilling to see Samuel''s expression. Samuel put away his teasing smile. Then he raised a hand and nudged Alexander lightly. ¡°On a serious note, what did Sophia say to you that night? Why don''t we analyze it together?¡± ¡°Felix! Throw him out of here!¡± Samuel clicked his tongue. ¡°I''m only trying to do you a favor as a friend, but you actually ordered Mr. Lane to throw me out?¡± A cold smile spread over Alexander''s face. ¡°You seemed to be rubbing salt into my wounds.¡± Samuel rubbed his nose at having his thoughts exposed. ¡°I''m not that sort of person. Come on. What did Sophia say that night that caused you to be so absent-minded?¡± Despite Samuel''s effort, Alexander remained tight-lipped and refused to share with Samuel what Sophia had told him that day. Chapter 139 Chapter 139 Samuel was immediately chased out of the ward by Alexander. As for what exactly Sophia had said the other night, no one else would know except for the two who were present. Alexander was hospitalized for ten days before he was discharged. During those ten days, everyone, including those who weren''t supposed to visit him, had gone to see him. Of course, that was all thanks to Samuel''s Instagram post. However, the one whom he wanted to see the most didn''t visit him at all. Light showers weremon in Jadeborough in March. The first thing that Alexander did after he was discharged was to ask Felix, ¡°Has Expedite found an investor?¡± His question caught Felix by surprise. Fortunately, as a diligent and meticulous secretary to Alexander, Felix was constantly updated on anything that had the slightest rtion to Alexander. Last month, Alexander had got him to arrange a meeting with Tobias from Expedite. Although Alexander didn''t explicitly say what it was about, Felix still made his assistant take note of thetest situation at Expedite just to be safe. Now that Alexander was suddenly asking him about it, Felix swiftly replied, ¡°For now, they haven''t settled on an investor. Prosperity Enterprise wants twenty percent of the shares, but Mr. White isn''t willing to give it to them. So he has been actively contacting Sunshine Group.¡± Alexander scoffed, ¡°Call Tobias and tell him that if he still doesn''t settle the previous matter within three days, he won''t get a single cent in investments for Expedite!¡± As of then, Expedite''s problem wasn''t one that could be solved with a few million. No average person would fork out over two billion in investments. Alexander wasn''t exaggerating, as there were genuinely only a few people who could fork out such an amount. Prosperity Enterprise was under Charles, and Sunshine Group was under Sophia. Now that Tobias wanted to pick and choose, he would only be left with Infinite Holdings and TK. Alexander had shares in Infinite Holdings, and he also knew the CEO of TK in Chanaea. It would be a piece of cake for Alexander to block off all of Expedite''s paths. Felix hurriedly nodded. ¡°Understood, Mr. Xenos.¡± As Alexander had been hospitalized for half a month, Tobias had thought that they would let Bethany''s matter slide. On Sunshine Group''s side, Suny had refused to meet him over and over again. Meanwhile, Prosperity Enterprise had demanding conditions. Tobias wanted to make Prosperity Enterprise his backup n. However, just as he had everything nned out, Alexander''s secretary called him that day. After Tobias finished listening to him, his face turned pale. It turned out that Alexander had always remembered that incident. He couldn''t seem to understand why Alexander was still so protective of Sophia even after they were divorced. As Tobias recalled how Sophia had insulted him right in front of his face that day, anger bubbled up inside him again. However, it didn''t matter how angry he was. Tobias believed that Alexander would block off all his paths if he continued dragging the matter on. At that point, no matter how unwilling Tobias was, he could only get Bethany to make a public apology. It had already been a month after the issue with Delh, and the inte burst into a frenzy once Bethany published her apology. When news of the situation just came out, there were still plenty of people who took the moral high ground to criticize Sophia. They thought that Delh was Sophia''s grandmother after all, and Rupert was her uncle. Since they were all a family, there shouldn''t be a problem with Sophia helping them if they were in need. But now that Bethany had suddenly exined the situation on Twitter, one could only imagine how it couldpletely change the perspectives of many. It was evidently a nned family reunion with the purpose of making Sophia displeased. Bethany''s Twitter was instantly swarmed with attacks. After all, not many could pull off something this immoral. In less than three hours after Bethany posted on Twitter, the topic trended first on the tform. Sophia only knew about this after Katherine told her over WhatsApp. A few days after that night, there was a rare asion that Sophia had to go on a business trip, and she went to Bera. After she was done with her work, Sophia decided to stay in Bera for another five days and only went back to Jadeborough after spending almost ten days in Bera. As such, she only returned the day before. The moment she returned, Samuel''s secretary contacted her and said that Samuel had already drafted a contract for Silk Stream that they had previously discussed at the golf course. No one would everin about earning too much, and Sophia was no exception. As for the issue at Jadeborough, Sophia had not been keeping up with it. Despite that, she did not forget about Bethany''s issue. Yvonne told her that Tobias had been repeatedly trying to meet her recently. Initially, she also nned on looking for him in person if he still didn''t get Bethany to make an apology. However, never had she expected that Bethany would expose her own wrongdoings and publish an apology on Twitter that day. Sophia went on Twitter, and just as Katherine said, the topic of Bethany exposing herself was trending. It was only twenty days after the meal that Bethany finally took action. Of course, Sophia knew who was behind this. However, she didn''t want to have any connections with Alexander. She would just take it that he was returning a favor that he owed. After she logged out of Twitter, Sophia replied to Katherine with an emoji before cing her phone in her bag and carrying it out of her office. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± As soon as she stepped out of her office, Yvonne walked over to her. Sophia nced at her. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Yvonne hesitated slightly before handing the invitation card in her hand to Sophia. ¡°Onyx Builders will be having a banquet next Wednesday night. Will you be going, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Onyx Builders?¡± Sophia raised her brow slightly. ¡°Why would Onyx Builders suddenly hold a banquet?¡± ¡°I heard that Mr. Swain is the one who arranged it.¡± ¡°Horatius Swain?¡± Sophia had only met Horatius once before. Back then, she had gone to meet with Horatius'' father, Darrell Swain, when Horatius had entered halfway through the meal. He had greeted Darrellzily before taking his seat. As the young master of Onyx Builders, Horatius was also a prominent figure who had tricks up his sleeve. Yvonne nodded. ¡°Mr. Swain was transferred here and would stay here for at least half a year. That''s why...¡± That was why he had immediately nned a banquet the moment he arrived. Sophia instantly understood and clicked her tongue. ¡°Reject it. I don''t have the time.¡± Usually, she wouldn''t attend such banquets, and especially not if she was attending under the name of Suny, the boss behind Sunshine Group. Yvonne immediately understood. ¡°All right. I understand, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°I''ll head back now.¡± ¡°I''ll walk you out.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°There''s no need for that. Carry on with your work.¡± With that, she carried her bag and walked out of the building. When she got into her car, her phone, which was in her bag, rang. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Sophia thought that it would be from Katherine. But when she took out her phone, she saw that it was from Charlize. ¡°Charlize?¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''m not interrupting your work, am I?¡± Sophia''s lips curled into a smile. ¡°Of course not. What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Then that''s good. My birthday is on the twelfth, and I''m nning to have a birthday party this weekend. Would you like toe, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Ever since that night when she witnessed Sophia telling Alexander that he wasn''t good enough for her, Charlize had already viewed Sophia to be her goddess. Since she was her goddess, Charlize naturally hoped that Sophia would attend her birthday party. However, Charlize was also considered a spectator in Sophia and Alexander''s rtionship, which was why she had been in a dilemma for a long time before she made this call. Charlize asked her cautiously, and she held her breath before she got Sophia''s reply. Sophia pursed her lips. ¡°This Sunday?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm!¡± ¡°All right. Send me the location then. I''ll be there.¡± ¡°Really? Are you really going toe, Ms. Yarrow?¡± When Sophia heard Charlize shriek, she couldn''t help but chuckle. ¡°What''s wrong? Do you not want me to go?¡± ¡°No, no. It''s great that you cane! I''ll be sure to send you the address then. I won''t take up your time now. You can carry on with your work.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After she hung up, a smile formed on Sophia''s face. She was quite fond of Charlize. And now, it seemed that Charlize was also fond of her. Chapter 140 Chapter 140 On Sunday, Jadeborough had finally weed its first sunny day after days of continuous rain. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Sophia had just woken up when the doorbell rang. Yvonne was already waiting by the door right after Sophia changed and went downstairs. Sophia nced at Yvonne. ¡°Thanks for dropping by at this hour.¡± ¡°I''m just doing my job, Ms. Yarrow,¡± Yvonne replied as she handed Sophia the gift. While taking the bag, Sophia asked, ¡°Have you had your breakfast?¡± ¡°Yes, I''ve already had my breakfast, Ms. Yarrow,¡± answered Yvonne. ¡°Fine. I won''t make a fool of myself then.¡± Yvonne was momentarily speechless. She quickly returned to her senses and soon regretted refusing Sophia''s invitation. It''s homemade breakfast prepared by Sophia. What was I thinking? However, she knew that regretting her words would be pointless as they had already been spoken. ¡°I''ll take my leave and not bother you then.¡± Nheless, Sophia had noticed Yvonne''s expression change. She gave a soft chuckle after hearing thetter say things that were contrary to what she meant. ¡°Why don''t youe in for a cup of coffee? I may not be the world''s greatest cook, but I definitely do brew some amazing coffee.¡± It was a pleasant surprise to Yvonne. She immediately replied, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nced at Yvonne with a half-smile after hearing that. She had no intention of exposing Yvonne. ¡°Come in.¡± Sophia bought this mansion during her second year at university. However, it was too troublesome for her to go back and forth between university and home, so she mostly spent her time on campus. After that, she got married to Alexander right after she graduated. At that time, she had not even received her graduation certificate yet. The mansion was then vacant for another three years or so. It was not until she divorced Alexander that the mansion designed by Sophia herself could be regarded as having a real owner. The mansion was already fully furnished when it was bought. That was also the year when Yvonne became Sophia''s secretary. What Yvonne had in mind when Sophia mentioned refurbishing the mansions was to make slight alterations. However, she soon realized that she was too naive after seeing the hand-drawn design that Sophia had passed to her. Since that day, Yvonne also discovered that her employer was very strong-willed and straightforward in her actions. The renovation of the mansion was time-consuming and expensive. In actuality, it was not worth the effort and money. Yvonne had even vaguely reminded Sophia to revise some of the designs due to the price of the materials. Nevertheless, Sophia only told her that money was not a problem and that being able to renovate the mansion ording to her design was the most important thing. Yvonne did not understand Sophia at that time. However, after entering the mansion with Sophia that day, her admiration for Sophia increased. Sophia was clear about what she wanted. Taking the mansion as an example, she knew what type of space she wanted. The scattered yet unique space was exactly what she had in mind. On top of that, the space in the house was used to its full potential. ¡°What''s on your mind?¡± Sophia asked. Yvonne was slightly embarrassed after realizing that she had spaced out. ¡°It''s nothing,¡± she exined hurriedly. ¡°I just thought that the space in the mansion is well divided.¡± Sophia smiled as she brewed the coffee. ¡°Ms. Leighton, are youplimenting me for having a knack for design?¡± ¡°You ace in everything, Ms. Yarrow.¡± There were two types of people in this world¡ªgeniuses and ordinaries. It was obvious that Sophia was one of the blessed geniuses. As long as one put in enough effort, ordinary people could do many things andpete with the gifted ones on an equal footing. However, it was a different story for the gifted ones. They did not have to exert as much effort to stand at a height that was out of reach for most individuals. Yvonne was not exaggerating when she said that Sophia would ace in everything she did. It was a fact that Sophia was really good at everything. She was also a quick learner, and the oue of her learning was also better than most people. Therefore, Yvonne believed that even if Sophia were not in the business world, thetter would still have outstanding performance in other sectors. Sophia nced at Yvonne. ¡°I won''t give you a raise even if youpliment me.¡± Feeling slightly embarrassed, Yvonne replied, ¡°My sry is more than enough, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia had already given Yvonne two raisesst year. And throughout the many years that Yvonne worked for Sophia, she had never taken advantage of her because Sophia was a kind employer. Sophia clicked her tongue softly. ¡°I can''t believe there are people whoin about having good pay.¡± Yvonne blushed bright red. She did not know what she should say in return. Hence, she resorted to watching Sophia making coffee. Sophia was pouring boiling water into the coffee pot and waited for the coffee grinds to absorb the water. While waiting, she lifted her head and stared at Yvonne. ¡°I was teasing you.¡± She then opened the box of pastry next to her. ¡°Try these. Katherine had someone give them to me.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Yvonne replied. Sophia nced at the coffee pot and asked, ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°Yea, it is.¡± ¡°Later, when you''re on your way, bring the remaining pieces with you. I find them too sweet for my liking.¡± Yvonne was stunned for a moment. However, she did not reject the offer once she regained her senses. She knew that Sophia was not fond of sweet food. Yvonne left after finishing her coffee. Before she took her leave, Sophia handed her the box of pastry that Katherine had given her. Sophia then texted Katherine after Yvonne''s departure: I gave Ms. Leighton the pastry you bought for me. Meanwhile, Katherine was coincidentally having a break. Her expression morphed into a pained one after she saw Sophia''s message. Quickly, she replied: I knew that you no longer love me, Soph! There''s Ms. Leighton and also Charlize! I don''t even have a spot in your heart. Sophia quirked her eyebrows after seeing the message. She then responded: It''s good that you''re aware of that. Why don''t you act more wisely and give up a space for the neers? Katherine, who had her phone in her hand, was stunned. She replied: Woman! Don''t be such a fickle living being! After spending some time texting with Katherine, Sophia eventually left and drove out of her house to grab lunch. She even made a solo trip to the movie theater to watch a movie. At about five o''clock in the evening, she went to a ce nearby the mall to have a te of pasta. It was six o''clock in the evening when Sophia finally drove to the venue of Charlize''s birthday party. At half past six, the sky had darkened. After almost an entire day of blue skies and sunshine, it started drizzling. Sophia had seen plenty of cars parked nearby before arriving at the mansion, so she turned the steering wheel to enter the mansion and parked behind a blue sports car. She tilted her head to look outside, then grabbed an umbre from the backseat of her car after confirming that it was not raining cats and dogs outside. ¡°Sophia?¡± Just as she opened her umbre, she heard Samuel''s voiceing from behind her. Raising her brows slightly, she turned back to look at him. With a slight smile on her face, she greeted Samuel, ¡°Mr. Schild.¡± Samuel looked rather decent as he wore a white knit sweater and a pair of dark straight-leg pants. She looked away after greeting him and continued walking forward with her umbre in hand. There was a high chance of her bumping into Alexander and the others at the party. However, she was mentally prepared for that. She would treat him as a stranger. Moreover, it was not like she would be able to avoid him for a lifetime because that would be unrealistic. ¡°Hey!¡± Samuel called out. Initially, he wanted to say something more and even attempt to get close to her. He was not expecting Sophia to turn around and leave just like that. It looked like she did not want to talk to him. Hence, he could only shut up and follow her from behind. Laughter could be heard as soon as Sophia reached the mansion''s door. She kept her umbre and hung it on the railing next to it. With the gift in her hand, she entered the mansion. There were mainly young people in the mansion. She had met some of them before, but she did not know who they were. However, Charlize was quick to spot Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you''ve made it.¡± Sophia looked at Charlize and smiled as she handed her the gift. ¡°Happy birthday.¡± ¡°Thanks! I''ll take you upstairs. They''re too rowdy. I''ll bring you to the third floor; it''s quiet up there,¡± Charlize offered. ¡°Sure,¡± Sophia said with a nod. She had no intention of staying for too long as Charlize would also be rather busy that day. Sophia was escorted by Charlize all the way to the third floor. By the stairs was a small doorway leading to the living room. ¡°Take a seat over here. I''lle back to you soon,¡± Charlize said. With that, she turned around and left. Sophia was then left behind with another person in the living room¡ªAlexander. Chapter 141 Chapter 141 Sophia immediately noticed Alexander sitting on the couch when she walked through the doorway. It was rare that he was not wearing a suit but a ck sweater and pants. Arching her brows slightly, she strode to the bar counter at the side to pour a ss of water for herself. When Alexander stood up and walked over, she did not turn around. However, she was able to feel him walking toward her. Within two seconds, he was already by her side. Sophia picked up the ss and took a sip of warm water before tilting her head to look at him. It had been almost half a month since hest saw her. He heard she had gone to Bera for a business trip for nearly ten days. She was currently wearing a maple-colored sweater and a white midi skirt. Her long, smooth hair draping over her shoulders gave her an inexplicable sense of gentleness. Alexander had a sudden urge to take her into his arms, but he held himself back in the end. ¡°Bethany already apologized.¡± ¡°I know. Thank you.¡± Sophia smiled faintly, but there was a hint of coldness in her eyes. ¡°Is there anything else I can help you with, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°My leg hurts slightly.¡± His sudden remark seemed to havee from nowhere. Sophia looked at him. ¡°Do you want me to call an ambnce?¡± There was no hint of concern in her tone. She had reverted to her cold and distant self from when they had just divorced. Alexander felt a throbbing pain in his chest. His leg hurt, but his heart hurt even more. There were only the two of them in the spacious living room, and the eerie silence was slightly terrifying. Sophia ced the ss down and stood up, ready to leave. She did not really feel like being in a room with Alexander alone. ¡°What you said that day was right. I''m not worthy of you. When I don''t like you, I''d easily disregard you, but when I like you, I only care more about my own feelings. I''m sorry, Sophia.¡± Alexander had apologized many times before, but Sophia had never treated his apologies seriously. This time, however, was the exception. For some reason, she could not bring herself to stand up and leave. ¡°Mr. Xenos, you don''t have to belittle yourself. You''re good. When I said you''re unworthy of me, I wasn''t trying to say that you weren''t good enough for me. I''m just trying to say that we aren''t suitable for each other. If I''ve not been doing well after I leave you, you might not have like me now.¡± She paused for a brief moment before continuing, ¡°You will undoubtedly meet someone you truly like in the future. You only like me because of regret.¡± ¡°I admit that I have feelings of regret.¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Seeing that she was about to leave, he reached out to stop her, but unlike the previous time, he did not grab her wrist. Sophia halted in her tracks as she raised her head slightly to look at him, waiting for him to continue his sentence. ¡°However, feelings of regret and love don''t contradict each other.¡± Sophia scoffed coldly, ¡°Then, can you tell whether your desire to rekindle your rtionship with me stems from remorse or love?¡± With that, she reached out to push away his head before walking forward. ¡°However, it''s my first time loving someone. I don''t understand many things, but I can learn them slowly. You can''t surmise that I don''t know whether I truly love you because of my inexperience.¡± She paused in her tracks and snickered lightly. ¡°But it was my first time loving someone too, Alexander.¡± It''s a first for everyone. Why? Why should I be the onepromising? With that, Sophia headed downstairs and saw Samuel and Charles on the second floor. Upon seeing her, Samuel instinctively cast a nce upstairs. ¡°Sophia, you''re leaving so soon? We''re ying poker and need another yer. Do you want to join us?¡± She looked at him with a half-smile. ¡°Mr. Schild, do you really not know that Alexander is on the third floor?¡± Samuel smiled sheepishly. ¡°Really? Is Alex also here? Haha! I thought he didn''te today since his leg isn''t healedpletely. How did hee here?¡± Sophia could not be bothered by Samuel and responded, ¡°I''ve still got something to do. I''ll take my leave now.¡± Just then, Charles suddenly spoke up. ¡°We still have five minutes before we cut the cake.¡± Upon hearing that, she turned to look at Charles before looking at Samuel. ¡°So, you guys still need another yer?¡± Samuel was momentarily stunned but regained hisposure quickly and nodded. ¡°Yes, yes, yes! We need another yer. Come! Let''s go over there!¡± With that, he quickly pulled Charles and Justin, who did not want to move. ¡°Didn''t we say we wanted to y poker? Now, we have enough yers. Let''s y! Quick!¡± As he spoke, he made faces at them. Sophia watched him and felt bad for his decent facial features. The poker room was very clean and had no cigarette stench. It was raining, and the windows were opened, so the air was rtively fresh. Sophia sat down and took out her phone unhurriedly. ¡°How much do you guys y?¡± Samuel only wanted to stop Sophia from leaving. He was afraid she would leave if he told her they usually yed a few thousand or even tens of thousand per game. He thought for a while before raising his hand. ¡°Only t-ten...¡± Sophia''s lips curled into a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± After half an hour, Samuel looked at the heap of chips in front of Sophia and felt slightly lucky that he had wisely said that the initial stake was ten. If he had said it was a hundred, then Sophia would have won a few hundred thousand with her current winning streak. They had only yed four rounds, yet Sophia had won three games with two royal flushes. Moreover, she had raised each game multiple times, so she had already won at least ten thousand. Samuel did not care about the money, but he did not expect himself to be so unlucky that night. He initially wanted to stop Sophia from leaving, but he had be very absorbed in the game. After another half an hour, Sophia had already won over twenty thousand. She looked at Samuel, who had a defeated look, and decided to let him win a game so that she could suggest leaving in a while. Just as she decided to let him win, a man''s slender hand emerged andy on top of her hand. He said, ¡°Raise it.¡± Sophia was dumbfounded as she had not noticed Alexandering into the room. Alexander''s eyes lit up slightly when he noticed she was looking at him. ¡°y however you want,¡± he continued. Samuel, who was at the side, red at him. ¡°Alex, you''re cheating! You''re going easy on her!¡± Sophia did not say anything as it was not just Alexander here. She yed like how she had initially intended. ¡°I won! Hahaha! I won!¡± Samuel had been losing the entire night, so it was his first time winning. He immediately took delight in Sophia''s lost and teased her, ¡°Tsk. Good game, Sophia.¡± Justin, who was at the side, could not stand him showing off. ¡°Sophia deliberately let you win. Did you really think you can win by yourself?¡± ¡°Bullsh*t, Justin! You haven''t won for the entire night, and you still have the cheek to talk about me.¡± Justin shrugged. ¡°I''m not the one who lost the most amount of money.¡± Samuel was rendered speechless. I messed up! ¡°Let''s continue!¡± Samuel was not able to brag anymore, deciding to start a new round. Sophia looked at him. ¡°Mr. Schild, it''s gettingte. I''m heading back soon.¡± ¡°Ah? It''s only eight o''clock. Why are you going back so soon? Is he affecting your performance? I also feel like he''s affecting us. Don''t worry. I''ll help you chase him out right now!¡± Samuel had already forgotten why he had initially invited Sophia to y poker with them because he was so caught up in the game. Sophia shook her head. This time, her tone had a slight tinge of determination. ¡°I''m used to sleeping early. Let''s y again next time. That''s all for today.¡± Samuel had no choice but to give up when he saw how determined she was. He did not dare to suggest Alexander send her off outrightly, so he replied, ¡°Okay. Let''s send you off.¡± With that, he blinked at Alexander repeatedly to signal him. Sophia was worried that he would get wrinkles around his eyes if he continued blinking like this. Sighing, she decided to help him and said, ¡°There''s no need for that. My car is right downstairs.¡± Then, she nodded at the others in acknowledgment before grabbing her bag and leaving. Samuel saw the chips on the table, which were worth around thirty thousand. ¡°Hey, you forgot the money you won!¡± ¡°Give it to Charlize. Consider this a small gift for her.¡± With that said, she swiftly exited the room. Chapter 142 Chapter 142 Samuel was slightly disappointed in Alexander upon seeing that thetter was still standing rooted to the ground when Sophia had left. ¡°Why didn''t you seize such a good opportunity?¡± Alexander stared at Samuel coldly and pursed his lips. ¡°Be a human, Samuel.¡± You''re the one who wanted to chase me out when you were ying poker just now. Samuel felt guilty after realizing what he had done. ¡°I was just joking.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Alexander snorted coldly before wheeling around to leave. However, something shiny on the ground caught his eye. He paused momentarily before bending to take a closer look. There was a sparkling diamond stud earring on the mat. Alexander picked it up. After staring at it for a while, he took out a handkerchief from the pocket of his pants and wrapped the earring in it. Then, he carefully ced it back into his pocket. It was Sophia''s stud earring. Sophia only realized the stud earring on her right ear was missing when she was showering. She could not help but frown as the pair of stud earrings was a birthday gift from Katherine. Katherine had personally designed and made them. If one used a magnifying ss to check the stud earrings, one would be able to see the letters S and Y on the right and left stud earrings respectively. They were her initials. She had been to a few ces that day, so she had no clue where she had dropped her earring. Besides, it was a small item. Even if she knew where she had dropped it, she might not be able to find it back. She let out a sigh. Perhaps because she lost her earring, she did not sleep well that night and had a nightmare. She was sweating profusely when she woke up. She thought she had slept for a long time, but when she looked at the time, she found that only two hours had passed. After turning on the nightmp, she got off the bed to pour herself a ss of water. She took a sip and felt it was rather cold. ¡°Genie, boil some water.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± After that, she fell asleep again and enjoyed a dreamless sleep that night. The sky was already quite bright when she woke up the next day. She pulled open the curtains, and the dim sunlight of the dawn poured into her room. Sophia narrowed her eyes. She had a morning meeting that day. It started at nine o''clock in the morning andsted two hours. When she finished the meeting, it was already eleven o''clock. Sophia walked out of the conference room and nced at Yvonne. ¡°How''s Magic Sense recently?¡± Yvonne reported Magic Sense''s current situation in a simple and concise manner. Sophia nodded in response. ¡°Help me set a meeting with Robert next week.¡± It was time to talk about the second round of investment. ¡°Understood, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Since she did not sleep well the previous night, Sophia decided to return home and take a nap. She responded to Yvonne with a nod. ¡°I''ll leave first.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Yvonne had been swamped with work recently, so Sophia did not let her send her off. As soon as Sophia walked out of the office building, she heard someone call her name. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Sophia turned her head and saw a man holding a ck umbre standing beside a Porsche not far away from her. He was staring at her with a half-smile. Sophia had a good memory, so she quickly recalled that the man was Horatius. Arching a brow, she held an umbre and walked over. ¡°Mr. Swain?¡± Horatius lowered his gaze to look at her. ¡°It''s been a long time, Sophia.¡± She smiled. ¡°Long time no see.¡± Indeed, thest time they saw each other was two years ago. ¡°My secretary told me your secretary had rejected my invitation a few days ago. May I know why? Am I losing my touch?¡± At first nce, Sophia knew that Horatius was an unruly man. Thus, she was not surprised to hear that from him. Sophia''s lips curled as she replied calmly, ¡°Mr. Swain, this is a misunderstanding. I never participate in those banquets. You should know who Suny is. Many people in the industry don''t even get to know my identity.¡± Horatius cocked his brows. ¡°So, you''re saying that I''ve benefited from Dad?¡± She smiled at him in reply. ¡°You amuse me, Mr. Swain.¡± He reached out to hand her the invitation card. ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t expose you. You must feel relieved now, right?¡± Horatius was a hassle to deal with. Sophia knew that if she rejected him at the moment, he would cause trouble for her in the future. She was not afraid of him. Although he seemed fearless, she knew he would leave her alone, albeit angrily, with just a word from Darrell. However, Sophia did not want to escte the situation. ¡°Fine.¡± She took the invitation card, and he smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Let''s go. We haven''t seen each other in such a long time. Let me treat you to a meal.¡± ¡°I''m sorry. I didn''t sleep wellst night, so I''m nning to go home to take a nap.¡± When one interacted with someone like Horatius, being tactful would not work. However, Sophia did not expect that being straightforward did not work either. ¡°You still have to eat something even if you''re nning to take a nap. Don''t worry. Let''s have a meal together, and I''ll send you back after that. Hop in.¡± Sensing his determined attitude, Sophia had no choice but to relent. ¡°My car is over there.¡± ¡°I thought you said you didn''t sleep well? You don''t need to drive, as I can drive you. If you''re worried that you won''t have a car tomorrow, I can send you to work too. What do you think?¡± She nced at him and did not reject him. ¡°You don''t have to do that.¡± ¡°No worries. It''s a trivial matter!¡± With that, he pulled open the door, and Sophia got in the car after keeping her umbre. She almost dozed off in the car. When the car stopped, she realized that Horatius had brought her to Mirage. It was a location where it was easy to bump into familiar people. It was Horatius''s first time here, so he did not have a designated table. The two of them were seated near the window in the main hall. Although Horatius was a domineering person, he was not very particr with these minuscule details. The workers at Mirage recognized Sophia and profusely apologized for not giving her a private room. Horatius waved his hand to send them off. ¡°This ce was rmended to me by a friend. I''ve heard the food is delicious here. You can look at the menu and order what you like.¡± Upon hearing his tone of voice, Sophia could guess why he was able to change his girlfriends one after another and had never been single for a long while. He was like a free automatic teller machine since he was so generous. Even if his rtionship was short-lived, his girlfriend would most likely receive a sizable amount of gifts and cash. Tsk, tsk. Indeed, he''s the heir of Onyx Builders. Sophia had gone to Mirage quite a few times, so she was familiar with the dishes and knew what was delicious and what was not. ¡°Mr. Swain, if you don''t mind, I''ll order for us since I''ve been here a few times.¡± ¡°Sure, you can order whatever you like.¡± Horatius did not even look at the menu as Sophia ordered four dishes and a famous soup. When they were leaving after eating their meal and paying the bill, Sophia bumped into someone she knew. It was none other than Ka whom Sophia had just met a month ago. Mixed feelings surged within Ka when she saw Sophia. Samuel''s words that day felt like a p across her face. Ka could still feel her face burning now. Needless to say, she recognized the person next to Sophia. He was Horatius, the heir of Onyx Builders. How could I possibly not recognize him? Ka recalled Samuel''s words from that day and immediately became annoyed. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you''ve got some skills.¡± Horatius could tell that Ka''s tone was unfriendly. He nced at her and snorted before looking at Sophia. ¡°Your friend?¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Someone I know.¡± With that, she nced at Ka and replied with a smile, ¡°Thank you. Many people say that too.¡± Sophia''s nonchnt reply angered Ka to the core. ¡°Does Alexander know about your new boyfriend?¡± ¡°Does your father know that you like to speak nonsense?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Sophia had never lost in bickering. Chapter 143 Chapter 143 Ka was dragged away by her friend. Before she withdrew from the heat of the argument, her face was inundated with displeasure. If it hadn''t been for her friend, she would''ve spat even harsher words. As for Sophia, she had been getting all sorts of mean words from different people. Hence, Ka''s words were nothing to her. ¡°There''s bad blood between her and me. I''m sorry to have put you through that, Mr. Swain.¡± Horatius huffed in response. ¡°It''s okay. I just didn''t expect you to be so sharp-tongued.¡± Sophia didn''t reply to that. Instead, she smiled and uttered, ¡°Let''s go, Mr. Swain.¡± The duo exited Mirage, only to find that it was raining outside. As they hopped into the car, Horatius asked for her address. ¡°You don''t look so good. If you''re really tired, you can take a nap first. I''ll wake you up when we arrive.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Swain,¡± Sophia merely agreed with him before turning her head sideways to look outside the car window. The sky was pouring, and the weather wasn''t so pleasant. While they were on the road, they kept running into red lights. Noticing that Sophia tilted her head sideways, Horatius presumed that she had fallen asleep, so he didn''t make a sound. Just then, a ck sedan slowly came to a halt next to theirne. Sophia was stunned momentarily, for that car resembled Alexander''s. A dozen seconds had passed. The traffic light turned green, and the car started to move again. Sitting in the back seat of that ck sedan, Alexander caught sight of Sophia in the passenger seat of the sports car next to him. As Alexander''s driver gradually stepped on the elerator, that blue sports car darted forward and vanished into the far horizon within two seconds. Meanwhile, Felix had finished his report. However, seeing no response from Alexander, Felix couldn''t help but call out, ¡°Mr. Xenos?¡± To his surprise, Alexander suddenly turned to look at him with a frosty gaze. Felix''s heart skipped a beat when he saw that. Even his body stiffened. ¡°Are there any recent projects from Onyx Builders?¡± That abrupt question came as a surprise for Felix. He froze for a bit before jolting back to his senses. ¡°Word has it that Onyx Builders is nning to build a water park. Mr. Swain also came to Jadeborough two days ago to conduct an on-site inspection.¡± Alexander frowned. ¡°Did he already know Sophia before this?¡± Felix was stumped and put in a tight spot. ¡°I''m not sure, Mr. Xenos.¡± Wearing an impassive countenance, Alexander looked at him and ordered, ¡°Go and find out.¡± Horatius had always been suave and casual. He was sofortable in his own skin that, for the record, he could get in and out of a rtionship within three days, changing at least three to five girlfriends in a year. On top of that, he had no specific criterion for choosing a girlfriend other than stunning looks. Even after witnessing Sophia in Horatius'' car a while ago, Alexander decided not to dwell on it. Of course, he knew that Sophia was not a shallow woman. Still, being a man himself, he believed that Sophia would be attractive enough to captivate Horatius'' heart. The thought of it was sufficient to upset Alexander. Ever since their divorce, she was as though a jewel that had been cleaned and polished, revealing her dazzling inside while garnering more and more attention and admiration from everyone. As for Alexander, he was simply one of her suitors, the least favored one, though. For the first time in thirty-two years of his life, Alexander felt a sense of looming crisis. In the meantime, when Sophia got back to the mansion, it was already past one in the afternoon. As a man of his word, Horatius didn''t disturb her further after having lunch and sending her home. Sophia, too, was honest, for she hadn''t had a good night''s sleep on the previous day, so she was indeed sleepy. Not long after stepping into the house, Sophia drew the curtains and tried to catch up on sleep. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. She had been following a stringent routine, so she would always sleep well. Even so, the night before was different. Not only had she had nightmares, but she had even woken up in the middle of the night, which was why she felt sluggish the whole morning. In the blink of an eye, she slept until five in the evening. Sophia opened her eyes, only to be weed by the darkness in the bedroom. On the bedside table, the notification light was blinking on her phone. Sophia turned sideways and reached out to feel the phone before grabbing it. There had been a call from Yvonne earlier at three. Perhaps it was because Sophia didn''t answer that Yvonne followed up with a text on WhatsApp, indicating the purpose of the call. It turned out that when Sophia decided to press on the matter regarding Delh''s and Rupert''s misconduct, Rupert''s wife contacted Aidan to see Sophia, hoping to reach a reconciliation with her. They even stated that they wouldn''t want to burn this bridge, for they were rtives after all. Seeing that message, Sophia let out a sneer. Why didn''t they see me as their rtive when they epted the bribery and guilt-tripped me? In truth, Delh and Rupert had epted five hundred thousand from Bethany without a second thought. They only thought of bringing up their familial ties after things blew up. Perhaps they had forgotten that Sophia was no longer the feeble girl in the past, much less a pushover. What the heck are they thinking about? They must be daydreaming! Dream on! Sophia gave Yvonne a two-word reply: Ignore them. After that, she put down the phone and went to prepare a simple dinner. Earlier that day, she had left her car at Sunshine Group when she went out for lunch with Horatius. Hence, Sophia intentionally set the rm to wake herself up half an hour earlier than the previous morning, so she could use the extra time to hail a taxi to get to work. Nevertheless, the second she stepped out of the mansion, Horatius was already there waiting for her in his car. As soon as Horatius saw her, he honked the car horn and called out through the half-open car window, ¡°Hop in! I''ll send you to the office.¡± Sophia lifted her brows slightly before approaching him. Closing her umbre, she slid into the passenger seat and asked, ¡°What brings you here, Mr. Swain?¡± ¡°Yesterday, I promised to send you to work in the morning, didn''t I?¡± Sophia was surprised to learn that he really meant it. ¡°I thought you were joking.¡± Upon hearing that, Horatius arched a brow. ¡°How could I ever bear to let a beauty like yourself squeeze through the crowd on the bus just to get to work?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sophia purely let out a chuckle. Deep down, she was unfazed at hisment. From her perspective, Horatius had more romantic partners than acquaintances, so ttery would undoubtedlye naturally to him. I''d be na?ve to take his word seriously. ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± queried Horatius. ¡°Yes. What about you, Mr. Swain?¡± ¡°I got up a little bitte, so I didn''t have enough time.¡± That answer made Sophia feel somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Take a left turn at the junction ahead. There''s a mall that sells breakfast just three hundred meters away.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Horatius nced at her and asked, ¡°Did you sleep well yesterday?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I figured. Yourplexion also looks way better now.¡± Sophia assumed that he was singing her praises, thus shing him a faint smile to gesture a response. Since they departed earlier that day, it was still early when they arrived at Sunshine Group. After dropping Sophia off, Horatius bade her goodbye and drove off at once. Sophia then heaved a sigh of relief. She was actually very worried that Horatius would have feelings for her. After all, she didn''t want to be on bad terms with him. It was rare for Sophia to reach the office around eight in the morning. The vast majority of the staff members hadn''t arrived yet. As Sophia flipped through some documents, the staff members began to appear one after another. Most of them were shocked to see Sophia that early that day. Coincidentally, Sophia''s gazended on Yvonne''s assistant as she raised her brows slightly and said, ¡°Yup, it''s yours truly.¡± Looking nonplussed, Yvonne''s assistant then greeted her, ¡°G-Good morning, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nodded and requested, ¡°Tell Ms. Leighton to see me when she''s here.¡± ¡°Noted, Ms. Yarrow.¡± On the day when Horatius would be holding a banquet, Sophia signed an agreement with Robert for the second round of shares acquisition. With that, Sophia would offer an additional fifteen million in exchange for fifteen percent of Robert''s shares in Magic Sense. Prior to that, Sophia had already possessed twenty percent of the shares. Therefore, she then had a total of thirty-five percent of the shares, which was equivalent to that of the founder of Magic Sense, Robert, rendering Sophia one of the major shareholders. Laying her hands on those shares, Sophia was pretty satisfied with that. Owing to that, she was in a state of euphoria the entire day. She didn''t even wish to attend the banquet at first. Yet, the reluctance within her seemed to have dissipated. Chapter 144 Chapter 144 When Sophia arrived at the destination, she saw many luxury cars parked outside the hotel. Naturally, they had to show respect to the sessor of Onyx Builders. Most people in the upper echelon of Jadeborough were present that day. Many people in the business world knew about Horatius'' n to develop an amusement park in the city. He held this grand banquet with his future business venture in mind. Horatius rented three floors of the hotel. Rumor had it that he invited several famous movie stars and singers to the banquet. There were not many people who could afford to splurge that much money. The security at the entrance was strict. Only those on the guest list were allowed to enter. When Sophia received the invitation card, she immediately put it in her bag. However, she made the last-minute decision to change her bag to match her dress before leaving the house. She only realized that she had forgotten to bring the invitation card upon arriving at the venue. After her conversation with Robert, Sophia took a few bites before going to the banquet. She wore a long low-cut dress with a gray-striped zer to avoid being a standout. Despite not dressing formally like other guests, her outfit was not too shabby for the asion. Before going out, Sophia thought about the potential issue with her outfit. Nheless, she did not expect to be blocked at the entrance because of the invitation card. Well, it''s not my fault for getting prevented from entering the banquet. After all, I wanted toe here. It''s only seven o''clock now. I can still put on a mask and take a bath when I get home. With that in mind, Sophia thought it was fine even if she could not attend the banquet. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, a mocking voice chimed in, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, why don''t you go inside?¡± It was Ka again. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The world was indeed small. They seemed to run into each other frequently. The moment Ka finished talking, Bethany and Thalia came up behind her. Sophia had not seen Thalia for a long time. All of them were her enemies. Sophia nced at Ka before turning her gaze to the security guard beside her. ¡°My name is Sophia Yarrow. I forgot to bring my invitation card. Can you ask the person in charge if I''m allowed to go in?¡± Many people wanted to attend the banquet. Despite Sophia''s outstanding looks, her outfit was somewhat low-key that day. The security guard at the entrance nced at Sophia and said impassively, ¡±I''m sorry, miss. We only allow guests with invitations to enter.¡± Sophia nodded with understanding. She took out her phone and prepared to call Horatius. Ka let out another chuckle. ¡°Why are you so ignorant? Ms. Yarrow has been Mr. Swain''stest fling since a few days ago. If you don''t allow her to go in, you''ll have to face Mr. Swain''s wrath. Let''s see if you can keep your job by then.¡± The other guests waiting behind them heard Ka''s harsh words crystal clear. As soon as Samuel and Alexander arrived, they immediately heard Ka''s mocking words. Frowning, Samuel tilted his head to look at Alexander. ¡°Ka is a bit dumb, isn''t she?¡± Alexander''s expression hardened as he stepped forward and took out the invitation card. For an important guest like Alexander, his invitation card undoubtedly contained more than a few lines of words. Seeing the name ¡°Alexander Xenos,¡± the security guard at the door instantly became more serious. ¡°This way, please, Mr. Xenos.¡± Looking at Sophia, Alexander asked, ¡°Shall we go inside?¡± Two people were allowed to enter with only one invitation card. Moreover, it was Alexander who wanted to bring Sophia inside. The security guards did not dare to stop him. Sophia smiled faintly at him. ¡°Thank you.¡± Many people who witnessed the whole scene began whispering among themselves. Snorting, Ka strode toward the venue in her high heels. After being humiliated by Sophiast time, Thalia did not dare to provoke her so tantly anymore. Besides, she also received a stern warning from Alexander not so long ago. Thalia felt displeased seeing the way Alexander defended Sophia. Looking at Bethany on her side, Thaliaforted her, ¡°Don''t worry, Bethany. I''ll help you win back Alex!¡± Bethany''s reputation had been ruined by then. Her apology to theizens not long ago made her a laughing stock in the circle. Nevertheless, Thalia disliked Sophia. Besides, what Bethany did was directed toward Sophia. In Thalia''s opinion, Bethany was on the same side as her. Therefore, she naturally had to help Bethany. Afraid that others might hear Thalia''s words, Bethany shook her head vigorously. ¡°Thalia, I have nothing to do with Mr. Xenos anymore.¡± Deep down in her heart, Bethany still wanted to win Alexander back. Nheless, Tobias told her that the person who forced her to apologize on the inte was Alexander. Bethany had be a figure of fun after that incident. She was worried that she might be humiliated again when Thalia talked about her personal life so openly. ¡°Don''t lose hope so easily, Bethany. Alex is only temporarily charmed by that vixen!¡± Lowering her eyes, Bethany whispered, ¡°Stop criticizing Ms. Yarrow. I was the one who misunderstood her in the past.¡± ¡°Bethany, you''re too na?ve! Sophia is a vicious woman. Just look at Leonard and me. We were made to suffer so much because of her. Now, Alex even warned my mom not to mess with Sophia. No one dares to provoke her anymore. I''m telling the truth!¡± Thained. Bethany did not expect Alexander to defend Sophia so vehemently. Jealousy crept up in Bethany''s heart. Even though she was not talking badly about Sophia on the surface, she could not help feeling angry in the end. When Sophia entered the venue with Alexander, Horatius immediately came over. ¡°I just heard that someone stopped you at the door.¡± The banquet that day was grand. Therefore, Sophia did not want to create trouble. ¡°It''s nothing. I merely forgot to bring my invitation card.¡± On the other hand, Horatius was displeased upon hearing that. ¡°It seems like my words have fallen on deaf ears. I''ve told them earlier that you''re my honored guest. Yet, they still blocked you from entering just now.¡± Horatius sniggered and slightly raised his voice to ensure other people around them could hear him. Then, he nced at Alexander and greeted, ¡°It''s been a while, Mr. Xenos. Sophia is my friend. I heard that you were the one who brought her in. So, thank you.¡± With that remark, Horatius managed to thank Alexander on Sophia''s behalf while indicating that she had a special rtionship with him. The people around them were all smart individuals. Horatius had countless girlfriends in the past. However, they had never heard of him having a female friend. After hearing his remark, the surrounding people fixed their keen gazes at Sophia. After all, Horatius was the heir of Onyx Builders. He was known to have high standards. Moreover, his girlfriends in the past treated him as though he was royalty. It was the first time he defended someone so anxiously in public. The crowd began chattering in the background. Who is Sophia? Isn''t she the ex-wife of Alexander? Sophia was stopped at the door from attending the banquet. Alexander passed by coincidentally and brought her in. Not long afterward, Horatius rushed over to rify the situation for Sophia. He also thanked Alexander on her behalf. Tsk. This is so dramatic. I''m even more confused right now. Alexander nced at Sophia. She was wearing a long white dress with a zer. She looked sharp and sexy at the same time. Nevertheless, her sparkling eyes shed with a cold glint when she looked back at him. The moment Horatius arrived, Sophia walked over to his side. That small movement felt like a stab in Alexander''s heart. He found it difficult to breathe right then. Alexander''s expression darkened as he averted his gaze from Sophia. Then, he looked at Horatius resolutely as though he was dering war. ¡°I like Sophia, so I can''t bear to listen to other people''s nonsense about her.¡± After a brief pause, he looked at Sophia and continued, ¡°Otherwise, I''d be heartbroken.¡± The crowd erupted into an uproar when they heard Alexander''s sincere words. Samuel nearly gave Alexander a round of apuse out of instinct. That was bloody awesome! Alexander''s still the man! Chapter 145 Chapter 145 Horatius snorted lightly. He stared at Alexander intently, without any intention of giving in. ¡°Mr. Xenos, if I remember correctly, you''re Sophia''s ex-husband, right?¡± He wanted to hurt Alexander by emphasizing the word ¡°ex-husband.¡± Nevertheless, Alexander seemed unbothered by Horatius'' sarcastic remark. Instead, he asked, ¡°What does that have to do with me liking Sophia?¡± It was the second time that Alexander confessed that he liked Sophia that night. Perhaps there was still room for argument about the first time. People might argue that his feelings for Sophia were not the romantic kind. However, Alexander made it crystal clear in his second confession. Anyone with a brain would know that his feelings for Sophia were romantic. It was apparent that he still longed for her so many months after their divorce. Meanwhile, Horatius was triggered by Alexander''s words. ¡°It has nothing to do with it. However, you''re her ex-husband. You should know this well yourself. You''re ipatible with Sophia. I''m sure you couldn''t do anything to salvage the marriage when she wanted to divorce you back then, right?¡± It was undeniable that Horatius was experienced in love. He managed to pinpoint Alexander''s problems with ease. Those words pierced through thetter''s heart mercilessly. Alexander did not know how to answer Horatius'' question. Instead, he nced at Sophia. She merely stood by Horatius'' side throughout the whole exchange. She watched on indifferently as though Alexander''s confessions did not matter to her. If anything, Sophia looked more like an outsider watching the drama unfold impassively, as if the exchanges between Alexander and Horatius had nothing to do with her. Sophia''s indifference made Alexander feel more miserable. He was shocked when he suddenly recalled her words that day. Alexander did not mean to make it hard for Sophia in front of so many people. He just could not help himself due to his overwhelming affection for her. Nevertheless, Alexander knew that Sophia probably would not care why he was behaving like that. From her perspective, Alexander had once again put her in an awkward situation in public. Upon that thought, Alexander felt a pang of sadness. After casting a deep gaze at Sophia, Alexander admitted, ¡°Mr. Swain, you''re right. It was just my wishful thinking.¡± Then, he looked back at Sophia. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Once again, Alexander had hurt her with his actions. Upon hearing his apology, Sophia looked up at him. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I hope you''ll be more careful with your words in the future.¡± With just that one casual statement, she managed to banish Alexander to hell instantly. Alexander moved his lips and wanted to say something. Nevertheless, he soon realized that he would probably make more mistakes. In the end, he nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Even a high and mighty man like Alexander became humble in front of Sophia. Samuel was saddened when he saw how miserable his best friend had be. Meanwhile, Thalia''s blood was boiling when she observed the situation from the side. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Bethany, who stood beside Thalia, had a gloomy expression as well. When did Alexander ever bow down to others before? Not only did he confess to Sophia in public, but he also admitted that his feelings for her were one-sided. He still can''t let go of her. Moreover, that woman has the cheeks to ask him to be more careful with his words in the future. I can''t believe he didn''t get angry at all. Instead, heplied with her in such a humble manner. Bethany clenched her handbag with a death grip. What did Sophia feed Alexander with to make him so head over heels for her? Of course, she was not the only woman present to feel puzzled and even slightly angry at Sophia. Many daughters of the prominent families in Jadeborough were vying to win Alexander''s heart in the past. When he got married to Sophia, numerous wealthy youngdies pushed aside their past grudges and gathered together to criticize and belittle Sophia. After their divorce, many singledies in Jadeborough began to get excited by the prospect of pursuing Alexander. Alexander''s family assets were the main attraction for them. With his outstanding looks and body, many women would not mind having a casual fling with him. Nevertheless, no woman had gotten close to Alexander eight months after his divorce from Sophia. Despite their annoyance, those women were reassured by the fact that no one else had seeded in winning Alexander''s heart. To their surprise, the usually cold and aloof Alexander earnestly confessed to Sophia in front of so many people. He even disyed his weakness toward her by apologizing for his mistake despite getting scolded by her. Only a saint would not get angry after watching the scene unfold. Still, regardless of how furious those women were, Alexander lowered himself in front of Sophia. People felt envious of Sophia upon seeing her indifferent expression. Horatius huffed before leading Sophia away. ¡°Let me bring you to the lounge.¡± After creating so much trouble not long after entering the banquet, Sophia knew she should head to a ce with fewer people and wait for the storm to die down. She nodded before turning around and leaving with Horatius. Alexander stood rooted to the spot as he looked forlornly at the direction Sophia and Horatius had left. He did not move for a long time. ¡°They''ve already left,¡± Samuel said with a sigh. Hearing Samuel''s words, Alexander tilted his head to the side and nced at him. Then, he walked over to the rest area with a long face. Samuel hurriedly followed him. He gged down a waiter and took two sses of champagne while heading to the rest area. Then, Samuel handed a ss to Alexander and said, ¡°Come on. It''s fine to drown your sorrows now. I promise not to mock you anymore.¡± Alexander shot him a death re in response. Samuel felt a chill run down his spine on the receiving end of that icy re. ¡°Okay, then. I''ll drink by myself,¡± he uttered awkwardly. With that, he downed the two sses of champagne in quick session. After drinking, Samuel realized that Alexander did not know where else to go at that moment. Samuel recalled Alexander''s expression as he watched Sophia leave with Horatius. He was worried that Alexander might lose his cool and do something irrational. Hence, Samuel immediately chased after him and called out, ¡°Alex!¡± ¡°Get lost! Stop bothering me,¡± Alexander snapped. Alexander wanted to be alone at that moment. Nheless, Samuel was following him around like a pesky bug. Alexander was scared that he might lose control and beat Samuel to a pulp. ¡°No. Please calm down. You know this is Horatius'' territory. Even if we want to do something, we can''t pick a fight with him right here.¡± Suddenly, Alexander stopped in his tracks. Still, he said nothing but just looked at Samuel coldly. Samuel felt worried by his gaze. ¡°Fine. Just don''t do anything silly!¡± ¡°Can you please leave me alone so I can calm down?¡± ¡°You should''ve told me that earlier. I thought you were nning to take revenge seeing how angry you were,¡± Samuel admitted. Alexander remained silent. ¡°All right. Just stay calm, okay? I''ll take my leave now.¡± Looking at Alexander''s murderous gaze, Samuel felt somewhat guilty for pushing his buttons. He turned around and walked away. Alexander was left alone in the long corridor. No one else was there besides a few guests and waiters who would asionally pass by. The hotel was under Justin''s name. Alexander was familiar with the building. Turning a corner, he headed toward an empty balcony to calm his nerves. It was drizzling that night. Alexander stood there forlornly as the cool rain streamed down his face. It cleared his troubled mind yet made him miserable at the same time. In the past few days, Alexander kept remembering Sophia''s words when she came to hispany with the divorce papers. Don''t worry. I promise I''m not lying to you now. You should know that this is your only and final chance to get rid of me from your life. Therefore, you must cherish it. Back then, he thought Sophia was merely using reverse psychology to win him over. Nevertheless, it never urred to him that she kept her words and did not want to return to his side. Once Sophia had retreated, she went to a ce where Alexander could not approach her. Chapter 146 Chapter 146 ¡°Alexander.¡± His closed eyes twitched slightly when he heard a girl''s voice. Ka gazed at Alexander, who was standing on the balcony. His dejected and aloof silhouette seemed to have blended with the night sky. She did not dare to approach him. Instead, she merely stood at the doorway, three meters away from him, and called his name. Ka had witnessed everything that had happened earlier from the side. She could not believe an arrogant and proud man like Alexander would apologize to Sophia. ¡°What do you like about her? Is it because of her pretty face? What other traits do Sophia possess, which you are so fond of, aside from her good looks?¡± Alexander was already grappling with his worst emotions. Yet, Ka, insolent as she was, dared to criticize Sophia in front of him at that moment. He snorted, turned around, and looked at her. ¡°Who are you to speak of her? You''re not even qualified to be her servant, Ka.¡± You''re not even qualified to be her servant, Ka. Alexander''s hurtful words reverberated in Ka''s mind as her body shuddered. He had always addressed her as ¡°Ms. Fletcher.¡± For so many years, he had never changed the distant and cold manner when greeting her. That night was the first time Alexander had called Ka by her given name. Little did she expect him to do so for the sake of defending Sophia. Ka was on the verge of losing her sanity. ¡°How am I inferior to her? Tell me, Alexander. How am I inferior to her?¡± Sophia was aggrieved. She did not understand how Sophia was better than her. Alexander merely stared at her coldly as if he was looking at a clown. In the end, Ka could no longer stand the way his emotionless eyes were boring into her. She shrieked, covered her face with her hand, and ran off. Following Ka''s departure, the balcony fell quiet again. The corner of Alexander''s lips twitched slightly. ¡°What a fool, thinking so highly of herself. How can a good-for-nothing like her dare topare herself to Sophia?¡± Sophia and Horatius entered the lounge. She thought about what had happened earlier and turned around to nce at Horatius. ¡°I''m sorry to have troubled you earlier, Mr. Swain.¡± Horatius opened a bottle of mineral water before handing it to her. ¡°I''m fine. On the other hand, I''m concerned about you.¡± He arched a brow before adding, ¡°Your ex-husband appears unable to let go of his feelings for you.¡± Sophia smiled wryly. ¡°There''s nothing for him to let go if there weren''t any feelings in the first ce.¡± Horatius gazed at her for a short while. ¡°I don''t suppose you would go back?¡± ¡°Do I strike you as someone who would do that?¡± Heughed. ¡°A wise person would never do that, and you, Sophia, are an intelligent person.¡± ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡± She was indeed a smart woman. ¡°All right. You can get some rest in here for now. I''m going out to meet with someone. I''ll be backter to bring you out.¡± Sophia was a little embarrassed. ¡°Okay.¡± Horatius waved his hand and shut the door behind him when he left. The lounge was a luxuriously-decorated room. Sophia sat on the couch while holding the bottle of water in her hands. She was undoubtedly brilliant, but she was still human. And because of that, Alexander''s words could not have bounced off her without having any effect. At the very least, she felt ill at ease at that moment as a slight hint of annoyance crept into her chest. She would rather Alexander treated her the way he had done so during those three years, regarding her as a gold-digging and scheming woman. She wished he would hate and disdain her than behave in his current demeanor. Although she could not deny that she felt pleased with the sight of him in that condition, at that point in her life, she would prefer if they no longer had any interactions, walking their own separate paths. Because something like that had happened just after she entered the venue, Sophia did not stay for long. Horatius was the main character for the night, so he did not have the time to send her off in person. He did not force her to stay, making an exception for her to go back after taking in her dispirited manner. Katherine called her right after she returned to her mansion. Sophia poured a ss of warm water and sat on the couch. She felt a little exhausted. Sophia asked, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°What happened tonight?¡± Katherine possessed wideworking, having acquaintances from every walk of life. She had heard the news about the incident that happened that night swiftly after. However, her friends had described that matter in exaggeration, telling her about Alexander being an affectionate man and suffering from heartache. Naturally, Katherine did not believe in that inurate information. Still, she believed that Sophia and Alexander had met. Sophia did not expect that matter to reach Katherine''s ears that soon. She took a sip of the warm water before replying, ¡°It''s nothing. Alexander has gone crazy.¡± ¡°Seriously? Did he really confess his feelings for you in front of so many people?¡± Sophia was unfazed earlier but felt inexplicable emotions undting in her heart presently, now that Katherine mentioned Alexander''s confession again. She pursed her lips slightly and responded casually, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is he messing with you or being serious?¡± ¡°He''s serious.¡± Katherine was stumped at that instant. Alexander was suddenly and unexpectedly falling for Sophia. At that point, Katherine did not know if she should give Sophia any advice. After all, she knew Sophia was better at handling her emotions than she did. Having said that, she was still Sophia''s best friend. Therefore, Katherine felt the need to show her concern. ¡°Do you still have feelings for him?¡± Sophia was stunned upon hearing that question. Do I still have feelings for him? To be honest, even I am not sure about that. Those three years had depleted all the hopes I had. I no longer yearn to be with Alexander anymore, but do I still like him? He is the man I fell for when I was fifteen years old. Sophia ced her hand over her eyes. She could not lie to herself. ¡°People have always said that a person''s first love will always be the hardest thing to forget.¡± ¡°In that case, shouldn''t Alexander be harboring loving feelings for Bethany instead? She is his first crush, after all.¡± Katherine''s words stung Sophia''s heart. ¡°Are you saying that on purpose?¡± ¡°I''m not that kind of person. I''m just genuinely curious.¡± Sophia chuckled in exasperation, listening to Katherine. ¡°You should ask Alexander that question.¡± Katherine pondered before uttering, ¡°Perhaps Bethany is too ugly.¡± Sophia could not help but raise her brows after hearing that. ¡°Are you telling me that Alexander likes me because of my appearance?¡± ¡°There''s no need to be so humble, Soph. Aside from good looks, you are also loaded with money!¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Sophia''s mood lightened up because of Katherine''s yful remark. Sheughed. ¡°You''re absolutely right.¡± Perhaps because she felt her words might sound a little inappropriate, Katherine hurriedly added, ¡°Alexander is not that shallow, actually. Maybe he finds your wisdom attractive. After all, a mother''s intelligence will significantly affect the children''s development.¡± ¡°It seems like Joshua must truly love you since he''s still willing to marry you.¡± Katherine sensed Sophia''s mocking tone, but she had started it, so she had no choice but to bear with thetter''s ridicule. ¡°Do you feel better viewing things from this perspective?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°A little matters as well. I''m happy as long as you''re happy. Anyway, regardless of what decision you make in the future, I''ll always support you. That jerk, Alexander, is not that bad, actually. I can force myself to let him pursue you since he has the courage to confess to you in public.¡± A warm sensation filled Sophia''s chest. She felt much better now. ¡°I''m fine. It''s gettingte. You should rest earlier.¡± ¡°All right. Goodnight, then.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up the call, Sophia stared at her phone in a daze. Alexander said he likes me in front of everyone. This ispletely out of my expectation. Still, this doesn''t mean that I''m willing to ept him. Katherine is having a false impression. I am not as kind- hearted as she thinks, honestly. Everyone needs to shoulder the responsibilities for the things they''ve done. Alexander and I are not exceptions. One should not treat their feelings recklessly. I''ve acted impulsively once, and that cost me dearly. I was left hurt and damaged. Now, I no longer have the courage to be foolhardy again. Chapter 147 Chapter 147 Ten months since their divorce, Sophia had not thought about the things that had happened fifteen years ago for a long time. However, because of Alexander''s confession, her dreams that night were filled with scenes from the past, on the day he had rescued her. Sophia did not sleep well that night. Therefore, she was not in a great mood when she woke up the following day. She rubbed her temples and instructed Genie to open the curtains. It was the rainy season in Jadeborough every March and April. The drizzlest night hadsted to the following day. The gloomy weather outside the window reflected Sophia''s state of mind. That incidentst night had spread all over the inte. Theizens were saying that Alexander and Horatius were love rivals, both harboring grudges toward one another. An anonymous daredevil had recorded a video of Alexander and Horatius going back and forthst night and posted it on the inte, stirring up amotion on the web. Horatius, the heir to Onyx Builders, was well-known for his phndering behavior. He was the typical yboy among the elites, and his girlfriend for the longest timested only half a year. Sophia was Alexander''s ex-wife and was currently favored by Horatius. Thus, all kinds ofments and spections regarding thatplicated rtionship flooded the inte. Because of the growing sensation, Darrell, attending a summit, was also questioned regarding his view on the matter rted to Horatius pursuing Sophia early in the morning. The reporter who had asked Darrell that question was undoubtedly a thick-skulled person. Many reporters had directed simr questions at him in the past. However, because of Horatius'' frequent and swift changes in his romance partners, Darrell would only respond with a simr statement. He would always tell the reporters Horatius was an adult capable of figuring out what was best for himself. Having said that, everyone knew an ordinary girl would not be qualified to be part of the Swain family due to his formidable family background. However, most of Horatius'' girlfriends were not regr girls, as they also came from impressive families. Still, their families'' wealth was insignificantpared to Onyx Builders. In fact, Sophia''s family background did not differ much from Horatius'' previous girlfriends''. Despite Specter Entertainment''s aplishments, it was still a newly establishedpany that could easily be crushed. Hence, everyone expected Darrell to provide a simr response as before regarding his view on that matter since he did not have to be wary of Sophia''s background. In mostizens'' opinion, that was a dumb question proposed by the reporter. Still, a piece of news worthy of bing a trending headline must not be that simple. Instead of giving an answer simr to the ¡°official statement¡± as before, Darrell unprecedentedly replied, ¡°Ms. Yarrow is wonderful. I like her a lot. If Horatius manages to win her affection, I''d be smiling in my sleep.¡± With Darrell''s current status, he no longer needed to please others with insincere tteries. Thus, it was evident that he had expressed his genuine thoughts on that matter this time. The reporter quickly regained his senses after a momentary shock. He swiftly asked another noteworthy question, ¡°Do you mind Ms. Yarrow being married to someone else in the past?¡± Darrell narrowed his eyes. ¡°A woman''s excellence would not be tarnished by her willingness to get married or how many people she was married to.¡± Subsequently, he refused to answer any more questions and entered the venue under the escort of the bodyguards. The inte was aze once the footage of that interview was published. Some people scolded that reporter for harboring prejudice toward divorced women, while others discussed the main point mentioned by Darrell when he described Sophia as an excellent woman. Three of the top five trending headlines on Twitter were rted to Sophia. Meanwhile, Sophia scrolled through her Twitter page while having her breakfast. In contrast to Katherine and the others'' astonishment and excitement, she, as the person involved, was oddly calm. She thought that was merely a trivial situation. Nevertheless, Sophia was slightly taken aback as she did not anticipate Darrell to speak up for her. Following Darrell''s speech, even if anyone intended to secretly nder Sophia by bribing the media to publish detrimental news about her, their attempts would be in vain. After all, Darrell had personally complimented Sophia for her brilliance. Naturally, some people were joyous after listening to Darrell''s speech, while others were annoyed. Ka had already bought off a mediapany to publish damaging articles about Sophia''s pretentious nature and behavior. She was just waiting for the time to turn nine o''clock when everybody began their work for the day to proceed with her n. However, anyone with a sane mind would not dare to disseminate such grant articles following Darrell''s interview. ¡°Ms. Fletcher, should we proceed with publishing the news?¡± ¡°What? Are you trying to cause me to be humiliated in public after my actions are exposed?¡± Ka was livid. She directly hung up the call afterward. At the same time, inside the CEO''s office in Odyssey. Felix stood before the desk, not daring to make a sound. When he woke up that day, he saw that trending headlines rted to Alexander, Sophia, and Horatius had bombarded Twitter. Afterst night''s incident was posted on the inte, the majority of theizens showed their support for Sophia and rebuked Alexander. Felix was dumbfounded when he received a phone call from his assistant after waking up that morning. He did not expect things to undergo more changes after an hour because Horatius, from Onyx Builders, had also meddled in that matter. And now, Sophia and Horatius'' rtionship had be a fact. Felix had witnessed Alexander''s efforts in trying to get back together with Sophia these days. He could not believe the usually high and mighty Alexander had cautiously admitted his mistakes before Sophiast night. Frankly, even Felix felt that Alexander was pitiful when he saw the video. Nheless, he knew pity and sympathy yed no roles in a rtionship. Alexander fell silent for ten seconds after watching the interview footage. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Felix could clearly feel the depressing atmosphere inside the office. He nced at the gloomy weather outside the window and could not help but sigh. It seems like ourpany has a chaotic day ahead. After a long while, Alexander stirred. ¡°When did she be acquainted with Horatius?¡± That was a rtively private question to ask. Felix nced at Alexander. His heart shuddered when he met with thetter''s dark eyes. ¡°I''m not sure. Should I investigate to find out more information, Mr. Xenos?¡± Even though Felix thought that would be an inappropriate thing to do, he had no other choice but to carry out his duty if required by his employer. ¡°That''s not needed. You may leave.¡± Felix felt relieved. He turned on his heels and hurriedly left the office. Alexander was left alone inside the spacious room after Felix was gone. He stared at Darrell''s face on the screen of his tablet. That cunning old man was wearing a contented smile. Anyone who had crossed paths with Darrell would know whether he was lying or simply being polite with his speech. Odyssey had coborated twice with Onyx Builders in the past few years. Alexander had shared a meal with Darrell four times, so he knew that those were Darrell''s heartfelt words. The hangover caused his head to ache terribly, but the pain was nothingpared to the agony in his heart after listening to Darrell''s interview. He suddenly realized Sophia might no longer have anything to do with him in the future. His phone vibrated continuously on the table. Alexander nced at the device, and his eyes turned frosty instantaneously. That was a phone call from Kristen. He already knew what she was going to say and ask him. Nevertheless, he wondered how they could be so confident that Sophia would fall for him again. Chapter 148 Chapter 148 When Horatius called, Sophia was picking books inside the study. Since she finally had free time on that rainy day and was not in a good mood, she wanted to read a book to help herself rx. ¡°Mr. Horatius?¡± ¡°Have you watched the news?¡± Horatius'' usual straightforwardness made Sophia chuckle. She answered, ¡°Yes. Sorry for troubling Mr. Swain.¡± In response, Horatius snorted. ¡°Trouble? I didn''t ask him to say those things! He only wanted to express his admiration toward you, but the matter has blown up now. He told me by phone earlier that he felt guilty for causing you trouble and wanted me to treat you to a meal.¡± Sophia recognized that Darrell''s words were nothing but pleasantries. Horatius took them seriously, but she would not. ¡°I''m not a celebrity. These things don''t affect me.¡± For Sophia, those were only some passing remarks. In any case, most of thements about her were positive. They even made Sophia feel delighted. ¡°Regardless, I wouldn''t dare disobey my father''s order. Which of the next two days are you free? Let''s have a meal together. My treat.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Given that the matter had caused a stir online, Sophia did not have the nerve to go out for a meal with Horatius. ¡°Mr. Horatius, thanks for your offer, but I don''t prefer to have meals outsidetely.¡± ¡°Don''t you want to provoke your ex-husband?¡± Upon hearing that question, Sophia guffawed. ¡°I had a peaceful divorce with him, Mr. Horatius.¡± The person who felt wronged and indignant was her, but she and Alexander indeed had a peaceful divorce in all seriousness. They did not quarrel nor had any conflict. Except for a few heart-piercing and sarcasticments from Alexander, their divorce was cid. Besides that, Sophia was already twenty-seven years old. She did not intend to use such a childish and lousy method. In her perspective, the individual obsessed was the loser. She wanted to be the winner instead. Therefore, her only intent was to treat Alexander as an ordinary person she knew. Other than that, there was nothing else in her mind. Horatius was unconvinced by Sophia''s words but did not want to open her old wounds. ¡°All right. I won''t force you if you''re unwilling. However, my dad admires you a lot. Next week is his sixtieth birthday. Can you make time toe along with me to Alenvista to dden him?¡± Considering that Horatius had said that in such a manner, Sophia could never reject the invitation. ¡°Attending Mr. Swain''s birthday banquet is a must.¡± ¡°It''s decided then. I''ve already requested my secretary to purchase the ne ticket for you.¡± ¡°Mr. Horatius, there''s no need for that. I¡ª¡± ¡°Don''t sweat it. It''s a convenient thing for me. Okay, then. I''m off to have a meeting. Talk to youter.¡± After the call ended, Sophia stared at her phone''s screen and felt a little resigned. Frankly, she had learned how to deal with people like Alexander and sly foxes like Darrell in recent years. Yet, she would still feel helpless asionally while facing Horatius, a person who consistently never yed by the rules. Forget it. It''s not a big deal. Nevertheless, Sophia could not regard the gifts for Darrell''s special day lightly. She pursed her lips and gave Yvonne a call. Concerning Jadeborough''s weather during spring, it was rainy most of the time. But, surprisingly, it was a sunny day when Katherine returned. Immediately after her meeting, Sophia headed to the airport to pick Katherine up. The filming of the latter''s new movie had finally wrapped up after almost two months. As one of the two female leads, the number of scenes where Katherine would appear was satisfactory. To finish filming her scenes within the contract period, she had to spend twelve to thirteen hours a day doing just that. In the meantime, Jonice had yet to announce the news about Katherine wrapping up her filming. Katherine''s return to Jadeborough was also without the fans'' knowledge. From afar, Sophia spotted Katherine, who only had both eyes uncovered. As soon as she noticed Sophia, Katherine dashed over to her while having glittering eyes. ¡°Did you miss me, Soph? I missed you so much!¡± Sophia raised her hand to cover Katherine''s red lips and smiled at her. ¡°Congrattions onpleting the filming.¡± With that, she handed a gift she had prepared beforehand to Katherine. ¡°Wow! There''s even a gift for wrapping up the filming? You''re such a good person, Soph! You''re undoubtedly my beautiful and kind-hearted best friend!¡± Raising her brows, Sophia responded, ¡°Are you saying that people who don''t give you gifts are ugly and unkind?¡± ¡°I''m not that kind of person, Soph!¡± Since Sophia''s gifts to her would always strike a chord with her, Katherine unwrapped the packaging with eagerness. Once she saw the bracelet inside, she expressed joy in her heart. I love you so freaking much, Sophia! Just then, Jonice returned to Katherine after picking up the luggage. Seeing Katherine''s excitement, she felt a little embarrassed. ¡°We''re at the airport. Show some self-restraint!¡± If someone managed to take photos or videos of Katherine secretly, her stand-offish image would crumble instantly. Is there any stand-offishdy who would get carried away in public and twirl Sophia around? Such a thought was in Jonice''s mind at the moment. That admonishment from Jonice took Katherine aback as thetter recollected herself immediately. She then asked Sophia, ¡°Did you drive here, Soph?¡± ¡°Yup. Let''s go.¡± With Sophia keeping an eye on Katherine, Jonice could still set her mind at rest. For that reason, she did not stop Katherine from leaving with Sophia. Apart from that, Jonice still had to return to thepany. It had been half a month since shest returned. There was no end to her worries because of the trainees in the training camp. The second she got into the car, Katherine took off her scarf and hat. Afterward, she slumped against the passenger seat like a person that had run out of steam. ¡°Jonice is so scary! I''m thankful to have you, Soph! You''re the best!¡± Sophia nced at her and replied, ¡°Is that so? I hope you''ll say the same thing when I eat barbecued foodter in front of you.¡± Katherine''s current schedule was quite packed. After the consummation of her filming, she already had an advertising event to attend next week. Due to the ptableness of the meals for the film crew, she gained some weight during those two months. As a result, Jonice only allowed her to eat vegetarian food at present. Barbecued food? That''s something I can''t touch! Regardless, Katherine was a glutton. When she heard Sophia''s words, she felt very uneasy. ¡°There''s no need to be so cruel, Soph.¡± She could choose any other day to eat barbecued food. Why did she have to pick today? Sophia knew full well what Katherine was thinking. She smirked and uttered, ¡°Well, usually, I have no one to grill the food for me, and I''m toozy to do that myself.¡± Hearing that, Katherine was utterly at a loss for words. Am I a tool for grilling food? Soon afterward, the car exited the airport highway and entered the city steadily. Regarding the earlier conversation, Sophia was not teasing Katherine but genuinely wanted to have barbecued food. On top of that, she had already made a reservation at a newly-opened barbecue restaurant an hour ago. About that restaurant, Yvonne had given it an exceedingly high rating. Thanks to its poprity, it was often without tables during the weekends. One also had to make a reservation in advance during weekdays. If people went there without a reservation, they would only waste their time in general. Sophia had booked a private room for Katherine and herself. Its privacy was good, thus eliminating the concern of anyone recognizing Katherine. Once they had taken their seats, Katherine gawked at Sophia. ¡°Soph...¡± ¡°Don''t even think about it.¡± Sophia swept a nce at her indifferently. ¡°You''re so cruel! I suddenly think Alexander is pretty miserable, despite being a jerk!¡± Speaking of Alexander, Sophia had not seen him for four days since that night. Katherine''s mention of him made Sophia''s hands quiver while she flipped through the menu. She then looked up and shed a half-smile at Katherine. ¡°Are you sure you want to mess with me?¡± Consequent to Sophia''s gaze, Katherine trembled and conceded at once. ¡°I''m sorry, boss! Ah! I can''t hold it in any longer. I need to use the restroom. Soph, a few pieces of vegetables are enough for me. A person like me is not worthy of enjoying the finest barbecued food anyway!¡± Listening to her weird utterances, Sophia giggled. ¡°Don''t worry. The vegetables over here are very fresh and tasty as well.¡± That response rendered Katherine speechless. Argh! I hate this! Chapter 149 Chapter 149 Samuel hadn''t expected to bump into Katherine that day out of coincidence. She was Sophia''s friend and was a famous actress. Katherine looked like she hadpany. After a moment of contemtion, he stepped forward and started following her. Alexander hadn''t been in the best conditiontely, so that day, Samuel had managed to invite him out after much effort. However, he had gotten there earlier than Alexander. If we manage to encounter Sophia, maybe Alexander will start to feel better. At the thought of that, he managed to convince himself that he wasn''t being creepy by following Katherine. I can''t help it, after all. I''m just such a good friend. I''m even willing to take a bullet for Alexander. The barbecue restaurant was fairly spacious and had two floors. The first floor was mostly filled with seats, while the second floor wasprised of well-divided private rooms. They had managed to neatly separate the restaurant for different purposes. Samuel followed Katherine up to the second floor. After turning two corners, she seemed to have reached her destination. He stood far away and watched as she stepped into the private room. After some hesitation, he followed her. Katherine was quite a speedy walker. As someone who had been in the industry for ten years, she was susceptible to the feeling of being followed. She had only just emerged from the restroom when she sensed someone tailing her. At first, she thought it was just a fan, but no matter how many times she turned to look, she didn''t notice anyone unusual. However, the moment she went up the stairs, she could feel that gaze on her once again. She recalled that a few of her friends in the industry had been tailed by ckmailerstely, and she began to worry that she was receiving the same treatment. Because of that, she walked faster than ever. The moment she sat down, she epted a cup of coffee from Sophia and took a huge gulp of it. Sophia raised her eyebrows at the sight of that. ¡°What is it? Were you chased by a dog or something? ¡°Don''t even talk about it. I think there really might be something after me. Do you remember when I told you about Xenia and Isabe being stalked by someone, then getting sent pictures as ckmail? I think I might have encountered the same lunatic today,¡± Katherine exined. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Samuel, who was just about to knock on the door after pondering about it for a while, heard her describe him as a lunatic. Seriously? Am I that creepy? He felt the need to prove himself. At that moment, he no longer cared whether involving himself in the situation would interrupt them or not. He raised his hand in preparation to knock on the sliding wood door. Katherine hadn''t closed it properly when she went in just now, so there was still a ten-centimeter gap between the door and the wall. That was why Samuel could see and hear the conversation between the two women. At that point, Katherine was already worked up from what she had just said. All of a sudden, they heard a knock on the door, which gave her a shock. She subconsciously jumped toward Sophia and eximed, ¡°Soph! Has the lunatice straight to us? I''m so scared!¡± Sophia stared at the terrified Katherine in her arms, who was usually fearless enough to kill cockroaches with her bare hands. There was a trace of annoyance in her gaze as she asked, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Sophia and Ms. Quinn, it''s me.¡± The door was then pushed open, and she was met with the sight of a familiar face. It was none other than Samuel. That caused Sophia to arch a brow. ¡°Mr. Schild.¡± Samuel invited himself in. ¡°I saw Ms. Quinn downstairs just now. I figured you would be here too, Sophia, so I followed her up here. I didn''t think that my actions would scare Ms. Quinn so much.¡± As he spoke, he took a seat right across from them. It turned out that there was no lunatic following Katherine at all. Right then, Katherine felt that she had regained her confidence. ¡°I didn''t know you liked following people around, Mr. Schild.¡± ¡°Don''t get it twisted. I just happened toe here to eat as well,¡± he stated stubbornly. He simply acted as if he couldn''t sense the mocking tone in her voice. Following that, he looked at Sophia and remarked, ¡°The meat here is pretty good. The ce happened to be full by the time I arrived. You don''t mind if I join you, do you?¡± While talking, he had already called for the waiter. In no time at all, the waiter showed up from the hallway. ¡°How may I help you all?¡± ¡°Get me two extra sets of tableware,¡± Samuel ordered. He proceeded to sh Sophia a smile and said, ¡°One of my friends ising, too. You don''t mind, right?¡± Katherine couldn''t help but roll her eyes at him. ¡°You''re really gettingfortable, aren''t you, Mr. Schild? Are you seriously pretending to care whether we mind or not? We haven''t even served you any coffee, and there you are, drinking it on your own.¡± In response, Samuel chuckled. ¡°Sophia and I are friends.¡± Considering what he had said, Sophia had no choice but to reply, ¡°Well, it''s just a meal.¡± To her, there was no need to quarrel. Katherine pursed her lips. Since it was Sophia, she didn''t push the issue any longer. Sophia side-eyed her and grinned before pouring her a cup of coffee. The look in her eyes was subtly telling Katherine to calm down. Upon seeing that, Katherine huffed and took a sip of coffee. Then, she seemed to have suddenly thought of something. ¡°Who is that friend of yours? Have we met him before? Could it be Alexander?¡± Meanwhile, Samuel, who had just sent Alexander the number of the private room that they were in, crossed his legs as he faced the two women. He beamed and revealed his pearly-white teeth. ¡°You''re a genius, Ms. Quinn!¡± That left Katherine at a loss for words. Genius, my *ss! Sophia paused as she was sipping her drink. There was a half-smile on her face when she looked at Samuel. ¡°Are you doing all this on purpose?¡± For some reason, he felt guilty being stared down like that and averted his gaze. ¡°Don''t say that. It''s all a coincidence.¡± ¡°What a coincidence, indeed,¡± Katherine sneered. Even though Alexander''s such a jerk, his friends seem to care about him a lot. Sophia raised her eyebrows. ¡°Okay. I''ll keep that in mind.¡± Samuel''s heart lurched. His back felt unusually chilly as he looked at the faint grin on her face. Despite that, the deed was done, and he had already sent Alexander his location. It was already too late for him to back out. In order to alleviate the tension, he decided to change the topic. ¡°Did you just wrap up with filming, Ms. Quinn?¡± ¡°You seem to know a lot,¡± Katherine muttered. ¡°It was just a guess.¡± Clicking her tongue, Katherine prompted, ¡°How about you guess what I want to do right now, then?¡± He nced at the menu and immediately pushed it over to Katherine. ¡°You want to eat some meat, don''t you? Don''t worry about it. I''ll pay for the meal.¡± The corner of her lip twitched. Not only is he stubborn, but he''s also incredibly good at ying dumb. She raised her hand and shoved the menu away. ¡°Wrong. I''m on a diet right now.¡± ¡°How will you have the strength to diet if you don''t eat up? Not to mention, it''s not like a meal or two is going to affect your diet significantly. Hear me out. Since you''ve just finished filming, you should treat yourself to a good meal. You can continue dieting after this. It can''t be that bad,¡± he insisted. Katherine, who had already found it hard to resist the temptation of barbecue, felt her determination waver even more after hearing that. She turned to the side and shot Sophia an impatient look. ¡°That kind of makes sense, doesn''t it?¡± Sophia gave her a helpless smile in response. ¡°You can eat up just this once.¡± Instantly, Katherine was filled with joy. If not for the fact that someone as shameless as Samuel was there with them, she might have pulled Sophia into a hug and started dancing out of excitement. ¡°No worries, Ms. Quinn. It''s on me today,¡± he offered in a sneaky attempt to get on their good side. He had the feeling that Sophia was on the verge of chasing him out of the room. At that point, Katherine no longer bothered trying to be polite. She grabbed the menu and started ordering the most expensive items avable. She was only on her second round of orders when the meat that Sophia had first ordered was served. The portion was fairly big. It was clearly meant for more than one person. Instantly, Katherine realized that Sophia wasn''t actually nning to only let her eat vegetables. Sigh! She truly is my best friend. The meat had just been grilled. Before the three of them could even take a bite, Alexander opened the door and entered the room. When Katherine saw him, she suddenly lost her appetite. She subconsciously nced at Sophia, who was sitting beside her and looking straight ahead with an indifferent expression. Incredible. That reaction of hers alone shows that she''s a strong woman. Chapter 150 Chapter 150 Over the past four days, Alexander seemed to have lost weight. Nheless, that didn''t have anything to do with Sophia. She only spared him a in nce, then looked away. The moment Alexander stepped in, the vibe in the room instantly changed. There was displeasure written all over Katherine''s face. Even though she didn''t say a word, it was obvious that she didn''t wee his arrival whatsoever. On the other hand, Sophia''s expression didn''t change much. Everyone in the room remained silent, which caused the atmosphere to be stiff. Samuel stared at Alexander, then at Sophia. In the end, he decided to sacrifice himself to break the tension. ¡°Don''t mind him. I just felt bad leaving him to eat alone, so I had hime over to join in on the fun. Even though Katherine called Alexander a jerk and a piece of trash behind his back, she was actually the type who tried to keep the peace. Since he had actually shown up, she stayed quiet despite the mes of fury zing in her heart. She wanted to reply to what Samuel had said, but all she did was think about it. Katherine didn''t speak up, and neither did Sophia. Right then, Samuel felt alone in his efforts to liven things up. He turned to look at Alexander, who looked as arrogant as always. Whatever. He''s going to be alone forever if he keeps acting like that. Samuel had made up his mind not to worry any longer but couldn''t take it after nobody spoke up for two whole seconds. He took a sip of coffee andmented, ¡°You''re pretty good at poker, Sophia!¡± In the meantime, Katherine had just swallowed a slice of meat. When she heard him say that, she couldn''t help but remember the tragedy that had urred when she had gone to y poker with Sophia. She helplessly grumbled, ¡°She has a photographic memory, so she remembers all of the cards. Of course, she''s pretty good.¡± That left Samuel in shock. ¡°What a coincidence. I have a friend who happens to be able to remember all the cards as well.¡± Alexander was unable to hold back his frown, considering he was the friend that Samuel was talking about. He lifted his head to stare at Samuel. Even though no words came from his mouth, his gaze was enough tomunicate his thoughts. What? You can''t even admit that I''m the one you''re talking about? Samuel eyed Sophia, and his thoughts were clear as day. They already dislike you. As if she would like the thought of having something inmon with you. Alexander looked at her as well, who seemed to be able to understand the unsaid conversation between the two men. There was a vague smile on her face as she nonchntly continued grilling meat for Katherine. Out of nowhere, Alexander felt his heart aching terribly. He gulped and blurted, ¡°Can you grill some for me, too?¡± While speaking, he moved his hand to push the te of raw meat over to her. Katherine and Samuel, who were talking about Sophia''s terrifying prowess in poker, froze up when they heard Alexander chime in. The two of them couldn''t help but turn to look at him. Katherine tried her best to hold back but ended up failing. ¡°Do you not have hands of your own, Mr. Xenos?¡± Upon hearing that, Alexander shot her a look. ¡°I don''t know how to grill meat.¡± How shameless! His words enraged her so much that her cheeks puffed up. Nevertheless, she was also scared of him, so all she could do was choke back her anger. Sophia arched her brow and gazed at Samuel. ¡°Don''t you know how to, Mr. Schild?¡± That was her own form of subtle refusal. Samuel immediately tried his best to shift the me away from him. ¡°Actually, I don''t really know how to, either.¡± That made Sophia smirk as she stared at him cheerfully. ¡°So, the two of you came to eat barbecue even though neither of you knows how to grill meat. Interesting.¡± Her response felt like a direct p to Samuel''s face. Hepulsively turned to look at the instigator behind all of it. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Said instigator was none other than Alexander, who didn''t even flinch. It was like he couldn''t detect the hidden implications in Sophia''s words. At that point, Samuel already felt shameless enough. He couldn''t believe that Alexander was acting even more outrageous than him. The barbecue they had that day was rtively filling. Sophia didn''t eat much. Instead, she was mostly busy helping to grill the meat. On the other hand, Katherine and Samuel were squabbling among themselves. Sophia watched them from the side as she grilled. It was like they were acting out a y, and she was just an onlooker. Once the meal was over, Samuel paid for it all and asked Sophia what ns she had for the afternoon. He invited her for a game of poker in the event that she was free. She wiped her wet hands and shot him an amused look. ¡°Do you think I was holding back out of considerationst time, Mr. Schild?¡± Samuel had suffered thirty thousand in losses in a little over an hour. No matter how one saw it, she clearly wasn''t holding back at all. Even so, he could stand to lose thirty thousand. ¡°It was not that bad.¡± Sophia bore an indifferent grin on her face. ¡°We''re busy now, so we''re going home.¡± While saying that, she turned to nce at Katherine. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Katherine, who had been in a daze, took a few seconds to react after being stared at by Sophia. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± They then took their leave as soon as Sophia suggested to do so. Samuel had wanted to say something but ended up keeping his mouth shut in the end. He watched as Sophia''s figure disappeared into the distance and couldn''t stop himself from frowning. ¡°Is it possible that you''ve given up?¡± Alexander huffed in response and gave him a side nce. ¡°Don''t be so presumptuous next time.¡± ¡°Ugh. Don''t you think that''s a bit too much, Alexander? I only set up this meeting between you and Sophia because I noticed how lifeless you''ve been for the past few days, so I wanted her to serve as a cure. Even so, you''re calling me presumptuous?¡± Samuel asked incredulously. Alexander lowered his gaze. ¡°She doesn''t like it.¡± If she doesn''t like it, then I won''t do it. All of a sudden, Samuel found himself unable to say that their friendship was over. Sigh... He''s a pretty miserable guy, huh? Nheless, he remained brutally honest. ¡°It does seem like Sophia has no intention to turn back. If you really want to respect her wishes, you might as well just give up.¡± Alexander, who had actually felt rather touched, stiffened up. ¡°You know you''re no match for me, right? How about next time, you just lie down and let me beat you up?¡± ¡°I''m being serious, Alex,¡± Samuel stated. ¡°So am I,¡± Alexander retorted. Some friend he is. He''s pouring salt into an open wound! He let out an icy snort before turning to leave. His actions left Samuel dazed, who hurriedly caught up to him. ¡°What are you acting so arrogant for, then? Do you really think you can win her back like that? Moping around like that isn''t going to touch anyone''s heart but your own.¡± Alexander''s cold made him a little dizzy. To him, Samuel was like a fly buzzing around his ear, which only served to worsen his headache. When he got to the esctor, he suddenly came to an uncontroble stop. He turned to look at Samuel and uttered, ¡°What I mean is that she doesn''t like seeing you. You should avoid hanging around her so that she doesn''t get annoyed. Samuel was rendered speechless. Where does Alexander even get that blind confidence from? At the same time, Katherine, who was sitting in the passenger seat, asked the same confused question, ¡°Where on earth does Alexander get his confidence from?¡± Sophia gave her a small smile. ¡°Maybe it''s because he''s rich.¡± As a poor person, Katherine was stunned into silence. She would never be able to rte to that. After sending Katherine home, Sophia drove off. The sun was shining bright that day. When she turned into a narrow street, she could see Alexander''s car parked near her house from far away. She furrowed her eyebrows but quickly looked away and drove over to the gate. When it opened, she kept her gaze straight ahead while driving into the mansion. The afternoon sun was warm. She changed into some yoga clothes and began calmly practicing yoga in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Chapter 151 Chapter 151 After she was done with yoga, she immediately took a nap. By the time she woke up, it was exactly six in the evening. The sky outside was getting dark, and it seemed to be drizzling when she took a closer look. Katherine had sent a picture of her weighing scale on WhatsApp to her, saying that the former hadn''t gained any weight even after eating so much grilled meat. In Katherine''s opinion, Jonice had overreacted. The message made Sophia chuckle. She replied: Next time, you should really crop out the clock in the picture. She was amazed that Katherine was trying to use an old picture to try and trick her. There wasn''t any food in the fridge, so Sophia decided to order some seafood pasta. When Felix called her, she thought it was the deliveryman. Unexpectedly, however, she saw a familiar number when she looked at the screen. Naturally, she recognized it as Felix''s. Sophia raised an eyebrow. Just as the call was about to time out, she picked up. ¡°Yes, Mr. Lane?¡± ¡°I''m sorry to disturb, Ms. Yarrow. I''m unable to get in contact with Mr. Xenos right now, not to mention that he has a fever. I''m worried that something might have happened to him, so I decided to call you and ask. Is Mr. Xenos with you right now?¡± Felix inquired. That caused her to frown. ¡°Hold on.¡± While on the phone, she grabbed an umbre and went downstairs. She had only just stepped out when she saw the ck car beyond the fence. It seemed that Alexander was still outside her gate. ¡°Mr. Lane,¡± she called. ¡°I''m listening, Ms. Yarrow,¡± Felix replied. ¡°He''s with me.¡± ¡°Mr. Xenos is currently suffering from a high fever, Ms. Yarrow. Could I bother you to take him to the hospital?¡± Then, as if he had realized how rude his request was, Felix felt a wave of regret. ¡°I apologize, Ms. Yarrow. I didn''t mean to interrupt you. I''ll get Mr. Schild to pick Mr. Xenos up.¡± Sophia gripped the umbre. Rain poured from the gloomy night sky, and she couldn''t get a good look at Alexander, who was inside the car. It was true that she didn''t intend to bother herself with it, though. Felix was a capable man, so she wasn''t going to make any more trouble for herself. ¡°Okay. I''m hanging up.¡± Once she ended the call, she walked over with the umbre in hand. ¡°Alexander?¡± He looked to be asleep. She knocked on the window, but he stayed motionless. The rain was not heavy, but it was drizzling a lot. The entire road was wet. She had worn a pair of furry slippers outside, which had gotten soaked from the rainwater in no time. A gust of wind swept through the rain, which made her even colder. She had only nned to step out and have a look, so she was only wearing a loose sweater. It wasn''t enough to block the rain. There was no response from Alexander. Sophia stood next to the windshield and continued staring at him. He was leaning against the seat with his eyes shut, and his face seemed to be a bit pale. His lips were dry, and it was clear that he wasn''t in the best state. She recalled what Felix had said to her over the phone, then knocked on the window again. The window wasn''t fully closed. There was a roughly five-centimeter wide gap to let some air in. ¡°Alexander?¡± She called out his name while rapping on the window. His eyebrows twitched from inside the car, which made Sophia think that he had woken up. However, his eyes were still closed. Alexander was having a dream that Sophia kept calling for him. He wanted to go to her side, but for some reason, he was physically unable to close the tiny distance between them. The moment he opened his eyes, he continued looking straight forward motionlessly. It wasn''t until he heard Sophia''s voiceing from beside him that he finally moved. When he looked to the side, he saw her standing outside of the car while holding an umbre. It was so cold outside, but she was only dressed in a thin sweater. The nighttime wind had made her pale face flushed. She stared at him impassively. ¡°Are you awake?¡± It was just a dream. Alexander put his hands to his temples. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Mr. Lane gave me a call. He said he couldn''t reach you and was very worried,¡± she exined. She also added, ¡°Since you''re awake, you should just sit there and rest for a while. Mr. Schild wille and pick you up soon.¡± Alexander was having a hard time because of his high fever. He had no idea how long he had slept. When he heard Sophia say that, he looked down at his phone. The first thing he saw was a notification from Samuel. He clicked into it and skimmed through the message, in which Samuel was asking if he had to go and pick him up. He also said that if Alexander didn''t reply, that meant there was no need for it. Since he had just woken up, he was still rather dazed. However, the message from Samuel and what Sophia had stated allowed him to quickly figure out what he had to do. He put his phone away and hoarsely asked, ¡°My throat kind of hurts. Can I get some water inside?¡± After staring at him for a second, she nodded. ¡°Get out of the car, then.¡± Following that, she took a step back and waited outside the car with her umbre. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Allow me.¡± Alexander got out and took the umbre from her. The umbre wasn''t exactly a big one. It was more than enough for Sophia alone, but it was clearly too small for both of them. Thebination of both rain and wind at night was enough to chill someone to the bone, but the moment Alexander pressed up against her, she felt heat rush through her body. When Sophia sensed his oddly warm body, she couldn''t help but tilt her head to look at him. ¡°Why did you go to the barbecue ce even though you have a fever?¡± ¡°It''s only a mild one,¡± he said defensively. It was a mild fever when he had gone out, at least. The same couldn''t be said for his condition right then. Sophia did not say anything more and led him into the mansion. That was Alexander''s second time in the mansion. He had just sat down, and Sophia was already handing him a cup of warm water. The moment she put the cup down, the doorbell rang. She eyed him. ¡°I''m going downstairs to get my food.¡± Once she told him that, she twirled around and left. Alexander observed her retreating back. It wasn''t until she disappeared to the first floor that he looked away. It was true that he was thirsty. After all, he had sat in the car for four hours, not to mention that his fever caused him to get dehydrated more easily. By then, he hadn''t had a sip of water for over four hours. His body felt incredibly weak, and even his breath while talking felt hotter than usual. He could tell that his body temperature had risen. A single ss of water wasn''t enough to quench his thirst. He was able to gulp it all down in just one go. Sophia took her delivery upstairs and saw him pouring himself water. His slender fingers rested on the ss, and the pale tone of his hands was attractive. For some reason, he abruptly loosened his grip, and the ss fell straight to the coffee table, causing warm water to spill all over. ¡°Sorry. I''m feeling a bit weak right now,¡± he murmured as he lifted his head to look at her. His profound gaze didn''t waver in the slightest. She set the food aside and took a cloth from the kitchen. ¡°When is Samueling to pick you up?¡± Alexander stared at the ss cup and acted as if he hadn''t heard her. His tant action caused Sophia to frown. After cleaning up, she grabbed a thermometer. ¡°If your temperature is over thirty-eight degrees, then you''d better go straight to the hospital.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he agreed quietly. Without another word, he stuck the thermometer in his armpit. Meanwhile, Sophia opened up the food she had ordered. The delicious aroma of seafood pasta wafted into the air. She was just about to dig in when she noticed that his eyes were glued onto her as well as the seafood pasta in front of her. She arched a brow. ¡°Do you want to order some delivery, too?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he admitted, then fished his phone out right away. He nced at her and questioned, ¡°Where did you get that from?¡± ¡°You shouldn''t eat seafood pasta while you have a fever,¡± she nagged. ¡°It smells really good,¡± protested Alexander. His words caused her to involuntarily remember how pitiful Katherine was every time she longed to eat meat even though she was on a diet. She couldn''t deny that she found him to be pitiful right then. Even so, she wasn''t a very sympathetic person. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± If he wants to eat it, then so be it. That''s none of my business. Alexander had his lips pursed for a while before piping up, ¡°What can I eat, then?¡± He lowered his gaze to peer at her with a nk look in his pitch-ck eyes. It was clear that he was giving her his full attention. ¡°Get something light. Oatmeal, maybe,¡± she suggested. ¡°Okay.¡± Thus, he ordered a bowl of oatmeal and sat there while quietly drinking his water. In the meantime, Sophia devoured her seafood pasta, which had a mouth-watering smell to it. Truthfully speaking, he didn''t have much of an appetite, nor did he feel especially hungry. He just wanted to have a taste after seeing her eat. By the time she was done eating, Alexander''s oatmeal had arrived. On the other hand, Samuel, who had said he was going to pick Alexander up, was nowhere to be seen. Half an hour had passed. She put the oatmeal in front of him and asked, ¡°When is Samuel going toe?¡± Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Alexander heard her words and raised his head to look at her as he replied, ¡°I don''t know.¡± Soon after he spoke, he coughed aloud twice. Coupled with his pale-white facial expression, this contributed to his overall haggard appearance and spoke volumes about how sickly he was. Tsk! How pitiful... Sophia raised her eyebrows as she recalled the matter involving the thermometer and replied, ¡°Your temperature has been measured.¡± Almost as if he had just remembered as well, Alexander reached over to remove the thermometer from his armpit and handed it straight to her. Although Sophia didn''t intend to look at the measurement, she had no choice but to receive it now that he had handed it to her like that. The thermometer''s ss casing still carried residual traces of Alexander''s body heat and was warm to the touch. Sophia frowned slightly before she carefully raised her head to look at the mercury level and announced, ¡°Thirty-nine point six degrees.¡± He grunted in response as he rested his hand momentarily against his forehead in confirmation of her reading. He had already been burning up when he left home earlier. As such, it wasn''t much of a surprise to him that his temperature had risen to this extent at this point. Sophia wiped the thermometer and kept it away carefully before she nced at him impassively and said, ¡°You should head to the hospital.¡± ¡°I don''t want to,¡± he replied as he raised his head to look at her with a strange obstinacy. ¡°Well, that''s your problem then,¡± replied Sophia with a slight chuckle of annoyance. She couldn''t understand why this man in his thirties was still behaving like a kid when he was obviously ill. ¡°Have some oatmeal,¡± instructed Sophia before she reached out to grab his phone and added, ¡°Let me use your phone for a moment.¡± Alexander watched as she took the phone and walked away from him, but he didn''t touch his oatmeal. He knew what Sophia had taken his phone to do. As she had blocked his and Samuel''s numbers on her own phone, she was undoubtedly nning to use his phone to call Samuel and have thetter come over to pick him up. Indeed, his guess was right. The second Sophia took his phone, she immediately ced a call to contact Samuel. She still remembered his number clearly and didn''t need to rely on any saved contacts in Alexander''s contact list to ce the call. For his part, Samuel picked up fairly quickly and asked, ¡°Alex?¡± ¡°It''s me, Mr. Schild,¡± replied Sophia. Samuel hurriedly got the people around him to stop talking the second he heard Sophia''s voice. Then, in this renewed silence free of background chatter, he asked, ¡°Why are you the one on the phone, Sophia? Where''s Alexander? Surely he hasn''t fainted from his illness?¡± ¡°Thirty-nine point six degrees. I''ll have no choice but to call the ambnce if you don''t turn up, Mr. Schild,¡± she replied. ¡°Oh! So that''s all you''re hung up about. He''s physically strong, so that little fever doesn''t amount to much. In all your infinite kindness, why don''t you let him stay the night? I''m sure he''ll be fully recovered the next day!¡± eximed Samuel. However, she scoffed lightly and replied, ¡°Are you saying that you won''te to pick him up, Mr. Schild?¡± ¡°I''m a little tied up at the moment, so I really can''t find the time to head over. I''ll have to trouble you for a night. Don''t worry! I''ll be over first thing in the morning to pick him up. I''ll be a scoundrel if I don''t honor my word. That''s all for now. I''m a little busy here, so I''ll be hanging up first,¡± stated Samuel. With that, he proceeded to end the call without giving Sophia the chance to protest any further. After all, no amount of words would change the fact that no one would being over to get Alexander. Samuel was sure a mere fever wouldn''t get the better of Alexander or even put thetter at risk of death in the first ce. Sophia nced at her phone and saw that the call had unequivocally ended. She couldn''t help but turn back to look at Alexander as hey on the couch helplessly. At that moment, she decided that he was fairly pitiful himself in the sick state he was in and without anyone to care for him. That said, she also knew she wasn''t a saint. Although she was willing to let him into her house, that was already the full extent of all that she was willing and able to do for him. She handed the phone back to Alexander and stated, ¡°Samuel''s noting to get you.¡± He frowned slightly and uttered, ¡°I''ll take my leave after I get a little more rest.¡± Sophia grunted in acknowledgment before she turned smoothly and headed straight up to the upper level. That left Alexander as the only warm body that remained in the expansive living room on the second floor. He looked toward the direction that Sophia had disappeared in before he wryly bit his lip in self- mockery. He was well aware from the beginning that she wouldn''t care about him at all. Elsewhere, just as Samuel hung up the call, one of the men next to him asked in surprise, ¡°Isn''t that a rather high fever already? Are you sure you aren''t going to get him?¡± Samuel eyed the man for a moment before he replied, ¡°What do you know? I''m creating an opportunity for Alex! Otherwise, with the way he usually is, I''m pretty sure he would still be all alone even by the time Sophia has grandkids!¡± As he spoke, he paused for a moment as he caressed his poker cards and continued, ¡°Come on now. Let''s stop waiting around. Whose turn was it next?¡± To hell with picking Alexander up. Isn''t my game of poker more fun than that? Usually, a stormy night would have been one of the best nights to sleep in. However, that night was a marked exception for Sophia. Perhaps it was because she knew there was someone else present in the house, but Sophia found that she couldn''t fall asleep no matter how much she tossed and turned in bed. It had already been more than a good two hours since she had left Alexander behind, and she had no idea if he was still around. If he hadn''t left, there was a fairly high chance that his temperature would have risen to forty degrees by then. She knew that the fever could very well rob him of his mental faculties if he continued toy on her couch like that. She reflected for a moment and realized she couldn''t live with herself if he suffered from mental impairments due to her negligence. She turned the matter over in her mind several times before she sat up in bed and said, ¡°Genie, get the lights.¡± The next moment, the lights flickered on, and the room was suddenly illuminated with a sh of brilliant white light. She casually grabbed a woolen sweater and put it on before heading down the stairs. The expansive living room waspletely devoid of sound. If it weren''t for the fact that she made an effort to pad all the way over to the couch, she could have easily assumed that Alexander had long taken his leave. The bowl of oatmeal that sat on the table was still covered. She couldn''t tell if Alexander ate at all. However, she found him still rested on the couch where she had left him earlier. Both his eyes were firmly shut, and he looked as if he had fallen asleep. The ashen-white expression he had on his face just two hours ago had faded and been reced by an angry red flush. She wrinkled her brows and frowned in thought before she finally rested her palm on his forehead to get a sensing of his temperature. The scorching heat she felt at that moment was more than enough for her to recoil as she cursed softly. She was about to retract her hand when he suddenly reached out and grabbed hold of her fingers. He gripped her tightly in his grasp, and the heat that emanated from him was terrifying. She tried to pry her fingers free but realized she couldn''t do so no matter how hard she tried. ¡°Alexander?¡± she asked softly as she frowned in worry. Despite his movement and her call, Alexander still didn''t wake up. His brows were furrowed, and his parched lips twitched a little. He almost seemed as if he was about to say something. However, she couldn''t catch what he was trying tomunicate at all. ¡°Alexander?¡± she repeated. However, this time, no sooner had she spoken did he suddenly yank hard on her arm. Sophia was caughtpletely off guard and fell forward straight into his embrace. His entire body was burning up like a furnace. Sophia ced her other hand against his chest and gently pushed against it to raise herself up. Just as she thought of increasing the distance between them, she heard him mutter in a low voice, ¡°Don''t leave me, Sophia.¡± She understood what he was getting at and froze for a moment. Nheless, she quickly snapped back to her senses and yanked hard with her arm to extract her trapped arm from his grasp. Following this, she lifted herself off of him and backed away as she eximed, ¡°Wake up, Alexander!¡± She called his name again, but he didn''t wake up. In her frustration, she strode into the bathroom and soaked a towel in cold water before she returned and ced it directly on his forehead. With that done, she went off to find medication for his fever, but it was challenging for her to feed him the medication in his unconscious state. She stood by the side for a few seconds as she wondered if it would be better for her to wake him up nheless. Sophia strode back to the couch and sat by his side. She shook his shoulder with her hand and called him several times. Despite her efforts, he remained fast asleep. Sophia had no choice but to raise her arm and p him on the face. Almost as if he felt the pain, Alexander suddenly twitched in response. He leaned to the side and smoothly slid straight down to rest on Sophia''s shoulder. Taken by surprise, she instantly stiffened in response. Even though they had been married for a good three years, this was the first time they had been this intimate. The entire living room was dead silent, and it was easy for Sophia to pick up on hisbored breathing. Somehow, Sophia''s heart started to beat along the same rhythm as well. ¡°Alexander?¡± she asked. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Once again, she pped him with her hand, but he finally regained consciousness this time. As his eyes gradually opened and took in his surroundings, he looked at her and said, ¡°Sophia.¡± ¡°You lost consciousness while burning up with a high fever. Have some medication first,¡± she stated. He straightened up and received the medication from her before he brought it to his lips. His thin lips parted slightly, and he opened his mouth. ¡°Water,¡± he croaked. He extended his arm and grabbed the cup of water from her before he angled his head backward and swallowed the pills. After he downed a mouthful of water, he instantly became more alert and asked, ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°Half past eleven,¡± she replied. ¡°Am I getting in the way of your rest?¡± he asked. Sophia eyed him for a moment before she exposed him directly and stated, ¡°If you truly didn''t want to bother me, you should have gotten Samuel toe to pick you up.¡± She had long seen through the game that they had been ying. Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Alexander drank another half cup of water. The warm water managed to soothe his scorching throat. ¡°I''m sorry. I did it on purpose.¡± Looking up at her, he did not deny it. Sophia raised an eyebrow. ¡°The guest room is the first room at the corner. There are brand new toiletries, but I don''t have any pajamas or clothes for men. You can take a shower and go rest first. Samuel will be here to pick you up first thing in the morning.¡± He''ll be a jerk if he doesn''te. ¡°Sophia.¡± Before she could turn to leave, he suddenly reached out and grabbed her left wrist. As he had a fever, his palm felt feverish. Immediately, Sophia tried to break free after feeling the heat on her hand, but to no avail. As just two of them were there, Sophia could not escape if Alexander wanted to have his way with her. Sophia snorted and turned around to look at him without a word. Her gaze made Alexander uneasy, and his Adam''s apple bobbed up and down. ¡°I know what you think of me¡ªdespicable, shameless, and indecent. You''re right, for that''s who I am.¡± While saying that, he looked down at her adorable pinky finger. Although he wanted to touch it so badly, he restrained himself and loosened his grip. ¡°Ever since that day, I did not dare to appear in front of you. I''m scared for you to see me, but I''m also afraid you will not be able to see me. You''re right. I am selfish. I would downright ignore you back when I didn''t like you. However, I would delusionally want us to be together when I did. I don''t know what others would be like when they are in love. But when I love you, I constantly think of you, wanting to see you, hug you, and kiss you. When I see other males approaching you, I would feel terrible. I would also feel regretful and painful when I remember how harshly I treated you back then. I know I''m selfish, but I can''t control myself.¡± Alexander paused for a moment and looked up at her. ¡°Could you please give me a chance to get closer to you?¡± Tears suddenly welled up in his ck orbs. Sophia had never seen Alexander like this before. When they first met when she was fifteen, he was an angel of a teenager. Upon marrying him at twenty-three years old, he was a shining star. After divorcing him at twenty-six years old, he remained as a high and mighty elite. He was elegant, distant, and disdainful of her, constantly giving her the cold shoulder. However, the same man was now begging with reddened eyes for her to give him another chance. Sophia thought she could be decisive, just like when they divorced. Yet, she could not force the words of rejection out of her mouth. Actually, she was just an ordinary woman. She would feel pain experiencing an unreciprocated love. Thus, ten years of unrequited love was not something that could be forgotten overnight. Although she was clear she could not turn back, she was unable to reject Alexander''s plea. How despicable. He knows that I''ve loved him for ten years. Sophia closed her eyes, choosing not to reject nor agree. ¡°Sleep earlier. You have a fever.¡± ¡°Sophia.¡± Before she could leave, he caught up to her. Sophia stopped in her tracks but did not turn around to look at him. After hesitating, Alexander walked up to her and gazed into her eyes. ¡°I know I''ve done many wrong things in the past. I never knew I would love someone like this. After we divorced, I would constantly think of the day we married. That day, you smiled and told me that you would entrust yourself to me for the rest of your life¡ªtill death do us part. Yet this only went on for three years before you called it quits. I know you''re tired of this, but it''s fine. I can be the one taking the initiative now.¡± When he brought up the past, Sophia thought back to her innocent self. She had not been reminded of her past for a long time. Thus, she felt terrible when Alexander brought it up. I was so innocent back then. Although I knew he didn''t like me, I still dared to tell him I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Lowering her head, Sophia smiled. ¡°It''s just some dumb things I said when I was young. You didn''t really believe in it, did you?¡± Right after saying that, she was engulfed in a warm embrace. Sophia was stunned, for he had not once hugged her during their three years of marriage. ¡°I believed in it, Sophia.¡± He was hugging her lightly. His hug seemed rather gentlemanlypared to his dominant behavior when he barged into her house. Alexander soon loosened his grip on her. He wanted to wipe her tears away when he saw her teary eyes. However, Sophia dodged his touch. His hand hung in mid-air for a second before he put his hands down. ¡°You can go and sleep. There''s no need to worry about me. I''ll be fine once I wake up tomorrow.¡± Samuel said the exact same thing. After Sophia looked at him for a second, she went upstairs. However, she did not have a good night''s sleep that night. She was half-awake for the entire night, and she was even unsure if she was dreaming or in reality. Sophia only jolted awake from her dreams when the doorbell rang. Immediately, she sat up when Genie announced that there was a guest. The rain fromst night was long gone, and there was only the sun and blue skies. When Sophia looked at the time, she realized it was already nine o''clock in the morning. As she only fell asleep at midnight yesterday, which was way past her usual bedtime, it was normal for her to sleep until now. Knowing that it was Samuel at the door, Sophia did not rush to open it. Instead, she washed up and changed her clothes before heading downstairs. After walking to the second floor, Alexander appeared from the guest room. Compared tost night, he seemed pretty energetic. Taking a look at him, Sophia decided not to bringst night''s incident up. ¡°Mr. Schild is here.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Alexander looked at her. ¡°I can go get the door.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Sophia did not reply to him. ¡°I''ll send you out.¡± As Samuel was there to pick Alexander up, she did not intend to keep him. Alexander pursed his lips, not daring to go too far. Although he seemed to have said everythingst night in a feverish state, he was actually clear- headed. Therefore, he remembered all of Sophia''s reactions, including her silence. He did not dare to continue pushing her. Besides, Sophia seemed not to have slept wellst night, judging by her dark circles, so he did not have the heart to do so. The duo walked out of the mansion one after another. By that time, Samuel had already waited for more than ten minutes. If Alexander had not picked up his call and confirmed he was still there, he would have left. When the duo walked out, Samuel could not help but click his tongue. ¡°Not bad.¡± Sophia looked at him with a half-smile. ¡°You have quite the determination not to be a jerk, Mr. Schild.¡± Understanding the hidden meaning behind her words, Samuel smiled and did not feel offended. ¡°I''m sure you haven''t eaten breakfast yet. I''ve brought you all some. It''s from Pear Garden¡ª¡± Before he could finish his sentence, Sophia stopped him, ¡°Mr. Schild, you reminded me that I hadn''t taken breakfast. I must go back and prepare mine, so I won''t send you all off.¡± After saying that, she backed away and pushed the gate. With a loud bang, the mansion''s gate closed shut. The hand holding the breakfast froze in mid-air as Samuel looked at Sophia''s leaving figure before ncing back at Alexander. ¡°What happened? You managed to head inside yesterday. Yet you''re denied entry today?¡± Alexander shot him a look. ¡°Can''t you tell that Sophia doesn''t want you here?¡± Samuel was speechless. So I''m that unweed? Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Samuel shot another reluctant look at the mansion gate. It was firmly closed, and Sophia had already gone inside after shutting the front door too. They had indeed been cruelly left outside, along with the breakfast he had brought. He looked at Alexander beside him, who seemed healthierpared to yesterday. ¡°Is your fever gone?¡± To be honest, I was really a bit unsure about Sophia after hanging up the phonest night. If she really was cruel enough to ignore Alexander''s fever that almost hit forty degrees, he might have ended up with brain damage. Alexander pushed his friend''s hand away in disgust and opened the car door to get inside. ¡°Let''s go back to the condominium.¡± Samuel was stunned for a moment before brightening up. ¡°Great, I''m your chauffeur today!¡± He also got into the car and slotted the key into the ignition. Then, he remembered that he had brought breakfast. ¡°You haven''t had breakfast, right? Here, eat some.¡± Alexander had only had a bowl of oatmeal since yesterday noon, so his stomach had been feeling a little ufortable since the morning. The breakfast from Pear Garden was indeed very good. Alexander nced out of the window. I wonder if Sophia has tried the food there before. The car slowly drove out of the mansion and hit the red light at the intersection. Samuel stopped the car and looked at Alexander in the passenger seat. ¡°Has Sophia forgiven you?¡± Alexander gave him a side nce. ¡°Do you want to be punched?¡± ¡°You¡ªIf not for my tactst night, would you have been so sessful at acting pitiful in front of her?¡± The thickness of Samuel''s skin really isn''t average. Alexander snorted and said, ¡°It was because I refused to leave.¡± What has it got to do with you? Samuel had known Alexander for many years, but it was his first time hearing Alexander say such shameless words. For a rare moment, he was at a loss for words. Then, he snapped back to his senses andughed. ¡°You truly are amazing!¡± ¡°The light is green,¡± Alexander pointed out and withdrew his gaze, not wanting to talk to Samuel anymore. There''s definitely something wrong with his brain. Sophia finished her breakfast and cleaned up the guest room only to find a man''s watch left on the bedside table. Alexander had stayed in this roomst night, so it was obvious who the watch belonged to. However, she could not say whether he deliberately left the watch behind or simply forgot to bring it back. Alexander had a horrible temper, but his aesthetics and taste were quite good. The watch had a simple and business-like design. If Katherine had not secretly shown her photos before, she would not have known that this unassuming watch was worth more than three million. Last year, Technology Innovations went on the market, and Joshua''s worth had also risen. Thus, Katherine had thought of giving him a watch for his birthday this year. With Joshua''s identity, he naturally could not wear a simple watch, but gaudy designs would look too high-profile. After careful consideration, Katherine set her eyes on the Grande 1735 from ncpain. Its ck crocodile leather strap and tinum dial were simple and exquisite, but the price was a bit exorbitant at nearly five million. Katherine took a fancy to it and shared a photo with Sophia, who instantly thought of Alexander when she saw it. It was just a passing thought that she had back then. Unexpectedly, Alexander really did wear the watch. Well, it makes sense that he would have a watch like this. Sophia put her thoughts away, went upstairs to take out the box for her watch, and put Alexander''s watch in it. After thinking about it, she called Yvonne. Yvonne answered quickly, somewhat surprised at Sophia''s call. ¡°Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°It''s me.¡± Sophia stroked the silk satin on the box before asking, ¡°Are you free today? If you''re not busy, take some time toe to the mansion and help me deliver something.¡± ¡°Can Ie over in half an hour?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia had just hung up the phone when she got a call from Horatius. She raised her eyebrows for a moment, remembering Darrell''s birthday. Horatius is probably calling me to talk about that matter. ¡°Mr. Swain?¡± ¡°Are you busy? I just wanted to inform you that the ne ticket has been booked for three o''clock in the afternoon, the day after tomorrow. You can reschedule it forter if you can''t make it. My dad will be quite happy that you even came, so it doesn''t matter if you arrive early orte.¡± Sophia had already asked Yvonne to clear her schedule for the day after tomorrow. Regardless of whether Horatius was just saying that to be polite or not, she naturally would not do something as rude as beingte. ¡°I''m not that busy recently, so three o''clock is no problem. I''ll have to trouble you to pick me up then, Mr. Swain.¡± ¡°There''s no need to be so polite! It''s settled then. I''lle over the day after tomorrow to have lunch with you, and we''ll go straight to the airport after eating.¡± We''ll have lunch before getting on a three o''clock flight. The timing is quite convenient. She thought about it and said, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°All right, you can go back to work now. See you the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°See you.¡± After hanging up the phone, Sophia was reminded about Darrell''s birthday gift. She picked up her phone and was just about to call Yvonne again. However, after pondering over it, she decided against it. Maybe Yvonne might be feeling anxious too. After all, I only mentioned this matter to her a few days ago. However, when Yvonne arrived at eleven o''clock, she brought a birthday gift as well. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, this is an emerald gem. Old Mr. Swain likes to collect emeralds, so he should like it.¡± Sophia did not know anything about emeralds, but since Yvonne brought it to her, it must be a valuable piece. ¡°Thank you.¡± She closed the box and reached out to take it. Then, she handed over the box with Alexander''s watch in it and said, ¡°This is Alexander''s watch. Help me go to Odyssey and give it to Mr. Lane.¡± Yvonne froze for a moment. She had a thousand questions about why Alexander''s watch was with Sophia, but she did not dare to ask. ¡°Understood, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia could not help butugh a little at the expression on Yvonne''s face. ¡°Don''t overthink it. He had a high feverst night and rested in my guest room for the night.¡± ¡°I wasn''t overthinking, Ms. Yarrow.¡± After she heard Sophia''s exnation, she really could not help but overthink. Why would Alexander rest in your guest room when he has a fever? He has so much money. Doesn''t he have other ces to sleep? Besides, there are so many hotels in Jadeborough. Why did he sleep in your guest room instead? Sophia looked at her with a vague smile. ¡°Anyway, the watch is quite expensive, so remember to hand it over to Felix personally.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne was embarrassed by Sophia''s gaze and hurriedly schooled her expression. She put the box away and said, ¡°I''ll go over to Odyssey now.¡± Sophia chuckled and nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± As a dutiful secretary, since Sophia told Yvonne to hand the watch over to Felix or Alexander personally, she called Felix directly when she arrived at Odyssey. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. When Felix received her call, he thought that something had happened to Sophia. Unexpectedly, Yvonne only asked him to go downstairs because she had something to pass to him. After she hung up the phone, he remembered that night again and felt somewhat helpless. Yvonne isn''t fond of me because of Alexander. I''m being unjustly implicated! Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Felix knew that Yvonne didn''t like him, so he quickly ran downstairs after he answered her call. He was afraid that she might dislike him even more if he kept her waiting. Less than five minutes after the call ended, he was in front of her. ¡°Ms. Leighton.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow asked me to pass this to you. It''s Mr. Xenos'' watch,¡± Yvonne said expressionlessly and turned to leave after Felix took the box from her. Felix opened the box and saw that it indeed contained Alexander''s watch. In fact, it was the one the latter had asked him to buyst time. As he wondered how the watch ended up with Sophia, he remembered the incident the night before. Instantly, he started imagining dramatic and passionate scenarios in his head. He couldn''t help but feel a little excited on his way back to the office. To be honest, he adored Sophia a lot. Therefore, he would be really happy if she could get together with Alexander again. After all, no one could resist having a beautiful and intelligent woman as the wife of their boss. Since Alexander wasn''t at the office in the morning, Felix kept the watch in his drawer and decided to give it to Alexander the next day. To his surprise, Alexander arrived at the office at around two o''clock in the afternoon. Just then, the marketing department sent over an urgent document, so Felix brought it to Alexander''s office with the watch. After he knocked on the door, Alexander''s voice sounded from inside. ¡°Come in.¡± His voice was a little hoarse. Felix could not help but wonder if Alexander had recovered from the fever. When he pushed the door open, he noticed that Alexander was wearing a ck suit. Thetter''s demeanor looked cold, but hisplexion seemed significantly better than the day before. I guess he has recovered. Indeed, love conquers all. Felix handed the document to Alexander first before he put the box before Alexander. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Leighton passed this watch to me on behalf of Ms. Yarrow. You left it at Ms. Yarrow''s ce.¡± Alexander paused for a bit before putting down the pen in his hand. He reached for the box with his long, slender fingers and opened it. It was the watch he had left on Sophia''s bedside table after taking his showerst night, but it wasn''t intentional. Although he recovered from his fever in the morning, he was sick the entire night. Thus, his mind was still a little muddled when he woke up. After he went downstairs, Sophia made him leave with Samuel without even letting him return to the room. He only realized that he had left his watch after he was back at home, taking a bath. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. He had nned to go to her ce at night to get it back, but now that Sophia had someone bring the watch to him, her intentions were clear. Alexander frowned. Anyone could see that he was in a bad mood. ¡°You may leave now.¡± Felix also sensed the sudden drop in the atmosphere, so he quickly left after briefly responding to Alexander. On the day of Darrell''s birthday, Sophia went to Sunshine Group for an early meeting at nine o''clock in the morning. A little over two hourster, she headed to Specter Entertainment to deal with some urgent documents. She only went back home at around noon. The moment her car reached her gate, she saw Horatius'' shy Lamborghini in front of her mansion. She figured that Horatius might be the only one who would drive a sports car in this weather. ¡°Hold on, Mr. Horatius. Let me park my car.¡± Horatius waved his hand and gestured for her to go in. Knowing that she would need to stay overnight at Alenvista, Sophia took a small suitcase and packed a set of clothes, a set of pajamas, and her travel pillow. It wasn''t raining in Jadeborough, but it was quite cloudy. When Horatius saw Sophia walking out of the house with her suitcase, he got out of his car and helped Sophia with it. ¡°What do you want to have for lunch?¡± Sophia nced at him. ¡°What do you suggest?¡± Although Horatius wasn''t from Jadeborough, Sophia wasn''t a match for him when it came to having fun. ¡°There''s a new restaurant that serves delicious roastedmb. Do you want to try it out?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia hadn''t had roastedmb for a while. ¡°Hop in.¡± After Horatius put Sophia''s luggage in his car, he opened the door for her. Once they finished their lunch, they went straight to the airport. They managed their time pretty well, so they only needed to wait for thirty minutes at the airport before they boarded the ne. The entire flightsted almost three hours. Right after the ne took off, Sophia stuffed her ears with a pair of earplugs and slept. She only woke up when the nended. It was her third time in Alenvista. However, thest time she was there was two years ago. That was also when she met Horatius for the first time. It was almost six o''clock in the evening when the ne touched down. Therefore, the sky had turned dark. Not only did the Swain family send a driver to fetch Horatius and Sophia, they also arranged rooms for the two in the hotel they owned. Ever since Horatius turned on his phone uponnding, it had been ringing non-stop. His friends were all calling him to gossip. Apparently, someone had taken photos of him and Sophia at the airport and posted them on the inte. Immediately, everyone thought that they were going out. It was also only then that Sophia found out that people thought they were dating. Katherine had just sent her a link. As she read the post, Sophia had to admit it was written quite convincingly. If she were not the one involved in the story, she would have believed it. The person who posted their photos had pictures of the two of them from the time they were at Sophia''s mansion until the time they arrived at the airport. Coincidentally, the angle at which the photos were taken made the two of them look more intimate than they actually were. As always, Katherine enjoyed gossiping. She texted Sophia: To be honest, I think Horatius is a pretty good guy other than the fact that he''s a yer. Sophia couldn''t hold back herughter when she read that message. She texted back: Do you think I can afford to let him y around freely? Horatius, who was just about to tell Sophia about the news, saw her message by ident. ¡°If you want, you can rein me in,¡± he remarked. Hearing him, Sophia lifted her head to look at him. ¡°I''m not that strong to do that.¡± Horatius raised his brows, but he soon changed the topic. ¡°Does this mean that you''ve seen the trending news?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Sorry for the trouble, Mr. Horatius.¡± ¡°Don''t worry about it. I don''t mind this pleasant surprise.¡± Katherine''s right. Mr. Horatius is a pretty good guy if I ignore the fact that he''s a yboy. What a sweet talker he is! She smiled and said nothing because she didn''t know how to respond. Right at that moment, the car they were in slowed down. The driver turned to look at them and said, ¡°Mr. Swain, Ms. Yarrow, we''ve reached the hotel.¡± Horatius responded to the driver before he turned to Sophia. ¡°Let me take you upstairs.¡± ¡°It''s fine. You should go handle your business.¡± Sophia paused for a brief moment before adding, ¡°You''ve been on your phone the entire time. You must have a lot of stuff on your hands.¡± Upon remembering what his friends had said, Horatius didn''t insist on keeping herpany. Sophia was right. He was indeed busy ¡ªhe had to go to teach his friends a lesson. Thereafter, Sophia dragged her luggage into the hotel on her own. After she showed her invitation card to the receptionist, thetter registered her into the guest registry and passed her the keycard to her room. The birthday banquet would only begin at half-past seven in the evening. Therefore, Sophia still had time to change into her gown and do her makeup. No matter what, Darrell''s birthday banquet was considered a grand event, so it would be impolite for her to attend without dressing up and putting on make-up. Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Sophia entered the hall at seven sharp even though the birthday banquet was scheduled tomence only half an hourter. It had been two years since shest met Darrell. As soon as she set foot in the hall, thetter''s secretary immediately approached her and led her away. With a present in her hand, she followed behind Darrell''s secretary leisurely. Soon, they arrived at the lounge room. ¡°This way, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Smiling away, Sophia responded, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Zeller.¡± ¡°You''re wee, Ms. Yarrow. It''s my responsibility to do so.¡± The secretary pushed the door open as she spoke. Sophia then made her way inside the room in her high heels. She was dressed in a grayish-blue floral embroidered dress that day, not looking especially fancy. ¡°It''s been a long time since west met, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Darrell, who was making coffee, raised his gaze when Sophia came in. She smiled and handed him the gift she had prepared earlier. ¡°Long time no see, Mr. Swain! I wish you prosperity and longevity.¡± Letting out a chortle, Darrell received the present and thanked her, ¡°Thank you so much. You really shouldn''t have!¡± Sophia sat opposite him before smoothing the hem of her dress. ¡°Don''t mention it, Mr. Swain. It''s only something small.¡± ¡°Haha! You know that won''t work on me, don''t you?¡± Darrell had always been fond of Sophia. Although he had been in the corporate world for decades, it was his first time meeting someone like her. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She stayed humble while preserving her dignity. She was full of confidence, but she knew her limits. Anyhow, all those traits were not the actual reason why Darrell admired her so much. What he admired the most in the youngdy was her calm andposed manner. He still remembered his first time seeing her. It was seven years ago, and she was about eighteen to neen years old at that time. Although she looked innocent and meek, everyone was shocked when she started speaking. No one would ever think that such a youngdy would keep the chat about establishing an investment company. Back then, many people wereughing at how ignorant she was. Some of the less decent people even suggested on the spot that it was more realistic for her to make use of her good looks. ¡°Find yourself a prestigious family to marry into is better, you know?¡± one of them said. That day, she was neither angsty nor arrogant. As she stood there, she remained calm andposed. Not a look of panic nor a sense of nervousness could be seen on her face. When the peace was gradually restored, she looked nonchnt as she said, ¡°Then, kindly look forward to my sess, everyone.¡± Back then, Darrell thought she was just young, fearless, and more courageous than ordinary people. However, she managed to set up Sunshine Group after seven years. Unexpectedly, she was very talented in investing. Mostly all thepanies that she had invested in would have their businesses prosper. Sophia has subtly made an enormous fortune over the past few years. I wonder if those who looked down on her back then would feel embarrassed if they knew about her achievements now. Two years ago, Darrell met Sophia once again. Although she seemed to be a gentle and quiet person, she was highly perceptive. Judging from her way of talking, he knew Sophia was a staunch person. She was firm and confident, though she looked meek and mild. As for Horatius, he was still leading a carefree life though he was thirty-two this year. He was not mediocre, but Darrell knew he was stillcking. Therefore, Darrell was worried that his son was not capable of taking over Onyx Builders after he passed away. In the past, whenever he heard rumors about his son, he had never put much thought into it. Nevertheless, he found himself concerned after what he heard a few days ago. I need not worry about the glory of Onyx Builders after my passing if Sophia is married to Horatius. With her sensible judgment and vision, as well as Horatius'' social skills and connections, Onyx Builders will definitely embark on a brighter journey if the two of them work together for the benefit of the company. As this thought swirled in his mind, he knew it could only remain a thought for now. Everything was still dependent specifically on Sophia''s point of view. Concurrently, Sophia knew she had no way to continue hiding her intention. Hence, she decided not to mask it anymore. ¡°It''s your birthday, so I had to prepare something you like, Mr. Swain.¡± Darrell handed her a cup of coffee that he had just made. ¡°Wow, my interest is immediately piqued!¡± As she took a sip of the coffee, she gazed at Darrell, who was nonchntly unwrapping the present. ¡°I hope you won''t be disappointed,¡± she said. At that moment, he had already caught sight of the emerald pendant and was slightly taken aback. He pped his thigh the next instant and eximed, ¡°Emerald is indeed my favorite gem!¡± He could not take his hands off the gift as he added, ¡°How did you know about it?¡± Sophia smiled and put down the coffee cup. ¡°I heard what you told Ms. Zeller when we met two years ago.¡± In actuality, she did not take his words to heart at that time. Having a good memory, she recalled it and told Yvonne when Darrell''s birthday was around the corner. However, the emerald pendant''s owner was also a collector. Since money was never an issue for the owner, Sophia could only ask Yvonne to offer a painting in exchange for the pendant. She thought the owner had rejected the offer as Yvonne did not update her on the matter after a few days. Much to her surprise, it was a sessful exchange. At such an old age, Darrell had no other hobbies other than collecting emeralds. He had already taken a liking to the emerald pendant several years ago. It was just that he was not on good terms with the original owner, so thetter refused to sell him the pendant. Sophia remembered that he even threw a tantrum back then because of this. Hearing what Sophia said, Darrell was momentarily stunned. As he was growing old, it took him some time to recall that incident. Soon after, he heaved a sigh and remarked, ¡°You actually remembered!¡± ¡°I''m d that you like it.¡± ¡°Of course, I like it!¡± Following that, he put the emerald pendant back carefully. Anyone could tell that he was indeed an emerald lover. Soon, it was about time to kick off the banquet. After having a cup of coffee, Darrell handed the emerald pendant to his secretary. He then looked toward Sophia and uttered, ¡°Come with me to meet the guests. Let''s go, shall we?¡± Sophia arched a brow upon hearing his words. It was rare that she could not figure out what was going on in his mind. It''s his birthday today. Logically, it should be his family apanying him to meet the guests. If worse comes to worst, he can still look for Horatius'' girlfriend to apany him. I''ve just talked to him a few times. Although we get along pretty well, it still seems inappropriate for me to meet the guests with him. At the same time, Darrell knew what she was thinking about. Thus, he scolded lightheartedly, ¡°Why? Are you afraid of being gossiped about, the fabled Ms. Suny? If anyone has the nerve to spout some nonsense, I''ll immediately ask my men to chase them out! Don''t worry, okay?¡± He had yed his cards right. Even if she couldn''t be his daughter-inw, he could make her his goddaughter. Moreover, he was a good judge of character. He knew she was very protective of her family though she seemed cold to people. She won''t just watch my lifelong business go downhill if I''ve be her godfather. Sophia had never expected that Darrell would think so. Hmm... I guess he''s probably bringing me with him to shut theizens'' mouths and stop them from scolding me. Some people still couldn''t believe her even after Darrell personally mentioned how good she was. It was absurd how those people thought they knew everything andmented, ¡°Mr. Horatius must have returned home to plead with his father to speak up for her. It''s hard to tell if it''s fake or real. It may be just a show yed by the rich.¡± Nheless, Sophia naturally agreed since Darrell had already asked for herpany. Most of the guests had already arrived at the hall downstairs. With that, Sophia held Darrell''s arm as they strode into the elevator. In truth, he was said to be a legendary man. He had focused his full attention on Onyx Builders after his wife''s passing. All these years, he had never been involved in any scandals either. The wall of the elevator reflected Darrell''s appearance clearly. Even though he was sixty this year, his looks made him seem to be in his forties to fifties. One could tell from his exquisite facial features that he was quite handsome in his youth. Such a devoted husband like him was rare, especially when he was so good-looking. With a loud ding, the elevator doors slid open. Everyone at the scene naturally fell quiet as they knew Darrell would make his entrance the next instant. All the guests had different expressions when they caught sight of Sophia, who stood next to Darrell. Chapter 157 Chapter 157 With Darrell arriving at his sixtieth birthday party with Sophia, anyone with sense would know that something was going on. Moreover, considering how Darrell had reacted when someone brought up Horatius and Sophia during the old man''s interview not long ago, nobody would believe it if someone were to say that Darrell did not have any ns for the woman. However, Darrell was old. Ever since his wife passed away twenty years ago due to a terminal illness, he had not been involved in any scandalous news with another woman. Then again, one would not know if his impable image was only for show or if he was truly loyal to histe wife. Nevertheless, Darrell''s interest in Sophia was not for himself. Horatius was already thirty-two, while Darrell himself was already sixty years old. Hence, he would surely want his son to start a family and take over the family business. It would be more usible to say that Darrell was regarding Sophia as his future daughter-inw. At the sight of Sophia making an appearance alongside Darrell, Samuel nced over at Alexander, who was beside him. ¡°Alex, do you reckon that Old Mr. Swain thinks of Sophia as his future daughter- inw?¡± Alexander''s face fell right after he heard Samuel. Before the two of them got on the ne, the news and photos of Horatius and Sophia were already all over the inte. The angles of the photos made it difficult for Samuel to discern their authenticity. He had inspected the photos a few times, yet it was an arduous task to figure out whether the photos were real. Alexander had not been in the best mood while making his way there. His mood took another downturn as he was greeted by the sight of Sophia showing up beside Darrell. Alexander was not dumb. The interviews and the preferential treatment before this were a clear indication of Darrell''s thoughts. As the secondary host for the night, Horatius had been busy weing the guests before Darrell appeared. Now that Darrell had shown himself, Horatius could finally take the time to greet his father as he brought his uncles along. The small group of men greeted Darrell and wished him a happy birthday. Then, they turned their attention to Sophia. One of them jokingly said, ¡°Old Mr. Swain, is this Horatius'' girlfriend?¡± Darrell nced at Sophia and let out a chuckle. ¡°I wish she was, but my son isn''t making that happen!¡± Even though Horatius was not as faithful as his father in rtionships, he did inherit Darrell''s high IQ and EQ. He knew what his father was getting at right away and gave Sophia a look. ¡°Sophia, look at how much my father likes you! Why don''t you just be my girlfriend?¡± he said in a jesting manner. Beforeing to the party, Sophia wasn''t certain what was on Darrell''s mind. Now, as she stood beside him and listened to the father and son''s half-joking remarks, it soon became clear as day what their intentions were. She met Horatius'' gaze, her lips curling into a smirk. ¡°That''s not going to work. My parents'' dying wishes were for me to never marry far away from home.¡± It would have been difficult for someone else to respond tactfully in such a situation. Darrell only wanted to sound her out, and he certainly did not intend to force Sophia into making a decision with so many people around. In fact, he had even thought of what to say to help Sophia out of the awkward situation. However, he did not expect her to think of a way out of it herself. How brilliant of her! She''s using her parents'' dying wishes as her way out of this. No one would know if it''s real or not, after all. Sophia managed to preserve the Swain family''s dignity without embarrassing herself. Meanwhile, Horatius shrugged and said, ¡°I guess we''re just not destined to be together, then.¡± Sophia smiled, silently agreeing with his statement. The person who asked the question did not hope to get an actual answer out of Darrell either. He had just popped the question on a whim. In fact, he regretted asking the question almost right away. After all, he could offend both parties if things did not end well. Fortunately, Sophia worked around the problem perfectly. The guests who were invited by the Swains were all smart, and they knew better than to insist on an answer. With that, they changed the topic right away. Nevertheless, it did not change the fact that Sophia was put under the spotlight by the first few questions. While Darrell left with his group of friends, Horatius took a ss of orange juice and handed it to Sophia. ¡°Please don''t mind me. It was only a joke.¡± Sophia took over the juice and sipped on it. ¡°I know you were joking, Mr. Horatius.¡± Horatius titled his brow. ¡°What if it wasn''t a joke?¡± Sophia lifted her eyes and looked at Horatius. Then, she let out a chuckle and said, ¡°I wouldn''t dare to compete with so many people.¡± It was a well-known fact that Horatius was a yboy. At that, he let out a snicker. ¡°Why would I need other constion prizes if I have a trophy like you?¡± Isn''t he afraid that his ex-girlfriends wille whooping him if they hear him saying this? Sophia pursed her lips. ¡°Unfortunately, there are no ifs and buts in this world.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. With that answer, they were back at square one. Horatius knew that Sophia was rejecting him subtly. He took a big mouthful of red wine and appeared quite defeated. Looking at Sophia with a confounded look, he asked, ¡°What makes Alexander better than me?¡± ¡°You''re a really nice man, Mr. Horatius.¡± It''s just that I do not have any feelings for you. Horatius would not buy it. ¡°I know you don''t like the fact that I have many exes.¡± Sophia smiled and continued to drink her juice in silence. Even though she wouldn''t mind her boyfriend having exes, Sophia still found it hard to ept the fact that Horatius had too many to count. Horatius knew he hit the bullseye and scoffed. ¡°Alexander is no saint, either. Even if you don''t choose me, you''re better off not going to him, too. He''s an insouciant and heartless man.¡± Right after saying that, Horatius finished his ss of red wine in one go and said, ¡°I''m going to greet some friends. Do let me know if you need anything.¡± Sophia nodded in response. Darrell''s birthday party was buzzing with guests. Sophia actually knew most of them, though she reckoned that they only knew her as Suny, not Sophia. The huge crowd felt a bit suffocating. After a while, Sophia fetched a fresh ss of juice and decided to get some fresh air in the sky garden. March in Alenvista was still cold. The hall was warm like the summer with the heater on, but it was different outside with the chilly night air. There was no one in the garden, save for Sophia. Sophia wore a dress that night. Even though she did wrap herself in a shawl, it was not sufficient to resist the cold. She already felt her limbs freezing after standing for less than a minute outside. The grape juice in her hand felt even harder to swallow right then. She no longer felt suffocated, but the cold wind was intolerable. Hence, Sophia turned around to leave after staying in the garden for a while. Just then, a woman in a purple robe approached her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, what an honor.¡± The woman spoke in an arrogant manner. It sounded as if she was spitting the word ¡°honor¡± out of her mouth. Sophia raised her brow. ¡°You are?¡± ¡°Skyler Schmidt.¡± Sophia looked at Skyler and smiled. ¡°Ms. Schmidt, I don''t believe we''ve met.¡± ¡°Of course not! You may not know me, but I know all about you. The tabloid reports on you over the past year were way too interesting for me to ignore you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Skyler let out a snort and continued, ¡°You''re quite capable, aren''t you? Since you can''t get anything from the Xenos family, you''re targeting the Swain family instead?¡± Skyler did not keep her voice down. Thus, her words instantly garnered the attention of people around them. Chapter 158 Chapter 158 The smile on Sophia''s face soon faded as she realized that the woman was ill-intentioned. However, she smiled and said nothing to Skyler, who was standing before her. Skyler thought that she had exposed Sophia''s ns, and so thetter was getting embarrassed about it. Hence, she grew more audacious. She smirked mockingly and chided, ¡°I''ve seen my fair share of gold diggers like you! You''re after the money, and you want to marry into a rich family. It''s good to have dreams, but there''s a fine line between dreams and delusions! You''d better keep in mind that the Swain family is not a family that you can simply marry into. Haven''t you realized that already after pestering Alexander for so many years?¡± Sophia truly did not recognize the woman before her. However, she could already guess her identity from the way the woman kept bringing Horatius up. Back in the hotel, Katherine had already briefed Sophia on Horatius'' rtionships, ranging from Horatius'' exes to his childhood sweetheart. This woman must be the youngest daughter of the Schmidt family - Skyler. Almost everyone in the same circle knew that Skyler liked Horatius. However, her temper was notoriously rotten, so he had never once considered being in a rtionship with her. Hence, there was no way he would contemte marrying that woman. However, using her affluent family background, she had harassed plenty of Horatius'' ex-girlfriends. Even though Horatius was a yboy, he still treated each and every one of his girlfriends seriously. Thus, Horatius openly criticized Skyler''s behavior a few times. Although the Schmidt family was not as affluent as the Swain family, the former was not to be taken lightly as well. Darrell did not wish to sour the ties between the two families, and the old man resorted to sending Horatius abroad for studies to avoid any potential conflict. It was even rumored that Horatius hid away in Jadeborough in an attempt to avoid Skyler altogether. Of course, there was no way to verify the authenticity of the rumors. However, one thing was for sure¡ª Skyler hated seeing any woman around Horatius. Sophia had made an appearance alongside Darrell, and the former had already engaged in a seemingly delightful conversation with Horatius for over five minutes. Skyler had been watching them intently from some distance away. Her eyes were green with envy as she almost peeled her nails off out of jealousy. If it were not for her brother, Dustin Schmidt, holding her back, Skyler would have dashed over and wed Sophia away from Horatius'' side. She''s only a meager entertainmentpany''s boss. Does she think that she''s be a socialite just because of that? Is she aiming for the Swains because she couldn''t get anything out of the Xenos family? Skyler would not have given a d*mn about who Sophia was trying to seduce, as long as it was not Horatius. The most that she would do would be tough it off as a joke. However, it appeared as if Sophia was going to snatch Horatius away. Hence, she could not just sit idly by. Moreover, Horatius knew for a fact that his ex-girlfriends were no decent women. At the very least, he would not bring them home to meet Darrell. It was different with Sophia, however. Horatius has already brought her home to meet Darrell! Skyler had a hunch that Sophia was shrewder than any of Horatius'' ex-girlfriends, and in turn, more difficult to deal with. Skyler''s chiding remarks had actually voiced out many of Alenvista''s socialites'' concerns. Even though Darrell himself had brought Sophia along, they did not deem her worthy to appear alongside him as they thought of her as a woman who had only managed to get where she was by buttering up Darrell. Even though Alexander and Sophia were already divorced, and Sophia was an aplished woman in her field, they still thought of her as a gold digger who sought to elevate her social status. Women''s jealousy was a formidable force, and it would blind them from seeing the whole picture objectively. Sophia was different from the socialites. After all, she was raised in a different background. A beautiful and aplished woman like her had broken social barriers and entered their circle with her own capability. That fact was a hard pill to swallow for most of the socialites in the city. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. The crowd did not look favorably upon Sophia as they merely stood and watch as Skyler reprimanded her. Nobody stepped up and defended her either. Sophia actually did not wish to stir trouble, especially not on a day like that. However, she had never been a magnanimous person. Just when she was about to retort, a man''s voice rang from outside the crowd. ¡°You''ve got one thing wrong. She''s not the one pestering me; I''m the one hounding her.¡± The crowd traced the direction of the voice, and they were bbergasted by the sight of Alexander. His remarks were unbelievable, even when they came straight out of his mouth. Sophia raised a brow and noticed Alexander approaching her, step by step. ¡°Is this how the Swains treat their guests?¡± Alexander was being presumptuous. After all, Skyler was not one of the Swains. Sophia furrowed her brows. She did not wish to make things difficult for Darrell as she had a myriad of ways to deal with Skyler herself. Right as she was about to speak, Skyler said, ¡°You''re really something else, huh? Your ex-husband is still defending you even when the two of you are already divorced. Sophia, you do have a way with men, don''t you?¡± Someone had notified Horatius right away when they noticed themotion, especially when it involved Skyler. Darrell was together with Horatius right then. His face fell when someone reported that Sophia was being reprimanded. I deliberately made an appearance with Sophia today. Who has the audacity to humiliate her? Is that person an idiot? Horatius was already cursing under his breath as he made his way to the crowd''s side. He almost hurled the ss in his hand when he listened to what Skyler said upon arriving at the scene. Even before Horatius'' arrival, Darrell had rushed to the scene with a grim look. ¡°Skyler, Sophia is my honored guest today, and it is my sixtieth birthday party. Do you take me for nothing when you humiliate my honored guest in front of everyone?¡± Even though Darrell''s voice was not loud, it was dangerously low and intimidating. His old age had made him all the more formidable. The Schmidts and the public alike shuddered as they heard his words. Then, Darrell ordered, ¡°Please see Ms. Schmidt and her family out the door!¡± The Schmidt family members were shocked. They were about to speak up when they noticed the forbidding look on Darrell''s face. Thus, they had no choice but to swallow their words and scurry out of the hall while dragging Skyler along. After Skyler was taken away, Darrell scanned the crowd and said, ¡°Silly rumors stop with the wise. Sophia is an outstanding woman. I''ve always wanted a daughter, but I have only been blessed with a son¡ªHoratius. I believe all of you must have your own presumptions about the reasons I''ve made an appearance together with Sophia today. I would be delightfully pleased if Sophia could be my daughter- inw. However, we''re no longer living in a traditional society, and she doesn''t need to get married to Horatius for her to be my daughter. I will not force Sophia to be together with Horatius either, seeing as how she has no feelings for him. However, I would very much like her to be my goddaughter instead. After all, Horatius has never made me feel at ease. They say that daughters are bundles of joy that could brighten up your life.¡± Then, he turned to look at Sophia. ¡°Sophia, if you don''t mind, you may call me Dad, and my dream of having a daughter will finally be fulfilled.¡± His tense expression eased as he shed a smile at her. ¡°Don''t worry; I am not expecting an immediate answer. You may want to consider your decision carefully. It''s entirely up to you, though. Please don''t mind what we might make of the decision.¡± Sophia had certainly not expected Darrell to make such an announcement and was touched. Not only did he clear her name, but he had also offered to be her backup. Even though she did not need it, some people would definitely think twice before they decide to cross her in the future. After that, Darrell approached her and patted her on the shoulder. ¡°Good child. Come along and cut the cake together with me.¡± Darrell was kind enough to not demand an immediate reply and gave her a way out of the situation. Sophia cast a nce at the old man. It had been so many years since her parents passed, and she had almost forgotten how it felt like to be protected. It does feel nice having someone to back me up. Nobody at the scene expected things to take such a turn. One moment, Sophia was being ridiculed; in the next, she became the person whom everyone envied. The Swains were no ordinary family. Even those who were slightly closer to Horatius would be treated with the utmost respect by society, let alone his goddaughter. Sophia could only nod and smile. She then said softly, ¡°Don''t get angry, Old Mr. Swain. I''m not even mad about what she said.¡± Darrell broke into a chuckle listening to her. ¡°I really have no idea how you put up with that. How could you still be smiling when someone''s pointing at you and reprimanding you like that?¡± Sophia let out a soft chuckle. ¡°I remember every insult she throws at me, though.¡± Darrell was taken aback at first. However, heughed after realizing what she meant. The crowd surrounding them did not understand what was going on. However, they did notice that Darrell wasughing all the way. It seemed like Sophia really had a way of making the old man happy. Chapter 159 Chapter 159 ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk! I think Old Mr. Swain still has designs on Sophia. This tactic of pledging Sophia to be his goddaughter was just a part of his n. What he actually wants is Sophia as his daughter-inw!¡± Samuel sighed as he watched Sophia being led away by Darrell. From the start, Alexander wasn''t that happy with how things were going. However, the moment Samuel mentioned that, Alexander''s heart sank. Looking at the silent Alexander, Samuel took a sip of his red wine before nudging the brooding man. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Alexander shot him a cold re. ¡°Do you think I can''t find a boxing gym in Alenvista?¡± Samuel was speechless. Honestly, it was just a harmless joke! Please don''t do this to me! Meanwhile, Darrell had already brought Sophia onto the stage. Because of what Darrell said just now, Sophia had be the center of everyone''s attention. When Alexander approached the stage, he could hear the surrounding people discussing her. ¡°Old Mr. Swain has been around long enough to be a good judge of character. If a person like him cherishes Sophia that much, then I think she isn''t as despicable as they all say. Moreover, look at her! Even though the stage she''s standing on is so big, she looks very confident, as if she belongs there!¡± ¡°Among other things, what''s most striking about her is her looks! No wonder Horatius, who is known to be promiscuous, has fallen for her. If I were a man, I would definitely go after someone who looks as angelic as Sophia!¡± Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. ¡°Actually, I heard from a friend in Jadeborough that Sophia is a nice woman. Even after she divorced Alexander and became a trending topic several times, she didn''t do anything to him. This makes me think she really wanted that divorce from him, in contrast with what the media said¡ªthat she was ying hard to get or wanting more money.¡± Alexander immersed himself in the moment. While he listened to the hushed discussions of Sophia by the people surrounding him, his eyes were focused on the woman standing on stage. Today, Sophia wore a dress embroidered with flowers. She had tied her hair into a bun, which exposed her pale white neck that looked as elegant as a swan''s. Horatius was standing beside her. Then, as Horatius said something to her, she tilted her head slightly and smiled, her lovely eyes sparkling brilliantly. Alexander recalled the moment when Sophia had just married him in the past. He remembered she was like that too when she talked to him; her lovely eyes stared straight into his with a hint of a smile. Moreover, he could see his reflection reflecting back clearly through her glossy ck eyes. At that time, the only man Sophia had eyes for was him. However, after they divorced, she never looked at him gently or affectionately anymore. Sometimes, one would only understand the difference and know the value of something after one makes aparison. In her heart, he was nothing to her now since she didn''t love him anymore. From the moment she was in trouble till she was brought away by the Swain father and son duo, she had not given him any of her attention. The only time she had even nced at him was when he first spoke up for her and approached her. After that, her gaze never fell upon him ever again. Although he had felt hope rekindling after Sophia''s silence the other night, it waspletely snuffed out tonight. She was beautiful, intelligent, gentle, and generous. Moreover, her suitors were not losing out to him. At one point, Alexander doubted whether he would ever have the chance to woo her back. After exchanging pleasantries with his acquaintances, Samuel noticed Alexander standing below the stage as he looked intently at Sophia on the stage. From his angle, Alexander looked miserable, like an abandoned puppy. Honestly, he was tempted to go over there and ridicule his friend. However, the moment Samuel arrived next to Alexander, the words died in his mouth. The reason for that was that he suddenly realized just how pitiable Alexander truly was. He looked so pathetic that Samuel didn''t have the heart tough at him. Hence, his ridicule changed into words offort. ¡°Cheer up! At least you have had the experience of being husband and wife with a fine woman like Sophia!¡± s, his words were like arrows hitting the bullseye, piercing Alexander''s heart with a sudden bout of pain. Instead of being offended by Samuel''s remark, Alexander was dejected. He withdrew his gaze from the woman on the stage and lowered his eyes, and his whole figure seemed to retreat into the shadows. ¡°She''s truly gone.¡± After all these years that Samuel had been friends with Alexander, the former had never seen him this depressed before. Sighing, Samuel said, ¡°Come on, cheer up! Let''s think about this from another angle. Do you know what it means now that Old Mr. Swain announced Sophia as his goddaughter instead of his daughter-inw? Thedy in question doesn''t want to be his daughter-inw! On the same note, doesn''t this mean that Sophia rejected Horatius before? Looking on the bright side, at least this proves that although she doesn''t like you now, she''s not seeing anyone else either.¡± Those words drove yet another knife into Alexander''s heart. But this time, Samuel had a point. Alexander lifted his head to look at Samuel before saying, ¡°Other than me, who else used to bully Sophia?¡± Although he had apologized, he knew the others hadn''t. Samuel raised an eyebrow. ¡°You''re fast on the uptake today!¡± Alexander simply ignored him. ¡°Make a list of those that bullied her and send it to me by tomorrow morning. If you fail to do that, you know the drill. I''ll meet you at the boxing gym the day after tomorrow.¡± Samuel went quiet. This ve-driver! On the stage, the birthday cake had been cut. Darrell presented the first slice of the cake he cut himself to Sophia as proof of his sincerity and determination for her to be his goddaughter. Sophia epted the slice of cake and thanked him with a smile. Alexander had been staring at Sophia for quite some time. Sensing the gaze, Sophia raised her head and turned to look at him. And there he was, standing about seven meters from her, his eyes locked on her. Instantly, the smile on Sophia''s face faded slightly, and she looked away from him. Horatius noticed the change in her expression and asked if she was tired and whether she needed to go upstairs for a break. She thought about it and said, ¡°Okay.¡± In truth, she wasn''t tired, but she didn''t want to stay there any longer. ¡°Okay, I''ll have someone bring you there.¡± After all, today was Darrell''s sixtieth birthday party. As his son, he was busy receiving and entertaining the guests. Therefore, even though he wanted to bring her upstairs himself, he couldn''t. Sophia shook her head. ¡°It''s fine, Mr. Horatius. I can go there on my own. Please continue with what you were doing.¡± In actuality, Sophia felt slightly awkward because she was overwhelmed by what Darrell had done for her today. Horatius did not force her to stay. After all, he had to send off his family friends and rtives as well. ¡°Okay, take care of yourself. Call me if anything serious happens!¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°I don''t think it''s that easy to get into an ident.¡± Horatius snorted. ¡°Don''t you know many people are aiming for you now? You never know if there are any idiots who dare to cause trouble!¡± With that said, after waving goodbye to her, Horatius got off the stage to entertain the guests. Sophia nodded. As she was about to leave for the lounge, she suddenly felt someone was looking at her. She turned her head and saw it was a man who was talking with Darrell not far away from her. Since Darrell was aware that the matter today was a little sudden for Sophia, he tactfully didn''t request her to apany him to chat with the guests. The man Darrell was talking to was Lukas Dawson. The Dawsons were a powerful family full of capable people. Lukas'' grandfather was a retired army general. Lukas'' grandmother was the founder of Eastern Technologies, which Lukas'' father, Kasper Dawson, was currently in charge of. As for Lukas himself, he was a politician. At the young age of thirty-five, he was already the city council secretary. Today, Lukas was the representative of the Dawson family at Darrell''s sixtieth birthday celebration. When he saw Sophia looking at him, Lukas gave a slight nod before resuming his conversation with Darrell. Smiling, he said, ¡°Old Mr. Swain, you have a good eye for people.¡± The Swain and Dawson families were on good terms with each other. In fact, Darrell and Kasper were university mates. Naturally, Darrell had to inform the Dawson family when he pledged to take Sophia as his goddaughter so as not to undermine their friendship. Earlier, he had been talking to Lukas about Sophia and expressing his thoughts on her. Lukas was a true member of a powerful family. Although he treated everyone with warmth and grace, in truth, he was a patronizing person and also arrogant at his core. The praise just now was merely for formality''s sake, but Darrell didn''t mind the former''sment and changed the topic. Chapter 160 Chapter 160 Not long after Sophia walked out of the venue, she immediately caught sight of Alexander talking on the phone in the corridor. She had no clue who was on the other end of the line or what were they talking about. All she could see was Alexander frowning, his expression colder than snow in winter. He must be in a foul mood. When Alexander spotted Sophia, he ended the call then and there as he stood rooted, staring at her. Sophia stopped in her tracks as she arrived face to face with Alexander. shing a faint smile at him, she expressed her appreciation. ¡°Thanks for your help just now.¡± Her gratitude was from the depths of her heart. Alexander gulped at that and replied, ¡°Don''t mention it.¡± His gaze never left Sophia. He finally realized how difficult it must have been for her during their three-year marriage. As Alexander thought about Felix''s report over the phone, a bitter taste spread in his mouth. He was dying to bring up those past incidents and talk to Sophia about them, but he didn''t know how to begin. Samuel was spot on when he said Alexander wasn''t the one who had trampled on Sophia. Even so, it was because of the way Alexander had treated her that fanned the mes of hostility in the others toward her, hence triggering those nasty acts. Noticing Alexander''s reaction, Sophia raised her brows because she didn''t understand what was going on with him. ¡°I''m going to the lounge,¡± she said. No matter what it was, Sophia figured it was none of her business either way. As she finished the sentence, she walked past Alexander and made a beeline for the elevator. ¡°Sophia,¡± Alexander piped up. There was an underlying hint of some emotion in his deep voice. Yet, Sophia had no interest to find out what it was. She knitted her brows slightly and nced over her shoulder. ¡°What?¡± From her perspective, they should have nothing to do with each other anymore. In his entire life, he had never realized how difficult it could be to say such a simple sentence. ¡°Have you been suffering during those three years?¡± He knew that it was a hurtful question to ask, but he had to hear the answer from Sophia. It was the only way for him to ascertain the fact that he was indeed a sc*mbag. Never in a million years would Sophia expect him to throw out an irrelevant question like that. Even though more than a year had passed after her divorce, she could still vividly remember all the terrible things that happened during her three-year marriage. Suffering? That''s an understatement. Sadly, it was already toote for Alexander to raise this pointless question. ¡°Whether I answer yes or no, it doesn''t matter anymore.¡± To Sophia, at least, it was really no longer significant, for she had gone through the struggle and survived. ¡°Sorry.¡± Other than a weak and useless apology, Alexander discovered that he truly had nothing else to offer her. The only thing that he could do was, perhaps,pel those who had bullied and hurt her in the past into apologizing to Sophia personally. By hook or by crook, he reckoned he had topensate for Sophia''s agony. The smile on Sophia''s face faltered as she spared Alexander onest nce before entering the elevator. Not a single reply had been given to him despite his apology. Of course, Sophia would never forgive him, so she never needed his futile apology. Alexander didn''t chase after Sophia, knowing that the woman would only loathe him more if he did. He merely stood there, watching as the elevator door gradually shut. Not even once had Sophia looked in his direction the whole time as she stood inside the elevator. I know I''m a b*stard. I''m sorry. Sophia lingered at the lounge for half an hour. After Darrell appeared, she went upstairs to her room to wash up and rest. Considering the myriad of events that happened, that night was destined to be a sleepless one for certain people. It was eleven at night, yet the Dawson residence was still brightly lit. Lukas reached home before half-past ten and recounted the incidents that night to his father. However, he didn''t even get halfway when his grandfather, Perrin Dawson, woke up from bed to relieve himself, only to overhear their conversation. Immediately, Perrin ordered for the lights to be lit and summoned the entire family to the living room. Lukas first showed Perrin the photos that he had taken and also some pictures that he had gotten from the inte. Despite being a solemn, dignified man, the second Perrinid eyes on the photos, his eyes reddened at once. ¡°It''s her! Ray! This is definitely Ray!¡± As the whole Dawson family knew, they had kin who was abducted by human traffickers forty years ago, and they would never dare to mention her name. That person was Lukas'' aunt, Rachel Dawson. Lukas'' grandmother, Penelope, was diagnosed with lung cancer five years ago. She had been gritting her teeth to go through the torture of chemotherapy so that she could see her long-lost daughter again in this lifetime. Deep down, she believed that her daughter was still alive. Last September, Penelope''s condition worsened, so she was transferred abroad for treatment. Just two months ago, the hospital issued a critical condition notice. Thus, she was then transferred back to her home country. Back then, the doctor had announced that she had only, at most, a month left to live. Yet, she was still in the ICU now, even when she was close to breathing herst. Her only wish was to have her pitiful, sweet daughtere back to her. The entire Dawson family had searched high and low for Rachel, believing that she was safe and sound somewhere on this. When Lukas saw Sophia''s face that day, he, too, had been astonished to no end. That would make sense, for Sophia really resembled Rachel. For so many years, Lukas had been asking around with Rachel''s photo, trying to locate her whereabouts. Even with his eyes closed, Lukas could still conjure up the image of Rachel''s face. Despite that, he didn''t dare to act rashly, for his grandparents had already been let down too many times over the years, not to mention the state his grandmother was in presently. She could not go through yet another disappointment as her body couldn''t take it any longer. Therefore, he had summoned someone to run a background check on Sophia on the spot. Since their time was limited, they weren''t able to conduct a thorough investigation. Nevertheless, it was already sufficient to prove that Sophia was indeed Rachel''s daughter. No matter how stern and decisive Kasper had always been, the moment he noticed the woman in the photo, tears welled up in his eyes as he eximed, ¡°It''s Ray!¡± Seeing the demeanor of both his father and grandfather, Lukas couldn''t bear to cause them any more grief, yet he had no choice but to spill the beans. ¡°Grandpa, Dad, this isn''t Aunt Rachel. This woman is actually her daughter. Aunt Rachel passed away ten years ago in a car ident.¡± ¡°Dad¡ª¡± ¡°Grandpa!¡± Perrin fainted. Things took a chaotic turn at the Dawson residence on that note. Needless to say, Sophia was in the dark about the ruckus despite being the source of the havoc. She had already finished applying a facial mask and was getting ready for bed. At that juncture, a man decked in a suit was standing right outside her room. That man was none other than Alexander. It was the first time Samuel came across Alexander in such a drunken state. He didn''t know thetter could be such a pain in the neck. Because of Alexander, both of them were hurled countless contemptuous res all the way back from the bar. Even if they were connected by a thirty-year brotherhood, Samuel still had the urge to just dump Alexander in the middle of the streets and walk off. He genuinely regretted impulsively inviting Alexander for a drink. Usually, Alexander would either re daggers or drive Samuel away when thetter threw an invitation to go to the bar. That very night, however, Alexander did none of the above. Instead, he agreed to join Samuel. The two of them got to the bar and instantly ordered their drinks without conversing about anything else. Witnessing Alexander knocking back one ss after another, Samuel found no way to stop his friend. Eventually, Samuel gave uppletely. He had previously thought that Alexander wouldn''t get himself drunk, for thetter had the capability of gulping down two catties of white wine when he was younger and still stayed as sober as a judge. Unfortunately, that night had proven Samuel wrong because Alexander was as drunk as a skunk. It was not a big deal to be under the influence, for most people would merely be muddle-headed. That was not the case for Alexander, though, as he was extraordinarily clear-headed and even became incredibly talkative. Still, he seemed only to repeat the same string of words¡ª¡±I''ve wronged her.¡± As they were returning to the hotel, they were thrown all kinds of nces by passersby along the way. Everyone thought both of them were some incorrigible womanizers. It had been a painful journey. Upon stepping into the hotel, Alexander refused to return to his own room and insisted on going to Sophia''s room. Samuel, in turn, couldn''t hold back his dder anymore as he bolted to the restroom. When he got back, he found Alexander leaning against Sophia''s door. Thetter''s body was slouched over, and with how he couldn''t even stand straight, he looked as though he were some heartbroken person mourning the loss of a loved one. ¡°Are you sure you don''t want to go back to your room?¡± asked Samuel as he rubbed his temples while approaching Alexander. Alexander couldn''t even be bothered to cast a nce at Samuel. ¡°Just get lost,¡± he uttered. Samuel let out a chuckle of frustration. ¡°What the heck? I brought you back here so painstakingly, and you''re asking me to get lost? Fine. Do whatever you want.¡± Hmph! I''m a human with feelings, too! Even so, Samuel barely took a few steps before he turned around to check on his friend. He couldn''t help but heave a sigh at the scene. Tsk! How pitiful... ¡°Don''t say I didn''t help you! For doing so much for you, I suppose I even deserve the best friend award of the year!¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. As Samuel dropped the words, he raised his hand and knocked on Sophia''s door. ¡°Room service! Please open the door, miss.¡± Although Alexander was drunk, he was wide awake. It was just that his cognition would be much more sluggish than usual. When Alexander eventually caught on to Samuel''s words, thetter had already scurried away. As soon as Alexander furrowed his brows, Sophia''s door was pulled open from the inside out of the blue. He lost his bnce and fell forward straight away. He didn''t copse to the ground. Instead, he fell right into Sophia''s arms. ¡°Alexander?¡± Chapter 161 Chapter 161 The stench of alcohol emanating from Alexander was detectable as soon as Sophia opened the door. She had never seen him consume so much alcohol before. ¡°Sophia.¡± Alexander slowly stood up while supporting himself using the door before lowering his head to look at her. Then, he pointed to his throat. ¡°My throat is parched. Could you please pour me a cup of water?¡± When Sophia heard that, she frowned. She initially assumed he was drunk, so she was surprised that he noticed his throat was dry and could ask for water. In the early hours of the morning, the hotel corridor was deafeningly quiet. Sophia paused for a moment before taking a step back. ¡°Take a seat first.¡± Without Genie around, she had to heat the water for him herself. Alexander followed Sophia into the room and took a seat. He was deep in thought when he raised his head and looked at Sophia, who was heating the water in the kettle for him. Deep down, he was afraid she would chase him away. After pressing the heating button, Sophia leaned against the cab and noticed Alexander staring at her nkly. She didn''t know what he was thinking. Shortly afterward, Alexander felt hot because the heater in the room was on. He then raised his hand to undo the button near his shirt''s cor. However, he felt that loosening one was insufficient, so he moved his slender index finger to unbutton the next one. Both his corbones were visible due to the two top buttons being undone. Despite being a man, he had corbones that would make any woman envious. When the kettle made a sound, indicating that the water was done boiling, she retracted her gaze before pouring some into a ss partially filled with cool water. Carrying the ss to the couch, she leaned over to ce it down in front of him. Alexander reached over to take the ss and thanked her in a husky voice before starting to drink the water. Sophia could see his well-defined muscles beneath the shirt as he tilted his head back, the front of his shirt gaping open with the motion. When she saw that, her face flushed, and she immediately shifted her gaze. Tch! Alexander has always struck me as a skinny man. I had no idea he was so fit and muscr underneath his clothes. In reality, Alexander was extremely self-disciplined. He would always spend eight hours per week working out, no matter how busy he was at work. Not only that, but he also rarely drank, so the fact that he was so inebriated that day surprised Sophia, as it was her first time seeing him that drunk. Finally, he felt better as the water passed down his throat. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. When he was done drinking, he set the ss down on the table and raised his head to look at Sophia. ¡°I apologize for bothering you. I''ll leave now so you can rest.¡± With that, he stood up. Not only was his shirt a little loose because he had been trying to pull it open, but his coat was also slung over one arm. Because of the alcohol, his handsome face was flushed red as well. Sophia kept her arms folded as she watched him walk toward the room door. It was true that he had bothered her. She had been sleeping for more than an hour, but when he knocked on the door, she had no choice but to wake up. In reality, Sophia thought she was already being kind by suppressing her grumpy mood after being forced to wake up unexpectedly and allowing him to enter her room. Soon, Alexander arrived at the door. However, as soon as his hand touched the doorknob, he could not help but turn around and look at her. She just stood there in the dim light, staring at him with an icy gaze and a faint smile on her face. When he saw that, Alexander realized he had upset her yet again. He quickly averted his gaze and let go of the door handle before walking over to her and grasping her waist, pulling her into his arms. Sophia''s brows furrowed in surprise, but she did not reject him. Instead, she simply raised her head and stared at him. Despite the fact that Alexander had blocked the light from falling on Sophia, he could clearly see her cold stare. Instinctively, he shifted his gaze away from her eyes and focused on her lips. At that moment, he could not contain his desire. Abruptly, he lowered his head and kissed her. When Sophia realized that, she swiftly turned her face to the side. In the end, his kissnded on the left side of her cheek. With a solemn face, she pushed him away. ¡°Get lost.¡± Alexander looked at Sophia with reddened eyes, his hands clenched by his sides. ¡°I sincerely apologize. Could you please forgive me and give me another chance?¡± ¡°I told you to get lost.¡± Sophia gave him a stern look while wiping her left cheek with her hand. This action of hers was undoubtedly fatal toward Alexander, causing him to feel miserable. In an instant, he came to his senses and apologized in a low voice. Then, he looked at her, trying to say something, but he was taken aback for a brief moment when he noticed her darkened expression. In the end, he said nothing and turned to leave the room. Sophia was once again alone in the room after the door shut. She tilted her head to look at the ss on the table before going to the bathroom and washing her face once more. After that, she returned to her bed. Meanwhile, Alexander did not walk away immediately after leaving Sophia''s room. As he leaned against the door, he noticed how dark the corridor was. It was only lit by a row of dim lights at ankle- level. Most people were sleeping at the time, so no one would notice that he was leaning against the door. He was aware that he was not inebriated when he made his move earlier. When he reflected on the three years Sophia had been his wife, he realized he had never taken the initiative to hug her. That thought almost drove him mad, and he had desperately wanted to hug and kiss her. In reality, it was not the first time he had had that thought recently, but he just hadn''t been able to stop himself just now. He, more than anyone else, was most aware of whether he was drunk or not. Truthfully, he was just using the alcohol to boost his courage, hoping that she would not actually me him. Nheless, he knew that his actions that night were the worst. After half an hour, he went to the window and opened it. As the cool night breeze caressed his face, he narrowed his eyes and took a cigarette box from his pocket. He then pulled one out and lit it. The cool breeze and the smell of nicotine made him gradually sober up, and everything that had happened earlier kept reying in his mind. Alexander, caught up in a whirlwind of emotions, realized that his rtionship with Sophia had only gotten worse due to his behavior tonight. Meanwhile, Samuel was unable to sleep due to his excitement. A man and a woman alone in a room,bined with the effect of alcohol - he felt he had made an ingenious decision as he predicted what would happen between the two of them that night. If everything goes as nned, I''ll surely see a bright smile on Alexander''s face when I wake up tomorrow. I''m getting excited just thinking about it! Samuel checked the time and discovered that it was already one in the morning. He quickly switched off his phone and light, ready to sleep. I''m no longer young. I can''t afford to pull an all-nighter anymore. If he had known Alexander was still awake and smoking at that time, he would have stayed up with his friend and only worried about his healthter. Regardless, Samuel was unaware as he had already dozed off. He had even set an rm for eight o''clock tomorrow morning, nning to ask for a reward from Alexander for his deed. Chapter 162 Chapter 162 Sophia did not sleep well throughout the night. She let her rm clock ring for some time before reaching out for her phone and turning the rm off. She did not know how the weather was outside because the drapes had been tightly shut. Frowning, she rubbed her temples while getting down from the bed to pull open the curtains. The sunlight at eight o''clock in the morning was dazzling. She blocked the rays of sunshine with her hand and did not put it down until she had gradually gotten used to the brightness. As she stood there before the window, she took in the towering buildings outside. When Sophia first came to Jadeborough at the age of fifteen, she was almost deceived by the flourishing city vibe. Horatius knocked on her door just when she was about to go downstairs to have her breakfast. ¡°How did you sleepst night?¡± The man standing at the doorway appeared cheerful and energetic. Apparently, he had gotten some quality restst night. On the other hand, Sophia had not slept well at all. She nced at him. ¡°I''m not used to sleeping in this bed.¡± He arched a brow. ¡°Our ne is at half-past eleventer. If you''re not busy, you can get some rest after we return.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Have you taken your breakfast, Mr. Swain?¡± ¡°Not yet. I was nning on inviting you to have a meal together.¡± She smiled upon hearing his words. ¡°Sure.¡± The two of them went to the hotel''s third floor to have their breakfast. The was still a crowd inside the restaurant even though it was already close to nine. Sophia was dressed in casual attire that day. She did not even wear her lipstick because of her foul mood. Nheless, her exquisite facial features were able to turn heads in her direction no matter where she went. Horatius was considerably good-looking too. Even though their clothes were not shy, their extraordinary aura and appearance caused others to think they were celebrities there on vacation. A more courageous stranger even walked up to her and asked, ¡°Hi Miss, are you a new celebrity? Which entertainmentpany are you signed under?¡± Sophia looked at the unfamiliar girl before her and slightly raised her brows. ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, but I am not a celebrity.¡± ¡°Oh! But you''re so pretty! I suppose you''re not wearing any makeup now? It is such a waste that you are not in the entertainment industry with your beauty, Miss!¡± Sophia''s mood lightened up after receiving praise from others about her good looks early in the morning. ¡°Thank you for your kind words, but I have my own career.¡± ¡°All right! May I have a picture with you? You''re the prettiest stranger I''ve ever met!¡± Under normal circumstances, Sophia would have politely refused the request. Since this was not the first time something simr had happened, she was already very experienced in handling it. However, the girl''s ttery and the admiring look on her face had helped alleviate Sophia''s foul mood that morning, so thetter chuckled. ¡°Sure.¡± After taking the photo, the girl whispered beside Sophia''s ear before leaving, ¡°Miss, your boyfriend is also very handsome. The two of you are a perfect match!¡± With that, she held her phone and hurried off to rejoin her boyfriend and show the picture to him. Sophia looked at Horatius, sitting at a table nearby, and could not help butugh. Boyfriend? I doubt I can control a boyfriend as wild as him. Sophia averted her gaze and brought a tray with a bowl of oatmeal and some pastries back to her seat. Right after she sat down, Horatius asked, ¡°Was that someone you know?¡± Sophia looked up at him and shed a faint smile. ¡°Nope. She''s just a stranger.¡± Horatius clicked his tongue. ¡°Was she requesting to take a photo with you?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she replied and began to enjoy her oatmeal. He stared at her for a short while. ¡°You do have the looks that suggest you belong to the entertainment industry.¡± Sophia swallowed the oatmeal in her mouth. She took a piece of cake from her tray and removed the wrapping while answering with her lips curled into a smile. ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Mr. Swain.¡± She did not feel the need to be humble when it came to her appearance. Horatiusughed in response. They did not engage in further conversation after that. After finishing their breakfast, Sophia returned to her room to pack her belongings into her luggage before following Horatius downstairs to head to the airport. Since she had not gotten sufficient sleep the night before, she shut her eyes to get some rest along the way to the airport. There were still forty minutes to spare after passing through the security checkpoint, so they waited inside the airport''s VIP lounge. ¡°What do you think about my father''s suggestion?¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows. ¡°I thought he was only making a joke.¡± Horatius gazed at her. ¡°How can that publicly dered statement be a joke?¡± Naturally, Sophia knew Darrell was being serious, but she was slightly taken aback by his show of approval. Horatius snorted after taking in Sophia''s silence. ¡°All the things my dad mentionedst night were the truth. He''s always telling me how he wishes I was a girl and how he has always yearned for a daughter. Regrettably, my mom passed away at a young age, so my dad could only dream about that. And now, you suddenly appeared in his life. Therefore, he was desperate to im you as his goddaughter.¡± Sophia broke into a smile. ¡°With the Swain family''s status, isn''t it a piece of cake if Old Mr. Swain wishes to have a goddaughter?¡± She was aware that Horatius had two younger female cousins from his maternal rtives, and she reckoned both of them were more qualified to be Darrell''s goddaughter than her. Horatius could tell what Sophia was thinking. ¡°My dad favors you. Others could not win over his heart.¡± Those were his heartfelt words. With Darrell''s current social status, he regarded others with his own set of high standards. Therefore, he would not ept just anyone as his goddaughter. Taking in Horatius'' serious demeanor, Sophia straightened her face as well. ¡°Thank you. I''ll think this matter through before giving Old Mr. Swain an answer in person.¡± Horatius did not press further. ¡°You don''t have to feel pressured. Just follow your heart. My dad likes to think of these weird things now that he''s getting older.¡± Sophia was reminded of her parents, who had passed away long ago. She became slightly crestfallen and fell silent. He saw her looking down and noticed the gloomy expression on her face. Then, he recalled her family background, so he did not say anything further. Samuel saw Sophia and Horatius the moment he stepped into the lounge. He immediately nced at the sullen-faced Alexander and nudged him with his elbow. ¡°Alex, look, who''s that?¡± Samuel had gone to look for Alexander early in the morning when his rm clock went off. He had been under the assumption that he would meet with a satisfied and jovial Alexander. However, when Samuel opened the door, he was shocked to see the look on his friend''s face. It was as if Alexander had just crawled out from the depths of hell as he was radiating a terrifying and cold aura from his entire being. Alexander had always been indifferent on normal days. That day, the dark and icy aura enveloping his body was more intense than ever, causing Samuel to be so frightened that he did not dare to mention Sophia''s name. After Alexander regained hisposure, Samuel carefully sounded him out, but he was met with Alexander''s menacing gaze the instant he opened his mouth. Therefore, until now, Samuel was still uninformed about what had happenedst night which devastated Alexander so much and led to his current dispirited demeanor. Alexander had not slept the whole night. Countless Sophia-rted thoughts had flooded his mind, and the more he ruminated, the worse he felt. He frowned after Samuel jostled him. The sleepless night before had left him in a dreadful state of mind. He looked up in annoyance at Samuel, who was jumping up and down before him like a monkey, and snapped, ¡°Can you shut your mouth?¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Samuel sighed. ¡°Fine. I''ll leave you alone.¡± Alexander looked away and upied an empty seat aside. Samuel looked up and nced at Sophia, who was sitting just six or seven meters away, then shifted his gaze onto Alexander. Well, forget about it. He was the one who told me to shut up. Meanwhile, Sophia had noticed Alexander and Samuel when they entered. The smile on her face dissipated the instant she saw Alexander. Horatius arched a brow at that sight. ¡°You still can''t forget about him?¡± She averted her gaze and turned to Horatius. ¡°That''s not it.¡± Smiling, he said nothing to expose her lie. He was an experienced lover, after all. Sophia might be a smart woman, but she was obviously an amateur when it came to rtionships. Otherwise, Alexander''s presence would not have affected her so significantly. Alexander, resting on his seat, was not doing well either. Horatius nced at Sophia, conjecturing that something must have happened between the twost night. Chapter 163 Chapter 163 An announcement rang out at ten minutes to eleven-thirty to remind passengers to board the ne. Sophia grabbed her flight ticket and phone before standing up and leaving. She walked at a moderate pace but did not turn around even once. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. Alexander is really something. This is the first time I''ve seen Sophia angry, Horatius mused. He did not follow her at once. Instead, Horatius waited for Alexander and Samuel to walk over. Then, he regarded Alexander with an amused expression. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Mr. Schild, what a coincidence. Are you two taking this flight as well? I''m boarding the ne with Sophia too.¡± Alexander did not wish to speak to Horatius. He only looked up at thetter when he mentioned Sophia''s name. Samuel, standing beside Alexander, was afraid that Alexander would say something unpleasant, so he quickly replied, ¡°Hahaha. Indeed. Such a coincidence. I didn''t expect us to be taking the same flight. In that case, it seems we are fated to meet with Sophia!¡± He had deliberately neglected Horatius'' presence. Horatius snorted coldly. ¡°I''ll get going then. Sophia will be looking for me if I''m missing. Excuse me.¡± With that, he waved his hand and left. Alexander stared at Horatius'' leaving figure from behind, his lips pursed into a thin line. He finally turned to Samuel after Horatius disappeared from his sight. ¡°Did you know we were taking the same flight as them?¡± Samuel was stumped. ¡°I did tell you to look at them earlier.¡± Alexander frowned as he strode toward the boarding counter. In truth, he did not know how to face Sophia. All four of them were in the business ss coach, but due to Alexander and Samuel''s slightly dyed boarding, Sophia was already seated when Alexander got on the ne. She sat beside the window while Horatius upied the seat next to hers, closer to the aisle. Alexander noticed Sophia the moment he boarded the ne. She had her head turned sideways and was looking out the window,pletely oblivious to his presence. He stood there gazing at her profile as a feeling of bitterness surged within him. The passengers in the economy ss cabin were about to board the ne. Samuel was halted at the entrance by Alexander. Not knowing how long thetter was going to stand there in a daze, Samuel nudged him forward. ¡°Take your seat. You''re blocking the way.¡± Upon hearing his words, Alexander retracted his gaze, walked aside, and sat down. Coincidentally, not only were they taking the same flight, but Alexander''s and Sophia''s seats were in the same row. He was separated from her by an aisle, as well as Horatius. Samuel, sitting beside the window, turned sideways to look at Alexander. He had been staring at Alexander and Sophia the whole time after taking his seat. When Sophia saw Alexander in the VIP lounge earlier, she figured they would most probably take the same flight. Hence, when Alexander got on the ne, she had actually noticed him. However, the kissst night had infuriated her, so she deliberately ignored him. After everyone had boarded, the ne began moving and took off. Sophia looked away. Horatius stared at her in amusement, prompting her to touch her face. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± He curled his lips into a smile and asked on purpose, ¡°Alexander is sitting beside me, separated by the aisle. Should we exchange seats?¡± Sophia replied in exasperation, ¡°Mr. Swain, what goes aroundes around, especially in matters like these.¡± Today, he was making fun of her, and perhaps someday, somebody else would be mocking him in a simr way. Therefore, she thought it would be nicer for him to mind his manners. Horatius snorted after hearing her remark. ¡°That will never happen to me because I''m able to keep a clear head at all times.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°I shall wait and see.¡± He raised his brows smugly. ¡°So, do you want to switch seats with me?¡± Horatius was a phnderer. He was confident that he would never be troubled by his feelings. However, in the near future, he would be proven very wrong by reality. Sophia conceded. ¡°Consider this my mistake, Mr. Horatius.¡± He decided not to make things difficult for her after she apologized. ¡°All right. Aren''t you sleepy? Take a rest. Stop thinking about those unpleasant things. You''ll just give yourself a headache if you constantly overthink.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she responded curtly and fell silent. It''s not like I want to think about those things, but I can''t help it. After the ne reached a certain altitude, the flight became smoother, and Sophie gradually dozed off. When the air hostess pushed the cart along to hand out their meals, Horatius put a finger to his lips, gesturing for her to be quiet. Then, he said in an undertone, ¡°That''s not needed. Can you please bring me a nket?¡± ¡°All right, Sir. Please wait a moment.¡± The air hostess also lowered her voice since Horatius had whispered to her. Soon, she returned with a nket. Horatius opened up the folded nket and covered Sophia''s body with it. Catching that sight, Samuel could not help but utter in surprise, ¡°I did not expect him to be so thoughtful and meticulous. He even knows to pull the nket a little lower.¡± Alexander grew more upset after listening to him. He would have preferred Samuel to keep quiet. At that point, Alexander even had the urge to stand up, drag Horatius away, and upy that seat. Still, he managed to control himself. After all, he had crossed the linest night. Alexander knew Sophia would only disdain him further if he did something like that. He looked away and shifted his frosty gaze onto Samuel, who was talking too much. ¡°Are you going to finish your food? If not, I''ll dly throw it away for you.¡± Samuel had not taken a meal since he woke up. ¡°Don''t be like that. I''m suffering from gastric pain because I''m too hungry!¡± Alexander sneered. ¡°But you don''t seem to be using your mouth to chew your food.¡± He thought Samuel had been chattering excessively the whole time. Samuel was rendered speechless. Am I not allowed to express my opinion now? Never mind. I''ll be the bigger man and let this slide since he underwent torment against night. Ah! I''m truly the best friend anyone could ask for! After Horatius ced the nket on Sophia, he turned sideways to look at Alexander. As he expected, thetter was wearing a grimace. Oh my. I thought Alexander was only capable of showing his poker face. I didn''t know he could be angered. What a surprise. Then, he nced at Sophia, who was sleeping soundly. Horatius felt bored. He read a magazine for a short while but nothing piqued his interest. Looking around, he saw Alexander was still staring in their direction. Horatius arched a brow. He had the sudden idea to pull a prank. The next second, he beamed haughtily and smugly at Alexander. Alexander clenched his fists and saw Horatius turn sideways, leaning toward Sophia. As she was seated on the other side of Horatius, his body blocked her from Alexander''s vision. Alexander could not see what was going on, but Horatius'' provocative look earlier prompted him to lose control of his wrath. He stood up and instantaneously saw Horatius touching Sophia''s face. The tender way he was caressing her drove Alexander to the verge of losing his mind. Intense jealousy washed over him, intoxicating and suffocating him. Even he had never caressed her face in that manner. However, Horatius did not appear as if he would stop after touching Sophia''s face. When Alexander sensed Horatius was about to kiss her, something inside him snapped. He reached out and yanked Horatius away. Fearing he would wake Sophia up, Alexander suppressed his burning rage while saying in a hushed tone, ¡°Don''t you dare!¡± Seemingly unafraid, Horatius replied, ¡°Why don''t I dare?¡± Alexander narrowed his eyes. A violent storm brewed in his dark, menacing gaze. ¡°I will cripple you if you dare to touch her, Horatius!¡± The two of them red at one another for a few seconds. Alexander finally let go of Horatius when he sensed the air hostess advancing in their direction. Still, he continued to glower maliciously at thetter while returning to his seat. Horatius merely raised his brows in response without doing anything to goad Alexander further. Interesting. Chapter 164 Chapter 164 Sophia slept quite soundly on the flight as she did not sleep well the previous night. When she woke up, the ne was about tond. She moved and realized there was a nket on her. Needless to say, it was Horatius who had covered her with a nket. Although the seats in business ss were spacious, Sophia still felt slightly ufortable, and her neck felt rather sore from sleeping while sitting upright. Her movement alerted Horatius as he turned around to look at her. ¡°You''re awake?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± Horatius arched his brows and did not deny it. ¡°The ne hasnded.¡± She looked out of the window. ¡°The weather doesn''t look good today.¡± The weather at Jadeborough varied throughout March. After two sunny days, it would be followed by two days of rain. It was likely to rain that day because the day before was overcast. Horatius cast a nce at Alexander, whose eyes were previously closed. Thetter had turned his head to look at them. Twenty minutester, the nended at Jadeborough Airport. When theynded, Samuel suddenly called out to her, ¡°Sophia, what a coincidence!¡± Sophia cast them a nce but remained silent. Being in a bad mood, she did not even feel like talking. Horatius raised a brow and looked at Alexander. He was in a good mood. There was an afternoon meeting in Sunshine Group, so Yvonne personally drove to pick Sophia up from the airport. Sophia thanked Horatius for his goodwill before getting in Yvonne''s car. The white car slowly left the parking lot. Samuel looked at Alexander. ¡°Don''t feel bad. At least it was Yvonne who came to fetch Sophia. Although you didn''t get to send her, Horatius also didn''t get to either.¡± Alexander''s brows furrowed. He saw Horatius ncing at him in the back seat through the car window as thetter''s car went by them. When their eyes met, there was contempt in Horatius'' gaze. Alexander''s expression darkened, and he withdrew his gaze after the car went further. When he regained his senses, he heard Samuel say, ¡°Alex, since when was Yvonne so close to Sophia?¡± Alexander nced at him. ¡°I didn''t know you were so nosy.¡± Samuel was rendered speechless. I''m from the entertainment industry. If I''m not nosy, I''ll feel sorry for my family business. Samuel did not dare to say his thoughts as he was afraid Alexander would push him out of the car if he did so. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Sophia did not sleep well the previous night. Although she took a nap during the flight, she was still not in a good mood. She had not spoken a word since she got in the car. Yvonne recalled that she saw Alexander in the parking lot just now and could not help but curse inwardly at him. After twenty minutes, the white car entered the highway and drove into the city. There was a red light at the intersection. Yvonne stopped the car and turned around to look at Sophia. After a short hesitation, she could not help but say, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, there seems to be someone trying to investigate you these days.¡± Sophia was dumbfounded. ¡°Alexander?¡± ¡°No, it''s someone we have never crossed paths with.¡± Sophia was slightly curious. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It''s the secretary of Doveston''s city council.¡± Sophia could somewhat recall the person. ¡°Lukas?¡± ¡°Yes, his secretary gathered information about you from the employees in thepanyst night.¡± Tsk. That''s weird. Sophia thought her memory was good, but she could not remember any interaction with Lukas. ¡°What did he find out?¡± ¡°He didn''t look into you specifically. He was trying to find out more about your mother.¡± It was also something that Yvonne found strange. Lukas was a fine man. She thought he had fallen for Sophia and was trying to pursue thetter when she heard his secretary was looking into Sophia. Lukas was much better than Alexander. Yvonne would be delighted if Sophia got together with him. However, Lukas was not looking into Sophia specifically but her mother. Sophia arched her brow. ¡°What about my father?¡± ¡°No, they didn''t look into him in detail.¡± ¡°Help me keep an eye on them.¡± This was an odd situation. However, she would have to wait for Lukas to reveal his intentions. Sophia was very patient concerning such matters, as she had never liked fighting unprepared battles. Since she was in the dark and did not know if Lukas was a friend or a foe, she would observe the situation first. Yvonne understood her words and gave a curt nod. Just then, the light went green. Yvonne turned back and focused on driving. After fifteen minutes, the car pulled up at Sunshine Group. The meeting started at half past two in the afternoon and ended at four. When Sophia walked out of the conference room, she suddenly remembered that she had not eaten her lunch yet. Sophia signed the document Yvonne passed her. ¡°I''m returning home. Call me if there''s anything important.¡± Yvonne took the document and asked immediately, ¡°Do you need me to send you back?¡± Sophia thought for a while and replied, ¡°I''ll let Mr. Sullivan send me back.¡± ¡°Okay, please wait a moment, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne quickly arranged for the driver to take Sophia back. When Sophia returned to the mansion, her takeout order had also arrived. She entered her mansion with her takeout. Just as she sat down, Katherine called her. Thetter had been busy filming a show recently. Sophia opened the bag of takeout before looking at her phone. She arched her eyebrows. ¡°You finished your filming for today?¡± ¡°No! The director and another guest are arguing!¡± However, Katherine did not call her for this matter. She was more interested in learning why Darrell was so determined to make Sophia his goddaughter. This had been all over the news this morning. If it weren''t for the fact that Katherine needed to do her makeup and film from eight in the morning, she would have already called Sophia. The director had been arguing with the guest for a few minutes. She was bored watching them as she sat at the side. Thus, she could not hold back the urge to call Sophia. ¡°What''s with Old Mr. Swain? Does he truly want to make you his goddaughter?¡± Sophia took a sip of her oatmeal and answered unhurriedly, ¡°Mm, that''s true.¡± She had intended to tell Katherine about this since she was at a loss for what to do. Everyone would wish to be the goddaughter of Onyx Builders'' CEO. Recalling how protective Darrell was of her the previous night, he would definitely be worse in the future if she became his goddaughter. Although Sophia did not interact much with Darrell, she knew he was a cunning businessman who valued morals. Once she agreed to be his goddaughter, she would be able to have her way in the upper-ss society in the country. Katherine could not help but draw in a deep breath. ¡°You''re incredible, Soph! You really attract anyone of all ages!¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°I haven''t decide on it yet.¡± ¡°There''s no need to make a decision! With a worth of twenty-four point eight billion in Anndurn currency, he''s listed as the sixth richest person in the country as of today''s ranking. Anndurn currency! It''s more than a hundred billion in our local currency! What arge sum of money! You won''t ever have to worry about money if you''re Old Mr. Swain''s goddaughter!¡± Sophia arched her brow. ¡°So, you''re only looking at money?¡± ¡°Then, am I supposed to consider your rtionship with him? There are no feelings involved between the two of you!¡± ¡°Aren''t you worried that he might have ulterior motives?¡± Even though she should not assume the worst of him, she had worked in the corporate world for around six years and was not inclined to let her guard down easily. Katherine harrumphed. ¡°I think all will be good as long as he''s not expecting money from you.¡± After a brief pause, Sophia replied, ¡°I''m hanging up. I''m going to go eat.¡± Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Katherine''s words were unpleasant to listen to, but Sophia felt they were urate after some thought. She had nothing else that could interest Darrell besides her money. Thus, she could only assume that Darrell wanted to make her his goddaughter because he liked her charisma. Other than that, she could not find another reason. However, she did not make the decision right away as it was not a trivial matter. After finishing her oatmeal, Sophia went to take a shower before she went to take a nap. The sky was pouring and gloomy, which was ideal for sleeping. Being back at home gave Sophia a sense of security, so she was able to fall asleep peacefully and deeply. Meanwhile, it had not been enjoyable for someone else. Alexander had not set foot in the Xenos residence for almost half a year. As he was rarely home, Kristen had smugly bid farewell to her friends and rushed home after she recalled Leonard''s request to let her approach Alexander to let him join the company. However, little did Kristen know there was nothing good waiting for her in the Xenos residence. Alexander did not return home to act out a heartwarming scene between a mother and a son. The house seemed to be rather quiet as Kristen made her way upstairs. Thalia and Leonard were silently seated in their separate couches with their heads lowered. Alexander was sitting on thergest couch. He put out his cigarette and frowned slightly upon seeing Kristen. ¡°You''re back.¡± She quickly walked over. ¡°Alex, I didn''t think you had the time to drop by today. Do you want to stay for dinner tonight?¡± Alexander looked at Kristen, who was in front of him, with an emotionless expression. ¡°There''s no need. I''m here to talk to you about something.¡± Kristen smiled awkwardly from the rejection. ¡°What''s the important matter that you''ve to take the time to come back? You must be tired.¡± With that, she turned around to look at the housekeeper. ¡°What''s going on? Why did no one pour coffee for Alexander when he''s back?¡± She looked at Thalia. ¡°Your brother is back. Why are you so quiet and moody?¡± Then, she turned her gaze toward Leonard. ¡°Also, didn''t you say that you have something you wanted to talk to with your brother? Why are you hesitating now that your brother is right before you? He''s your biological brother! Why are you so timid when talking to your brother? You''re trying to piss me off, aren''t you?¡± Although Kristen was scolding and hitting Leonard, she was not using any strength. Her tone also lacked any semnce of solemnity. She did not harbor any grudges against Leonard and was only providing him with the opportunity to speak. Thalia nced at Kristen and opened her mouth. However, she did not say anything in the end because of Alexander''s presence. It was the first time she ever saw that expression on Alexander''s face. She was truly petrified. Alexander did not wait for Kristen to continue putting on an act. He looked at her and said, ¡°I already know everything you did to Sophia. Due to my negligence, you guys were able to bully Sophia. I''m here today to let you know that if you still think of me as your son, I suggest you sincerely apologize to Sophia for everything you did to her.¡± He paused for a brief second before continuing, ¡°It''s fine if you don''t want to apologize. I''ll assume you no longer want me to be your son. In that case, please move out of here within three days.¡± That mansion was under Alexander''s name. He also owned sixty percent of thepany''s shares, while Kristen had five percent, which was only enough for her to attend the director''s meeting. Kristen stared at him with widened eyes, wondering if she had misheard him. ¡°What are you saying? Can you repeat it one more time? Are you asking me to apologize to Sophia, that b*tch?¡± Has Alexander gone insane? Alexander nced at her coldly. ¡°I already said what I needed to say. You, Thalia, and Leonard all owe Sophia an apology.¡± He would atone for his sins, but they would also not be able to get away with their mistakes. With that, Alexander left right away. As he walked downstairs, he heard the sound of something shattering. His expression darkened as he got in his car without a second nce. Kristen was close to losing her mind from her anger. She had turned down a poker game and went home in high spirits as she thought Alexander had returned to spend time with her. She did not expect Alexander''s harsh remarks and that he would demand that they apologize to Sophia. She had smashed a coffee cup, but it was not enough to vent her anger. Then, she angrily swept all the coffee cups off the table. ¡°Is he insane? He already divorced Sophia a year ago. Why is he asking me to apologize to Sophia now?¡± Thalia also felt Alexander had gone crazy but did not dare to say anything. When Alexander came in earlier, she had a look of anticipation as she had wanted to discuss with him her birthday party this year. However, Alexander stared at her coldly and said, ¡°You bullied Sophia the three years she was married into this family, right?¡± Thalia could deny it vehemently, but her legs had gone limp, and her face paled immediately when she saw his expression. All she could do was mumble his name. However, Alexander gave her his ultimatum. ¡°You can either apologize to Sophia or get out of the Xenos family and don''t ever let me see you ever again!¡± Thalia had wanted to say something, but Alexander had already looked toward Leonard. ¡°You, too! If you don''t apologize, I''ll tell the world about all those things you did abroad!¡± Thalia and Leonard were scared out of their wits and did not dare to say anything. Kristen, Thalia, and Leonard did not have much appetite that night. Not only did they think Alexander had gone insane, but Samuel also had the same thought. Alexander felt he did not know the whole story in the past and wanted Charles to bring Charlize out. When Charles heard Alexander''s reason for wanting him to bring his sister, he had mixed feelings. He would have asked the person to scram if it were someone else. However, Samuel had been sharing Alexander''s attempts to get his ex-wife back on the group chat. After giving it some thought, Charles decided to bring Charlize out as Alexander''s actions somewhat moved him. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. When Charlize heard Alexander''s question, she was dumbfounded. Samuel thought she did not believe Alexander and added, ¡°You don''t need to be skeptical. He''s serious.¡± Charlize nced at Samuel and pursed her lips. ¡°I''m not skeptical.¡± Samuel did not believe her words. ¡°Then, why are you hesitating?¡± Charlize huffed. ¡°Too many people bullied Soph. I''m slightly overwhelmed.¡± They were rendered speechless by her words. Alexander froze momentarily before looking at Charlize. ¡°Then, you can mention the ones who left the strongest impression on you.¡± ¡°Ah! Of course, that''s Tha¡ª¡± She suddenly stopped halfway as she recalled that Thalia was Alexander''s sister. Alexander pursed his lips. ¡°Continue.¡± Charles furrowed his brows. ¡°Don''t scare Charlize.¡± With her brother''s support, Charlize had the courage to reveal everything she had been holding back. Over the past three years, Sophia experienced a great deal of misery. When Alexander walked out of the private room, his face was pale. He walked out into the pouring rain. Samuel had just taken an umbre when he turned around to see Alexander walking in the rain. He rushed over quickly. ¡°It''s raining! Why are you walking so quickly?¡± Alexander lowered his head to take a puff of his cigarette. ¡°Let me be.¡± Samuel was slightly exasperated. ¡°It''s not that I''m not letting you be. The main reason is that I didn''t drive here. Why don''t you pass me your car key?¡± Since it was raining, it would be hard to call a cab, so he had no other choice. Alexander''s lips twitched. ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°It''ste now. I might not be able to get a taxi since it''s also raining!¡± Alexander was already feeling terrible. Since Samuel had a death wish, Alexander put out his cigarette and looked at the former. ¡°Sure, I''ll send you off.¡± Samuel noticed something was amiss. ¡°Actually, I can ask Justin to give me a ride too.¡± ¡°Get in!¡± He pulled open the door and stared at Samuel coldly. Chapter 166 Chapter 166 Unsurprisingly, Samuel was beaten up again due to his glib tongue. Alexander showed no mercy as he struck the man with full strength. Samuel grimaced in pain from the blows, but there was no way he could defend himself. Hence, he covered his face andy t on the ground while getting punched. ¡°Alex, you should know one mustn''t hit a person in the face no matter what!¡± Alexander withdrew his fists and slumped beside his friend. After more than half an hour of boxing, his white sports T-shirt was utterly drenched in sweat, causing it to cling to his body and clearly outlining his muscr figure. Samuel slightly envied Alexander for possessing such good proportions. He knew his friend had only trained for a short time to achieve this body, unlike him, who only had a faint outline of abs. However, Alexander, who was the subject of envy, felt terribly disheartened. There was no one at the boxing gym at this time. Furthermore, the two men had booked a separate boxing room. Thus, they were the only people around. The pitter-patter of the drizzling rain outside sounded incessantly, causing those who heard it to feel annoyed. Samuel lifted his arm and patted Alexander on the shoulder. ¡°You shouldn''t me yourself since you didn''t know about those matters.¡± As soon as his words fell, Alexander abruptly raised his head and stared at him. ¡°Have you apologized to Sophia?¡± Samuel was rendered speechless. Oh god! Why did I bring that up without thinking? Meanwhile, Sophia had slept until it was already ten at night. When she got up to drink water, she noticed that Yvonne had sent her a text. There was even a missed call from her. She furrowed her brows as she returned Yvonne''s call. The conscientious Yvonne naturally had not fallen asleep at this time. Therefore, she immediately picked up Sophia''s call once her phone rang. ¡°Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°I just woke up from a nap and only saw your missed call. What''s the matter?¡± Yvonne heaved a sigh of relief as she thought something had happened to Sophia. ¡°Mr. Lukas Dawson''s assistant, Mr. Zaiger, called today and asked if I could arrange an appointment between you and Mr. Dawson.¡± Sophia frowned. ¡°Did he mention what it is for?¡± ¡°Mr. Zaiger said it''s rted to your mother.¡± I didn''t expect him to be this straightforward or to make a move this quickly. Sophiapsed into a heavy silence before speaking. ¡°When does he want to meet?¡± ¡°He said to go ording to your schedule. However, Mr. Dawson hopes to meet up with you as soon as possible.¡± How soon would that be? Sophia contemted for a moment. ¡°Look through mytest schedule and arrange a day for us to meet up promptly.¡± She had a hunch that the other party didn''t have any bad intentions. ¡°I''ll arrange it to be on the day after tomorrow during dinnertime. Is that fine with you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After ending the call, Sophia looked outside the window and stared at the night sky. It had been raining the whole day. After having slept from seven in the evening until now, she wasn''t sleepy and decided to head to the theatre room to pick out a ssic film to watch. It was only after two in the morning that she fell asleep again. Sophia was woken up by the sound of the doorbell the next day. It was already past eight in the morning, and the sun had already risen. Nevertheless, the sunlight seemed a little dim due to the rain. She rose to her feet with a frown and walked toward the balcony to see who had arrived. It was Kristen, Alexander''s mother and also her former mother-inw. Sophia raised an eyebrow, and her fatiguepletely vanished in an instant. She returned to her room to freshen up and change her clothes. Then, she unhurriedly went downstairs while holding an umbre. Sophia looked at Kristen, who stood outside her house with the gate separating them. However, she did not intend to open the door. ¡°Mdm. Lambe, what can I do for you?¡± Kristen had spent the previous night brooding over it and still couldn''t let the matter slide. Obviously, she wasn''t here to apologize but to confront Sophia. Alexander and Sophia have already split up for over a year. My son deliberately overlooked those matters during those three years of marriage, yet now that they''re divorced, he''s kicking up a fuss. I don''t understand. The more Kristen thought about it, the more she felt something was amiss. The only possibility she could think of was that Sophia wanted to seduce her son again after the separation. She wasn''t able to get much shut-eye because of this. Therefore, once she woke up, she gave in to her urge and came over to get even with Sophia. After waiting downstairs for over ten minutes in the rain, Sophia finally appeared. Nheless, the latter only asked about the purpose of her arrival and didn''t open the door for her. Kristen was furious beyond imagination. ¡°Where are your manners? How can you let your guest stand outside the house and not wee me inside?¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°You can choose not to stand here and leave straight away.¡± Alexander and I have been divorced for over a year, so why is she still venting her frustrations on me? I can overlook that. However, does she know whose territory this ce is? Kristen had always pushed Sophia around during those three years when thetter was married to her son. It was no surprise that she found the young woman''s attitude unbearable. Her face turned red with anger. ¡°Your parents died early, so there''s no one who could educate you. No wonder you''re ill- mannered. I can''t me you for behaving this way!¡± She paused briefly before letting out a cold snort. ¡°However, as your elder, I was also your mother-in- law for three years! I advise you to have some self-respect. Since you and my son have already divorced, you should stop doing those meaningless things all day long! Only a vixen would spend the entire day thinking of ways to seduce a man! Also, you''re only slightly prettier than average. There are tons of women far more beautiful than you. Alex is only infatuated with you temporarily.¡± T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. The smile on Sophia''s face gradually faded. ¡°You im that I''m ill-mannered, but when I was a child, my parents taught me that making a fuss outside someone''s house is extremely disrespectful. I think you should remember that the ce you''re standing now is the entrance of my house!¡± Sophia paused for a moment before adding, ¡°Besides, I don''t know what led you to have this misconception that I was trying to seduce Alexander. In fact, it was he who kept harassing me. He suddenly pops up in my life for no reason, disrupting my daily routine. I''m very troubled by that. If you don''t believe me, then ask your son instead.¡± ¡°There''s no need for that.¡± As soon as Sophia finished speaking, Alexander walked out from the side. She froze momentarily but quickly got herself together. Then, Sophia stared at the mother-son duo apathetically. Alexander strode over and fixed his eyes on Sophia. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Only then did he turn his gaze to Kristen. ¡°It seems like you have already made your choice. On the day after tomorrow, if you still remain at my house by six in the afternoon, I will make you regret your decision.¡± Fear rose within Kristen upon looking at Alexander''s gloomy expression. She trembled uncontrobly. ¡°Alex, I was only¡ª¡± ¡°Bring her back home!¡± Alexander didn''t give Kristen a chance to finish her sentence and directly ordered the driver to drag his mother away. Everyone knew that Alexander was the actual head of the Xenos family. Therefore, once the man spoke, even Kristen would not be allowed to do whatever she wanted. Sophia watched Kristen getting dragged into the car with a frosty gaze. How unlucky for me to get scolded in the morning! The wind apanying the rain felt especially cold. Sophia was already freezing all over after having stood outdoors for a while. Now that Kristen had left, Sophia wanted to return to her house to warm herself with a ss of warm water. Sophia thought that Alexander would try to hold her back. However, Alexander only stood outside the gate silently while watching her enter the mansion. Soon, Sophia''s silhouette disappeared behind the tightly-shut door. Alexander gripped the umbre so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He had clearly heard every word Sophia said earlier. She''s right. I was the one who constantly pestered her all this while. My inexplicable existence also caused a disturbance in her life. Even now, my actions are causing her unwarranted humiliation. Whether it was the past or present, it seems like I have never once made her happy. Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Kristen''s appearance early in the morning made Sophia''s mood, which had just turned better, be worse again. Fortunately, Sophia had nothing to attend to that day, so she did not need to leave the house. After resting at home for one day, she became slightly busy the next day. There was a director''s meeting in the morning. After that, she was going to meet the founder of a company in the afternoon. Sunshine Group was interested in investing in thepany. Lastly, she had an appointment with Lukas in the evening. Sunshine Group had its eyes on apany that made an application for nning travel itineraries. There were many travel-rted apps in the country. However, almost none of them focused on nning itineraries. The advantage of the app Travel Easy was that it had ess to a huge database and the user''s preferences to n a perfect trip. Sophia thought that it was a good idea, and the other shareholders were interested. The director''s meeting in the morning was to discuss the investment. The oue of the discussion was that Sunshine Group would first invest three million to obtain fifteen percent of the shareholding. However, the founder of Travel Easy, Finn Penley, wanted five million for twenty percent of the shares. Sophia had a habit of not revealing any emotions during negotiations. As a result, even after Finn shared his bottom line, she did not agree or disagree and only asked him a few questions about his proposal. Finn had been in the travel business for ten years before starting his own. He was better at keeping hisposure than Magic Sense''s Robert and answered all of Sophia''s questions. After half an hour, both parties did not bring up the topic of the investment. Sophia took a sip of her coffee, lowered her head to look at the time, and realized it was already past four in the afternoon. Her dinner with Lukas was at six-thirty, so she still had plenty of time. ¡°Thank you for taking time out of your schedule. I have another appointmentter. Shall we end our discussion here for today?¡± asked Sophia. Yvonne had been by Sophia''s side for many years. Upon hearing the request, she knew that Sophia was not happy with the price of five million. Travel Easy had been around for over a year. At its peak, it had more than ten thousand daily users, which was quite an impressive feat. However, everyone in the tourism industry wanted a piece of the pie. Even before Travel Easy came along, many apps had already taken market share. The road ahead was only going to be tough, and there was no guarantee that it would be sessful. Three million was not a hefty sum, but it was not an insignificant sum either. Finn was pushing his luck by asking for five million. Although Finn was momentarily startled when he heard Sophia''s request, he did not panic. ¡°You''re too kind, Ms. Yarrow. Since you have something to attend to, I shall not hold you back.¡± While speaking, he nodded at Yvonne, kept the proposal, and got up to settle the bill. Sophia looked at his retreating figure and raised an eyebrow. ¡°It is a good project, but I can''t say for sure that it has a good founder.¡± It was not the first time that she had encountered someone like Finn. Travel Easy would be impressive if it took off and was sessful. However, she was afraid that it would not even reach that stage. She decided not to dwell on it since Sunshine Group was not short of this particr project. After retracting her gaze, she looked at Yvonne andmented, ¡°You can head back first.¡± Yvonne nodded. ¡°Do you want me to arrange for a car to pick you up after your dinner with Mr. Dawson?¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°There''s no need.¡± ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow,¡± responded Yvonne, who then proceeded to leave. Sophia was all alone in the caf¨¦. She decided to stay there as it did not make sense to drive back to the mansion. It would be five o''clock by the time she reached. She would have to head out again after resting for a short half an hour. She recalled that Joshua''s birthday was next month. Since she had some free time, she decided to head to the nearby mall to see if she could purchase a birthday present. Joshua''s ties and watches were all gifted by Katherine. She wanted to visit the perfume shop on the fourth floor, but she was distracted by a new bag in a shop along the way. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. She realized she had not purchased a bag for herself for some time. She immediately entered the shop after getting off the esctor. The staff came forth to serve her enthusiastically after seeing the expensive watch on her wrist. ¡°Miss, how may I help you?¡± Sophia pointed at the new bag that she saw. ¡°I''d like to take a look at that bag.¡± The staff nced at the bag and was instantly all smiles. ¡°Miss, you have such a good eye. This bag is our store''stest design for this season. It just arrived from overseas this month, and it''s the only one in the whole of Jadeborough.¡± Sophia raised an eyebrow and followed after the staff. The bag was indeed not bad. The wine color was ssy and elegant, and the design was simple yet outstanding in its own ways. Sophia liked it quite a bit and was about to ask the staff to wrap it up when she heard someone beside her say, ¡°I want this bag. I''ll pay by card.¡± The voice was familiar. Sophia cocked her head and realized that it was someone she knew very well. After theirst encounter, Bethany apologized and stayed out of her way by keeping a low profile. She did not expect Bethany to snatch a bag from her the very moment that they met again. She shed Bethany a half-smile and said, ¡°Ms. White, it''s nice to see you again.¡± ¡°It''s been a while, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Bethany''s smile did not reach her eyes. After she apologized publicly on the inte thest time, everything was a mess. Thepany tried to market a few times after that, but it was only met with scant remarks. She had seen Sophia in the shop when she was far away. As Sophia was the reason for her current situation, she rushed to the shop to purposely snatch the bag and annoy the other. She was considered famous in Jadeborough, and the staff recognized her. However, Sophia also came across as someone influential. The watch on her wrist alone cost six hundred thousand. The staff felt she was stuck between a rock and a hard ce and ventured carefully, ¡°Ms. White, this lady saw the bag first.¡± Bethany pretended to be shocked. ¡°Oh, Ms. Yarrow, you also took a liking to this bag?¡± Sophia smiled faintly. ¡°Well, it is a nice bag.¡± As she said that, she paused momentarily and pointed at another bag while noticing Bethany''s smug expression. ¡°However, I like that bag better.¡± The staff and Bethany instinctively turned to look in the direction Sophia pointed. It was a bag that was in a locked disy. The staff was shocked for a moment, but she recovered quickly. ¡°Would you like me to retrieve the bag so that you can take a look?¡± Sophia nced at Bethany briefly and replied, ¡°Yes.¡± Upon hearing her response, the staff hurriedly unlocked the cab and took out the bag. ¡°Miss, this is our brand''s ssic design and color. You can only get it if you purchase items that cost as much as the bag from our store,¡± the staff announced. ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia replied. She then walked up to where the scarves were disyed and said, ¡°Wrap these two scarves for me.¡± Her secretary, Yvonne, had been working hard recently, so she decided to get them as a present. After saying that, she turned around and picked a pair of simple yet elegant earrings. ¡°I''ll get these too.¡± ¡°Miss, you need to purchase items that cost the same as the bag. Would you like to choose something else?¡± the staff exined. Sophia nodded. ¡°How much more?¡± ¡°About a hundred thousand.¡± Sophia chose some more essories, which added up to a hundred thousand, and went to the counter to make payment. She never looked at Bethany again throughout the entire process. It was as though thetter was invisible. After Sophia purchased the bag, she smiled at Bethany and commented, ¡°Ms. White, don''t forget to make payment. This bag is the only one avable in the whole of Jadeborough.¡± She then left with her new bag after that. Bethany''s face was red from anger. ¡°Swipe my card!¡± she dered. It''s only a lousy bag. Why wouldn''t I be able to afford it? However, the truth of the matter was that she really could not afford it. The staff looked at Bethany embarrassedly while holding the card in her hands. ¡°Ms. White, there''s an issue with your card. The payment can''t be processed.¡± ¡°How can that be? I just paid for my meal using the card!¡± she retorted. The staff smiled apologetically. ¡°The disy shows that you have insufficient funds.¡± ¡°How much is the bag?¡± she asked. ¡°One hundred twenty thousand.¡± Bethany''s face became redder still. In the past, one hundred twenty thousand was considered nothing to her. However, the family business was not doing well, and she had to resort to entering the entertainment industry to make some cash. As she was silent for some time, the staff reminded kindly, ¡°Ms. White, would you still like the bag?¡± Bethany gritted her teeth and uttered, ¡°No!¡± She then left the store as though she was escaping for her life. Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Carrying her bag, Sophia went to buy another bottle of cologne. She left the mall with her haul at six o''clock in the evening. Katherine had been busy after the New Year holidays. Sophia had not tried to buy so many things by herself for a long time. On top of that, Sophia splurged more than three hundred thousand on one trip. Truth be told, she felt satisfied after her shopping spree. She had to thank Bethany for that. If thetter had not insisted onpeting with her for the bag, Sophia would not be so persistent in purchasing a bag for herself. Her phone rang just as she put her things down. Seeing that it was an unknown number, Sophia got into her car and locked it before answering the call, ¡±Hello?¡± ¡°Hi, Ms. Yarrow. I''m the salesperson from Arterius. Well, Ms. White decided not to purchase the bag you were interested in just now. Do you still want the bag?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Sophia raised her eyebrows, finding the situation amusing. ¡°I have no interest in buying things that other people don''t want.¡± Moreover, especially when that person was Bethany. The salesperson immediately apologized, ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow. I didn''t mean to be rude. I thought you were interested in that bag earlier. Since you don''t want it anymore, I won''t bother you again. I hope you have a great day.¡± After hanging up, Sophia could not help but let out a snort. If I knew that Bethany couldn''t afford to pay for the bag, I wouldn''t have left so quickly. Wouldn''t it be nice to stay and witness her getting embarrassed? That was a miscalction on my part. What a shame! Sophia looked at the time. It was quarter past six. Collecting her thoughts, she put her phone away and drove to Mirage. After getting caught in traffic, Sophia reached Mirage at half-past six. It was impolite for her to bete for the first meeting. Yvonne had already arrived. Upon seeing Sophia, she greeted, ¡°Over here, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Nodding, Sophia looked at the other two men at the table. It was not hard to recognize Lukas as Sophia had seen his picture before. Besides, she also saw him at Darrell''s birthday banquet a few days ago. Sophia put down her bag and took her seat. ¡°I''m sorry for beingte, Mr. Dawson. I was caught in traffic just now.¡± ¡°It''s fine.¡± The man exuded a cold aura. Even though he was smiling, he still looked unapproachable. Sophia nced at him before asking, ¡°Mr. Dawson, are you familiar with the food in Jadeborough?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he answered. Despite the curt reply, Lukas fixed his gaze on Sophia. For some reason, Sophia was not offended by his keen gaze. If anything, it was affectionate and pitiful. Sophia sniggered at her thoughts. I must be overthinking. After all, Lukas was a politician who came from a prestigious family. He was not a yboy like Horatius, who could easily develop an interest in a woman. Sophia ordered a few signature dishes. She spoke up first before the dinner began. ¡°Mr. Dawson, you seem to be interested in my mother.¡± Lukas'' cold expression changed drastically when he heard her question. ¡°Yes, I am,¡± he answered frankly. Taking a sip of coffee, Sophia probed, ¡°Mr. Dawson, is this our first time meeting?¡± Sophia had a good memory. She would undoubtedly remember Lukas if she had crossed paths with him in the past. Lukas had a clear goal for this meeting. Besides, Sophia was trying to sound him out. Therefore, he decided not to beat around the bush. ¡±Did your mother tell you that she wasn''t your grandparents'' biological daughter?¡± For once, Sophia was stunned by the revtion. The smile on her face faded considerably. Rachel had never told her about these matters. ¡°I''m sorry. She didn''t,¡± Sophia admitted. Lukas was spot on with his guess. Taking out a photo from the inner pocket of his clothes, he ced it in front of Sophia. ¡°They are my dad and grandpa. And that''s¡ª¡± ¡°My mother,¡± Sophia interjected. It was a ck and white photo of a family of four. Sophia recognized her mother, Rachel, at first nce. Rachel looked around seven to eight years old in the photo. Her hair was tied into two braids. With her delicate features, she was already a beautiful girl despite her tender age. Suddenly, Sophia realized her mother''s true identity. She looked up at Lukas with aplicated expression. At that moment, the door of the private room was pushed open. The waiter pushed the serving cart and began to serve the dishes. Two minutester, Lukas spoke again when the door was closed. ¡°Your mother is my aunt. Our family lost her when she was ten years old. We never gave up looking for her all these years. However, we failed to find her.¡± Upon hearing his exnation, Sophia finally understood why Delh called her an ungrateful brat when she was a child. Furthermore, she also knew why Delh always asked Rachel for money first whenever her mother took her back. When Sophia was young, she could not fathom Delh''s actions. She always felt that thetter was biased. Despite having a son and a daughter, Delh''s attitudes toward her children could not have been more different. Atst, she finally discovered that Rachel was not Delh''s biological daughter. ¡°I have no news of Aunt Rachel until I saw you at Old Mr. Swain''s birthday banquet a few days ago. You resembled her as well as your granny when she was younger. That night, I sent someone to Coldbridge to investigate you and your mother. She went by the name Zoey Sharp in the past. Later, she changed her name to Rachel after she got married. Her birth name was Rachel Sharp. She was nicknamed Ray because she was a ray of sunshine for our family,¡± Lukas exined. He continued, ¡°After Aunt Rachel was abducted from Doveston that year, she was sold to Old Mrs. Sharp''s family. They renamed her Zoey. They were hoping for a son. Three yearster, Old Mrs. Sharp finally gave birth to a boy. Since then, she no longer cared about Aunt Rachel. However, your mother wanted to repay them for raising her. She waited until you turned four before cutting ties with the Sharp family.¡± Sophia clearly remembered what happened next without further exnations from Lukas. Delh lied about having a serious illness and asked Rachel for a lot of money. Delh''s true purpose was to buy a house for her son. After finding out that Delh had a terminal illness, Rachel decided to return to the countryside to see her for onest time during that New Year. Much to Rachel''s surprise, Delh was alive and kicking. Thetter lied about her illness to squeeze Rachel for money. On that fateful day, Sophia''s parents drove back to Coldbridge. They were crushed underneath the wheels of arge truck driven by a fatigued driver. That ident took ce on the road across their house. Sophia learned the truth after she ordered someone to investigate the Sharp family. Hence, Sophia did not show any kindness to both Delh and Rupert when they reached out to herst month. She could not have cared less about the harshments from theizens. In her opinion, if it were not for Delh''s lies, her parents would not have driven back in such a hurry that day after their argument with Delh. Therefore, they would not have died so tragically. Nevertheless, Sophia finally realized that there was a hidden story behind this. Chapter 169 Chapter 169 ¡°Let''s eat first.¡± Sophia took a nce at Lukas. At that very moment, she really needed some time to digest everything he said. Sophia seemed very distracted during the meal. In fact, the real purpose of Lukasing over was not only to reunite with Sophia. He looked up at her, who was sitting across from him at the moment. ¡°Your granddad has been wanting to see you ever since he heard of you.¡± After a brief pause, Lukas continued, ¡°As for your granny, she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer five years ago and has been fighting for survival until today in the hope of seeing your mother. She has been resentful over the fact that she lost Aunt Rachel back then. Three months ago, the hospital issued a notice of Grandma''s critical condition. The doctor says she only has less than one month to live. Even so, she is waiting for you and your mother to go home before she breathes herst. Aunt Rachel has left before Grandma. Right now, you''re the only one who can fulfill her wish. Sophia, I hope you can go back with me. We have been waiting for you to return home.¡± Unexpectedly, such an aloof man appeared to be so warm-hearted as he articted his words. Suddenly, Sophia felt a lump form at the back of her throat. Her eyes began to redden. She looked up at Lukas opposite her. After a moment, Sophia finally uttered, ¡°All right.¡± What Lukas mentioned was that the Dawson family was waiting for Sophia and her mother to go back. It didn''t mean that they acknowledged her. Her mother was a member of the Dawson family, and so was she. There was a sudden moment when Sophia almost burst into tears. After her parents had passed away, she lost all sense of direction in life. Later, she met Alexander and thought he could give her a home, but in the end, the man gave her nothing other than hurting her. It had been more than one year after the divorce. All this while, she had lived a casual life. Sophia was indeed happy. However, when others called their families during festive seasons, she couldn''t help but wonder where her home was. At times like that, she would be reminded that she had no home. However, when Lukas told her they had been waiting for her to return, Sophia thought it was probably the most irresistible remark she had ever heard. ¡°Are you going back tonight?¡± Lukas nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Sophia pursed her lips. ¡°I''ll pack some clothes and go back with you tonight.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Penelope''s condition was getting worse by the day. She merely gasped for herst breath. Everyone was devastated upon seeing that, but they all understood why she was unwilling to breathe herst. Penelope had suffered for so many years. The Dawson family hoped she could take herst breath peacefully. Lukas was delighted that Sophia agreed to return home with him. ¡°Ms. Leighton, please inform Kimberly to take care of the following matters.¡± Yvonne was equally stunned as she learned about the news that night. Upon hearing Sophia''s words, she eventually came to her senses. ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow.¡± After that, Sophia turned to Lukas and remarked, ¡°Lukas, I''ll go back to pack my things first.¡± Although it was the first time the cousins met each other in such a formal manner, Sophia could feel his kindness and love for her. Needless to say, it was hard to ept him as a family member in an instant. However, upon hearing Lukas mention that the Dawson family was waiting for them to get back home, Sophia understood that a simple acknowledgment was not enough to repay the family. Lukas, who had been taciturn for more than three decades, was deeply stirred when Sophia addressed him in a familial manner. From then on, he was not the only child in the Dawson family. They then left the private room and walked straight to the entrance. Sophia traveled there in her car. Since Lukas and Taylor didn''t drive, she asked Yvonne to send them home. The rain that stopped in the afternoon began to fall again at night. As soon as Sophia opened the umbre, Lukas, who stood next to her, took it. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°Let me do it.¡± Sophia was stunned for a while before nodding. Her lips curled into a grin as she looked at Lukas. However, her eyes reddened when she looked away. If Mom knew it, I guess she would be as happy as I am now. The four of them parted ways when they arrived at the parking lot. Sophia hopped in her car while Lukas and Taylor got into Yvonne''s car. The rain at night was dreadful. Alexander had been standing at the door for quite some time. Although Felix tried his best to prevent the rain from hitting Alexander''s face by holding the umbre over thetter''s head, he was helpless in the face of this wind-driven rain. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow has left.¡± Although it sounded cruel, Felix couldn''t help but point that out. After all, they had another appointment. It was just that they didn''t expect to see Sophia acting intimately with an unknown man. What was more, the man was tall and handsome. As Sophia was standing next to him, she looked just like a submissive little bird. Even Felix couldn''t bring himself to tell a lie that they didn''t look good together. Judging from the appearance of the man, he and Sophia would indeed make a great couple. Felix took a glimpse at Alexander once more, feeling bad for him. It was only after the divorce that Alexander realized he had fallen in love with Sophia. Not only did he fail to win her over, but the love rivals also appeared one after another. Sophia got entangled with the popr celebrity, Mason, right after the divorce. Then, she got close to an exceptional neighbor, Stephen. Several months ago, she suddenly became rted to Horatius, the son of Onyx Builders. A few days ago, Darrell announced that he wanted Sophia to be his goddaughter. At first, Alexander thought he could finally put his mind to rest. Unexpectedly, he caught sight of Sophia sharing an umbre with a good-looking guy on this day. In other words, it was miserable for him. Upon hearing Felix''s words, Alexander withdrew his gaze and turned around to walk into Mirage. What Sophia told him in the morning on the previous day was still ringing in his ears. If Alexander made a move, he thought that it would only irritate Sophia. After Sophia got home, she casually packed some clothes and left with her luggage. Lukas'' flight was supposed to be half-past eight. Although it had been rescheduled to nine o''clock, there wasn''t much time for her to waste. The traffic was terrible on rainy days. Sophia had been stuck in the traffic for fifteen minutes. By the time she reached the airport, it was already ten minutes past eight. After passing the security checkpoint in a hurry, she dragged her luggage to the departure lounge in search of Lukas. Just then, Taylor spotted Sophia from a distance. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, over here.¡± Sophia''s lips curled into a smile. She then dragged her luggage and walked over. Lukas, who was resting, slowly opened his eyes. Taking a nce at her, he asked, ¡°Is there anything you wish to know?¡± Sophia pursed her lips. Indeed, her mind was full of questions. ¡°Are they aware that my mother is gone?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Although she had never seen the Dawson family before, they had been looking for Sophia and her mother for so many years. At the thought of this affection, she couldn''t afford to look awkward to conceal her feelings. ¡°When Granny sees me, will she¡ª¡± ¡°Sophia, don''t feel burdened. She has been waiting for you. It''s a good thing.¡± Sophia nodded, but her mind was still loaded with thoughts. Even when an announcement rang out to remind the passengers to board the flight, Sophia was so distracted that she didn''t notice it. Taylor had already boarded the ne with his luggage. Lukas called out, ¡°Sophia.¡± Only then did Sophiae to her senses. ¡°Sorry! I was lost in my thoughts.¡± ¡°It''s time to board the flight.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Fixing his gaze on Sophia, Lukas reached out to pat her head. ¡°We have been waiting for you. Don''t be afraid, Sophia.¡± ¡°I''m not afraid.¡± Sophia lowered her head. Indeed, there wasn''t an ounce of fear in her. She just felt heavy-hearted at the thought that Penelope would breathe herst after thetter saw her. Her mother changed her name from Rachel Dawson to Rachel Sharp after she hade of age. It seemed that she also remembered her previous family. It was just that she couldn''t find her way home. If Rachel were still alive, she would also want to see her mother get better instead of having her long- cherished wish fulfilled after Sophia said goodbye to her. Lukas didn''t say anything further. If it happened to somebody else, that person might not be able to ept it up to this point. Chapter 170 Chapter 170 It was already eleven o''clock at night when the ne finallynded in Doveston. They exited the airport to find that the cars sent by the Dawson family were already awaiting them outside. The three of them got into the cars and were then driven to the Dawson residence from the airport. The streetlights cast long shadows as they marked their journey back. Forty minutester, the car pulled up in front of the Dawson residence. Sophia nced at the time indicated on her phone. It was almost midnight. ¡°Sophia, we''re here.¡± Lukas, who had been sitting next to her, nced at her briefly before getting out of the car. Sophia followed suit. The lights in the mansion were all lit up as she followed behind thetter and entered the mansion. Once inside, they came face to face with a woman with a kind face. ¡°Is this Sophia?¡± The woman had a simr facial structure as Lukas. Hence, Sophia deduced that she was likely Lukas'' mother, Kylie Woodward. Sophia smiled in response. ¡°Yes, Aunt Kylie. I am Sophia.¡± Kylie was momentarily stunned at suddenly being addressed as ¡°aunt,¡± but she got over it quickly. She lifted her hand and patted Sophia on the shoulder. ¡°Sweet child, your granddad is waiting for you upstairs. Hurry, don''t keep him waiting.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia proceeded to head upstairs. Perrin Dawson was eighty-five years old that year. He had his first child when he was thirty years old. Rachel, his second child, was born when he was nearing his forties. Rachel was the adorable daughter that had been taken away from him. Over the years, Perrin rarely spoke about Rachel. However, many a quiet and sleepless night was spent clutching a toy that Rachel had owned when she was younger. They had been searching for Rachel for almost forty years. In the absence of news, they had no idea if she was dead or alive. That night, when Lukas said he had found Rachel, Perrin thought that someone had finally decided to take pity on him. However, he did not expect to receive the news of Rachel''s and her husband''s demise. The information about the daughter they left behind was also unexpected. Sophia greatly resembled Rachel. Instantly, Perrin had been able to ascertain with a nce that she was indeed his granddaughter. Lukas broke the silence. ¡°Grandpa, this is Sophia Yarrow. She is Aunt Rachel''s daughter.¡± Nodding briefly, Perrin nced at Sophia. ¡°Come closer. Let me take a look at you.¡± Sophia walked over. The eighty-year-old man''s hands were etched with traces of his age, and his once resolute face was filled with wrinkles umted over the years. However, his bright eyes were not diminished as he stared at her. ¡°You must have suffered throughout the years.¡± Perrin reached out a hand with the intention of caressing Sophia''s face. He halted and decided against it when he thought about his scarred old hand. Shutting his eyes, Perrin said, ¡°It''s quitete. You should rest. I will take you to your granny tomorrow morning.¡± On the way to the Dawson residence, Sophia had pictured many scenarios in her mind. She imagined a tearful reunion or even a reunion filled with a heavy silence. The one scene she did not conjure up in her mind was the simplest and most realistic one. Lukas had not lied to her. The Dawson family had been waiting for her and her mother''s return. Kylie had personally decorated a room for Sophia. Ever since the former had found out about her existence, she had instructed the housekeeper to prepare a room for Sophia. The room was near Lukas'', and both their rooms were just across the hall. The Dawson family was truly looking forward to her return. ¡°Good girl, don''t overthink it. Get a good night''s sleep. Tomorrow, we will visit your granny.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia nodded. She turned to Lukas, who stood behind Kylie. ¡°Good night.¡± At one o''clock in the morning, it was eerily silent in the Dawson residence. Normally, Sophia would have been sound asleep at this hour. However, she did not feel the slightest bit sleepy as shey on the bed. Only about five to six hours had passed since the lunch meeting, but so much had happened within that short period of time. She was ted and touched that she had found her rtives. At the same time, she dreaded seeing the grandmother she had never met. Although Lukas had not said anything, Sophia was aware that her grandmother could pass on at any moment. Sophia had been seventeen when she stood alone at the funeral parlor, waiting for her parent''s cremation to be done. Ever since that day, she had been afraid to face death. Countless thoughts raced in her mind the entire night. It wasn''t until sometime around four o''clock in the morning did Sophia finally fall asleep. She had a headache when she was woken up by the rm at seven o''clock. Sophia frowned as she sat up and surveyed the unfamiliar room nkly. Right, I followed Lukas to the Dawson residencest night. Today I will visit his grandmother at the hospital. Due to insufficient sleep, Sophia was not in a mentally good condition. Just as she finished washing up, the housekeeper came upstairs and bade here down for breakfast. Sophia nced at the message from Katherine on her phone. Arching her brow, she sent a short reply, telling Katherine that they would talk about itter. She then headed downstairs. Katherine had inquired about her rtionship with Lukas. As it was aplicated matter that could not be summarized in a few sentences. Sophia had no choice but to dy the discussion to ater time. Sophia and Lukas were the hot topics of discussion on the inte that morning. Photos of her and Lukas at the airport were taken the night before. Countless images had been taken even from the short distance from Mirage to the parking lot. Sophia put away her phone when she heard footsteps approaching. Lifting her head, she nced at Perrin. ¡°Good morning, Granddad.¡± Perrin appeared to have a sleepless night as well. As such, his heart was in turmoil as he stared at his granddaughter, who so greatly resembled his missing daughter. ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡± Sophia did not wish to lie. ¡°I haven''t gotten used to the bed.¡± Kylie, who had been seated nearby, smiled. ¡°Lukas is the same. He, too, cannot sleep in a bed that''s not his own.¡± Lukas came in just as Kylie finished speaking. ncing at Sophia, he asked. ¡°Were you unable to sleep well?¡± Kylie smiled. ¡°She''s just like you. She can only sleep in her own bed.¡± Lukas narrowed his eyes in response. ¡°I see.¡± The atmosphere in the Dawson residence was pleasant. They did not adhere to strict manners when dining. It was likely they did it to ease Sophia''s awkwardness. asionally, Kylie would briefly ask about Sophia''s current life. Sophia and Alexander''s divorce the previous year had caused a major uproar. Kylie did not know the reason for their divorce, but she was afraid of hurting Sophia. Hence, she did not broach the subject and only inquired about casual subject matters. Lukas was a civil servant. He had deliberately made time just so that he could travel to Jadeborough the day before. Soon, he headed to work after breakfast. Kylie requested the housekeeper prepare some nourishing food, and the rest of them left for the hospital sometime around nine o''clock in the morning. Since they couldn''t all fit in one car, Kylie rode in her own vehicle, while Sophia and Perrin got in another one. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Throughout the journey to the hospital, it was quiet inside the car. Perrin and Sophia were both not talkative people. Without Kylie to break the ice and bridge the conversation, it was extremely difficult for them to converse. Sophia could feel Perrin scrutinizing her. Just as she was about to speak, the old man spoke up first. ¡°Did your mother ever mention us?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Stunned, Perrin felt a bitter feeling surge in his heart. He blinked a few times, and his eyes grew moist. ¡°My mother wasn''t named Rachel before. Her name was Zoey. She changed her name after marrying my father.¡± Rachel had been gone for almost ten years. No one knew why she initially chose to change her name. However, this matter gave Perrin a small measure offort. He had been extremely guilty when he had been unable to find any trace of her for over thirty years. ¡°Mr. Dawson, Ms. Yarrow. We''ve arrived at the hospital.¡± At the driver''s words, Perrin nced at Sophia. ¡°We''re here.¡± ¡°Please take care when disembarking.¡± Sophia helped Perrin before getting out of the car herself. Chapter 171 Chapter 171 Sophia had not been to the hospital for a long time. The smell of disinfectants made her feel uneasy. Apart from the sound of their footsteps, the corridor outside the intensive care unit was quiet. Kylie walked in front while carrying the mushroom shop freshly made by the housekeeper, whereas Sophia supported Perrin. Perrin took part in several wars when he was young. He was shot in his left calf and right thigh. Whenever it rained, he had to suffer the consequences of those injuries. Now that Perrin was getting older, his health also deteriorated. Regardless of how strong he was in the past, he had to acknowledge his old age. On any normal day, Perrin would rather walk slowly by himself than be supported by someone else. However, it was Sophia who helped him that day. His heart softened when he looked at Sophia''s face, which resembled Rachel''s. I''ll let Sophia help if she wants to, as long as it makes her happy. Since Perrin could not walk fast, Sophia deliberately slowed down her pace. When the two of them entered the ward, Kylie had already adjusted Penelope''s bed. After being tormented by cancer for more than five years, Penelope was all skin and bones. However, looking at her bone structure, Sophia could tell that Penelope was a stunning beauty when she was young. It was no wonder that Lukas told Sophia that she looked simr to Penelope, especially with that pair of sparkling eyes. Nheless, old age had taken a toll on Penelope. Her face was wrinkled. Furthermore, she had drooping eyelids. There was only a rough outline of her once-prominent facial structure. Sophia stood there gazing at Penelope''s profile as sadness surged within her. This woman is my biological granny. Propping up himself with the cane, Perrin walked over to the bedside. He looked down at his wife and said, ¡°Penelope, you''ve been waiting for so many years. It''s time to meet your granddaughter. Ray had a tough life. She passed away in a car ident along with her husband nine years ago. However, she left behind a daughter. She looks very much like you back then.¡± Then, Perrin looked at Sophia. ¡°Sophia,e here and let your granny take a closer look at you. She''s been waiting for this moment for so long.¡± Urged by Perrin, Sophia walked over to the bedside. Penelope''s eyes were dull and lifeless. Lukas had informed Sophia earlier that Penelope was close to her dying breath. She could barely take a few spoonfuls of soup. Other than that, she could not talk or move anymore. Nevertheless, her eyesight was still functioning. The moment Sophia approached the bed, Penelope slightly moved her fingers on the hospital bed. Seeing that movement, Kylie urged, ¡°Don''t be scared, Sophia. Your granny wants to touch you.¡± Sophia also saw the movement of Penelope''s fingers. With her head hung low, Sophia carefully put her hand on top of her grandmother''s hand. Penelope''s hand was as thin as a stick. Sophia felt as though she was holding a dried branch that could break at any moment. Suddenly, Sophia felt a gentle squeeze in her hand. Her heart tightened instantly. ¡±Hi, Granny. This is our first meeting. I''m Sophia Yarrow.¡± Looking down at Penelope, Sophia could not help breaking into a faint smile. As soon as Sophia introduced herself, she felt a gentle touch on the back of her hand. Sophia knew that Penelope could feel her presence. After waiting for more than thirty years, the time had finallye for Penelope. In her cloudy vision, she vaguely saw a young woman in her twenties. Thetter looked very much like her daughter, Rachel. Furthermore, Perrin also whispered into Penelope''s ear that the young woman was Rachel''s daughter, which exined their resemnce. Indeed. This girl looks just like my Ray. People would always praise her beauty and our resemnce when she was young. Penelope had patiently waited for more than three decades. Moreover, she had been suffering from cancer for the past five years or so. Penelope hung on to her dear life in hopes of reuniting with her daughter one day. s, Rachel was no longer in this world. Instead, she left a granddaughter for Penelope. She had always wanted a sweet and caring granddaughter. Her daughter-inw, Kylie, had poor health. Therefore, she was unable to conceive again after giving birth to Lukas. It was a dreame true for Penelope to have a granddaughter like Sophia. Besides, Penelope could vaguely see that Sophia was a beautiful young woman with a tender voice. Her heart softened when she heard Sophia''s greeting earlier. At that moment, Penelope had an overwhelming urge to hug Sophia. Unfortunately, she could no longer move her fatigued and fragile body. Over the years, Penelope was afraid that she might not live to see another day whenever she fell asleep at night. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Nheless, she did not have to worry about that anymore. She had fulfilled her dying wish. Looking at Penelope''s parting lips, Sophia felt her heart throb with unbearable pain. Moving her hand slightly, Sophia gently held onto Penelope''s hand. She leaned down and whispered into her ear, ¡°Granny, my mom had lived a good life. My dad loved her very much and spoiled her. They named me Sophia because they wanted to see me grow up as a wise woman.¡± Tears began to roll down from the corners of Penelope''s eyes the moment Sophia finished talking. Perrin turned his back and wiped the corners of his eyes. ¡°Sophia, you should stay with your granny,¡± he suggested. Hearing Perrin''s words, Kylie immediately supported him before leaving the ward together. Kylie had been married into the Dawson family for forty years. Her mother-inw was a generous and open-minded woman. The two of them had a great rtionship throughout the years. Before Penelope had fallen ill, they often went on shopping trips together despite their massive age difference. Over thest five years, Kylie helplessly watched Penelope''s battle with cancer. Seeing how excited Penelope had be in Sophia''s presence, Kylie could not help but feel emotional. The Dawson family had been searching for Rachel to no avail all those years. Penelope could have passed away more than two months ago. However, she endured such an excruciating wait just for that day. After meeting Sophia, they felt that Penelope''s time had finallye. The family had been with her for so many years. Hence, they decided that Penelope should spend the rest of her time with Sophia. ¡°All right,¡± Sophia answered gently. ncing at the retreating figures of Perrin and Kylie, she settled down on a chair at the bedside. Penelope could not speak anymore. Her dull eyes moved asionally. Thankfully, Sophia knew what Penelope wanted to hear at that moment. She began recounting the funny tales with Rachel during her childhood to Penelope. Rain began to fall despite the sunny day earlier. Sophia''s gentle voice echoed inside the ward. Penelope, who was lying on the hospital bed, silently looked at Sophia. Penelope felt as though she was seeing her long-lost daughter, Rachel. After Sophia came to the hospital, Penelope seemed to be in good spirits. Even though she was still unable to speak, she could asionally sh a smile. The doctor exined the situation as terminal lucidity. It often rained during spring in Doveston. After feeding Penelope a few spoonfuls of soup, Sophia carried her onto the wheelchair by herself. Then, she pushed the wheelchair to the corridor on the side of the hospital. The two of them watched the rain together. ¡°My mom told me that she used to dislike rainy days the most because it made her feel sleepy in ss. Furthermore, she had to herd the cows after returning from school. It was ufortable for her to do it in wet conditions,¡± said Sophia. It was Sophia who did all the talking over the past two days. Nevertheless, she knew Penelope could hear everything she said. The corridor was quiet. There was a garden under the stairs. In the drizzling rain, the air felt refreshing. The olddy in the wheelchair moved her hand. The nket slipped down from her body. She tried to speak, but no words came out of her mouth. Crouching down, Sophia tried her best to catch what Penelope was trying to say. Still, she could not hear anything. Penelope slightly scratched the nket with her fingers. Looking down, Sophia realized that Penelope was slowly tapping her fingers on the nket. ¡°Are you feeling cold, Granny?¡± Penelope moved her eyes, indicating that she was not cold. Her hand was still tapping the nket. Sophia looked at Penelope for a moment. Thetter''s eyes were brimming with tears. The rain continued to drizzle down outside. Raindrops asionally fell on them after a gust of strong wind. All of a sudden, Sophia realized something. She lowered her head on the nket while gently cing Penelope''s hand on her face. She tilted her head and leaned down. Penelope suddenly made a sound, yet she still could not utter anything. Sophia slowly closed her eyes as tears began to stream down her cheeks. ¡±Farewell, Granny.¡± The wind was still blowing as the rain became heavier. Chapter 172 Chapter 172 Penelope breathed herst in front of Sophia''s very eyes; one of her hands was on Sophia''s face and the other on her back. Sophia crouched there, oblivious to the passing of time, until Kylie went over to her. ¡°Sophia,e up. Your granny has departed.¡± Only then did she move, but both her legs were numbed. When she raised her head, her eyes were red with grief. Sophia was the one who had cared for Penelope in thest two days, and they had developed an inexplicable kinship between them. The Dawson family had been looking for Sophia and her mother for more than thirty years, and Penelope had hung on to her veryst breath in the hope of seeing Sophia''s mother again. Although Sophia had never had any contact with the Dawson family in all of her twenty-seven years, nevertheless, she felt a pang of sadness in her heart. A nurse passing by witnessed the serene and affectionate scene of Sophia leaning against the knees of the deceased Penelope. She moved away quietly, not wishing to intrude on this private moment, and went off to inform the Dawson family of the news. Penelope''s final days in the hospital were spent in thepany of Sophia. Kylie had gone at midday and in the evening. On the other hand, Perrin went only once. He had a pretty good idea that Penelope would soon be leaving them for good. Though Perrin was a man of fortitude, it was hard for him to witness the final departure of his wife, who had stood by him for thest fifty to sixty years. The moment Kylie received the call from the hospital, she immediately informed her husband and son. All members of the Dawson family arrived at almost the same time. Kylie and Perrin reached there first but stood at the far end of the corridor when they saw Sophia hunched over Penelope''s knees. The sight moved Kylie to tears. Even the eyes of the normally aloof Lukas reddened when he was met with this touching scene upon entering. They regained theirposure as they reached them both at the end of the corridor and finally called out to Sophia. Thetter nced up at Perrin and the rest. ¡°Granny mumbled something just before she died, but I couldn''t hear it clearly.¡± Kylie smiled through her red eyes and said, ¡°It''s all right. Granny was probably showing her appreciation to you.¡± What a perceptive girl she is. In only two days, she could tell that Mom was longing to hold her before her final breath. Sophia nodded and tried to smile, but to no avail. Kasper then pushed Penelope back to her room. The immediate Dawson family members numbered only a few. Perrin had a younger brother who passed away a few years ago. The remaining minor rtives were not very close to them, and they hardly ever met other than during festive asions. Nevertheless, they needed to be informed of the passing of Penelope in case they wished to pay their last respects. The end of March was usually very wet in Doveston, but funerals could still be dyed without much problem. However, Perrin wished to have everything done as soon as possible. ¡°She had dragged on for so long, and now that she''d finally departed, I guess it''s time to close a chapter in all our lives. Contact the funeral home for cremation today, followed by the burial. May she rest in peace,¡± said Perrin. They had long selected a beautiful site and prepared their funeral plots where they wouldy side by side. Perrin and his wife had weathered the ups and downs of life together. He was a man of few words, but he truly loved and respected his wife. Kasper and Lukas naturally obeyed Perrin''s wishes. Both father and son quickly went about informing the other rtives about the funeral. The rtives of the Dawson family were all assembled there when the hearse from the funeral home arrived just after three. All of them knew about Penelope''s serious illness, but they did not know about Sophia. The wife of Perrin''s second nephew had particrly sharp eyes. The moment she entered with her two daughters, she immediately saw Sophia. The three of them were very curious about her, but they were polite enough to observe the etiquette of that special asion and asked no questions. However, that did not stop them from constantly peering at her along the way. Sophia could sense all that, but she did not bother herself with it. She got into a car with Lukas. Through the car window, she could see the hearse that was carrying Penelope. Sophia, Lukas, and a few others maintained a respectful silence for the forty-odd minutes it took for the cremation. The younger and more distant family members were chatting, with half the topics of their chatter devoted to Sophia. Once the ashes were in the urn, it was normal practice for the eldest son or grandson to carry the urn to the graveside. On this asion, Perrin said to Kasper, ¡°Sophia was with your mother right to the end. In herst few remaining days, though she could hardly talk, I believe you could all see that she was very fond of Sophia. So, I suggest we let Sophia take her on herst journey.¡± Kasper had no objection to that, but a rtive standing by the side muttered something. Lukas swept his gaze over to her coldly, and she shut her mouth and dared not utter another word. This was the third time that Sophia had to deal with the ashes of the dead. When her parents died, she single-handedly carried both urns and went with the hearse to the cemetery for their burial. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Not one member of the Sharp family had turned up for her parents'' funeral. Only Joshua and Katherine were there to lend support to her. And now, she had to repeat the process. All that was left of a living person of over fifty kilograms was less than half a kilogram of ash. Life could be heavy and ironically, light as well. When the group finally filed out of the cemetery, it was already dark. Perrin''s health had not been good, and his rheumatism would re up on rainy days. Sophia and Lukas persuaded him to go back after having stood for more than an hour at the cemetery. All the others had also left, leaving only Lukas and her at the cemetery. In thest few days when Sophia was with Penelope, she learned a lot about Penelope''s life and deeds from Kylie. She was aggrieved at how fate had yed havoc in the lives of mere mortals and regretted that she had not uncovered her mother''s secret earlier. After her parents'' death, she hardly looked through the things that they had left behind. If she had gone through them carefully, she might havee across an emerald amuletmissioned by Penelope upon Rachel''s birth. ording to Kylie, Penelope had paid the craftsman a lot of money to do it. Sophia had seen that emerald amulet when she was very young but thought nothing of it then. If she had chanced upon it inter years and seen the word ¡°Dawson¡± carved on it, it would have given her pause for thought. It was five years ago that Penelope found out that she had terminal lung cancer. If she had discovered it earlier, Sophia might still be able to spend time with her chatting or shopping. Penelope''s one and only wish before her death was to hold Sophia in her arms. One could only imagine the love and affection that she had for this granddaughter, whom she had never met. However, it was all toote. ¡°It''s getting dark. Let''s go home,¡± said Lukas. Sophia turned round to look at him and asked, ¡°Lukas, did granny often hug you?¡± She had suddenly recalled an incident when she was three. Her mother had taken her back to Delh''s house. She had imagined Delh to be a kind and affable grandmother and had run up to her with her arms wide open to hug her. Instead, Delh pushed her away, making her tumble to the ground. Dazed and aching from her fall, she stared at the so-called grandmother. She was so shocked that she could not even cry. She could not understand it then, and it was only now that she realized that it was not because she could not win her love but because that woman was never her grandmother. ¡°No, Grandma preferred girls,¡± replied Lukas. After a while, he added, ¡°She''s very fond of you, you know; that''s why she passed away with a smile. Don''t feel too sad about it.¡± ¡°Mmhm,¡± murmured Sophia as she looked away from him. ¡°Let''s go, Lukas.¡± How can I not be sad? It was pitch-dark as Sophia and Lukas walked out of the cemetery. The streetlights were a fuzzy orange glow under the drizzling rain. Despite that, Sophia saw Alexander at once. He was standing not far away, holding an umbre under a tree that was just sprouting new leaves. She could sense his gaze, piercing through the raindrops and darkness, straight in her direction. Sophia quickly averted her eyes. By then, Lukas had also seen him, and his brows furrowed as he asked, ¡°Alexander?¡± ¡°Mmhm.¡± Sophia did not wish to have anything to do with him. She was in no mood for that. Chapter 173 Chapter 173 In fact, Alexander had not arrived in Doveston just recently. When Sophia and Lukas'' ¡°intimate¡± photos had gone viral on the inte, he had rescheduled his appointments and headed over there. After listening to Sophia''s words that morning, he spent a long time reflecting on his own actions. He also understood that his brash and stubborn behavior had brought a great deal of inconvenience to her life. During the days when he reexamined his own ways, Alexander kept swinging between the desire to give up and the will to keep going on. He refused to give up, but he could not find a way out either. Alexander knew he would only cause Sophia to hate him for eternity if he kept on behaving unreasonably. He had been following Sophia around for the past few days. Although he felt somewhat despicable, there was nothing else he could do. Alexander watched as she visited the Dawson residence and the hospital to apany Penelope. On that day, he also watched as she attended Penelope''s funeral and departed with Lukas in the end. When Sophia exited the cemetery, Alexander''s first instinct was to head over and talk to her. Nowadays, the media was abuzz with rumors of Sophia and Lukas'' wedding. Sophia had even given Penelope a proper send-off at her funeral. Evidently, things were serious between Sophia and Lukas. That was neither Horatius nor Mason. Alexander stood about seven or eight meters away from Sophia and observed as she got into a car while being shielded by Lukas'' umbre. All of a sudden, Alexander realized he was about to lose her forever. I''m going to lose her forever... Yes, forever. That realization caused him to tremble. His entire body convulsed as if he had a spasm, and it resulted in immense pain. Alexander loosened his grip around his umbre, and itnded on the ground with a loud thud. He stared at the car that slowly cruised away and sensed nothing but darkness in his world. Everyone had to suffer the consequences of their mistakes. Recently, news about Sophia and Lukas'' rtionship was widely reported by the media. Being an influential family, the Dawson family was definitely aware of that matter even though they were not from Jadeborough. As the sole heir of the Dawson family, Lukas had always been regarded as an eligible bachelor among socialites. However, Lukas was already thirty-five years old, and he had been single for many years. Aside from a girl who was rumored to be his girlfriend in his youth, there was no other woman whom Lukas had an intimate rtionship with. At present, Lukas behaved affectionately toward Sophia and pampered her. If someone said that there was nothing going on between the two, no one would believe him. Furthermore, Sophia had even attended Penelope''s funeral. Nobody else but Lukas'' future wife would do all of this. As word about Sophia and Lukas'' rtionship spread all over the inte, Samuel had only managed to make Felix spill the beans the day before and learned that Alexander was not in Jadeborough, for he had gone to Doveston to look for his woman. However, when Samuel was about to buy a ne ticket to visit Alexander and console him, thetter had already returned from Doveston. As soon as he came back, Alexander visited the Xenos residence. He made sure Kristen moved out of the mansion with Thalia and Leonard. Kristen had been fuming over what Alexander had said to her the other day. So, the following day, she had gone to look for Sophia. Unexpectedly, Alexander had learned of that matter and caught her red- handed. Before he left, Alexander had given her three days to move out of the mansion. Lately, Kristen had been feeling anxious, but she was unwilling to move out. Deep down, she knew Alexander was the only member of the Xenos family who had a say in all major decisions. He was much more influential than other members of the familybined. Kristen and her twin children were respected by many people, all because the former was the biological mother of Alexander, while the twins were his biological siblings. Nevertheless, there were a lot of dirty secrets thaty within wealthy families. Nobody was sure whether that disgraceful incident concerning the Xenos family was real or not, but it had already be the talk of the town twenty years ago. After the death of Alexander''s grandfather, Beau Xenos, most of the Xenos family''s property had been handed over to Alexander. Even though Zachary Xenos was Beau''s son, he was not as influential as Alexander himself. Over the past ten years, Kristen had been enduring humiliations in her social circles. Later, something had happened to Zachary, and he had passed away. As Alexander''s biological mother, Kristen had begun to rise through the ranks of the family. Nheless, Kristen was no fool. Alexander behaved in a lukewarm manner toward her. If she got kicked out of the Xenos residence, she would certainly lead a hard life. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. People among the elite social circles loved topare each other''s wealth. As Zachary''s second wife, Kristen and her twin children would be shunned by their social circles if Alexander decided not to support them financially. Therefore, Kristen had not taken action for the past few days. Soon, four days had passed. Yet, Alexander had not sent anyone over to make them leave. Thus, Kristen believed Alexander had merely said those words out of spite. At the end of the day, I''m his biological mother. Thalia and Leonard are also his biological siblings. He can''t possibly treat his family members harshly, can he? However, little did Kristen know that Alexander was not joking at all. Alexander said with a stern face, ¡°I''ve told you to move out within three days. Today''s already the fifth day.¡± Then, he ordered his men toe in. ¡°Let them take whatever that belongs to them, but they aren''t allowed to take any items that aren''t in their possession!¡± There were many antiques in the Xenos residence. The money Kristen had earned from her annual dividend was not enough for her to enjoy a luxurious life with other richdies every day. Now that Kristen had been disowned by Alexander, she and her twins had to depend on themselves for survival. To a regr person, the money earned by Kristen through the dividend was enough to support a family for several generations. However, the money was simply insufficient for those who were already used to avish lifestyle. In fact, it was not even enough for a single person! Therefore, it was not impossible that Kristen would take away some of the antiques for money. Alexander''s orders were a bombshell to Kristen. She was so shocked and upset that her face twisted into a grimace. Thalia and Leonard, who had been summoned home immediately, started to throw a fit when they were told to leave. However, they stopped crying and hollering upon receiving a re from Alexander. That night, news about Kristen and the twins'' banishment from the Xenos residence spread across the social circles of the rich and wealthy. As soon as Samuel got wind of that incident, he even called Alexander to ask if the matter was real. If it was a groundless rumor, he would help thetter to debunk it. However, Alexander replied on the other end of the line, ¡°Why couldn''t it be real?¡± What? Oh no... Samuel leaped up from the couch and eximed, ¡°Why?¡± No matter how horrible they are, they are still his family members! Alexander nced out of the window and observed the downpour. ¡°They bullied Sophia.¡± Everyone has to suffer the consequences of their mistakes. I have to pay for my mistakes, and so do they. Samuel fell silent for a while. Then, he said, ¡°You''re such a romantic. I''m not quite used to it. All this while, I thought you were a heartless fellow.¡± ¡°I can make you ''heartless.'' Want to try?¡± Samuel understood the implied meaning in Alexander''s response, so he replied meekly, ¡°It''s good to be a thoughtful person. What you did is excellent. Seriously, it''s excellent!¡± Ah, Sophia''s such a remarkable woman! Chapter 174 Chapter 174 That same night, the banishment of Kristen, Thalia, and Leonard became the talk of the town. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. All this while, many people held objective views of Kristen and her twin children. It was no doubt that Kristen was Alexander''s mother. However, it wasmon knowledge that Kristen had abandoned Alexander for the sake of her lover many years ago. Although nobody dared to bring up that issue publicly in the past twenty years or so, it did not mean that no one knew of this incident. Thus, Alexander''s action was understandable, albeit shocking. Yet, it had been about seven or eight years since Zachary''s death. Over the years, Alexander had not seemed to hold any grudges against Kristen, and he had not kicked Kristen and the twins out of the mansion. However, he decided to do so now. Indeed, what Alexander did seemed rather perplexing. Not long after thetest gossip had spread, an ¡°insider¡± mentioned that the banishment of Kristen and the twins was seemingly rted to Sophia. It was because Kristen had gone to Sophia''s ce five days ago that Alexander decided to chase Kristen out. That reason sounded absurd. Alexander did not look like the type of man who would lose his temper for a woman. Still, upon further scrutiny, it was understandable for him to react in that manner. As soon as Katherine was aware of that spection, she texted Sophia at once. In fact, she, too, believed that Alexander had made that move because of Sophia. Sophia only saw the text message aftering back from a walk with Perrin. Yvonne had already phoned her and talked to her about that matter the previous night. Moreover, she had asked Sophia whether she was required to take care of the issue if a public uproar urred. In the past, Sophia would often choose to ignore such matters, and Yvonne was aware of that too. However, it was different this time around. Penelope had just passed away the previous day, and her death saddened Sophia. If news about the incident concerning Kristen and the twins kept spreading like wildfire across the inte, it would take an even bigger toll on Sophia. Sophia had never imagined that Alexander would kick Kristen out of the Xenos residence. In the three years she was married to Alexander, she knew that the mother and son did not have a good rtionship, but it was not that terrible. Therefore, Sophia did not believe she was the reason for Alexander''s harsh decision. Furthermore, she barely had the mood to bother with such matters. At any rate, she had been down in the dumps for the past two days because of Penelope''s death. Ever since she was a child, Sophia had no paternal grandparents but only maternal ones. Therefore, whenever she went to the Sharp residence with Rachel to visit Delh, she often longed for thetter to caress her face like any other doting grandmother and eye her with love. Unfortunately, all Sophia got was Delh''s disdainful stare. In addition, the old woman always schemed against her. She woulde up with schemes to either seize Sophia''s pocket money or the snacks she brought from the city so that Rupert could have them all. From the moment Penelope wanted to hold her hands, Sophia realized her craving for grandmotherly affection, which she had not experienced for more than twenty years, had been satisfied instantly. It was a bizarre experience. Sophia unwittingly started behaving like a childish and spoiled child when an elderly woman showed affection for her. Penelope had not been able to have a verbal conversation with Sophia before her death. In spite of that, Sophia had already sensed the old woman''s love. Penelope''s illness had tormented her for five years, and it was all over now. In some way, it was actually an event to rejoice over. The members of the Dawson family seemed to take Penelope''s death rather well. On the contrary, Sophia had just experienced grandmotherly love and warmth for the first time. As such, Penelope''s death saddened her greatly, and it caused a greater impact on her than on Perrin and the rest of the family. ¡°Sophia, why don''t we organize a homing banquet?¡± Perrin''s voice sounded abruptly, causing Sophia to regain her senses. She ced her phone on the table and smiled. ¡°All right, whatever you say.¡± ¡°Wonderful! I''ll let your brother take care of this matter!¡± Sophia was a descendent of the Dawson family, and Perrin thought that the news had to be made public. The residents of Doveston knew that the Dawson family had lost a child thirty years ago. Rachel could never return, but Sophia could. The moment Lukas confirmed that Sophia was Rachel''s daughter, he had ordered someone to find out more about what Sophia had gone through over the years. No doubt, one of the most heartbreaking details of Sophia''s life story was her marriage to Alexander. All that talk about Sophia and Alexandering from two different worlds and Sophia''s desire to go from rags to riches was nonsense! Perrin was extremely mad when he learned about that. If it were not for the fact that Sophia and Alexander had divorced more than a year, he would have personally paid the Xenos family a visit and questioned them as to how Sophia was not good enough for them. Perrin was a decisive and efficient man. As soon as he got Sophia''s approval, he contacted Lukas straight away. When Perrin was at the funeral the day before, he had noticed the looks given to Sophia by his grandnieces. That made him very ufortable. Sophia is my granddaughter. I won''t allow anyone to belittle or judge her. ¡°Let''s get this event ready as soon as possible. It''ll be held a week after your grandmother''s death,¡± Perrin told Lukas over the phone. Sophia heard that and felt touched. Indeed, the Dawson family cared a lot about her and would never let her suffer any grievances. After Perrin ended the call, she said, ¡°Actually, Granddad, you don''t have to rush it. Granny''s just passed away, so it isn''t appropriate to hold a banquet now.¡± After all, it was awkward to organize a banquet after someone''s death. By doing so, outsiders were bound to criticize the Dawson family. Perrin scoffed, ¡°What''s there for the others to gossip about? Your grandmother had been looking forward to your return for so many years. Had it not been for her frail physique, she would have been overjoyed to wee you home with open arms before her death!¡± Of course, Sophia believed him. Still, gossips were a terrifying thing. ¡°Granddad, isn''t your birthday in August? There will be more guests during your birthday celebration. Perhaps it''s best to organize the banquet around that time.¡± Perrin gave it a thought and agreed with her opinion. ¡°Yes, you''ve got a point.¡± Sophia grinned. ¡°I''ve made it through the past years. I''m contented as long as you, my uncle, and Lukas know what kind of person I am. I don''t care about anything else.¡± Listening to Sophia''s remark resulted in a wave of sadness in Perrin. ¡°Don''t worry. Nobody will bully you as long as I''m around!¡± Sophia did not know what to say. Truth be told, hardly anyone could bully her over the years. Nheless, she would not reject an old man''s love and protection. ¡°Of course, nobody can bully me with you around.¡± Penelope''s death was a form of liberation for her. She had passed away with a smile on her face, and she probably headed to the afterlife with no regrets. The living still had to carry on with their lives. Perrin had seemed toe to terms with the situation. His wife had suffered for years and was finallyid to rest. It was far better than seeing her waste away on her sickbed. After Penelope''s death, Sophia spent three days at the Dawson residence before going back to Jadeborough. On the day of her departure, Lukas sent her to the airport. As soon as Sophia boarded the ne, numerous headlines began to popte the tabloids. Somehow, the irrepressible paparazzi managed to scoop out some details about the Dawson family''s n to organize a celebratory event. Those who heard about that piece of news automatically assumed that Sophia was about to marry Lukas. Even Katherine sumbed to her own curiosity and asked Sophia about that rumor. Sophia saw Katherine''s message as soon as she disembarked from the ne. Sheughed in exasperation. As a result of her one-week trip to Doveston on short notice, many work-rted tasks had piled up for Sophia. Right after she got into the car, Yvonne asked, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Travel Easy contacted us again. Mr. Penley wants to see you one more time.¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows. ¡°Weren''t they discussing with Prosperity Enterprisest week?¡± Yvonne nodded. ¡°I heard Prosperity Enterprise was unwilling to invest so much money.¡± At once, Sophia understood what was going on. Apparently, Finn regarded Sunshine Group as his backup n. If it happened at any other time, Sophia would not get angry. At most, she would just pressure Finn. However, she had not been in the best of moodstely. ¡°I won''t see him.¡± ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow,¡± Yvonne replied. She also knew the real reason behind Sophia''s visit to the Dawson residence. Penelope had passed away a few days ago, and it was natural that Sophia was in a foul mood. Yvonne stopped talking, and it was very quiet in the car. Sophia shut her eyes and had forty winks. Chapter 175 Chapter 175 It was past five in the evening when the car finally stopped at the mansion. Yvonne woke Sophia up. Thetter looked at the downpour outside the window with a slight frown. ¡°It''s raining again?¡± Yvonne nodded. ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow. It has been raining from time to time recently.¡± The rainy weather has carried on for more than a month. At that thought, Sophia retracted her gaze. ¡°Arrange the schedule for me. Also, make the arrangements for Magic Sense''s anniversary event.¡± After all, she had witnessed the growth of thepany. Now that it was celebrating its third anniversary, and Robert had sincerely handed the invitation over to Yvonne in person, she felt that she had to spare some time to attend it. Apart from making money, I also have to socialize asionally. ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne intended to get out of the car to hold the umbre for Sophia, but thetter reached out to stop her. ¡°Don''t bother. Just give me the umbre.¡± Upon hearing that, Yvonne handed the umbre over to her. Sophia got out of the car and dragged her suitcase into the mansion with her umbre in hand. Two days ago, Yvonne had sent someone over to clean the house. Hence, despite being unupied for a week, it did not feel stuffy. ¡°Genie, I''m home.¡± ¡°Wee home, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia smiled. Although she had lived well in the Dawson residence, she could not quite get used to the absence of Genie. The day after she returned to Jadeborough, a few interesting things happened in the city, one of which was Alexander suddenly withdrawing his shares from thepanies that were on good terms with Thalia in the past. The withdrawal of shares was not a big deal, but for the Odyssey to abruptly withdraw from all the companies it had invested in made it intriguing. Sophia was very busy that day. She had a morning meeting and still had two pending ns. Besides that, the results of the investigation in Faike were out. She also had to attend a meeting in the afternoon. Hence, after hearing that early in the morning, she merely smiled and continued her day. Ever since returning from Doveston, Sophia had been busy for five consecutive days before finally having time to rest. The matters umted at Sunshine Group were finally resolved, and since she did not have much on her schedule for once, she drove straight to Specter Entertainment. It had been more than half a month since she wasst there. Katherine had just finished filming a variety show two days ago, so it was one of the rare moments she was around. Specter Entertainment was nning to debut two singers that year, so the new talent training camp was currently in the selection process. Katherine came over to take the opportunity to decide on the candidate. After learning that Sophia was free that day, she shamelessly pleaded for her toe over the night before. When Sophia arrived, Katherine was already discussing the rookies with Jonice, and as soon as she heard the door open, Katherine quickly sat up on the couch. ¡°Soph, I haven''t seen you for only around twenty days. How is it that you''ve be prettier?¡± Sophia raised her hand and pushed her face away, staring at her with a half-smile. ¡°You must be up to something.¡± She did not need to borate as Katherine naturally understood what she meant. Thetter felt guilty as Sophia stared at her in silence. ¡°I just missed you!¡± Sophia snorted upon hearing that. ¡°I doubt you even believe your own words.¡± Since she had been exposed, Katherine decided to be honest. ¡°I indeed missed you, but I also need your help with something.¡± At that moment, Jonice walked over with a cup of coffee. ¡°Ms. Yarrow,¡± she greeted. Sophia took it from her and thanked her. She then took a sip of coffee before looking at Katherine. ¡°Tell me about it.¡± ¡°I knew you wouldn''t let me down, Soph!¡± Sophia raised her eyebrow as she took a seat beside her friend. ¡°Don''t get ahead of yourself. There''s a possibility that I may reject you without a hint of hesitation.¡± Katherine was rendered speechless. Don''t be like this. We''re good friends, aren''t we? Katherine''s request was not demanding, but not a simple one either. She had agreed to appear in a reality show, a level-clearing program with abination of intellectual and physical tests. However, the program required each celebrity to team up with a non-celebrity friend toplete the levels. Katherine handed the contract to Sophia, who briefly scanned it before replying curtly, ¡°Count me out.¡± ¡°But if you don''t go, I can''t find anyone else! Are you truly going to let mepete on my own?¡± she whined. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Sophia arched her brow. ¡°That''s right.¡± Katherine felt that her friend was ridiculing her again. However, she had already signed the contract, so she would not give up until Sophia had agreed. She continued whining, ¡°Soph, please! Just treat it as my birthday wish this year, okay? If you don''t go, I''ll lose pretty badly.¡± Sophia nced at her. ¡°Don''t worry. You are good-looking. You''ll still look pretty even if you lose.¡± Seeing that her friend still refused to go, Katherine hugged her arm and started grumbling. Sophia felt a headacheing hearing her whines. ¡°All right, all right. Just this once.¡± Katherine was ecstatic. She raised four fingers and vowed, ¡°I swear!¡± Sophia gave her an amused nce. ¡°I would''ve believed you a little had you not swore on it.¡± After settling this matter, Katherine started to engage Sophia in gossip about the Dawson family. On the night she returned, Sophia had already given her a rough exnation, and Katherine had dramatically sighed for a long time on the phone. Since they met up that day, thetter could not help but throw out the question again. Sophia told her everything in brief. Just as she finished speaking, Katherine suddenly snorted. ¡°I wonder if those people who thought that you and Alexander were from two different worlds would feel humiliated after learning about this?¡± Sophia was stunned for a moment. She had never thought about that question before. Katherine suddenly thought of something. ¡°Alexander has been handling matters on a personal level recently. Do you know about his withdrawal of shares? I heard some rumors that it''s because of those people who had bullied you in the past.¡± Sophia''s hand briefly froze as she held the cup. Her lips curled into a smile. ¡°It''s just gossip.¡± It''s not even real. For once, Katherine was taking Alexander''s side. ¡°I think Alexander seems to be turning over a new leaf.¡± Sophia did not wish to discuss the matter any further. ¡°Aren''t we selecting rookies?¡± Katherine still wanted to gossip, but at the thought that they had important matters to attend to, she could only nod in agreement. ¡°Let''s go to the recording studio and take a look!¡± With a smile, Sophia followed Katherine out of the room. The two friends settled on two candidates on the spot. By the time they came out of the recording studio, it was already noon. The two of them had not had lunch together for a long time. Since Katherine had nothing much to do for the next half month, she dragged Sophia to have a seafood feast. After Sophia had bumped into Alexander in Doveston on the day of Penelope''s burial, she had not seen him for nearly a week. It was also a coincidence that Sophia came out to have a meal with Katherine on this rare asion. When the two were eating, thetter also eagerly asked her about Alexander''s tant pursuit some time ago and why he had been silent recently. Sophia directly ignored her friend''s question, but never did she expect that she would run into Alexander when she was leaving the restaurant after the meal. He was not alone as there was an attractive woman beside him. As the four walked past each other, Sophia heard the woman calling him Alex. Alex. Sophia wryly smiled as she suddenly felt that she was a fool. Alexander merely nced at her before turning his attention elsewhere. Sophia smiled at that but also did not greet him. There''s no need to greet a stranger. Katherine, who was beside her, found it unbearable. ¡°Alexander is such a jerk! What a sc*mbag!¡± As she said that, she nced at Sophia, and noticing that thetter was looking at her, she added, ¡°Don''t be upset, Soph. That woman is not as good-looking as you. She has done stic surgery all over her face, and only her figure is all right, but she still doesn''t have half your good looks. No, a quarter. That''s not right either. She doesn''t have one-tenth of your good looks!¡± Sophia snorted. ¡°Do I look upset to you?¡± Katherine scrutinized her before replying, ¡°Seems like you''re not.¡± I''ve underestimated her! Chapter 176 Chapter 176 She had just encountered Alexander having a meal with a pretty woman at noon, and on the next day, Sophia was hearing from the nosy Katherine that Alexander had taken the said pretty woman home. However, Alexander had managed to protect that woman well. Almost all of the photos of her were just photos of her back. There was one photo where her side profile was taken, but Alexander''s shoulders had blocked most of the view. The moment the gossip spread, the rumors of how Alexander had kicked his family out of the house because of Sophia had been dismissed at once. As a matter of fact, the media outlets on the inte were even specting if Alexander and the mysterious woman''s wedding would be held before or after Sophia and Lukas'' wedding. Moreover,izens were even saying that, no matter how impressive Sophia was, she could never make Alexander hers. They were even talking about how she had been too haughty when Alexander had regretted his decision and tried to win her back a while ago, but now Alexander had easily found someone else eligible to be his wife. When Katherine surfed the web and saw the lengthy using posts, she turned absolutely livid. If not for Jonice stopping her, she would have used her main ount to start cursing at thoseizens. Jonice did stop her, so Katherine had no choice but to use her alternate ount to fight against those netizens online. Those people lost in the fight against Katherine, and in the end, they even deleted thements posted by Katherine using her alternate ount. Katherine then took a screenshot of the content and sent it to Sophia. After a nce at the picture, Sophiaughed and texted Katherine: You seem so free. What about Joshua? Katherine, who had been exhausted by the night before and just woke up, turned speechless at that. Ugh, no... I can''t afford to piss him off. For a few days, Alexander and his new girlfriend trended on the inte. Since Sophia was Alexander''s ex-wife, it was natural that Sophia had been involved in the discussions too. Even Perrin called to ask about the matter. After Sophia consoled him, she then asked Yvonne to keep a lid on the spread of the news. She did not mind it at all, but it was not the same for Perrin. Sophia encountered Bethany after eating with Yvonne and exiting the restaurant. Sophia was still feeling regretful about not having witnessed the moment when Bethany had not had enough money to buy her bag. Hence, when she encountered Bethany, her eyes instantly flitted toward the bag in Bethany''s hand. Tsk. It''s actually that bag from that day. Sophia then arched a brow and shifted her gaze to Bethany instead. ¡°Ms. White.¡± Noticing Sophia''s gaze, Bethany deliberately passed her bag to a different hand. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, it''s been a while.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Nice bag.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Bethany could tell what Sophia was implying, and her expression stiffened for a second. Her friend by her side did not know about the bag. She only knew that Bethany and Sophia were not on good terms. When she recalled that Alexander had a new girlfriend, Bethany''s friend scoffed, ¡°You''re pretty, Ms. Yarrow, but what a pity your good looks are for naught. Mr. Xenos still ended up picking someone else over you.¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia burst outughing. ¡°I''m not an item. Why do I need to be picked by others?¡± That rendered Bethany''s friend speechless for a moment. The woman paled before gritting her teeth and saying, ¡°Why do you see the need to lie to yourself, Ms. Yarrow? Still, I have to say that your situation is quite pitiful. After all, Bethany is Mr. Xenos'' first crush. Regardless of everything, she''s the first woman he loved, and he''ll never forget about her. On the other hand, you married him for three years, and not only did you not get any money, but you also failed to get the man. I couldn''t help feeling pity for you when I think of that.¡± ¡°Dottie!¡± It was then Bethany called out to her friend to stop her from saying anything more. ¡°Things between me and Mr. Xenos are all in the past.¡± Only Bethany and Alexander themselves knew what had been going on between them. Bethany had already embarrassed herself far too many times around Sophia; she did not want to lose herst shred of dignity. Sophia nced at Bethany beforementing, ¡°Birds of a feather flock together. Ms. White, it seems that your friend really clicks with you.¡± Sophia paused for a few seconds before shifting her gaze to Bethany. She then said, ¡°I heard that Mr. White had been desperately looking for investorstely. Initially, I thought that Mr. White would need ourpany''s help, but Ms. White, you seem to have no trouble buying a bag that costs one hundred twenty thousand. Therefore, it''s safe for me to assume that the White family isn''t facing any shortage of money. It looks like I''ve been worried for nothing.¡± Sophia''s words were like a dagger that stabbed right into Bethany''s weak point. The White family had been having an extremely hard time for the past few months, for Expedite had been losing money continuously for the past few months because of the liquidity crisis. Bethany used to have a supplementary card with a monthly limit of five million, but the card had been suspended since the previous month. Moreover, her monthly pocket money had been cut off as well. It was not an easy feat to maintain one''s grace in the upper-ss social circle. Although one did not need to own every piece of thetest released clothes and essories, one still had to show up in new clothes when meeting up with upper-ss friends. If Bethany were to wear outdated clothes every day, the others would instantly know that she was strapped for cash. A bag that cost a hundred and twenty thousand was not considered expensive. In the past, Bethany would buy a few bags in that price range every month. However, things had changed then. She even had to ask that man for the money to buy the bag. Therefore, when Sophia said those words, the colors drained from Bethany''s face. Tobias had once warned her that Sophia was no one to be trifled with, for thetter was associated with Suny of Sunshine Group. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, thank you for your concern. I''ll inform my father about this.¡± Bethany could not reject her; she could only force herself to smile and be nice to Sophia. Sophia lifted a brow. ¡°There''s no need to do that. I''m the one who has made a fool of myself, Ms. White.¡± With that said, Sophia turned to look at Yvonne, who seemed ready to join the verbal fight, and said, ¡°Ms. Leighton, let''s go.¡± ¡°Sure, Ms. Yarrow.¡± At that, Bethany parted her lips, intending to say something and go after Sophia, but her friend who was standing by her side stopped her. ¡°Are you dumb? There''s no way she''s nning to help your family. She was merely making fun of you. Don''t worry. I''ve asked my brother to contact Mr. Lewis of Magic Sense.¡± After Magic Sense became a listedpany, Magic Sense''s market price had doubled within a mere half a year''s time. Joshua''s worth had also exceeded three billion. Even before Magic Sense became a listedpany, it was doing well for itself. Moreover, Alexander had met with almost all the leaders of major businesses in Jadeborough. Those who were capable and willing to invest in the White family''s business did not wish to cross Alexander, and those who dared to cross Alexander were not powerful enough to take down Expedite. Hence, the matter dragged on until now, and Expedite essentially turned into a hot potato. That was why Tobias had targeted Joshua and wanted to sell Expedite to thetter while keeping some of the shares for himself. That way, at least he would not go bankrupt. Only after hearing her friend''s words did Bethany not run after Sophia. It was set since the beginning as to who would emerge as the winner in the pointless argument. Dorothy Campbell knew what the situation was in the White family. Although Sophia''s words were harsh, they were nothing but the truth. Dorothy then looked at Bethany''s bag and said, ¡°Speaking of which, Bethany, who bought this bag for you?¡± Dorothy knew well that Bethany could not afford the bag. Thus, Bethany''s expression froze after she heard Dorothy''s words. A beatter, she quickly recovered and replied, ¡°A friend.¡± ¡°A male friend, right? Not bad. He''s quite generous with his money, and it seems that he treats you quite well.¡± Not wanting to continue that topic, Bethany hastily steered the conversation to something else. If he was my boyfriend, I wouldn''t have lost to Sophia. There was no way Bethany would dare to tell her friend that she was nothing but the third wheel.Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Sophia did not bother with Bethany at all, for she knew that the White family could barely keep their boat afloat. On the other hand, Yvonne was irked. Upon getting into the car, she uttered, ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Sophia arched her eyebrows before turning to look at Yvonne, waiting for thetter to continue. ¡°It seems like Expedite has been nning to contact Mr. Lewis recently.¡± ¡°Joshua Lewis?¡± Yvonne nodded. ¡°Expedite has been losing money sincest year. I''m guessing that Tobias wants someone to take over Expedite''s debts and so he is selling off most of his shares.¡± Sophia could not help butugh at that. ¡°He must be dreaming.¡± Considering Expedite''s current situation, Charles would not spend any more money on Expedite anymore, and it was the same for her. Yet, Tobias still refused to let go of thepany. Does he think of Joshua as a fool? Yvonne pursed her lips. ¡°Indeed, it seems that he''s too idealistic.¡± Sophia let out anotherugh upon hearing that. ¡°Not bad, Ms. Leighton.¡± You even know how to mock others now. Yvonne felt awkward and changed the topic. ¡°I''ll send you back to the mansion.¡± Sophia''s car had been sent for maintenance, so Sophia was not driving that day. ¡°Okay.¡± The car then slowly drove out of the parking lot. It was a clear, fine day that day. Sophia looked out of the window as she mulled over Yvonne''s earlier words. After lifting her brows, she then took out her phone and called Joshua. Katherine was resting, so it was highly likely that Joshua would be working from home. Indeed, not long after Sophia made the call, Katherine answered the call. ¡°Wait a moment, Soph. He''s frying the fish!¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Tell Joshua to give me a call when he''s free. I have some things to talk to him about.¡± ¡°Sure thing, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia huffed. ¡°Bye.¡± Not long after Sophia returned to the mansion, Joshua called her back. ¡°Sophia?¡± Sophia filled a ss of water before sitting down on the couch. ¡°Have Tobias'' men been contacting you?¡± ¡°Yes, his secretary contacted Robin the day before yesterday. Tobias wanted to talk to me about Expedite.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue in response. ¡°How much does he want?¡± ¡°One and a half billion for eighty percent of his shares.¡± Although Joshua''s worth had increased, he still could not fork up one and a half billion that easily. It seemed that Tobias was at his wits'' end, for he even had the courage to make such an absurd proposal. If it were half a year ago, perhaps forty percent of Expedite''s shares would be worth one and a half billion, but now, they might not even be worth a billion. Sophia raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°He came to mest year. Three hundred million for five percent of the shares.¡± Joshua furrowed his brows. ¡°He''s too na?ve.¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°Now that Prosperity Enterprise and I have rejected him, he has no choice but to target you. Two billion. If Tobias is going to let you take over Expedite, help me acquire it at two billion.¡± Sophia had offered two and a half billion for Expedite the year before, but Tobias had told her that she was pushing her luck. Now, she was going to offer two billion and see if Tobias was going to stick to his principles as he did the year before. By then, Joshua knew what Sophia meant. ¡°Okay.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I won''t disturb you anymore. Bye.¡± After the call ended, Sophia stared at the dimmed screen as a wave of anticipation washed over her. She wondered if Tobias would get a heart attack from the fury he would soon feel. Expedite had been going downhill over the years. Their financial loss was nothing recent. If Tobias was still reluctant to part with thepany, he would eventually have to dere bankruptcy. Moreover, by the time he was done clearing thepany''s debts, he would not even get to secure one and a half billion. Tsk. How pitiful. Jadeborough got quite a lot of rain in April. Katherine finally got to take a break, so she still dragged Sophia out shopping despite it being a rainy day. Over three hours into the shopping trip, Katherine had already spent hundreds of thousands on clothes. If not for the fact that it was time for lunch, she would have continued with her shopping spree. Sophia had gotten used to Katherine''s way of sweeping products off their shelves. However, when she heard that her friend nned to head to another mall after lunch, she lifted a brow and asked, ¡°Not nning to save money anymore?¡± ¡°It''s been such a long time since I did some shopping!¡± ¡°So you''re nning to go on a shopping spree so you don''t have to do it for the rest of the year?¡± Not only did Katherine show no signs of embarrassment at that, but she even grinned proudly. ¡°Is that a bad thing?¡± Sophia was not obsessed with shopping, so she could not share Katherine''s sentiment. Nevertheless, she smiled and said, ¡°Forget it. You can do anything you want.¡± Just as the two entered the restaurant, Sophia noticed a familiar face in a booth that was a short distance away from them. It was Ka, and the other woman in the booth was the pretty woman Sophia had seen standing beside Alexander the other day. Katherine was still upset about how Ka had cursed at Sophia previously. Thus, the moment Katherine saw Ka, she rolled up her sleeves, ready to start a fight. She only took two steps when she noticed Sophia standing behind her with a half-smile. Immediately, Katherine frowned and mumbled, ¡°I''m telling you now that I''m going to teach Ka a lesson today. Don''t you dare stop me! I''m going to be utterly mad!¡± Sophia folded her arms and nced at her before nodding. ¡°Go ahead. I''m not going to stop you.¡± A moment of silenceter, Katherine said, ¡°Forget it. We''re here to enjoy ourselves, so I won''t settle the score with her today.¡± Amused, Sophia snorted. ¡°All right. Drop the act. I''m hungry.¡± At that, Katherine quickly went along with Sophia''s words and replied, ¡°Okay. It''s fine if I''m hungry, but I can''t let you starve!¡± Afraid that Sophia would continue the previous topic, Katherine hastily sat down. Sophia smiled in response and walked over to her. Just as she took her seat, Ka, who was eating, suddenly raised her head to look at her. Sophia''s brow twitched, and she lifted her head to meet Ka''s gaze before smiling at thetter. At that, Ka gleefully arched a brow and moved her lips to mouth a sentence in Sophia''s direction. Nevertheless, Sophia did not manage to make out what Ka had said. ¡°What did she say?¡± asked Katherine, who noticed the interaction. She frowned as she stared at Ka. Sophia looked away. ¡°I don''t know.¡± ¡°What a crazydy.¡± Sophia raised her brows but said nothing to that. ¡°Take a look at the menu and see what you''d like to eat.¡± Coincidentally, when the two paid their bill and were about to leave the restaurant, Ka was about to leave as well. The four of them ended up meeting one another in the doorway. Subconsciously, Katherine took a step forward to shield Sophia from the other two. The beautiful woman by Ka''s side then began studying Sophia. Right as the tension in the air turned intense, she suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''ve heard of you. I''m ra Lambe.¡± ra''s tone was friendly as she said, ¡°You look prettier in person.¡± Sophia hummed softly and nced at Ka before responding, ¡°Thank you. You''re very pretty yourself.¡± Ka had a gloomy look on her face. ¡°ra, don''t you need to meet someone in the afternoon?¡± ra then peeked at Ka before saying to Sophia, ¡°Let''s have a meal together next time.¡± At that, Sophia replied tly, ¡°Sure.¡± After taking onest nce at Sophia, ra left with Ka. As Katherine watched the two leave, she spat. ¡°Who in the world is ra Lambe? Everyone knows you''re pretty.¡± Hearing that, Sophia lowered her head to nce at Katherine. ¡°She''s Alexander''s new girlfriend.¡± Katherine stiffened. ¡°A meeting between his current lover and his former lover... But, Soph, how could you be so calm?¡± Sophia''s eyes flicked toward her friend. ¡°How else was I supposed to act?¡± ra seemed amicable, so it would be inappropriate of Sophia if she were to just ignore her or give her a hard time. That would make Sophia seem petty. Katherine did not know how to respond to that. She hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°It seems that you''ve really moved on from Alexander.¡± Sophia only smiled in silence. Chapter 178 Chapter 178 A meeting between his current lover and his former lover. Recalling Katherine''s words, Sophia wanted toment that Katherine''s description of them was wrong. ra may be Alexander''s current lover, but I''m not his former lover. He has never loved me. The thought of that still brought a pang of misery to her heart. After all, he was her first crush. The passionate love she felt during her teenage years would always differ from all other forms of love. Katherine''s n to shop the entire day ended up being interrupted by a sudden call from Jonice. When Sophia saw that Katherine, who was holding an umbre in her hand, grumpily entered the car Jonice had sent for her, Sophia could not hold back herughter. ¡°Argh! I wish I had a worth of billions like you!¡± Sophia looked at her friend and teased her. ¡°Well, you''ll need to be as smart as me.¡± Katherine was rendered speechless. Well, my apologies for making such ridiculous remarks, then! Once the car door closed, Sophia took a step back with an umbre in her hand. She then waved and watched the car disappear from her line of sight. It was only after two by then, and it would be a waste of time if she were to head back and sleep right away. Therefore, after two seconds of hesitation, Sophia drove to the gym. It was a weekday, so there were not many people in the gym. After changing into boxing gear, Sophia entered the boxing room. When her instructor saw her, his eyes lit up. ¡°You''re free today?¡± Instead of answering her instructor, Sophia put on her boxing gloves and said, ¡°One round, Mr. Leyburn?¡± Her instructor, Aaron Leyburn, was a man in his fifties. He had used to box in Turlen when he was younger, and in a way, he earned a living by risking his life. After that, he had gone to box in Moranta for three years. When the boxing studio started asking him to fake the fights, he realized that he had been left behind. If he insisted on continuing, he would soon lose his life. Hence, he made up his mind. After he fought in a few staged fights, he returned to the country to establish a boxing gym. Sophia had been learning freestyle fighting and kickboxing in his gym since her university days, and he had always been the one to teach her. Both freestyle fighting and kickboxing were sports that were physically taxing. When Sophia had first started out, she was as weak as any other girl, but she had been working out to increase her strength since then. After a few years of training, she had improved, and she was capable of exchanging a few proper blows with her instructor. It was nothing unusual for an instructor to exchange blows with their student, but Sophia had never done that. Firstly, she did not like physical contact. Secondly, although she hade to the gym to learnbat skills, she was not learning to fight for the sake ofpetition; she was only learning it for the purpose of self-defense. Therefore, it was Sophia''s first time voicing out her desire for a fight. Naturally, her instructor would not reject her. Aaron had known her for years, and to him, she was like his little sister. Thus, when he noticed her strange behavior, he could not help but ask, ¡°Are you in a bad mood?¡± ¡°Are you scared?¡± Sophia returned with a question. As she tightened her gloves, Aaronughed. ¡°It''s obvious that you''re in a bad mood.¡± Even though they had agreed to a fight, Sophia was a woman after all, so both of them did not go all out on each other. Even though Sophia was not as experienced as Aaron, she was nimble and swift. For a long while, both were evenly matched. As news about the pretty student fighting her instructor spread in the boxing gym, people began filtering into the room. Samuel had brought Alexander along to the boxing gym, for Felix had told Samuel that Alexander had been working like a madman in his office all day and night for the past few days. Afraid that Alexander would drive himself crazy, Samuel decided to sacrifice himself and drag his friend along to the boxing gym, since thetter did not have appointments in the afternoon. Samuel intended to let Alexander vent his stress and negative emotions. Right after they changed into sportswear, Samuel heard from others that a beautiful woman was challenging her instructor to a fight. Immediately, Samuel forgot about his aim for the day and slung his arm around Alexander''s shoulders. ¡°Alex,e on. Let''s go watch the show!¡± There''s no way there''s a beautiful woman in a boxing gym; there are only burly men around. Samuel was not interested in the said beautifuldy, but he was curious about the woman who was brave enough to challenge her instructor to a fight. However, Alexander pried his arm off and said, ¡°I''m not going.¡± With that said, he turned to enter a different room. The room where the challenge was ongoing was lively as if a boxing match was taking ce. The lively environment there was a stark contrast to Alexander''s lonely figure. It was as though he was unwanted by the rest of the world. Without hesitation, Samuel decided to ditch his friend and watch the challenge. I mean, he''s a friend, and friends can be ditched at times like these. Right as he entered the noisy room, he instantly recognized Sophia in the ring. At that moment, the usually gentle Sophia was agilely dodging her instructor''s quick punch. A curse word escaped Samuel''s mouth at the revtion of the brave woman''s identity, and he quickly whipped his head to look out at the corridor before turning back to look at the stage. For a brief while, he had no idea whether to cheer with the others or to head out and get Alexander instead. Even though the fight was neither a brutal one nor a bloody one, it was a fight of speed. The audience was captivated, and their cheers were getting louder and louder over time. Samuel whistled as he was impressed by Sophia. In the end, his conscience overcame him, and he turned to run out to get Alexander. ¡°Alex, quick! Hurry up! It''s Sophia!¡± Alexander was silently hitting a punching bag when Samuel''s voice sounded. The moment he heard the mention of Sophia''s name, he was stunned. Then, he knitted his brows and red at Samuel who was standing by the door. ¡°Are you sleep- talking?¡± ¡°Sleep-talking? What are you going on about? The one who''s fighting with the instructor is Sophia! I''m an idiot if I were to lie to you!¡± Alexander then gave Samuel another look. ¡°You''re an idiot regardless of whether you''re lying to me.¡± In the next second, he walked past Samuel and headed to the noisy room. Right as Alexander entered the room, he saw Sophia cocking her head to the side and dodging the instructor''s punch. Her high ponytail flicked in a perfect arc in tandem with her move before her wless side profile came into Alexander''s view. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. At that very moment, Alexander recalled how suave she had been when she had lowered herself for a sweeping kick the other night. While he was lost in his thoughts, Sophia had already reached out to grab Aaron''s clothes and swept her feet past his. Immediately, Aaron lost his bnce, but Sophia grabbed him before he fell to the floor. After Aaron regained his bnce, he asked, ¡°Were you enchanting me just now?¡± Sophia let go of him and took a step back before shing him a smile. ¡°All''s fair in love and war.¡± Aaron was stunned for a second before bursting intoughter. ¡°Wise words!¡± There were over a dozen people by the edge of the ring, and those people were there forbat skill training. Right after Aaron''s words fell, thunderous apuse filled the room. Nevertheless, Sophia was unfazed by the response. She only felt thirsty, so she left the ring to get her thermos and down the water. It was rare for others to encounter pretty young women like Sophia anywhere, let alone in the boxing gym. Furthermore, not only was she attractive, but her fight earlier had captured the hearts of the audience as well. Hence, just as she drank a mouthful of water, a man approached her. ¡°Miss, how long have you been learning from Mr. Leyburn?¡± Sophia looked at the man and said impassively, ¡°Ten years.¡± The man, who had only been learning how to box for three years, instantly chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Haha! That means you''re my senior! I thought you were my junior at the start.¡± After quenching her thirst, Sophia closed the lid of her thermos and smiled. ¡°I have not served an apprenticeship under him, so I''m not your senior.¡± With that said, she took her thermos and began walking out of the room. The man quickly rushed after her. ¡°But you are! Miss, what''s your name? Can I have your number? Shall we go for one round next time?¡± Just as Sophia was about to reply to him, a familiar male voice sounded. ¡°My dear sister-inw, when did youe?¡± My dear sister-inw? Sophia raised a brow at that. When she saw Samuel walking over with Alexander in tow, the smile on her face faded. ¡°Mr. Schild.¡± Samuel then took a nce at the man, who was trying to hit on Sophia, and said, ¡°My dear sister-in- law, is he your friend?¡± Not wanting the other man to keep disturbing her, Sophia went along with Samuel''s words. ¡°I don''t know who he is.¡± Realizing that Sophia was a married woman, the other man walked away. Still, when he left, he kept turning back to take nces at her. She''s so pretty and strong! After half an hour of fighting, Sophia was sweating profusely. Beads of sweat were rolling down her forehead, and she raised her hand to wipe them away. Then, she walked over to Alexander and said, ¡°Alexander, do you want to go one round with me?¡± Sophia''s voice was soft and clear when she said that, and even Alexander thought he had misheard her. Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Although Samuel did not understand why Sophia had made such a suggestion, he knew that it was definitely an opportunity for Alexander to win her back. Seeing Alexander standing rooted to his spot with a puzzled look on his face, Samuel hurriedly walked toward the former. Raising his hand, Samuel tapped on Alexander''s shoulder and said, ¡°She''s asking you a question!¡± Furrowing his brows, Alexander replied, ¡°Sure.¡± He might not know why Sophia wanted to challenge him, but he surely would not turn her down if she truly wanted to do so. ¡°Have you booked a boxing room?¡± Sophia asked. ¡°Yes,¡± replied Alexander. ¡°All right.¡± Sophia continued, ¡°Let''s go to your boxing room to fight, then. Don''t let anyone irrelevant in.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Alexander answered as he strode forward and led the way. Shortly after, both of them came to the boxing room, where Alexandar was hitting the punching bag earlier. Samuel, who followed the two, became excited for some reason. He took his phone out, nning to stream the match live so that the friends in his group chat could witness it as well. However, just as he arrived at the door, Sophia lifted her hand and pulled the door half-closed. Blocking the entrance, she shed Samuel a half-smile and said, ¡°Mr. Schild, please step aside.¡± With that, Sophia closed the door. Staring at the tightly shut door, Samuel kept swearing inwardly. Why am I considered someone irrelevant? Am I an outsider or a busybody? Samuel insisted on demanding an exnation from Sophia. However, when he ced his hand on the doorknob and turned it, his face stiffened. I can''t believe she locked it! He was rendered speechless. Hasn''t she gone too far? After closing the door, Sophia took a towel from her backpack and wiped the sweat off her face. Then, she threw the towel on her backpack. Twisting her wrists, she walked toward Alexander and said, ¡°No helmets are needed. We won''t aim for each other''s head and vital points.¡± ¡°All right,¡± replied Alexander. He was already in the boxing ring. Lowering his head to look at Sophia, he thought of asking her if she wanted to take a break. Yet, knowing Sophia''s personality, he was certain that she would be more upset if he asked her that. Sophia jumped into the ring after stretching open the ropes. Consequently, Alexander, who was going to reach out and give her a hand, had his hand left mid-air awkwardly. ncing at him, Sophia asked, ¡°How long have you been practicingbat skills?¡± ¡°Fifteen years,¡± answered Alexander. It is no wonder that he could defeat those two men ten years ago. Snapping back to reality, Sophia said, ¡°I boxed for half an hour just now, so let''s not take a break during the fight. We''ll just spar for ten minutes. If I lose, I''ll promise you one thing; if you lose, it''ll be the other way around.¡± Hearing that, Alexander was stunned. Clearly, Sophia did not want him to go easy on her. Looking at him, Sophia said, ¡°You count to three, then we''ll start.¡± She walked closer to Alexander as she spoke. Alexander did not start counting. He fixed his gaze on her instead. ¡°You''ll promise me anything?¡± Does that include you getting back together with me? Sure enough, he did not dare to say his thoughts out loud. Sophia just stared at him. For a while, she did not understand Alexander. He already has someone he likes, so why is he pretending to be affectionate to me? Or perhaps he''s an absolute hypocrite? She would rather believe that she was imagining things than admit that she had fallen in love with a hypocrite. ¡°Yes. As long as it''s not illegal, I''ll promise you anything,¡± she said. Is he so confident that he''ll beat me? Alexander stared at Sophia, his eyes flickering. Momentster, he parted his thin lips and said, ¡°Three, two, one. Go!¡± In the beginning, none of them made a move. Sophia was only testing her opponent with a few small gestures, while Alexander was in defense mode most of the time. After repeating the same moves several times, Sophia began to strike genuinely. She was in a bad mood that day. Despite having gone through a sparring match with Aaron, she was still feeling down. Her mood was so bad that she wanted to get drunk. However, she happened to bump into Alexander that day. Sophia felt as if she had found a way to vent her frustrations. She did not go easy on him at all. Every punch she threw was full of strength. Alexander was busy fending off Sophia''s attacks, yet he made no move to attack her. He had sessfully dodged her attacks multiple times. More than a minuteter, she still did not manage toy her hands on him. Feeling a little agitated, she asked, ¡°Are you purposely going easy on me, Alexander Xenos?¡± ¡°No, I''m not,¡± he denied. ¡°Then why are you not attacking me?¡± she asked. As soon as Sophia finished speaking, Alexander aimed directly at her shoulder and threw a punch. Shocked, she swiftly dodged it. It was not that he refused to attack. Instead, he was waiting for her to get distracted. Twitching her lips, Sophia kept herself focused. She then made two feints in a row. When she made a move for the third time, Alexander did not manage to dodge her punch. Sophianded her fist on his lower abdomen straight away. He immediately frowned upon that. Sophia, on the other hand, smiled as she said, ¡°You''re looking down on me, Alexander.¡± ¡°I''m not,¡± said Alexander. Sophia snorted in response. ¡°It''s been two minutes, but you''ve only punched thrice.¡± Remaining silent, Alexander quickly threw his fourth punch. Little did he know, Sophia came prepared. She had mentioned that she had a good memory. Alexander had used the same tactic earlier. If she had managed to dodge it the first time, there would be no reason she would let him seed this time. The two fought for two more minutes. As they exchanged blows, Sophianded another punch on Alexander''s shoulder. Meanwhile, she herself did not get hit. When Sophia realized that Alexander was going easy on her, her vexation and annoyance grew. Since he wants to pull his punches, I shall grant him his wish then! At the thought of that, her smile disappeared, and she instantly put on a cold expression as sheThis belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. continued to attack him. At first, Alexander was still trying to dodge her attacks. Yet, after sensing her intentions, he stopped avoiding those punches. He grunted in pain silently as he let her punch him. Sophia took her anger out on him by striking numerous blows at Alexander. All of a sudden, she found it boring. ¡°Alexander, you lost¡ª¡± However, before she could finish her sentence, Alexander tripped her up, and her whole body was pinned to the mat by him. Sophia was startled. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Alexander saying, ¡°Is that so?¡± The two were very close to each other. The high-intensity boxing match, which had gone on for nearly forty minutes, caused Sophia to pant. Alexander, however, was breathing steadily. Other than the beads of sweat on his forehead, which proved that he had not stood still throughout the entire match, he did not seem tired in the slightest. During their three years of marriage, both of them had never been in such proximity. Pressing Sophia down, Alexander gripped her wrists tightly. As he lowered his head, she could feel his breath on her face. It fused together with hers when she exhaled, and at that moment, no one could tell them apart. Sophia carried a faint fragrance. Even though Alexander could not tell precisely what kind of scent it was, he was attracted to it. He even had the urge to bury his face in her body and get a whiff of her scent. Yet, he knew that he could not do so. While Alexander was distracted, Sophia tried to break free. As soon as he loosened his grip slightly, she seized the chance, pushed him away, and pressed him down. Sitting on top of him, Sophia lowered her head to look at him and said, ¡°You lost.¡± Letting go of her, Alexander dropped his hands to his side. He gazed intently at Sophia with his dark eyes. ¡°I lost.¡± Knowing that she wanted to win, Alexander was reluctant to disappoint her, so he let her win. Looking into his eye, Sophia did not say a word. The two just locked their eyes with each other. The boxing room fell silent. Only the sound of drizzle outside could be heard at the moment. Strangely enough, Sophia did not feel the joy of victory. ¡°Thanks for today. From now on, we no longer owe each other anything,¡± she said. With that, she let go of him and stood up, shooting him onest nce. ¡°I wish you happiness, Alexander.¡± After all, both of them were already divorced. Alexander had guessed what she was going to tell him. However, his heart ached when he heard her say that they owed each other nothing anymore. Staring at her back, he knew that he would no longer have the right to show up in front of her from that day onward. ¡°Sophia.¡± Suddenly, Alexander''s voice drifted into her ear. Sophia stopped in her tracks and turned around. ¡°What¡ª¡± Chapter 180 Chapter 180 Alexander moved so quickly that Sophia didn''t have time to react. He kissed her roughly and with a strange urgency, almost as if he couldn''t wait to swallow her whole. Sophia was taken by surprise but quickly came to her senses and shoved him away harshly. She then snapped, ¡°What''s wrong with you?¡± ¡°You always hated it when I did this, but this is thest time I''m doing it. I won''t do that again, Sophia,¡± he replied. The corners of his eyes reddened as he spoke. Sophia''s heart tightened, and she felt a lump in her throat the moment she heard those words. What''s wrong with him? He has a new girlfriend, so why is he acting as if he loves me deeply? Does he take me as a fool? Alexander swallowed the sadness before he forced the words out unwillingly. ¡°I wish you happiness too.¡± In actual fact, he did not mean anything he said at all. However, he was a man of his word, and she had wanted to have a clean break with him. Perhaps it wouldn''t be long before he would hear news about her marriage with Lukas. He had done his own investigations into Lukas. Although he felt that the man was nothingpared to himself, Alexander still had to admit that Lukas was indeed a decent man. After all these years, there were no rumors or scandals about the man. He came from a good family, and every single soul in the Dawson family was decent. None of them was as inhumane as Kristen and himself. Over the past several days, he had asked several others about the three years that concerned Sophia. His hope dwindled with each piece of information he heard of. Alexander was finally able to understand why Sophia was determined to leave him. For those three full years, not only had he thoroughly eroded whatever love she had for him, but he had also belittled her character and self-esteem. There was no way he could just utter a simple apology to her and hope she would return to him as he wished. Things just didn''t work that smoothly in the real world. If I were Sophia, I would only hate the man more. Whatever remaining sliver of affection and love she had had for him had now evolved into mere tolerance. With that, there was no longer any chance of her getting back together with him. Even if he now understood where he had gone wrong and all the mistakes he had made, it all meant nothing in the here and now. Sophia froze, but she recovered in the next second and replied, ¡°Thank you.¡± After more than a year, they had finally achieved true reconciliation. Sophia guessed that perhaps it wouldn''t be long from now before he would marry ra. She thought that ra was not bad. At the very least, ra came across as a decent woman who could still greet Alexander''s ex-wife with a genuine smile. No matter how much hatred and resentment Sophia had for Alexander, she still wished for nothing but the best for him. After all, Alexander was the man whom she had loved for almost ten years. She bit her lower lip before she retracted her gaze and stepped away. With her bag and thermos in hand, she dered, ¡°I''m heading off.¡± Alexander didn''t respond. Instead, he continued to stand stiffly on the stage as he watched her walk away from him. The scene reminded him of the day she hade over to hand him their divorce papers. As those thoughts crossed his mind, Alexander suddenly felt a sharp throbbing pain spread across his chest. He couldn''t help but clutch desperately at his chest in the hopes that it would help alleviate some of the pain he felt. Sophia pulled the door open and saw Samuel sprawled suspiciously on the door. She eyed him impassively as she asked, ¡°What did you manage to overhear, Mr. Schild?¡± Samuel''s face flushed red, and his heart started beating exponentially faster in response to Sophia''s mockery. He asked, ¡°You''re done so soon? It''s only been just over ten minutes.¡± Sophia scoffed and remarked, ¡°Please feel free to head in to have a longer bout with Alexander, Mr. Schild.¡± Samuel knew he could never beat Alexander even in his wildest dreams, but he didn''t know how to respond. After an awkward pause, he asked, ¡°Shall we get dinner together?¡± ¡°No, thanks,¡± she replied. With that, she turned away and strode off without so much as a nce back. Behind her, Samuel still hadn''t given up. He yelled out after her, ¡°Hey! Silk Stream is about to start filming. Aren''t youing for the opening?¡± ¡°I''ll think about it when the dayes,¡± she replied. Even as he took in Sophia''s retreating figure, Samuel knew there was nothing he could do and had no choice but to head back helplessly. No sooner had he entered the boxing room did he feel the intense and overwhelming atmosphere that permeated the ce. Samuel shot a nce at Alexander, who was still located by the stage. However, he was now seated on its edge, and his head was lowered as he stayed silent and forlorn. ¡°What happened here? Why do I have this feeling that you seem more depressed and sullen than before?¡± asked Samuel. Alexander didn''t even bother to raise his head. At this point, he simply didn''t have the mood or energy to deal with Samuel. However, Samuel was even more intrigued and curious after noticing the way Alexander responded. He probed further and asked, ¡°Hang on... Sophia was the one who took the initiative to meet you for a match. Didn''t anything happen between the two of you?¡± Alexander couldn''t resist the urge any longer. He raised his head and stared at Samuel as he asked, ¡°Ten minutes. That''s all we had. What did you think could have happened?¡± ¡°Anything is possible as long as you put your mind to it!¡± eximed Samuel. ¡°Get lost!¡± yelled Alexander. The outburst momentarily caught Samuel by surprise, but he quickly recovered and replied, ¡°Don''t be mistaken! I''m not saying that you couldn''t do it. I swear on everything I hold dear that my thoughts didn''t go there at all. I''m a real gentleman, you know? All I was alluding to was merely some hugs and kisses or maybe some skinship...¡± It would certainly have been better if Samuel had kept his silence. The second he finished speaking, Alexander kicked him away and bellowed, ¡°Can you be a good man and get lost?¡± Samuel prepared himself to throw in a retort, but his gaze happened to fall on Alexander''s face. Surprised by what he saw, he paused and stated, ¡°All right! I''ll leave!¡± Why''s he crying over such a small matter like this? Before he stepped out of the space, in his infinite consideration, Samuel gently helped Alexander close the door behind him. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Now that the noisy and loud-mouthed Samuel had left the boxing room, the entire ce instantly became deathly silent. Alexander fell backward and copsed on the training mat as he closed his eyes and thought about all the times he had seen Sophia in the past several years. The first time they met, he was twenty-one, and she hade over to Jadeborough to take part in a competition. Back then, he had been feeling utterly horrible when he suddenly chanced upon the scene of a young, gullible fool being conned by an elderly woman. Although he wasn''t the most kind-hearted of people, he had felt a strong urge to hit someone at the time and thus decided to tail the pair. Just as Sophia had been about to be dragged into a vehicle, he jumped in and pulled her out before he proceeded to vent his frustrations on the two men involved. Before he left, Sophia had asked him what his name was, but he had walked off for a moment before he finally revealed it. However, this particr incident was one that he had long forgotten, and so he had not recalled who she was when he met her again after that. As such, he had always thought that the first time they formally met had been when she was discussing terms with him in the hospital. On that fateful day, he had asked her what she wanted as a reward or rpense for her efforts. He had been willing to spare any amount of money. Even though his rtionship with Kristen wasn''t that great at the time, it still hadn''t gotten so bad to the point that they had fallen out. The terms and conditions Sophia had raised quickly escted. Initially, she had asked for money, but a million rapidly inted to a hundred million until she finally asked to marry him. All he saw at that moment when he looked into her big eyes was the greed that resided within. However, now that he looked back on that encounter, he realized that Sophia''s eyes had sparkled with affection when she looked at him. He had never considered marriage in the first ce. However, Kristen had been annoying him without end, and so he had reckoned he might as well marry Sophia instead of putting up with thedies Kristen had prepared for him. After all, he had rationalized that marrying Sophia would allow him to kill two birds with a single stone. Not only would he have a Mrs. Xenos to prevent otherdies from targeting him, but he could also upset Kristen by marrying Sophia. He remembered that Sophia hade over to find him countless times during their three years of marriage. She had insisted that they were a married couple. However, in response, he had only told her to learn her ce. Perhaps that was the moment when her love for him had started fading away. Gradually, she had stopped looking him up and eventually proposed to have a divorce. Alexander vividly remembered how he had assumed that she was merely trying to pull tricks on him and that it was just another trick of hers. As such, he hadn''t thought too much about that. However, they really did get a divorce after that. To Alexander''s surprise, Sophia hadn''t asked for anything from the divorce. In a matter of seconds, she had transformed into a person he couldn''t recognize. There was no calction or scheming involved, nor was there any greed or narrow- mindedness. Instead, as he watched hermence her pole-dancing up on stage the other day, she seemed like apletely different person. The Sophia he saw that day was generous and elegant, and she was captivating and alluring. Following that particr event, they had crossed paths again multiple times thereafter. It seemed to Alexander that she had grown into her own skin and truly be herself after she had left him. Alternatively, it was also possible that he was only willing to look at her as a normal human being after they had separated. She was akin to a treasured gemstone that had been hidden in the palm of his hand the entire time. However, he had been blind and unable to appreciate her for the beautiful person she was. Instead, he had foolishly assumed she was a useless rock, and he had casually discarded her. However, much like how a torrent of rain would have washed away the mud and dirt that encased the gemstone, Sophia shone brightly after they were separated, revealing her inner beauty and bing valuable in her own right. From that moment on, she had irrevocably be a treasure that he knew he could never obtain for the rest of his life. At that, Alexander wryly considered that she might soon enough be someone else''s treasure to behold and appreciate. Alexander''s heart couldn''t help but continue to throb as he drowned in his thoughts and memories. He sorely regretted everything that had happened and could not ept it. In all his pain, he also recognized that he could no longer continue to be so selfish as to force her to suffer along with him. As such, he had decisively let go of her that day. He didn''t dare hope that she would remember him. He only hoped that she would look back on her time as a fifteen-year-old teenager and remember him as the heroic youth that hade to her rescue. That would be infinitely better than remembering him as the Alexander that had been nothing but a disappointment to her for the three years they had been married. Chapter 181 Chapter 181 When Sophia walked to the lobby, she bumped into her coach. As he had called out to her, she had no choice but to stop. ¡°Mr. Leyburn.¡± ¡°You know Alexander Xenos?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was obvious by her short answer that she did not want to borate further. Aaron smiled. ¡°I don''t mean anything by it. It''s just that he''s been training here for around seven to eight years too. If I had known you knew him, I would have arranged for both of you to be together.¡± Sophia was stunned. She had been training there since her university days, which was around eight to nine years ago. However, she had not once bumped into Alexander there. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Looks like we''re not destined to meet. ¡°I don''t think he likes to train with others.¡± After saying that, Sophia decided to end the conversation. ¡°I still have something to do, so I''ll make a move first, Mr. Leyburn.¡± She nodded, retracted her gaze, and walked out of the building. When she walked out of the boxing gym, it was still cloudy and raining outside. Remembering she had ced her umbre in the storeroom, Sophia did not want to return and take it since the rain was not heavy. She gripped her bag and rushed into the rain. The parking lot was only three hundred meters away. However, the rain got bigger when she was on the way there. She could only take shelter from a nearby condominium corridor. There was a twenty-four-hour convenience store beside it, and a few teenagers were buying cigarettes inside. The teenagers looked sixteen to seventeen years old and were wearing high school uniforms. After buying a pack of Seven Stars, they walked out of the convenience store. Sophia looked on as the trio sat beside the trash can and lit the cigarettes. Although they seemed young, they were experienced smokers from how they lit their cigarettes. The rain got heavier and heavier, causing rain to ssh onto Sophia''s shoes. She lowered her eyes to look at them and stepped back. The smoke was heavy. Raising her eyebrows, Sophia nced at them. After staring for a while, she walked over to them. ¡°Is smoking nice?¡± The young man who bought the pack of cigarettes narrowed his eyes at her. However, he was stunned upon seeing her face. Immediately, all the viciousness in his face disappeared, and he answered obediently, ¡°Not really.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°I saw that you guys seemed to enjoy it a lot.¡± Young men their age were naughty, but they also cared about their pride. Even though Sophia did not seem to have bad intentions from her smile, her words could be interpreted in many ways. One might even misunderstand that she was mocking them. The trio exchanged nces at each other. In the end, the same young man asked, ¡°Do you want to try?¡± Sophia looked down at the cigarette he handed over and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± After saying that, she mimicked the students and held the cigarette between her fingers. Then she put it into her mouth. When she wanted to ask for a lighter, one of the young men had already ced one in front of her. Staring at him, she lowered her head and inched closed to him with the cigarette in her mouth. Sophia started coughing. She was stifled by the smoke. She immediately took the cigarette away from her mouth. ¡°Thank you. But I don''t think I''m that suited for it.¡± She then put out her cigarette in a nearby trash can. The young man who lit her cigarette asked, ¡°Did you have a bad day?¡± Sophia smiled and did not answer. She turned around and headed straight into the convenience store. When she got out, the few young men had already finished smoking and were preparing to leave. Sophia called out to them, ¡°Hey! Smoking isn''t good for your health. Perhaps you can try this instead.¡± She flung the few packets of mint sweets she had just bought over to them. Out of reflex, the male students caught them. Seeing that it was a mint sweet, one of them snorted. Sophia grinned and ripped open the packaging, popping one mint sweet into her mouth. Then she disappeared into the rain with her newly bought umbre. When the mint sweet melted into her mouth, she thought she had never been so clear-minded before. Walking to the parking lot, she kept her umbre and got into the car. The rain was still as heavy as ever when she returned to the mansion. Feeling exhausted, Sophia took a hot shower and fell asleep upon getting into bed. It was already seven o''clock in the evening when she woke up, and her surroundings were pitched ck. She had a headache, and her nose was stuffy. She had caught a cold. It had been two years since Sophia had had a cold, so she almost forgot how it felt like. As she felt terrible from being light-headed, she did not even bother to order food. Instead, she cooked a simple bowl of pasta. However, she only ate half of it, as she had little appetite. When Katherine called, Sophia was just hesitating if she wanted to eat medicine. ncing at her phone, Sophia closed the medicine kit and returned to her room with her phone. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Soph, do you remember the variety show I told you about yesterday? I''ll let Jonice bring a copy of the contract tomorrow. You can sign it too.¡± Sophia felt a pounding headache as she sat down on the bed. ¡°How long does it take?¡± ¡°Don''t worry. I only agreed to appear for three episodes, so it''ll only take a week.¡± Upon hearing Katherine''s words, Sophiaughed in exasperation. ¡°How much are they paying?¡± ¡°Don''t worry about that either. You''ll be satisfied with it. Remember to sign the contract tomorrow. All right, now. Get some rest. Bye!¡± With that, Katherine hung up. Sophiaughed, knowing that she would definitely not be satisfied with the pay. Whatever. It''s just a cameo appearance, anyway. ¡°Genie, turn off the lights.¡± She hoped that her cold would get better once she woke up tomorrow. That night, the phone on the table did not stop buzzing, and Alexander did not even care to look at it. He had already finished smoking an entire pack of cigarettes. He was the only person in the spacious mansion, for he had moved back inside alone after chasing Thalia and Kristen out. The room he was staying in was once Sophia and his marital bedroom. The butler told him that Sophia did not take anything away from the room except the things she had brought there. After she had moved out, Kristen had ordered the housekeepers to burn the things she had used. He had not minded back then. However, it was a different story now. He felt angered and pained upon thinking of it. After all, only the possessions of dead people would be burned. He could no longer find any evidence that Sophia had once lived there. When he thought back to one random afternoon, he remembered she had posted a photo of the nts on the room balcony on Instagram. However, there was nothing ced on the balcony right now. It was uncertain if she had brought the sulents with her or if Kristen had thrown them away. Anyway, he could not keep anything. Whether it was Sophia or her possessions, he could not keep any of them by his side. However, he still had her ear stud. Sophia had identally dropped it at Charlize''s birthday party. The ear stud even had the engravings of her initials. Although he wanted to return it to her, he decided to keep it out of selfishness. After all, he had lost everything. While he was lost in thought, a sharp knock suddenly sounded at his door. Alexander furrowed his eyebrows. Most of the housekeepers in the mansion had beenid off. Except for the old butler from the Xenos residence, there was not a single housekeeper in the house. The old butler was fast asleep at this hour. ¡°Alex, it''s me. I have something important to tell you!¡± Samuel had called Alexander more than ten times. Remembering his reddened eyes in the afternoon, he feared thetter''s mental condition. Samuel had also made a huge discovery just now, so he had quickly driven there despite the time. The door opened right after he said that. ¡°It''d better be something important.¡± Alexander, who was in a bathrobe, red at him. Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Samuel smelled smoke uponing inside. Although the venttion inside the room was sufficient and the windows were opened, he could smell the smoke as a smoker himself. ¡°Jeez, how much did you smoke?¡± Alexander resisted the urge to kick him out. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Samuel nced at the ashtray on the table before touching the pack of cigarettes beside it. ¡°You smoked one whole pack? Not bad!¡± As he spoke, he quickly ced the still-warm document he had just printed in front of Alexander before Alexander kicked him out. ¡°Did you tell Sophia that you''d give up today? I''d suggest you take a look at this before you really decide.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Alexander''s heart ached. He took the document and flipped open it. As he was a quick reader, it took him less than two minutes to finish reading it. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Samuel rubbed his nose. ¡°I thought it was strange, so I had someone look it up. And they came back with this.¡± Samuel would not have been so interested if Sophia were together with Horatius. After all, Horatius was not someone who had shown up out of nowhere. However, he had never heard Sophia bringing up a certain Lukas. More surprisingly, they were engaged right after Lukas appeared. No matter how Samuel looked at it, Sophia did not seem to be the type to be blinded by love and get married, especially when her marriage with Samuel was a failure. After digging for a while, he was astonished by what he had found. Thirty years ago, the Dawson family lost their youngest daughter¡ªRachel Dawson. Coincidentally, Sophia''s mother was also called Rachel. The Sharp family had adopted her from their rtives when they failed to give birth to their own thirty years ago. Sophia''s looks were simr to Rachel''s, so one could guess that thetter was also gorgeous. However, none of the rtives of the Sharp family was half as good-looking as Sophia, including her uncle. Although they were normal-lookingpared to the average, next to Sophia and her mother, they were ugly. Samuel could not find any photos of Penelope when she was younger. Most of them were taken around twenty years ago before she retired. However, one could still tell that Sophia looked simr to Penelope. Samuel had gotten this news about two hours ago. He originally did not want toe over in the middle of the night and suffer from Alexander''s cold treatment, but he decided toe over in the end after his calls did not get through. Although Alexander did not seem like the type to do stupid things, his behavior was unpredictable when it came to matters concerning Sophia. Samuel would not be surprised if Alexander had done something out of the ordinary for her. Alexander had never felt his heart beating so fast before. He looked at Samuel and patted his shoulder. ¡°Thank you.¡± He stood up, grabbed his car keys, and walked straight out. It took Samuel a moment to snap out of his thoughts and catch up to him. ¡°It''s the middle of the night. Where are you going?¡± ¡°I''m going to find Sophia.¡± Unexpectedly, Alexander did not ignore him this time. Looking at the pitter-patter of the rain, Samuel wanted to say that Sophia might be asleep at this hour. However, when he saw Alexander''s shining eyes, Samuel could not bear to say it. I shouldn''t break his bubble. He''s miserable enough. ¡°Okay. Then I''ll crash here tonight.¡± ¡°You can look for the guest room yourself.¡± All Alexander could think about was to question Sophia about it. Where Samuel would be sleeping that night was the least of his worries. ¡°Hey, I''m a guest here. Can''t you at least show me where your guest room is?¡± However, the only answer he got was Alexander''s retreating figure in the garage. Samuel sighed in exasperation. ¡°It''s bros before hoes, not the other way around!¡± There were few cars at night, so Alexander drove at maximum speed as he rushed to Sophia''s mansion. It was not the first time he had been there. In the past, he would always struggle and feel hesitant whenever he came by. However, it was not the same this time. This time, he was there for an answer. He got out of the car unhesitatingly and pressed the doorbell. Sophia was jolted awake by someone pressing the doorbell a few times. When she opened her eyes, she was engulfed in darkness. Immediately, she called for Genie while searching for her phone. When she saw that it was currently eleven o''clock at night, she could not help but furrow her eyebrows. Who''s here in the middle of the night? Why would anyone be awake at this hour and disrupt someone''s sleep? Sophia looked at the surveince footage and was stunned when she saw who was at the door. Is Alexander drunk again? Yet the man standing at the mansion gate seemed clear-headed. His car was parked beside him. It was apparent he had driven there alone, as there was no one with him. Sophia was already not feeling well from the cold, not to mention the doorbell had disrupted her sleep. Therefore, her expression was cold when she went downstairs. It was still raining. She walked out holding an umbre and red at him through the gates. She was going to curse at him when Alexander started, ¡°I have some matters to discuss with you.¡± Sophia did not open the gate. ¡°Do you know what time it is?¡± Her voice was deeper than usual because of her cold. Alexander pursed his lips slightly. Although he knew how abrupt he was, he needed to get an answer. While staring at her, he begged, ¡°I really have something to ask you.¡± Pausing for a moment, he continued, ¡°It''s very important.¡± Sophia red at him for about two seconds before she opened the door to let him in. Just when she turned around, she sneezed. Alexander furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°I''m sorry. I was too rash.¡± However, she did not answer and walked into the mansion holding the umbre. ¡°Genie, turn on the living room heater.¡± It was spring, but April in Jadeborough was rather cold. The temperature at night was almost the same as in winter. ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia put away the umbre and ced it beside the door. Then she went straight to the second floor and poured herself a cup of warm water. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± she asked when she saw Alexander on the stairs. I wonder what''s so important for him toe over in the middle of the night. Alexander looked at Sophia. Only when the bright lights in the living room shone on her face did he realize she seemed rather pale. He remembered her voice sounded different from usual and her sneezing from before. ¡°Did you catch a cold?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Sophia was usually grumpy when she woke up, not to mention when someone had disrupted her sleep. Therefore, gone was her usual gentleness as her expression was filled with aloofness and her voice was cold. ¡°Who is Lukas to you?¡± Sophia stared at him. ¡°What does this have to do with you?¡± ¡°He isn''t your fianc¨¦, is he?¡± While saying that, Alexander inched closer to her. Sophia was taken aback when she saw him standing so close to her. ¡°Did youe here at this hour just to ask me this?¡± ¡°This matters a lot to me, Sophia.¡± Alexander was one hundred and ny-three centimeters tall. As there was only a distance of more than twenty centimeters between them, there was an air of intimidation when he lowered his head to look at her. Sophia wanted to move away, but Alexander was faster as he grabbed onto her waist. ¡°The rumors on the inte are false, aren''t they? Lukas is your cousin, isn''t he?¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia could not help but frown. ¡°Alexander, did you investigate me?¡± Chapter 183 Chapter 183 ¡°No, I didn''t. It was Samuel. He investigated Lukas and discovered that fact in the process because he was bored.¡± Sophia knew that Alexander wouldn''t lie, but she was still inexplicably furious. ¡°So? You came over in the middle of the night and woke me just to ask about my rtionship with Lukas? What has that got to do with you? And what right do you have to put that question to me? Alexander, have you forgotten that we''ve been divorced for over a year? It has been more than a year, not a day or a week, let alone a month!¡± ¡°I''m sorry. I know I should restrain myself and only seek you out the next morning. I know it''s inappropriate to wake you up at this hour. But after parting ways with you in the afternoon, I almost lost my mind. You know what, Sophia? I even despicably contemted binding you to me. However, I suppressed all those thoughts. I know you wanted to sever all ties with me when you had that match with me this afternoon. Likewise, I know we should go our separate paths after that. I had already decided to let go and even wished you happiness. But that was because I thought you were going to marry Lukas. I thought you had really fallen in love with someone else.¡± Alexander then continued, ¡°But now, all that has been proven false. You''re not going to marry him, and you didn''t fall in love with someone else. Sophia¡ª¡± At that point in his speech, he suddenly murmured her name. ¡°I really regret failing to treat you well in those three years and truly wish to start afresh with you. Before I met you, marriage and love had never crossed my mind.¡± Sophia lifted her head and stared at him. Out of the blue, she chuckled. ¡°Really? I don''t think so, Alexander. Why must you make it sound as though you''re deeply in love with me? The inte is likely still abuzz about your rtionship with ra.¡± Right after Sophia said that, regret swamped her. Ugh! I shouldn''t have mentioned that. We were speaking of me and Lukas and himing over in the middle of the night and waking me up, but I dragged ra into this matter for no reason! Alexander was no fool. If he were foolish, he wouldn''t have been able to manage Odyssey so well, much less had Beau pick him as the heir among his many grandchildren. Sophia''s remark sounded as though it was pure criticism, but she mentioned ra. If she really didn''t care about him, she wouldn''t be bothered about that. Tightening his hand slightly, Alexander pulled Sophia closer to him. ¡°Sophia, do you know who ra is?¡± Sophia didn''t want to know, for she knew that the answer wasn''t one she wished to hear. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Exerting force, she tried to push him away, but his hand around her waist was like an iron rod. No matter how hard she tried, it didn''t budge in the slightest. ¡°Let go of me, Alexander!¡± However, not only did Alexander refuse to do, but he even held her tighter. Sophia''s entire body was almost stered against him. At precisely that moment, he lowered his head and fixated his gaze on her, rifying, ¡°ra is my aunt.¡± ¡°That has nothing to do with me!¡± ¡°But I want you to know that.¡± Sophia closed her eyes for a second topose herself. ¡°I got it. You can now unhand me.¡± The woman in Alexander''s arms was fragrant and soft. Hmm, this is my first time hugging her in such a manner. At that thought, he grew a touch greedy. His Adam''s apple bobbed, and he was reluctant to drop his hold on her. ¡°Did you wish me happiness today because you thought that I was going to marry my aunt?¡± Following his mention of his aunt, Sophia felt wholly mortified. ¡°Whoever you marry is none of my business.¡± She eyed him coldly, her voice exceedingly detached. It was as though she truly didn''t care in the slightest. Alexander arched an eyebrow as he gazed at her. Lifting his other hand, he caressed her eyes. ¡°Don''t talk, Sophia. Your eyes can''t lie.¡± Sophia''s temper spiked. ¡°Release me, or I''ll lodge a police report.¡± As soon as her words rang out, Alexander dropped his hand from around her waist. Sophia breathed a sigh of relief. They were alone in the house, and she wasn''t his match in terms of physical strength. Hence, she wouldn''t be able to resist if he was determined to force himself on her. Furthermore, her current condition wasn''t all that great. In fact, her head was still spinning. The instant Alexander unhanded her, she swiftly took a few steps back. It wasn''t until after she retreated to a distance she felt was safe did she raise her head to look at him, asserting, ¡°Please leave.¡± Despite the seemingly polite request, her expression was chilly as she regarded him. Her voice was rather low and slightly hoarse, making it evident that she had caught a cold. ¡°Have you taken any medicine?¡± ¡°Please leave, Alexander!¡± Sophia repeated. Alexander scrutinized her calmly before reaching out and putting the back of his hand on her forehead. ¡°Be good. You don''t look all that well.¡± Sophia was sick, so her reaction was a beat slower. She merely watched as he withdrew his hand, her brows furrowing in frustration. ¡°Can''t you understand me, Alexander?¡± ¡°I do. Don''t worry. I''m not going to do anything to you.¡± Surprisingly, he remained calm and unruffled after hearing that despite his hot temper. Conversely, Sophia let out a chuckle of annoyance. ¡°In that case, should I thank you for waking me up in the middle of the night instead?¡± Alexander knew that he was in the wrong when it came to that. Casting her a nce, he stated, ¡°Go back to bed. I''m a little hungry. I''d like to cook some pasta.¡± ¡°There''s a convenience store a kilometer and three hundred meters away.¡± ¡°You know I''m a germaphobe.¡± Pausing for a moment, Alexander continued, ¡°Do you mind if I cook pasta to eat at your house?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sophia didn''t bother giving him any quarter. Alexander was silent for a while. ¡°I haven''t eaten anything since afternoon other than smoking two packets of cigarettes and drinking two sses of in water. Right now, my stomach is hurting badly. I think if I were to drive away now, you''d most likely read about me getting into an ident on the news tomorrow.¡± Then, he added resolutely, ¡°You wouldn''t want to see news of me getting into an ident.¡± Verily, Sophia felt that the man was all too shameless. ¡°I''m sorry, but I''d love to see that.¡± Frowning, Alexander countered, ¡°Don''t be contradictory, Sophia. Otherwise, I''d think that you''re saying you love me when you im to hate me.¡± Words eluded Sophia. It was the first time she was rendered speechless by him. Good Lord! A shameless person is indeed invincible! At the end of the day, I''m not his match, as I have my dignity! Truly feeling very poorly then, she didn''t want to continue bickering with him since it was meaningless anyway. ¡°Whatever. Just cook some pasta if you want to. But I''ll make you regret it if you wake me up again, Alexander.¡± ¡°Sorry. I won''t wake you again.¡± With his gaze pinned on her, Alexander glimpsed the frown marring her countenance. It was as though she was extremely frustrated over him waking her up. Pursing her lips, Sophia spun around and went upstairs. Right then, her head felt heavy while her legs felt weak. She couldn''t even ascend the stairs properly, so she really hadn''t the energy to continue arguing with the man. After returning to her room, she wrapped the covers around herself and fell into slumber. Her cold came all of a sudden. She thought it was nothing major and that she would be fine after sleeping it off. s, reality proved her wrong. As she slept, she felt increasingly lousy, and her body temperature also gradually rose. She realized that she might be running a fever, but she didn''t have the strength to open her eyes. She felt horribly tired, sleepy, and out of sorts. While in a daze, she seemingly heard her room door being pushed open. A few secondster, someone scooped her up. She forced her eyes open and vaguely made out that it was Alexander carrying her in her hazy vision. She couldn''t help frowning. Lifting her hand, she wanted to push him away, but she had no energy. ¡°Get out!¡± Who allowed him toe in? At that moment, the initially pale woman in Alexander''s arms was flushed bright red. Reaching out, he could tell that she was running a fever as soon as his hand made contact with her skin. It had been an entire night, but the rain was still falling outside the window. Alexander ced the medicine in his palm, wanting to feed it to Sophia. As the pill entered Sophia''s mouth, bitterness pervaded her. She promptly spat it out. ¡°It''s so bitter! I don''t want to eat it!¡± ¡°It''s ibuprofen.¡± Sophia''s brows knitted together. ¡°I don''t want it.¡± I''m already feeling utterly tortured. Why should I still eat such bitter medicine? Alexander never knew that she detested taking medicine so much. In fact, she resembled a child who refused to eat. No matter how he coaxed her, she simply wouldn''t eat it. Sophia was only semi-conscious, feeling tormented as she burned up all over. When a pair of cool lips pressed against hers, she was stunned for a moment and greedily wanted more. Chapter 184 Chapter 184 The next second, she could feel a bitter taste spreading in her mouth. She opened her mouth to spit it out, but Alexander pressed his lips against hers to stop her. He only let go after the medicine had fully dissolved. ¡°Drink this. It''s sweet.¡± Sophia woke up instantaneously. She pushed him away and took the cup from him. It was honey water, and it was indeed sweet. Despite that, the bitterness in her mouth from the medicine remained. Sophia scrunched her brows and turned to look outside the window. The curtains were half-open, and she could clearly see that the sky was lit. The high fever made her ufortably hot. She felt as if she was in a fire pit. Her throat was also burning and painful. It took Sophia several seconds to remember what Alexander was doing there. She redirected her gaze toward Alexander. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± ¡°I identally fell asleepst night.¡± He glossed over his answer. Sophia was sick, but she was still in her right mind. There was no way she would believe in his excuse. It was not Alexander''s intention for Sophia to believe him. He nced at the empty cup and asked, ¡°Do you want some more?¡± Sophia subconsciously tightened her grip around the cup. ¡°You can go now.¡± As if he could not understand her words, he said, ¡°You have a fever. I checked your temperature just now. It was thirty-eight point four degrees Celsius.¡± ¡°That''s none of your business.¡± Sophia''s voice hadpletely changed because of her inmed throat. Her usual gentle voice had turned incredibly raspy. Sophia had just woken up, and she did not have the energy to argue with him. She kept quiet, put on a pair of slippers, and entered the bathroom to wash up. Sophia stared at herself in the mirror. The pain her body was in, plus her annoyance at Alexander, put her in a bad mood. She had never imagined that Alexander would be such a bully. He had taken advantage of her illness to be a pest. A ssh of cold water stunned Sophia. She immediately returned to her senses. She stared at herself in a daze for a while. After washing up, she gradually calmed down. Alexander was no longer in the room. Sophia thought he finally had the decency to leave. But when she went downstairs, she saw the man holding a bag of takeout in his hand. She stood at the mouth of the stairs and looked at him. ¡°Alexander, are you nning on sticking around here today?¡± He carried the takeout and set it down on the dining table. Then he lifted his head to look at her. ¡°You have a fever. I''m worried.¡± How honest. The edge of Sophia''s lips twitched as she poured a ss of warm water. ¡°There''s oatmeal and pasta. What would you like?¡± Sophia had her head down as she drank the ss of water. When she heard him, she looked up slightly and set her gaze on the dining table. At that moment, Alexander opened the lid, and the aroma from the oatmeal reached her nose. Sophia suddenly felt hungry. She took another sip of water, then walked over. She took the box of oatmeal and said, ¡°I''ll have the oatmeal. Thanks.¡± It''ll be a waste not to eat it. It was gettingte. Sophia had a meeting that morning, but it was already nine o''clock when she woke up. She had just sat down when Yvonne called. Sophia nced at the caller''s name: Ms. Leighton. ¡°Are you sick, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Yes. I won''t be attending the morning meeting.¡± ¡°All right, I understand.¡± Yvonne paused, then couldn''t help but ask, ¡°Do you need me to head over?¡± Sophia nced at Alexander, who was sitting opposite her. ¡°No. I''ve already taken my medicine.¡± At the mention of medicine, Sophia remembered the kiss from when she was groggy. She hung up the call, and her facial expression turned cold. The more she looked at Alexander, the more frustrated she got. Furthermore, he was sitting opposite her, and she could not get rid of him. Alexander knew Sophia did not want to see him, butst night''s incident had given him considerable confidence. She was notpletely uninterested in him. To Alexander, this fact was a rallying cry. He was like a soldier at war, and he would continue charging forward no matter how many bullets rained down on him. The two of them had very different thoughts, but neither spoke. Sophia was hungry, but she did not have much of an appetite. She could only eat half of the oatmeal. She had a raging feverst night that felt unbearably painful. It made her mind fuzzy, and she felt woozy. She did not have a good night''s sleep. Now that she had satisfied her hunger, all she wanted was to replenish the shuteye she didn''t get. He can stick around for as long as he wants! I''ll deal with him after I get better! Sophia shot a nce at Alexander, put down her spoon, then went straight upstairs. Alexander stared at her back, and his eyes twitched, but he didn''t say anything to avoid upsetting her further. It was still raining outside, but not as heavy asst night. From the look of it, the rain would stop in an hour or two. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Alexander hung up a call, then returned to the living room. The mansion was filled with Sophia''s scent. It waspletely different from the Xenos residence. The roses in the garden on the first floor bloomed. The few Ferropenian trees were also towering prosperously. He stood on the second-floor balcony and could imagine Sophia tending the nts during her free time. That''s nice. Too bad I''ve never seen it. Sophia fell asleep in no time after she returned to her room. The cold medicine helped, but she still couldn''t sleep well. She had a lot of fragmented dreams, and they were all rted to Alexander. She also dreamt about that year when she was fifteen. However, Alexander didn''t save her in that dream. He merely stood afar and gazed at her coldly as people dragged her away. She screamed for help, but all her cries were for naught. Alexander stood there, unmoving. ¡°Alexander! Please! Help me!¡± Suddenly, she was happily attending a banquet with Kristen. It was obvious that she had purposely spilled red wine on Kristen''s dress. However, Kristen shrugged it off and did not me her. Kristen turned around and told Sophia that she was Alexander''s wife, so she should have a big heart. Sophia had no choice but to bury her dissatisfaction. However, when Sophia lifted her head, she saw Alexander joyfully chatting with Bethany. Sophia walked toward them. Before she could call out to him, he gave her a look of disdain. There were many more simr instances over those three years. Sophia didn''t see Alexander often. Most of the time, she saw him because she had shamelessly looked for him. Each time, he had regarded her with a cold look and mockery. The disdain in his eyes was like needles pricking at her heart. When she didn''t touch them, there was a throbbing pain. Whenever she did touch her wounds, the pain was unbearable. Sophia, who was lying on the bed, mumbled, ¡°Why are you doing this to me, Alexander?¡± Alexander would have thought she was awake if it weren''t for her closed eyes. A tear trickled down from the edge of her eye. Alexander''s heart wrenched, bringing him great pain. He had only entered her room to check if her temperature had dropped. He didn''t expect to hear her sleep talking. She had begged for him to rescue her. Then she had asked him why he treated her that way. He did not know what her dream was about, but it definitely wasn''t anything good. What frightened Alexander most was the fact that it was not a dream but an honest recollection of how much of a jerk he had been in those three years. Chapter 185 Chapter 185 It was almost one in the afternoon when Sophia woke up. She reached out and touched her forehead. Her fever had subsided, and her body wasn''t aching anymore. Even the swelling of her throat had reduced. Looks like sleeping did the trick. Sophia was in a jovial mood as she felt much better now. The room was quiet, and the rain had stopped. It was bright outside. Arching a brow, Sophia stared at the scenery outside for some time before getting out of bed. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. She was parched. Her smile slipped straight off her face when she spotted Alexander. As she was busy reveling in her recovery, she nearly forgot that Alexander was still in her house. The man not only refused to leave, he even brought hisptop and documents along. Obviously, he wasn''t about to leave anytime soon. Sophia stalked over to him. Before she could speak, he lifted his head suddenly and said, ¡°Wait a minute. I''m in the middle of a meeting.¡± At once, her imposing presence turned into awkwardness. Sophia blushed, but she quickly regained herposure. She bent down to pick up her cup and walked over to the water dispenser calmly as though she had gone there to take her cup. Alexander watched her leave, and his lips curled up. When he returned to his meeting, his expression was back to its usual sternness. ¡°Go on.¡± The video conference ended a whileter. Sophia was refilling her cup when he shut hisptop and came over to her. ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± he asked. Sophia avoided his outstretched hand. ¡°When are you leaving my house?¡± Alexander fell silent momentarily. When he parted his lips again, he proceeded to change the topic. ¡°There is some chicken soup in the kitchen. Want some?¡± Sophia let out an exasperatedugh. ¡°Alexander, do you know what you''re doing?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Being thick-skinned,¡± she spat. ¡°Mm,¡± came Alexander''s calm reply. He was now immune to all her harsh words. Samuel''s right. I wouldn''t get her back if I insisted on keeping my dignity intact. My dignity isn''t important at all as long as I can get Sophia back. I can also sacrifice everything I own just to get her back. Sophia was stunned by how thick-skinned Alexander was. She stared straight at him and demanded, ¡°Are you going back on your word?¡± He just gave me his word yesterday. How dare he go back on his word today? Is this Alexander''s true color? ¡°I''m not going back on my word.¡± He might''ve lost yesterday, but Sophia hadn''t explicitly asked him to stop courting her. She said they would steer clear of each other and be strangers from now on. However, he neither wanted to steer clear of her nor be strangers with her. He didn''t mind being called despicable or shameless. He could give everything up as long as she could return to his side. After a few seconds of silence, Alexander broke the silence. ¡°Let me bring you some chicken soup.¡± ¡°Alexander, I want you to leave my house immediately! Now!¡± Alexander''s lips thinned. ¡°I''m sorry, but I can''t do that.¡± Ha! Should I reply ¡°Never mind, then¡±? Alexander went into the kitchen and filled a bowl with the chicken soup that had been staying warm on the stove. When Sophia saw himing out with the chicken soup, she had the urge to overturn the bowl in fury. Nevertheless, she managed to tamp her irritation down. It wasn''t worth it, for Alexander was being utterly shameless. ¡°It''s a bit hot. Let it cool down before you drink it,¡± he reminded her gently after cing the bowl down. Sophia stood there, unmoving. ¡°Alexander, what exactly do you want?¡± She was truly afraid now. ¡°I''m courting you,¡± Alexander replied in a serious but stubborn manner as he met her gaze. ¡°Have you ever heard of the saying, ''it''s useless to cry over spilled milk''?¡± ¡°But there is also this saying, ''a broken mirror can be joined together.'' We can rekindle our rtionship.¡± ¡°Even if a broken mirror can be joined together, there will still be a visible crack on it. Rekindling a rtionship means that we were once in love with each other.¡± In the past, her love for him had remained unrequited. Alexander hung his head low. Sophia was right, but he wasn''t in his right mind now. ¡°If you hadn''t mentioned ra''s namest name, I wouldn''t still be here today,¡± he said as he made his way toward her. Sophia froze as embarrassment crept up her face. I knew it. Last night, I allowed him to humiliate me again. Her eyes grew frosty. She watched silently as he came over to her and caressed her cheek gently. She didn''t move an inch as she stared at him without a word. ¡°I don''t mean anything else by mentioning that. I want to let you know that I didn''t treasure you in the past. I know I''m not the only man who can bring you happiness. Sophia, it is rare to be a couple in love with each other. My biggest mistake was ignoring you after our marriage. However, me not liking you wasn''t that big a mistake.¡± Sophia knew very well that he was right. There were no right or wrong answers in love. One couldn''t be med for not reciprocating someone else''s love. Alexander wasn''t in love with her, and she couldn''t me him for that. His only mistake was ignoring her for the past three years instead of treating her as his wife. If someone had to bear the responsibility, she would have to bear half of it. Back then, she had insisted on marrying him when he didn''t want to marry her in the first ce. That was why she had been restraining herself and keeping a distance from him after their divorce. Deep down, she wasn''t as strong or magnanimous as her image portrayed. On the contrary, she was a petty person. She had been keeping a grudge against him for how he had treated her icily for the past three years. Thus, she still couldn''t forget himpletely until this day. It is human nature to desire what one cannot have. Both Alexander and Sophia were the same. He was her hero and first crush when she was fifteen. She used to be very close to him, and he was practically at her fingertips. That was why she became greedy in the end. Sophia believed that things would fade in time. s, a year had passed, but nothing changed. It only served to make her realize that a rtionship involved a couple, but her love was one-sided for the past ten years. ¡°I''ve lost you once, so I''ll cherish you even more. I''m not asking you to ept me right now. All I hope is that you''ll give me another chance,¡± Alexander said. ¡°Give yourself a chance, too.¡± Hearing that, Sophia jolted out of her reverie. She shoved him away forcefully. ¡°Impossible! Alexander, I won''t fall into the same trap twice!¡± She had already made a mistake once. She refused to let herself make the same mistake twice. ¡°This is not a trap, Sophia,¡± the man uttered gently. He lowered his head to look at her. Sophia stared at him and chuckled. ¡°When I first stepped into the trap, I didn''t realize it was a trap for real.¡± She had assumed it was at most a pit of mud that would stain her clothes. Yet, it was a trap that had nearly cost her life. Alexander felt his heart clench painfully at the sight of her sarcastic grin. After their divorce, Sophia would be skittish easily. He was the one who had destroyed her excitement and anticipation of their marriage. Because of him, she had stopped yearning for love. Shutting his eyes, he swallowed the bitterness rising in his throat. ¡°I won''t force you.¡± Sophia was exhausted from their exchange. ¡°You have no right to force me, anyway.¡± That was hurtful. Thus, Alexander changed the topic. ¡°The soup has cooled down. You can drink it now.¡± ¡°You can leave now.¡± ¡°If you''re no longer running a temperature, I''ll leave at once,¡± Alexander promised. Once his words fell, Sophia tugged his hand and ced it on her forehead. Alexander froze. He was reluctant to remove his hand as the warm sensation spread across his palm. However, Sophia didn''t allow him to do so. Two secondster, she pulled his hand away. ¡°You can leave now.¡± Alexander gazed at her for some time. His fists balled up by his side. He wanted nothing more than to stay in the mansion full of her scent and aura. I don''t want to leave. ¡°I haven''t had lunch yet. Can I leave after lunch?¡± he asked carefully. Ugh, he''s doing this again. Does he think I''m a fool? ¡±Alexander, you''ve used this trick thrice. Do you think I''m stupid enough to fall for your trick?¡± ¡°No.¡± Alexander pursed his lips. He was about to exin further when Sophia suddenly broke down. ¡°When will you stop bullying me?¡± Her eyes turned red, and she burst into noisy tears without warning. Chapter 186 Chapter 186 For the past few days, Sophia had kept her emotions under a lid. She could no longer control her rationality as she let her emotions take over. Going over to the dining table, she sat down and propped her arms on the table. She covered her face in a futile attempt to keep thest shred of her dignity intact. However, she knew it was useless. Alexander saw everything clearly from the spot he was standing. She wasn''t as indifferent as she appeared. In fact, she still cared for him. Despite struggling and doing her best to leave him, she couldn''t stop him from advancing toward her. It was obvious that she was at a dead end. ¡°Sophia.¡± The man''s deep voice caused Sophia''s fingers to tremble slightly. Her face and eyes were covered, so she couldn''t see where Alexander was. Despite that, she could sense that he was standing right in front of her. Suddenly, he pulled her hand away. Sophia''s eyes were still red. She didn''t want to see him right now. ¡°Get your hands off me.¡± She averted her gaze and stared at the cabs in the far distance. Alexander took her hand and lifted it abruptly. Giving himself a forceful p, he said, ¡°It isn''t worth it to cry over someone like me.¡± Oh? He''s degrading himself, huh? Sophia fixed her gaze on him and retracted her hand. ¡°Leave. I want to be alone.¡± Indeed, she needed to calm down. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have broken down before Alexander. This time, Alexander didn''t insist on staying. ¡°Here''s the medicine,¡± he said as he offered her a box of cold medicine, which he had divided into appropriate dosages. Sophia nced at the green box. ¡°I''m not a kid.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. She was capable of taking the medicine herself. ¡°I know,¡± Alexander responded as a hint of amusement crept into his gaze. ¡°But you hate taking medicine.¡± Seeing his eyes all crinkled up, Sophia suddenly felt her heart skipping a beat. However, it onlysted for a split second. She had to admit that Alexander was a hunk, especially when he smiled. She, too, was a superficial person, a sucker for good-looking people. Alexander''s lips thinned at the sight of her reddened eyes. Before getting up to leave, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. ¡°I''ve never wanted to bully you.¡± All he wanted was to protect her, as she was precious to him. Sophia was stunned. When she finally regained her senses, Alexander had already left. She watched as he headed for the stairs. Furrowing her brows, she couldn''t resist the urge to touch her forehead. I never knew he''s good at taking advantage of others! After venting her frustrations, Sophia felt much better. The chicken soup had cooled down. She proceeded to gulp it down, thinking that it would be a waste to throw it away. Sophia''s cold went away as quickly as it came. After a good night''s rest, she woke up the next morning with a slightly hoarse throat. However, her other symptoms were gone. As Sophia had been absent from work the day before, Yvonne showed up the next day with two contracts. Yvonne had been worried sick, as Sophia''s voice had sounded strange. She could finally heave a sigh of relief when she saw Sophia looking well today. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, have you recovered from your cold?¡± Yvonne asked in concern. ¡°Yes, I feel better today,¡± Sophia replied. She flipped through the documents and signed her name. Yvonne waited until shepleted her signature before mentioning another matter. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Penley showed up at Sunshine Group yesterday.¡± Hearing that, Sophia raised her brow. ¡°Didn''t you make it clear to himst time?¡± ¡°He said he can ept the conditions you statedst time,¡± came Yvonne''s answer. ¡°Really?¡± Sophia chuckled as she sipped on her warm water. ¡°But it''s toote now.¡± She wasn''t going to wait for him to change his mind. Finn was overambitious, and Sophia refused to take the risk. Three million was not a huge amount to her, but she''d rather let Katherine buy a bag using the money than allow Finn to take the money from her. Yvonne gave a curt nod. ¡°Got it, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia was about to ask Yvonne to leave when the doorbell rang without warning. Surprised, Sophia told Yvonne, ¡°You can get back to work. The meeting will go on, as usual, tomorrow afternoon.¡± ¡°All right. I shall take my leave now, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Let me send you off,¡± Sophia offered. She could also find out who the uninvited visitor was. At the door, Sophia saw ra standing outside the mansion holding an umbre. Despite her surprise, Sophia opened the door for Yvonne. ¡°Have a safe trip back.¡± ¡°Sure thing, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne shot ra a look. She knew that this woman was Alexander''s mysterious new lover. When she turned to look at Sophia, she realized thetter had a half-smile hanging on her lips. Feeling embarrassed, she hugged the files tightly in her arms. She folded the umbre, got into her car, and left. Sophia only looked away when Yvonne got into her car safely. She nced at ra and greeted her, ¡°Ms. Lambe.¡± ¡°Did Ie at the wrong time?¡± ra shed a smile. Sophia shook her head. ¡°You came at the right time.¡± ra giggled. ¡°Looks like Alex told you the truth.¡± A flush crept up Sophia''s cheeks. ¡°I only learned about it not long ago.¡± ¡°Are you busy? If you''re not, I''d like to talk to you.¡± ¡°Sure. Come on in.¡± Sophia stepped aside so that ra coulde in. She brought ra upstairs and offered her some coffee. ¡°Have a seat. Here''s some coffee.¡± ra nced around her house. ¡°Your house looks nicer than the Xenos residence. It''s really dark and gloomy back there. I think it''s easy to get depression if one were to stay there for a long time.¡± Sophia''s lips curled. ¡°Did youe here today to talk about Alexander?¡± ra shook her head. ¡°Not really. I don''t interfere in his business.¡± Arching a brow, Sophia asked, ¡°Then why did you pay me a visit?¡± ¡°I wanted toe back to pay you a visit when you and Alex were newlyweds. Back then, Alex seemed reluctant to let me see you, so I gave up on the idea.¡± ra was straightforward. ¡°You look prettier in person. If I were as pretty as you, I wouldn''t set my eyes on Alexander alone.¡± Sophia didn''t know ra would say that out loud. ¡°Thank you. You''re pretty gorgeous, too.¡± ra touched her face. ¡°It''s fake. My cosmetic surgeon did a good job as I paid him a lot of money,¡± she revealed with a snort. After that, she went straight to the topic. ¡°Sophia, let me introduce myself officially. I''m Alexander''s aunt, ra Lambe. Don''t take it wrongly. I''m not Kristen''s younger sister. I''m actually Eloise Pearson''s younger sister. She''s Zachary''s first wife. Our parents got divorced when we were young, so Eloise took my father''s surname, while I took my mother''s surname.¡± Indeed, Sophia had assumed that ra was Kristen''s younger sister. Now that the truth had been revealed, she finally understood why ra hadn''t treated her in a hostile manner. They had no conflict of interest, so there was no need for ra to treat her maliciously. ¡°Hello, Ms. Lambe.¡± ra took a sip of her coffee. ¡°Alex wanted me to pay you a visit today. He said you didn''t want to see him, but he was worried about your illness. So he asked me toe to see you.¡± Sophia''s lips thinned, and she didn''t utter a word. Alexander is a tactful man. He knows I don''t want to see him. ¡°You look healthy to me,¡± ra remarked. She pulled out a jewelry box from her bag. ¡°Alex wants me to give this to you.¡± Surprised, Sophia took the box and opened it. Inside was the ear stud she had lost at Charlize''s birthday party. So it was with Alexander. Chapter 187 Chapter 187 ra had achieved her purpose. ¡°All right. I''vepleted my mission, so I shall take my leave now.¡± Before leaving, she grinned and told Sophia, ¡°You make great coffee. I hope I get to drink the coffee you brew another time.¡± Sophia got up to send her off. ¡°You''re wee to visit me anytime.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t bring Alexander here,¡± ra replied with a low chuckle. Sophia broke into a smile. ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°It''s raining, so you should stay put.¡± Instead of allowing Sophia to send her to the gate, ra opened her umbre at the door and left. Sophia stood on the stairs and watched as ra walked past the gate and entered her car. She then spun on her heels and returned to the mansion. In the living room, Sophia took out the ear stud and ced it back on her jewelry tray in her dressing room. This was a birthday gift from Katherine, so she had been quite upset to have lost it. ra''s sudden arrival had caught Sophia by surprise. She had half-expected ra to persuade her to ept Alexander, but ra had only returned the ear stud to her and left swiftly. The incident reminded Sophia of Kristen. Back when she was married to Alexander, Kristen had told her how useless she was. She had even used Sophia of failing to keep a leash on Alexander, for Alexander rarely came home. She had thought that Alexander''s elders would all be like Kristen. Yet, little did she expect to find ra to be utterly different. On Good Friday, Sophia took a trip back to Coldbridge. The rainy season had arrived. Coldbridge was in the southern part of the country, and it was known to be rainy in spring. The cemetery was quite crowded. Sophia held a bouquet in one hand and an umbre in the other hand. She was d in a ck long dress today. The bouquet of white lilies contrasted starkly against her dark outfit andplimented her fair skin. She didn''t have any makeup on, and her eyes were devoid of expression. Some passersby soon spotted her. They were awed by her beauty but kept a distance away from her due to her icy aura. The biggest incident of this year was none other than the Dawson family''s fate. Sophia had no idea whether her parents could hear her, but she proceeded to reveal everything nheless. When she finally left the cemetery, the sky had turned dark. It was still drizzling. Sophia''s shoes and the hem of her dress were wet. As the wind blew, the hem of her dress stuck to her ankles. She was freezing. At this hour, the cemetery was almost empty. There was a line of taxis outside the cemetery earlier, but now, there weren''t any in sight. Sophia pulled her phone out to reserve a ride online. She had just raised her head when a ck Land Rover rolled to a stop before her. She arched a brow. Suddenly, the door to the passenger seat clicked open. At once, she spotted Alexander in the driver''s seat. ¡°Get in.¡± Holding her umbre, Sophia didn''t move an inch. ¡°Why are you here?¡± It was Good Friday, and he should be spending his holidays elsewhere. She couldn''t help but wonder why Alexander had shown up here. ¡°I came here on a business trip and saw you at the hotel,¡± came Alexander''s reply. Sophia asked, ¡°So you followed me all the way here?¡± Is Alexander that shameless now? ¡°I just paid my respects to someone I knew here.¡± Sophia let out an angry snort. ¡°Alexander, I''ve never seen someone lie through their teeth this calmly.¡± ¡°Get in. It''s pretty hard to get a taxi here.¡± Alexander might be shameless, but he was right. It was hard to get a ride back to the hotel at this hour. Sophia folded her umbre and got into his car. Alexander nced at her and gulped. He tamped down the urge to wipe off the water droplets on her fringe and looked away. ¡°Are you going back to the hotel?¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Sophia grunted in acknowledgement. She then whipped her head around and stared out the window. Despite getting into his car, she didn''t feel like talking to him. It wasn''t a good thing to force herself. Previously, she had fallen sick after torturing herself, so she decided not to do so today. He''s just giving me a ride. Seeing that she didn''t want to talk, Alexander kept quiet throughout the entire journey. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. He looked away and drove out of the cemetery. Forty-five minutester, the car came to a stop at the hotel entrance. Alexander handed his car key to the bellboy, and Sophia got out of the car. She walked to the other side of the car and stopped before him. ¡°Give me your phone.¡± 0716. His pin was still the same. Sophia''s fingers trembled as she unlocked his phone and got the QR code to his e-wallet. She then transferred sixty-eight to him. ¡°This is for the ride.¡± After returning his phone to him, she marched into the hotel without looking back. Alexander strolled after her as he gripped his phone. Sophia''s warmth still remained, and he was reluctant to release his grip. Alexander couldn''t help but recall the kiss thatsted for eight seconds when he had fed her the medicine. His gazended on her lips and turned dark. I wish I can kiss her again. He resisted the urge. They were the only two in the elevator. Sophia lowered her head and saw a leaf stuck on Alexander''s pants. She immediately stiffened in shock. The leaf came from an ornamental tree in the cemetery, so it was proof that Alexander had indeed entered the cemetery. Recalling his words, she couldn''t stop a blush from creeping up her cheeks. I''ve misunderstood him again. It isn''t my fault since he used to lie to me a lot. Sophia looked away and raised her brows. She didn''t feel guilty at all. Ding! The elevator doors opened. Sophia nced at the floor number before stepping out. When she heard footsteps behind her, she came to a stop. ¡°Don''t tell me your room is on this floor, too.¡± Alexander would always stay in the presidential suite when he was on a business trip. There was no way he''d lower his standards to stay in a deluxe room. Alexander looked into her alluring eyes. She had beautiful eyes with a pink hue on her lids. When she broke into a smile, her eyes would crinkle into crescents. It would seem as though sunlight danced in her eyes, and they mesmerized himpletely. Without a word, he showed her his keycard. 1708. Sophia couldn''t believe her eyes when she saw his room number. She was in Room 1707. Did Alexander do this on purpose? She didn''t say that out loud. After all, it would seem that she was too full of herself if she were to pose that question. However, Alexander told her honestly, ¡°I did this on purpose. I told my secretary to get me this room.¡± The corner of Sophia''s lips twitched. ¡°You''ve put in quite some effort, huh?¡± ¡°Mm, I can see you more often this way.¡± Sophia nced at him wordlessly. She went to her room and swiped her keycard before heading in. The door mmed shut after her. Alexander stood outside as his lips curled. A glimmer of delight appeared in his eyes. Looks like Samuel''s right. Sophia is open to persuasion, not coercion. I''ve got it now. Back in her room, Sophia was still riddled with frustration. Alexander didn''t give a hoot about his reputation anymore. Most importantly, she discovered that her heart would race whenever he spoke. She couldn''t even stop herself from blushing. Suddenly, Sophia wished Katherine was here to shake her into regaining her sanity. With that thought in mind, Sophia gave Katherine a call. She proceeded to exin her recent affairs to Katherine. Hearing that, Katherine fell silent. ¡°Soph, are you sure you''re not showing off?¡± Irked, Sophia snorted. ¡°Stop joking. I''m being serious!¡± Her hands were tied whenever she had to face Alexander. Katherine coughed a few times. ¡°Okay, I''ll be serious. Listen carefully to my advice.¡± Assuming she would offer some good advice, Sophia said, ¡°All right. I''m listening.¡± ¡°To be honest, Alexander is good at this. Why don''t you try getting back together with him?¡± Sophia rolled her eyes in exasperation. ¡°Go have your dinner.¡± I knew I shouldn''t have trusted Katherine. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Sophia had stayed at the cemetery throughout the afternoon, and the rainy wind had only served to cause her a headache. As she hung up the phone, she casually ordered a food delivery. After dinner, it was barely nine at night, but Sophia had decided to go to bed. The boarding time of her flight tomorrow was about nine in the morning. Before the clock struck seven in the morning, Sophia was already awake. When she finished packing, she checked out with the keycard and waited at the exit for the transport to get to the airport. Right then, Alexander and Felix walked out of the elevator. Noticing them, Sophia instinctively stepped aside. In truth, Sophia was rather afraid of bumping into him. Ever since Alexander had started acting all brazen toward her, she was no longer his match. Alexander had already caught a glimpse of Sophia from afar. With a pair of long legs, he arrived at Sophia''s side within a few steps. ¡°Are you heading to the airport?¡± Sophia spared him a nce and scoffed, ¡°Are you that free?¡± He''s always asking about my routine. How annoying! Alexander stared at her and wasn''t angered at all. ¡°I''m also heading to the airport. Should I give you a lift?¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°That won''t be necessary.¡± Does he think we''re still at the cemetery entrance? There are many taxis here. Sophia raised her hand and hailed a taxi as she spoke. The taxi came to a halt right in front of her. She hopped into the taxi and shut the car door in the blink of an eye. In a matter of seconds, the taxi drove far away, out of Alexander''s sight. Seeing that Alexander was still staring nkly ahead, Felix called out, ¡°Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander withdrew his gaze and said, ¡°Let''s go.¡± The airport in Coldbridge was only that big. Moreover, they were both boarding the ne that was bound for Jadeborough, so it was expected for them to encounter each other again. Nevertheless, the thing that surprised Sophia was that not only were they boarding the same flight, but they were even seated right next to each other. Sophia''s air ticket was pre-booked by Yvonne, for the former would always return to Coldbridge to pay a visit to her parents'' graves during Good Friday. As for Alexander, running a background check on Sophia''s flight and seat was like a walk in the park. The moment Sophia took notice of Alexander taking the empty seat beside her, her smile faltered in an instant. She fished out a magazine and began flipping through it disinterestedly. ¡°Didn''t you sleep wellst night?¡± Alexander piped up. Upon hearing his stinging voice, Sophia looked up and said, ¡°Broken ss can never be fixed, Alexander.¡± He''s like a pest that I can''t get rid of! Alexander sensed that Sophia seemed to be in a fit of anger. He said in a softer voice, ¡°Not unless one came well-prepared.¡± Sophiaughed at that remark. ¡°You were already disqualified before you could even reach anywhere. Why bother preparing? I''m not going to¡ª¡± Before she could finish the sentence, she caught sight of Alexander''s nearing hand and dodged it unwittingly. Yet, she could go nowhere, for the seat was only that wide. Tilting her head, she merely got a little further away from him temporarily. Witnessing her reaction, Alexander had no intention of retracting his hand. He used his index finger to lift strands of her hair before picking off a scrap of tissue that was attached to her cheek. ¡°Just a piece of tissue.¡± Sophia froze momentarily. As she didn''t sleep wellst night, she had taken a catnap on the way to the airport. When she got out of the taxi, she was still a little groggy. Recalling that she had washed up before breakfast, she figured the tissue residue must have stuck to her skin when she was wiping her face. After removing the tissue, Alexander withdrew his hand. ¡°It''s my first time wooing somebody. I''m rather new to it, so please bear with me,¡± he said, looking at Sophia with his dark eyes. Sophia, in turn, felt that whatever she had said earlier had beenpletely ignored. She almost choked on her breath. After a while, Sophia also decided to act dumb and deaf. No matter what Alexander said or did, she simply closed her eyes and pretended as if no one was there beside her. As the woman beside him shut her eyes all of a sudden, Alexander began to smile. His smile reached his dark eyes, and he quickly immersed himself in a state of euphoria. He looked at her side profile and subconsciously tapped the armrest lightly with his fingers. Sophia had nned to feign a nap just to escape Alexander''s harassment. Never did she anticipate herself to really fall into her slumber. The ne got bumpy after taking off. As a result, Sophia knocked her head against the side of the aircraft amid her drowsiness. A pang rose near the side of her head, but she was too sleepy to wake up. The next second, she felt a warm sensation on the right side of her cheek, seemingly stemming from a palm. Sophia frowned but couldn''t jolt herself up due to exhaustion. All she could do was fume softly, ¡°Alexander!¡± As Sophia''s head was pressed onto a strong shoulder, she felt much morefortable with her neck. Deep down, she knew she ought toe to her senses and give Alexander an earful. However, she genuinely couldn''t even force her eyes open right away from all the lethargy. Soon enough, she was fast asleep. The woman beside him finally quieted down. No longer would she put up a fight. With that, Alexander loosened his hand and turned to gaze at Sophia, who was leaning peacefully on his shoulder. Her delicate face looks picturesque in every way. From his perspective, Sophia''s bubbly eyes were alluring when she was wide awake; when she was asleep, her cherry red lips were equally enticing as well. Even though it had been days since Alexander had been threatened and provoked by Horatius on the ne, he was still holding a grudge over that matter. His eyes darkened as he remembered the scene where Horatius had caressed Sophia''s cheek. Fixating his gaze upon Sophia''s lips, Alexander was fueled by a sense of desire. Just then, the ne jerked, and Sophia''s head shifted to the side. Perhaps she was feeling so ufortable because she adjusted the position of her head again while pursing her red lips slightly. Just as she rxed her thin lips, Alexander could no longer hold back his urge. He held her face gently and lowered his head to give her a peck. Hended his lips ever so softly on her cheek before backing away in a sh, feeling guilty. Sophia probably felt ufortable, for she pressed her lips together once more. Gawking at that, Alexander only felt the burning sensation within his heart spreading like wildfire. He was worried that he might really wake Sophia up by ident, so he hastily looked away and gestured for a nket from the flight attendant. Alexander then noticed a gazeing from Felix beside his seat. Immediately, he turned and shot the latter a chilling re. Sitting in the same row with Alexander across the aisle, Felix had witnessed that scene and was thunderstruck to the core. When he noticed Alexander looking in his direction, he hurriedly closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. Goodness gracious! Is he still the same Mr. Xenos who always look as if he''s impotent? It was a two-hour flight. Sophia finally opened her eyes when the ne touched down. An announcement rang out to remind the passengers to get off the flight in an orderly manner. At that moment, Sophia moved a little, and the nket began to slip down her body. She spontaneously grabbed hold of it. A man''s deep voice was then hearding from her right. ¡°Oh? You''re awake.¡± It was still Alexander''s voice. Sophia patted her own face. She then turned her head to the side, only to see Alexander''s face that was inches away from her. She would never get used to being so near to him. Pushing him away, she said, ¡°I''m getting off the flight right now, so make way.¡± Sophia had just gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. Looking at her frosty visage, Alexander didn''t dare to make another sound and mess with her. As they were queuing to get off the ne, an announcement sounded, cautioning the passengers to take safety measures because of the hail in Jadeborough. Huh? Is the weather that bad today? Sophia arched a brow. She turned on her phone, and coincidentally, a call from Yvonne came through. ¡°Yes, Ms. Leighton?¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Sullivan''s car broke down on the way to the airport. Have younded yet? Do you need me to pick you up?¡± Sophia stopped in her tracks and looked outside, only to find that it was pouring and hailing heavily. She answered, ¡°No, it''s okay. I''ll just take the subway since I''m not in a rush.¡± ¡°Okay. Be careful on the way,¡± reminded Yvonne. ¡°All right.¡± Sophia smiled and ended the call. Suddenly, she realized that Alexander was still beside her. Seeing her looking over, Alexander offered, ¡°Let me give you a lift. My driver is already here.¡± Sophia gave him the side-eye. ¡°Sorry, but I prefer higher-end transportation.¡± How could his mere several-million car hold a candle to the subway that''s worth dozens of billion? Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Seeing that Alexander was about to leave with Sophia, Felix hurriedly called out to him, ¡°Mr. Xenos, you still have a conference scheduled for this afternoon.¡± Alexander stared at Sophia''s back before ring at Felix. ¡°Do you think I''ve forgotten about the conference? I don''t need you to remind me. I''ll be there on time. Get the meeting details ready and send them to my email.¡± After saying that, Alexander immediately chased after Sophia without giving Felix another nce. It was not Alexander''s first time taking a subway. However, it had been a couple of years since he had last boarded the subway, and he thought he still had to purchase the tickets with loose change. Thus, when Sophia was about to pay for her ticket, he decisively pressed the plus button, increasing the ticket number from one to two. Sophia could only watch that happen before her eyes. She frowned and stared at Alexander without saying a thing, but she did pause from paying for the tickets. Is he out of his mind? The subway ticket doesn''t even cost that much. So why is he expecting me to pay for his ticket? Sophia looked at Alexander, but he did not feel embarrassed at all. Instead, he calmly said, ¡°I didn''t bring enough loose change with me.¡± Hearing that, Sophia could not help but let out a chuckle. Giving Alexander an amused look, she took out her phone and paid it through her digital wallet. After getting the tickets, Sophia did not bother to stand on ceremony as she said, ¡°The ticket costs seven dors and fifty cents.¡± Alexander took out his phone and transferred the ticket fee to her digital wallet. He then followed her to board the subway. Everyone else was still busy at work or school at this hour. It was rare for someone like Alexander to experience taking the subway with Sophia during this time. The subway was always packed with people getting to work or off work, but it was rather empty when Alexander and Sophia boarded the train. Sophia deliberately picked a twin seat and ced her bag on the seat next to her. The empty space was obviously not enough to fit another adult. However, Alexander was not someone with an ordinary mindset. He took her bag in his hands and sat down next to her. With his tall frame and slender legs, the spacious two-person seat suddenly felt somewhat cramped for Sophia. She tilted her head to look at him. ¡°Don''t you see there are other empty seats around us?¡± ¡°Those empty seats don''t have you sitting next to me.¡± Alexander had a wicked tongue, but he was also an expert in making cheesy pickup lines. Sophia smacked her lips and moved to the other side, forcibly putting almost ten centimeters between them. The ride took up an hour and a half of their time, but the subway station was still three kilometers away from the mansion. It was raining and hailing outside. Sophia had spent thest five minutes trying to book a taxi on her phone, but no driver was willing to ept her booking. After Alexander hung up his phone, he saw that she was still trying to hail a taxi on her phone. He asked, ¡°Do you need my help?¡± ¡°No, it''s fine.¡± She did not bother to even look up at him. Alexander walked up to her and reached out to pull her. Sophia was forced to take a few steps backward after being pulled away by him. She turned to look at him and said, ¡°I''ll call the police if you dare touch me again without my consent.¡± She looked serious about that. Alexander knew Sophia was not kidding when she said that. Thest time when Kristen and Thalia had caused a scene in front of her house, Sophia had also mentioned calling the police, and she did make the police report in the end. ¡°It''s raining heavily out there. You should stand further inside to avoid being drenched in the rain.¡± Sophia looked at the rain that was sshing in and remained silent. She figured she would not be able to hail a taxi in this weather, so she put her phone away in the bag. It did not take long for Alexander''s car to arrive. His ck Bentley was the iconic symbol of his wealthy background. Sophia did not even have to guess that it was his ride. His driver walked toward them with a ck umbre and was startled when he saw her. ¡°Greetings, Mr. Xenox, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia hummed in response and looked away, distracting herself by staring at the subway advertisement billboard next to them. Alexander walked away with his driver. Turning back around, Sophia watched as his figure disappeared in the rain and mist. She figured Alexander might be tired of showing his kindness to her already. Lowering her head and staring at her ankle boots, she lifted the corner of her lips and smiled wryly. I knew it... ¡°Let''s go.¡± All of a sudden, the man who had walked away had returned to her side with a ck umbre. Sophia was startled at his sudden appearance. ¡°Where are we going?¡± She raised her head. The dumbfounded look on her face showed that she waspletely caught off guard by his return. She looked even more adorable when she was confused. Alexander held back his urge to caress her face and said, ¡°It''s hard to get a taxi in this weather. I''ll send you back.¡± Sophia stared at the roadside. Not wanting to torture herself by refusing this kind offer, she said, ¡°Thanks.¡± The umbre was huge, but it was not big enough to cover two adults. Sophia wanted to keep some distance from Alexander. However, after walking a few steps away, she suddenly felt a weight pressing on her shoulders. Then she heard him saying, ¡°The rain is too heavy.¡± His excuse was reasonable. Sophia nced at him, but she did not say anything to refute that. N?velDrama.Org ? content. The heater inside the car was turned on. After Sophia got inside the car, she finally felt her cold limbs warming up. Alexander handed her a handkerchief. Sophia was suddenly reminded of the incident where she was pushed into the swimming pool. At that time, she saw Alexander running in her direction and taking out a handkerchief from his pocket, but the handkerchief was not meant for her. Instead, he gave it to Thalia''s best friend, who, ironically, was the person who had pushed her into the swimming pool. That day, her heart was warmed when she saw himing over to her. She was overjoyed when she saw him taking out the handkerchief. However, once she saw him giving his handkerchief to someone else, she felt as though someone had thrown a basket of cold water on her on a winter day. She felt coldness wrapping around her at that moment. Thinking back on the memories, Sophia schooled her features into calmness. She did not take the handkerchief and instead took a pack of tissue papers from her bag and wiped her hands and boots with the tissue papers. Katherine bought the boots for Sophia in Pillere. They were said to be made of genuine leather. Unfortunately, the leather boots had already been damaged after she had worn them in the rainst night and just now. Sophia''s changes of emotions took ce in less than a couple of seconds. Yet, Alexander could still feel the changes in her emotions. He turned around to look at her. Sophia''s scent had filled the air in the rtively small car. He was reminded of that moment in the ne where she had leaned against him and fallen asleep. He swallowed a lump in his throat and said, ¡°I haven''t given anyone this handkerchief before.¡± In fact, his handkerchiefs were all for one-time use only. He would toss a handkerchief away once another person had used it. Alexander thought that was her concern. Sophia looked at him and snorted. ¡°Do you still remember three years ago when Thalia and her best friend pushed me into the swimming pool at Old Mr. Queen''s birthday party?¡± Alexander was startled for a moment. Then he lowered his gaze, covering the regret in his eyes as he said, ¡°I do.¡± ¡°That day, when I was pulled out of the swimming pool by someone else, I saw you squeezing through the crowd and walking in my direction. I thought you wereing for me. At that time, I was hopeless and delusional, but I was about to think I could forgive you for everything you did, including your indifference toward me. I was about to cry when I saw you take out your handkerchief, but you gave it to someone else instead.¡± She had been so na?ve back then to think that he had gone to give her the handkerchief. He was, after all, her husband. However, when the handkerchief was passed to Thalia''s best friend right before her eyes, Sophia had the urge to jump back inside the swimming pool to sober herself up and recognize the harsh reality. Alexander remembered what had happened that day. Noticing the wry smile on Sophia''s face, he said helplessly, ¡°Although I have let you down that night, I hope you can hear me out. It''s not what you think it is.¡± He paused before continuing, ¡°I only gave her the handkerchief because her makeup was ruined, and she looked hideous when she was talking to me.¡± He had to admit that he had ignored Sophia''s feelings that night. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± It was my fault. Chapter 190 Chapter 190 Sophia scoffed, ¡°I''m tired of repeating this again and again, Alexander. If everything could be forgiven with an apology, why would anyone still need the police?¡± He stared at her, unable to refute what she had said. It was true that all of this had happened in the past. All of the incidents, whether he had remembered them or not, were indications that he had hurt her before. ¡°I know,¡± Alexander replied after a long pause. ¡°No, you don''t know. Alexander, if you truly understood, you wouldn''t be appearing before me anymore.¡± ¡°Jadeborough isn''t as big as you think it is. Even if I don''t look for you intentionally, we will still meet one day,¡± Alexander retorted in a low voice. Oh really, do I need to thank him now for specifically showing up in front of me? Sophia didn''t want to talk to him anymore. Tilting her head to the side, she looked at the scenery outside the car window. After ten minutes had passed, they arrived in front of the mansion. Although the hail stopped, it still rained heavily. As she looked at Alexander, who waited with an umbre in his hand outside, Sophia didn''t refuse his goodwill. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Forget it. I''m stupid for making things difficult for myself. Both didn''t say anything as they walked to the mansion''s door. Upon reaching there, Sophia opened the door and stood in front of the entrance, blocking Alexander''s way. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said before proceeding to close the door. As she was about to do that, Alexander called out to her, ¡°Sophia.¡± Then, she stopped, and her grip on the door handle tightened. Sophia lifted her head and saw Alexander had put away his umbre, letting the rainwater pour on him. He stood there in the rain and looked at her. ¡°I know I may have unintentionally or intentionally caused you to feel pain in the past, but I have no way of turning back time to correct them. You are right. Apologies are useless at this stage. That night, when you were pushed into the swimming pool, I didn''t stand by your side as your husband. I didn''t say even a word of concern to you. I was wrong. I''m not sure which one is colder, the water in the swimming pool or this rain, but I''d rather you yell at me or hit me than ignore me and remain silent.¡± ¡°What are you, Alexander? A child?¡± I think he''s already thirty-something! Why is he acting like some twenty-year-old who would do all these dumb and childish acts? Sophia pursed her lips. As the rain was heavy, Alexander got soaking wet in no time. His hair stuck limply to his head, making him lose the cold and indifferent look he had on normally. Currently, he even looked somewhat gentle to Sophia. ¡°You''re so childish.¡± ¡°You''re right. It''s my first time liking someone, so my methods might seem immature to you.¡± Surprisingly, he was honest. However, Sophia believed that he was being crafty at this moment because he looked like he was fishing for sympathy. With a snort, she turned and mmed the door shut. Well, whatever rocks his boat. Alexander stared at the tightly shut door, looking forlorn. He knew he was being childish, but he didn''t know what to do at this point. If doing this would make Sophia feel better, then he wouldn''t mind how she treated him. After Sophia entered the mansion, she drank a ss of warm water, had a hot bath, and changed into her casual clothes. Instantly, she felt cozy and rxing. As for how long Alexander would have to stand in the rain, she couldn''t be bothered to check. Unfortunately, the rain showed no sign of letting up. Instead, it rained even heavier. Turning her head to the window, Sophia put down the cup she was holding with frustration. Then, she slipped into her slippers and went downstairs. She opened the door, and as expected, Alexander was still standing in front of her door in the rain. Being soggy and wet, Alexander no longer had the charm and elegance he had before. If Sophia had to be honest, she felt amazing when she saw him standing in the rain, squinting pathetically due to the water getting in his eyes. In that instant, the irritation she felt dissipated as she took the time to enjoy how terrible Alexander looked in the rain. After a few seconds, Alexander suddenly said, ¡°It''s cold and windy out here. You should go inside and watch me from the surveince camera if you''d like.¡± It was absurd that even at this moment, Alexander had the mind to care about her wellbeing. Sophia raised an eyebrow. ¡°How long do you n to keep standing in front of my door?¡± At first, he was tempted to say, ¡°Until the moment you let me in.¡± Nheless, he decided against it after studying Sophia''s face. He had an inkling that if he ever tried to do that, he could kiss his chance to get inside her house goodbye. Hence, he changed what he wanted to say at thest minute. ¡°I''ll leave when the rain stops.¡± He''s crazy! Sophia said in annoyance, ¡°I don''t care how long you''re going to stand in the rain but don''t do this in front of my house! You look ridiculous!¡± ¡°You can''t see me if I did this elsewhere.¡± Sophia let out an exasperatedugh. ¡°Alexander, don''t you think you''re being unreasonable here?¡± Alexander didn''t deny it. Nodding honestly, he answered, ¡°Yes, I think so too.¡± Sophia''s expression darkened. ¡°Enough is enough!¡± However, Alexander disagreed with her, ¡°No, it''s not enough to show my sincerity. This is only a shower of rain.¡± Both of them faced off like opposing soldiers, staring at each other unblinkingly. However, after a moment, Sophia was the first to give up. ¡°Forget it. I don''t want to argue with you.¡± Even though Katherine kept telling Sophia that thetter was unforgiving, in actuality, Sophia wasn''t that cruel. If she were cruel, she would have left Alexander drenched under the rain until it stopped. At this moment, Alexander shifted his legs and asked, ¡°Can I go in?¡± Sophia almost gave in to the urge to m the door in his face. Isn''t he shameless? He''s the epitome of giving him an inch, and he''ll definitely take a mile. Before she could answer, Alexander walked right in. ¡°I''m feeling a bit cold, so I''ll take a bath first.¡± With a darkened face, Sophia loosened her hand from the doorknob, turned, and went up the stairs. After entering the house, Alexander headed straight for the guest room as if he owned the ce. When he got out of the room, Sophia brought a cup of hot ginger tea to him. ¡°Drink all of this,¡± she demanded. He immediately frowned as he looked at the reddish liquid sloshing in the cup. Despite that, he lifted his head to look at Sophia before saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± He knew that Sophia was soft-hearted. ¡°Please don''t get me wrong. I don''t want yourckeys to go after me if you get sick.¡± This was something Samuel would do. Instantly, he felt a pang of guilt in his heart. In the end, he obediently drank the whole cup down to thest drop. Just then, Sophia noticed the clothes he had changed into. ¡°Where did you get these clothes?¡± ¡°I left them herest time.¡± Alexander did not even try to hide it from her. Instantly, she was mad with anger. ¡°I want you to leave my house now! Get out, immediately!¡± Instead ofplying with her order, he walked right up to her, grabbed her hand, and brought it to his forehead forcefully. ¡°Sophia, do you think I have a fever?¡± He must be faking it! He wasn''t drenched in the rain that long. When did Alexander get so weak? Just as she was about to utter a snide remark, she realized the temperature she felt on her hand didn''t seem right. Withdrawing her hand, she said, ¡°I''ll call Felix to take you to the hospital.¡± Alexander walked over to the couch and sat down. After a light cough, he said, ¡°I have a meeting this afternoon.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± Sophia said indifferently. He can die on his own for all I care. Just don''t die in my house. Ignoring his protests, Sophia whipped out her phone and called Felix. The call connected. However, Felix grew silent after listening to what Sophia said. Then, he wondered out loud, ¡°Mr. Xenos did have a slight fever yesterday night, but he should be better now. Why is the fever ring up?¡± Hearing that, Sophia couldn''t help but feel guilty. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, could you please take care of Mr. Xenos for a while? After I''m done with what I have on hand, I''ll go to your ce to fetch him. I''ll hang up now because I need to attend a meeting...¡± Beep. Beep. Beep. Sophia nced at her phone and saw that the call had ended abruptly. She turned back to look at Alexander and found him drinking water, but the cup used was hers! She walked over and snatched her cup out of Alexander''s hand. ¡°This is my cup, Alexander!¡± ¡°I don''t mind,¡± he said and snatched the cup back from Sophia, this time drinking what was left in the cup. At that instant, Sophia lost it. She stood there with a hand on her forehead and paced back and forth in irritation before heading straight to Alexander. Then, she grabbed his wrist and shouted, ¡°Alexander! Those tactics are useless on me! Get out!¡± s, Sophia wasn''t strong enough to drag him off of the couch. Instead of pulling him up, she staggered. Alexander then used a little force to pull her in, and she fell into his embrace. As Sophia struggled to get up, she heard Alexander''s deep chuckle. ¡°I didn''t know you wanted to see my chest so badly.¡± Chapter 191 Chapter 191 ¡°Alexander, you''re such a jerk!¡± ¡°Sophia, before you say that, perhaps you should check where your hand is.¡± Sophia''s face flushed with rage. ¡°What''s the matter with my hand? I¡ª¡± The moment she lowered her head, she was rendered speechless. In an instant, her mind was preupied with how she was going to exin that her hand was on Alexander''s shirt button. After all, she had no intention of doing it. Alexander smiled at her, clearly indicating that she had done it on purpose. ¡°I didn''t mean it.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Although Alexander nodded in response, his gaze said otherwise. Sophia''s face was flushed and red. She had never experienced anything more humiliating than that in her entire life. Her imposing demeanor abruptly deteriorated. She quickly let go of her hand and attempted to stand, but Alexander grabbed her waist. His eyes were tinged withughter and flitted with emotions as he looked down at her. For a moment, Sophia believed Alexander was about to swallow her whole. ¡°Let me go!¡± Alexander did not let go when he heard that. Instead, he gently pressed his thumb against her lips with his other hand. ¡°What lovely lips. How can you say such hurtful things?¡± Sophia was stunned for a split second. She regained herposure and realized Alexander was referring to her stubbornness. ¡°You have a handsome face, but why do you keep doing these shameless things?¡± she retorted. Let me go if you dare! ¡°Are you saying you fell in love with me in the first ce because I was handsome?¡± His words struck a nerve in her. She tried to struggle. ¡°Alexander, let me go!¡± If a man could keep his cool while embracing a pleasant-smelling and attractive person in his arms, he was either impotent or gay. Alexander was obviously neither of them. Yet Sophia was still doing everything she could to free herself. Despite the fact that he could not control his natural biological reaction, he did not want to let go of her. Helplessly, he begged her, ¡°Sophia, please stop struggling.¡± Hearing that, Sophia became aware of something pressing against her thighs. Her entire body froze, and she dared not struggle any longer. ¡°Alexander, don''t even think about it!¡± ¡°I won''t think about it if you stop moving. But if you continue to struggle, I cannot guarantee it.¡± When Sophia heard his lustful words, she wanted to pick up the cup and smash it over his head. She could not, however, because he still had his trump card. She was terrified of moving after that. Her stiffened body was on top of his body, and the two of them were so close that she could feel his breath. Sophia lowered her head and noticed his muscr body beneath the shirt she had unbuttoned. She averted her gaze quickly as she blushed. Alexander noticed her actions and smiled faintly before raising his hand to pat her head and encircling her in his arms. ¡°Don''t move.¡± Sophia froze in ce the moment she tried to move when she heard his voice. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Alexander could finally embrace her. In reality, he felt that showering himself with cold water for more than half an hour the night before,bined with his pitiful act that day, had not been in vain. Despite being told that he had gone too far, he simply admitted it. Ultimately, she was still too gentle with him. After all, Sophia had only ever loved one person in her life, and that was Alexander. It would not be an exaggeration to say that their three-year marriage was a sham. They did not kiss or hug each other, let alone get intimate with each other. But now that she was in his arms, his body heat and breath were like a fire engulfing her entire body. She was just as overwhelmed and terrified as she had been when she was fifteen and dragged into the car. ¡°Sophia, I really love you. Whatever you want me to do, just¡ª¡± He paused for a moment, lowering his head and gently lifting her head to look her in the eyes. ¡°Please don''t abandon me,¡± he pleaded earnestly as he looked at her. Sophia felt betrayed. ¡°You abandoned me first.¡± She had tried her hardest to please him back then, but he had always pushed her aside. Is he seriously pleading with me not to give up on him? I can''t believe he''s that brazen! ¡°I didn''t abandon you. I was just going at a slower pace.¡± Despite his best efforts, the words that came out of his mouth were weak and unconvincing. Sophia looked at him. Would I be in heaven or hell now if I hadn''t met Alexander when I was fifteen? Regardless, he was the one who had brought her to heaven, but he was also the one who had pushed her into hell. As she thought of that, her eyes reddened. ¡°Sometimes I''m d you saved me that year, but other times I resent you for doing so.¡± Alexander''s heart ached. ¡°I''m d I saved you that year.¡± If not for Sophia, he would likely have led a boring life and died alone with nowhere to spend his money as Samuel had predicted. He shut his eyes. ¡°Sophia, stop avoiding me. I''m already thirty-three.¡± Other men his age would have had their second child by now, yet he was still pleading with his ex-wife for forgiveness. He could not help but feel sad as he reflected on that. Sophia let out a snort after heaving a sigh. ¡°Nothing would change even if you were forty-three.¡± ¡°I''d like to start my own family, Sophia.¡± When Sophia heard that, she pursed her lips, unsure of what to say. She had not expected to hear those words from Alexander. Family? Does he even need that? He never cared about me during our three years of marriage. Alexander raised his hand to touch the corner of her eye as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. He was relieved to discover that there were no tears. ¡°I need it badly, but the Xenos family is not what I need.¡± Sophia tried to move slightly to get out of his arms once more. Surprisingly, Alexander did not stop her this time. He let go and continued, ¡°I''ve never had a family of my own, Sophia. Zachary and Eloise''s marriage was purely transactional, and my biological mother left me with the Xenos family in order to be with her lover.¡± Sophia was unaware of the Xenos family''s scandal because he had refused to discuss it. To be more specific, there was a good chance she would not believe it even if he told her. Yet, sometimes the scandal that everyone was specting about was, in fact, true. Even after Zachary had gotten married, he had remained a yboy, as the number of his lovers had grown with each passing day. Kristen was just one of them who had left him when she had finally got her hands on the Xenos family''s money. Prior to meeting Kristen, Alexander had always assumed that he was Eloise''s biological son. He even resented his mother for not going after Zachary and for causing their family to be aughingstock. It was not untilter that he realized he had been nothing more than an unwanted child all along. It was at that point that he realized he had no family. Sophia came to a halt on her way to the kitchen when she heard that. ¡°Are you ying the victim now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pursing her lips, Sophia drank a ss of water in the kitchen before returning to him. ¡°Have you calmed down? If yes, please leave now.¡± ¡°Are you still trying to avoid me?¡± He locked his gaze on her. ¡°I never wanted to get back together with you¡ªno. We''ve never been together before. What I mean is, I''ll never love you again.¡± She had made the decision that she would no longer love him. Even if she had to forget about him gradually, she would eventually forget him. Ten years was only a sliver of her life. ¡°I understand. I never thought I''d fall in love with you either, Sophia.¡± As he said that, he could not help but mock himself, ¡°You probably wouldn''t believe it, but I never believed in things such as love.¡± In the past, he had only been concerned with profit. Sophia was the one who had shown him the true meaning of love. ¡°You should stick to your convictions, then.¡± ¡°You are the only thing on my mind right now.¡± Sophia was rendered speechless when she heard that. Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Sophia did not want to speak to Alexander any longer because she felt that he had led her to a dead end yet again. After all, she was not as shameless as he was. As soon as she got out of his arms, she went upstairs and returned to her room. She was in an erratic mental state right now, more so than the day they filed for divorce, so she did not have time to fret about what was going through his mind. In actuality, she had always thought that everything would be over once they got divorced. Yet, he suddenly appeared out of nowhere and informed her that it was not over. Not only was it not over, but it had only just begun. What should I do? I''ve been traveling alone on this road for seven to eight years, and I''m really worn out. It was still raining outside the window, and nobody knew when it would stop. Sophia''s stomach suddenly growled in the quiet, empty room. Startled, she peered at the digital clock on the bedside table next to her. It was almost one in the afternoon, and she still had not eaten lunch yet. If she ordered food delivery, it would take more than an hour for the food to be delivered because it was pouring outside. She attempted to calm herself down by washing her face. Momentster, she went downstairs again, and Alexander was on the phone at the time. Seeing hering downstairs, he turned around to nce at her and uttered, ¡°I''ll have someone bring food here.¡± Sophia took a brief pause before moving to the dining table to get a ss of water for herself. The man continued talking on the phone for a short while before hanging up and sitting on the couch while staring at her. ¡°Sophia.¡± He appeared even paler in the white shirt. Casting a brief look at him, she lowered her head and sipped some water, unwilling to answer him. ¡°Could you please get me some fever medicine?¡± As he spoke, he leaned against the couch. He appeared rather pitiful due to his nched face and the pale color of his thin lips. Shortly afterward, Sophia found the fever medicine in the medical kit. She ¡°kindly¡± poured him a new ss of water, preventing him from drinking from her cup. ¡°Thank you.¡± As if he had no concern that she might have given him poison, he took the medication right away. ¡°Are you sure you don''t need to go to the hospital?¡± Despite the fact that her mind was aplete mess when he hugged her earlier, she could feel his body temperature was extremely high. Alexander quickly downed a half-ss of water and assured her, ¡°I''ll be fine after getting some sleep.¡± Having said that, he ced the ss on the table and leaned on the couch behind him. ¡°I''ll take a nap for a while.¡± Once he finished speaking, he really closed his eyes. Standing at the side, Sophia stared at him and could not quite put into words how she felt. He doesn''t consider himself to be a guest in the slightest. At that moment, the phone on the table suddenly rang. She subconsciously nced at him, but he did not open his eyes and only moved his brows slightly. Retracting her gaze, she walked over to pick up her phone and answered it in front of the dining room window. ¡°Ms. Leighton?¡± ¡°Have you arrived home yet, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Yvonne was a responsible secretary. She calcted the time and called to see if Sophia had made it home because she did not pick thetter up at the airport. With a smile, Sophia answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°On rainy days, it''s difficult to hail a taxi.¡± Bowing her head, Sophia replied, ¡°Yeah.¡± She most likely would still be waiting at the subway station if it were not for Alexander. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, the representative from Specter Entertainment just called to say that Mr. Schild''s secretary had just called and told them that the production crew and actors of Silk Stream would be having dinner at six o''clock tomorrow night. They hope you will be there.¡± Raising her eyebrows, Sophia recalled what Samuel had said a few days ago. ¡°Okay. I understand.¡± ¡°All right. I shall not disturb you any longer.¡± ¡°You may return to your work now.¡± The script of Silk Stream was a lucrative business she got from Samuel. Even though she did not particrly enjoy going to dinner, she still made the decision to attend because she had made some money from it. The corners of her lips curled into a faint smile. When she turned her head, her gaze happened to fall upon Alexander, who had already fallen asleep on the couch. The cor of his shirt was still unbuttoned, and the two buttons she scrabbled earlier were still loosely hanging on the shirt. As he leaned back, the shirt was pressed against his body, revealing his figure. Compared to the loose cor, it was apletely different view. In an instant, she could feel her face beginning to heat up. What was I thinking? I''m not that kind of person. Alexander''s worker arrived to deliver the food at one twenty in the afternoon. When she came up from getting the food downstairs, Alexander had already awakened. He appeared to have just woken up. His eyes were sluggish and a little less icy than usual. Looking at her for a while, he called out to her in a hoarse voice, ¡°Sophia.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. She sensed a hint of longing and affection in his voice, though she was not sure if it was just her hallucination. Her hand, which was holding the bag, trembled as soon as she heard that. Nevertheless, she maintained herposure and simply gave him a fleeting nce before saying, ¡°Lunch is here.¡± Then, she took the bag to the dining table and opened it. Alexander had a dream just now. In his dream, Sophia married Lukas, and in an insane attempt to snatch Sophia away from Lukas, he broke into the wedding hall. However, Lukas protected her very well. Standing behind Lukas, she spoke in a cold and ruthless tone. ¡°Alexander, I''ve already told you that we''re strangers.¡± Strangers. Because he was so shocked, he experienced a sense of immobility and felt as though his limbs were bound. All of a sudden, he jolted awake. He had not yet recovered from the nightmare and was still in shock. It was not until Sophia appeared in front of him carrying their lunch and the scene in front of him changed to her house that he understood it was all just a dream. Nevertheless, he was still terrified, even though it was just a dream. In an effort to get a response from her, he called out to her. However, the woman just looked at him without saying anything. In an instant, anxiety stirred within him. Watching her open the bag on the dining table, he stood up and walked over, giving her an embrace from behind. ¡°Don''t move. Sophia, please let me hold you for a while.¡± As soon as she struggled, she heard his deep voice speaking to her from behind and momentarily froze when his warm breath brushed against her ear. Listening to his pleading tone, she pursed her lips and remained still. The scent of her body filled his nostrils. Her back was leaning against his chest, and he was hugging her soft, slender waist. At that moment, his heart finally calmed down. ¡°Are you done hugging?¡± He desired more, but she had already questioned him harshly. If he did not let her go, she would definitely get mad at him. Hence, he let go of her reluctantly and helped her open the lid of the food container. ¡°I had a nightmare just now.¡± Hearing that, Sophia turned around to face him and grinned. ¡°Oh? Have you done something wrong to have a nightmare?¡± Since he had indeed done something wrong, he remained silent. After lunch, he left before she asked him to. Following his departure, the enormous mansion fell silent. Sophia stood by the window as she watched him exit the mansion with an umbre before getting into a ck car and eventually vanishing from her sight. Frowning, she felt frustrated. Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Sophia felt that Alexander was truly despicable. Every time she spent three to five days calming herself down, he would show up and affect her emotions. She had trouble sleeping those two nights because of the strange hug he gave her that day and the things he said to her while he held her hostage on the couch. Since she could not sleep well, she was in a bad mood and was not keen on being nice to Samuel. When Samuel saw here in, he wanted to greet her, but he felt strangely guilty the moment he saw the half-smile in her eyes. Why does her gaze resemble Alexander''s so much? But I didn''t offend her! ¡°Are you on your period?¡± Women tend to have bad tempers during their menstrual period. If that''s the case, I''ll restrain myself at the dinnerter. His abruptness and shamelessness made her chuckle angrily. ¡°What a unique way to greet someone. How could you ask a woman about her period right away?¡± Samuel nearly choked on his saliva. ¡°Don''t get me wrong. It''s just that you have a badplexion today.¡± Actually, he intended to say that she had a short fuse. ¡°Oh? That''s because you have terrible eyesight. My subordinatesplimented me for looking good today.¡± After knowing them for a long time, Sophia felt that she had be more and more thick-skinned and could lie without batting an eye. As expected, one is the sum of who one surrounds oneself with. ¡°Perhaps it''s because I didn''t get enough sleep,¡± Samuel said, clicking his tongue. Gazing at him, Sophia gave him a meaningful smile but did not respond. Soon, the two of them entered the elevator. Samuel was the type of person who could not stop talking. ¡°I have something to say, but I''m unsure whether I should say it.¡± ¡°Don''t say it, then.¡± Why does she behave in the same vtile manner as Alexander? After a momentary silence, he piped up, ¡°I think I should say it. Melissa and Alexander''s rtionship isn''t what you think it is.¡± A while back, it was widely reported that ra was Alexander''s secret lover. However, the day before, Alexander''s new lover was revealed to be the well-known supermodel, Melissa Stevens. He was seen holding Melissa in the airport the day before in a photograph that quickly went viral online. Additionally, the inte users revealed that they were both longtime friends. Even Katherine, who wanted Sophia and Alexander to reconcile, referred to him as a jerk. Sophia would be lying if she imed she felt nothing. It was not necessarily a bad thing, though. In those days of confusion, she at least had a direction. Later, she put that thought behind her and smiled at Samuel. ¡°What do you suppose I''m thinking?¡± ¡°Same as what theizens said.¡± ¡°No, I don''t think the same way as they do.¡± All of a sudden, Samuel was bereft of speech. ¡°Oh, you''re so smart.¡± ¡°Thank you. Everyone is aware of this fact.¡± Despite having no evidence, Samuel thought Sophia was making fun of him. The elevator opened as they were talking. He motioned for her to go out first, which she did. Both of them were investors. Even if they were runningte, no one would dare to say anything, let alone that they were just arriving a little bit slower than others. Samuel was the heir of Midway Media. Almost all of the women in the entertainment industry wanted to win his favor. As for Sophia, the title of Alexander''s ex-wife was more intriguing than that of the CEO of Specter Entertainment, a brand-new business that had suddenly appeared. Those who could survive in the entertainment industry were not ordinary people. When they first arrived, Sophia was ignored, but after Samuel kept bringing her up in conversation, no one at the dinner dared to belittle her. However, Sophia had never been a fan of those kinds of dinners and only asionally answered a word or two when the producer or even Samuel spoke to her. Given that she had always treated him in that way, Samuel did not mind at all. He feared he might not live to see another day if Sophia suddenly showed a lot of enthusiasm for him. Nevertheless, not everyone shared that viewpoint. Samuel and Alexander had a remarkable rtionship, and Sophia was Alexander''s ex-wife. The fact that Samuel was not enraged even when Sophia acted indifferently toward him led the others to believe that their rtionship wasplicated, but even if they had any thoughts, they dared not express them in front of Samuel. After Sophia was full, she wiped the corners of her mouth and sipped coffee while listening to them butter Samuel up. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Samuel was an eloquent speaker, but since he was the heir of Midway Media, it was always others who ingratiated themselves with him on asions like that. He was also adept at takingpliments well. Smiling, Sophia looked at the watch on her wrist. It was still early, as it was not even seven o''clock yet. ¡°Huh? Do you want to leave?¡± Samuel noticed her movements and inquired. Tilting her head, she nced at him. ¡°You''ve got a problem with that?¡± ¡°No, but it''s still early. Why don''t we go out for a drinkter?¡± Initially, she had not nned on leaving so soon, but since he had said it, his concern for her would be in vain if she stayed. Grabbing her bag, she asked, ¡°What would you like to drink? Do you intend to drive while intoxicated?¡± Their voices were not too loud, and everyone was conversing during dinner. While it might have looked like nobody was watching them, in reality, there were quite a few people who did. As soon as Sophia said those words, many people thought Samuel would get angry, but he only said, ¡°Fruit juice should be fine, right?¡± Raising her eyebrows, Sophia responded, ¡°No, I''m allergic to fruit juice.¡± Her reply rendered Samuel speechless. I haven''t even mentioned what kind of fruit juice! The next moment, Sophia said to everyone present, ¡°Please have a good time tonight. I must first leave because I have something to attend to.¡± Having said that, she stood up, and no one dared to stop her because she had been very adamant when she rejected Samuel earlier. Turning his head to look at Sophia''s back, Samuel constantly felt that something was not right. Abruptly, he pped his thigh and uttered, ¡°Enjoy your meal. I have something to do as well!¡± After he had finished speaking, he went after Sophia. No matter how he looked at it, he felt that Sophia was angry. Then, he gave it some thought and concluded that what he said about Melissa was probably what upset her. If she actually misunderstood, and Alexander finds out, I''m doomed. He hurriedly chased after her because he did not want that to happen. ¡°Sophia, hold on a second!¡± Nevertheless, Sophia did not pay him any attention, but he quickly caught up with her because she was always walking slowly. ¡°It''s not even seven o''clock yet, and you''re leaving?¡± ¡°I''m getting older and want to sleep earlier,¡± she replied while walking. Samuel, who was four or five years her senior, was at a loss for words. ¡°You sound like you''re in your seventies.¡± ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Sophia inquired, raising her brows. Rubbing his nose awkwardly, he remarked, ¡°It''s not a big deal, but I have to make it clear. I was distracted by you and forgot to mention that Melissa has nothing to do with Alexander. As far as I know, she''s one of his subsidiarypany''s products''¡ª¡± ¡°Mr. Xenos, I like the flowers very much. Thank you.¡± Samuel fixated his gaze on the coupleing out of the elevator in front of him. The man was Alexander, whom he had known for more than thirty years, and the woman was Melissa, who had been trending online alongside Alexander since the previous night. Melissa was holding arge bouquet of red roses in her hand. Anyone who was not a fool would be able to determine who gave her the roses after adding what she just said to the equation. In an instant, the word ¡°ambassador¡± stuck in Samuel''s throat. For once, he experienced burning pain in his face and thought Alexander was a jerk. Following their exit from the elevator, Alexander and Melissa made a left turn. Samuel and Sophia just so happened to be in the corridor to the right. Thus, Alexander did not see them as they were seven or eight meters apart. The two gradually walked away. As Samuel turned his head and wanted to say something, he saw Sophia looking at him with a half-smile. ¡°What were you trying to say again?¡± Without a doubt, Alexander and Melissa''s appearance was a p across the face to Samuel. I must be dreaming, right? ¡°I don''t actually believe in rumors, Mr. Schild.¡± I only trust what I see. Chapter 194 Chapter 194 ¡°This has to be a misunderstanding, Sophia. Let''s question him and find out the truth.¡± With a smile, Sophia piped up, ¡°Mr. Schild, Alexander and I have been divorced for more than a year.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°No buts.¡± With that said, Sophia pushed the button to close the elevator door. As the elevator door shut, Samuel noticed her smile fading, and he worried that something bad might happen. What''s going on with Alexander? Didn''t he pursue Sophia two days ago and make himself miserable in the process? Why did he give Melissa roses out of the blue? Samuel even had the impression that he, rather than Sophia, was the one being betrayed. Then, he quickly reached for his phone and dialed Alexander''s number. Thetter hung up on him after the call connected for the first time. Unwilling to give up, Samuel made another call, and Alexander finally answered the phone this time. ¡°Come and meet me by the smoking area next to the restroom. I have a question for you.¡± Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. Furrowing his brows, Alexander stated, ¡°I''m having dinner with a guest.¡± ¡°Sophia and I were standing at the corner to your right, watching you and Melissae out of the elevator just now.¡± ¡°Why is Sophia here?¡± ¡°Come out and talk!¡± After hanging up, Samuel instantly proceeded to the smoking area to wait for Alexander. Soon, Alexander showed up in a suit, looking dapper and fine. ¡°Where''s Sophia?¡± ¡°You only care about her now? Why didn''t you think twice before giving Melissa flowers?¡± Staring at Samuel coldly, Alexander exined, ¡°I didn''t give her those flowers. She requested Felix to buy them on her behalf.¡± Originally, Samuel intended to beat Alexander up for being a scumbag, but after hearing that, he suddenly felt ashamed. ¡°I see, but Melissa''s words were really misleading.¡± Naturally, Alexander was aware of that, but there was no one else around at that time. Although he was unhappy about it, he did not bother to correct her. Just then, Samuel remembered the incident at the airport. ¡°What''s going on with the news that''s trending?¡± Nheless, Alexander only shot him a cold re and did not say anything. Samuel noticed a drop in the surrounding temperature and realized right away that the media was fabricating false information. Just as he was about to find an excuse to get out of there, two female voices came from the front. ¡°Sophia Yarrow is quite capable. She first dated Alexander, and as soon as they got divorced, she moved on to date her ex-husband''s best friend. In all the years I''ve worked in the entertainment industry, this is the first time I''ve witnessed someone having the audacity to talk to Mr. Schild in this manner.¡± ¡°Yeah! But Mr. Schild continues to treat her so well. Driving while intoxicated? Can''t shee up with a better reason to say no? What a pretentious woman. Only Mr. Schild believes her.¡± ¡°What can we do? She has such a lovely face and can win the heart of any man.¡± ¡°Haha! I genuinely don''t think I can win her in that regard. Luckily, she isn''t in the entertainment industry. We couldn''t hold a candle to her if she were.¡± Soon, Samuel identified the two people as the secondary leads of Silk Stream. All of a sudden, he felt a chill run down his spine. Gazing at Alexander, he uttered, ¡°Alex, please allow me to exin. It''s just a dinner with the film crew. I''ve told you about it before. I had originally intended to ask you out and take Sophia out for a drink after dinner so that the two of you could make amends.¡± The more he spoke, the less convincing he thought he sounded. Gritting his teeth, he grumbled, ¡°All these people only think about spreading rumors. Don''t try to stop me. I must remove them from the production.¡± As he spoke, he turned around to face Alexander. Thetter did not attempt to stop him and only gave him a cold stare. Samuel was not faking it. Since he had done nothing wrong, he was guilt-free. He only treated Sophia well during dinner because of Alexander. Furthermore, it was obvious to him that those people were looking down on her, so he purposefully kept conversing with her out of fear that they would force her to drink. I swear I never thought of stealing my best friend''s woman! Of course, whether Alexander believed him or not depended on the strength of their friendship, which hadsted more than thirty years. Samuel could not take Alexander''s stare any longer. After dering that he would settle the matter, he furiously returned to the private room. Momentster, he dashed into the private room with a sullen face. At first, the producer and director were delighted that he had returned, but in the next second, they had lost their joy. Samuel pointed out the two gossiping actresses and asked, ¡°Who rmended these two women to join the crew?¡± Midway Media was Silk Stream''srgest investor. If an investor wanted to rmend people to join the crew, he would be aware of it. Those two actresses were not the ones Midway Media wanted to promote. Someone who would say something like that was definitely a troublemaker. Samuel had been in the circle for so long that he could tell just by looking that they hade in through connections. He was infuriated, but the people present had no idea why. Shortly afterward, the director attempted to smooth things over. ¡°Mr. Schild, Qiyana, and X are rookies and have no idea what to say. If they have offended you, please ept my apologies.¡± Hearing that, Samuel could not help but sneer. ¡°It appears that the person behind them is so strong that you have to defend them. Unfortunately, I''ve never been afraid of anyone in Jadeborough. I don''t care who rmends them. This is the drama that I invested in, so either you all listen to me or get out of my way. Reselect two new actresses tomorrow! I''ll give you three days. If you can''t pick different actresses, I''ll have you reced!¡± Having said that, he paused for a while before continuing, ¡°Rookies don''t know what to say? They appear to be quite talkative, though. Didn''t they speak eloquently when they gossiped that Ms. Yarrow and I were in an illicit rtionship just now? In any case, Ms. Yarrow is also one of the investors. She may be kind, but that doesn''t mean I''m good-tempered as well. If I hear anyone of you circting false rumors about Sophia and me, pack your things and get out of here!¡± After venting his anger, Samuelmented before leaving, ¡°You should consider yourself lucky that I''m handling this situation tonight. It won''t be as simple as removing you from this drama if Alexander decides to take action!¡± The moment the two actresses heard him, their faces turned pale. Only then did they recall that they appeared to have seen someone in the smoking area when they exited the restroom. However, they paid it no mind, so they had no idea that it was Alexander and Samuel. Samuel wondered why he had such bad luck that day. Not only did he misunderstand Alexander, but he also heard people spreading false rumors about him betraying Alexander with Sophia. Remembering how Alexander had red at him earlier, he could not help rubbing his neck. Fortunately, he was quick to act. If he had left one secondter, Alexander could have beaten him up. On the other hand, Alexander made his way back to the private room and wore a stern face. Seeing hime back, Melissa stated, ¡°Mr. Xenos, the food has turned cold.¡± The next moment, Alexander nced at her and remarked, ¡°Ms. Stevens, since you aren''t interested in signing with ourpany, we won''t force you anymore.¡± Then, he picked up the jacket that was on the chair and walked away, leaving Felix, who was perplexed, behind. In an instant, Melissa''s expression darkened. Knitting her brows, she turned to face Felix and questioned, ¡°Mr. Lane, what does Mr. Xenos mean by this?¡± To be honest, Felix did not know either. Melissa had a strong global presence. They would undoubtedly turn a profit if they could get her to promote products for Odyssey. Needless to say, Felix had not expected Alexander to suddenly change his mind. However, he was always on Alexander''s side, regardless of the situation. After a brief pause, he piped up, ¡°It means what it means. We''ll work together again if the opportunity arises.¡± Subsequently, he nodded and left the private room. After he left, Melissa''s expression turned grim. ¡°What''s the matter with them? Weren''t they pleading with me to cooperate with them?¡± Alicia Yarbrough, her manager, who was sitting next to her, gave her a look and said, ¡°I''ve already warned you not to y those little tricks, but you didn''t listen to me. Are you finally content now that you have lost a lucrative endorsement worth tens of millions?¡± Instantaneously, Melissa''s expression stiffened. ¡°Why would hee to have dinner with me today if he''s upset about what happened at the airport?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Alicia shrugged. Chapter 195 Chapter 195 After leaving the hotel, Sophia drove back to her mansion. She had just parked the car inside the garage when someone rang her doorbell. Sophia raised her brows as she stepped out of the garage, wondering who would visit her at this hour. The surveince camera feed was located upstairs, and Sophia was toozy to head up to look at it, so she opened the door and stepped outside. It had been sunny in Jadeborough for the past two days, but the wind at night was still rather chilly. Themps in the garden lit up the gstone path as she walked toward the gate. After realizing it was Alexander standing outside the gate, Sophia was startled for a moment. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She thought he would still be at the hotel. Ever since that day, Alexander had never shown up in front of her again. She thought Alexander would have given up after they had been at an impasse for that long. However, reality proved that she had underestimated him. Alexander sped all the way to her house. He had not appeared before Sophia after that day because he had wanted to give her more space. One should be flexible to achieve their goal. Alexander knew that if he was too aggressive, he might only worsen things. If it weren''t for Melissa, who had appeared from nowhere, and them being seen together by Sophia earlier that day, Alexander would have never expected to see Sophia again this soon. On the day he learned his and Melissa''s names were trending on the inte, he did not tell anyone to remove the rumors because he wanted to make Sophia jealous. However, that did not mean he was actually in a rtionship with Melissa. Samuel told him Sophia had been nearby when he and Melissa stepped out of the elevator. Thus, Sophia must have heard what Melissa said. Alexander dared not take the risk and immediately drove to Sophia''s ce from the hotel. Now, they were facing each other through the gate. Sophia could not tell from his expression if he was in a good or bad mood. Alexander frowned a little. ¡°I miss you.¡± The weather that night was terrific, and the moon was shining brightly in the sky. Being inexperienced in love, Sophia could not help her heart from skipping a beat when she heard Alexander''s straightforward confession. However, she did not take too long to react. ¡°Now that you''ve seen me, I guess you can leave.¡± ¡°Sophia,¡± he called out to her. There was a hint of helplessness and adoration in his tone as he said, ¡°Things are not like what you think.¡± Hearing that, Sophia chuckled. ¡°That''s a little out of the blue. Do you mind enlightening me on what I should be thinking?¡± Alexander stared at her. His eyes flickered as he said, ¡°It''s about Melissa.¡± Sophia''s right hand trembled a little when she heard the name, but the smile on her face remained unfazed. ¡°I''m not bothered about those things.¡± In other words, she was implying that his affairs had nothing to do with her. Alexander stared at Sophia for a while before asking, ¡°Can you invite me inside?¡± Sophia did not want to do that. ¡°Just tell me what you want to say. I''m alone at home, and it will spark misunderstandings if others find out we''re alone in a house together.¡± ¡°I want to use the washroom.¡± That was unexpected, so Sophia said, ¡°Fine. Come in.¡± She unlocked the gate and stepped backward. After pulling open the gate, Sophia turned around and walked toward the mansion. She led him inside and stood on the stairs as she looked at Alexander. ¡°There is a washroom on the first floor. It''s over there.¡± With that, she pointed to the left. Alexander did not walk in that direction since the washroom was not why he truly wanted toe inside her house. After arriving on the second floor, Sophia realized Alexander had followed her up the stairs. Subconsciously, she turned around and was immediately pulled into his embrace. ¡°There is nothing between Melissa and me. I wasn''t hugging her. She stumbled and nearly fell but crashed into my arms instead.¡± Sophia''s expression darkened. She stared at him and said calmly, ¡°Let go of me.¡± To her surprise, Alexander obediently let her go. He took an essory box out of his pocket and said, ¡°I saw this at an auction the night before yesterday, and I was reminded of you when I first saw it.¡± He opened the essory box as he spoke, revealing a Camellia silver bracelet inside. Sophia was not as enthusiastic about jewelry and essories as Katherine. She had less than ten bracelets in her wardrobe, but she was not short of that. ¡°Thanks, but I don''t need another bracelet.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Alexander closed the box and ced it back inside his pocket. Sophia pursed her lips a little when she saw him keeping away the essory box in his pocket. Sensing that he was staring in her direction again, she looked into his eyes and asked, ¡°Don''t you still need to use the washroom?¡± ¡°I did not send her the flowers. Melissa asked Felix to bring her the flowers instead.¡± After saying that, Alexander then said, ¡°I''ll go to the washroom now.¡± Staring at his back, Sophia went aside and poured herself a ss of water before taking a few sips. It did not take long for Alexander to step out of the washroom. He walked over to her. ¡°Although I miss you, I know you might not let me kiss you yet.¡± He suddenly reached out and touched her face. It was just a quick touch as Alexander swiftly retracted his hand. ¡°I''ll leave now.¡± With that, he really turned around and walked away. Sophia clutched her ss of water tightly as she watched Alexander''s back disappear down the stairs. A momentter, she snapped back to her senses. What happened to Alexander? He did not even cause a scene here! The next morning when Sophia woke up, she saw she had received a bunch of messages and news articles from Katherine. Last night, a little past eight o''clock¡ªwhich was not long after Alexander left her house¡ªhis and Odyssey''s official Twitter ounts had released the same statement. Through the post, he denied being in a rtionship with Melissa. It also warned people that he would take legal action if they continued making up stories about his rtionship with Melissa. Due to this incident, Alexander and Melissa''s names were again trending. Unlike before, their names did not appear on the trending list simultaneously. Most of the posts rted to Melissa''s name were making fun of her for failing to trick Alexander. In contrast, mostmenters praised Alexander for his strong and swift reaction to the scandals. After freshening up, Sophia clicked open Katherine''s voice message that said, ¡°Soph, I have to say Alexander has changed my mind on him because of his swift response! I heard Odyssey''s subsidiary company was in talks to sign an endorsement contract with Melissa. Yet, Alexander has taken things into his own hands to deny having any connections with Melissa a day after the rumor! That''s not bad at all. At least he knows what he should and should not do.¡± Sophia snorted and replied with a voice message, ¡°Is that so? Who was the one who called Alexander a huge jerk yesterday?¡± She was unsure if Katherine was busy or feeling guilty as thetter did not reply to her message after that. Sophia was not bothered by that either. After having breakfast, she drove to Sunshine Group. She had a conference in the morning. After stepping out of the elevator, Yvonne approached her with a troubled expression. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nced at her. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Before Yvonne could exin herself, Sophia heard Finn''s voice saying, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I hope you can give me three minutes of your time.¡± Sophia raised her brows, finally understanding why her secretary looked troubled this early in the morning. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. She looked at Finn and smiled. ¡°Mr. Penley, do you know what I like least?¡± Finn was stunned to hear that, and he was about to exin himself when Sophia cut him off by saying, ¡°I hate it the most when people try to force me to do something.¡± She did not want to see him, yet he came to her office to wait for an opportunity to talk to her. Sophia''s smile faded a little as she looked at Yvonne and said, ¡°Ms. Leighton, call security and help escort Mr. Penley downstairs.¡± Yvonne had already called for the security guards even before Sophia told her so. The elevator door opened right after Sophia finished talking, and two security guards stepped out. ¡°Ms. Leighton, what''s the matter?¡± Expressionless, Yvonne looked at Finn. ¡°Please help escort Mr. Penley out of the building.¡± Finn was unwilling to be escorted away. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, please hear me out. I only wish to see Suny in person!¡± Without looking at him, Sophia walked toward her office. She did not like presumptuous people. Chapter 196 Chapter 196 As her secretary, Yvonne felt her negligence had enabled something like that to happen early in the morning. To be honest, Sophia was not that bothered about that. Before the conference, she noticed Yvonne''s guilty expression and chuckled. ¡°Ms. Leighton,e here.¡± Yvonne immediately reacted. ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°I have a question for you.¡± Yvonne nodded. ¡°Sure. Ms. Yarrow, please go ahead.¡± ¡°Did Finne to the office with you?¡± With a frown, Yvonne answered, ¡°Nope. He was already here when I arrived at work. I heard from others that he came inside the office with the janitors.¡± ¡°All right. And here I thought you''re guilty because you failed to stop him from barging in here.¡± Yvonne felt embarrassed to hear that. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''m sorry you had to deal with something like that early in the morning.¡± Sophia smiled gently at her. ¡°It''s all right. asionally, I don''t mind having something to stimte my senses in the morning.¡± Knowing that Sophia was trying to make her feel better, Yvonne was touched. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia looked at her and said, ¡°Come on. We still have a conference to attend.¡± An incident like that did not affect Sophia''s mood. The morning conference, however, did not go as well as Sophia had expected. After leaving the conference room, Sophia was seen smiling, but her smile did not quite reach her eyes. She had just returned to her office when her phone suddenly rang. Looking at the caller ID, Sophia raised her brows. Then, she answered the call. ¡°Hello, it''s me, Sophia.¡± The person over the line was none other than Joshua. For him to call her at that time, Sophia figured he was most likely about to inform her about Tobias'' matter. Sophia''s intuition was correct. Tobias had run out of options. After he built a connection with Joshua, it was not exaggerating to say he had ced all his hopes on Joshua. If Expedite were to go bankrupt, Tobias would bear hundreds of millions in debt. Now that Sunshine Group and Prosperity Enterprise no longer expressed their interest in taking over Expedite, if Joshua also refused the takeover, Tobias would be left with no choice but to wait for Expedite to go bankrupt. Thus, when Joshua suggested buying over Expedite with slightly more than a billion, Tobias could only agree with that no matter how upset he was with that amount. After listening to what Joshua told her over the line, Sophia chuckled. ¡°I''d say slightly more than a billion is still more than what he deserves, but at least you didn''t suffer a loss from this deal. How many percent are you willing to offer me?¡± Expedite was an established corporation. It would not have ended up in such dire straits if it weren''t for Tobias'' mismanagement. Sophia had always been interested in taking over Expedite, but Tobias was stubborn enough not to be swayed by her persuasion. In the end, he still had to give in to Joshua''s deal of taking over Expedite with slightly more than a billion. ¡°Thirty,¡± said Joshua. Sophia gave it a thought. Thirty percent was worth four hundred million, which was still eptable for her. ¡°Sure. Draft the contract and send it to Yvonne when it''s ready.¡± ¡°All right.¡± After ending the call, Sophia was in a much better mood. She could not help but picture Tobias'' reaction if she were to show up at Expedite''s shareholders'' meeting in the future. He would be pissed off for sure. Sophia withdrew her thoughts and focused on the traffic light in front of her. She stepped on the gas pedal when the light turned green. Charlize had asked her out for lunch that day. Sophia did like hanging out with her, so she had not rejected the lunch invitation. When Sophia arrived at the restaurant, Charlize was already seated by the table. Upon seeing her, Charlize waved at her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, over here!¡± Charlize''s enthusiastic greeting immediately garnered some attention from the tables near them. Melissa was also at the restaurant. She hade for a reunion with her former ssmates, and she had not expected to run into Sophia. Sophia might not recognize her, but she had heard of Sophia''s name long ago. After all, everyone knew Sophia was Alexander''s ex-wife. Staring at the woman who stepped inside the restaurant, Melissa narrowed her eyes a little. She had to admit Sophia did look gorgeous. Upon sensing someone staring at her, Sophia subconsciously turned around and nced in that direction. Her lips curled slightly when her gaze fell on Melissa''s face. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. It seems like Melissa is quite hostile toward me. This is interesting. Sophia withdrew her gaze and walked toward Charlize. After getting seated, Charlize hurriedly poured her a ss of warm water. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, the water is warm.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°How did you know I prefer drinking warm water?¡± ¡°Do you remember my birthday party? You guys were ying poker, and Alex told someone to send you a ss of warm water.¡± Sophia could recall what Charlize said. That day, Samuel had invited her to stay for poker. A housekeeper had handed her a ss of water. After feeling that the water was warm, Sophia thought the housekeeper was merely being attentive and thoughtful. Yet, it turned out that Alexander was behind it. After saying that, Charlize appeared to be a little nervous. She knew Sophia did not like hearing her mention Alexander''s name. Sophia had almost blocked her thest time she did so. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, please don''t misunderstand. I did not mean to bring that up.¡± Sophia looked at her. ¡°You did nothing wrong, so you don''t have to be that nervous.¡± Charlize was a little embarrassed to hear that, especially when she had done something wrong before this. However, Sophia''s reaction indicated that she was not bothered by that. Charlize heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I asked you to have lunch with me today because I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Sophia raised her brows as she looked at Charlize, waiting for thetter to tell her more. ¡°I am taking my graduation photos next Tuesday. If you''re free, do you want toe and take a photo with me?¡± Charlize looked a little embarrassed after asking that question. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I learned you''re also a graduate of Jadeborough University.¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°Is it in the morning or afternoon?¡± Hearing that, Charlize brightened up a little. She looked at Sophia with an expression mixed with surprise and anticipation. ¡°It''s in the afternoon.¡± Sophia gave it a thought. ¡°I don''t recall having any appointments on that day for now.¡± ¡°Oh! Are you saying you cane?¡± Sophia was a popr student when she was still studying at Jadeborough University due to her good looks and impressive academic records. That made Charlize admire her even more. ¡°Sure thing.¡± Sophia chuckled and flipped open the menu. ¡°Let''s discuss what to have for lunch first.¡± ¡°I''m fine with anything. The food here is amazing!¡± Charlize was always lively and enthusiastic around Sophia. Since thetter used to study at Jadeborough University as well, Charlize shared many interesting stories with her, and Sophia would asionally respond. All in all, the atmosphere at lunch wasfortable and easygoing. However, Charlize had to return to campus for her thesis paper in the afternoon, or she would have asked Sophia to watch a movie with her. Sadly, she was yet to finish her thesis paper. Charlize insisted on paying for their lunch, and Sophia did not refuse her. Instead, Sophia said, ¡°Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.¡± Seeing that Sophia did not stop her from paying, Charlize excitedly waved at her, indicating for her to go to the restroom. Since she was the one who asked Sophia to join her for lunch, Charlize was worried Sophia would insist on footing the bill. She would be embarrassed if that happened. After stepping out from her cubicle, Sophia saw Melissa standing by the sink. It seemed like Melissa was waiting for her as she turned off the tap after seeing Sophia. Tilting her head, she said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''ve heard a lot about you.¡± Sophia washed her hands and took a piece of paper towel as she wiped her hands casually. She looked at Melissa with a smile. ¡°You are?¡± Melissa''s expression stiffened a little. ¡°I am Melissa Stevens. Ms. Yarrow, did you not see the trending news a couple of days ago?¡± Of course I did. However, Sophia did not like people showing off in front of her, so she chuckled and replied, ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Stevens. I don''t really pay attention to gossip.¡± Gossip. With just one word, Sophia easily dismissed the incident that put Melissa''s name on the trending list for two whole days. She also took a jab at Melissa by implying that Melissa''s affairs were not enough to win her attention. Melissa twitched her lips. She took a box out of her bag and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I heard you''re close with Mr. Xenos. He left this behind, and I hope you can help me return this to its rightful owner.¡± Staring at the box before her, Sophia raised her brow. ¡°The rumors you''ve heard are truly unreliable. Alexander and I are not that close with each other.¡± With just one brief sentence, Sophia made Melissa feel frustrated and at a loss for words. Her hand, which was holding the box, froze in the air between them. Sophia finished wiping her hands before she nced at Melissa. ¡°Ms. Stevens, I think you should return the item yourself.¡± After saying that, Sophia brushed past Melissa and was about to walk out of the restroom. Melissa gritted her teeth and caught up with her. ¡°Wait, Ms. Yarrow. I have a show to attend tomorrow, and I''m afraid I don''t have time to do that. Please do me a favor and return the box to him.¡± Sophia shed her a half-smile, making Melissa feel insecure. Then, just when Melissa thought Sophia would not take the box, she heard Sophia saying, ¡°If that''s the case, maybe I should be kind and help you out this once.¡± With that, Sophia took over the box and ced it inside her bag. She then told Melissa, ¡°You don''t have to thank me for doing this, Ms. Stevens.¡± Melissa wanted to refute that, but she could not find the words to say. What else can I say in this situation? Chapter 197 Chapter 197 Aftering out of the restroom, Sophia drove Charlize to the subway entrance before heading back to the mansion. By that time, it was already one o''clock in the afternoon. Free days like these were hard toe by for Sophia. Moreover, the weather was perfect that day. She returned to her room and changed her outfit into sportswear attire, deciding to head to the boxing gymter. Sophia noticed the bag that she had left on the couch before leaving the house and paused in her tracks. After a moment''s hesitation, she grabbed her bag to open the box inside. As she took a nce at the cufflink inside, she could not help but raise her brow slightly. Melissa is such a cunning woman. The next second, she closed its lid and kept the box back inside her bag. With that, she turned around and left. Ever since someone posted the match between Sophia and Aaron online, there had been numerous applications from outsiders signing up for the course at the boxing gym. Nheless, Sophia would only go to the gym once or twice a month. Most of the neers registered for the course because of Sophia. Just when they thought the video was just a fake advertisement uploaded by the gym to attract people using Sophia''s beauty, Sophia suddenly appeared in her ck and pink sportswear while carrying her sports bag. She had taken off all her makeup beforeing to the ce and tied her hair in a ponytail. Her face looked exceptionally clean and pure, like an angel. The crowd in the public area fixed their gazes on Sophia as she made her way into the boxing gym. She looked straight ahead, heading in her boxing room''s direction to do some warm-up exercises. When the doorbell rang, Sophia thought it was Aaron looking for her. Nevertheless, seeing Alexander in his sportswear, Sophia froze for a moment as she thought of the cufflink. With one brow raised, she asked, ¡°Do you want to have another match?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alexander hade over right after receiving Aaron''s call. On his way here, he had even been worried that he would not be able to see Sophia due to the bad traffic. Upon seeing her, Alexander finally breathed a sigh of relief. As a matter of fact, Alexander had been thinking about Sophia non-stop for the past few days. Unfortunately, he could not find any excuse for himself to appear in front of her tantly. That thought alone made him pretty ufortable for days. Meanwhile, Sophia was feeling frustrated because of the cufflink. Since he''s asking for it, I won''t hold back this time. Sophia was aware that Alexander intentionally took a dive the other day. As such, she assumed that he would do the same today too. Her assumption was only partly correct, though. She was right about Alexander throwing the game. Despite that, he still pinned her to the floor mat effortlessly. If it were not for him letting go of her swiftly every time, Sophia would have suspected that he was doing it on purpose. Furthermore, Alexander had never taken the initiative to attack her and chose to defend himself instead. However, his defense tactic today was different fromst time. After defending himself, Alexander would pounce on Sophia and press his body against hers while fixing an ardent gaze on her. Several such instancester, Sophia knew that Alexander was doing it intentionally. She pursed her lips, pretending tounch a blow at him. The n was to divert his attention using a feint and teach him a lesson. Her n was nearly sessful but was foiled by Alexander''s quick reflexes. Before Sophia could retract her leg, Alexander pulled her hand and caused her to lose her bnce and stumble to the ground together with him. This time, she fell on top of Alexander''s body instead. Through their thin clothes, they could feel the heat emanating from each other. As their bodies pressed against each other''s in such intimate proximity, it was almost like they were about to merge into one. Sophia moved her hand slightly, attempting to get up. As she tried to do so, she touched his chest and instantly felt how hot it was, like an oven. Instinctively, she retracted her hand. Meanwhile, Alexander was not going to allow her to get up. cing his hand on her lower back and pressing down slightly, the force caused her to fall forward once again. Sophia was startled for a brief moment. Alexander''s eyes darkened, and his Adam''s apple bobbed up and down. Refusing to release his grip, he shut his eyes slightly to control himself and voiced, ¡°Don''t move, Sophia.¡± His voice was low and deep. As his words reached her ears, she could feel her face burning with warmth. Sophia gritted her teeth as a blush crept up her face. ¡°Alexander!¡± What a filthy pervert! ¡°Sophia, it''s a natural reaction.¡± Alexander had tried his best to control himself but to no avail. Hearing his words, Sophia blushed even more. I''ve never seen such a shameless man! How could he speak so matter-of-factly? Without a second thought, Sophia pushed his hand away with all her might. She rolled to another side and stood up afterward. To Alexander, that particr feeling of holding Sophia in his embrace was addictive. He nced at her and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Shall we continue?¡± Continue taking advantage of me? ¡°Why didn''t I realize you''re so shameless before this, Alexander?¡± She got up to walk to the side, grabbed her thermos sk, and lowered her head to sip on it. Alexander sat upright on the floor and looked at Sophia, who was outside the ring and roughly six to seven meters away from him. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Due to her embarrassment, Sophia was blushing so hard that her ears began to turn red. At that moment, she looked like a beautiful blooming peony. Meanwhile, Alexander rubbed his fingers, feeling as if there was a beast inside him struggling to escape. Sophia felt a lot calmer after having a drink. After a nce at Alexander, she packed her things and left immediately. Alexander changed his shoes and followed her. Seeing her leaving in a car, he drove his car and tailed her. Noticing his car through her rearview mirror, Sophia did not stop him. After all, I will need to return that cufflink to him. Since he wants to follow me, I don''t have to trouble Yvonne to return it for me. Alexander followed her all the way back to her mansion. It was only four o''clock, yet the sky was tar-ck. It seemed like it was going to rain soon. He was still in his t-shirt and shorts from the boxing gym. As he got down from his vehicle, he could feel the chilly breeze. Alexander stood at the mansion''s gate, hesitating to ring the doorbell as he knew that Sophia was angry at him. Meanwhile, Sophia parked her car and went upstairs to take the cufflink. Then, she handed it to Alexander without opening the gate for him. ¡°Ms. Stevens asked me to give this to you.¡± He frowned slightly. ¡°Which Ms. Stevens?¡± ¡°Melissa Stevens.¡± That woman again... A hint of displeasure appeared on his face. Alexander then looked at her with his dark eyes, not bothering to reach his hand out to ept the cufflink. ¡°Open the gate now.¡± Sophia snorted in response and threw the box to the ground beside his foot. ¡°Whatever.¡± As he watched her walk away, he said, ¡°Sophia, if you don''t open the gate for me, I''ll have no other choice but to climb in.¡± It would not be difficult for him to do that at all. How dare he threaten me like that? Sophia, who had just reached the front door, frowned slightly and turned around. It was at that moment a strong gust of wind blew. Although the wind had messed up Alexander''s hair, he still looked fierce and stern as usual. Taking out her phone, Sophia switched to the recording mode. ¡°Climb if you dare. I''ll upload the video online.¡± I''ll show everyone how shameless Alexander is! Hearing that, Alexander loosened his brows, reaching out his hands to climb the gate. He leaped to the ground facilely and picked up the box that Sophia had thrown before standing up. Then, he walked toward Sophia and asked, ¡°Are you done recording?¡± In truth, Sophia had not even hit the record button at all. Hearing his words, she kept her phone and said, ¡°Are you trying to trespass into my house now?¡± ¡°I just want to have some water.¡± As he suggested that, he looked up at the dark sky above. ¡°It''s going to rain heavily soon. I don''t mind if you''re willing to let me stay over for a night.¡± ¡°You are overthinking.¡± ¡°It''s not a bad thing to overthink. What if my thinkinges true?¡± In the midst of their conversation, the rain started to pour out of a sudden. Alexander raised one hand to shelter her and pushed her toward the door with the other. ¡°Go in. It''s raining. Don''t get wet.¡± If it weren''t for him, I would''ve been loungingfortably in the house long ago! Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Not only had the raine suddenly, but it was also pouring like a torrent. As the raindrops fell toward the ground, they hit the stairs, and some sttered onto Sophia''s shoes. She nced at Alexander before cing her finger on the fingerprint scanner. Pushing open the door, she entered the mansion. She was drenched in sweat earlier, so she initially nned to take a shower after returning the cufflink to Alexander. But then, the man had nowe into the house with her. As she recalled the incident at the boxing gym earlier, her expression turned chilly. She poured a ss of water and slid it over to him. ¡°Here.¡± In other words, she was telling him to get lost after he finished drinking the water. Content ? copyrighted by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Thank you.¡± Alexander lifted his head and looked at her before adding, ¡°It''s raining.¡± He, on the other hand, was saying that he wanted to stay until the rain stopped. At that, Sophia let out a chuckle of frustration. ¡°I don''t think you''d like to go to the police station with me today would you, Alexander?¡± ¡°No,¡± Alexander murmured. Then, he opened the box. The instant heid eyes on the cufflink in the box, his gaze darkened imperceptibly. But in the next heartbeat, the shadows in his eyes retreated. He lifted his head and pinned his gaze on her. ¡°Melissa yanked this cufflink off at the airport that day.¡± After saying that, he paused for a second before adding, ¡°I''ve already thrown the shirt away.¡± As his words fell, he raised his hand and tossed the box into the trash can. It was a cufflink that cost several thousand, yet he discarded it without the slightest reluctance. Sophia arched an eyebrow. ¡°I see.¡± It has nothing to do with me anyway. Subsequently, she turned and nced out the window, only to see that it was raining cats and dogs. ¡°Have you finished drinking the water?¡± That was her tactful way of urging him to leave if he was done drinking. Alexander threw a look at the ss in front of him. ¡°I''ll leave when the rain stops.¡± Sophia had already surmised that he would tarry shamelessly. Not wanting to entertain him further, she spun on her heels and stalked up the stairs. This time, she locked her bedroom door. After going into the bathroom, she also locked the door. Twenty minutes had passed by the time she finished her shower and stepped out of the bathroom. It was still raining outside, but it had abated significantly. She nced at the time, only to see that it was already a little over five o''clock. Without a doubt, that shameless man downstairs must still be there. Unplugging the hair dryer, Sophia unlocked the door and went downstairs. She had just reached the corner of the stairs when Alexander''s voice drifted into her ears from downstairs. Quirking an eyebrow, she descended the stairs right away. ¡°Yeah, that''s all for now,¡± Alexander said to the person on the other end of the phone before hanging up. Then, he tilted his head and cast his gaze at Sophia. Having just taken a bath, Sophia''s hair hung loosely behind her. She wore a loose, thin sweater, and her slim-fitting ck pants rendered her legs long and slender. Alexander''s Adam''s apple bobbed. Noticing that she was looking at him, he walked over to the couch and sat down. ¡°The clothes in the room are gone.¡± Sophia poured herself a ss of water. ¡°I threw them away.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Alexander''s gaze remained fixated on her. All of a sudden, he chuckled softly. He rarely smiled orughed. Sophia had known him for many years, but she seldom saw him smile. Instead, he always wore a cold and indifferent expression, looking out of ce among everyone else. As he smiled then, the severity of his features eased. That aside, there was even a hint of gentleness in his usually petrifying ebony eyes. Thus, Sophia had to admit that he was really good-looking despite his rather unpleasant personality. She didn''t want to be bewitched by his deceptive countenance anymore, so she lowered her head. s, her gaze fell on the neckline of the man''s bathrobe. After learning that Alexander left his clothes in her guest room without her permission previously, she had the cleaning servicee over the next day and throw away all the clothes he left in the wardrobe in the guest room. The only thing left there was a free-size bathrobe for the use of her guests. Never had she expected him to wear the bathrobe and strut around in it when he had no clothes. Since he was sitting on the couch, the loose bathrobe gaped widely. Sophia was standing, so she could see almost see his entire upper body at a single nce. She suspected that it was deliberate on his part. Retracting her gaze, she drank some water with her head hung low. By then, the rain outside the window had eased considerably. She put her ss down and started kicking him out of the house, stating, ¡°The rain has let up, so you can leave now.¡± ¡°It''s exceedingly ill-mannered to go out in a bathrobe.¡± ¡°Oh, is it not ill-mannered to shamelessly tarry at someone else''s house?¡± Alexander gazed at her, the look in his eyes tender. ¡°Being ill-mannered in front of the person I love will make me appear more sincere.¡± Choking, Sophia had no retort to that. The man refused to leave, so she couldn''t do anything about it either. Ignoring him, she took out her phone and started ordering takeaway. ¡°You''re ordering takeaway?¡± Alexander had moved over to sit beside her at some point in time, and that had Sophia frowning. ¡°Alexander.¡± ¡°Takeaway isn''t healthy. I''ve already ordered Felix to deliver dinner over, so you don''t need to order takeaway.¡± As though unaware of her fury, the man lifted his hand and took her phone away from her, cing it on the table. ¡°Can we talk, Sophia?¡± His expression abruptly turned solemn, and he stared right at her. Stunned for a moment, Sophia sneered when she snapped back to her senses, ¡°Do you think there is anything else to talk about between us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Unfortunately, Sophia felt differently. ¡°Well, that''s probably your delusion, then.¡± ¡°Sophia.¡± He called her name out of the blue, his low voice tinged with a hint of exasperation. For an instant, Sophia seemed to have been struck by a bolt of electricity. Regretfully, it onlysted for a second. In the next heartbeat, she gathered her wits about her. ¡°I admit that I still have feelings for you now, but I won''t make the same mistake twice, Alexander.¡± She had once tried her luck with him, but she lost. Even so, she admitted defeat, for there would always be a loss or win in a bet. However, if one were to ask her to try again, she really didn''t have the courage to do so anymore. ¡°I know what you fear, Sophia.¡± Alexander''s dark eyes were like a whirlpool, sucking one in during a moment of inattention. Hence, Sophia averted her eyes. ¡°So, what else is there to talk about?¡± While she was speaking, the doorbell rang. In a sh, Alexander got to his feet. ¡°I''ll go.¡± As he spoke, he nced at her before whirling around and descending the stairs. ¡°Okay.¡± It seems that Felix is here. Sophia thought that that would be the end of the topic, but little did she know that it was just the beginning. Alexander took everything from Felix. Other than their dinner, he also held a document in his hand. He ced the food on the dining table before walking over to the couch and sitting back down beside Sophia. ¡°This is all the shares and properties under my name as well as the full sum of money in my ount. If I cause you to lose again, everything will be yours.¡± Sophia''s heart jolted, but her expression remained calm and unruffled. ¡°I''m not strapped for cash.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Alexander knew that, but he was also aware of her fear. He ced the document on the coffee table. ¡°Sophia, I''m not coercing you this time. I''m just showing you my sincerity.¡± Having thought long and hard in the past few days, he realized that he actually had no edge in his pursuit of Sophia. Ultimately, he could only appear before her time and again because she still had feelings for him. She didn''tck money, and she wasn''t a greedy person either. If she had nned to take any of his wealth back then, she wouldn''t have divorced him so thoroughly a year ago. She hadn''t asked for anything, and she had no interest in anything he had. Now that he was pleading with her to turn back again, offering her all these would be considered an act of great sincerity in the eyes of outsiders. But to Sophia, she merely regarded it as hisst resort after exhausting all other avenues. Sophia said nothing. Back then, he felt that I only married him because of money, and now, he''s offering me all his wealth in an effort to pursue me again. That amount of money is unattainable to most people in their lifetimes, but with a single nod of my head, it would all be mine. It looks like he''s really out of ideas if he''s using such a cliche method. She continued studying him, but she didn''t answer his question directly. ¡°Does your mother know about this?¡± If Kristen were to learn about it, she''d probably kill me, huh? ¡°She can''t sway me.¡± Just as Sophia was about to speak, Alexander suddenly lifted his hand and stroked her hair. ¡°Let''s eat. You don''t need to be so hasty in giving me an answer.¡± He hadn''t thought of getting an answer that day anyway. Chapter 199 Chapter 199 Alexander left after having his dinner. Sophia did not even ask him to go, but he tactfully left after changing his clothes. Sophia''s mind was chaotic as she held a ss of water in her hand while gazing at the document left behind by Alexander. Alexander had listed all his assets inside the document. It was evident that he was not hiding anything from her. Thest page was an agreement. The gist of the content stated that if he cheated on Sophia, gave her the cold shoulder, or became the cause of any factor that might lead to them getting a divorce, he would willingly give up all his possessions, and the above assets would be Sophia''s. The witness and Alexander had signed the agreement. The only nk column left on the right side of the paper was where she was supposed to sign. Sophia reced the agreement after she browsed through every page of the document. Amidst her frustration, Katherine called. She hesitated for a long while before deciding to answer the call. The sound of Katherine clicking her tongue was heard through the speaker right after she picked up the call. ¡°Why did you take so long to answer my call? Are you hanging out with another girl behind my back?¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Is there a need for me to keep you in the dark if I hang out with another girl?¡± Katherine began to sob right after Sophia finished her sentence. However, Sophia was not in the mood to entertain her. ¡°Kathy, I''m facing a huge dilemma.¡± Snorting, Katherine replied, ¡°What kind of dilemma? Are you hesitating about whether you should get back together with Alexander or not? ¡°Your mind works wonder sometimes,¡± Sophiamented in surprise. ¡°What do you mean by ''sometimes?'' I am always brilliant, okay?¡± Katherine said indignantly. She cut to the chase afterward. ¡°What did he do this time?¡± Sophia ced a hand over her eyes. ¡°He gave me an agreement today.¡± ¡°What kind of agreement? Is it a prenup? What a jerk! I can''t believe he''s still worried that you may be coveting his assets at this point!¡± ¡°No, not a prenup. It''s a postnuptial agreement. It clearly states on the agreement that he will leave the marriage with nothing to his name should we divorce because of him, meaning all his assets will be mine. He has already signed the paper.¡± Katherine was stunned. She pinched Joshua, who was sitting beside her, in disbelief. ¡°Oh, my god! Are you worried that you may have so much money that you''ll never be able to spend all of it?¡± Sophia was rendered speechless and wondered if she was talking to a wall. ¡°Bye.¡± ¡°Hey! Don''t hang up! My word choice may be unrefined, but the meaning is there, Soph! Think about it. You should know how much Alexander''s worth is! I know you don''tck money, but who would say no to more riches? Putting everything else aside, now that he signed this agreement, if you two get a divorce in the future, you''ll undoubtedly be the richest woman in the world! After considering this matter thoroughly, you''ll find this isn''t such a bad deal.¡± Sophia pondered briefly and realized Katherine''s words actually made sense. ¡°I can''t seem to disagree with you.¡± Joshua, beside Katherine, could not stand listening to more of their conversation. He took the phone away from her. ¡°Sophia.¡± For a moment, Sophia was taken aback. She chuckled after regaining her senses. ¡°Am I interrupting you two?¡± ¡°If you find it too difficult to hold on, just let it go.¡± They were friends who grew up together, after all. Katherine and Joshua both knew the reason behind Sophia''s hesitation. However, Katherine did not want to be too straightforward with Sophia, whereas Joshua did not share her sentiment. On the contrary, he thought it was better to address the issue directly. ¡°It shouldn''t be this difficult to love someone. You don''t have to put yourself through these troubles for the sake of keeping up a resolution you made in the past.¡± You''re already an adult now, Sophia. Why do you still need your friends to counsel you on your rtionships? rity washed over Sophia after listening to Joshua''s advice. ¡°All right. I know what to do now. I''ll stop interrupting you two and hang up the call now. Goodnight.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After she ended the call, Sophia stared at the document on the table and scolded to herself while wearing a smile, ¡°You''re so despicable, Alexander.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Why did I fall for this despicable man? Why him, of all people? After finally reaching a conclusion, she slept soundly through the night. When she woke up the following day, the sun was already shining brightly outside the window. Sophia did not have any meetings that morning, so she did not need to rush to thepany. She received a few messages on her phone after finishing her breakfast. Sophia picked up her phone and saw that Katherine had sent her some WhatsApp messages. She raised her brows and tapped into the application. Katherine was being nosy early in the morning. She had texted: ¡°Soph, hurry up and check your Twitter. I think Melissa is being targeted. There''s a lot of bad news about her circting on Twitter. Her ambassador contracts with a few international brands will be ending in May. With these scandals going around, I doubt she will be able to resume many of her partnerships!¡± Sophia clicked on the link attached by Katherine. The content was filled with damaging information about Melissa, including things that happened before and after her debut. Moreover, the scandals leaked seemed to be definitive cases. She would not be able to weasel out of any of these no matter how she exined it. Those details appeared to have been uploaded online at around two o''clock in the morning, and those articles became the top trending headlines by seven. Melissa''s public rtions team had probably failed to anticipate someone leaking harmful information about her in the middle of the night. Now that news rted to her has be the top trending headline, it is already toote for her public rtions team to do anything about this. After all, these are conclusive proof of her ill behavior, spreading like wildfire on the Inte. No matter what she does now, the public will have something bad to say about her, even if she remains silent. Sophia joined Katherine in browsing through the articles. Only then did she realize there was indeed an abundance of scandals revolving around Melissa. Thetter had given birth to a child five years ago when she had just begun garnering fame, a son who she then abandoned. Putting aside the countless men she had slept with, Melissa had also promised a young local model that she would help her advance her career internationally. In the end, Melissa had instead sent that young model to a pedophilic organization abroad. When the young model''s guardians found out her whereabouts, she was already pregnant. Last year, that young model gave birth to a daughter. Then, she jumped off a building to end her life due to failing to cope with her psychological stress. Melissa''s team had threatened the young model''s family and spent over ten million to keep that incident a secret from the public. That was why no one had heard about the young model''s misfortune before. And now, Melissa''s contemptible actions had been exposed, rming all theizens. Groups of people were now campaigning under the buildings of the brands endorsed by Melissa for them to terminate her ambassador contracts. Judging by the consecutive disclosure of Melissa''s hical behavior, Sophia could figure Melissa was indeed being targeted by someone, even if she did not work in the entertainment industry. At that moment, Katherine sent her a voice message, ¡°Who do you think Melissa offended? That person must be fearless and powerful to have the guts and capability to target an international model like her!¡± Sophia was reminded of something that happenedst afternoon. Alexander was gazing downward when he opened the box and saw the cufflink, so she could not see his facial expression. Nevertheless, Sophia had distinctively sensed his burning wrath for a brief second. Therefore, she reckoned that this incident most likely had something to do with Alexander. Sophia told Katherine she did not know anything about that. Then, she exited the page and stopped herself from gossiping further. Meanwhile, pandemonium reigned on Melissa''s end. She had never anticipated waking up to all her wrongdoings being exposed to the public over one night. Who did I offend? Melissa could not fathom the answer to that question. All of a sudden, Alicia Yarbrough, her manager, yelped, ¡°Alexander! It has to be Alexander!¡± Melissa froze upon hearing his name. ¡°B-But I didn''t do anything.¡± Alicia bored her eyes into Melissa after hearing thetter''s words. She asked, ¡°Did you really do nothing, Melissa?¡± Suddenly, Melissa recalled something. ¡°I-I stumbled into Sophia the other day. I...¡± After listening to her, Alicia lost her mind. ¡°Are you crazy? Why did you provoke that woman? How many times have I warned you? Alexander is not a man you can mess with! We cannot retract those articles because they are on the trending list now. Those mediapanies have refused to give in regardless of how much money we are willing to pay them! You''re done for, Melissa.¡± All colors drained from Melissa''s face as she stared at Alicia in disbelief. ¡°That''s not possible, Ali. We can go overseas. I''m still marketable overseas...¡± ¡°Do you really think you can hide these from those people abroad?¡± No, I can''t. Melissa knew news this big was impossible to contain. Moreover, she had not been doing well overseas in the first ce, and her career had progressively worsened in recent years. Initially, she wanted to target the local market and earn more money while she was still popr. Unexpectedly, she was met with the end of her career upon her return. She was doomed. Chapter 200 Chapter 200 Sophia could not care less about Melissa''s scandals, yet she never imagined the model would ost her at her doorstep out of desperation. A sunsses-wearing Melissa bodily blocked Sophia''s vehicle the second it drove out of the gate. Sophia hastily stepped on the brakes and arched a brow at Melissa. After confirming that Sophia had stopped the car, Melissa walked to the driver''s side window and asked, ¡°Can we talk, Ms. Yarrow?¡± She took off her sunsses, revealing the distress and anxiety in her gaze. It was a far cry from her smug behavior during theirst encounter. Sophia smiled and replied, ¡°I don''t think there''s anything to discuss between us, is there, Ms. Stevens?¡± Melissa was running out of options at that point. She had just returned to the country and could not afford to offend anyone in power. s, all the information that had been leaked overnight showed that someone was clearly intent on ruining her career. Her manager, Alicia, had told her earlier that the mediapanies refused to take down the trending posts. No amount of money could do the job. Alexander was the only person she knew who was both powerful and wealthy enough to do such a thing. Unfortunately, she dared not confront Alexander and eventually settled for tracking down Sophia. Based on their past encounters, Melissa believed Sophia was a timid pushover who would never fight back against her. Melissa asked, ¡°Have you seen the trending topics this morning, Ms. Yarrow? I''m quite sure that Mr. Xenos is behind them.¡± Sophia raised her brow and deadpanned, ¡°You should be looking for Alexander instead of me, then.¡± Her indifference befuddled Melissa, whose expression soured. Sophia''s doing this on purpose, but I can''t rage at her, urgh! In the end, Melissa swallowed her indignance and pleaded, ¡°Can''t we talk about this, Ms. Yarrow? Please?¡± Sophia checked the time and dered, ¡°You have ten minutes.¡± The model nodded gratefully before taking a step back. She thought Sophia would reverse the car back into thepound and wee her into the mansion for a chat. Instead, Sophia merely alighted from her vehicle and approached Melissa. ¡°What would you like to talk about, Ms. Stevens?¡± This was the first time Sophia was voluntarily wasting her time. Luckily for Melissa, Sophia happened to be in a good mood. Melissa nced at Sophia and discreetly appraised her get-up. Thetter wore a long-sleeved, white chiffon top paired with tailored beige cks. The pants legs featured ten-centimeter-long slits near the hem, revealing Sophia''s dainty ankles whenever she moved. Although she was a woman herself, Melissa could not deny that Sophia was the most elegant and gorgeous woman of her acquaintance. Sophia''s stance clearly indicated that she would not be inviting Melissa into the mansion. Despite her displeasure, Melissa knew she was at Sophia''s mercy, and she eventually begged, ¡°Could you please help me, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Sophiaughed at her plea. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Stevens. I''m not much of an altruistic person.¡± ¡°Please help me! I can pay you as much money as you want! I was wrong, and I didn''t mean anything nasty by my past actions. I-I was only jealous of you. Consider this a good deed for a fellow woman, won''t you, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Melissa''s present demeanor was totally different from her arrogant behavior just the day before. Again, Sophia raised her brow and asked, ¡°As much money as I want? Really?¡± It was a whole new ball game if money was on the table. After all, Sophia was a businesswoman, and she loved nothing more than to make more money. Melissa stiffened in surprise, having expected Sophia to jump on the opportunity to humiliate her. Thus, Sophia''s first response flustered her. She stared at Sophia as rumors about thetter''s character crossed her mind. Her contempt and disdain for Sophia returned in full swing. Melissa promptly dropped her damsel-in-distress act as she put her sunsses back on. ¡°How much money are you looking at, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Sophia carefully took in Melissa''s expression and noticed that thetter had reassumed her arrogant demeanor. She could not help but smirk as she questioned, ¡°How much do you think my help is worth, Ms. Stevens?¡± Raising three fingers on her right hand, Melissa asked, ¡°How does this sound?¡± ¡°Thirty million?¡± The words had barely left Sophia''s mouth when Melissa''s expression stiffened. ¡°Thirty million? Ms. Yarrow, don''t you think you''re asking for too much? All you have to do is ask Mr. Xenos for a favor.¡± Sophia stared at her and retorted, ¡°Did you think I would get rid of your scandal for a mere three million, Ms. Stevens?¡± She paused slightly before adding scornfully, ¡°You underestimate yourself, Ms. Stevens. I didn''t think your future was only worth three million!¡± Melissa understood every insult packaged in Sophia''s taunting words. She fumed indignantly, yet she had no one else to turn to for help besides Sophia. She would have sought Thalia''s help if Alexander had not recently booted his younger sister out of the Xenos residence. Not being a fool, Melissa was well aware that Alexander would hardly listen to Thalia after kicking his sister out of the house. Unlike Thalia, however, Sophia conceivably had some sway in the matter. After all, the whole scandal had begun because of her. Hence, Melissa had no choice but to swallow her pride as she begged, ¡°I can''t pay you thirty million right now, Ms. Yarrow. We can¡ª¡± Oh, she''s broke? Sophia had wasted enough time listening to Melissa. She interjected, ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Stevens. Do you have any idea how much money I make a day?¡± ¡°How much do you earn a day?¡± Melissa asked with a frown. ¡°Not much, perhaps in the range of millions.¡± In fact, Sophia had already reduced the number out of prudence. Melissa smiled and jeered, ¡°A lie will onlye back to bite you in the future, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia matched her smile before pointing at the car beside her. ¡°Do you know how much this car is worth?¡± Melissa did not know much about cars, though she knew Sophia''s car came from a luxury brand. She hazarded a guess. ¡°Slightly over a million, I guess.¡± ¡°You don''t know much about cars after all. I''m sure you can Google the price of this car and figure it out yourself, Ms. Stevens.¡± As Sophia spoke, she opened her car door and settled in the driver''s seat. Right before she left, she reminded sweetly, ¡°Oh right, Ms. Stevens. Here''s the car model number in case you need it.¡± After that, Sophia stepped on the gas pedal and zoomed off. Melissa knitted her brows in confusion. Why is she acting like a show-off over this shabby car? Still, she whipped out her phone and Googled Sophia''s car model. Her face turned ashen when she saw the price. It was worth over three million. Oh my God! I offered her three million earlier, and it''s little more than the price of Sophia''s car. Melissa froze in shock. She felt as though she had received a stinging and humiliating p to her face. I came here just to be humiliated by Sophia instead of getting her help! Suddenly, her phone began ringing. When Melissa saw Alicia''s caller ID, she immediately answered the phone, assuming that things had taken a turn for the better. ¡°Ali? Is everything¡ª¡± ¡°Did you meet Sophia yet? Get away from her residence right now! Alexander''s secretary called earlier. He vowed to ruin your career overseas as well if you dared to bother Sophia!¡± Alicia''s words caused Melissa''s face to pale further. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. She knew then that she was truly doomed. Chapter 201 Chapter 201 While in the office, Katherine had gone through all of the scandals that Melissa was involved in when Sophia arrived at Specter Entertainment. Upon noticing thetter''s arrival, Katherine chucked her phone aside. ¡°Did Melissa do anything to you?¡± Sophia gave her a side nce. ¡°Do I look like such a pushover to you?¡± ¡°Not really. I was actually worried about your treatment toward her.¡± Sophia huffed augh in exasperation. ¡°She wanted me to talk to Alexander on her behalf.¡± Katherine snorted. ¡°Such thick skin she has!¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°That might be true!¡± ¡°What prompted her to seek help from you?¡± Sophia mulled over the question. ¡°Perhaps it''s because of the three million she mentioned.¡± Katherine was startled. ¡°What do you mean by that? Did she offer you three million in the hopes that you would persuade Alexander to stop targeting her?¡± Sophia took a sip of coffee from the cup Jonice had handed her before replying, ¡°Yeah.¡± Katherine was bbergasted. ¡°Oh my gosh! Melissa is one of a kind! Did she assume you needed that money?¡± Sophia nced at Katherine. ¡°I would think about it if she offered thirty million.¡± ¡°Why would you even consider that? There''s no need to think about it! She was so cocky around you back then! That woman got Alexander involved in scandals the moment she returned from abroad! She even pulled out his cufflink and made you return it! A scheming b*tch like her deserves to be judged! Soph, you''re rich, so show some self-respect. Are you fine with making concessions over thirty million?¡± ¡°I don''t mind. I''m not as rich as Ms. Famous, after all.¡± Sophia wasn''t so wealthy that she could remain unaffected in the face of thirty million, so she might relent if it meant she would earn that much money without having to even lift a finger. For a moment, Katherine didn''t know what to say. ¡°I get a feeling that you''re mocking me indirectly.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Sophia lifted her head to look at her. ¡°I swear that I''m not mocking you. I was being direct with you.¡± Katherine was speechless. I''m unfriending her! The purpose of Sophia''s visit wasn''t to chat with Katherine. Samuel had informed her the day before that they would be recasting two of the main female supporting roles in Silk Stream that day, so he invited her to drop by if she was free. Sophia rarely ever attended auditions but figured she would check it out with Katherine since Samuel had invited her to, and both Katherine and she had no prior engagements. The audition would be happening in the afternoon, so she came to Specter Entertainment early to get updates as well. They left for Midway Media after lunch. It was likely that Samuel had informed his staff about Sophia''s arrival beforehand as the receptionist treated Sophia politely the moment she came through the main entrance. Such reverence was a stark contrast to the treatment she received several years ago. Katherine walked beside Sophia with sunsses and a cap on. Upon noticing the receptionist''s deferential attitude, she tutted in dismay. ¡°Samuel seems to be quite nice to you nowadays.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°His attitude wasn''t too bad in the past.¡± It was true that people like Samuel, who disliked her in secret and only stood on the sidelines, were better than those who actively mocked and taunted her. Katherine turned to check on Sophia. At that moment, she couldn''t determine whether thetter''s words had a positive or negative connotation. Geez. Talking to smart people is tiring! Soon, they were led into the hall where the audition would be held. Befitting Midway Media''s status as one of the two majorpanies in the entertainment industry, that small hall was way fancier than Specter Entertainment''s main hall. Katherine''s self-control failed the moment she stepped into it. ¡°Soph, this chair feels sofortable. Shall we also renovate our halls?¡± Sophia took the script while studying her in amusement. ¡°Sure. It''s just going to cost three to five million.¡± Katherine got a reality check as soon as money was mentioned. ¡°The chairs we have now are fine! It works wonders for the spine!¡± Sophia arched her brows in response. Meanwhile, the director beside them greeted her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Hello, Mr. Whitehead. This is my friend, Katherine Quinn. Unlike her, I don''t know anything about acting, so would you mind if she watched?¡± The director, Jeremy Whitehead, dared not object to it. ¡°It''s absolutely fine!¡± Ever since Samuel threw a tantrum, everyone in the film crew knew Sophia was acquainted with Alexander. While those who didn''t know much about the situation would assume that to be the case due to her being his ex-wife, those who knew better were well aware that it was apparent from Samuel''s words that their rtionship was way moreplicated than that. Thus, the writers and main cast of the film crew had a shift in attitude toward Sophia. They were even friendly toward Katherine. ¡°It''s an honor to finally meet you, Ms. Quinn. Your performance in Emerald Hairpin was great! I''ve been thinking of working with you!¡± Although Katherine was an A-list celebrity, she didn''t have as many resources as other A-list celebrities under Midway Media. As a result, since Jeremy was also considered famous in the industry, she was ttered beyond words when she heard such obvious words of ttery. After some chit-chat, the audition began. Katherine whispered a question into Sophia''s ear, ¡°How much did you invest in this film? Why are they treating you like you''re a huge investor?¡± Sophia found that odd too. ¡°I only invested a-tenth of what Midway Media invested.¡± Katherine tutted. ¡°Is it because you''re pretty?¡± Sophia smiled and answered, ¡°Perhaps.¡± Both of them stopped talking as the actress in front of them started acting. Sophia didn''t know much about acting, so her thoughts wandered as she watched the actress onstage. Back when she had a meal with the film crew, their attitude toward her was lukewarm at best. So what happened to have changed that? Both roles were important, so they went through a careful selection process even though they only required two actresses. It wasn''t until two hourster that the audition ended. Sophia noticed Samuel as soon as she exited the hall. ¡°Has the audition ended?¡± Sophia nced at him in amusement before replying, ¡°Yeah, it''s done.¡± She figured Samuel must''ve said something to cause such a major change in the film crew''s attitude. While observing Samuel, she asked, ¡°Mr. Schild, shouldn''t the casting have been done a long time ago? Why are you recasting the actresses for the supporting roles?¡± Samuel was slightly embarrassed, for Sophia had cut right to the chase. Already feeling guilty under her stare, he averted his gaze and changed the topic. ¡°Oh, it''s almost six o''clock in the evening! Why don''t we have dinner together? Is Ms. Quinn still on a diet? I know a nice ce for dinner!¡± Katherine was excited at the mention of dinner. ¡°Where is the ce? We were nning to go for dinner too. Since that''s the case, let''s dine together!¡± Her response was just what Samuel needed, so he went along with it without hesitation. ¡°Sure!¡± After that, Katherine looked at Sophia in a conceited manner. ¡°Someone''s buying us a meal!¡± Sophia chided her smilingly, ¡°You dimwit.¡± Given how silly she is, she''ll probably even be grateful to the person who sells her out. Sophia turned to face Samuel. ¡°You wouldn''t happen to have ns with another friend this time, would you?¡± ¡°What a coincidence! Actually, I''ve got a mutual acquaintance of ours joining us. It''s fine, right? The more, the merrier!¡± It wasn''t until then that Katherine btedly realized that she had sold Sophia out over a meal. By then, Samuel had already left. As if worried that they might go back on their word, he told them the address and left for his car at the parking lot downstairs. Sophia stared at Katherine silently with a smile on her face. Katherine felt sheepish under her stare. ¡°I didn''t realize that fast enough.¡± Sophia heaved a sigh and raised her hand to caress her head. ¡°It''s fine. You never expected Samuel to be so shameless anyway.¡± Katherine was righteously angry as well. ¡°Yeah! He used me shamelessly!¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°I didn''t expect you to be this shameless either, selling me out for a meal like that.¡± Katherine paused for a moment. Did she just scold me in a roundabout manner? Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Though Samuel could be a scoundrel at times, he was still a generous guy since he was willing to spend several thousand on a meal just to help Alexander. As Katherine had two sses of plum wine after the meal, Joshua came personally to get her. Sophia did not drink, but she decided to leave as well. Neither she nor Alexander said a word. Samuel gazed at the couples before him and brushed his face to hide his wistful smile. The weather had been pleasant recently. Even the night breeze was much gentler. Sophia gazed at the silhouettes ahead and marveled at their inseparability. It''s been a whole night, and the fellow behind me hasn''t said much. How patient. She was about to enter her car when the man behind her finally spoke. ¡°Has Melissae to you?¡± Sophia turned around to regard him with her eyebrows raised. Alexander''s gaze appeared more tender than usual under the yellowish street lights. His dark eyes remained fixed on her. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Alexander frowned at her response. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Sophia gazed at him. ¡°Do you know what she said to me?¡± This was the first time Sophia willingly initiated a conversation with him since their divorce. Alexander pursed his lips and swallowed. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°She said she would give me three million to get you to dispel the rumors.¡± Sophia smiled faintly as she spoke. The streemps reflected in her eyes twinkled. Alexander''s heart skipped a beat. The gentle breeze, cool but not cold, did not help soothe the heat rising in him. ¡°Ignore her.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°I will say yes if she offers me thirty million instead.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°It''s a lot of money for not much work, anyway.¡± Alexander became uncharacteristically at a loss for words. Upon regaining hisposure, his brows ckened, and heughed alongside her. ¡°Indeed.¡± Sophia grew solemn again. ¡°You see, Alexander? I''m actually selfish and possessive. Nobody is allowed to touch or look at what belongs to me.¡± There was no levity in her eyes this time. ¡°Is that so?¡± Alexander lowered his gaze and took a step closer. ¡°I''m that way too.¡± ¡°So...¡± Sophia paused. ¡°We don''t belong together. Two people who are too simr aren''t suited for one another.¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Alexander''s breath caught in his throat, and his mind went nk. Having thought Sophia would take him back, he did not expect her to say the exact opposite instead. He stood there helplessly as the twinkle in his eyes dimmed, leaving behind a bottomless pit of despair. The couple againpsed into silence, broken by the asional horn as the whoosh of passing traffic stirred the stillness between them. Several momentster, Sophia opened her car door. ¡°It''s gettingte.¡± She was already seated in her car at her promation and, with a roar of the engine, headed for the open road. Regaining his senses with a start, Alexander got into his car and went after her. It had been a long time since Sophia indulged in speed. She gazed coolly at the car that was tailing hers closely through the rearview mirror and stepped on the gas. Suddenly, her phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number. Sophia did not n to answer it. She then slowed down after Alexander''s car was so far behind that it became a speck in the mirror. Two secondster, the phone rang again. Sophia picked up upon stopping at a red light. ¡°Hello, Sophia speaking.¡± ¡°It''s me, Sophia. Slow down¡ªI won''t give chase.¡± It was Alexander. I''d blocked his work and private numbers. He must have gotten a new one. The traffic lights would change a lot quicker at night, and it was going to turn green in another five seconds. ¡°All right. I''m hanging up,¡± Sophia answered before instinctively reaching for her cheek, which felt slightly warm. Giving her head a shake, she drove on when the lights turned green. This time, however, she cruised. From her rearview mirror, she saw Alexander maintaining a careful distance of about a hundred meters behind her. I might have taken it too far tonight. Sophia entered her residential area and, upon parking her car in the garage, heard the doorbell. She was hesitant to open the door at the recollection of Alexander''s call earlier. As she was deliberating, a knock sounded. Sophia froze. When she regained herposure, he was banging on the door with increased urgency. She walked over to open the door indignantly. ¡°Since when did you start breaking¡ª¡± Sophia faltered mid-sentence. Her heart skipped a beat when she met Alexander''s gaze, and she fought an urge to avert hers. Alexander prevented her from looking away by lifting her chin. ¡°Did you do that on purpose?¡± Sophia wrenched his hand away. Though her expression was calm, her mind was a mess. ¡°Do what on purpose?¡± Alexander''s eyes bore into hers. Under the fluorescent light, his eyes sparkled like stars in the gxy. Stunned by the intensity of his gaze, Sophia momentarily forgot to look away. He bent down to press his forehead against hers. ¡°I saw that, Sophia.¡± He knew from her triumphant smile and the flutter in her eyes that she said those things to make him feel bad. Though Alexander intended to teach her a lesson, he could not bring himself to at how nk she looked when she returned his gaze. Atst, he conceded by nting a kiss on her lips. ¡°Believe me, Sophia. We are meant for each other,¡± he whispered. Alexander kissed her once and retreated like a gentleman. Sophia also took a step back. ¡°Don''t bang on my door again.¡± Alexander turned around to shut the door behind him. ¡°As you wish.¡± Sophia''s cheeks flushed. Despite being usuallyposed, she could not cate her racing heart at that moment. She nced at him again before turning around to head up the stairs. Alexander followed her. He plopped himself down on the couch on the second floor and awaited a drink. Sophia managed to calm herself after having some water in the kitchen. She then brought two fresh sses and slid one over to Alexander. ¡°We can give it a shot, but I have one condition.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± Alexander epted the ss, but his gaze fell on the one in her hand. Sophia''s drink would taste sweeter. Sophia took a sip before she spoke. ¡°We cannot publicize our rtionship yet.¡± ¡°All right.¡± She raised her brow incredulously when he answered without hesitation. ¡°Don''t you want to think about it?¡± ¡°I don''t need to.¡± I have waited so long for this day. Why would I turn her down for something so trivial? Little did Alexander know, he woulde to regret that decision soon. Chapter 203 Chapter 203 Sophia was awakened by her rm the following morning. Sunlight was already streaming through the curtains when she opened her eyes, and she could tell it was a pleasant day. She pushed herself up into a seated position. Her cheeks grew warm upon recalling Alexander''s kiss the night before. If it weren''t for that phone call, Alexander would probably have ravished me. ¡°Heat up some water, Genie.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Giving her head a little shake, Sophia got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. I have much to do at Sunshine Group today. There''s also that lunch appointment. The doorbell rang just when Sophia was done washing up. She frowned. Who''s here this early in the morning? Sophia checked who was outside via her surveince cameras and froze in surprise when she saw Alexander at the entrance before going downstairs to answer the door. ¡°What are you doing here so early?¡± ¡°I''m sending my girlfriend to work.¡± Alexander exited his car, which he had driven here himself. Sophia turned to grant him entry. ¡°Oh. Come on in.¡± As soon as she turned around, Sophia felt something warm enclosing her hand. She looked down and saw it was tightly in Alexander''s. It was her first time being in such close proximity to a man and her first time having her hand held. Sophia could not put her finger on that feeling rising within her. It was a mixture of embarrassment and also of warmth. She looked up at Alexander and found him staring at her. Sophia blushed. ¡°Don''t look at me like that, Alexander.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± He frowned as if he did not understand. Sophia pursed her lips. ¡°It''s not proper.¡± ¡°How is it not proper?¡± Alexander hardly used to speak back then. Now, he''s as inquisitive as Katherine. Sophia was annoyed by his questions. ¡°It''s just not proper. Why would there be any reason for it?¡± She did not dare tell him that the way he looked at her made her feel like a b of tasty meat. As they were all adults, Sophia did not dare employ suggestive innuendos. Alexander noticed her ears were tinged pink. He tightened his grip around her hand, swallowed hard, and averted his gaze with difficulty. ¡°All right,¡± he said softly. Once they were up the stairs, Sophia retracted her hand to serve the drinks. Alexander pursed his lips at his empty hand before cing the food he had brought on the dining table. He then received a mug she slid over while gazing at the one in her hand. ¡°I like your mug.¡± Sophia''s mug had been bought from a trip abroad with Katherine several years ago. It was a painted mug with a unique design. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°I got it abroad.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Alexander answered. ¡°Can I take a picture of it?¡± Sophia shot him a look before sliding the mug over. Wow. Alexander was not lying. He really is taking a picture. Sophia recalled how he used to stare at her mug and realized with a start that she may have misunderstood him. Could he be purely interested in my mug without a motive? She had not considered that. Alexander hade with a lot of food. He must have bought a little of everything because he did not know what she liked. Sophia surveyed the dozen or so varieties on the table. ¡°I like oatmeal and not pasta.¡± ¡°I''ll get you some oatmeal tomorrow,¡± Alexander said at once. ¡°All right.¡± It was half past eight when they finished their breakfast. ¡°I''ll drive myself to work.¡± If I went in his car, anybody with half a brain would know that we were in a rtionship. ¡°All right. Would you like to have lunch together?¡± Sophia giggled at that. ¡°Are you that free these days?¡± He did not even have time for lunch back then! ¡°I always have time for you.¡± Sophia stared at him. The tinge of red that had subsided once again rose to her ears. ¡°What has Samuel been teaching you?¡± Alexander shook his head. ¡°He didn''t teach me anything. I''m speaking from the heart.¡± He never understood how one could say such nauseating things, but now he knew. Words tend to form themselves when one gazes at the one they love. Sophia lowered her head to take a sip of her water. Alexander is different from how he used to be. Now, I can''t evenst two sentences against him. ¡°Have you had enough to eat?¡± he asked suddenly. Sophia looked up at him and nodded. ¡°I have.¡± She did not usually eatrge breakfasts, so it only took a few of the many buns and pastries Alexander bought to satiate her. He leaned over suddenly. ¡°Can I kiss you, Sophia?¡± Though he posited it as a question, his lips were already upon hers as soon as he spoke. Sophia grunted. Her grip around the mug tightened before slowly rxing. After forcing apart her lips, he began his assault. An instantter, all Sophia could taste was his breath. His kisses were assertive and forceful, and she feared that he was about to swallow her whole. Her body became warm due to the heat radiating from Alexander, as if her blood was boiling. Sophia momentarily regained herposure when he lifted her off the chair. ¡°Al¡ª¡± She tried calling his name, but he stifled her. When it finally ended, Sophia felt as limp as a de of grass in the aftermath of a tempest. She clung onto Alexander''s shoulders with her eyes closed. Between her breaths, she could hear him panting softly. His skin was searing, like a freshly boiled egg. Sophia attempted to slide off him, but Alexander maintained a firm grip. ¡°Stay put, Sophia.¡± He bent down to gaze at her with his deep, dark eyes. Sophia blushed at the memory of being pressed beneath him not long before and did not dare move again. After a long while, she could not take it anymore. ¡°Alexander?¡± Soft by default, her voice did not convey the sternness she intended, and it made him weak at the knees. Alexander''s heart raced when he heard his name uttered in such a manner. His heat, which had just dissipated, began to rise again. However, he knew he could not continue. Alexander bent down to kiss Sophia on the forehead. ¡°All right, I won''t torment you any longer.¡± After cing her back onto the chair he had picked her up from, he rose to his feet. ¡°Wait for me.¡± As she stared at his back, she touched her forehead and smiled surreptitiously. We''re pretty good together. After that, Alexander tailed Sophia and only drove away after watching her enter Sunshine Group. Felix noticed Alexander''s excellent mood that morning and, taking advantage of his employer''s good humor, hastened to tell thetter about Kristen. Alexander frowned after Felix finished. ¡°Ignore her.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos.¡± Felix was about to leave when Alexander called after him. ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Have somebody make me a blue mug like the one in this picture. I want it to look like a set with this one,¡± Alexander added after a pause. Felix peered at the photograph on Alexander''s phone and wondered what possessed thetter to acquire such a specific mug. As a secretary worth his salt, he was primed to obey his employer''s wishes. ¡°Of course, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°One more thing. Send the finished product to Sophia.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow?¡± Felix was astonished. Alexander red at him. ¡°Who else?¡± Flustered, Felix hurriedly sent the photograph to himself before saying, ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos. Noted.¡± His thinking cleared after leaving the office and Alexander''s dominating presence. Suddenly, his eyes widened in disbelief upon arriving at a conclusion. Could Mr. Xenos have won Ms. Yarrow back? As Alexander''s secretary, Felix was sharp as a tack. Chapter 204 Chapter 204 ¡°Did something good happen, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Yvonne asked curiously, as she could tell that Sophia was in a good mood. ¡°Huh?¡± Sophia raised a brow upon hearing that. ¡°It seems like you''re in a good mood today.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Gosh! Is it that obvious? Yvonne merely nodded in response. She dared not probe further, worrying if she appeared too nosy. ¡°Well, I guess you can say so.¡± Feeling embarrassed, Sophia gave Yvonne a once-over as she spoke. After a brief pause, she quickly changed the topic of conversation. ¡°Oh, right. Please keep an eye on Expedite, and inform me when they are nning for their shareholders'' meeting.¡± I must attend the meeting to give Tobias a ¡°surprise.¡± ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow,¡± Yvonne responded and sensibly left the room. Sophia instinctively reached for her cheek when she was alone in the office. Indeed, it was slightly warm. When it was almost noon, Sophia prepared to attend her lunch appointment. She was keen to invest in apany raising financing for the fourth time. Of course, she would not be able to earn as much as the early-stage investors by then. However, since thepany had been on the rise, she had high hopes for their revenues. After all, there wasn''t any overnight sess in life. When Sophia and Yvonne arrived at the hotel, the business owner was already waiting for them in the private room. ¡°I''m sorry for the wait, Mr. Landon.¡± ¡°What''s with the courtesy, Ms. Yarrow? We arrived too early, honestly!¡± Sophia smiled in response and took her seat. This guy is moreposed than I expected. Once they were done eating, they started discussing the main business. ¡°Eighty million for fifteen percent shares. This is the highest price we can offer, Mr. Landon.¡± During the first three rounds of capital funding activities, Jaron Landon had raised three million, fifteen million, and thirty-five million, respectively. As of then, he wanted to secure one hundred forty million by selling twenty-five percent of his shares. To Sophia, such a price was a little too high. Even though she started investing many years ago, she had never invested any amount of more than one hundred million. As a conservative investor, she preferred earning her money slowly. That was also the reason why she would always choose low-risk investments. Even though she was rich, she was still careful with her money and cared about the eighty million she might lose. This is already the fourth round of funding. It''s still uncertain if they can secure three hundred million later during the fifth round of funding. Hmm. If they couldn''t make it by then, I might also lose my eighty million. In truth, the amount Sophia had offered was already pushing the limits of Jaron''s bottom line. At this point, one of Sunshine Group or Jaron would have to take a loss if they could note to an agreement on what Sophia offered. Anyhow, Jaron was wholly impressed by Sophia''s negotiating skills. ¡°I see what you mean, Ms. Yarrow. But I''m afraid I can''t provide you with an answer now.¡± ¡°I''ll wait for your reply. Can you please get back to me within three days?¡± Sophia responded with a smile. ¡°Sure!¡± Since they were both people of great wisdom, they knew some words were better left unsaid. ¡°I''ll walk you out, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia arched an eyebrow upon hearing that. Nheless, she did not decline his offer. Coincidentally, Alexander had alsoe to the hotel for a project meeting. As soon as Sophia exited the private room, she immediately caught sight of Alexander. A group of people was crowding around him at the moment. There were so many people, but Sophia spotted Alexander at first nce. Perhaps the man with an imposing aura was easily recognizable with his perfectly sculpted side profile and exquisite facial features. Sure enough, Alexander had also noticed Sophia''s presence. As he turned around and walked past the crowd surrounding him, he looked over and caught sight of the man standing beside Sophia. He could not help furrowing his brows at that. As for Sophia, she retracted her gaze after shing Alexander a smile. ¡°You don''t have to see me out, Mr. Landon.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Jaron was quite an impressive individual though he was only thirty-three years old. Three years ago, he returned to the country as a professor. As of then, he had already kick-started his own business. After bidding Jaron goodbye, Sophia cast Yvonne a nce. ¡°You can take your leave now, Ms. Leighton. I''ll drive myself back.¡± Since Sophia had already nned to head back to the mansion right after the meal, she drove to the hotel herself earlier. ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne nodded in response. Unexpectedly, Alexander was still there. ¡°Eh? I thought you''d left.¡± ¡°Nope. I didn''t drive here,¡± Alexander replied after giving her a look. ¡°Should I call a cab for you, Mr. Xenos?¡± queried Sophia with an eyebrow arched. As she spoke, a sweet, bright smile blossomed on her face. Feeling a fluttering pulse, Alexander narrowed his eyes and swallowed hard. As he directed his gaze elsewhere to contain himself, he uttered, ¡°Don''t smile like that in public.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± Sophia felt a warm blush rise to her cheeks at that. After she took out the car key to unlock her car, Alexander casually got into the passenger seat. Before starting the engine, Sophia swept her gaze over him. ¡°You don''t have things to attend to in the afternoon?¡± ¡°There''s nothing urgent.¡± Alexander leaned against the back of the seat and looked at her. ¡°Are we heading home?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sophia raised her eyebrow and averted her gaze from him. As she drove toward their destination, she could sense that the man was still gazing at her passionately. After stopping the car at a red light, she looked at him with an arched brow. ¡°Don''t your eyes get tired?¡± He has been looking at me all this while... ¡°No. I''m not tired. Hmm. Are you shy?¡± Sophia nced at the traffic light ahead of her and uttered, ¡°Well, I''m not.¡± Since Sophia thought she looked just fine, Alexander naturally wasn''t going to expose her. N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°The light has turned green.¡± Having heard that, Sophia hit the gas, and the engine was restarted. The man lowered his head and curled his lips into a smile. Eventually, he averted his gaze elsewhere, worrying that she might be disturbed. As for Sophia, she let out a sigh of relief silently as she gradually calmed herself down. Along the way, nobody uttered another word. It was not until the car was pulled into the garage that Sophia unbuckled her safety belt and voiced, ¡°We''re here.¡± Getting no response, she looked toward the man and realized that he seemed to have fallen asleep. His eyes were tightly shut as he sat in the passenger seat. ¡°Alexander?¡± Sophia called out with an eyebrow raised. The man did not even move a muscle. After giving it some thought, she leaned forward and undid his seat belt. Once it was undone, she noticed the man had already ced a hand on her waist. It was also then that Alexander slowly opened his eyes. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace the next instant. It''s hot. Sophia lifted her hand and rested it on his shoulder, putting some distance between them. Looking straight at the man, she questioned, ¡°You tricked me?¡± ¡°No.¡± After a brief pause, he added, ¡°I would never trick you.¡± Sophia merely grunted at that. Unknowingly, a hint of coyness wasced in her voice as she grumbled, ¡°I thought you''d already fallen asleep.¡± How she dragged herst word made Alexander feel an inexplicable heat rising from his body. As he gazed at her bright eyes, he could clearly see his reflection. What is up with what I''m feeling now? Alexander felt an unfathomable emotion at that moment. Even his nose began to tingle. He reached out and held the back of her head. Hugging her tightly, he exined, ¡°I didn''t sleep well last night, so I''m a little tired.¡± Smiling, Sophia leaned on his shoulder. ¡°Lack of sleep? What were you thinking aboutst night, Mr. Xenos?¡± she questioned despite knowing the answer. ¡°Thinking about you.¡± As she lowered her head and caught sight of his cufflink, she was instantly reminded of the piece of cufflink that he had thrown away. ¡°Can you give me one of these cufflinks?¡± ¡°Anything you want. You can even take all of them.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I don''t need so many.¡± After removing the cufflink from his left shirt sleeve, she pushed open the car door. ¡°Let''s get out of the car.¡± Alexander let go of her, and she then exited the vehicle. Before heading upstairs, she nced at the cufflink in the palm of her hand and beamed with satisfaction. Unbeknownst to her, every gesture of hers melted Alexander''s heart. My Sophia is indeed adorable. Chapter 205 Chapter 205 Shortly after Alexander went upstairs, Sophia had already prepared two mugs of water. She sipped from one and handed him the other. Alexander reached out to take the mug from her and finished it in one go. Then, he walked toward the couch, loosening his tie as he called out to her, ¡°Sophia,e over here.¡± However, she didn''t intend to do that. ¡°I''m going upstairs to change.¡± She had dressed more formally that day for her meeting with Jaron. After Alexander had hugged her earlier, she didn''t feelfortable in this outfit anymore. He did not follow her and sat on the couch, watching her as she made her way upstairs. Alexander was the only one left in the living room now. As he sat on the couch, he stared at the mug that Sophia had left behind. With a twitch of his brow, he pulled out his phone and called Felix. Felix was just feeling torn on whether he should be a wet nket by calling Alexander to subtly remind him to take care of the giant pile of documents that needed his signature. Thus, he didn''t expect Alexander to contact him first. When he saw the caller ID, Felix nearly shed tears from how moved he was. I''m so touched. You can be kind after all, Mr. Xenos! ¡°Hello, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Is the mug already in production?¡± The expectant Felix didn''t expect the first thing Alexander would ask about was the mug. He cleared his throat and replied, ¡°I''ve already contacted the relevant personnel regarding that. But the earliest you''ll be able to receive it is the day after tomorrow.¡± Alexander frowned slightly. ¡°Try to hurry it up. I''m willing to pay any amount.¡± ¡°Okay... I understand, Mr. Xenos... Um, Mr. Xenos, this afternoon¡ª¡± Without waiting for him to finish, Alexander said, ¡°That''ll be all. Bye.¡± Felix stared at the words ¡°Call Ended¡± on his phone, feeling like he was about to go crazy. Sophia changed into something more casual and came back downstairs to see Alexander just getting off the phone. ¡°Was that from Mr. Lane?¡± she asked with raised brows. ¡°No.¡± Alexander turned toward her and lied through his teeth. Sophia stared at him for a moment. ¡°Aren''t you sleepy?¡± She lifted her hand and pointed to the guest room. ¡°You should be familiar with that room now.¡± Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. He''s already slept in there twice. She didn''t know when, but Alexander''s shirt''s first two buttons had been unbuttoned. when he leaned back against the couch, the cor opened up and revealed his corbones. Sophia swept her gaze over him and looked away, her face growing hot. ¡°Would you like some fruits?¡± He hummed in response. Alexander watched as she went into the kitchen, and she very quickly reappeared with a te of fresh- cut apples and strawberries. All of which were not his favorites. Sophia set the te in front of him, saw how he was looking at her, and let out a giggle. ¡°Oh, I forgot you don''t like strawberries and apples.¡± When sheughed, the corners of her eyes would be lifted ever so slightly. The smug look in her eyes reminded him of a cat who had sessfully nabbed a piece of fish. Alexander loved seeing her smile like that. It waspletely different from the frosty way she used to look at him. Noticing his silence, Sophia thought that he was upset. ¡°Tsk! Would you look at that, Alexander? You''re so petty! You get upset over the smallest things.¡± As she said thatst sentence, she used her thumb and index finger to indicate how small she meant before shoving her hand in his face. Alexander grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. ¡°You''re right. I get upset over the smallest of things.¡± Seeing that she wanted to run away, he tightened his grip on her. ¡°Who was that man?¡± ¡°A client.¡± He scoffed, ¡°He''s a pretty handsome guy.¡± Sophia stuffed a strawberry in her mouth and said, ¡°He''s quite all right.¡± Right after she spoke, Alexander piped up with an unrted question, ¡°Is that strawberry sweet?¡± ¡°It is. Alex¡ª¡± His kiss had taken her by surprise. As soon as she swallowed the strawberry and answered his question, he quickly pressed his lips to hers and began his assault. Surrounded by his refreshing scent, Sophia felt like she was floating yet sinking at the same time. The kiss was deep and intense, making her feel a little breathless. As her breathing grew heavier, Alexander''s arm tightened around her waist. He felt like he couldn''t get close enough and even wished he could envelop her body with his own. Alexander had never expected that he would love someone this much. He longed for her when he couldn''t be with her and was the same even now that he had her. Alexander''s eyes were darker than usual when they broke away from each other. With as much control as he could muster, he lowered his head and gazed at Sophia, who was blushing fiercely from the kiss. The jealousy he had been feeling finally dissipated. Alexander embraced her tightly before leaning back against the seatnguidly. He let out a deep chuckle and said, ¡°It is sweet.¡± Sophia leaned against his chest, hisughter and his words the only thing she was able to hear. She lowered her gaze, and a smile broke out on her face. The sunlight from the afternoon sun peeked through the window and illuminated the peacefully silent living room. Afterposing herself, she raised her head and looked at Alexander. ¡°It''s one o''clock. Why don''t you go take a nap in the guest room?¡± Now that she was looking at him up close, she could see that his under-eyes were rather dark. Alexander was telling the truth when he said he didn''t sleep wellst night. Sophia agreeing to be in a rtionship with him was like a dreame true. To be honest, he wasn''t sure if this was real or not, and he feared that if he slept, everything would turn out to be just a dream. He spent the entire night on the bed thinking about Sophia''s smirk before she climbed into the car. He recalled the beautiful fairies that were in the storybooks Eloise used to read to him when he was a child. If fairies existed in this world, they would definitely be like Sophia. While he was lost in his thoughts, Sophia removed herself from his arms and stood up. Alexander looked up at her. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I don''t need to go to the office in the afternoon.¡± He cocked an eyebrow and said, ¡°You sure have a lot of free time for an assistant.¡± ¡°Yeah. It''s a part-time job anyway.¡± Sophia wasn''t nning on hiding it from him and decided to tell him since he had asked. ¡°Part-time?¡± ¡°Can''t I do that?¡± ¡°It''s not that you can''t.¡± I''ve just never heard of such a part-time job. Sophia nced at her phone. ¡°It''s five minutes past one now.¡± Alexander stared at her for a few seconds before heading to the guest room. Sophia gazed at his retreating figure. After he disappeared into the guest room, she lifted her hand and pressed her palm to her face. Didn''t he use to behave as if everyone owed him a living? Why is he so sweet with his words now? ¡°Sophia.¡± His husky voice rang out from the guest room. Sophia collected her thoughts and went over. She stood at the door and saw him sitting on the edge of the bed. ¡°Is there something you need, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°I don''t have any pajamas, so I can''t go to sleep.¡± Sophia raised her brows. ¡°Is a bathrobe okay?¡± ¡°No.¡± He lifted a hand and gestured to her. ¡°Come over here.¡± ¡°What''s wrong?¡± As she was aware of his habit of pulling her into his arms, Sophia remained where she was. ¡°Come here, Sophia.¡± He called out to her again, an exasperated yet fond look in his eyes. Sophia squirmed under his gaze and relented. ¡°Don''t hug me again.¡± She had never experienced it before, but she knew what would happen when a man and a woman were alone in a room together. Alexander''s eyshes trembled slightly. ¡°You''re overthinking it.¡± As he spoke, he turned to the side and pulled out a box from the bedside table. Sophia recognized it and couldn''t help but freeze when she saw it. When she regained her senses, Alexander had already taken out the bracelet. He unbuttoned her sleeve and fastened the bracelet around her wrist. ¡°It''s lovely.¡± He paused and looked up at her. ¡°I''m talking about your hand, Sophia.¡± She lowered her eyes and gazed at the bracelet on her left wrist. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Can you express your gratitude through your actions?¡± Sophia lifted her head to look at him. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I''ll be able to fall asleep with you in my arms.¡± ¡°Jeez! In your dreams, Alexander!¡± Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Alexander must have actually been exhausted as he fell into a slumber within minutes. Sophia looked at her hand that was tightly grabbed by the man and attempted to pull her hand out. However, the moment she moved, he tightened his grip. The weather was great that day, and sunlight streamed through the windows at the side. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The snoozing Alexander was well-behaved and only held her hand as promised. Sophia lowered her head and gazed at his face. She thought Alexander looked a lot more approachable with his eyes shut. Seeing the man''s unbuttoned cor billow as a gust of chilly breeze swept by, she grabbed the thin nket by the side and covered it over his body. In truth, she did not intend to take an afternoon nap since she had turned in early the night before. But now, she could head nowhere else other than keeping Alexanderpany in the guest room as she could not loosen herself from Alexander''s tight grip. After staying in the room for some time, Sophia felt somewhat sleepy. Nevertheless, she was startled awake by the doorbell even before she could fall asleep. Sophia furrowed her brows and turned to look at Alexander. The man, who was lying on the bed, opened his eyes and stared at her groggily. She seized the opportunity to retract her hand. ¡°Go to sleep. I''ll head downstairs.¡± With that said, she turned and left before he could speak. Sophia walked to the door in her slippers, only to find Katherine with her sunsses on standing outside. Surprised, she asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Katherine looked over her shoulder in a mysterious manner. ¡°Let''s go! Let''s head inside and talk!¡± At that, Sophia tilted her body slightly to make way for Katherine. As soon as Katherine entered, she ran upstairs straight. Sophia closed the door and trailed behind her. Shortly after making her way up the stairs, Sophia saw Alexander standing along the corridor. Beside him was Katherine, who had her gaze fixated on the man dazedly. Seeing Sophia''s presence, Katherine snapped out of her train of thought. ¡°Sophia, what''s going on between you and him?¡± ¡°Have some water and hear my excuses.¡± When Sophia finished her sentence, she instantly felt a little embarrassed. Nheless, she kept a calm look on her face. ¡°I misspoke. I meant hear me exin myself.¡± Katherine snorted and was about to say something, but as her gazended on Alexander, she swallowed her words back and, instead, said, ¡°Why don''t you exin then?¡± The smile on his face disappeared, and his expression grew immensely chilly. Finally, he nced at Sophia. ¡°I''ll head back to thepany.¡± Of course, Sophia was more than happy to hear him say that. ¡°Okay.¡± Since there was the presence of a third party, Alexander nodded, grabbed his tie and coat on the couch, and trotted downstairs right after. Soon, the sound of a car engine came from downstairs. Alexander left. Following that, Katherine pulled Sophia to the couch. ¡°Did you two reconcile?¡± Sophia ced a cup in front of Katherine. ¡°Would you believe me if I say no?¡± Katherine let out a derisive snort. ¡°Do you take me as a fool, Soph? Even a three-year-old wouldn''t believe your words!¡± Sophia pursed her lips. ¡°You certainly aren''t a fool. But given your intelligence, perhaps you might believe me, no?¡± Katherine fell silent for a moment. It seemed like a thought shed across her mind after gulping a mouthful of water. ¡°Hey, hey, hey. Stop avoiding giving me an answer. Don''t try to change the subject either! Did you get back together with Alexander?¡± Sophia did not have the intention of keeping her in the dark. Leaning back on the couch, she chuckled. ¡°It''s a yes and a no.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? There should only be an answer to that question¡ªa yes or a no. He has even stepped foot in here, yet you''re still telling me it''s a yes and a no?¡± Embarrassment inundated Sophia. ¡°I agreed to start dating him again and see if things work for us.¡± ¡°That''s the same as getting back together with him! Oh gosh. That jerk is snatching you away from me again! How annoying!¡± The furious Katherine gulped down the whole cup of water. ¡°Pour me another cup!¡± Sophia poured her another cup of water and stared at her in exasperation. ¡°Have you calmed down?¡± Gulping down another half a cup of water, Katherine regained someposure. ¡°So, has he transferred all his assets to you?¡± Sophia was both stunned and amused by those words. ¡°Do you only have your eyes on money?¡± ¡°Well, of course. Money is a sensitive topic. Talking too much about it will hurt rtionships, and so is it the other way around. If that''s so, wouldn''t it be perfect if all we care about is money?¡± For that mere moment, Sophia thought Katherine''s sophistry made some sense. ¡°Has Joshua transferred all his assets to you then?¡± Katherine nodded. ¡°Yes. Didn''t I tell you? Oh, I must have been too happy and forgot to tell you about it.¡± Sophia thought Katherine was showing off and shed an ambiguous smile at her. ¡°You did that on purpose, huh?¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Then, Katherine contained her cheekiness and became solemn. ¡°No matter what kind of decision you make, as long as you''re happy and won''t go through the same heartache again, I''m fine with it. That also applies if you want to marry him again.¡± At this point, she suddenly heaved a sigh. ¡°Joshua said Alexander is a capable guy. They''ve interacted before, and he says Alexander is still good enough for you.¡± Sophia was a little touched. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Let''s not talk about this anymore. Anyway, I was shopping with Joshua earlier. Out of nowhere, some paparazzi appeared. I''m so mad!¡± But then again, I gained an unexpected insight. I can''t believe this rich woman has actually found herself a man. Thinking about that, Katherine felt a little upset. Sophia raised an eyebrow. ¡°It''s been over half a year since you registered your marriage. When do you two intend to make your rtionship public?¡± That had Katherine stumped for a moment. ¡°Actually, I intend to make it public after winning the Emmy Award.¡± Hearing that, Sophia chortled. ¡°Oh, I guess you probably don''t intend to make your rtionship public then.¡± ¡°Aww... Don''t you feel your conscience getting pricked for attacking me like this?¡± Sophia drank a mouthful of water. ¡°No, because I don''t have a conscience.¡± Katherine was rendered speechless. Gosh... Farewell, my friend. Farewell! Katherine''s appearance at Sophia''s house was, in truth, her running away from trouble. She found it bizarre that the paparazzi would still be tailing her when her poprity had gone downhill. Later, Sophia ordered some food to be delivered for them to snack on. The two good friends chatted for over two hours before Katherine received a call from Jonice. She put on her sunsses and left after that. With that, Sophia was left all alone in the mansion. She sat on the couch, and her eyes began to turn red-rimmed as she recalled Katherine''s words: Don''t worry¡ªwe will always be your pir of support. She pulled a weak smile on her face as she lifted her hand to wipe the tears that had welled up in her eyes. Hearing the sound of the car engine outside, she whipped her head and directed her line of vision toward the balcony. It''s great to have Katherine as my friend. At about six that evening, Sophia was nning to order food delivery. But before she did, Alexander called. Upon concluding the call, she headed upstairs and changed into a sky-blue dress with yellow floral prints. After that, she left the house in her car. It was more than half a month into April, and springtime in Jadeborough had almost ended. When Sophia arrived at the restaurant, Alexander was already waiting for her at a table. He had reserved a booth that was at one corner of the restaurant. From afar, Sophia spotted him on his phone. Alexander''s facial features were so outstanding the twodies at the neighboring table could not resist staring at him. Perhaps he had noticed their intense stares, for he was frowning while talking on his phone. Sophia tutted. He looks equally cold and arrogant as the second time I met him back then. Putting away her random thoughts, she walked toward the table and sat down. Noticing her arrival, Alexander hung up the phone immediately. ¡°That''s a pretty dress.¡± Sophia lowered her gaze and nced at her dress. ¡°Thank you. I love it too.¡± ¡°But I think you look prettier.¡± As he said that, he poured her a cup of coffee. ¡°Be careful. It''s hot.¡± Sophia watched the man shift the cup over to her. When she reached out to grab the cup, Alexander had yet to retract his hand, and the tips of his fingers brushed across the back of her hand lightly, though she was unsure if it was intentional or not. Sophia felt her heart skip a beat. However, she did not say a word and merely lowered her head to sip on the coffee. With his eyes fixed on her, Alexander narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°So, what excuses did you use?¡± Chapter 207 Chapter 207 Sophia choked a little and raised her gaze at him. ¡°Mr. Xenos, what excuses did you think I used?¡± Alexander noticed Sophia would call him Mr. Xenos whenever she was mad at him and call him by his name whenever she was in a good mood. He stared at her and curved his thin lips upward. ¡°I think you told her the truth.¡± ¡°Oh? Then I''m afraid I''ve let you down this time.¡± Sophia snorted. ¡°I told Katherine you came to take something you left at my ce.¡± ¡°Why would I look disheveled when I only went there to take something?¡± Sophia was startled at that. Then, she got reminded of how he took off his tie and loosened the buttons on his cor. She could not help but think Alexander deliberately set up a trap for her. She ced her cup away and chuckled. ¡°I told her I beat you up after you embarrassed and angered me.¡± Naturally, Alexander did not believe in that. Still, he remembered what Sophia told her, and he knew he was not in the right ce to interfere with how she described her rtionship with him to the people around her, including Katherine. No matter what she chose to tell her friends, he knew they could only maintain as friends in front of the public. Alexander suddenly felt stuffy in the chest when he thought of that, so he changed the topic by asking, ¡°What do you feel like having?¡± Sophia took the menu. ¡°Let me take a look.¡± With that, she lowered her head and started flipping through the menu with a focused look. Sophia was not entirely wless. For instance, she was quite a picky eater. After looking through the menu for quite some time, she ordered two signature dishes from the restaurant to y it safe. ¡°Why don''t you order something?¡± she asked. She knew what Alexander liked to eat but did not bother ordering for him. After the divorce, Sophia did not spend all her time feeling resentful. asionally, she would ponder on the factors that failed her three years of marriage with Alexander. Then, she realized Alexander might be responsible for contributing half the factors that failed their marriage, but she was also at fault. As the saying suggested, to love oneself was the beginning of a lifelong romance. If one failed to love oneself, one would never find anyone else loving them. During the three years of their marriage, she had belittled herself too much. At that time, she thought Alexander would start appreciating her one day if she kept tolerating and forgiving him. It did not ur to her that she was only a stranger to Alexander before they got married. She forced the marriage to happen. Thus, it was only natural for Alexander to feel trapped inside the union and refuse to get along well with her. He could allow others to treat her harshly at that time because she often remained silent and chose to forgive them. She was the one who kept transcending her principles and enabled everyone to step all over her. Hence, this time, she wanted a rtionship where they would see each other as equals. The restaurant Alexander picked was a solid choice. It was not too secluded. The restaurant was packed, but they did not bump into any acquaintances, and the dishes served were terrific too. After the meal, Sophia wiped the grease off her lips with a napkin and sipped her coffee. The two women sitting at the table next to them had left long ago, and a couple was seated next to them now. The couple discussed watching a movie after the meal. Alexander happened to hear that and nced at Sophia. ¡°Do you want to watch a movie?¡± Sophia looked up at him. ¡°Sure.¡± There was a movie released recently that was quite well-received, and she had wanted to watch it with Katherine. ¡°Which movie do you want to watch?¡± Sophia directly searched the movie poster online and handed her phone to him. ¡°This one.¡± It was a thriller. ¡°I''ll get the tickets,¡± he said. ¡°Okay.¡± Alexander bought tickets for the eight o''clock screening. After paying for dinner, they headed to the movie theater. The streets were bustling on a Friday evening. Sophia lowered her gaze at their intertwined hands and looked up at Alexander walking next to her. ¡°Are you not busy recently?¡± She was curious why he had the time to watch a movie with her. ¡°I''m free,¡± Alexander lied without batting an eye as he lowered his gaze at her. ¡°I see.¡± The hall was virtually packed. Since Alexander bought the ticketsst minute, they were arranged to be seated in thest row in the hall. After being seated, Alexander tilted his head and whispered to her, ¡°Give me your hand.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Sophia was confused. ¡°You can hold my hand if you''re scaredter.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue at that. When she saw him opening his palm at her, she simply ced her hand on his palm. Of course, she did not do that because she was scared. Soon, reality proved to Alexander that he could not believe everything he read on the inte. He once read an inte posting that imed a man should bring ady to the movie theater for a thriller as it might boost a rtionship when she got scared and held his hand in return. However, when Alexander took in Sophia''s excited look even after the movie ended, he decided to go hometer and report the article for generalizing information and not being rigorous or credible. Noticing his silence, Sophia could not help raising her brows. ¡°Did you not enjoy the movie?¡± She had enjoyed watching thriller and horror films since she was a child, but Katherine was so timid that she needed several months to recover from the stimtion after watching a movie with Sophia. Alexander remained silent, but Sophia mistook that as a sign of him being frightened. ¡°Don''t tell me you''re scared?¡± ¡°I''m not.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia stopped in her tracks and looked at Alexander. ¡°But you don''t look too happy.¡± ¡°That''s not true.¡± As he spoke, he squeezed her hand in his palm. ¡°I''ll send you home.¡± Right after he said that, he suddenly felt something soft clutching his waist. It was Sophia who reached out and hugged him. Alexander was startled for a moment. He lowered his gaze and stared at Sophia. Sophia looked up, realizing that Alexander could be pretty silly at certain times, and she chuckled. ¡°Don''t believe in everything you read on the inte.¡± After all, not alldies were too timid to watch thriller films. Hearing that, Alexander stiffened a little. Despite being exposed, he still remained calm and even shot her a puzzled look. ¡°What thing on the inte?¡± Sophia let go of him. ¡°It''s nothing. You can send me home now.¡± Humph! Do you think you can fool me with this? Alexander regretted it when he saw her turning around and walking away. He knew Sophia was too smart to fall for his little tricks. Indeed, it was gettingte. Normally, Sophia would have gone to bed at this hour. As soon as they got inside the car, she finally could not stifle a yawn. Alexander looked at her. ¡°Are you sleepy already?¡± ¡°A little.¡± He felt sorry for her, but he did not say anything. Then, he started the engine and drove her home. It was eleven o''clock when they arrived at the mansion. Alexander noticed she had been yawning on their way back, so he held back the urge to kiss her. Instead, he reached out and caressed her face. ¡°Go. I''lle and pick you up tomorrow.¡± He nned to bring her golfing the next day since it was a Saturday. Sophia nodded. ¡°Drive home safely. Good night, Alexander.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± After driving out of the mansion, Alexander did not leave. Instead, he sat inside the car and watched as the lights on the second floor were turned off. Then, the lights on the third floor were turned on, and after quite some time, the lights on that floor were turned off too. Finally, he withdrew his gaze and was about to drive away. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. As soon as he started the engine, Alexander''s phone rang. Samuel, who had been enjoying himself all this while, suddenly got reminded of Alexander, who was on a mission to pursue his ex-wife, so he dialed his number and said, ¡°Alex, we''re at Nocturne now. Do you want toe and have a drink with us?¡± ¡°No,¡± Alexander turned down that invitation tly. Samuel was unconvinced. ¡°Why? You''re free, aren''t you? You have nothing else to do when Sophia isn''t willing to entertain you! Are you giving up your friends for her now?¡± ¡°Who told you I have nothing else to do?¡± ¡°Well, are you busy recently? From what I gathered, you didn''t even spend much time in your office in the past two days! The night is still young. What are you doing alone at home?¡± ¡°Sleeping.¡± Samuel was stunned for a moment. ¡°No way. Are you trying to live a healthy life now?¡± ¡°Bye.¡± Alexander could not be bothered to talk to someone who did not have a girlfriend. Samuel was rendered speechless as he stared at his phone. No wonder Sophia isn''t falling for him! Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Samuel, who had been partying every night, changed his mind about pulling an all-nighter after the call. Having lost his mood, he sighed and called for a designated driver to drive him home. Well, it indeed isn''t good to drink at such ate hour. I should just sleep early and ask Alexander out for golf tomorrow. I can even invite Sophia so that he has a chance to get closer to her! Haha, I''m so smart! At that moment, Samuel felt as if he was responsible for Alexander''s happiness. The next morning, he woke up early and began making calls. Of course, the most important person he had to call first was Sophia. Before the clock even hit eight, Sophia was woken up by a phone call. With her sleep disrupted on a wonderful Saturday morning, she was pissed off. Thus, when she saw that the call was from an unknown number, she rejected it. However, the caller was persistent. After two rejections, he called once again. Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Now fully awake, Sophia answered the phone with a cold expression. ¡°Hello, Sophia speaking.¡± ¡°Hey, Sophia. It''s me, Samuel!¡± Oh, it''s this dumb*ss. Sophia rubbed her temples and asked, ¡°What is it, Mr. Schild?¡± ¡°Look, the weather is so nice today. Isn''t it a perfect day to go out?¡± When Sophia heard how he was beating around the bush, sheughed in exasperation. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± ¡°Golfing! Since you''re so good at it, why don''t we y together? It''s so boring to y on my own.¡± Arching her brow, Sophia said, ¡°No thanks. I have an appointment today.¡± What a coincidence. Alexander also asked me to y golf today. On the other end of the line, Samuel paused for a while before saying, ¡°Oh, okay. Next time then.¡± ¡°Okay. Bye.¡± Samuel couldn''t help but pity Alexander. He decided then and there to sacrifice his whole day to spend time with Alexander and make thetter feel better. Yet when he called Alexander, he only got a few words in return. ¡°I''m busy!¡± Samuel was rendered speechless by that. Meanwhile, Sophia was in a foul mood after being woken up by Samuel so early in the morning. Nevertheless, the weather was indeed nice. It was a breezy and sunny day, perfect for golf. Unfortunately, Alexander already asked me outst night, or I would have agreed to hang out with Samuel. I might earn some money again if I did that. After Sophia finished washing up, Alexander arrived. Instead of climbing over the fence, he pressed the doorbell and waited for her outside this time. They had breakfast together before heading to the golf course. As it was a sunny weekend, the ce was quite crowded. Not wanting to mingle with the crowd, Sophia chose a more secluded spot with Alexander. ¡°Shall we have a match, Sophia?¡± Sophia raised her brow at that. ¡°What are we betting on?¡± Though she wasn''t as good as Alexander, it was fun to ce bets. Alexander looked back at her and asked in return, ¡°What would you like to bet on?¡± Sophia gave it a thought. ¡°If I win, go to the entrance and kiss the first person whoes out.¡± That was the punishment Samuel and his friends came up with thest time they yed together. The moment Alexander heard her, his expression changed. ¡°I''m just kidding,¡± Sophia went on with a smirk. ¡°If I win, you can''t drink from my mug again.¡± She was not germophobic, but that mug was her favorite. After a short silence, Alexander nodded. ¡°What if I win?¡± he asked. Sophia lifted her eyebrow and walked over to him. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± As a bold idea urred to Alexander, he gulped. In the end, he chose to keep it to himself. ¡°Give me a peck,¡± he said instead. A blush crept across Sophia''s face, but she grinned and agreed, ¡°Sure.¡± She was well aware that she was no match for Alexander in ying golf, but she just wanted to give it a try. In truth, hope was not enough to bring her victory. Soon, she epted her defeat. ¡°I lost.¡± ¡°I won,¡± Alexander dered as he beamed at Sophia. Sophia''s heartbeat started to quicken as she felt Alexander''s gaze on her. Feeling shy, she lowered her eyes. Right at that moment, a familiar voice interrupted their moment. ¡°Alex? Sophia?¡± From afar, Samuel saw a couple who looked very much like Alexander and Sophia. However, it didn''t make sense to him that the two would appear here at the same time. Moreover, they looked really close to each other. Samuel was apanied by Justin, who recognized the couple at one nce. Since Samuel wouldn''t believe it, Justin dragged him over. ¡°Mr. Schild.¡± At the sight of Samuel, Sophia raised her brow. What a coincidence for us to meet at such a secluded spot. Alexander, on the other hand, nced at Samuel coldly out of irritation. At that point in time, Samuel was only concerned about one question. ¡°Why are you two here?¡± ¡°To y golf,¡± Sophia responded with a smile. ¡°Of course I know that! You obviously didn''te to a golf course to pick up golf balls instead. What I meant was, why are the two of you here together? Sophia, don''t tell me the appointment you were talking about is this appointment. What''s the status of your rtionship right now?¡± Without saying anything, Sophia looked at Alexander with an ambiguous expression. Alexander froze for a while before remembering what Sophia had said that night. Instead of saying that they were dating, he answered, ¡°Just friends.¡± As Samuel looked at the two of them, he suddenly felt as if they were looking down on his intelligence. ¡°Alex, do you think I''m an idiot?¡± ¡°What''s the problem, Mr. Schild?¡± Sophia chimed in, sounding so serious that Samuel started to doubt himself again. ¡°Did you two really not reconcile?¡± he questioned. ¡°Are we supposed to?¡± Sophia retorted. Samuel had to admit that was a wonderfuleback, and he couldn''t help but look at Alexander with pity. Standing at the side, Justin couldn''t bear to watch it any longer. He stepped in and tugged Samuel''s arm, saying, ¡°That''s enough. I thought we were going to y golf?¡± Samuel felt the need to help Alexander, so he voiced, ¡°Right. Since we ran into each other, why don''t we just y together? Come on!¡± After saying that, he even winked at Alexander. Sophia could barely hold herughter upon seeing that. She used to think that Katherine was too gullible, but it seemed that Samuel was just the same. It seems that Alexander and his friends did a lot to make sure Samuel grew up safely for all these years. Otherwise, this fool would have been scammed by someone and still have no idea about it! Alexander cast Samuel a disdainful nce and said, ¡°You guys enjoy ying. I have something to do with Sophia.¡± Then, he grabbed Sophia''s hand. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Even as they left Samuel behind, thetter tried to make them stay, yelling, ¡°Hey, the more the merrier! What are you going to do, anyway? It''s the weekend. Forget about work for now!¡± Beside him, Justin rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Worried that Samuel would actually run after the couple, he pulled the man''s arm and chided, ¡°Are you for real? Can''t you see that Alex finds you a nuisance for disturbing them?¡± ¡°How could I be a nuisance? I''m trying to be the mediator so I can put in a good word for him!¡± Justin rolled his eyes. ¡°Alex doesn''t need you to put in a good word for him.¡± ¡°Why not? Didn''t you notice that Sophia was super unfriendly toward... Wait, why is Alexander holding hands with Sophia?¡± As if discovering a whole new world, Samuel eximed, ¡°Am I seeing that right? Look! They seem to be holding hands!¡± ¡°No, you''re seeing things. They''re several meters apart,¡± Justin scoffed. It was then that Samuel finally figured out what was going on. ¡°I...¡± I''m so tired! ¡°Did they just mess with me?¡± ¡°Well, one thing''s for sure¡ªyou''re really stupid.¡± Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Alexander didn''t expect Samuel to interrupt his well-nned date. On the way, the smile on Sophia''s face never faded. As Alexander led her out of the golf course, he turned around and saw that she was still smiling. His expression softened. ¡°Sophia.¡± ¡°Sorry, I couldn''t hold back.¡± It was the first time she had seen someone so easily fooled. Alexander lifted his hand and stroked her face. ¡°He is indeed a little stupid.¡± The smile on Sophia''s face faded slightly. ¡°You shouldn''t say that. Mr. Schild is just a bit slow.¡± Here, Sophia paused and looked up at him earnestly. ¡°But still, our rtionship cannot be made public.¡± Alexander felt a twinge in his heart. ¡°I know.¡± He had thought it wasn''t a big deal when he agreed to hide their rtionship. However, now that he thought about it, he felt a little frustrated. He lowered his head to look at her. ¡°Then when can we publicize our rtionship, Sophia?¡± ¡°I haven''t decided yet.¡± No matter what, he had to wait for her to make up her mind. Alexander was never a high-profile person. However, when it came to his rtionship with Sophia, he couldn''t wait to tell the whole world about it. It was too bad that Sophia refused to make their rtionship public for the time being. Seeing that the man was silent, Sophia raised a brow and questioned, ¡°Are you unhappy?¡± ¡°No.¡± He merely felt dejected. Sophia snorted. ¡°We can''t reveal our rtionship even if you''re upset.¡± Taking in her smug look, Alexander, albeit frustrated, still felt satisfied and happy. ¡°Where do you want to go next?¡± He had never been in a rtionship before and merely took advice from Google. However, after what happenedst night, it was proven that theizens were unreliable. ¡°How about the boxing gym?¡± Sophia asked after giving it some thought. ¡°Sure.¡± It didn''t matter to Alexander where Sophia wanted to go as long as she brought him along. Before going to the boxing gym, Sophia had to go back and change her clothes Alexander had left some of his clothes in the boxing gym. Sometimes he would go there on a whim. But when he was busy, he would be absent for several months. Felix was the one who had people clean and rece his clothes. Upon learning about it, Sophia couldn''t help but feel a little envious. Yet on second thought, she decided not to trouble Yvonne. At the age of twenty-eight, Yvonne was still single with no boyfriend, which made Sophia pity her. There were more people in the boxing gym during the weekends. Sophia''s previous video attracted a lot of new visitors. She used to train in a private boxing room whenever she was here. Knowing that she didn''t like being watched, the coach suppressed his curiosity and held back from calling out to them when he saw them coming in together. The two entered the boxing room Alexander rented. Usually, Sophia would book a room for a few hours, unlike Alexander, who would book a boxing room for a year. Sophia removed and tossed her cap aside after she entered the boxing room, then proceeded to warm up in the boxing ring. Alexander changed his clothes and came out. While wearing his boxing gloves, he asked, ¡°Shall I help you train?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia used to train alone most of the time. Other than the asional duel with Aaron, she would practice on her own. Now that she had Alexander by her side, she was overjoyed. Boxing is indeed a strenuous sport. After about half an hour, Sophia''s forehead was covered in sweat. Alexander, on the other hand, did not sweat much. Sophia stopped and nced at him. ¡°How about a duel?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Don''t go easy on me.¡± ¡°I won''t.¡± The two unwittingly held back their strength during the duel. Sophia had to admit that Alexander had better stamina than her. After half an hour, her reaction became slower. Just when her vision was blurred by a drop of sweat, Alexander suddenly bent over and threw her on the mat. Truth be told, he carried her all the way to the mat. Sophia raised her hand to wipe away her sweat. As soon as her vision became clear, she saw that Alexander''s face was magnified before her eyes. The two, especially Alexander, felt a burning sensation within their bodies. As for Sophia, she felt as if her whole body had been wrapped in a ball of fire. Meeting Alexander''s deep gaze, Sophia felt somewhat flustered. Before she could ask him to let go of her, Alexander said, ¡°Sophia, you owe me a kiss.¡± Right. I lost to him in a golf game just now. She looked at him for a while, wrapped her arms around his neck, and quickly gave him a peck on the lips before drawing back. However, she wasn''t in a position that was favorable to her, as Alexander easily kissed her again. The kiss was so tender that it made Sophia''s heart melt. They were engrossed in the kiss, and unable to control himself, Alexander reached into Sophia''s clothes, causing her to freeze. His hand was warm. Sophia felt warm too when his skin touched hers. She couldn''t help but let out a soft moan. Alexander withdrew his hands and turned her around so that she was lying on him. He closed his eyes, not wanting to let Sophia see the beast in him. Sophia could feel the heat on her thigh, so she didn''t dare to move. With that, they both remained still in that position. After more than ten seconds, Alexander let go of his hands. Sophia rolled to one side and sat up, her face and neck red. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± the man asked. Sophia nodded in response. ¡°A little.¡± It was almost one in the afternoon. Alexander got up and handed her a thermos. ¡°What would you like for lunch?¡± Sophia wasn''t sure what she wanted. Since she had woken up early that morning, she said, ¡°Mr. Schild''s call woke me up this morning. I want to go back to sleep in the afternoon.¡± Alexander was understanding. ¡°I''ll ask Felix to send some food to the mansion. Let''s go back after we rest for a while.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia was satisfied with his suggestion. The two went back to the mansion after a short rest. Just as Sophia got out of the shower, Alexander had already gone to bring up their lunch. They had had an intense workout that morning, so Sophia was starving. After taking a seat, she sipped some warm water before she ate in small bites. Alexander sat across from her and watched her. For the first time, he felt that eating was a pleasant affair. It was past two in the afternoon by the time they finished lunch. Sophia felt slightly tired. ¡°Do you want to take a nap?¡± ¡°Together?¡± She gave him the side-eye. ¡°You wish!¡± Alexander chuckled as he watched her reaction. ¡°Go ahead. I''ll wake you upter at five.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I have a meeting at three.¡± Hearing that, Sophia couldn''t help but click her tongue. ¡°I thought you said you weren''t busy.¡± ¡°I just want to spend more time with you.¡± Sophia couldn''t retort to that. After telling him theputer password, she was about to go upstairs to nap when the doorbell rang. ¡°Did you buy something?¡± She turned her head to look at Alexander. Sophia wasn''t expecting any parcel. ¡°Yeah. I''ll go get it.¡± ¡°What did you buy?¡± Sophia got a little curious and was no longer in a hurry to go to bed. She sat on the couch and waited for Alexander to bring up the parcel, then watched him open it. When she saw it was a cup, she raised her brow. ¡°Do you like my cup so much?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Alexander, who was about to wash the cup, took the cup Sophia had put on the table and put the two cups together. ¡°The red cup is yours, and the one in blue is mine.¡± Sophia understood immediately, although she didn''t expect Alexander to be into something like this. Her face flushed slightly, and her heart felt warm. ¡°Why didn''t you buy matching slippers as well?¡± she asked while looking at her slippers. ¡°I wanted to, but I couldn''t find any,¡± Alexander said honestly. ¡°I''ll tell you after I wake up.¡± Sophia grinned. ¡°All right.¡± Alexander watched Sophia''s retreating figure as she walked up the stairs and didn''t look away until she was out of sight. Then he scanned through other things in the house. Not only did Alexander want to buy matching slippers, but he also wanted to wear matching pajamas with her. Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Sophia slept until five in the afternoon, mainly because she had woken up very early and exercised a lot that morning. Even the rm she had set couldn''t wake her up. The curtains in the room were drawn. When she opened her eyes, before her mind was fully awake, she was stunned to see Alexander approach her. ¡°Are you awake?¡± he asked. ncing at the clock, Sophia realized it was already twenty minutes past five. She arched a brow and asked, ¡°Didn''t you say you''d wake me up at five?¡± She had a bedhead, as she had just woken up. Strands of hair were stuck to her cheeks, which Alexander helpfully removed. ¡°I couldn''t bear to.¡± Sophia looked at him as his warm fingertips touched her face. ¡°I''m gonna go and wash up.¡± It had been a while since she had taken a nap that long. She didn''t expect to sleep for almost three hours and was a little embarrassed about it. Upon washing her face, Sophia felt refreshed. The sky was still bright at half past five. Alexander said he had booked a table in a restaurant, so she changed into a more appropriate outfit. When she stepped out of the house, the sky was already turning red. The weather was good, and the evening sunset was pretty. By the time they arrived at the restaurant, it was almost half past six. The moment Sophia alighted from the car, she saw arge ming red cloud on the horizon. While she was distracted, Alexander held her hand. Sophia withdrew her gaze and turned to him. ¡°What if we meet someone familiar here?¡± Looking at the ghost of a smile in her eyes, Alexander said, ¡°No one will ask about it.¡± More importantly, no one would dare to. Sophia smiled. ¡°They don''t need to ask to know our rtionship if you hold me like this.¡± Alexander fell silent for a moment. ¡°I''ll let goter.¡± ¡°Let go of me at the door.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia''s concerns weren''t entirely unfounded, as it was pretty easy to run into someone familiar at Mirage. In fact, just as they arrived on the second floor, they saw Kristen and Thalia, whom they hadn''t met in a long time. Ever since they were chased out of the Xenos residence by Alexander, Kristen no longer had the nerve to mess with Sophia, and Thalia had behaved a lot. When they saw Sophia and Alexander together, their first thought was that the couple had gotten back together. Of course, Kristen and Thalia no longer had the courage to scold Sophia in front of Alexander or question him. Alexander merely nced at them. He had no intention of greeting them. Needless to say, Sophia had no intention of greeting them as well. Kristen looked at Alexander, seemingly wanting to say something. However, she ultimately refrained from doing so out of fear. All she could do was scowl at the couple as they entered a private room. Only after the couple waspletely out of her sight did Thalia speak. ¡°Mom, Alex isn''t really getting back together with Sophia, is he?¡± In reality, Kristen couldn''t understand her son at all. Mixed emotions could be seen on her face when she heard Thalia''s words. ¡°Why do you care so much? It''s been more than two months. Have you found a job?¡± Thalia frowned when that topic was brought up. ¡°There are many positions in Odyssey, Mom. Why don''t you ask Alex to make me a manager or something?¡± Kristen looked daggers at Thalia. ¡°Your brother chased us out of the Xenos residence. Do you think he''ll let you into Odyssey?¡± Thalia pursed her lips, then turned to look at the private room Alexander and Sophia went into. ¡°This is all because of Sophia!¡± Although Kristen didn''t respond, she thought the same, too. Meanwhile, Sophia didn''t think about Kristen or Thalia at all. She had had a feeling that Alexander''s rtionship with his mother wasn''t great, and what he said that night had only solidified her theory. After making the orders, she raised her head and noticed Alexander staring at her. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± she asked, cocking an eyebrow. She was pretty certain there weren''t any, as she had looked at herself in the mirror before she left home. ¡°My rtionship with them isn''t great. You don''t need to mind them.¡± Sophia smiled. She didn''t expect him to say that. ¡°I don''t. I have never.¡± Then, recalling something, she asked teasingly, ¡°Is that why you intentionally put me in the Xenos residence back then?¡± The next day after they were married, Alexander told her he usually stayed in the condominium near hispany and that she should live in the Xenos residence. Not only did he stay at the condominium, but he also rarely returned to the Xenos residence. It was the reason they only met a handful of times during their three years of marriage. Alexander detested recalling the three years of his marriage with Sophia. He was somewhat at a loss for words when she brought it up. Seeing that he didn''t reply, Sophia snorted and asked, ¡°Have you ordered yet?¡± ¡°I have.¡± Alexander ced the menu down and asked the server toe in. After dinner, Sophia nced at the time and noticed Alexander staring at her again. ¡°You''re not full?¡± ¡°Didn''t you say you would tell me where to buy the slippers after you woke up?¡± Sophia was taken aback when she heard that. It had totally slipped her mind, and she didn''t expect him to be hung up on it for the whole afternoon. ¡°Do you want me to bring you there now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alexander was the type of person who refused to postpone any matter to the next day if it could be done on the same day. And since he could buy a pair of slippers that matched Sophia''s that day, he naturally wanted to go then and there. Upon leaving Mirage, they drove to Wanda. Sophia brought him to a shopping mall where she bought the slipper. Last year, after divorcing Alexander, she moved into the mansion straight away. Her original slippers felt ufortable, which was why she had taken the time to browse for new ones. Her slipper was pink because she was a woman, and a woman would always have a girl''s heart. She wasn''t an exception. As for him, he picked a pair of light-blue slippers. In the past, he would''ve frowned at the color. A dense man like him wouldn''t be able to appreciate pretty colors like that. However, at that moment, when he thought about how the blue slippers would pair well with Sophia''s as a set of couple''s slippers, he found the blue slippers to be pretty pleasing to the eye. Alexander and Sophia were both attractive individuals with extraordinary temperaments. It didn''t take long before they drew a lot of attention to themselves. Content rights belong to N?velDrama.Org. Sophia disliked having photos of her taken. She nced at Alexander and urged, ¡°Let''s go.¡± Upon noticing the woman hiding in the distance taking pictures with a camera, Alexander grabbed Sophia''s hand. ¡°Okay.¡± It was almost eight in the evening when they exited the mall. They got into the car and returned to the mansion. Sophia had a habit of sleeping early. She prepared a te of fruit and said, ¡°Have some fruit and get going.¡± ¡°You''re chasing me away?¡± Alexander looked up at her with a slight frown. Sophia ced a piece of peach next to his lips. ¡°Open up.¡± Alexander opened his mouth obediently and ate the peach. Then he gazed at Sophia. ¡°It''s sweet, but not as sweet as you.¡± Sophia''s face flushed. ¡°Then you should eat more.¡± ¡°Feed me.¡± ¡°How old are you, Alexander?¡± Alexander''s shameless request amused her. ¡°I''m thirty-three years old, the ripe age to get married, Sophia.¡± Chapter 211 Chapter 211 On Sunday, Alexander received an invitation for a meal. He called Sophia and asked if she wanted to join him, but the woman rejected him without hesitation. He had no choice but to attend it alone, and Felix could tell his boss wasn''t in a great mood. He nced at Alexander and asked tentatively, ¡°Did you get into a fight with Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Xenos?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Alexander had wanted to scold him for being too talkative. However, upon deliberation, he asked, ¡°Do you have a girlfriend, Mr. Lane?¡± Felix, who had been single for thirty years, replied, ¡°No...¡± He could feel the malice directed at bachelors. ¡°Oh, you wouldn''t get it, then,¡± Alexander said. Felix could feel his heart clench. That day, Sophia had lunch with Katherine and Joshua. Joshua would be leaving the country next Tuesday, which just so happened to be his birthday, so the three of them decided to celebrate his birthday ahead of time with a meal. It had been a long while since the three of them had shared a meal and conversed together. As Sophia had a few drinks, a recement driver had to drive her back home after she called for one. After his meal, Alexander had his driver take him to Sophia''s mansion. He pressed the doorbell, but no one answered. The driver, who didn''t dare to leave, asked, ¡°How about you return to the car, Mr. Xenos?¡± The weather was scorching hot at that moment. He reckoned Alexander would feel hotter than usual because thetter had drunk a few sses of white wine during lunch. Alexander, however, wanted to wait for Sophia. He waved at the driver, who was being a nuisance to him, and said, ¡°You can go back now.¡± He didn''t want anyone else to get in the way of his romantic rtionship. The driver nodded. ¡°All right, then, Mr. Xenos¡± Sophia didn''t drive that day, so she returned in a taxi as well. It wasn''t until the vehicle was parked in front of the mansion that she saw Alexander. He looked at her through the window, making her heart leap. She pushed open the door and got out of the vehicle. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Because I want to meet you.¡± Alexander''s straightforward answer made Sophia blush a little. When she got closer to him, she saw there was a thinyer of sweat on his forehead. Seeing him standing in front of her house, even when the sun was hanging high in the sky, made her heart feel warm. ¡°How long have you been waiting for me?¡± ¡°Not long. It''s only been half an hour.¡± Sophia couldn''t believe it. ¡°Half an hour?¡± After unlocking the door, she led him to the second floor. She changed her slippers, poured two cups of water, and put one in front of him. ¡°You haven''t answered my question.¡± ¡°More or less.¡± Sitting on the couch, Alexander lowered his head and emptied half the cup. A faint smile formed on Sophia''s face as she stared at him. ¡°You''re so silly.¡± Alexander chuckled as he raised his head and met her beautiful eyes. He could feel his heart burning, which he med on the white wine he had had during lunch. He swallowed a lump in his throat and said, ¡°You waited for me before too, Sophia.¡± Back then, she had waited for him far longer than half an hour. Taken aback, Sophia ced her cup down. ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Do you want a hangover remedy?¡± Instead of answering her immediately, he gazed at her for a while before asking, ¡°Can I hug you?¡± Sophia looked into his eyes and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± She walked up to him, and the man reached out to wrap her in his embrace. The woman in his arms felt soft and had a nice smell. He wished he could stay in that position forever. He closed his eyes andid his head on her shoulder. ¡°Have you been drinking too?¡± ¡°Red wine.¡± Sophia moved a bit and, when she saw his closed eyes, asked, ¡°Do you want to take a nap?¡± ¡°I want to sleep while hugging you,¡± Alexander replied shamelessly. He''s getting bolder! He can even say stuff like that with a straight face now. Sophia tried pushing him away, wanting to leave his embrace, but she identally brushed against a certain spot. Alexander''s eyes flew open. He lowered his head and stared at her lips. ¡°I want to kiss you, Sophia.¡± Then he kissed her, hugging her even more tightly. His kiss was so passionate that Sophia''s breathing quickened. Their breathing was getting heavier as the smell of red and white wine mixed with each other. Sophia felt she was getting a little drunk. At that moment, Alexander was like a greedy child who couldn''t stop asking for more. The atmosphere was getting more and more intense until the sound of a zip moving woke them up from their trance. When Alexander returned to his senses, he stopped what he was doing, pulled up the zip on Sophia''s skirt, and touched her face. ¡°I''m sorry, Sophia.¡± He didn''t do it on purpose. He simply wanted it too much. Sophia stayed silent because she had been a little aroused too. However,pared to his actions, her behavior wasn''t worth mentioning. The tactile sensation of his smooth and tight muscles under her hand did make her palm feel hot. For the first time, she found herself lusting over Alexander''s body. It simply felt too pleasant to her touch. When Sophia became more aware of her thoughts, her face grew even redder. Thankfully, Alexander didn''t notice. They slowly calmed down. After about a minute, he let go of her and kissed her forehead. ¡°Nap?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°Are you sleepy?¡± Instead of answering her, Alexander asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Can you watch a horror movie with me?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Why does my girlfriend have such a weird hobby? Sophia was an avid fan of horror movies, but she was too afraid of watching them alone. Her friends, such as Yvonne and Katherine, weren''t fans of horror movies, so the hundreds of horror movies in her collection remained mostly untouched. She had only watched around ten of them so far. Now that Alexander was willing to watch a horror movie with her, she felt pretty great, much like when her parents had bought her a doll she had wanted for a long time when she was a kid. ¡°I''ll prepare some fruits.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± From the side, he watched as Sophia cut some fruits at the dining table. She seemed happy. When the sunlight shone on her, it made her smile look brighter. Alexander''s lips quirked up. It was just that easy to make him feel content. After preparing plenty of fruits and snacks, Sophia led Alexander to the home theater in the lower basement. It had been a while since she had visited the home theater. She had only used it three to four times after the renovation. When she first married into the Xenos family, she saw that the Xenos residence had a veryrge entertainment room installed withplete audio and video equipment. She was very happy at that time, thinking she could watch movies with Alexander there during the weekends. Yet, the reality was cruel. Nevertheless, her initial idea back then came true at that moment. Although they were in her mansion and not the Xenos residence, that wasn''t an essential distinction to her since what mattered was that Alexander would be watching a movie with her. Just thinking about it made her feel blissful. Fearing that Alexander wouldn''t be able to bear watching gore, Sophia picked a less intimidating horror movie. ¡°Is this okay?¡± ¡°Pick whatever you like.¡± ¡°I like this one too.¡± Alexander nodded and pulled her into his embrace. Sophia was focused on the movie. She didn''t like to talk while watching a movie, especially a horror movie. By the time she realized the man had fallen asleep, the movie had already ended. She was pretty excited and wanted to ask Alexander about his thoughts on the movie. But when she turned back, she saw that he was already asleep. Looking at Alexander, who had his eyes closed, Sophia couldn''t help but touch his handsome face. I must say, if the person who rescued me back then was a little uglier, I don''t think I would''ve fallen for him. Just thinking about having such an attractive man as my boyfriend makes me pretty happy. Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Alexander had a bad dream about Sophia marrying someone else. On the day of her wedding, he was standing below the stage, watching another man putting a ring on her finger, hugging her, and kissing her. After exchanging rings with that man, Sophia shot him a cold look and asked, ¡°Do you regret it, Alexander?¡± I do! ¡°Alexander?¡± Sophia gently touched his face when she saw that he had opened his eyes but was silent. ¡°Had a nightmare?¡± The warmth he felt on his face convinced him that he was back in reality. He lifted his arms and hugged her tight. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What could have scared the fearless Mr. Xenos?¡± she teased. Upon letting her go, Alexander lowered his head and gazed at her. ¡°I dreamed of you marrying someone else.¡± ¡°Oh, that''s not really a nightmare, then,¡± Sophia said, then kissed his lips. ¡°Besides, will you let me marry someone else?¡± Staring at her with slightly furrowed eyebrows, he answered resolutely, ¡°No. If you do, I''ll snatch you away no matter what it takes!¡± ¡°I''m listening.¡± With that, she stood up. ¡°It''s almost six. What would you like for dinner?¡± She knew Alexander was thinking about asking Felix to deliver them food, so she rmended, ¡°I know there''s a restaurant with great grilled fish nearby.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± When they went out, they met Stephen, who had just returned. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. It had been four or five months since Sophia had met Stephen after what had happened at the Queen residence. Stephen cocked an eyebrow when he saw Alexander. After ncing at him briefly, he turned to Sophia. ¡°It''s been a while, Sophia.¡± ¡°It really has been.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°I''ll be on my way now. I''ll see you around.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Stephen proceeded to roll up the window and drove his car into the mansion. Sophia caught sight of the cold look in Alexander''s eyes when she turned her head to him. ¡°You two have a history with each other?¡± The look in his eyes softened as he gazed at her. ¡°A little.¡± Seeing that he wasn''t willing to talk more about it, Sophia didn''t inquire further. Their pleasant weekend came to an end. Alexander was extremely busy on Monday, and Sophia wasn''t doing any better, as she had to attend two conferences. Alexander''s meetingsted until a little over nine at night. After taking a look at the time when he exited Odyssey, he drove straight to Sophia''s mansion. It was already half past ten when he arrived, so it was very likely Sophia had already fallen asleep. He didn''t press the doorbell, fearing that it would wake her up. ¡°Mr. Xenos,¡± Stephen greeted right then as he approached Alexander. ¡°Mr. Goodstone,¡± Alexander responded coldly. With a smile, Stephen asked, ¡°Are you looking for Sophia? She should be asleep at this hour.¡± Alexander snorted in dissatisfaction. ¡°I know. You don''t need to remind me.¡± Stephen was unfazed by his cold response. ¡°What is it that you like about Sophia, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Why do you care?¡± Stephen took a drag of smoke. ¡°Because I like her too.¡± Before Alexander could speak, he continued, ¡°I like her intelligence, gentleness, generosity, weirdness, and also her pretty look.¡± ¡°You should be more sensible, Mr. Goodstone. Sophia doesn''t like you,¡± Alexander retorted. She likes me. He didn''t say that out loud because he had promised Sophia he wouldn''t reveal his rtionship with her to the public for the moment. Stephen looked at him with a half-smile. ¡°Those are just on the surface level. I actually don''t know what I truly like about her. I just feelfortable and happy when I''m around someone like her.¡± Believing that Stephen failed to understand what he meant, Alexander struck him with a fatal blow. ¡°The Goodstone family won''t ept Sophia.¡± Stephen''s expression froze when he heard that because Alexander had hit the bullseye with that remark. Stephen''s mother had called him after what happened at the Queen residence. She had implicitly expressed that, while their family didn''t need him to have a perfect marriage, she wouldn''t ept Sophia as her daughter-inw. Her reason was that Sophia had married once and that the younger woman was unforgiving. Stephen narrowed his eyes and warned, ¡°If you mistreat her, I''ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life.¡± Alexander sneered. ¡°I think you should look for a girlfriend as soon as possible.¡± After all, a bachelor often thinks about other people''s girlfriends. Upon extinguishing his cigarette, Stephen dered, ¡°I won''t give up until you two get married.¡± I''ve never met someone as shameless as him before. Alexander''s expression froze. The look in his eyes turned frigid as he gazed at Stephen''s back. A cold breeze brushed him by. He raised his head to look at the third floor of the mansion, desperately wanting to meet Sophia, but she was asleep. Alexander stood in the same spot for nearly twenty minutes before leaving. Sophia had a good sleep that night, not knowing Alexander hade looking for her. At seven in the morning, she woke up and reminded herself of Charlize''s graduation photo shoot in the afternoon. Just as she finished washing up and dressing up, the doorbell rang. She assumed it was Alexander. Upon going downstairs and opening the door, Sophia saw him holding a massive bouquet of roses. She raised her brows and asked, ¡°Did you do something bad, Alexander?¡± ¡°We didn''t meet yesterday.¡± Feeling embarrassed, Sophia grabbed the bouquet. ¡°I''m heading over to Charlize''s graduation photo shoot in the afternoon.¡± Alexander hummed in response, looking up at Stephen, who was standing on the balcony on the second floor next door. Sophia didn''t have a meeting that morning. As she didn''t want to head to Sunshine Group that early, she didn''t go to work with Alexander. After lunch, she drove to Charlize''s university. It had been years since she had returned to Jadeborough University. Jadeborough University had undergone major changes over the years, but the main buildings were still around. Charlize was taking photos with her ssmates when she saw Sophia arrive. She waved her hand at Sophia and greeted, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, over here!¡± Sophia''s lips curved into a smile. After Charlize finished taking her photos, Sophia approached her with a graduation gift. ¡°Happy graduation!¡± ¡°Thank you, Ms. Yarrow!¡± Sophia was wearing a dark green, oriental-style dress and a hair band. Standing among so many young and beautiful girls made her appear as though she was a blooming peony surrounded by a bunch of small flowers. It was impossible for anyone to ignore her. When one of Charlize''s male ssmates saw Sophia, his heart raced. He gathered his courage and asked, ¡°Charlize, is that your sister?¡± Charlize shot him a re. ¡°Go away! She''s my goddess, and she doesn''t converse with just any mortals.¡± Sophia''s alluring appearance attracted plenty of attention. Lots of people wanted to take a photo with her. When Samuel and Alexander arrived, they saw a group of university students surrounding her. Samuel lifted his eyebrow. ¡°Sophia''s so charming that none of these boys can resist her charms.¡± Alexander''s expression darkened when he heard that. Noticing the change in Alexander''s expression, Samuel added, ¡°Hmm? Is that boy over there secretly taking Sophia''s photos?¡± The moment Samuel said that, Alexander strode toward the university student in question and grabbed his wrist. ¡°Delete it.¡± The student was already feeling pretty embarrassed. The other students did not know who Alexander was. When they saw him grabbing their ssmate''s wrist, one of them asked, ¡°Who are you? Why are you here to pick a fight?¡± Upon returning to her senses, Charlize stepped in to defuse the situation. ¡°Don''t misunderstand! He''s someone I know!¡± She was slightly fearful of Alexander, but she couldn''t just stay quiet when he was grabbing her ssmate''s wrist. She steeled herself and asked, ¡°Can you let go of my ssmate, Mr. Xenos?¡± Ignoring her request, Alexander repeated, ¡°Delete the photo.¡± It was then the gentle voice of a woman traveled into his ear. ¡°Alexander.¡± Immediately, Alexander let go of the student''s hand, his terrifying expression from earlier fading slightly. Chapter 213 Chapter 213 ¡°You scared him,¡± Sophia said. Only then did Alexander let go of the student''s hand unwillingly. Despite that, he still demanded, ¡°Delete her photo.¡± When he said that, the student was flushed with embarrassment. Alexander remained standing there, seemingly not noticing the ambiguous looks people were giving him. It was then Charlize realized what was going on and approached her ssmate. ¡°Don''t mind him too much. Ms. Yarrow isn''t a public figure. He''s afraid you''ll upload her photo on the inte.¡± ¡°I won''t,¡± the student exined promptly. Then he nced at Sophia. ¡°I''m sorry, Miss. I''ll delete the photo now.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°It''s fine even if you don''t.¡± The student nced at Alexander and deleted the photo anyway. With that slight misunderstanding wrapped up, Charlize gazed at Samuel, then at Alexander, then back to Samuel. ¡°What are you guys doing here, Mr. Schild?¡± She didn''t invite them, after all. After shooting Alexander a nce, Samuel shed a meaningful smile. ¡°Let me ask you this, then. Why did you invite Sophia and not me and Mr. Xenos?¡± Charlize had always been afraid of Alexander, but not Samuel. When she heard him say that, she pouted and said, ¡°You two don''t like taking photos, no? I didn''t even invite my own brother!¡± As she spoke, Samuel saw Alexander approaching Sophia. They weren''t acting very intimately, but he could tell that Alexander never took his eyes off Sophia. Having witnessed their public disy of affection, he looked away and asked, ¡°Are you done with the photo shoot? If not, take a picture with us!¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Charlize found it impossible to say no to his shameless request. ¡°Sophia! Alex! Come over here! Let''s take a photo with Charlize!¡± Upon ncing at Alexander, Sophia walked toward Charlize with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± Alexander followed and stood next to her. The student holding the camera said awkwardly, ¡°Um, can the prettydy stand together with Charlize instead? It''s difficult to take this group photo with someone sticking out.¡± Samuel snorted. ¡°Is this ce not big enough? Why should she stand over there? I doubt the camera lens is that wide!¡± Alexander gave him the side-eye. ¡°I detest you.¡± If I had known this, I wouldn''t havee with him! Samuel thought. In the end, Charlize and Sophia stood in the same line while the men stood behind them. More than a dozen secondster, the student taking the photo gestured an okay sign at them. Alexander then turned to Charlize. ¡°Can you take a photo of us?¡± Sophia turned her head back and shed him a half-smile. ¡°I didn''t know you liked taking photos this much, Mr. Xenos.¡± Even though he didn''t say anything as he lowered his head and gazed at her, his intention was clearly reflected in his eyes. Charlize thought she picked up the scent of love. When she looked at Sophia, however, she saw her simply standing there, only ncing briefly at Alexander. I guess I was wrong about my assumption. Samuel cringed hard when he saw Alexander''s interaction with Sophia. Can he not? ¡°Don''t move, Ms. Yarrow! This angle is good!¡± Charlize eximed. Moments after the younger woman said that, Sophia heard Alexander say, ¡°You look good from any angle, Sophia.¡± Hisment made her heart race and her ears turn red. ¡°All right, I''m done!¡± Charlize handed the camera to Sophia. When Alexander saw that, he said, ¡°Send the photo to me.¡± Charlize was taken aback for a moment. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± I didn''t expect him to like taking pictures that much. Since it was gettingte, a ssmate of Charlize''s called out to her, telling her it was time to return to their dorm and get changed for a meal together. After she replied to that ssmate of hers, she looked at Sophia and couldn''t help but asked, ¡°What''s your rtionship with Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Samuel snorted the moment he heard that. ¡°What rtionship? Can''t you tell that¡ª¡± ¡°We''re just friends,¡± Sophia cut him off before he could finish. Samuel looked at Sophia, then at Alexander in disbelief. ¡°Did I hear that right?¡± He was pretty sure he saw them holding hands the other day. Sophia raised her head and smiled at Alexander. There were still plenty of people around them at that moment. When he first arrived and saw a group of university students surrounding her, he really wanted to grab her hand and announce their rtionship to everyone right away. However, he didn''t forget his promise to Sophia that night that he wouldn''t dere their rtionship to the public for the time being. ¡°I''m still pursuing her,¡± Alexander said. Samuel grinned when he heard that. ¡°You still haven''t made her your girlfriend? Then again, Sophia is young and pretty. I bet the line of people chasing after her stretches from the northern side of Jadeborough to its southern end. Good luck, Alex!¡± Charlize, who never thought Alexander was worthy of Sophia, nodded in agreement. ¡°That''s true. A few ssmates of mine were asking me for Ms. Yarrow''s contact number earlier.¡± Sophia''s lips quirked up. ¡°You guys are exaggerating.¡± She brushed away the strands of hair on her face. ¡°But there are indeed plenty of people chasing after me.¡± That stunned Charlize for a second before she smiled. ¡°You''re so cute, Ms. Yarrow! I''ll be joining my ssmates now. I''ll treat you to a meal next time! Bye!¡± Before she left, she blew Sophia a kiss. As Samuel watched Charlize leave, he suggested, ¡°Should we grab dinner together?¡± Sophia was about to answer him, but Alexander was a step ahead of her. ¡°The two of us will be having dinner together. You''re on your own.¡± Samuel was rendered speechless. Am I that unworthy of having a meal with them? Sophia nced back at Samuel. ¡°Is that really okay?¡± ¡°This is for the best,¡± Alexander said. Samuel''s talkativeness irked him. He didn''t want Samuel to get in between his and Sophia''s quality time. Sophia chuckled. ¡°You said that on purpose, didn''t you? What''s the difference between telling them you''re pursuing me and that we''re together?¡± ¡°I''m simply speaking the truth.¡± ¡°You sure are honest, Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander looked away from her, then at the evening glow in the distance. ¡°I regret it, Sophia.¡± ¡°About what?¡± Sophia asked despite knowing the answer, looking smug. Alexander''s Adam''s apple bobbed as he stared at her. ¡°I shouldn''t have promised you I wouldn''t tell people about our rtionship.¡± ¡°You still have a chance to go back against your word. But if you do, we''re breaking up.¡± Sophia fixed her gaze on him, the smile on her face fading slightly. ¡°I won''t leave you again in this life.¡± Alexander knew she was being serious. Instead of answering his question, Sophia stopped. ¡°I drove here. How about you?¡± ¡°I didn''t drive.¡± ¡°Oh, great.¡± She handed him her keys. It was still early after their meal. Sophia recalled Katherine had informed her that thetest summer collection had alreadyunched, so she decided to go shopping. The female employee at the counter recognized Alexander because she had seen him many times in the newspapers. The instant Alexander and Sophia entered the store, the employees closed the door and served only them. Sophia had shopped with Katherine many times before, but that was the first time she had seen the employees taking the initiative to shut the door without her saying anything. ¡°You really are influential, Mr. Xenos,¡± shemented. Alexander walked toward a rack not too far from them and picked a dress. ¡°This dress suits you.¡± Sophia was impressed when she saw the dress. She had to admit that he had good taste. ¡°Should I try it on?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The employee promptly approached Sophia, but thetter didn''t like people touching her. ¡°I''ll do it myself.¡± With that, she headed into the changing room. Alexander was answering a call at the side when she was done. She stood in front of the mirror instead of bothering him. Meanwhile, the employee couldn''t stop praising how good Sophia looked. Right as thetter was about to take off the dress, she heard a woman''s voice at the entrance. ¡°Is the entire ce booked? If not, why are you refusing us entry?¡± Chapter 214 Chapter 214 The voice sounded familiar to Sophia, so she turned around with slightly furrowed eyebrows, only to see Ka stepping into the store in high heels. ¡°Well, look who it is. It''s Ms. Yarrow!¡± Ka then turned to the employee blocking her path. ¡°I know Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia raised her eyebrow and avoided troubling the employee by saying, ¡°It''s been a while, Ms. Fletcher.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Ka replied. ¡°Nice dress, but I don''t think it suits you.¡± The employee who had just praised Sophia felt awkward. Sophia simply retorted, ¡°Is that so? Looks like you need to improve your sense of fashion, Ms. Fletcher.¡± When she said that, she had a in smile on her face. She seemed serene, but her words were sharp. Ka''s expression stiffened. ¡°You! I was simply giving you a piece of advice out of the kindness of my heart! If you don''t want to ept it, then forget about it.¡± ¡°Then I shall repay your kindness by also giving you a piece of advice. Your voice isn''t very pleasant to the ear. It sounds a bit like the cock-a-doodle-do of a rooster. I suggest you speak as little as possible.¡± ¡°Don''t you dare go overboard, Sophia!¡± Staring at Ka, Sophia repeated the former''s words, ¡°I was simply giving you a piece of advice out of the kindness of my heart! If you don''t want to ept it, then forget about it.¡± Ka was so infuriated that she couldn''t say a word. Just as she was thinking about what to say, her friend pulled her arm. ¡°Look over there, Kay!¡± Upon turning her line of sight to where her friend was pointing, Ka saw Alexander in the distance. Her furious expression was speedily reced with a gleeful one as she approached him to greet him. Instead of waiting for her to go over, Alexander walked up to Sophia. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°It''s nothing. Ms. Fletcher said this dress doesn''t suit me.¡± Alexander nced at Ka. ¡°I see Ms. Fletcher has pretty bad taste.¡± His words were different from Sophia''s, but both meant the same thing. While Ka was shocked, the employees watching the scene from the side couldn''t help but lower their heads and giggle in secret. Unable to stand by idly and watch, Ka''s friend steeled herself and spouted nonsense under Alexander''s gaze. ¡°I think it doesn''t suit her too. Ms. Yarrow is beautiful, and she looks good in anything, but the dress is a bit too loose. It doesn''t show her figure well enough.¡± Alexander didn''t even spare a nce at her. ¡°You said it yourself. She''s beautiful, and she looks good in anything. In that case, is there a dress that doesn''t suit her?¡± Ka and her friend were at a loss for words. Since there was no way for her to resume shopping due to Alexander''s presence, Ka gritted her teeth and left the store with her friend. Sophia smirked as she watched them leave before ncing at Alexander. ¡°I''m gonna go and change out of this dress.¡± ¡°Do you want to try out other dresses?¡± Sophia stopped. ¡°Just get the dresses of the same size will do.¡± After all, as he said, she looked good in anything. Ka glowered and nced back furiously almost immediately after she stepped out of the store. It would''ve been better if she didn''t do that because she saw the way Alexander was gazing at Sophia, and it pissed her off even more. Ka''s friend noticed how upset she was. ¡°Don''t be mad! Sophia''s only a little more good-looking! That''s how men are! If Alexander truly loves her, why did he divorce her after three years of their marriage?¡± ¡°Her good looks are all she needs! All men judge women by their looks after all.¡± ¡°That''s not necessarily true. I think there''s something more about Sophia. Have you forgotten she was with Mr. Swain and Lukas from the Dawson family at one point? Don''t you think she has a lot of tricks up her sleeve?¡± Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Now that you mention it, I suddenly have an idea!¡± ¡°No one in the Xenos family cares about Alexander, but things are different with the Dawson family. The Dawson family has a pretty spotless reputation, so if something tarnishes it, do you think Sophia will still be able to stay in the country, Kay?¡± Ka was excited to hear that. ¡°You''re so smart!¡± The two women exchanged a nce, and they were no longer in the mood to shop. That night, Sophia returned home with her hands full. She had bought a couple hundred thousand worth of clothes using Alexander''s card. She thought it felt strangely fascinating because she had never used his card before. After she married him, he had given her a bank card and would transfer three hundred thousand to that ount every month. However, she had never used the money and left the card on the dressing table in the master bedroom after divorcing him. Alexander parked the car inside the garage. Seeing that Sophia was in a daze, he touched her and asked, ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Sophia pulled herself out of her thoughts and turned to him. ¡°I was thinking about the card you gave me in the past.¡± Then she alighted from the vehicle. Alexander was stunned. When he returned to his senses, he went behind her and grabbed her bags. ¡°Allow me.¡± Sophia let go of the bags. After arriving on the second floor, she poured two cups of water and handed a cup to him when he arrived by her side. After changing the cup, Alexander stopped coveting hers. ¡°It''s ten already.¡± Sophia nced at the clock. Alexander put down the cup. ¡°Can I have a kiss before I leave?¡± Sophia blushed faintly and nodded. Even though Alexander said it was a kiss, in reality, it was more than just that. Three or four minutes had passed by the time they were finished. They silently hugged each other after that. Alexander closed his eyes and didn''t want to leave. ¡°Can I stay?¡± Sophia lifted her head and looked at him. ¡°What do you think, Mr. Xenos?¡± Of course not. Alexander didn''t want to, but he still left gentlemanly. As she watched him leave in her car on the balcony, she shed a faint smile and turned off the lights. Then she headed to the third floor to take a shower and sleep. The first thing Alexander did after he returned to the Xenos residence was to locate the bank card he had given to Sophia. Although she didn''t say it, he knew she had left the card somewhere when the divorce was finalized. However, the card wasn''t in the master bedroom. Frowning, Alexander called Felix. Felix had just finished his bath when he received Alexander''s call. Thinking that something terrible had happened, he quickly answered the call. ¡°Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Do you still remember the bank card I asked you to give to Sophia back then?¡± Only after two seconds did Felix realize what Alexander was talking about. ¡°I do. What''s the matter, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Help me get the transaction history of the card.¡± If the card''s gone, then it''s likely someone has taken it. I transferred three hundred thousand to her card every month as an allowance for three years. So, after three years, there should be ten million and eight hundred thousand inside. It''s not a small amount of money. Sophia is free to reject the money I gave her, but no one else is allowed to use it. ¡°Understood, Mr. Xenos.¡± Upon hanging up the phone, Alexander stared at the double bed. For the first time, he thought the bedroom was too big. It made him feel lonely. Yes, thedy of the house is missing. Chapter 215 Chapter 215 It was already dawn when Sophia woke up, and the approaching month of May meant summertime for Jadeborough. Her phone was vibrating annoyingly. She frowned slightly as she reached out for the device. One of her eyebrows raised when she saw that it was Katherine calling. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Did you just wake up, Soph? You''re trending again! Check it out! I almost diedughing because some idiots probably created fake ounts just to leavements about you dating Horatius before moving on to Lukas. They even said you met with Lukas'' parents, only to get back with Alexander now!¡± informed Katherine before bursting intoughter. ¡°If these people are trying to murder me by making meugh to death, it''s working! What''s going on inside their heads? How did they evene up with all this?¡± Sophia logged on to Twitter, and as expected, she got the fifth position in the list of top trending searches with the hashtag ¡°womanyoucantbuy.¡± Tsk! If I didn''t know any better, I''d think they were trying to tter me. After tapping one of the search results, Sophia saw the old photos posted by the fake ounts to prove that she was seeing Horatius in February. In less than two months, she broke up with Horatius and moved on to Lukas. Then after she met with Lukas'' parents, rumors of her getting engaged began to spread. However, that did notst long because people started suspecting that she and Alexander had gotten back together when they saw photos of her shopping with the man the night before. Katherine is right. The people who posted thesements and photos are idiots because they acted as if they knew the truth. I bet they''ll lose their minds when they find out about my rtionship with Lukas. I''m not wasting my time on this nonsense. With that thought in mind, Sophia logged out of Twitter. ¡°I saw it,¡± uttered Sophia calmly before getting out of bed and into the bathroom. ¡°I have no idea how simpletons think.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Me too!¡± For the first time, Katherine did not feel like a simpleton. I can''t believe how stupid these people can get! ¡°I''m going to hang up.¡± Sophia ended the phone call and began to wash up in the bathroom because it was a Monday, which meant she had a meeting to attend. Alexander, too, saw the trending search early in the morning, so he immediately called Felix to have the man remove it. Sophia doesn''t even have anything to do with Horatius. These people just enjoy spewing nonsense. Alexander''s mood turned sour because of the posts, and only after seeing Sophia opening the door for him did his face soften up. Sophia, who wore a pink formal skirt and light makeup to bring out her alluring eyes that day, looked gorgeous to Alexander. ¡°You''re beautiful,¡± praised the man. In response, Sophia turned to smile softly at Alexander. ¡°Thank you.¡± After they both entered the mansion, Alexander prepared breakfast. ¡°Did you see what was trending?¡± inquired the man hesitantly when he saw Sophiaing out of the kitchen with water. ¡°I did,¡± replied Sophia with an eyebrow raised, and only after taking her seat did she lift her head to look at Alexander. ¡°Why? Do you believe them, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Horatius is trying to pursue you.¡± Since Alexander was a man himself, he knew what Horatius was thinking. Chuckling, Sophia responded, ¡°As you said, he''s trying.¡± Sophia could tell Horatius had feelings for her, but since Darrell proposed to take her as his goddaughter, Horatius had never contacted her again. Now that I think about it, we have not been in touch for more than a month. ¡°I had Mr. Lane remove it,¡± said Alexander. ncing at the man, Sophia said, ¡°Okay.¡± I guess that''s for the best. It was all just nonsense anyway. After breakfast, Alexander got into his car and followed Sophia as usual. Only after watching the woman drive into the Sunshine Group parking lot did he leave for Odyssey. ¡°Mr. Xenos,¡± greeted Felix while handing Alexander the documents for a meeting as soon as the man stepped out of the elevator. After going through the papers, Alexander remembered the matter from the night before. ¡°Did you get the transaction history of the card?¡± ¡°I can only get that when the bank is open for business.¡± ¡°I want it after the meeting,¡± demanded Alexander, ncing calmly at his secretary. ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos.¡± Half an hourter, Felix returned to Alexander with the information the man requested for. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I already have the transaction history with me, and it shows that the card has a bnce of ten million and eight hundred thousand. On the third of Junest year, there was a spending of eight hundred thousand, and a weekter, there was a spending of more than three million. The remaining bnce was transferred to another ount the next day.¡± Alexander easily went through all the transactions since there were only a few of them. ¡°Whose ount was it transferred to?¡± ¡°Ms. Xenos''.¡± ¡°Tell Thalia that if there''s even a cent gone from the ount after I return from my business, I''ll see her in court.¡± Both the card and the money on it were meant for Sophia. Had she not mentioned it, Alexander would have thought she had used up the money. However, the truth was that Sophia had never even used a cent of Alexander''s money in the three years they were married. When they divorced, Sophia took nothing of his with her nor used the money he had given her over the three years of their marriage. Alexander did not care what Sophia did with the money he had given her since it belonged to her. However, he would not allow anyone else to use it without consent. Startled by Alexander''s grim expression, Felix immediately nodded understandingly. ¡°Got it, Mr. Xenos.¡± Sophia was somewhat reluctant to part with Alexander when she learned that the man would be going away for three days. After hanging up, she looked at the document in front of her in a slightly sour mood. Sophia disliked how emotional she got, so she rubbed her forehead while suppressing her thoughts. After going through the document and signing it, she passed it to Yvonne before grabbing her jacket and leaving Sunshine Group. Shortly after Sophia got into her car, the phone inside her handbag rang. With a raised eyebrow, Sophia took the device out and was shocked to see the name on disy. ¡°Granddad?¡± Sophia assumed Perrin was calling about the trending search in the morning. ¡°Have you been busy recently?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Then you should y a game or two with me.¡± ¡°Sure. I''ll go back in two days to keep youpany,¡± promised Sophia. Perrin could not help but sigh when her granddaughter responded so sensibly to him. ¡°Sophia, I''m not trying to control you or anything, but did you and Alexander get back together? I saw people posting about it online this morning.¡± Perrin knew about the three years Sophia had spent with the Xenos family and was convinced that Alexander was a fool for not treasuring her granddaughter. To him, no man was worthy of Sophia because she was not only beautiful but also smart. It was almost impossible for Perrin to keep quiet after learning that Sophia and Alexander could be back together. Pursing her lips, Sophia decided to tell her grandfather the truth. ¡°Not yet, Granddad, but he''s pursuing me.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Perrin turned red with anger after hearing Sophia''s reply, but he suppressed his emotions to avoid making her granddaughter sad. ¡°Sophia, there are many good men in this world. You''re still young; there''s no need to rush. Whoever you choose to be with, their family background doesn''t matter as long as they''re good to you.¡± Sophia was touched when she heard that because she knew Perrin only wanted the best for her. ¡°I understand, Granddad.¡± ¡°Remember to visit me when you have the time. I''ll let you get back to your business now!¡± ¡°Okay, Granddad. Take care of yourself.¡± After hanging up, Sophia could not help smiling as she looked out the car window. It''s time for Alexander to get a taste of what I''ve been through all those years ago. Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Thalia had not been doing well since Alexander kicked her and the others out of the Xenos residence. Not only that, but Alexander had also terminated the card Kristen had always used, so the three had to live off the money Zachary had left for them. N?velDrama.Org ? content. Ordinary people would not know how to spend a few hundred million, but to Thalia and Kristen, who were nothing if not frivolous spenders, the money onlysted so long. On top of that, the three had lost all respect in Jadeborough after being forced out of the Xenos residence. Some time ago, Kristen had bought a piece of emerald worth more than eight million in a fit of anger simply because she got ridiculed by her friends. She regretted her action afterward but knew she could not return the precious stone unless she wanted to be turned into aughingstock. In addition, Leonard had gotten Kristen to buy him a limited-edition sports car two months ago, totaling their expenses to more than ten million with just two transactions. Kristen did not find anything wrong with her spending habits before, but when she checked the bnce on her ount then, she finally realized how dire her situation was. Remembering how she had suffered without money after running off with her loverst time, Kristen immediately set a spending limit on Thalia''s and Leonard''s cards. Thalia used to spend around five million on clothes and handbags every month. With her card limited to only three million, she dared not go shopping overseas with her friends for fear of exceeding the limit and gettingughed at. However, just when Thalia thought she had reached rock bottom, something even worse happened. Thalia was excited when she saw Felix''s assistant, Steve Burton, because she thought Alexander had decided to forgive his siblings. Unfortunately, she was stunned after listening to what Steve had to say. ¡°You''re kidding, right, Mr. Burton?¡± It''s true that I took the card and used the money on it, but why would Alex ask me to return all the money I''ve used in three days? Doesn''t he consider me his sister? ¡°Those were Mr. Xenos'' words, Ms. Xenos. I''m simply a messenger. His business trip will be three days long, so remember to return the card to the office before the twenty-seventh.¡± After saying what he went there to say, Steve made himself scarce, leaving Thalia standing there with a pale face. ¡°What''s wrong, Tally?¡± inquired Kristen, holding her bag when she saw her daughter frozen like a statue. When Thalia heard Kristen''s voice, she turned to look at her mother. ¡°Mom, Alex... Alex has lost his mind!¡± Kristen had never liked Alexander, so the fact that he had kicked her, Thalia, and Leonard out of the Xenos residence only made her resent him more. ¡°I know. It must be because of Sophia! She got him completely under her spell.¡± Still, Thalia could not care less about that since she knew Alexander had no love for them and would show her no mercy if she failed to return the money. ¡°Mom, Mr. Lane''s assistant just told me to return the money on the card to Alex in three days.¡± ¡°Were those Alexander''s words?¡± ¡°Mom, Alex gave Sophia that card, and I used it.¡± ¡°So what? I don''t see anything wrong with that. You''re his sister!¡± Kristen did not believe her daughter was in the wrong and was unafraid of Alexander since she was, after all, his mother. ¡°Don''t worry. If he dares do anything to you because of the money, I''ll make him regret it!¡± However, Thalia remained somewhat insecure. ¡°Mom, he forced us out of our home, so how hard can it be for him to deal with me?¡± Kristen''s face hardened when she was reminded of the matter. ¡°What are you so afraid of? Do you think he''ll hit you?¡± Even though Thalia had no idea if Alexander would get physical with her, she did know the man was more than capable of making her life in Jadeborough difficult. ¡°Can you lend me ten million, Mom? I''ll repay you as soon as possible!¡± ¡°I don''t have that kind of money! As I said, you don''t have to worry because I''ve got your back. That''s it now. I have to go meet up with my friends!¡± With that, Kristen hurried away. In order to save face after moving out of the Xenos residence, the woman had spent several million to buy a car and hire a driver to take her to her social gatherings. Kristen would not have been taken aback by how little money she had in her bank ount if she had not tried so hard to keep up appearances to avoid bing aughingstock. Just when Thalia opened her mouth and was about to say something, Kristen got into her car and left. Thalia was truly afraid of Alexander because if the past six months had taught them anything, it was that they were nothing without the man. Since Alexander had already had somebody warn her, she was sure he was serious about wanting the money back. I don''t have it, so what do I do? After some thought, Thalia realized the only way was to go to Sophia because the money belonged to the woman, after all. She spent half a day wondering if she should suffer Alexander''s wrath or go to Sophia. After receiving a call from Perrin, Sophia had Yvonne clear her schedule for the next two days so she could spend some time with her grandfather. Sophia could only book the flight for after two o''clock that afternoon since she had a piece of document to sign in the morning. After ten o''clock, Yvonne delivered the paper to the mansion so Sophia could sign it. Then the doorbell rang again shortly after Yvonne left. Thinking that her secretary had left something behind, Sophia went downstairs in her slippers, only to be surprised when she saw Thalia instead. Thalia did not look like she wanted to be there, but she had no choice because she was terrified of Alexander. With Sophia staring at her puzzledly, Thalia wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to stay anyway. ¡°I''m here to return what''s yours, Sophia.¡± With that, Thalia took the card out of her handbag and handed it to Sophia. ¡°You left this after the divorce.¡± Sophia could not help but chuckle when she saw the card in Thalia''s hand. ¡°That''s not mine.¡± Alexander gave it to me, but I''ve never once touched it, and I''m even more certain I don''t want it now that we''re divorced. Still, she was curious why Thalia would suddenly let her have the card. Thalia got anxious as soon as she heard Sophia''s response. ¡°I know my brother wants you to have it. I should never have taken it. I''m returning it to you now. If you give it back to Alex personally, maybe that''ll exin some of the misunderstandings.¡± ¡°Misunderstandings?¡± Sophia found Thalia''s choice of words interesting. ¡°Alex used to think you were a gold digger, right? There''s quite a significant amount on this card, so he probably thinks...¡± Looking at how amused Sophia was, Thalia found it impossible to finish her sentence. She pursed her lips and left the card on the floor. ¡°The point is, I''ve returned the card to you. You do whatever you want with it!¡± With that, Thalia immediately got back into her car and drove away. When Thalia was finally out of sight, Sophia scoffed before lowering herself to pick up the card on the floor. She did not believe that Thalia would return the card to her out of good intentions, so she checked the bnce on it when she reached the airport in the afternoon. That''s funny. I''ve never even touched this card, yet it has a zero bnce. Chapter 217 Chapter 217 No sooner had Sophia disembarked from the ne than she received a call from Lukas. ¡°Are you back?¡± ¡°Yeah, I just got off the ne.¡± ¡°Okay. Alfred will pick you up.¡± Smiling, Sophia stepped onto the esctor. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Spend some time with Grandpa. I won''t be in Doveston for the next few days, but I''ll be visiting Jadeborough next month. We can have dinner then.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Be careful.¡± As Lukas was a busy man, Sophia knew how much she meant to him when he made an effort to call. All this while, she could never understand why Katherine was envious of those with an elder brother. But now that she had one herself, it became evident to her. Sophia saw Alfred waiting the moment she came out of the airport. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Alfred.¡± Alfred had been working for Perrin for decades and was in his elderly years. Perrin would only send him to pick up special guests. Now that Perrin had instructed the semi-retired Alfred to meet Sophia, it was clear how much the former adored his granddaughter. Sophia was moved by the gesture, so she said respectfully, ¡°Thank you foring all this way, Alfred.¡± While leading the way, Alfred replied with a smile, ¡°Don''t be a stranger, Ms. Yarrow. You don''t know how happy I am that Mr. Dawson doesn''t mind my age when he sent me to pick you up.¡± With a grin, Sophia bent down and got into the car. ¡°How''s Granddad?¡± ¡°Good! Ever since you returned to the Dawson family, his appetite has improved greatly. His arthritis hasn''t been acting up as well since the weather here has been wonderful.¡± ¡°That''s good news.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, get some rest. You must be exhausted from the flight.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± It was silent in the car. Sophia tilted her head to look out the window. After leaving the airport expressway and stopping at a red light on their approach to the city, Alfred turned around and gave Sophia a nce. She''s gorgeous! One should expect no less from a member of the Dawson family. Twenty minutester, they arrived in front of a mansion. Sophia alighted from the car and saw Kylie waiting to wee her. ¡°Aunt Kylie.¡± ¡°You''re back! Did you not eat well? Why have you lost so much weight?¡± When Kylie gave Sophia a hug, thetter felt embarrassed. ¡°I''ve actually gained three pounds, Aunt Kylie.¡± Despite that, it wasn''t obvious from her slender frame. Kylie broke into a grin. ¡°Three pounds is nothing! Your granddad is dying to have you gain ten pounds.¡± Sophia didn''t doubt her words at all. As both of them chatted while walking into the house, they were quickly met by Perrin. Even though he hadn''t put on much weight, Sophia quickly noticed how vibrant he lookedpared to more than a month ago. ¡°Granddad.¡± ¡°You''re back! I''m sure you must be exhausted from your flight. Dinner is ready. You can get some rest after you eat.¡± Although Sophia wasn''t tired, Perrin still felt bad that she had to suffer through a long flight. Once dinner was over, Sophia apanied Perrin on a stroll before he hurried her off to rest. Thereafter, she resigned herself to retiring to her room upstairs. Shortly after emerging from the shower, Sophia saw Alexander''s name on the caller ID. He had been on a business trip for the past two days and had made it a habit to call at that particr time. Cocking her brow, she walked out to the balcony to enjoy the breezy wind while answering his call. ¡°It''s me.¡± ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± ¡°I have.¡± Alexander had attended a business dinner that evening and had a little to drink. Suddenly missing Sophia and feeling bored at the table, he had found an excuse to return to his hotel. The moment he went back, he gave Sophia a call. ¡°I miss you so much, Sophia.¡± As this wasn''t the first time he had said those words, Sophia let out a chuckle. ¡°Mr. Xenos, haven''t you been gone for only two days?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm, but I still miss you.¡± As the night breeze was a bit chilly, Sophia walked back into her room. Just as she wanted to inform Alexander that she was in Doveston, he said, ¡°I''ll be back tomorrow.¡± I''ll be able to see her the next day. Sophia stroked her cheek. ¡°I flew to Doveston today.¡± Alexander fell silent. Sophia pursed her lips and continued, ¡°I came here to visit Granddad.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± When his voice audibly deepened, Sophia raised her brows. ¡°Are you upset?¡± ¡°No. Can I go see you in Doveston?¡± The city was only half an hour away from Faike by high-speed train. Recalling Perrin''s words on the phone from the day before, Sophia replied, ¡°I would rather you not unless you want to be kicked out by Granddad.¡± ¡°When will you return to Jadeborough?¡± ¡°The morning the day after.¡± ¡°All right. I''ll pick you up then.¡± He spoke with conviction, eliciting a smile from her face. ¡°What are you going to say if we''re photographed together, Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander was momentarily stunned. Thereafter, he responded calmly, ¡°I n to tell it as it is.¡± Of course, Alexander knew that it would remain a desire of his, for Sophia would never allow him to disclose their rtionship. At that thought, he suddenly grew anxious. ¡°Sophia, would you still marry me?¡± After all, he had destroyed the idealistic fantasies she had about love and marriage. ¡°Not at the moment.¡± ¡°What about the future?¡± Sophia evaded the question. She noticed that Alexander was particrly talkative that evening. ¡°Have you been drinking?¡± ¡°A little.¡± Just as he spoke, he thought of something. ¡°But I''m not drunk.¡± In fact, I couldn''t be more sober. ¡°Okay. In that case, go to bed early. Good night.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Upon ending the call, Sophia stared at her phone, her mind drifting elsewhere. Perhaps it was Alexander''s questions and the change of environment because she didn''t get a good night''s sleep. Despite that, her rm was still set for seven thirty in the morning, for she knew that Perrin would be up early due to his advanced age. As the objective of her visit was to spend time with him, Sophia would not allow herself to sleep the morning away. After turning off her rm, she washed up before heading downstairs. Perrin was exercising in the garden; Kylie, too, was already up. Surprised to see Sophia up so early, thetter asked, ¡°Having trouble sleeping?¡± Sophia replied in embarrassment, ¡°A little.¡± Kylie chuckled. ¡°You shoulde back more often. You''ll get used to it that way.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia reciprocated with a smile before heading off to see Perrin. ¡°Granddad.¡± Perrin, too, didn''t expect to see her. ¡°What are you doing up so early?¡± Sophia stood beside him and followed his movements. ¡°I wanted to exercise with you.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°Hahaha, that''s wonderful! Come, just do as I do.¡± Sophia''s sharp memory and excellent psychomotor skills made her a fast learner. All Perrin needed was to show her the steps once. ¡°You''re so much better than your brother. He failed to pick it up no matter how hard he tried.¡± Sophia cocked a brow in surprise. There''s no way he would be bad at this. He must have done so on purpose. Of course, Sophia would not call him out. After exercising together for fifteen minutes, Sophia apanied Perrin upstairs for breakfast. They had just finished their food when Sophia heard a female voice echo from the staircase. ¡°Aunt Kylie! Granduncle!¡± Kylie nced at Sophia and exined, ¡°It''s Susan. Your granduncle''s granddaughter.¡± No sooner had Sophia nodded than she saw Susan Dawson emerging from the staircase. This was the second time Susan saw Sophia. Her face turned grim momentarily. However, she quickly recovered the smile on her face as she sat down beside Kylie. ¡°Aunt Kylie, who might this be?¡± ¡°Hello, I''m Sophia Yarrow.¡± Susan cocked an eyebrow in response. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, your reputation precedes you. I have heard your name many times.¡± Sophia broke into a t smile. ¡°Is that so? Perhaps I''m famous.¡± Susan''s insinuation failed to achieve its desired effect. Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Kylie looked at Sophia. She wanted to reveal her identity but held her tongue at the sight of thetter shaking her head. Fine. I''ll just go along with Sophia''s wishes. Oblivious to Sophia''s identity, Susan only knew that the former had carried the box containing Penelope''s ashes at the funeral. As Sophia didn''t continue their conversation and no introduction was forting from Kylie and Perrin, Susan had no choice but to ask, ¡°Aunt Kylie, and she is...¡± ¡°Oh, Ms. Yarrow has just been taken in by your granduncle as his granddaughter. You know how much he wanted one. He found Sophia to be a good fit, so he decided to acknowledge her.¡± No wonder. Susan cursed in her heart, but she spoke aloud in a tone that was a lot more polite. ¡°Oh, Ms. Yarrow, you''re really pretty.¡± Sophia took a sip of milk. ¡°Thank you.¡± Susan seethed, as it was the first time she had met someone like Sophia. Kylie couldn''t resist breaking into a smile. The agenda Susan harbored with her frequent visits to Perrin was obvious to all. Nheless, none in the Dawson family explicitly disapproved due to her deftness at ttery and the fact that she would apany Kylie shopping once in a while. Despite that, Kylie was fully aware that Perrin wouldn''t tolerate Susan if she were to do Sophia any harm. Although Susan was also a Dawson, she was considered a distant rtive. Yet, she had been coveting the Dawson family''s assets. That was one of the reasons why Perrin showed no fondness toward his younger brother''s grandchildren. ¡°Granduncle, do you resent me now that you have Sophia?¡± Faced with Susan''s innocent facade, Perrin burst into heartyughter. ¡°No matter what happens, your ce in my heart will never change.¡± When the smug Susan cocked a brow at Sophia, thetter curled her lips into a smile as she gave her hands a nonchnt wipe with a napkin. ¡°Granddad, I''m done.¡± ¡°I''m done too. Come, let''s y some chess!¡± As Susan was terrible at the game, Perrin would rather y against himself than her. Every time Susan visited, the most she could manage was to bring some handmade snacks and make idle conversation. With regard to her visit that morning, it wasn''t decided on the spur of a moment. Instead, she was due to go shopping with Kylie. Every time they went out together, Susan would bask in the shadow of Kylie''s mor. Nevertheless, thetter didn''t mind, as it would cost her to pay for a shopping assistant anyway, not to mention Susan was eloquent when it came to ttery. After shing a grin at Kylie, Sophia got to her feet and followed Perrin to his study. When Susan attempted to follow them, Kylie stopped her. ¡°Susan, wait for me while I go grab my jacket.¡± Susan nodded obediently and was then struck by an idea. ¡°Aunt Kylie, why don''t we get Ms. Yarrow to come along?¡± Kylie was jolted by the suggestion. ¡°Let me check with her.¡± I haven''t had the opportunity to buy some clothes for her! All this while, Kylie had always wanted a daughter so that she, just like everyone else, could shower her with gifts and doll thetter up. Unfortunately, her health didn''t allow her to bear a second child, reducing the desire to nothing but a pipe dream. Now that Sophia had returned to the Dawson family, she was excited to show off her gorgeous niece to all her friends. With that thought in mind, she couldn''t resist snatching Sophia away from Perrin. ¡°Dad.¡± She knocked on the door and opened it after hearing his acknowledgment. Inside the study, Sophia and Perrin had started their game five minutes ago. The former had just made her move when Kylie entered. Perrin threw Kylie a nce. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Dad, I''m going out shopping with Susan. Since Sophia is back, I wanted to check with her if she wants toe along.¡± Perrin knew what Kylie was thinking. Compared to Susan''s mboyant outfits, Sophia would always dress simply every time she came back. I have to do my granddaughter''s beauty justice! ¡°That sounds good. Get Sophia some nice clothes. A girl should always be dressed to the nines.¡± Perrin''s words embarrassed Sophia. She had never imagined him to misconstrue her casual way of dressing as a symbol of her thriftiness. Um, how should I tell him that I''m actually a closet tycoon? Upon receiving Perrin''s permission, Kylie took a seat at the side. ¡°There''s no need to hurry, Dad. You can finish the game with Sophia before we leave.¡± Sophia suddenly remembered Susan. ¡°Ms. Dawson is still downstairs. Wouldn''t it be rude to let her wait?¡± ¡°It''s not going to take long. I''m going to change first.¡± Sophia then threw Perrin a raised brow, for neither knew how long the game would go on. Eventually, Sophia decided to let Perrin win in order not to put Kylie in a spot. As this wasn''t the first time Perrin had yed against Sophia, he could see through her intention. He smiled helplessly and said, ¡°You should go on out with your aunt. She has been fantasizing about having a daughter to doll up. Now that you have returned, it''s like a dreame true to her.¡± Embarrassment inundated Sophia. ¡°But I came back to spend time with you.¡± Perrin responded with a wave of his hand. ¡°Go on now and don''t rush toe back. Remember to get yourself some pretty clothes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Upon leaving the study, Sophia returned to her room for a quick change and to put on light makeup. With her exquisite features and porcin-white skin, makeup was just the cherry on top. Sophia had arrived with barely any luggage. She had packed a long casual dress that was versatile for any asion. Nevertheless, her beauty made her would look good in anything she wore. Awed by the sight of Sophia when she came down the stairs, Kylie eximed, ¡°You look great!¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°I could say the same of you too.¡± Susan made a face discreetly. So what if she looks good? I''ll show Kylie Sophia''s true colors in a while! The trio left and arrived at the mall half an hourter. As Kylie held Sophia''s arm, Susan¡ªnot wanting to lose out¡ªheld Kylie''s free arm. Kylie gave Susan a look and did not say much. Recognizing the famous Kylie, who was a regr patron, the salesgirl sealed the entrance upon their arrival. Previously, when Sophia wasn''t around, Kylie would pick out some clothes for Susan. But now that Sophia was by her side, Kylie shopped for clothes that were suitable for her the moment she stepped in. After Kylie picked a few outfits, the patient Sophia tried them on one by one. Her good looks made her look stunning in anything she put on. Every time she emerged from the changing room, the clothes would appear as if they had been tailored for her. Even the salesgirl, who was awed by the sight and felt the urge to take pictures, couldn''t stop? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. praising Sophia. Gesturing with her hand, Kylie said, ¡°I''ll take all of them.¡± Susan, who had juste out from the changing room, gasped upon hearing that. ¡°Aunt Kylie, isn''t that a lot?¡± Kylie nodded with a smile. ¡°It''s fine. Sophia looks good in everything. By wearing a different outfit every day, she''ll go through them in no time.¡± Susan''s expression stiffened. ¡°Aunt Kylie, how do I look in this dress?¡± Even though Susan had decent features, the same couldn''t be said of her figure, for she had taken on the thunder thighs that ran in her mother''s family. It was one thing not to have slender legs, but her pear-shaped silhouette was really obvious, making high-waist dresses unsuitable for her. Despite that, Kylie, who was in a good mood, didn''t point it out. ¡°It looks good on you. We''ll take it too.¡± Susan''s face lit up at once. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Kylie.¡± After reciprocating with a grin, Kylie saw Sophiaing out of the changing room. ¡°Why don''t you see if there''s anything else you fancy?¡± At the sight of the pile of clothes on the counter, Sophia shook her head with a helpless smile. ¡°That''s more than enough, Aunt Kylie.¡± Although Kylie wasn''t satisfied, the serious look on Sophia''s face deterred her from insisting. ¡°In that case, let''s go get you some handbags!¡± With that, she headed out of the store with Sophia in tow. ¡°Sophia, let''s go over to Clovile and check out theirtest bags.¡± Even though Susan, who had fallen behind, was upset, Kylie''s generosity served as motivation for her to keep up. No sooner had Sophia and Kylie stepped out than someone call out to them. ¡°Sophia, it''s really you! What a coincidence! Have you been caught by your boyfriend''s wife? Do you need my help to call the police?¡± Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Staring at the twodies in front of her, Sophia was about to respond when Susan dashed out from behind and preempted her. ¡°Mindy, what nonsense are you talking about?¡± Mindy threw Susan a nce. ¡°Nonsense? Have you forgotten that Danielle and I graduated from Jadeborough University? Back then, Sophia was a legend in school. Not only did she not stay on the campus amodations, but she alsomuted to school in a luxury car. I was surprised in the beginning but soon learned from the rumors that she was someone''s mistress.¡± She covered her mouth to hide her snigger. ¡°But it would be a shame if she didn''t milk that pretty face of hers for all it''s worth.¡± ¡°How can you make such usations without any proof?¡± Mindy snorted in response. ¡°If you don''t believe me, you can look up Sophia''s name in Jadeborough University''s online forum.¡± Furrowing her brows, Susan turned toward Sophia, not knowing who to believe. Just when Kylie wanted to intervene, Sophia held her hand and shed a smile. She turned to the two ladies and asked calmly, ¡°I''m sorry, but you are?¡± Mindy froze. ¡°I''m Mindy Walsh from the art faculty. We were in the same batch and shared a meal together. Have you forgotten?¡± ¡°Is that so? I''m sorry, but I never remember anyone unimportant.¡± Sophia then turned her attention to Danielle Jordan. ¡°What about you? Do we know each other?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Danielle''s answer elicited a sneer from Sophia. ¡°This is awkward. Since I barely know either of you, why do you seem to know so much about me?¡± Sophia cocked her brow as she smirked at Mindy and Danielle. ¡°So from your perspective, not staying in school and being driven there in a luxury car makes me a mistress? My beauty is acknowledged by all. There''s no need for you to cook up a cock and bull story just topliment me.¡± Here, Sophia threw Susan a nce before returning her gaze to Mindy and Danielle. ¡°The story you have cooked up is terrible. It''s not only filled with loopholes but illogical too, making it a boring one to start with.¡± Just as she finished, she turned toward Kylie and smiled. ¡°Aunt Kylie, what do you think of the drama today?¡± Given her rich experience in life, Kylie was under no illusion of what was actually happening. She, too, broke into a smile. ¡°It''s nothing but a shoddy show. Come, let''s go shop for bags!¡± She then turned to Susan. ¡°Susan, since you''ve run into your friends, why don''t you join them?¡± Susan was about to say something, but she ended up pursing her lips when she saw the indiscernible glint in Sophia''s eyes. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Kylie patted Sophia on her hand. ¡°Just pick whatever you fancy, and I''ll buy them all.¡± Sophia was embarrassed by the offer. ¡°But I won''t be able to use so many.¡± Unlike Katherine, she didn''t have the habit of collecting bags. Kylie let out a gentleugh. ¡°It doesn''t matter. You can put them on disy if you like.¡± As Susan watched both of them leave amidst their cheerful banter, she couldn''t help but stomp her feet. When they were finally out of sight, Mindy and Danielle hurried up to Susan''s side. ¡°Is Sophia really your cousin''s fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°No way! A wench like her will never be part of the Dawson family!¡± Mindy''s brows knitted in response. ¡°But isn''t your aunt being especially nice to Sophia? She went off with her and even left you here with us.¡± The remark deepened the scowl on Susan''s face. ¡°Sophia is undeniably a crafty one!¡± Nevertheless, Danielle was worried about a different issue. ¡°Susan, from the way Sophia was speaking just now, I get the feeling that she has seen through the charade we have put up for your aunt.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I even stood up for her just now.¡± When Susan recalled thest look Kylie had given her, her face turned slightly pale. ¡°So what if she knows? She''s not a member of the Dawson family! It''s not like Aunt Kylie will do anything to me. Besides, we only made a fewments out of my good intentions. It''s not like we''reCopyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. maligning her on purpose.¡± The moment Susan finished, she looked in the direction of where Sophia and Kylie had disappeared to. Despite her words, she couldn''t deny the growing sense of dread within her. Over thest few years, I have frequently visited the Dawson residence. Aunt Kylie treats me like a daughter, while Granduncle is reasonably nice to me. I''m sure all my efforts up till now won''t go to waste just because of Sophia, will it? The more Susan thought about it, the more insecure she was. ¡°Both of you carry on. I''m going home.¡± Meanwhile, Sophia wasn''t bothered by Susan''s tricks at all, as they were nothing but trivial attempts to discredit her. Compared to what had happened, she was more shaken by the fact that Kylie had bought her six handbags. ¡°Do you see anything else that you like? That one looks gorgeous. It''s this month''stest design. In white, it gives one a minimalistic feel and you can use it when you go out.¡± Although those were luxury bags, Kylie behaved as if they cost nothing. Before she finished her comment, she already had the staff bring her the bag. ¡°Aunt Kylie, I have plenty of bags at home.¡± Sophia smiled resignedly. Kylie responded with a look. ¡°It''s fine. You can give it to your friend when you''re back.¡± Oh? Katherine will be ecstatic to hear that. When she saw how much pleasure Kylie derived from splurging on her clothes and jewelry, Sophia¡ª knowing better¡ªstopped protesting. Both of them shopped till noon when Kylie finally felt that it was time for lunch. After settling down in a restaurant, Kylie turned to Sophia. ¡°Don''t let their words bother you. When I get home, I''ll tell your granddad about it.¡± Sophia met her gaze, and her lips curled into a smile. ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about.¡± ¡°Jeez...¡± Once lunch was over, both of them returned to the Dawson residence. Perrin was taking his nap at that hour. Having woken up early, Sophia, too, returned to her room to sleep for more than an hour. By the time she woke up, it was already three in the afternoon. After reinvigorating herself with a cold ssh on her face, she nned to y chess with Perrin. After all, that was what she had promised him. Having descended the staircase, she was greeted by the sight of Perrin and Kylie in the living room. The sound of her footsteps had also drawn Perrin''s attention. ¡°You''re awake.¡± ¡°I am, Granddad, Aunt Kylie.¡± At the sight of Sophia, Kylie rted to Perrin what had happened at the mall. Sophia listened quietly with a smile on her face as if the story was about someone else. Perrin gave Sophia a sympathetic nce, and a grim look descended upon his eyes. ¡°Susan''s parents are still around, so her filial duty is to them and not us. Going forward, she has to be more mindful and note here unless she has a good reason to. Otherwise, she''ll end up as a disgrace once others learn of it.¡± Perrin''s decision was consistent with what Kylie had in mind. Even though both of them were well aware of Susan''s agenda previously, they had seen her as a greedy but harmless girl. However, now that Susan was targeting Sophia, they could no longer tolerate her behavior. After all, Sophia was the apple of the Dawson family''s eye, and no one was allowed toy a finger on her. By attempting to cause Sophia grief, does Susan really think that old age has clouded our judgment? Chapter 220 Chapter 220 Sophia listened to their conversation and was moved to hear what they said, but she did not want to talk about Susan anymore. After all, Susan was the one who kept Perrin and Kyliepany when she was away from the Dawson residence. If Susan had note to her with malicious intentions, Sophia would have treated her words as casual remarks andughed them off. ¡°Granddad, do you want to y chess with me?¡± Sophia asked. ¡°Sure! But you''d better not go easy on me this time!¡± Sophia looked at Kylie and said, ¡°Aunt Kylie, I''ll be ying chess with Granddad in the study!¡± ¡°Go ahead. He only enjoys ying chess and nothing else, but I know nothing about chess, so I guess he finds it boring to y chess with me.¡± ¡°But, Aunt Kylie, you''re good at shopping!¡± Sophia joked and followed Perrin to the study for the chess game. This time, Sophia did not go easy on Perrin. In the end, it was a narrow victory for Sophia. Although Perrin lost the game, he was delighted as ever. ¡°My granddaughter is so smart! Hahaha!¡± Sophia poured him a cup of coffee and asked, ¡°Granddad, should we go for a walk downstairs?¡± They had been sitting for more than an hour. Despite her young age, she felt somewhat ufortable in that posture, and she could only imagine how much more difiting it must be for Perrin. Thus, the two went downstairs and took a walk. When night fell, Sophia helped Perrin back into the dining hall for dinner. After dinner, Perrin told Sophia to meet him in the study. He asked, ¡°What is going on with you and Alexander?¡± Sophia knew Perrin would surely ask her this question before she even came to visit them. Although she did not n to hide anything from Perrin, she still felt a little shy as she said, ¡°Granddad, I still like him.¡± It made her feel pathetic to admit that, but it was the truth. Perhaps she was meant to go through more obstacles in her love life than others. Sure enough, Perrin''s expression darkened as he heard that from her. As the air inside the study grew silent, Sophia pursed her lips and said nothing. Around ten secondster, Perrin pulled open a drawer. ¡°Last week, someone sent a letter to our house anonymously. Why don''t you take a look at it?¡± Sophia raised her brows and took over the printed letter from Perrin. After reading the content, Sophia frowned. The letter listed theplicated ties between her, Horatius, and Alexander. Other than that, the anonymous sender condemned Sophia for stealing Alexander. They also warned the Dawson family not to acknowledge a woman like Sophia as their daughter-inw. There was no address or information about the sender stated in the letter. However, it was clear that the sender was certainly rted to Alexander. Sophia could finally understand Perrin''s anger the other day. She pursed her lips. ¡°Granddad, Alexander has been pursuing me again after our divorce.¡± Hearing that, Perrin softened his expression a little, but he still snorted. ¡°It''s his loss for not cherishing you in the past. There are other men out there. You don''t have to be with him!¡± Sophia smiled wryly. ¡°But he''s the only person I like.¡± Perrin sighed. ¡°You''ve gone through so much on your own all these years. I didn''t want to interfere with this, but Alexander will have to work harder to gain approval from us before he gets to be with you!¡± From his words, Sophia understood that Perrin had decided to respect her decision. She was touched by his love for her as she stared at his grey hair. ¡°Trust me. I won''t make it easy for him to win over me again.¡± Perrin nodded with satisfaction. ¡°It''s gettingte now. Go get some sleep. You have to wake up early for your flight tomorrow.¡± Sophia kept the letter. ¡°Granddad, can I take the letter with me?¡± She wanted to investigate the matter and find out who was pulling such petty tricks behind them. ¡°Sure. Take it with you.¡± Perrin did not fancy having this letter lying in his drawer either. Sophia smiled and said, ¡°Good night, Granddad.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Returning to her room, Sophia took out her phone, which had vibrated several times. She turned on the screen and saw three missed calls from Alexander. Raising her brows, she texted him on WhatsApp. After chatting for a while, Alexander told her to go to sleep. Putting away her phone, she grabbed a new set of clothes and walked into her bathroom. Sophia did not bring anything when she visited the Dawson residence, but she took a huge suitcase with her when she left. As soon as she stepped out of the airport, she immediately spotted Katherine. She walked over to the latter with the suitcase and asked, ¡°Do you think I can''t see you just because you''re wearing sunsses?¡± ¡°Of course not. There are paparazzi here.¡± Hearing that, Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Let''s go to the car then.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The two quickly left the airport and got inside their car in the parking lot. The car windows were specially customized so that people could not look in from the outside. Right then, Katherine took off her sunsses and scarf. ¡°Oh my! These paparazzi surely have time on their hands!¡± Sophia fastened her seatbelt and tilted her head at Katherine. ¡°Didn''t I tell you not toe?¡± ¡°How could I note? You''re my best friend!¡± Sophia quirked her brows and exposed her mercilessly, ¡°You only came for the bag, didn''t you?¡± ¡°That''s nonsense! I came to pick you up and get the bag at the same time!¡± The other day when Kylie offered to buy a bag for Sophia''s best friend, she was not merely making empty promises. She actually bought two bags and told Sophia to give Katherine one. Last night, when Sophia told Katherine about this, thetter immediately risked it all to pick her up at the airport. Of course, Sophia knew Katherine came for the bag instead of her. After flying for slightly more than two hours, Sophia was a little tired. She leaned against the seat and said, ¡°All right. Start driving now. I''m tired.¡± ¡°Sure thing, President Yarrow.¡± Sophia chuckled at that and tilted her head to look at Katherine. ¡°President Yarrow, don''t pay me any min. Just get some shuteye!¡± ¡°I''m wondering how shameless you can be.¡± Katherine was at a loss for words. On their way back, Sophia dozed off and gradually woke up when their car arrived at the mansion. Once they got out of the car, Katherine eagerly trotted to the car trunk, where the suitcase was ced in. ¡°My dear bag, I''ming for you!¡± On the other hand, Sophia could not be bothered about that. She was thirsty and only wanted to have a drink at that moment. ¡°Help me bring in the suitcase.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Right after she said that, Katherine, who usually struggled to open a bottle cap in front of Joshua, immediately lifted the suitcase that weighed more than thirty pounds. It was certainly not an exaggeration to say that luxury handbags were like magic that could make women aplish what they usually could not in their daily lives. When Sophia was waiting for the water to boil in the kitchen, Katherine suddenly rushed in and eximed, ¡°Oh my! Is your Aunt Kylie looking to receive goddaughters? Why don''t you introduce me to her?¡± Although Katherine knew she was not intelligent, she was confident in winning over Kylie''s heart with her charm. Sophia nced at her. ¡°I didn''t know you could be so pathetic.¡± ¡°I can be even more pathetic!¡± Gosh! Last night, when she heard what Sophia told her over the phone, she was yet to feel impressed. Yet, when she opened the suitcase just now, Katherine had a strong urge to steal all the outfits and luxury bags inside. Her Aunt Kylie sounds like a fairy godmother to me! Sophia scoffed. ¡°Why don''t I pass the message to her next time I see her?¡± ¡°Of course! That sounds great!¡± ¡°You''re shameless.¡± ¡°Can''t I be shameless?¡± Sophia gave up arguing with her. ¡°Whatever. You can pick any bags you like and take them with you.¡± After all, luxury bags did not matter much to her. She could live without them. Upon hearing that, Katherine immediately pulled Sophia into a tight embrace. ¡°I love you so, so, so much!¡± Sophia raised a hand and shoved her face away. ¡°I can feel your saliva all over my face.¡± Katherine was rendered speechless. She was simply giving Sophia a peck on the cheek, yet thetter did not seem to appreciate that. Still, now that she had the luxury bags with her, Katherine was no longer bothered by that. She let go of Sophia and went outside to choose her bags. When Sophia left the kitchen with a ss of warm water, she saw Katherine kneeling on the floor. Sophia raised her brows again. ¡°You don''t have to bow and thank me.¡± Katherine looked conflicted as she asked, ¡°Well... Can I have all of them?¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± In the end, Katherine chose three bags. As she left, she could not help turning back and blowing a kiss at Sophia with every step she took. Sophia could not stand watching that, so she lifted her arm and pushed Katherine away. ¡°Leave now, or I''ll take everything back from you.¡± Hearing that, Katherine stopped blowing kisses at her. Instead, she clutched tightly onto the bag containing the handbags and said, ¡°Bye, Soph!¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Sophia tugged her lips upward and watched as Katherine walked away. ¡°Remember to lock the gates.¡± With that, she turned around and closed the door, walking back into the mansion. She had barely taken a few steps away when she heard someone knocking on the door downstairs. Sophia cocked her brows and went back to open the door. ¡°Did you forget¡ª¡± Chapter 221 Chapter 221 Before she could finish her words, Sophia''s eyes widened as she nced at him and slowly raised her brows. ¡°Shouldn''t you be in a meeting, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°It''s over.¡± Alexander eyed her, raised his hand to push the door gently, and walked in. He never knew how it felt to miss someone back then, but now he did. After being on a three-day business trip, he returned in a hurry yesterday, but Sophia was not in Jadeborough. He had waited until today for her return and was absent-minded during the meeting earlier. Once it was over, he immediately drove over to see her. His gaze was like a fire warming Sophia''s cheeks as he looked at her. Turning around, she headed upstairs and rinsed Alexander''s ss before pouring him some water. ¡°Don''t you have a business lunch at noon?¡± ¡°I''ve asked Mr. Lane to reschedule it.¡± She didn''t expect that Alexander would cancel the appointment that could only be scheduled that day due to his three-day business trip. ¡°I see,¡± Sophia acknowledged his words and took a sip of the lukewarm water with her head hung low. At once, the mansion sunk into silence. After remaining quiet for a short while, Alexander suddenly beckoned to Sophia. ¡°Come here, Sophia.¡± She raised her head to nce at him before putting the ss down and walking over to him. The moment she strode up to him, Alexander pulled her into his arms. A soothing feeling flooded his body when he caught a whiff of her familiar scent. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± Looking at him, Sophia giggled. ¡°No.¡± The truth was, she did miss him a little, but she refused to tell him so that he wouldn''t feel smug. Undoubtedly, Alexander didn''t believe her words and knew right away that she was lying at the sight of the lifted corners of her eyes as she smirked like a cunning fox. He might have taken her words seriously if it weren''t for the smugness in her eyes. His gaze darkened. ¡°I missed you so much.¡± Sophia could remain calm in any circumstance but not when Alexander was confessing to her so directly. After all, she was rtively inexperienced when it came to romance. Warmth flooded her cheeks, and she lowered her head to avoid his eyes. As Alexander stared at her flushed ears, his Adam''s apple bobbed faintly, and he extended his hand to lift her chin. ¡°It''s been so long since Ist kissed you, Sophia.¡± After saying that, he lowered his head to nt a kiss on her lips, parting her teeth apart with the warm tip of his tongue. Sophia felt his grip on her waist slightly tightening and her whole body almost sprawling on his chest. His steamy kiss made her feel dizzy like she had just stepped out of a hot spring. Their voices scattered gradually while the sounds of their breathing ovepped. Entangled in his arms with her body close to his well-built chest, she could feel the coldness from his belt buckle and the hard bulge pressing against her thighs. Only the sound of their faint panting filled the silent mansion as a gust of the warm afternoon wind blew, spicing up the steamy atmosphere. Sophia felt as if he was about to swallow her whole. After the long kiss, she almost couldn''t catch her breath and felt dizzy. Alexander finally pulled away from her lips when she thought she was so close to drowning in the overwhelming kiss. However, his hands were still on her, holding her waist tightly. His eyes darkened slightly as he nced at her. ¡°I thought you didn''t miss me.¡± Sophia shot him a re, but her bright eyes had an overwhelming allure. There was no way he could ignore her with that stare of hers. Shifting his eyes, he leaned on the couch, let out a deep chuckle, and slowly loosened his necktie with one hand while the other was still wrapped around her waist. As he pressed his slender fingers on his necktie, his alluring Adam''s apple appeared and disappeared from her sight intermittently. Sophia felt her cheeks burning and gently tried to push him away, but he didn''t budge. After loosening his necktie, Alexander lifted his hand to hold the back of her head and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Let me hold you longer.¡± Leaning on his shoulders, Sophia shifted her eyes, and her gazended on his protruded Adam''s apple. At the sight, her fingers twitched slightly. Watching his throat bobbing, she had the urge to touch it. However, she held herself back when she felt the hardness pressing against her thighs. At that moment, Alexander''s phone rang. Raising her brows, Sophia raised her head to look at him. ¡°Alexander, your phone is ringing.¡± Although Alexander heard the ringing phone, he didn''t intend to answer it. Without even looking at the caller ID, he knew Felix was calling to remind him about his lunch appointment at Golden Sun that day. However, the phone kept ringing and was ruining the mood. In the end, Alexander picked up the call with a darkened expression. ¡°I''ll be there in half an hour.¡± After saying that, he hung up immediately. On the other end of the call, Felix felt a chill in his heart as he wondered whether he had called at the wrong time. However, it was already noon, and the business lunch was half an hourter. If Alexander did not show up, it would only make things difficult for Felix. When Sophia heard his words, she pushed him away and sat next to him. ¡°Didn''t you say you have rescheduled the lunch appointment?¡± Alexander stood up and suddenly extended his hand to pinch her earlobe. ¡°Come with me,¡± he said as he held her hand. Sophia snorted. ¡°Did you forget what you promised me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Alexander headed out while holding her hand. After getting in the car, he exined, ¡°I''ve asked Felix to book a private room next to mine. You can wait for me there.¡± Sophia couldn''t help butugh. ¡°Wouldn''t Mr. Lane hate me?¡± There are barely any private rooms in Golden Sun. Moreover, Alexander requested one next to the room for his business lunch. She reckoned Alexander''s request would only give Felix a headache. However, Alexander did not say a word and started driving to Golden Sun after she had buckled her seatbelt. When the car stopped at a red light halfway, he tilted his head to look at her. ¡°Aren''t you going to announce your rtionship with the Dawson family to the public?¡± Sophia had returned to Doveston two days ago, where she was photographed going shopping with Kylie. The ridiculous mediapanies then published the photos on the inte, iming that Sophia deliberately took a flight to apany her future mother-inw. As such, theizens were convinced that the rumors about Sophia marrying into a wealthy family again were true. Besides, as it could be seen from the photos that Kylie was treating Sophia kindly, the media reported that thetter had earned another chance at life because she met Lukas, who was more suitable for her, and a mother-in- law, who was way better than Kristen after her divorce with Alexander. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Although Alexander knew the media was spouting nonsense, he asked Felix to delete the photos immediately. Despite that, he still felt displeased when he saw the photos. Although Lukas was Sophia''s cousin, Alexander couldn''t stand people saying she belonged to Lukas when she should be his instead. Sophia nced at him, raising her brows faintly. ¡°I''ll announce it on Granddad''s birthday in August.¡± Alexander''s brows furrowed. ¡°That''s ratherte.¡± Sophia couldn''t help butugh. ¡°How is thatte? There''s not much to say anyway.¡± After all, she was a down-to-earth person. Alexander frowned while Sophia pointed to the front. ¡°The light has turned green, Mr. Xenos.¡± After ncing at her, he had no choice but to let the matter go. After fifteen minutes, the car came to a halt. Sophia lifted her hand to tug at Alexander''s sleeve as she pointed at his cor and necktie. It turned out that when Alexander loosened his necktie back at the mansion earlier, two buttons on the cor came undone. Although he somehow appeared dreamy with such a disheveled look, she knew he had to uphold his image because he was having a business meal. Since he always had a kempt appearance, such a shabby look might shock everyone. Lowering his head, Alexander looked at his shirt cor before extending his arm to grab Sophia''s hand. ¡°Help me button them up.¡± After saying that, he loosened his grip and stared at her with darkened eyes. Sophia snorted. ¡°What if I don''t?¡± ¡°Then I shall go in looking like this.¡± Raising her brows, Sophia let go of his hand. ¡°Sure.¡± It''s not me who will be embarrassed anyway. After looking at her for a while, Alexander opened the door and was about to get out of the car when Sophia let out an angry snort. ¡°Come back here!¡± I can''t believe he is so shameless! As the chances of running into someone she knew in Golden Sun were high, she didn''t let Alexander hold her hand when she got out of the car. The waiter at the entrance was the same as before, and the man was taken aback when he saw Sophia and Alexander arrive together. ¡°Hello, Mr. Xenos and Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia shed an ambiguous smile at the waiter, who lowered his head in uneasiness. Alexander hated it when Sophia looked at other guys. ¡°Do you two know each other?¡± Retracting her gaze, Sophia chuckled. ¡°No.¡± He shot the waiter another nce and memorized his looks, nning to ask Felix to run a background check on him. Chapter 222 Chapter 222 Meanwhile, Felix was like a cat on a hot tin roof as he waited right at the entrance of the private room. The second he caught a glimpse of Alexander, he was so flustered that he almost broke down in tears. As his gazended on Sophia, he was stunned unwittingly. Even so, he was able to regainposure in an instant. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow,¡± he greeted. Incredible! Mr. Xenos is sure quick to win Ms. Yarrow back! Alexander nodded in response. ¡°Do escort Sophia to the other private room.¡± ¡°Noted,¡± replied Felix in the affirmative. After Alexander went to join the lunch appointment, Felix finally heaved a sigh of relief before shifting his line of sight to Sophia. ¡°Please follow me, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Thankfully, he had always been a meticulous person. In the past, Alexander would sometimes request another private room to have a proper meal following his lunch appointments. Given that the rooms were often fully booked at Golden Sun, Felix had made the necessary arrangement several days prior. Sophia arched a brow as she trailed behind Felix. It was such a coincidence, however, that she bumped into Ka before even taking the initiative to settle the score with thetter. Just when Ka''s gaze met Sophia''s, the former''s face clouded over. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± An ice-cold nce was all Sophia returned her. ¡°To have lunch, of course,¡± she drawled. Pfft! Is she here to shop for groceries instead? Ka was stumped for words. ¡°It''s not easy to make a reservation here. Do you have one already, Ms. Yarrow? If you haven''t, I don''t mind having you join us. I''ve booked a booth for four, after all.¡± With a grin ying about Sophia''s lips, she turned Ka down. ¡°Thank you for your generosity, Ms. Fletcher. Mr. Lane has readied a private room for me.¡± Of course, Ka had noticed Felix, but when she realized that Alexander was present as well, she grimaced. ¡°I guess you''re really something.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Sophia chuckled at that and continued, ¡°I guess you''re right. People have always said that I''m special.¡± ¡°You...¡± Her face flushed red with fury, Ka pointed at Sophia. How dare this b*tch insinuate that I''m a nobody! ¡°If there''s nothing else, we''ll talk again someday because I''m famished right now. Catch youter, Ms. Fletcher.¡± Sophia sounded casual as she averted her eyes from Ka before shooting a meaningful look at Felix. Having caught her hint, Felix prompted, ¡°This way, please, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia''s private room wasn''t a spacious one, but it was only over a dozen meters away from the room where Alexander''s lunch appointment was held. Felix left right after he led Sophia into the room. As for Sophia, considering that she had messed with Ka a minute ago, she was in such a good mood that she even chowed down on the dishes served. On the contrary, Ka found herself at a loss for words after making the exchange with Sophia. In fact, she was suffocating within. After getting back to the booth, her friend noticed her grim visage, thus instinctively probing, ¡°What''s the matter? Didn''t you say you wanted toe here so that you could stage a coincidental encounter with Alexander?¡± The moment the matter was brought up, Ka''s countenance changed for the worse. ¡°Sophia is here, too.¡± ¡°So what if she''s here? There''s no conflict of interest between her being here and you executing your grand scheme, is there?¡± Ka fumed through gritted teeth, ¡°Felix arranged a private room entirely for her!¡± Being in the same social circle, everyone knew that it was a hassle to secure even a seat at Golden Sun. To top that off, since Felix was Alexander''s secretary and he booked Sophia a private room, that could only mean that Alexander was the one who had issued themand. Most importantly, Alexander himself was also in the same restaurant that very day. As Ka had gotten wind of Alexander''s schedule, she had managed to ask someone to reserve her a booth, all just to meet up with Alexander. Unfortunately, it seemed that Sophia had already beaten Ka to it. ¡°Was she with Alexander?¡± ¡°No.¡± What difference does it make? Once Alexander is done with his lunch appointment, he''s obviously going to rendezvous with Sophia! With that thought in mind, Ka felt a throbbing pain assailing her heart. She gulped down several mouthfuls of water while her friend stared at her with knitted brows. ¡°That can''t be right... How did the matter unfold at your hands the other day? Has there been no reaction whatsoever from the Dawsons?¡± A mention of that piqued Ka''s suspicion straightaway. ¡°Nothing,¡± was her only answer nheless. It was like nothing had ever happened for the Dawson family. What infuriated Ka more was that Lukas'' mother had even gone on a shopping spree with Sophia ever so amiably. At the thought of that, Ka felt even more upset. She wondered what spell Sophia had cast to bewitch the Dawson family to the point where they could remain unfazed despite having a strict family tradition and being the center of public opinion. Little did Ka know that she had already misinterpreted the rtionship shared between Sophia and the Dawson family right from the start. In the meantime, Sophia had almost eaten her fill when Alexander stepped into the room. Just as thetter flung the door open, Sophia caught a whiff of alcohol wafting from Alexander. She couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow and turn to eye him. ¡°Did you drink again?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Those old geezers at the lunch appointment had been a difficult bunch to deal with. In an effort to get back to Sophia sooner for a tryst, Alexander had no choice but to drink a toast to each one of them. Upon grunting a reply, Alexander paced toward Sophia and slumped into the seat next to hers, asking, ¡°Is the soup good?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Yeah.¡± That being said, Sophia couldn''t seem to finish the entire serving of soup all by herself. Judging from Alexander''s question, she thought that he wanted to try some of it as well. ¡°Do you also want to have some? I''ll order one for you.¡± ¡°No, it''s fine.¡± As he spoke, he put her bowl of leftover soup in front of him before grabbing a spoon and steadily supping up the soup. Sophia fell silent for a while before posing a rhetorical query. ¡°Are you that strapped for cash now?¡± Alexander, in turn, sneaked a peek at her and uttered, ¡°Yours tastes better.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Sophia could feel her cheeks burning. What a shameless thing to say! Ugh! I give up. She was almost done with lunch, but the man beside her hadn''t had much to eat earlier on. ¡°Let''s add a few more dishes,¡± she suggested. ¡°Sure.¡± Soon enough, Alexander finished the soup before picking up a fork and slowly enjoying the fish. On the flip side, Sophia didn''t have much appetite, so she couldn''t really clean her te. All she could manage was one-third of all three dishes that she had ordered. In fact, Golden Sun served rather exquisite delicacies with reasonable serving portions. Sophia could have easily gobbled down those three dishes if she had been there any other day. Nevertheless, that particr day was an exception. After more dishes were served, Sophia quietly watched Alexander as thetter dug in. He wasn''t tardy in eating, yet his every move breathed the utmost elegance. Sophia enjoyed every second of observing him. After lunch, Alexander returned to the mansion with Sophia. Earlier, the former had drunk a lot of liquor. Since he had beente for the lunch appointment, he had to knock back one ss of liquor. In the course of the meeting, he had downed another two sses of liquor. Last but not least, he had had three more sses of it before taking his leave. In total, that was almost half a catty of liquor. Considering that he had a knack for holding his alcohol, that amount of liquor wasn''t sufficient to intoxicate him. Still, being under the influence had cost him his rationality. As he pressed Sophia against the couch, the stench of alcohol on his body reached her nose. The next instant, Sophia was smothered with passionate kisses, and her entire body was scorching. ¡°Alexander!¡± ¡°Yes, Sophia,¡± he, too, deliberately said the woman''s name. He hung his head low and looked her in the eye, his eyes inundated with longing and desire. Sophia blushed as they exchanged gazes. Immediately, she reached out to shove the man away with all her might. However, Alexander had summoned every ounce of strength to pin Sophia beneath him. He was practically as immovable as a boulder. Despite gnashing her teeth and going all out, Sophia still failed to push him away. Alexander pulled her hand away and held it. With her hand in his, he questioned, ¡°When can we make our rtionship public?¡± A snort escaped from Sophia''s mouth on that note. ¡°Now is just not the time yet.¡± He then made a move and burrowed his head into her shoulder. ¡°So, when is it ted for?¡± From his perspective, not being able to openly im her as he was too much of an agony to bear. Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Sophia struggled to escape the man''s grasp. ¡°Let go of me, Alexander!¡± ¡°No.¡± In his drunken stupor, he was a lot more shameless than usual. Her temper spiked, and she let out a bark ofughter in exasperation. ¡°Don''t you want to know why I went to Doveston all of a sudden?¡± Alexander got up upon hearing what she said. Sophia did the same and glowered at him, although her cheeks remained flushed. She then went into the kitchen and made him a cup of honey water. cing it in front of him, she instructed, ¡°Drink up.¡± Alexander didn''t question it and gulped the beverage down in one go. This was the very first time he thought honey water tasted good, and perhaps it was because she was the one who made it for him. After finishing up the drink, he fixed his dark eyes on Sophia. She snorted and pulled out the anonymous letter from her bag before handing it to him. ¡°Have a look at it yourself.¡± Alexander''s brows furrowed as he tore open the envelope and read the content of the letter within it. Following that, an insidious glint shed across his eyes. ¡°I''ll look into this.¡± ¡°I already have,¡± said Sophia. The day before, she''d found out from Yvonne that it was Ka''s handwriting, and the trending headline was also thetter''s doing. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Why don''t you take a guess, Mr. Xenos?¡± She bent down and cupped her face in her hands, ncing at the man with a grin. Massaging his temples, he questioned, ¡°Thalia?¡± ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Bethany?¡± Once more, Sophia shook her head. ¡°This is your final guess. If you get it right, I''ll push your progress forward by fifty percent.¡± Seeing the twinkle in her eyes, Alexander gulped and pursed his lips, thinking hard about who the culprit might be. It wasn''t an easy guess at all. In the entirety of Jadeborough, only Thalia and Bethany came to mind when he thought of who might be on bad terms with Sophia. If it wasn''t either of them, then he had no idea who it was. He then looked back at the woman. Her gaze was oozing with smugness, which told him that the culprit was a person he would never expect. Two months ago, Alexander had asked Felix to find out all of the people who mistreated Sophia, and he had already seen the list. Still, she was so gleeful, which indicated that it wasn''t one of the people on the list. It wasn''t anyone who interacted with Sophia during the three years they had been married, but he knew this person, and the person was in Jadeborough. As he pondered over the clues, a sudden realization struck Alexander. He shifted his gaze to the woman and said tly, ¡°Ka Fletcher.¡± Sophia was taken aback, for she didn''t expect him to figure it out so soon. She snorted in dismay. ¡°Fine, I''ll push your progress to fifty percent.¡± Regardless, the remaining fifty percent will still be up to me to decide! Alexander stood up all of a sudden, once again surprising her. He had already carried her in his arms before she could even react. Stunned, Sophia hooked her arms around his neck and blurted, ¡°Alexander?¡± He didn''t say a word and merely carried her to the third floor. She felt her heart race at the sight of him walking toward her room. During the years they spent as a married couple, Sophia had been anticipating this moment every single day. s, he had never onceid a finger on her. Now that they were together again, it was normal for them to seal the deal. But this time, Sophia wasn''t prepared at all, not the slightest bit. Alexander carried her to the bed, plopping her on the soft and cozy mattress. He then kicked his shoes off and, in one swift move, wrapped an arm around her waist. ¡°Since we''re halfway there, I can cuddle you to sleep, right?¡± She instantly blushed at the man''s words. ¡°No!¡± ¡°We''ll just sleep. I won''t do anything else.¡± He paused for a moment before adding, ¡°Of course, if you want to do it, I''d be happy toply.¡± Letting out an angry snort, she reached out to pinch his face. ¡°When did you be so shameless, huh?¡± ¡°I have to be shameless to win your heart, Sophia,¡± said the man as he pulled her into an embrace. Sophia was easily embarrassed, and if he was the same, then they wouldn''t have a future together. That said, her room was almost the same as how Alexander imagined it. Her scent filled the entire ce, and the soft bed also smelled good. The moment hey down on it, he couldn''t quite bring himself to leave. Not only did he not want to leave, but he also wanted to do more things with her than just cuddling. Of course, those thoughts remained what they were¡ªthoughts. ¡°I''m a little drunk, so I want to go to sleep.¡± As soon as the words left his lips, Alexander''s eyelids fluttered shut, and he didn''t utter another word. However, his arm was still tightly wrapped around her waist. For a while, Sophia tried to wriggle out of his grasp but eventually gave up. She''d woken up at around six o''clock in the morning to catch her flight and hadn''t gotten much sleep since the ne was noisy, causing her to feel a little weary. Alexander''s steady breathing sounded beside her ear, and coupled with the fact that it was azy afternoon, Sophia quickly fell into a slumber afterying there for a moment. By the time Alexander woke up, she was still asleep. The sun was shining brightly outside the window. He reached over to grab the remote control and clicked on a button to draw the blinds shut. Immediately, the room dimmed. He hadn''t gotten a good sleep ever since the divorce, and although his nap onlysted for slightly over forty minutes, it was still one of the best naps he''d ever had. Alexander waspletely sober after the brief shut-eye. When he recalled what Sophia had said earlier, his expression instantly turned cial. He carefully loosened his grip around her waist and went downstairs to give Felix a call. Felix''s voice wasced with surprise as he eximed, ¡°Mr. Xenos?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Knowing Alexander had left with Sophia, he didn''t dare to call the former the entire afternoon for fear that he''d be interrupting something. Hence, Felix was rather taken aback to see Alexander calling him. For the past couple of days, Mr. Xenos hadn''t been in the mood to work. Now that he''s with Ms. Yarrow, I thought he would rather not talk about work affairs. I didn''t expect him to call me himself! He was surprised, and at the same time, slightly moved. It seems that Mr. Xenos is really hardworking. ¡°Mr. Lane, find out what Ka has been up to recently.¡± ¡°Ms. Fletcher?¡± Alexander hummed an acknowledgment and swiftly hung up the call before Felix could ask if he was attending the meeting at four o''clock that afternoon. Looking at the dimmed phone screen, Felix assumed his boss'' answer was a no. Alexander went to take a bath after ending the call as he couldn''t stand the stench of alcohol on him. By the time Sophia woke up, the room was dark. She furrowed her brows, thinking it was already nighttime. ¡°Genie, what time is it?¡± ¡°Three thirty-seven in the afternoon.¡± Oh, it''s still early. She then looked at the blinds, a smile spreading across her face. ¡°Genie, open the blinds.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Once the blinds were drawn, sunlight seeped into the room, causing Sophia to narrow her eyes. Feeling a little thirsty, she put on her slippers and headed downstairs. She thought Alexander had already left, but to her surprise, the man was headed for the kitchen while d in a bathrobe, just as she was leaving after getting a ss of water. After taking a bath, droplets of water dripped from his hair, and the bathrobe hung loosely on his body. Sophia got a peep at his chiseled torso that was barely hidden underneath the bathrobe. The sight of it made her face flush scarlet, and she instantly averted her gaze. ¡°Why did you take a bath?¡± ¡°I stank.¡± Alexander furrowed his brows in disgust. She chuckled at the man''s response before asking, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Water.¡± As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed the ss in her hand. ¡°Don''t you have your own cup?¡± He drank most of the water before handing it back to her. ¡°I''m thirsty.¡± Sophia shot a re at him before turning around to fill up another ss of water. When she came out, he was sitting on the couch in the middle of answering a call. She stood aside and drank her water while looking at the man. Upon noticing her gaze, Alexander turned around and nced at her. After that, he ended the call. ¡°Like what you see?¡± Sophia pretended not to understand what he was talking about. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Quirking his brow, he reached out and tugged at his already-loose bathrobe, rendering the woman speechless. Chapter 224 Chapter 224 Sophia wasn''t as thick-skinned as he was. ¡°Don''t you have a meeting this afternoon?¡± she queried, switching the topic. ¡°I don''t have to go.¡± He then looked up at her. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Raising her brows, she replied, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why aren''t you looking at me, then?¡± Once again, Sophia was rendered speechless by him. Don''t you already know why I''m not looking at you? She huffed augh in exasperation. ¡°Alexander.¡± At that, Alexander arched an eyebrow and adjusted his bathrobe. ¡°Happy?¡± After drinking a mouthful of water, she piped up, ¡°Thalia came to see me on the day I went to Doveston.¡± A hint of gloominess spread across the man''s face at the mention of his sister''s name. ¡°What did she want from you?¡± Seeing that, Sophia smiled and ced a bank card on the coffee table, sliding it toward him. ¡°She returned this to me.¡± She paused briefly before asking, ¡°Does this look familiar to you, Mr. Xenos?¡± In truth, Alexander didn''t find anything special about the card at first nce. However, it didn''t take long for him toe to a realization. Before he went on his business trip, he had asked Felix to look for Thalia and demanded that thetter return the money and the card he had given to Sophia. Alexander hadn''t had the time to ask his secretary to look for Thalia ever since his return. Unexpectedly, she had already returned the card to Sophia. He thought that ten or so million should be a huge sum to her, but now, he didn''t dare to hold onto that assumption anymore. ¡°It''s the card I gave you.¡± He pursed his lips. A flicker of emotions shed in his dark eyes as he looked at Sophia. The woman merely smiled in response. ¡°Your memory isn''t too bad.¡± She then sat on the couch with him and continued, ¡°I checked the card bnce at the airport. It''s completely empty.¡± At her words, Alexander''s expression darkened once more. ¡°Got it.¡± He reached for the card, promising himself that he would settle the score with Thalia. Sophia nodded in acknowledgment before ncing at the time. ¡°Are you not going back to the company?¡± she asked. ¡°Nope.¡± Alexander was an utter workaholic, so she wasn''t used to him having so much free time on his hands. In his opinion, however, he had been busy for the past decade. Hence, this was a well-deserved break for him. ¡°What do you feel like doing?¡± Sophia nced at the time once more, noting that it was four o''clock. It was a little too early for dinner. ¡°What do you feel like doing?¡± he repeated. ¡°I want to drop by Sunshine Group.¡± She wasn''t as willful as Alexander, so she had to attend the meeting. ¡°I''ll take you there.¡± ¡°What if someone sees us?¡± queried Sophia with an eyebrow raised. The man froze for a moment before reassuring her, ¡°They won''t.¡± ¡°I''ll go change, then.¡± After saying that, she got up and headed upstairs. Alexander looked at her retreating figure before lowering his gaze to his wide, muscr chest. Is my figure not good enough? How was she unfazed by the sight of it? Ah, I must''ve not shown enough. He reflected on his experience and decided that next time, he would expose more of his torso, albeit in a more natural manner. For the moment, he had to get changed to take Sophia to thepany. Her meeting was scheduled for half past four, and that was the time she arrived at Sunshine Group. She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to look at the man. ¡°I''m going in.¡± ¡°Okay. Phone me when you''re done with the meeting.¡± Sophia nodded and swiftly got out of the car, unwilling to waste any more time. It wasn''t until she got out of the elevator that Yvonne was able to heave a sigh of relief. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nodded in response. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Downstairs, Alexander didn''t leave right away after seeing her enter the building. He suddenly felt that her work schedule was rather flexible. Throughout the years they were married, he had never heard of her going to work, yet after their divorce, she suddenly became the chairperson of Specter Entertainment and even became Suny''s secretary. Although they were both secretaries, Felix was considerably busier than Sophia, as evidenced by his spending most of the day in the office. In fact, Yvonne, who often discussed the projects with Sophia, appeared more like a secretary than the latter. Alexander raised an eyebrow and fished out his phone to give Felix a call. Upon receiving the call, Felix thought that his boss was calling to inquire about the meeting, and he dutifully reported to him, ¡°Mr. Xenos, I''m almost donepiling the meeting minutes.¡± It hadn''t been more than ten minutes since the meeting ended, and Felix couldn''t help feeling moved by his dedication to his job. In the next second, Alexander''s voice came from the other side of the line. ¡°No rush. Can you do me a favor and look into the rtionship between Sunshine Group''s Suny and Sophia?¡± A moment of silence ensued before Felix was heard saying, ¡°All right. I understand, Mr. Xenos.¡± Looking at the meeting minutes in front of him, he felt his heart twinge and let out a sigh. Once again, it''s about Ms. Yarrow. s, I''ve dedicated myself to the wrong person. After hanging up the phone, Alexander whipped out the card Sophia had given him. He thought about it for a moment and eventually decided to go look for Thalia. It seems she''s be more and more brazen. She hasn''t been taking my words seriously at all. Ever since that day, Thalia had been gued by a sense of uneasiness. Since Alexander returned from his business trip the day before, Thalia hadn''t been sleeping well. She was haunted by nightmares that eventually startled her out of her sleep. For the past two days, she didn''t dare to go anywhere for fear that Felix would suddenly appear and take her to her brother. After being chased out of the Xenos residence by Alexander, Thalia and Kristen had moved to one of the mansions thetter''ste husband left behind. Zachary used to keep his mistresses there, so this was Alexander''s first visit to the ce. He stood outside the mansion, wearing an icy expression on his face. This was one of the rare days Kristen didn''t go out to y cards. The weather was great, so after taking a nap, she nned to take Thalia out for a facial and introduce a boyfriend to her. Unexpectedly, the doorbell rang just as she was about to head out. Being hired by Kristen herself, the butler didn''t recognize Alexander and merely reported to his employer that there was a man at the door who was looking for Thalia. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Kristen furrowed her brows and looked over at her daughter. ¡°Did you get entangled with some wild man behind my back?¡± Thalia rolled her eyes and retorted, ¡°Mom, I''m not that stupid.¡± If I wanted to get myself a man, I wouldn''t go for just any guy. After all, how many of them are loaded? Kristen found it strange and instructed the butler, ¡°Send him away. Tell him Thalia''s not home right now.¡± Just then, the butler seemed to have recalled something and added,¡± Mrs. Xenos, he mentioned that his surname is Xenos.¡± In an instant, Kristen realized it was Alexander who was at the door. ¡°You''re such a blind fool! That''s my son! Alex must be here to take me back to the Xenos residence.¡± She was incredibly excited at the thought of going back to her former home. Ever since leaving the Xenos residence, Kristen had been living an undignified life. Now that her son was here, the first thought that came to her mind was that he hade to take her back home. On the other hand, Thalia was less than happy about it as she recalled the bank card and what Felix had said the other day. Meanwhile, Kristen bolted to the door. Upon seeing her son, she thought that a touching scene of a mother and son reuniting would y out. Before she could say anything, however, Alexander shot her a cold nce as he asked, ¡°Where''s Thalia?¡± Kristen''s expression froze when she heard his words. Something''s off with the plot. ¡°Alex, you''vee all the way here, so why don''t youe in for a cup of coffee? Your sister''s inside. We can have a chat inside.¡± Alexander scoffed. ¡°No need for that. Ask her toe out. I need to talk to her.¡± Despite not knowing how many of his father''s mistresses were once housed in this mansion, he still felt it was a repulsing ce. Kristen was taken aback for a moment. Following that, a sense of disappointment surged within her. Nheless, now that Alexander hade to look for Thalia, Kristen remained hopeful that one day, the former would change his mind and take them back to the Xenos residence. At that moment, the most important thing was to make sure Thalia could get on her brother''s good side so that he would finally remember his siblings and his mother. s, this was Kristen''s wishful thinking, and reality was much harsher than that. Chapter 225 Chapter 225 Thalia hurriedly retreated to her room the moment she realized that the man at the door might be her brother. She didn''t dare to go out, knowing she''d be done for if she did. Even if she continued hiding, she was already practically doomed. Her efforts would eventually be in vain. ¡°Tally, your brother''s here!¡± Holding onto the belief that Alexander would take them back to the Xenos residence, Kristen turned around and immediately went looking for her daughter. She called out to Thalia multiple times, but no response came from thetter, leaving her feeling awkward. She shifted her gaze to Alexander, who was at the door. ¡°Wait here, Alex. I''ll go get her.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. As she spoke, Kristen strode into the mansion and went upstairs. Upon arriving at Thalia''s door, she said, ¡°Your brother''s looking for you. Why are you hiding?¡± ¡°Mom! He''s definitely here to make me repay all the money!¡± Kristen felt that Thalia was suffering from persecuted delusions. ¡°What are you thinking? Does your brotherck money? Besides, when did you owe him money, anyway?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten, Mom? I told you a couple of days ago! I took the bank card he gave Sophia and used up all the money in it.¡± Kristen''s face grew red with anger when she heard her daughter''s words. ¡°You useless girl! Open the door right now! I''m here, and your brother doesn''t bite.¡± Thalia refused to budge. Alexander wouldn''t bite her, but he had plenty of other ways to deal with her. Utterly pissed off by her daughter''s refusal to open the door, Kristen had no choice but to ask the butler to get the master key. ¡°Are you stupid? Do you think you can hide forever?¡± Of course, Thalia knew she couldn''t hide forever, but there was nothing she could do about it. After all, her brother was none other than Alexander Xenos, the same man who had chased them out of their home. ¡°Come out right now! Your brother has alreadye all this way, yet you don''t want to see him. Do you even want to go back to the Xenos residence?¡± Regardless of how her mother tried to persuade her, Thalia simply didn''t want toe out of her room. Kristen was wholly exasperated. She returned to the entrance and said to Alexander, ¡°She has a stomachache. Why don''t you wait inside? I haven''t had a meal with you for a long time.¡± Alexander cast a nce at his mother and tly refused her invitation. ¡°No, thanks. Tell Thalia I''ve already given her a chance.¡± After saying that, he returned to his car and stepped on the gas, speeding off without listening to what Kristen had to say. She''s unrepentant! It was almost six in the evening when Sophia wrapped up the meeting. Upon recalling Alexander''s words, she whipped out her phone and sent him a text. Before long, his reply came: ¡°I''m downstairs.¡± Sophia raised her brows and kept her phone in her bag as she turned around to look at Yvonne. ¡°I''ll leave the project to you, Ms. Leighton. I''ll take my leave now.¡± ¡°It''s what I should do. I''ll walk you out, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nodded. As they walked, she listened to Yvonne talk about the White family''s recent affairs. ¡°Oh right, Ms. Yarrow, if I''m not mistaken, Expedite will be having a shareholder meeting next Wednesday,¡± reported Yvonne. ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± There are five days left until then. I wonder what Tobias will think once he sees me. Thinking of that, Sophia couldn''t help letting out a chuckle. As the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open, she pulled herself out of her thoughts and strode out of the building. She dismissed her secretary when they arrived at the door. ¡°All right, go on with your work. I''m sure you''re busy.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± However, Yvonne didn''t leave right away. When she saw Sophia heading for the ck Mercedes-Benz that was parked by the road, she couldn''t help inching closer to the car. Did Ms. Yarrow get a new boyfriend? He looks rather handsome from this angle... Hmm? He seems a little familiar too. She took a couple more steps and was utterly shaken when she saw that the man in the driver''s seat was Alexander. Her goddess was good at everything, but her taste in men was questionable. Alexander didn''t drive away at once, for he''d noticed the woman who walked Sophia out was staring in their direction. Sophia buckled her seatbelt and lifted her head to look at him. Noting that he was looking ahead, she smiled. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± As soon as the words left her lips, she saw her devoted and adorable secretary looking over at them. For a split second, Sophia thought of getting out of the car and exining the situation to Yvonne. However, the man began to drive away just as the thought crossed her mind. Yvonne felt horrible and returned to her office while wearing an icy expression on her face. Her intimidating aura didn''t fail to scare away a couple of employees who greeted her when they bumped into her. Meanwhile, turning her sight toward him, Sophia asked the man, ¡°Have you been waiting all this time?¡± ¡°No. I went to look for Thalia.¡± Sophia raised a brow at his response. ¡°She dared to meet you?¡± She sure has some guts to return an empty bank card. ¡°No.¡± Alexander continued to look straight ahead, a cold glint shing in his eyes. ¡°She''ll regret this.¡± Hearing that, Sophia broke into a chuckle. ¡°She''s still your sister, isn''t she?¡± Although she said that, it was obvious she was relishing Thalia''s misfortune. The car came to a halt at a red light. Alexander turned and looked at her, his heart skipping a beat. ¡°You''re the most important person to me.¡± His sweet words made her face flush red, and she turned her head sideways to avert his gaze. Using her palm to support her chin, she gazed out of the car window and couldn''t stop herself from curling the corner of her scarlet lips into a smile. As expected, sweet nothings do make people happy. Their dinner that night was western cuisine, something Sophia hadn''t tried in a while. Just as they were about to leave the restaurant, they bumped into Bethany. She was linking arms with a man who appeared to be in his forties. At first nce, one could already tell that he was no ordinary bloke, and Sophia instantly recalled Benjamin telling her about the man¡ª Carlos Ramsay. It had been a while since she hadst seen Bethany. She didn''t expect thetter to still be involved with Carlos. ¡°It''s been a while, Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow.¡± A faint smile spread across Sophia''s face. ¡°Indeed, Ms. White.¡± Bethany''s gaze darted between Sophia and Alexander beforending on the former. She remarked meaningfully, ¡°You''re impressive, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia understood what the woman was implying right away. She arched a brow and retorted, ¡°You''re impressive, too, Ms. White.¡± She then nced at the man beside Bethany. ¡°I shan''t bother you, then, Ms. White.¡± After that, she turned to look at Alexander, and the two proceeded to leave the establishment. Bethany watched the couple''s retreating figures with gritted teeth. It wasn''t until the two hadpletely disappeared from her sight that she turned her gaze toward the man beside her. ¡°Mr. Ramsay, what do you think of Ms. Yarrow?¡± Carlos felt a hot sensation surging within him when he recalled Sophia''s bright and seductive eyes, but his response was impassive. ¡°She''s all right, but she can''tpare to you, my dear.¡± Bethany chuckled at the man''s words. ¡°There''s no need to coax me, Mr. Ramsay. If Ms. Yarrow isn''t capable, then why would I lose to her?¡± ¡°In my eyes, you''re the best.¡± Although he was uttering sweet nothings to his partner, his mind was on Sophia the entire time. Since leaving the restaurant, Alexander had been wearing a gloomy expression on his face. Sophia smiled as they got into the car. ¡°Do you think it''s such a pity Ms. White ended up that way?¡± After all, Bethany was his first love. His not being able to forget about herpletely was understandable, but it didn''t mean that Sophia was happy about it. Once she finished, the smile on her face faded slightly. ¡°Don''t overthink.¡± Alexander turned toward her, and after a brief pause, he added, ¡°I don''t like the way that man looked at you.¡± It took Sophia a moment to snap back to her senses. After that, she told him everything she knew about Carlos. ¡°I had someone investigate him. His name is Carlos Ramsay. He has ties to both the authorities and underground organizations.¡± She didn''t like to interact with people like Carlos, regardless if they were good or evil. Alexander hummed in response. Just then, the phone next to him rang. His brows snapped together as he nced at his phone. It was a call from Samuel. That single pringle! ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Let''s have a drink! How long has it been since you indulged in your nightlife?¡± Samuel''s voice was loud, and Sophia curled her lips upward when she heard him. Alexander took a nce at her and chided his friend, ¡°Get lost.¡± What nonsense is he spouting? When did I ever have a nightlife? Refusing to give up, Samuel continued to say, ¡°Hey, are you sure you don''t want to know a piece of shocking news? It concerns Sophia!¡± ¡°I''m hanging up.¡± Alexander wasn''t the least bit curious about the news, but the same couldn''t be said about Sophia. She reached out to grab the phone from him and put it on speaker. ¡°Oh? What''s the news?¡± ¡°It''s¡ªwait, Sophia? Why are you there? Are you two together? Did you two go on a date? Did you finally get back together with Alexander?¡± Embarrassment inundated Sophia. She quickly handed the phone back to the man in the driver''s seat and continued gazing out the window. I made a mistake! Chapter 226 Chapter 226 ¡°Send the address.¡± Alexander had wanted to ignore Samuel, but he thought thetter was still somewhat helpful in light of the questions he had raised just now. Since Sophia did not want to make their rtionship public, he would deny all the usations. However, he had no control over what Charles and the others thought. With that, he hung up the call and nced at Sophia, who was by his side. ¡°Let''s go over there together.¡± Sophia harrumphed. ¡°Why am I going too?¡± Alexander yed with her stray strands of hair. ¡°Samuel knows we''re together right now. He will learn about our rtionship if you don''t go. Do you want to make that public?¡± Sophia pursed her lips. ¡°Let''s go.¡± I shouldn''t have been so rash! ¡°Sit tight, my future Mrs. Xenos.¡± Sophia''s heart skipped a beat when she heard that. She turned her head to look at Alexander. He was driving calmly as if there was nothing wrong with his statement. Mrs. Xenos? As if I care. It''s not like I haven''t been one before. Sophia withdrew her gaze as she experienced an unfathomable sense of ease. She felt as if her body was floating on a cloud. All right, I''m looking forward to this a little. Soon, the car came to a stop in front of a clubhouse. Although Sophia had been inside the clubhouse before, this was her first time entering with Alexander. There was staff leading them respectfully along the way. Mr. Xenos'' name really works wonders! ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Schild, and Mr. Quail are inside the room.¡± Justin owned this clubhouse, so Sophia was not worried that the staff would spread any gossip. She nodded, while Alexander opened the door. Then she followed him into the private room. After making a left turn from the entryway, she spotted the three men sitting on the couch. ¡°Sophia, what brought you here?¡± Samuel asked when he saw her. Then, he unwillingly took out his checkbook and wrote two checks for Justin and Charles. Sophia arched her brow. ¡°Haven''t you learned your lesson yet, Mr. Schild?¡± It was a devastating blow to Samuel. He uttered, ¡°You''re mean, Sophia.¡± ¡°It''s for your own good, or you will lose even more the next time.¡± Samuel was rendered speechless. He did not want to curse at a woman, so he looked at Alexander instead. ¡°Can you keep her in her ce?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Alex, you can''t be like this. You guys haven''t married yet. Where''s your courage?¡± Sophia had just sat down when she heard Samuel''s words. She flushed slightly and stated, ¡°There''s a misunderstanding, Mr. Schild. We didn''t get back together.¡± Samuel tutted. ¡°Then, are you guys choosing to stay as friends and forsaking the idea of a rekindled romance?¡± Sophia froze before replying, ¡°You can look at it that way too.¡± After saying that, she smiled at Alexander. Alexander could not stand it any longer and pulled Samuel. ¡°You''re blocking the light.¡± Samuel sat back in his spot and poked Charles. ¡°What is Alex thinking? He wants to start by being friends.¡± Charles cast a nce at him. ¡°Ms. Yarrow is right. Why haven''t you learned your lesson?¡± ¡°You''re too much, Charles!¡± ¡°I''m simply speaking the truth.¡± Samuel had the impression that the other three were dismissing him. ¡°You people are so mean! I''m not going to be your friend any longer! I''ll treat you guys as strangers from the moment I step out of this room!¡± As he spoke, he turned around and left. He noticed they were still chatting amiably when he reached the door. Samuel turned the doorknob and yelled, ¡°Don''t stop me! I''ll fight anyone who stops me!¡± Justin arched a brow. ¡°No one''s stopping you. You can go.¡± ¡°F*ck! I''m not leaving anymore!¡± Samuel returned and huffed. ¡°If I leave after you guys ask me to leave, isn''t that embarrassing?¡± Alexander looked at him with disdain. ¡°Go ahead. What''s the juicy gossip?¡± Samuel nced at Sophia. ¡°I don''t know if I should say it. Sophia is right here.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°It''s okay. You can say it. If it''s untrue, I can clear the air too.¡± Samuel was delighted. ¡°I heard you are rted to Lukas Dawson?¡± Sophia took the fruit juice Alexander handed to her and took a sip. ¡°Who did you hear it from?¡± ¡°A friend.¡± ¡°I didn''t know you have friends in the Dawson family,¡± Alexander piped up. ¡°No. Lukas let it slip identally. He said he has a younger sister, but I know he doesn''t. Then, Sophia has been rather close with the Dawson family recently, so I suddenly had a thought that perhaps Sophia might be Lukas'' sister from another mother.¡± Sophia''s hands trembled slightly. ¡°You must not be that intelligent, seeing that you came up with a thought like this.¡± Samuel was slightly flustered. Charles and Justin must have sensed something, as they covered his mouth quickly. ¡°That''s enough. Stop with your guesses. Let''s listen to what Ms. Yarrow has to say.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Actually, you somehow hit the mark. I''m rted to Lukas, but I''m not his younger sister from another mother. I''m his cousin.¡± Upon hearing that, Samuel pulled Justin''s hand away from his mouth and said, ¡°I knew it! You''re rted to him! I''m so smart!¡± Sophia eyed the smug Samuel. Alexander and the rest must not have had an easy time with him over the past few years. Charles nced at Alexander and noticed thetter was calm. ¡°Alex, you knew about this?¡± Of course, he''s aware of it, or else he wouldn''t be so calm after the news of Lukas and Sophia became the trending topic on the inte. He would have called us out to drink. ¡°Yes.¡± Samuel was rendered speechless. It was rare for the four of them to meet, so Charles actually had something to tell Alexander. However, he found it hard to say when Sophia was present. Alexander noticed his gaze. ¡°It''s all right. You can say it.¡± Charles smiled. ¡°Be careful of Darion. He''s been making a move recently.¡± Darion Xenos was Alexander''s uncle. However, he was not a direct member of the Xenos family, as he was not the son of Alexander''s grandfather but the son of Alexander''s granduncle. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Alexander''s expression darkened. ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Then, they started chatting about the current market situation. Sophia simply listened and did not speak. Samuel suggested ying poker around eight in the evening. Alexander nced at Sophia as thetter raised her brows. ¡°Did Mr. Schild not lose enough the previous time?¡± Samuel replied, ¡°I was unlucky back then.¡± It has nothing to do with intellect. Sophia grinned. ¡°Sure. Let''s y.¡± She couldn''t ruin the mood by declining to y since she was already there. Although there were five of them, Samuel forbade Alexander from ying because he would always lose the most money when thetter yed. It was not that Samuel was afraid of losing; he wanted the game to be more enjoyable. Soon, an hour passed. Samuel looked at his empty box of betting chips. ¡°It''s gettingte. Sophia, are you not going back for your beauty sleep?¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°It''s okay to sleepte every now and then.¡± That rendered Samuel speechless. Chapter 227 Chapter 227 It was already ten o''clock when they were done. Samuel was the one who lost the most money. As for Sophia, she won three hundred thousand and was delighted. Alexander parked the car outside the mansion and turned to look at her. ¡°Are you happy?¡± With an eyebrow raised, Sophia said, ¡°Of course I am. I won so much money. As she spoke, she hesitated slightly before she stretched out her arm. ¡°Your phone.¡± Obediently, Alexander handed her his phone. ¡°Why?¡± Sophia tapped to open his payment code and transferred half the money she had won to him. ¡°Your reward.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Xenos, for apanying me to y poker.¡± When Alexander noticed her beaming face, his Adam''s apple bobbed. He put his phone aside and said, ¡°Instead of this reward, I prefer something else¡ª¡± With that said, he raised his hand to sp the back of her head to pull her closer. Then, he lowered his head and kissed her. Sophia grunted in shock. His breath tasted fresh and minty from the candy he had been eating. Though it stimted her senses, it also had her losing herself in the kiss. After some time, Alexander let go of her while staring at her with a burning gaze. ¡°Go on in.¡± As he spoke, he stroked her hair. Sophia''s face was flushed when she opened the door and got out of the car. The chilly night breeze served to clear her mind. ¡°Good night, Alexander.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Sitting in his car, Alexander watched as Sophia walked into the mansion step by step. He kept watching until the lights on the third floor were turned on. Only then did he lower his head and chuckle before driving off. It was already eleven at night when Sophia saw Katherine''s texts. A smile spread across her face when she saw Katherine''s text that said: I knew it. You''re abandoning me now that you have that jerk! Without hesitation, she transferred five thousand two hundred to Katherine. Early morning the next day, Katherine woke up to Jonice''s continuous calls. After she hung up the phone, she saw the money Sophia had transferred to her. She had long forgotten what she saidst night and ttered Sophia again. Katherine messaged: Good morning, my dear! I knew I still had a ce in your heart, Soph! Sophia grinned the moment she saw Katherine''s text. After putting her phone aside, she got out of bed to wash up. It had been days since she went to Specter Entertainment. Today, she had to go back to attend a meeting. Katherine was already at Specter Entertainment when Sophia arrived. As soon as Sophia entered the office, she was stopped. ¡°I haven''t seen you in so long. Do you miss me, Soph?¡± ¡°What are you up to this time?¡± Sophia gave her a side-eye. Katherine felt guilty under Sophia''s stare. ¡°Is that how you see me?¡± ¡°I''m giving you three seconds. Spit it out. I haven''t got all day.¡± shing a half-smile, Sophia went on, ¡°Three, two¡ª¡± Before she could continue counting, Katherine chickened out and admitted, ¡°Fine. That''s the kind of person I am.¡± She gave Sophia a shoulder massage as she asked, ¡°Soph, is your yacht avable?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Why? You want to borrow it again?¡± Sophia scoffed. ¡°Well, here''s the thing. Remember the variety show I mentionedst time? The first stop of the show is at the seaside. They want to film the opening on a yacht.¡± Sophia pushed her hands away. ¡°Can''t you just rent a yacht?¡± ¡°Well... You own the most luxurious yacht in Jadeborough. I mean, of course, Samuel owns one too. Could you ask him to lend it to me?¡± Raising a brow, Sophia retorted, ¡°You forced me to join this show with you, and now you''re borrowing my yacht. Kathy, don''t you think you should tell me what you have to do with this show?¡± ¡°There''s nothing special, to be honest. I''m just one of the sponsors. Hehe!¡± A snort escaped from Sophia''s mouth on that note. ¡°That''s amazing. You even know how to make investments now.¡± Katherine felt Sophia had a hidden meaning in her words. From her past experiences, she concluded that it was nothing good. Thus, she decided to ignore it. ¡°I learned it from you.¡± ¡°This is not how I taught you to invest,¡± Sophia said. After a moment of silence, she added, ¡°Contact Xavier yourself.¡± The keys weren''t with Sophia since the yacht was managed by Xavier. It took a while for Katherine to understand her. After she came to her senses, Katherine pulled Sophia into a tight embrace and gave thetter a peck on her cheek. ¡°Gosh, I love you so much!¡± Sophia wiped the drool off her face in disdain and huffed. ¡°Don''t leave your saliva on my face.¡± Katherine was dumbfounded after she heard that. Isn''t my kiss the main point? Why is her focus on the saliva? At that moment, Jonice pushed open the door and came in to remind the two to attend the meeting. After the meeting, Sophia had lunch with Katherine under thetter''s demand. As soon as Sophia returned to the mansion, she received a call from Yvonne. Sophia raised her brows. After pouring herself a ss of water, she answered the call while sitting on the couch. ¡°Yes, Ms. Leighton?¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, someone has been looking into youtely.¡± ¡°What?¡± Many people were investigating her, but this person must be someone special for Yvonne to call her personally. ¡°It''s Mr. Lane.¡± Oh. It''s Felix. ¡°Let him.¡± Sophia smiled. After all, it would be up to his capabilities whether he found anything. Indeed, Felix couldn''t find any information on the rtionship between Suny and Sophia. However, he discovered something strange. It seemed that Sophia and Suny had never made an appearance together before. Even for a crucial appointment, they had never appeared together. A bold idea suddenly came to Felix. He brought the information he had gathered to Alexander again. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I haven''t found any rtionship between Suny and Ms. Yarrow. If I have to pinpoint anything, I can only tell you that Suny and Ms. Yarrow both graduated from the same major at Jadeborough University.¡± So they were from the same university department? Alexander looked through the information, and there was no difference from what Felix had discovered previously. However, Suny was a strange person. Seven years ago, a person named Suny appeared out of nowhere in the investment scene. Up until now, nobody knew who this person was. Suny had never shown up in public and remained mysterious while asionally attending a few meetings. So many years had passed, and even the best private investigators couldn''t figure out the real identity of Suny. Alexander also noticed something strange. He heard that Suny had attended every meeting of Sunshine Group in the past two years. It was no longer like before when they only attended crucial meetings. Yet, Samuel didn''t see Suny in person when he went to Sunshine Group previously. He only saw Sophia and Yvonne. Recently, Sophia had been attending many appointments in ce of Suny. It was evident that Suny thought highly of her. Besides that, Yvonne''s attitude toward Sophia didn''t just seem friendly but simr to the rtionship between him and Felix. ¡°What else did you find out?¡± With a pounding heart, Felix looked at Alexander. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I have a bold spection.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Based on my investigations, I discovered that Ms. Yarrow and Suny have never appeared together in public before. Ms. Yarrow is Suny''s assistant, while Ms. Leighton is Suny''s secretary. The two should be by Suny''s side. However, whenever I see Ms. Leighton, she is always beside Ms. Yarrow.¡± Thus, he made his bold guess. ¡°I think it''s likely that Ms. Yarrow is the same person as Suny.¡± Raising a brow, Alexander lifted his head to look at Felix. It was rare for Felix to share the same sentiment as him. ¡°You can halt the investigation now.¡± Alexander wasn''t sure why Sophia wanted to conceal her identity. However, since she didn''t want to make it public, he wished to help keep her secret. If Sophia were Suny, everyone at Jadeborough would be dumbstruck when the truth was revealed. Thinking of the people that cursed Sophia in the past, Alexander was looking forward to that day. How mischievous you are, my Sophia. Chapter 228 Chapter 228 As the previous chairman, Tobias naturally had to attend Expedite''s new board of directors'' meeting and hand things over. When Sophia and Yvonne arrived, they coincidentally bumped into Tobias and his secretary. Tobias'' expression soured when he spotted Sophia. He shot an unhappy nce at his secretary and asked, ¡°Why is she here?¡± The secretary did not know either. ¡°I''m not sure too, Mr. White.¡± As Sophia had a significant role to y in Expedite''s current situation, Tobias hated her guts. With a grim expression on his face, he whispered into his secretary''s ear, ¡°Tell the receptionist to stop her.¡± Nodding, the secretary immediately informed the receptionist to stop Sophia. When Sophia and Yvonne reached the receptionist''s desk, they were barred from walking forward. ¡°Sorry, but there''s an important meeting in the office today. Irrelevant people are not allowed to enter.¡± ¡°Irrelevant people?¡± Sophia could not help butugh. ¡°Do you know who your current chairman is?¡± The receptionist was stunned for a while. Looking at the smile on Sophia''s face, she replied timidly, ¡°It''s Mr. Lewis.¡± Very well. At least she still recognizes Joshua. ¡°Who instructed you to stop me?¡± The receptionist gazed at Sophia. Although she did not know who Sophia was, thetter''s collected demeanor revealed that she had quite a high status. Feeling timid due to Sophia''s stare, the receptionist buckled after two seconds. ¡°I-It was Mr. White.¡± ¡°Tobias, huh?¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± Instead of bing angry, Sophia chuckled. ¡°You probably know that yourpany has been acquired, right? In that case, does Tobias still hold much weight in Expedite?¡± ¡°N-Not anymore.¡± The receptionist had never met someone who could render her speechless with just a few words like Sophia, and all with such a harmless smile. With just a few sentences from Sophia, the receptionist let her proceed. Sophia clicked her tongue. This Tobias is still acting like his doomsday hasn''t arrived. Joshua and Robin entered just as she stepped into the lift. Sophia nced at Joshua and smiled. ¡°Morning, Joshua.¡± He nodded. ¡°Did the receptionist stop you?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied calmly, her expression revealing no hints of anger. Since they had known each other for years, Joshua understood Sophia''s personality well. Having engraved this incident in her mind, she would definitely repay the favor to Tobias when the opportunity arose. The elevator rose and stopped on the eighth floor. Expedite''s higher-ups were already waiting inside. The entire meeting would be live-streamed online, which was also a form of publicity. When Tobias saw Sophia and Joshua enter, his expression immediately turned foul. ¡°Mr. Lewis, isn''t it inappropriate for Ms. Yarrow to be here today?¡± Joshua nced at Tobias. ¡°It''s much more appropriate for Ms. Yarrow to be here than you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tobias had been the chairman for so many years, yet Joshua showed a distinctck of respect for his status. It felt extremely suffocating to not be able to vent his frustration. ¡°I meant whatever I said.¡± Not wanting to say anything else, Joshua sat down. ¡°Let''s start. Your confusion will be resolvedter, Mr. White.¡± Falling silent, Tobias slumped on his chair furiously and red at Sophia. Sophia met his gaze and shot him a slight smile. Soon, the meeting reached the most important stage¡ªformally introducing the new chairman. The insiders in the business industry had already known that Expedite''s new chairman would be Joshua. However, a few wordster, Joshua dropped a bomb on everyone. ¡°It''s all thanks to Ms. Yarrow''s trust that I have the honor of bing Expedite''s chairman. Actually, Technology Innovations only contributed forty percent of the funds used in this acquisition. The rest was contributed by Ms. Yarrow privately, making her the biggest shareholder of Expedite.¡± Tobias was dumbfounded when he heard that. ¡°Mr. Lewis, are you joking? When I discussed it with you, it was Technology Innovations...¡± Joshua nced at Tobias. ¡°Did you set a condition stating that Technology Innovations must fork out all of the funds for the acquisition, Mr. White?¡± Tobias paled and sat back down, his facepletely ashen. ¡°N-No.¡± When he nced at Sophia, he saw her sitting there with the usual smile hanging on her face. She even chuckled upon sensing his gaze. ¡°Did thate as a shock to you, Mr. White?¡± Tobias'' gaze flitted between Joshua and Sophia. ¡°So you joined forces and have been toying with me all along?¡± ¡°You must be kidding, Mr. White. Who''d joke around with billions?¡± Tobias was rendered speechless by Sophia''s casual remark. He was so angry that his expression darkened, yet it was pointless for him to say anything else now that everything had been decided. Furthermore, even if he knew that Sophia was involved in this, he did not dare to keep clinging to the company, given Expedite''s current situation. Tobias was so overwhelmed with rage that he jumped to his feet and stormed away. With a raised eyebrow, Sophia cast her gaze downward and smirked. She had already said that she was a vengeful person. Soon, the live stream of Expedite''s meeting spread across the Inte like wildfire. It was evident that Tobias had been yed to the point of no return. However, the grudge between the White family and Sophia was much moreplicated. Soon, someone ced the spotlight on Bethany, following which Alexander was dragged into the discussion. Someone spected that Sophia had nned this for a very long time and spent over a billion because she was still hung over how Bethany had snatched Alexander away back then. However, more people were focused on how Sophia could fork out over a billion so easily when even Joshua could barely do it. This discussion became heated quickly, but Yvonne suppressed it within half an hour. Sophia still had to make a trip to Sunshine Group after leaving Expedite. Tobias headed home immediately after departing Expedite. So furious that his blood pressure soared, he sat on the couch and fumed. Bethany just found out about what had happened earlier. When she returned and saw Tobias sitting there with his expression as ck as thunder, her hatred for Sophia soared again. ¡°Don''t be angry, Dad. Take care of your health.¡± Tobias'' eyes flitted open after he heard Bethany''s voice. ¡°Sophia isn''t someone to be trifled with. Don''t provoke her again in the future. You can''t beat her!¡± Bethany nodded. ¡°I know, Dad. I''m not opposing her much now.¡± ¡°Don''t be scared. We''ve still got Cameron in the White family,¡± Tobias added with a sigh. ¡°I know that too, Dad.¡± Cameron was indeed an impressive man. Despite his young age, he had aplished much overseas. However, no matter how impressive he might be, losing Expedite caused the White family to fall to rock bottom after enjoying over twenty years of glory. Tobias was so infuriated by Sophia''s antics that he could not even eat, causing his wife to secretly curse at Sophia. Still, since everything had already been set in stone, there was nothing they could do. News of this incident spread across Jadeborough within half an hour. When Samuel saw it, he thought that he was mistaken. He called Alexander and asked, ¡°Alex, I didn''t see it wrongly, right? Did Sophia spend over a billion to acquire Expedite with Joshua?¡± Did Sophia do something that even Charles doesn''t have the guts to do? Alexander snorted disdainfully. ¡°No, you''re mistaken. Tobias gave Expedite to Sophia and Joshua willingly.¡± ¡°What the f*ck? Sophia''s so impressive!¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Alexander scoffed. ¡°I''m hanging up.¡± He''s reacting so dramatically over such a minor incident. If he finds out that Sophia''s actually Suny, he''d be shocked to his core. Chapter 229 Chapter 229 This incident created quite a hugemotion in Jadeborough. Within a short moment, everyone was unable to ept the fact that Sophia went from being an abandoned wife of a wealthy family to the biggest shareholder of apany. After all, when Sophia married Alexander, everyone knew very well that she had only two friends and no family. In fact, there were not a lot of people present for her at the wedding. Hence, many people underestimated her even before she married Alexander. News of her divorcing Alexander and leaving without a single penny caused quite a stir too. Now that Sophia was able to spend over a billion on Expedite in one go, everyone felt suspicious. Hence, criticisms emerged in parallel to praises about how impressive Sophia was. Within two hours, one of the influencers even published a five-thousand-word essay specting where Sophia got her money from. The essay proposed two hypotheses. Firstly, Sophia did not actually leave without a single penny after divorcing Alexander¡ªshe merely did not seek any marypensation from him. However, she had demanded fixed assets such as property and cars. Otherwise, there was no way she could continue living in a mansion, driving a luxury car, and living life so freely. The second hypothesis was that Sophia had borrowed the money from her fianc¨¦, Lukas¡ªin other words, from the Dawson family. Both hypotheses seemed quite reliable and logical. Naturally, the author was more inclined toward the first hypothesis. He believed that since the Dawson family had always kept a low profile and Sophia was merely Lukas'' fianc¨¦e, there was no way they would fork out the money even if it was not a huge sum to them. After the post was published, many people started analyzing why Sophia was willing to use all of her assets to be the biggest shareholder of Expedite. They mentioned Sophia''s rtionship with Bethany and Alexander, thinking that Sophia just wanted to take revenge for what had happened. Afterward, a lot ofizens mocked Sophia. Even if she was wealthy, her divorce from Alexander was an unchangeable fact. When Katherine was surfing the Inte and came across thesements, she was furious. She logged into her alternate ount and started arguing with thoseizens. However, she identally messed things up. Since she did not manage to switch between her primary and alternate ounts in time, her alternate ount got exposed. After Sophia trended on the top searches, Katherine appeared right behind her. Within five minutes, she even surpassed Sophia and emerged at the top of the rankings. When Jonice saw that, she almost fainted from anger. She dashed from the newbies'' training room to Katherine''s office. ¡°Are you out of your mind, Katherine?¡± Since Katherine had already been exposed, there was nothing else that she could lose. ¡°I can''t bear to watch this, Jonice! Don''t stop me!¡± Jonice''s face was already pale. ¡°Give me your phone!¡± ¡°No!¡± Those b*stards can scold me but not Sophia! After saying that, she quickly drafted a post on her main ount. Yeah, it''s me! If you''re capable, argue with me here! Otherwise, shut up! Go ahead and scold me. However, if you dare to scold my bestie, I''ll wish death upon your family! After Katherine posted that, Jonice''s phone buzzed. Since she had specifically followed Katherine on Twitter, she immediately saw a notification for the new post on her phone. Jonice trembled in rage. ¡°Do you still wish to stay in the entertainment industry, Katherine?¡± On the other hand, Katherine was very calm. ¡°Don''t panic, Jonice. See, many people are praising me for being brave! Now that things have be like this, why don''t you let me argue online for another two hours?¡± Throughout her years of working as a manager, this was the moment Jonice felt like she would probably retire early due to Katherine. News soon spread to Sophia. Yvonne briefly summarized what had happened to her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, about Ms. Quinn...¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°No need to delete them. Tell Mark to draft a few legalints for me.¡± Yvonne nodded. ¡°Okay, I''ll inform him right away.¡± ¡°All right,¡± replied Sophia before whipping out her phone and logging into her ount, which had been inactive for a long time. She gained a lot of followers after she argued online during the awards ceremony. However, she had not logged into that ount after that, which led to it appearing like a spam ount. However, that ount had nowe alive. Sophia casually took a screenshot of the remaining funds she had on her credit card and added a caption: The ignorant fools can never understand. The funds on the credit card she had randomly taken a screenshot of were not that high¡ªmerely around three to four hundred million. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. When Katherine, who had been lecturing the others online, saw Sophia had posted something, she thought that it would be a touching post about their sisterhood. Never had she expected to see Sophia tantly bragging about her wealth. It was not a great feeling to see the number of digits in that screenshot. However, that did not stop Katherine from her mission to lecture the others online. Although she normally seemed quite aloof and cold, she decided to overturn that image after her alternate ount was exposed. She spent the entire morning arguing with the otherizens. None of them could win her, and many simply went offline to protect themselves. Soon, Sophia''s post where she bragged about her wealth appeared on the top searches. It was swiftly followed by the official legalint that Mark had posted online. Felix kept himself updated with the news. Every time something happened, he would report it to Alexander. Initially, Alexander wanted to instruct someone to delete all the top searches. However, it seemed like he had underestimated Sophia too much. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I discovered that the two influencers encouraging the rest to nder Ms. Yarrow received five hundred thousand in their ounts three hours ago.¡± ¡°Who did that?¡± ¡°The person who transferred the money is called Susan Dawson.¡± Dawson? Alexander frowned slightly. ¡°Send the details to me.¡± He wanted to im credit from Sophia. ¡°Okay, Mr. Xenos. I''ll send them to you now.¡± Soon, Alexander received the screenshotted details. ¡°Continue following up on this matter.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos.¡± Even without Alexander''smands, Felix would still update himself about it. It was his first time being so excited about keeping up with the drama. Ms. Yarrow really kept her true abilities hidden so well! Felix was so excited that he could not help but send a question mark to Yvonne, whose number had been idly lying in his contacts for a few months. When Yvonne received Felix''s message, she frowned and texted back: What''s up? Felix replied: Nothing. I just want to ask how Ms. Yarrow''s nning to deal with the stuff online. Thinking that he was asking on Alexander''s behalf, Yvonne did not suspect anything much. Since it was not something that could not be divulged to others, she told him briefly. After reading the message, Felix felt excited for no reason. Ms. Yarrow is truly my goddess! She managed to rebuke so many people without saying much! At the same time, Sophia also received the screenshot that Alexander had sent to her. When she saw Susan''s name, she had an inkling of what happened. Clicking her tongue softly, Sophia propped her chin on her hand and thought about it. In the end, she decided to deal with Susan much later to see what other tricks Susan had up her sleeve. Perhaps because she still had not replied to him after a long time, Alexander messaged her again: Aren''t you going to thank me? Sophia could not help butugh before she answered with a voice message, ¡°Thanks, Mr. Xenos.¡± He replied quickly: Are you just going to express your gratitude verbally? Sophia scoffed and texted: What else do you want, Mr. Xenos? This time, Alexander sent a voice message instead of a text. ¡°Can my progress bar increase a little, Sophia?¡± When his deep and mellow voice sounded from the phone, Sophia blushed. Chapter 230 Chapter 230 After Sophia posted the screenshot of her bank savings on Twitter, public opinion began to change on the Inte. Nevertheless, that couldn''t directly prove that Sophia didn''t get the money from Alexander or the Dawson family. Sophia''s tweet could only prove she was rich. Of course, someone also mentioned that Sophia''spany made a few celebrities famous these few years. As one of the biggest shareholders, Sophia could easily afford a few billion. Nevertheless, that was quickly overturned as anotherizen found Specter Entertainment''s financial reports. Aside from the past two years, Specter Entertainment barely made enough to survive previously. Katherine was breathless with anger. Theizens are fools! My IQ will decrease if I talk to them! After calming down, she was smart enough to give Joshua a call. Thus, Technology Innovations'' official ount tweeted shortly after: Sorry we forgot to introduce our second founder. The tweet was apanied by a photo of Sophia. They didn''t forget to tag the trending topic: Where did Sophia''s moneye from? The tweet came as a shock to everyone. After all, everyone knew Technology Innovations'' share prices shot upward like a rocket after it got listed. Technology Innovations was only worth around one billion when it was first listed. Six monthster, it was now worth above three billion. Besides, Technology Innovations was the first technologypany in the country that focused on AI research and development. Clearly, it had a bright future ahead. As science and technology advanced at a rapid pace, AI was now an emerging trend. Many tertiary education institutions had set up AI majors for their students. Now, Technology Innovations'' official Twitter ount had just revealed that Sophia was one of their directors. Before Technology Innovations was listed, there were only two shareholders. One was Joshua Lewis, and the other was... Of course, no one paid attention to Sophia in the past or bothered to investigate her background. Now that it had been mentioned, theizens soon discovered that the official ount wasn''t hacked. Sophia was indeed the other biggest shareholder in Technology Innovations. After the revtion, manyizens stopped making outrageousments about where Sophia''s money came from. However, that didn''t mark the end of the incident. Horatius Swain from Onyx Builders was pretty active on Twitter, too. After Technology Innovations revealed its founder on Twitter, he also tweeted a sarcastic tweet: Just because you all can''t earn that much money doesn''t mean you have the right to suspect someone else''s ie! Let me reintroduce someone¡ªthis is the godsister my father got for me! Oh, I forgot to mention that Sophia hasn''t agreed to it yet. Horatius''s tweet rendered the other stubbornizens speechless. Sophia''s name remained on Twitter''s trending list since the board of directors meeting this morning. Even Perrin, who rarely went online, learned about the incident. Of course, Kylie got to know about it earlier than him. She even called Lukas to talk about the matter. Lukas was stumped, for Sophia had asked for his help to keep her identity a secret. Hence, he could only tell his mother, ¡°All I can say is that Sophia has been doing well the past few years.¡± To be honest, Lukas was pretty shocked to discover all the investments Sophia had done over the years. Penelope would be proud to know her granddaughter is just as smart and capable as her. Kylie wasn''t a fool, and Lukas was her son. His answer might be ambiguous, but she could guess that Sophia must''ve kept a huge surprise hidden from them. After learning about themotion online, Perrin could barely hide his surprise. He felt bad for Sophia and kept imagining how hard her life must have been after her parents died. Kylie wanted to say something but was at a loss for words. What else could she say? Lukas was being vague, so she couldn''t really reveal anything to Perrin either. In the end, Kylie''s eyes turned red along with him. ¡°Yes, Sophia must''ve led a tough life.¡± Lukas had just gotten back home from work when he overheard his mother''s words. He was speechless. Susan was about to explode with rage when she learned about the turn of events. Anger swept over her as she broke her favorite cup at home. What has Sophia done to deserve this? The discussion caused by Expedite''s board of directors meeting went on for some time before dying down. Everyone who had ess to the Inte in Jadeborough knew about the matter. When Kristen and Thalia saw the trending headline, their first reaction was that Sophia didn''t leave Alexander without getting anything in return. Sophia was able to fork out a few billion with three hundred million left in her ount. That was a lot of money, so they assumed she got the money from the Xenos family. Thalia''s cheeks burned with anger. ¡°Mom! This is our family''s money!¡± Kristen felt the same way. ¡°I know, but your brother is obsessed with her nowadays.¡± Thalia was certain Sophia had gotten the money from Alexander. In total, Sophia had at least two billion in her ount. Thalia had never seen so much money in her life. Furious and resentful overwhelmed her entire being as she made up her mind to get the money back. The matter resulted in a chain of events. Despite being the person involved, Sophia stopped paying attention to the matter after she posted that tweet on Twitter. After all, it was more important to earn money. Katherine, as usual, was well-updated on the gossip, so she reported the subsequent happenings to Sophia in detail. After finishing work, Sophia read herment and understood what happened. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Horatius is getting involved, too? What a lively situation. Sophia''s lips curled into a grin. Right then, Alexander sent her a text: Have you gotten off work? Sophia replied: Yes. I just finished work. Alexander: I''m downstairs. Arching a brow, Sophia took her bag and left her office. The moment she stepped out of the building, she saw Alexander''s car. It was May in Jadeborough, and summer was here. The evening sun glowed brilliantly in the sky. Five meters away, Alexander was sitting in the driver''s seat, staring at Sophia intently. The rays shone on his face, and his dark eyes seemed to glow. Sophia felt her heart skip a beat. After she entered the car, Alexander turned around to ask, ¡°Can I ask about my progress?¡± Sophia looked at him as her eyes twinkled. ¡°It increased five percent.¡± There is still forty-five percent to go. Alexander gazed at her eyes which were crinkled up in delight. His Adam''s apple bobbed as he replied, ¡°Okay. What do you want for dinner?¡± ¡°I haven''t decided yet.¡± Alexander pondered over it. ¡°What about tuna roll?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± It had been a while since shest ate a tuna roll. Sophia''s phone vibrated upon receiving a text. It was a voice message from Katherine. Without thinking much, Sophia yed the voice message. ¡°Soph, how did Alexander react when he realized you''re rich and capable? Was he surprised? Haha! I want to see his reaction. He used to think you were after his money, right?¡± A burst ofughter followed. Sophia had yed the voice message assuming that Katherine wouldn''t say much. As a result, Alexander heard Katherine''s words clearly. That was the first time Sophia felt that awkward. The car rolled to a stop at the red light, and Alexander turned to look at her. Embarrassed, Sophia was about to part her lips to exin when Alexander spoke. ¡°I''m shocked but even more ashamed at the same time.¡± He was frustrated and ashamed at how he misunderstood her previously. Sophia nced at him. ¡°You don''t have to feel guilty. It was easy for you to get things wrong after what I did.¡± After all, no one would ask for a reward of ten million, followed by one hundred million, then ask him to marry her. I was really asking for a lot. As he remained silent, Sophia thought about it and told him, ¡°I didn''t mean to hide things from you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I remember she told me many times that she had something important to tell me, but I didn''t bother paying any attention to her. Alexander bowed his head. A whileter, he raised it to look at her. ¡°I don''t mind if you hide things from me.¡± Guilt rose in Sophia''s heart when she met his gaze. She ran her fingers through her hair and replied, ¡°There''s nothing to hide.¡± Alexander''s brows twitched. ¡°Really?¡± Chapter 231 Chapter 231 The traffic light turned green, so instead of answering his question, Sophia urged, ¡°The light has turned green.¡± Alexander looked away and slowly sped up. Silence ensued in the car. Sophia couldn''t help but feel guilty when she recalled Alexander''s ¡°Really?¡± earlier. Hmm. Should I be honest and tell him I''ve kept many things a secret from him? Forget it. I''ll leave that forter. Around ten minutester, the car came to a stop. The sky was dark when they both got out of the car. Alexander led her across the street and into an alley. It was only then that she saw the photo of a Jetroinian restaurant. Sophia raised a brow. ¡°How did you find this ce?¡± I don''t think it''s easy to find a restaurant this secluded. ¡°Samuel rmended it to me,¡± came Alexander''s reply. Sophia chuckled. ¡°Mr. Schild is good at having fun.¡± Alexander lowered his head to nce at her. ¡°Having fun is the only thing he does best.¡± Sophia''s lips curved, but she said nothing. The restaurant might be secluded, but good wine needs no bush. It was pretty crowded. Alexander probably had a reservation, for they were brought to a private room when they arrived. It had been some time since Sophiast had Jetroinian food. Jadeborough was getting hotter by the day, leading to her having less appetite, so it was nice to have Jetroinian food once in a while. Sophia had never been here, but she knew the restaurant was something else based on its interior design. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. When the bill came, Sophia took one look at it and confirmed that the restaurant was indeed something else. ¡°A charity g will be held the day after tomorrow. Will you be attending it?¡± Sophia handed a ss of water to Alexander andughed. ¡°Even if I were to attend it, I can''t be your partner, can I?¡± She was reminding him that they had yet to go public with their rtionship as of now. Alexander took a sip of water and leaned into the couchzily. Finding his tie ufortable, he gave her a look before reaching up to loosen his tie. His movements were leisurely. After loosening his tie, he undid the top two buttons of his shirt. He then asked, ¡°Sophia, what can I do to fully fill up the progress bar?¡± He had forty-five percent to go but could not wait any longer. Sophia tutted. ¡°I''ve pushed your progress forward by five percent, haven''t I?¡± Alexander stared at her without a word. To him, five percent of progress was too slow. If possible, he wanted toplete the progress. Of course, he knew that wasn''t possible. The man hung his head low, his white shirt making him look indifferent in the dark. Alexander was handsome in an understated way. He carried an imperious nose well, and his angr cheekbones carved down toward a flinty jaw. Coupled with his sexy lips, he was a sight for sore eyes. Sensing her stare, Alexander suddenly looked up and whipped his head around. Sophia grabbed her mug and sipped on her water without looking at him. Her action merely gave her away. ¡°Let me hug you, Sophia,¡± Alexander requested. He was getting bolder by the day. Previously, he was tactful enough to ask her toe to him, but now, he was straightforward enough to demand a hug. Sophia felt her cheeks burning as she red at him. ¡°No.¡± Seeing the smile in her eyes, Alexander felt his heart skip a beat. Without warning, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. The temperature was increasing in Jadeborough as May arrived. Sophia wore a ck pencil skirt with a chiffon top tucked into it. Her outfit might be simple, but it entuated her curves. When Alexander wrapped his arms around her, his palm identally grazed across her thigh, causing them both to freeze. Sophia''s skirt was tight, so she dared not move in Alexander''s arms. She was afraid her skirt would split if she struggled. s, they were in an intimate position that could escte into something else if they were in another ce. In actual fact, Alexander wanted to do more than just hug her. Humans were greedy, after all. His gaze turning dark, Alexander rasped, ¡°Sophia.¡± Sophia went weak under his gaze. When their eyes met, she felt as though she was about to lose herself in his dark orbs. His warm lips coupled with his unique scent pressed to hers. Sophia parted her lips, allowing him to take over as her heart raced. Alexander''s arms locked her in his embrace like shackles. Slowly, he tightened his arms and deepened the kiss. Silence descended in the living room, save for their heavy breathing and amorous sounds. Five minutes passed before Alexander finally released her. His hand that was ced behind her head slipped to the back of her neck. He applied a little force and trapped her in his arms. Sophia squinted and gazed at her own hands, which were gripping his shirt. All she could hear was her racing heart. She instinctively tried to ease away from him. The moment she moved, Alexander gave a muffled grunt. ¡°Sophia, don''t move.¡± His words sounded like an order, but he said it in a pleading tone. Sophia stopped dead. She swallowed hard when her gazended on Alexander''s Adam''s apple. An urge to bite it surged within Sophie. However, Sophia was rational enough to tamp down her urge. A whileter, she said, ¡°I want to drink some water.¡± With that said, she shot Alexander a look. She saw that his eyes were dark with desire before he could hide his emotions. Sophia''s mind went nk. After snapping back to her senses, she pretended nothing had happened and slipped out of his arms to sit beside him. Grabbing her cup, she started drinking the water that was now cold. Her mind cleared when the cool water trickled down her throat. She turned to look at Alexander. ¡°It''s almost ten.¡± Alexander patted her head. ¡°I should get going.¡± Despite wanting nothing more than to stay, he knew he wouldn''t be able to control himself if he were to do that. After regaining herposure, Sophia was her usual calm self. She acted as though the kiss didn''t happen. ¡°I''ll walk you downstairs.¡± Alexander didn''t reject her offer, and they both went downstairs to the garage. At the door, Alexander gave her a quick hug. ¡°Go back home.¡± Sophia stood rooted to her spot as she watched him get into the car and drive out of the garage. She only spun on her heels to head upstairs when the garage door swung shut. When the car drove out of the mansion, Alexander looked out of the window and noticed that the second floor was dark. Soon, the light on the third floor was switched on. He looked at the bulge between his legs as something flickered in his gaze. If I propose now, what''s the probability of Sophia saying yes? The answer is obviously zero. Pursing his lips, Alexander floored the elerator and sped away. Not long after he left the mansion, his phone rang. It was Sophia, informing him that he had left his work phone at her house. She wanted to know if he would return to retrieve it now or tomorrow. Alexander didn''t even have to think twice and chose to return now. After driving ahead for around five hundred meters, he made a U-turn and returned to Sophia''s ce. After making the call, Sophia stood on the balcony. She spotted Alexander''s car when it turned into the path heading to her mansion and went downstairs with his phone. Alexander got out of his car when she came out. Opening the door, Sophia gave his phone back to him. ¡°Did you do this on purpose?¡± ¡°If I said the answer was no, would you believe me?¡± Sophia harrumphed. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I didn''t know you liked ying tricks. When did this hobby of yours begin?¡± The summer breeze was cooling, and Sophia''s features looked even more charming under the night light. Alexander gazed at her as reluctance rose in his heart. He couldn''t bear to leave her. After taking his phone, he wrapped his arms around her and buried his head into her shoulder. ¡°Sophia, can I stay tonight?¡± His voice was muffled and sounded pitiful. Sophia arched a brow. His short hair fluttered in the wind, brushing across her chin and tickling her. Reaching out to ruffle his hair, she chuckled and asked, ¡°Do you want to see a magic trick?¡± Alexander cast her a confused look. ¡°What magic trick?¡± Sophia''s lips curved as a smile nudged her lips. ¡°Your progress will be reset to zero.¡± Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Alexander''s trick didn''t work, so he had no choice but to leave. Sophia stood outside and watched as his car disappeared from sight. Then, she lowered her head and chuckled lowly. What a shameless man! When Sophia received Lukas'' call, she was walking out of the conference room after having finished a meeting at Sunshine Group. Lukas told her he would be at Jadeborough today and wanted to have a meal with her. Thest time she was at Doveston, Lukas had already informed her in advance that he would be coming to Jadeborough a few dayster. After the call ended, Sophia thought over it and decided to text Alexander. Lukas hade to Jadeborough for work, but his schedule was confidential. Thus, not many people knew he was here. At noon, Sophia told Yvonne to reserve a private room at Mirage. She departed from Sunshine Group at six sharp and went straight to the restaurant. It so happened that Sophia spotted Lukas getting out of his car after she parked hers. ¡°Lukas!¡± she called out and scurried over to him. ¡°Lukas.¡± Lukas observed her for a while. ¡°You did gain some weight, huh? It wasn''t a lie.¡± Sophia stuck her tongue out sheepishly. ¡°How long will you be in Jadeborough?¡± The first time they met before knowing each other, Lukas was polite but exuded an aura that repelled anyone who came close. Not long after, they reunited as siblings. After Penelope died, Sophia was perpetually in a bad mood. It was Lukas who kept herpany in the living room every night silently. He didn''t say anything but did everything a brother was supposed to do, and he had done a pretty good job too. Sophia felt close to him as they were rted by blood. When they were together, she couldn''t stop herself from talking more than usual. ¡°Two days.¡± Lukas paused before adding, ¡°I''ll visit you again next time on my off day.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Sophia beamed. Feeling shy, she told him, ¡°I''ll return to Doveston after my business is done here.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Lukas grunted in acknowledgment as they entered Mirage. After ordering their food, Sophia noticed Lukas was looking at her and guessed it was about what happened a few days ago. ¡°Lukas, does Granddad know everything?¡± Lukas sipped on his coffee. ¡°I haven''t told him anything yet. You should be the one telling him as it concerns you.¡± Sophia pursed her lips. ¡°Will I give him a shock?¡± Lukas recalled how Perrin and Kylie were talking about Sophia''s past wistfully yesterday after he got home. He told her, ¡°I don''t think so.¡± Their imagination might go even wilder, though. Sophia agreed with him. Perrin had seen a lot, so he should be fine with having a rich granddaughter. Lukas'' purpose wasn''t just to visit Sophia. He also wanted to talk about her rtionship with Alexander. ¡°Did you get back together with Alexander?¡± Sophia froze. ¡°Yes,¡± she finally replied. ¡°A friend of mine saw you both together.¡± Sophia wasn''t about to hide the truth from him. Besides, she had already informed Perrin about this previously. ¡°But I don''t want to go public for now.¡± ¡°That''s a good idea. After all, you might not end up marrying him.¡± He didn''t forget that they had already gotten a divorce once. Knowing Lukas didn''t like Alexander, Sophia couldn''t say anything to dissuade him and promptly changed the topic. ¡°Lukas, themotion online was deliberately started by someone. That someone is targeting me.¡± Lukas was smart enough to guess, ¡°Is it someone from the Dawson family?¡± Sophia gave a curt nod. ¡°It was Susan.¡± Hearing that, Lukas remained unfazed as though it was a known fact to him. Right then, the door was pushed open to reveal the server, who came in with a trolley full of food. Lukas looked up and remained silent. After the dishes were served, the server left. Lukas broke the silence to say, ¡°Don''t be afraid. I''ll handle her when I get back home.¡± Sophia giggled. ¡°I can handle her on my own, actually.¡± She then told him what happened when she went shopping previously. Lukas gave her a piece of fish with a fork before getting a new one for himself. ¡°Her n didn''t go unnoticed. However, we hadn''t found you at the time. Grandpa and Grandma are also no longer young, so that''s why Mom allowed her toe to our house.¡± They talked inside the private room, unaware of themotion outside. Recently, rumors had been going around saying that Alexander and Sophia were back together. However, she was seen eating and chattering happily with Lukas tonight. It was pretty obvious they were close to each other despite theck of intimate interactions. A few days ago, Ka had spotted Sophia and Alexander holding hands. They were, without a doubt, back together. Thus, she came over to the restaurant hastily after receiving her friend''s call. When she arrived, Sophia and Lukas were already in their private room. Ka stood outside the private room with her jaw clenched indignantly. Her friend suggested, ¡°Why don''t we order a dish? You can put on the server''s jacket and enter the private room to take the photo you need.¡± Yes, Ka wanted to snap a photo to show Alexander how promiscuous Sophia was. Her friend''s suggestion was great, but Ka took one look at the server''s uniform and frowned. ¡°This is too ugly and filthy!¡± The server''s expression stiffened. ¡°Ms. Fletcher, I have a new one in my locker.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Ka might be bad-tempered, but she was a generous tip-giver. The server only offered her a new uniform in hopes that Ka would tip her moreter. Ka''s friend tugged at her. ¡°Kay, stop hesitating. The dishes were served a while ago. If you keep hesitating, it will soon be time for them to leave! Besides, they are the only ones in the private room. No one knows what they are doing inside! If you don''t like the uniform, why don''t you ask the server to enter the private room again?¡± Ka grew agitated at her friend''s words. That won''t do! I must enter the room myself and take a photo of Lukas and Sophia together so I can send it to Alexander. Besides sending it to Alexander, I will also post it online! With that thought in mind, Ka decided to go all out. She red at the server standing beside her. ¡°Why are you still standing here? Hurry, go get me your uniform!¡± ¡°Okay, Ms. Fletcher!¡± After putting on the jacket, Ka began recording on her phone and entered the private room with the trolley. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, this is... Sophia Yarrow! I finally caught you in the act. I knew something was going on between you two!¡± The moment Ka stepped into the room, she saw Lukas bending down to kiss Sophia. At once, she didn''t bother putting up an act and grabbed her phone to record Lukas and Sophia. Sophia looked at the back of her hand before ncing at Ka, who was d in the server''s uniform. Offering a smile, she said, ¡°Long time no see, Ms. Fletcher. Is the Fletcher family in need of money? Why are you working as a server here?¡± Ka stiffened when she heard Sophia''s sarcastic remark. Nevertheless, she quickly regained her senses and sneered, ¡°Look how calm you are. I''ve already recorded what you did earlier. Let''s see if you can continue two-timing Alexander after I send the video to him!¡± Sophia was tickled pink by Ka''s threat. Calmly, she took a sip of her soup and drawled, ¡°Go ahead and send the video to Alexander then, Ms. Fletcher.¡± Chapter 233 Chapter 233 ¡°H-How thick-skinned can you be!¡± Sophia scoffed. ¡°I''m afraid you''re sorely mistaken, Ms. Fletcher. Unlike you, my face has not undergone any procedures and is still priceless.¡± Pausing, she went on, ¡°Although, I can''t help wondering how you managed to barge into my private room while I''m having my meal. I believe you and Mirage both owe me an exnation.¡± ¡°What drivel! Is your guilty conscience acting up? You wouldn''t have anything to fear if all you were doing was eating! I came all the way here to catch both of you red-handed and show the world what a fickle woman you are behind your mask of pretentiousness!¡± Alexander and Samuel noticed that the entrance to the private room was packed as they made their way over. Samuel was delighted. ¡°Oh my, is Sophia aware that this coincidental encounter is all part of your n?¡± Alexander red at him. He was about to inquire about the situation with the restaurant staff when he heard Ka''s voice from inside the private room. Her voice was so loud that even with a shut door, it could be heard distinctly outside. Ka''s friend had initially nned to enter the private room as well but refrained from doing so because of Lukas''plicated identity. However, Alexander had no such reservations. Ka had been relentlessly badgering Sophia, so he assumed today was no exception. His expression darkened as he strode forward and pushed open the door. ¡°Mask of pretentiousness, you say?¡± Sophia froze at Alexander''s appearance before turning to eye Lukas. To no one''s surprise, not a trace of his earlier benign disposition was to be found. Ka was also stunned at Alexander''s surprise entrance. She enthused animatedly as if she''d just won the jackpot, ¡°Alexander! Good timing! I''m aware that Sophia has always been on your mind. You''re still pursuing her, aren''t you? Trust me when I say that she''s not worth it! You made the right decision by divorcing her! She''s cheating on you with Lukas while toying with your feelings! What a promiscuous two-timer!¡± Then, as if she had recalled something, she leveled her gaze on Lukas. ¡°Mr. Dawson, I advise you to see through her farce! Don''t be deceived by her meek and gentle demeanor! Based on what I''d heard, she got together with the renowned celebrity Mason only three months after her divorce from Alexander. Two months after that, she dated a man called Stephen and even met his parents. That''s not all. She broke things off with him shortly and got into a rtionship with Horatius! ¡°I''m sure you''ve heard of him. He''s Mr. Horatius Swain of Onyx Builders! I can''t help butud her for managing to impress Mr. Swain at his birthday celebration. She even became his goddaughter after failing to be his daughter-inw! Perhaps she still had a thing going on with Mr. Horatius while she was dating you! I can''t believe you don''t mind her dalliance with her ex-husband Alexander while iming to be in a rtionship with you!¡± Ka was so engrossed with her spiel that Sophia didn''t have the heart to cut her off. Lukas and Alexander both wore thunderous expressions once Ka was done with her tirade. Ka remained oblivious as she was too pleased with herself for exposing Sophia''s true colors to both men. Ka reyed the video footage on her phone to appear more convincing to Alexander. ¡°Take a look yourself, Alexander. It''s clear as day that Lukas was kissing her! It makes me wonder what kind of tonic rtionship between a man and woman could exist that involves such intimate behavior!¡± ¡°Are you done?¡± Alexander didn''t spare the phone a nce before snatching it and hurling it to the ground. ¡°If so, get the h*ll out!¡± At that point, he couldn''t stand it any longer. Ka was like an annoying fly that kept buzzing around him. Besides, her ims were all baseless, with no substantial evidence. Samuel had been holding in hisughter beside him all this while. If not for Lukas'' presence, he would have burst into howlingughter. Does Ka have a screw loose? It''s a waste that she isn''t a screenwriter with her re for making up stories. Ka was taken aback as she stared at Alexander in disbelief. ¡°Are you out of your mind? There are countless women in the world! Even if I don''t suit your fancy, there are still others who might pique your interest. What''s so special about this wretch?¡± ¡°I don''t hit women.¡± Alexander pinned her with a stormy gaze. Ka felt her goosebumps rising and was inexplicably ovee with fear. Her initial excitement and glee had vanished into thin air, and in its ce was a foreboding sense of terror. ¡°W-Well, suit yourself!¡± Alexander''s death re was so malicious that she felt as if she would end up in the same state as she smashed the phone in the next second. Ka''s indignation at Alexander''s response took a backseat to her survival. She stammered out a brief sentence before forcibly turning to leave. Before she could escape, Sophia, who had not had the chance to speak, called out, ¡°Hold on!¡± Samuel reacted quickly to Sophia''s statement by swiftly shutting the door once again. Ka glowered at Samuel, and he responded with a grin. ¡°Ms. Fletcher, I''m afraid I''m not the target of your anger. Your rightful victim should be him instead.¡± With that, he pointed at Alexander. Ka stiffened. She didn''t even dare meet Alexander''s eyes, let alone vent her anger at him. On top of that, Lukas did not seem too pleased either as he stood near Sophia. Ka mused that there must be something wrong with the men present for siding with such a trollop like Sophia and not herself, an innocent. Sophia smiled slightly at Samuel. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Schild.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°You''re wee.¡± Samuel cocked his eyebrows. His thrilled expression was at odds with his words. Sophia took two steps forward. ¡°I don''t have much to say about your zealous speech earlier, but there''s something I would like to seek rification on. What did you mean when you said you saw Mr. Dawson and me kissing?¡± ¡°So you''re going to continue denying it! I saw everything when I entered just now! Both of you were nearly locked in an embrace, and he was right in front of you!¡± Sophia arched her brows and extended her left hand, which appeared a little red. ¡°I identally scalded myself with some hot soup. Mr. Dawson was merely tending to my wound. Is that an issue?¡± ¡°Then why were both of you leaning in so close to one another?¡± ¡°Was he supposed to have used a pole to see to my burn while standing several meters away?¡± Sophia retorted. After a brief pause, she continued, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, do you even know what my rtionship with Mr. Dawson is?¡± ¡°So what if he''s your fianc¨¦? You still haven''t broken it off with Alexander¡ª¡± ¡°Ms. Fletcher, he''s my blood-rted brother.¡± ¡°Come again?¡± Ka couldn''t believe her own ears at the revtion that Sophia and Lukas were actually blood- rted! Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Looking at Ka, Sophia smirked. ¡°Ms. Fletcher, it''s a pity your hearing isn''t very good when you''re so young.¡± At that point, she paused before adding, ¡°Ms. Fletcher, you must listen closely this time. Lukas is my blood-rted brother. Do you think we can have intimate behavior with each other?¡± Sophia articted each word clearly. That time around, Ka heard her, and very clearly at that. She darted a nce at Sophia, then at Lukas, who was standing at the other side. It seemed as though something was caught in her throat, and she could not voice a response. Instead, she stood there inplete shock. ¡°H-How is that possible? Your surnames are different!¡± ¡°Can''t my cousin be my brother? Ms. Fletcher, I didn''t say he''s my biological brother.¡± Sophia''s words left Ka utterly speechless. Standing there, Ka wanted to leave, but Samuel blocked the door. As she was unable to leave, she was exposed to Alexander''s and Lukas'' deadly gazes. ¡°I-I''m sorry. I misunderstood the situation,¡± she said in the end. Ka''s smugness and confidence from earlier had vanished. All she wanted to do was to get out of the stifling private room. Sophia chuckled. ¡°Ms. Fletcher, you have caused me a lot of trouble, yet you''re only offering me a simple apology.¡± Her initial intention was to settle the score with Ka sometimeter. However, thetter had taken the initiative to trouble her that day. In that case, Sophia would seize the opportunity presented to her on a silver tter and settle everything once and for all. Ka had not returned to her senses from learning about the rtionship between Sophia and Lukas. Hearing Sophia''s words, she was momentarily perplexed. ¡°I was the only one who misunderstood today''s incident. No one else knows about this, so it won''t cause you any trouble.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Sophia arched her brow and chuckled. ¡°Ms. Fletcher, why don''t you try to recall what you did not too long ago?¡± ¡°I-I didn''t do anything!¡± Just as those words fell from her lips, Ka recollected the matter Sophia was referring to. She looked at Sophia and averted her eyes as she said guiltily, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I barged in today merely because I couldn''t ept the fact that Alexander chose you. Since everything was a misunderstanding on my part, I won''t disturb your meal any longer.¡± ¡°Ms. Fletcher, you sent that anonymous letter, didn''t you?¡± Sophia refused to allow Ka to leave. Just as thetter turned around, she said frankly, ¡°It must be incredibly hard for you to have Alexander''s and the Dawson family''s best interests at heart. But this issue kept my granddad from eating or sleeping well for days. Shouldn''t you provide me with an exnation, Ms. Fletcher?¡± Ka frowned, nning to deny all the usations. ¡°What are you talking about? I don''t know anything about a letter. I wasn''t in Jadeborough some time ago. Ms. Yarrow, you can check with my friends about this.¡± ¡°It''s fine if you don''t want to admit it, Ms. Fletcher. But you will have to think hard about whether or not you''ll regret your choice after you walk out of this door.¡± After all, adults have to take responsibility for their own wrongdoings. Ka only wanted to get out of the private room. Since she had always looked down on Sophia and the latter had drawled out those threats, she was unperturbed by it all, apart from Sophia''s ghost of a smile. Then, Ka shot a nce at Alexander, only to find him frowning slightly. His well-defined face was as cold as ice. Truth be told, she was more afraid of Alexander than Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you''ve got the wrong person. That letter you mentioned has nothing to do with me.¡± With that, Ka pushed Samuel away and left the room. The second she exited the private room, her friend walked over and inquired, ¡°How did it go? I saw Alexander enter just now. Did he catch her in the act this time?¡± Naturally, Ka dared not say a word yet. She pulled her friend away and only spoke after they were far from the room. ¡°Do you know what is the rtionship between Lukas and Sophia?¡± Her friend frowned. ¡°Are they engaged? Didn''t they meet each other''s parents?¡± ¡°No! That would be fantastic if it were the case. Lukas is Sophia''s cousin!¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense is she spouting to you? Lukas is his father''s sole child. Lukas'' father is also an only child. How did Sophia be Lukas'' cousin?¡± Ka felt that she had awful luck. ¡°How would I know? Lukas was present when Sophia said this, so wouldn''t he have exposed her if she was lying?¡± The woman was not utterly foolish. Earlier on, I had merely exposed myself because I was in the heat of the moment. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have put up with the difort of wearing such unttering work attire to enter the private room while posing as staff. Besides, Lukas did not refute Sophia when she said those words just now. Hence, Sophia must be telling the truth! ¡°Sophia is actually rted to Lukas? Doesn''t it mean she and Alexander are a match made in heaven, given that their family statuses are equal now?¡± Ka''s expression quickly darkened when she heard her friend''s statement. That''s right. They''re a match made in heaven now. I was dissatisfied with Bethany in the past, but at the very least, she''s part of the White family. On the contrary, both of Sophia''s parents have passed away, and her family isn''t prestigious, not to mention she''s poor and unsophisticated. Yet, just yesterday, Sophia became one of the founders of Technology Innovations and thergest stockholder of Expedite. I''m iparable to the current Sophia. ¡°So what if they''re a match made in heaven? Didn''t you see how many boyfriends Sophia had one year after her divorce?¡± Ka snarled. Even if the matter with Lukas was a misunderstanding, Mason, Howard, and Horatius can''t all be Sophia''s rtives, can they? Her friend had also caught on. ¡°That''s right! No one else can be better than you, Kay!¡± Ka did not give her any response as she was deeply frustrated at the moment. Sophia''sst sentence had her feeling somewhat unsettled as it sounded as though there was some hidden insinuation to it. Moments ago, she was so eager to leave, yet she was still not at ease even after leaving. At the same time, the atmosphere of the private room was a little awkward after Ka''s departure. Alexander had wanted to reveal himself by pretending to have a ¡°chance encounter,¡± but he entered the private room right away because of Ka. Moreover, Lukas was staring at him with a hostile gaze. Alexander took a nce at Sophia. ¡°I won''t bother you anymore.¡± When Alexander turned around, Lukas called out to him, ¡°Mr. Xenos.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°How may I help you, Mr. Dawson?¡± Alexander asked as he looked over his shoulder. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I still have some doubts about Ms. Fletcher''s earlier words, so I hope you can rify them for me.¡± Lukas had perfected the skill of controlling his expression after being in politics for many years. His countenance was friendly and casual, giving others the impression that he was merely curious. However, Alexander had been in the business world for almost ten years, so it was only natural that he could sense Lukas'' hostility toward him. ¡°What are your doubts, Mr. Dawson?¡± Lukas sat back down. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I''m assuming you haven''t eaten. Let''s eat together then.¡± Alexander took a nce at Sophia. ¡°I shall graciously ept the offer, then.¡± Perceiving the inexplicable tension in the room, Samuel did not know whether to stay back to watch the show or leave to save himself. Before he coulde up with a decision, Lukas asked, ¡°Mr. Schild, why aren''t you taking a seat?¡± Samuel, who was dragged into their conflict, exined, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Dawson. I was distracted just now.¡± As he spoke, he moved to sit next to Alexander. There were four people seated in the private room meant for two. Somehow, the atmosphere was awkward. Sophia wanted to speak to ease the tension in the air, but Lukas scooped a spoonful of food for her. ¡°I''ll talk to Mr. Xenos. You can enjoy your meal.¡± At that, she smiled in response. ¡°Okay.¡± It''s not like I don''t know how to enjoy a show. Chapter 235 Chapter 235 Sophia knew Lukas intended to stand up for her. Anyhow, I endured much nonsense from Alexander''s rtives when I was married to him, so now that the tables have turned, I don''t feel sorry for him at all. I''m petty, and I don''t care! After speaking to her, Lukasid down his fork and summoned the staff to request two additional sets of cutlery. At the same time, he also ced an order for two more dishes. Once that was done, he raised his head to look at Alexander. ¡°ording to Ms. Fletcher, you are trying to court Sophia. Is that true, Mr. Xenos?¡± With a calm expression, Alexander looked Lukas in the eye and replied, ¡°Yes, it''s true.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Thetter took a sip of his drink and asked, ¡°If my memory hasn''t failed me, you and Sophia divorced about a year ago. Am I right?¡± ¡°You''re right.¡± Lowering his head, Lukas looked at his ss. Since his face was hidden from everyone else''s sight, no one could discern his expression as he spoke. ¡°I''m confused. Since the two of you were divorced just a year ago, why are you suddenly courting her again? If you love her, why did you divorce her in the first ce?¡± When he raised his head again, the gaze he directed at Alexander was piercing and stern, customary for someone who had held a high position for years. Yet, Alexander was not intimidated. ¡°I was young and arrogant then, so I never knew to cherish her. It was only after our divorce did I realize she meant so much to me. That''s why I want to try and win her heart again. I''ve seen the error of my ways and wish to make amends for it.¡± Lukas chuckled and said, ¡°Whether you have a sudden realization or wish to make amends, it is none of Sophia''s concern. You had your chance, but you blew it. Sophia is not obliged to forgive and forget just because you''ve seen the error of your ways.¡± Following that stern rebuke, Lukas mmed his ss onto the table. His sudden movement stunned Samuel so much that he choked on his food. The poor man had been watching the drama unfold as he enjoyed the meal. Sophia could not help butugh at Samuel''s reaction while she poured him a ss of water. Samuel''sical sideshow disrupted the rising tension between Lukas and Alexander, instantly lightening up the atmosphere at the table. With a frown on his face, Lukas said to Alexander, ¡°You know what I mean, don''t you, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°I get your message, Mr. Dawson. However, I have no ns to give up on Sophia unless she marries someone else and bears him a child,¡± thetter dered. He was making it clear that marriage alone would not make him give up on her, as the marriage might fail and end in a divorce as well. Instead, he would only let go when she had a child with that man. Sophia, who was enjoying her soup, choked on the liquid and coughed when she heard Alexander''s shocking deration. Although she knew the man had be more and more brazen, she did not expect him to go so far as to say such words in Lukas'' presence. Lukas snorted and retorted, ¡°That is your problem, not hers.¡± With that, he turned to Sophia and asked, ¡°Are you done with your food?¡± His countenance became much gentler at once. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. They had started their meal before Ka arrived, so Sophia had time to eat her fill. Upon ncing at the unfinished food on Lukas'' te, she wanted to say something, but he had already risen to his feet. ¡°If you''re done, then let''s go.¡± Sophia shot a nce at Alexander, for she was aware that Lukas wanted to keep her away from him. Immediately, she dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin and smiled at Alexander before walking out of the private room with Lukas. ¡°Lukas!¡± When Lukas heard her, he slowed down and asked, ¡°Are you displeased with what happened earlier?¡± ¡°Not at all. I know you did what was best for me,¡± she answered. He stared at her briefly, then said, ¡°I''m d you understand that. Both Grandpa and I knew what happened between you and Alexander. There are many outstanding young men in our social circle, and we can introduce them to you. They aren''t inferior to Alexander in any bit. After you meet those men, maybe you''ll realize Alexander is not that fantastic after all.¡± ¡°But I''ve liked him for many years...¡± Sophia sheepishly said. Lukas was taken aback by her confession. His mind drifted back to the distant past as he seemed to recall someone saying the exact same thing to him before. Sophia could not read Lukas'' mind, but she could clearly tell he was not in a good mood based on his expression. Hence, she pursed her lips and changed the subject. ¡°You didn''t eat much earlier. I know of a nice restaurant. Should we head there for some more food?¡± she proposed. Lukas snapped out of his daze and turned his attention back to Sophia. ¡°Okay,¡± he said and nodded in agreement. Sophia settled the bill and headed out of Mirage with him. When they were getting out of the car, Lukas suddenly blurted, ¡°I''m not trying to dictate that you must date someone else. I just feel that you should expand your social circle and meet more people. At the same time, try to find out what your heart truly desires. That will enable you to make a better decision.¡± Warmth filled Sophia''s heart. She nodded and replied, ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Although I have no objections to you getting back with Alexander, he may not win Grandpa''s approval since Grandpa is aware of what he and his family did to you previously,¡± Lukas revealed. ¡°If we manage to reach that stage, that''ll be his problem!¡± Sophiaughed. She had no intention of helping him win Perrin over. ncing at her, Lukas held his peace. The restaurant Sophia mentioned was rmended by Katherine, and the menu quite suited his pte. Although he was there on official matters, it was also his intention to catch up with Sophia. s, he had to deal with many matters at hand. Phone calls came in one after another as he was eating. When he could finally take a breather, he massaged his temples and started apologizing to Sophia, saying, ¡°I''m so sorry, Sophia. I''ve been quite busytely.¡± Sophia did not mind that at all. ¡°It''s okay. Are you sure you''ve eaten enough food this time?¡± she asked, smiling. Lukas knew she was teasing him, and a rare smile appeared on his face as he said, ¡°I''m sure. I''ll get my secretary to pick me up, so don''t worry about me. It''ste. You should go home and have a good rest.¡± ¡°Where are you staying? Let me drop you off first,¡± Sophia offered. Lukas immediately rejected by saying, ¡°No. How can I let a girl send me back?¡± His remark stunned her. It had been a long time since shest heard anyone refer to her as a girl. After her parents passed away, she had no choice but to grow up quickly. Without her parents shielding her from the harsh society, she had to learn to be independent. At that moment, she realized she was not alone anymore. With Lukas, Perrin, Kasper, and Kylie by her side, she, too, could enjoy the luxury of being a little girl in their eyes. Samuel blinked hard to hold back her tears. ¡°Let me stay with you until Mr. Newman arrives.¡± Lukas looked at her and quietly consented to that. He fished out his phone and gave his secretary a call. After he ended the call with his secretary, he suddenly recalled something and said, ¡°I forwarded a contact to you. He''s my friend, Zayne Quantrill. Zayne is a lecturer at Jadeborough University. Try to get to know him.¡± It was an unexpected development, as Sophia did not think Lukas was serious about matchmaking her with other men. She took out her phone and saw that he had indeed forwarded a contact to her. This is embarrassing. If I knew this would happen, I should''ve left when he told me to. Before Sophia could find an excuse to get out of it, her phone beeped because of a friend request notification, and simultaneously, Lukas'' voice traveled to her ears. ¡°I asked him to send you a friend request. Do ept it.¡± Sophia threw Lukas a nce and uttered, ¡°Lukas, this doesn''t seem like a good idea, don''t you think?¡± ¡°Don''t feel pressured. Zayne is clueless when ites to love and rtionship, so he''s been a bachelor for years. If you don''t fancy him, you can teach him a thing or two about how to win a woman''s heart instead.¡± Lukas was convincing, so Sophia could not find a reason to say no. ¡°Okay,¡± she answered. Left with no choice, she could only ept the friend request, and Zayne was quick to send a self- introduction by texting: Hi there! I''m Zayne Quantrill. Sophia gave a simr reply to introduce herself, which was the end of their text exchange, as he did not reply anymore. Coincidentally, Lukas'' secretary arrived. At that discovery, she breathed a sigh of relief and announced, ¡°Mr. Newman is here!¡± ¡°All right. Go ahead and make your way home. Drop me a message when you''re home,¡± Lukas said. ¡°Will do.¡± Sophia grabbed her bag and got ready to leave but paused when she noticed Lukas watching her. The man stood at the same spot, showing no intention of leaving. ¡°I''ll leave after I see you get into the car,¡± he exined. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Sophia crossed the road. While getting into her car, she looked over her shoulder and saw that Lukas was still watching her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she recalled that was what her parents did when she headed off to school many years ago. Like Lukas, they stood at the road across and watched her get into the taxi. Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Sophia had just driven into the path to her house when Alexander''s car came into her sight. With an eyebrow raised, she slowed down her car and drove toward him. The man stood by his car as though he had been waiting for her for some time. At the sight of her return, he straightened his back and asked, ¡°Can I go in and have a ss of water, Sophia?¡± Poor man. In response, Sophia took out the remote control and opened the gate for him before she drove to the garage. Then, she got out of the car, entered the house, and headed for the main door to let him in. Right after she opened the door from the inside, Alexander pressed her against the wall and kissed her fiercely. Sophia let out a snort. The man pinned her hands above her head and kissed her dominantly and passionately. Soon, she could not take it anymore. Her body went weak, and her legs almost gave away. By the time he let her go, she had to lean on him for support. Both of them were a little short of breath. The wind blowing in from outside sobered her a little. Looking into Alexander''s eyes, she asked, ¡°Did you smoke?¡± ¡°Only one cigarette.¡± He reached out to trace her lips as his Adam''s apple bobbed. That showed how hard he was trying to restrain himself. ¡°Do you not like it?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°I''ll quit smoking, then.¡± Sophia stared at him and suddenly smiled. ¡°Didn''t you say it''s hard to quit smoking?¡± Alexander leaned forward and pressed his whole body against hers. ¡°It''s way easier to quit smoking than ending my addiction to you.¡± Feeling her cheeks burning, she raised her arms to push him away, only to feel a sudden itch on her cheek. It was Alexander. He was rubbing his cheek against hers. Such a gesture reminded Sophia of a puppy she brought home many years ago. Every time the puppy made a mistake, it would nuzzle against her, making it difficult to harden her heart to punish it. However, someone stole the puppy in the middle of the night. By the time it returned home, it was seriously wounded and on the verge of death. In less than three days, the puppy died. Since then, Sophia never raised another pet, as it was hard for her to ept their death. Even though Alexander was the one nuzzling against her then, it still made her heart soften. She withdrew her hands and looked down at the top of his head. ¡°Alexander, you have a double crown hair.¡± Someone once said that people with more hair whorls tended to be smarter. Alexander moved a little before he lifted his hand and stroked her face. ¡°Yeah. Our future child will be very smart.¡± That rendered her speechless. Initially, she was worried that Lukas'' words would crush him, but it seemed she had been overthinking. He doesn''t look dejected at all, seeing that he even has the mood to think about his future child. It was then Alexander looked at her and added, ¡°And also beautiful.¡± After all, he and Sophia were very prepossessing. Sophia could not take it anymore, so she changed the subject by asking, ¡°Didn''t you ask for a ss of water?¡± As she spoke, she pushed him aside and headed upstairs. Seeing that, Alexander closed the door and followed her upstairs. Sophia waited for the water to boil in the kitchen before pouring two sses. Holding one in her hand, she handed the other ss to him. Alexander seemed to be very thirsty. As soon as he took the ss from her, he gulped arge portion of the water and put the ss on the table. While loosening his tie, he asked, ¡°Are you still holding a grudge against Ka?¡± Sophia snorted and shed him a smile. ¡°Of course. I''m very petty.¡± ¡°Mmh. I like the petty Sophia.¡± His remark caused her to almost choke on the water she was drinking. After swallowing the mouthful of water, she took a tissue to wipe the corner of her lips. ¡°Did youe over on purpose tonight?¡± she asked. There was the ghost of a smile on her face. Alexander looked up at her and only parted his lips after a moment of silence. ¡°The progress is advancing too slowly, Sophia.¡± Apparently, he could not wait any longer. Lukas'' attitude made him feel even more unsettled. He knew nothing about him, and neither was he familiar with the Dawsons. However, he could more or less tell that the Dawson family treated Sophia well since she was willing to go to Doveston often. Although it was a good thing, it also implied that he would face more hurdles in remarrying Sophia. His previous marriage with her was not terrible, but it was undeniable that she suffered many grievances during their three years of marriage. He had never thought of escaping from those matters, and there was no way he could do so, anyway. Lukas'' attitude on that day was a clear indication that the Dawson family knew about Sophia''s sufferings in the past. It seemed that Perrin also disliked him. Alexander had lived for over thirty years, yet it was his first time experiencing the emotions of anxiousness and restlessness. In fact, he had even thought of impregnating Sophie first. However, it was merely a fleeting thought. Since the beginning, he was the one who mistreated her, and he did not wish to wrong her anymore. In his opinion, Sophia had the right to choose who she wanted to marry. Even if he did not end up being selected by her, though he might not be able to give her his blessings, he would never disturb her life anymore. It was something Alexander had never thought of before. That day, however, during the sixty-odd minutes of wait in front of Sophia''s mansion, he suddenly felt that her happiness was more important than his. Perhaps that was love, something he had finallye to learn about. Being gazed at by Alexander intensely made Sophia''s cheeks burn. ¡°It''s only been a week, and the progress is already more than fifty-five percent. I wonder how much faster are you expecting, Mr. Xenos?¡± She propped her chin in the palm of her hand and looked at him with a smile touching her lips. As Alexander looked into her bright eyes, his index finger moved slightly. Casting his eyes downward, he suppressed the urge raging within him. ¡°I want the progress bar to be full at once.¡± ¡°In your dreams!¡± Sophia snorted. ¡°Dreaming of you every day is indeed a beautiful thing.¡± The man quirked his lips. Secondhand embarrassment washed over her. Flirtinges easy to Alexander now. Swiveling her eyes, she diverted the topic of the conversation. ¡°Would it be too mean of me to give Ka a taste of her own medicine?¡± ¡°Wasn''t she the one who started it?¡± Alexander replied rhetorically. In fact, he found it a bit too simple. Sophia raised an eyebrow. ¡°I''ll send Ms. Fletcher a huge present tomorrow, then.¡± Word has it that the Fletcher family has recently been hoping to have a union with the Cooper family through marriage. Hmm, I wonder what will happen after the Coopers read the letter I sent. ¡°What present?¡± Alexander asked. ¡°I''ll tell you tomorrow,¡± she replied. With that, he did not press on the matter. Since she wanted to keep him in suspense, he would allow her to do so. As a matter of fact, he knew all about Ka''s deeds. Originally, he wanted to make a move but held himself back when he recalled the previous incidents, thinking that Sophia would probably prefer to teach Ka a lesson herself. Meanwhile, Sophia nced at the time. ¡°Mr. Xenos, it''s already quarter past ten. Shouldn''t you go home now?¡± she voiced, crinkling her eyes in a smile. ¡°Can I not leave?¡± ¡°Do you want me to perform a magic trick?¡± I''ll clear out your progress. Alexander understood what she was trying to imply. While he did not want that to happen, he refused to head home either. Nevertheless, he was aware that he could not be greedy. Before leaving, he pulled Sophia into his arms and said, ¡°Let me hug you for five minutes.¡± In that way, he could sleep better when he went home. Sophia, resting her head on his chest, nced at him and saw that his eyes were slightly closed. It seems he really only wants a hug. At that thought, she stopped moving and stayed in his arms quietly. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. However, humans always greed for ease andfort. Somehow, the embrace between the two people who liked each other seemed to have magical power. When Alexander let go of Sophia, she was unwilling to part with him. Still, her rationality prevailed over her emotion. She sent the man downstairs, stood by the door, and watched him walk out slowly. As his words from over half an hour ago shed across her mind, she could not help but lower her head and chuckle. A few momentster, the phone she left upstairs rang. Momentarily stunned, Sophia suddenly recalled she had yet to inform Lukas that she had arrived home. She quickly ran upstairs to look for her phone and answered the call. With her cheeks flushed and her heart racing, she lied, ¡°I''m sorry, Lukas. I chatted with Katherine on the phone when I arrived home.¡± ¡°It''s fine as long as that person isn''t Alexander,¡± Lukas responded from the other end of the line. His words rendered Sophia speechless. Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Early the next morning, Sophia had no sooner arrived at Sunshine Group than Yvonne came up to her and informed her that she had sent the documents to the Cooper family through the local courier. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Leighton,¡± she said to thetter while arching a brow. Yvonne smiled. ¡°It''s my pleasure, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Ka had made things difficult for Sophia time after time, and Yvonne had had enough of her for a long time. Since Sophia finally decided to make a move, the secretary wished she could send all of Ka''s dirt to the Cooper family. However, Sophia only picked out one case, and Yvonne could onlyply. ¡°If you have time, please help me keep an eye on the Cooper family,¡± Sophia instructed. ¡°No problem, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne was also curious to see how would the Fletcher family cover up their lie that time around. Around half an hourter, the Cooper family received a parcel from the local courier. There was only the recipient''s information on the shippingbel. The sender''s detail was nowhere to be found. The parcel was designated to Casper Cooper, the second son of the Cooper family. However, he had already gone to work more than half an hour ago. Thus, the parcel was handed over to his mother, Rosalind, after the butler received it. Despite her curiosity, Rosalind did not open the parcel. It was close to nine in the evening by the time Casper returned home. Just as he walked into the house, his mother brought him the parcel. Puzzled, he raised his brows and asked, ¡°Mom, what is this?¡± ¡°I don''t know. It was delivered by the courier at around nine this morning. It''s for you, so I didn''t open it.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Casper felt strange. While opening the parcel, he wondered which friend of his would be so bored as to send him things through the local carrier. Soon, he tore the envelope open. A stack of papers fell to the floor. Rosalind frowned and bent down to pick them up. ¡°What are these?¡± Her face hardened at the sight of the maternity test report in her hand. ¡°When did Ka give birth?¡± At that moment, Casper also got a clear look at the photocopies in his hand. On them were detailed records of Ka''s activities in the three years during which she imed she was abroad. It turned out that she gave birth to a daughter at Alenvista. The information was very detailed. Even Ka''s obstetric examination and hospitalization logs were included. Of course, Ka''s real name was not on those records. The sender was probably worried that the Cooper family would not believe the validity of the documents, considering that they also attached a maternity test report that verified Ka''s identity as the girl''s biological mother. The girl was adopted by Ka''s elder brother, Warren Fletcher. The girl, whose name was Christina Fletcher, was adopted by Warren from the orphanage a year ago. That incident caused quite a sensation at the time. Word had it that his wife was no longer fertile after giving birth to a boy six years ago. Finding Christina to be very cute and smart, they adopted her. At that time, the Fletcher family hosted a banquet celebrating Christina''s adoption. Their phnthropic act left a good impression in the circle. People even started to look past the Fletcher family''s history. Thus, when the Fletcher family suddenly proposed a marriage of convenience to the Cooper family half a year ago, thetter agreed to it after slight consideration. It was because they felt that Ka was a good match since she was pretty and had a good educational background, not to mention that she even founded a studio by herself. Never had they expected that Christina was actually Ka''s daughter. Although the Cooper family was not as prominent as the Xenos family or the Schmidt family, they were still one of the respectable families in Jadeborough. There was no way a woman like Ka, who had an illegitimate daughter, could marry into the Cooper family. Rosalind flew into a rage when she saw the maternity test report. Likewise, Casper did not take in the news well. It was unbelievable that he was kept in the dark about the fact that his fianc¨¦e had a daughter. ¡°The Fletcher family has gone too far!¡± Rosalind practically spat out those words through gritted teeth. As she only had two dearest sons, she was very particr about her younger son''s future wife. Never in her wildest dream did she expect Ka, a woman she felt would be a good daughter-inw, to have a daughter out of wedlock. Moreover, Christina was already articte enough to go around and greet everyone. The two families even had dinner together a few days ago to discuss the marriage. They nned to hold the engagement party that year and the wedding ceremony the following year. The Fletcher family is obviously taking us for fools! Rosalind was on the verge of fuming. Right then, Jared Cooper arrived home. At the sight of his wife''s sullen expression, he asked with a frown, ¡°What''s going on? Who upset you?¡± Rosalind nced at him and handed him the maternity test report in her hand. ¡°Look at this! The Fletcher family is unforgivable!¡± Jared was utterly befuddled. After reading the maternity test report, he was astonished. ¡°Where did this come from? Is it fake?¡± ¡°How could it be fake? Ka said that she was studying abroad five years ago. Look at the timeline! It matches! Besides, the Fletcher family isn''t phnthropic, to begin with. It doesn''t make sense for them to adopt an orphan for no reason! They even threw a banquet. It was like they wanted the whole world to know that Christina was adopted by their family! Over the years, I''ve seen how they treated Christina. That girl lives a better life than Warren''s own son! How do you exin these photos if she isn''t Ka''s daughter? Isn''t the person who just came out of the delivery room Ka?¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Rosalind almost went berserk. ¡°I can''t ept this! I have to rify things with the Fletcher family! Does the Cooper family look like nipoops to them? They are obviously treating us as fools!¡± she snarled, wanting nothing more than to go to the Fletcher residence to settle the score immediately. Hearing her words, Casper reached out to stop her. ¡°Mom! The Fletcher family will never admit it if you go to them so rashly. I will take care of this matter. Don''t worry!¡± He would not spare Ka since she had taken him for a fool. It was not like he had any feelings for her, anyway. Their marriage of convenience was meant to secure benefits for their families. He made do with Ka as he thought her qualities were eptable. Yet, she deceived him as if he was a fool, and he would certainly not drop the matter easily. Rosalind nced at Casper. ¡°Casper, what are your thoughts on this matter?¡± ¡°You will learn about itter,¡± he replied. Not wanting to say another word, he turned around and went upstairs with those materials. Nothing major happened in Jadeborough in the past few days. Yvonne failed to get any news, so she started to doubt whether those materials were sessfully delivered to the Cooper family. Right after her superior came out of the meeting, she asked, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, the Cooper family hasn''t shown any reaction.¡± Sophia raised her brows. ¡°Is that so?¡± Then, she chuckled and added, ¡°Let''s wait for a little longer.¡± In her opinion, there was no way the Cooper family would let the matter slide. If it weren''t for her ¡°gesture of kindness¡± of instructing Yvonne to send them the documents, Ka would have had the Cooper family wrapped around her little finger. Yvonne cast a nce at Sophia. When she noticed that thetter seemed calm, she stopped probing. She believed in Sophia. Besides, the Cooper family was quite influential. They couldn''t tolerate such a humiliation. ¡°All right. It''s gettingte. You can leave work earlier today,¡± Sophia said, smiling. ¡°Okay, Ms. Yarrow. Be careful on your way back.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Sophia responded and entered the elevator. The weather in Jadeborough had gotten increasingly hotter in the middle of May. That day, she sported a long skirt with a small coat on top, which made her look stylish and gorgeous. The red sports car she drove was quite spectacr. However, Sophia was stopped by someone before she could take the road. The person who stopped her was Thalia, whom she had not seen for quite some time. Well, to be exact, it had not been very long ago since thetter gave her an empty bank card two weeks ago. Raising an eyebrow, Sophiaid her hand on the car door beside her. Then, she looked at the approaching Thalia and asked, ¡°Ms. Xenos, how may I help you?¡± Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Thalia was caught between a rock and a hard ce as she knew that Alexander would not let her off easily for giving Sophia an empty bank card. All she wanted to do was push the me on Sophia, iming that the card had contained money, but thetter had spent all of it or that Sophia had forbidden her from returning the money. s, Alexander refused to listen to Thalia''s exnations, having ordered someone to send her a demand letter directly. The amount was over ten million. If he truly intended to sue her, she would have to spend at least five years in prison for that sum. Upon receiving the demand letter, Thalia began to panic. She tried to look for Alexander to apologize and beg for forgiveness, but she could not even get to Odyssey''s entrance. Left with no other alternative, she could only look for Sophia. Even though Thalia knew her action would only aggravate Alexander''s fury, she simply had no other choice, for she did not want to go to prison. Sitting in the sports car, Sophia appeared to be an entirely different person from the meek woman in the past who only knew to go along with everything she said. Thalia had previously acted high and mighty in front of Sophia, but at present, she dared not even openly rebuke her when she looked at the half-smile on thetter''s face. The expression Thalia had on wasplicated, but the plea in her eyes was apparent. ¡°Can we have a chat, Ms. Yarrow? I would like you to help me with something.¡± Despite knowing Thalia for a long time, Sophia had never seen her behave in such a manner. She let out a chuckle and said, ¡°I''m meeting your brother. If there''s anything, say it now.¡± Thalia froze when she heard Sophia''s words, and her face gradually turned pale. People kept leaving the building, but Thalia remained silent even after a few seconds had passed. ¡°I''m going to leave now if you don''t speak,¡± Sophiamented with her eyebrows raised. When Thalia noticed that the other woman was about to drive away, she started panicking and quickly eximed, ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Sophia, I know that I was immature in the past and made a lot of mistakes, but can you help me? I''m begging you. Please help me! Alex wants to sue me for swiping all the money on the card he gave you. The sum is more than eleven million! My life will be ruined if he does that!¡± she pleaded. Sophia clicked her tongue softly before responding, ¡°If you know that theft is against thew, why did you do it? Or did you presume that I won''t pursue the matter since the card belongs to me?¡± She was no saint. Although Thalia looked like she was about to cry, Sophia''s heart would not soften, even if the other woman did end up shedding tears. Thalia took the card herself, and ording to the utterances she made when returning the card, Sophia would have be the one who took the eleven million if she had not told Alexander about it afterward. While he certainly would not care about the money, her divorcing him without taking a single penny would seem like an act. Sophia could not stand such nder. ¡°No, that''s not it... I-I just... justck money to spend!¡± Thalia stuttered. That was not a lie, but at the same time, she was indeed confident that Sophia would not pursue the matter. Sophia chuckled at her words. ¡°If you came to me for this matter, Ms. Xenos, I can only say that you wasted your time. I''ve always been a vengeful person.¡± At the end of her sentence, the smile on her face gradually became cold. Sophia retracted her gaze, stepped on the elerator, and slowly drove away. Thalia was left standing there in a daze. What am I going to do now? Go to prison? Sophia originally left Sunshine Group early, but after being held up by Thalia for ten minutes, she encountered the evening rush hour by the time she left the ce. Due to the heavy traffic, she was stuck in the city center for nearly fifteen minutes. When she arrived at the location on the GPS, the sky was tinged crimson. Sophia took out her phone, clicked on the real-time sharing option, and continued forward ording to the route on the screen. Alexander was already waiting underneath the redmp at the courtyard''s entrance. As per usual, he was wearing a ck suit. Under the glow of sunset, his expression looked somewhat cold from afar. However, as she strode toward him, the iciness in his obsidian eyes melted away bit by bit. Their meeting ce was a private restaurant opened by Samuel''s friend. The two were brought to a private room on the second floor as soon as they entered. The restaurant was not in a remote location as it was merely twelve or thirteen minutes away from the city center. It was in an ordinary alley, and the owner had bought the properties on each side of the restaurant. They were all connected on the inside, forming a vastpound. Having a meal there in the summer was truly rxing. A rockery with flowing water was visible outside the window. Even though the sun had set and the scenery was not as beautiful as it was during the day, the atmosphere was tranquil. Alexander was brewing coffee when Sophia took her seat. She looked at him and chuckled. ¡°When did you learn to do this?¡± ¡°I didn''t.¡± He nced at her and rinsed the cup before borating, ¡°I saw you do it before and picked up from there.¡± While he managed to brew the coffee, his imitation of Sophia''s coffee brewing was unsatisfactory due to the significant difference in vor. Sophia took a sip but did notment. ¡°Thalia came to my workce to look for me just now.¡± Alexander frowned slightly. ¡°Because of the card?¡± he inquired. ¡°Yes.¡± He snorted coldly. ¡°Ignore her. I''ve already told thewyer to sue her.¡± Hearing that, she raised her brows andmented, ¡°She''s your biological sister.¡± All Alexander did was make a grunt of acknowledgment in response. Even though Thalia was his biological sister, to him, she was just a person with the samest name. From what Alexander revealed to her previously, Sophia guessed that he did not have a happy childhood since Kristen abandoned him to elope with her lover and became Zachary''s paramour, giving birth to Thalia and Leonard. Thus, it would be absurd for him to have any affection for his siblings. ¡°Oh,¡± was all she said, and she did not query further. As it was a Friday, plenty of people came to have a meal there. When the duo finished their dinner and were about to leave, they ran into Ka and Casper. It had been several days since the documents had been sent to the Cooper family, but they still did not take any action. Sophia swept a nonchnt nce at the two. I''m impressed that Casper can tolerate her for so long. After the previous misunderstanding, Ka dared not act as she did before when she saw Sophia. She nced at Alexander before shifting her gaze to Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Xenos,¡± she greeted. With that, Ka held Casper''s hand and went in. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Casper sure has great forbearance,¡± Sophia remarked with a snort. Hearing herment, Alexander asked, ¡°What did you send to the Cooper family?¡± She looked up at him and smiled. ¡°Have you met the little girl adopted by the Fletcher family?¡± Naturally, he had seen the girl because he was invited to the banquet held by the Fletcher family back then. ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied. ¡°Do you think that she looks like Ka?¡± Sophia asked. Alexander lowered his head to meet her shimmering eyes that seemed to light up his world. Then, he responded, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Christina is Ka''s daughter,¡± she revealed. Although Sophia had stopped keeping him in suspense, he did not appear as excited as she had imagined. At that, she raised a brow and questioned, ¡°You already knew about it?¡± ¡°Yeah. I guessed it.¡± Five years ago, Ka imed she was going to study abroad, but it seemed ludicrous for the infamous underachiever in their circle to do so. Although it wasmon for wealthy families to send their children abroad to get educational qualifications, everyone knew that Ka liked Alexander at that time, so anyone would find it odd that she abruptly gave up on him. Alexander did not look into Ka''s affairs because he was not interested in her. Nevertheless, when he saw Christina after the Fletcher family adopted her, he immediately guessed that she was Ka''s child. Ka had terrible behavior from a young age, and it persisted throughout adulthood. In reality, it was only because she kept causing Sophia trouble that Alexander had someone look into her affairs during those years. He initially intended to save them forter when the chance to teach Ka a lesson arose, but to his surprise, Sophia found out about it herself. Sophia clucked her tongue. ¡°Wouldn''t you know what I sent to the Cooper family then?¡± ¡°I do.¡± In response, she let out a soft snort before shing him a smirk. ¡°Alexander, how about we make a bet?¡± Chapter 239 Chapter 239 ¡°What would you like to bet on?¡± Alexander asked. ¡°Let''s bet on when the Cooper family will take action. I bet within three days. If I lose, I''ll add another twenty percent to the progress bar,¡± Sophia announced. Any man won''t be able to tolerate Ka for so long, let alone Casper, who isn''t short of candidates for a marriage of convenience. Standing under the night sky, Alexander lowered his head to look at her. ¡°Okay. I''ll bet within three to seven days.¡± There seemed to be a twinkle of joy in his dark eyes. Since both of them had driven to the restaurant, he had no choice but to get in his car and follow behind her vehicle. The weather had been good for the past few days. Although it was quite hot during the day, it was pleasantly breezy at night. On their way home, there were quite a lot of vehicles on the road because it was Friday. Due to a rear- end collision on one of the bridges, they were stuck in traffic for more than ten minutes. By the time they returned to the mansion, it was close to nine in the evening. Sophia prepared a tter of fruit and ced it in front of Alexander. ¡°I''m thinking of going to the boxing gym tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The dark green Ferropenian-styled dress she had on made her appear seductive and sexy to the point that he wanted to pull her into his arms and ravish her the moment heid eyes on her that day. Knowing full well that Sophia would not permit him to do those things to her outside, he had restrained himself. However, they were in the mansion at the moment. Her red lips that puckered as she chewed on longan appeared to be enticing him. His eyes darkened as he stared at her. ¡°Is it sweet?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± The season of the longan fruit came earlier than other berries and was the sweetest in May. Yvonne knew it was her favorite fruit, so she specifically had someone send her a few boxes. Indeed, Ms. Leighton knows everything. Sophia spat out the seed and was about to peel another longan when Alexander had already done that and offered it to her. ¡°What about this one?¡± As she opened her mouth to take the fruit, her lips inadvertently brushed across his finger, and she felt that spot heating up. When she lifted her head, she was met with his burning gaze. Her heartbeat quickened. After dipping her head to spit out the seed, she waited until she had finished chewing and swallowing the fruit beforementing, ¡°It''s very sweet.¡± ¡°Really?¡± he suddenly asked. The next second, the hand that helped her peel the longan fell on her face. Alexander cupped her face. Under the bright light, she watched as his thin lips got closer to hers before a cooling sensation fell on her lips. He kissed her. His deep kiss was gentle. It was as though he wanted to lure her to the depths of pleasure. Sophia was enveloped in his warmth and scent. Despite the cooling night breezeing in from the open floor-to-ceiling windows, she felt like she was burning up. Sophia''s consciousness was clouded when she was pressed down onto the couch. A single nce at her alluring eyes was all it took to make Alexander feel that he could drown in them. ¡°Sophia...¡± he called her impatiently in a pleading tone. Shuddering from his caress, she subconsciously reached out to grab his hand. A moan escaped her lips. Her mind waspletely nk at that moment. Just then, the phone beside them suddenly vibrated. Sophia jolted back to her senses and pushed Alexander away before grabbing the phone. It was a call from Lukas. As she turned to face the man she had shoved aside, she blushed and embarrassedly held up her phone to him. ¡°It''s Lukas.¡± While speaking, she epted the call. ¡°Lukas.¡± ¡°Are you busy during the weekend?¡± Sophia thought he needed something from her, so she responded without a doubt, ¡°Not too bad. I''m not busy.¡± ¡°Great. Zayne happens to be free as well. Why don''t you two meet up? Only after meeting him can you know whether you two click. He texted you on WhatsApp, saying that he''s going to write his thesis. Just reply to him. That''s all I have to tell you. Take care and rest early.¡± Lukas said a bunch of things as soon as he opened his mouth, leaving Sophia no chance to say anything else. ¡°All right, Lukas. You take care as well and rest early.¡± After hanging up, she realized that Alexander was looking at her. Embarrassed, she was just about to check Zayne''s text when Alexander asked her from the side, ¡°Who''s Zayne?¡± ¡°Lukas'' friend.¡± Sophia tapped on her phone, and as expected, there was a message from Zayne on WhatsApp. He had not contacted her for a week, and when he finally did, it was to ask her out to watch a movie. His invitation was brief and to the point. The entire length of his message was just two sentences, so she finished reading it in one nce. Looking up at Alexander, she noticed that his expression was extremely gloomy. ¡°Lukas wants you to go on a blind date?¡± he asked. ¡°I''ll exin to him tomorrow.¡± Other than a short self-introduction, Zayne did not say anything else after adding her contact a few days earlier. Initially, Sophia assumed that he only sent her a friend request because of Lukas, so she thought that it was fine to maintain the rtionship as it was. At the very least, it would prevent Lukas from introducing her to anybody else for the time being. However, she never expected Zayne to ask her out. He was very straightforward about it, having already decided on the movie and the ce before asking if she would be willing to meet him at the entrance of the movie theater at ten o''clock the following day. It was the first time Sophia had met such a person, and she could not exin anything to Alexander. ¡°I''ll tag along tomorrow.¡± Alexander tugged on his tie. The thought of Sophia going to the movies with another man the next day was driving him crazy. Sophia looked at him and burst out giggling. ¡°No. If Lukas knew you were there as well, Zayne wouldn''t be the only man he''d introduce to me.¡± Her words rendered him speechless. In the end, he could only give in. There was nothing he could do about Lukas since thetter would be his cousin-inw. Besides, Lukas'' strong objection made it easy to imagine how bad of an impression the rest of the Dawson family had of him. Alexander knew that he could only trudge forward until the progress bar was filled and the Dawson family relented. The man had no choice since his current predicament was caused by his past wrongdoings. Lukas'' phone call had destroyed the romantic ambiance in the room. However, the earlier intimate moment left Sophia''s outfit a little messy. Her cleavage poked out from under the cor of her dress. When Alexander noticed it, his eyes flickered, but he soon tilted his head to look away. ¡°Adjust your cor, Sophia.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. His voice was deep and hoarse as he spoke. Sophia was taken aback for a moment. It was only when she looked down did she realize that her cor was gaping. A blush crept to her cheeks, and she adjusted her cor while pretending to be unfazed. Afterward, she took a sip of water from the ss beside her. The warm water flowing down her throat gradually calmed her down. ¡°It''s half past ten, Alexander,¡± she stated once she nced at her phone. Hearing her words, Alexander shifted his gaze back to her. ¡°Are you still going to the boxing gym tomorrow?¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows and smirked. ¡°Take a guess, Mr. Xenos?¡± He reached out to caress her cheek. ¡°Sleep early. Good night.¡± With that, he lowered his head and pecked her on the forehead. Sophia watched him get up before lifting her hand to touch the spot where his lips had been. It''s warm. Chapter 240 Chapter 240 That time around, Alexander left without any hesitation. He knew he could not afford to spend another second in there. Had it not been for Lukas'' phone call, he would have lost control and taken things a step further. Fortunately, Lukas'' phone call came in the nick of time, allowing him to put the brakes on the moment of intimacy. After getting into the car, Alexander did not leave immediately. Instead, he sat there and waited until he saw the lights on the third floore on before driving off. Zayne had replied to Sophia''s text by the time she woke up the next morning. All he wrote was: Okay. Sophia arched an eyebrow in amusement when she saw his message. Huh, Zayne sure is an interesting one... As the movie would start at ten, Sophia showed up at the movie theater thirty minutes prior. Zayne was already there when she arrived. He sported a white shirt, ivory pants, and a backpack. While looking at his profile from afar, she saw that he also wore sses. Hmm... He doesn''t look very different from his pictures... It was not until Sophia got closer that she froze in shock. She had never seen such a good-looking man before. Zayne looked slightly feminine but not to the point where he did not have any masculinity left. After taking a moment to snap out of her daze, Sophia stepped forward and greeted him, ¡°Hello, Mr. Quantrill.¡± ¡°Oh, you can call me Zayne.¡± His voice sounded smooth and clear, like the spring water in the mountains. If Lukas were not Sophia''s cousin, she would have suspected that he had a special rtionship with Zayne and had merely introduced thetter to him to use her as camouge. ¡°You know what Lukas'' intentions are, right, Zayne?¡± Sophia spoke frankly. She always preferred to get straight to the point when it came to rtionship matters. Zayne nodded. ¡°Lukas told me you''re currently single.¡± The intentions of introducing an adult as single could not have been more obvious. In a rxed manner, Sophia shed him a smile and said, ¡°I am single, but I already have someone I like.¡± I''ve liked him for so many years... Back then, I tried to steel myself to give up on him, only to realize that I could never let go of him. At the thought of Alexander, Sophia lowered her head and smiled. ¡°Is that so? Maybe you should turn around and see if the man behind you is the person you like,¡± Zayne remarked. Confused as to what he meant by that, Sophia turned around to have a look. At that moment, she spotted Alexander, who had somehow arrived at the movie theater. With an eyebrow arched in amusement, she watched him stride toward her. Alexander then held her hand in front of Zayne as he introduced himself, ¡°Hello, Mr. Quantrill. My name is Alexander Xenos. I''m Sophia''s ex-husband and current suitor.¡± ¡°Your marriage is in the past, and you have yet to get into a rtionship with her.¡± Zayne adjusted his sses as he continued, ¡°The fact that Lukas introduced Sophia to me shows how much he dislikes you.¡± Conversations between smart people were always candid. Alexander felt as though Zayne had rubbed salt into his wound. The look on his face changed slightly as he said, ¡°I''m the one Sophia likes.¡± ¡°Feelings can change over time,¡± Zayne replied. Listening to their exchange, Sophia let out a chuckle. ¡°You''re not actually here to watch a movie with me, are you, Zayne?¡± Alexander might not have noticed it, but she could tell from Zayne''s emotionless eyes that he was not interested in her. Yet, he had asked her out on a movie date all of a sudden. There had to be a reason for his invitation. Sure enough, Zayne caught on immediately after hearing her utterance. He stopped taking jabs at Alexander and said, ¡°Lukas said you could teach me how to court women.¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you have a girl you like?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Zayne admitted to it openly. ¡°If you help me win her heart, I''ll help you two deal with Lukas.¡± Sophia''s eyebrows arched as she said, ¡°Deal!¡± Zayne was pleased that she agreed to it so readily. ¡°Here, you two can have the movie tickets. Make sure to tell Lukas about thister.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Sophia replied as she took the tickets from him. Before leaving, Zayne shot Alexander a nce and said, ¡°Lukas hates you, but he adores Sophia dearly. If you want the Dawson family to ept you, you''ll first need to make Lukas ept you.¡± At that moment, thetter felt that Zayne was not that bad of a person after all. ¡°Thanks,¡± he uttered. ¡°There''s no need to thank me. If Sophia isn''t able to help me win the heart of the girl I like, I will date her instead,¡± Zayne remarked. Alexander, who just had a better opinion of him, was speechless. Sophia, too, was at a loss for words. You know what? I take that back! Zayne is not a good person! There''s no need for him to be so mean! Zayne left after threatening Alexander, so she waved the tickets and asked, ¡°Do you want to watch a movie?¡± Those were tickets to a romance movie. ¡°Sure.¡± Alexander nodded. ¡°Do you want popcorn?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Because of that little chat they had, the movie had already started by the time they entered. Judging from the beginning of the film, Sophia reckoned it was a romanticedy with lots of sweet and light-hearted moments. It had been a long time since shest watched such a genre, so she found it rather entertaining. Since it was a romance film, the majority of the audience constituted of couples. As the film progressed further into the plot, it focused more on the romance between the lead characters. In order to spice things up a little, there was even a kiss scene thatsted ten seconds, as well as a bedroom scene that went on for three seconds. It was Sophia''s first time watching a romance film with Alexander, so she found herself blushing hard when she saw those passionate scenes. The tickets that Zayne bought were for thest row, which was usually the row where couples would get a little intimate. At that time, one of the couples seated in the corner was kissing rather loudly. Sophia pursed her lips. Her heart raced even faster than before when she noticed Alexander staring at her. Fortunately, the intimate scene did notst very long. It was quickly followed up with a heartwarming scene as well as a happy ending. All in all, it was quite a good film. After stepping out of the movie theater, Sophia breathed a huge sigh of relief, then looked at Alexander and said, ¡°It''s time for lunch.¡± ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± ¡°Are you okay with having grilled fish today?¡± She had not eaten fish in a long time. ¡°Sure.¡± There was a restaurant serving grilled fish in the mall, but they had to wait for a table because it was too crowded. Sophia was wearing a mixed-color skirt and a white tee with a cartoon character on it. Her outfit was simplistic while giving her a youthful appearance. Alexander, on the other hand, was dressed in a suit as usual. As the two of them were extremely good- looking with outstanding bearings, it was not long before they noticed people taking pictures of them. Sitting outside the restaurant as they waited for a table, Sophia looked up at the two young women taking pictures of them and asked rhetorically, ¡°Hi, there! It''s inappropriate to take pictures of others without their consent, you know?¡± The two young women, who were university students, were embarrassed. They quickly apologized and deleted the pictures in front of her. Since it was not anything serious, Sophia decided not to pursue the matter any further. ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, smiling. Suddenly, one of the young women asked, ¡°Sophia? Is that you? You''re our senior, aren''t you?¡± She then held her phone up for Sophia to see. On the screen was an old picture of Sophia. Although she looked slightly different in the picture, she most certainly looked a lot better in person. Sophia was about to say something when Alexander gave her a light pinch on the palm. Naturally, she understood what he meant and lied smilingly, ¡°Nope. I graduated from Jadeborough University.¡± To make her fib sound more convincing, she paused momentarily before asking, ¡°Is that your senior? She sure looks pretty!¡± The two women exchanged nces. As Sophia was perfectly calm in her response, they believed they had mistaken her for their senior. ¡°Yeah, she''s very famous at our university! It''s a shame she already graduated by the time we enrolled there.¡± ¡°She does look like a very capable girl,¡± Sophiamented with a nod. Thinking they had the wrong person, the two young women left afterplimenting that Sophia and Alexander seemed like a match made in heaven. Sophia let out a chuckle as she watched them go. ¡°They''re so gullible!¡± Girls that are innocent and na?ve sure are adorable! Chapter 241 Chapter 241 As Sophia retracted her gaze, she noticed Alexander staring at her and felt a little embarrassed. ¡°How many more tables until our turn?¡± she asked, ducking her head. Alexander looked at his phone and replied, ¡°Three. Do we keep waiting?¡± ¡°We''ll wait.¡± Since the weather was hot outside during the afternoon, she did not feel like heading out for lunch. Fortunately, they did not have to wait very long. After lunch, the two of them headed back to the mansion to get changed before driving to the boxing gym. It had been over two weeks since Sophiast went there. The gym was very packed on that day. Upon entering the gym, she realized a friendly match with another boxing gym was being held. As she nced at the ring, one of the boxers noticed her gaze and started flexing his biceps. Alexander''s expression darkened the moment he saw that. ¡°Don''t look,¡± he said while leading her away from the ring. Sophia retracted her gaze. Tilting her head, she shed him a smile and said, ¡°I wasn''t looking!¡± I didn''t know he''d start flexing his muscles. Alexander kept quiet and continued leading her further into the gym. The boxer in the ring was somewhat disappointed to see that. Man... Why are all the pretty girls taken? As if he was afraid that Sophia would look at the boxers on the ring again, Alexander walked at a rather fast pace. Sophia had to jog just to keep up with him. It was not until they entered the training room that he let go of her hand and pushed the door open to bring her in. No sooner had Sophia taken off her shoes than she turned around and saw Alexander rolling up his sleeves. With an eyebrow raised, she stood by the bench and watched as he made his way over. ¡°I have them too.¡± His statement brought a blush to her face. I never knew Alexander was the jealous type! ¡°Hey, Alexander! I didn''t know you were this type of guy!¡± Sophia said with a smile. ¡°What type of guy?¡± ¡°The jealous type! Ah!¡± Alexander cut her off mid-sentence by pulling her into his embrace, taking her by surprise. The two of them were incredibly close to each other as he pressed his forehead against hers and stared deeply into her eyes. Sophia''s eyelids fluttered as her heart hammered against her chest. Alexander gave her a quick peck on her lips and asked, ¡°Don''t look at other guys again, okay?¡± Her cheeks were burning up, but she tried to act calm as she replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Afterward, she snorted and demanded, ¡°Let go of me! I need to get ready for my session!¡± Alexander''s Adam''s apple bobbed. He stared at her for another few more seconds before letting go. Three hours of boxing was sure to make anyone sweat a lot, and Sophia was no exception. It''s been forever since I had a great workout like this! The sky was still bright when they left the boxing gym, but she was so exhausted from the training that she did not feel like dining out. Thus, Alexander drove her back to the mansion instead. As it was only five in the evening, the sun had just begun to set. Sunlight streamed through the ss windows in the living room, bathing it in a warm orange glow. ¡°What would you like for dinner?¡± Alexander asked. He had gotten familiar with the amenities in the mansion, instructing Genie to boil a pot of water as soon as he entered the house. Momentster, he emerged from the kitchen upstairs with two sses of water, one of it warm and the other cold. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. He then handed Sophia the ss of warm water and drank the cold one himself. ¡°Thanks, Mr. Xenos.¡± Sophia took a sip of the water before continuing, ¡°I want something light.¡± Her appetite had decreased due to the hot weather, and the grilled fish she had for lunch was rather greasy. As such, she preferred to have something light for dinner. ¡°Pasta and sd?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The rxing and joyful day went by just like that. When it was almost eleven at night, the movie they were watching on the television ended. As the credits rolled, Alexander nced at Sophia and saw that she had fallen asleep in his arms. Caressing her cheek, he called out her name gently so that she could wake up and go to sleep in her bedroom. However, Sophia was so tired that she merely furrowed her brows slightly and carried on sleeping. It did not seem like she would get up anytime soon. In the end, Alexander decided against waking her up. After switching off the television and air- conditioning with the remote control, he carefully carried her to the bedroom. Sophia was sleeping so soundly that she did not even wake up when he scooped her up in his arms. The bedroom was suffused with her scent. Havingid her down on the bed, Alexander sat at the edge and watched her. The moment of serenity made him feel like staying at her ce. Nevertheless, his rationality prevailed over his impulse. Since Sophia did not like it, he would respect her decision. Despite that, he could not help but feel lonely and dejected upon returning to his empty mansion. Samuel had been trying to hang out with Alexander throughout the past few weeks but to no avail. He tried asking Alexander if he would be free to train together at the boxing gym that weekend, only to find out that thetter had already made ns with Sophia. This is saddening... I can''t even hang out with him, even when I''m offering to be his punching bag. It was ten at night, and the nightlife in the city had only just begun. Being a single man bored out of his mind, Samuel decided to ask his equally single friend Alexander if he wanted to hang out. He gave Alexander a call and asked, ¡°Hey, Alex! There''s an event on the mountain tonight! Are you coming?¡± Back in the day, thetter used to be known as the Racing King of Selton Mountain. Alexander, who was about to take a shower and go to bed, replied, ¡°I''m not interested.¡± Samuel did not believe him for a second. ¡°Are you nning on letting the cars collect dust in your garage?¡± ¡°Can''t I keep them for disy?¡± What the... For some reason, I feel insulted! A few seconds of silenceter, Samuel was about to say something in protest. To his dismay, he heard the line go dead. He''s so mean! After hanging up the call, Alexander stared at his phone screen and frowned in disdain. How did I be friends with someone as silly as Samuel? I sure am amazing for not being affected by him! Sophia was woken by an rm early the next morning. Upon opening her eyes and finding herself in bed, she froze in shock. It took her quite a while to recall what happenedst night. The sun was shining brightly outside the window. She stared at it for a few minutes before instructing, ¡°Genie, draw back the curtains!¡± ring sunlight streamed in through the window as the curtains were drawn back. Sophia instinctively shielded her eyes with her hands. Katherine sent her a text message yesterday: Does Zayne look different from his picture? Sophia chuckled as she replied: He looks better in person. While freshening up in the bathroom, she recalled that she would be going on a hiking trip with Zayne later that day. Of course, it was not just the two of them. He would be bringing the girl he liked along with him. Alexander had thought about postponing his lunch appointment to join them when he found out about it last afternoon, but Sophia told him not to. Zayne lied to the girl that Sophia was into him and that he did not know how to reject her. Although Sophia was initially against that idea of his, she gave in when he mentioned Lukas. Zayne''s call came through right after she was done having breakfast. She made her way to the balcony and looked down. A ck car was parked downstairs. Sophia had already gotten changed, so all she had to do was grab her backpack from the couch and leave the house. Since they were hiking, Sophia wore casual-looking sports attire. For extra protection from the sun, she also covered her arms with arm sleeves. Even so, she still looked stunning with the light makeup on her face and the exposed fair skin on her neck. The girl that Zayne liked stared at Sophia with sparkling eyes as soon as thetter entered the car. As Zayne maintained the usual emotionless expression, Sophia could not tell if he was jealous of her. Crinkling her eyes in a smile, she opened the car door, got into the vehicle, and greeted the girl. ¡°Hi, I''m Sophia Yarrow.¡± ¡°H-Hi, I''m Quincy Mabins.¡± Quincy had a youthful-looking face, fair skin, a pair of bright, round eyes, and dimples that appeared on her cheeks whenever she smiled. Her makeup was very light, and she seemed very bubbly and energetic. Sophia loved making friends with cute girls like Quincy. After shooting a nce at Zayne, who evidently looked displeased, she smiled and deliberately asked, ¡°What''s wrong, Quincy? Is there something on my face? You''ve been staring at me for a while now.¡± ¡°Ah, I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow! It''s just that... Well, you look really pretty, so I couldn''t help but admire your beauty!¡± Quincy stammered in embarrassment. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I-I''m an art student.¡± ¡°Oh, so you''re an artist?¡± ¡°No, I''ve only just graduated.¡± Despite it being their first time meeting each other, the two women were getting along surprisingly well. ¡°Fasten your seatbelts,¡± Zayne interrupted, unable to repress his annoyance anymore. ¡°Fine.¡± Sophia clucked her tongue discreetly. Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Silence returned to the car once again. However, Quincy would lift her head from time to time to nce at the rearview mirror. Sophia smiled faintly and turned her head sideways to gaze out the car window. She''s so adorable. An hourter, the car came to a halt at the bottom of a hill at Jadeborough. There were plenty of hikers visiting the spot during the weekends. If Sophia and the others hade a littleter, there might not be any parking spots left. Right after Sophia got out of the car, she received Katherine''s reply: So, Soph, are you really not considering falling in love with another person? Although Katherine''s opinion of Alexander had improved a little, she still could not ept him completely. Zayne was introduced to Sophia by Lukas, so Katherine reckoned that he must be an outstanding man. She had seen his pictures and thought he could even debut in the entertainment industry with his facial features. Moreover, Sophia even told her that Zayne looked better in person. That was why she felt that Sophie should consider falling for him. Grinning, Sophia typed: He''s interested in someone else. After she sent the message, Quincy walked over and asked, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, do you want to drink some water?¡± The adorable woman handed Sophie a bottle of water in anticipation. Sophia received it and nced at Zayne. ¡°Thank you.¡± Since she was there to help him pursue Quincy that day, she deliberately fell behind throughout the hike so that Zayne could walk together with thetter. It was obvious that Quincy hardly exercised because she panted heavily when they were merely halfway up the hill. Sophia did not sweat much and caught up with them with ease. Giving Zayne a look of amusement, she remarked, ¡°There''s a snack shop ahead. I''ll go and buy some snacks while you two take a break here.¡± With that, she moved ahead inrge strides, bounding up the steps two at a time. Quincy, who had just managed to breathe normally again, stared at Sophia''s figure from behind. ¡°Mr. Quantrill, is Ms. Yarrow really trying to win your affection?¡± She was baffled because Sophie and Zayne had barely spoken to one another in thest two hours. Just as he was about to respond, his phone vibrated. He looked down at his phone screen and saw a text from Sophia: If Quincy questions if I''m genuinely pursuing you, you can tell her that I''m probably angry. Zayne kept his phone away and took Sophia''s advice. ¡°She''s probably angry. I think she may believe I''m interested in someone else.¡± ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. ¡°But Ms. Yarrow is so beautiful, and you two look like a match made in heaven. Why don''t you like her, Mr. Quantrill?¡± Quincy asked again. For a moment there, Zayne was stumped for words. ¡°I-I''m in love with another girl.¡± ¡°In that case, why didn''t you ask out the girl you like today? Wouldn''t that be a better arrangement?¡± She suddenly felt that her presence there was a little inappropriate. ¡°What if the girl you like sees us together and misunderstands our rtionship?¡± At that thought, she hurriedly stepped backward to widen the gap between them. ¡°Mr. Quantrill, I think it''s best to maintain a safe distance between us.¡± I don''t want to be referred to by others as a b*tch. Zayne was speechless, sensing how things were progressing unfavorably. Sophia was not lying to Quincy and Zayne, as there was indeed a snack stall ahead. Despite the shades created by the lush trees and the cool weather on the hill, she still perspired considerably heavily from the hike. When she finally reached the rest stop, she bought some snacks to eat while waiting for Quincy and Zayne. Soon, the duo arrived at the rest stop. By then, Sophia had only consumed half of her food. Sensing their arrival, she lifted her head and beamed at them. ¡°Do you want some snacks?¡± ¡°Sure. I''ll go and buy some. Do you want anything, Mr. Quantrill?¡± Quincy responded. Zayne nodded before taking the seat across from Sophia. She arched her brow. ¡°Why didn''t you volunteer to purchase the snacks?¡± ¡°I need to talk to you.¡± ¡°I''m all ears,¡± Sophia replied smilingly. Seizing the period in which Quincy went to buy the snacks, Zayne briefly recounted everything that had happened to Sophia. Sophia could not help butugh after listening to him. ¡°Y-You''re unbelievable, Mr. Quantrill.¡± ¡°You can make fun of me, but I hope you''ll help me think of a solution at the same time. What should I do to prevent Quincy from rejecting my approach?¡± From the moment he told Quincy he was in love with someone, she had kept a half-meter distance between them as they hiked up the hill. Zayne felt immensely frustrated throughout the short journey to the rest stop. Sophia finally understood the saying about God giving and taking away qualities of a person in exchange when creating each individual. Lukas mentioned to her that Zayne was an incredible genius with a high IQ, equipped with great prowess in the field of information technology. Unfortunately, prodigies like him usually had amon shoring, which was theck of EQ. Zayne''s interpersonal skills were actually not bad, but modern-day rtionships between men and women had be more demanding to a person''s emotional intelligence than before. Sophia, propping her chin in her palm and tapping her cheek with her fingers, nced at Quincy, who was buying some snacks nearby, and said, ¡°Mr. Quantrill, you don''t mind confessing your feelings, right?¡± Her initial strategy was to let Zayne take things slow so that Quincy would not be startled and scared off by his aggressiveness. However, judging by the circumstances, her n seemed to be backfiring on her. She did not want to spend so much time apanying him to win a girl''s heart. Since things had progressed to that stage, Sophie thought it would be better for Zayne to directly profess his love to Quincy instead of covering the current lie with more falsehoods. He knitted his brows and asked sincerely for her guidance, ¡°How should I do that?¡± Seeing Quincy advancing in their direction, Sophia hastily said, ¡°I''ll text youter.¡± He can''t confess now because that would make Quincy feel extremely awkward. The best opportunity will be for him to do it in person when he sends her home after this hiking session. Once he confesses, I no longer need to bother myself with their rtionship. Due to his EQ level, Sophia suggested Zaynee clean to Quincy straightforwardly about his intention of asking her out that day since he did not suit making romantic gestures anyway. The trio had a vegetarian meal at the top of the hill. At three o''clock in the afternoon, they returned to the foothill. Just then, Sophia''s phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and realized it was a call from Alexander. ¡°Sophia, it''s me. I''m at the bottom of the hill,¡± he said. ¡°Huh?¡± Sophia raised her brows in confusion. Upon sensing someone gazing at her from not far away, she turned in that direction and saw Alexander. The man was dressed in a suit, holding his phone while staring at her. Her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± With that, she hung up the call and turned around to look at Zayne and Quincy. ¡°Someone''s here to pick me up, so I''ll take my leave now. I had a great time today. Thank you.¡± She then shed Zayne a half-smile before walking toward Alexander. Quincy was taken aback when she saw Sophia striding toward a man. ¡°Mr. Quantrill, didn''t you say that Ms. Yarrow is pursuing you?¡± Who is that man holding her hand, then? ¡°I lied to you, Quincy,¡± Zayne admitted. ¡°What?¡± Befuddled, she bore her eyes into the magnificent man in front of her. ¡°W-Why did you lie to me?¡± ¡°Sophia is not interested in me. I wanted to ask you out, so I deceived you by saying she''s trying to woo me.¡± Quincy was caught in perplexity. ¡°You could''ve been straight with me if you wished to invite me toe hiking with you. Why did you feel the need to delude me?¡± ¡°That''s because I like you.¡± It''s because I fancy you, so I don''t know how to ask you out. Instantaneously, his ears turned red. Quincy blinked at him. ¡°B-But didn''t you mention you''re in love with somebody?¡± ¡°I''m in love with you.¡± Sophie told him to bepletely honest with Quincy, so he did. At that moment, as Zayne stared at the crimson-faced girl before him, the words came naturally to him. ¡°Can you be my girlfriend, Quincy? I can let you draw me every day, and in every way you like.¡± Quincy''s mind buzzed. In fact, she harbored feelings for him too, which was why she was crestfallen when he told her he was in love with another girl. Still, she forced herself to put on a nonchnt pretense. Nevertheless, she had indeed been feeling dejected the entire afternoon. Yet, all of a sudden, he unexpectedly informed her that she was the girl he liked. ¡°I''ll take your silence as a yes, then.¡± Zayne reached out to hold her hand right after saying that sentence. When Sophia turned around and witnessed that scene, she could not help but chuckle. ¡°That happened faster than I''d anticipated.¡± She was under the assumption that Zayne would only confess around nighttime. Alexander opened the car door and piped up, ¡°That''s right. He''s another girl''s boyfriend now.¡± At that, Sophia snorted withughter. ¡°Alexander, what''s the matter with you? Why do you get jealous so easily?¡± Chapter 243 Chapter 243 The weekend flew by in the blink of an eye. As Sophia did quite a bit of exercise for the past two days, she almost overslept. In fact, she would have beente to Sunshine Group''s morning meeting on Monday if she had not set the rm the night before. Around noon, she emerged from the conference room, with Yvonne catching up to her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia looked at her secretary with a smile and queried, ¡°What is it? Did the Cooper family make a move?¡± She had not forgotten about her bet with Alexander. ¡°Not yet.¡± Yvonne shook her head before bringing another matter to her employer''s attention. ¡°Jadeborough University gave me a call today. They''re having an anniversary celebration this Wednesday and would like to invite you as one of the special guests.¡± Raising her brows, Sophia replied, ¡°Reject them.¡± She was not one to enjoy such events. ¡°Understood, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Right after Yvonne spoke, an assistant walked over with an invitation card in her hand. ¡°Ms. Leighton, Ms. Yarrow, this is the invitation card from Jadeborough University.¡± Sophia took the card over and gave the content a once-over. The signature affixed at the bottom of the card belonged to the chancellor of the university, Marcus Rubis, indicating that he was the one who extended the invitation to her. After she was done reading, she folded the invitation card and was about to hand it to Yvonne when the latter''s phone rang. shing an apologetic nce at Sophia, Yvonne said, ¡°My apologies, Ms. Yarrow. I need to pick up this call.¡± Sophia nodded in acknowledgment and decided to bring the invitation card back to her office. However, no sooner had she taken a few steps forward than Yvonne ran up to her with her phone in hand. ¡°Please hold on for a moment, Ms. Yarrow,¡± thetter voiced. ¡°Hm?¡± Yvonne covered the phone''s microphone and exined, ¡°It''s a call from Jadeborough University''s chancellor, Mr. Rubin. He asks that youe to the phone if you''re avable.¡± Truth be told, Sophia''s four-year experience at Jadeborough University could neither be described as good nor bad. As a beautiful girl who was often chauffeured around in a luxury car, it was unavoidable for rumors and gossip about her to circte on the campus. In the year of her graduation, Sophia was embroiled in a rather high-key incident, and it was Marcus who personally settled it for her. She had no qualms about rejecting a call from anyone else, but she had to answer the call from Marcus. ¡°I''ll take it.¡± Sophia took the phone from her secretary and greeted the man on the other end of the line, ¡°Hello, Mr. Rubin.¡± ¡°It''s been a while, Sophia. Will you be attending the university''s anniversary celebration?¡± Sophia was quite close to the chancellor, getting Yvonne to send him some gifts during the festive season. Although they rarely kept in touch with one another, she remembered Marcus fondly. The man did not beat around the bush. Hence, Sophia smiled and decided not to mince her words. ¡°Mr. Rubin, you know my personality. I''m not suited for these events.¡± Marcus''ugh sounded from the other end of the line. ¡°I know, I know. That''s why I''m personally giving you a call. We''re inviting you because we''d like to allow our current students towork with some of our best alums. Besides you, we''ve also invited your senior, Joshua Lewis. Since you two have partnered up and started apany together, why don''t you let him do all the talking if you''re not up for it?¡± He paused for a moment before continuing in mock anger, ¡°Well, you think you''d be let off the hook by sending me gifts every year? If you still remember me after graduating years ago, why wouldn''t you drop by for a visit?¡± Sophia chuckled at Marcus'' response. ¡°Now that you''ve put it that way, won''t it be disrespectful of me to continue rejecting your invitation? Don''t worry; I''ll definitely be attending the celebration with Joshua.¡± ¡°Good, good! You don''t have to worry about anything too. You and Joshua are well-known among the students. They''ve been making a fuss about wanting to meet you, so I''m shamelessly giving you a call for their sake. Also, when you twoe over, I assure you that you won''t be harassed by the media.¡± Verily, she was ttered beyond words. It was Jadeborough University''s seventieth-anniversary celebration, and the event was widely publicized. At the moment, Sophia could be considered a ¡°hot topic,¡± so it would not be weird for the media to pay extra attention to her upon her return to the university. Yet, Marcus was assuring her that they would not be harassed by the media. It showed that he was being immensely considerate of them. Regardless of whether his purpose of inviting them back to the university had to do for the sake of Jadeborough University''s future graduates, she could not deny that Marcus had her and Joshua''s best interests at heart. Given what he said, there was no reason for Sophia to continue rejecting the invitation. ¡°You''ve put in so much effort, so naturally, I''d be there no matter what.¡± There was no need for Marcus to say anything else after receiving a satisfactory response. ¡°All right. In that case, I''ll stop disturbing you any further and let you get on with your work.¡± Back then, Sophia entered Jadeborough University as the highest achiever in the entire state, which brought great prestige to the university. Being the highest achiever, she also received an offer from Quadfield University before the results were even released. Although Jadeborough University was reputable, Marcus knew it was almost impossible to get the state''s highest achiever to join them. To his surprise, Sophia rejected the offer from Quadfield University and enrolled in Jadeborough University instead. At that time, Marcus was so excited that he almost fell over when he caught wind of the news from the Admissions Office. The state''s highest achiever had chosen Jadeborough University, catapulting them to fame in the blink of an eye. The university was even featured on the news. Countless mediapanies wanted to interview Sophia, but she rejected all of them. She was only a young girl at the time, so of course, it was no surprise that she received some help dealing with the media, and the person who aided her was none other than Marcus. On her first day in university, he went to her dorm and met her in person. Sophia had juste of age. When she saw him, she smiled at him amiably. Not a hint of nervousness or excessive politeness could be seen in her as she calmly told Marcus the reason she had chosen Jadeborough University. Marcus knew at once that she would be an incredibly talented individual in the future. Last year, countless rumors regarding Sophia''s divorce from Odyssey''s chairman, Alexander, circted on the inte. In fact, there were numerous posts on the university''s forum which imed that they were all disillusioned with Sophia. However, Marcus firmly believed that the calm andposed young lady he knew was not what the inte described her to be. He became even more convinced of her caliber upon seeing her performance at Expedite''s recent stockholder meeting. ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org. Soon after, it was revealed that Sophia was one of the founders of Technology Innovations, and countless headlines emerged once more. No one expected that a youngdy, who was merely twenty years old, would have the courage to invest such a huge amount of money in Technology Innovations'' smart home system project. Artificial intelligence was not popr in the country at that time, and even Marcus had not heard of such technology. If it were not for Sophia''s gutsy investment, Jadeborough University would not have been able to produce another talent like Joshua. Although Marcus invited Sophia for the sake of the university''s future, he truly wanted to see her again. Very soon, Sophia received a message from Katherine. Thetter inquired about Jadeborough University''s anniversary celebration on theing Wednesday, texting: I''m envious! I want to be an alumnus, too. Katherine did not graduate from Jadeborough University, but she liked to pose as a student of the university and praise Sophia on the university''s forum back in the day. The anniversary celebration was a big deal. Naturally, Sophia and Joshua were invited to the event as esteemed alums. If Katherine were not afraid of Jonice''s scolding, she would definitely tag along with her friend to witness the celebration. Sophia smiled and replied: Firstly, you have to be a student of Jadeborough University. Feeling as though her intellect was being insulted, Katherine wrote back: That''s mean! Is Jadeborough University that impressive? Fine, it is. I only needed forty more points to enroll in the university, but s, this is the fate of an underachiever. Chapter 244 Chapter 244 ¡°Jadeborough University''s anniversary celebration?¡± Sophia had just buckled her seatbelt when Alexander''s voice rang out. Raising her brow, she queried, ¡°Yeah. Is there a problem?¡± The man shook his head. ¡°I think I''ve been invited, too.¡± ¡°What do you mean ''you think''?¡± she asked, tilting her head to look at him. ¡°I''m invited to plenty of events.¡± A snort escaped from Sophia''s nose on that note. ¡°How impressive of you, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°So when are you extending an invitation to this impressive man, Ms. Yarrow?¡± said Alexander as he reached out to hold her hand. Amused by his serious behavior, she chuckled. ¡°Aren''t we going out for lunch together now?¡± He nced at her, his eyes flickering slightly. ¡°I would like you to invite me to City Hall. That said, I don''t mind taking care of any expenses that may be incurred.¡± ¡°What? Do I not have the money?¡± It''s such a small sum. Everyone can afford it! This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Sophia was merely going along with his words, and she soon realized that she had spoken too quickly and fallen into his trap. ¡°We''ll be going to City Hall tomorrow, yes?¡± shing a half-smile at him, she remarked, ¡°Mr. Xenos, don''t you have a long way to go with your progress bar?¡± ¡°Isn''t my so-called progress entirely up to you, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Alexander had picked up one of her tricks and sessfully outsmarted her. Dismayed, Sophia red at him. ¡°You wish!¡± At the same time, a chuckle escaped her lips. ¡°Can we go eat now? I''m hungry.¡± Although he was aware that she was trying to change the subject, he also knew he should not be too hasty. As such, he nodded and did not continue the topic. ¡°Sit tight.¡± Alexander had always been a smooth and stable driver. Otherwise, Sophia would not have almost fallen asleep in the car multiple times. At that point, they were regrs at Mirage. While Sophia did not hold a grudge against the restaurant for the mishaps involving Ka, Alexander was not as benevolent as she was, for he had asked Samuel to express his dissatisfaction on his behalf. Hence, as soon as the duo arrived at the entrance, someone came forth to receive them. As for the waiter who served them back then, Sophia did not know if they had been fired or transferred elsewhere. Nheless, they were nowhere to be seen during her visit. Alexander and Sophia had yet to reach their car when they spotted Samuel. The man stood next to their car, and it was apparent he was waiting for them. Sophia raised her brows as she greeted him, ¡°Mr. Schild.¡± ¡°Sophia, Alex.¡± Samuel beamed at them before ncing at Alexander. ¡°What a coincidence! There''s a competition on the mountain tonight. Why don''t you bring Sophia to spectate?¡± He only found out the day before that his childhood friend had been trying to win Sophia''s heart for a long time, but his efforts had yet toe to fruition. As a fiercely loyal man, Samuel felt the need to help Alexander. It just so happened that they bumped into one another during lunch, so he looked for Alexander''s car and waited for them there. Thest time Alexander participated in a race was before he turned twenty-two. Therefore, the man Sophia came to know after arriving at Jadeborough differed from his younger self. Hearing Samuel''s words, she could not help feeling curious. ¡°Where''s that?¡± Samuel noticed that her interest was piqued, so he shifted his attention to her instead. ¡°Are you curious? Have Alex take you there, then! Did you know that, back in the day, he was the boss of the mountain?¡± Alexander shot a cold nce at his talkative friend, a hint of disdain shing across his eyes. ¡°Why do you have so much to say?¡± His words rendered Samuel speechless. Ugh, he''s so ungrateful! Whatever. I''m forbearing, so I won''t hold a grudge against him. Sophia quirked a brow and turned to Alexander, a smile spreading across her face. ¡°Can I go?¡± The look in his eyes softened as he gazed at her. ¡°Of course.¡± As he spoke, he opened the car door for her. ¡°Hop in. I''ll take you there.¡± Meanwhile, Samuel, who was entirely ignored, uttered, ¡°I didn''t drive here, so can I¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Alexander''s merciless rejection came before he could even finish his sentence. A thud echoed as the car door was shut. Alexander then drove by his friend, and in a matter of seconds, the car disappeared, leaving nothing but a trail of dust in its wake. ¡°He''s so mean!¡± Samuel could not let it slide, so he whipped out his phone, intending to hail a taxi home to get his car. Just then, he recalled something and gave someone else a call. After hanging up, he gged down a taxi and returned home. ¡°Can you drive a little faster, mister?¡± ¡°How can I go any faster at this hour?¡± Samuel let out a sigh, wondering if he could watch the interesting scene unfold before his eyes. The car gradually came to a halt at a red light. Alexander turned to look at Sophia and exined to her, ¡°That mountain is a ce where people race in Jadeborough. Not a lot of cars pass by there, so racing clubs would seal off a section of the road to race. This happens once or twice every month.¡± She nodded in understanding and smirked at him. ¡°Mr. Schild said you were the boss of the mountain, so does that mean you''re the Racing King of Selton Mountain, Mr. Xenos?¡± The man had no retort as he was once the Racing King at the peak of his youth. Noticing his silence, Sophia let out a chuckle. ¡°No wonder there are two precious limited-edition race cars in your garage.¡± When she married into the Xenos family, the butler toured her around the Xenos residence. At the garage, he arrogantly told her that the two race cars were Alexander''s precious possessions, and no one was allowed to touch them. Alexander gazed at her eyes which were crinkled in delight. Thinking she was making fun of him, he cocked an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Who told you those are precious to me?¡± ¡°Oh, is that not the case? The butler was the one who told me.¡± After so many years, Sophia had already let go of the past, which was why she could bring herself to talk about these things humorously. However, the man felt a sting in his heart that made him mildly ufortable, and he lowered his head in silence for a moment. ¡°Sophia, you''re the most precious to me,¡± came his response. Blushing, she scoffed at him. ¡°Those two race cars should be the most precious to you.¡± ¡°They''re merely cars.¡± A smile yed about Alexander''s lips as he added, ¡°Don''t be jealous, Precious.¡± He then lifted his hand and gently tousled her hair. Sophia''s ears turned crimson as she looked at him. Oh no, I can''t afford to tease him. She retracted her gaze and pointed toward the front. ¡°The light''s about to turn green.¡± Alexander grunted an acknowledgment in response. His gaze lingered on her for another second before he turned his attention to the road and began driving. Twenty minutester, they drove out of the suburbs. Alexander gradually stepped on the elerator while Sophia gazed out of the car window. Upon seeing the abundant greenery, she knew they had left the suburbs. It took another twenty minutes before she saw lights from five to six hundred meters ahead of them. Rock music was ring in the air, and she could hear it clearly, despite being in the car. Alexander pulled up, after which they both got out of the car together. It was still early, and the sun had just set. The breeze was extremely cold at the foot of the mountain. He held onto her hand and led her to the side, moving further away from the crowd. Since he did not say anything, Sophia did not probe either. They walked for another two minutes before Alexander suddenly voiced a question, ¡°Aren''t you afraid that I''d sell you off?¡± That had her raising her eyebrows. ¡°Am I not your Precious, Alexander?¡± Her voice was gentle, crisp, and clear. It was practically music to one''s ear. He looked at her over his shoulder. Under the faint glow of the moonlight, Sophia''s eyes shone brightly, resembling a sky full of stars in them. Alexander thought of the day they got married. It was the same gaze she had when she asked him to look after her for the rest of their lives. At the thought of that, he felt butterflies fluttering in his stomach. It was a heavy yet inexplicably warm sensation. Alexander tightened his grip around her hand. ¡°I can''t bring myself to do that.¡± How could I possibly bear to sell my precious off? Chapter 245 Chapter 245 Sophia''s cheeks flushed under the dim lights as the sounds of insects resonated in the area. The woman was just about to ask Alexander what he was doing here when he suddenly covered her eyes with one hand and took her palm with the other. ¡°Come with me.¡± Then, he added with a chuckle, ¡°I''m not going to sell you or anything.¡± Sophia''s ears turned crimson as she heard that. Thankfully, despite the bright moonlight, it was still too dark for the man to see her clearly. ¡°Okay.¡± She let him tug her along as he pleased. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. After a two-minute walk, she felt as though they had entered a forest. Alexander then stopped in his tracks and removed his hand from her eyes. It took a couple of seconds for Sophia''s eyes to adapt to her new surroundings, although she could vaguely see some twinkling lights. Then, she finally regained her sightpletely. ¡°Fireflies?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Alexander had stumbled upon this field of fireflies by chance almost a decade ago and wasn''t sure if it even still existed today. That was why he had led her here without telling her where they were headed. He didn''t want to disappoint her in case the field no longer existed. Despite Sophia''s age, this was only her second time seeing so many fireflies. The first time was the age her father brought her to a forest near where the factory he worked at was located. She never saw fireflies again when he left the vige to work in the city. After her parents passed away, she had tried returning to the same woond, only to find that the factory had long been razed and reced with other buildings nearby, and the spot where fireflies once dwelled had been turned into concrete roads. There was not a single strand of grass left, let alone fireflies. Sophia never saw fireflies again after reaching adulthood, yet Alexander had taken her to such a ce now. Feeling moved, she remained frozen in ce and said nothing for a long while. It''s been so many years, but I still miss Mom and Dad. ¡°Sophia?¡± the man called out, worried by her long silence. ¡°Did you know, Alexander? I didn''t grow up in the best household when I was young. My parents both worked their butts off at a factory, only to earn peanuts each month. Every time anyone got sick, we''d lose all our savings.¡± Sophia didn''t like recounting these moments or drawing pity from others, but now, she wanted Alexander to know about her past. ¡°The first time I saw these many fireflies was when I was eight. I was having a fever and wouldn''t stop crying, so my dad''s coworkers got annoyed. My dad had to take me outside in the middle of the night while covering me with a nket. He carried me and walked really far, and I cried for what felt like ages¡ªuntil I saw all those ''flying stars.'' At that moment, I felt like the happiest girl in the world, and the fever didn''t affect me as much anymore.¡± She concluded, ¡°Life became a bit better when we moved to the city, but I never got to see so many fireflies after that. And then, I never saw my dad again.¡± Alexander pulled her into an embrace upon hearing that. ¡°I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have brought you here.¡± Sophia smiled while leaning against his shoulder. ¡°After visiting that ce, I couldn''t stop wondering how my dad found a ce with so many fireflies, so I asked my mom about it. It turned out that she once told him about wanting him to grab the stars in the sky for her, but he couldn''t, so he caught her fireflies instead.¡± She didn''t get it at first, but it eventually dawned on her¡ªthat was the only act of romance her father could give her mother at the time. And now, this man''s doing the same for me. At the thought of this, Sophia nced up at him. ¡°Thank you, Alexander.¡± The man gulped as he stared into her dazzling eyes, but just as he was about to kiss her, the phone in his pocket rang. His expression clouded over at the ruined moment. The call came from Samuel, and he answered it. ¡°What is it?¡± It''d better be important, or he''s going to get it. ¡°Your car''s here, but where are you and Sophia? I just arrived but don''t see any of you.¡± Samuel had sped his way over right after getting home, only to find Alexander''s car empty. Then, he had no choice but to make a call after searching everywhere for his friend, only to hear the latter answer the phone in a grim tone. ¡°Did I disturb you two?¡± Samuel asked, rubbing his nose awkwardly. ¡°Scram!¡± Samuel froze briefly. I''ll take that as a yes. It looks like I won''t be having a very good night. Sophia was right next to Alexander, so she had overheard the conversation loud and clear even if the call wasn''t on speaker. ¡°It''s about time we head back,¡± she remarked with a smile after seeing him hang up. The man gazed down at her for a while before answering reluctantly, ¡°Okay.¡± How perfect would the moment have been if he got to kiss her? Godd*mmit, Samuel! Sophia cast him a nce and looked down to conceal a giggle. After taking a few steps forward, she suddenly stopped and tugged his hand. ¡°Alexander.¡± ¡°What''s wrong?¡± He turned to look back at her. The woman smiled. ¡°I think I was bitten by a mosquito.¡± While speaking, she lifted an arm and raised her sleeve, revealing her smooth skin. Alexander began to inspect her arm without any hesitation, but he couldn''t find a single mosquito bite on it. His brows furrowed slightly. ¡°Maybe it''s just a¡ª¡± Suddenly, he felt something soft on his lips. It was her. In a split second, the man snaked an arm around her waist and held her chin up before passionately returning the kiss. Perhaps because they were outside in the middle of nowhere, but things began to get steamy for them really quickly. It only took about ten seconds for Sophia''s legs to give way, and she had to clutch onto Alexander''s arm to avoid falling down. Meanwhile, the man felt desire roaring within him. No longer satisfied with just a kiss, he slipped a hand under her clothes and buried his head in her chest. The sounds of their breathing soon grew louder than the crickets'' chirping. All of a sudden, the ringing of a phone made them jump in surprise, and Sophia hastily straightened her clothes. Her face was ming red. Alexander gazed at her with eyes so fiery that one could be set aze upon looking into them. Sophiaposed herself before taking out her ringing phone. It was a call from Lukas. Her face turning warmer, she created some distance between Alexander and herself. She then finally answered the call after the cold night breeze had jolted her back to reality. ¡°Lukas?¡± ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°I have.¡± ¡°Zayne told me he''s pretty happy with you. What do you think of him?¡± ¡°He''s great, Lukas.¡± Sophia paused before continuing, ¡°But he''s not the one I like.¡± Lukas fell quiet for a moment. ¡°It''s okay. Try spending more time with each other before making your decision.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Has Alexander been harassing you?¡± Lukas asked, changing the subject without warning. He''s using the word ¡°harass¡± now? Sophia shot Alexander a nce. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Okay. Keep ignoring him.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She gazed at the man again after hanging up and felt her ears burn upon recalling Lukas'' question. A sense of guilt swirled within her, for she felt as though she was cheating. Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Samuel came over as soon as the two returned to the sports car. ¡°Sophia! Alex! Where were you guys?¡± ¡°Looking at fireflies.¡± Samuel stilled at the woman''s honest response before secretly giving Alexander a thumbs-up. Not bad, buddy. Yet, thetter red at him with a pair of frosty eyes, sending a chill down his spine as he remembered their prior phone conversation. Fortunately for him, a female voice interrupted the moment. ¡°Mr. Xenos and Mr. Schild! It''s been a while.¡± A woman walked over to them in a tank top and a pair of hot pants. She had thick makeup on, but her large bosom and long, slender legs made her look especially alluring. She waved at them, but her smile froze as soon as she spotted Sophia. ¡°You must be Ms. Yarrow.¡± Then, she extended her hand and introduced herself. ¡°I''ve been looking forward to meeting you. My name''s Riley Levine.¡± Sophia smiled faintly and shook her hand graciously. ¡°Hello, Ms. Levine.¡± ¡°You''re so soft and gentle that I didn''t expect you toe to a ce like this, Ms. Yarrow.¡± After a brief pause, Riley continued without waiting for the other woman to respond, ¡°Oh, by the way, Mr. Xenos used to be the most popr racer here! Have you had the chance to sit in his car? I still remember how so many girls would fight each other just for that seat! But you''re so gentle, Ms. Yarrow. You can''t fight, can you?¡± She gazed at Sophia with eyes full of animosity. It didn''t take long for thetter to read the atmosphere, and she nced at Samuel before replying with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Ms. Levine.¡± Riley didn''t expect to hear such a curt response after saying all that. Since when was I evenplimenting her? Is she pretending not to get the hint, or is she just that stupid? She eyed Alexander. What is he thinking, picking such a dense woman like her? Alexander shot Samuel a cold re before holding onto Sophia and walking off, ignoring Riley. Anyone who was here tonight had to be either rich or skilled. This was to boost the race club''s reputation. Only the wealthy could afford to take part in racing. Alexander''s racing days were a decade ago, but since he was part of Jadeborough''s upper echelon, it was only natural that everyone knew him. Many were stunned to see him arrive with a woman, and they couldn''t help but gasp internally upon taking a closer look at Sophia. Where did a beauty like here from? Are all car girls this gorgeous these days? However, there were also some who instantly recognized her as Alexander''s former wife. Now, things were getting interesting. Arge majority believed that Sophia refused to leave Alexander, and someone even tried to speak up for him. ¡°Long time no see, Mr. Xenos! And who might this be? Mrs. Xenos?¡± Many people at the scene burst intoughter at the man''s words. In their circle, this was the best way to humiliate a car girl, and the guy would usually respond with a curt ¡°knock it off.¡± While such an answer seemed to help resolve any awkwardness for the girl, it also indicated how little the guy cared. That was because if he did care, he would never let others embarrass her like that. Alexander wasn''t the type to have a car girl apany him, but as a member of this circle, he knew the behaviors of these people all too well. Hence, he replied calmly, ¡°She''s the future Mrs. Xenos. I haven''t won her over yet.¡± Many among the crowd inhaled sharply as they heard him. Having been disregarded earlier, a glum-looking Riley looked even more hostile now. She strutted toward Alexander immediately. ¡°Correct me if I''m wrong, Mr. Xenos, but isn''t she your ex- wife? Didn''t she¡ª¡± ¡°I don''t like moving on. Do you have something to say about that?¡± The man cut her off before she could finish. Riley stood frozen in ce as the color on her cheeks turned from red to white. Samuel watched it all happen from a short distance away. Wow. She must feel horrible. Just as he relished in the ordeal, Sophia suddenly turned to him with an inexplicable look on her face, causing him to stiffen. Why do she and Alex keep looking at people like that? They''re terrifying! Alexander continued to ignore Riley and asked Sophia if she wanted to try racing. ¡°I don''t think she''d dare to, Mr. Xenos. You shouldn''t scare her like that.¡± Feeling indignant, Riley approached him again, only to not be spared even a nce. ¡°Sure,¡± Sophia answered, beaming. Not expecting the other woman to say yes, Riley grabbed a random person''s helmet. ¡°How about a quick match, Mr. Xenos? It''s been a long time since west raced.¡± Yet, Alexander continued to snub her and instead kicked Samuel. ¡°Get Sophia a helmet.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Samuel hurriedly brought over a pink helmet. Sophia took the headgear and thanked him, but just as she was about to put it on, she noticed Riley ring at her with clenched teeth. Thus, she arched a brow. ¡°I don''t know how to wear it.¡± She sounded so honest that no one could tell she was lying. Even Alexander responded so naturally that everyone at the scene couldn''t stand the sight. Come on. We''re here to race, not to watch you two be all lovey-dovey and be reminded that we''re single! Alexander parted the woman''s hair neatly before helping her put on the helmet. Samuel felt as though he was getting what he deserved for stopping by. Why did Ie over just to watch all this? After helping her out, Alexander put his own helmet on. Then, as he was about to hop into his car, Riley began to goad him once more. ¡°I sure didn''t expect you to be more cowardly as you age, Mr. Xenos. Are you that afraid of epting a woman''s challenge?¡± She was provoking him to get him to drive quickly and make Sophia feel unsettled, thus humiliating her. Even so, Alexander shut the door right away. He had no intention of giving that crazy woman the time of day. Yet, he felt a tug on his sleeve and turned to Sophia, who was next to him. ¡°Would you lose?¡± she asked, gazing at him with her doe eyes behind the pink helmet. Me? Lose? What a joke! ¡°No.¡± ¡°ept her challenge, then. She''s making such a fuss over it, and that''s not good.¡± Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she spoke. The man knew she was up to something, but since she had spoken, he certainly wouldn''t turn her down. ¡°Get in your car,¡± he called out to Riley. Hearing that, the crowd grew excited. It''s Alexander Xenos, for crying out loud! The man was a star among them ten years ago, but people still constantly spoke of him to this day. It was just unfortunate that he stoppeding over after he had taken over Odyssey. Having stayed with the club for so many years, Riley was naturally a skilled racer too. Everyone also knew that she liked Alexander. This is going to be an interesting race. Samuel was initially turned off by the public disy of affection he was seeing, but now, his curiosity had been piqued. Thus, he had someone bring some snacks over and moved his seat in front of therge screen. When both racers were all set, Alexander turned to Sophia. ¡°Don''t be afraid. I''ll drive a little slower.¡± The woman turned to him. ¡°How fast would you go if I''m not afraid?¡± He caressed her face. ¡°I can''t stand seeing you anxious.¡± It wasn''t as though he didn''t know what Riley was thinking. Chapter 247 Chapter 247 Following a loud, resounding bang, both racecars zoomed off into the distance. Riley started driving faster and faster as if she had stopped caring about her life. Sophia turned to look at Alexander, who didn''t seem like he was about to overtake Riley anytime soon. Even though it was incredibly exciting to be in such a fast car for the first time, she remained silent for fear of distracting Alexander. He wasn''t driving slowly, but he was making sure to keep a distance of twenty to thirty meters between his and Riley''s car. Riley stepped on the gas even harder, unable to bear the way Alexander was just hovering behind her. To her, there was no way that Alexander would lose willingly. However, she had severely underestimated how much Sophia mattered to him. After just a few seconds of speeding off, Riley could no longer see the car behind her. Sophia raised an eyebrow at the sight of Riley driving further and further away. Both cars continued to speed on the mountain highway for about ten minutes before they finally approached their first turn. Alexander had always been a smooth and steady driver, so his sudden drift took Sophia by surprise. Riley was clearly not as experienced with turning as Alexander was already hot on her heels at the first turn. Sophia''s heart began to race at the sight of both cars getting closer and closer. ¡°Sit tight, okay?¡± She didn''t even have the time to react to his words before he stepped on the gas and they began picking up speed. The blue racecar overtook the red car in the blink of an eye, and by the second turn, Riley was already out of sight. Tonight''spetition was never nned to be a safe, rule-abiding one. After all, apetition like this mainly focused on how much the racers could show off their skills and gimmicks. The term petition¡± was only a loose one that most of them didn''t take seriously anyway. Naturally, that meant they didn''t need to bother with even finishing the race. After just half a round, Alexander began to drive back. The car had just screeched to a halt when Samuel approached with a ss of watermelon juice. ¡°As expected of the greatest!¡± Alexander simply nced at him before striding to the passenger seat and helping Sophia get off the car. No one doubted Sophia''s importance to Alexander after seeing his caring gesture. Riley arrived just as Alexander had taken off Sophia''s helmet for her. She thought she had sessfully proved her point, so she was all smiles even though she lost the race. ¡°Are you okay, Ms. Yarrow?¡± she asked, approaching Sophia. Sophia just nced at Riley mildly before looking up at Alexander. ¡°I''m feeling a little bit dizzy.¡± ¡°How bad is it? Do you need to go to the bathroom?¡± Alexander asked, his gaze full of concern and worry. Samuel''s teeth were starting to hurt from how sweet the couple in front of him was being. He didn''t even feel like drinking his watermelon juice anymore. Sophia nodded. ¡°I''m a bit nauseous. My legs are also kind of wobbly.¡± As she spoke, she slumped against Alexander. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. He tossed both helmets to Samuel before picking Sophia up bridal-style. ¡°We''re going back.¡± Someone randomly called out, ¡°Wow! He''s carrying her!¡± Alexander walked straight to the car with Sophia in his arms. Her arms wrapped loosely around his neck, and as they passed Riley, Sophia''s lips curled in a smirk. Do you think you''re the only one who can y this game? It seemed like Riley wasn''t exactly the brightest of the bunch. Riley hadn''t predicted this oue and almost exploded in rage at seeing Sophia smirking at her from Alexander''s embrace. ¡°She''s so weak! She can''t even handle one round? How is she going to be Mr. Xenos'' passenger?¡± She scoffed and waved a hand as if she were already bored. ¡°This is stupid. I''m going home,¡± she said as she tossed her helmet to someone else. Only Riley herself would know whether she was saying it for herself or for the people around her to hear. Samuel took a long sip of his watermelon juice. He was beginning to agree with Riley. Why did Ie all the way here to get sted in the face with cold mountain air and be blinded by Alexander and Sophia acting all sweet? Alexander reached the car and ced Sophia down gently as he opened the car door. His dark eyes gleamed as he looked at her. ¡°Are you feeling any better?¡± Not at all embarrassed at having her ploy figured out, Sophia simply smiled. ¡°Yeah. Maybe it was the crowd or the air back there.¡± Alexander didn''t push any further and said, ¡°Let''s go back. It''s gettingte.¡± It was already past nine. The ck sedan began driving back to the city. There were only half as many cars on the road at night as there were in the day, so their journey was a smooth one. It only took them about twenty to thirty minutes to reach. They drove up to a fork in the road and stopped at the red light. Alexander turned to look at Sophia. ¡°Are you up for supper?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, I''m good.¡± With a yawn, she continued, ¡°I''m a little sleepy.¡± She had been at Sunshine Group the whole day and hadn''t had any time to take a nap. Since it was already almost ten, Sophia was beginning to feel tired. ¡°Okay,¡± Alexander replied as he turned in the direction of Sophia''s mansion. By the time they reached the mansion, it was already ten, and Sophia was almost asleep. Alexander stopped at her front gate and called out softly, ¡°Sophia?¡± ¡°Oh, we''re here?¡± Sophia looked out at her house and yawned before turning to Alexander. ¡°Do you want toe in for a bit?¡± she asked. He shook his head, noticing how tired she was. ¡°You should wash up and go to sleep.¡± ¡°I will. Good night and drive safe, okay?¡± With that said, she opened the door. However, just as she stepped outside, she quickly turned back to nt a swift kiss on Alexander''s cheek before getting off and closing the door behind her. She had moved so quickly that by the time Alexander realized what just happened, she was already standing outside with a bright smile on her face. His eyes glinted softly. ¡°Goodnight.¡± ¡°I''m going to go now, Alexander.¡± After that, Sophia shot him onest nce before turning to enter the mansion. In no time, the lights on the first floor lit up, followed soon after by the ones on the second floor. Alexander looked up at the balcony before calling Felix. Alexander''s sudden call at thatte hour caused Felix to start worrying if he had somehow made a mistake with the files from earlier that afternoon. His voice quivered slightly when he picked up. ¡°Good evening, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°Good evening,¡± Alexander answered as he began tapping on his steering wheel. ¡°Did Jadeborough University send me an invite?¡± Every year, Jadeborough University would send Alexander an invite, but whether he went or not was another story. ¡°The hard copy was delivered today morning, while the soft copy was sent by e-mailst week. I declined the offer as was your request,¡± Felix replied. Felix hadn''t shown Alexander the invite, not out of irresponsibility, but rather because Alexander had already told him to turn Jadeborough University downst week. Despite that, Felix couldn''t help but worry about his actions. ¡°I see. Let them know that I''ll head over after all since my schedule has been cleared on that day.¡± Felix hesitated for a moment as he processed Alexander''s reply before hurriedly answering, ¡°Okay! Will do, Mr. Xenos.¡± After he hung up, Felix stared at his phone screen for a good couple of minutes as he wondered why Alexander had suddenly changed his mind. Throughout the ten years that Alexander had spent in his position, Jadeborough University sent him an invite almost every year. His answer remained the same every time. If it wasn''t for Felix''s meticulous attitude, Alexander would probably havepletely ignored Jadeborough University''s anniversary event. When he had brought it up to Alexanderst week, his boss hadn''t even lifted his head as he turned them down. Felix just couldn''t figure out what had managed to change Alexander''s mind in just a mere four days. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in his head. Could it be because Ms. Yarrow is also attending Jadeborough University''s anniversary event this year? With that suspicion in mind, Felix sent a text to Yvonne asking whether she knew if Sophia was attending Jadeborough University''s anniversary event. Yvonne found Felix''s question a little strange but couldn''t put her finger on exactly why, so she ended up telling him the truth. After all, it could have been a question from Alexander. Felix inhaled sharply at the answer. So this is love! Chapter 248 Chapter 248 Sophia had nned to attend Jadeborough University''s anniversary celebration with Joshua, but Alexander had told her about his own invitation and wanted to go with her. Hence, she ended up going with him instead. When Marcus learned that Alexander was attending the celebration, he thought he had misheard due to his old age. The Xenos family started flourishing when Alexander''s grandfather took over as the head of the family. After they started getting more well off, Beau donated quite a lot of resources and finances to Jadeborough University. After Beau passed away, Alexander took over Odyssey and the Xenos family. Every year, Alexander arranged for his secretary to donate five million to the school. That''s why Marcus had continued sending both physical and online invitations to Alexander every single year despite thetter declining every time. Eventually, everyone silently agreed that he would never show up. This year, however, his secretary suddenly told them that he would attend because his schedule was suddenly clear on the day of the anniversary celebration. Even the school secretary was surprised, let alone Marcus. A ck Lexus pulled up before a man dressed in a sleek ck suit stepped out of the car. He turned around and reached out a hand to Sophia, who also exited the car carefully. Some of the school directors stared in surprise at the sight of Alexander in the flesh. They finally realized that he was really here for the anniversary and greeted him with huge smiles on their faces. ¡°Mr. Xenos! Thank you so much for taking the time to attend our anniversary. It must have been hard to clear out your schedule. This truly is an honor.¡± Marcus looked at Alexander with a bright smile before noticing Sophia, who was standing next to him. Surprised, he called out, ¡°Sophia?¡± She nodded and smiled. ¡°Hello, Mr. Rubin. It''s been a while.¡± ¡°It really has! Even after so many years, you still haven''t changed.¡± Right as Marcus finished his sentence, the school secretary Matthew Lynch suddenly cut in and said, ¡°Of course, she''s changed! She''s be even prettier than before.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Sophia had never been a shy and reserved person, and she was even more outgoing now with age. She knew that Matthew was only saying so in order to break the ice and ease up the conversation, so she replied good-naturedly, ¡°You''re the same too, Mr. Lynch! You always know just how toplement us girls.¡± Sophia was one of Jadeborough University''s brightest students, and she returned today as an aplished alumnus. Naturally, the school higher-ups treated her pretty enthusiastically. As for why Sophia had shown up with Alexander and not Joshua, all the higher-ups knew better than to ask about it since it could potentiallynd them in an awkward situation. ¡°Sophia, Mr. Xenos, we should head into the hall now.¡± Marcus had promised Sophia that he wouldn''t allow the paparazzi to harass them. After all, Alexander showing up at Jadeborough University''s anniversary was a rather interesting piece of news to the reporters. Marcus also felt like it would have been a great opportunity to promote and raise awareness about the school, but he had already promised Sophia beforehand. As an educator, he couldn''t possibly set a bad example and go back on his word. They entered the reception area. Since it was the school''s anniversary, all of the students knew about Sophia and Joshua''s return. However, the hall could only hold about three thousand students, while the actual student poption was well over fifty thousand. Thus, the student body had to figure out how to distribute the tickets amongst themselves. Those students who failed to snag a ticket but still wanted to catch a glimpse of the Jadeborough University goddess, Sophia, were moring outside the windows. If Marcus hadn''t prepared for it beforehand, Sophia would probably already have been swarmed before stepping on stage. Marcus personally led Alexander and Sophia to the reception area. Soon enough, the secretary and the other higher-ups brought Joshua in as well. Sophia nced at him, and they nodded at each other casually by way of a greeting. There was still about half an hour before the actual speech, so both Marcus and Matthew stayed behind to apany the three. Sophia and Joshua were both alumni of Jadeborough University and had plenty of things to talk about, but since Marcus was afraid that Alexander would feel left out, he quickly introduced Joshua to him. Marcus had no idea that Alexander already knew who Joshua was. Still, the two of them pretended not to know each other and introduced themselves under Marcus'' guidance. Sophia watched them and smiled as she picked up the coffee pot on the table. ¡°Mr. Rubin, let''s see if my coffee brewing skills have improved since my school days.¡± Matthew was preparing to make the coffee but retracted his hands at Sophia''s words. Marcus nced at Sophia. ¡°That sounds great. It''s been four or five years since you graduated, yet you haven''t visited us since! Presents aren''t enough to win me over at this point!¡± Despite his words, his tone was still jovial and light. He turned to look at Alexander. ¡°Mr. Xenos, what do you think of such a student?¡± Alexander looked at Sophia, who was still brewing the coffee. His dark eyes flitted around momentarily before he replied, ¡°I bet Sophia still remembers all of you. She still sends gifts every year, right?¡± Marcus chuckled. ¡°She wasn''t a people person even when she studied here, so I don''t me her either way. When I retire, you and Joshua had bettere to visit me more often!¡± Sophia finished brewing the coffee and poured a cup for Marcus. ¡°Okay! After you''ve retired, I''lle and y chess with you whenever I''m free.¡± Marcus loved ying chess. He had been the one to teach Sophia how to y chess, but he was a stubborn yer and liked to cheat asionally while ying. If he didn''t win, he would jokingly call for a rematch. Even though Sophia hadn''t returned to Jadeborough University for a few years, she was still grateful to Marcus for all the care and support he gave her back then. She didn''t return to visit simply because she was afraid of causing trouble for the school. After all, the incident that had happened that year was simply too much of a mess. The more peaceful and rxed the atmosphere was inside the reception area, the more chaotic and excited people were bing outside the hall. Marcus hadn''t expected Alexander to show up, so he was starting to feel a little bit conflicted about the schedule of the event. He wasn''t sure where he could arrange for Alexander to give a speech. As things were already mostly prepared, it was almost time for the speeches to begin. Some teachers approached Marcus and asked when they could start. He nced at Alexander. ¡°Mr. Xenos, we''ve arranged for both Sophia and Joshua to give a speech as alumni. Would you prefer to listen to them or hang out with this old man for a bit?¡± Alexander had only attended for Sophia, and he subtly confirmed so as he replied, ¡°I''d like to hear about Sophia and Mr. Lewis'' secrets to sess as well. Please don''t feel the need to give me any special treatment. I''m fine with any seat in the hall.¡± Naturally, Marcus also wanted to watch his two brightest alumni share their stories onstage and were more than happy with Alexander''s reply. ¡°Please follow me, Mr. Xenos.¡± Marcus led Alexander into the hall and toward a VIP seat while a teacher brought Sophia and Joshua onstage. Sophia was dressed in a simple white dress with a cinched waist. It was formal yet simple and gracious. Paired with her hair, which was styled in big waves that fell smoothly down her back, she looked pure and serene. The stage was far from where the students were sitting, so most of them actually couldn''t see Sophia too clearly. However, the moment her slim and pale legs that practically outshined her dress stepped onstage, all the female students began to squeal. ¡°It''s Sophia, my goddess! She''s so gorgeous. Her legs are to die for! How can they be so slim, long, and fair at the same time?¡± ¡°How is she so perfect? Her neck and corbones are so graceful! She could even make a trash bag look good! I can barely look at her without staring.¡± Sophia had just sat down when someone in the audience called out, ¡°Sophia! I''m your biggest fan!¡± That cheer started off a whole chorus of cheering and shouting. ¡°Sophia! I love you!¡± ¡°Sophia! You''re my goddess!¡± Before the speech had even begun, the whole audience was already in an uproar. Chapter 249 Chapter 249 The host handed Sophia and Joshua a microphone. Sophia smiled and took it. ¡°Thank you.¡± When the host saw the smile in her bright eyes, she could not help whispering, ¡°Sophia, I admire you a lot too.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°You saying that will put Joshua in a very awkward situation.¡± The host felt embarrassed and looked at Joshua. ¡°Of course, you''re amazing too, Joshua!¡± Still, I like Sophia more. How is it possible that she''s so beautiful, gentle, has a pleasant voice, and is so intelligent! The host was somewhat affected by the cheers from the students down the stage. If she were not holding a microphone and being the host, she would have already cheered for Sophia like the other students. Wait. Why am I suddenly envying the students down there? Despite her excitement, the host remembered her role that day, so she softly patted the microphone and said, ¡°Ahem, everyone, I understand your excitement. I''m excited too. Just now, I whispered to Sophia that I admire her a lot, but Sophia told me that would only make Joshua feel left out. So, let''s tone it down a little and not put Joshua in an awkward situation, okay?¡± The host was certainly skillful in navigating on-the-spot situations like this, and she also had a great sense of humor. Before the event officially started, she had already managed to control the atmosphere. Gradually, the audience turned silent, and the talk could finally kick off. ¡°I believe everyone is now aware of the alumni sitting across from me. I don''t think I''ll have to tell you more about the amazing stories of Sophia Yarrow and Joshua Lewis. Of course, you can always refer to the tons of posts about them that are avable on our school''s online forum. Still, as the host of this forum, I will have to go through the formalities. Sitting on my left, this beautiful and sweet goddess is none other than Sophia Yarrow. Sophia used to...¡± After introducing Sophia, the host moved on to Joshua. ¡°Sitting on my right, this handsome gentleman is none other than Joshua Lewis. Since his sophomore year, Joshua has been...¡± A round of introductionster, the host finally went to the main topic by saying, ¡°Joshua mentioned ladies first, so let''s ask Sophia our first question, which is also the question that garnered the most votes from all students in Jadeborough University. Sophia, why did you apply for Jadeborough University with a high score of seven-hundred-and-eighty marks?¡± Many spections about the answer to this question had circted throughout the years, but none sounded logical. Sophia picked up the microphone and smiled. ¡°Well, it depends if you want to hear the boring, official answer or a different answer from me.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Before the host could say anything else, the audience immediately shouted for a different answer. ¡°Sophia, I''m sure you heard them, right? I''m not the one making things difficult for you.¡± Truthfully, Sophia did not feel too troubled to answer this question. It was just that she could not help feeling amazed by her courage back then, even though it had happened many years ago. ¡°I did that to repay a debt of gratitude. When I was fifteen, I came to Jadeborough for apetition but ran into an ident. Someone saved me,¡± said Sophia while holding the microphone. Her pleasant voice reverberated throughout the hall. Sitting among the audience, Alexander felt his heart skip a beat when he heard her talking about that. All this while, he had thought she came to Jadeborough for Katherine. He was surprised to know she had given up a better option and mustered up the courage toe to Jadeborough for him. ¡°I see. Sophia, may I ask if you''ve found the person who saved you back then?¡± Sophia nced at the host sitting across from her. ¡°I did.¡± I married him. Also, if nothing unexpected happens, I think I''ll marry him for the second time. Thinking of that, Sophia could not help lowering her head a little to chuckle. The host did not find that strange and proceeded with the second question. It was nothing worth gossiping about as the question asked Sophia how she founded Specter Entertainment and how she became determined to invest in Technology Innovations. That question was clearly intended to inspire and encourage the students. Sophia did not let them down with her answer either. On the topic of Technology Innovations, Joshua certainly yed a significant role. In fact, most of the uing questions were handled by Joshua, whereas Sophia would asionally chime in. She sat there on the stage, looking rather idle. Since she had nothing else to do, and there was a simple coffee brewing machine on the table, Sophia decided to leisurely make herself a cup of coffee. Among the audience, Marcusughed heartily when he saw that. ¡°Hahaha! Sophia is an interesting person, isn''t she? She''s still on the stage, yet she''s making herself a cup of coffee!¡± Then, Marcus seemed to remember something else and nced at Alexander next to him. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I have to say I am d to have Sophia as my graduate! I like her a lot! It''s a pity I don''t have a son, or I''ll certainly make him marry her!¡± Alexander raised his brows. ¡°Sophia is truly amazing, Mr. Rubin. I understand that she''s indeed worthy of your liking.¡± Marcus snorted. ¡°What a pity that somebody doesn''t appreciate her the same.¡± With that, Marcus shifted his gaze back to the stage as though he had not said anything. Alexander also withdrew his gaze and looked at Sophia on the stage again. He knew he had been too foolish, ignorant, and arrogant in the past. Meanwhile, Joshua might usually appear cold and aloof, but he spoke with confidence andposure when answering questions rted to Technology Innovations and AI development. Forty minutester, it was time for the audience in the hall to ask their questions to the guests. The audience was given six slots. After his disy of confidence and knowledge from Joshua earlier, he had impressed many male students in the audience. The first person to raise a question was a male student who was studying the same field as Joshua. He asked Joshua a question regarding artificial intelligence. The second question was raised by an adorable female student to Sophia. She asked if Sophia regretted applying to Jadeborough University during her university entrance exam. Sophia nced at Alexander among the audience and answered, ¡°I don''t regret it. I ponder a lot before making any decisions, and I can be reckless sometimes, but I don''t regret any of the decisions I make.¡± ¡°Then do you regret anything in your life?¡± Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Shouldn''t we count this as the third question?¡± The female student looked a little embarrassed. Just when she thought Sophia would not answer that question, Sophia started speaking. ¡°Nope. I prefer looking to the future and leaving the past behind me. I don''t like letting my past decisions affect my future. The present and future are more important to me than dwelling on my past.¡± Right after Sophia said that, the crowd gave a round of apuse. The next two questions were targeted at Joshua. The first was about the future directions of Technology Innovations, while the second was a rather sensitive question as he asked Joshua if Technology Innovations would have achieved their current height without Sophia''s investment. Still, Joshua handled that question with ease. An outstanding man like him would not fear any sign of provocation unless it was deliberate and outrageous. ¡°Sophia, no one will doubt that your academic results are outstanding and that you have amazing capabilities. But then, why did you decide to marry the son of the Xenos family right after your graduation? Why did you take the easy route to live afortable life instead of relying on your own capabilities and talents?¡± That question was raised by a male. Right after he asked that question, another student in the audience questioned him, ¡°Which ss from the School of Information are you? Why have I not seen you before?¡± The audience seats were arranged ording to the different schools. The student who raised that suspicion was the typical social butterfly from the School of Information. Most students in the School of Information were somewhat acquainted with him. Although he was not friends with all of them, he could at least recognize their faces. However, the guy who asked Sophia that question looked rather unfamiliar to the student. Hence, the student could not help questioning his background. ¡°I''m from ss Three, Grade Eighteen!¡± As soon as the guy said that, another male student stood up. ¡°That''s nonsense! I''m from ss Three, Grade Eighteen, but I''ve never seen this person in our ss!¡± ¡°Well, I got it wrong. I''m from ss Two, Grade Seventeen¡ª¡± ¡°He''s not a student here! How did you get in? Why did you fake your identity?¡± Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Very soon, the man was escorted away. In the meantime, the crowd had already disregarded the incident earlier before the host on stage could even speak. ¡°Pick me, Sophia! Pick me!¡± They all raised their hands enthusiastically to ask questions. As for the deliberately controversial question earlier, people were already treating it as if it never happened. Sophia smiled. She then called out a seat number at random. The questions that followed soon after were all uplicated, and with that, the one-and-a-half-hour forum concluded. Many students below the stage were unwilling to leave as they were hoping to take a group photo with Sophia. Sophia was usually not known to be kind-hearted by any means. However, she halted in her tracks upon recalling how the students came to her defense earlier. ¡°Mr. Rubin, why don''t you all make your way to Grand za first? I''ll be there after taking a few pictures with them.¡± Marcus happily obliged. ¡°All right. I''ll head over there first with Joshua and Mr. Xenos.¡± Before he left, Marcus asked for confirmation, ¡°I''m sure you still remember the directions there, right?¡± ¡°I don''t forget things that easily, Mr. Rubin.¡± ¡°Haha, I really am getting old. I''m the one who''s got a bad memory.¡± Sophia chuckled. She then said to the host, ¡°You can let them through. I''m going to take a group photo with them.¡± Dozens of students came over as soon as the host finished speaking. However, no one fought for priority as the students got into an orderly line before moving forward to take a picture with Sophia. In the end, Sophia also asked for the staff''s assistance to help take a group photo. Sophia then grabbed her purse and hurriedly made her way to Grand za after the group photo session ended. The campus was having its anniversary celebration that day, so various cultural booths were set up on campus grounds, and a celebration event had been scheduled for the evening. In light of this, many alumni had also returned to join in on the festivities. There was a small pathway from the auditorium that led to Grand za. The path was practically devoid of people as it was coincidentally lunchtime at that hour. The person behind Sophia had already been following her for some time. Sophia soon stopped when she reached the palm groves. ¡°Oh, it''s you,¡± she quipped. ¡°Long time no see, Sophia. Don''t you remember your old ssmate?¡± Sophia smiled as she saw Yvette standing before her. ¡°My apologies. I don''t quite remember who you are.¡± Yvette froze momentarily upon hearing Sophia''s subtle insinuation. At that moment, the expression on her surgically-altered face looked frightening. Raising a brow, Sophia questioned, ¡°Do you need something?¡± In the past, Yvette always never saw eye to eye with Sophia. Hence, Sophia also had no desire to talk to her. ¡°Oh, it''s nothing. I''ll be getting married soon, so I''m thinking of organizing a gathering before that happens. However, I couldn''t find or get in touch with you after graduation. That''s why I came here to try my luck.¡± Yvette took out an invitation card and said, ¡°It''s been five years since our graduation. We''ve not seen each other for a long time, so why don''t youe over?¡± She then paused momentarily before continuing, ¡°Oh, by the way, I know you don''t care much about us former ssmates, but I think you should check in on Tanya. She''s been through a lot over thest couple of years. I heard she''s also suffering from depression and attempted to take her own life not too long ago.¡± The smile on Sophia''s face faded as she replied, ¡°Thank you. I wish you happiness.¡± She then took the invitation card and continued her way onward. Meanwhile, Marcus and the others were already inside a private room when Sophia reached Grand za. Upon seeing that Sophia had arrived, he requested the staff to serve the food. Sophia rposed herself and put on a smile before entering the room. ¡°Sorry to keep you and everyone waiting, Mr. Rubin.¡± Once lunch was over, Sophia and Alexander departed. These people were now top executives at theirpanies and were busy people. They had already shown a gesture of sincerity for being able to take time out of their schedule to return to the university for a morning. Sophia did not say much on their way back and was obviously in a bad mood. Alexander called out to her, ¡°Sophia?¡± Only when she heard his voice did Sophia regain her senses. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What''s on your mind?¡± ¡°I was just thinking about some things from my student days.¡± ¡°May I know what those are about?¡± Sophia was not in a talkative mood that day. ¡°I haven''t really looked into it yet. I''ll tell you once I figure things out.¡± The things that happened back then might not be as simple as I thought. ¡°All right. Is there anything I can do to help?¡± Sophia looked at him and smiled. ¡°Not at the moment.¡± After a pause, she asked, ¡°I bet you''re feeling happy. Am I right, Alexander?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Ever since Sophia first set foot in Jadeborough, her goal was always to get closer to Alexander. Alexander looked down at her and furrowed his brows. ¡°My heart aches more than anything.¡± He held Sophia''s hand as he spoke. Sophia chuckled. ¡°This is my own choice, and I have no regrets.¡± There was no such thing as perfection in life. Sophia would never know what the oue would be if she never initially came to this ce. Be it a momentary or a lifetime of regret, Sophia was more than willing to pay the price for the impulsivity of her actions. Alexander only held her hand tightly and said nothing in response. Soon, the car slowly pulled over at the premises of Sunshine Group. Upon returning to the office, Sophia called for Yvonne through an internalndline. Very quickly, Yvonne knocked on the door and stepped inside. ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Sophia raised her head and nced at Yvonne. ¡°Ms. Leighton, I need you to look into a ssmate of mine from university. I''d like to know how Tanya has been doing over the past few years. Also¡ª¡± She paused for a moment as she spoke. ¡°Also, please look into that incident in my senior year of university.¡± Back then, a man named Connor Wilkinson never saw sess in his three-year-long attempt to gain Sophia''s affection. Thus, he decided he would drug Sophia on her birthday when she was in her senior year of university. Sophia''s ssmate, Tanya Gomez, overheard Connor''s conversation over the phone with someone, and she went to see Sophia in private. After Sophia managed to avoid that catastrophe, she asked Yvonne to give Tanya an internship cement at Sunshine Group. However, Tanya refused the offer and cited her need to recuperate in the countryside for health reasons. In the end, Sophia never imposed on Tanya and had Yvonne give her gifts in return. She never kept in touch with Tanya after that. Yvette had always disliked Sophia, but it was clear from their conversation that something was wrong with Tanya. I remember Tanya was always a lively person back then. How could a cheerful person such as her suddenly spiral into depression? Sophia was a firm believer in the concept of karma. However, she became more suspicious and felt something was amiss in that incident all those years ago through her conversation with Yvette. Although Sophia had already made an assumption, she did not want it to be true. Yvonne grew acquainted with Sophia in their sophomore year at university. She also knew about the incident all those years ago and even had Connor jailed for a few days. Despite that, Sophia never expected she would ever bring up this matter again after five years. ¡°Understood, Ms. Yarrow. I''ll have someone look into this immediately.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°All right. Thank you.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± As for the matter regarding Alexander and Sophia''s attendance at the anniversary celebration, Marcus had not allowed the media to take pictures of the event. However, what he failed to take into ount was the enthusiasm shown by the students at Jadeborough University. In just over two hours, Sophia was already trending on social media. The thing that made Sophia viral this time was a video of her brewing coffee during the forum. As it turned out, a female student impressed by Sophia''s coffee-brewing skills was the one who recorded the video with her phone. The video showed Sophia demonstrating fluidity and skillfulness through her movements. Even the barely active official blog of Jadeborough University became flooded withments when the video was uploaded there. It waster reposted by an influencer in the coffee-brewing scene, thus making the video even more popr. At around three to four o''clock in the afternoon, ¡°Coffee-Brewing Goddess¡± had already be the third most trending topic on social media. Meanwhile, Katherine was done with her brand ambassador photography session. Upon browsing Twitter, she immediately logged onto her main ount and wrote: ¡°My goddess looks gorgeous even when brewing coffee.¡± Katherine no longer needed to be secretive ever since the discovery of her alternate ount on social media. Jonice initially thought such a discovery would undoubtedly cause a decline in fans. She, however, never expected Katherine''s protectiveness of those dear to her would instead garner her many fans after that incident. Hence, Jonice also stopped minding Katherine''s posts about Sophia on social media. Not like she could ever monitor them all in the first ce. After Katherine was done with her post, she thoughtfully sent Sophia a link, wanting thetter to see all theizens'' ttery. Sophia raised a brow and texted back: There''s no need for that. You tter me all the time anyways. Katherine did not know what to text back in response. In fact, she always felt Sophia was scolding her but had no evidence to prove otherwise. How infuriating! Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Following the video of Sophia brewing coffee at Jadeborough University''s anniversary celebration, someizens found out that Sophia and Joshua were actually invited to attend the event as the university''s outstanding graduates. Although Jadeborough University''s standards weren''t on par with Quadfield University, the former was still one of the top ten academic institutions in the nation. Sophia''s excellence was implied since she was invited to attend Jadeborough University''s anniversary celebration as their exceptional graduate. Soon, someone also dug out news about Sophia, the top student of her state, rejecting Quadfield University''s offer and was dedicated to entering Jadeborough University in the past. Initially, there were some negativements below the video, such as criticism about her disrespecting others for brewing coffee on such an asion. However, after her qualifications of being a top student were exposed, only surprised reactions and praises for her achievements were left on the inte. Meanwhile, Ka, who had been waiting for Sophia to be rebuked by the public, grimaced in fury after seeing all thepliments directed at Sophia flooding the inte. She had heard about the matter rted to Sophia being invited back to Jadeborough University a few days ago from her cousin. It was also said that the university had purposely organized a forum for Sophia, and the topic of discussion was mainly to interview Sophia and Joshua. Ka figured there would be a lot of reporters attending Jadeborough University''s anniversary celebration, so after she was informed of that matter, she secretly looked for someone to do her bidding. Since it was a forum, there would undoubtedly be a question-and-answer session. Hence, Ka hired someone to sneak into the hall and ask Sophia embarrassing questions. She would then record a video and upload it on the inte so that theizens would jeer at Sophia. Ka thought her n would work well. However, four to five hours after the forum ended, Sophia was eulogized by the public, yet the person Ka hired failed to make any move. She tossed her tablet to the couch and picked up her phone to contact that person. ¡°What are you doing? Why isn''t there any news on the inte?¡± ¡°Ms. Fletcher, I''m sorry. When I asked that question earlier, those students demanded to know which ss I studied in. They immediately found out that I wasn''t a student of Jadeborough University and chased me out of the hall at once. My subordinate recorded a video of the entire forum. After I was kicked out of the venue, the audience merely acted as if nothing happened. Sophia didn''t even answer the question you told me to ask.¡± Ka grew more furious as she listen to his ount. ¡°You''re useless!¡± Right after she hung up the call, Felix was done investigating that matter. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I''ve discovered the identity of the person who deliberately asked the question.¡± Alexander nced up at Felix. ¡°Who''s that?¡± ¡°It''s Ka.¡± It''s Ka again? Alexander''s face darkened slightly as his eyes gleamed. ¡°The Cooper family hasn''t taken any action yet?¡± Following the video of Sophia brewing coffee at Jadeborough University''s anniversary celebration, someizens found out that Sophia and Joshua were actually invited to attend the event as the university''s outstanding graduates. Felix nodded. ¡°Mr. Casper and Ms. Yarrow''s rtionship seems to be quite good.¡± His subordinate had informed him that Casper and Ka had been seen to be hanging out together recently. ¡°In that case, you need to feed Casper with more juicy information.¡± Taking in the look in Alexander''s eyes, Felix felt chills traveling down his spine. Ka is such a daredevil for repeatedly targeting Ms. Yarrow with her schemes. ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos.¡± Felix had served Alexander for so many years. Naturally, he knew what he needed to do. Soon, his subordinate sent the juicy information to Casper''s inbox. Casper, who had just finished a meeting, frowned when he noticed the sender''s name on the email. He grasped his mouse and opened the email. When he saw the attached pictures, Casper angrily threw his mouse away. This Ka sure is capable! Compared to the incident of her being put in a tight spot during the question-and-answer session in the hall, Sophia was more concerned about what had happened to Tanya. Two days had passed by the time Yvonne was done investigating that matter. After Sophia read through theplied information, she fell silent for a long while. ¡°I got it. Thank you for the hard work.¡± Sensing the wavering smile on Sophia''s countenance, Yvonne thought it would be best for her not to remain inside the office. ¡°I shall take my leave first. Please let me know if you need anything, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia responded in a daze while staring at Yvonne''s leaving figure from behind. She didn''t expect the incident in the past wasn''t just as simple as her avoidance of a tragedy. Back then, after Connor''s n failed, someone told him Sophia had received word in advance, prompting her to know about his ploy to drug and take advantage of her. After he was released from prison, the first thing he did was instruct his men to locate Tanya. Connor''s family''s house was met with demolition, so their family became very wealthy overnight after receiving a huge sum of relocationpensation. Hence, he was able to enter Jadeborough UniversityAll content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. as an athlete. During his years at Jadeborough University, he got into rtionships with different girls almost every month as he was rtively good-looking and came from a loaded family. Although Connor pursued Sophia for three years throughout their four years of university life, he continued engaging in his frivolous lifestyle. In his opinion, he could win every girl''s affection using his wealth. Unfortunately, Sophia was an exception. Yet, he took a liking to her. Thus, he wanted to make a move on Sophia on their graduation day. Unexpectedly, not only did he fail to aplish his wish, but he also had to spend ten days in jail. When Connor knew Tanya had exposed him, he simply wanted to beat her up to vent his anger. However, that day was her birthday. She wore a white dress and put on light makeup. Tanya, who Connor wouldn''t even be attracted to on normal days, seemed surprisingly appealing to him. Moreover, even though Tanya wasn''t exceptionally gorgeous, she was still considered easy on the eye with her pure and ordinary appearance. Connor threatened her and caused her to burst into tears with just a few sentences. Taking in her tear-stained delicate facial features, Connor, overwhelmed by lust, forced himself on Tanya inside a small room under a staircase. After that, Tanya and her family filed awsuit against Connor, but their graduation certification and relevant academic qualifications were already handed to them. Therefore, strictly speaking, although that uwful act happened in the school, it had little to do with the university anymore. Besides, his offense was considered a criminal case, so the school didn''t have much jurisdiction over that matter. Sensing her family members'' reluctance to give up, Connor hired many thugs and gangsters to threaten them. He even told them if they were firm on pursuing that matter, he would ask his subordinates to spread rumors at the vige Tanya lived, saying she had shamelessly seduced him. When Tanya''s mother heard his threat, she suffered a heart attack on the spot and was admitted to the hospital to receive emergency treatment whichsted over eight hours. Subsequently, Tanya''s father had a fracture when he identally fell down the staircase at the hospital. While her parents were bed-bound due to their health conditions, Connor brought three hundred thousand, a letter of understanding, and an agreement to withdraw thewsuit and forced Tanya to sign it. Tanya''s family wasn''t well off. In addition, they spent a considerable amount of money to pay for her mother''s emergency treatment for her heart attack and another thirty to forty thousand for her father''s surgery. The savings of over one hundred thousand was used up just like that. As her parents would need to recuperate, Tanya had no choice but to take the money and sign the agreement. Two years ago, she married someone, but her husband was a terrible person who violently abused her. Half a year ago, after learning from an unknown source about Tanya''s past experience of being sexually assaulted, he insulted and rebuked her daily. She was diagnosed with major depressive disorder after six months. Just two months ago, she was rescued after an attempt to end her own life by cutting her wrist. Tanya was now staying with her parents and being cared for by them. That was theplete ount of details about Tanya, which Yvonne managed to find out. After Sophia finished reading the report, indescribable emotions churned within her chest. Although Sophia was not responsible for the subsequent events, she was the indirect reason Tanya''s initially promising future had taken such a dark and unfortunate turn. Suddenly, Sophia''s phone on the table vibrated. She regained her senses, put away her thoughts, and picked up the device before striding toward the door. Yvonne was slightly stunned when she saw her exiting the room. ¡°Are you going back, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°I''m going out for a while.¡± Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Yvonne''s investigation revealed that Tanya''s family had rented a house in a vige in Jadeborough''s countryside in order to seek treatment for Tanya. Sophia drove almost half an hour to track down the vige Yvonne had indicated. The vige was located just off the fringe of town and was in better shape than she had imagined. However, it was certainly far less developed than the city. Sophia parked her car and asked several vigers before pinpointing the low-cost t Tanya was renting. The privately built t did not have an elevator, and Sophia had to trudge up six flights of stairs to get to Tanya''s unit. The outdoor temperature in Jadeborough was nearing thirty degrees Celsius in June. Sophia''s forehead was covered in a thin sheen of sweat by the time she got to the sixth floor. She checked the unit number and turned left after leaving the stairs. The stench of traditional medicine stung her nose as she approached Tanya''s unit. Sophia stared at the metal door before lightly knocking on it. Someone opened the door soon after, and a woman who looked somewhat simr to Tanya appeared in the doorway. Sophia guessed this woman was Tanya''s mother, Laura. She smiled and exined, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Gomez. I''m Tanya''s university¡ª¡± ¡°Get lost! Tanya doesn''t have ssmates like you!¡± Laura yelled, cutting Sophia off. She then tried to m the door in Sophia''s face. Sophia quickly collected herself and stopped Tanya''s mother from shutting her out. ¡°Wait, Mrs. Gomez. You''re mistaken. My name is Sophia Yarrow. I''m not like the students who visited earlier. If you think I''m lying to you, you can ask Tanya. Please tell her my full name. It''s Sophia Yarrow.¡± She sounded sincere and gentle as she made her case to Laura. There was not a hint of arrogance in her beautiful eyes. Laura could feel Sophia''s goodwill, yet she was reminded of how Tanya almost took her own life after being agitated by her university ssmates a couple of days ago. Eventually, she decided against letting Sophia in and said, ¡°Wait here. I''ll ask Tanya.¡± Laura''s expression was still cold, but the hostility in her tone had dimmed somewhat. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Sophia took a step backward and no longer blocked the door. Tanya''s mother promptly closed the door, leaving Sophia outside. Footsteps sounded from the stairwell¡ªit was Tanya''s neighbor. The man had probably never seen a woman as pretty as Sophia and stared tantly at her. Sophia nced at the man but ignored him. She returned her attention to Tanya''s unit just as the metal door opened. Instead of Laura, Tanya now stood in the doorway. Sophia had not seen Tanya since their graduation five years ago. Tanya looked like apletely different person. The spark in her eyes was gone. Still, when she spotted Sophia, Tanya seemed to perk up in surprise. ¡°Sophia. It''s really you.¡± She stepped back and said, ¡°Would you like toe in?¡± A pauseter, Tanya suggested, ¡°Or, should we catch up at the caf¨¦ downstairs?¡± Sophia smiled and replied, ¡°Sure.¡± Tanya mistook Sophia''s reply as an agreement to meet at the caf¨¦ and was about to return to her room to change. To her surprise, Sophia strode into the house just as she turned around. The living room was suffocatingly small at five square meters. Sophia plonked herself on one of the stools in the room, surprising Tanya. Thetterposed herself a momentter and apologized, ¡°Sorry. My house is pretty small.¡± Shaking her head, Sophia reassured her, ¡°Don''t sweat about it.¡± Tanya took one of the stools just as Laura reappeared with a coffee pot in hand. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow. I thought you were one of her malicious ex-ssmates from university! Just a few days ago, two fancily dressed women came knocking, iming to be Tanya''s ssmates. I happily weed them into the house. Dear God, they said the nastiest things to my precious Tani once they came in! I was so¡ª¡± Tears welled in Laura''s eyes as she recounted the incident. Then, as though embarrassed over her emotional outburst, Laura wiped her tears and exined, ¡°Don''t mind me, Ms. Yarrow. At my age, I just lose track of time and go on and on.¡± ¡°Mom.¡± Tanya called out to Laura, who replied, ¡°I''ll prepare lunch in the kitchen so I don''t disturb you two. Why don''t you stay and eat with us, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia epted Laura''s invitation with a smile. Her agreement cheered Laura to no end. ¡°Well, have fun catching up among yourselves. I''ll get started on lunch.¡± Laura walked into the kitchen, and the sound of cutting vegetables soon drifted out of the space. Tanya said by way of greeting, ¡°You''re still as beautiful as I remember, Sophia.¡± ¡°You''re also as cute as I remember,¡± returned Sophia. They rarely interacted despite being ssmates in university. If Tanya had not sought Sophia out to discuss Connor''s affairs, Sophia would have forgotten the former''s appearance after years of separation. The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy. After their graduation, Tanyanded herself a job at a local bank in her hometown. For two years, she led an unassuming but decent life. Later on, she got into some badpany, and coupled with a slew of malicious rumors thrown her way, Tanya gave in to the demons that lurked in her heart since her university days and fell into severe depression. Sometimeter, Sophia said, ¡°Actually, I came to visit you today to ask for a favor.¡± ¡°I''m sorry, Sophia. I''m not too sure how I can help you in my current state.¡± Sophia shot Tanya a faint smile and said reassuringly, ¡°I know you can. I remember you joined the National Comics Competition while we were in university and even came in second.¡± Tanya had always wanted to be aic book writer, yet reality had cruelly trampled all over her dreams. Dreams are the least of my concerns for my life is a disaster. Undeterred by her silence, Sophia smiled and exined, ¡°I''m not sure if you''re aware of my work. I recently set up an entertainmentpany, and we asionally deal in copyright investment. My friend and I just invested in a novel called ''Silk Stream'' this year.¡± Interest shed through Tanya''s eyes. She mumbled, ¡°I''ve read it. It''s very good.¡± ¡°We''re making a movie adaptation of the novel now, but I''d like to have it adapted into aic as well. We''ve been busy looking for someone to helm the project, but none of the candidates have impressed us so far.¡± Here, Sophie paused before continuing, ¡°A few days ago, I attended a talk at our university. When I walked past one of the bulletin boards, I suddenly remembered how the school had once used half the board to publicize your second-ce award in the National Comics Competition. Your drawing style would suit ''Silk Stream'' immensely. Everyone has a different style of interpretation. You''ve read the novel, and I believe you have your ideas on bringing the lead couple to life. That''s why I''d like to invite you to be the lead illustrator on theic. Of course, I realize I may be piling a lot of pressure on you through this request.¡± Tanya suddenly covered her face and burst into tears. She stammered through sobs, ¡°I''m in a horrible state right now, Sophia. I''m not lying. I don''t know how I turned out like this, but my life is a disaster.¡± When Sophia brought up her dreams and the past, Tanya felt her heart beating with purpose again. Still, she believed she was too big a mess to deserve aeback. A pair of hands closed over Tanya''s. Stunned, Tanya watched as Sophia gently pried her fingers away from her face and wiped her tears with some tissues. For the first time in her life, Tanya felt that the world could be a warm, weing space. Over the past half a year or so, Tanya had believed that she did not deserve to live. ¡°How can I help you, Tanya?¡± Sophia''s gentle voice rang out beside her ear. Tanya looked up at her former ssmate''s beautiful face and uttered, ¡°I''m sick, Sophia. Very, very sick.¡± ¡°It''s fine. I''ll get the best doctors to treat you.¡± To her surprise, Tanya wailed, ¡°It''s useless, Sophia. They''re all over me like a bunch of cobras. They''ll never let me go, Sophia!¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± Tanya no longer replied, appearing to have rpsed into her illness. She suddenly shrieked, pleading with ¡°them¡± not to approach her. Hearing themotion in the living room, Laura rushed out of the kitchen and hugged her daughter tightly. ¡°Tani, I''m begging you. Please don''t do this, okay? I''m begging you!¡± Sophia had a lump in her throat as she observed the scene. Chapter 253 Chapter 253 It was a heart-wrenching sight. Sophia was stumped for two seconds before she finally came back to her senses and asked, ¡°Mrs. Gomez, what can I do for you?¡± ¡°The medicine, Ms. Yarrow. Please help me fetch Tanya''s medicine.¡± The problem was, Sophia didn''t know where the medicine was. Hence, she walked over and reached out to hug Tanya instead. ¡°Tanya, don''t be afraid. It''s me, Sophia. Nobody will be able to hurt you. Believe me.¡± Tanya was taken aback and froze. Meanwhile, it only took Tanya''s mother, Laura, a while to fetch her medicine, and Tanya quickly felt sleepy after her mother fed it to her. Sophia and Laura took Tanya back to her room. There was nothing else in it, save for a wooden bed and a wooden study desk. Tanyay on the bed and stared nkly at the ceiling. It was painful for Tanya''s mother to see her daughter in such a state. She wiped away her tears and left the room. Sophia trailed behind her and said, ¡°Mrs. Gomez, I need to talk to you for a moment.¡± Though surprised by Sophia''s request, she said, ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them went back to the living room. Sophia, who was holding a ss of water in her hands, felt a heavy weight bearing down on her chest. ¡°Mrs. Gomez, I''m Sophia Yarrow. Tanya might not have mentioned me to you before, but I''d like to let you know that she saved my life five years ago. Connor had wanted to target me back then, and Tanya was the one who alerted me about it. That was how he got locked behind bars.¡± Sophia felt a lump in her throat as recounted the incident. ¡°I''m sorry, Mrs. Gomez. I didn''t know something like that would happen.¡± Tanya''s mother was deep in her own thoughts and said nothing. Sophia wiped away the tears brimming in her eyes and said, ¡°Mrs. Gomez, I wasn''t the one who put Tanya in this state, but I certainly yed a role in this. I feel the obligation to take care of her.¡± Laura could vaguely sense what Sophia was getting at and asked, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Firstly, I would like to apologize for not asking for your consent. I asked my secretary to find out about you and Tanya''s living conditions these few years. Tanya''s alert back then saved my life. She''s not doing well now. Besides, you and her father are also getting old. I hope this doesn''te off weird. I wish that Tanya can recover as soon as possible, as I am very much looking forward to seeing the lively and bubbly Tanya again soon.¡± As Sophia talked, she took out a card from her bag. It was the card that she used for her daily expenses, and there was not much on it ¡ªonly about three hundred thousand. However, it was enough to support Tanya''s family for the time being. ¡°There''s about three hundred thousand on the card, and here''s the key to a small unit I own in the city. I hope you don''t take this the wrong way, Mrs. Gomez. I really hope you would ept my help,¡± Sophia added. ¡°Ms. Yarrow ¡ª¡± Sophia interjected Laura. She already knew what Laura was going to say and had already thought it through in the car when she was on the way there. ¡°I''ll ask my secretary toe to help you and Tanya move tomorrow, and she''ll bring along an agreement. Just tell Tanya that I''m not just giving away the money and the house. They''re actually on loan. The agreement will state that you have to return them eventually. As long as Tanya can recover, this amount of money is actually not much to her at all.¡± Laura''s eyes brimmed with tears in response. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I really don''t know how to thank you. Even though Tani did save you back then, I know she must think that she was only doing what was right as a friend.¡± Sophia was touched by her remarks. Only kind and loving parents like Laura and her husband could have raised an outstanding woman like Tanya. Unfortunately, Tanya''s life had been nothing but one hardship after another. However, Sophia was positive that Tanya''s life would only get better from then on. ¡°There is one more thing that I''d like to ask for your opinion, Mrs. Gomez,¡± Sophia added. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you''re a true friend to Tanya. Just ask away. As long as it is beneficial for Tanya, I''ll surely agree to it.¡± Laura only had a daughter. She couldn''t bear to see Tanya in such a miserable state, not especially when Tanya''s best days were still ahead of her. Sophia pursed her lips before saying, ¡°I''ve investigated Tanya''s marriage. Her husband is not a good man. If you trust me, I can arrange for Tanya to get divorced from him.¡± ¡°If the scoundrel hadn''t vehemently opposed to the idea, Tanya would have divorced him long ago! Ms. Yarrow, if you really have a way to let Tanya divorce that b*stard and liberate her from that living hell, I''ll be eternally grateful to you!¡± Laura said. ¡°Mrs. Gomez, please don''t feel obligated. I just want to help Tanya,¡± Sophia said. Sophia actually med herself for what happened to Tanya. If she had asked Yvonne to keep tabs on Tanya for a few more days, Tanya wouldn''t have ended up like this. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you''re a kind woman, and you''re surely going to be rewarded for your kindness. It''s gettingte. Let me make you something to eat. I don''t have much to offer, but I can cook quite well,¡± Laura suggested. ¡°Sure, Mrs. Gomez. Take your time. Don''t rush. I''ll leave after having lunch,¡± Sophia reassured her. ¡°Sure! Do watch the TV for a moment. I''m going to prepare the dishes. It''ll be ready in no time.¡± Sophia did not turn on the TV. Instead, she went to Tanya''s room. She seemed to have fallen asleep after taking the medicine. Tanya looked peaceful in her sleep. Nobody would have guessed that she just had a sudden mental breakdown and went hysterical. Sophia was actually d that they were around when Tanya had a breakdown. She dared not think about Tanya attempting to take her own life when she was all alone in her room in the middle of the night. After having lunch, Sophia left after leaving Laura her private number. On her way back, she contacted Yvonne to arrange for Tanya to meet a psychologist, as well as to help her and Laura move. When she was almost done, Sophia suddenly recalled something and said. ¡°As for Tanya''s father... Let''s employ another security guard for the office.¡± Yvonne understood Sophia''s intention right away and said, ¡°I''ll ask an assistant to arrange for her to meet a psychologist.¡± Sophia paused for a moment and said, ¡°Find out about Tanya''s husband, Liam Mill, and while you''re at that, get me information on the Mill family as well.¡± The Mill family was rtively well-off and had good connections too. Thus, Liam was able to establish a smallpany. In Tanya''s hometown, the Mill family was considered a rather affluent family. ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow.¡± At night, after Sophia was done having dinner, she wiped the corners of her mouth and asked Alexander, ¡°Could you help me make an appointment with Mr. Schild?¡± Alexander did not query her intention and merely asked, ¡°Tonight?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sophia smiled in response. However, it was apparent that she was not in a good mood. Alexander held her hand and asked, ¡°What happened, Sophia?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. She cast him a nce and briefly told him what happened to Tanya. ¡°If she hadn''t alerted me back then, Connor would have gotten his way that night. I went to visit her today. She''s not doing well. Her eyes were so hollow, and it seemed like she had lost all her spirit. What''s left of her is merely a miserable ghost of her past lively and bubbly self.¡± ¡°Sophia, don''t me yourself. You and your friend are both the victim of that incident.¡± Sophia pursed her lips. ¡°You''re right, Alexander.¡± She vowed to make Connor pay for what he did. ¡°I''m going to settle the scores with Connor.¡± ¡°Let me help you,¡± Alexander chimed in. Sophia looked at him. This time, she did not reject him and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Samuel couldn''t believe his eyes when he received a call from Alexander, but the familiarly grating voice from the other end of the line cemented the reality. He raised his brows. ¡°I don''t see any pigs flying today. What''s the asion today that you found it in yourself to invite me out?¡± Alexander cut to the chase. ¡°I''ll meet you at ONE, eight o''clock tonight.¡± He hung up at that. Samuel stared nkly at his phone for several seconds. What''s with his attitude? No matter, I''ll be magnanimous and overlook his sass. ONE was the name of a popr pub in Jadeborough. Samuel suspected that Alexander had arranged a meet-up to seek rtionship advice from him as he might be going through a rough patch. With that in mind, Samuel elerated his driving as he couldn''t bear the thought of his pal being gued by rtionship troubles. Unfortunately for him, he was not the type to sit idly by when his friends were in deep waters. Samuel was in for a surprise when he saw both Alexander and Sophia waiting at the pub. ¡°Y-you called?¡± Why''s Sophia here when Alexander was the one who extended the invitation? Could his intention be to unt his rtionship? Samuel had a strong impulse to just turn and leave right there and then! Before he could do so, Sophia spoke, ¡°To be precise, it was me who arranged for this meeting, Mr. Schild.¡± Samuel harrumphed and seated himself reluctantly. ¡°I must be hallucinating, Sophia. You, extending an invitation to me?¡± Sophia''s lips quirked. ¡°You''d better believe it, Mr. Schild. There''s something I''d like to discuss with you.¡± The look on Sophia''s face indicated that she was in an unlikely mood for discussion. ¡°W-What is it about?¡± Samuel''s past experiences had taught him to be warier of his circumstances. However, his fate had been set in stone the moment he epted Alexander''s call. ¡°Does Midway Media own the rights to theic adaptation of ''Silk Stream''?¡± Samuel heaved a sigh of relief at that. He''d assumed there was a more crucial issue at hand. ¡°Indeed. You want it?¡± ¡°Would you be willing to give it?¡± ¡°Wh...¡± Samuel sneaked a nce at Alexander and swallowed the words that were about to roll off his tongue at his death re. ¡°Theic adaptation of ''Silk Stream'' isn''t particrly valuable to me.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°I''ll take that as a yes, then.¡± She reached for the contract at her side. ¡° Here''s the contract for your perusal which I''ve already signed. You may inform the personnel responsible for theic''s copyright to sign it by tomorrow. My secretary will collect it from you.¡± ¡°You came well-prepared tonight.¡± Samuel was indignant at not having the chance to bargain for a deal. Sophia smirked. ¡°I don''t go for battles unprepared.¡± Samuel''s gaze flicked toward Alexander. ¡°You''d be victorious in this round even if you came unarmed.¡± How could I refuse her over such a trivial matter! It was true that ¡°Silk Stream¡± was insignificant to hispany. There had been another adaptation before this that received an average response thanks to themercial sess of the original work. Now that Sophia had voiced her desire to obtain its right, Samuel naturally wouldn''t stand in her way. ¡°What about theic adaptation of ''Silk Stream'' piqued your interest?¡± Sophia leveled him a look. ¡°I''m pretty fond of it, I suppose.¡± It was as good as not saying anything. Samuel smiled bitterly at the couple before him. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± He was more than eager to lose himself to the rhythmic dance beats at a club. This pub was not his cup of tea at all, with its soft music and hushed atmosphere. Sophia took a sip of her juice. ¡°Nope.¡± She turned to look at Alexander, who stared straight at Samuel. ¡°That''s all for now.¡± It was as good as telling him to scram and be on his way. ¡°I''m going to Nocturne. Will you two be joining me?¡± Samuel was itching to get out of this ce as soon as possible. Alexander responded with a disdainful look. Samuel took hold of his car keys and left without a backward nce at receiving such a response. He''d spent barely five minutes at Nocturne before losing interest in whatever the club had to offer. Samuel was a little jealous when he recalled Alexander''s protectiveness toward Sophia. How desperately he wished to be in a lovey-dovey romantic rtionship! His thoughts eventually became so loud that he took off from the club. Even his friends couldn''t convince him to stay as he departed with a wave of his hand. He''d much rather have his beauty sleep to prevent premature hair loss! Unfortunately, his hopes of having an early night were diminished when a white sedan crashed into his car before he could drive off. The door to his precious sports car was visibly dented, fueling his anger. He stomped straight up to the driver''s side of the white sedan. ¡°Are you blind? Did you not see me parked right there?¡± The driver, Samantha, began panicking over the ident while Trinity, who was sitting in the passenger seat, cowered as she tugged her arm lightly. ¡°Sam, what should we do? It seems like we''ve crashed into the wrong person.¡± She was at a loss herself! Samuel delivered a kick to the sedan''s door at their silence. ¡°Come out and face me if you''re not dead!¡± A woman dressed in a white blouse and jeans opened the car door. ¡°I''m so sorry, mister. It seems like I''ve mistaken you for someone else.'' Samuel took in the woman before him and huffed. ¡°It''s a pity you have such poor eyesight with your looks.¡± Samantha couldn''t tell if he was mocking or praising her. It was Trinity''s fault that she''d crashed into the wrong car. She looked at the livid Samuel and thought for a brief moment before she alighted her car. ¡°My sincere apologies, mister. I thought this car belonged to my boyfriend. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. Samantha corrected herself immediately. ¡°Ex-boyfriend.¡± ¡°Enough with all the unnecessary details. Let''s address the issue ofpensation.¡± ¡°I''ll leave you my contact number. You may send me the receipt for the repair cost. Is that all right?¡± Samantha was aware that she was in the wrong. Samuel was not an unreasonable person. Since the offender seemed sincerely apologetic, he agreed to her suggestion. While Samuel unlocked his phone for Samantha to input her phone number, she marveled at his absurdly simple PIN. Once she''d sessfully saved her contact number in his phone, she eyed the luxurious sports car and acutely felt her wallet bleeding. She should have given him a fake number instead, with how gullible he seemed. The ringing of her phone dispelled that idea in an instant. ¡°It''s good to know that you aren''t trying anything.¡± She raised her head and saw a dubious expression on Samuel''s face. Only fools would take a stranger''s words at face value without verifying the veracity of their phone number. Samantha was tongue-tied. Well, I certainly underestimated him. Samuel was in a particrly foul mood over the damage wrecked on his dear car. He felt so empty and alone once he got home that he debated whether or not to call Alexander out and have a heart-to-heart talk. Just then, he came across the contact number left behind by Susan. It stared back at him from his screen and before he knew it, he''d added her on WhatsApp. Her profile picture was a drawing of a female character, and she''d set her nickname as ¡°Sam.¡± Samuel decided to scroll through her feed since he had nothing better to do. Regrettably, it was as empty as a piece of nk paper. He was about to exit her profile when he identally sent her a friend request. Samantha replied almost instantly: Not epting friend requests from strangers. Samuel was amused by that and typed back: I''m the poor fellow whose car you wrecked. His friend request was epted this time around. A smile crept onto Samuel''s face as he gazed at the question mark she sent back. Perhaps my night wouldn''t be so wearisome after all. Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Yvonne was efficient as usual. After receiving Sophia''s order, she helped Tanya and her family moved to a house that belonged to Sophia the following day. At around three in the afternoon, Tanya gave Sophia a call. ¡°Thank you, Sophia.¡± Through the phone, Sophia could hear Tanya choking up. ¡°I should be the one thanking you, Tanya,¡± she responded. ¡°I would have acted the same way towards anyone else in the same situation.¡± Tanya paused and added, ¡°I never held you responsible, Sophia.¡± She med fate for being unfair, and Connor for being cruel, but she had never med Sophia. After the call ended, Sophia stared outside the window, her mind drifting elsewhere. She only regained her senses when someone knocked on the door. ¡°Come on in.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''ve arranged everything for Ms. Gomez. The doctor suggested that she receives treatment at the hospital for three months. She''ll get discharged if her condition improves.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°What did Tanya say?¡± ¡°Ms. Gomez is willing to get treated,¡± Yvonne revealed. She handed the box she was holding to Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Gomez wanted me to give this to you.¡± Sophia was startled, but she epted the box. ¡°Thank you. You can get back to work now.¡± Yvonne nodded. ¡°Sure, Ms. Yarrow.¡± She then left and closed the door behind her. Sophia was left alone in her office. She returned to her seat and opened the box. When the lid was opened, a new fountain pen appeared in Sophia''s sight. Sophia stared at the pen, lost in her thoughts. If I''m not mistaken, this is the pen I lent to Tanya when we were taking our level four Ustranasion test back in university. There were a few paper stars and a note under the pen with Tanya''s neat handwriting: Sophia, thanks for the pen. Be happy every day! The tone of the note suggests that it was written by Tanya back then. It was likely that Tanya did not have the opportunity to return the pen to Sophia, as Sophia rarely went to the university. Sophia collected her thoughts, uncapped the pen, and grabbed a piece of spare paper to write on. It had been years, but there was still ink inside the pen. After writing Tanya''s name on the paper, Sophia ced the cap back on the pen and returned the pen to the box. Tanya is such a nice person. I can''t sit back and do nothing when she''s in this state. Around four in the afternoon, Sophia received the copyright agreement that she gave to Samuelst night. Theic adaptation rights to ¡°Silk Stream¡± was hers, so all she had to do was to wait for Tanya to recover slowly. At five in the afternoon, Sophia brought the newly drafted agreement to the hospital. When Sophia arrived, the attending physician was briefing Tanya and Laura on Tanya''s recent assessment and current condition. Sophia came to a stop at the door and knocked instead of heading in directly. Hearing the sound, everyone in the ward turned over their shoulders to look at her. Tanya seemed delighted to see Sophia. ¡°Hey, Sophia.¡± Sophia shed a grin and walked into the ward. ¡°Please continue.¡± Ivan Zipwick, the attending physician, nced at Sophia before turning his focus back to Tanya. He smiled warmly and said, ¡°Ms. Gomez, you are unwell. If you follow my rmendations andplete the treatment, you should be able to return to your regr routine in due course.¡± Tanya''s condition appeared to have improved and she seemed to have a high level of trust in Ivan. She responded, ¡°Alright, Dr. Zipwick. I''ll follow your instructions.¡± Ivan had nothing else to say. Tanya would be in the hospital for three months of treatment, so he was not in a rush to speak with her. ¡°I''ll take my leave now,¡± he said and left. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Before Sophia could protest, Laura had already poured her a cup of coffee. Sophia hade straight to the hospital from work and got stuck in traffic at a corner right before the hospital. She had nned to drop by a florist to buy Tanya a bouquet of flowers, but the traffic dy made it impossible. As a result, she had to abandon the idea. ¡°Mrs. Gomez, you don''t have to do this.¡± ¡°Oh, it''s nothing. You did so much for Tani, and all I did was pour a cup of coffee for you.¡± Tanya watched them from the side. ¡°It''s fine, Sophia. My mom hates owing other people favors.¡± Since they said that, Sophia had to ept the cup with a smile. ¡°Thanks, Mrs. Gomez.¡± She lowered her head and offered the agreement to Tanya. ¡°Take a look at this and see if you need to edit anything.¡± It could be difficult for others to notice someone was experiencing depression. Tanya seemed like apletely different person todaypared to the previous day. If not for the emptiness in her eyes, Sophia would have thought that Tanya had somehow returned to the innocent young woman she had been in university. However, she knew that wasn''t the case. Tanya was still bewildered and afraid, but she didn''t want them to worry and pretended to be fine. As that thought urred to Sophia, she felt her chest constricting. ¡°What is this?¡± Sophia chuckled upon hearing the question. ¡°You''ll see what it is when you open it,¡± she replied. Tanya looked at Sophia before opening the agreement. Upon seeing the first page, she was shocked. ¡°Is this theic adaptation agreement for ''Silk Stream''?¡± she eximed. ¡°Yes. I wasn''t lying to you yesterday, Tanya.¡± ¡°Sophia, are you sure I can do it?¡± Over time, Tanya had been bullied so severely by those bad guys that she had forgotten her self-worth and abilities. Jadeborough University was not as highly ranked as Quadfield University, but Tanya was still able to secure a spot in the most popr program at Jadeborough University despiteing from a small county. It was clear that she had excelled on the university entrance exam and was a top schr. However, her confidence was shattered after Connor''s vition and the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband and her husband''s family. Tanya had always been a fan ofics and dreamed of bing aic book writer as talented as Hayao Miyazaki. She decided to major in finance with the goal of earning enough money to support her parents within three years after graduation. After that, she would be free to pursue her dream without any financial constraints. While Tanya''s n seemed great, reality dealt her a harsh blow. Yesterday, when Sophia told her about this, her first reaction was to doubt her own abilities and the veracity of Sophia''s words. However, Sophia showed her the agreement to be the main writer of theic book adaptation today. ¡°Filming for the online drama adaptation of ''Silk Stream'' has begun and is expected to bepleted by the end of the year. It will be broadcast on the Icecool website next summer. To reduce promotion costs, I hope that you will be able to begin serializing theic in October and publish the finale alongside the online drama.¡± Sophia''s lips curled after saying that. ¡°Would that be too much of a burden for you?¡± That wasn''t what Tanya was concerned about, for her main problem was doubting herself. ¡°Sophia, you might not be aware of this, but I haven''t drawn in years. Besides, the pay...¡± Sophia offered her three thousand for one episode and forty percent of the subscription ie. Besides, she would also get a twenty percentmission for eachic book published. Theic consisted of one hundred and fifty-six episodes, so Tanya would get paid at least four hundred and fifty thousand. When the online drama was aired, the online subscriptions to heric would also increase. Since there were over one hundred and fifty episodes, they would publish the series in three books. After deducting the necessary charges, eachic book would earn at least ten from sales. Sophia offered Tanya a twenty percentmission, which amounted to two peric book. Therefore, if one hundred thousandic books were sold, Tanya would get paid two hundred thousand. If one millionic books were sold, she would receive two million. It was pretty obvious to Tanya that Sophia was giving her money. ¡°Tanya, you might not know this, but I''m a businessperson. I have offered you this rate as I trust your ability. I believe that you''ll surprise me with theic adaptation of ''Silk Stream'' as the main writer.¡± Tanya lifted her head to look at Sophia. ¡°But Sophia¡ª¡± Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Before leaving, Sophia told Tanya, ¡°You may not believe in yourself, but you must trust my judgment.¡± Tanya looked at the agreement in her hands and had the urge to cry. It had been a long time since someone affirmed her ability. Her husband called her damaged goods; her mother-inw used her of being infertile; her sister-in- law imed that her education at Jadeborough University was wasted because she was useless. They repeatedly called her worthless until she began to believe it herself. During the early summer months, it wouldn''t get dark untilte at night. Tanya looked out the window and blinked, causing a tear to fall onto the agreement. Startled, she quickly wiped it off before turning to Laura. ¡°Mom, do you think I can handle this?¡± she asked. Laura was a kind and mild-mannered woman. Tanya had endured a lot of hardship over the years, but she couldn''t stand up to Tanya''s inws. The only thing she could do was tell Tanya how amazing she was whenever they had a chance to be alone together. s, her efforts were in vain. Now, Sophia told Tanya that she trusted Tanya with her actions. Laura was touched, but she was also concerned that Tanya might be too emotional, so she smiled gently and answered, ¡°Tani, didn''t you tell me that Ms. Yarrow is a capable person? If she''s capable, then I''m sure she has good judgment. Plus, I''ve always believed that you are the best!¡± ¡°Mom...¡± Sophia left the hospital before it was rush hour. She arrived at the mansion past six in the evening. Alexander had to entertain some clients, so Sophia cooked a simple meal for herself. After dinner, she went to the balcony and enjoyed the night breeze. The moon was unusually round that night. As Sophia looked up at it, she suddenly remembered something and took out her phone to call Yvonne. Yvonne had just finished her dinner at this hour. ¡°Good evening, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia ran her hand through her hair as a small smile appeared on her lips. ¡°Good evening. Am I disturbing you?¡± ¡°No. Is there anything you need, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°I need your help to see if Tanya has published anything in these few years.¡± If she wasn''t mistaken, the National Comics Competition was about to announce its winners for this year soon. ¡°Sure, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne was moved by what had happened to Tanya and sent the relevant information to Sophia within an hour. Sophia noticed the email notification on her phone, and her eyes twitched slightly. She put down the book she was reading and retrieved her phone to read the email. Her guess was confirmed, Tanya did publish her ownic ¡°Knife and Moon¡± on a website three years ago using the pseudonym ¡°Peachtan¡±. Initially, Tanya had been posting one episode regrly on a weekly basis, but after Connor''s terrible actions, she stopped updating for over three months. After that, she resumed updating once a month. Five monthster, she returned to updating on a weekly basis until episode eighty-eight, at which point she stopped updatingpletely. There were manyments urging her to continue updating. Thetestment asking for an update was posted just a week ago. Sophia nced at thements and promptly called Katherine. Katherine had gone to Baykeep a few days earlier to attend a fashion show, so she wasn''t particrly busy. When Sophia called, she was snacking and reading about recent gossip in the entertainment industry. Seeing the caller ID, Katherine tossed the remaining snacks back onto the table and answered the phone. ¡°Precious, you miss me, huh?¡± she asked cheerfully. Sophia had no idea where Katherine had learned that overly cheesy form of address. She snorted and replied, ¡°Cut it out. I need to talk to you about something serious.¡± Katherine pretended to sob. ¡°You only call when you need my help!¡± Sophia ignored her act and revealed, ¡°It''s rted to Tanya.¡± Katherine had heard about Tanya''s situation from Sophia two days earlier and felt both pity and gratitude toward Tanya. If it weren''t for Tanya, Sophia would have been the one vited by Connor. It was an important matter, so she coughed and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I need your help to trend something.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Tanya has a pseudonym, ''Peachtan'', under which she published twoics online. One is ''Knife and Moon'' which was updated until episode eighty-eight, while the other is ''Beautiful Spring'' which was updated until episode thirty-two. Bothics are iplete. The National Comics Competition will announce the winners for this year next Monday, so I want you to tweet and encourage theizens to express their longing for herics to continue.¡± Katherine immediately understood Sophia''s intention. ¡°Got it. You want me to boost Tanya''s confidence and give her hope, right?¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°You''re smart this time.¡± A hint was all it took for Katherine to understand her real intention. Katherine scoffed. ¡°I''ve always been smart.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Sophia yed along with her. ¡°Mm. Indeed, you''ve always been smart.¡± Katherine somehow felt like she had been mocked. After the call ended, Sophia nced at the time, only to see that it was past nine at night. It was time for her to wash up and go to bed. She had just arrived at the third floor when the doorbell rang. Sophia arched a brow. The only person who would visit her at this hour could only be Alexander. Indeed, she opened the door to see Alexander standing outside the grill gate. From a distance, the man gazed at her tenderly, his body bathed in the soft light of the moon. Sophia''s heart skipped a beat as she looked down and walked over to the gate to open it. ¡°It''ste. Why aren''t you in bed yet, Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander took her hand. ¡°Because I miss you, Precious.¡± Sophia''s cheeks burned. Why does everyone keep calling me ¡°Precious¡± tonight? ¡°Did you drink a lot?¡± Alexander had been drinking and Sophia could smell the alcohol on him as she approached. The smell became even stronger now that he was standing right next to her. ¡°Four sses.¡± Sophia tilted her head to look at him. ¡°That''s a lot.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Alexander gave a grunt of affirmation and led her into the mansion. ¡°Sophia, I''m thirsty.¡± He copsed onto the couch and began massaging his temples, appearing to be in difort. Sophia made him a ss of honey water, and he finished it in one gulp. ¡°You want more?¡± she asked. Alexander nodded, his gaze fixed on Sophia as he loosened his necktie. His stare was so intense that Sophia felt her cheeks turn pink. ¡°Okay,¡± she responded and went into the kitchen to pour another ss of water. She ced the ss on the table and was about to sit down when he reached out to hug her. ¡°It has been three days, Sophia.¡± He hesitated before adding, ¡°Isn''t it time to add to my progress bar?¡± Oh, right. We made a bet three days ago about when Casper will take action on Ka. Sophia nced at him as a smile nudged her lips. ¡°Even though Casper didn''t take action within three days, that doesn''t mean he will take action within seven days, right?¡± She didn''t forget that Alexander said seven days after the initial three days. As if he had anticipated her response, Alexander''s gaze shifted slightly as he chuckled. ¡°Old Mr. Fletcher''s birthday party will be held on the day after tomorrow.¡± Sophia was surprised to hear that. Now she understood why Casper hadn''t taken action yet¡ªhe was waiting for a special asion to do so. I made a mistake in my calctions. Well, it''s not like I can''t afford to lose, anyway. ¡°Your progress has increased by twenty percent.¡± ¡°That means I have twenty-five percent to go.¡± Alexander''s gaze was fixed on her. ¡°Can I stay here tonight?¡± Sophia blushed at his words and was about to reply when he added, ¡°I''ll sleep in the guest room.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Sophia realized that she had misunderstood his words. Chapter 257 Chapter 257 Alexander finally achieved his goal of staying over for the night. The clothes he had left here a few days ago on purpose finally came in handy. After taking a shower, Alexander felt refreshed and no longer tipsy. The moon was shining brightly outside, and the inside of the house was quiet. Sophia was currently in the same house as him. Sophia had just stepped out of the shower when someone knocked at her door. She stopped drying her hair and went to answer the door. A half-smile nudged her lips as she remarked, ¡°Mr. Xenos, this isn''t the guest room.¡± Alexander looked at Sophia in silence. She had just stepped out of the shower, so her cheeks were rosy. When she blinked, the water droplets on her longshes fluttered and seemed tond in his heart. Alexander looked at Sophia intently and swallowed hard. ¡°I want something, Sophia.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Sophia couldn''t help but blush when she met his gaze, which seemed to be aze. She looked away but caught sight of the chiseled torso underneath his loosely tied bathrobe. Her face felt warmer than before. ¡°A goodnight kiss.¡± With that, he reached out to pull her into his arms and gave her a kiss. Alexander had just showered, so he no longer reeked of alcohol and smelled like the shower gel. The fresh citrus scent made Sophia crave more while the minty taste in his mouth cleared her head. Nevertheless, she couldn''t help but be lost in the moment. Her legs went limp as she clung to Alexander. The room was quiet save for their kissing sounds, racing heartbeats, and heavy breathing. The temperature in the initially cool room rose as he slipped one hand into her pajamas. Sophia didn''t wear any bra inside as she had just taken a shower. The man''s palm was burning. Itnded on her breast and burned herst shred of control away. A romantic rtionship between two grown adults would definitely involve sex. Under the moonlight, Alexander slowly lost himself in her softness. Suddenly, he pulled away from her and stared at her intently. Before Sophia could react, he picked her up and strode toward the bed. As soon as Sophia was ced on the bed, she came to her senses and saw that Alexander was having a hard time controlling his desire, as the veins on his forehead were bulging. ¡°Sophia,¡± he called out as though he had sensed her hesitation. When Sophia''s alluring eyes blinked, thest shred of sanity in Alexander''s heart finally snapped. He bent down as his mouth covered her in a dizzying kiss that was far more passionate than the previous one. Sophia felt as though he was swallowing her whole. The top two buttons of her pajamas were undone amidst their kiss. Her neckline gaped open, revealing the voluptuous curves underneath. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. Sophia was prepared to take one step further when Alexander suddenly came to an abrupt stop. He rolled away and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. ¡°It''ste, so you should sleep.¡± His voice was deep and seductive. Sophia lowered her gaze and panted softly, her cheeks as red as a tomato. Alexandery beside her and wrap an arm around her. Sophia rested against his chest, listening to the thumping heartbeat that could belong to either of them. The room fell silent as the night grew darker. Soon, Sophia fell asleep. Alexander calmed down and looked at Sophia, who was sound asleep. His hands, which were pulling the nket up, froze when he noticed the low neckline of her pajamas. The following day, Sophia was woken by the rm. She frowned and was about to summon Genie to disable the rm when it went off. Sophia turned around to see Alexander lying in her bed. It appeared that he had just awakened, as his arm was still wrapped around her waist. There was a nket covering her body, and his arm was lying on top of it. The scene fromst night flooded her mind. Sophia nced at Alexander and asked, ¡°Didn''t you ask to spend the night in the guest room?¡± Alexander fixed his gaze on her as he lied through his teeth. ¡°I was too sleepy and fell asleep.¡± Hearing that, Sophia snorted out loud. ¡°Liar.¡± Her hair might be disheveled, and her eyelids looked heavy, but she was undeniably attractive when her lips curled into a grin. Seeing that, Alexander couldn''t resist the urge to kiss her. However, Sophia put both hands up to stop him. ¡°You haven''t brushed your teeth yet!¡± She pushed his face away and hopped off the bed. ¡°I''ll go wash up now!¡± It was the first time that Sophia had ever spent the night in bed with a man. They slept next to each other without doing anything, of course. No one would believe that they actually did nothing. After washing up, Sophia went downstairs. Alexander poured milk and toasting bread in the kitchen. Sophia stood outside the kitchen, watching him fry eggs skillfully. ¡°Alexander, can you cook?¡± she asked in amazement. As a kitchen destroyer, Sophia found it hard to learn how to cook. ¡°Mm.¡± Alexander nodded. Sophia couldn''t believe it, but the fried eggs were too perfect. They didn''t look like they had been cooked by someone who couldn''t cook. As she remained silent, Alexander turned over his shoulder to ask, ¡°You can''t cook?¡± ¡°The housekeeper does that,¡± came Sophia''s calm reply as she went aside to get a ss of water. Alexander turned off the stove and came out with the sandwiches he made. ¡°From now on, I''ll do the cooking.¡± Sophia sat down across from him and took the milk. ¡°Thank you.¡± She was thanking him for taking over the responsibility and also for giving her the milk. Alexander nced at her. ¡°You''re wee.¡± After breakfast, they went to work at their respective offices. Alexander mentioned Lnd''s eightieth birthday partyst night. That very afternoon, Yvonne delivered the invitation from the Fletcher family to her. Sophia usually wouldn''t attend such events. For the past few years, the Fletcher family never stopped sending her invitations. To be exact, they sent Suny invitations. However, Sophia never bothered attending them. After all, only a selected few in Jadeborough deserved her respect. However, this event was an exception, for Casper had chosen that day to teach Ka a lesson. Sophia wanted to see what he had in mind. She also wanted to see Ka getting flustered and embarrassed in public. Taking the invitation, she said, ¡°I''ll go with Alexander.¡± It was clear what she meant. Yvonne contacted the Fletcher family and told them Suny wouldn''t be there. On the day of Lnd''s eightieth birthday celebration, Alexander arrived at around five in the evening to pick Sophia up and take her to dinner. After having dinner, they went to the hotel where many guests had already arrived. Samuel, Charles, and Justin had arrived earlier. They were chatting together, and no one else could join them. When Samuel saw Alexander and Sophia, he raised an eyebrow and went over to them directly. Lnd''s health had declined in the past two years, so he had not yet made an appearance. It was Ka''s parents, her older brother, and her male rtives who were greeting the guests. Ka immediately noticed Alexander and Sophia when they walked into the venue. The couple didn''t act intimately, but Ka still remembered what Alexander said in the private room that day. Clenching her jaw, she tamped down her irritation and turned to Casper. ¡°Let me go and greet Ms. Yarrow.¡± Casper sipped on his wine. ¡°Sure.¡± He nced at her retreating figure as his gaze turned cold. I wonder if Ka will still be able to smile after what happens tonight Chapter 258 Chapter 258 ¡°Sophia, Alex,¡± Samuel greeted them as he made his way over with a ss of wine in his hand. When a waiter walked past them with a tray of drinks, he reached out to take a ss of juice and red wine each, before passing the ss of wine to Alexander. Just when Samuel was about to pass the ss of fruit juice to Sophia, his gaze met Alexander''s cold stare. Trembling slightly, Samuel added, ¡°Ah, I was feeling a bit parched.¡± Sophia quirked a brow and turned to Alexander with an amused expression. ¡°What should I drink, then?¡± Alexander then went directly to the waiter and brought her a ss of juice. ¡°Grape juice.¡± Sophia smiled and replied, ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Just then, Ka appeared with a ss of wine and said in a sarcastic voice, ¡°Did youe here with Mr. Xenos?¡± As Sophia knew Ka wouldn''t be able to getcentter, she didn''t mind her showing off her might now. ¡°The Fletcher family does not allow a plus one to the banquet?¡± ¡°Not exactly. I was just casually asking.¡± As she spoke, Ka''s gazended on Alexander. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I''ve never heard of your preference for bringing femalepanions before.¡± Her message was obvious. Ka had implied that Sophia was merely an essory to Alexander. Sophia remained unfazed as she swept a nce toward the brooch on Ka''s dress. She then asked in an ambiguous voice, ¡°You''re fond of children, aren''t you, Ms. Fletcher?¡± Ka''s expression darkened. ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about.¡± Sophia smiled and imitated Ka''s tone. ¡°Don''t get me wrong, Ms. Fletcher. I just thought your brooch was quite cute. I was just casually asking as well.¡± Since Ka mentioned she was casually asking, Sophia did the same as well. What''s the matter with that? Does she think only she can make a casual remark to me? Am I not allowed to do the same? Feeling guilty, Ka was unable to find fault with Sophia any further after that remark. ¡°Enjoy yourself then, Ms. Yarrow.¡± With that said, Ka left with her ss of wine. Sophia took a sip of her grape juice and smiled as she stared at Ka''s retreating figure silently. Samuel clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Ka still refuses to give up on you, Alex.¡± Samuel cast a nce toward Sophia after finishing his words, obviously expecting some drama to unfold. However, Sophia merely nced briefly at Samuel and smiled lightly. ¡°You know quite a lot, Mr. Schild.¡± After a short pause, she continued, ¡°Nevertheless, those who know too much will end up with nothing good.¡± Samuel was rendered speechless at her words. It''s just a joke! She doesn''t have toe up with such a viciousment, does she? Meanwhile, Alexander looked at Samuel indifferently, and yet his eyes conveyed an obvious message. Get lost. Don''t be an eyesore here. Samuel snorted, ¡°Fine, I won''t bother you guys then.¡± Tsk, tsk, tsk! The sappy affection you two are disying is simply intolerable! As he returned to where Charles and Justin were, Samuel regained his confidence and said, ¡°We shouldn''t disturb Alex anymore. He''s too busy entertaining Sophia now.¡± However, Charles merely stared at Samuel as if he was looking at a fool, while Justin chuckled. ¡°Can''t you see that we''ve been sitting here all this while?¡± You''re the fool who went over to disturb them! Samuel replied meekly, ¡°I-I only went there to greet them...¡± ¡°Yeah, sure you did,¡± Justin repliednguidly, not wanting to waste another breath talking to a fool like Samuel. The Fletcher family was still a very reputable family in Jadeborough. Otherwise, Ka would never have had the chance to marry Casper. Lnd''s eightieth birthday banquet was attended by almost all the reputable figures in Jadeborough. Quite a number of guests had noticed both Alexander and Sophia as they entered the venue together. Only a few people had actually taken Ka''s vicious remarks seriously. Furthermore, news regarding Alexander wanting to pursue Sophia again from half a year ago could still be found on the Inte. Now that the two of them were seen attending the banquet together, many people spected whether Alexander and Sophia had rekindled their rtionship. Regardless of whether the rumor was true, they were both envious and jealous of Sophia. It was indeed difficult for people of the same gender to admit how excellent the other was. Even though Sophia''s excellence and talents were obvious, and her achievements were even on the trending topic two days ago, everyone would still hope that she was nothing but ordinary. Thus, none of the socialites would ever pass up the opportunity to gossip or make snidements about Sophia. On such asions, the restroom had always been the perfect ce to hear sincere and honest comments. Barely two minutes after entering the restroom, Sophia had already heard quite a few truthful statements. ¡°I can''t believe Alexander would actually prefer someone like Sophia! What''s so good about her anyway? Isn''t she just a pretty face?¡± ¡°I don''t think you should put it that way...¡± ¡°Hey, which side are you on, anyway? What if she''s good in bed?¡± ¡°Hahaha! You''re right! It seems she''s dated quite a few men. Have you seen how she sashays when she moves? She also enjoys winking and flirting with other men. Oh my! How could someone be so flirtatious?¡± ¡°I don''t think you understand, do you? Men are crazy over women like her! They might seem innocent and pure, but in fact, they are wild in bed! Look how prim and proper her outfit is today. It will contrast with how feisty she will be in bed that way, right?¡± ¡°Oh, you''re such a meanie! How do you know all this stuff?¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia raised her brows and came out of her stall. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Squeezing past the two women, Sophia walked toward the sink and watched as their faces went pale immediately. After turning off the tap, she then took a piece of tissue and proceeded to wipe her hands nonchntly. ¡°Firstly, thank you forplimenting my beauty.¡± After a brief pause, she threw the tissue into the waste bin before adding, ¡°Secondly, it''s not a commendable trait to speak ill of others behind their backs. Now that I''m standing in front of you, go ahead if there is anything else you''d like to badmouth on me.¡± With that, she looked at both women in amusement. Embarrassed by her words, one of thedies flew into a rage. ¡°You''re crazy!¡± ¡°Just ignore her. Let''s go!¡± Sophia wasn''t there to pick fights with anyone that night. She was merely attending the event to see the drama unfoldter. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. As a result, she didn''t take both women''s words to heart at all. Meanwhile, Lnd had already appeared in the banquet hall after Warren wheeled him out. The old man had a smile on his face and appeared to be in good health. In spite of that, it was hard to predict how furious Lnd would getter. Besides saying a few words to therge crowd of guests, Lnd even specifically mentioned his future grandson-inw, Casper''s name as well. However, Casper seemed to decline Lnd''s kind gesture as he said bluntly, ¡°Old Mr. Fletcher, I don''t think I''m worthy of bing a part of the Fletcher family.¡± At the same time, a scream could be heard inside the hall. Suddenly, therge screen showed an illicit sexual video, in which some intimate body parts were blurred out, but the faces of the two people were clearly visible. It was evident that Ka was the female lead in the video, but Casper was not the man filmed alongside her. After a few seconds, the video cut to a different scene. Ka was still seen in the video, but this time, it was another man who appeared next to her. The Fletcher family was dumbfounded by the sudden revtion. Warren then yelled at the staff to turn the video off immediately. Unfortunately, the hotel''s video yer had already been hacked. There was no way of turning it off until the end of the video. Approximately eight secondster, another man emerged in the following scene. The female in the video was still, of course, Ka. Between all themotion, Lnd fainted out of rage, prompting the guests to erupt into whispers. Since there were many young children in the hall, some of the parents left quickly with their kids in tow. Meanwhile, Alexander had already covered Sophia''s eyes as soon as the video began to y. Sophia raised her hand to pull his hand away from her eyes but to no avail. ¡°Alexander!¡± ¡°Don''t look.¡± Why should she stare at other men''s nude bodies when she hadn''t even seen him naked? ¡°If you''re allowed to watch, why can''t I do the same?¡± The hand that had been covering her eyes lifted immediately after she spoke. As soon as she raised her head, Sophia''s gaze met with Alexander''s dark eyes. He stood in front of Sophia and looked at her with a stern expression. ¡°I wasn''t looking, Sophia.¡± Looking at him, Sophia broke into a smile. ¡°All right, then.¡± The entire hall became chaotic. Unable to turn off the screen projector, Ka caught a glimpse of Casper standing on stage. She rushed on stage immediately and yelled, ¡°It was you who did this, didn''t you? Why are you doing this to me? Casper, why must you do this to me?¡± Chapter 259 Chapter 259 Ka rushed over to Casper and started fighting with thetter. Amotion broke out on the stage, and the audience also erupted into chatter. Sophia stood under the stage and looked up at Ka pulling Casper with all her might on the stage. She curved her lips in a faint smile. Since you like ying tricks so much, you''re finally getting the taste of your own medicine now. The sudden turn of events was unexpected by all the guests at the birthday banquet. It was supposed to be a joyous asion, but now, it had turned into a big messy argument. Sophia nced at Alexander in front of her and asked, ¡°Should we go back now?¡± With Ka acting so desperately in public, Sophia believed her goal that night was achieved, and it was no longer necessary for them to stay at the scene. Alexander nodded in response. The two then turned around and left the scene. Later that night, the video clips of Ka having sex with different men yed at Lnd''s birthday banquet went viral among the upper ss. In truth, it was verymon for adult men and women to have sexual desire. They were living in modern society, after all. However, the problemy in Ka iming to be single since returning from overseas. Moreover, the Fletcher and Cooper families agreed to an arranged marriage half a year ago. Back when their arranged marriage was made public, most in the upper circle found that Casper and Ka were quite a perfect match. Ka had always maintained a decent and proper image in public, whereas Casper was never involved in any scandals. Hence, their arranged marriage did not spark any controversy at that time. Yet, everything changed after those video clips were released. In the video clips that were barely three minutes long, seven or eight men were already seen having sex with Ka. It was evident that she led a colorful private life. Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. There were too many guests at the birthday banquet, so the Fletcher family couldn''t pay everyone off to shut their mouths. It did not take long for the situation to spiral out of control when the video clips were posted on the inte. The clip where Ka pulled and cursed at Casper on the stage also went viral on the inte. Stemming from that clip, the inte also created multiple memes with the quote: I had sex with many other men, but I''ve never been in a rtionship. The Fletcher family thought the situation could not be any worse than that, but the next morning, Christina''s actual identity was exposed to the public. Shortly after, at nine in the morning, the Cooper family made a one-sided announcement to call off the engagement during office hours. Warren made a phone call to salvage the situation, but Casper replied with one sentence, ¡°I''m worried my future children may take myst name but aren''t blood-rted to me.¡± He was obviously mocking Ka for being promiscuous and leading a messy private life. Soon, the news that the engagement between the Cooper and Fletcher families was called off spread throughout the upper ss. It had only been eighteen hours since the incident at the birthday banquet happened. The series of events that cameter caught the Fletcher family off guard. They believed someone must be operating in the shadow against them. However, it was already toote for the Fletcher family to realize that. The dust had settled. It was no exaggeration to say the Fletcher family''s reputation was totally damaged by that incident. Following that, the past controversies surrounding the Fletcher family were also slowly exposed to the public. As a result, the Fletcher family refused to see anyone in the next few days. Soon, the Fletcher family could no longer handle the pressure and sent Ka and Christina abroad. This time, Ka had left the country for real. Her reputation had tanked in Jadeborough. Even if she did not choose to leave, she would have to face people in Jadeborough pointing fingers at her and gossiping about her whenever she left the house. Meanwhile, Sophia was not concerned about Ka leaving abroad. She was more interested in the reunion dinner with her university mates. Throughout her four years in university, Sophia did not share a close bond with her ssmates. She used to leave the ssroom as soon as the ss ended and did not even bother participating in group activities or gatherings. However, what Laura said the other day made Sophia think of something. She believed Yvette must be involved in making Connor find out Tanya was the tipper. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, your university reunion dinner is tonight.¡± Hearing that from Yvonne, Sophia nodded and said, ¡°All right. Noted.¡± At six in the evening, Sophia turned off herputer and took her handbag before leaving Sunshine Group. She had no idea who hosted the reunion. That person was generous enough to hold the dinner in a private room at Crescent, where it cost at least tens of thousands, and that price was yet to include the drinks and other items. After parking her car, Sophia went inside Crescent and immediately saw the sign of their reunion dinner. Her phone vibrated inside her bag. She took it out and saw a message from Alexander, asking when her reunion would end. Sophia gave it a thought and texted him an estimated time. There was a huge banner at the stairs on her left, with the title: The Fifth Anniversary Alumni Reunion of the 2011 Finance ss 1. Sophia raised her brows at that sight and walked up the stairs, arriving at the second floor. There was another sign by the stairs. She followed the instructions and turned left. Before she arrived at the room, she could already hear the noise inside. The microphone audio was a little loud. As Sophia walked in that direction, she could hear people inside congratting Yvette on her marriage in advance. As soon as Sophia arrived at the door, she saw Yvette holding a mic and standing on the stage as she announced, ¡°Everyone, please enjoy yourself to your heart''s content tonight. You don''t have to hold back.¡± I see. Yvette is the host tonight. Sophia raised her brows. Yvette noticed her and said, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we have another guest here! Let''s see who''s decided to join us tonight!¡± With that, several dozen pairs of eyes immediately looked in Sophia''s direction. Upon seeing Sophia, many gasped. ¡°Who is that beautifuldy?¡± They graduated from university five years ago. Sophia did not participate in any ss activities, so it was only natural that her ssmates could not recognize her. Although Sophia was known as the campus belle, Yvette was chosen as the prettiest girl from their ss. Yet, everyone else could tell who was the prettier among the two. This was also why Yvette had always held a grudge against Sophia over the years. Sophia was too popr in their university during that time, so someone soon recognized her. ¡°Oh my! It''s Sophia Yarrow!¡± Everyone else was surprised by Sophia''s sudden appearance when Yvette had already walked over to her. ¡°I thought you wouldn''te tonight.¡± Sophia smiled faintly at her. ¡°Well, you stuffed the invitation card in my hand personally.¡± Yvette pretended not to hear the mocking tone in Sophia''s response. She raised her brows and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, my husband has another dinner tonight. He will be joining uster. I''ll introduce him to you when he arrives.¡± Sophia was not that interested to know Yvette''s husband. She only joined the reunion for Tanya''s issue. ¡°I''m not interested in knowing someone else''s husband.¡± Yvette chuckled at that. ¡°He''s your former ssmate too, Sophia.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Sophia indifferently. Then, she stepped inside the room. Yvette was pretty and came from a well-off family that could afford to send her abroad right after she graduated from university. Still, she was only considered beautiful because no one else was prettier around her. Her features naturally stood out among a bunch of ordinary-looking women. However, with Sophia now standing next to Yvette, everyone else had to admit that Yvette looked ordinary suddenly. Sophia''s beauty was gentle yet striking, especially her bright eyes that would make one''s heart flutter as there were rather captivating. In contrast to her beauty, Sophia exuded an icy-cold aura. Although she was smiling, her ssmates dared not approach her and start a conversation. Yvette was an exception. She was waiting for Sophia to show up, and now that Sophia was there, she could no longer hold back her urge to mess with her. ¡°Sophia, I heard you''ve established an entertainmentpany. That''s pretty capable of you.¡± Yvette sounded like she was praising her, but her gloating expression suggested otherwise. Sophia stared at the ss of wine Yvette handed her and shook her head. ¡°I''m driving, so I can''t drink that.¡± Hearing that, Yvette shrugged and handed her a ss of fruit juice instead. ¡°Thanks.¡± Although Sophia did not respond to what she said earlier, Yvette still had other methods to make her talk. ¡°Our ssmates are all doing pretty well. Do you remember Shane Rogers? I heard his family got more than two hundred million for their relocationpensation. Since we''re old ssmates, and you''re our campus belle, you two should get to know each other more.¡± At that, Yvette suddenly chuckled and said, ¡°But then, I don''t think Shane can afford to give you a hundred million.¡± Due to the video clip where Sophia asked for money to marry Alexander in the past, everyone else in the reunion thought of her as a gold digger. Yvette was clearly mocking Sophia for that. On the other hand, Shane was famous to be a yboy. Yvette sneered inwardly. He is a yboy, and she is a gold digger. Well, well. Aren''t they a perfect match? Chapter 260 Chapter 260 ¡°Hey, you''re here, Shane! Where''s your goddess?¡± Yvette waved her hand to summon a guy over as she spoke. Sophia arched her brows as she raised her head, noticing a man in trendy clothes entering from the doorway. The man''s eyes lit up when he saw her. ¡°Wow, are my eyes ying tricks on me? We have a big shot here!¡± Sophia approached them and checked Sophia out without shame. ¡°You''re as pretty as ever even though we haven''t seen each other in five years, Sophia!¡± Sophia smiled after ncing at him. ¡°Thank you. You haven''t changed at all.¡± He''s as insipid as ever. Yvette interjected at the side, ¡°I just mentioned you to Sophia! Aren''t you single now? What a coincidence! Sophia is also single! Didn''t you use to refer to her as your goddess? Here''s your chance! Make sure you seize the opportunity, Shane!¡± Shane''s eyes lit up when he heard what Yvette said. He reached for his phone and spent a few seconds searching for something before handing it to Sophia. ¡°I bought this out of boredom a few days ago. Do you like this? I can gift it to you tomorrow if you like it.¡± Disyed on the phone was a bag by Arterius that cost around one hundred thousand. Nobody believed that Shane would just buy a random bag out of boredom. Sophia chuckled. ¡°How much does this bag cost?¡± The expression on everybody''s faces changed slightly as soon as she said that. She''s so materialistic despite her pretty looks and good temperament! Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. Yvette felt increasingly joyous and proud when she noticed how their former ssmates were looking down on Sophia. Meanwhile, Shane arched his brows self-conceitedly while staring into Sophia''s lovely eyes. ¡°It''s not all that expensive. It only cost me one hundred and twenty thousand.¡± A smile tugged on Sophia''s lips. ¡°It''s not that expensive indeed. I''ve never used such a cheap bag.¡± Her words were outright humiliating to Shane. Shane''s family''s quality of life improved drastically ever since they received thepensation money for moving houses as instructed by the government. He established his ownpany after graduating and managed to earn some money. Thus, people began fawning over him, so Sophia''s outright humiliation served as a hard blow to his ego. His face fell. ¡°Of course, you can also get a more expensive bag.¡± He suddenly retrieved a cigar from his pocket as he spoke. Katherine would''ve been amazed by how thoroughly prepared he was if she saw him puffing on a cigar in his stylish outfit. Shane lit his cigar with his head hung low. Then, he narrowed his eyes and stared at Sophia. ¡°I won''t mind giving you three hundred thousand if we have a drink together tonight.¡± He even cut his cigar beforehand. Sophia looked at him and smiled. ¡°Shane, lowering your head while lighting a cigar is unseemly.¡± By then, she had humiliated Shane twice. The expression on his face froze. ¡°Don''t push your luck, Sophia!¡± Yvette stepped in to mediate the conflict, but she wasn''t being helpful at all. ¡°Calm down, Shane. Sophia meant no harm. She''s more experienced and knowledgeable, so she might actually know how to light a cigar. She''s being helpful, so why don''t you take her advice?¡± Someone failed to suppress theirughter after she said that. Not only did Shane not manage to show off, but he humiliated himself in front of his former ssmates. He puffed on the cigar but ended up choking on it. Sophia raised her brows. ¡°You need to smoke it in small puffs.¡± No longer able to bear the shame, Shane mmed all of the cigars he took out from his pocket down on the table before him. ¡°F*cking do a demonstration right now! How does one smoke a cigar?¡± Sophia nced at the cigar. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± ¡°Then I''m not to be med for whatever humiliation ensues.¡± In fact, Sophia wasn''t good at smoking cigars. However, she had watched the male leads in movies puffing on them and had searched for some information about cigars out of personal interest, so she remember the steps. It was apparent from how Shane stared at her that she wouldn''t be able to leave the ce unharmed if she didn''t provide him with a demonstration. Besides, Sophia didn''te to pick a fight. Her main goal was to speak to Yvette and the others who sought Tanya out with Yvette. Meanwhile, the other men were beginning to be annoyed at Shane''s arrogance. Besides, most of them used to have a crush on Sophia. Although Yvette was eventually named the prettiest girl in their ss, they still regarded Sophia, who none of them could get their hands on, as the best. She was like a flower blooming on the most treacherous of mountains, whose purity and nobility should never be tainted. Although a lot had happened during her graduation year, and her divorce the previous year was also quite a scandal, none of those deterred them from holding her in high regard. After a standoff, someone took pity on Sophia and stood up for her. ¡°You should mind your manners, Shane. We''re having a ss reunion today. Don''t treat us like your employees.¡± Given that they graduated from the finance department of Jadeborough University, everyone had earned themselves a ce in society five years after graduation. While they might not have possessed hundreds of millions of assets, they could at least boast of having between ten to twenty million worth of assets. Thus, all of the people at the reunion could be considered elites. None of them relied on Shane for a living, so he didn''t pose a threat to them. Meanwhile, Yvette nced at Sophia. ¡°Calm down, Shane. You don''t have to escte things like this. Sophia is one of the university''s outstanding alumni and was invited as a speaker for a talk not long ago. It was no surprise that she would look down on you!¡± The situation wouldn''t have escted, but Shane could no longer stomach his rage after Yvette said that. What''s so noble about Sophia anyway? She merely established an entertainmentpany. Could she possibly have a worth of a hundred million? Sophia swept a nce at Yvette, who had been fanning the mes, before reaching out to retrieve a cigar. It was already cut, so she didn''t need to bother about it. As she held the cigar between her fingers, the brown cigar entuated the fairness of her hands. She bit on it lightly. Then, she lit a match using a matchbox and casually lit the cigar using the match she was holding. Her long, fair neck remained upright as she stood there nonchntly with a cigar in between her red lips. Sure enough, she didn''t even look down. The sight stunned everyone. Sophia took a small puff out of the cigar before closing the cigar box with her brows arched. ¡°I don''t really like cigars.¡± She stubbed out the cigar after taking another two puffs and cast it into the bin at the far end. All of that onlysted a mere two minutes, but none of the people present in the tiny room dared break the ensuing silence. Sure enough, with disparity came the damages. Initially, when Sophia reminded Shane of what he needed to improve on, none of them knew if she was exactly right about it, so they merely listened. However, she disyed such elegance while doing a demonstration of the proper way to smoke cigars. Shane looked as if he were smoking regr cigarettespared to her. Given that all of the attendees were elites themselves, they would have learned a thing or two about smoking cigars even if they had never tried it. At the least, they would''ve watched a movie or two with simr portrayals. Cigars were used in upper-ss society, so the fact that Shane made it look like smoking regr cigarettes was a joke. ¡°Have you learned it, Shane?¡± Sophia asked after ncing at him with indifference. Shane huffed in chagrin and turned to leave for elsewhere. Although he had left, he would asionally look back at her. She was still a goddess to him. Who wouldn''t want someone like her? At the same time, Sophia turned her attention toward Yvette and cut to the chase. ¡°I suppose you have something to say to me about Tanya.¡± There was a brief pause as she smiled. ¡°If you don''t feel like having a private conversation with me, I don''t mind talking with you about it here.¡± As she spoke, a man came in through the door. Yvette''s eyes lit up with joy. ¡°Henry!¡± Chapter 261 Chapter 261 Yvette quickly caught up with Henry and reached out to stop him. ¡°Henry, are you surprised to see Sophia join us for the ss reunion?¡± The mention of Sophia''s name caused Henry to turn toward Yvette by reflex. Sophia was standing in a pair of ck heels by the bar nearby, inly dressed in a white shirt and deep-blue tapered jeans. Even though it was a stylemonly adopted by white-cored workers, Sophia stood out from the crowd in it. Henry had pursued Sophia for more than a year in the past but failed. Later on, he got together with Yvette. As both of them were now close to getting married, no one else gave the matter much thought. Nevertheless, it is difficult for a man to forget his first love. Despite the passage of time, the sight of Sophia still made Henry feel bitter. Yet, after learning about what had happened to her after graduation, he no longer felt that she was worthy to be his girlfriend. In contrast to her, Yvette came from a rich family and had never had other boyfriends before. ¡°It''s been a while, Sophia.¡± Sophia threw Yvette a nce instead of responding to him directly. ¡°Is he your fianc¨¦?¡± ¡°Yes. Isn''t it such a coincidence?¡± The agenda hidden underneath Yvette''s blissful expression fooled no one, as all of them used to be ssmates. Although Shane had suffered at the hands of Sophia earlier, Yvette wasn''t afraid of being humiliated by thetter. Sophia broke into a smile. ¡°Both of you make a good couple.¡± She then took a sip of her juice. ¡°I''m going to thedies.¡± Having said that, she looked at Yvette and hesitated momentarily before asking, ¡°Do you want toe along?¡± Sophia''s indifferent attitude frustrated Yvette. ¡°Sure. I was just about to go and touch up on my makeup.¡± She turned to Henry. ¡°Henry, why don''t you chat with the other ssmates? I''m going to the ladies with Sophia.¡± As Sophia walked out of the ballroom with her purse in hand, the cking of her heels on the marble floor sounded especially loud. Yvette used the opportunity to get the burning question off her chest. ¡°Sophia, to be honest, do you regret not epting Henry back then? Thepany he has founded is about to go public. Once it''s listed, he will be worth over two billion. Even though he''s still notparable to Mr. Xenos, such an achievement for his age is something to be proud of. In fact, I must thank you for not epting him back then.¡± Sophia responded with a silent smile, making Yvette look as if she was talking to herself. Upon arriving at thedies, Sophia didn''t enter the cubicles. Instead, she asked Yvette directly, ¡°There''s something I don''t understand. I hope you can rify it for me.¡± As she spoke, the broad grin on her face sent a chill down Yvette''s spine. ¡°We''re all ssmates, so feel free to speak candidly.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. In response, Sophia cocked a brow as she asked, ¡°How did you find out about what happened to Tanya?¡± Yvette''s face visibly changed the moment she heard the question, and that alone had given Sophia the answer. Yvette got a grip on herself and answered, ¡°I ran into her one day and sensed something amiss, so I approached her and ask her about it.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Sophia narrowed her eyes and regarded Yvette with a half-smile. Yvette knitted her brows. ¡°What else can it be? It''s not like I''m close to her.¡± ¡°That''s true.¡± The smile on Sophia''s face faded. After turning off the tap, she pulled out a paper towel and took her time drying her hands. ¡°Oh, by the way, who did you go and see Tanya with the other day?¡± ¡°Diana.¡± Yvette immediately realized what she had let on the moment she finished. She looked at Sophia. ¡°When I saw how pitiful Tanya was, I went with our assistant ss rep to check in on her.¡± ¡°That''s really kind of you.¡± Thinking that Sophia had bought her story, Yvette heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°We used to be ssmates after all.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Sophia replied before throwing away her paper towel. ¡°I''ve got something on. Bye.¡± ¡°So soon? Are youing to my wedding?¡± Sophia gave her an emotionless look, then shed a faint smile. ¡°I think you probably don''t want to see me there.¡± Back then, Sophia had suspected Yvette to be the person who told Connor that Tanya was the one who revealed his secret. However, given that the incident happened five years ago and many of those involved had left Jadeborough, Sophia had no choice but to investigate the matter when Yvonne couldn''t find a lead. Even though she had now learned the truth of the matter, Sophia hadn''t figured out how to exact revenge on Tanya''s behalf. Yvette invited me to her wedding. Isn''t she worried that I would hire someone to mess it up? Yvette looked into Sophia''s mesmerizing eyes. For some reason, she felt a sense of dread just by looking at them. Despite that, she still wanted Sophia to attend her wedding so that she could show off. ¡°Of course not. I invited everyone in ss.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Sophia replied tly, showing no intention of continuing the conversation. ¡°I''m going off now.¡± ¡°How did youe here? Don''t tell me you rode a scooter. How about I get someone to send you home?¡± Sophia pretended not to hear Yvette''s condescending words as she strutted out the door in her heels. No sooner had she arrived at the stairs than her phone suddenly rang. She arched a brow when she saw the caller ID. ¡°What''s up?¡± ¡°I''m in the private room you were in.¡± Sophia was caught by surprise. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I was passing by.¡± Sophia snorted withughter. ¡°I don''t believe you.¡± After a brief hesitation, she replied, ¡°Wait there.¡± Upon ending the call, Sophia had no choice but to turn back. Back in the ballroom, Sophia was immediately greeted by the sight of Alexander. Many of the guests were handing him their business cards, which he cordially epted. Noticing Sophia''s presence, Alexander walked up to her side. ¡°You''re leaving?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± What has this gathering got anything to do with me? Am I not supposed to be a goddess? Why is a goddess socializing with mere mortals? When both of them walked to the entrance, they ran into Yvette, who had returned from touching up her makeup. Thetter''s instinct at the sight of Sophia with another man was to make a snide remark. However, the moment she got a good look at who it was, her expression changed drastically. Sophia simply threw her a passing nce before leaving the ballroom. ¡°Isn''t that Alexander Xenos?¡± It wasn''t until a few seconds had passed that the stunned Yvette regained her senses. ¡°It''s him,¡± Henry confirmed in an awkward tone. The other ssmates in the ballroom had begun gossiping excitedly about it. ¡°No wonder Sophia couldn''t be bothered with Shane. Alexander is pursuing her again! Shane is nothingpared to him.¡± Yvette couldn''t stand to hear the chatter. ¡°How do you know Alexander is courting her again? Perhaps they''re in a contracted rtionship. Isn''t itmon for people like them to have such arrangements?¡± Someone answered, ¡°Alexander admitted to it just now.¡± When Alexander entered the room, looking for Sophia, they¡ªoverwhelmed by curiosity¡ªhad asked him if the news of him pursuing Sophia again was true, and Alexander had nodded in response. The words caused Yvette''s face to flush red. Chapter 262 Chapter 262 When they came to her car, Sophia gave Alexander a cheeky look. ¡°Weren''t you passing by, Mr. Xenos? Where''s your car?¡± Alexander lowered his head to look at Sophia and replied in a serious tone, ¡°The driver left with it.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue, then handed her car keys to him. ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± She hadn''t eaten yet, as she lost her appetite the moment she saw her former ssmates. ¡°What would you like to have?¡± Alexander, having arrived straight from the office, hadn''t had dinner too. Jadeborough''s weather was growing increasingly warm now that it was May. Staring out the car window into the twilight sky, Sophia suggested, ¡°Shall we have sushi?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± As Sophia had only spent a short while at the ss reunion, it was only slightly past eight by the time they finished dinner. When Alexander drove up the path leading to the mansion, they saw two figures standing at the mansion entrance from far away with the help of the dim streetlight. It soon became clear that they were Thalia and Kristen as they drove nearer. Sophia turned to Alexander with a smile. ¡°They''re probably here to see you.¡± The sight of bothdies caused Alexander''s eyes to darken. He stopped the car, opened the car door, and alighted. Kristen''s face contorted slightly when she saw Alexander. ¡°Alex, don''t misunderstand. I''m here to discuss something with Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia, who had gotten out of the car as well, couldn''t help but cock a brow. ¡°I don''t think there''s anything for us to discuss.¡± Kristen gave Thalia a tug. ¡°It''s good that Alex is here. We''ll clear the air once and for all.¡± Does that mean she still needs to see Alexander after meeting with me? Sophia stared at Thalia and could easily guess what it was about. She subsequently threw Alexander a nce. ¡°I have a feeling that this is your family matter.¡± With that, she unlocked the door with her fingerprint and entered the mansion with her purse in her hand, leaving Alexander and thedies at the entrance. Alexander''s face clouded over the moment Sophia left. ¡°What is it?¡± Thalia burst into tears. ¡°Alex, I''m really sorry. Mom has transferred the money back into the ount. Can you please withdraw thewsuit? I don''t want to go to prison, Alex!¡± The trial was one month away, and Thalia was stricken with fear. Unfortunately, her pleas to Sophia previously had fallen on deaf ears. Truth be told, she knew it would be futile to see Sophia again, but Kristen had insisted on it. And now, they ended up running into Alexander in front of Sophia''s mansion. Thalia''s worst fear was that Alexander would think they were there to make things difficult for Sophia. Unable to exin herself, she felt a chill down her spine when she saw Alexander''s face turning sullen. Without a doubt, Kristen''s objective was to pressure Sophia. Little did she expect to be unlucky enough to run into Alexander. Kristen cleared her throat. ¡°Alex, Tally is your sister no matter what. Is it really necessary for you to go that far?¡± She tried to pressure Alexander with her authority, but she was under no illusion that she had no power over her son. As she spoke, she, too, felt guilty. Alexander gave his sister a look. ¡°This is thest time, Thalia.¡± Thereafter, he returned to the car and drove slowly into the mansion. By the time Thalia regained her senses, Alexander had already driven the car inside. Thalia could only stare at the back of the car, stunned. ¡°Mom, is Alex withdrawing thewsuit?¡± Regardless, Alexander''s backing down failed to quell Kristen''s rage. ¡°You shouldn''t think of him as your brother anymore. Have you ever seen a brother who treats his own sister this way? Even I mean nothing to him when I''m his mother.¡± Thalia didn''t darement any further. Now that she was an adult, she wasn''t oblivious to Kristen''s past. Back in the day, Kristen had eloped with a third party, leaving the newborn Alexander in the hands of the Xenos family. Later on, Zachary married Eloise, who ended up raising Alexander. It was debatable whether Eloise had treated Alexander well, but at the very least, she had fulfilled the responsibility of a mother to him. It wasn''t until Kristen was dumped by that same third party that she returned to seduce Zachary. By then, Alexander was old enough to know what was going on. As he wasn''t a fool, everything he saw was seared into his memory. After Eloise died of depression, Kristen officially returned to the Xenos family on the basis that she had Thalia and Leonard. As Thalia was still young then, she could barely make sense of what was going on. One time, she overheard someone mentioning that there was more to Eloise''s death than met the eye and that the incident was somehow linked to both Zachary and Kristen. After Zachary''s death, Alexander adopted an ambivalent attitude toward them. They were subsequently kicked out of the Xenos family only because Kristen had infuriated Sophia. Despite that, Thalia couldn''t tell if Eloise''s death could have been part of the reason. That was why she didn''t dare to add to Kristen''s words. On top of that, Alexander was now the head of the Xenos family. Even though Thalia carried the Xenos surname, her status was still dependent on Alexander''s whims. Having been kicked out of the Xenos family for half a year, she had learned how cruel life could be. She wished to return to the days when she was still the high-flying daughter of the Xenos family. ncing at the mansion in front of her, Thalia no longer joined in her mother''s tirade against Sophia. ¡°Mom, you should quit criticizing Sophia. It''s obvious that she means the world to Alex now. If you continue to disapprove of her, we''ll never be epted back into the Xenos family.¡± Her words finally caused Kristen to stop. Meanwhile, Sophia had just poured some water when Alexander came up to her. She gave him an indiscernible smile. ¡°That was quick, Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander took the cup and a sip of water before raising his head to look at her. ¡°I don''t really care about her, Sophia.¡± All Kristen did was give birth to him. For the subsequent thirty-odd years, she had never fulfilled the responsibility of a mother but often abused the authority that came with the position instead. Looking into his eyes, Sophia stopped teasing him as she asked, ¡°Is that all there is to it?¡± During the three years she was married to Alexander, she had seldom visited the Xenos residence. Even after the divorce, she was still under the impression that he didn''t like her and had no desire to even see her, so she never went back after that. However, now that she thought about it, the arrangement didn''t make sense to her. If Alexander really hated her, he would have settled her somece else instead of allowing her to continue staying in the Xenos residence. Half a year ago, Kristen and her children''s social standing had drastically dropped when he kicked them out. From that perspective, Alexander had orded her the status of Mrs. Xenos despite not being fond of her. Otherwise, if he really hated her, there was no reason for him to put himself in a situation where he couldn''t return to his own home. The divorce subsequently gave Sophia the time and space to ponder the matter objectively. When he heard her question, there was a glint in his eyes. ¡°She and Zachary are behind my stepmother''s death.¡± Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org. The answer stunned Sophia and at the same time made her realize how inappropriate her question was. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Alexander looked at her intently. ¡°Mrs. Xenos will need to know sooner orter.¡± Sophia was taken aback, and it took her a while to regain her senses. ¡°I''m still not your missus.¡± After putting the cup down, he walked up to her and gently wrapped his hands around her waist. ¡°You''ll soon be.¡± Faced with the smugness in his eyes, Sophia gave his nose a pinch. Just when she was about to say something, the phone on the couch suddenly rang. Chapter 263 Chapter 263 The phone call was from Lukas. Sophia nced at Alexander and said, ¡°It''s my brother.¡± He let go of her hand and sat on the couch, leaning slightly against the back of the seat, and gazed at her as she answered Lukas'' call. ¡°How are things between you and Zayne?¡± Sophia replied sheepishly, ¡°Lukas, actually¡ª¡± Lukas seemed to be conversing with someone else on the other end of the phone, so Sophia had no choice but to stop talking. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Lukas continued after a brief pause, ¡°If you don''t like Zayne, I have other friends.¡± There''s no need for that either... Sophia, who had initially nned toe clean, smiled wryly after hearing his words. ¡°Lukas, I''ve been busytely. One of my friends is facing some trouble, so I didn''t have the time to meet with Mr. Quantrill.¡± She wasn''t lying because she had indeed been pretty busy recently and hadn''t met with Zayne for over ten days. Lukas fell silent for a few moments before saying, ¡°In that case, try to get in touch with him more often. If the feeling''s not right, then never mind.¡± He wasn''t a traditional-minded person who was firm in dictating his little sister''s love life either. The only reason he introduced his friend to Sophia was that he couldn''t stand how unfairly she had been treated in her past rtionship with Alexander. By doing that, not only could he provide more potential partners for Sophia to choose from, but he could also anger and upset Alexander. Of course, the most favorable oue was if Sophia fell in love with another man. However, if she continued to be in love with Alexander in the end, there wasn''t anything he, as her elder brother, could do to separate them. ¡°Okay, I got it, Lukas.¡± ¡°Are you still keeping in contact with Alexander?¡± Sophia nced at Alexander, who was seated on the couch. ¡°I''ve been very upied with handling my friend''s problemtely.¡± Being crafty with her reply, she didn''t mention she wasn''t keeping in touch with Alexander. As for how Lukas interpreted her words, that wasn''t something she could decide. Apparently, Lukas was very satisfied with her answer. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help with your friend''s problem?¡± Sophia was touched when she heard that. She suddenly felt a little guilty for deceiving her brother. ¡°I can handle it, Lukas.¡± ¡°Look for me if you need any assistance. Don''t forget that I''m your brother.¡± ¡°I know that, Lukas.¡± Lukas seemed to be hanging out with others at that moment. After he asked all the questions he had in mind, he hung up the call in satisfaction. In his opinion, although Sophia was intelligent, she was also an obedient little sister, so she would never lie to him. Having just told a falsehood, Sophia turned sideways and noticed Alexander staring at her. Her face flushed instantaneously. ¡°Do you want to have some watermelon? Ms. Leigh¡ªYvonne bought it.¡± Sophia was too used to addressing Yvonne as Ms. Leighton that she almost did it again. Alexander looked into his eyes for a short while before asking, ¡°Where''s the watermelon?¡± Sophia pointed at the kitchen. ¡°It''s being soaked inside a small bucket.¡± Instead of exposing her deliberate intention of changing the topic of conversation, Alexander rolled up his sleeves while striding into the kitchen. The small bucket inside the kitchen did contain a watermelon dipped in ice water. When he picked up the fruit, it was still cold. Sophia stood at the kitchen doorway, looking at Alexander slicing the watermelon while contemting if she should tell him the truth that she was Suny. ¡°Alexander.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± He turned over and spared her a look. ¡°Do you know Suny?¡± Alexander stopped what he was doing when he heard her, but he swiftly regained his senses and continued his task on hand. ¡°She''s Sunshine Group''s chairperson.¡± ¡°What do you think of her?¡± Sophia walked over, took out a te, and ced it next to his hand. Alexander turned to look at her and slightly arched his brow. ¡°She''s your superior. What do you think of her?¡± Sophia didn''t anticipate him to revert the question to her. She lowered her gaze and wondered how she shouldpliment herself. After a few moments, she replied vaguely, ¡°She''s brilliant and capable.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Okay. My thoughts are quite simr to yours.¡± By then, he was done slicing the watermelon. When he lifted his head and Sophia met his eyes, she felt that her attempt to sound him out was for naught. She snorted. ¡°Don''t you have any other thoughts about her?¡± ¡°I don''t think of anyone else aside from you, Precious.¡± Sophia blushed at his words. ¡°T-That''s not what I meant.¡± He''s pretty smart most of the time, but why does he turn into a fool who can''t understand what I''m saying during crucial moments? ¡°I''ve never met her before, so it wouldn''t be appropriate for me toment on her.¡± Alexander had a point, and she had also expected him to give that answer. The two of them went into the living room while holding the te of watermelon. Sophia was taking a bite of the fruit when she heard Alexander''s question. ¡°You''ve been working for Suny for so long. Why is she reluctant to show herself?¡± ¡°My boss likes to keep a low profile.¡± Alexander looked at her and nodded. ¡°She''s indeed low-profile.¡± Sophia''s heart palpitated as he continued looking at her intently. Her EQ and IQ had always been extraordinary. She couldn''t help but feel Alexander was behaving unusually that night. Then she was reminded of Yvonne informing her that Felix had investigated her again. Sophia was confident in Yvonne''s abilities, so she knew Felix wouldn''t find out a thing. Still, Alexander was too sharp-witted. Since the two had been getting along very well during that period, she figured he must''ve sensed something too. Sometimes, some things can be predetermined as truth even without having solid evidence. At that thought, Sophia let out an abrupt chuckle. She took a piece of tissue to wipe the watermelon juice trickling down the back of her hand and called out his name with all seriousness, ¡°Alexander.¡± He wiped his hand as well and responded solemnly, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°When did you find out?¡± Alexander curled his lips. ¡°Find out about what?¡± Sophia had never wanted to hide that matter from him, but everything seemed to have happened because of fate. Since she had touched on that subject, she decided toe clean. ¡°That I''m Suny.¡± Even though Alexander had already guessed her identity, he was still slightly shocked to hear her confession. Who would''ve thought the famous Suny from Sunshine Group was the greedy, gold-digging Sophia everyone, including him, had assumed her to be? In fact, when he had previously suspected Sophia to be Suny, a tiny part of him had hoped he was wrong. At the very least, he wouldn''t have to face the shame of knowing he had entirely misjudged her in the past. However, looking at Sophia, who had just magnanimously admitted herself to be Suny, Alexander realized he shouldn''t be so narrow-minded. ¡°I guessed that over a month ago, but I didn''t have the time to confirm my hypothesis.¡± Unexpectedly, she voluntarily divulged the information to him that night. ¡°I didn''t keep you in the dark on purpose.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Back then, he had been ignorant. Now that he had taken a walk down memoryne, he came to understand Sophia had wanted to tell him the truth on many asions, but he had refused her invitation. He thought providing her with the title of ¡°Mrs. Xenos¡± was already more than sufficient to fulfill her wish. If she demanded more, he could only reject her. Sophia looked at him. She felt she could finally let go of the many misunderstandings and unhappy interactions between them. Alexander wasn''t that terrible of a person. She had to bear a certain amount of responsibilities as well for how their three years marriage had ended in a divorce. She shouldn''t have acted on impulse back then, thinking that Alexander and Kristen''s rtionship was close, so she could seize that opportunity to ask him to marry her. ¡°I shouldn''t have used Mdm. Lambe to threaten you into marrying me. I''m sorry.¡± She owed him an apology too. After all, he had been forced to ept a random woman as his wife, not to mention the woman might be siding with his mother, who was materialistic and hard to please. Her apology deeply astonished Alexander, prompting indescribable emotions to churn within his chest. At the mention of their past, both of them felt slightly regretful and more conscious than before. They had both significantly matured following their three years of marriage. He pulled her into his embrace. ¡°It''s fine.¡± If the three years of erroneous marriage hadn''t urred, he wouldn''t have been made aware that he would fall in love with a woman named Sophia Yarrow in his life. She was beautiful, kind, exceptional, independent, and proud. She was simr to the various women he''d met but, at the same time, she stood out from the crowd. Subsequently, he opened up to her, epting her into his life and brightening his future with her companionship. Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Sophia looked up at him and asked with an eyebrow arched, ¡°Aren''t you curious?¡± Why is he so calm? Do I not pique his interest? ¡°Oh, I am curious,¡± Alexander paused briefly, ¡°but I would much rather kiss you right now.¡± He then grabbed her chin and lifted her face slightly before nting a deep and passionate kiss on her lips. They could taste the sweetness of the watermelon as their tongues intertwined. Alexander was very aggressive with his kisses, and Sophia soon found herself suffocating a little. Because of the awkward position they were in, Alexander carried her into hisp instead. Sophia let out a soft moan as she felt the mes of passion burning in her loins. Alexander traced his tongue over her rosy lips and the fair skin of her neck before stopping at her sexy corbones. The cor of Sophia''s shirt was wide open, and that fueled Alexander''s feelings of lust even further. His erection was so strong that his pants could not keep it down. It wasn''t long before Sophia felt something warm and hard pressing against her body. She instinctively tried to move it out of the way, only to hear Alexander moan in response. He tightened his grip around her waist and pulled her closer to him. With both their chests pressing against each other, they could clearly feel each other''s heartbeat. ¡°Stop moving around,¡± Alexander said. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Upon realizing what he meant, Sophia tensed up and didn''t dare make another move. A few momentster, she looked up at him and whispered, ¡°I''m thirsty, Alexander.¡± Alexander sat her down beside him and went off to pour her a ss of water. Although he had returned to his usual cold and elegant self, the sweat on his forehead was proof that he had nearly lost control earlier. Sophia took the ss and lowered her head to sip on the water. Her heart was still pounding like crazy against her chest. It was so loud that she wondered if Alexander could hear it from where he stood. ¡°How did you set up Sunshine Group, Sophia?¡± Alexander asked while gently running his fingers through her hair. Sophia shot him a nce and gave him a summary of herpany''s history. ¡°I was about fifteen when my family''s financial situation improved. My parents bought lots of insurance, so I received over one million and three hundred thousand inpensation. That was quite a huge sum back then. Since I studied finance, I learned a little something about investment from one of my lecturers. The rule was not to invest more than two thousand. I would then manage that investment ount and evaluate the profits and losses at the end of each month. Back then, I found the purchase of stocks rather fun, so I created two ounts and invested over four hundred thousand in the main ount. I would then sell my stocks as soon as their prices went up and use the money earned to purchase other stocks at low prices. ¡°After about two years of doing this, I had over ten million in my bank ount. During my third year of university, an unpopr actress named Katherine Quinn was starring in a low-budget film as the lead actress. However, she had to stop the filming halfway through due to ack of funds. I liked the script and felt bad for Katherine, so I decided to invest three million in the film. Surprisingly, the film became a huge hit eight monthster and earned one billion four hundred million. By being the film''s biggest investor, I was able to earn three hundred million even though I only invested three million in it. ¡°Having amassed quite a fortune, I decided to set up apany with that money instead of keeping it in the bank. That''s how I set up Sunshine Group. I also invested in several otherpanies, all of which became listedter on. In just a few years, Sunshine Group made a ton of progress in terms of development. When I was in my fourth year of university, my childhood friend Joshua''s entrepreneurial project was stopped by the university. As the project was about to bepleted, Joshua refused to give up on it. He went looking everywhere for investors but to no avail. I had faith in Joshua''s capabilities, so I decided to help him out by investing ten million in his project. That way, he could focus solely on his research and development to strengthen hispany. ¡°As I am not the only shareholder of Sunshine Group, I was worried that the others would object to investing in Technology Innovations, so I had to fork the money out of my own pocket. Eventually, Technology Innovations became a listedpany and had its market value go up to nearly four billion. As for Specter Entertainment... Katherine wanted to work her way up to be a B-list celebrity. However, herpany tried to force her into doing sexual favors for that. When I learned about that, I paid eight million aspensation for her breach of contract and set up Specter Entertainment. As Specter Entertainment focused solely on Katherine, she was able to boost her poprity fairly quickly. Naturally, as her business partner, Specter Entertainment is worth a lot more.¡± Sophia hadn''t spoken that much in a long while. She figured she might as well tell him everything since he asked. It seems that luck isn''t all there is to Sophia''s sess. She also had great charm and a keen eye for business opportunities. She made it all sound very simple and easy, but my experience in the corporate world tells me it was far from easy. She lost her parents at the age of eighteen, and yet, she chose to invest a quarter of the insurance money in stocks. That act alone shows just how courageous she is! She was only neen when she invested three million in her friend''s film. That shows how confident she was in her decision as well as her friend''s capabilities. I heard of that film after it got popr. The film was produced on a small budget. Its total cost did not exceed five million, and it was scheduled to be released on National Day. Neither the cast, the director nor the producer were well-known, but the film earned more than eighty million on the first day of its release. Thanks to the great reviews from the audience, the box office on the second day went over two hundred million. In just seven days, that film had already earned one billion two hundred million. Midway Media, too, had invested a huge amount of money in a film, but it only earned about three hundred million. I still remember Samuelining about it back then. Alexander didn''t know what he felt about Sophia''s story. On the one hand, he admired her courage and intelligence. On the other, it pained him to see her working so hard all this while. ¡°You''re really amazing!¡± Alexander said while giving her a pat on the head. Sophia felt as if she was beingplimented by a parent for scoring a hundred on her test. She pulled his hand off and replied with a sarcastic smile, ¡°Not nearly as amazing as you are, Mr. Xenos! My achievements pale inparison to yours!¡± Alexander was able to emerge victorious in the Xenos family and manage a hugepany like Odyssey incredibly well. ¡°If I remember correctly, all thepanies that Sunshine Group invested in have all be very sessful,¡± Alexander said after a brief pause. ¡°So?¡± Alexander looked her in the eye. ¡°So, you must be pretty rich.¡± Sophia met his eyes and smiled. ¡°Not as rich as you are, though!¡± Chapter 265 Chapter 265 As Sophia spoke, she yawned and cast a nce at the phone beside her. ¡°It''s almost ten.¡± More than an hour had gone by. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Sophia had always followed a strict schedule. Usually, she would have already finished bathing by then. ¡°Yeah, a little.¡± Alexander held her hand. ¡°Go and take a bath, then.¡± Sophia did not move. She looked at him and smiled. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I''m going to keep the watermelon.¡± Both of them had only eaten a quarter of the watermelon. Since Alexander was willing to keep the remaining watermelon, Sophia did not force herself to. ¡°I''ll go take a bath, then.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Alexander as he watched her climb the stairs to the third floor. It was only after she disappeared from his sight that he brought the things on the table to the kitchen. After Sophia finished bathing and walked out, she saw Alexander walking over with a ss of watermelon juice. ¡°You made this?¡± Sophia was stunned. Watermelons do not taste as nice when left overnight. It will be less wasteful if it''s turned into watermelon juice. Alexander nodded. ¡°Want some?¡± He had already drunk a ss earlier. This ss was specially prepared for her. Although Sophia did not like to sleep with her stomach full, she could not resist the watermelon juice. ¡°Sure.¡± After finishing the ss of watermelon juice, Sophia looked at the time. ¡°It''s already ten.¡± ¡°Go to sleep.¡± He gently held the back of her head and pecked her on the lips. ¡°It''s sweet.¡± Sophia touched her blushing cheeks and gazed at him. ¡°When are you leaving?¡± Alexander tapped his fingers against the ss that he was holding. ¡°Can I not leave?¡± ¡°What do you think, Mr. Xenos?¡± Sophia walked toward him, raised her hand, and tugged his cor, which was loosely hanging underneath his chin. When her fingernails grazed against his Adam''s apple, a look of desire emerged in his eyes. He grabbed Sophia''s yful hands and said, ¡°I don''t want to go back.¡± As he spoke, he stroked the corner of her lips with his thumb, wiping the traces of the watermelon juice away. ¡°The Xenos residence is too big and empty. It feels empty, Sophia.¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°Aren''t you living in a condominium?¡± ¡°I moved back.¡± Sophia snorted. ¡°My house isn''t empty.¡± He had stayed in the condominium when they were married, yet he ended up moving back after they were divorced. He deserves to be lonely! ¡°That''s why I don''t want to leave.¡± Now that Alexander was bing more shameless, he could utter such words matter-of-factually. Not expecting his reply, Sophia burst outughing. ¡°Alexander, have you no shame?¡± Can''t you be a little more reserved? ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied seriously as he lowered his head and looked at her. Sophia remained silent. They continued staring into each other''s eyes without saying a single word until Sophia finally broke the silence. ¡°You can sleep in the guest room.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Alexander managed to stay behind, just as he wished. Since it was bedtime for Sophia and her body was feeling exhausted, she turned off the lights after they said goodnight to each other and went to bed. After bathing, Alexander spoke to Felix on the phone before heading to the third floor. Although the door was closed, it was not locked. He opened the door with a gentle twist of the doorknob. When he strode in, he saw that Sophia was already fast asleep. Afraid of waking her up, he did not turn on the lights. He found his way to the bed in the darkness,y on it slowly, and hugged her. Yeah, I don''t feel lonely anymore. The next morning, Sophia realized that something was amiss when she moved around. She slowly opened her eyes, only to see Alexander lying on her bed. ¡°Aren''t you supposed to be in the guest room?¡± She blinked. ¡°It''s too big.¡± Sophiaughed in exasperation. ¡°You''re so shameless!¡± She shoved him away and was now wide awake thanks to Alexander. Following hermand, the curtains parted slowly, revealing the bright sun outside that had already risen. When Felix sent Alexander''s clothes over, he thoughtfully brought breakfast too. Noticing the smile on Felix''s face, Sophia raised an eyebrow. ¡°You seem to be in a good mood today, Mr. Lane.¡± Felix nced at Alexander upon hearing that and concealed the look of amusement on his face. ¡°The weather''s great today, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Really? I thought you encountered something really great.¡± Felix did not know how to respond and could only bid them farewell. He had wanted to say that something great had indeed happened. Alexander could finally be promoted from the rank of a pitiful suitor. Now that he had sessfully stayed overnight at her ce, his mood for the next few days would be amazing. However, Felix did not dare to say that to Sophia. Having seen how sharp her tongue was, he knew not to provoke her easily. Sophia looked at Felix''s retreating figure, then at Alexander. ¡°Is there something scary on my face? Why is Mr. Lane so terrified of me?¡± Alexander moved the bowl of oatmeal toward her. ¡°Oh, he probably remembered that he didn''t write the report that was due today.¡± Because of his good mood, Alexander spoke up on his subordinate''s behalf. Sophia smiled and did not expose him. ¡°I see.¡± She did not have any meetings in the morning, but she had a guest at ten and had to return to Sunshine Group. At half-past nine, Yvonne knocked on the door and entered. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''ve got some results from what you instructed me to investigate.¡± It was the information about Connor in recent years. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Connor, who was not a resident of Jadeborough, had gone to Doveston after graduation. Well, what a coincidence. He''s from Doveston. Recalling what Lukas had said the previous night, Sophia let out a snort. ¡°He''s really unfortunate, then.¡± Yvonne had the same thought as Sophia when she finishedpiling Connor''s file. Since Sophia''s family on her mother''s side lived in Doveston and Connor was from that city, he was indeed unfortunate. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Not at all, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne turned around and left. Sophia stared at the documents in her hands, and the smile on her face faded gradually. After graduation, Connor founded a smallpany using his family''s influence and was faring quite decently. Two years ago, he impregnated a student from Doveston University. Although the incident blew up, the girl''s family, motivated by shame and greed, had settled the matter privately after epting over eight hundred thousand. Last year, he met a girl whose family background was simr to his. After she was discovered to be pregnant, they announced their engagement this year. However, the girl caught Connor having affairs with women outside and created a ruckus at his office. Then, for some reason, they reconciled again. Just like how a leopard can never change its spots, Connor is still acting like an assh*le even after graduation. Sophia tossed the documents aside and called Yvonne, who then arrived quickly. ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Contact the victims and convince them to testify. Money is not a problem. Let''s make Connor rot in prison for the rest of his life.¡± Sophia''s lips curved into a smile when she said that, but her eyes were cold. Yvonne nodded. ¡°Got it, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia hummed in response before flipping through the documents regarding the investments that the company would be discussing that day. Before ten, Yvonne brought the people seeking investment in. The two men were slightly stunned upon spotting Sophia. However, they soon returned to their senses. ¡°We''ve long heard about you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Mr. Langham, Mr. Lewis, have a seat.¡± Upon seeing that Sophia was a woman, they raised the price by a million. Sophia raised her brows. ¡°I''ve seen your proposals. Isn''t it stated there that it''s three million and five hundred thousand?¡± The two men exchanged a look. Jack Langham said, ¡°Well, Ms. Yarrow...¡± Sophia no longer had the patience to hear them out. Not only was she not that interested in their company from the beginning, but they were also trying to fool her. She looked at Yvonne. ¡°Send them out, Ms. Leighton.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, listen to us. We''re sincere about¡ª¡± Yvonne looked at the two of them expressionlessly. ¡°Mr. Langham, Mr. Lewis, this way please.¡± However, they refused to budge. Ben Lewis piped up, ¡°We want to meet Mr. Murphy.¡± ¡°Mr. Murphy?¡± So they''re Ron''s people... Sophia sneered. ¡°Ms. Leighton, bring them to Mr. Murphy.¡± ¡°Sure, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Only then did the two of them leave willingly. They walked away in a hurry, not forgetting to snort at Sophia. Sophia smirked. Ron''s men are quite arrogant, huh? Chapter 266 Chapter 266 Following Sophia''s instructions, Yvonne brought the two men to Ron Murphy''s office. Coincidentally, Ron, who rarely returned to Sunshine Group, was present. The two men scurried over upon seeing Ron. ¡°It''s been a while, Mr. Murphy.¡± ¡°Indeed, Mr. Lewis. How''s your father?¡± Ben took a seat, scowling when he recalled what had happened earlier. ¡°Mr. Murphy, who is that Ms. Yarrow in yourpany?¡± Ron''s expression changed slightly. ¡°Mr. Lewis, Ms. Yarrow is Ms. Suny''s trusted aide. She''s quite a nice person. If she has offended you in any manner, I apologize to you on her behalf.¡± Ben exchanged a look with Jack. Putting everything aside, that woman looks pretty and has a nice bod. However, they were there for official matters. Since Ron had already agreed to invest in them, they were merely there for show. Knowing Ron was doing his father a favor, Ben did not dwell on it further. ¡°If that''s the case, then forget it. Jack and I are here to talk about what we discussed with you thest time. Take a look...¡± After Ben spoke, Jack passed the proposal to Ron. Ron took it and said, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Lewis. Once we''re done with the formalities, the investment funds will be transferred to you soon.¡± Ben nodded. Four and a half million was definitely not a big sum for him. If his card had not been blocked, he could have easily forked it out. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Murphy.¡± Ron bobbed his head and personally escorted the guests out. News soon traveled to Sophia. After listening to Yvonne''s report, she asked, ¡°Ron has always prioritized profit over anything else. Who exactly are those two?¡± Yvonne had just found out. ¡°I think thest name of the secretary of Faike''s city council is Lewis too.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°In that case, Ron''s doing him a favor?¡± Since she had no intention of doing the same, she nced at Yvonne and instructed, ¡°Ms. Leighton, please get Mr. Murphy toe here.¡± ¡°Sure, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Ron soon arrived at Sophia''s office. With his years of experience, he was cunning enough to know why Sophia had summoned him. However, he had his own considerations too. Sunshine Group''stest investment the previous year was a start-up in Faike. By doing Ron a favor, he was paving the way for a factory to be constructed there. Ron had high hopes for the project. Naturally, it had something to do with the fact that the founder of the start-up was his nephew. However, his nephew was not an incapable man. For Sunshine Group to invest in his start-up, it must have fared well in many rounds of strict inspection. ¡°Did you ask for me, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Please take a seat, Mr. Murphy.¡± Sophia poured a cup of coffee and passed it to him. ¡°Do you think we should invest in Mystique Group?¡± Ron looked at Sophia, knowing what she was implying. ¡°Didn''t Mystique Group pass the review?¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°What if I say no?¡± Ron was slightly stunned. ¡°Is it because Ben and Jack offended you earlier?¡± Sophia arched a brow. ¡°You''ve misunderstood me, Mr. Murphy. Am I such a petty person?¡± In reality, she was indeed a petty person. Still, she was not dumb enough to admit it publicly. Ron looked at her, unable to guess what was on her mind. ¡°What do you mean, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Mr. Murphy, as entrepreneurs, earning profits is our priority. Although Mystique Group''s proposal is quite good and their preliminary review is decent, I''m sure you heard what happened earlier. It''s my first time seeing someone changing the price at thest minute. I''m sure it''s your first time too, right?¡± Sophia gave Ron a half-smile. ¡°I understand what you''re thinking about, Mr. Murphy. However, our company is the investor. If the start-up can''t even solve such a tiny problem on its own, I think Sunshine Group should re-evaluate if it should withdraw its investment.¡± Ron panicked. ¡°You''re right, Ms. Yarrow. Let''s forget about Mystique Group, then.¡± Sophia''s lips quirked up. ¡°You''re a wise man, Mr. Murphy.¡± Ron nodded. Although he was a cunning man, he could get higher pay if Sunshine Group fared well. It was pointless to oppose Sophia. He was an intelligent person. With just a few pointers from Sophia, he could tell the advantages and disadvantages. Sophia smirked as she stared at his back. When Yvonne entered, Sophia had just finished reviewing a contract. She closed the file and nced at Yvonne. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, the hospital called earlier, saying that something happened to Ms. Gomez. Would you like to pay her a visit?¡± Sophia immediately grabbed her bag after hearing that. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I don''t know the specifics yet. I just heard that it has something to do with Ms. Gomez''s husband.¡± Liam Mill? Frowning slightly, Sophia picked up her phone. ¡°Is Mrs. Gomez at the hospital?¡± Yvonne shook her head, having intended to mention it already. ¡°Mrs. Gomez is at Moonlight Bay now.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Okay. I''ll go to Moonlight Bay now. Isn''t Liam''spany working on a new project? Let''s give him a hand.¡± I haven''t even taken revenge on him on Tanya''s behalf, and here he is, free enough to seek trouble first. Yvonne was taken aback when she noticed the icy glint in Sophia''s eyes. Sophia had be much gentler after she got into a rtionship. It had been a long time since Yvonne had seen her act so domineeringly. A strange feeling of excitement filled Yvonne when she witnessed a shadow of Sophia''s past self. ¡°Sure, Ms. Yarrow!¡± All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. Sophia smiled before turning around and leaving the office. It was already noon when she arrived at Moonlight Bay. She had bought the house there for Katherine after graduation. Four years had passed since she hadst visited. Laura came out as soon as Sophia rang the doorbell. She was shocked to see thetter. ¡°Ms. Yarrow!¡± ¡°I heard what happened today, Mrs. Gomez. Are you all right?¡± Laura nodded. ¡°Yeah. You''re too kind, Ms. Yarrow. You came to visit me even though you''re busy.¡± Sophia grinned. Noticing that Laura''s eyes were red from crying, she averted her gaze. ¡°May I ask what happened?¡± Laura nced at her. ¡°Come in and take a seat, Ms. Yarrow.¡± With that, she turned around and entered the house. The house was not very big. It was a little over sixty square meters, with two bedrooms and a living room. Looking at Laura''s back, Sophia frowned. ¡°What happened to your foot, Mrs. Gomez?¡± Laura froze for a moment. ¡°Nothing. I just twisted it. It''s no big deal.¡± She poured a ss of water for Sophia as she spoke. Laura kept the house very tidy. The coffee table was clean, and the items were ced neatly on it. Sophia took the ss. ¡°Thank you. How about I send you to the hospital and get it checked?¡± Laura quickly waved her hands. ¡°There''s no need for that. I''ll be fine in two days.¡± Since she was so insistent, Sophia did not press her further. ¡°What exactly happened earlier?¡± Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Laura sighed and said, ¡°Tanya found out that Liam was having an affair six months into their marriage. Subsequently, the Mill family found out about the incident that happened to Tani during her university days. Using that as leverage, Liam even brought his pregnant mistress back home. Half a year ago, Tani filed for divorce and requested for an affidavit of assets to be signed, but the Mill family was unwilling to do that and wanted Tanya to leave without anything!¡± Laura wiped her tears away and continued, ¡°Those people are heartless! For over two years that Tani has been married into that family, she did not even have a day of rest. They basically treated her like their housekeeper. After doing something so heinous, they still had the audacity to use Tanya of coveting their family''s assets right from the start. If Tani doesn''t agree to leave without anything, they will spread the news of what happened to Tanya back then to everyone in the neighborhood! ¡°My husband and I are already old, and we don''t care about people pointing fingers at us. At first, we were ready topromise, but Tani didn''t want to take it lying down. Although she has saved some money from working at the bank over the years, she has spent most of it on the Mill family. Now that she was asked to leave the family with nothing, she simply couldn''t tolerate it. That''s why she has yet to divorce Liam.¡± Laura took a deep breath and went on, ¡°The Mill family has sources who recently told them that Tanya has struck it rich and bought a house in Jadeborough, so they came here to im half of Tanya''s assets, including her house and money, saying that Tanya and Liam are not yet divorced. They kept forcing me to tell them where Tanya is!¡± During the confrontation, Laura had been so furious that she pped Liam in front of the entrance of the residential area and ended up being shoved to the ground by the man. That was how she had fallen and twisted her ankle. However, Laura did not want to tell Sophia about that. Sophia had already done a lot for their family, and Laura did not want to bother her further with their messy affairs. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, we can handle it ourselves.¡± When Sophia heard that, a cold glint shed past her alluring eyes. The next moment, she schooled her expression and said, ¡°All right, I understand. Mrs. Gomez, do you remember what I asked you previously?¡± Laura''s memory was not as good as before as she was getting up in years. She could not recall what Sophia was referring to and could only stare at her nkly. Sophia replied with a chuckle, ¡°I was referring to Tanya''s divorce from her husband.¡± It was thenprehension dawned on Laura, and her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I-I really don''t know what to say. I feel so bad to trouble you with such a trivial matter.¡± ¡°Mrs. Gomez, you''re being too polite. Tanya is my friend, and I will not allow my friend to be bullied. Don''t worry. The Mill family will not dare to bother you or Tanya ever again.¡± Sophia looked down at Laura''s ankle. ¡°If you don''t want to go to the hospital, I will get my secretary to send you some ointment later. But if your ankle is still swollen three dayster, you must get it treated at the hospital.¡± Sophia left Moonlight Bay after learning what had happened and went to visit Tanya straight away. Tanya was drawing when Sophia arrived. As it was a bright and sunny day, she was sitting on the windowsill, sketching while holding her drawing board in one hand. The caregiver nced at Sophia and was about to greet her when Sophia acknowledged her with a smile and gestured for her to keep quiet. As Sophia was not wearing heels that day, her footsteps were quiet when she entered the room. Sophia sat on the couch and ced her bag down before observing Tanya quietly. About ten minutester, Tanya finally looked up. When she saw Sophia, she was momentarily stunned. ¡°Sophia, what are you doing here?¡± Sophia smiled and replied, ¡°I don''t have anything on today, so I thought I would drop by and visit you. Have you started drawing the characters?¡± She walked over and saw a sketch of a man who resembled the male lead of Silk Stream. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Tanya replied, ¡°Maybe it''s because I haven''t done this for a long time. I haven''t created a drawing that I''m satisfied with.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°It''s more important that the boss is satisfied with the drawing. I think it''s not too bad.¡± Sophia had read Silk Stream previously. Although every reader would have imagined a different version of Hamilton in their head, it was expected for the male lead in theic version to be somewhat simr to that portrayed in the novel. It was a challenging task to depict the essence of the lead characters in a drawing urately. Since Sophia was able to guess at first nce which character Tanya was drawing, it meant that Tanya had already sessfully captured the essence of Hamilton in her sketch. Of course, further edits would have to be made to refine the details. Tanya''s eyes lit up when she heard Sophia''spliment. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°No, I was lying to you.¡± Tanya let out a chuckle, knowing that Sophia was teasing her. ¡°Sophia, I''m really happy now.¡± Although sometimes the woman would still be reminded of her nightmarish past and wake up in the middle of the night in fear, she was starting to feel hopeful about the future. There was more excitement in her life, which used to be bleak and bereft of joy. Even though Sophia had not been visiting over the past few days, Yvonne had been paying close attention to updates on Tanya''s situation. Despite only being admitted to the hospital ten days ago, ording to the psychologist, Tanya was responding well to the preliminary treatment. Tanya would draw every day during the day. Perhaps she had found a new direction in life. She was usually in good spirits during the day. However, she had not been sleeping well at night. Sometimes, she would feel ufortable and wake up in a cold sweat. Because of that, it was still necessary for the caretaker to be there to take care of her. ¡°Sophia, I will definitely get better.¡± Just half a month ago, Tanya was still telling Sophia that she was sick, but now she was feeling a lot more optimistic and she even said that she would get better. Sophia noticed that Tanya was looking much more radiant although it had only been slightly more than ten days since she had started receiving treatment. Tanya was just in herte twenties and had a bright future ahead of her. Sophia smiled and replied, ¡°You will.¡± It was almost one in the afternoon when Sophia left the hospital. As she had to attend a meeting two hourster, she intended to grab a quick bite near the hospital before returning to Sunshine Group. Right after she got out of her car, two big-sized men appeared out of nowhere. Instinctively, Sophia lifted her arms to defend herself. However, she was up against the two of them. Her hands were grabbed by one of the men before she had a chance to dodge. The two men were very strong. After locking Sophia''s hands behind her back, the men shoved her into a car that was parked at the side. Immediately after that, her hands were tied up with a rope. ¡°Who are you people?¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, we don''t wish to hurt you. Please behave yourself.¡± Sophia raised her brows as she sized up the two burly men who were seated next to her quietly. The car was driven out of the parking lot and toward the highway. Half an hourter, they arrived at a luxurious mansion area in the suburbs. The car stopped in front of a mansion, and Sophie was led out of the car. The men handled her rather gently as if they were certain that she had no way of escaping. Instead of following her closely, the two of them kept a distance from Sophia after arriving at the mansion. The nerve of them to kidnap someone in broad daylight. Sophia was quite impressed with their guts and could not help but wonder who the mastermind behind her abduction was. The moment Sophia entered the mansion, she saw Bethany walking down the stairs. There were obvious changes to the woman''s stomach from thest time they met, which was over two months ago. Sophia cocked her brows and looked at Bethany calmly. As Bethany was also not speaking, the entire house fell into a strange silence. Bethany fixed her gaze on Sophia. She had assumed that Sophia would panic, but thetter did not seem any different from her usual self. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I really admire your nerves of steel. How can you remain soposed in a situation like this?¡± Bethany spoke through gritted teeth. Sophia nced at the woman and said with a chuckle, ¡°Ms. White, was it you who invited me here?¡± ¡°I''m not that capable. It wasn''t me but Mr. Ramsay who wanted you as his guest.¡± Bethany suddenly burst intoughter. Then, she leaned in and whispered next to Sophia''s ear, ¡°Sophia, you didn''t expect Mr. Ramsay to take an interest in you, right?¡± Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Sophia looked at Bethany with a faint smile. Bethany hated that side of Sophia. Thetter was in deep water, yet she did not seem afraid at all. ¡°Oh, you may not know, but Mr. Ramsay''s wife is notoriously fierce. Thest woman he took a second nce at had her arms severed. Say, if his wife finds out that you seduced Mr. Ramsay, do you think your arms or your legs will get severed?¡± Sophia could not help but chuckle. ¡°Since you''re fine, I''m pretty sure I''ll be fine too.¡± Bethany''s face contorted when she detected the mockery in Sophia''s tone. ¡°Mr. Ramsay will be over tonight. Let''s see how long you can stay smug!¡± She then cast a nce at the two men behind her. ¡°What are you guys waiting for? Send Ms. Yarrow back to her room!¡± She put an emphasis on the word ¡°send¡± as if she wanted nothing more than to rip Sophia to shreds. Sophia looked at the two men walking over to her. ¡°Since I''m the woman Mr. Ramsay took a liking to, you guys better not manhandle me.¡± The two men were instantly mesmerized by her eyes. However, the coldness in her eyes jolted them back to reality. ¡°Where''s my room? I''ll walk there myself,¡± Sophia said cidly. Bethany yelled, ¡°Did you guys not hear her? Bring her up!¡± Sophia nced at the angry Bethany, feeling much better. ¡°What? My hands are tied. Are you afraid I''ll escape?¡± Bethany was Carlos'' old lover, and Sophia was his new love interest. The two bodyguards decided to listen to Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, your room is on the second floor. It''s the second room from the left.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sophia smiled at the bodyguard and went upstairs. The two bodyguards stared at Sophia''s retreating figure in puzzlement. Did shee here voluntarily or by force? Wait, we were the ones who kidnapped her! ¡°Great! You guys are looking down on me now! Don''t forget that I''m pregnant with Mr. Ramsay''s child. If something happens to the baby, can you bear that responsibility?¡± Sophia''s ability to make Carlos'' bodyguards listen to her astounded Bethany, as everyone in the mansion had been following her orders now that she was pregnant. However, she immediately lost her authority when Sophia, who was kidnapped, appeared. There was no way she could let it slide. ¡°Go upstairs and guard the room. If she escapes, you guys won''t be able to bear the consequences.¡± The two bodyguards looked at each other. But Ms. Yarrow doesn''t seem to have any intention of escaping! Bethany''s face twisted even more when she saw that the bodyguards did not move. ¡°Are you guys deaf?¡± Afraid that her anger would affect her pregnancy, the bodyguards could only listen to her instructions and go upstairs, albeit unwillingly. Sophia had already entered the room. It was a ratherrge room with a television andputer avable. However, there was no inte. She walked to the balcony and noticed she was in a mansion near the mountains. The breeze feels nice here. When the two bodyguards came up and saw that scene, they thought she was trying to do something foolish. They immediately ran over to her in shock. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, what are you¡ª¡± Sophia, who was enjoying the breeze, looked at the bodyguards. ¡°What? Did you guys think I was going to jump off?¡± She was not that stupid to do that. The bodyguards stared at Sophia intently. They could not tell if she was speaking the truth or joking with them. Falling from the second floor would not kill her, but she would be badly injured. If that were to happen, Carlos would not be able to do whatever he wanted with her. The two bodyguards had known Carlos for quite some time and his preferences; otherwise, they would not have dared to disregard Bethany''s instructions in favor of Sophia''s. Carlos was a man who was always fascinated by someone new. Now that Sophia was new to Carlos and Bethany was his old lover, thetter would be of no use to him after she gave birth. Carlos would no longer be interested in her. ¡°The mountain breeze is pretty cool,¡± Sophia said calmly and walked back inside. Seeing that, the bodyguards breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, are you hungry?¡± ¡°I am. I was about to head out for lunch when you guys abducted me.¡± The bodyguards felt a strange sense of guilt upon hearing that. ¡°Then I''ll instruct someone to make you lunch.¡± Sophia nced at them. ¡°Okay. But the weather is rather hot today, so I prefer to eat something light and simple. I don''t want anything spicy.¡± The bodyguards'' lips twitched. Ms. Yarrow can really make herself at home. ¡°Okay. I''ll make sure they do that.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sophia''s phone and bag had been confiscated, so the bodyguards were confident that she would not be able to contact anyone to save her. Seeing that she had made herself at home and even instructed them to make food for her, they decided not to keep a close eye on her anymore. Sophia sat on the couch and snorted lightly when the bodyguards left the room. Then she pressed a button on her watch. Technology Innovations had modified her watch and added an alert system. Once she pressed the button on her watch, Joshua''s or Katherine''s phones would immediately receive her distress signal and location. They would be able to find her easily. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. That was why Sophia had no reason to worry about the situation she was currently in. She would make Carlos pay the price for kidnapping her. Katherine had just returned from shooting an endorsement deal overseas. Yet Joshua had kept her busyst night and even brought her to breakfast this morning. Then, after he left, Jonice called her and nagged her for more than an hour. Upon hanging up, she promptly fell asleep until noon. Just when she finished her lunch, her phone started buzzing nonstop. She wondered what was happening until she saw the notification and remembered that Joshua had customized watches for her and Sophia. Her expression changed drastically, and she immediately got changed to save Sophia. She only managed to calm herself down after getting in her car. It''s impractical for me to go and save Sophia by myself. I have to tell the police! Just as she was about to make the call, a number she did not recognize called her. Katherine had wanted to hang up, but she identally pressed the wrong button, causing the call to go through. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Ms. Quinn, it''s me, Alexander.¡± ¡°Oh, it''s the je¡ªI mean it''s Mr. Xenos.¡± She was too used to calling Alexander a jerk and almost addressed him as one in front of him. Katherine quickly recalled Sophia''s matter and went straight to the point. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I think something happened to Sophia. I received a distress signal and her location from her. I was about to call the police.¡± ¡°Don''t. Not now. We aren''t sure what the other party wants. Please tell me where you are. I''lle over and find you.¡± Upon hearing Alexander''s words, Katherine grew apprehensive. ¡°Okay. I''m at the Golden Eve Hotel.¡± ¡°Ms. Quinn, please ensure I''ll be able to reach your phone at all times.¡± With that, he immediately hung up. Katherine was worried that something would happen to Sophia. However, she could not do anything since Alexander had asked her to wait for him. Right then, Joshua returned. He modified the watch, so he was fairly confident something had happened to Sophia for her to press the button. As the button was rtively small, the person wearing it should not have identally pressed it. He had called Sophia many times, yet no one picked up, which made him certain that something had happened to her. Upon seeing Joshua, Katherine ran over to him. ¡°Josh, what do we do? Do you think something happened to Soph?¡± ¡°Calm down. I''ll give Alexander a call.¡± Katherine froze momentarily and told him what had happened. Joshua lowered his head to nce at her. ¡°Then we shall wait for now.¡± Chapter 269 Chapter 269 Yvonne discovered that Sophia was missing at a little over two o''clock. Sophia had a meeting at three o''clock in the afternoon, so it was very much unusual that she hadn''t yet returned to Sunshine Group by half-past two. Yvonne proceeded to phone her, and the call went through, but no one answered. A few phone callster, she had a suspicion that something had happened to Sophia. Ultimately, she had been thetter''s secretary for many years, so she regained herposure in no time despite the severity of the matter and contacted Alexander at once. No one knew what exactly happened to Sophia. If she had been taken away by someone, it would be difficult to tell whether it was for her money or her body. Furthermore, she was an adult, and the police might not allow them to file a case when she had only been out of reach for a little over two hours. In fact, lodging a police report might ce her in danger. After weighing the pros and cons, Yvonne decided to reach out to Alexander first. Of course, she could also investigate the matter by herself. But then, her efforts alone couldn''tpare with his manpower and resources. As soon as Alexander hung up the call with Yvonne, he gave Katherine a call. That incident was too sudden and peculiar. He couldn''t be sure whether Sophia had truly gone missing or she had lost her phone. Katherine was Sophia''s best friend. Contacting her would yield more information. As it turned out, his judgment was proven right. Not only was Katherine aware that Sophia was in trouble for real, but she also had thetter''s location. Throughout the drive, Alexander''s expression was as cold as ice. He couldn''t think of anyone who would dare make a move against Sophia in Jadeborough. Although they hadn''t made their rtionship public, they had attended Lnd''s birthday party together that day. Anyone who wasn''t blind would be able to tell that they were dating since it was tantly obvious. What wascking was their personal admittance. In other words, Sophia had him backing her up. Even if she had really offended someone, that person would have to think twice before making a move against her. For that reason, he truly couldn''t fathom who exactly dared kidnap her openly in broad daylight. They all arrived at Katherine''s house at almost the same time. Far calmer than Katherine, Joshua crisply shared Sophia''s location with Alexander and the others. From the location, they could tell that she was still in Jadeborough at present, but in the suburbs. Felix recognized the ce at a single nce. ¡°This is Moanahill Residence, Mr. Xenos!¡± Alexander''s brows knitted together. ¡°Who lives there?¡± Felix hesitated. ¡°Quite a lot of people own properties there.¡± They had no way of postting the identity of the person who had taken Sophia or his motive in doing so. Yvonne looked at Alexander. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow''s safety is hanging in the bnce now, and we''re in the dark about the culprit''s intention. We can''t lodge a police report at the moment, but we can''t just sit back and do nothing either.¡± In return, Alexander threw a nce at her. ¡°I''ll go over and get a feel of things while you and Ms. Leighton follow behind with some men, Mr. Lane. Keep in touch.¡± Following that arrangement, relief suffused Yvonne. Sophia''s situation was uncertain then, so it wasn''t realistic for them to barge in with a group of people. Alexander wouldn''t be so conspicuous if he were to enter alone. As they would be following behind him with some men, in the event of anything unexpected, they could provide reinforcements anytime. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Right after saying that, Alexander returned to his car. The ck car sped off with a roar and swiftly disappeared from sight. Yvonne and Felix exchanged a look before they both made calls to gather men. Katherine also wanted to go, but Joshua stopped her from doing so. ¡°Stay home. Have you forgotten your identity?¡± ¡°But Soph is in danger!¡± Katherine was utterly worried about Sophia. The three of them were childhood friends who grew up together. Later on, tragedy befell Sophia''s parents. When Katherine''s only family, her grandmother, passed away, they became orphans with no one to care for them. Throughout the years, they had been each other''s family. Whenever she suffered the slightest grievances, she only needed toin tearfully before Sophia and Joshua, and they would promptly avenge her. When others scolded Sophia, she, likewise, would retaliate on her behalf without an ounce of hesitation. Now that something had happened to Sophia, she was inexorably worried and anxious. ¡°Stay home. I''ll go.¡± ¡°Okay... You must bring her back without a scratch. You must alsoe back uninjured.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Compared to Katherine''s and Alexander''s apprehension, Sophia was far more rxed. I reckon the meeting today will have to be rescheduled for tomorrow. She felt rather displeased as she thought of that. Ugh! Mr. Ramsay could''ve taken me any other time, but he just had to do it today. Couldn''t he have done it tomorrow? I''m free the entire day tomorrow! While she was spacing out, the room door was pushed open, and the bodyguard who had promised to prepare lunch for her earlier came in with some food. Scenting the rich aroma of soup, Sophia felt famished. She got to her feet, went to the bathroom, and washed her hands. When she came out, she was greeted by the sight of the bodyguardying each dish out on the table for her. ¡°Thank you.¡± The bodyguard studied Sophia for a moment. She doesn''t look as though I kidnapped her here. Instead, she looks as if she''s here on vacation. It was already past three o''clock in the afternoon then. Having starved for over two hours, Sophia could already sense the onset of a gastric. However, the bodyguard was pretty considerate. He prepared oatmeal and pasta, allowing her to choose between the two. After finishing thete lunch, Sophia went to the bookshelf at the side and picked a book. She sat down in the lounge chair next to it and started flipping through the book. When Bethany came in and saw that scene, the corners of her lips twitched imperceptibly. ¡°You sure know how to enjoy yourself, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Conversely, Sophia didn''t even bother sparing her a nce. ¡°Isn''t this what you want to see, Ms. White?¡± Words eluded Bethany. I don''t want to see this! What I want to see is her in a hysterical and panicked state, begging me on her knees! I''d be out of my mind to desire to see her reading here calmly! Fury zed within her so hotly that her face flushed bright red. ¡°I hope you can still be as happy after tonight. Listen here, Sophia. Do you think Mr. Ramsay is the only one who will being over tonight? Let me tell you that his wife will also being tonight! At that time, you won''t only be suffering from broken limbs when she catches you and her husband in bed! Ah, you don''t know who his wife is, yes? Considering our past acquaintance, I''ll tell you about her. She''s ck Widow, who enjoyed great renown twenty years ago. Tryst, which had gone bankrupt some years ago, belonged to her. She''s no easy prey, so I wish you luck.¡± Bethany was no different from a fly buzzing around. Feeling somewhat irritated, Sophia frowned slightly. ¡°You''re getting in the way of my reading, Ms. White.¡± Lifting her head, she eyed Bethany''s swollen belly. ¡°Instead of worrying about me, Ms. White, you''d be better served worrying about your obvious pregnancy.¡± Bethany''s expression stiffened. She felt as though Sophia had soundlessly pped her twice across the face. ¡°I shall see how long you can remain arrogant.¡± ¡°Am I arrogant?¡± Sophia lifted her head and pinned her gaze on Bethany with the quirk of a brow in puzzlement. Again, Bethany''s temper spiked, and she was left without a rebuttal. All of a sudden, she wondered if she had made the right decision to present Sophia to Carlos. She no longer wanted to speak to Sophia, feeling that she might really burst a blood vessel if she continued talking with her. Soon, she left with the sound of her slippers smacking against the floor, the tapping noises speaking volumes of her wrath. Sophia lowered her head and chuckled softly. Why does she never learn despite having lost to me so many times? Or is she convinced that I''m easy prey? In that case, I''ll have her know tonight if that''s true. As for now, I''ll read a book first. Hmm, this book is pretty interesting. Chapter 270 Chapter 270 Moanahill Residence was located on the outskirts of Jadeborough. The journey there from the city center took about ny minutes. With the aid of the GPS, Alexander arrived at the mansion around four o''clock in the afternoon. ording to the tracking device on his phone, Sophia was located at mansion C-1708. Alexander parked his car at the said location and turned to look at the mansion before giving Felix a call. Felix had already gathered the manpower required. He had hired the staff from Safe Joy Security Services, as all of them had undergone strict training. There were even a number of them who were ex- soldiers. Most importantly, the people he hired were elite fighters. If anything were to happen, their safety would at least be guaranteed. Felix was startled when he saw Alexander''s contact name on his screen. Worried that something might have happened at Alexander''s side, he frantically picked up the call. ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Help me find out who the owner of C-1708 is.¡± ording to the location tracker, Sophia was supposedly in there. However, Alexander had to know who owned the mansion before taking further action. ¡°I''m on it, Mr. Xenos.¡± Felix quickly identified the owner of the property. The owner, however, was not a native of Jadeborough. Felix immediately sent the information to Alexander''s inbox. The entire process only took about twenty minutes. Alexander''s eyes darkened after he read the information. All content is property ? N?velDrama.Org. The mansion was registered under a woman named ¡°Sherlyn Lawson.¡± Felix had even run a background check on the said woman. Sherlyn was not originally a resident of Jadeborough. When she was five years old, she followed her mother, who remarried from Yaleview to Jadeborough. During the year Sherlyn turned twelve, her stepfather tried to rape her. She tried to resist and ended up killing her stepfather. Her mother hated her for killing her stepfather and thus resorted to abandoning her after the incident. After that, Sherlyn got involved with a group of people and was arrested numerous times for getting into fights. She got married to a thug when she was twenty-five. Yet, when she turned thirty, her husband was sentenced to death after bing a pimp. Sherlyn then started operating two loanpanies and a real estate agency. Finally, at the age of thirty-five, she married a person named Carlos Ramsay. Carlos was also once a thug. He was known as ¡°Mr. Ramsay¡± in the underworld. Ten years ago, he was sent behind bars. But after he was released and got married to Sherlyn, the couple appeared to have changed for the better. Alexander had no recollection of Sherlyn at all. On top of that, Sophia could not possibly be acquainted with such a person. However, everything clicked into ce when he saw the name ¡°Mr. Ramsay.¡± If my memory serves me right, there was that one time when Sophia and I saw Bethany clutching onto a man who was in his forties. Bethany called that man ¡°Mr. Ramsay.¡± Alexander immediately realized that the incident had something to do with Bethany. He could not help but snort withughter at the revtion. He then quickly dialed Felix''s number. ¡°Get Tobias over here this instant. I want him to see what his daughter has done!¡± Felix was puzzled by Alexander''s words. Why is the White family involved in this now? However, having served Alexander for many years, Felix quickly returned to his senses. ¡°I''m on it, Mr. Xenos.¡± Judging by how Alexander had spoken with such confidence, Felix was certain that Bethany was connected to the incident. Now that it was confirmed, Alexander did not want to waste any more time. He pushed open the door and got out of the car. Soon after he pressed the doorbell, a muscr man came to his sight at the entrance. Without a doubt, that man was most likely involved with Sophia''s abduction. The thought made Alexander''s expression darken. The muscr man stepped forward and asked, ¡°May I know who you''re looking for?¡± ¡°I''m looking for Mr. Ramsay.¡± The muscr man shuddered inwardly upon seeing the coldness in Alexander''s eyes. He hesitated when he heard that Alexander was searching for Carlos. ¡°Mr. Ramsay is not around at the moment. You might have toe back at another time.¡± ¡°How about Bethany?¡± He knows her too. The muscr man stared at Alexander, already sensing the impending danger radiating from him. He tried to feign ignorance. ¡°I''ve never heard of this person.¡± Alexander was not in the mood for small talk. A cold smirk appeared on his face as he said, ¡°I''m only giving you two choices here: either you let me in, or I''ll call the cops.¡± The muscr man did not know what to do upon hearing Alexander mention the cops. ¡°Please give me a moment. I''ll have to consult Ms. White about this.¡± After weighing the pros and cons, the muscr man knew that was the best he could do. Yet, Alexander was impatient. He whipped out his phone and dialed 911. ¡°Let me in.¡± His thumb was hovering on the green call button. If the muscr man refused to let him in, he would simply press the button and call the cops. The muscr man recalled how Carlos had told him not to cause a fuss before he arrived. Yet Alexander was as aggressive as one could be, requesting Carlos and then Bethany. The muscr man had a hunch that Alexander would actually call the cops if he did not let him in. After two seconds, he opened the door. ¡°Sir, you¡ª¡± Alexander entered the ce without letting the muscr man finish his sentence and kept his head down as he checked the location on his phone. He then made a beeline to the second floor. He came closer to the red dot and knew that Sophia was in the room before him. However, there were two men on guard by the room. The muscr man from before tried to take Alexander away. Yet, Alexander had already grabbed his hand and pressed him to the wall. ¡°Get them to open the door now.¡± ¡°The person in the room is our valued guest, Sir! You will offend Mr. Ramsay''s valued guest.¡± Valued guest? Alexander thought he had heard a joke. Just who on earth does Carlos take my Sophia as? Someone like Bethany? What a joke! Alexander took action immediately. The four were then brawling. The three men who were supposed to be on guard had not expected the intruder to be someone who had superb fighting skills. They failed to restrain Alexander. Meanwhile, Sophia, who was reading in the room, heard themotion when she read a third of her book. She assumed that there was internal conflict among the people of the mansion, so she threw the book aside and decided to join in the fun. Upon opening the door, she did not expect to see Alexander. ¡°Watch out!¡± Sophia cried out as she kicked away the punch that was about tond on Alexander. The three men were slowly losing after Sophia participated in the fight. It only took a few minutes until the men were on the floor, defeated by Alexander and Sophia. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Alexander asked, pulling Sophia to him to check for injuries right after the fight ended. Sophia shook her head. She fixed her gaze on the strong man, whoy moaning in pain. ¡°Where''s Ms. White?¡± she asked, arching her brow. ¡°T-Third floor...¡± At that point, the three men knew better than to resist, as the pair were people they could not afford to mess with. They thought the woman they had kidnapped was a damsel in distress. It never urred to them that she could pack punches that were as intense as men''s. Sophia nced at Alexander. ¡°Ms. White was extremely worried about me tonight. Since you''re here, I should pay her a visit and say hi to her before we leave.¡± Sophia''s lips quirked up. She could not help but wonder what Bethany''s reaction would be when she saw that Alexander was here. Alexander breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Sophia was unharmed. However, a hint of hostility shed past his eyes when the thought of Bethany trying to harm Sophia came to his mind. Nevertheless, his gaze became warm again when he turned to Sophia. ¡°I''ve already asked Ms. Leighton to get Tobias here.¡± Sophia was momentarily stunned when she heard Alexander''s words. Aftering back to her senses, she could not help butugh. ¡°I wonder if Ms. White will like the surprise you prepared for her!¡± The Whites are probably unaware that Bethany is someone''s mistress. Chapter 271 Chapter 271 Sophia lifted her leg and kicked one of the men on the ground. ¡°Go upstairs and get Ms. White toe down. Tell her that an important guest of hers has arrived.¡± With that, she turned to Alexander. ¡°Let''s wait in the living room. Ms. White will probably need some time since she''s pregnant.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± responded Alexander with a smirk when he noticed the mischievous look in Sophia''s eyes. The two settled down in the living room. Sophia even asked for coffee. ¡°Hey, do you think it''s possible for you to reach Carlos'' wife? If so, have her join us too.¡± Sophia suddenly thought of something while taking a sip of her beverage. I remember Bethany mentioning how jealous Carlos'' wife is, so I''m sure she''ll be more than willing to join in confronting Bethany. Even though Alexander had no idea why Sophia would want Sherlyn over, he called and instructed Felix to get her to meet with them anyway. Since Bethany moved to the mansion after getting pregnant, she would nap for more than two hours at around three o''clock every day. Sound asleep, Bethany dreamed that Sherlyn caught Sophia doing the deed with Carlos in bed at night. The man''s wife then went into the kitchen to get a knife, and just when she was about to stab Sophia in the leg, somebody knocked on the door. Immediately, Bethany was startled awake, only to find herself alone in the room. She realized it was just a dream when she heard the bodyguard''s voice from the other side of the door. Bethany was displeased at first that her dream got interrupted, but she quickly remembered that it would soone true. Thinking that the bodyguard hade with good news, such as Carlos'' arrival, she got over her annoyance and hurriedly got out of bed to open the door. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You have an important guest, Ms. White. Ms. Yarrow asked me to get you.¡± Bethany''s face instantly hardened when she heard that. ¡°What important guest? Who could it be besides Mr. Ramsay? And why are you taking orders from Sophia anyway? Do you work for Mr. Ramsay or that woman?¡± Seeing how upset Bethany was, the bodyguard decided to exin what had just happened and describe the man with Sophia to her. ¡°It was a tall and handsome man in a suit. He seemed close with Ms. Yarrow, and they''re waiting for you in the living room on the second floor, Ms. White.¡± Having been beaten up, the bodyguard dared not defy Sophia. His only hope was that the situation would not escte further and that he could get paid as promised. He would never have put up with Bethany, who treated them like trash if he was not told that he would be paid high wages for minimal work. Honestly, she''s even worse than Ms. Yarrow. As soon as Bethany heard the bodyguard, her face turned as pale as a sheet. ¡°I don''t know them. I''m not going to see them!¡± The woman then quickly reached out to close the door. With her back against the door, Bethany shivered in fear. Alexander is here? How did he find this ce, and how did he know that Sophia is here? I thought Mr. Ramsay said that not many knew about this mansion. So how did Alexander find it in only a few hours? Bethany waspletely drained of color when she learned that Alexander was just downstairs. If Alexander finds out that I asked Mr. Ramsay to take Sophia here as his mistress, he''ll kill me! Bethany''s first thought was to make a break for it, but she knew that she could not escape since Alexander and Sophia were waiting for her downstairs. On top of that, she did not have the courage to jump off a three-story building. In the end, she figured getting Carlos toe back was the best course of action. Since Sophia wasn''t harmed in any way, Mr. Ramsay and I only have to get our stories straight and deny that Sophia was taken here to be in his bed. I''m sure there''s nothing Alexander can do to us no matter how capable he is. That''s right! Things aren''t as bad as they seem. All I have to do now is to contact Mr. Ramsay! I''ve got to say. I''m pretty clever for figuring out such a brilliant idea. There was nothing the bodyguard could do since Bethany refused toe out. Afraid to face Sophia and Alexander after failing to carry out his order, the bodyguard decided that he should hide too. I''m just a hired muscle; I don''t see why I should get myself killed over this. Sophia turned to look at Alexander because neither the bodyguard nor Bethany showed up even though they had waited for five minutes. ¡°I think Ms. White knows you''re here.¡± ¡°Mr. Lane said he''s hurrying over with Tobias,¡± informed Alexander after he was done sending text messages. However, Carlos reached the mansion before Felix and Tobias since the ce was quite a distance away from the city. The three bodyguards only breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Carlos. Bethany, too, stopped hiding as soon as Carlos arrived at the mansion. ¡°Mr. Ramsay, this is all just a big misunderstanding,¡± stated Bethany before Sophia could say anything. Looking at Bethany, Sophia let out a chuckle. ¡°Can I have my phone and bag back now, Ms. White?¡± ¡°Are you three ipetent or something? Do you think this is the way to treat Ms. Yarrow?¡± Carlos questioned the bodyguards angrily. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. They lowered their heads and apologized. ¡°What are you still standing here for? Get Ms. Yarrow her bag and phone!¡± Carlos lifted his leg to kick one of them. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Xenos, this is just a misunderstanding. Mr. Ramsay decided to get a friend to keep me company because he was worried that I''d be bored. I was nning to send Ms. Yarrow back after my nap, but I didn''t expect you to get here first, Mr. Xenos,¡± exined Bethany. Alexander nced at the woman coldly and scoffed, ¡°You sure have a pretty unique way of inviting a friend over. Not only did you abduct Sophia, but you also took away her phone and bag.¡± Had Carlos known how much Alexander cared about Sophia, he would never even have dared think aboutying a finger on her. At that point, all he could do was try to get rid of Alexander. After recollecting himself, Carlos nced at the coffee on the table and decided to pour himself a cup. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow, this really is nothing but a misunderstanding. I apologize for failing to make things clear enough to my subordinates. Is there anything I can do to make up for scaring you today? All you have to do is tell me.¡± ¡°I can ask for anything?¡± Sophia smirked at Bethany, causing a shiver to run down her spine. ¡°Of course. As long as it''s not illegal, I''ll promise you whatever you want,¡± replied Carlos with a nod. Sophia nced at Bethany. ¡°Okay. Even though Ms. White and I argued today, I can be magnanimous. All she has to do is serve me a cup of coffee while kneeling in front of me, and I''ll call it even.¡± ¡°Sophia!¡± Bethany''s face turned grim the moment she heard that. However, Carlos turned to re at the woman before she could say anything else. ¡°Shut up!¡± After getting scolded, Bethany pursed her pale lips and clenched the hem of her shirt as she looked straight at Carlos. ¡°Mr. Ramsay, I...¡± She touched her belly to remind Carlos that she was pregnant. Carlos had always listened to Bethany, but he could not care less about what she wanted then. ¡°Didn''t you hear Ms. Yarrow, Bethany?¡± Chapter 272 Chapter 272 The second Bethany heard that, her face turned even paler. She could not bear to look at Sophia sitting on the couch when she saw the smirk on her face. However, judging by Carlos'' stern look, Bethany could tell that he would show her no mercy after Sophia left if she refused to kneel and apologize to her. ¡°Ms. White doesn''t seem willing to apologize. I guess we''ll just have to forget about it,¡± said Sophia before shrugging helplessly at Carlos. ¡°It''s a shame we can''t resolve this matter today, Mr. Ramsay.¡± ¡°Bethany!¡± roared Carlos, leaving the shuddering Bethany no choice but to kneel before Sophia with gritted teeth. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow. I shouldn''t have offended you,¡± uttered Bethany as she handed a cup of coffee from the coffee table beside her to Sophia. After taking the cup, Sophia immediately sshed the beverage onto Bethany''s face. ¡°You''ll have to ept the coffee for me, Ms. White.¡± ¡°Don''t push it, Sophia!¡± Bethany jumped to her feet and looked daggers at Sophia while coffee dripped from her face. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. When Bethany lifted her hand, Sophia simply nced at her calmly. ¡°Please excuse her temper, Ms. Yarrow. She just got pregnant,¡± pleaded Carlos after stopping Bethany from getting physical. ¡°Sure,¡± responded Sophia indifferently. ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Ramsay. I meant what I said just now. This matter is behind us now.¡± The moment Sophia finished her sentence, a woman''s voice rang out. ¡°What''s behind you now?¡± Carlos'' eyes widened when he realized that the voice belonged to Sherlyn. Bethany did not do any better either, for she was drained of color once again at the sight of Carlos'' wife. Sophia nced at Alexander and secretly smiled at him while the others were still distracted. Alexander could not help but be aroused when he saw the look on Sophia''s face, so he reached out to hold her hand and slowly tightened his grip. Sophia tried to pull her hand back, but Alexander refused to let her go. Since she did not want to attract others'' attention, she had no choice but to stop struggling. Sherlyn scrutinized Sophia as soon as she arrived but decided to shift her attention to Bethany when she noticed Alexander beside Sophia. ¡°Who is she?¡± Even when she was young, Sherlyn was not someone most people would want to mess with. That only became truer the older she got. Carlos did his best to keep his affairs a secret from Sherlyn. The fact that she had been spending most of her time working in Horington for the past few years only made it more unlikely for her to know what her husband was hiding from her. Sherlyn had just returned from Horington to spend time with her daughter. She never expected to be called to the mansion because Carlos and his pregnant mistress were there. At first, Sherlyn did not believe what she was told, but then she received several photos of Carlos and his mistress and even the address of the mansion. Even though Sherlyn did not know why she was given the information, she was determined to confront Carlos about his extramarital affair, so she left her daughter with a friend and drove over immediately. The moment she arrived, she saw Carlos standing in front of Bethany like a protector. ¡°You dare fool around with another woman behind my back, Carlos? You even got her pregnant!¡± scoffed Sherlyn when she noticed Bethany''s belly. Carlos had nothing when he was released from prison, and he would have remained so had it not been for Sherlyn''s family. Being the domineering person she was, Sherlyn always got what she wanted. She once disfigured a woman she caught Carlos cheating with. Carlos used to be afraid of Sherlyn, but after hispany began to do well, he grew bolder. ¡°Come at me if you''re upset. She''s only less than three months pregnant; I won''t forgive you if you do anything to her, Sherlyn!¡± The second Sherlyn heard that, she exploded in anger. ¡°Have you no dignity? If you''re not an animal, stop acting like one! Don''t you know that he already has a family?¡± questioned Sherlyn after pping Bethany on the face and causing her cheek to swell immediately. Terrified by the murderous look in Sherlyn''s eyes, Bethany quickly hid behind Carlos. ¡°I don''t know anything. I really don''t!¡± ¡°You''ll regret it if you touch her again, Sherlyn!¡± Carlos had been wanting to have a son, but Sherlyn could not make that happen for him. So when he learned that Bethany was pregnant, it was only natural that he became protective of his mistress. Having seen all kinds of people over the years, Sherlyn could see through Bethany with just one look. ¡°You sure know how to act innocent, you b*tch. Let me do your parents a favor by teaching you some manners!¡± Sherlyn was tough. Not even Carlos, a man, could handle her. The scene was chaotic, yet Sophia and Alexander would not have it any other way. Just when things were getting interesting, Felix arrived with Tobias. Sherlyn knew she could not beat Carlos, so she swiftly reached out to pull Bethany by the hair when he was distracted. That was what Felix and Tobias saw when they arrived at the scene. Even though Tobias had no idea what was going on, he hurried over to help Bethany since she was his daughter. After regaining his senses, Felix quickly approached Alexander. ¡°Mr. Xenos.¡± Then he nced at Sophia. ¡°Are you okay, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°I think you should ask Ms. White that,¡± Sophia responded to Felix, who had never seen such a scene before. Bethany was grimacing in pain when her hair got pulled, so she decided to go all out and pull Sherlyn''s hair too. Only when Tobias intervened did Bethany get the upper hand. ¡°Who are you, and why are you hitting my daughter?¡± questioned Tobias. Sherlynughed when she heard the man. ¡°You should''ve taught your daughter better. She stole my husband; she''s a mistress!¡± Naturally, Tobias did not take Sherlyn''s word for it, but when he saw Bethany''s belly, he immediately pped his daughter. ¡°You''reing home with me!¡± Sensing that the show was almost over, Sophia stood up. ¡°We should go too.¡± Alexander nodded in response and gestured for Felix to clean up the mess before leaving. ¡°Be careful on the road, Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow,¡± reminded Felix understandingly. It was alreadyte when the two got ready to leave. ¡°M-Mr. Xenos,¡± called out Tobias when he finally noticed Alexander, but the man had already gone far with Sophia. Tobias could only turn to Felix. ¡°Mr. Lane, why did Mr. Xenos want me here?¡± Felix nced indifferently at Bethany before replying, ¡°You''ll have to ask Ms. White what happened today, Mr. White.¡± After pausing for a while, he added, ¡°By the way, Mr. Xenos won''t forget about what she did today. After all, she had the audacity toy a finger on the future Mrs. Xenos.¡± Although Tobias did not know exactly what had happened, Felix made it clear enough that Alexander would make the White family pay for Bethany''s sin. At that moment, Tobias got so upset that his entire body shook in anger. ¡°You good-for-nothing of a daughter!¡± Felix turned to warn Carlos and Sherlyn with a deadpan expression before leaving too. Chapter 273 Chapter 273 By the time the car reached the city, it was almost seven. The sky was starting to grow darker. After the ordeals she had experienced earlier in the day, Sophia did not want to dine outside. Hence, Alexander drove her straight to the mansion. ¡°I''ll head upstairs to get changed.¡± Since she sweated quite a lot, her clothes were starting to stink. With that, Sophia climbed the stairs. Alexander gazed at her back for a while till she disappeared round the corner. Only then did he order some food delivery on his phone and went upstairs too. By then, the sky had turned pitch-ck. After changing into a loose dress, Sophia walked out of the closet and saw Alexander approaching her. She nced at him and smiled. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Alexander had already reached her when she finished her sentence. Sweeping her into his arms, he copsed onto the bed. ¡°Alex¡ª¡± Sophia did not even have time to react when he kissed her. Alexander''s kiss was urgent and forceful, as if he was about to swallow her whole. Not only was her tongue numb and her face flushed, but her breathing was also bing faster. Alexander''s grip on her waist was so strong that she felt like he was going to break her bones. Grunting in pain, she said, ¡°Alexander, it hurts...¡± The man kissing her finally halted. He raised his head, his dark eyes zing with lust and passion. Withdrawing his hands from her chest, he stroked her face gently. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± He was just feeling a bit scared. Sophia also understood why he suddenly kissed her. When she heard his apology, her heart pounded as if something had just struck it. ¡°I didn''t expect them to be so bold either.¡± They had kidnapped her directly from the parking lot. In reality, she was quite terrified throughout the ordeal. It was only after seeing Bethany that she calmed down slightly. Gazing at her eyes that were glimmering brightly, Alexander could see his reflection in them. Unable to hold himself back, he lowered his head and kissed her eyes before flipping to the side. Hugging her with one arm and stroking her head with the other, he asked, ¡°What did they do?¡± Sophia raised her head and shot a nce at him. ¡°I had just left the hospital. Just when I was about to enter the car in the parking lot, they suddenly rushed out and dragged me into their car.¡± She had already noticed their presence. However, since she was stuck between two cars, she could not avoid the other person even if she managed to block one. ¡°Are you injured?¡± Even though Alexander had asked her that already, he was still worried. Sophia eyed him. ¡°Perhaps you''d like to inspect me personally, Mr. Xenos?¡± Sophia regretted it after blurting it out loud. The lustful atmosphere in the room earlier had not fully dissipated. Now that she had just dug her own grave, she saw Alexander staring at her passionately. His eyes were like an endless vortex, sucking her in with a single gaze. Although only a short period of time passed, Sophia could not stand it anymore. She averted her gaze and said, ¡°Let me reply to Katherine.¡± Alexander shielded his eyes with his hand and replied solemnly, ¡°Okay.¡± Since Sophia had not checked her phone for a long time, it was flooded with messages from Katherine. Thetest message, which was delivered ten minutes ago, asked if she had reached home. Reading the hundred or so messages, Sophia felt amused and touched. If she did not reply there and then, Katherine would probablye rushing over. Sophia shot a brief nce at Alexander on the bed and replied curtly: I just got home. I''m fine. It seemed like Katherine was waiting anxiously in front of her phone. Sophia had sent the message for barely a few seconds before Katherine replied: Are you injured? Who kidnapped you? What happened? Sophia gave her a brief but concise summary. After learning that it had to do with Bethany, Katherine sent a huge chunk of text: Oh my God! Is she in love with you? Why is she still eyeing you after so long? Soph, I really think that you should think carefully about when you identally made her so obsessed with you! When you married Alexander, she didn''t target you like that, right? Why is she acting like a madwoman desperately trying to attract your attention now that both of you are divorced? Sophia was so amused by Katherine''s wild guess that she burst outughing. She messaged: It''s a pity that you aren''t a scriptwriter. Katherine replied: If it were not for myck of vocabry, I would''ve been a scriptwriter long ago. Sophia: Are you sure that yourck of vocabry is the only reason? Katherine: I''m now certain that not only are you physically unscathed, but your mental state is also fine. I won''t disrupt your private time with Mr. Xenos. Goodbye, my friend. Feeling embarrassed, Sophia ced her phone down and saw Alexander staring at her from the bed. She arched an eyebrow. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°No,¡± answered Alexander as he grabbed the watch that she had just taken off. ¡°Did Joshua install the emergency SOS in your watch?¡± ¡°Yeah. Do you want one too, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Can you add me as your emergency contact?¡± Sophia looked at him and smiled. ¡°You''ll have to ask Joshua.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He would tell Felix to ask tomorrow. Seeing how serious he was about it, Sophia concealed her amusement. She walked over and hugged him. ¡°This won''t happen again, Alexander.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I''ll ask Joshua to add you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Holding her hands, he lowered his head and stared at her, his usually cold gaze much warmer now. After Sophia finished bathing at night, her phone was once again flooded with messages from Katherine. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. As the biggest gossiper, Katherine caught wind of the news about Bethany being a mistress the moment it was exposed. Within seconds, the entire Inte found out that Bethany, a well-known and rising artist, was a mistress who wrecked someone''s family. Theizens were very powerful as someone dug out some dirt about Bethany in the past. For instance, she was already interfering in Sophia''s rtionship with Alexander before they divorced, deliberately sending ambiguous photos to Sophia. It had garnered a lot of attention back then. Now that it had resurfaced, Bethany''s art gallery was destroyed by someone that night. Since everyone in Jadeborough now knew that Bethany was a mistress, she had be aplete social outcast in her circles. When Alexander entered, Sophia was reading the post that Katherine had just sent her. Upon tapping into the link, she was confronted with the news about Bethany sending her photos of the former and Alexander in bathrobes. Sophia read the headlines before shooting a nce at Alexander. In the end, she decided to finish reading it calmly. ¡°I didn''t cheat on you, Sophia.¡± Many years had passed since the incident. Although her three-year marriage with Alexander had been a disappointing failure, she knew very well that he had not cheated on her. When she heard that, she looked at him and smiled. ¡°I know.¡± She just could not help but feel sad. No matter what, she was still his wife. When she saw the photo of a woman acting so intimately with her husband, it was natural for her to feel furious and upset. ¡°She drank too much at a gathering, so I asked Felix to bring her downstairs. However, she was so crazily drunk that she suddenly barged into my room.¡± After a slight pause, he continued, ¡°Now that I think about it, it probably isn''t because she''s crazily drunk. She''s just crazy.¡± Sophia burst outughing when she heard that. ¡°How sad Ms. White would be if she heard that!¡± ¡°That''s got nothing to do with me.¡± Sophia clucked her tongue in disapproval. ¡°Men are so heartless.¡± ¡°I can never be heartless to you, Sophia.¡± He bent down and took her phone away. As he stared at her with his dark eyes, Sophia''s heart pounded rapidly. Chapter 274 Chapter 274 ¡°Oh,¡± replied Sophia before looking away, avoiding Alexander''s gaze. ¡°It''s almost ten. I''m tired.¡± She yawned as she spoke. ¡°Okay.¡± With that, Alexander released her and stood up. ¡°Let''s sleep.¡± Sophia peeked at him before pulling a thin nket over herself. ¡°I''ll sleep first. Goodnight.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Goodnight.¡± Alexander was staying over for the night. With both of them in the room alone, it was too easy for them to cross the line of intimacy. Sophia was not afraid. However, since she had not experienced it before, she felt nervous. Alexander probably did not n to do anything that night either. After switching the lights off for Sophia, he closed the door gently and went outside to call Felix. He could no longer tolerate Bethany. News about Bethany spread like wildfire on the Inte, to the extent that Sophia and Alexander ended up being implicated as well. Felix was also hesitating about whether he should call Alexander, especially since it was already quite late. Hence, he was startled when he saw Alexander''s iing call on his phone. Returning to his senses, he quickly picked it up. ¡°Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°I don''t want to see Bethany in Jadeborough from now on. You better deal with it properly.¡± Felix instantly understood. ¡°Got it, Mr. Xenos.¡± After news about Bethany being a mistress was revealed, the White family''s reputation in Jadeborough had been utterly ruined. Karen, Bethany''s mother, did not even dare to venture a step out of the house. Although no one dared to say anything in front of Tobias in the office, he heard his employees gossiping about Bethany when he went downstairs, nning to head home for lunch. ¡°Did you see the top searchesst night? Bethany White seems to be Mr. White''s daughter!¡± ¡°What do you mean? She is none other than Mr. White''s daughter! Do you remember Alexander''s divorce from Sophia a year ago? It''s because of Bethany meddling in their rtionship! She''s an experienced mistress. When she debuted, she even created such a huge ruckus that she had to offer a public apology. Don''t you remember?¡± ¡°Oh my God, I remember now! What kind of person is she? Our boss'' family isn''t just an ordinary family, right? How did they raise such a disgusting daughter?¡± Not only did the two female employees fail to realize that Tobias was still there, but they also did not expect him to take the stairs. Hence, they spoke in loud voices. When Tobias heard their conversation, his face flushed red. He scolded Bethany again the moment he reached home. With Bethany''s mother coaxing him at the side, Tobias finally stopped after scolding his daughter for a long time. It was then that his phone suddenly rang. The call came in an untimely manner. Since he was still filled with rage, his tone was charged with fury when he picked up the phone. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. White. I am Felix Lane, Mr. Xenos'' secretary.¡± Tobias'' expression froze on his face when he heard that. He apologized frantically, ¡°I''m so sorry, Mr. Lane. I thought that my subordinate was calling me.¡± Not bothering to touch on that topic at all, Felix went straight to the point. ¡°Mr. White, I''m sure that you know what Ms. White has done to Ms. Yarrow. Mr. Xenos is currently pursuing Ms. Yarrow. If there are no hups, she''ll be his wife in the future. Hence, Ms. White''s actions have crossed his bottom line this time. He instructed me to ry a message to you. He doesn''t want to see Ms. White in Jadeborough anymore. Lastly, let me give you a reminder in my personal capacity, Mr. White. You have a son other than your daughter, right? If you cannot make the choice, I believe that Mr. Xenos will eventually lend you a helping hand in deciding. Sorry to bother you. I have said what I wanted to say. Goodbye, Mr. White, and have a pleasant day ahead.¡± Felix hung up the moment he finished talking, leaving Tobias standing there with his hand still gripping his phone and his face deathly pale. When Karen saw his reaction, she could not help but ask, ¡°What happened? Who called you? Why do you look so affected?¡± After returning to his senses, Tobias leaped to his feet and bellowed, ¡°It''s all thanks to the daughter you''ve raised!¡± Bethany was sent away from Jadeborough that very day. Before she left, she did not even know if she had a chance to return ever again. Hence, she consoled her mother and Tobias before leaving and reminded them to take care of themselves. Standing there sullenly, Tobias shot an icy re at her. ¡°If you still treat me as your father, I''d advise you to be more obedient from now on. Don''t do anything that you shouldn''t!¡± Bethany also knew that she was at fault this time. Not only did she fail to drag Sophia down with her, but she also got Alexander involved. She did not know what the White family had promised Alexander such that he stopped pursuing the matter. However, she soon discovered the promise that the White family made. With utter disbelief, she listened to Tobias'' words through the phone. ¡°From now on, you''re not allowed to return. The White family has never had a daughter like you!¡± Bethany was dumbfounded upon hearing that, as though she had just been clubbed on the head. Tobias was quite the ruthless man. For his son''s sake, he was true to his words when he dered that he would no longer care for Bethany. After sending her overseas, he arranged for someone to monitor her. As long as she showed any intentions of returning, she would definitely be stopped. Sophia only found out that Bethany had been sent away a few dayster. The gossip in Jadeborough died down gradually after that. June soon ushered in the hot summer in Jadeborough. Even though it was six in the evening, the wind was still warm and humid. The heat dissipated only after Sophia got into the car. When the car stopped, the sky was in gorgeous shades of purple and orange. Sophia walked out of the elevator and saw the restaurant that Alexander had booked. Although it was a Friday, that floor on the shopping mall was surprisingly quiet. There were not a lot of people, lest for the few strolling at the sides. Sophia raised her eyebrow and strode into the restaurant. There were, on the other hand, quite a few people in the restaurant. Alexander had reserved a table in an open-air spot. Sophia had to walk through the inner room for half a minute before reaching the outdoors section. Alexander was already there. When he saw her walking over, he stood up and pulled the chair out for her. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Sophia ced her bag down and shook her head. ¡°Not really.¡± As she spoke, she scanned her surroundings. ¡°It''s quite cooling at night here.¡± It''s much better than being stuck in an air-conditioned room. Alexander poured her a ss of juice. ¡°The view''s nice too.¡± Staring at Alexander, Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Are you nning to do something, Alexander?¡± She''s smart. Nothing has started yet, but she''s already guessed it. Avoiding her question, Alexander passed the menu to her. ¡°See what you''d like to eat.¡± Sophia took it and chuckled. ¡°Are you changing the topic?¡± Only then did she lower her head and flip through the menu. Although there were guests entering and exiting the restaurant, they were the only ones in the outdoor section. Sophia had a feeling that Alexander had nned something major for the night. Chapter 275 Chapter 275 Sophia took a sip of the juice after she ordered her food. ¡°Is it a special day today?¡± she asked with a slight smile while looking at Alexander. Alexander shook his head. ¡°No.¡± If I really have to call it special, I guess today''s a day when I''m happier because I get to spend time with her. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Sophia raised her brows and stopped asking when she noticed he didn''t want to tell her. ¡°Did you say something to the White family?¡± This matter, on the other hand, Alexander admitted to quickly. ¡°Yeah.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Then, should I thank you?¡± Great. I don''t have to see Bethany anymore. My life will be more peaceful, and I''ll be happier without that troublemaker. ¡°No need.¡± You never have to thank me. Sophia smiled. ¡°Okay. If you say so.¡± ¡°Mm. You don''t have to be too polite with me, Sophia.¡± At that moment, the waiter approached their table with a trolley. The aroma of the sizzling steak on a hot te filled the entire ce, and Sophia found herself feeling a little hungry. The evening sky had finally turned dark. The waiter left right after serving the dishes, leaving Sophia and Alexander in that area alone. ¡°Do you need my help with Ms. Gomez''s matter?¡± Alexander cut some steak and ced it on Sophia''s te. Sophia pondered the question as she observed what he was doing. ¡°I can handle it myself.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± That was all Alexander responded. He didn''t ask anything else. Besides, he believed she could handle it on her own since it was only a trivial matter. Sophia had a feeling he was up to something that night. However, Alexander didn''t make any move even after she finished her food. Am I overthinking it? Suddenly, a ¡°snowke¡±nded on the back of her palm when she was wiping her mouth. Stunned for a moment, she couldn''t help but look up and saw the sky full of fluttering ¡°snow.¡± But it''s June right now. There''s no way it''ll snow in summer. The next second, she remembered what she had said the other day, and her index finger moved slightly. She looked at Alexander, who was sitting in front of her, and smiled. ¡°It''s snowing, Alexander.¡± Meanwhile, he was also looking at her with those deep, gentle eyes. ¡°It''s snowing, Sophia.¡± Everyone in the restaurant got excited over the sudden ¡°snow.¡± Many wanted to go outdoors, but the waiters and waitresses stopped them at the door. ¡°I''m sorry, miss. The entire patio has been booked, so you can''t go out there.¡± Hearing that, everyone was a little disappointed. However, their disappointment didn''tst long since they were too excited over the ¡°snowfall¡± in June. They took out their phones and started taking videos to post on Instagram. Meanwhile, Sophia and Alexander, the only two people who were sitting at the outdoor table with candlelight, became the focus of attention. Even through the window, Sophia sensed the cameras on them. She raised a brow. ¡°I guess we''ll go viral tomorrow if this goes on.¡± Alexander nced sideways and saw those people in the restaurant. Instantly, he got up and stretched his hand toward her. ¡°Come on. Let''s go back.¡± Sophia nced up at him and put her hand in his. However, she wasn''t nning on leaving. ¡°Alexander, dance with me.¡± The ¡°snow¡± is beautiful. It''ll be a waste if we go home now. Hearing that, he looked at her and put his hand on her slim waist. Then, the two of them began to dance in the middle of the snow. The waiter in the restaurant was quick to get someone to y romantic waltz music when he saw them dancing. Seeing Sophia and Alexander dance beautifully to the romantic music, many customers in the restaurant sighed in admiration. When the music stopped, Sophia raised her head and said next to Alexander''s ear, ¡°Congrattions, Alexander. I forgive you.¡± In truth, Sophia had said a lot of harsh words to him, but he was persistent. Back when he asked her what he needed to do to make her forgive him, she had asked him, ¡°What are the chances of snow in June?¡± Everyone knew it was impossible to snow in summer. Nheless, he really made it ¡°snow¡± that day. Although she had already forgiven him a long time ago, she thought she had to officially tell him that. ¡°Thank you. I will never let you down again.¡± She lifted her head to look at him andughed. ¡°We''ll see.¡± Lowering his head, he stared back at her. He could see the stars in her eyes and his own reflection. It was the same look in her eyes when she had just gotten married to him many years ago. Back then, she stretched out her hand and said, ¡°Alexander, I''ll be in your care for the rest of my life.¡± He was all she could see. I am truly blessed! He knew Sophia preferred to keep a low profile, so when they left, he covered herpletely, and the restaurant crew helped them on their way out too. Apparently, the ¡°snowfall¡± in Seven Starry Skies Restaurantsted for more than half an hour, and it was the only ce in the entire Jadeborough that snowed that night. There was no way it would snow at only one ce in June, so it was obvious that somebody deliberately created the scene. After Sophia finished showering that night, she received a message with a trending link from Katherine. In just two hours, Snowfall in June topped the trending list. Katherine wrote a long message: Look, Soph! Oh my goodness! This is so romantic! I wish that woman were me! The man created a snowfall for her in June! I heard someone took a video of them dancing in the snow and watched it! They''re truly a match made in heaven! Ahhh! I''m so envious! As the woman in the video, Sophia felt she had to say something. She sent: Are you sure you watched the video closely? Katherine, upon receiving Sophia''s reply, texted again: I''ve watched it over and over at least ten times! They''re so elegant! I know it''s just two people embracing one another while dancing to a waltz casually, but it''s too sweet! Sophia was about to message Katherine back when thetter called her. Sophia raised her brows and answered the call. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I''ve just sent you the video! They''re so sweet together! It''s too romantic! Ahhhh! What kind of fairy-tale is this?¡± Sophia clucked her tongue discreetly. ¡°I don''t have to watch the video. I was there.¡± ¡°Huh? You were? Do you know who they are? The snow must''ve cost a fortune. I heard they even booked the patio, so no one else could go there.¡± ¡°If your eyes are working fine, look closely at the video again, and you might see that I''m the woman in the video.¡± Right after Sophia said that, Katherine jumped in surprise. ¡°What did you say? Say it again! Oh my goodness! It really is you! Ahh! I''m so envious! You''re rich, pretty, have a good body, and now this fairy- tale-like love!¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°You don''t have any of those, so don''t be too envious.¡± ¡°Ahh! I don''t want to be friends with you anymore! Bye!¡± Our friendship ends here! Hmph! Chapter 276 Chapter 276 After hanging up the phone, Katherine grew increasingly envious the more she thought about it. In the end, she went on Twitter and posted: Ahh! I found out that the woman in the video is my goddess and best friend! I''m green with envy right now! Ever since her alternate ount came to light, all her fans learned that she was Sophia''s best friend and greatest fan. That aside, they knew that her circle of friends had been exceedingly small in all the years she had debuted, and those in the entertainment industry were basically mere acquaintances. After all, her persona was that of an aloof and regaldy. As such, Sophia was the only person who could be considered her best friend. As soon as she posted that on Twitter, allizens knew that the woman in the video Snowfall in June was Sophia. Needless to say, the man''s identity was also uncovered in no time. As Alexander''s secretary, Felix naturally found out about the storm brewing on the inte before long. There might be consequences to that matter, so he phoned Alexander after a brief hesitation and ventured, ¡°Mr. Xenos, your rtionship with Ms. Yarrow has been exposed on the inte. Should I do anything about it?¡± Alexander, who had just arrived home, replied, ¡°No, it''s okay.¡± So, allizens are now aware that Sophia is my girlfriend. That''s simply my wishe true. After Felix hung up the phone, he mulled over the man''s answer. In a sh, understanding dawned upon him. Having been Alexander''s secretary for almost ten years, he felt that there were some things he should do without needing the man to give the order personally. Since Alexander didn''t instruct him to suppress the news, it was evident that he likewise wanted to bring the matter out into the open. Felix pondered for a while before giving his assistant a call and had the man furtively publish a few spearheading posts. Thus, in less than an hour, the love story between Sophia and Alexander was also circting on the inte. As a matter of course, all the negative aspects were discarded to leave the positive ones this time. For instance, Alexander was the person Sophia wanted to repay when she chose toe to Jadeborough to attend university and elected to marry him back then because of love. The instant that post was published, Sophia''s negative image in the past was overturned entirely. Following that, the fact that Alexander pursued Sophia made the rounds, with some informants revealing insider information and providing photos. It was divulged that after their divorce, he suddenly realized that he had fallen in love with her and started embarking on the path of winning her back. In fact, someone attested to bumping into him at Coldbridge Airport during New Year earlier in the year. Coincidentally, Coldbridge was Sophia''s hometown. No sooner had the two spearheading posts appeared on the inte than theizens started moring online for them to get married. When Samuel came across that, a sense of disgruntlement rose within him. We''re both eligible bachelors. Why is it that Alexander is the only one with a girlfriend? Hence, he doubted the veracity of the matter. After deliberating for some time, he rang Alexander up despite thete hour. ¡°Is the news on the inte true, Alex?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± In a great mood, Alexander was far more amicable to him than before. ¡°But that doesn''t make sense. Aren''t you still in the grueling process of winning your wife back?¡± ¡°Buzz off!¡± Alexander hung up right away, not in the mood to talk to Samuel since thetter had nothing good to say. Having hung up the phone, he scrolled through Twitter, which he had installed a long time ago yet had only opened a few times. Only after he had scanned through the headlines rted to him and Sophia did he go to sleep in gratification. Well, this batch ofizens are to bemended. At the same time, Lukas, who was far in Doveston, had also learned about Sophia and Alexander''s rtionship. Recalling Sophia''s im that she had nothing to do with Alexander when he called her a few days ago, he plunged into deep contemtion. A momentter, he massaged his temples in exasperation. Ah, this cousin of mine is rather naughty! Sophia had gone to bed at a little over ten o''clock, so she was in the dark about everything that transpiredter. When she opened her eyes at seven o''clock the next day, she discovered that Katherine had sent her a number of links and messagesst night. Tapping into the links, she scanned them over, only to learn that the entire intemunity was then aware of her rtionship with Alexander. In truth, she didn''t mind it much as she hadn''t nned on having the man continue being her boyfriend in secret. The only awkward issue was figuring out an exnation for Lukas. Just after Sophia had finished washing up, she received a message from Zayne. He told her that Lukas questioned him about his rtionship with herst night, and he came clean with the man. Therefore, he urged her to brace herself, for thetter would likely phone and ask her about it that day. Chuckling, Sophia texted him a thanks in return before going into the closet and changing. At eight o''clock on the dot, the doorbell downstairs rang. Sophia knew that it was Alexander without even having to think about it. ¡°Good morning.¡± She walked over and opened the door. Seeing that her expression appeared no different from usual, Alexander queried, ¡°Have you gone online yet?¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia eyed him with a smirk. ¡°Yeah, I''ve gone online and also saw the news. You must have contributed much, huh?¡± Alexander met her gaze head-on without any change in expression. ¡°I didn''t do anything.¡± Felix acted arbitrarily, so it had nothing to do with me. At that, Sophia gave a bark ofughter. ¡°I don''t believe you.¡± While saying that, she whirled around and went upstairs, taking out a spare key from a cab. Then, she sauntered over to Alexander, who wasying out the breakfast. ¡°Put your hand out.¡± Without any questions, Alexander promptly held his hand out. Lifting her hand, Sophia ced the key in his palm. ¡°Here, a spare key.¡± As her soft voice fell, Alexander sensed a chill in his palm. He dipped his head and stared at the key in his hand. His Adam''s apple bobbed, and a sense of warmth suffused him. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I''m just giving it to you for you to let yourself in, not to have you move in here,¡± Sophia rified when he remained silent, shattering his fantasy. Putting the key away, Alexander gazed at her, his ebony eyes flickering slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± That''s all right. We''ve got all the time in the world. Sophia chortled softly. ¡°All right, let''s have breakfast.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Although their rtionship had been made public presently, they still drove their respective cars to work for the sake of convenience. The only difference was that Alexander could be more tant when he arrived outside Sunshine Group. The matterst night went viral on the inte, so when the employeesing to work spotted Alexander''s car below Sunshine Group''s building, they couldn''t resist snapping a photo and posting it online. Alexander cast a nce at those who were snapping photos, but he didn''t go over and stop them from doing so. He watched as Sophia''s car gradually drove into the parking lot and disappeared from sight before climbing back into his car and driving off. Right then, he was officially her boyfriend. Chapter 277 Chapter 277 ¡°Good morning, Ms. Yarrow.¡± When Sophia stepped out of the elevator, the conscientious Yvonne was already primed to work with a stack of documents in her arms. Inclined her head at Yvonne, she shed thetter a smile. ¡°Good morning.¡± Yvonne followed her into the office with the documents in hand. ¡°Here''s Luster Corporation''s acquisition proposal.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Putting her bag down, Sophia reached out and took the proposal from Yvonne. When she lifted her head and saw that thetter was still standing before the desk, she couldn''t help arching a brow. ¡°What''s the matter? Is there anything else?¡± As Yvonne scrutinized Sophia in front of her, the Snowfall in June video that took the city by stormst night shed across her mind. She hesitated for a few seconds, but ultimately, she ventured, ¡°Are you and Mr. Xenos together again?¡± That question of hers had the corners of Sophia''s eyes twitch imperceptibly. Lifting her head, she looked at Yvonne with a half-smile. ¡°You were shocked?¡± In response, Yvonne shook her head. ¡°No, just a touch surprised.¡± As Sophia''s secretary and one of her fans, she was exceedingly chagrined by Alexander''s indifference toward Sophia over those three years. Consequently, she didn''t like his secretary much either. She had always felt that Sophia deserved better, so she was inexorably mournful now that thetter had gotten back together with Alexander. Gazing at her secretary before her, Sophia chortled softly. ¡°It''s okay. I''ve got both money and looks. It''ll be a piece of cake for me to change boyfriends.¡± At once, embarrassment inundated Yvonne. With her eyes fixated on Sophia, she wavered for a moment before murmuring, ¡°I hope you''ll always be happy, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia was inevitably touched. ¡°Don''t worry, I will.¡± Not only was Yvonne aware that Sophia wasn''t an impulsive person, but she also knew that outsiders weren''t privy to many things when it came to matters of the heart. Her judgment has always been impable and spot-on. Since she chose Alexander both times, it''s evident that there is something special about him. When she went missing that day and everything hung in the bnce, he even dared to go in and get to the bottom of things alone. On second thought, he isn''t as bad as I''d imagined. Throwing a final look at Sophia, she decided to put the matter to the back of her mind. ¡°I''ll go and get busy, Ms. Yarrow.¡± I''ve worked for her for eight years, and I believe that she''ll be able to make the right choices for her life. Sophia nodded in acknowledgment. As she watched Yvonne leave, she couldn''t help giggling. It looks like Alexander is really unlikable. Everyone around me guards against him as though he''s a big bad wolf! Tsk-tsk. The matterst night had stirred up a storm on the inte, so Sophia had never thought that she could still keep things from Lukas'' knowledge. Besides, Zayne had already messaged her when she woke up in the morning. As such, it was only a matter of time before Lukas came to her for an exnation. She had just snagged her bag to head out for lunch when she received a call from Lukas. ¡°Lukas.¡± ¡°Have you had lunch?¡± Sophia nced at her watch. ¡°I was just about to go out for lunch. What about you?¡± ¡°I''m on my way,¡± Lukas answered cidly. On the heels of that, he drawled, ¡°Shouldn''t you give me an exnation regarding your rtionship with Alexander?¡± Hanging her head, Sophia stared at the watch on her wrist. ¡°Actually, Lukas, I didn''t intend on keeping you in the dark.¡± ¡°And so, you teamed up with Zayne to dupe me?¡± At that usation, mortification swamped Sophia. ¡°It was because I hadn''t yet figured out how to tell you about it.¡± She then paused before continuing, ¡°I know you''re very much upset about his treatment of me in the past.¡± Hearing that, Lukas snorted. ¡°If so, why did you still get back with him?¡± ¡°Because I discovered that I still like him.¡± After saying that, Sophia blushed hotly. It was her first time speaking of her attachment toward Alexander with Lukas. In all these years, she had seemingly never confessed her feelings to Alexander, officially speaking. On the other end of the phone, Lukas massaged his temples. ¡°You''re no longer a kid, so you''d only feel that I''m overly restricting you if I were to interfere in your rtionships too much. I''m not going to bother about your rtionship with Alexander anymore, but if he were to wrong you again, I wouldn''t allow you two to be together anymore, no matter what you say.¡± Sophia could hear the exasperation in his voice, and he sounded just like an elder who was pampering a naughty kid. All he did was for her own good, yet he wouldn''t use that excuse to bind her within his rules. Such a measure of concern and tenderness had a wealth of warmth suffuse Sophia. ¡°Got it, Lukas.¡± ¡°I don''t object to you dating him, but I''m not going to support the rtionship either. Thus, you''ll have to convince Grandpa by yourself.¡± The fact that he wasn''t objecting was already the greatestpromise. Alexander had inflicted much pain on Sophia in the past, so if possible, Lukas even wanted to take her back to the Dawson residence, never again allowing the man to see her. In light that they had gotten back together then, he didn''t want her to be sad, but he wasn''t the only one who knew about her mistreatment at the Xenos residence. Perrin was also aware of it. The man wouldn''t be fooled as easily, so Alexander would likely be put through the wringer if he really wanted to be with Sophia. Naturally, Lukas would be d to see it as well since Alexander had picked on Sophia in the past. Knowing that he wasn''t mad, Sophia breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you, Lukas.¡± ¡°Go and have lunch.¡± She was already an adult, so it wouldn''t do Lukas any good to speak further. Nor did he want to do so. No sooner had Sophia ended the call than another one from Alexander came in. Snagging her bag, she answered the call while heading out. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I''m already downstairs.¡± ¡°I''m in the elevator. See you in two minutes.¡± After saying that, Sophia hung up the phone. Recalling Lukas'' words earlier, she bowed her head and chuckled. Come to think of it, Alexander is pretty pitiful. The instant she stepped out of the elevator, she caught sight of Alexander''s car. That was their first time having lunch together so openly after publicizing their rtionship. Alexander was the one who made the reservation for the restaurant. They had a booth by the window, and the scenery outside was incredible. As Sophia gazed at Alexander, who was pouring coffee from across her, her eyes flickered. ¡°My cousin phoned me just now.¡± Alexander slid a cup of coffee over to her. ¡°Did Lukas scold you?¡± At his query, Sophia snorted. ¡°Is he that fierce to you?¡± Is he not? Pursing his lips lightly, Alexander admitted, ¡°A bit.¡± Sophia quirked a brow. ¡°Compared to him, my grandfather is far fiercer.¡± Herment carried a hidden meaning, and Alexander could see the glee dancing in her eyes. His ebony eyes glinted in response. ¡°It''s okay. I''m not afraid.¡± Eyeing him, Sophia drawled, ¡°I see.¡± Just then, the server came with the food. The two of them looked at each other and tacitly ceased talking. Reclining back against their chairs, they waited for the food to be served. It was a newly-opened restaurant, and Yvonne had already rmended it to Sophiast week. There was quite a bit of variety, and the waiting time was short. On the whole, the meal was satisfactory. ¡°Ms. Yarrow?¡± When Alexander had gone to foot the bill and Sophia was texting Katherine, she heard someone calling her name out of the blue. Upon lifting her head and catching sight of Megan, she shed the latter a faint smile. ¡°Ms. Queen.¡± Since the live-streaming session whereby Megan apologized, Sophia hadn''t seen her for more than half a year. She did, however, hear from Charlize that Megan had gone abroad on an exchange program. Seeing as we''re bumping into each other again today, she must have returned to the country. A man stood beside Megan, but Sophia recognized him at a single nce. It was Casper, who had just called off his wedding with Ka a while ago. Noticing her attention on Casper, Megan almost burst with pride. ¡°Let me do the introductions, Ms. Yarrow. This is my boyfriend, Casper Cooper.¡± Despite the rumors on the inte about Sophia having reconciled with Alexander, she didn''t believe them. Earlier, she spotted Sophia eating with a man from afar, but she didn''t recognize him as Alexander and mistook him for some random man. Following that, she couldn''t resist dragging Casper over. The Cooper family was a reputable family in Jadeborough, and Casper was a decent catch, so she felt that he could definitely show Sophia''s boyfriend up unless Sophia had truly gotten back together with Alexander. Sophia inclined her head a fraction. ¡°You two make a perfect match, Ms. Queen, Mr. Cooper.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Subsequently, Megan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh yes, where''s your boyfriend? I saw you eating with him earlier.¡± With those words, Sophia understood her meaning all too well. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. She nced over her back at Alexander, who was making his way over, before smiling at Megan. ¡°Yeah. He went to foot the bill earlier, but he''s returned now.¡± Right after her words had fallen, Alexander happened to reach her. He stretched out a hand and took hers. Chapter 278 Chapter 278 The sight of the man made the expression on Megan''s face shift. ¡°M-Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander nced at Megan. ¡°Ms. Queen. Mr. Cooper.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Casper turned to Alexander and said, ¡°We''ll be taking our leave, Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow.¡± With that said, he towed Megan away. Megan seemed to have only realized what happened after exiting the restaurant. ¡°Is Sophia really back together with Alexander?¡± Casper nodded. ¡°Did you not go on the webst night?¡± The news of them getting back together had been all over the inte. The entire nation''sizens would have known about it, let alone the people of Jadeborough. Megan gritted her teeth at that. ¡°Sophia used to cling to Alexander and wouldn''t let him go. Who knew if that was news she hired someone to spread?¡± After a scoff, she added, ¡°She never met Alexander''s standards. Who knows what kinds of methods she used to make Alexander agree to get back together with her this time? She''s such a scheming woman!¡± Casper did not like hearing about the troublesome matters between women, but the Queen family and the Cooper family wanted to have a union marriage, and the Queens were backed by the Schilds. Thus, Megan was a match for him in terms of wealth and status. Furthermore, the Cooper family would benefit greatly from their marriage. With those thoughts in mind, Casper had no choice but to patiently say, ¡°Yes, Sophia''s not a simple woman. It''s best if you avoid going up against her as much as possible.¡± Right then, Casper thought about how Sophia had been divinely beautiful. However, before Alexander appeared, her beauty was something that warned others away. Despite the smile on her face, there was no joy in her eyes. Then, Casper recalled the way Sophia and Alexander had watched them make a scene on Lnd''s birthday. It was as though the two were watching a show, and that idea made Casper furrow his brows. Beside him, Megan huffed. Although she was displeased with his response, she voiced no words of protest. After all, she had suffered at the hands of Sophia before. Now that Sophia had somehow gotten back together with Alexander, Megan had even less courage to cross her. She still recalled how painful her previous lesson had been. Every time she thought about that moment, a chill would run down her spine. Forget it. It''s best if I stay away from a woman like Sophia. Meanwhile, Sophia knew nothing about how what happened earlier was making Megan reflect on herself. After Megan and Casper left the restaurant, she departed from the ce with Alexander too. It was only seven, so the sky was notpletely dark yet¡ªa patch of red was still staining the horizon. It was Charles'' birthday that day, and he had booked an entire floor at Corona. By the time Sophia and Alexander arrived, Samuel and Justin were already there. Alexander led Sophia into the ce while holding her hand. The moment they entered, hundreds of pairs of eyes turned in their direction. Samuel was first to whistle, and in no time, everyone followed suit. Alexander frowned at Samuel in disdain before lowering his head to look at Sophia. ¡°Don''t be scared.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°I''m not.¡± She was not going to panic at something minor like this. While they were talking, Samuel hade over with a ss of cocktail. Immediately, he clicked his tongue andmented, ¡°Justin, do you smell something strange?¡± Justin gave him a nce. ¡°No. What is it?¡± ¡°It''s the smell of love!¡± Sophia then lifted a brow and took a leaf from Samuel''s book. ¡°Alexander, do you hear some yapping sounds?¡± Alexander nced at Samuel and replied, ¡°I do. I think it''s a little wolf pup yapping non-stop.¡± Justin burst intoughter. He deserved it! Out of everyone, Samuel just had to mess with Sophia and Alexander. He can''t even handle Alexander, and now, he has Sophia to deal with too. What else is this but a death wish? ¡°Hey, hey, hey! That''s mean!¡± This is a personal attack! Sophia turned to Samuel. ¡°Mr. Schild, is a lone wolf not a wolf?¡± Alexander chimed in, ¡°It''s not an attack on your person¡ªit''s just an attack on your wolf.¡± Samuel''s jaw dropped as he thought, They''re so mean! When Charles walked over, Sophia stopped teasing Samuel and said, ¡°Happy birthday, Mr. Johnson.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Charles inclined his head beforending his gaze on Alexander. When he saw the way Alexander looked at Sophia, he made a rare gesture of tsking. ¡°Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Alexander said without missing a beat, unfazed by how he was receiving the blessings of the birthday boy instead of the other way around. There were plenty of people at the event, and most were from the same social circle. Charlize was there, too, and when she heard that Sophia hade, she rushed over and cried out, ¡°Ms. Yarrow!¡± Charlize started working after her graduation. She had been busy for the past few months, and hence, it had been a long time since Sophia saw her. Turning her head a little to look at Alexander, Sophia said, ¡°I''ll be with Charlize.¡± It was only then Alexander let go of her. ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia gave him a smile and walked to the other side with Sophia. Alexander continued to stare at Sophia until she was no longer in his line of sight. At that, Samuel, who was beside him, shuddered as goosebumps formed on his arms. He inhaled sharply and said, ¡°Alex, don''t you feel disgusted?¡± Alexander shot him a re. ¡°Have you ever been in love?¡± Zip it if you''ve never been in a rtionship. Samuel, indeed, had never been in a rtionship for his thirty-two years of life on earth. ¡°Not having been so doesn''t mean I don''t know what love looks like. I''ve never been in a rtionship, but Torfinn''s been in several!¡± I''ve never seen my younger cousin be this sappy! Alexander snorted. ¡°Are Torfinn''s rtionships really a rtionship?¡± He could not believe Samuel wasparing him to someone who had a different girlfriend every three months. Right as Samuel was about to say something else, he spotted a familiar figure from the corner of his eye. Raising his brow, he dashed over to the other person without even saying goodbye to Alexander. As Charles looked at Samuel, he wondered out loud, ¡°Who''s that woman?¡± Justin sipped on his wine and mumbled, ¡°No one I know.¡± In contrast, Alexander did not even bother looking in her direction, for he was not interested in women other than Sophia. Shortly after, Samuel started talking to that woman. Charles turned to Justin, ¡°Is he interested in her?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Justin shrugged. No ordinary person could figure out what went on in Samuel''s head, after all. Meanwhile, Samuel was surprised to bump into Samantha at the event. Charles'' birthday party was not an event anyone could attend, and clearly, Samantha was not someone who would be invited by Charles. I mean, I''m always bumping into her when she''s either working or on her way to work. Samuel raised his brows. ¡°Are you here to work today?¡± ¡°I''m here with my friend.¡± Samuel was not like the other children of rich families she knew. If she had to phrase the difference, she would say it was because there seemed to be something wrong with Samuel''s head. ¡°Oh, then will you be working today?¡± ¡°No. Why?¡± ¡°Oh, I just wanted to ask when you can return the money you owe me.¡± Samantha was speechless. She had never before encountered a silver-spooned kid who kept urging her to return him the tens of thousands she owed him. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 After ushering Sophia to a corner, Charlize checked to see if Alexander had followed them. When the coast was clear, only then did she inquire yfully, ¡°Sophia, are you and Alex back together?¡± Sophia stared at Charlize for a moment before breaking into augh. ¡°What, am I unworthy of being with him?¡± ¡°No! Of course not! He''s the one who doesn''t deserve you.¡± Initially, Charlize had assumed that Sophia''s feelings for Alexander were a passing fancy. It wasn''t until the anniversary celebration at Jadeborough University did she realize that Sophia''s feelings ran much deeper, and thetter had sacrificed a great deal for him. In order to marry Alexander, Sophia had shouldered much criticism. Years ago, she had left home and made her way to Jadeborough all by herself for Alexander''s sake. That fact alone was enough to make Charlize do a double-take. Alexander was not a bad man, but in Charlize''s eyes, Sophia deserved much more. Sophia arched an eyebrow. ¡°Is Alexander not handsome enough?¡± Charlize shook her head fervently. ¡°I don''t mean that.¡± If Alexander is considered an ugly man, ny-nine percent of the men in the world would not make the cut. ¡°Isn''t he quite capable?¡± Once again, Charlize shook her head. ¡°He''s all right.¡± Odyssey would not be thriving if Alexander was not a capable man. In fact, if he was any more talented, he could even be the next business magnate. Sophia sipped her juice. ¡°Then, is there something wrong with his personality?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Charlize hesitated before adding, ¡°He doesn''t seem to have a habit of drinking, sleeping around, or gambling either.¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°So, why shouldn''t I be with him?¡± The question confounded Charlize. After a long moment, she finally muttered, ¡°I don''t know what to say. I just feel that you can do better.¡± Lowering her head, Sophia gazed at the ss of juice she held in her hand. ¡°Charlize, there are plenty of people who are much better, but there will never be a best one. On the contrary, there can only be one person you love the most.¡± Charlize stared at Sophia. Thetter''s head was lowered, and her long chestnut-colored hair fell in a curtain in front of her body. The voice she spoke in was soft like a puff of cloud from the heavens above. At that moment, Charlize found herself unable to refute Sophia''s words. Yes, there are plenty of men in the world, but Alexander is the only one for Sophia. Pursing her lips, Charlize was about to speak up when she suddenly realized that Alexander was standing behind Sophia. He shot her a look, signaling for her to leave. Startled, Charlize could only nod in response. She picked up her juice and stood up. Sophia stirred the ice in her ss listlessly. She looked up curiously when she realized Charlize was not continuing their conversation, only to find Alexander sitting opposite her. Caught off guard, she asked, ¡°When did you get here? Where''s Charlize?¡± Alexander stared at her, a warm feeling enveloping his heart as he recalled her words. ¡°I arrived in time to hear you ask her why I didn''t deserve to be with you.¡± Sophia sipped her juice. ¡°Weren''t you chatting with Mr. Johnson earlier?¡± ¡°There are a lot of guests today.¡± Although they were about the same age, there was no way Charles could only entertain them. ¡°I see,¡± Sophia murmured. Her face grew warm as she thought about Alexander overhearing her words from earlier. She drank more of the juice and swept her gaze around the venue. When she spotted Samuel, she arched a brow. ¡°Is that Mr. Schild chatting with that woman?¡± Alexander turned to look in the direction Sophia was staring at. Sure enough, he spotted Samuel chatting with an unknown woman. I''ve never seen her before. I don''t think she''s from the same industry. ¡°Yeah, it''s him.¡± Sophia tutted approvingly. ¡°Looks like he''s about to get himself a girlfriend.¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Sophia withdrew her gaze and smiled at Alexander. ¡°Why''s that?¡± ¡°He''s not exactly the intellectual type, so it won''t be easy for him to pursue women.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡°I guess you can say that.¡± Sophiaughed. Since Sophia had a habit of turning in early, the two of them did not linger at Corona. It was around nine o''clock at night when they returned to the mansion. Sophia yawned widely the moment she stepped through the doors. She had woken up earlier than usual that morning, and as she had not taken an afternoon nap, she was currently feeling very drowsy. Alexander headed into the kitchen and poured them sses of water. Sophia reached a hand for her ss, murmuring, ¡°Thanks.¡± Tilting his head, he took a sip before suddenly saying, ¡°You''re the only person I love the most too, Sophia.¡± The words momentarily confused Sophia until she recalled her conversation with Charlize earlier. Flushing red, she swallowed her drink with some difficulty. ¡°I know.¡± Dissatisfied with her words, Alexander put down his ss and came over to take away the ss in her hand. Sophia felt her heart pounding as she watched him approach. ¡°I don''t think you know how deep my feelings for you run.¡± Wrapping his arms around her, Alexander lowered his head and pressed his forehead against hers. Sophia found herself unable to look away from his unfathomable dark eyes. ¡°I love you, and only you,¡± he whispered, pressing his lips against hers. Stunned by his words, Sophia was swept away by Alexander''s passionate kiss in the next second. She had no idea when they managed to get to the couch or how her clothes came off. By the time she returned to her senses, Alexander was asking in a strained voice, ¡°Can I, Sophia?¡± Only the sound of their rapid heartbeats and heavy breathing could be heard in the living room. Gasping for air, Sophia gazed at Alexander''s smoldering dark eyes and nodded in response. It was only the slightest of nods, but it was enough for Alexander to burn with desire. The soft couch sank down under Alexander''s weight. Sophia clutched the couch nervously as she lightly shut her eyes against the bright lights. ¡°Mmm...¡± The soft couch could barely bear theirbined weight. It was akin to how Sophia could barely handle Alexander. A twinge of pain instantly sobered her up. Tears glistened in Sophia''s eyes, illuminated by the lights. However, they did not render them any less alluring. Alexander could barely keep himself in check. He stroked the corner of her eye, calling out to her in a low raspy voice, ¡°Sophia, bear with it for a bit.¡± Gritting his teeth, he pierced her ruthlessly. The excruciating pain was soon followed by an intense pulse of pleasure. Sophia felt as if she was a small boat set adrift in the sea, incapable of discerning any sense of direction and unable to reach the shores. Buffeted by the relentless waves of pleasure, her mind went nk. Only Alexander''s smoldering gaze filled her vision. It was a long and sultry night. Chapter 280 Chapter 280 The sun outside the window was already shining bright when Sophie woke up. The room was particrly quiet as the daily rm set at seven in the morning had been turned off. Alexander was no longer in the room. Last night''s incident yed in Sophia''s mind like a ssic silent film. She could not help but blush upon remembering all the details. After feeling the warmth on her cheeks with her hands, she looked in the window''s direction. ¡°Genie, draw back the curtains.¡± Her voice was hoarse when she spoke. Sophia froze for a moment before getting off the bed and walking to the washroom. After washing up, she checked the time on her phone and realized it was almost nine in the morning. By the time she went downstairs, the sun outside the mansion had already brightened the sky. She heard Alexander''s voiceing from the living room and walked toward him. Sophia could see him talking on the phone in front of a full-length window through a divider. Oh, he''s still here. I thought he had left for the office. Upon sensing someone was watching him, Alexander turned around. His eyes darkened for a bit when he saw her from a distance. ¡°We''ll talkter. Postpone the meeting to the afternoon.¡± He immediately ended the call and walked up to Sophia. ¡°Do you feel ufortable?¡± Sophia nced at him as she became flustered. ¡°No.¡± Instead of continuing on the topic, she walked to the dining table and saw a few bags of food. ¡°These are for breakfast?¡± Alexander walked over, grabbed the bags, and opened them. He then lifted the covers of the meal boxes and ced them in front of Sophia. ¡°We have warm cinnamon-banana gran and muesli with wild berries.¡± ¡°I''ll take this.¡± Alexander hummed in response while unpacking the other snacks andying them in front of Sophia. Sophia was famished. She lowered her head and started munching on the food quietly. Alexander noticed her flushed ears but chose not to say anything. The mansion was tranquil and cozy as the sun permeated the building. The morning breeze swept in and gently ruffled Sophia''s hair. Before she could tidy her hair after putting down the spoon, Alexander, who sat opposite her, had reached out his hand and tucked the errant strands behind her ears. Lifting her head, she gazed into his eyes and grinned. ¡°I thought you had a meeting in the morning?¡± She asked a question that she obviously knew the answer to. Alexander gave her a snack and replied, ¡°I postponed it to the afternoon.¡± Sophia nced at the snack, lowered her head, and smirked. Well, well, well. What has be of the great Alexander Xenos? After breakfast, Yvonne called Sophia to find out if she was all right. Sophia had recently been going to Sunshine Group almost every morning, so Yvonne was worried about her since she did not turn up today. Sophie responded awkwardly, ¡°I''m fine. I''m taking a day off since I''m a little tired.¡± Upon hearing that, Yvonne heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°If that''s the case, I shall not disturb you further, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After ending the call, Alexander called her name to get her attention. ¡°Sophia.¡± She tilted her head and met his gaze, arching her brows. ¡°Yes?¡± Alexander paused for a moment and stroked her head. ¡°What would you like to have for lunch?¡± In truth, that was not the question he had in mind. Upon recallingst night''s experience, he held his tongue instead of pushing his luck. Sophia knew that was not what he wanted to ask, but since that was his question, she decided to y along. An idea popped into her mind when she was looking into his eyes. ¡°Can I request you to prepare lunch for me, Mr. Xenos?¡± Someone once told her a man would do anything for a woman after he had taken her as his partner. Alexander looked at the grin on her face and gulped. ¡°All right.¡± After a short hesitation, he added, ¡°But I''ve never cooked before.¡± Though Alexander had experience in frying eggs and preparing finger food, he had never cooked a proper meal. ¡°I have faith in you.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Half an hourter, Sophia stood outside the kitchen and was at a loss for words when she saw Alexander in an apron. She was even more stunned when she found out he had ordered his subordinates to deliver the ingredients to the mansion. She did not expect him to take her request so seriously. Sophia''s mother was not a good cook, so her father was the one who cooked for the family. Sometimes, her mother would get her to learn cooking from her father, but she would always burn the food or turn the ingredients to mush. Sophia''s mother would always observe her from the counter and express her concern jokingly. ¡°How can you marry someone if you can''t cook?¡± Her father would step in and defend her. ¡°Our precious daughter is smart and pretty. I bet no man would have the heart to make her stay in the kitchen. Besides, she can always find a husband who''s willing to cook, can''t she?¡± Sophia believed her dad would be fond of Alexander if he were still alive. But too bad... ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Alexander''s deep, masculine voice rang out. Sophia came to her senses upon hearing that. She lifted her head and noticed the man was standing in front of her, wearing the light blue cartoon character apron she had chosen for him. Alexander looked so awkward in the adorable protective garment that Sophia burst intoughter. ¡°You look funny in that apron.¡± Alexander lowered his head and stared at his apron. He felt helpless but still gazed at her affectionately. ¡°You wanted me to put it on, right?¡± Sophia snorted. ¡°Is lunch ready, Chef Xenos?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°What are you doing here then?¡± she questioned. Alexander immediately stuffed a slice of tomato into her mouth. ¡°Is it sweet?¡± Sophia munched on it and replied, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°How sweet?¡± ¡°Why don''t you try it yourself, Mr. Xenos?¡± she responded. How am I supposed to describe the taste to him? I don''t even know how to cook! ¡°Oh. I guess I''ll have to taste it myself then.¡± With that said, he wrapped his hands around her waist, lowered his head, and nted a kiss on her lips. Alexander then pried her lips open with his tongue and started enjoying the ¡°taste¡± in her mouth. Half a minuteter, he reluctantly pulled himself away and wiped the corners of her lips with his thumb while staring at the woman with dark eyes. ¡°You''re right. It''s sweeter than sugar, indeed.¡± As he returned to the counter, Sophia smiled and ran her fingers across her lips to feel the lingering warmth of his lips. She could not help but shiver at the almost burning temperature. Sophia retracted her hand and cleared her throat. ¡°My phone is ringing.¡± She did not make that up. Her phone was indeed ringing. It was a call from Katherine. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. After walking to the balcony, she looked at the sycamore trees downstairs as the sun at eleven in the morning began to warm up the streets. She regained herposure and asked, ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Soph, do you still remember what you promised mest time?¡± Katherine whined. Sophia thought about it and replied, ¡°Yes, I do. What about it?¡± ¡°The recording will begin next weekend. Make sure you make time for the session. Love you!¡± Sophie chuckled. ¡°Got it.¡± She thought Katherine had called her to talk about something else. What makes her think I''ll bail on her? Upon getting reassurance from Sophia, Katherine ended the call. Suddenly, Sophia recalled what Lukas had told her a few days ago and arched her brows. Will Granddad throw a fit if I bring Alexander back on his birthday? She began to see the problem. Chapter 281 Chapter 281 ¡°The food is ready, Sophia,¡± Alexander called out to her, instantly snapping her out of her train of thought. Sophia turned around and made her way back to the dining table. Alexander had already served up the four dishes he made. The huge difference in their cooking abilities showed that talent was just as important as skill. Sophia was the type who would end up destroying half the kitchen if she was allowed to cook. Alexander, on the other hand, was a talented cook who could make simple household recipes taste like dishes from a fancy restaurant. After having lunch, Sophia was about to clean up the table when Alexander stopped her. ¡°I''ll do the dishes.¡± ¡°You''re the one who did the cooking, so it would only be fair if I did the dishes.¡± ¡°I don''t want it to be fair,¡± Alexander replied as he took the fork from her. There was a dishwasher in the kitchen, so he didn''t need to wash them by hand anyway. Even so, Sophia still felt happy when he offered to take care of the dishes. ¡°Do you want to meet my granddad, Alexander?¡± she asked. Alexander paused and turned around to look at her. ¡°Can I?¡± ¡°Nope!¡± Sophia replied with a smile. Alexander ignored what she said and grabbed her by the hand. ¡°When do I get to meet him?¡± Sophia arched an eyebrow at him. ¡°He''ll be celebrating his birthday in early August.¡± I don''t want to anger Granddad on his birthday, though. That''s something Ka would most probably do. After giving it some thought, she added with a conflicted expression, ¡°Wait, no, that''s not going to work. Then again, I can''t think of a valid reason for you to meet him any other day.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Alexander knew she was doing this on purpose, so he asked patiently, ¡°Your birthday is on the sixteenth of July. How about I visit the Dawson family with you before then?¡± Sophia was a little shocked when she heard that. ¡°How do you know when my birthday is?¡± She actually had two birthdays. The person recording her date of birth when issuing her birth certificate had mistakenly written the twenty-sixth of July instead of the sixteenth. By the time her parents realized the mistake, it was toote to change it. While that was the official date stated on her ID card, Sophia always celebrated her birthday on the sixteenth of July. Alexander swallowed hard as he replied, ¡°You gave me a kiss on your birthdayst year.¡± Oh, that''s right! Katherine got me to y ¡°Truth or Dare¡±! Alexander felt somewhat nervous as he recalled what happened back then. ¡°What if it wasn''t me? Would you still have kissed him?¡± Sophia let out a nonchnt snort. ¡°Of course I would! It was a dare, remember?¡± She then retracted her gaze as she continued, ¡°Yvonne said this watermelon is really sweet. Here, you should try some.¡± Alexander let out a chuckle when he saw her response. ¡°You know you wouldn''t have done it, Sophia.¡± Since he had already seen right through her lie, Sophia figured there was no reason to hide it anymore. ¡°Why ask, then?¡± Those words had barely left Sophia''s mouth when Alexander pulled her close. She was so stunned that she just blinked at him in silence. ¡°I wanted to hear you say it.¡± ¡°I know that! I''m not stupid!¡± Why would he make me admit it? ¡°I didn''t say you were stupid. It just means you love me.¡± Sophia burst outughing when she heard that. ¡°How are you so confident in yourself?¡± Alexander pointed at her eyes as he replied, ¡°Because I can see myself in your eyes.¡± ¡°And I see myself engulfed by mes of lust in your eyes,¡± Sophia retorted. Alexander let out a helpless sigh. ¡°Stop teasing me, Sophia. I''m only thirty-three this year.¡± That''s the age when a man''s libido is at its highest! Sophia blushed a little at the thought of that. ¡°Here, have some watermelon, Mr. Xenos!¡± Alexander was about to say something when Felix spammed his phone with calls and urged him to leave. Being the only one left in the mansion, Sophia felt an unusual sense of loneliness when she sat on the bed all by herself. It was past midnight when she went to bedst night. Although she did sleep in that day, Sophia still found herself feeling somewhat tired. Sophia was sleeping soundly until the sound of her phone vibrating woke her up. After groggily reaching for her phone, her eyes shot wide open when she saw the Dawson residence''sndline number on the screen. It''s most likely Granddad! ¡°Hey, Granddad.¡± ¡°Are you busy, Sophia? I''m not disturbing you, am I?¡± ¡°No, I''m not really busy today.¡± Feeling thirsty, Sophia went downstairs and poured herself a ss of water. She then sat down on the couch and continued her conversation with Perrin. ¡°Have you been busytely?¡± ¡°It''s all right. How have you been, Granddad?¡± Sophia knew Perrin wouldn''t have called her without a reason. While she had a rough idea as to why Perrin called her all of a sudden, she only figured out half of the reason. ¡°Oh, I''m fine! Don''t worry about me!¡± After a brief pause, Perrin continued, ¡°By the way, Jadeborough has beautiful scenery, right? I haven''t gone out in many years now. I''m not getting any younger, so I need to head out while I still can.¡± Sophia tensed up when she heard that. ¡°What are you saying, Granddad? Anyway, you''re right about Jadeborough having great scenery. It''s by the coast, so we could rent a yacht and spend some time out at sea. Um... A friend of mine has a yacht, so I could bring you over if you''d like.¡± ¡°I may be old, but I can still get around on my own. You don''t have to trouble yourself to pick me up. My comrades and I will be having a gathering in Jadeborough a few dayster. I''ll drop by for a visit then.¡± ¡°Sure thing. When will you being over? I could pick you up at the airport.¡± ¡°I''ll let you know when the timees. You can get back to work now,¡± Perrin said and hung up the phone immediately after. Sophia took a sip of her water and let out a helpless chuckle. Who would''ve thought Granddad woulde to see Alexander instead? Alexander came home to take her out for dinner at around six in the evening. After getting into the car, Sophia shed him a sympathetic nce as she said, ¡°My granddad gave me a call about two hours ago.¡± ¡°What''s up?¡± ¡°He''sing over to visit me in a few days.¡± Given the incident on the inte a few days ago, Alexander knew Perrin wasn''t justing to visit Sophia. ¡°Let me know when you have his arrival information. We''ll go pick him up at the airport together.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Sophia replied with a smile. Alexander maintained a calm look on his face, but he was actually a little worried deep down inside. He had Felix do some research on Perrin a while back, so he knew that Perrin was a man of principle. Practically everyone in the Dawson family knew what had happened between him and Sophia back then. He figured Perrin was most likelying to Jadeborough to confront him. While Alexander wasn''t afraid of Perrin, he was worried that Perrin would object to their rtionship. Sophia had been all by herself since she lost her parents at the age of seventeen. As such, it was only natural for her to get attached to the Dawson family and care deeply about the members. After fastening her seat belt, Sophia turned to look at him and asked, ¡°Are you not afraid of my granddad? He might give you a hard time!¡± ¡°I deserve it, don''t I?¡± Alexander was very honest about it. Recalling what happened in the past, Sophia clicked her tongue and said, ¡°Yeah, you''re right. You do deserve it.¡± This is retribution for what he did to me! Alexander simply shot her a nce and drove on in silence. He wasn''t afraid of Perrin giving him a hard time. Instead, he was worried about Sophia being put in a difficult spot. Chapter 282 Chapter 282 Over the next few days, Sophia kept asking Perrin multiple times when he would be arriving in Jadeborough, but he never gave her an exact date. She knew Perrin meant it when he said he woulde over. Since he had avoided answering her question twice, she figured he was deliberately avoiding the question and stopped asking him any further. Felix, on the other hand, received a call from the Dawson residence before Perrin''s arrival. Fearing that he would say something he shouldn''t, Felix was incredibly nervous when he answered the phone. However, his concerns were for nothing as the person on the other line didn''t even give him a chance to speak. ¡°Hello, Mr. Lane. This is Mr. Dawson''s assistant speaking. Please tell Mr. Xenos that Mr. Dawson will be taking the afternoon flight to Jadeborough tomorrow. Mr. Dawson would like to have dinner with him, so please have him head over to private room A1 of Mirage at six in the evening.¡± The person then hung up the phone before Felix could even say anything in response. Not wanting to waste another second, Felix quickly delivered the message to Alexander. Given the urgency of the request to meet Alexander, it was obvious that he would have to show up if he wanted to continue dating Sophia. ¡°Mr. Xenos, you have an appointment with Mr. Zabrowski of Gontino Corporation tomorrow evening.¡± ¡°Have the deputy general manager go in my stead,¡± Alexander replied without any hesitation whatsoever. Felix opened his mouth but said nothing in the end. As Perrin was Sophia''s granddad, Felix knew how important it was for Alexander to meet him. After giving it some thought, Felix nodded and asked, ¡°Would you like me to find out which flight Mr. Dawson will be taking, Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander shot him a nce as he replied, ¡°No, that won''t be necessary.¡± Mr. Dawson probably doesn''t want me to do so either. ¡°All right, then. I''ll go inform the deputy general manager.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After Alexander shifted his gaze back toward his documents, he realized he couldn''t continue going through them. I''ll be meeting Mr. Dawson tomorrow, so I need to think about how I can make a good first impression... No, this is my second time meeting him. Ugh, I''ve never done this before! With that in mind, he nced hesitantly at his phone on the desk. A few secondster, he picked it up and sent a text in the group chat: Do any of you know how I can make my girlfriend''s elders like me? Samuel''s reply came in about a minuteter: What''s the matter, Alex? Meeting the parents so soon? Everyone knew about Sophia''s rtionship with the Dawson family ever since she opened up about it the other day. Alexander decided to ignore Samuel as he knew thetter was just messing around with him. Charles texted: I''ve never dealt with such a situation before. Justin chimed in as well: Same here. Alexander was speechless when he saw their replies. Now that I think about it, asking a bunch of single men for advice on such things probably wasn''t the smartest thing to do. He then tossed his phone aside in frustration, only to have Samuel call him up momentster. Not wanting to speak to him, Alexander declined the call without any hesitation. However, Samuel was persistent and called him repeatedly. Honestly, Samuel has got to be the most shameless of us all! ¡°What is it? You want a beating or something?¡± Alexander asked angrily upon answering the phone. Samuel pretended to not hear that as he said, ¡°You want to make Sophia''s elders like you, right? I have an idea!¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. I''d rather consult theizens for advice than listen to his! As though Samuel knew Alexander was about to hang up, he quickly added, ¡°Wait, don''t hang up just yet! I''m telling the truth! I just tested this method earlier, and it really works!¡± ¡°Out with it!¡± ¡°The tip is to talk less and do more. Also, agree with everything they say regardless of your own personal opinions.¡± ¡°Oh, f*ck off!¡± I must be getting desperate if I expected Samuel toe up with anything useful! Alexander had never thought he would one day face such a situation. He grew so stressed out that he ended up losing sleep that night. It wasn''t until his phone rang the next morning that he realized he had overslept. It was a call from Sophia. ¡°Don''t tell me you just woke up?¡± Alexander would usually visit her with breakfast around that time, but he didn''t do so that day. Sophia got worried when she didn''t hear from him, so she decided to give him a call. ¡°I''m sorry, Sophia. I overslept.¡± ¡°Mind opening your door, then?¡± Sophia asked with a chuckle. Alexander quickly got out of bed and made his way to the balcony. Although he was about seven to eight meters away from the front gate, he could see Sophia standing outside. ¡°Sure,¡± Alexander replied as he grabbed his keys and ran downstairs. He was in such a hurry that he didn''t even hang up the phone. Alexander rarely ever got excited since he became an adult, and yet, he was racing to the front gate like his life depended on it. It wasn''t until he got out of the courtyard that he slowed down a little. ¡°Why did youe over?¡± he asked while opening the front gate. Sophia arched an eyebrow at him in response. ¡°What, am I not wee here?¡± Alexander took the bag of breakfast from her and led her into the mansion. For some reason, Sophia found herself feeling much calmer than she expected when entering the Xenos residence a year and a halfter. ¡°Have you brushed your teeth and taken a shower?¡± she asked while Alexander set the bag down on the dining table and opened it up. He looked up at her and said, ¡°Go ahead and eat up.¡± Alexander then handed her a bowl of oatmeal and patted her on the head before heading to his bathroom upstairs. As the oatmeal was still hot, Sophia decided to let it cool and headed up to the third floor. As the decor in the mansion hadn''t changed much, she was able to find her way around with ease since she had lived there for three years. Huh, the balcony is empty... Where are all the sulents I kept for those three years? Alexander saw her standing at the balcony when he came out of the bedroom. ¡°It wasn''t me who moved them away,¡± he said while making his way toward her. He, too, remembered that Sophia had lots of sulents on the balcony. However, they were all gone when he returned six months after the divorce. Alexander asked the butler about it and found out that Kristen had someone throw them away. Sophia turned around upon hearing his voice. ¡°Oh, well... I didn''t really like them anyway.¡± Despite what she said, she had tended to those nts for three years. Some of them nearly wilted at some point, and she read tons of articles just to save them. Given how she took such great care of the nts for three years, there was no way she wouldn''t feel upset about them being thrown out. ¡°We can get some more in the future. No one will dare throw them out this time,¡± Alexander said while pulling her in for a hug. Sophia shed him a smile and tried to change the topic. ¡°What happened to youst night?¡± ¡°Samuel was heartbroken,¡± Alexander replied as he led her back downstairs. ¡°Oh? Mr. Schild was in a rtionship?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Alexander lied with a straight face. Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°Was it the girl we saw that night?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Sophia let out a chuckle. ¡°Well, that''s a surprise.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was shocked too.¡± Samuel sneezed a few times in a row upon arriving at the office. Thinking he had caught a cold, he had his secretary bring him a cup of vitamin C solution. Ugh! It tastes so sour, but I have to drink this to boost my immune system! With that in mind, Samuel clenched his jaw and closed his eyes as he forced the solution down his throat. Chapter 283 Chapter 283 It was ten minutes to six by the time Alexander arrived at Mirage. His afternoon meeting had dragged on for almost two hours, and as soon as he stepped out of the conference room around five, he drove straight to the restaurant. Unfortunately, he was held up by traffic in the city center for over ten minutes, thus foiling his n of reaching half an hour earlier. Since the staff at Mirage were all familiar with Alexander, one of the waiters wasted no time greeting him. ¡°Hello, Mr. Xenos. Are you meeting a friend, or would you like to book another private room?¡± ¡°I''m meeting a friend. Hisst name is Dawson.¡± ¡°Ah, Mr. Dawson has yet to arrive,¡± the waiter quickly replied. ¡°I''ll take you to the room first, Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander merely hummed an acknowledgment before leaving with the waiter. A couple of minutester, the waiter stopped outside a private room and pushed the door slightly open. ¡°Please take a seat, Mr. Xenos. We''ll send Mr. Dawson in once he''s here.¡± ¡°All right. Bring me the coffee brewing kit,¡± Alexander instructed as he strode into the room. With an approximate size of twenty square meters, the private room was neither big nor small. Apart from a dining table, the only other piece of furniture in there was a bench. Alexander had barely warmed his seat when the waiter brought the coffee set as instructed. Since the former didn''t know what Perrin preferred to drink, he had taken the initiative to order Red Hibernia. Even though I did learn some coffee brewing skills from Sophia, I wonder if it''d be enough to impress Mr. Dawson... Very soon, the door to the private room opened again, and the waiter ushered in an old man with a cane. Dressed in a brown suit, thetter''s gray hair and wizened face were undoubtedly a testament to his age. Alexander lifted his head and immediately met the gaze of the hale and hearty Perrin Dawson. Perrin, however, simply nced at the younger man before sitting on the chair that his assistant had pulled out, his face devoid of expression. ¡°Have some coffee, Mr. Dawson,¡± Alexander said as he got up and offered the old man a cup of freshly brewed Red Hibernia. After looking at the coffee brewing gear in front of Alexander, Perrin calmly handed his cane to his assistant. ¡°Sorry to have you kept waiting, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°I''m just doing what I should.¡± The next second, the waiter came by to take their food orders, which Perrin promptly deferred to Alexander. ¡°It''s my first time here at this restaurant, so I''m not sure what''s good. I''ll leave it to you, Mr. Xenos.¡± Of course, Alexander happilyplied and ordered several signature dishes and a stew. The waiter left a whileter, leaving the three people behind in the private room. Perrin took a sip of his coffee and turned to Alexander. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I don''t like to beat around the bush. I''m sure you know why I''ve arranged for this meeting.¡± ¡°You can call me Alex, Mr. Dawson.¡± ¡°Given the notorious background of the Xenos family, I don''t think I can bring myself to call you that, Mr. Xenos,¡± Perrin replied with a derisive snort. Just like that, Alexander was rendered speechless. Ah, Mr. Dawson knows everything that happened during those three years. I guess I have no choice but to put up with his admonishment. Besides, I have no words to defend myself with... Seeing that Alexander wasn''t saying anything, Perrin slowly set his coffee down. ¡°You''re a clever man, Mr. Xenos, so I''ll spare you the harsh words. Besides, I know how arrogant and reckless young people can be. I wouldn''t want you to think I''m bullying you with my seniority, would I?¡± After a few seconds of silence, Perrin continued, ¡°Sophia''s parents passed away early, and it took some time before I managed to bring her back to the Dawson family. She could only keep her sufferings to herself when she was on her own in the past, but she''s not alone now. That said, she has also mentioned she didn''t want to dwell on everything that''s happened between you and her, so I''ll respect her wishes. In any case, I''m sure you know better than anyone else what you and your family have done to Sophia, Mr. Xenos. My wife and I loved Sophia''s mother, who, in turn, doted on Sophia. Naturally, we all love Sophia too. The Dawson family may not be as big and prestigious as yours, but we still have the power to protect our own. I won''t pursue what''s in the past because I don''t want to dredge up those awful memories for Sophia. However...¡± At that, Perrin suddenly paused and harrumphed. Alexander pursed his lips and met the old man''s cold-eyed stare. ¡°Feel free to speak your mind.¡± ¡°I won''t agree to you getting back together with Sophia.¡± Perrin was direct and firm, and even though he wasn''t scolding Alexander, his words still hit thetter hard. Try as he might, Alexander didn''t know what to say. Mr. Dawson''s constantly reminding me how nasty I''ve been toward Sophia. I can''t rebuke that... ¡°You ought to be a man of your word. Since you had agreed to the divorce, it''s only right that the both of you go on to lead your separate lives,¡± Perrin added, stumping the younger man further. Alexander hung his head and muttered, ¡°I admit I was wrong in the past, Mr. Dawson, and I apologize for my actions. However, who hasn''t made mistakes in their life? Isn''t it good that I''ve realized the folly of my ways and am trying to make amendments? As such, I sincerely hope you''ll give me another chance.¡± ¡°I believe Sophia had given you plenty of chances during those three years,¡± Perrin scoffed. ¡°I wouldn''t be sitting here today if you had grabbed one of those.¡± ¡°You''re right. That''s why I''m regretting it now,¡± Alexander replied, so choked with emotion that he couldn''t say anything more. ¡°There are many regrets in life, but no one can ever start over with a clean b,¡± Perrin said coldly as he looked away. A heavy silence quickly befell the room, and it wasn''t until the staff brought in the dishes that the atmosphere became a little less suffocating. Alexander nced at Perrin, only to realize thetter was ring back at him. For a man in his eighties, it''s impressive that Mr. Dawson still cuts such an imposing figure. It''s almost as if he''s staring right into my soul... Needless to say, Alexander had lost his appetite and barely touched the food. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Perrin, on the contrary, ate to his heart''s content before instructing his assistant to foot the bill. With just the two men remaining in the private room, Perrin took another sip of his coffee and looked up. ¡°I don''t want Sophia to know about this meeting, Mr. Xenos. I''m sure you feel the same, too, don''t you?¡± ¡°Don''t worry about it,¡± Alexander uttered, a glint in his eyes. ¡°Mr. Dawson, I know this may sound very presumptuous, but I can tell you that Sophia won''t fall for another man. I''m the only one she''ll ever love.¡± Upon hearing that, Perrinughed in exasperation. ¡°It''s good to be confident, but more often than not, overconfidence leads to arrogance.¡± Just then, Perrin''s assistant returned to the room. ¡°Mr. Xenos has already paid for the meal, Mr. Dawson,¡± he said as he began to help the old man up. Alexander instantly jumped in to pull the chair out, only to have Perrin smack his hand away. Momentarily stunned, the young man drew back his hand and watched Perrin walk out of the room. Gosh. My first meeting with Mr. Dawson didn''t go well at all. After being rooted to his spot for what seemed like an eternity, Alexander finally left the private room. It was already past seven by then, and the sky was dark. s, the longer he sat in his car, the stronger his craving to smoke a cigarette. Argh... I haven''t had a smoke in months, though. Sophia doesn''t like it, and I promised her I''d quit. Alexander stared at the convenience store in the distance, but eventually, he averted his gaze and drove off. No. I won''t go back on my promise to her. Chapter 284 Chapter 284 When Samuel received Alexander''s call, his first thought was that he had made a mistake. Am I dreaming? Alexander is actually calling me? ¡°Hello, Alex, it''s rare for you to give me a call at this hour.¡± Alexander gave his cor a tug. ¡°I''m at Corona. Come drink with me.¡± Samuel was surprised. ¡°Why are you getting yourself drunk? Has Sophia finally woken up and fallen for someone else? Are you heartbroken?¡± ¡°Are youing or not?¡± Alexander was in no mood for any banter. Why does Samuel have such a foul mouth all the time? All of a sudden, he felt as if inviting thetter to drink was a stupid decision. As the realization struck him, he changed his mind. ¡°Forget it. I don''t want you here anymore.¡± When Alexander hung up right after, Samuel clicked his tongue in response. ¡°Is he ordering me around on a whim? Does he think I''m his dog?¡± Sheesh! I''m definitely not! Given that Alexander was seldom in low spirits, Samuel felt it a shame if he didn''t take advantage of it to ridicule his friend. During the drive there, Samuel floored the elerator, worried that Alexander would be gone by the time he got there. Evidently, his fears were unfounded. Alexander was so disturbed by Perrin''s words that he didn''t even dare show his face in front of Sophia for fear that her sharp eye would easily spot how distraught he felt. Consequently, he ended up in Corona, drinking in a private room. After parking his car, Samuel entered the club. As the few of them had rooms reserved on a long-term basis, he knew where to look. Although the room door was closed, he easily opened it with a gentle turn of the door knob. Not all the lights were on, but he could clearly see Alexander slumped on the couch underneath the dim lighting. On the table in front of him was a bottle of red wine and a decanter. Close to the edge sat a wine ss with a single mouthful of wine left. Brows raised, Samuel approached him. ¡°Alex, what''s wrong with you?¡± Isn''t he usually by Sophia''s side at this hour? Why is he getting himself drunk alone today? ¡°Did Sophia really dump you?¡± The words caused Alexander to gradually open his eyes and give Samuel a cold stare. ¡°Mr. Dawson is in Jadeborough. I just had dinner with him.¡± ¡°Who is this Mr. Dawson to have unsettled you to this extent? Wait, do you mean that Mr. Dawson?¡± The answer dawned upon Samuel mid-sentence. Alexander threw him a scornful nce. ¡°Can you be any dumber?¡± ¡°Is he trying to break you up? Hahaha. All this while, I have only heard of the boy''s parents getting the girl to leave their son because they think she is beneath him. This is the first time I''ve encountered a situation where the roles are reversed. You''re amazing, Alex, to have be the first of a kind!¡± Unable to control himself, Alexander grabbed Samuel''s wrist and bent his fingers forcefully. ¡°Ouch! It hurts! You''re going to break my fingers!¡± It wasn''t until Alexander gave him the side-eye that he released his grip. ¡°You had better watch that mouth of yours.¡± ¡°Fine, I''ll stop teasing you. What did Mr. Dawson say?¡± After giving his hand a shake, Samuel poured himself a ss of red wine unabashedly. Upon smelling the nose of the wine, he quickly took a sip when he recognized the wine as one from Alexander''s personal collection. Ah... A bottle that costs six hundred thousand really tastes a little better than one that costs a few hundred thousand. In no mood toment, Alexander simply gave him the side-eye. When silence finally returned to the room, the unsatisfied Samuel began chattering non-stop. At that moment, Alexander felt calling Samuel over was nothing but a mistake, for all he wanted to do now was to throw thetter out. ¡°Can you shut your trap for once?¡± ¡°That''s too much, Alex! I''m doing this for your own good. Tell me, don''t I deserve half the credit for helping you reconcile with Sophia?¡± Alexander let out a snort. ¡°You really are good at blowing your own trumpet.¡± The embarrassed Samuel scratched his nose. ¡°Even then, I''m sure I have at least ten to twenty percent contribution in the matter. If I hadn''t convinced you to admit your mistake to Sophia, you would still be courting her till the cowse home!¡± ¡°I can''t believe how shameless you are, Samuel.¡± All of a sudden, Alexander could understand how Sophia felt when he behaved shamelessly in front of her. She must have been so enraged and helpless at the same time. Despite Samuel''s brazenness, he had inadvertently given Alexander a useful suggestion. Thetter fixed his gaze on the man. ¡°He didn''t say much. He just told me that he disapproved of our rtionship.¡± ¡°We''re no longer living in the age of arranged marriages, so what''s the big deal about an old fogey like him objecting to the marriage?¡± Samuel was typical of someone who liked shooting his mouth off without a true picture of the situation. Alexander¡ªsick of the sight of his friend¡ªclosed his eyes. ¡°Get lost.¡± He was on the brink of beating the former up. With only a single night light on, Alexander cut a pitiful figure underneath its yellow hue. Feeling sorry for him, Samuel adopted a serious tone. ¡°If you think Mr. Dawson is someone important, wouldn''t making him happy solve the problem? I''m not telling you to ingratiate yourself with him, but by treating Sophia better, the Dawson family will be moved by your sincerity with time. Wouldn''t it end happily for everyone?¡± ¡°Get lost. Thank you.¡± He might as well not have said anything. Alexander''s response upset Samuel. ¡°Am I wrong?¡± I have always enjoyed a good rtionship with the older generation, so what''s with Alexander''s attitude toward my perfectly valid suggestion? This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°My words might have sounded redundant, Alex, but you have to realize you can''t change the past. You''re now together with Sophia, who has now been recognized by the Dawson family. Considering that Mr. Dawson has just learned of the existence of his granddaughter, he can''t help treasuring her like she meant the world to him. Therefore, it''s natural that he feels as if you''re taking her away from him. Anyone would be upset in his position. You have to give him some time, as patience is the key to victory. If you don''t trust my words, there''s little else I can help you with.¡± When Samuel ended his soliloquy with a shrug, Alexander was stunned. It was true the former seemed to be stating the obvious, but Alexander still found gems of advice in his words. He now realized the source of his problem¡ªhis overwhelming sense of urgency. Since his divorce from Sophia and her acknowledgment by the Dawson family were both recent events, his attempt to reconcile their marriage in such a short time would naturally trigger discontent among those around her. Patience wasn''t going to be a problem for him. He was just caught off guard by the suddenness of Perrin''s involvement. Holding that thought, Alexander could feel the tension within him ease up. He then turned toward Samuel. ¡°Thank you.¡± With that, he got up to leave the private room. Upon realizing what was going on, Samuel asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Take me with you! It''s lonely being by myself. ¡°To see Sophia.¡± The answer rendered Samuel speechless. Get lost, you ungrateful friend! After letting out a snort, he lowered his gaze to eye the half-empty bottle of wine. He subsequently pressed the call bell to summon the waiter. ¡°Help me store this bottle of wine. Remember, it''s mine!¡± Not Alexander''s! Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Inside the mansion, Sophia nced at her phone and didn''t see a reply to the message she had sent Alexander half an hour ago. She wasn''t sure if his dinner hadn''t ended or he had gotten himself drunk. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. She was already yawning as it was ten thirty. Unable to stay up any longer, she sent out a ¡°good night¡± message before turning off the lights and closing her eyes to sleep. By the time he arrived at the mansion, Alexander knew that Sophia had gone to bed. It was ten minutes to eleven and the lights on the second and third floors were already off. On the screen of his phone was the good night message Sophia had sent half an hour ago. He was so engrossed in the words Perrin said to him that he didn''t check his phone on the way back. Once he paid the designated driver, Alexander used the backup house key Sophia had given him and gradually drove the car back in. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow is already asleep.¡± Alexander heard Genie''s voice the moment he emerged from the parking lot. He then raised his hand to give his forehead a rub. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Rest early, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± After grunting in acknowledgment, Alexander felt his way up to the third floor with the help of the handrail. Sophia had left the door unlocked, allowing him to open it with a gentle twist of the doorknob. Despite the darkness, he could see the obvious bump underneath the nket. As he trod softly up to the bed, he turned on the night light by his feet. Sophia, illuminated by the dim light, was sleeping on her side. As Perrin''s words seemed to have thrown him back into the past, the sight of Sophia reminded him that their reconciliation was real. Unable to help himself, he gently ran his fingers over her eyes which had long eyshes and were tightly shut. When she was awake, her eyes looked like miniature crescents, filling him with the urge to make her his. Feeling a slight itch on her face, Sophia moved slightly. The sight of her luscious red lips caused Alexander''s Adam''s apple to bob before he leaned in to kiss her. Awoken by the kiss, Sophia felt his burning hand caressing her entire body. Her lust was quickly ignited by his advances due to the summer heat. Subconsciously, she threw her arms around his neck and began to reciprocate with a passionate kiss. Alexander''s eyes darkened as he stared at the half-asleep Sophia and whispered, ¡°Precious, I missed you a lot.¡± Just as he spoke, he carried her entire body in his arms. As his lips parted with hers, he leaned in to kiss her chest while swimming his other hand underneath her top. All of a sudden, his bite caused Sophia''s body to tremble as if she had been jolted by an electric shock. Now that she was fully awake, she felt her cheeks burn and blush when she saw Alexander''s face buried in her bosom. ¡°Precious, raise up your hands.¡± Alexander was in the midst of taking her pajamas off when he looked up to give her a nce. With her hands wrapped around his shoulders, Sophia could smell the alcohol on him. ¡°Were you drinking?¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± Alexander responded while kissing her at the same time. The warmth of Alexander''s body was exactly what Sophia¡ªwho was feeling cold¡ªneeded, amalgamating perfectly when their bodies pressed against each other. As his lips roamed across her chest, his hand ventured down and quickly found its destination. With her hands sped tightly around him, a tinge of red descended upon her porcin white skin, a sight that caused Alexander''s eyes to turn red. Given that his shirt was still on, Sophia bit her lip before she brazenly pulled it off for him. When the tip of her fingers inadvertently brushed across his spine, he felt as if lines of ants were crawling up his back, fanning the mes of his desire. By the time Alexander raised his head again, one could see the raging fire in his eyes. All of a sudden, he picked her up and straddled her over hisp to enter her gradually. With Sophia moaning in reflex, he began kissing her on the neck. Sophia, unable to maintain her bnce, had no choice but to hang on by grabbing his arm. In their moment of passion, she didn''t dare to make eye contact, for his eyes looked as if they were going to swallow her whole. At the same time, the temperature of the room rose alongside the growing lust in the air. Despite the air conditioning working diligently to cool the room, it failed to diminish the sweltering heat. Finally, Alexander carried Sophia into the bathroom more than an hourter. As the jarring white light shed at her eyes, Sophia raised her hand to shield them. Through the gaps in her fingers, she could see her reflection in her mirror. There wasn''t a spot on her entire body that wasn''t tinged in red. As Sophia''s already reddened face blushed with greater intensity, she averted her gaze from the sight. ¡°I''ll wash up by myself.¡± After turning on the shower, Alexander remained silent. With warm water drizzling down both their heads, Sophia stared nkly at Alexander''s chest. However, she could barely stand and was solely relying on his arm for support. Engulfed by the steam in the shower, Alexander felt his urges reignited by the sensuous look on Sophia''s face. With one arm around her waist, he couldn''t help but give her a kiss before whispering in a deep voice. ¡°Precious, you never fail to tempt me.¡± Meanwhile, Sophia''s heart was pounding furiously as blood coursed rapidly through her veins. Curling her toes in reflex, she attempted to lift her hands to push Alexander away but failed to muster any strength. ¡°You... Mmm!¡± As arge hand turned her face around, Alexander nted a kiss from behind. Thereafter, the pitter-patter of the shower was interspaced with the sound of feminine moans, filling the air with an amorous atmosphere. By the time they emerged from the shower, half an hour had passed. Once Alexander put her down after carrying her out, Sophia bit down on his shoulder before ring at him. ¡°You''re too much, Alexander!¡± However, her look was devoid of any authority under such circumstances. Instead, it seemed to be filled with repressed coyness. Alexander reached out to stroke her face. ¡°Precious, don''t look at me that way. I won''t be able to help myself.¡± Breaking out an exasperated smile, Sophia grabbed a pillow and whacked him with it. ¡°You had better cook some pasta for me. I''m hungry!¡± Alexander caught the pillow and put it aside. ¡°Okay. What would you like to have?¡± ¡°What else can we have at this hour?¡± Since it was close to midnight, Sophia threw him a grumpy look. ¡°I''ll get someone to deliver it.¡± She didn''t like the idea. ¡°Just pasta will do.¡± Anyone who delivers the food at this hour might get the wrong idea. ¡°I''ll cook pasta then.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Upon grunting in acknowledgment, Sophia picked up the phone by her side and began surfing on it. It wasn''t until she entered the main page that she realized she was holding Alexander''s phone instead of her own. Even the passcode is the same! Curling her lips into a grin, she hesitated briefly before checking Alexander''s WhatsApp. When she saw that she wasbeled as ¡°Precious,¡± the irritation she had felt earlier quickly dissipated. She then exited the app and switched back to her phone. Subsequently, Sophia was yawning when Alexander returned with the cooked pasta. Waving his phone at him, she asked, ¡°Why is your passcode the same as mine?¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± He hummed in response before putting the bowl in front of her. ¡°It''s still hot. Wait for it to cool down before you dig in.¡± Sophia raised her brows slightly at him. ¡°I took a look at your phone just now, Alexander.¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± She couldn''t help but chuckle. ¡°Aren''t you worried that I will discover a secret of yours?¡± ¡°In that case, have you found any?¡± Sophia responded with a snort. ¡°Not yet.¡± He lowered his head to gaze at her, eyes glistening with glee. ¡°Let me help you find some.¡± With that, he picked up his phone and tapped into the photo album. Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Sophia raised a brow and took the phone back. She clicked on the album that Alexander was showing her. There were only two photos in there. Sophia thought the photos looked familiar even from the preview. After getting a closer look, she could immediately pinpoint when and where the images were taken. She lifted her head to look at him and asked, ¡°New Year this year?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As surmised, the photos were indeed taken when he followed her back to Coldbridge during New Year. Sophia recalled that after leaving her friend''s house, she stood by the roadside to wait for a taxi. Though it was New Year''s eve, there were not many cars on the road. She waited at the bus station all alone for over ten minutes back then. Alexander was standing somewhere she couldn''t see him. He saw her trying to call a cab using her phone after he hung up on a call. Though they were about thirty meters apart, the sight of her all alone made his heart ache. Sophia had lived a carefree and rich life after they got divorced. However, she seemed so forlorn and lonely that night. For reasons unbeknownst to him, Alexander decided to take a photo of her right then. After getting back to Jadeborough, he would always look at the photo. Every time he looked at it, it would remind him of New Year''s eve when Sophia was all alone, trying to hail a taxi when she was supposed to be with her family. If their rtionship hadn''t been strained back then, he would have approached her and held her tightly. At the very least, he wanted to let her know that she was not alone. The other photo was of the condominium that she stayed in. It was taken from a car downstairs at the building. Alexander took the image after making sure that she was safely back home. The condominium building that she stayed in was really tall, and he actually had no idea which floor Sophia was staying at. She looked at the photo for a while beforementing, ¡°Great angle.¡± Then, she handed the phone back to him. ¡°I would like to eat my pasta now.¡± The pasta would go cold if she left it for any longer. Alexander took over the bowl before she could do so and said, ¡°It''s still hot.¡± Sophia knew that he must be thinking of feeding her, and her cheeks burned hot. ¡°I can help myself.¡± She started feeding herself after three, and she certainly didn''t need anyone feeding her at twenty- seven years old. Sophia reached out to take her food. Alexander trained his eyes on her and said, ¡°I''ll feed you.¡± Sophia looked at the mouthful of pasta inches away from her. Her stomach grumbled, and she relented to her hunger. It was already past twelve midnight when they were done. She seldom sleptte, and there were only a handful of times she had stayed awake past this hour in the whole year. Sophia was already tired after the passionate exchange. Her circadian rhythm made the situation worse, and she kept yawning while she ate the pasta. ¡°Let''s sleep,¡± Alexander said after seeing her yawn one more time. His obsidian eyes glinted. Sophia pulled over the nket and said, ¡°I''m going to sleep.¡± She was struggling to get her eyes open. Hence, she quickly fell into a deep slumber. She had a dream. She dreamed that she and Alexander were back at her house in Coldbridge. Her parents were sitting right on the couch and chatting. ¡°I told you our little Soph will surely find a man who will indulge her and make her delicious meals!¡± ¡°Our little Soph is an outstanding woman. Any man would be lucky to have her.¡± Sophia watched her parents, unsure if they were real or merely a figment of her imagination. It had been ten years since the ident. Silence would greet her every time she was back home. She let go of Alexander''s hand and dashed toward the couch. ¡°Mom, Dad¡ª¡± However, the moment she tried to hug them, the image of them dissipated into thin air. Sophia jolted awake. She noticed that light was filtering in through the curtains. It was already bright out. Still in a daze, she sat upright and wiped away the tears brimming in the corner of her eyes. She finally regained herposure after some time and said, ¡°Genie, open the curtains. Thanks.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± It was a dream after all. The curtains slowly pulled open. ring sunlight streamed in through the window. Sophia lifted a hand to shield herself and reached out for her phone with the other. She furrowed her brows when she noticed the time. It was already eight in the morning. There was a weekly meeting scheduled at nine-thirty at Sunshine Groupter. She got out of bed immediately. ¡°Aren''t you going to get some more sleep?¡± She came out of the shower after washing up and bumped into Alexander. Thetter circled her into his embrace. Sophia lifted her head to look at him and said, ¡°Weekly meeting at nine-thirtyter.¡± ¡°You can choose to skip it.¡± Sophia let out a chuckle. ¡°I''m not you, Mr. Xenos.¡± She was a dedicated boss. Alexander knew that she was teasing him, but he didn''t mind. ¡°All work and no y makes Jack a dull boy.¡± Sophia nudged him and said, ¡°Aren''t you a dull boy then?¡± ¡°Who said so?¡± Alexander asked. He let go of her and watched her make her way to the dressing table. She sat down before the dressing table and clicked her tongue. ¡°Doesn''t everyone know that?¡± Mr. Alexander Xenos from Odyssey was a busy man with at least three scheduled appointments per day. Alexander lifted his brow and observed her intently. He decided to change the topic and asked, ¡°When is your granddading over?¡± She paused slightly after hearing him. ¡°I don''t know. I have to ask Lukas.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Alexander massaged her head and said, ¡°Come have breakfast downstairs when you''re done.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Okay,¡± she replied. Sophia watched him leave through her mirror on the dressing table, and her lips quirked into a slight smile. The two of them changed into their work clothes after having breakfast. Alexander eyed the hickey on his neck and raised his brow slightly. He brushed his finger, ever so slightly, across the mark and pressed down his cors, revealing the deep purple mark. Sophia went downstairs after she was done changing. Alexander, who was in pajamas moments ago, was already dressed in an immacte suit and was waiting for her by the staircase. She gave him a smile and strode toward him in her high heels. Their height difference was a whopping twenty-two centimeters. Even though she was in heels, it had only closed the gap to just a little over ten centimeters. Sophia still had to lift her head to look at him. Tsk. Why is he so tall? ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Alexander cocked his head to the side and looked at her. Sophia shook her head. She didn''t want to tell him that she wasparing their height. Just when she was about to retract her gaze, she noticed marks peeping out from under his cor. Her brows creased slightly. ¡°Alexander, wait.¡± She pulled him close and lowered his cor. ¡°How did you get h¡ª¡± She trailed off mid-sentence, and her cheeks burned hot with embarrassment when she realized the answer to her question. Sophia said nothing further and let go of him nonchntly. ¡°Let''s go. It''s already nine.¡± Alexander did not budge. He tightened his hold on her hand and pulled her into his embrace. He trained his obsidian eyes on her and asked, ¡°What do I have here?¡± He pulled down his cor and showed her the hickey as he talked. ¡°I''d say it''s a present from you.¡± Alexander remained impassive and said it in a deadpan manner. However, Sophia fidgeted nervously in response. Not only were her cheeks burning, but her ears were getting hot as well. In fact, she felt warm tingles all over her body. Alexander wanted to push her further and patted the back of her head and whispered, ¡°Why? Did you think I was hurt?¡± Sophia knew he was toying with her. She shot him a sideways nce and retorted, ¡°Why? Did you enjoy it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alexander nodded earnestly. shing a half-smile at him, Sophia remarked, ¡°But I think it''s not that good-looking. Let me just make it look better.¡± Then, she pulled at his cor, tiptoed, and nted a kiss on his cor, leaving a red lipstick mark on it. Chapter 287 Chapter 287 Sophia''s kiss on Alexander''s necksted for about two seconds. The originally purplish-red hickey was then covered by her red lipstick stain. Her lipstick was a ssic red. Despite being a rich red, it wasn''t unduly garish. The lipstick stain was visible on Alexander''s neck, just above his corbone. As a result, his shirt cor failed to conceal it. ¡°You''re not allowed to wipe it off,¡± Sophia ordered. Alexander lowered his head to nce at the stain and hummed an agreement. ¡°Let''s go,¡± Sophia said after looking at the lipstick stain on Alexander''s neck. I''m not the one who will be embarrassed anyway. Despite her previous sentiments, Sophia could not help but ponder on the issue when they arrived at the garage. After some thought, there was no way she could let Alexander go to work with a lipstick stain on his neck. After fastening her seat belt, Sophia''s gaze wandered to the lipstick stain on Alexander''s neck. ¡°Alexander,e over here for a bit.¡± ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Alexander asked. Sophia met the man''s dark orbs and replied sheepishly, ¡°You should wipe it off.¡± Your reputation would be tarnished if a CEO like you went to work with a lipstick stain on your neck. ¡°Didn''t you tell me not to wipe it off?¡± Alexander countered, his dark eyes filled with mirth as he looked at Sophia in amusement. Sophia lowered her head. She did not give any response and instead took a wet wipe from her bag and pressed it on the lipstick stain. However, she did not manage to wipe it off in one go. Sophia looked up and gave Alexander a look. ¡°Crap, this isn''ting off that easily. I''ll have to use some strength.¡± After a few wipes, the lipstick stain was finally removed. Sophia tossed the used wet wipe into a bag and examined Alexander''s neck, which was red and raw due to her rubbing on it. At that, she could not help but feel slightly regretful for her impulsiveness earlier. Hmm. I feel slightly sorry for him. Sophia had just finished a weekly meeting when she received a call from Perrin. Thetter informed Sophia that he had arrived at Jadeborough and asked if she was free that afternoon as he wanted to have a meal with her. Sophia was slightly taken aback. ¡°Did you just reach, Granddad? Why didn''t you let me know? I would''ve gone to pick you up.¡± Perrinughed from the other side of the phone. ¡°I arrived yesterday afternoon and went to meet a friend. Lukas has already arranged a ce for me to live and my other expenses, so there''s no need for you to worry.¡± Yesterday afternoon? Sophia suddenly remembered how Alexander''s mood seemed to be offst night when he came back and kissed her awake. However, she did not give it much thought as she was preupied with his seduction. After connecting the points, she reckoned the person whom Alexander metst night was not a business partner and instead was Perrin. Sophia slightly pursed her lips before replying, ¡°I''m free, Granddad. Where are you right now? I''ll go meet you.¡± ¡°It''s fine. You''re busy with work. You don''t have toe over. I''ll go to where you are instead.¡± Sophia could never win against Perrin. Thus, they ended up choosing a private restaurant near Sophia''s office. Upon ending the call, Sophia stared at her phone, her mind drifting elsewhere. She finally came back to her senses when Yvonne knocked on her door. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, this is the statistical report sent by Mr. Smith,¡± Yvonne reported. Sophia nodded in response. ¡°I''ll take a look at itter. Please free up my schedule for the next few days. My granddad came to visit.¡± ¡°Sure, Ms. Yarrow,¡± Yvonne replied. After speaking to Yvonne, Sophia took her bag and left Sunshine Group. She did not drive herself to work that day. Thus, she nned to call a taxi and get her car before driving back to the chosen restaurant. Since Perrin had some leg issues, going without a car would be difficult. It was already a quarter past twelve when Sophia arrived at the restaurant, and Perrin was already at the reserved table. ¡°Granddad,¡± Sophia greeted. ¡°Are you done with work?¡± Perrin asked. Sophia nodded and hummed in response. She ced her bag down and looked at Perrin. The older man, too, was looking at her without many exaggerated emotions on his face. However, Sophia could tell that he was in a rtively good mood. Putting away her random thoughts, Sophia poured Perrin a cup of coffee. It had been quite some time since the grandfather and granddaughter had met. Thus, many words were exchanged. Yet, Perrin did not bring up anything rted to the past. Since Perrin avoided the subject, Sophia did the same. It was as if the two werepeting to see who could be more patient. In the end, Perrin was the one to break first. ¡°I heard that you and Alexander were trending not long ago, right?¡± Perrin was not on Twitter and naturally did not know about trending headlines. Sophia knew that the question was bound to be asked. After taking a sip of coffee, she nodded. ¡°Yeah, someone took a picture of us.¡± Perrin furrowed his brows upon hearing Sophia''s words. ¡°That means the rumors online are true. Did you really get back together with that rascal from the Xenos family?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sophia replied with a nod of her head. A faint smile graced her lips as she continued, ¡°Didn''t you already know about it, Granddad?¡± With that said, Perrin snorted. ¡°Well, isn''t it all your fault for trying to drag things out to see who has more patience?¡± However, Sophia was not embarrassed after getting exposed like that. She nced at Perrin and started slowly, ¡°Isn''t it better for you to be the one asking me about this than the other way around, Granddad?¡± ¡°Is he really that good of a person?¡± Perrin asked. ¡°Maybe he isn''t, but he''s the only one I like, Granddad,¡± Sophia replied. ¡°Well, that''s because you''re still too young,¡± Perrin insisted. ¡°I''ll temporarily not get involved in your issues. However, you must promise me you''ll try to meet more outstanding men.¡± Sophia could not help but burst out inughter after hearing Perrin''s words. ¡°Granddad, we''re already together, yet you''re telling me to meet more men. Are you suggesting that I cheat on him?¡± ¡°The both of you were divorced once and merely got back together. Since you are not discussing marriage, it''s fine to look for other options, isn''t it?¡± Perrin reasoned. If the topic of discussion was Lukas instead, and if he were to get involved with other women while in a rtionship, Perrin would have snapped his legs in half. However, Perrin felt it was okay if it was Sophia who did it, as in his eyes, Alexander was not a good person anyway. ¡°Granddad, were you also like this when you were with Granny?¡± Sophia asked. ¡°You brat! It''s for your sake,¡± Perrin said, exasperated. Sophia poured Perrin another cup of coffee. ¡°I''m twenty-seven this year, Granddad.¡± She was no longer seventeen and easily deceived by men''s sweet nothings. Getting back together with Alexander was a decision that she thought through. In fact, she and Alexander had never started dating; since there was never a start, how was it considered an end? Perrin feigned ignorance. ¡°What about being twenty-seven? Is twenty-seven considered old in this new era?¡± Sophia was taken aback. She did not expect Perrin to be as open-minded as he was. Well, I guess this exins why Lukas is still single at the age of thirty-five. ¡°Did Alexander say anything about you being twenty-seven?¡± Perrin inquired. Sophia''s heart skipped a beat at Perrin''s sudden question. ¡°No. He did not, Granddad.¡± ¡°Don''t you exin on his behalf! I know that Alexander is a bad apple! Don''t worry. Lukas and I know many remarkable young men. Take your time and get to know them. I''m sure you''ll be able to find someone better than Alexander,¡± Perrin promised. At that moment, Sophia knew she could not continue the conversation as Perrin was being exceptionally persistent. She could not help butugh before switching the topic. ¡°Why don''t you worry about Lukas, Granddad? He''s already thirty-five.¡± As expected, switching the target was sessful as Perrin stopped talking about Sophia. ¡°Lukas, too, is an anxiety-inducing kid! He''s thirty-five, yet he doesn''t have a girl he likes!¡± Sophia then recalled the rumors about Lukas'' first love. She arched an eyebrow before asking, ¡°How do you know that he doesn''t have one, Granddad? Maybe Lukas is just waiting for his first love toe back to him. Don''t you think that girl''s sudden break up with Lukas was not as simple as it seems?¡± After some thought, Perrin agreed, ¡°I''m indeed unsure about the details regarding their breakup. You might be onto something since Lukas remained single even after so many years.¡± ¡°Why don''t you help Lukas find that girl?¡± Sophia suggested. ¡°I heard that the girl was really into Lukas back then. Maybe her sudden disappearance was because she went into hiding to give birth to Lukas'' child!¡± Perrinughed in exasperation. ¡°Nonsense!¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. However, not long after, Perrin suddenly discovered that Sophia was not spouting nonsense. Chapter 288 Chapter 288 Perrin caught on that Sophia didn''t intend to talk to him about Alexander, or rather, she intended to continue staying with Alexander. Perrin was hoping to meet Sophia anyway, so he refrained from talking about Alexander altogether and changed the topic since Sophia didn''t want to talk about that. It had been a long time since the two of them met, so they had a lot to talk about. They spent almost two hours chatting at the restaurant. Seeing that it was about time and not wanting to affect Sophia''s work, Perrin said, ¡°It''s two o''clock in the afternoon now. It''s time for you to go back to work now, no? I won''t intrude on you any longer. Go back to work.¡± Sophia chuckled while looking at him. ¡°I''m quite free these few days. Really. Jadeborough boasts of an extraordinary view. A friend of mine has a cruise ship. Why don''t I bring you out to the sea tomorrow?¡± Doveston was far from the ocean, so Perrin had never gone to the sea in his whole life. He was intrigued when Sophia made that suggestion but didn''t want to affect her work. ¡°An old man like me can settle for a simple trip around here. You should prioritize your work. It''s more important.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°No, you''re more important, Granddad.¡± Perrinughed out loud upon hearing that. After all, everybody liked being ttered. ¡°Do you have any prior engagements this afternoon, Granddad?¡± ¡°Not yet. I was nning to go check out the museum with John.¡± Sophia was aware that Lukas had arranged for an assistant, John Zinn, toe along to Jadeborough with Perrin. ¡°I cane along since I''m free this afternoon.¡± While Perrin was d to hear that, he only agreed to it after making sure that Sophia was free indeed. After paying the bills, Sophia escorted Perrin out of the restaurant one step at a time. Her car was parked at a nearby parking lot. The weather was hot, so she escorted Perrin to the za opposite the parking and had him wait for her there. ¡°What a coincidence, Ms. Yarrow.¡± She heard a familiar voice the moment she released Perrin''s hand and turned to leave for the parking lot. Sophia turned her head to see Jessica and Megan approaching them. She arched her brows. ¡°Mrs. Queen, Ms. Queen.¡± The fact that Sophia only offered thirty thousand aspensation for the vase embarrassed the Queen family after news traveled throughout Jadeborough. Jessica never liked Sophia, and those feelings had only intensified since then. However, given that the Queen family had lost out after the incident, Megan was no longer as provocative toward Sophia as before. Thus, the reunion of sorts went on rather cordially. Jessica swept a nce at Perrin, who stood behind Sophia. Smiling, she feigned nonchnce while asking, ¡°Would he be your grandparent, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Everyone in upper-ss society knew the Dawson family from Doveston. However, Perrin was used to keeping a low profile, so he rarely made any public appearances after his retirement. Thus, people were more familiar with Kasper and Lukas. Sophia nodded. ¡°He''s my granddad.¡± Jessica didn''t seem to think much of Perrin. ¡°You''re so nice to your granddad, Ms. Yarrow.¡± There was a brief pause before she took out an invitation card from her bag. ¡°Megan''s grandfather would be celebrating his birthday next week. Seeing that you share a decent rtionship with Samuel, you should join the celebration.¡± Sophia checked out the invitation card she held. I don''t suppose this is going to be as simple as it seems. With a smile, she took the invitation card and nced at Jessica. ¡°Sure.¡± She was curious as to what Jessica could be plotting, given that it was an asion of much importance. Jessica nodded. ¡°Meg and I won''t intrude on your time with your grandpa, then.¡± Neither Jessica nor Megan greeted Perrin throughout the conversation. Before they left, Megan even looked at Perrin with disdain. The older man caught the look in her eye. His face fell as soon as the two women left. ¡°Had they given you a hard time before?¡± Sophia let out a chuckle upon hearing that. ¡°Don''t underestimate me, Granddad. I''m not a pushover.¡± Perrin hummed and decided to ask Lukas for confirmationter on. Sophia spent the afternoon with Perrin at the museum in Jadeborough. It had been a while since Perrin left the house. Moreover, his beloved granddaughter had spent the entire day with him, so he was visibly delighted. His good mood persisted even after he returned to the hotel. Sophia worried that Perrin''s legs might feel sore the next day after they spent a day touring around. Thus, she massaged his legs for more than half an hour. She even reminded John to fetch some hot water for Perrin to soak his legs in. Perrin wished he could record the sight of Sophia giving John reminders on his phone so that he could show off the fact that he was loved by his granddaughter to Stanley. Sophia turned to check on Perrin after talking to John. ¡°I''m going back, Granddad. Make sure you get some rest.¡± ¡°Sure. Safe trip. Call me when you arrive at home.¡± ¡°Okay, Granddad.¡± Perrin gave Lukas a call the moment Sophia left. He had kept in mind the two nasty women who he had run into that noon. He was also concerned that Lukas was still single despite having reached thirty-five years of age. Lukas wasn''t surprised by his call and had assumed that he called to talk to him about Alexander. Thus, the fact that Perrin asked about the mother and daughter from the Queen family was unexpected. Lukas could still vividly recall the incident during which Megan pushed Sophia, causing thetter to break the Queen family''s vase. Perrin inquired if Jessica and Megan had given Sophia trouble. Lukas mulled over the question before briefing him on what had happened. ¡°After that, Megan issued Sophia an apology via online live stream.¡± It was apparent that the Queen family was throwing their weight around in the beginning. However, Sophia managed to counter them with ease and forced Megan to apologize. Perrin huffed indignantly after hearing the full story. ¡°It''s obvious that the Queen family is looking down on us! How dare they find fault with Sophia over a cheap vase! From what I heard, their patriarch would be celebrating his birthday soon. That woman gave Sophia an invitation card. She''s likely waiting to watch Sophia make a fool out of herself. Pick out something from your grandmother''s collection and give it to Sophia to be presented as a gift.¡± Back when Penelope was involved in trading, she would frequent antique shops while on her business trips. Thus, she had collected quite some precious items at home. The Dawson family even built a room in the mansion to be used as storage for the antiquities she collected. After she passed away a few months ago, Perrin would browse through the items that reminded him of her whenever he was overwhelmed with grief. As he went through those items, he could almost hear her showing off to him with pride while saying, ¡°Look at these, Perrin. While gold is highly prized during wartime, antiques are worth the most during a peaceful era. Any of these could easily sustain us through the year if we were to sell them in case ourpany went bankrupt under Kasper''s management.¡± Since the Dawson family was prosperous, Perrin had never thought of selling anything in the storage room. However, he figured that Penelope would likely lead a team in person, drive a car filled with antique items, and cast those items into the Queen residence one by one if she were still alive and heard of the Queen family''s mistreatment of Sophia. Who the heck do they think they are? Lukas was of the same mind. While he didn''t think Sophia had lost out in that situation, he agreed that the Queen family were stuck-ups. Thus, he supported the decision. ¡°I understand, Grandpa.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Perrin nodded before changing the topic. ¡°You''re already thirty-five this year. When are you going to settle down? I remember you had known a girl named Sandra when you were at university. Are you still thinking about her? You better find her if you still think of her. Stop making me worry about you!¡± Lukas, who got chided without reason, didn''t know what to say. Chapter 289 Chapter 289 Sophia was stuck in traffic on the way home due to an ident when the phone in her bag started ringing. She had expected it to be from Alexander instead of Lukas. The traffic seemed to have reached a standstill, and she surmised it would be some time before the cars started moving again. Hence, she picked up the call without bothering to connect it to her car''s Bluetooth system. ¡°Lukas.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. ¡°Have you arrived reached home?¡± ¡°Not yet. There''s a slight congestion.¡± Lukas loosened his tie. ¡°What did you and Grandpa talk about today?¡± Sophia read between the lines and recalled using him to change the topic of their conversation during lunch. She couldn''t help feeling a lick of guilt. ¡°We caught up with one another.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Lukas made a sound that resembledughter. ¡°Grandpa was wondering when I''d find a partner now that I''m already in my thirties.¡± Sophia feigned ignorance and said wryly, ¡°He says he won''t interfere with my rtionship with Alexander but expects me to get to know more guys.¡± Lukas paused before replying, ¡°I second that.¡± Sophia sensed his sarcasm and decided to get back at him. ¡°What about you? When will I be seeing a sister-inw in our family?¡± ¡°I advise you to worry about yourself first before poking your nose into others'' business.¡± Lukas was needled. Sophia broke intoughter. ¡°Likewise.¡± The siblings were two sides of the same coin. ¡°Is this how you talk to Alexander as well?¡± Lukas wondered in amusement. He pitied Alexander for having to deal with his sharp-tongued sister. Sophia flushed beet-red. ¡°Are you trying to distract me since you clearly can''t win this argument?¡± Lukas shrugged. ¡°Rest assured that I know what I''m doing.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± They weren''t naive teenagers any longer who knew nothing of the world. It would be best not to interfere when it came to matters of the heart. Despite that, the sudden appearance of a younger sister activated Lukas'' brotherly protectiveness, which wished to shield Sophie from all harm. In the end, his misgivings were unwarranted, as his little sister was more than capable of handling herself. ¡° I''ll stop bothering you for now. Stay safe on the roads. Remember to message me once you''ve reached home.¡± ¡°All right. Bye.¡± Lukas eyed the photograph on his desk after ending the call and lighted a cigarette. Am I still waiting for Sandra? That''s ridiculous. I''d be more than willing to strangle her to death if I ever see her again. Sophia received a call from Alexander shortly after her conversation with Lukas. It was already eight-thirty in the evening when Sophia received the call using her car''s Bluetooth system since traffic seemed to be clearing up. ¡°Hello, it''s me.¡± ¡°Are you on the way home?¡± ¡°Yes. I''m currently stuck in a jam caused by a traffic ident.¡± ¡°Be careful, Precious.¡± Sophia blushed at Alexander''s sudden use of her term of endearment. He seemed to have a penchant for surprising her with little acts of affection as ofte. ¡°Got it.¡± The road was finally back to normal when she hung up. Sophia reached home at nine o''clock and had just left the parking lot when Genie''s voice rang out, ¡°Wee home, Ms. Yarrow. Mr. Xenos has already returned.¡± Genie could now easily identify Alexander after Sophia added him to its facial recognition system. ¡°Understood. Thanks, Genie.¡± Sophia could tell Alexander was at home without needing to be notified by Genie. She''d noticed the second-floor lights were on on the way home. If there had been an intruder, Genie would have notified the police about it in an instant. Genie was an intelligent home system that controlled most of the electrical appliances in the household. Besides, it was equipped with a powerful security system that could detect intruders and report them to the police if none of the pre-programmed identities were apanying them. Alexander was seated on the couch when Sophia made her way upstairs. He had aptop before him and was wearing a pair of silver-rimmed sses that made him seem even more cold and distant than usual. Sophia''s heart started beating rapidly just at the sight of him. Alexander got to his feet at her entrance and proceeded to pour her a ss of warm water. ¡°Thanks.¡± Sophia withdrew her gaze as she received the ss and took a sip of water. ¡°Are you near- sighted?¡± Alexander took off his sses. ¡°No, this is merely decorative.¡± Without the barrier of his sses, his inky eyes were whirlpools that effortlessly drew her into its depths. Sophia tightened her grip on the ss subconsciously. ¡°I see.¡± Alexander carelessly deposited his sses onto the couch and took over her ss to ce it on the table. ¡°Will you be going on your ind trip tomorrow?¡± Sophia inclined her head. ¡°Granddad has never experienced that before and is looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Could you bring me along if you don''t mind?¡± Sophia was taken aback. ¡°Aren''t you terrified of Granddad?¡± Alexander''s eyes widened. ¡°It''s not as if he''ll devour me whole.¡± His nonplussed response tickled Sophia. ¡°If that''s the case, you''re more than wee.¡± The way he lost controlst night after meeting Granddad seemed to speak otherwise. Nheless, she chose not to expose his contradicting behavior. With how astute Sophia was, Alexander knew she must have put two and two together about what happenedst night. Alexander quaked under her scintiting gaze and admitted, ¡°I had dinner with Mr. Dawson yesterday.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± It was a rhetorical question. Sophia sat on the couch as Alexander downed the remaining water in the ss. ¡°Well, he doesn''t like me very much.¡± His gaze was heavy as he stared at an unknown point in the distance. ¡°If that''s the case, do you still want to apany us tomorrow?¡± Sophia didn''t pry any further as she knew he must have been the recipient of some harsh words. ¡°Why not?¡± Alexander winked and wrapped his arms around her. ¡°Who knows? Perhaps I''ll grow on Mr. Dawson after he gets to know me better.¡± ¡°Well, good luck to you in advance?¡± Sophia burst outughing at his self-assuredness. ¡°Are you making fun of me?¡± He pulled her close and rested his forehead against hers, his arresting stare prating her soul. Sophia''s face heated, and she attempted to push him away but to no avail. ¡°Well, I guess there''s nothing I can do about this.¡± Her almond eyes blinked coquettishly as she yed the role of an innocent victim. The many sides of Sophia shed across his mind. She''d always be finding ways to please him when they first met. After the divorce, she became distant and unmoving. Now that they were together, he discovered that she had a mischievous streak that was adorable and yful too. This gave him aforting sense of coziness and warmth. Her capriciousness in making fun of him in one moment to acting like an ingenue in the next was so endearing that he wished to smother her in his embrace and have his way with her. Alexander''s eyes were locked on hers as he sumbed to his desires by lowering his face and nting a kiss on her cherry-red lips. Chapter 290 Chapter 290 Initially, Sophia was worried that Alexander would have difficulty controlling himself. To her surprise, the weight above her suddenly disappeared, and he stopped in his tracks after a passionate kiss that nearly sent Sophia spiraling out of control. Alexander got up and sat beside her, leaning against the back of the couch. Then, he used his arm to block his eyes from the light as he wrapped another arm around Sophia''s waist. When his hand reached Sophia''s left hand, the man used his thumb to caress thetter''s palm. The living room was silent as Alexander and Sophia did not speak to each other. The sound of their panting and rapid heartbeat tangled together, making it impossible to differentiate between whose those sounds belonged. After around thirty seconds, Alexander finally moved. He retracted the arm covering his eyes before gently touching the corner of Sophia''s eyes. ¡°Go shower and rest up. We are sailing out to the sea tomorrow.¡± Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. He looked at Sophia. There were still traces of the rosiness on her face, a result of their intimate moment earlier. The woman''s eyes were soft, and there was some redness near her eyes when she gazed at Alexander. Alexander''s eyes glinted as he shifted his eyes from Sophia with difficulty. ¡°Be good, Precious. Don''t look at me that way.¡± Rendered speechless by Alexander, Sophia wanted to exin herself but stopped because she knew the more she said, the more mistake she would make. Instead, she got up from the couch, saying, ¡°I''m taking a bath now.¡± ¡°Oh, right. I have a yacht.¡± Alexander''s words were a reminder that they did not need to rent a yacht the next day. Sophia raised her brows and chuckled when she heard it. ¡°I have one too, Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander peered at her. He lifted his brows too. ¡°The one fromst time?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°You are a smart one, Mr. Xenos.¡± With that, she turned and headed upstairs while Alexander watched her as she left. Finally, after Sophia turned the corner, Alexander retracted his gaze. He lowered his eyes as a smile appeared on his face. The sun rose earlier than usual because it was summer. Sophia woke up then because they needed to sail out to the sea. Meanwhile, Alexander didn''t spend his night at the mansion, so he brought breakfast to her around seven o''clock in the morning. They went their separate ways after breakfast. Sophia went to fetch Perrin while Alexander got to the harbor to meet the person in charge of maintaining Sophia''s yacht, Xavier. Perrin was an elderly man. He had fallen asleep at around ten o''clock the previous night, so the man woke up before six o''clock in the morning to exercise. When Sophia arrived to pick Perrin and John up, the duo was already done with their breakfast a long time ago. ¡°Granddad, how was your sleepst night?¡± Perrin nced at Sophia, smiling. ¡°I don''t have trouble falling asleep in a different spot like you and Lukas do.¡± Sophia thought, Well, he had a good night''s sleep. ¡°Granddad, my friend will tag along today because he is free. I hope you don''t mind.¡± Sophia smiled. Perrin didn''t think much of the friend that Sophia mentioned. He replied, ¡°Why would I mind? I get the opportunity to meet your friend too! I remember you have two friends that you''ve been close with since you were young, right?¡± ¡°Yes. But they are not free recently.¡± ¡°It''s fine. Bring them on a trip to Doveston when they have some free time.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Sophia noticed the happiness on Perrin''s face. A thought shed across her mind. Will he still be as happy as he is now when he sees Alexanderter? After a forty-five minutes drive, they arrived at the port. The wind was strong. However, as it was only the beginning of June, the typhoon in Jadeborough was much lesser. It was the perfect time to sail out to the sea. On the side, one yacht was preparing to sail too. Sophia had seen a few of these people on board before, but she was unfamiliar with them. Sophia slowly helped Perrin onto the vessel. Thetter couldn''t help but feel like the yacht was a wise choice when he walked into the cabin and noticed how spacious it was. He asked, ¡°Where''s your friend?¡± The moment he finished speaking, Alexander strode in. ¡°Hi, Mr. Dawson.¡± Perrin''s expression turned frosty when he saw Alexander. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Sophia told me she is apanying you today. Since I''m free, I decided to tag along and keep you company.¡± Perrin looked at Sophia, who was smiling. It was then he realized that Sophia was in on the n too. He red at Alexander. ¡°I don''t need you to apany me!¡± Alexander retorted, ¡°I also want to spend more time with Sophia.¡± Perrin didn''t know how to respond to that. Such a shameless prick! Not only was Perrin musing about how brazen Alexander was, but Sophia was also wondering about the same thing. She blushed, though, at the mention of her name. Sophia nced at Alexander before lowering her head to look at Perrin. ¡°Granddad, it''s fun to have more people around during sea sailing. It would be really boring if it were just you and me.¡± Perrin didn''t want to spoil Sophia''s mood. He agreed, ¡°You''re right.¡± Sophia''s yacht was huge, and many could fit on the vessel. Her original intention of purchasing a boat like this was so Katherine and the rest could enjoy a much more spacious environment if they went sea sailing together. Besides, if Katherine wanted to hold a party on the yacht, she could invite more people. It had never crossed Sophia''s mind that she would sail out to the sea one day with only five people onboard. After all, even with the pilot and John here, there were only five people in total. Yvonne had arranged to deliver fruits, drinks, and fresh ingredients early in the morning. The supply was enough for them to spend half a month on the sea. Perrin was unwilling to see Alexander and didn''t want Sophia and thetter to share alone time. He requested, ¡°Sophia, apany me for a walk outside.¡± I had never seen or appreciate the sea before. Even though Perrin had a unique and legendary life, he lived in Doveston, and that ce was located ind. Besides, Perrin spent his youth serving the country. When he retired, Penelope''s condition worsened, so he didn''t have the heart to travel. The man then spent the remaining time in Doveston. He thought that was how his life would end during his final breath. Little did Perrin expect that he would reunite with Sophia before his death and that she would bring him on a sea-sailing trip today. He felt like he could boast about this experience to Stanley. After all, Stanley keeps telling me what his granddaughter brought him and where she brought him on a trip. What is there to be proud of, anyway? Sophia brought me on a sea-sailing journey too! Did Stanley''s granddaughter get him on one of these? Most definitely not. If she did, Stanley would have boasted about it every day! ¡°Sophia, help me take a few photos! I''m going to show them to Stanley when I return.¡± Perrin''s tone was smug. He was acting like a kid that was trying to show off some new gift that he had gotten. Sophia knew who Stanley was. ording to Lukas, it was their neighbor, Stanley Willis. He was Perrin''srade when they were young, and he had been Perrin''s counselor for much of the time. Both of them retired together around ten years ago. As they stayed next door, Perrin had always yed chess with Stanley. However, Stanley was admitted to the hospitalst year after being diagnosed withte-stage lung cancer. The elderly man had spent much of those two years doing chemotherapy. Although it seemed like Perrin was being boastful, he was secretly hoping that Stanley would recover quickly so that the both of them could sail on the sea together. I know the harsh truth, though. Stanley is old, and that''s cancer we are talking about. His days are numbered. Sophia took a lot of photos. Perrin mumbled that he wanted to look for Stanley as he stared at the phone. Suddenly, he stopped speaking. With his gaze still on the sea, Perrin raised his hand and wiped a tear off his face. Oh, I''m getting old. My age is catching up with me. Sophia watched on as the smile on her face faded a little. Alexander walked out as Sophia tilted her head and looked at him. She smiled as she mouthed. ¡°Don''t come over here first.¡± Granddad is not feeling his best right now. Won''t he think worst if heid eyes on Alexander? Chapter 291 Chapter 291 Halting in his tracks, Alexander didn''t continue walking forward. By then, Perrin had already finishedmenting. The instant he lifted his head and spotted Alexander standing a stone''s throw away, he snorted. ¡°Let me tell you this, Sophia. Never find a boyfriend who''s dense. A dense person has low EQ and can drive you mad!¡± Aware that he was referring to Alexander, Sophia giggled softly. ¡°Got it, Granddad.¡± Perrin nodded in satisfaction before casting a look at Alexander once more. The so-called dense Alexander walked right over to them. ¡°Would you like something to drink?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Orange juice, please.¡± Perrin and Sophia spoke almost at the same time, upon which Alexander replied cidly, ¡°Sure.¡± After saying that, he spun on his heel and went back into the cabin. Sophia stole a nce at Perrin before her and chuckled without saying anything. A little over a hundred nautical miles away was a developed ind. Sophia felt that it was rare for Perrin to go out to sea, so it would be too nd to only sail around on a yacht and fish for a bit. That was a fairly renowned ind in Jadeborough. Three hourster, the yacht docked by the ind. It happened to be lunchtime, so there weren''t many people on the beach. Donning a hat and sunsses, Sophia led everyone onto the ind for lunch. Although it wasn''t a holiday that day, there were still quite a number of people on the ind. Coincidentally, the group of young men they met at the port that morning was also on the ind. One of them was acquainted with Alexander. When the man caught sight of thetter from afar, he wanted to go over and greet him, but the person beside him pulled him back. ¡°What a fool! He''s obviously out on vacation today, so you''ll be dampening the fun to go over!¡± Pondering for a while, the person in question felt that it made sense. ¡°The woman beside him is Sophia, right? It seems that he has really gotten back together with her!¡± ¡°When my mother was out ying cards, she heard that Mrs. Xenos had been kicked out of the Xenos residence. It was because she treated Sophia badly that Alexander gave her the boot.¡± ¡°Tsk-tsk, it looks like Sophia is really something else!¡± ¡°Hear, hear!¡± The afternoon sun was scorching. Sophia was afraid that Perrin would get a heatstroke, so they were preupied with arriving at the restaurant quickly. As such, they had no idea that others were gossiping about them. There was a five-star hotel on the ind, and it was packed to the brim during the holidays. There were still many people that day, but it was significantly quieter. Rows of diners lined the coast, but Sophia didn''t give them any thought for fear that Perrin would be unused to them. After having lunch, they went back to the yacht to rest. Perrin was advanced in years, so he had to take a nap. Soon after arriving back at the vessel, he returned to his room to rest. It was a little over two o''clock in the afternoon, the hottest time of the day. Sophia stayed in, sitting on the couch while gazing out at the ocean in the distance. Right then, there were few people on the beach and port. Perrin was already asleep, and the sailor had also gone to rest. It was only Sophia and Alexander in the living room of the cabin. However, Alexander had just gone out to take a call, so Sophia was the only one left there. Having woken up at a little over six o''clock in the morning, she was a touch sleepy. Lounging on the couch, she dozed off without realizing it. When Alexander walked back in after his phone call had ended, he was greeted by the sight of her slumbering on the couch beside the window. At that moment, the sun was shining brightly, and the entire living room was lit. By the time he had gone over to her, he could distinctly see her thick and curly eyshes. Her snowy- white skin almost glowed under the sunlight, tempting him to caress it. He stared at her for a few seconds before leaning down and carefully scooping her up. Just as he had stepped onto the corridor leading to the room, Perrin''s room door suddenly swung open. The eyes of Perrin, who opened the door, and Alexander, who held the man''s precious granddaughter in his arms, met. Inclining his head at Perrin, Alexander exined softly, ¡°Sophia is asleep.¡± Perrin nced at Sophia in the man''s arms and saw that she was indeed asleep, slumbering quite soundly at that, probably because she was exhausted after having gotten out of bed at the crack of dawn that morning. Such distress inundated him that he could no longer be bothered about his aversion to Alexander touching his precious granddaughter. Likewise lowering his voice, he murmured, ¡°Be careful not to wake her.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± Alexander replied. While saying that, he carried Sophia to the master bedroom around the corner. He carefully ced her on the bed, turned on the air-conditioner, and pulled the covers over her before leaving the room. As soon as he turned back into the corridor, he noticed Perrin standing at the room door. Only when the latter saw himing out did he head back into his room and close the door. Oh my goodness, he''s guarding against me as though I''m a big bad wolf! When Sophia awakened, she found herself in the room. The curtains were drawn tightly, and it was pitch-dark in the room, so for a moment, she couldn''t discern how long she had slept. Her phone wasn''t in the room, but an electronic clock stood beside the bed. The time indicated was three-forty seven in the afternoon. Yawning, she got out of bed and went into the bathroom to wash her face. She reapplied her sunscreen before leaving the room. It was exceedingly quiet on the yacht, and it seemed as though everyone was still sleeping. It wasn''t until she had exited the corridor that she saw Perrin and Alexander ying chess. At her appearance, both of them lifted their heads and looked at her. Sophia did the same. Snagging a cushion from the couch at the side, she sat between them. ¡°Go on.¡± Needless to say, she understood the principle of remaining silent while watching a chess game. Alexander regarded her for a brief second, his ebony eyes flickering slightly. Then, he turned his gaze back to the chessboard. ¡°It''s your turn, Mr. Dawson.¡± At that, Perrin snorted. ¡°I know. I don''t have dementia.¡± As he said that, he reached out and made his move. Thereafter, he shifted his gaze to Sophia. ¡°What do you think of my move, Sweetie?¡± Quirking a brow, Sophia threw a look at Alexander before picking up the white chess piece Perrin had just moved and shifted it to another square. ¡°I think this will be a better move.¡± Perrin scrutinized the chessboard for two seconds before a light bulb went off in his head. ¡°Haha, my granddaughter is indeed smart! Okay, it''s your turn now.¡± His brows twitching imperceptibly, Alexander swung his gaze at Sophia. Thetter, who had just given her grandfather some ¡°guidance,¡± met his gaze without showing any guilt. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. In the end, Perrin and Sophia nonchntly did takebacks, teaming up together and defeating Alexander. When the game of chess ended, Perrin didn''t find the fact that he had been discussing his moves with Sophia to be a form of cheating. He nced at the chessboard before pinning his eyes on Alexander across from him. With a straight face, he dered, ¡°Your skills in chess are dismal that you couldn''t even defeat an old geezer like me.¡± Beside him, Sophia chortled softly. Alexander eyed her before relenting, ¡°It was because your skills are too outstanding.¡± He had all too adept at ttery that Perrin could no longer say anything unpleasant though he initially wanted to snub the man for a bit. Sophia cast a nce at the time. ¡°It''s already past four o''clock. Let''s go fishing, Granddad. When it''s past six o''clock, we''ll go to the west coast and watch the sunset.¡± Perrin had loved fishing when he first retired. Later, he seldom went fishing anymore after tragedy struck Penelope. Instead, he apanied her to the hospital for chemotherapy, ensured that she took her medication, and slept with her. Penelope was a sassy and domineering woman when she was young, but in front of Perrin, she was a dociledy. After she had taken ill, she became hot-tempered. Perrin coaxed her as though cajoling a child when he persuaded her to take her medication and apanied her from sunup to sundown for fear that she would be unhappy, so he hadn''t the time to go fishing. Nheless, he did everything dly. Sophia heard all that from Lukas, and that was why she thought of bringing Perrin out to sea. Upon hearing that, Perrin was so happy that even Alexander didn''t seem as hateful anymore. ¡°Sure, whatever you say!¡± At the side, Alexander opportunely interjected, ¡°I''ll go and tell the sailor to set sail.¡± When it came to deep-sea fishing, the location was also very important. Chapter 292 Chapter 292 The sailor was evidently someone who often took people out to sea, for he knew the exact spot suited for deep-sea fishing. Ten minutester, the yacht sailed to a small bay in the north of a nearby deserted ind. ording to the sailor, reefs were abundant there, and the current was rapid, making for more fish. There were some differences between deep-sea fishing and bay fishing onnd. Sophia had only fished once. After her divorce from Alexanderst year, she went to Epea to enjoy herself for a few months, during which she went out to sea with a group of blond-haired and blue-eyed young Epeans. That was also one of the reasons spurring her to buy that yacht. Meanwhile, Samuel might be amateurish at everything, but he was a connoisseur of feasting, drinking, and having fun. Alexander had been dragged out to sea by the man countless times in the past, so he had experience in snorkeling, deep-sea fishing, and the like. He hadn''t much interest in snorkeling and surfing, but he found deep-sea fishing bearable. As such, he fished alone every time they went out to sea. If he were lucky, he might catch a seabass, which he would then take to the hotel on the ind and have the kitchen cook it, making it the main dish for dinner. On the other contrary, it was Perrin''s first time out to sea, and he was aplete novice at deep-sea fishing. The three of them had cast their fishing rods out for more than ten minutes, but none had anything to show for it. The weather that day was extraordinarily good. Even the surface of the sea was calm without any waves. Coming out with juices and fruits, John ced them on the small dining table at the side. Sophia had just taken a piece of watermelon and handed it to Perrin when Alexander at the side started reeling in his fishing rod. ¡°You''ve gotten a fish already?¡± Perrin poked his head over in disbelief. As Sophia studied Alexander, who was reeling his fishing rod in calmly, her lips curved into a faint smile. Nevertheless, she didn''t interrupt him. Alexander had really gotten a fish. It was a seabass that weighed almost two pounds. Back when Sophia went deep-sea fishing previously, the group of young people hadn''t much experience. Consequently, they didn''t catch any fish despite being in the sun for half the day. That was her first time seeing a sessful catch during deep-sea fishing, so she was exceedingly intrigued. Walking over to the fish bucket, she stole a peek before turning and saying to Perrin, ¡°It''s a seabass, Granddad.¡± Perrin eyeballed the fish for a moment. ¡°It''s quite small. I noticed that the fish others catch at sea usually weigh ten to twenty pounds.¡± Hearing the remark that dripped with jealousy, Sophia chuckled. ¡°Yes, it''s quite small. You''ll definitely be able to catch a big fish weighing more than ten pounds, Granddad! Go for a leopard coral grouper!¡± At the teasing from his own granddaughter, Perrin harrumphed. ¡°Whose side are you on, girl?¡± ¡°Yours, of course! Our dinner tonight hinges on you, Granddad!¡± Sophia continued pulling on her grandfather''s chain while giggling away, making Perrin let out an angry snort and take a huge bite of the watermelon. ¡°Just wait. I''m going to catch a leopard coral grouper later!¡± He had eaten leopard coral grouper in the past, but he didn''t know that it wasn''t easy to catch one. Hmm, it''s pretty delicious, so it''ll be good if I can catch one for her to try. Then, I can turn the tables, lest she finds him incredible just because he caught a fish! ¡°Okay! Good luck, Granddad!¡± Sophia replied, chortling. That aside, she even made a corresponding gesture at him. ¡°Stop teasing your granddad, Precious.¡± I''m still the one bearing the brunt of the consequences if he gets mad. Alexander''s deep and mellow voice sounded beside Sophia''s ear just when she was feeling mischievous for once. Worse still, he called her ¡°Precious¡± right in front of Perrin. Although her grandfather didn''t hear it, her heartbeat still sped up inexplicably. In a sh, Sophia''s face flushed bright red. Lowering the brim of her hat, she raised her eyes and shot Alexander a re. ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± Alexander nced at Perrin. Seeing that thetter wasn''t paying them any mind, he dipped his head and pecked Sophia on the lips. ¡°You''re a little imp who sows discord!¡± Sophia''s hand flew up to cover her lips, and she hastily turned and looked in Perrin''s direction. Fortunately, Perrin was focused on catching a ¡°leopard coral grouper¡± for her then. Otherwise, his fishing rod would''ve undoubtedlynded on Alexander if he had witnessed that scene. At her panic, a smirk bloomed on Alexander''s face. ¡°He didn''t see it.¡± Lifting her hand, Sophia swiftly pinched him at the waist before dropping her hand and instantly running over to Perrin. ¡°Are you thirsty, Granddad?¡± While saying that, she nced over her shoulder and regarded Alexander smugly. Alexander stood rooted to the spot, the numbness at his waist lingering. His Adam''s apple bobbed, and his gaze darkened as he stared at her moist and rosy lips under the sunlight. She''s lucky she took off in time! It was uncertain whether Alexander was lucky that day or had exceptional skills, for he caught a tigerfish in another ten minutes. Conversely, Perrin didn''t even manage to catch a small fish or prawn, much less a leopard coral grouper. After tossing the tigerfish into the bucket, Alexander called out to Sophia, ¡°Come here, Sophia. I need you for something.¡± ¡°What is it that you can''t say out here?¡± Perrin was promptly up in arms upon seeing that the man wanted to take Sophia into the yacht. Alexander threw him a look. ¡°Something you wouldn''t want to hear.¡± At that, Perrin snorted. ¡°There''s nothing I don''t want to hear! Just spit it out if you''ve got something to say. I''m tight-lipped and won''t go spreading your secrets.¡± Casting a look at Sophia, who was watching the show with a smile on her face beside the man, Alexander lifted his hand and massaged his temples. ¡°Come here, Sophia. I''ll teach you deep-sea fishing, and you can teach your granddadter,¡± Alexander uttered, deferring to Perrin''s wishes. Perrin, who was holding a fishing rod in hand, flew off the handle. ¡°You brat!¡± Noticing that the man was about to go off the deep end, Sophia hurriedly interjected, ¡°Granddad, he knows deep-sea fishing while neither of us knows a thing. Hence, isn''t it normal that we didn''t catch any fish, right? To be fair, he naturally has to teach us!¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Perrin felt that his precious granddaughter was absolutely right. Yet, he didn''t want Alexander to teach him the ropes personally. He contemted for a while before stating, ¡°In that case, go and learn from him. When you''ve mastered it,e back and teach me.¡± Sophia found that watching her grandfather and Alexander squabbling was rather interesting. Finally, she could understand why Katherine loved reading gossip. ¡°Sure! Wait for me, Granddad!¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Perrin waved a hand, making for a stark contrast from the way he had stopped Sophia from going over to Alexander. It''s broad daylight now anyway, and I''m right beside them. Would he dare do anything right in front of me? Unexpectedly, Alexander dared all right. As soon as Sophia went over, he took her hand. Perrin was a heartbeat away from yanking his fishing rod out of the water and swinging it at Alexander when the man ced his fishing rod in Sophia''s hand in the next second and started teaching her how to attach the bait to it. Perrin held his fishing rod down, suppressing the impulse to hit the man. It was a little over four o''clock in the afternoon then. The bay next to the small deserted ind was shady without being enveloped by the oppressive heat. In fact, it was cool when the sea breeze blew past. However, Sophia still felt hot. Shooting Alexander a look, she arched a brow. ¡°Are you doing this deliberately?¡± Why would he need to hug me just to teach me deep-sea fishing? Alexander trained his eyes on her, asking the obvious, ¡°What do you mean?¡± In response, Sophia gave a bark of furiousughter. ¡°You''re simply too gutsy, Alexander.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Alexander murmured. Sweeping his gaze over Perrin, who had his head lowered while looking at his phone, the man pecked her lightly on the cheek. ¡°What about this?¡± Shock deluged Sophia. ¡°Alexander Xenos!¡± No sooner had her words rang out than he abruptly dropped his hold on her. ¡°All right. Give it a try yourself.¡± As he said that, he appeared incredibly solemn. It was as though the man who kissed her earlier was an entirely different person. Sophia swung her gaze at Perrin. Upon seeing that thetter was looking down at his phone, she tsked. ¡°No wonder my granddad doesn''t like you. You''re a downright scoundrel.¡± ¡°Yeah. I''m a man with needs.¡± Chapter 293 Chapter 293 Sophia had an excellent memory, and she memorized almost everything Alexander said. In turn, she repeated them word by word to Perrin. Perrin had experience fishing, so he had an idea of things after summing everything up. In the end, while he didn''t manage to catch a leopard coral grouper, he got an even bigger seabass than Alexander did. As for Alexander, he didn''t catch anything else other than the seabass and tigerfish he procured during the first half an hour, though it wasn''t certain whether it was intentional on his part. Sophia saw his fishing rod jerk several times, but he didn''t reel it in anymore. Perrin unterally dered that he had defeated Alexander since he had just learned deep-sea fishing yet managed to catch a bigger fish than thetter did. It went without saying that Sophia had no objections, as his happiness took precedence over everything else. John caught a tigerfish as well. On the whole, the catch was quite plentiful that day. At a little over six o''clock, the yacht arrived in the west. In the afterglow of the setting sun, the sparkling sea extended far beyond the eye could see. Standing on the vessel, Perrin gazed out at the sun dipping below the horizon on the coastline in the distance. Amazement and regret swamped him. ¡°If only your granny is here.¡± At his remark, the smile on Sophia''s face faded slightly. ¡°It makes no difference when you admire it in her stead.¡± ¡°Take a picture for me, girl.¡± Perrin took out his phone and handed it to her. ¡°Okay. Get ready, Granddad.¡± Sophia''s photography skills were average, but she knew the concept of the golden ratio. That was the benefit of having a great memory¡ªshe could immediately recall theoretical knowledge at the critical moment. When Perrin took a look at the picture, he was exceedingly satisfied. ¡°When I''m dead and buried, remember to also burn this picture for me. I''ve got to bring it with me to show your granny.¡± In all her years, it had been most difficult for Sophia to ept the death of her family. Hearing that, she felt her throat close up, and sorrow welled within her. Afraid he would notice it, she could only forcibly suppress it and promise with a faint smile, ¡°Will do, Granddad.¡± Perrin''s legs were weak, so he had to take a break after standing on the deck for some time. He had John help him back to the cabin. Perhaps because his mind was filled with Sophia''s grandmother, he forgot all about Alexander. The sea breeze was a touch chilly in the evening. Pressing a hand against her hair that billowed in the wind, Sophia watched the orange and red sunset in the distance. When she remembered her grandfather''sment, mncholy flooded her. Alexander walked over, upon which she looked back over her shoulder at him. ¡°You''ll be dead if my granddad sees this, Alexander.¡± ¡°He''s in the cabin, so he won''t be able to see us.¡± While saying that, he lowered his head and rested it against her shoulder, lifting his eyes to stare at the red and orange glow that cut across the sea and the sky. He gradually tightened his arm around her. Sophia snorted, but the scenery before her eyes was indeed stunning, and she also craved his embrace. ¡°Beautiful, yes?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Yes, very much so.¡± ¡°This is my first time seeing such a beautiful sunset.¡± Alexander''s brows twitched slightly. ¡°I was referring to you.¡± At his words, Sophia''s face heated, and she couldn''t help giggling. ¡°How glib!¡± ¡°It''s the veritable truth.¡± Alexander looked down at her, his ebony eyes prating deep into her eyes. His eyes were like infinite whirlpools, sucking Sophia in with just a single look. ¡°Ahem.¡± The moment the sound of someone clearing his throat sounded, Sophia instinctively pushed Alexander away. John stood a near distance away in mild embarrassment. ¡°Mr. Dawson asks you to go in, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia stole a peek at Alexander. Mortification washed over her, but her expression remained unchanged. ¡°Okay, got it.¡± Nodding, John hastily spun on his heels and scurried back into the cabin. Oh goodness, how awkward! At the sight of him fleeing, Sophia''s face med. She retracted her gaze and turned it on Alexander. ¡°All right, enjoy this beautiful sunset yourself, Mr. Xenos.¡± As she said that, she lifted her hand and waved at him before whirling around and returning to the cabin. In the living room, Perrin was drinking coffee. ¡°Where shall we have dinner tonight? And would you like that seabass steamed or grilled?¡± Smiling, Sophia answered his questions one by one. They would be having dinner at the same hotel where they had lunch. And since they caught two seabass, they could leave one to rear and steam the other. At night, Sophia was worried that Perrin wouldn''t befortable sleeping on the yacht and arranged a room at the hotel for him. Having spent the entire day having fun, Perrin retired to his room to rest soon after they had eaten dinner. When it was past eight o''clock, it was really lively on the beach. From the floor-to-ceiling windows in the hotel, one could see sparks of fire in the distance. Sophia heard that there was some beer festival on the beach these few days. That aside, there were a lot of barbecue buffets along the coast. It had been a long time since she had gone out to have fun. Although she didn''t like loud atmospheres much, her mood would improve by leaps and bounds when she put herself among them. She changed into a maxi beach dress, nning to go and knock on Alexander''s room door to ask him whether he wanted to go and have a stroll on the beach together. To her surprise, she was greeted by the sight of him standing in front of her door the instant she swung open her room door. He had changed into casual clothes, wearing a white T-shirt on his upper body and ck baggy shorts on his lower body. Over the white T-shirt was a long-sleeved shirt with blue and white stripes. It was the first time Sophia ever saw him in such attire. Having removed his suit and pants, he seemingly turned into a university student in the blink of an eye. If he were to put a smile on his face, it would be an even more convincing picture! Sophia was wearing a light-colored maxi dress with spaghetti straps. Worried that the sea breeze would be cold at night, sheplemented it with a small crocheted white coat. Their looks, figures, and airs had others paling inparison, so they snagged the attention of many tourists no sooner had they stepped onto the beach. It didn''t feel as though there were that many people on the ind during the day. But when it was night then, and there was even a beer festival by the beach, the entire stretch of the coast was packed. Laughter and music filled the air all around. When Alexander went to buy some drinks, a boy walked over and asked Sophia for her contact. ¡°Do you mind giving me your WhatsApp, pretty?¡± Alexander, who had returned from buying drinks, glowered at the boy trying to hook up with Sophia, his expression frightfully frosty. ¡°Sorry, but her boyfriend minds.¡± The moment the boy spotted Alexander, his expression stiffened. Muttering an apology, he beat a hasty retreat back to his friends. Unscrewing the bottle of water, Alexander handed it to Sophia. ¡°How many has it been?¡± Sophia took the water from him. Lowering her head, she took a sip before fixating her eyes on him with a chuckle. ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± At her feigned ignorance, Alexander harrumphed. Taking her hand, he headed in the direction where there were fewer people. They walked for a while until they reached a stretch of beach with only a handful of campers. The sea in the near distance sparkled under the extraordinarily bright moonlight that night. Out of the blue, a saying shed across Sophia''s mind. She twisted her head and looked at Alexander beside her. Reaching out, she hugged him. ¡°Have you heard of such a saying, Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander looked down at the woman in his arms, his usually indifferent expression turning gentle beyond words. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The moon on the sea is the moon in the sky.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± A frown marred Alexander''s face, and he was seemingly bewildered for real. Sophia stared at him for some time before murmuring, ¡°The person before me is the person I love.¡± After saying that, Sophia sensed her face heating up and wanted to drop her hands from around him. Unexpectedly, Alexander raised his hands and hugged her even tighter. ¡°What a coincidence. You''re also the one I love.¡± While speaking, he gently lifted her chin and dipped his head, capturing her lips. Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Although the two had left the bustling city center, they were within the open range of the beach, so there would still be people asionally walking past them. The loud music and bustling crowd were some distance away, whereas the sound of waves hitting the rocks was very near to them. Sophia felt her heartbeat thumping wilder and wilder. Not long after Alexander let go of her, another couple walked in their direction. There were no lights around, and the night was dark, so they could barely see each other under the dim moonlight. Sophia nced at Alexander and pinched his waist. ¡°You''re shameless!¡± He lowered his head and looked at her with something flickering in his eyes. ¡°It''s not like we''re having an affair.¡± How am I shameless? Sophia chuckled. ¡°Alexander!¡± How is he not shameless to kiss me in public? As the man sensed that she was pretending to be angry, his expression softened, and there was a rare hint ofughter in his dark eyes. Alexander took her soft hand in his huge palm and asked, ¡°Then, can I kiss you when we go back?¡± Sophia let out an angry snort at that. ¡°Aren''t you afraid of my granddad?¡± At the mention of Perrin, Alexander could not help but dim his expression a little. It did feel like they were having an affair with Perrin watching them so closely. Right then, Sophia let out a yawn. It was gettingte. The scene was still bustling in the city center, but she felt sleepy already. Alexander lowered his head and nced at her. ¡°Let''s go back now.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia agreed. They returned to the hotel hand in hand. It was after seven the next morning when Sophia was awakened by her rm. The sun shone so brightly outside the full-length windows that the sunlight was faintly visible through the tightly shut curtains. After Sophia and Alexander had breakfast, Perrin and John had already returned from walking on the beach. Perrin''s expression darkened when he saw his precious granddaughter showing up with Alexander early in the morning. ¡°Sophia.¡± Sophia nced at Alexander before walking over to Perrin. ¡°Granddad, did you see the sunrise today?¡± The sun rose before six in the morning during summer. It was too early for Sophia to wake up and watch it. On the other hand, Perrin returned to his hotel room before eight o''clockst night and probably slept before nine. Elderly people slept lesser than youngsters. Hence, it was not too difficult for him to wake up before six in the morning. Moreover, Sophia also arranged a hotel room in the east for Perrin so that he could enjoy watching the sunrise. Behind the curtains, the full-length windows in his hotel room would enable him to enjoy the beautiful sunrise and the scenery of the sky and ocean blending into one impressive backdrop of blue. ¡°Of course! It was so beautiful!¡± Sure enough, Perrin woke up before dawn. After freshening up, he sat on the balcony and watched the sun rise inch by inch. That reminds me! I took pictures! At that thought, Perrin quickly took out his phone to show Sophia the pictures. Unfortunately, Perrin had no concept of exposure or white bnce in photography. Thus, his photos were overexposed and blurry, which failed to capture the magnificent sunrise. ¡°I don''t know anything about photography. It would be different if you were there to take pictures for me instead.¡± Sophia felt a little embarrassed. ¡°Granddad, I''m sorry I couldn''t wake up in time.¡± Standing on the side, John hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Mr. Dawson, I actually took pictures of the sunrise. I can share those pictures with you if you don''t mind.¡± Perrin intended to show off those pictures to Stanley. After hearing what John said, he immediately shifted his attention to his assistant. Sophia smiled at that scene. Then, she felt someone suddenly holding her hand. She raised her head and saw Alexander standing next to her. Seizing the opportunity that Perrin was distracted by John, he boldly took her hand. Then, when Perrin was about to turn back around to face them, Sophia subconsciously wanted to retract her hand. However, as she exerted strength to withdraw her hand, Alexander had already let her go. Sophia red at Alexander before helping Perrin sit on the couch next to them. She and Perrin then browsed the pictures John shared with them. Around nine in the morning, they returned to the yacht and prepared to return to the city. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. It was already past noon when they arrived at the port. Alexander made a lunch reservation for them at a restaurant near the port. Although Perrin did not like Alexander, he still agreed to stay for lunch as he could not bear to starve Sophia. After lunch, Sophia sent Perrin back to the hotel, whereas Alexander was picked up by Felix, who had called him several times during lunch. Later that night, Perrin had a reunion dinner with his oldrades. At around ten o''clock the next day, Sophia sent Perrin to the airport for him to fly back to Doveston. Not long after Perrin arrived back in Doveston, Sophia received an antique painting and vase from a representative sent by Perrin. Thetter appointed someone professional to send her the painting and vase. After handing the antiques to Sophia, that person also passed along a message from Perrin. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Dawson wants me to tell you that thete Mrs. Dawson loved collecting antiques, and he has a vast collection at home, so you can call him anytime if you need one.¡± Sophia was rendered speechless for a moment. Upon hearing that, she instantly understood why Perrin would appoint someone to send her these antiques. The other day at the entrance to the mall where Jessica gave her the invitation card, Perrin was there to witness how disdainful her tone was toward Sophia. Although Perrin did not ask Sophia the details after that, she figured he must have asked Lukas. Otherwise, Lukas would not have called her out of the blue that night. However, Sophia believed she should not give away such precious antiques to the Queen family. ¡°I understand. Thanks for sending them to me.¡± Sophia then looked at Yvonne and said, ¡°Ms. Leighton, please help me send off our guest.¡± ¡°Sure, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne walked over and sent out the representative who sent Sophia the antiques. Later, when Yvonne returned to the office, Sophia asked her to help purchase separate insurance coverage ns for the painting and the vase. After all, those antiques were worth several millions each. ¡°Noted, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia smiled in response. Then, she was reminded of the Queen family and said, ¡°Also, help me prepare a gift. Old Mr. Queen''s birthday is the day after tomorrow.¡± Having worked for Sophia for so long, Yvonne could read through the hidden implication behind her smile. ¡°Sure. Should I prepare a bag of Gold Helios coffee beans for him?¡± The Gold Helios coffee bean was expensive due to its low production volume. Half a kilogram of top- grade Gold Helios could cost nearly ten thousand. It tasted vorsome and aromatic, with a perfect bnce of sweetness and acidity, making it an excellent gift for the elderly. It was certainly not disgraceful for Sophia to follow what Yvonne had suggested and prepare the coffee beans as his birthday gift. People who enjoyed drinking coffee would appreciate the choice of beans, whereas those who could not understand the beauty of coffee would not understand her choice. Everyone in the upper circle was aware that Bruno loved drinking coffee. There were people who gifted him coffee beans in the past too, but most of them prepared Red Hibernia, the moremon coffee beans, for him instead. Sophia attended Bruno''s birthday banquet once before and had the opportunity to drink the coffee he roasted. She could tell from the taste that it was Gold Helios. Thus, preparing that as his gift would certainly cater to his liking. At least Sophia could prove that she was more attentive than those who prepared Red Hibernia for Bruno after learning that he loved coffee. Yvonne suggested gifting Bruno coffee beans as she could see Sophia did not want to prepare a gift that was toovish for the Queen family. A pack of coffee beans was good enough. Sophia nced at Yvonne in amusement and said, ¡°Ms. Leighton, you''re getting wiser and wiser.¡± Her beautiful eyes were so captivating that Yvonne could feel her heart skipping a beat. She quickly said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''ll get back to work then.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sophiaughed but did not bother to tease Yvonne about running out of her office frantically. Ms. Leighton is still as adorable. Later, Sophia was left alone in her office. She had umted several documents for taking time off to keep Perrinpany over the past two days. Fortunately, Sophia was a fast reader and great at memorization. She could finish reading a document by just flipping through the pages at once. Right after she finished flipping through a document, Perrin''s call came through. Sophia curled her lips and closed the document before answering the call, ¡°Hi, Granddad.¡± ¡°Yes, it''s me. Sophia, did you receive the things I sent you?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°I heard the other day you''re attending a birthday banquet soon. Yourte granny collected many antiques, and they''re lying there on the disy racks at home. I figure you can give the antiques away as gifts instead.¡± Sophia chuckled at that. ¡°I can''t bear to give away Granny''s collections that she left behind. Also...¡± She hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°Not everyone is qualified to receive Granny''s collection as a gift.¡± Over the phone, Perrin heard the inexplicable sense of domineering presence from his precious granddaughter''s tone, and he was startled for a few seconds. ¡°You''re right! You should decide what to do with them then!¡± Chapter 295 Chapter 295 Sophia attended Bruno''s birthday banquet with Alexander that night. The two went there after dinner. Most of the guests had already arrived when they reached the scene. There were all familiar faces in the ballroom. Jessica was Samuel''s aunt. As a member of the Schild family, she celebrated her birthday in style. Megan was now with Casper, so the whole Cooper family was here too. Megan used to have a good rtionship with Thalia. Hence, Thalia''s attendance was expected too. There were also guests from the Quail family and the Johnson family. Although the Queen family was no match for the top four families in Jadeborough, their status was not to be underestimated. Almost the whole upper circle of Jadeborough was present tonight. Those who couldn''te had also punctiliously sent their gifts. Hence, it was no surprise that Sophia knew most of the guests that night. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. When she was still holding the Mrs. Xenos title, Thalia took the lead in tormenting her. Although she was no longer part of the Xenos family now, she showed up at the banquet while holding Alexander''s hand. There were rumors that Alexander was pursuing Sophia, and the two had gone back together. Hence, when Sophia and Alexander made an appearance at the banquet, those who bowed and scraped before Thalia while sneering at Sophia before this now all cowered in the corner, wishing they could turn invisible and Sophia wouldn''t see them at all. On the contrary, Charlize was happy to see Sophia. Charlize waspletely bewitched by Sophia''s beauty. She just could not tear her gaze away from her. She went over with a ss of juice when she spotted Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow!¡± Sophie smiled. ¡°Charlize.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you look stunning in this dress!¡± Sophia didn''t specifically dress up for the asion. She was wearing an apricot three-quarter-sleeved flowered dress and light make-up. Sophia had exquisite features. Although she only wore an average dress to the banquet, she still outshone all those who were dressed to the nines. Meanwhile, Charlize was wearing a white skirt with a fishtail braid tonight. She looked pretty and dainty. Sophia looked at Charlize, who was eyeing her with a big smile, and praised, ¡°You look cute.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Charlize blushed and instinctively covered her face after being praised by her idol. The two chatted and soon, Sophia walked off with Charlize. Alexander looked at the duo in the distance and frowned. Right then, Charles walked over. Alexander shot him a disapproving look and said, ¡°You need to keep an eye on your sister. Ask her to stop distracting my people.¡± Charles took a sip of the red wine and responded nonchntly, ¡°There is nothing I can do.¡± Samuel, who followed Charles over, snorted upon hearing that. ¡°Really, Alex? Charlize is just having a small talk with Sophia. It''s not like she''s up to something. Why are you wearing a bitter face?¡± Alexander nced at Samuel and asked, ¡°Do you have a girlfriend?¡± Samuel, the bachelor, somehow felt insulted. He straightened his back and said, ¡°No. Why? Do you want to y matchmaker?¡± Alexander lowered his head and sipped at his grape juice. ¡°You don''t have a girlfriend. That''s why you can''t get it.¡± Samuel was rendered speechless by the public disy of affection. Megan tightened her brows as she looked at Charlize and Sophia not far away. She shoved Thalia and asked, ¡°Your brother is here. Don''t you want to go greet him?¡± Thalia nced at Alexander, who was a near distance away, and suddenly thought of his ruthless act. She shuddered and dared not to go forward. Thalia shook her head. ¡°It''s all right. I''m sure Alex won''t want to see me now.¡± Megan befriended Thalia not only because of thetter''s background. Their friendship went all the way back to their high school and persisted until now. It was an enduring friendship. Upon hearing Thalia, Megan was fuming with indignation at the thought of the recent incident. Once bitten, twice shy. Suppressing her anger, she lowered her voice and cautiously asked Thalia, ¡°Is it because of Sophia? I heard that your brother had gotten back to her again. The two appeared at the same time tonight. I''m sure that Sophia must have said something to your brother,¡± Megan said while looking at Sophia, who was chatting with Charlize. The ballroom was brightly lit. She suddenly felt that the dress on Sophia looked very pretty. Upon realizing what she had been thinking, Megan pinched her thigh. ¡°Sophia is really a piece of work. She has bewitched Alexander. What''s Charlize thinking about mingling with this kind of person? Meg, don''t underestimate Sophia. She isn''t a simple woman. You should stop provoking her in the future.¡± Thalia tightened her grip on the ss subconsciously. A gloomy expression shadowed her face as she looked at Sophia in the distance. Megan pursed her lips. She turned around and was immediately startled by Thalia''s sullen expression. ¡°Tally, are you all right?¡± Thalia snapped back to her senses when she heard Megan. ¡°I''m fine. I was thinking about work.¡± After they were expulsed from the Xenos family, Kristen forced Thalia to get a job. Since the incident with the bank card, Kristen cut off all of Thalia''s allowances after paying off her debt. She wanted Thalia to be self-reliant and support herself. Thalia was having a hard time during that period of time. Sophia tilted her head when she noticed someone was watching her. Her lips quirked up into a faint smile when she realized it was Thalia and Megan. Charlize spotted Thalia as well. She snorted. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Thalia is having a hard timetely. I heard that Mrs. Xenos has stopped giving her pocket money. She needs to work now! Hahaha! I remember back then when she always bullied you. The wheel has now turned. I can''t wait to see how she''s going to face you now.¡± Sophia let out a faint smile in response when she heard Charlize. ¡°Well, she does sound a bit pathetic.¡± She was a pacifist. She would not seek trouble unless others provoked her first. Thalia was indeed at the pit now. Everyone could have rubbed salt into her wound. However, Sophia had no interest in doing so. Thalia simply was not worthy of her time. Discontent had been simmering in Charlize''s heart for a long while and finally boiled over at the mention of the bullying suffered by Sophia. She pointed her finger at those socialites in the banquet hall who had bullied Sophia and started counting all the obstacles they had put in Sophia''s way. Sophia didn''t remember a lot of the stuff Charlize mentioned. She didn''t really take those insults to heart. Unexpectedly, as a bystander, Charlize remembered all the grievances suffered by Sophia even though thetter had long forgotten about them. Sophia raised a brow. ¡°Did you send me the dressst time?¡± Sophia remembered when a socialite sshed wine on her on purpose and imed that it was an ident because she sprained her ankle. Sophia was wearing a white dress at that time. The red wine instantly soaked her dress and embarrassed her on the spot. However, when she went to the fitting room for a change, she realized there was no suitable recement. All the dresses were either not her size or of obsolete design. Sophia was just about to pick one randomly. She was confident that there was no costume in the world that could dim her indisputable prettiness. Right then, a servant knocked on the door and told her that someone had prepared a dress for her. Sophia''s heart blossomed with warmth when she thought of this incident. She looked at Charlize in front of her and said, ¡°Thank you, Charlize.¡± ¡°D-Don''t mention it, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Charlize suddenly felt a little shy at the mention of the past. She didn''t have enough courage back then to defend Sophia. Otherwise, thetter wouldn''t have had such a hard time. Chapter 296 Chapter 296 ¡°It''s been a long time, Sophia.¡± A man''s clear voice rang out while the two were talking. Sophia lifted her head and saw the neer was Stephen. She was momentarily dazed before responding. ¡°It''s been a while.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. They had indeed not met for some time. They didn''t see each other since they stumbled into one another at the mansion the other day. Sophia didn''t specifically pay attention to news rted to Stephen either. Only when they came face-to-face that day did she recall he was Jessica''s godson. Hence, he had to be there since the asion was Bruno''s birthday. Charlize''s gaze shifted from the handsome man before her eyes to Sophia as she imagined the story behind the two''s rtionship. Megan, standing afar, noticed Stephen approaching Sophia to chat her up. Her facial expression changed as she immediately strode over in her high heels. ¡°Stephen. You''ve been so busytely. I feel like I haven''t seen you in such a long while.¡± He shed a smile. ¡°Indeed. I have been swamped recently.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, the dress you''re wearing tonight is gorgeous.¡± Naturally, Megan wasn''t trying topliment Sophia with that remark. It was evident that Sophia was not paying her respect to the Queen family for wearing an ordinary dress to attend such a grand event that day. Every other female attendee present was dressed in an evening gown. Sophia met Megan''s eyes and smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Queen. I''m very fond of this dress too.¡± Her simple response and casual demeanor rendered Megan unable to dwell on that matter further. Megan didn''t dare to get into a conflict with Sophia in public on such an imposing asion. ¡°Where''s Mr. Xenos? Didn''t you arrive with him, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Megan couldn''t care less about Alexander''s whereabouts. She merely wanted to say that in front of Stephen to hint at him that Sophia was nothing but a phony woman who likes to surround herself with men. Unexpectedly, right after she finished speaking, Alexander walked over. ¡°What are you all talking about?¡± He stood behind Sophia with most of his body stuck against hers, giving others the impression as if he was hugging her from behind. Sophia felt her cheeks burning instantaneously. Still, she kept the courteous grin on her face. ¡°It''s nothing. I haven''t met with Mr. Goodstone for a long time, so we were just exchanging greetings.¡± Only then did Alexander turn to regard Stephen with an indifferent expression. ¡°Mr. Goodstone, long time no see. I didn''t expect you to be still single.¡± ¡°Likewise, Mr. Xenos. Being single feels quite good. I reckon Sophia could share my sentiment.¡± Not to mention Sophia, even Megan could clearly sense the inexplicable hostility between the two men. Megan gritted her teeth. ¡°Stephen, my mom was looking for you earlier.¡± Stephen nced at Megan, nodded, and left with her. After they moved further away from Sophia and Alexander, she couldn''t help but utter, ¡°Stephen, do you like Sophia that much?¡± Stephen sipped on his wine. ¡°Yes.¡± However, I think I don''t stand a chance anymore. ¡°What''s so good about her, Stephen? That woman is not to be taken lightly. Do you know how many men she surrounds herself with? She''s just a little more good-looking. If you thought about that incident the other day, you''d realize how scheming she is.¡± He stopped in his tracks after hearing that. ¡°Meg, I know you don''t like Sophia. I''m not forcing you to do so either, but you should refrain from saying these things in front of me in the future. I just met with my godmother moments ago, so I don''t suppose she''s looking for me again after such a short while.¡± With that, Stephen walked away while holding his ss of wine. Megan''s countenance stiffened as Stephen exposed her on the spot. She gnashed her teeth while narrowing her eyes at Sophia. What''s so good about her? She''s just slightly prettier. Sophia, who Megan judged to be just a little more attractive than other girls, felt guilty because of Stephen''sment. She lowered her head and took a sip of her fruit juice. ¡°This ce is too crowded. I want to go outside to get some fresh air.¡± Alexander arched his brow and reached out to take the ss in her hand before cing it on the table beside him. Then, he held her hand and led her out of the banquet hall to the garden. Although it was nighttime, the night breeze in mid-June was warm and humid, so it wasn''t cool and refreshing to let the wind brush against one''s skin. Compared to getting caught up in the hot weather outside, everyone was more willing to stay in the air- conditioned hall to avoid their delicate makeup from getting ruined. After all, it would be pretty embarrassing if that happened. At first nce, the outdoor garden was indeed deserted. There was a swimming pool nearby, but since that wasn''t a pool party, no one would go there to take a swim. Sophia and Alexander strolled along the path in silence. Suddenly, they heard the clear voices of women gossiping in the quiet environment. Sophia came to a halt and nced at Alexander with a smile. ¡°Did you see that? Alexander held Sophia''s hand when he entered the banquet hall tonight!¡± ¡°I''m not blind. Of course, I saw that. My mom hung out with Mrs. Xenos a few days ago. Mrs. Xenos said Alexander feels aggrieved because Sophia suggested the divorce in the past, so he''s trying to win back her affection by putting on a sincere and loving pretense. Then, he will break up with her when she falls for him again.¡± ¡°Really? Why do I find that unconvincing? Didn''t Alexander chase Mrs. Xenos out of the Xenos residence?¡± ¡°That''s the truth! Even after he kicked her out of the Xenos residence, she''s still his biological mother. There''s no way Alexander would entirely disregard his mother, right?¡± ¡°You have a point. When I went out to have a meal a few days ago and stumbled into Alexander, my dad advised me to be more proactive. To be honest, I''m quite tempted to fill the position of being his wife.¡± ¡°Well, who wouldn''t? That Sophia is such an idiot. She failed to gain anything from their marriage that lasted for three years, and she''s being deceived by Alexander again after divorcing him.¡± ¡°Who''s to say which one of them is the actual liar? Perhaps the whole divorcing-Alexander-without- taking-anything was just a facade. Regardless of why he had gotten back together with her, isn''t Alexander losing himself in the act?¡± Perhaps the two women didn''t anticipate anyone woulde out of the hall to the garden, so they grew more excited as they chatted. Listening to their conversation, Sophia would''ve believed their version of the story to be true if she hadn''t gone through the circumstances in person. She gazed at Alexander and chuckled. ¡°I see. So, your intention has always been to deceive me again, Mr. Xenos?¡± His face immediately darkened when he heard her words. He lowered his head and bit her lip. ¡°Quit spouting nonsense.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Why is he kissing me at all times? Jeez! With that, he grasped her hand and walked ahead. Sophia stood behind the two women and chirped, ¡°In that case, does that mean Sophia wishes to get half of Alexander''s riches by getting back together with him this time?¡± ¡°That''s most likely the case. Ah! Who are you?¡± The two women, deeply engrossed in their heated gossip, were frightened by Sophia''s and Alexander''s sudden appearances. When they turned around to check out who were the people who startled them, they realized the two people standing behind them were none other than the main subjects of their discussion moments ago. The two women exchanged nces, picked up the hem of their gowns, and hurriedly fled. Taking in their pathetic figures from behind as they scurried away, Sophia couldn''t help but click her tongue. ¡°Why are they such scaredy cats?¡± They were so fired up when gossiping just now, so why are they running away now? Alexander grabbed her hand in resignation. ¡°It''s about time for us to return to the hall now.¡± He reckoned Bruno had arrived, so they should go and greet him. Sophia gave him a look. ¡°Okay. We can find out who were the two people who gossiped about us too.¡± What''s the deal about badmouthing others behind their back? Why don''t they try saying it to my face if they''re so capable? Chapter 297 Chapter 297 The couple then made their way back to the ballroom. After taking a moment to scan the crowd around them, Sophia soon noticed two women who averted their eyes upon meeting her gaze. Huh... What a coincidence. I know those two. They''re Ka''s best friends, Ruby Cape and Helena Falkowitz. It looks like Ka''s friends still concern themselves with me even though she''s been sent overseas. Sophia arched an eyebrow in amusement as she retracted her gaze. ¡°Did you manage to identify them?¡± Alexander asked, lowering his head to look at her. ¡°Yeah! They''re Ms. Fletcher''s best friends!¡± she replied with a chuckle. He had no idea who Ka''s best friends were, but it was not hard for him to figure that out. As he swept his gaze around the crowd, he noticed two people had nervous looks in their eyes. It must be them. Meanwhile, Bruno had just finished delivering his speech on the stage, and a cake over a meter tall was brought over. With the help of Megan''s cousin, Kevin Queen, the elderly man cut the first slice of the cake. Kevin then cut up the rest of the cake on his behalf and served them to the guests. As Alexander and his group were VIPs, Megan and Kevin brought the cake slices to them in person. ¡°Here you go, Ms. Yarrow. Have some cake,¡± Megan said to Sophia with a forced smile. In truth, she did not want to bring her the cake in person. However, thetter attended the banquet with Alexander. Not only was Sophia his girlfriend, but she was also standing beside him at the moment. Considering the situation, Megan obviously could not have someone serve the cake slice in her stead. ¡°Thanks, Ms. Queen,¡± Sophia said smilingly as she took the cake over. Seemingly having learned her lesson from the previous incident, Megan treated Sophia with civility, though it was faked. Although the cake was delicious, Sophia only ate a little bit of it because she did not like sweet food. As for Alexander, he put it down on the table next to him without even trying it. ¡°You don''t like the cake?¡± Sophia asked with a smile. Samuel, who had just finished his serving of the cake, snorted beforementing, ¡°Alex hates eating creamy stuff like this the most!¡± His words caused her to recall how she ordered a cake two days ago due to a sudden craving from her monthlies but got sick of it after taking a few bites. Upon spotting Alexander, she casually asked if he would like to have the cake. In reality, she merely felt like being mischievous, not intending to have him finish her leftovers. Yet, the man nodded, took the cake from her, and ate it anyway. The cake she ordered was a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, so it was very sweet and creamy. Even so, Alexander finished it for her without any hesitation. Snapping herself out of her reverie, Sophia wore a teasing smile as she shed a nce at him. ¡°Is that so?¡± Alexander shot Samuel an icy-cold look. ¡°You''re such a bber.¡± Thetter stared nkly at him in confusion. Huh? Did I say anything wrong? It''s true that Alex doesn''t like cake, though! Justin failed to stifle a chuckle. ¡°You should watch your mouth next time.¡± ¡°Thanks, Mr. Schild!¡± Sophia said with a giggle. Still, Samuel was bemused. Why can''t I seem to understand them? While they were chatting, Kevin and Megan held Bruno steady as he made his way over. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Mr. Schild, Mr. Quail, and Mr. Johnson, it is my honor to have you all here today!¡± the elderly man said with a smile. Since Bruno bantered with them, Samuel, who was somewhat associated with the Queen family because of his aunt, had to entertain him. ¡°What are you saying, Old Mr. Queen? We''re the ones honored to be attending your birthday party!¡± he replied. Bruno let out a hearty chuckle upon hearing that. ¡°Oh, Samuel! You sure know what to say!¡± He then shifted his gaze toward Sophia and continued, ¡°You must be Ms. Yarrow, right? You are absolutely gorgeous! Samuel, why don''t you learn a thing or two from Mr. Xenos?¡± Samuel rubbed his nose awkwardly. ¡°Hey, it''s not my fault I haven''t met the right one for me!¡± Sophia shed Bruno a gentle smile as she said, ¡°Thank you, Old Mr. Queen. I wish you good health always!¡± It was her first time receiving such a treatment. Feeling nervous, she tilted her head to nce at Alexander, who was gazing at her. When he noticed her gaze, he gave her hand a gentle and reassuring squeeze. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. As Bruno had to thank the many other guests for attending his birthday banquet, he could only keep his conservation with Alexander and his friends short. After a brief exchange of greetings, he went to talk to the other guests. By then, it was about time for Sophia and the others to leave, but Samuel had to stay because of Jessica. Charles, too, was about to leave with them after being rejoined by Charlize. However, the young woman felt the urge to use the restroom before leaving. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, would you mind apanying me to the restroom?¡± she asked, looking at Sophia. Thetter nodded. ¡°Sure thing.¡± No sooner had those words left her mouth than Charlize wrapped her arm around hers. With a darkening face, Alexander red at Charles in displeasure. ¡°That has nothing to do with me,¡± Charles replied while he stood sipping his champagne. Because he loved his sister a lot, he could never bring himself to reprimand her. Justin, who came by himself, waved them goodbye and left the banquet first. ¡°Are you freetely, Ms. Yarrow? I''m nning to have a little gathering at home in a few days. Doe over if you have the time!¡± Charlize chirped. ¡°I''ll go if I have the time.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Great!¡± The two of them then entered separate restroom stalls. Just as they locked the stall doors, two people they knew all too well entered the restroom. ¡°What was Sophia''s present, Mom?¡± Megan asked. Jessica clicked her tongue in disdain and replied, ¡°What do you expect from her? It was Gold Helios that cost about twenty thousand.¡± Nevertheless, she had to admit that Sophia chose a good gift. Bruno''s had a great passion for coffee, so Gold Helios would be right up his alley. Besides, only those close to him would present him with expensive and fancy gifts. Otherwise, most of the guests would choose to give him coffee sets and inexpensive coffee beans so as not to seem overly disrespectful. While Sophia''s gift was not exactly the fanciest, it was not the cheapest either. All and all, it was all right and served its purpose well. ¡°And here I thought she gifted Grandpa something really expensive! Previously, she called our vase at home a fake and imed that she had the real one. If that''s the case, why didn''t she give Grandpa the real vase as a birthday gift? I knew she was just keeping up appearances!¡± Megan eximed, curling her lips in disdain. Jessica let out a chuckle when she heard her daughter''s utterances. ¡°Don''t say that in front of anyone else. It''s true that Sophia''s gift isn''t exactly impressive, but there isn''t anything bad about it either. Don''t go around talking about it, or people might think we care about it a lot!¡± Charlize, who had just put her pants back on, stormed out of her stall angrily. ¡°Please, it''s obvious that you care a great deal about Ms. Yarrow''s gift! Why else would you two fixate on it so much otherwise?¡± It was her first time getting into a confrontation with others. One could tell that she was irate based on her reddened eyes. In truth, she felt that the two women had crossed the line. ¡°Mrs. Queen, Ms. Queen, you two have gone too far! Three years ago, Ms. Yarrow was pushed into the pool when attending Old Mr. Queen''s birthday party. Not only did you fail to help her, but you also deliberately let the guests watch on instead of dispersing the crowd. It has been three years, so why are you two still targeting her? Did Ms. Yarrow do something to offend you two?¡± Jessica was not expecting Charlize to pop out like that, so she was at a loss for words for some time. Megan, on the other hand, was quick to counter, ¡°Why are you defending that promiscuous woman? Aren''t you afraid that she might steal your brother''s heart? No one will protect you, then!¡± ¡°As a matter of fact, I would love to have Ms. Yarrow as my sister-inw!¡± Right then, Sophia was so amused that she could not help letting out a chuckle. Jessica and Megan instinctively nced in the direction of theughter. At the sight of Sophiaing out of the restroom stall, their faces stiffened. Chapter 298 Chapter 298 Sophia shed Jessica a half-smile before making her way over to the sink. ¡°I didn''t know you wanted my vase that badly, Ms. Queen,¡± she said nonchntly while washing her hands. Then, she dried her wet hands with a paper towel and continued, ¡°But why should I give it to you?¡± At that moment, Sophia chuckled and looked at Jessica. ¡°Do you think the Queen family is worthy of owning it?¡± ¡°You''ve gone too far, Ms. Yarrow!¡± The affront caused Jessica to flush with anger. Initially, she had not nned to say anything, but Sophia''s words ticked her off. Sophia walked up to Charlize. Upon glimpsing her reddened eyes, she said softly, ¡°You shouldn''t get mad at stray dogs for barking, you silly girl. It''s not worth it.¡± With that, she held thetter''s hand and led her out of the restroom. ¡°Hey, Sophia! Who are you calling stray dogs, huh? Get back over here and exin yourself!¡± Megan yelled angrily. To her surprise, Sophia obliged, turning around and walking back to them. Instead of speaking, however, she pulled out her phone and yed an audio recording. ¡°What was Sophia''s present, Mom? What do you expect from her? It was Gold Helios that cost about twenty thousand. And here I thought ¡ª¡± ¡°H-How can you be this despicable?¡± Megan interrupted with a scream when the realization dawned upon her. At that moment, Sophia paused the audio recording. The smile on her slowly faded as she stared at Megan. ¡°Despicable? You were the one shamelessly badmouthing me behind my back, Ms. Queen.¡± Not wanting to cause a huge scene, Jessica stepped in and tried to defuse the situation. ¡°She''s just a little childish and bad with her words, Ms. Yarrow. Please don''t take it to heart!¡± she said, ignoring Sophia''s satire. Sophia concurred, ¡°Yes, she is bad with her words.¡± At that point, she paused before continuing, ¡°However, anyone smart enough would know better than to demand gifts from others. It would make it seem that the Queen family can''t afford a vase that only costs a few million. It can easily cause a misunderstanding, Mrs. Queen.¡± She, too, never intended for things to get that ugly, but she refused to put up with Jessica''s and Megan''s insults. Since Sophia had the audio recording with her, there was not much Jessica could do except admit their faults. ¡°You''re absolutely right, Ms. Yarrow! I''ll be sure to reprimand herter! Since today is my father- inw''s birthday, let''s just end this conversation here, lest we make ourselves look bad by causing a scene.¡± Despite her polite tone, there was a subtle threat in thest sentence she said. Sophia nodded. ¡°I wholeheartedly agree, Mrs. Queen. Old Mr. Queen is well up in years, and it''s his big day today, so I wouldn''t want to spoil his mood either. We''ll end this conversation for today.¡± Just for today, though... However, Jessica was so relieved that she did not pay too much attention to Sophia''s choice of words. ¡°We''ll be on our way now, Ms. Yarrow. There are lots of guests we have yet to greet!¡± Sophia simply chuckled as if she had not put the mother-and-daughter duo in a tough spot earlier. While being dragged away by Jessica, Megan even shot Sophia a resentful re before leaving the restroom. Charlize was never good with arguments, so she was deeply impressed by Sophia''s performance. She had always assumed that arguments were won by spewing as many words as possible while being the louder one. However, Sophia did neither of those and simply relied on her wits to outsmart her opponents. If anything, it felt more like a one-sided battle than a typical argument. ¡°You''re so good with your words, Soph!¡± Charlize eximed. Being slow at thinking and speaking, she knew she would not have been able to win that argument. In fact, she got so agitated earlier that she nearly broke into tears while screaming at them. I feel so sorry for Ms. Yarrow! She has to put up with the Queen family''s bullying. I witnessed it all and had so many things I wanted to say to stand up for her, yet I didn''t know where to begin. Smiling, Sophia gently wiped the corner of Charlize''s eyes as she replied, ¡°When dealing with unreasonable people like those two, you need to remain calm and analyze their weaknesses. After that, just exploit it to your advantage, and you''ll have them at your mercy.¡± There, she paused for a while before continuing, ¡°In other words, you need to hit them where it hurts most.¡± Charlize understood every single word Sophia said, but she got confused when they were all put together like that. ¡°You''re so amazing, Ms. Yarrow!¡± That response made it clear to Sophia that Charlize did not understand a word she had said, so she did not continue to exin. ¡°Just remember not to lose your cool next time, okay?¡± You lose the moment you get angry. ¡°Got it!¡± Jessica and Megan had already regained theirposure by the time Sophia and Charlize returned to the ballroom. Jessica even had a radiant smile on her face as she escorted them out of there with Samuel. Sophia shot a sardonic look at the older woman before leaving the hotel with Alexander. ¡°What happened back there?¡± Alexander blurted just as Sophia fastened her seat belt. She saw no reason to hide it from him, so she pulled out her phone and yed the audio recording. Alexander''s face clouded over as he listened on. Once the audio recording ended, he started the car and said, ¡°Send me a copy of that audio recording.¡± Sophia arched an eyebrow at him in amusement. ¡°Oh? What naughty thing are you nning on doing, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°You were nning to send it out, weren''t you?¡± ¡°Yeah, I was, but not tonight,¡± Sophia admitted to it without any hesitation. Even though he saw right through her, she did not feel embarrassed at all. ¡°I told them I would let this matter slide for today!¡± she added after a brief pause. It''ll be a whole different story tomorrow, though! Coincidentally, the traffic light ahead of them turned red. Alexander seized the opportunity to look at her and replied, ¡°Okay, I''ll send it out tomorrow.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°I want to do it myself.¡± ¡°All right.¡± He did not insist on it further as he knew she was no pushover. It was still a little early when they returned to the mansion. While Alexander was cutting up some fruits in the kitchen, Sophia got changed in the bedroom and sent Katherine a copy of the audio recording. Thetter was so furious that her hands trembled greatly. It was impossible for her to type, so she chose to send a voice message. ¡°Is there something wrong with Megan and her mother? Why do they keep fixating on you? Is the Queen family so poor that they need you to gift them a vase that''s only worth a few million?¡± Sophia burst outughing when she heard the voice message. After taking a moment to rpose herself, she texted: Only worth a few million? Displeased with her sarcastic response, Katherine replied: Oh, please! Spare me the sarcasm, will you? My point is that the Queen family has gone overboard! I remember when you fell into the pool at Old Mr. Queen''s eightieth birthday party three years ago, Megan even brought a crowd over tough at you! Jessica seems like a nicedy on the outside, but she''s just as evil as Megan! You didn''t offend her, so why does she hate you so much? Sophia gave it some thought, then texted: Maybe it''s because I am too pretty. After all, those who looked great were often the target of jealous people. Katherine replied: Fair enough. Honestly, I sometimes get jealous when I see that pretty face of yours! That had Sophia chuckling, and she texted: You should take a look at your face in the mirror. Thinking that she was about topliment her, Katherine waited patiently with an eager smile on her face. However, Sophia''s next message wrote: Once you do that, you''ll see that you can never reach my level of beauty! Katherine: Boo-hoo! I''m cutting ties with you! Sophia: All right, then. Goodbye! Katherine: Hey! Don''t actually leave me! Not wanting to waste any more time bantering, Sophia texted: Get someone to publish that voice recording tomorrow. Since Megan and her mother liked to badmouth others, she would let them have a taste of their own medicine. Katherine replied excitedly: All right! I''ll contact the entertainment ounts right away! Smiling, Sophia sent: Go on! No sooner had she put her phone down than Alexander came upstairs with the fruits. N?velDrama.Org content rights. With an eyebrow arched, she met his gaze and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Chapter 299 Chapter 299 Alexander approached Sophia with the te of fruits. ¡°Here you go.¡± After ncing at the te, she picked up a slice of apple and ate it. ¡°It''s sweet.¡± ¡°Let me try it.¡± While Sophia was puzzled by what he meant, Alexander wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips against hers in the next second. A grunt escaped her mouth, and his refreshing fragrance enveloped her. His pleasant scent slowly invaded her nose as he pulled her close till she was pressed against his burning chest. In fact, his body was so hot that it felt as if he had just been tossed into a bucket of hot water. Their kiss was so intense and long, making Sophia run out of breath. Just as she thought she would suffocate, he suddenly let her go and whispered in her ear, ¡°Has your period ended, Precious?¡± Her mind went nk, as though a bomb had gone off in her head. Shooting Alexander a sidelong nce, she replied, ¡°Not yet!¡± However, he was unconvinced of her answer because of her reaction. Hence, he kissed her again. With their tongues remaining intertwined, he carried her to the bed. That night, soft moans sounded in their bedroom. The next morning, Sophia slowly woke up. At the sight of the arm on her waist, she was reminded of the previous night''s event, which brought a deep blush to her face. Feeling a little thirsty, she tried to leave the bed to drink water. Just as she lifted Alexander''s arm off her, he hugged her from behind, pulling her back into his embrace. ¡°It''s still early.¡± He was not wrong, considering the sun was still on the horizon. It was barely six in the morning. Sophia gulped before she responded, ¡°I''m thirsty.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Her hoarse voice prompted Alexander to open his eyes. ¡°I''ll get you a ss of water.¡± As he spoke, he left the room and headed downstairs. Momentster, he returned with a ss of warm water. After downing the ss of water, Sophia felt that the difort in her parched throat was relieved. In truth, she was still quite sleepy as she did not get a good night''s rest. Even though she did not stay up toote, the ¡°intense exercise¡± made her feel as if she had gone boxing for the whole day. Thus, she fell back asleep soon after she drank the water. When she woke up again, Alexander was no longer on the bed. Sunlight streamed through the windows, but it was not ring, thanks to the curtains. Sophia sat up and drew back the curtains. Having taken a moment topose herself, she grabbed her phone to check the time. Huh, it''s half past eight. Thank goodness I don''t have a morning meeting today. Otherwise, I''d have to rush to Sunshine Group soon. From what she remembered, the bathroom had been very messy the previous night. However, to her surprise, she saw that everything was already cleaned up when she walked in. Blushing, she patted her face with a bit of cold water in an attempt to make herself stop thinking about what had transpired the previous night. Just as Sophia exited the bathroom after washing up, Alexander came over with a tie in his hand. ¡°I have a meeting this morning,¡± he exined, cing the tie in her hand. Raising her eyebrow, she replied, ¡°I don''t know how to tie a tie.¡± At that, he lowered his head to gaze at her and uttered nonchntly, ¡°Just do it however you can.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Then I will.¡± Despite her words, she still properly tied a Windsor knot for him. The truth was that she was not lying about not knowing how to tie a tie, but the Windsor knot was simple and easy. Once, she saw Katherine''s stylist doing that with Katherine, and she memorized all the steps. Never did she expect that bit of knowledge toe in handy. After making sure the knot was perfect, she raised her head to nce at Alexander. ¡°All right, it''s done.¡± The man''s twinkling eyes bore into hers. ¡°And you said you don''t know how to do it.¡± ¡°Just because I''ve never tied a tie doesn''t mean I''ve never seen someone do it.¡± Sophia paused, then continued, ¡°Isn''t it a good thing that I don''t know how to do it?¡± If I do know how to do it, he''ll wonder when I had the chance to practice it. Alexander pecked her on her lips and encouraged, ¡°You can take your time to learn the other knots.¡± Turning pink, she gazed at him with her alluring eyes. ¡°Okay.¡± At that point in time, he was gettingte for his meeting scheduled at half past nine. While he wanted to prioritize his love life over his work, he was confident that his devoted secretary would call him until either his phone exploded or he arrived at thepany. Hence, in the end, he drove out of the mansion under Sophia''s gaze. The weather was very nice that day, with a blue sky and a cool breeze, as it always was when summer arrived at Jadeborough. Anyone would feel great as they went about their day in that weather. Katherine acted exceptionally fast. Sophia asked her not to release the audio recording in the morning, afraid that Bruno would pass out from fury. Thus, Katherine picked the golden period to release it, which was sometime after five in the evening, near the end of a workday. After all, during that period, most office workers were either absurdly busy or waiting in boredom to get off work, which meant they would most likely be on their phones. Megan and Jessica were not celebrities, so it was not easy to make the audio recording hit the headlines. However, due to the former''s online apologyst time, it did not take long for theizens to recall who she was. Since that piece of news was not anything major, it took some time for it to gain people''s attention. Nevertheless, it worked well enough for the Queen family to learn the existence of the audio recording. When Megan heard the audio recording, her expression froze. At that point, she had not gotten off work yet, so she was in the restroom feeling angry and embarrassed. As expected, the moment she stepped out of the restroom, she saw the looks people were giving her. Considering that she did not rightfully earn her position, it was only natural people would look down on her even further after the audio recording was made public. Sophia''s gift was frankly appropriate for her rtionship with the Queen family. Any other family would have been grateful for it, but the Queen familyined about it. Worse yet, theirints were recorded and posted on the inte. The whole situation was so awkward that everyone familiar with the Queen family was feeling secondhand embarrassment. Charlize, as one of the people who personally witnessed the exchange in the audio recording, did not think Sophia was wrong for doing that. In fact, she was thrilled with it. My goddess used to be bullied all the time. What she did was just a little payback. It''s nothing egregious at all! Overwhelmed with excitement, she called Sophia just as thetter was about to call her to ask for her cooperation. When Sophia saw Charlize''s name on her phone, she grinned and answered, ¡°Charlize.¡± ¡°I saw the news, Ms. Yarrow! Haha! I bet this is driving Megan and her mom crazy right now!¡± ¡°I wouldn''t say that, but they probably won''t have an appetite for dinner tonight!¡± ¡°You should''ve retaliated like this in the past, too, Ms. Yarrow! There''s no need to show them mercy! My brother told me that if other people don''t mess with us, we don''t mess with them; however, if they pick a fight with us, we have to make sure that they regret it!¡± Charlize had long disliked Megan, who constantly looked down on people. That was why she thought what Sophia did on that day was an act of justice. Sophia still remembered what she wanted to tell Charlize. After exchanging a few more words with her, she said, ¡°However, we need to get our stories straight, Charlize.¡± ¡°What story?¡± ¡°While I''m the one who released the audio recording, I''ll be telling everyone that you''re the one who did it.¡± Charlize was confused. ¡°So you''re saying I released this audio recording to the public? But I didn''t do that. You did... I don''t mean anything else by that, Ms. Yarrow. I just don''t understand.¡± Her response elicited a chuckle from Sophia. ¡°It''s fine. In any case, if anyone asks you about it, just tell them you''re the one who released the audio recording.¡± ¡°All right. No problem!¡± Chapter 300 Chapter 300 Sophia was right. That matter was not enough to drive Megan and Jessica crazy. Otherwise, they would have already been driven crazy by what she did previously. However, it was certainly enough to cause them to lose their appetite for dinner, as Bruno called Harold to vent his rage. Even though the old man had always doted on Megan, he could not resist criticizing his granddaughter over the phone. It did not matter what Sophia''s gift to him was. Even if she hade empty-handed, none of the Queens should havemented on it. However, not only had Megan done that, but she had also used Sophia of keeping up appearances, evenmenting that she should have gifted Bruno the authentic vase instead. Megan was shameless beyond words. It was actually courteous of Sophia to attend Bruno''s birthday celebration and say a few words of good wishes to him. In fact, she was under no obligation to present him with a gift. s, with Megan showing Sophia''s gift contempt, everyone knew how unappreciative the Queen family was. The incident was widely discussed online. Netizens mocked that if the Gold Helios, which was worth twenty thousand, were not considered an eptable gift, then those gifts that ordinary folks usually bought that were worth only a few hundred or thousand would not be presentable at all. Besides, Sophia was barely acquaintances with the Queen family. In fact, the two parties could be said to be on bad terms after the previous vase incident. Being the bigger person, Sophia attended Bruno''s birthday celebration but ended up having scorn poured on her. That certainly did not reflect well on the Queen family, which had also affected their reputation in Jadeborough. If not for Jessica''s involvement in the incident, Harold would have already punished Megan on the spot. Never did Jessica expect Sophia to post the audio recording online after promising not to pursue the matter just the night before. Because of that, the Queen family became theughingstock of Jadeborough overnight. No matter how much she resented Sophia, she had to find a way to get her to take down the audio recording. As such, she called Samuel. ¡°Samuel, I have a favor to ask of you.¡± Truth be told, Samuel felt like he was put in an awkward position. However, he also thought that Sophia had gone slightly overboard. Since it was just a squabble, there was no need for her to post the audio recording online. Knowing full well that he was the best person to mediate the situation, he nodded and replied, ¡°Don''t worry, Aunt Jessica. I''ll give Alex a call right now.¡± Samuel did not dare to approach Sophia directly, aware of how ruthless she was. The conversation started off well. However, at the end of the call, he inadvertently shot himself in the foot by saying, ¡°Actually, even though my aunt and Megan did behave inappropriately, Sophia shouldn''t have¡ª¡± Beep... Beep... Beep... Alexander hung up before Samuel could finish his sentence. Thetter froze, thinking what a pain it was to be the middleman. Samuel tried calling Alexander a few more times, but the line was busy every time. Clearly, his friend had blocked him. Having no other choice, he could only contact Sophia. Sophia had been expecting his call for a while. ¡°Mr. Schild?¡± she called out. ¡°Ahem. Hey Sophia! Given how smart you are, I''m sure you would know the purpose of my call. My aunt and Megan did make a mistake, and I would like to apologize to you on their behalf. But it isn''t a good look to bring the matter online. Do you think you can put the matter behind you and delete the audio recording?¡± Technically, it should have been very easy for the Schmidt family to remove the headlines since they were extensively involved in the entertainment industry. However, they were unable to do so as netary Media, Midway Media''spetitor, was behind it. Samuel had to admit that Sophia was indeed merciless. After listening to his words, Sophia smiled and replied, ¡°Mr. Schild, why are you so sure that I was the one who uploaded the audio recording online?¡± Samuel was momentarily stunned. A few secondster, he snapped out of his shock and asked, ¡°Wasn''t it you who recorded that audio recording?¡± Sophia clucked her tongue before answering, ¡°But I wasn''t the only person there at that time.¡± Realization dawned on him at once. ¡°It was Charlize who did that?¡± ¡°I guess so. Charlize was so upset that she even burst into tearsst night.¡± Samuel was speechless. That does seem like what Charlize would do. Since it was not Sophia''s doing, he hung up and called Charlize immediately. Unexpectedly, he got a scolding from the woman, who condemned him for trying so hard to be the Queen family''s mediator over such a trivial matter when he had not stood up for Sophia during the times the Queen family bullied her in the past. Samuel was stumped for words after being scolded by Charlize. Left with no choice, he called Charles. s, thetter was extremely protective of his younger sister, so there was no way he would side with Samuel. ¡°Charlize was so upset that she criedst night,¡± was all he said. Samuel was bereft of words. It was clear to him that Charles would not take down the headlines. Having no other solutions, Samuel called Jessica to update her on the situation. ¡°Aunt Jessica, it wasn''t Sophia who uploaded the audio recording.¡± Unsurprisingly, his aunt refused to believe him. ¡°Who else could it be other than her? She was the one who recorded it! She''s such an evil woman. Did she have to post it online when we merely made a few passingments? Because of her, the Queen family has be the talk of the town! It''s ridiculous that Alexander''s in love with such a vicious woman. I think you should stay away from him in the future, Samuel, lest you be her next target!¡± Samuel''s expression changed after he heard Jessica''s words. ¡°Aunt Jessica, it was Charlize who released the audio recording.¡± He paused and hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°Aunt Jessica, you and Meg had really gone overboard, not only with regards to this incident, but simr incidents had also happened in the past. I can''t help you this time.¡± With that, he hung up. Staring into the distance, he let out a sigh. Aunt Jessica used to be so wise and elegant. How did she be the way she is now? Charlize was right. Sophia had not harmed them in any way. Yet why do they dislike her so much? That''s strange. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Samuel could not make heads or tails of the matter. However, he could not reprimand Jessica as how Charlize had scolded him since the older woman was his aunt. Why is my life so difficult? Meanwhile, Jessica fell into a daze after hearing what Samuel had told her. Charlize was the one who caused all this trouble? Hmm, to be honest, it''s rather believable. After all, Charlize''s eyes were red when she defended Sophiast night. In fact, she seemed like she was on the verge of tears. Had Sophia not stepped out of the restroom stall, Charlize probably would have cried. But we only criticized Sophia and didn''t do anything to Charlize. Did she get brainwashed by Sophia? And why did my nephew chide me? What the heck is going on? After being told that it was Charlize''s doing, Jessica found herself at a loss. Momentster, she called her husband to tell him about it. When Harold heard that, he sighed and said, ¡°Why are you two always going after Ms. Yarrow? Putting aside the fact that she has gotten back together with Alexander, she''s also Specter Entertainment''s chairperson and the major shareholder of Technology Innovations. Do you think an ordinary woman could aplish all of that?¡± In Harold''s opinion, Sophia was far better than what Jessica and Megan thought of her. In fact, he felt that she was much more outstanding than women like Jessica, who were born with a silver spoon and had everything handed to them on a silver tter. However, he could not possibly say that to his wife. It is definitely no easy feat for a woman in herte twenties to own assets worth a few billion. Although she established Specter Entertainment for her celebrity friend and invested in Technology Innovations for Joshua, her childhood friend, it takes true capabilities, guts, and decisiveness to achieve that. Those are things even most men can not aplish. On what grounds do Jessica and Megan have to look down on Sophia? Embarrassed from being told off by her husband, Jessica said, ¡°I just think Sophia is an expert at seducing men. When Stephen dated her previously, he even talked back to me because of her. I only made a few casualments because I was upset. I didn''t have any ill intentions at all.¡± Harold sighed again. ¡°If you want this matter to be resolved, the only way is for you and Meg to apologize to her. But it''s entirely up to you whether you want to do it or not.¡± The truth was anything else other than that would be useless. Jessica was well aware of it too. As such, she agreed to offer an apology even though she was extremely unwilling to do it. ¡°I''ll look for Ms. Yarrow tomorrow to apologize.¡± Harold nodded and massaged his temples. ¡°We should really do something about Megan. What would the Cooper family think of her if she continues behaving in such a willful manner after she marries Casper?¡± Jessica dared not speak any further and merely nodded before replying, ¡°You can do it your way. I won''t have any issues with it.¡± Chapter 301 Chapter 301 Not long after hanging up on Samuel, Charles went home and was immediately greeted by the sight of Charlize pouting on the couch in the living room. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, ¡°Who ticked you off?¡± She shot him a nce and huffed. ¡°How can they be so mean? In the past, no one called them out when they bullied Ms. Yarrow, yet now, they had the nerve to criticize Ms. Yarrow over something so trivial.¡± Charles knew that his sister had blind admiration and adoration for Sophia. Admittedly, he was biased against Sophia in the past. However, he recently realized that it was shallow of him to do so. It was not a bad thing for Charlize to like Sophia. Furthermore, Charles realized that if innocent Charlize could have a tenth of Sophia''s wit and wisdom, he would not have to worry about her being bullied after she got married. ¡°So why are you paying them so much attention?¡± The corners of Charlize''s lips curled. ¡°Mr. Schild called me. He asked me to take down the headlines.¡± Charles shed a nce at her. ¡°You''re not the one that released the audio recording. How are you going to take it down?¡± ¡°Exactly! It''s not even me who¡ª¡± Halfway through her sentence, Charlize realized he had tricked her into admitting it. She quickly sped her hands over her mouth, but it was toote. What was said had already been said. Annoyed, she could not help but shoot Charles a re. ¡°Charles!¡± Amused by her reaction, Charles chuckled. ¡°I''m not chastising you.¡± He paused briefly before asking her, ¡°It was Sophia who asked you to im it was your doing, wasn''t it?¡± Afraid that he would dislike Sophia, Charlize quickly shook her head. ¡°Of course not! It''s just that... It''s just that I couldn''t stand it any longer, so I admitted to it myself!¡± Staring at his na?ve sister in front of him, Charles sighed. ¡°You should continue to learn from Sophia.¡± She couldn''t evene up with a good excuse. What am I supposed to do with her? Upon hearing hisment, Charlize blinked in surprise. ¡°I thought you''d hate Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°What''s there to hate?¡± ¡°I mean, I wasn''t the one who published the audio recording today, but Ms. Yarrow made me take responsibility for it.¡± Despite being willing to support and help Sophia unconditionally, Charlize was not a fool. In the past, she intentionally chose not to read between the lines to save herself the pain. Nheless, after spending so much time with Sophia, the older woman''s wit began to rub off on her. As of then, she would also put more thought into certain situations. An example would be the incident of Sophia asking her to bear the responsibility of the audio recording being published online. Since Charles was not fond of Sophia, to begin with, Charlize reckoned he would think of Sophia as a scheming person who would use people for her own benefit should he find out about it. To her surprise, Charles smiled. ¡°You''ve begun to think in depth. Not bad. You''re showing some improvement.¡± A brief pauseter, he added, ¡°Didn''t she discuss it with you? It''s not like she pushed the me onto you without your consent. Besides, this isn''t a huge issue. Whether you or Sophia admitted to it, the only thing that would change is the Queen family''s sentiments. It wouldn''t cause you any harm. Since it''s such a small issue, coupled with the fact that she had discussed it with you, you as a friend have every right to help her, so why should I hate her?¡± It was not often that he would have such conversations with his sister. Realization dawned on Charlize. ¡°No wonder Ms. Yarrow told me that I could be honest if you were to ask me about it.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Charles responded. He then nced at her and added, ¡°That''s why you should keep learning from Sophia. She''s very intelligent.¡± Hearing himpliment her idol delighted her so much that she only fixated on hisst sentence. ¡°I think Ms. Yarrow is very intelligent too! Yesterday, in the restroom, I almost burst into tears from anger when I heard Megan''s and Mrs. Queen''s remarks about Ms. Yarrow, but Ms. Yarrow managed to shut them up with just a few sentences! She''s so cool! Ms. Yarrow also taught me how to win an argument. She said I have to hit them where it hurts most, and...¡± Charles was not interested in Sophia, so he merely replied halfheartedly and exhorted Charlize to interact with her more before heading to his room upstairs. Nevertheless, he was pleased that Sophia was willing to teach Charlize. N?velDrama.Org content rights. On the other hand, Sophia had no idea that Charles was reading so much into it. Truthfully, she merely thought that Charlize was too na?ve for her own good. Thetter could not even hold an argument. It was almost pitiful. Upon entering the car, Sophia tilted her head to look at Alexander with a smile. ¡°Did Mr. Schild call you?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Alexander responded. A beatter, he added, ¡°There''s no need to entertain him.¡± Sophia arched an eyebrow but dropped the subject. The incident did ce Samuel in a tough spot, but Jessica and Megan were truly annoying. Since the previous incident did not seem to have taught them a lesson, she did not mind teaching them another one. That way, they would stop obsessing about causing her trouble. However, Sophia had not expected Jessica and Megan to show up at her workce to apologize. The moment she ended a meeting, she saw Yvonne making her way over to her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mrs. Queen and Ms. Queen are here to see you.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Do I have to see them just because they want to see me?¡± Shooting a nce at her, Yvonne nodded. ¡°Understood, Ms. Yarrow.¡± The audio recording trended all over the inte the previous day, so one could safely infer that Jessica and Megan were visiting to make peace. While staring at Yvonne''s retreating figure, Sophia suddenly had a change of mind. ¡°On second thoughts, invite them in.¡± She wanted to see how the two nned to smooth things over. Even though Jessica did not like Sophia, the incident from the previous night had brought great shame on the Queen family. Therefore, she brought Megan to Sunshine Group to look for Sophia even before the clock struck ten. However, the two of them were stopped by the receptionist for visiting without an appointment. If it were in the past, Megan would have thrown a tantrum and left without looking back, but after being reprimanded by both Harold and Bruno, she could not possibly act willfully. Jessica tossed and turned in bed the previous night, ruminating on the incident. Even though she disliked Sophia, she was well aware that she had lost herposure that time around. She had no reason to hold a grudge against Sophia over such a matter, and neither did she have a reason to keep finding faults with everything thetter did. After all, Sophia and Stephen were no longer together. Moreover, he was just her godson, not her biological son. At the end of the day, she had no say in Stephen''s actions. Having thought things through, Jessica was extremely patient that day. Harold was right¡ªwhat had happened already happened. The public knew what was supposed to be known as well as things that were not supposed to be known. The incident had spread all over the inte. Unless she and Megan had the superpower to erase the minds of whoever had heard the recording, the only thing they could do was apologize to Sophia personally. That way, they could still salvage a tiny bit of their dignity. At the very least, the public would not view the Queen family as arrogant and unreasonable for still acting all high and mighty even after something like that had happened. While the mother-daughter duo was lost in their own thoughts, they saw Yvonne exiting the elevator. ¡°Ms. Leighton, what did Ms. Yarrow say?¡± Jessica merely thought that Yvonne had a good rtionship with Sophia and did not think much about it. After all, both Yvonne and Sophia were Suny''s capable subordinates. Sophia asking Yvonne to receive them while being in a meeting herself was nothing out of the ordinary. ¡°Ms. Yarrow asked me to escort both you and Ms. Queen upstairs.¡± Yvonne was polite, but her expression was cold. Nodding her head, Jessica brought Megan into the elevator. Chapter 302 Chapter 302 Yvonne quickly brought Megan and Jessica to Sophia''s office. However, she did not enter the room immediately. Instead, she knocked on the door and stated, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mrs. and Ms. Queen are here.¡± ¡°Pleasee in.¡± As Jessica was from the Schild family, she immediately noticed something odd about the interaction between Sophia and Yvonne. Aren''t Ms. Leighton and Sophia equals? Why is she so polite toward Sophia? As she was still wondering, Yvonne had already opened the door. ¡°Mrs. and Ms. Queen, please enter.¡± Putting away her random thoughts, Jessica walked in. Sophia cast a nce at them from her desk and smiled. ¡°Mrs. and Ms. Queen.¡± As she spoke, her gaze fell on Yvonne. ¡°Ms. Leighton, please bring in two cups of coffee for them.¡± ¡°Sure, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Jessica was certain that there was something strange between Yvonne and Sophia now that she had witnessed their interaction. However, gossip was not the main reason she was here. She reached into her bag to take out the apology gift she had prepared beforehand and ced it in front of Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, no matter what, it was my and Meg''s fault that day. We don''t have any ill intentions. Meg is still young, so she had said all those words because she wasn''t over the vase matter yet.¡± Jessica then waited for Sophia''s response. Nheless, Sophia had no intention of responding as she smiled at them. The smile on Jessica''s face faded slightly as she continued, ¡°We are here today to apologize to you personally. This is the gift I have prepared for you. It''s not much, but the thought is what counts.¡± With that, she shot a look at Megan. Megan nced at Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I didn''t mean anything with those words. I didn''t know what I was talking about. Please don''t take it to heart.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°That''s so thoughtful of you, Mrs. and Ms. Queen. I didn''t take the things you said that night to heart.¡± Her gaze was drawn to the gift on the desk, and she arched a brow. ¡°I ept your apologies. As for the gift, you can take it back. I won''t ept it.¡± She paused momentarily before adding, ¡°In case someone finds out about it and thinks I''m someone who just takes valuable things.¡± Jessica clearly detected the mockery in Sophia''s tone. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. Jessica and Megan had insulted her with such words years before. They had not expected her to remember this after all these years. In that instant, Megan''s face turned red, filled with anger and embarrassment. Nevertheless, they remembered they were here to apologize, not to start an argument. Jessica could only pretend she did not understand the hidden meaning behind Sophia''s words. ¡°I must have given it too little thought. This gift is too insignificant for you.¡± Jessica took back the gift graciously. At this moment, Yvonne entered with the cups of coffee, but Jessica and Megan were no longer in the mood to drink it. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you must be busy. Let us not disturb you any longer. We should get coffee another time when you''re avable.¡± Sophia smiled, not having any intention of making them stay. She nced at Yvonne, who was standing at the side. ¡°Ms. Leighton, please escort them out.¡± Yvonne put down the tray and escorted them out as Sophia stood there without moving a muscle. They would rather Sophia deny them entry into Sunshine Group than deal with her current attitude. Still, they knew that even if Sophia scolded them, they would have to smile and ept her scolding as they left Sunshine Group. Otherwise, it would have been a pointless trip. Samuel had already prepared reporters to take photos of them outside Sunshine Group. Hence, Jessica and Megan were photographed smiling as they left thepany. Soon, the news of Jessica and Megan personally apologizing to Sophia appeared on many online gossip columns. Netizens did not expect to receive a sequel to this matter and were unsure how to react. Regardless, the Queen family did this for people they knew in Jadeborough, not for the benefit of anonymousizens. Once the news of Jessica and Megan''s apology broke, people started to speak on behalf of the affected parties, but the Queen family''s reputation did not improve instantly. When the recording was uploaded on the Inte, many people presumed it was Sophia who did it. Only those in the Queen residence knew it was Charlize. Many people felt that the Queen family was ssy with their gracious apology because they decided to bury the hatchet instead of bing enemies with Sophia. Of course, such a matter was only appropriate for discussion at meals. Since everyone in the business industry knew that the Schild family was supporting the Queen family, no one in their right mind would decide to stop coborating with the Queen family because of such a minor issue. In high society, profits were paramount, but reputation was also of significant importance to them. There was nothing wrong if people gossiped in private, but if the situation spiraled out of control, it would be disastrous for many people. In conclusion, the Queen family barely managed to resolve this recording matter. Over the weekend, when Sophia and Katherine joined the film crew to record for a variety show, Katherine wanted nothing more than to expose the Queen family. ¡°I wonder what''s wrong with Mrs. Queen and Megan? Why do they always treat you so badly?¡± Jessica had never grantly bullied Sophia, although she had always looked down on thetter for the past three years. As for Megan, it went without saying that she did not see eye to eye with Sophia since she was friends with Thalia. In the past, she could get away with it. She did not even stop when Sophia and Alexander divorced. Given Alexander''s current attitude toward Sophia, any sane person who valued their life would not dare to mess with her. They might as well mess with Alexander directly if they had a death wish. Unfortunately, it seemed that Megan was not a sane person. Although the restroom at the ce of her grandfather''s birthday celebration was not exactly a public space, people were still going in and out of it. She was not the least bit concerned that someone would overhear her disparaging Sophia. Perhaps she even hoped that someone would overhear her conversation and spread it so Sophia would be aughingstock. Even Katherine understood her intentions, so there was no doubt Sophia knew exactly what Megan was trying to do. Katherine was still infuriated even though it had been two days since the matter had passed. Sophia smiled and extended her hand to stuff a piece of dried mango into Katherine''s mouth. ¡°Okay, okay. Calm down. It would be hard to apply makeup on a wrinkled face.¡± At that moment, Jonice brought the makeup artist into the room. She exploded with rage when she saw the dried mango in Katherine''s mouth. ¡°You already have a pimple on your face! Yet, you''re still eating sweet stuff! Do you still want to look nice on camera?¡± Katherine took out the dried mango in her mouth aggrievedly. ¡°Jonice, I didn''t want to eat it. Soph shoved it into my mouth.¡± Sophia arched a brow. ¡°I only wanted to stop you from talking. I didn''t ask you to eat it.¡± Katherine, who had just bit off a piece of the dried mango, uttered, ¡°I...¡± She did not know what to say. How do I defend myself? Jonice snatched the dried mango from Katherine. ¡°I knew it! You were the one who wanted to eat it!¡± Katherine looked at Sophia helplessly. Sophia nced at the giant pimple on Katherine''s forehead and replied, ¡°Don''t look at me! Your pimple won''t disappear even if you look at me!¡± Katherine had never felt so helpless and alone before! Jonice did not bother to look at her anymore and instructed the makeup artist to doll Katherine and Sophia up. Sophia came over with no makeup, but her facial condition was wless. Although her facial features were notpletely perfect, her fair-skinnedplexion more than made up for it. Her face was stunning and perfect. Jonice stared at Sophia. If she did not know how much Sophia made in a day, she would definitely ask thetter if she would like to join the entertainment industry. Jonice was certain Sophia would be able to gain countless fans by just standing there with her wless facial features. Sophia noticed Jonice''s gaze and nced at her. ¡°Jonice, is Kath not enough to satisfy your ambitions?¡± Jonice blushed when she realized Sophia had seen through her thoughts. ¡°As you know, greed knows no bounds.¡± Sophia smiled but did not reply. Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Sophia was sixteen when she was first approached by a talent scout, but she did not ept the offer since she had never considered joining the entertainment industry. When she had just gotten into a university, an agent even contacted her counselor to see if she would be willing to sign a contract. Even though Sophia was promised a fortune if she signed the document, she was not moved. Had it not been for Katherine''s coaxing, Sophia would never have agreed to participate in the recording. The game show was called Going Forward and had to be recorded mostly outdoors because it consisted of games that required both brains and brawn. A total of five teams joined the first phase of Going Forward, and they all consisted of both celebrities and non-celebrities. Among the participants were Amos Collins, the star who won the Best Supporting Actor award, and his non-celebrity friend, Phil Jonas. Others who joined included the trending Sharon Xerxes and her best friend, Luna Zipori, and the up-anding singer Lily Jameson and her brother, Gideon Jameson. Last but not least were the previous year''s actor sensation, Esteban Wolfhard, and his friend, Floyd Clooney. After the makeup session, the host gathered everyone outside and introduced all the participants. Then, he gave everybody a few minutes to get to know each other. Since Sophia had an exceptional appearance, not many in the entertainment industry could im to be prettier than she was. Many could not help but wonder if Katherine wanted to make a celebrity out of Sophia when they saw the outstanding woman. Even though it was not said, they were all well aware that only those who met certain conditions would be allowed to be part of the show. The host began to exin the games after the brief introduction. To put it simply, the participants would be awarded points ording to the missions they aplished in each phase, and starting from phase three, the teams with the lowest score would be eliminated. The scripts they got from the production team were no help at all since the papers only showed the name of the mission of every phase. The one for phase one was called Blindfolded. In order to preserve the authenticity of the show, none of the production crew members gave the participants any hints during the recording. The participants had no one but themselves to depend on. Despite being a guest in the first phase since she financed the game show, Katherine was not given any special treatment. Intelligence was not something that Katherine would usually say shecked. However, her mind went nk when she read the poem before her. ¡°Green is the color of my soul. Pine is the extension of my soul. Mountain is the manifestation of my soul. You just have to learn to appreciate the tree.¡± Katherine was not the only one dumbfounded, though, for the others reacted the same way after receiving their clue cards. ¡°Oh, my goodness! What the heck does the clue mean? Is this some kind of riddle?¡± eximed Sharon with her face covered. Katherine could not help but feel the same way as Sharon, but she decided to suppress her emotions since her image required her to be indifferent. When Amos heard Sharon, he chuckled. ¡°Maybe you''re right.¡± Sophia did not join the discussion. Instead, she calmly nced at Katherine before breaking into a smirk. ¡°I got it. Come on.¡± Everyone was stunned when they heard what Sophia said, including Sharon''s influencer friend, Luna, who was quite impressed by Sophia''s appearance when she first saw the woman. ¡°She couldn''t have figured it out in such a short time, could she?¡± inquired Luna in disbelief since it had only been a few minutes. She wanted to use Sophia of bluffing but changed her mind since the cameramen had already begun shooting. ¡°Sophia aced her university entrance exams; her intelligence is far beyond average Janes like us!¡± scoffed Katherine, who was not about to let others question her friend''s capability. Katherine did not mean to belittle the others. Having been in the entertainment industry for a while, she knew what to say and what not to say during a shoot. That was why even though she put Sophia on a pedestal, she grouped herself with the others as an average Jane. ¡°Sophia''s pretty impressive, but Sharon''s not bad either. She was the top of her ss!¡± Luna stered on a smile despite feeling displeased with herpetitors. In response, Sharon pretended to be shy. ¡°Come on. That was a long time ago!¡± At that point, even a fool could tell that the atmosphere was getting tense. Just when Katherine was about to retort, Sophia gave her friend a look. ¡°Are youing or what?¡± Katherine then immediately stopped. ¡°I''ll do whatever you say, Soph!¡± After Sophia and Katherine turned around to walk away, Esteban, Amos, and their teams secretly followed the two. Even though Esteban and the others could not figure out where to go, they were smart enough to know who could. It did not take long for Sharon and Luna, the only ones left in the gathering spot, to realize that they should follow suit. Sophia had just left the garden and was about to hail a ride on her phone when she saw a worker hurrying over to stop her. With an eyebrow raised, she suddenly noticed several taxis parked across from her. Sophia immediately understood the situation, so she smiled before voicing, ¡°Come on. Let''s grab a taxi.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Having known Sophia for more than twenty years, Katherine hadplete faith in Sophia even though she did not know what her friend had in mind. The two then quickly got into one of the taxis. When Sophia lifted her head and saw the camera in front, she realized the vehicle was prepared by the production team. Smirking, Sophia addressed the taxi driver. ¡°Take us to Green Pine Mountain.¡± ¡°Sure! Fasten your seat belts and sit tight,dies,¡± chirped the driver after turning off the vacant taxi sign. As the vehicle began to drive away, Sophia nced at the rear view mirror and snorted when she saw the other taxis move too. The other participants probably decided to follow me because they couldn''t figure out what the clue meant. ¡°Soph, you have to tell me. How did you know we were supposed to go to Green Pine Mountain?¡± inquired Katherine curiously when she was finally alone with Sophia. After ncing at her friend, Sophia took the card and pointed at the words on it. ¡°The clue is ''Green is the color of my soul. Pine is the extension of my soul. Mountain is the manifestation of my soul. You just have to learn to appreciate the tree.'' Put the first words of the first three sentences together, and you''ll have ''Green Pine Mountain.'' We just so happen to have a ce in Jadeborough with that name.¡± ¡°You have to stick with me until the very end, Soph!¡± uttered Katherine, impressed by the revtion. Even though Katherine financed the game show, she did not want any special privileges because she despised secret dealings in show business. After all, she invested in the show. ¡°Don''t worry,¡± reassured Sophia with a smile, which was enough to convince Katherine that victory was within their grasp. After celebrating for a while, Katherine realized there was something she still did not understand. ¡°What does thest sentence mean?¡± ¡°I''ll tell youter,¡± replied Sophia, looking at Katherine with a half smile. More than forty minutester, the two were the first team to arrive at the foot of Green Pine Mountain, where a worker handed them another envelope and told them to pick one of the three routes up the mountain. Katherine chose the cableway, the easiest route up the mountain, without a second thought. However, Sophia immediately shot down the idea and suggested climbing the mountain on foot, ignoring even the route with the car. ¡°It''s probably going to take more than two hours to reach the top that way. My feet will kill me, Soph!¡± comined Katherine, whopletely forgot about her image as a celebrity when she tried to change Sophia''s mind. ¡°Do you want to win or not?¡± questioned Sophia. Immediately after hearing that, Katherine released Sophia''s arm. ¡°Let''s go! It''s been a while since Ist enjoyed a good hike. This is a brilliant idea!¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Sophia then smiled as she stepped onto the trail with the envelope in hand. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 The two''s outfits were quite casual, and since Jonice wanted to highlight their rtionship on the show, she had her people prepare matching gear for them. Sophia wore an orange tank top, a pair of gray sports trousers, and a white jacket with gray trim, while Katherine was outfitted with a light purple tank top, a pair of gray sports trousers, and a pink jacket with white trim. Since both of them wore ponytails and white baseball caps, it was quite difficult to tell them apart. Remembering the envelope, Katherine took it out and opened it to find a clue card that showed another riddle: Stopping to appreciate the maple. Katherine had already given up at that point, so she turned to Sophia. ¡°Do you know what this means, Soph?¡± Sophia kept quiet for a while before answering, ¡°Not yet.¡± It''s hard to figure it out since we don''t have enough leads. After hiking for more than an hour, the two realized that the afternoon sun was getting more intense, so they took a break in a gazebo. The production crew following them did the same. Even though the path they took was not easy, it was shady enough that Sophia did not sweat much despite having moved for more than an hour. ¡°Who came up with this clue? It doesn''t make any sense at all,¡±mented Katherine while leaning on Sophia''s shoulder. Sophia chuckled before responding, ¡°Maybe that''s because you''re not smart enough.¡± ¡°It''s not as if that''s my fault.¡± Once again, Katherine was reminded of Sophia''s superior intellect. I was born this way! Then, Sophia lifted her hand to pat Katherine on the head. ¡°Since you''re aware of your limitation, you should just do what I tell you to do.¡± Katherine could not believe that Sophia was treating her like an idiot. However, just when she was about to defend her intelligence, Sophia suddenly stood up and inquired, ¡°Since when do we have maple trees in Jadeborough?¡± ¡°What maple trees?¡± Katherine was baffled and had no idea what Sophia was talking about. ¡°Just wait for me here,¡± instructed Sophia with a chuckle since she did not expect her friend to understand what she was saying. After that, she headed toward the ¡°maple tree¡± not far away and reached it before long. Sophia quickly figured out that the ¡°maple tree¡± was a fake and that it was nted on the mountain by the production crew. When she rted the fake maple tree to the clue they got, Sophia snorted while looking at the tree. ¡°This... is a fake tree?¡± inquired Katherine, who eventually decided to follow Sophia. Sophia turned to nce at Katherine after hearing her friend''s question. ¡°I know you''re bad at thinking, but are you bad at observing too?¡± ¡°We''re on a show, Soph. Save me some face!¡± pleaded Katherine as she pulled at Sophia''s sleeve. She was convinced she would be utterly humiliated when the show aired if she did not remind her friend. Then, Sophia followed Katherine''s gaze to a camera before voicing with a devious look in her eyes, ¡°Fine. Only because you work for me.¡± Just when Katherine was wondering if she should continue to be Sophia''s friend after the show, Sophia suddenly kicked the fake maple tree. ¡°Soph, what are you¡ª¡± Before Katherine could finish her sentence, a card that looked almost exactly like a maple leaf fell from the tree. She picked up the card in disbelief and learned that the clue on it instructed them to find a points card at the starting point. ¡°Is the production crew pulling our leg?¡± Katherine felt as though they had been made fools. Embarrassed, one of the cameramen turned red when he sensed Sophia''s gaze on him. ¡°Come on. Let''s go back,¡± uttered Sophia with a smile after retracting her gaze. On the way down, the two bumped into Amos and Phil. ¡°Did you get a lead, Katherine?¡± inquired the men. Although Katherine was not as clever as Sophia, she knew who herpetitors were. ¡°Nope, which is why we''re heading back down now to see if we''ve missed anything.¡± The woman was excellent at pretending to be disappointed and frustrated. After all, she did not win an award for Best Actress for nothing. Amos'' friend, Phil, nced at Sophia. ¡°You don''t have any idea either, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°I''m afraid I''m not much of a help either,¡± replied Sophia with a half-smile. Exchanging looks, Amos and Phil knew they could not get anything out of the women. After Sophia and Katherine left the others, they returned to the starting point, the botanical garden. It was already past one o''clock then, and Sophia was hungry, so she ordered some takeout and found a shady spot in the garden to enjoy her meal. The cameramen''s stomachs could not help but growl when they saw Sophia eating. We''re hungry too! After Sophia finished her meal, she took out the three clue cards. ¡°Soph, have you figured anything out yet?¡± inquired Katherine after drinking a mouthful of water. Sophia tapped the cards with her slender finger as she answered, ¡°If I''m not mistaken, I believe I know where it is now.¡± ¡°W-Where is it?¡± asked Katherine, who was so surprised that she almost choked on her water. ¡°The spot where we started off.¡± With that said, Sophia smirked at the production crew members, who knew the solution to the puzzle since they set it up. She even caught one of them dropping his jaw in shock when she swept her gaze across them. ¡°Come on,¡± uttered Sophia, scoffing. Katherine quickly followed Sophia, and before long, the two reached the small garden where the shooting started. ¡°The points card we''re looking for should be hidden right there,¡± stated Sophia while pointing at a colorful bunch of flowers far away. ¡°Are you sure?¡± inquired Katherine, gazing at the flowers. In response, Sophia looked at her friend with an eyebrow raised. ¡°Let''s find out.¡± ¡°Okay. You rest here, and I''ll go look!¡± Sophia was more than d to let Katherine do the heavy lifting. ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± With that, she went to a gazebo nearby and sat down to watch Katherine. More than ten minutester, Katherine''s voice came from the cluster of flowers. ¡°Soph, I found it! I found it!¡± As soon as Katherine came running back excitedly, the host appeared out of nowhere. ¡°Sophia, Katherine, congrattions! You''ve aplished your first mission today, and for that, you''re awarded a full ten points.¡± When Katherine heard that, she ran to Sophia and wrapped her arms around her friend. ¡°Soph, you''re amazing!¡± Sophia immediately stopped Katherine when the woman tried to kiss her. ¡°Hey, calm down. We''re still shooting.¡± After freezing for a moment, Katherine decided to ignore Sophia''s reminder. ¡°I don''t care. You were awesome!¡± eximed Katherine before pressing her lips against her friend''s cheek. ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± questioned Sophia with a disgusted look. ¡°Of course! I''ve never won any games that require thinking!¡± Sophia froze for a while before letting out a chuckle. ¡°I suppose that''s true.¡± Even though the two had aplished their first mission, they could not leave because the other participants were not done yet. Hence, they were invited for afternoon tea in an RV. The other participants, returning one after another, looked different from how they were before they went out, especially Sharon and Luna. Not only were they covered in dirt, but their clothes were also soiled. The shooting for the day only ended when everyone had sessfully found a points card, which was after five o''clock in the evening. Sophia had just removed her makeup when Alexander called. After hanging up, she nced at Katherine. ¡°I''m going to go.¡± Unlike Katherine, the public figure with countless fans waiting outside, Sophia was just a nobody. She could change back into her own clothes and leave without a care in the world. Sophia saw Alexander''s Phaeton as soon as she walked out of the garden. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Smiling, the woman then hurried over to the vehicle. Chapter 305 Chapter 305 Right after Sophia fastened her seat belt, she looked up and found Alexander staring at her. ¡°Is there anything on my face?¡± she asked with a slight smile, wondering if she had removed her makeup thoroughly just now. Alexander shook his head. ¡°Did you have fun?¡± Sophia thought for a while before replying, ¡°It was enjoyable.¡± But it was not much of a challenge. The clues given by the production team were not difficult to find. She had a good memory. Once she saw those few clues, she could remember them exactly. Then, she analyzed them and grasped the key points with ease. Alexander reached out and held her hand. ¡°What do you want for dinner?¡± Sophia hadn''t thought about her dinner. After all, she had eaten dessert just now, so she wasn''t hungry yet. Nheless, as she nced at Alexander, she replied, ¡°Let''s go to Mirage.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± With that, the car started moving. Just after they had their dinner, Sophia received a message from Katherine. It turned out that Sophia was photographed by the paparazzi when she left without makeup just now. Since the paparazzi didn''t get pictures of the film crew and the celebrities in the minivan, there was nothing for them to leak. Therefore, they could only release pictures of Sophia and Alexander. However, neither of them was in the entertainment industry, hence theck of attention from the public. If it weren''t for the gossipy Katherine, Sophia probably wouldn''t have known about it. Katherine texted: Tsk, tsk, tsk. That jerk, Alexander, is quite nice to you now. Those paparazzi said that Alexander''s car had been parked in front of the gate of the botanical garden since three o''clock in the afternoon. As Sophia read Katherine''s message, she couldn''t help but take a quick look at Alexander and voice her mind, ¡°How long had you waited for me?¡± Alexander raised his gaze. ¡°Not long.¡± Sophia smiled and merely gazed at him without a word. Feeling ufortable under her meaningful stare, Alexander cocked an eyebrow and said, ¡°I was there since three o''clock.¡± ¡°Why did you arrive so early?¡± He didn''t respond but looked straight at her with his dark eyes. The answer was self-evident. Why did I go there early? Of course, it''s because I missed you! Sophia snorted. ¡°I''m done.¡± ¡°All right. Let''s go.¡± It was still early by the time they left Mirage. When the car stopped at a red light, Sophia remembered that the toothpaste at her house was almost finished. Turning her head to look at Alexander, Sophia asked, ¡°Can you stop the car at the square ahead? I want to go to the mall to buy some daily essentials.¡± Oh, I need to buy more tissue as well. ¡°Sure.¡± Five minutester, he parked the car at the parking lot, and the duo got out of the car. There was an open space outside the mall. Some residents from the nearby residential area were dancing there, while others were having a walk after dinner. There were also couples who came there to hang out like them. More people were shopping in the mall. Usually, it was impossible for people to stay at home without turning on the air conditioner on such a hot day. The air-conditioning in the shopping mall was on full st, and it was even a bit too cold. It was good to take a stroll after dinner and enjoy the air conditioning for free. This was Sophia''s second visit to the mall with Alexander. She could still remember she brought him to buy a pair of slippers during their first visit. The mall was packed with shoppers, and Sophia didn''t feel like staying for long, so she went straight to the designated aisles, took some tissue and a tube of toothpaste, and nned to head home after paying at the counter. Sophia had spent her whole day recording the show that day. Even though she did not go the wrong way or encounter traps arranged by the production team like the guests in other groups, she still felt a little weary. It was only when Sophia saw the message Katherine sent her on the way back just now that she knew that luck was on their side that day. Needless to say, it couldn''t be entirely attributed to luck. After all, Sophia also used her brainpower to find that ¡°shortcut.¡± But the others were not so fortunate. Sharon and Luna chose the easiest way to go up the mountain¡ª a cable car. But after going up the mountain, they were tricked by the production team and fell into a trap. The two of them finally got out of the two-meter-long pit after climbing for more than an hour. After they made it out, the production team told them they were not allowed to take the cable car down the mountain and they could only go down on foot. ording to Katherine, Sharon almost gave up recording the show right there and then, but after she received a call from her manager, she gritted her teeth and continued the show. The other three groups were more cautious, thinking that there must be something wrong with the easy cable car route, so they decided to take the mountain highway. However, when the three groups were halfway through their journey, the production team told them they couldn''t reach the final destination with that highway. Thus, they could only turn back and use the route Sophia and Katherine took. Although those three groups'' members were not as miserable as Sharon and her friend, they were still misled by the production team and hiked the wrong way for more than an hour. The four groups eventually arrived at the gazebo but didn''t manage to get the key point, so they had to do some extra physical tasks to get more clues. In other words, the other four groups suffered much that day, and the recording would still proceed the next day. Sophia wasn''t exhausted. It was just that she woke up early in the morning and didn''t get to nap at noon, so after she paid for the things she bought, she felt a little tired. The square was only a ten-minute drive from the mansion. Even so, Sophia dozed off as soon as they reached the house. After Alexander parked the car steadily in the mansion, he looked down at her peaceful sleeping countenance. His usually cold ck eyes were now filled with gentleness. He opened the car door quietly, went around, and carefully lifted Sophia into his arms. Sophia hadn''t fallen into a deep sleep. As soon as she was picked up, she blinked and looked at him with her misty eyes. ¡°Are we home?¡± ¡°Yeah, I''ll carry you up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I couldn''t ask for more. Sophia slung her arms around his neck, letting him bring her up. She still had to get up early the next day, so she fell asleep soon after taking a shower. By the time Alexander finished his work and went to the master bedroom, Sophia had fallen asleep. He turned off the lights and left the nightmp on before taking his bathrobe into the bathroom. As he came out of the shower and saw his phone vibrating on the bedside table, his brows knitted into a frown, and he quickly went over to pick up his phone as he was worried that it might wake Sophia up. Upon seeing that it was Samuel calling, Alexander declined the call. Yet, the courageous Samuel called again after a few seconds. Well aware of Samuel''s shameless personality, Alexander knew that if he didn''t answer the call, Samuel would keep calling him until he picked up the call. Sophia was still sleeping soundly, probably because she was exhausted after the recording during the day. Alexander walked over and tucked her in, then went down the stairs with the phone to answer Samuel''s call. ¡°You''d better have something important to tell me.¡± Samuel could feel faint anger radiating off Alexander from the other end of the line, but he indeed had something to inform Alexander. ¡°Alex, do you know who Suny from Sunshine Group is?¡± Alexander''s brows twitched the moment he heard Samuel''s question. The former knew Sophia had always kept a low profile. The fact that her identity as Suny hadn''t been exposed after such a long time proved that she was doing great in keeping it confidential. Samuel''s words didn''t mean that he already knew who Suny was, so Alexander simply asked, ¡°You know?¡± The thought of Alexander not knowing Suny''s real identity made Samuel feel a tad smug. ¡°You don''t know, do you? Actually, Suny is Yvonne Leighton from Sunshine Group!¡± Alexander was silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Thinking that he had discovered a shocking secret, the puffed-up Samuel snorted and said, ¡°Just think about it. Wherever Suny is, her so-called secretary, Yvonne Leighton, is always there. Whenever there is a big meeting, Yvonne will definitely be there! Moreover, ording to my observation, the shareholders and employees of Sunshine Group are way more polite to her than they should be to a secretary. Yvonne is Suny''s senior consultant and secretary. It is normal forpany employees to be respectful and polite to her, but those shareholders and directors treat her with respect. Thus, there is only one answer.¡± Alexander frowned in slight contempt and replied perfunctorily, ¡°Wow, you''re observant. If there''s nothing else, I''ll hang up. Sophia still has to join the recording of the show tomorrow morning.¡± I overestimated Samuel! With that, Alexander immediately hung up. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Staring at the words ¡°Call Ended¡± on his phone, Samuel was puzzled. Isn''t this news shocking enough? Why wasn''t Alexander surprised at all? Chapter 306 Chapter 306 Meanwhile, at the Queen residence, Harold and his wife were specting about the identity of the mysterious Suny from Sunshine Group. The day before yesterday, Jessica had brought Megan to Sunshine Group to apologize to Sophia. Even then, Jessica sensed that Yvonne was behaving oddly toward Sophia. They seemed to not act like regr colleagues. If anything, there seemed to be hints of a superior and subordinate rtionship. The moment Jessica left Sunshine Group, she put the incident behind her after going to a specialty store with Megan. When Harold got back from dinner, he mentioned that one of the guests brought up a newly-listed company called Technology Innovations. He could not help but think of Sophia and eximed, ¡°This Sophia doesn''t seem like a regr woman. I think you and Meg should at least try and get along with her peacefully. If you can''t, just let it go.¡± After all, the Queen family stood to lose the most in these conflicts. The thing about Sophia''s ''mishaps'' was just how strangely calcted they were. One could say that it was all part of her scheme, but that was also not the case at all. Looking back, Jessica and Megan felt that they were being yed right into Sophia''s hands, which resulted in turmoil. After hearing what her husband had to say, Jessica thought of what happened the other day and replied, ¡°I went with Meg to Sunshine Group the other day. The person who brought us to Sophia was Yvonne, who also happens to be Suny''s secretary. The strange thing is that Yvonne''s behavior toward Sophia was oddly respectful, considering that they were both just colleagues. Yvonne was basically doing everything Sophia instructed her to do.¡± Harold was a smart man. As Jessica was from the prominent Schmidt family, she had a keen eye for observing emotions and behavior. When she brought this up, Harold felt another thing nagging at him. Suny of Sunshine Group was mysterious indeed. Sunshine Group was a rising star in the investment community, given that they had plenty of funds and tenacity in business. However, they still had an ominous background. Since thepany''s conception about seven or eight years ago, Suny''s identity had remained an enigma even to this day. One had to admit that Suny was truly formidable in that regard, seeing as nobody had managed to uncover his identity. After Sophia divorced Alexander, she had since be a major shareholder in Specter Entertainment, albeit secretively. Sophia also became one of the founders of Technology Innovations, yet she had never been to Technology Innovations, nor was she at Specter Entertainment to oversee operations. Instead, Sophia became a special assistant at Sunshine Group. If anything, she seemed to be quite intriguing. The answer was effectively staring them in the face, but Harold was not so easily convinced. ¡°That''s impossible. If Sophia is actually Suny, why did she endure so much ridicule over her not being Alexander''s equal for three years? Yet, who would dare speak this way about her behind her back if she were Suny?¡± Jessica was also hoping that Sophia was not Suny, even more so than Harold was. Despite being the wife of a wealthy household and spending much of her time at home, she was notpletely ignorant. If Sophia is, in fact, Suny, then the Queen family has really messed up, given the number of times we''ve butted heads with her. ¡°Samuel knows Alexander. I think I''ll ask him tomorrow.¡± Harold nodded and replied, ¡°Okay, I think you should get some rest. Regardless of whether or not Sophia is Suny, I think you should avoid treading on her toes in the future.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Although Jessica had little love for Sophia, she dared not incur Sophia''s wrath after being taught a lesson once or twice. With a click, the lights were turned off, and the room was plunged into darkness. Alexander gently draped an arm over Sophia before closing his eyes and falling asleep. Sophia, however, was awakened by the six o''clock rm. Because it was too early, she had trouble opening her eyes. Alexander reached over to turn off the rm and looked out of the window. A faint light could be seen peeking through the curtains, signaling that daybreak hade. It was dim inside the room, but one could vaguely make out the interior. Alexander then turned to look at Sophia, who stilly next to him. ¡°Precious?¡± he murmured. Sophia had already woken up but did not want to open her eyes. Since Alexander had called out to her, she opened her eyes reluctantly. Immediately, she yawned. Sophia''s delicate eyes were covered in ayer of mist. Alexander looked at her and, in a voice still husky from sleep, said, ¡°You''re up?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± murmured Sophia impassively. She was still feeling groggy and therefore responded a little coldly. Sophia sat up and waited for the drowsiness to pass when Alexander turned to kiss her on the eyelids out of the blue. Alexander''s kiss had gotten rid of the vestiges of sleep. When Sophia saw his dark, fathomless eyes staring back at her, she could feel her heart skip a beat as she blushed and looked away. ¡°Genie, open the windows.¡± The thick curtains gradually pulled away to allow the sunlight in. Immediately, they both felt wide awake. While squinting, Sophia said, ¡°I''m going to wash up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Alexander watched as she walked to the bathroom before retracting his gaze and looking elsewhere for a bit. His dark eyes flickered before he eventually got out of bed as well. The filming of the first episode was not too difficult, but the second episode became more challenging. The clues were no longer as obvious or noticeable, and the participants had to pass through more checkpoints to proceed. Besides their intelligence, their physical strength and athletic talent were tested as well. However, these challenges were not too difficult for Sophia. Eventually, both she and Katherine emerged victorious once again. Having already filmed two episodes of the show, Sophia could tentatively gauge where the show was going. Even though the third episode was even more difficult than thest, Sophia was prepared to handle the challenges. After the third episode was over, Sophia decided to pull out of the shoot after reaching a consensus with the production team. After all, she had no desire to make a debut, and thus the airtime was of no use to her. Katherine was very bold. After Sophia withdrew from the show, Katherine asked Joshua to apany her to another program. However, the two had been together for so many years, and it was almost time to make their rtionship public. This program was to be broadcast in September, so it was not a big deal. Of course, they had other details to iron outter. Sophia had spent the whole weekend filming the show, which she found to be fun and fulfilling. However, something interesting happened after Sophia''s meeting on Monday morning. After the meeting ended, she was cornered by a rather hesitant Yvonne. Sophia rarely saw Yvonne behaving this way. As such, she looked at Yvonne and smiled before asking, ¡°You seem to be struggling with something. Are you thinking of resigning, perhaps?¡± Yvonne looked at Sophia embarrassedly and said, ¡°I''ve never even contemted such a thing, Ms. Yarrow.¡± If she resigned, where was she going to find another employer who was as beautiful, gentle, and capable as Sophia? That being said, she had tons of benefits while working for Sophia. Even if Yvonne wanted to jump ship, it was going to be difficult to find someone else who could treat her as well as Sophia had. Sophia arched a fine brow. ¡°Even if that were the case, I''m not letting you go.¡± Yvonne was quite moved by this. She decided to jokingly make a vow to prove her loyalty. ¡°Don''t you worry, Ms. Yarrow. I swear to never change jobs for the rest of my life!¡± Sophia merely nced at her and asked, ¡°Yet what is it that''s making my omnipotent secretary so hesitant?¡± Yvonne looked at Sophia sheepishly and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, there have been rumors circting over the past few days.¡± ¡°Oh? What are they gossiping about?¡± Given that Yvonne seemed quite reluctant to borate further, Sophia could guess that the rumors were about her. Sure enough, momentster, Sophia heard Yvonne say, ¡°People think I''m Suny.¡± Sophia was quite taken aback but soon began tough. ¡°Who has been saying this?¡± Anyone who thinks so has to be some kind of genius. This was also the part that Yvonne struggled to articte. She shifted uneasily and said, ¡°Apparently, it was Mr. Schild of Midway Media.¡± ¡°It''s Samuel, eh?¡± mused Sophia aloud. That silly goose. Sophia smiled gently and added, ¡°Then you needn''t take heed of such things.¡± Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Besides, I don''t even care. But I do wonder if Samuel will feel embarrassed when I reveal myself to be Suny. That being said, Samuel''s brain doesn''t seem to operate like everyone else''s. How special of him, indeed. Chapter 307 Chapter 307 The rumor of Yvonne being Suny circted Jadeborough for several days. Sunshine Group did not rify the matter, nor did they deny it. Unable to control what the world thought, Yvonne continued her work diligently every day. However, some were clever enough to call the other shareholders of Sunshine Group to ask who Suny was, but the possibility of Yvonne being Suny was written off with certainty. That was why the rumor subsided after a couple of days despite Sunshine Group''s neglect to make a formal announcement. Katherine was greatly amused when she found out that Samuel had been the source of those rumors. ¡°Hah, what a joke, Soph! Is Samuel really Mr. Xenos'' friend? Why is he acting like an idiot?¡± Sophia had note to Specter Entertainment in over two weeks, so Katherine took advantage of the former''s rare appearance one day and grabbed her to ask about thetest developments of the rumor. Sophia took a sip of tea and nced at her friend. ¡°Shouldn''t you take a look at yourself before saying these things?¡± Pot calling the kettle ck. Katherine, who was breathless withughter, said, ¡°You seem to be implying something, Soph.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Not at all. You are mistaken.¡± Katherine did not believe her. ¡°Then what was that about looking at my¡ªOh. You are making fun of me.¡± Sophia is calling me a hypocrite! Sophia nced sideways at her. ¡°Not bad. You''ve proven to be slightly smarter than Mr. Schild.¡± Katherine was rendered speechless. I don''t want to bepared with that oaf, Samuel! Katherine was about to retort when Sophia''s phone suddenly rang. She swallowed the words she was about to utter and watched Sophia answer the call. Sophia nced at the phone and disyed no intention of picking it up. ¡°I don''t know who this is.¡± It was an unfamiliar number. She rejected the call, but her phone began vibrating again two secondster. ¡°That might be your love rival,¡± Katherine suggested, her interest piqued. Sophia giggled and mouthed, ¡°Go away,¡± before rising to answer the phone. ¡°Hello, Sophia? It''s me, Yvette.¡± Sophia quickly recalled something upon hearing the familiar voice and answered listlessly, ¡°What can I do for you?¡± ¡°I''m getting married this weekend. I sent you an invitation, and I''m calling to remind you as I''m worried you might have forgotten about it. I also invited all our ssmates. We got along well back then, and I would like to see everybody making it to my wedding.¡± Sophia gazed at a cloud outside the tall windows and smiled. ¡°Rest assured. I''ll be there.¡± I''ll be there even if I do not have much of a friendship with them. After a pause, she added, ¡°By the way, I''ve prepared a special gift for you, Yvette. I hope you''ll like it when you see it.¡± I have yet to pay her back for Tanya, and she fell for it so quickly. ¡±You are too kind. I would have been d for your presence alone. A gift is not necessary!¡± Though their previous gathering ended in a huff, Yvette had still benefited from it. At the very least, she had ascertained Sophia and Alexander''s reconciliation and that Sophia was a friend of Joshua, who was from Technology Innovations. As much as Yvette did not like admitting it, Sophia''s connection with both men was beneficial to have in an acquaintance. Though her prior invitation to Sophia was merely to inform the woman of her wedding to Henry and to have him give up, in addition to showing off her marriage and happiness, Yvette was still refusing to ept the circumstances after their gathering. Her soon-to-be husband''spany was gaining traction and required vast resources, and Alexander''s prestige in Jadeborough went without saying. Henry''spany would be bright with possibilities if I could enlist his help in building the necessary connections. Besides, Henry''spany is rted to Technology Innovations. It would be half the battle won in discussing a partnership if I can build a rapport with Sophia. Having thought it through and heard Sophia''s promise of a special gift, Yvette became so consumed with glee that she had forgotten that Sophia barely knew the people in her ss. Also, she had not considered if the special gift was something she could bear. Sophia gave a courteousugh. ¡°It''s only right.¡± ¡°All right, then,¡± Yvette answered hurriedly. ¡°I won''t bother you anymore.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± After hanging up, Sophia turned and found Katherine sprawled on the couch, staring at her. ¡°Who was that?¡± she scoffed. ¡°What was that talk about a special gift?¡± ¡°Yvette.¡± Katherine was taken aback. ¡°Why did she call you?¡± Although Katherine and Sophia did not attend the same school, the former often visited Jadeborough University to meet Sophia and Joshua. In fact, she knew the people in their ss and their personalities better than them. Katherine vaguely recalled Yvette, who was deemed the prettiest girl in ss and was present at Sophia''s graduation ceremony. She also remembered Yvette''s awful words and would have pped thetter if not for fear of ruining the atmosphere. Shaking herself out of her reverie, Sophia walked over. ¡°She''s getting married and asked me to attend her wedding.¡± ¡°Didn''t you say she''s involved in the matter regarding Tanya? Why would you still attend her wedding?¡± Sophia returned to the couch and plopped herself down. ¡°To give her a special gift.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Katherine knew from a nce at Sophia''s expression that the gift would be something extraordinary. She leaned over at once. ¡°What are you going to do, Soph?¡± Sophia pushed her friend''s inquisitive head away. ¡°Stop being a busybody. Let''s be serious for a moment.¡± Katherine pursed her lips. ¡°Tell me! Poor Tanya. If not for Yvette''s bbing, she would not have been taken advantage of by that b*stard, Connor. Hasn''t Yvette been running to Tanya to make things worse for her?¡± Sophia''s smile faded at the mention of that. ¡°I''m going to give her a taste of her own medicine.¡± Not wishing to discuss the matter any further, Sophia changed the subject. The pair chatted a little longer about the neer, had lunch, then went their separate ways. As Sophia had not visited Tanya in a while, she drove to the hospital after lunch. Throughout Tanya''s month-long convalescence in the hospital, Yvonne updated Sophia on the former''s condition every day. Tanya''s mood had stabilized ofte. Even the attending doctor praised her for exerting better control. Sophia arrived to find Laura peeling an apple for Tanya while Tanya drew. The sun shone through the windows, and the ward was bright and serene. ¡°Hello Tanya, Mrs. Gomez.¡± ¡°Sophia!¡± Tanya and Laura were delighted to see her. Laura poured Sophia a ss of warm water. ¡°Here you go, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia epted it. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said with a smile. She then touched Tanya''s cheek. ¡°You''re bing chubby.¡± Tanya blushed when she gazed into Sophia''s gentle and mischievous almond-shaped eyes. ¡°I''ve been eating well.¡± Laura rose and left the ward to give them some space. Sophia nced at Tanya''s work. Instead of characters, she drew scenery this time. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was the scene outside the window. Tanya opened theptop beside her when she noticed what Sophia was looking at. ¡°I''ve designed the main characters. What do you think?¡± ¡°Silk Stream¡± depicted a male and female protagonist, three supporting male characters, and four supporting female characters. All nine characters in the story embodied vivid personalities. Tanya''s talent in this avenue could not be denied. Sophia did intend to care for her. As Samuel said, theic was not worth much. But as she studied the characters Tanya showed her, Sophia had the hunch that it might exceed their expectations. Chapter 308 Chapter 308 Sophia did not stay very long at the hospital as she had a meeting at three. Sophia wanted to ask if Laura''s ex-husband hade to cause trouble, but she had not returned when the former prepared to leave. Since Laura was nowhere to be seen, Sophia decided to let it go and have Yvonne investigate it instead. ¡°I''ll make a move, then.¡± ¡°All right. Don''t worry about me, Sophia. I''ll be fine.¡± Tanya stood basking in the sun in the ward and fixed her friend with a smile. Her eyes, narrowed into slits from smiling so broadly, reminded Sophia of the old Tanya from their university days. Her heart twinged, but she nodded with a smile. ¡°All right.¡± Sophia retracted her gaze and turned around to exit the ward. ¡°Ms. Yarrow!¡± Laura came running as soon as Sophia exited the elevator. Sophia strode toward her. ¡°What is it, Mrs. Gomez?¡± With a shake of her head, Laura regarded the other with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Tanya has been doing great ofte. The doctor said she could be discharged in three months and resume her life if nothing unexpected happens.¡± Laura did not expect to see the day her daughter regained her upbeat and cheerful self. I have almost forgotten over the past few years that Tani used to be a jolly person. Sophia understood. ¡°That''s wonderful, Mrs. Gomez.¡± ¡°All thanks to you, Ms. Yarrow. Tanya''s future would have been lost if it hadn''t been for you. We''re not capable of much and can never repay you for your kindness, but I''ll be praying for your and your family''s safety.¡± ¡°That''s not necessary, Mrs. Gomez. Tanya is my friend who also once helped me, remember?¡± Laura dabbed the corner of her eye and spoke no more, but she made up her mind nheless. ¡°No matter what, Ms. Yarrow, our family of three is eternally thankful for you.¡± ¡°I am thankful for Tanya too.¡± Sophia smiled and changed the subject at the sight of Laura''s scarlet eyes. ¡°By the way, did the Mill familye to harass you and Tanya?¡± Laura regained herposure after a startled pause and shook her head. ¡°How thoughtful of you, Ms. Yarrow, but they have not shown up ofte.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°I''ll bring Tanya to proceed with her divorce from Liam once she gets better.¡± ¡°All right. Thank you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°You must not think of me as Tanya''s friend if you keep being so formal with me, Mrs. Gomez.¡± Hearing that, Laura finally relented. As she knew Sophia was leaving to attend a meeting, she said nothing more and watched Sophia depart from the shelter she stood beneath. After a long time, she wiped her tears and returned indoors. What a kind soul Ms. Yarrow is. It was already half past two when Sophia arrived back at Sunshine Group. Yvonne brought her a list. ¡°Here are the agendas for the meetingter, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nodded as she received it. ¡°Any word from Liam?¡± At Sophia''s request, Yvonne hastened to report the feedback from that end. ¡°Liam signed for a batch of orders half a month ago, but I''ve already handled the matter. Soon, he would have no other recourse.¡± Sophia nodded with a satisfied smile. ¡°With you on top of things, Ms. Leighton, I never have to worry. No rush. Let him feel good for a little longer.¡± I will have Liam know what despair feels like once Tanya is discharged. Sophia smiled coldly at that thought. Yvonne''s heart skipped a beat when she saw Sophia''s wicked smirk. Oh my. Ms. Yarrow looks so good even when she''s smirking. Sophia regained herposure soon after and gazed enigmatically at Yvonne. ¡°All right. Let''s go prepare for the meeting.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Feeling slightly ufortable from Sophia''s stare, Yvonne lowered her head to avoid the former''s eyes and left the office. Alexander left for the airport after apanying Sophia to Sunshine Group that morning. He had a three-day-long business trip in Hallsbay. The meeting that afternoonsted over two hours, and it was past five in the evening when Sophia emerged from the conference room. The weather app on her phone notified her that the first typhoon that year from the south wouldnd in Jadeborough on Wednesday afternoon. It was a Category Eleven typhoon, expected to herald a violent storm. The app also implored the public to stay indoors as much as possible. Sophia frowned. That means Alexander would not be back on Wednesday night. She ced her phone back into her purse, picked up the documents beside her, and left the office. As Alexander was away on his business trip, Sophia would be dining alone for theing few days. Though she never used to think of it as a problem, she felt lonely for the first time when she watched couples at the neighboring tables in the restaurant she was in. Before ten that night, Sophia''s phone rang just as she had finished blowing her hair dry. Her brow twitched from a nce at the screen. ¡°Alexander.¡± ¡°I''m here.¡± With the imminent threat of a typhoon looming over the city, she had been feeling listless over the past two days. Sophia walked to the balcony and gazed up at the starry night. ¡°Is your dinner appointment over?¡± ¡°Yes, it just ended.¡± Sophia frowned upon noticing that his voice was lower than usual. ¡°Did you drink?¡± ¡°I only had two sses of red wine. It wasn''t much.¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°There''ll be a typhoon in Coldbridge on Wednesday. Take care of yourself. I''ll be heading home right after work.¡± Alexander tugged his tie and gazed up at the ceiling. ¡°I miss you, Precious,¡± he said a momentter. Sophia''s grip tightened around her phone at those words, and heat rose to her cheeks. Nevertheless, she gave a light scoff without responding. The pairpsed into silence, but neither was willing to hang up. ¡°I''ll be back on Wednesday,¡± Alexander said after a long while. She made an impatient noise. ¡°There''s a typhoon on Wednesday.¡± ¡°That wouldn''t affect me. I''m in Salinsburgh.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Whether or not there are flights is not my call to make, anyway. ¡°Do you miss me, Precious?¡± Sophia thought Alexander was bing increasingly shameless to utter such words. Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org. However, she quickly realized that it was not just Alexander who was bing shameless, but she was also bing increasingly thick-skinned. Sophia nced down at the lights illuminating her garden below and answered lightly, ¡°Mmm.¡± Alexander''s low chuckle came from the other end as soon as she spoke. It was the first time Sophia heard himugh. The rich rumble of hisughter tickled her ears and stirred something within her. Sophia touched her scalding cheeks. ¡°You should rest. Good night.¡± ¡°Good night and sweet dreams. I will be there.¡± Sophia smiled with her head bowed upon hanging up and, after a moment''s pause, turned to return to her bedroom. The first bout of the typhoon came fiercely. By Tuesday, the climate began acting strangely; the city was humid, albeit without a breath of wind anywhere to be found. As Jadeborough was a coastal city, typhoons were a regr urrence. Ufortable with the sticky feeling in the air, Sophia returned to the mansion at three in the afternoon, and it began pouring as soon as she emerged from her garage. As if having held on for a long time, the gloomy skies opened with a torrential downpour. Sophia stood by her window and watched the rain for a while before heading upstairs for a change, intending to spend some time reading in the study. Nheless, Sophia took a nap as typhoon weather was pleasant to sleep in, and it was already dark outside when she woke up, though the rain and wind persisted with no signs of stopping. She rubbed her eyes. ¡°Lights, Genie.¡± At once, the room lit up brightly. Sophia located her phone and discovered it was past seven from a nce at the screen. I''d slept for over two hours! Following that, Sophia made herself some pasta for dinner. Having taken an afternoon napsting over two hours, she emerged from her shower at ten without a hint of drowsiness. She then brought the book she had been perusing earlier that afternoon to bed with her. Sophia read for half an hour before going downstairs for some water. Just as she emerged from the kitchen with a ss of water in hand, she saw Alexander, d in a coat, walking up the stairs. Sophia was uncharacteristically stunned. ¡°When did youe back?¡± As soon as the words were out of her mouth, he had already arrived before her. Lifting her in his arms, he bent down to kiss her moist lips. Chapter 309 Chapter 309 The hot kiss engulfed Sophia like a ball of mes, burning her up inside out. Alexander had ced the ss of water in her hand on the table when he walked over to hug her earlier. Held in his embrace, Sophia staggered backward until her calves hit the couch. Then, she slumped onto the soft settee as he bore down on her. His warm tongue swirled within her oral cavity relentlessly as their bodies stuck closely together. Their breaths tangled as his presence dominated her. At that instant, her mind turned nk like a piece of white paper. The rain poured heavily outside the window while the romantic atmosphere inside the house continued to escte. His passionate kiss gradually diminished in intensity. Then, he shifted his thin lips and pecked her cheek as well as the tip of her nose. Finally, he stared down into her eyes. ¡°Why haven''t you slept?¡± ¡°I napped for more than two hours when I returned just now.¡± Sophia''s eyes shone charmingly, catching the light as she slightly lifted her gaze. He gulped while using his hand to caress her cheek. ¡°I''m going to take a shower.¡± Although the flight wasn''t dyed, the ne had circled in the air for over half an hour to wait for the rain to die down beforending. He headed straight to Sophia''s ce from the airport. Right after he reached the city, gales erupted, and the rain turned into a downpour. When Alexander entered the house, his umbre failed to shield him from the rainstorm, causing his body to be drenched with rainwater. However, his longing for her, which had umted for days, overwhelmed him when he saw Sophia. That was why he lost control of his emotions, prompting him to hug and kiss her for so long. Sophia propped herself up on the couch and slightly pursed her lips. Her heart skipped a beat as she took in the way he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Momentster, she averted her gaze diffidently. ¡°I''ll cook some pasta for you, okay?¡± She recalled he had a habit of not eating the in-flight meal. From how he returned at this time, he must''vee here right after he got off the ne. Eyes flickering, he nced at her. ¡°Okay.¡± His slender fingers were working on removing the final button on his shirt. Sensing he was about to take off his clothes, she hastily got to her feet and walked toward the kitchen. Alexander curled his lips while turning his head to stare at her leaving figure from behind. A tender look shed across his dark gaze before he strode to the stairs and took his suitcase to the third floor. There was still some bolognese sauce left over inside the fridge from when Sophia cooked for herself in the afternoon. She ced the pasta into the boiling water and reheated the bolognese sauce. After waiting for around ten minutes, she strained the pasta, then mixed it with the bolognese sauce, putting together a te of spaghetti bolognese. Unfortunately, Sophia wasn''t adept at cooking. Although the spaghetti bolognese looked appetizing, the taste was so-so. After having a taste of the spaghetti, even she despised her cooking. However, it was gettingte and raining cats and dogs outside. If she ordered food delivery, the meal would be cold by the time it arrived. Amidst her contemtion, Alexander was done bathing and hade downstairs. His short hair was still wet and dripping water. When Sophia looked up in his direction, a bead of water rolled down the bridge of his nose and finally landed on his thin lips. Her little finger shuddered. She nudged the te of pasta toward him. ¡°It''s not that delicious. You''ll have to make do for this meal.¡± He nced at her, received the fork, and dug in. ¡°It''s not bad.¡± She chuckled. Cupping her face in her hands, she gazed at him. ¡°Since when were you so undemanding when it came to food?¡± He turned to look at her. ¡°That''s because my precious made this for me.¡± Her face flushed. ¡°Sweet nothings.¡± Despite that, she couldn''t help but curve her lips into a grin. Apparently, Alexander was ravenously hungry. His movements were still as graceful as ever, but he was clearly consumingrger mouthfuls of food than usual. After finishing the spaghetti bolognese, Alexander ced the te and utensils into the dishwasher. When he walked out and saw Sophia still sitting around the dining table, he marched over and lifted her in his arms. Startled, she instinctively reached out to wrap her arms around his neck. That was the first time they had hugged each other face-to-face. Sophia''s heart palpitated as she gazed at his face up close. With every step he took, the beads of water on his short hair shifted and ultimately fell off the tips of his hair onto her chest. It''s cold. She nced downward with her cheeks burning. He brought her back to the room and ced her on the bed. Then, he turned around, moved toward his suitcase, and took out a box. ¡°I saw this at the airport.¡± He opened the box as he spoke. ¡°This is a gift for you from my business trip.¡± The box contained a bracelet from the Camellia collection, introduced by Arterius as part of their summer series. Sophia didn''t expect Alexander to have such good taste. She beamed at him and stretched out her hand. ¡°In that case, I''ll have to trouble you to put it on for me, Mr. Xenos.¡± He removed the bracelet from the box andced it around her wrist to help her wear it. Sophia had a light skin tone, so the white color of the Camellia bracelet entuated the fairness of her wrist. ¡°It''s pretty.¡± He kissed her. ¡°I''ll bring you nicer ones next time.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she responded. She was about to ask him to blow dry his hair when she suddenly yawned as sleepiness washed over her. Alexander took a brief look at the digital clock beside them. ¡°It''s already past eleven o''clock at night.¡± It''s time to sleep. Sophia yawned again, using her hand to cover her mouth. ¡°Go and blow dry your hair. The dryer is inside the second drawer in the bathroom cab. ¡°Okay,¡± he replied but didn''t get up to leave. She blinked at him. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± His eyes glinted. Only then did he get to his feet and enter the bathroom. Sophia was indeed feeling sleepy. On normal days, she felt the need to turn in around ten o''clock at night, but it was already past eleven at that moment. If she hadn''t rested for some time in the afternoon, she would''ve nodded off a while ago. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Sophia had drifted off by the time Alexander dried his hair and exited the bathroom. The bedroom was bright as day as she hadn''t switched off the lights. He walked up to her and lightly sat on the bed. Then, he turned off the lights andy down next to her. Fearing he might wake her up, Alexander moved delicately. He didn''t dare to exert too much force when cing his hand on her body. Only after he noticed herck of reaction did he gradually pull her into his embrace. He stopped pulling her closer once her back was tightly pressed to his chest. He shifted his posture slightly and gently rested his chin on the top of her head, hugging her and closing his eyes. Alexander had always slept alone since he was little. He didn''t like having any other things on his bed either. Although he was married to Sophia for three years back then, they had never shared a bed. He had never expected that he would one day face trouble falling asleep because he was lying in bed by himself. During his three days business trip, he couldn''t rest well for two nights because of the unfamiliar ambiance of the hotel room and the void in his arms. As a result, he only drifted off at midnight. Now that he had returned, the softness and realness of the person lying in his embrace as he held her gave him a sense of serenity and peace of mind. The rain was relentless outside the window, but pin-drop silence filled the air inside the room. Their long and steady breaths tangled together in the darkness, making it impossible to differentiate between their breathing. Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Sophia woke up just as the rm went off. Seeing Alexander was still asleep, she reached out and turned the rm off. She then turned her head a little and studied the man''s face, which was slightly illuminated by the sun rays that shone through the gap between the curtains. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Alexander was handsome in every single way. His eyes were charming and mesmerizing, his nose sharp, his lips perfectly shaped, and his jaw sleek. When Sophia was fifteen years old, she found him handsome the moment sheid eyes on him. Now that thirteen years had passed, he looked more mature in a restrained and calm manner. As she was admiring his face, his eyes slowly fluttered open. Alexander''s eyes glinted as they shifted to look at her. ¡°Like what you see?¡± Sophia traced the skin between his brows. ¡°Yep.¡± That was how superficial she was¡ªshe liked her men good-looking. As soon as she answered him, the arm around her waist suddenly tightened, and she was pulled more than a dozen centimeters closer to him. Just like that, the distance of about thirty centimeters between them had been reduced to about fifteen centimeters. The distance allowed Sophia to feel every breath that Alexander exhaled. It''s warm. Immediately, she felt her face grow hot. ¡°I forgot to ask you somethingst night.¡± His voice sounded mellow and slightly hoarse, which was somewhat alluring. Perhaps that was the effect of having just awakened. How seductive. Sophia raised her brow and smiled at him. ¡°What is it?'' ¡°Did you miss me?¡± As he was saying that, he slipped another hand up the back of her head, making that area feel warm with his touch. She nced at him. ¡°Take a guess.¡± With that, she turned her head and called out, ¡°Genie, open the curtains.¡± A dimly lit space could easily give birth to a lustful atmosphere. While the curtains gradually opened, the bright sunlight shone in. At that, Sophia squinted and turned over to nce out the windows. ¡°The sun is up.¡± We should get up. However, Alexander shuffled over and pressed his body against her back. ¡°I missed you a lot.¡± His broad chest was warm, making Sophia feel her body heating up along with his temperature. Of course, that was not enough to make her flush. What made her bereft of words and embarrassed was the stiff private part that slipped between her legs. A smile formed on her lips as she lowered her gaze to look at the bracelet on her wrist, the one Alexander gifted herst night. ¡°I know.¡± In fact, I feel it. ¡°Do you have any meetings in the morning?¡± Suddenly, Alexander kissed her earlobe, which made Sophia freeze and grip the bed sheets. She uttered in a slightly breathless tone, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Mmm. Same here.¡± While saying that, he started kissing her back while slipping his massive hand under her shirt. Slowly, he moved his hand upward before finally resting it on her breasts. Meanwhile, Sophia closed her eyes and subconsciously curled her toes. As the seconds passed, their bodies got closer to each other, and the romantic tension in the room rose. At one point, Sophia could not help but moan. Their current position made her feel she was protected and cared for. Even Alexander''s actions had gotten much gentler. While he was moving, he lowered his head and breathed into her ear, ¡°I really missed you.¡± Sophia bit her lip. ¡°Me too.¡± The room was filled with a loving atmosphere that morning; it was a passionate way to start the day. It was close to nine o''clock by the time they were dressed and had sat by the dining table. Alexander had just ced a bun on Sophia''s te when his phone vibrated. Seeing Felix''s name on the screen put a frown on his face. Still, he answered it, though looking rather displeased. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Felix sensed the displeasure in Alexander''s tone, so he uttered carefully, ¡°Mr. Xenos, you have a meeting with Mr. Harding of Generation Corporation at ten o''clock in the morning.¡± The truth was, Felix never wanted to make that call, but Ruben Harding of Generation Corporation was not a person easy to make an appointment with. On top of that, Odyssey was working with Generation Corporation on a new project. Hence, they could not afford to ke on Ruben during their first meeting. Hearing that, Alexander nced at Sophia while muttering into the receiver, ¡°Got it.¡± With that, he hung up. Felix, on the other hand, gazed at the words ¡°call ended¡± for a long time, feeling as if Alexander''s words could not be trusted. To Felix, Alexander seemed like apletely different person ever since thetter started dating. In the past, Alexander was a workaholic who spent eighteen out of twenty-four hours a day in the office. Nowadays, Alexander was barely in the office during those eighteen hours. Of course, Felix liked the current version of Alexander better, for thetter was more human than before. Seeing the call had ended, Sophia shed Alexander a half-smile. ¡°Was that Mr. Lane?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Alexander answered. After some thought, he added, ¡°I don''t have a meeting in the morning, but I''m meeting up with Mr. Harding of Generation Corporation at ten o''clock.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± So, I was the one who misunderstood his words. Sophia huffed. ¡°But I don''t have a meeting in the morning.¡± The rain from yesterday had stopped, which made the temperature that day extra cooling. Alexander left the house after having breakfast, while Sophia did yoga for over an hour since she had no ns to go to Sunshine Group in the morning. It was not until around twelve in the afternoon did she drive out to have lunch and go to Sunshine Group. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Not long after she had sat down, Yvonne knocked on the door and entered her office. Sophia tapped her pen on the table, asking, ¡°What is it?¡± Yvonne nodded and handed Sophia a stack of documents. ¡°I''ve looked into the things you asked me to. This is the list of girls Connor has harmed over the years. There are a total of eighteen women. Twelve have settled the matter by epting money from him, while three of them moved to another city and have a family now. They no longer want to bring the matter up again.¡± While Yvonne was saying that, she handed another folder to Sophia. ¡°These are the women I''ve managed to contact and are willing to sue Connor. So far, I''ve let thewyer talk to them and have already officially issued Connor awyer''s letter.¡± Sophia quickly flipped through the documents and digested the information. However, her smile faded a little when she finished reading the documents. ¡°Did you find anything from his father''spany?¡± Yvonne shook her head guiltily. ¡°Not at the moment.¡± ¡°It''s okay. We''re not in a rush, anyway. Take your time.¡± Sophia smiled reassuringly. I''m going to make them pay double the price for hurting Tanya. Following that, another thought suddenly came to her mind. ¡°Oh, right. About Yvette, did you manage to contact the person I asked you to?¡± Yvonne nodded. ¡°The other party wants five hundred thousand.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Money isn''t a problem. I said I''d give her a big present, after all. At that, Yvonne informed Sophia about someone secretly probing her to find out if Sophia was the actual boss of Sunshine Group behind the scenes. Sophia could not help but raise a brow upon hearing that. ¡°Who''s asking?¡± ¡°It''s not someone we''re familiar with, but I''ve looked into the matter. It appears to be a friend of Mr. Queen''s.¡± ¡°As in Harold Queen?¡± Yvonne responded, ¡°Yes. That''s him.¡± Tutting lightly, Sophia remarked, ¡°Looks like Mrs. Queen has noticed something.¡± She then nced at Yvonne, saying, ¡°But it''s all right.¡± After all, she never nned to hide her identity as Suny forever. Back then, that identity only served the purpose of making things easier and helping her avoid unnecessary socialization. However, at this point, it was fine if her identity was exposed. Even so, Yvonne sighed, unable to bring herself to look Sophia in the eye. It was a mistake on her part, after all. ¡°All right. You may go out and continue with your work. Thanks for all the hard work.¡± Yvonne smiled at Sophia. ¡°It''s no problem at all, Ms. Yarrow. It''s what I should do.¡± Sophia returned the smile and watched Yvonne leave before flipping through the documents of the three victims who were willing to sue Connor. Chapter 311 Chapter 311 Sophia told Alexander she was going to attend Yvette''s wedding on Friday. She wasn''t nning on asking Alexander to apany her as she knew Yvette well. Alexander''s presence would only serve to boost Yvette''s ego. However, Alexander told her he didn''t have any meetings and was free that night. Hence, Sophia had to let him apany her to the wedding. The grandeur of Yvette''s wedding demonstrated Henry''s prosperity in recent years. Sophia''s only memory of Henry was that he had once confessed his feelings for her. She didn''t remember anything else about him. When they arrived in their car, there were already plenty of cars parked inside the hotel''s parking lot. The expensive cars parked there indicated that the guests were affluent individuals. Since both Henry and Yvette graduated from Jadeborough University, it was natural for influential figures to attend her wedding, given Yvette''s exceptional talent forworking. Sophia and Alexander had dinner beforeing to the hotel. It was seven when they arrived, so the sky wasn''tpletely dark yet. A red carpet was rolled out from the hotel''s entrance, extending all the way to the curb. A board was ced near the poles at the entrance of the hotel, disying Yvette and Henry''s wedding photo. Sophia nced at it briefly before heading into the hotel, holding hands with Alexander. They ascended the staircase to the second floor, where they were weed by the ushers. The ushers led them into the ballroom. Yvette came from a well-to-do family, and her parents immediately recognized Alexander when he walked in. They came over and nced at Sophia. ¡°You must be Ms. Sophia Yarrow, right?¡± Sophia shed them a smile. ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Saunders. Congrattions!¡± Yvette''s parents had met Sophia twice, so they recognized her. They first greeted her instead of Alexander most probably because Yvette told them to do so. Yvette was good at socializing, but her parents'' tendency to spoil her made her a temperamental woman who was prone to jealousy. ¡°Yvie told us you''re a good friend of hers at university. She instructed us to give you and Mr. Xenos a warm wee!¡± Yvette''s mother said warmly. She exhibited great diplomatic finesse, so it was clear that Yvette was heavily influenced by her parents. Yvette''s father said, ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow, we''re honored that you''re here. This way, please.¡± Sophia nced at Alexander before they headed into the ballroom. N?velDrama.Org content rights. To Sophia''s surprise, Yvette had arranged for them to sit in the front row, giving them the best seats in the ballroom. A wide smile spread across Sophia''s face as she settled in her seat. I wonder if Yvette will regret giving me the best viewing position once she sees the surprise I have in store for her. Alexander was ncing at her, so Sophia quickly shook off that thought and looked at him. ¡°I''m going to do something badter,¡± she whispered. ¡°What is it?¡± Alexander asked. He couldn''t keep his gaze off her. ¡°You''ll knowter.¡± Alexander took her hand and ced it in his palm. ¡°I can''t wait.¡± He can''t wait? Nice one. Sophia''s eyes crinkled up inughter as she tickled his palm deliberately. When they arrived, the ballroom was teeming with people. The number of guests grewter on. The wedding hadn''t even started yet, but desserts and drinks were already being served. The pre- dinner desserts looked exquisite, showcasing the effort Yvette had put into organizing her wedding. s, no matter how much effort she put into organizing her wedding, it was bound to be destroyed. Sophia noticed the lights dimming onstage. She took a sip of the juice in front of her. When the weddingmenced, the host took the stage and presented the opening speech. Henry appeared on stage, wearing a white suit and holding a bouquet in his hands. After the host finished speaking, the music started to y. The doors of the ballroom swung open, revealing Yvette standing there, hand in hand with her father. The spotlight beamed down on her, illuminating her dress covered in crystals. Sophia had to admit she looked quite gorgeous. Slowly, Yvette''s father led her to the stage. Sophia looked away and took another sip of her juice. Beside her, Alexander was busy replying to texts on his phone. Sophia turned to him. ¡°Didn''t you say you weren''t busy?¡± He showed her his phone. ¡°It''s Samuel.¡± The phone''s screen was unlocked. Sophia looked down and saw Samuel asking: When are you going to marry Sophia? Alexander had yet to reply to Samuel''s text as he only received it a while ago. Sophia poked Alexander. ¡°Mr. Schild sent another text.¡± Alexander nced at his phone and frowned after reading thetest text. ¡°Ignore him.¡± Samuel posed the question without much thought, intending to steer the conversation toward something serious. However, Alexander disregarded him before he could even get to the topic. Confused, Samuel wanted to call Alexander but remembered thetter was at a wedding. It wouldn''t be convenient for Alexander to answer his call. Samuel proceeded to reread their conversation three times but still couldn''t figure out what he said wrongly. When Samuel learned the truth muchter, he nearly cursed out loud in front of Alexander. He had no idea his casual question would cause this much trouble. Alexander ignored Samuel and didn''t bother replying to the text. He pocketed his phone without hesitation. Sophia arched a brow but said nothing. She wasn''t opposed to marrying him, but she knew that she would have to secure her grandfather''s approval first. Yvette came to a stop before Henry. The host''s words echoed in the room, praising the couple as a match made in heaven. Sophia regarded the couple as her grin grew wider. When they were both exchanging rings, two men suddenly barged into the ballroom. ¡°No! Yvie, you promised to marry me, didn''t you?¡± ¡°Yvie, you said you''ll be my wife!¡± Both men cried out at the same time. Their voices were pretty loud, so everyone in the ballroom heard them clearly even though they didn''t use a microphone. Yvette''s expression changed abruptly. Yvette''s mother quickly regained herposure and got the security guards to drag the unwanted visitors out. ¡°Yvie, did you forget our child? You promised you''ll marry me. Why did you lie to me?¡± ¡°Yvie, if you dare to marry him, I''ll expose the photos I took of you in my phone!¡± The two men stood their ground, and their remarks were quite startling. Yvette turned to Henry instinctively. ¡°Henry, I don''t know them. They are talking nonsense!¡± Henry wasn''t a fool. He shoved Yvette away and strode over to the men. ¡°Release them!¡± The security guards hesitated before releasing them. ¡°How are you rted to Yvette?¡± Henry demanded. ¡°I''m her boyfriend.¡± ¡°I''m her boyfriend!¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Yvette screamed. She dashed over to them and attempted to instruct the security guards to forcibly remove the men, but Henry stood his ground, adamantly refusing to allow the men to be ejected. The security guards were too intimidated by Henry to obey hermand. ¡°She''s my wife. She said she doesn''t know you.¡± One of the menughed out loud at Henry''s answer. ¡°How funny. A few days ago, your wife and I took some pretty racy photos in bed!¡± The man then showed his phone to Henry. Henry instantly gave Yvette a tight p. ¡°The wedding is off!¡± Despite themotion onstage, Sophia felt bored in her seat. Yvette was spared from public humiliation as Sophia decided not to release the scandalous photos to the public. Despite knowing that Tanya was struggling with depression, Yvette was cruel enough to appear in front of her and provoke her. Sophia looked away and gave Alexander a slight smile. ¡°Let''s go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± On the stage, the men were still demanding to know why Yvette had lied to them. It was a chaotic scene. Before leaving, Sophia turned over her shoulder to take onest look at Yvette being pulled around, looking both disheveled and humiliated. Good. I''m sure Yvette will remember today''s events, just like how Tanya could never forget the trauma she experienced. Chapter 312 Chapter 312 The wedding ceremony turned chaotic when uninvited guests stormed the stage, causing the groom to leave and the bride to be pulled around. It was such a cringy scene to witness, and some guests decided to leave while others stayed to record the incident with their phones. Henry''s parents stood up and hurried after their son, while Yvette''s parents and closest friends quickly made their way onto the stage to pull the men away. ¡°Police! We''ll call the police!¡± Yvette''s mother dered, her voice rising with rage as she pointed at the two men. Hearing that, Yvette paled slightly. ¡°Mom, isn''t this embarrassing enough?¡± She whirled around to face the men, her gaze narrowed in suspicion. ¡°I''m not sure who you are,¡± she dered, pretending not to know them. ¡°Somebody has obviously paid you toe here and disrupt my wedding. If you don''t leave right now, I''m going to have to call the police and have them remove you from the premises.¡± Yvette indeed knew both men, but she wasn''t their girlfriend as they imed. However, her rtionship with them wasn''t that innocent, either. After Henry''spany prospered this year, he got busy and kept going on business trips. Yvette had a lot of free time and decided to pass the time by ying games at home. Unfortunately, she wasn''t very good at it. One experienced yer noticed herck of skill and asked if she was female. She replied in the affirmative, and they soon started ying games together. Yvette''s ranking rose quickly in the game. She also joined some teams. One of these teams then organized an offline meeting, which she decided to attend. On the day of the event, everyone got drunk. Yvette then had sex with the young man who taught her how to y the game. The young man innocently asked if she wanted to date him after they woke up the next morning. Naturally, Yvette rejected him. After they went on separate ways, Yvette kept dreaming about their intimate session that night. Henry was busy with work and rarely went to the gym. His belly wasn''t visible when he wore a suit, but after he took off his clothes, it was hard to ignore. Yvette was sorely disappointed every time they had sex as Henry would end things as early as possible. She never wanted to betray Henry, but the young man was physically strong. Heter came to Jadeborough with his friends on a trip. One thing led to another, and they soon became friends with benefits. Six monthster, the young man told her he found a girlfriend, so they ended their rtionship mutually in peace. Not long after, Yvette went to a bar to celebrate her birthday. She bumped into another young man when she was about to leave. They were both drunk at that moment, and she tried to refuse when the man carried her into the car. However, thest time Yvette had sex was over three months ago after she broke up with the first guy. Having sex with Henry felt more like torture. As such, under the influence of alcohol, she had wild sex with the stranger in the car. The rtionship didn''tst for long, for Yvette ended things with him after Henry proposed to her. Little did she know that both men would cause amotion at her wedding six months or soter. She naturally hesitated to call the police, knowing that doing so would only confirm the men''s usations and invite trouble for herself. Nevertheless, there were many guests who remained behind to witness the chaos. Yvette was fully aware that she had beenpletely humiliated. Threatening to call the police would decrease the credibility of the men''s usations in the eyes of the guests. The men were paid to kick up a fuss here, and they didn''t want to end up in the police station. Upon hearing Yvette''s threat, one of the men struggled to break free from her friend''s grip and quickly turned to leave the stage. The other man took one look at Yvette andpleted his act by dering, ¡°Yvie, I''ll be waiting for you!¡± After making that sappy deration, he too turned to leave. Yvette nearly went crazy as she stared at their retreating backs. However, she had to remain calm as there were still guests hanging around in the ballroom. Suppressing her frustration, she made her way down and assisted her parents in sending off the guests. After that, she went to Henry to offer her side of the story. ¡°Henry, listen to me. I don''t know either of them! Someone who hated me must''ve hired them to cause amotion at our wedding!¡± From his seat on the couch, Henry gazed at her and then abruptly let out an icy snort. ¡°Yvette, do you take me for a fool?¡± Does she seriously think no one will find out what she did? Henry had been busy since the previous year. He devoted most of his days to work and spent at least ten days every month away on business trips. Every time he came back from a business trip, he''d discover some extra sexy clothes in their closet. When Henry first noticed it, he didn''t give it much thought. After several more instances, he came to the realization that something was amiss. However, there was nothing strange about Yvette, save for the fact that she wasn''t as proactive in bed anymore. They had been together for three years, so he assumed that was because they had progressed into the state of an old married couple. As such, the passion they once had for each other decreased. Henry then proposed to her in January. After that, Yvette went to work with him almost every day. Thus, he dismissed his previous suspicion. However, when the two men showed up tonight, Henry was sure they knew Yvette. He had previously seen one of the men in the photo Yvette took with her gaming friends on her phone. ¡°Of course not, Henry! I swear I''ll die a horrible death if I betrayed you!¡± Henry got to his feet. ¡°I can''t believe you''re bold enough to make that vow. We''ll file for divorce. If you don''t want the matter to escte, let''s go to the City Hall tomorrow!¡± ¡°No! I won''t get a divorce!¡± Yvette insisted. It wasn''t a matter of whether or not Yvette loved Henry. If they were to initiate divorce proceedings the following day, all the individuals present at their wedding that night would presume that she had indeed betrayed him. Henry''spany continued to thrive with each passing day, so Yvette was unwilling to let him go as she recognized his significant potential. She flung her arms around Henry and wailed, ¡°Henry, trust me! I didn''t betray you! I''m telling the truth. Someone must have set me up. You remember how ill-tempered I was in university and how many people I offended, right?¡± ¡°Fine, then. Can you tell me who despises you enough to go to such lengths and frame you?¡± Suddenly, Yvette thought of someone. ¡°Sophia! It must be Sophia!¡± Henry''s expression changed when he heard her using Sophia. The sympathy he felt for her disappeared into thin air as he shoved her away. ¡°I''ll see you tomorrow at the City Hall. If you don''t show up, I''ll have to meet the men who showed up tonight!¡± With that, he strode out and mmed the door shut behind him. Yvette copsed to the ground as her mind went nk. When she finally regained herposure, she couldn''t help but recall what Sophia told her a few days ago. Sophia told me she has a gift for me! During the university reunion, I remembered she gave me a warning. Why would she offer me a gift? She wouldn''t be so kind as to offer me a gift! Comprehension dawned on Yvette, and she pulled out her phone to call Sophia. Sophia had just stepped out of the car when her phone started vibrating. She fished for her phone in the bag and pulled it out. Although she hadn''t saved Yvette''s number, she recognized it because Yvette had phoned her before. Turning to Alexander, she remarked cheerfully, ¡°She''s most probably calling me to yell at me.¡± She answered the call and put Yvette on loudspeaker. ¡°Did you manage to resolve the situation at the scene that quickly?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°It was you! You hired them to destroy my wedding, right?¡± Yvette screamed. Sophia chuckled, but she didn''t admit or deny it. ¡°Ms. Saunders, what are you talking about? I don''t understand a word you said.¡± ¡°It was you! Why did you do that to me? I didn''t do anything to harm you, didn''t I?¡± Sophia''s expression turned frosty. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Chapter 313 Chapter 313 On the other end of the phone, Yvette didn''t answer immediately, seemingly having thought of something. A momentter, she asserted, ¡°Yes! I merely said some unpleasant things to you. Never had I done anything that crossed the line to you! Yet, you''re doing this to me! No matter what, Sophia, we were once ssmates! You''ll regret this! I''ll have you regret it!¡± ¡°If that''s what you think, then you''re truly forgetful. You dated Connor for half a year, but you don''t even remember him now?¡± Sophia paused in her speech for a second before drawling, ¡°I''ll be waiting for you to make me regret it.¡± After saying that, she hung up the phone right away without giving a hoot about Yvette''s reaction. Memories from the past made her expression a touch chilly. Beside her, Alexander reached out and took her hand upon seeing that she had ended the phone call, squeezing it lightly. ¡°Do you want me to help you?¡± The smile on Sophia''s face gradually returned. She then chuckled softly. ¡°No, it''s okay.¡± I''ll have them all drop to their knees and beg for forgiveness before Tanya! ¡°Okay then,¡± Alexander murmured. Subsequently, he led her upstairs by the hand. The incident during the wedding created an uproar, but it didn''t really matter to Sophia and Alexander. It was the weekend tomorrow, and it was still early then. Sophia picked a thriller, and they both watched the movie in the home theater with a te of honeydew. Sophia hadn''t watched any movies in a long time, so she wasn''t drowsy even when the time ticked past ten o''clock. Meanwhile, Alexander fed her a slice of honeydew from time to time. As a result, she was pretty much stuffed by the time the movie came to an end. She turned and cast the man a sidelong nce. ¡°Did you feed them all to me?¡± ¡°I ate some, too.¡± Dipping his head, Alexander kissed her lightly. Sophia''s eyes flickered as something abruptly urred to her. ¡°If I''m not mistaken, there''s an auction tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°Are you interested in going?¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. In truth, Alexander had long since received an invitation though he hadn''t much interest in attending. It was Saturday tomorrow, and he was more inclined to spend the day with Sophia. ¡°It''s going to be July soon, and Granddad''s birthday is on the tenth of August.¡± When Alexander heard that, his ebony eyes glinted imperceptibly. ¡°In that case, we''ll go and have a look tomorrow night.¡± ¡°I heard that there''ll be a white emerald carving of Pegasus from the reign of Emperor ric.¡± Actually, Sophia had no idea what to give to Perrin as a birthday gift. Hecked nothing and was merely fond of ying chess and fishing with his formerrade-in-arms. Unfortunately, thetter was currently sick and bedridden, so he had no one to apany him in doing all that. After much consideration, she decided to procure the carving. After all, Perrin could keep it as part of his collection. ¡°Okay, we''ll go.¡± Needless to say, Alexander had no objections. The auction was at night. As Sophia went to bedte the previous night, it was already past eight o''clock by the time she woke up in the morning. Alexander was no longer in the room, and the space wasn''t pitch-dark, thanks to the sunlight and brightness beyond the curtains. Sophia sat up and tarried for some time before washing up. No sooner had she stepped out of the bathroom after washing up than her phone on the bedside table vibrated incessantly. Reaching out, Sophia picked up the phone. The instant she glimpsed the caller ID, she was startled for once. ¡°Tanya?¡± ¡°Good morning, Sophia. Did I wake you?¡± Sophia chortled before she snagged the remote at the side and opened the curtains. The sunlight slowly streamed in. Strolling out, she stood on the balcony, squinting slightly. ¡°Nope. What''s the matter?¡± On the other end of the phone, Tanya fell silent for a moment. ¡°Yvette called me this morning.¡± At once, the smile on Sophia''s face faded. In the next heartbeat, a pair of hands encircled her waist without warning. She nced back over her shoulder at Alexander before asking Tanya, ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°She said you ruined her wedding with Henryst night.¡± When Tanya finished her sentence, she likely realized that her remark sounded usative and hastily added, ¡°Don''t get me wrong, Sophia. I merely want to warn you to be careful of her. From her tone, she seems intent on taking revenge on you.¡± It''s been years, but Tanya has never changed. A wealth of warmth suffused Sophia. ¡°Okay, got it.¡± Pausing briefly, she looked down at Alexander''s arms around her waist, a smile blooming on her face. Then, she continued, ¡°The weather is quite good today. You should go out and have fun with Mrs. Gomez.¡± ¡°I will. I''ll leave you to it, then.¡± ¡°Enjoy the weekend.¡± ¡°You, too.¡± After disconnecting the call, Tanya stared down at the phone in her hand for a long time before turning and casting her eyes at the window by her side. In reality, that wasn''t all Yvette said on the phone. She spoke at length, mentioning Connor and Tanya herself. She said that Sophia had lost her mind because thetter still wanted to avenge Tanya after so many years had passed. Tanya hadn''t dwelled much upon those devastating matters recently, but following thatment from Yvette, she was dragged into the abyss again. Well, Sophia is right. Today is a nice sunny day. Just then, Laura came in with some fruits in hand. ¡°Tani?¡± Retracting her gaze from outside the window, Tanya tilted her head and looked at her mother. ¡°The weather is great today, Mom. Shall we go out for a walk?¡± Laura was stunned for a moment. When she registered the meaning of those words, her eyes stung, and she nodded fervently. ¡°Yes, yes! Sure!¡± The doctor reported that Tanya''s condition was much more stable then, and her insomnia at night had also improved. During the day, her mood had always been pretty good. And that day, the weather was great indeed. It had been a long time since she had gone shopping with her mother. Everything was slowly taking a turn for the better, and life was getting back on track. To Liam, however, life had been smothering himtely. He felt as though he couldn''t quite catch his breath anymore. His mistress, Ximena Whn, suddenly wanted to abort their baby. That aside, his parents''pany''s supplier decided to stop supplying goods to them out of the blue. They had millions of orders to complete and would have to fork out tens of millions inpensation if they couldn''t deliver after two months. The only respite was the new project hispany obtained a while ago. They initially stood no chance of securing that project, and he was already nning to give up. All of a sudden, the manager of Perpetuity Corporation sought him out that day and asked him whether he had confidence in aplishing the project. Nevertheless, there was still one thing that irritated him greatly. I wonder if Tanya had met some rich man. She not only bought a house in Jadeborough but is also hiding so well. I''ve asked several people about her, but there''s still no news of where exactly she is right now! With that in mind, Liam lifted his leg and kicked the couch in front of him in irritation. She''s hiding, huh? If she''s smart, she''d better stay in hiding forever! Otherwise, I''ll definitely make her regret it! Of course, if she dares to reveal herself, I''ll undoubtedly take the multi-million house in Jadeborough for myself! At that precise moment, his secretary informed him about a phone call from Perpetuity Corporation. Immediately, he corralled his thoughts. Perpetuity Corporation was a hugepany. Therefore, if Liam performed well in that project, he would no longer need to expend the effort to seek out projects in the future. Instead, people would come knocking on his door. As soon as Yvonne received news about Liam, she phoned Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, we''ve already cut off the supplier for Liam''s parents''pany. Also, Mr. Lemer from Perpetuity Corporation called and said that Liam has already signed the contract.¡± Closing the book in her hands, Sophia tsked softly. ¡°Okay, got it. There''s no hurry. Let Liam and the others enjoy their lives a few days more.¡± In a few days, they''ll know how it feels to be in hell. When she hung up the phone, Alexander was already done cooking. He was a man of his word, keeping his promise of cooking every day henceforth. It was Saturday that day, and Sophiained about it being too hot, so she didn''t want to go out. Thus, Alexander had someone deliver some fresh ingredients and personally cooked lunch. From five or six meters away, Sophia could already smell the fragrant aroma of food. Putting down her book, she went into the kitchen and washed her hands. By the time she came out, Alexander had already served the food. She looked the man wearing an apron up and down before she inexorably burst into giggles. ¡°You make a good househusband, Mr. Xenos.¡± Upon hearing that, Alexander lifted his eyes and pinned them on her. ¡°Indeed. When are you nning to marry me, then?¡± Chapter 314 Chapter 314 At the end of the day, Samuel''s remarkst night had still hit a sore spot with Alexander. After he said that, his ebony eyes flickered imperceptibly. ¡°I don''t mean to pressure you.¡± Sophia adjusted the fork in her hand for a better grip. She sat down before raising her head and training her gaze on him. ¡°I know.¡± Then, she paused for a heartbeat before quipping, ¡°If you''re pressuring me, there must be a ring at the very least, no?¡± Without anything, I''d never agree to his marriage proposal, even if he were to pressure me into doing so. Katherine is right. The first time I married him, there was no grand proposal or romantic wedding. Everything was just for show, going through the motions. Now that we''ve gotten together again, I don''t want to get married so fast anymore. Nor do I want things to be the same as it was back then when all ceremonies were a mere formality. Alexander''s Adam''s apple bobbed when he heard those words. Honestly speaking, he understood her meaning. Yet, he still couldn''t resist asking, ¡°You''ll agree if there''s a ring?¡± At that, Sophia shot him a sidelong nce. ¡°You wish, Alexander!¡± ¡°Of course! It''s my greatest wish.¡± In a sh, Sophia''s face med. At the same time, she averted her gaze slightly. Staring down at the four dishes in front of her, she changed the subject andplimented, ¡°They look good.¡± I just don''t know whether they''ll taste good. Reality proved that Alexander had an innate talent for cooking. Neither of them had ever prepared those four dishes. Sophia remembered the time when she first cooked the very same food. It was pretty much a traumatic memory. Conversely, while Alexander''s first attempt right then couldn''tpare to a chef''s cooking, it smelled wonderful and tasted delicious at least. Oh well, everyone has their own talents. I''m better at making money! Later, Alexander prepared dinner as well. Although it was only for that weekend, Sophia could imagine that it would certainly be him cooking at home in the future as she stood by the kitchen door and watched him bustle around. After all, he had never lied to her despite his rather shabby treatment of her in the past. Following that, Sophia felt that remarrying the man wasn''t all such an uneptable notion. Naturally, it all hinged on Alexander sessfully convincing her granddad into giving his agreement. They left home at half past six and arrived at the auction house around seven o''clock. The auction that night was scheduled to begin at ten past seven. As such, there were already many people seated in the auction hall by then. Surprisingly, a number of people they knew were in attendance. Both Ka and Bethany''s friends were also there. The social circle of socialites in Jadeborough wasn''t all that big, so they would asionally hang out together in spite of being mere acquaintances in private. When Sophia and Alexander entered the hall, Ka and Bethany''s best friends were talking about something or other with their heads lowered. The instant they lifted their heads and caught sight of the couple, their faces went as ck as thunder. Smiling, Sophia calmly inclined her head at them in greeting. They were still chatting andughing earlier, but at that moment, their expressions were utterly grim. Only when Sophia and Alexander had left did they dip their heads and whisper among themselves. ¡°Have they truly gotten back together?¡± ¡°I don''t know either, but that''s the rumor within the circle these days.¡± Ka''s friend gritted her teeth. ¡°It was all because of Sophia that Kay was sent abroad by the Fletcher family!¡± Bethany''s friend likewise thought of Bethany. While she had no idea where exactly thetter had gone, she had a hunch that the matter was inextricably linked to Sophia. s, they couldn''t afford to offend Sophia, considering her current status and power. Bethany''s friend heaved a sigh. ¡°Sophia is no longer the same now. Not only does she have Alexander backing her up, but she''s also no easy prey herself. The crisis that struck the White family''s Expedite is a warning for everyone. We''d best stay away from her.¡± Undeniably, she was a pretty sensible one. It went without saying that Sophia had no inkling of what they were whispering about. Nheless, she had no doubt that it wasn''t anything good. Verily, a lot of people she knew attended the auction that day. Never mind that she had bumped into Ka and Bethany''s best friends, but she even ran into Megan and Casper. However, Megan definitely didn''t dare provoke Sophia anymore after the incident back then. The items at the auction that day were all quite impressive. But still, Sophia basically took no interest in any of them. Neither did Alexander beside her. When the final item¡ªthe Pegasus carving¡ªappeared, Sophia''s eyes flickered slightly. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Beside her, Alexander gazed down at her. ¡°Do you want it?¡± In response, Sophia chuckled. ¡°It''s quite a pretty piece. I just don''t know whether Granddad will like it.¡± At the recollection of the calligraphy work and vase Perrin had gifted her a while ago, mirth bubbled within her. ¡°Then, we''ll just get it first.¡± Whether he likes it or not will be another story. Mulling it over, Sophia felt that the suggestion made sense. ¡°Okay.¡± She paused briefly before adding, ¡°I''ll bid for it myself.¡± It''s not like I''ve got no money. I''m not going to use his before we''re married, lest those gossipmongers start getting on about me coveting his wealth. Hearing that, Alexander could only lower the paddle in his hand. ¡°All right, you go ahead, then.¡± As he spoke, he put his paddle down and took her right hand. The starting price for the Pegasus carving was a little over one point two million. Raising her paddle, Sophia upped the bid to one point five million at once. Few people present dared to increase the bidding price. When Megan heard the auctioneer''s cry, she couldn''t help frowning. ¡°Who offered that price?¡± How rich and generous! The moment she turned back and saw that it was Sophia, her expression changed drastically. In truth, she had a mission that day. Harold had a hobby of collecting antiques. After the incident with the vase that made him aughingstock some time ago, he recently heard that the Pegasus carving would be on auction. Hence, he ordered Megan to attend the auction that night and acquire it. Money wasn''t a concern to Megan since the Queen family could still afford to fork out a million or two. The fact that Sophia was the person bidding on it, however, plunged her into a dilemma. Indeed, she didn''t dare provoke Sophia anymore. But on the other hand, Harold instructed her to secure the Pegasus carving at all costs. Feeling conflicted, she turned to Casper. ¡°Should I raise the paddle, Casper?¡± What if Sophia were to misconstrue my action? Casper cast a look back over his shoulder before answering, ¡°Go ahead. It''ll be fine.¡± After all, this is an auction, and everyone can bid. Within the half a minute in which Megan had been hesitating, someone else had already increased the bid for the Pegasus carving to one point six million. She then raised the paddle in her hand and put in a bid of one point seven million. Although the distance between them was somewhat far, and Sophia couldn''t quite see the person who ced a bid, she remembered that Megan and Casper sat in that vicinity. Hmm, Megan still dares to challenge me? I don''t think so. I was the person who first bid on the Pegasus carving, and since she did the same, it''s probably Harold''s orders for her to get hold of it. At that thought, Sophia raised the bid to two million straight away. It wasn''t that she was deliberatelypeting with Megan, but she felt that the Pegasus carving would make a presentable birthday present. Seeing as she couldn''t find any other suitable gifts at the moment, she had no choice but to procure the Pegasus carving first. Nevertheless, she had done her research on the value of the Pegasus carving beforehand. Any more than two million would be too expensive for it. Therefore, she wouldn''t continue raising the bid if Megan dared to do so. ¡°Two million one hundred thousand!¡± When Sophia saw Megan raising her paddle, she chuckled softly. ¡°Ah, never mind.¡± I''ll let her win for once. The price was rather exorbitant, so no one present continued fighting with Megan. An imperceptible frown marred Alexander''s countenance. ¡°Don''t you want it anymore?¡± ¡°Since Ms. Queen is raising the bid, it''s probably because Mr. Queen wants it. I''ll let her have it this time.¡± No matter what, Jessica is Samuel''s aunt. I''ll just do Samuel this favor. While saying that, Sophia paused momentarily. Fixing her eyes on Alexander, she divulged smilingly, ¡°I''m doing this in consideration of Mr. Schild.¡± ¡°You don''t need to take him into consideration.¡± At Alexander''s disdainful retort, Sophia burst out giggling. ¡°Well, it''s still necessary once in a while.¡± Ultimately, I can''t always show him such tant disregard. Chapter 315 Chapter 315 When it was time to leave, Alexander had just led Sophia to the entrance of the hall when Megan, who was in the middle of rying some information to the staff, suddenly called out to the former woman. ¡°Ms. Yarrow!¡± Sophia nced at Alexander and stopped in her tracks before turning around to face Megan with a faint smile. ¡°It''s been a while, Ms. Queen.¡± ¡°Indeed, it has.¡± Megan tensed up as she noticed Alexander ncing at her. Still, she forced a smile knowing that she owed Sophia a word of thanks for the Pegasus carving. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± The woman still knew her manners, and this time, her expression of gratitude sounded much more sincere than all those apologies she uttered in the past. Sophia couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow in response. ¡°Not at all. That was only fair.¡± Megan pursed her lips. ¡°Still, I must thank you. Anyway, I''ll have to go submit my information, so I shan''t bother you and Mr. Xenos now.¡± With that, she turned and left. After watching Megan leave in a hurry, Sophia shot Alexander an amused nce. ¡°Are you that frightening?¡± Alexander eyed her in return, the frostiness in his eyes vanishing instantly. ¡°She''s just too faint- hearted.¡± The woman let out a chuckle. ¡°Let''s go.¡± As Megan returned to Casper''s side, she couldn''t resist looking at Sophia again. By then, thetter had already walked out the door with Alexander, leaving behind nothing but her graceful silhouette. I don''t want to admit it, but she really is gorgeous. She''s the one who started the bid on the Pegasus carving. And I know two million means nothing to her now, but she didn''t continue raising the bid. It doesn''t take an idiot to know that she deliberately let me win the bid. After arriving home, Megan exined what had happened to Harold and Jessica with mixed feelings. ¡°It doesn''t matter what she intended by that. Just don''t get on her bad side,¡± Jessica reminded with a frown. She now knew not to underestimate Sophia, having already suffered at the hands of thetter twice. ¡°I''m not stupid, Mom,¡± Megan retaliated sullenly. She felt like hiding whenever she saw Sophia after the past two incidents that had happened between them. That was why she was on edge the whole time while bidding for the Pegasus carving; Harold would have been displeased if she didn''t win it, but at the same time, she was worried that Sophia would use her of starting another fight. I can''t believe she actually let me have the carving. Is this all a dream? Harold pondered for a moment before expressing with uncertainty, ¡°Maybe she did it for Samuel.¡± Megan froze briefly. ¡°I think Dad''s right, Mom!¡± ¡°I''ll give Samuel a call, then,¡± Jessica remarked after some thought. Harold nodded. ¡°Sure. Being the middleman here must be tough, especially after what happened the last two times.¡± Jessica scowled at the thought of the past events. Still, knowing that Sophia had helped them this time, she took out her phone and gave Samuel a call. Samuel was ted to hear the news. ¡°Really, Aunt Jessica?¡± Surprised to know that Sophia forwent the Pegasus carving for his sake, he couldn''t quite believe his ears. ¡°Well, we don''t know what Ms. Yarrow was thinking. But there''s no denying that she made things easier for us, so be sure to treat her to a meal on my behalf,¡± Jessica chided in a joking manner. If she were the one treating Sophia to lunch, a mere couple of exchanges between them would probably lead to another fight. ¡°Okay, Aunt Jessica.¡± After hanging up, Samuel dialed Alexander''s number right away. ¡°Hey, Alex, is Sophia with you?¡± Alexander shot Sophia a nce. ¡°What''s up?¡± ¡°My aunt just gave me a call to tell me about the Pegasus carving. She wants me to treat you both to lunch on her behalf. Are you free tomorrow? It''ll be a Sunday.¡± Hearing that, Alexander muttered to the woman next to him, ¡°Samuel wants to buy us lunch.¡± Sophia beamed. ¡°Sure.¡± She had something to discuss with Samuel, anyway. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°See you tomorrow, then,¡± Samuel replied in an unusually tactful manner. ¡°Yep.¡± Alexander hung up and turned to Sophia. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, noticing her staring at him. The woman smiled. ¡°It''s been a while since youst hung out with Mr. Schild and the rest, hasn''t it?¡± ¡°I never received an invitation.¡± Previously, he did, but Samuel eventually epted the fact that Alexander was the type to ditch his friends after getting himself a woman, so the calls stoppeding. Then, Sophia recalled what she had seen a few days ago. ¡°Is Mr. Schild seeing someone now?¡± Alexander''s gut instinct was to disagree in contempt, but the smile on Sophia''s face made him change his mind. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I saw him with a girl a few days back, but they were too far away for me to be sure.¡± That was on the second day of Alexander''s work trip. She had asked Robert out to lunch andter spotted Samuel leading a woman into his car. ¡°It''s possible.¡± Even so, Alexander found it hard to believe that any woman would be interested in a dolt like Samuel. Of course, there were those who approached him for his money, but he would have still been smart enough to see through them. Seeing that Alexander wasn''t sure either, Sophia stopped asking. The winds were rather dreary after dusk in July. Alexander opened the car door and waited for Sophia to hop in before making his way over to the driver''s seat. It was nine by the time they returned to the mansion, and Sophia carried a watermelon in her hands, requesting Alexander to slice it up. After changing into her loungewear, she stood at the kitchen door and huffed while watching the man cut the fruit. ¡°Are you staying here again tonight, Mr. Xenos?¡± He had already spent the past three nights here. When Alexander was done slicing the watermelon, he washed his hands and brought the te of fruit over to her. ¡°I don''t want to go home,¡± he responded only after holding a slice in front of her lips. Sophia bit into the watermelon and tried to grab the entire slice, but he had already ced it over his own mouth and taken a huge bite. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she walked to the couch to turn on the TV. ¡°Shouldn''t you start paying rent, then?¡± In response, the man followed her over with the te of fruit, took his wallet out of his pocket, and handed it to her. ¡°The code is your birthday.¡± Sophia opened up his wallet to find several thousand in cash along with two bank cards. Baffled, she took the cash out and separated fifteen hundred from the stash. ¡°Five hundred per night. That''s the market rate.¡± Alexander sat down next to her with an arched brow before giving her one of the bank cards. ¡°I''d like to book a lifetime room, then.¡± Sophia raised an eyebrow too. ¡°How much is there in here? A lifetime room''s going to cost you a lot more.¡± People usually charged less the longer the stay, but for her, it was the opposite. ¡°I''m not sure, but there shouldn''t be less than thirty million in there.¡± He had so many cards that he couldn''t remember the amount that each one contained. The woman returned the card in an instant. ¡°You''re lowballing me.¡± ¡°How much do you want, then?¡± he asked, passing her a slice of watermelon. She turned to him with a grin. ¡°There''s no lifetime service at the moment.¡± Noticing the smugness in her eyes, the man gulped before grabbing onto her to kiss her. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°My watermelon¡ª¡± He ced her watermelon slice on the table and pulled her toward him. The air conditioner was on, but the temperature couldn''t seem to stop rising. Sophia nced at her slice of fruit on the table and reckoned that she wouldn''t be able to eat any more of it tonight. Chapter 316 Chapter 316 It was past eleven when Alexander carried Sophia from the bathroom to the bed. Recalling how her phone had vibrated several times earlier, the woman was about to head downstairs to retrieve it, only to be stopped. ¡°What do you want?¡± asked the man. ¡°My phone?¡± Sophia replied while touching her scarlet face. ¡°And watermelon.¡± She had only taken one bite of the sweet fruit. Hearing that, Alexander couldn''t help but chuckle. All the coldness in his eyes disappeared in a sh as he gazed at her tenderly. ¡°I''ll get them for you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia pulled the thin nket over herself. After watching him leave the room, she looked down and smiled to herself. The man soon returned with the te of fruit and her phone, and she turned red at the sight of two missed calls from Lukas. It was past eleven by now, and Lukas had called about forty minutes ago. I can''t call him back right now. It hasn''t even been an hour. If I call him now, he''d probably be able to guess what I was just up to! The woman''s face grew increasingly warmer at the thought of what had just happened. Then, she shot Alexander a re. ¡°It''s all your fault.¡± The man nced at her screen. ¡°Should I help you call him back?¡± ¡°Do you want me to get yelled at?¡± Sophia asked, exasperated. If Lukas were to learn that Alexander had been staying at her ce and refusing to leave, he would probably be on his way over from Doveston to unleash his wrath. Alexander stared at her. ¡°That won''t happen. He''d just yell at me.¡± Sophia wasn''t buying that. ¡°I''ll call him back tomorrow.¡± The next day, she was up by around seven just to return Lukas'' call. ¡°But it''s still so early,¡± Alexander, who was lying behind her, murmured with furrowed brows. ¡°I have to call Lukas back.¡± Struggling to break free from Alexander''s embrace, Sophia grabbed her phone and sat up. ¡°You can go back to sleep. I''m heading outside.¡± Just as she was about to leave, the man in bed held onto her. ¡°There''s no need for that. Call him right here.¡± Sophia cast him a nce. ¡°Okay.¡± It took Lukas a mere few seconds to pick up her call. ¡°Sophia?¡± ¡°Good morning, Lukas.¡± She fell silent for a moment before exining, ¡°I slept pretty earlyst night.¡± Lukas knew how strictly she kept to her daily schedule. ¡°Your birthday''sing up soon. Grandpa''s asking if you want toe back and celebrate in Doveston.¡± Sophia removed her hand from her face. ¡°We could have a meal together.¡± This was the first year she rejoined the Dawson family, so she naturally wanted to spend her birthday with them. In fact, the woman had already nned out her activities. She would first celebrate her early birthday in Jadeborough before heading over to Doveston on the day itself and having cake with the family. Lukas understood her intentions. ¡°Okay. I''ll let Grandpa know,¡± he responded before pausing briefly. ¡°Does Grandpa already know about you and Alexander?¡± ¡°He does,¡± Sophia answered sheepishly. She wouldn''t dare tell him that Alexander was, in fact, right next to her in bed. ¡°You''d best be prepared this time. Grandpa isn''t as easy to fool as I am,¡± Lukas reminded, not wanting to say much else. Sophia didn''t get it at first, but it soon dawned on her that he was talking about Zayne. ¡°I understand,¡± she replied awkwardly. ¡°Okay. Take care of yourself.¡± ¡°You too, Lukas.¡± She turned to Alexander after hanging up. ¡°Guess what Lukas told me.¡± The man hugged her from behind. ¡°To not leave me?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°If he wanted me to leave you, he would''ve already taken me back to Doveston long ago.¡± ¡°Is your grandpa nning to matchmake you?¡± The woman scoffed. ¡°You''re a smart one.¡± Alexander''s face clouded over immediately. ¡°Can you not go?¡± ¡°This isn''t for me to decide.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. What if the guy shows up at the Dawson residence? I wouldn''t be able to do anything about that. Alexander tightened his arm around her and gently sighed over her ear, choosing not to continue the subject. Meanwhile, Samuel had proven his sincerity by sending an address over early that morning. After putting on some light makeup, Sophia headed out to the restaurant with Alexander. Samuel was already waiting for them when they arrived. ¡°Hi, Alex, Sophia,¡± he greeted. Sophia beamed at him. ¡°Long time no see, Mr. Schild.¡± ¡°You''ll get me into trouble if you call me that,¡± Samuel uttered while eying Alexander briefly. As expected, thetter red at him as soon as his words fell. Given how long it had been since the two menst saw each other, that also meant it had been a while since Samuel got on Alexander''s nerves. The former couldn''t help but click his tongue upon seeing his old friend. ¡°Alex has such a rotten temper, Sophia. Are you sure you don''t want to reconsider?¡± His remarks made Sophiaugh, whereas the man next to her stared at Samuel icily. ¡°You''re better off keeping your mouth shut.¡± ¡°I can''t stay quiet. In fact, I owe Sophia my thanks.¡± Aware that he was referring tost night''s events, the woman smiled. ¡°Don''t mention it. It was as easy as lifting a hand. I did it for you.¡± Rather, she had helped him out by not lifting her hand during the final bid. Samuel grew full of himself as he heard that. ¡°In that case, I hope you''ll continue to show me your kind consideration over matters like this.¡± Overall, Sophia enjoyed the meal. Despite being a man of few words most of the time, Alexander was a lot chattier with Samuel. While Sophia had always wondered why Alexander could be so shameless, it finally dawned on her today. Birds of the same feathers flock together. There had to be a reason the two men could be friends; perhaps it was their simr traits. Samuel''s a lot more shameless, though. I guess I''ve learned something new today. ¡°It''s been a while since west yed golf! How about a few rounds?¡± Samuel proposed after paying for the meal, seeing how perfect the weather was. Alexander merely threw him a disdainful nce. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not? Do you guys have other ns? Take me with you!¡± Sophia watched the two men in silent amusement. Alexander snorted. ¡°Why? So you can be a third wheel?¡± Samuel turned to Sophia. ¡°Aren''t you going to do something about this behavior of his, Sophia?¡± The womanughed. ¡°I think he''s right, though.¡± Samuel was rendered speechless. It sucks to be a single pringle. Feeling attacked, he called out to them, ¡°I''m leaving. Don''t try to stop me!¡± Yet, he turned back after taking just two steps forward. ¡°No, wait. Let mee along! I''ll bring a friend. I promise we won''t get in your way.¡± While Alexander remained uninterested, Sophia seemed to have an idea. ¡°Okay. You''re more than wee to join us if you bring a girl.¡± Samuel felt there was more to Sophia''s words than she was letting on, but it wasn''t as if he had anything better to do today. ¡°In that case, you guys can head over to the golf course first. I''ll bring someone with me and meet you there.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Okay. See you there.¡± ¡°See you!¡± Ecstatic about the sudden ns, Samuel hastily whipped out his phone and dialed Samantha''s number. Sophia tugged on Alexander''s arm gently. ¡°Let''s head over to the golf course, then.¡± The man frowned as he watched Samuel make a phone call in excitement, but upon noticing the smile in Sophia''s eyes, he could only nod in agreement. Still, he had to remind her, ¡°Most of the girls Samuel is close to are his cousins.¡± In other words, they were all spoilt little princesses. Of course, he would never let them walk over Sophia; he just didn''t want her to get upset. Sophia arched a brow at him. ¡°Did you forget about the girl I saw him with that day?¡± Realizing her intentions, Alexander squeezed her palm. ¡°We don''t have to worry about him.¡± Sophia grinned. ¡°I like lending a helping hand every now and then, you know?¡± Chapter 317 Chapter 317 ¡°Alex, Sophia!¡± Sophia had just teed off when Samuel walked over with a girl. She was the same girl Sophia had seen the other day from afar. Sophia nced at Alexander and chuckled. ¡°I don''t suppose she''s one of Mr. Schild''s cousins?¡± Even Alexander was slightly surprised. ¡°How rare.¡± He couldn''t believe Samuel had managed to invite a girl out. That''s a first. ¡°Alex, Sophia, this is my friend, Samantha Stone.¡± Then, he turned to Samantha and said, ¡°Samantha, this is Alexander and Sophie. I think you should''ve heard about them.¡± Samantha had undoubtedly heard of the famous Alexander and his ex-wife, Sophia. However, she only knew them from others'' gossip, and that was her first time meeting them in person. Her heart skipped a beat as she was captivated by Sophia''s exquisite facial features at first nce. Nheless, taking in Alexander''s poker face, Samantha didn''t dare to show her excitement. Instead, she smiled politely and greeted the couple, ¡°It''s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Yarrow and Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander nodded in response while Sophia shed a grin. ¡°Have you yed golf before, Ms. Stone?¡± Samantha instantaneously rxed, listening to Sophia''s gentle voice and taking in her pretty, cheerful mien. ¡°This is my first time here.¡± If it weren''t for the sake of returning the debt, I wouldn''t have shown up here. Sophia nodded understandingly. ¡°In that case, let me teach you.¡± Alexander, who was standing at one side, furrowed his brows slightly after hearing that. In contrast, Samuel was delighted. ¡°Alex, let''s have a match. It has been so long since Ist yed.¡± Alexander nced at Sophia and noticed thetter beaming at him. Only then did he turn around and walk away with Samuel. Sophia asked someone to bring over a golf club. ¡°Actually, golf is not difficult to learn. There are a few techniques...¡± Sophia''s pleasant voice sounded like a treat for Samantha''s ears. Her exnation was simple and straight to the point. Sophia even held Samantha''s hands and guided her on the steps to swing the club. Samantha picked up the skill in no time. Sensing Samantha had gotten the hang of it, Sophia stepped to one side and gazed at her with a faint smile. ¡°Go ahead and give it a try.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia was more beautiful and tender than Samantha imagined, so thetter was no longer worried about getting put in a tight spot as she did when she first arrived. Just half an hourter, the two were able to chat like old friends. ¡°You look even prettier in person than in pictures,¡± Samantha uttered sincerely. She sipped on her water while gazing at Sophia, whose cheeks were slightly reddened as she sat in the sun. Sophia giggled. ¡°Thank you. You''re gorgeous too.¡± Good-looking people always had bewitching smiles. Samantha calmed her palpitating heart and initiated a conversation. ¡°Do you know how I became acquainted with Samuel?¡± ¡°I don''t reckon you got to know each other because Mr. Schild asked for your phone number?¡± Samanthaughed. ¡°You''ve guessed half of it correctly.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± A little taken aback, Sophia couldn''t help but arch her brow. Samantha briefly recounted the incident the other night. ¡°To be honest, if my friend weren''t there when I was writing down my contact number, I would''ve left a fake one.¡± Samuel suddenly appeared next to the girls while they were chatting. ¡°What fake one?¡± Samantha was startled and subconsciously shifted her eyes onto Sophia. Sophia chirped, ¡°It''s nothing. We were just discussing whether a celebrity''s nose is real.¡± Samuel did not doubt her words. ¡°Oh. You can ask me regarding matters like this. I know a lot of insider information.¡± The Schild family was involved in the filming and entertainment industry, so Samuel was indeed well- informed about such tittle-tattles. Sophia mentioned a random celebrity''s name. Samuel scratched his nose awkwardly. ¡°Regrettably, I don''t know about that. I''m not familiar with details of lesser-known celebrities.¡± Sophia clucked. ¡°It seems like Samantha knows more about things like this, then. She''s Yelena''s assistant.¡± Yelena Zastrow was a popr celebrity underary Media, and Samantha worked as Yelena''s assistant. Hence, Samantha was exposed to plenty of the entertainment industry''s hearsay. Samantha added, ¡°I merely heard others talking about it.¡± Samuel''s interest was piqued. ¡°What other gossip do you know?¡± Hearing his question, Samantha nced at him and replied, ¡°That''s all.¡± He was immediately displeased. ¡°Weren''t you discussing with Sophia a few moments ago?¡± ¡°Oh. That''s because she''s stunning, and her attractive appearance prompts me to have the urge to engage in longer conversations with her.¡± She was implying that Samuel wasn''t sufficiently appealing, in her opinion. Samuel''s temper rose. ¡°Although I''m not handsome to the extent of being idolized by others, my appearance isn''t so off-putting that you don''t even want to talk to me, right?¡± Samantha didn''t respond and merely stared at him silently. Samuel felt disheartened. He quickly turned to Alexander and Sophia. ¡°What do you two think?¡± Alexander shot him a disdainful look while Sophia snickered. ¡°You are right. Still, your appearance isn''t exactly inviting enough to stimte others'' desire to speak with you further.¡± Samuel was rendered speechless. So what if you''re good-looking? It turned out that being physically attractive had its perks. When the quartet went to have their meal, the restaurant''s manager approached them right after they took their seats. He wanted to discuss with Sophia and Alexander if they could be their models for the restaurant''s Valentine''s Day promotional photos. In exchange, the restaurant would pay for the couple''s meals and gift them additional cash vouchers. Samuel, who was sitting at one side, failed to control his emotions. He grasped Samantha''s hand and piped up, ¡°Can''t we participate in the photography session instead?¡± Samantha wanted to break free, but Samuel held on to her with his vice-like grip. Realizing her attempts were futile, she could only roll her eyes in resignation. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! The manager nced at Samuel and Samantha before exining with a smile, ¡°My boss mentioned this mister and miss¡¯s temperament is more in line with our restaurant''s vibe.¡± Samuel was stumped. Thank you very much. I''m deeply offended. Samantha seized that opportunity to shake Samuel''s hand off. ¡°We''re not a couple, anyway, so don''t try to get free food here.¡± ¡°I''m notcking the money to pay for this meal. I''m just¡ª¡± He caught himself ultimately. Never mind. I have a feeling I''ll only embarrass myself. The manager asked Alexander again but was firmly refused by thetter. In the end, he could only leave in disappointment. Sophia nced at Samuel. ¡°Don''t be discouraged, Mr. Schild. You''re still loaded, after all.¡± Samuel thought she wasforting him initially, but after listening to the second part of her sentence, he fumed, ¡°Sophia, you¡ª¡± Samantha interjected him, ¡°She''s quite right.¡± Samuel felt as though he was destined to be humiliated that day. What was I thinking, asking Samantha to tag along? Still, that had overall been an enjoyable day. After dinner, Sophia and Alexander parted ways with Samuel and Samantha. As the car gradually came to a stop at a red light, Sophia turned sideways to look at Alexander. ¡°What do you think of Samantha?¡± He knitted his brows a little. ¡°I don''t know.¡± He couldn''t even remember Samantha''s countenance at that moment. Sophia rubbed her chin. ¡°Do you think she will be an item with Mr. Schild?¡± After interacting with Samantha for almost half a day, Sophia thought she was all right. ¡°That''ll have to depend on Samuel.¡± Having said that, judging by the Schild family''s stance, it won''t be an easy feat if Samuel is determined to be with Samantha. Naturally, the same thought crossed Sophia''s mind as well. When she married into the Xenos family in the past, Kristen''s existence alone caused her more problems than she could imagine. Not to mention, both of Samuel''s parents were still alive, and he also had a biological elder sister. ¡°However, I don''t think Samantha is interested in him.¡± Sophia couldn''t quite guess if Samuel was inclined to court Samantha or not since Sophia didn''t know him all that well. Alexander grunted in response. Then, he continued to drive as the traffic light turned green. When they reached home, the time was still considered early, around nine o''clock at night. After spending the whole day outside, Sophia was a little exhausted. She changed into casual wear and saw Alexander talking on the phone when she went downstairs to pour herself a ss of water. When she noticed him frowning, she couldn''t help raising her brows, wondering what was going on. After filling her ss with water, she walked up to him. Alexander had just ended the call when he saw her approaching. He wrapped his arm around her waist, lowered his head, and took a sip of the water. ¡°What happened?¡± Although Alexander''s expression was usually grim, he wasn''t one to frown all the time. ¡°Something happened to Leonard, but there''s no need to mind him.¡± Alexander didn''t want to concern himself with Leonard''s issues. Sophia nodded and didn''t probe further. Chapter 318 Chapter 318 The next day at nine in the morning, after Sophia had breakfast, the doorbell rang. Alexander gave her a look. ¡°I''ll go check it out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia took a sip of warm water. She then turned around and went upstairs to change. Alexander had yet to join her when she finished changing. Feeling concerned, she arched a brow and went downstairs to check on him. Sophia caught sight of Kristen standing at the doorway the moment she stepped out of the house. They hadn''t seen each other since Kristen stopped them at the entrance for Thalia''s sake. Never would she have thought that Kristen would show up today. Sophia merely stood by the door and watched. After a short while, she returned to the mansion since the weather was getting hot. Meanwhile, outside the mansion, Kristen panicked and quickly reached out to grab Alexander''s sleeves as he looked as if he was about to head back. ¡°Alex, he''s your brother. Your biological brother!¡± Alexander nced at his sleeves and frowned. ¡°What he did was illegal.¡± ¡°N-No. Can''t you get Mr. Lane to talk to the victims'' families about it? Leonard won''t have to serve that long in prison if they''re willing to ept thepensation and issue a letter of understanding.¡± ¡°What''s the point of me sending Mr. Lane over if the victims'' families had rejected your offer to resolve the matter out of court?¡± With that, Alexander shoved her hand away and mmed the door in her face. Such a mood killer. Alexander''s mood slightly improved when he looked up and saw Sophia. Sophia handed him a ss of water. ¡°What was the purpose of Mdm. Lambe''s visit? Did something happen to Leonard?¡± Alexander took a gulp of water. ¡°Leonard hit someone while driving under the influencest week. The victim, the son of the General Manager of Odyssey''s subsidiary, was dered brain dead. Their family refuses to resolve the matter out of court.¡± It instantly dawned upon Sophia what was going on as Alexander kept it clear and concise. This wasn''t the first time Leonard drove under the influence. She had insisted on calling the police when he drove under the influencest year. Who would have thought that being detained for two weeks wasn''t enough for him to change his attitude? The ident would serve as a bitter lesson for him since the victim wasn''t just any ordinary civilian. Kristen came to Alexander for help as she wasn''t able to silence the victim''s family with money this time around. The General Manager of Odyssey''s subsidiary probably didn''t care much about the amount of money Kristen could offer. Alexander was the only person who could get the victim''s family to back down now. Sophia gave Alexander a look. ¡°Are you nning to help?¡± ¡°No.¡± He had gotten Leonard out of trouble several times before this. Moreover, he was able to resolve those matters with money since they were trivial matters. He didn''t think this was a problem money could solve since the victim was in a vegetative state now. Besides, he was tired of being used by Kristen, Leonard, and Thalia. He wasn''t close to them but had done them a great favor by allowing them to stay in the Xenos residence after Zachary passed away. They should be content with what they had back then. Nevertheless, Alexander had decided to cut them off since he kicked them out of the Xenos residence. Zachary left a few billion for Kristen, whereas Leonard and Thalia were old enough to care for themselves. He wasn''t obligated or responsible for cleaning up their mess anymore. Sophia gave Alexander a hug as she could sense that he was losing his cool. ¡°Alright. It''s none of our business then.¡± Alexander lowered his head to give her a look and soon calmed down. ¡°Okay,¡± he muttered. Sophia looked up and reached out to take the ss of water away from him. ¡°So, are we still going to the boxing gym today?¡± Alexander''s brow twitched upon that. ¡°Yes.¡± He paused. ¡°I''ll go change.¡± With that, Alexander caressed her head and went upstairs to change. Alexander had been staying over at Sophia''s for the past few weeks. Hence, half of Sophia''s walk-in closet was filled with his clothes. It started with one or two sets of clothes. However, upon his return from his business trip, Alexander kept all the clothes he had brought along in Sophia''s walk-in closet. Moreover, Felix had sent some of Alexander''s clothes over a few days ago. Sophia snorted. She picked up her phone and sat on the couch to wait for Alexander. Katherine had sent her a message asking her how she wanted to celebrate her birthday. Today was the second of July, which means there would only be two more weeks until the sixteenth of July. Sophia arched a brow and texted: A small birthday party will do. She wanted to keep it low profile, but at the same time take care of her friend''s feelings since it was her birthday. Katherine replied: Oh? I thought you were going to date Mr. Xenos for the entire day. Sophia could tell that Katherine was teasing her. She texted: How do you know we''re not?¡± Katherine replied: Ah. I can''t stand you. Okay, I''ll get the word out. It''ll be the same asst year then. Sophia smiled. She texted: Okay. Alexander finished changing and came downstairs just as she finished texting. Sophia put her phone away and picked up the bag she had packed earlier. Alexander immediately reached out for the bag as she walked over. ¡°Give it to me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She was more than happy to let him carry the bag for her. On the other hand, Kristen never thought that Alexander would be so heartless. How could he not care if Leonard lives or dies? Kristen paid Leonard a visit to the lockup after she left Sophia''s mansion. It had been eight days since the ident happened. Hence, Leonard had also been detained for eight days. The victim would never be able to wake up again as he had missed the best time to get treated since Leonard fled the scene right after the ident. N?velDrama.Org content rights. It wasn''t just a simple road ident anymore at this point; it was a criminal offense. The victims'' families had filed awsuit against Leonard and wouldn''t budge, no matter how much money Kristen offered them. Leonard lunged forward as if Kristen was his savior when he saw her. ¡°Mom! What did Alex say?¡± Kristen''s face darkened. ¡°He''s not your brother! You don''t have a brother, Leonard! You don''t have one!¡± She trailed off and suddenly burst into tears. Leonard paled. ¡°Mom! What are you talking about? What do you mean I don''t have a brother? Who else can get me out of this mess if not him?¡± Right. Who else can get Leonard out of this mess? Who else besides Alexander? ¡°Mom, please beg Alex for help! I don''t want to go to jail for so many years. I was wrong. I''ve realized that now.¡± Leonard would have to be jailed for at least three years. However, he knew he wouldn''t be able to stand it there since he couldn''t even stand three days in the detention center. The victims'' families refused to settle the matter out of court since one of the victims died on the spot while the other had entered a vegetative state. Even though she was irresponsible, Kristen had doted on her son too much and spoiled him rotten. She didn''t want Leonard to be jailed as well. Hence, she wiped away her tears and came to a decision. ¡°Don''t worry, Leonard. I will get you out of here! Take good care of yourself in there and wait for me!¡± With that, Kristen hardened her heart and left. I won''t let Alexander sit back and watch while Leonard wastes away in jail. I''m going to force his hand. Chapter 319 Chapter 319 Sophia and Alexander woke up feeling rather tired because they had trained for over three hours in the boxing gym the day before. However, it was Monday, so Sophia had to go to Sunshine Group for a morning meeting. The meetingsted for over an hour. Shortly after Sophia returned to her office, Yvonne knocked on her door and entered the office. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mdm. Lambe is at the front desk downstairs, and she said she''s here to see you.¡± ¡°She''s here to see me?¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows. ¡°Send her up.¡± Sophia knew Kristen was there to see her because of Leonard. Is Kristen that naive? If Alexander doesn''t care about it, what makes her think I''m any different? Soon, Yvonne and Kristen arrived upstairs. Upon hearing the knock on the door, Sophiaposed herself and said, ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Hi, Ms. Yarrow.¡± The door opened, and Yvonne led Kristen into the office. Sophia lifted her gaze to cast a nce at Kristen before asking, ¡°What brought you here today, Mdm. Lambe?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°There''s something I need to talk to you about. It''s about Alex, and I think you would be interested to hear what I have to say,¡± Kristen answered. Hearing that Kristen was beating around the bush, Sophia arched her eyebrows and looked at Yvonne. ¡°Ms. Leighton, you can go back to work.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow,¡± Yvonne replied. Kristen only went to find Sophia because she wanted to see if she could make use of Sophia to save Leonard. Hence, she paid no attention to other matters around her. That was why she didn''t notice how polite Yvonne was toward Sophia. After answering Sophia, Yvonne turned and exited the office. By then, Sophia and Kristen were left alone in the office. Sophia got up from her office chair and walked toward a couch nearby. ¡°Have a seat, Mdm. Lambe.¡± Prior to that, Kristen was always finding fault with Sophia, even after Sophia and Alexander were divorced. Sophia didn''t bother offering Kristen anything to drink before she sat down on the couch. If that were to happen in the past, Kristen would have said that Sophiacked manners. That day, however, Kristen didn''t make suchments. Instead, she said, ¡°I went to look for Alex yesterday, and I think you''re aware of it.¡± Sophia shed a faint smile and replied, ¡°Are you here today to ask if I could urge Alexander to help Leonard?¡± ¡°Since you already know why I''m here today, I guess I should just cut to the chase,¡± Kristen answered. It''s obvious that Kristen loves Leonard dearly, but Alexander is also her son, no? Yet, she''s here asking me to trouble Alexander just so that she could save Leonard. She''s so biased. Sophia knew how anxious Kristen was, but Sophia wasn''t in a hurry. Hence, Sophia smiled and queried, ¡°Don''t you think you''ve looked for the wrong person, Mdm. Lambe?¡± Still smiling, Sophia added, ¡°Alexander is only my boyfriend now, but even if we were still a married couple, I think you''re well aware of the grievances between both of us, Mdm. Lambe. If Alexander decides to help Leonard, I would still object to the idea. Secondly, I think Alexander had already told you about his viewpoint when you looked for him yesterday. You''re not going to achieve anything by looking for me today.¡± As soon as those words fell, so did Kristen''s face. She then gritted her teeth and whipped out a folder before giving it to Sophia. ¡°Once you''ve taken a look at this, you''re going to help me.¡± Sophia swept a nce at the folder before letting out a chuckle. ¡°You sound confident, Mdm. Lambe. I hope you won''t get disappointedter.¡± With that, Sophia took the folder and slowly opened it to take out the documents inside. Kristen knew what was about to happen next when she saw Sophia picking up the folder. Hence, her face, which had turned pale moments prior, gradually turned rosy, and she grew less anxious. Sophia''s smile faded when she saw the paternity test before her eyes. She then cast a nce at Kristen to see her looking calm and confident. Does she think I''m going to give in after I see this paternity test? With that in mind, Sophia retracted her gaze and kept the documents back in the folder. After that, she looked at Kristen once again and asked, ¡°Did you think this is going to work on me, Mdm. Lambe?¡± Kristen let out a cold snort in response. ¡°I don''t know if it would work on you, but I know Alexander might not be able to keep his position for long if I were to show it to the other members of the Xenos family.¡± ¡°In that case, why didn''t you just give it to Alexander? I think these documents pose a greater threat to Alexander than to me. Why do you think these documents would make me meddle in Alexander''s business?¡± Sophia scoffed. Needless to say, Kristen was enraged when she heard those words. Sophia was right. Naturally, it would be better to show the paternity test to Alexander. However, Kristen knew Alexander well enough to not do that. After all, he was her son for over a decade. If Kristen were to show the paternity test to Alexander, not only would Leonard not get the help he needed, but there was also a huge chance Alexander would force Kristen out of Jadeborough. Since Alexander could convince Beau to give Odyssey to him before the old man died, that showed how capable Alexander was. Although Zachary was Beau''s son for almost sixty years, Beau still refused to let Zachary inherit the business. Besides, Leonard was all over Beau before he died. Yet, Beau chose Alexander over Leonard as the heir. That ultimately proved how proficient Alexander was. Deep down, Kristen knew she was no match for Alexander. If I were to show Alexander a paternity test that proves he isn''t a descendant of the Xenos family, he''ll surelye after me. Well, it''s not like I''m eager to go up against him. Heck, I was nning to bring the secret to my grave. After all, I know how ipetent Leonard and Thalia are. Even if they were to inherit the Xenos family''s wealth, they''re going to squander all the money. Hence, both of them will treat Alexander as their own sibling if I keep my mouth shut. That way, Alexander would still look after them after I die. However, Alexander is now refusing to lend a helping hand. Thus, I have no choice but to look for Sophia. All along, I know how much Sophia is into Alexander. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have endured my abuse for three years. If Bethany didn''t return to the country, Sophia could very well still be married to Alexander! Evidently, Kristen only went to look for Sophia confidently because she knew how much Sophia liked Alexander. However, upon hearing Sophia''s response, Kristen couldn''t help but panic. ¡°Are you not afraid that the Xenos family might kick Alexander out of the family?¡± Sophia leaned back on the sofa and looked at Kristen with a smile on her face. ¡°It''s not like I''m poor, so that doesn''t matter to me. If they were to kick him out of the Xenos family, I can still support him.¡± ¡°Y-You...¡± Kristen panicked because she didn''t expect such a response from Sophia. The paternity test is a double-edged sword! Now that I''ve already told Sophia about it, she''ll surely let Alexander in on it after I leave. That''s not the result I was hoping for! When Sophia saw how Kristen''s eyes were darting back and forth, Sophia knew Kristen had lost the plot. Hence, Sophia called out for Yvonne, ¡°Ms. Leighton, please see my guest out.¡± ¡°Sophia! Are you sure you know what this means for Alexander?¡± Kristen was scared, but she refused to ept her fate. ¡°I know, but I''ve already told you, no? I''m rich, so I don''t care if Alexander is rted to the Lambe family or not.¡± Those words had definitely crumbled all of Kristen''s hopes. ¡°You''re not going to help me, right? Fine! Let''s pretend that we''ve never met today, and you''ve never heard or seen anything.¡± ¡°You''re so funny, Mdm. Lambe. If things have already happened, how am I supposed to pretend they didn''t?¡± With that, Sophia shifted her gaze toward Yvonne, who had already entered the office, and said, ¡°Ms. Leighton, please send Mdm. Lambe down.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne went up to Kristen and uttered, ¡°This way, Mdm. Lambe.¡± Chapter 320 Chapter 320 Kristen red at Sophia and saw howposed she was. Seeing that, Kristen could only grit her teeth and leave. After watching Yvonne lead Kristen out, Sophia went ahead to close the door gently. Upon closing the door, Sophia was left alone in the office, and the smile on her face suddenly faded. Truth be told, she was just pretending to appear calm and nonchnt because she was stunned to find out that Alexander wasn''t rted to either Kristen or Zachary. Back then, everyone knew about how Kristen eloped with a third party after giving birth to Alexander. If someone from the younger generation were to ask around, they could easily obtain the information from the older generation. That was why Kristen was condemned for years. The Xenos family did remarkably well, and Kristen became the matriarch after Beau and Zachary died. Even so, there were still people talking about what she did back then. The public was saying how cruel Kristen was and how she was a promiscuous woman. However, throughout the years, Kristen never told anyone Alexander was neither Zachary nor her kid. It was only revealed that day when Kristen gave those documents to Sophia, telling her that Alexander wasn''t a part of the Xenos family and that he wasn''t rted to any of them by blood. Sophia knew that if the information was leaked, it would definitely cause an uproar. I can''t imagine how hard this is going to hit Alexander. Before Old Mr. Xenos died back then, he named Alexander as the sessor. However, that was because everyone thought he was a member of the Xenos family. If Alexander isn''t a member of the Xenos family, he would have to give up his shares. In fact, it was written in Old Mr. Xenos'' will. Old Mr. Xenos transferred all his shares to his eldest grandson, Alexander. However, Alexander isn''t even Old Mr. Xenos'' grandson and is not a member of the Xenos family. The branch families of the Xenos family had been going after thepany shares all these years. If Kristen were to show them the paternity test, there''s going to be a huge fight within the Xenos family. Sophia thought about the matter for a while before she regained her senses and grabbed her purse and her phone to leave the office. When the elevator door opened, Sophia bumped into Yvonne, who had just sent Kristen off. Yvonne was startled when she saw Sophia leaving with her purse. ¡°Are you leaving, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°I have something to attend to. Please get Mr. Murphy to entertain the people from cier Corporationter.¡± Yvonne saw the frown on Sophia''s face and knew she most probably had to deal with something urgent. ¡°Okay, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°All right. I''ll go now.¡± With that, Sophia entered the elevator. Half an hourter, Sophia''s car came to a halt in front of Odyssey. That was the first time she had gone to Odyssey to look for Alexander after their divorce. That day, Sophia wore a light orange skirt, carried a purse, and wore high heels. Undeniably, she looked as gorgeous as a movie star. When the two new receptionists saw her at the front desk, they were stunned momentarily. Then, one of the receptionists quickly came to her senses and asked, ¡°Are you here to see Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow?¡± After the receptionists were employed, they had to memorize photos of the people in thepany''s upper management. One of the photos was Sophia''s. Although Sophia wasn''t working for Odyssey, most of the employees in Odyssey knew about the rtionship between Sophia and Alexander. Not only is this woman Mr. Xenos'' ex-wife, but she''s also his future wife! We can''t afford to wrong her. Sophia smiled in response. ¡°Yes, but I came unannounced.¡± In other words, Sophia hadn''t made an appointment beforehand. ¡°Mr. Lane instructed us to lead you upstairs if we ever see you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± With that, the receptionist left the front desk, led Sophia to the private elevator, and keyed in the password. Since Sophia was there for a serious matter, she merely thanked the receptionist and entered the elevator. Meanwhile, the other receptionist had already informed Felix about Sophia''s arrival. After getting the call from the receptionist, Felix went into Alexander''s office and said, ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow is here.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing that, Alexander was stunned, and he raised his brows when he asked, ¡°She''s here already?¡± ¡°She''s already in the elevator.¡± Alexander immediately closed the documents in front of him and said, ¡°Prepare a cup of chamomile tea.¡± Felix was startled, but he instantly came to his senses and nodded. ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander never drank such a drink, so the pantry had everything apart from chamomile tea. Therefore, Felix had to run to the employees'' pantry downstairs to fetch the tea. By the time he was done telling someone else to make the tea, the elevator opened, and Sophia walked out of it. Seeing that, Felix hurried toward her and greeted, ¡°Hi, Ms. Yarrow.¡± The treatment I''m getting now is far differentpared to before. Sophia nced at Felix and asked, ¡°Is he inside?¡± ¡°Yes. Mr. Xenos is inside.¡± With that, Felix led Sophia to Alexander''s office and knocked on the door. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow is here.¡± A few seconds after Felix''s words fell, Alexander opened the door and looked at Sophia. ¡°What brought you here?¡± Alexander asked. Felix tactfully retreated to the side and watched Sophia enter the office. At that moment, she still hadn''t figured out how to start the conversation, so she smiled and asked Alexander, ¡°Would you believe me if I say I''ve missed you?¡± Alexander would definitely believe her, but he also knew that wasn''t the reason for Sophia''s visit. Before they got divorced, Alexander knew nothing about Sophia. After their divorce, however, he knew she wasn''t an impulsive person. Obviously, she wasn''t a passionate person either. Therefore, he grabbed her hand, pulled her to the couch, and sat her down. ¡°Did Kristen look for you?¡± ¡°You''re so smart, Mr. Xenos!¡± She looked at him and smiled alluringly. Alexander gulped at that sight, and he wanted to kiss her. Right when he was about to do so, someone knocked on the door and said, ¡°Mr. Xenos, I''ve prepared the tea for Ms. Yarrow.¡± Alexander''s gaze darkened, and he uttered coldly, ¡°Come in.¡± Felix brought the tea in. I don''t know if I have interrupted them, but I know I should move as quickly as possible! I''ve already been Mr. Xenos secretary for so many years, so I already know how to read the room! With that in mind, Felix moved as fast as a sh and left the office before Alexander told him to do so. Upon exiting the office, he even closed the door behind him and told his assistant to not knock on the door again no matter what. In the office, Sophia took a sip of the chamomile tea and said, ¡°It''s sweet.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Alexander asked. ¡°Let me have a taste.¡± With that, he did what he wanted to do moments prior, lifting her chin and kissing her on the lips. Sophia was caught off guard, and she couldn''t stop him in time. Within seconds, the lipstick she applied to her lips was eaten off by Alexander. By the time he let go of her, Sophia felt as though she were burning up from within. Hence, she shut her eyes, calmed herself down, and opened her eyes before saying, ¡°Kristen told me something.¡± Chapter 321 Chapter 321 Alexander reached out his hand and stroke her lips. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Sophia looked up, and suddenly, she remembered something Kristen had said an hour ago and the expression on Alexander''s face when he told him about his rtionship with Kristen. Sophia could not help but feel something was amiss. Who exactly is Alexander if he''s not from the Xenos family? She wondered if Kristen had used him to get into the Lambe family. It would be a cruel truth if that''s really the case. It was difficult for Sophia to tell him about it. Alexander''s brows twitched when she did not give him any response. ¡°Did she scold you?¡± Sophia regained her sense upon hearing that. She shook her head and replied, ¡°Nope.¡± While answering his question, she lowered her head, watched as the man held his manly palm around hers, and pressed her lips. ¡°She showed me some information. It was information about you.¡± ¡°What information?¡± he asked. ¡°It''s the DNA report between you and father, Zachary, and Leonard.¡± Sophia looked up and gazed into his eyes. ¡°The report showed that you''re not rted to them.¡± Alexander looked at her with his piercing eyes. ¡°She showed you that information because she wanted you to give birth to Leonard''s child?¡± Sophia hummed in response before grabbing his index finger. ¡°You must have felt terrible, Alexander.¡± She then tightened her grip on his finger. ¡°Do you need a hug?¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Sophia had never encountered something like this before. Without a doubt, Alexander felt terrible. He had never experienced any form of kinship in thest two decades. Despite being a capable all-rounder, he always wondered if his biological parents loathed him. Beau was fond of him merely because the former knew he could not count on his only son, Zachary, and it so happened that Alexander was Zachary''s most capable son. Now, he only realized Zachary and Kristen were not his parents. Is this a joke? Alexander gazed into Sophia''s eyes and noticed her usual gentle, smiley eyes were now filled with worry. He lifted his hands and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Yes. I feel a little awful.¡± Deep in his heart, he did not feel that terrible. In fact, he was relieved he was finally freed from the shackles that had been holding him down for decades. Alexander suddenly scoffed, ¡°I bet Kristen must have had a hard time keeping this a secret.¡± The fact that Kristen was willing to reveal the secret that she had kept for years meant that she was ready to fight to the death for Leonard''s sake. Sophia tilted her head to look at him. ¡°I rejected her offer. I supposed she has now turned her target to the other distant rtives in the Xenos family.¡± ¡°I don''t belong to the Xenos family. She would have told the truth if she wanted to. Something must have triggered her to spill the bean.¡± Alexander then paused for a moment. ¡°I don''t think she dares to reach out to the distant rtives yet.¡± Alexander was right. The intention to look for the Xenos'' distant rtives to reveal Alexander''s identity did pop into Kristen''s mind when she was heading home. After returning to the mansion and regaining herposure, she hesitated. Alexander might not be his biological son, but the people from the branch family had been eyeing Odyssey. I don''t have shares in thepany, but Leonard has some. If Odyssey continues to do well in the years toe, Leonard will be able to enjoy afortable life. If Odyssey falls into the hands of those devious distant rtives, how much more dividends or bonuses will Leonard be entitled to? The fact that Kristen managed to marry into the Xenos family showed that she was shrewd. The secret of Alexander''s identity would give her leverage to threaten him. The oue would not be as favorable as she would imagine had she exposed the secret. Sophia would have told Alexander the truth by now, and I believe he''ll contact me soon. I''ll be able to negotiate with him on behalf of Leonard when that happens. As Kristen''s daughter-inw for three years, Sophia immediately understood what Alexander was saying. ¡°If that''s the case, she might still be waiting for you to fall into her trap.¡± Alexander nced at her. ¡°Let the waiting game begin then.¡± Sophie grinned in response. ¡°All right. Let her wait then.¡± She wanted to see how long Leonard could wait. Indeed, Leonard could not afford to wait any longer, as the victim refused to forgive and insisted on pressing charges against him. Hiswyer also indicated that it would be difficult to plea for a reduced sentence without the victim''s forgiveness, so they could only do their best to seek a favorable oue. Though he was released on bail, the trial for the case would begin within the next two months. Meanwhile, Kristen waited for Alexander to approach her, but to no avail. Another week passed, and it was time to celebrate Sophia''s birthday. Likest year, Katherine organized a modest party for her. This year''s birthday party was unlike any that Sophia had celebrated before, as Alexander, Samuel, and others hade to join the festivities. Charlize had prepared a gift for Sophia in advance. It was a porcin doll she had made herself. The craftsmanship was not particrly exquisite, but it looked adorable. Its valuey in the thought and care that had gone into making it. ¡°Happy birthday, Ms. Yarrow! Hope you stay young forever!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sophia epted the gift when Samuel and the others were walking in her direction. They then greeted her, ¡°Happy birthday, Sophia.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After ncing at the gift in Samuel''s hand, Sophia arched her brows. ¡°It''s not cash, right, Mr. Schild?¡± Samuel cleared his throat. ¡°Not exactly.¡± Sophia nced at him and gave him a smile tinged with irony. Meanwhile, Charles and Justin, too, gave her their presents. Sophia epted the gifts and thanked them. ¡°Where''s Alex?¡± Samuel took a sidelong nce at the area but did not see Alexander around. As he looked at Sophia and her elegant dress, an idea suddenly popped into his mind. He nearly blurted out the question in front of her. Sophia raised her hand and pointed at a man behind Samuel. ¡°He''s on a call.¡± Samuel turned around, followed Sophia''s line of sight, and noticed Alexander was indeed talking to someone over the phone. He tutted, ¡°Of all times, he chose to answer the call at this hour?¡± Sophia chuckled before turning her attention to Charles and the others. ¡°Thanks foring, and thanks for the gifts. Please make yourself at home.¡± Charles bobbed his head in response. ¡°Don''t mind us.¡± Without hesitation, Yun Su hummed in acknowledgment and went to look for Katherine. After seeing Sophia walk away, Samuel walked up to Charles. ¡°Will Alex propose to Sophia tonight?¡± Charles nced at Alex, who was standing a stone''s throw away. ¡°Who knows.¡± Justin looked at Samuel from the corners of his eyes. ¡°Why don''t you go and find out?¡± Samuel had learned his lesson, opting to y it safe instead. ¡°No way! Do you think I''m stupid?¡± After taking a sip of his juice and setting down the ss, Samuel noticed Charles and Justin exchanging a cryptic smile. It seemed as though they were hinting that he was indeed the stupid one. The look on their faces rendered Samuel speechless. D*mn it! I would have given it to them if I were capable of taking them down! While Samuel, Charles, and Justin were curious about Alexander''s next move, Katherine, too, wondered why Alexander was not there. She gently bumped Yun Su''s shoulder and asked, ¡°Do you think Alexander will propose to you tonight?¡± Chapter 322 Chapter 322 With her gaze fixed on Alexander, who stood a short distance away, Sophia took a sip of her orange juice and tilted her head toward Katherine with a faint smile. ¡°How about I ask him for you?¡± ¡°But the surprise factor will be gone in that case.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Then, why did you ask me?¡± Isn''t she intentionally stripping me of the element of surprise? Katherine smiled sheepishly. ¡°I didn''t think of that.¡± Sophia shot her a knowing nce and said, ¡°There are many things you didn''t think about.¡± Noticing Joshua''s approach, Sophia gave him a nod, got up from her seat, and left. Alexander returned to Sophia''s side when he finished his call. The two were the main characters that night. Sophia''s and Alexander''s circles were almost entirely exclusive of each other, but the atmosphere that night was amicable. The year before, Katherine had urged Sophia to sing on stage. That day, however, she dragged Mason up to the stage and sang a song for Sophia. Putting aside their singing technique, at least, the entertainment side of it was fun. Sophia watched Katherine from her seat with a smile. The partysted until eleven at night. When it ended, Katherine had sneaked a few peeks at Alexander. Before she left, she hissed softly by Sophia''s ear, ¡°Is he really not going to propose? That jerk!¡± Getting to hear Katherine calling Alexander a jerk again sent Sophiaughing. Sophia shot a nce at Alexander, who was speaking to Samuel. ¡°I''m not in a hurry to be Mrs. Xenos.¡± ¡°That''s true, but his marriage proposal will reveal his feelings toward you.¡± Sophia shifted her gaze back to Katherine. ¡°Are you trying to sow discord between him and me?¡± Having her intentions seen through, Katherine hurriedly reached for Joshua''s hand. ¡°Oh, wow! I''m tired, and we''re leaving! Happy birthday, Soph!¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°Go on.¡± Alexander came to her side. ¡°Should we head back?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Sophia agreed. There was only less than a handful left in the room. Alexander walked to the couch and gathered all her birthday presents before taking her hand and leaving the hall. Jadeborough in July was hot and stuffy. The car windows were rolled down to let the breeze in. The humid air cast ayer of sticky sweat along their skin. Sliding a side nce at Alexander, Sophia snorted. ¡°Are you not giving me a present?¡± ¡°I will.¡± The car slowed to a stop at a red light, and Alexander turned his head to look at her. Sophia stretched her arm out with her palm up to him. He pressed the back of her head toward him and nted a gentle kiss on her forehead. ¡°I''ll give it to you when we reach home.¡± The duration of the red light was much shorter at night. Before long, the red light turned amber, then green a secondter. The car began moving again. Sophia raised her hand to the spot he kissed on her forehead. She could still feel the warmth there. Her head lowered, and the corners of her lips pulled into a smile. However, he got her curiosity piqued. She wondered what kind of present he had prepared for her. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! As for the marriage proposal, Sophia knew he wouldn''t propose that day. After all, he hadn''t gotten approval from Perrin, and asking for her hand then would mean he didn''t care about Perrin''s opinions. Moreover, she had only gotten divorced a year ago. She didn''t want to enter into another marriage so fast. If she could, she didn''t want to get married. It would save them both a divorce paper when their feelings faded away. They were at another red light again. Alexander suddenly said, ¡°A penny for your thought.¡± His voice snapped Sophia out of her train of thought. Looking at him, she answered, ¡°It''s nothing. I''m just a bit tired.¡± She let out a yawn with urate timing. Alexander studied her face. ¡°We''ll get home in another ten minutes.¡± ¡°Mm-Hmm.¡± Sophia merely nodded. Guilt surged within her under his scrutiny, so she turned to look out the window. Ten minutester, the car pulled into the mansion. It was already five minutes past twelve. Sophia let out another yawn when she got out of the car. Looking at the two bags filled to the brim with birthday presents; however, she didn''t have the energy to guess the contents. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Alexander holding out a present toward her. ¡°Happy birthday, Precious.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± With an arched brow, she reached for the present and walked to the side before slowly opening the box. She thought it was expensive jewelry but realized it was an album of paintings. The cover was a painting of her in a red dress, waiting for Alexander in front of City Hall. Sophia was surprised. Flipping through the pages, she noticed the whole album was about her. ¡°I haven''t picked up the paint brush in a while.¡± Thoughts of whether Alexander drew them ran through her mind when he answered her silent questions. She flipped through the album slowly before letting out a giggle. ¡°I didn''t even know Mr. Xenos knew how to draw.¡± It looks like he won''t have any worries about dying from hunger if he''s ever fired from Odyssey. There were twenty-seven pieces of drawings in the album, signifying her age. ¡°This one. You were there too?¡± Sophia''s hand paused at the third drawing. It illustrated her getting exhorted up the stage by Katherine and the others the year before. The picture''s angle was from the left side of the stage. However, she didn''t have any recollection of Alexander being there that night. Noticing her confusion, he exined, ¡°I was by the door.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± So he was peeking through the door. ¡°Your voice was lovely.¡± The corners of Sophia''s lips curled into a smile before she turned to the next page. It was New Year''s Eve. She hade out of Katherine''s residential area and tried to hail a taxi by the curb. She knew about Alexander following her then. Every scene Alexander drew of her had a backstory. All of them told the story of how he got to know her after their divorce. The present was beyond Sophia''s expectations. ¡°When did you start drawing them?¡± They had been together every day for the past month. Alexander wrapped his arms around her front from the back. ¡°I started three months ago.¡± Initially, he simply wanted to record every side of her. However, after getting back together, he figured it would be a special present. Five years ago, they entered a marriage, and he knew nothing about her. After getting back together, he knew every side of her. He knew all her likes and temperaments. He witnessed her happy moments and sad times. That was why he was serious and sure about being with her and continuing to be with her. Sophia shut the album. ¡°You''re so confident that we''ll get back together?¡± I remember, three months ago, we weren''t back together yet. Alexander dropped his head to look into her eyes. ¡°I wanted to record them and give them to you as a present when you marry Lukas.¡± He just wanted her to know that he fell for her not because he was jealous of Lukas. Instead, he was truly in love with her. Sophia couldn''t help butugh. ¡°Well, aren''t you sly, Alexander Xenos?¡± If she and Lukas weren''t siblings and ended up marrying, wouldn''t receiving that picture album from him cause emotional turmoil within her? People always longed for things they couldn''t get. In fact, an inexplicable obsession over the ones they couldn''t have would overwhelm them. Just imagined how someone decided to let go of a rtionship after much difficulty, then someone came and told that person that he could reconcile with the person he held dear if he just reached out his hand. I think the person might do just that. Alexander caught the amusement in her eyes. His throat bobbled at the sight before he admitted, ¡°Yes, I am.¡± He lowered to kiss her lips. ¡°Sophia, you''re right. I will do anything to be with you by fair means or foul.¡± He pressed his lips harder against her after he got all the words out of his mouth. However, that kiss wasn''t an ordinary one. Chapter 323 Chapter 323 The sun was shining brightly outside the window by the time Sophia awoke. Even through the double layer of curtains, its dazzling rays were still faintly visible. She had no idea when Alexander had gotten up. He had turned off her rm, and she was all alone in bed. Propping an arm on the bed, she shifted herself into a sitting position. As she ran her eyes over the thin silk quilt covering her, memories of the previous night shed through her mind, and her already dry throat felt even more parched. At that moment, the door opened, and Alexander walked in with a phone in his hand. Her beautiful eyes shifted slightly at the sight of him, and she could feel her cheeks burning. She quickly looked away, slid her feet into her bedroom slippers, and dashed into the bathroom. When she had washed up, she went out to see that the bedroom curtains had been drawn open. With the sunlight pouring through, the whole room was very bright. She walked to the dressing table and saw the album lying on it. While kissing her the previous night, he took it from her without her noticing and set it down on the table. That''s right. Not only did he ce it on the table, but he lifted me onto the table too. As that thought crossed her mind, she could not refrain from raising her hands to cover her face and squeezed her eyes shut to stop herself from thinking further. Composing herself, she proceeded with her skincare, then turned to go downstairs. Breakfast was already on the dining table. When Alexander saw her, he handed her a ss of warm water. ¡°Thank you.¡± She took it from him and lowered her head to take a sip. Her thirst had been what woke her from her sleep that morning. She slept with the air conditioning turned on the whole night during the summer and would wake up thirsty every morning. Hence, the first thing she would do after washing up would be to go downstairs and grab a drink of water. Now, it appeared that he had remembered that habit of hers. Since Sophia had a meeting at Sunshine Group that morning, he sent her there after breakfast, before heading to Odyssey. Her meeting ended after one and a half hours. She had just left the conference room and returned to her office when she received a call from Lukas. Yvonne tactfully turned to leave and closed the door behind her. Left alone in her office, Sophia nced toward the door before saying, ¡°Yes, Lukas?¡± ¡°What time is your flight tomorrow?¡± ¡°Around four o''clock in the afternoon. I''ll probably only arrive about six o''clock.¡± ¡°Okay. Call me when you arrive,¡± he replied. Although her birthday fell on the day after tomorrow, she was going over earlier to spend time with Perrin. ¡°Sure.¡± He murmured an acknowledgment in response. After the call ended, Katherine sent a text message saying: Soph, Alexander had a surprise ready for you when you got backst night, didn''t he? Sophia could not help chuckling at the gossipy nature of the text. She wrote: What constitutes a surprise? Katherine had a lot of time on her hands and was waiting for her friend''s reply. Hence, as soon as Sophia responded, she texted: Something that touched your heart. The recollection of the album from Alexander warmed the cockles of Sophia''s heart, and she replied: Yes. Katherine: There''s too much meaning contained within that one-word reply of yours. Tsk tsk tsk... The smirking emoji Katherine sent after her text message tickled Sophia. She responded with: Does Joshua know you have so many naughty thoughts? There was no reply from Katherine after that. The mention of Joshua had silenced her. Setting aside her phone, Sophia quickly nced through the document Yvonne had brought in earlier and signed it. Since she would be out of the office for the next three days, she had quite a lot of work to do, and it was past six o''clock in the evening before she finished going through thest document. After passing the document to Yvonne, she took her bag and left the office. The sky was not yet dark, even though it was already past six o''clock in the evening. The sun hung low in the sky, bathing everything in a golden glow. It only took her one nce to spot Alexander standing under the setting sun. It was the time when everyone was getting off work, yet he dared to stand next to his car in in view. Passersby would subconsciously nce at him, but he neither appeared embarrassed nor ufortable, seemingly used to such scrutiny. Her lips curved into a smile. Then, she walked up to him in her high heels. However, he was so absorbed in replying to someone''s text message that he did not even notice she was standing right in front of him. Sophia arched an eyebrow in amusement. ¡°Excuse me, sir. Could I have your number?¡± ¡°I''m waiting for my girlfriend,¡± Alexander answered with a frown, a little annoyed at being disturbed. However, his dark eyes lit up when he looked up and saw her. ¡°Could you ask me that again?¡± She snorted softly. ¡°A missed opportunity is a lost opportunity.¡± Slipping his phone back into his pocket, he reached out and sped a hand around her wrist. ¡°In that case, may I take you home?¡± ¡°I have a boyfriend, mister.¡± Gazing at him with a slight smile, she pushed away his hand at her wrist. I finally get why Katherine loves acting. Putting on an act like this at times is quite fun! ¡°Is your boyfriend as handsome as me?¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. She looked at him and could not helpughing. ¡°He''s way more handsome than you.¡± No sooner had those words left her mouth than he picked her up in his arms. There was still a continuous stream of people exiting the building. After a brief moment of shock, she eximed, ¡°Alexander Xenos!¡± He lowered his head and gazed at her with a rare hint of a smile in his eyes. ¡°I''ve no choice but to steal you from him, then.¡± After saying that, he opened the car door and ced her inside the vehicle. Then, he reached over to fasten the seatbelt for her, circled to the other side of the car, and climbed into the driver''s seat. A smile tugged at Sophia''s lips as she gazed down at the seatbelt around her. My, my. He''s pretty good at acting. The pair had a barbecue dinner, and it was only around half past seven when they left the restaurant. The atmosphere was lively outside the za. The crowd consisted of young couples walking about while holding hands, there to do some shopping or to catch a movie, as well as married couples. There were also those with their children in tow. Looking down at her hand in his, a surreal feeling suddenly washed over her. She called out softly, ¡°Alexander.¡± He looked over at her. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. I was only calling your name for fun,¡± she replied, smiling while shaking her head. I just wanted to confirm that this isn''t a dream. His dark eyes narrowed a little at her words, and he suddenly stopped short. ¡°What''s the matter?'' she asked, raising a brow. He lifted a hand to caress her cheek without saying anything. Then, he lowered his head abruptly and nted a quick kiss on her forehead. ¡°It''s all real, my darling.¡± Sophia had not expected him to kiss her with so many people around them, much less that he would know why she had suddenly called his name. ¡°Okay. I get it now,¡± she murmured, her face flushing. Just then, a cute little girl carrying a small basket approached them. In her hand was a stalk of rose, and she held it out to Alexander. ¡°Mister, why don''t you buy a rose for the beautifuldy?¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± ¡°It''s only a fiver each, mister.¡± The girl was very well-mannered, and she spoke in a soft, piping voice. She was simply adorable! ¡°I''ll buy them all.¡± ¡°That''ll be a hundred. I''ll let you have the basket.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± he replied. Despite his cold and aloof appearance, he was quite good with kids. The girl took the money and handed the basket to him. Just before she walked away, she looked at Sophia, then at Alexander. ¡°I wish both of you a long and blissful life together,¡± she said. Then, she skipped back to her parents while clutching the money in her hand. ¡°Thank you. We will,¡± he answered earnestly. Sophie stood there and stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. Holding her hand again, he looked at her and said, ¡°Let''s go home and tend to these flowers.¡± His words elicited a giggle from her. ¡°Do you know what to do?¡± ¡°Not a clue,¡± came his truthful answer. Then, he added, ¡°But Mr. Lane does.¡± Chapter 324 Chapter 324 Hence, the dutiful Felix had to make severalte-night phone calls to enquire how to care for roses bought on the street. After that, hepiled the information and typed it all out before sending it to Alexander. It turned out it was not all that difficult. Nheless, whether or not the flowers could be kept alive still partially depended on luck. Initially, Sophia had thought Alexander was merely kidding. To her surprise, he carefully followed the information Felix had given after they returned to the mansion, dividing the flowers into three bunches and using different methods to keep them fresh for each. It was her first time seeing a tall man like him wielding scissors to trim the stems of roses. She took a sip of water and walked over to him. Unable to hold it in any longer, she said, ¡°Let me do it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He passed it to her, then stepped aside to watch. She snorted. ¡°Are you worried I don''t know what I''m doing?¡± ¡°No.¡± He paused briefly, then nced up at her. ¡°You''re prettier than the flowers.¡± That''s why I can''t help but look. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Her hand holding the scissors shook slightly at his words. ¡°Don''t go picking up tips from Mr. Schild.¡± She trimmed another stalk of rose before adding, ¡°Until now, he still doesn''t have a girlfriend.¡± That''s why you shouldn''t learn from him. He murmured an acknowledgment. Suddenly, he hugged her from behind and said, ¡°I have a girlfriend.¡± He said it in such a smug tone that she raised her brows and burst outughing. ¡°How amazing of you.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± he replied without a shred of shame. Meanwhile, Samuel was leaving Midway Media after workingte when he sneezed a few times consecutively. ¡°Did I catch a cold?¡± he wondered aloud before quickly dismissing the thought. That doesn''t make sense. Not in this hot weather! After lunch the following day, Alexander sent Sophia to the airport. As she waited to go through security, he stood next to the line and kept his gaze fixed on her the entire time. For a split second, it reminded her of the big dog her family had more than ten years ago. Every time she got back from school, it would also look at her in a simr manner. It makes my heart ache to see him looking at me like that. However, I''m only going to Doveston for three days. No, not even that. I''ll be returning to Jadeborough the day after my birthday. When she got to the front of the line, she withdrew her gaze and stepped forward. Due to the divider, neither she nor Alexander could see each other. As soon as she had passed the security check, her phone suddenly vibrated upon receiving a text message from Alexander. Tapping to read the message, she could not help but smile. She responded with a brief reply, then put away her phone. She did not have to wait long before boarding the ne. The flight took around two hours, and by the time shended, it was already past six o''clock. Right after she turned on her phone, she got a call from Lukas. ¡°Lukas?¡± ¡°I''m at gate A13.¡± ¡°Okay. I''lle out now.¡± She hung up, sent Alexander a text message, then hurried toward the airport exit. She spotted Lukas from afar. He was usually busy on Fridays, so she had not thought he woulde to pick her up. Feeling somewhat ttered, she asked, ¡°Why did youe personally?¡± ¡°I had some free time.¡± Raising his head and casting her a nce, he added, ¡°You seem to have gotten thinner.¡± ¡°I didn''t. My weight is still the same,¡± she answered in embarrassment. ¡°It''s better for women to put on a little more weight.¡± To him, she was still a little too thin. Sheughed. ¡°I don''t do diets.¡± The cousins chatted as they headed to the parking lot. She had only just fastened her seatbelt when she heard him say, ¡°I''ve heard some rumors about Alexander recently.¡± Her heart lurched. ¡°Oh?¡± His gaze flitted toward her. As he drove, he continued, ¡°You already know about this, don''t you? He''s not rted to Zachary by blood.¡± Sophia pressed her lips together briefly. ¡°I like him for who he is, not for his family.¡± ¡°Even if he were really a Xenos, he wouldn''t be good enough for you.¡± In other words, Lukas meant that without the Xenos family, Alexander was even more undeserving of her. ¡°Lukas, I genuinely like him a lot,¡± she replied. Finding a well-matched partner in terms of socioeconomic status is important, but how one feels about the other is also crucial. When I liked him before, it was only a one-sided affair. At that time, it felt as though my feelings for him were merely an illusion, unable to grasp it. But now, they''re being reciprocated. The more I spend time with him, the deeper my feelings be. Even though that three-year marriage was a failure, there''s no denying that I have good taste in men. There''s no way a man I like would turn out to be all that bad. We''re getting increasinglypatible now, aren''t we? ¡°If that''s the case, he''ll have to mentally prepare himself to be put through the mill by Grandpa.¡± Hearing that, she chuckled. ¡°He''s all prepared.¡± Lukas snorted coldly in response, then fell silent. Nearly an hourter, the car slowly pulled into the Dawson family''s mansion. Sophia got out of the car with Lukas close behind. As soon as they went upstairs, they saw Susan sitting in the second-floor living room with her older brothers, Zander and Julian. Susan had dropped by the mansion several times after the previous incident, but Kylie had never been around. It could not be any more obvious what that meant. Now, she hade with her brothers under the pretense of asking if they could help with anything for Perrin''s uing birthday celebration, never expecting she would bump into Sophia. News about Sophia''s and Alexander''s rtionship had spread like wildfire within the industry. It never crossed Susan''s mind that Sophia, someone who popped up out of nowhere, would not only end up gaining favor from Alexander but also from the major shareholders of bothpanies. Susan did not know much about business matters, but others in her family did. The future of technology was boundless. Thus, as one of the founders of Technology Innovations, the money Sophia could potentially make was also limitless. That previous incident doesn''t seem to have hurt her in the slightest. Seeing her now after a few months have passed, she''s clearly doing much better than I imagined. Focusing her gaze on Lukas, she asked, ¡°Did you have to work overtime today as well?¡± ¡°No. I went to pick Sophia up,¡± he answered, ncing at her indifferently. Her expression stiffened at his reply, and she gritted her teeth as she red at Sophia. At that moment, Kylie said to the three siblings, ¡°It''s gettingte. As your parents must be waiting for you for dinner, we won''t keep you.¡± After saying that, she shed a smile at Sophia. It was the first time they had been asked to leave in such a manner. It''s already time for dinner, yet they don''t even bother to invite us to stay for a meal! Unwilling to be driven away just like, Susan replied, ¡°Our parents are out having a date night today, Aunt Kylie. Mmm, something smells good! Did you make grilled pork today? You wouldn''t mind if the three of us stayed for dinner, would you? My brothers and I haven''t eaten with your family in ages!¡± Given what Susan said, Kylie could not possibly insist that they leave. Hence, she responded with a smile, ¡°How silly of you to say that. We always cook more. I only said you should go home because I thought your parents were waiting. Since you don''t have anything to eat at home, you should join us.¡± Susan shot Sophia a triumphant look upon hearing that. Seemingly wanting to gloat further, she went to loop her arm through Kylie''s. ¡°Aunt Kylie is still the best.¡± As she spoke, she arched an eyebrow smugly at Sophia. ¡°Your mother would hit you if she heard what you just said,¡± Kylie said with a smile as she pulled Susan''s hand away. That action felt like a p in the face for thetter. ncing at Susan in amusement, Sophia proceeded to head upstairs to look for Perrin. Chapter 325 Chapter 325 Even though Sophia had never told Perrin what Susan had previously done to her, the experienced Perrin clearly saw through Susan''s little schemes. When Sophia helped Perrin downstairs and encountered Susan, Perrin''s brows slightly furrowed. ¡°Susan, why didn''t you go home for dinner?¡± Susan, who was just about to ingratiate herself with Perrin, froze momentarily before she eked out a reply. ¡°There''s no food at home.¡± Perrin threw Susan a nce. ¡°Fine. It''s not like we can''t afford to spare some.¡± Despite his answer, it was clear that Perrin was implicitly showing her the door. At that moment, Susan''s two brothers'' faces reddened in embarrassment. The Dawson family clearly wanted to sever ties with them. Nheless, if they were to leave now, they would end up being further ridiculed. They were caught in the middle, trapped between a rock and a hard ce. Susan was consequently lost for words. After helping Perrin to his seat, Sophia sat down right beside him. The sight elicited a drastic change in Susan''s expression. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, isn''t that Lukas'' seat?¡± Sophia didn''t reply. Instead, it was Lukas who responded, ¡°We don''t have such unnecessary rules in the family.¡± Having been humiliated again, Susan gave Sophia a deathly stare. Susan''s brothers, Zander and Julian, were filled with indignance after watching their sister being sniped time and again. Julian couldn''t help but voice his dissatisfaction. ¡°Granduncle, who is Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°My granddaughter whom I have recently acknowledged.¡± Even though Perrin spoke the truth, it was evident that Susan and her brothers didn''t believe it. Upon hearing Perrin''s reply, Susan gave Sophia another look, wondering how thetter got so lucky to have caught Perrin''s eye. At that moment, Kylie tried to change the topic. ¡°Today''s fish is very fresh.¡± While speaking, she used the serving spoon to pick up a serving of fish. Susan subconsciously bought her empty te forward with the intention of letting Kylie ce it there. However, the moment she raised her te, Kylie served the fish to Sophia instead. ¡°Sophia, why don''t you give it a try? Everyone says that my fish is delicious.¡± Sophia responded with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Aunt Kylie.¡± Upon retracting her te awkwardly, the seething Susan bit her fork as she glowered in Sophia''s direction. What is wrong with the Dawson family? Regardless of my intentions, I''m still a Dawson who has spent so many years with them. Why are they focusing all their attention on Sophia ever since she appeared out of nowhere? After all, she''s just an adopted granddaughter and not a real one! So why are they treating her as if she''s the apple of their eye? It was beyond Susan''s wildest imagination that Sophia was a Dawson true and true. In fact, she was more of a Dawson than Susan actually was. Obviously, Susan never thought that it was possible and wouldn''t have believed it. Therefore, when she saw the fish being ced on Sophia''s te, she gritted her teeth in indignance. ¡°Aunt Kylie, I enjoy eating fish too.¡± Upon hearing her words, Kylie shed a smile and moved the entire te toward her. ¡°Don''t be a stranger. Help yourself.¡± Susan, who wanted Kylie to serve her, was rendered speechless. Sophia found the fish to be delicious the moment she took a bite. A subsequent nce at the scowling Susan further enhanced the taste in her mouth. Hmm, no wonder the concubines in ancient times loved to vie with each other for attention. It''s actually kind of interesting. While Sophia enjoyed the meal, Susan barely had any appetite to eat. All she did was watch members of the Dawson family chat happily with Sophia. Before Sophia''s emergence, she was the one everyone talked to, whereas Kylie would also constantly serve her food. But now, not only did Kylie stop doing so, but she also paid no heed to Susan, causing thetter to wonder what she had done wrong. All this while, Kylie had wanted a daughter, but her health prevented her from conceiving after having Lukas. As age began to catch up, she was forced to give up the idea. That was the reason why Susan tried to endear herself to Kylie by going shopping with thetter as if she were her daughter. During those times, she received many ¡°presents¡± from Kylie and even received huge mary gifts during the holidays. Due to the special treatment orded to her by Kylie, everyone in Doveston respected Susan even though the two Dawson families had long been separated. Given that the Dawson family only had one son in Lukas, Susan figured that currying favor with Kylie was the right strategy. When Sophia''s appearance threw her into panic, she plotted to have Kylie hate Sophia. Unfortunately, her schemes only resulted in increasing the resentment Kylie felt toward her. Can it be that Kylie knows about my past deeds? The thought caused Susan''s expression to freeze. Meanwhile, Sophia was saying something to Perrin that resulted in him bursting into heartyughter. As for Susan, she had spent five years ingratiating herself with Perrin, but never once did he ever smile at her. While Kylie was leaning over to speak to Sophia, Lukas passed the fruit te over to them, as if Sophia was really part of their family. Susan clenched her teeth. ¡°Sophia, can you walk me out?¡± Her sudden words drew the attention of everyone on the couch. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Despite how shameless the request was, she still made it unabashedly. As it would be rude of Sophia to decline, she grinned in response. ¡°Sure.¡± With that, she got up from the couch. Susan then smiled obediently at Kylie and the others. ¡°Aunt Kylie, Granduncle, Lukas, I''ll be taking my leave now. I''ll visit you again when I have the time.¡± Nodding, Kylie simply grunted in acknowledgment. That day probably won''te. Once Susan was done bidding goodbye, Sophia hade up to her side. ¡°Ms. Dawson.¡± Retracting her gaze, Susan threw Sophia a nce. ¡°Sorry for the trouble, but there''s something I would like to ask you.¡± As both of them walked down the stairs together, Sophia responded with an indiscernible smile. ¡°What would you like to know, Ms. Dawson?¡± As they reached the turn of the staircase, Kylie and the others were no longer in sight. It wasn''t until Susan had walked down to the next floor that she asked, ¡°I heard that you have reconciled with Mr. Xenos?¡± Sophia cocked a curious brow. ¡°Do you have a problem with it?¡± Breaking out a grin, Susan walked toward the fish pond in the garden instead of heading to the exit. ¡°It''s not my ce to object.¡± Although the lights in the garden were dim, Sophia could clearly see that Susan had wiped the smile off her face. She stared at Sophia, seething through her teeth. ¡°My question is, why did youe to Doveston to ingratiate yourself with the Dawson family when you have such a wonderful life in Jadeborough?¡± Sophia gave her a curious look. ¡°What do you think I''m after, Ms. Dawson?¡± Susan obviously had no idea what Sophia''s objective was. From her perspective, if she had half the life that Sophia enjoyed, she wouldn''t even need to ingratiate herself with Kylie and the Dawson family. Although the Dawson family was decent, Perrin was like a stubborn old rock that was impossible to please. Nheless, Sophia''s nonchnt expression only served to infuriate Susan further. ¡°I don''t know what you''re doing this for! However, if something were to happen to me today, do you still think the Dawson family will treat you this well?¡± Sophia raised her brow in surprise. ¡°What are you up to, Ms. Dawson?¡± Thinking that she had seeded in scaring Sophia, Susan shed a smug smile. ¡°The fish pond is right behind me.¡± ¡°Oh, in that case, go ahead and jump.¡± Unflustered, Sophia let out a snort as she continued to stare at Susan. Having initially thought that she had managed to give Sophia a scare, Susan trembled in rage when she saw Sophia''s response. Nheless, it wouldn''t be worth it if she were to jump into the pond alone. Hence, she gave thetter a quick nce before reaching out to grab her, hoping to pull Sophia into the pond together. Chapter 326 Chapter 326 Susan''s scheme came as no surprise to Sophia, for during the three years she was married to Alexander, Thalia and her friends had yed plenty of simr tricks on her. As a result, Sophia could foresee Susan''s intention the moment they walked up to the pond. Therefore, when Susan tried to grab her, Sophia shoved the former''s hand away and even ¡°helped¡± her along by giving her a push. Ssh! The moment Susan fell into the pond, the terrified carps swam toward the fake hill to hide. As the pond was only a meter deep and Susan knew how to swim, she got back to her feet in no time. ¡°Argh!¡± Thest thing she expected was for Sophia to really push her in, causing her to gulp down a few mouthfuls of water. Although the pond was cleaned every day, one could still imagine how dirty it was due to the sheer number of carp inside. As the stench in her mouth drove her crazy, Susan''s temper red. ¡°How dare you push me?¡± At that moment, Lukas emerged from the main door and walked over. After scrutinizing Sophia quickly to make sure that she was fine, he turned his attention to Susan. ¡°How did you fall into the pond? It''s not like this is your first time here.¡± Stunned momentarily, Susan was about to use Sophia of pushing her when she heard Lukas say to thetter, ¡°Go in now. There are a lot of mosquitoes outside.¡± After giving Susan¡ªwho was still in the pond¡ªa look, Sophia nodded with a smile. ¡°All right.¡± With that, she turned and left. Standing in the water, Susan felt it inappropriate to get out of the pond because her dress was all drenched. As she stared at Sophia''s silhouette, she fumed, ¡°Lukas, it was Sophia who pushed me into the water!¡± Lukas gave her the side-eye. ¡°You''re no longer a child, so why do you still say such childish things?¡± In spite of his gentle tone, there was a terrifying look in Lukas'' ck obsidian eyes. Due to the warm summer night, Susan didn''t feel cold despite being in the water. However, when her eyes met Lukas'', she immediately felt a chill down her spine. Frozen at her feet, she no longer dared to me Sophia for pushing her into the water. When a daring fish finally swam up to her side after a while, Susan felt disgusted by it. Thus, she reached out a hand for Lukas to pull her out. ¡°Lukas, help me. I can''t get out.¡± Lukas simply furrowed his brows at her. ¡°I''ll get someone to bring you a towel.¡± Just like that, he turned around and returned to the mansion, leaving Susan stunned. When Sophia came back to the second floor, Kylie approached her. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Kylie had no illusions about Susan''s character. She just chose to turn a blind eye when thetter came to keep herpany due to her desire for a daughter. Now that her attention was fully focused on Sophia, she knew what must be done even without Perrin asking. Sophia shook her head with a smile. ¡°I''m fine, Aunt Kylie.¡± After a brief pause, Sophia added, ¡°But she might not be.¡± No sooner had she spoken than Lukas walked over to her side. ¡°Ignore her the next time.¡± Susan''s little games are nothing but a joke in the Dawson family. Unfortunately, it isn''t easy getting rid of pests like her. Her actions might be harmless for now, but if the situation esctes, Sophia might suffer if she isn''t careful. Embarrassment inundated Sophia. ¡°I understand, Lukas.¡± After nodding in satisfaction, he instructed the housekeeper to bring Susan a towel. Thereafter, Perrin and Sophia went back to their respective bedrooms, leaving only Kylie and Lukas in the living room. After getting a change of clothes, Susan burst into tears at the sight of Kylie. Kylie took a sip of coffee before shing a smile at Susan. ¡°Susan, I''m sure your mom must be jealous of me for always having you by my side. Now that I''m getting older, I don''t really enjoy shopping anymore. It would be better for you to go shopping with friends your age. Also, your granduncle prefers some peace and quiet, so you had better stoping over for no good reason.¡± Just as Susan was about to y victim, Kylie''s words caused her to choke on what she had wanted to say. Thinking that Sophia must have said something ahead of her, she attempted to exin but was stopped by Lukas'' piercing nce. Thereafter, Kylie gave her another look. ¡°All right now, it''s gettingte. I''ll have the driver send you home.¡± Despite the indignance she felt, Susan wasn''t a fool. The implicit meaning of Kylie''s words wasn''t lost upon her. Although she was gripped by shock, Susan kept her emotions bottled up on the ount of Lukas'' presence. Nevertheless, right before she left, she failed to hold back her tears. Sniffling between her sobs, Susan remarked, ¡°I''m going home now, Aunt Kylie.¡± Kylie replied tly, ¡°Go on now.¡± Even though Susan had gotten a change of clothes, she had still fallen into the fish pond. And yet, Kylie didn''t even bother to show her any concern even when she was about to leave. Kylie had made it abundantly clear that she was no longer wee in the Dawson residence. Ever since Sophia appeared out of nowhere, all they care about is her! While Susan was leaving, Sophia was on the balcony, chatting over the phone with Alexander. As the car drove out of the Dawson residence, its light captured Sophia''s attention. ncing below, she couldn''t resist breaking into a smile when she was reminded of how Susan red at her throughout the evening. She must be feeling upset tonight. Thinking about it gave Sophia a sense of smug satisfaction. ¡°When are youing back?¡± Sophia was jolted back to her senses upon hearing Alexander''s voice. ¡°I don''t know.¡± All of a sudden, she felt the urge to tease him. ¡°Perhaps one more week, as I want to spend more time with Granddad.¡± Her words cause Alexander to fall into an abrupt silence. A short whileter, she heard him remark, ¡°The rose is going to die.¡± Knitting her brows, Sophia had no idea why he brought the topic up suddenly. ¡°Flowers bloom and die all the time. Isn''t that just nature at work?¡± ¡°No. Mr. Lane says that they can onlyst three to seven days.¡± Sophia let out a snort. ¡°In that case, you should ask him about it.¡± ¡°It''s useless.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I plucked the rose''s petals because I wanted to find out if you miss me.¡± The embarrassed Sophia replied, ¡°What''s the conclusion?¡± ¡°You don''t.¡± ¡°How did you know? Did the rose tell you?¡± Since when does the great Mr. Xenos rely on counting rose petals to determine whether his girlfriend misses him? ¡°You were the one who told me.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°You just said that you''ll be staying there for seven more days.¡± Seven days is a long time. Isn''t it obvious that she doesn''t miss me? Sophiaughed in exasperation. ¡°Nonsense.¡± ¡°I miss you a lot, Precious.¡± As Alexander''s deep masculine voice rang out from the phone, Sophia stroked her already burning cheeks before grunting in reply. ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± In the middle of their call, a sudden knock on the door jolted Sophia. ¡°I''ll talk to youter. Someone''s here to see me.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Once the call ended, Sophia put her phone aside before getting the door. Standing at the entrance was Lukas, who had some profiles in hand. When she saw them, Sophia gave him a curious look. ¡°What''s this about?¡± ¡°Grandpa wants you to choose.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your male partner for Grandpa''s birthday next month.¡± Sophia was embarrassed upon realizing that it was part of a matchmaking process. ¡°But Lukas, I already have a boyfriend.¡± Unfortunately, Lukas didn''t care. ¡°Grandpa asked me to give them to you. Why don''t you take a look first?¡± Left without a choice, Sophia took them from his hands. ¡°I want to officially introduce Alexander to all of you one day.¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Brows furrowed, Lukas finally wavered when he saw the look of anticipation on her face. ¡°That''s up to you.¡± After a brief pause, he added, ¡°But I won''t help you pacify Grandpa if he gets angry.¡± Chapter 327 Chapter 327 In the end, Perrin still caught wind of what had happened the night before. It was not a secret that Sophia disliked Susan. But as much as it would please her to see Susan miserable, Sophia did not want Perrin to know about the matter to spare him the anger. After all, Susan still shared the samest name as the Dawson family, and before Sophia was epted by the Dawson family as one of their own, it was Susan who would constantly visit Kylie and Perrin like a filial child. Little did she expect the butler would inform Perrin ofst night''s incident as soon as the old man woke up. As they were having breakfast, Sophia watched as Perrin asked Lukas to visit Susan''s family in the next few days. Perrin instructed Lukas to forbid Susan, Julian, and Zander froming over to the Dawson residence for no good reason. ¡°Tell them that I have to rest and recuperate.¡± Lukas had always been on Sophia''s side. Even before Perrin had given him the instructions, Lukas had already thought about it. Since Perrin had said it aloud, Lukas was more than happy to visit Susan''s family himself. Only after Perrin had given the instructions did he turn to face Sophia. ¡°Next time, just speak up whenever you''re wronged by others. Lukas and your Aunt Kylie will always have your back.¡± Despite feeling a little helpless, Sophia was touched by the gesture. She smiled softly. ¡°Got it, Granddad.¡± After breakfast, Sophia and Perrin stayed inside and yed chess while Lukas left for Susan''s house with a small gift. Susan''s biological grandfather had passed away a long time ago, which made Perrin the eldest in the Dawson family. During the festive seasons, only Susan''s parents woulde and bring gifts to the Dawson residence without fail. That was the first time Lukas ever showed up at Susan''s house despite knowing each other for so many years. At Lukas'' sudden visit, not only Susan but her parents had also noticed something amiss. Espen Dawson and Cherie Sundend exchanged nces discreetly when they found out who was standing at the door. Upon recalling Julian''sment regarding the Dawson family when they had returned home the night before, Cherie felt her heart skip a beat as her anxiety rose. Forcing herself to keep her expression calm, Cherie got onto her feet and gave Lukas a weing smile. ¡°Nice to see you, Lukas! Do you have more spare timetely? Howe you''ve got time to visit us today?¡± Contrary to her warmth, Lukas merely nodded coolly and handed them the gift in his hand. ¡°Good day, Uncle Espen, Aunt Cherie. I''m not that busytely.¡± ¡°You could''ve juste here empty-handed. Why have you brought a gift with you too?¡± Despite her words, Cherie stepped forward to receive Lukas'' gift. She was not coveting Lukas'' gift, but that was the first time Lukas had been so courteous for as long as they knew him. Cherie wondered if all the formalities meant that Lukas was there to ask them for help on behalf of the Dawson family. Cherie had been troubled by the problems of the familypanytely. Coupled with the fact that Kylie had been ignoring Susan all of a sudden recently, Espen and Cherie were struggling to bring up the matter to Kasper. Never would Cherie have imagined for Lukas to show up at her door. Lukas tossed a nce at Julian and the rest before turning his attention to Cherie. ¡°Here''s the thing¡ª Grandpa is not feeling welltely, and the doctor advised him to rest and recuperate. We know that Susan likes to visit Grandpa, so Grandpa has sent me here today to send his regards. That way, Susan wouldn''t have to be disappointed when Grandpa is not around whenever she goes to visit.¡± Cherie almost lost her smile when she heard what Lukas had said. Anyone with a shred ofmon sense would be able to understand what was implied by Lukas'' statement. In the past, Susan would go over to the Dawson residence every day to curry favor with Kylie and Perrin. Two months ago, Perrin and Kylie began to stop meeting with Susan. Susan and her brothers had gone to the Dawson residence again the night before, and they returned with vexation. A day immediately after their visit, Lukas showed up at their door with such a statement. It didn''t take a genius to figure out what he meant. Uncle Perrin obviously doesn''t want to share what he has. We share the samest name, and we''re practically family! How can he be so stingy and selfish? Despite her thoughts, Cherie was smart enough to hold her tongue. Suppressing her shock and anger upon receiving the news, Cherie asked in feigned concern, ¡°Did something happen to Uncle Perrin? Susan said he was doing well just a few days ago. Why would he need to rest and recuperate?¡± Everyone understood the hidden meaning behind Lukas'' statement. They knew that Lukas had said so to preserve their dignity. However, since Cherie had asked the question aloud, Lukas had no choice but to answer, ¡°It''s not a big deal, just that he''s getting old and doesn''t like too much noise and issues in the house.¡± With that said, Lukas turned to look at Espen. ¡°Uncle Espen, there''s still something I need to do. I''ll be leaving now.¡± With that, he turned and left. Cherie and Espen were dumbstruck. Their expression turned stiff as they stared at Lukas'' departing figure. Once Lukas got beyond hearing range, Julian and Zander could no longer stay silent. ¡°They''ve gone too far! It''s not like we love going to their ce!¡± Shooting a re at Julian, Cherie turned to look at Susan. ¡°Susan, what exactly happenedst night? Why did Lukase so early in the morning to say all this?¡± Susan was as stunned as everyone else. After Kylie''s humiliatingmentst night, she thought that she could continue to act shamelessly. Since Sophia would not always be in Doveston, Susan had wanted to show up at the Dawson residence more frequently after Sophia left. That way, they would surely meet her sooner orter. As she was mortified after falling into the pond, she did not tell Cherie about what had happened the night before. Who would have thought Lukas would show up with a gift early in the morning and tell them that Perrin wanted to rest? What does he need to recuperate from? This is clearly to tell me how much they detest my visits! Lukas had already said all those words clearly. In other words, even if Susan kept showing up at the Dawson residence shamelessly, they would no longer open the door for her. Perrin might as well have just announced that he wanted to sever all ties with them! At that thought, Susan paled. ¡°Mom, I don''t know what happened either. I... I was pushed into the goldfish pond by Sophiast night.¡± Knowing her daughter well, Cherie knew that there was more to what Susan had said. ¡°You! Why did you provoke Sophia for no reason?¡± Even though she said that, Cherie did not regard Sophia as of any importance. She turned to Espen. ¡°Where did this Sophiae from anyway? Is she just someone Uncle Perrin took in as a granddaughter? Is Uncle Perrin beginning to show signs of old age? Has he gotten delusional? At least we share the same family name as him! Also, Susan had been visiting them almost daily for the past few years! How could he be willing to show favor to someone that doesn''t even have hisst name and not Susan?¡± Cherie was starting to believe that Perrin had lost his grip on reality due to his age. In fact, she was beginning to suspect that Sophia had drugged him to win his affection! Their simr reactions confirmed that Cherie and Susan were indeed mother and daughter. Espen, on the other hand, believed that there was more to it than meets the eye. Last night, Zander had told him that Sophia was epted as a granddaughter by Perrin. Zander also said that the entire Dawson family was being very affectionate to Sophia, so affectionate that Kylie was willing to give Susan the cold shoulder for the sake of Sophia. When Espen heard that, rms had already been going off in his head. As he connected the dots between the fact that Susan had fallen into the pond the previous night and Lukas'' sudden appearance, Espen concluded that Lukas was giving them a warning rather than cutting them off. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Even though Perrin was old, Espen was certain that the old man was not senile. Even if Perrin was delusional, the rest of the Dawson family were not fools. Lukas being so sessful at such a young age was enough proof that the Dawson family was full of geniuses. As for Sophia, it wouldn''t be too big of a concern if Perrin was the only person that favored her. However, from what Susan had said, Espen gathered that the entire Dawson family was nice to Sophia. All of a sudden, Espen''s expression shifted as a memory surfaced in his thoughts. ¡°I remember something. Thirty years ago, Kasper had a missing younger sister...¡± Chapter 328 Chapter 328 Cherie had yet to marry Espen at that time, so naturally, she did not know about those matters. ¡°What sister? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Yeah, Dad, what are you talking about?¡± Susan and the others did not know either, and they were confused upon hearing Espen''s words. Espen nced at them and sighed. ¡°Thirty years ago, your granduncle had another daughter, but his daughter was kidnapped by human traffickers at ten years old when she went along with your grandaunt on a business trip. The Dawsons had looked tirelessly for Rachel back then, but their search for more than ten years was fruitless. Perhaps they were tired, for it seemed like they gave upter on.¡± All of a sudden, Espen froze before saying, ¡°Do you have a photo of Sophia?¡± That time when Penelope passed away, Espen had not paid too much attention to Sophia; he only gave her a nce. However, Espen still remembered what Rachel looked like, for Rachel was a pretty child back then. Back when Godin Dawson was still alive, Espen and Kasper were on good terms. The two doted on the younger girl, Rachel, and after Rachel went missing, he and Kasper worked hard to look for her. They even continued to look for her while attending university, but s, their efforts were for naught. Eventually, Espen gave up. It was now apparent to him that the Dawson family never gave up looking for Rachel. Susan did not dare to believe in it, but she did not want to give up so easily too, so she showed Espen a photo of Sophia she found online. Espen visibly stiffened when he saw the photo. ¡°They look so simr! They really do!¡± He was only half-sure that Sophia and Rachel were rted before seeing the photo, but after seeing it, he was almost certain that they were rted. Regardless of whether or not Sophia was actually Rachel''s daughter, Perrin would still dote on Sophia because Sophia looked so much like Rachel. After a nce at Susan, Espen said, ¡°Did you do something to Sophia?¡± Susan tensed. ¡°No, I didn''t, Dad.¡± Espen''s expression darkened. ¡°Don''t assume that Lukas doesn''t know about all the things you''ve done. I don''t care whether or not you''ve done those things back then, but from now on, don''ty a finger on Sophia anymore. Also, don''t go over there for now. We''ll put this aside until after your granduncle''s birthday.¡± Espen had never wished for things between him and Kasper to get so ugly, but in recent years, Cherie and Susan had done too many things behind his back. However, as he was benefitting from what they did anyway, he turned a blind eye to their actions. Little did he expect Sophia to appear. Meanwhile, Sophia had no idea what Susan and her family were thinking about, but she knew that it was unlikely Susan would pull any other dirty tricks after Lukas'' visit. When Lukas came home, she had just finished a round of chess with Perrin. Perrin could not win against her, so he wanted to cheat, but even after cheating, he still lost. Hence, at the moment, he was insisting on another round with Sophia. When Lukas came back, Perrin grabbed him and said, ¡°Come over here. y a round with her.¡± Lukas nced at Sophia, and Sophia chuckled helplessly. ¡°He was the one who didn''t let me go easy on him.¡± Perrin blushed when he heard that, and he scoffed, ¡°The best mentors tend to train even better yers. You''re my granddaughter, so it''s nothing unusual for you to be better than me in chess!¡± Sophia chuckled and agreed with him. ¡°Of course! Where would I be if you weren''t smart in the first ce!¡± At that, Perrin nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Do y one round with each other. I''ll be watching at the side.¡± A pause after, he added, ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t be amentator.¡± A rareugh escaped Lukas. ¡°I hope you do remember to stay silentter on!¡± Perrin huffed, ¡°Start now! Don''t underestimate your cousin. She''s quite a good chess yer.¡± Sophia then softly said to Lukas, ¡°Lukas, do go easy on me.¡± Lukas lifted his head a little to glimpse at her. ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia was younger than him; he was definitely going to go easy on her. Yet, ten minutester, he found it unnecessary. The round took nearly an hour, and in the end, it was a narrow victory for Lukas. Perrin clicked his tongue and remarked, ¡°Look at you. You underestimated Sophia, didn''t you? Would you have won if Sophia had not gone easy on you?¡± Sophia took a sip of her coffee and replied, ¡°Granddad, I didn''t go easy on Lukas.¡± Lukas was indeed impressive, and she truly did not go easy on him earlier. It was just that she suddenly recalled what Lukas had told her the night before and found herself distracted. That was how she made the wrong move, causing her to lose to Lukas. Right then, the door to the study opened, and Kylie walked in. ¡°It looks like the three of you are enjoying your life here while you leave me alone outside. Why, are you going to let me eat lunch by myself as well?¡± Sophia raised her head to look at Kylie. ¡°How can we possibly do that? Is Uncle Kasper noting back for lunch today?¡± As she said that, she lifted a brow to tease Kylie. Kylie smiled and gently patted her head. ¡°Your Uncle Kasper and I are an old couple now, so we don''t need any alone time anymore. Come and have lunch once you''re done with your game.¡± As Lukas had booked a spot in a restaurant for dinner, they had a lighter lunch. It was Sophia''s twenty-eighth birthday that day. After eleven years, she was finally spending her birthday with her family again. At night, they went out for dinner. After dinner, Sophia received a pile of presents. When she returned to her room, she was abruptly hit by the yearning for Alexander. Right as Sophia took out her phone and was about to call Alexander, she identally clicked on the notification of Katherine''s message. Upon seeing the picture that Katherine sent her, she froze. She replied: Where did you get this from? Katherine was swift to answer: What do you mean where did I get this from? The moment the sky turned dark today, all the LED screens around Jadeborough''s business district lit up with this. Even the lights above the cabs wrote, ¡°Happy birthday, Sophia Yarrow.¡± You''re even trending on Twitter! What a pity it is that you''re not in Jadeborough. Alexander''s efforts have gone to waste. Right as Katherine sent that message, Sophia saw Alexander calling her. She quirked a brow and answered the call. ¡°Sophia speaking.¡± ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Sophia replied. Just as she was about to ask him about the boards in Jadeborough, Alexander suddenly asked, ¡°Do you miss me?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Instinctively, she wanted to say no, but when she thought about the picture Katherine sent to her, she halted and replied, ¡°Take a guess.¡± ¡°I miss you, Precious.¡± Right as Alexander said that, Sophia saw fireworks setting off a distance away outside. The fireworks were loud, and Sophia guessed they were set off by someone in the residential area. She subconsciously turned to look outside. At the same time, Alexander said, ¡°Sophia, can you walk to the balcony?¡± Sophia''s heart lurched. ¡°Are you outside?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Alexander''s voice was soft, and there were ongoing fireworks in the background. Sophia could not hear him clearly, but she still ran out to the balcony with her phone. Sure enough, there was a car downstairs with its headlights on. Alexander was standing before the car, and the second she nced at his figure, she recognized him. ¡°Wait for me! I''lle down now!¡± With that, she ran downstairs. Sophia rarely did anything as rash as this after reaching adulthood. Right as she rushed down the stairs, she encountered Lukas, who grabbed her in time when she was about to fall. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Downstairs. Lukas, Alexander''s downstairs!¡± Her eyes were bright when she said those words, and she was all smiles. Even Lukas was stunned by her delight. By the time he came back to his senses, Sophia had already gone down the stairs. Lukas frowned. Just then, Kylie spotted Sophia running downstairs, but Sophia was gone before she could say anything. Hence, she had no choice but to ask Lukas, ¡°Where is she going?¡± ¡°Downstairs.¡± With that, Lukas went downstairs and to the balcony. Just as he looked downward, he saw Sophia throwing herself into Alexander''s arms. Alexander''s really here. Fine, then. Since he''s so sincere, I won''t y the viin today. Chapter 329 Chapter 329 It had been a long time since Sophia was this excited. Ever since she started junior high, she became much more mature than her peers. Half a year after her university entrance exam, her parents passed away, and she was forced to grow up even more quickly. After that, she became more and more introverted and collected. Thest time she had been this ted was when she was in elementary school. It was when she spotted a cupcake on the table the moment she came home from school. Even though it was just a cupcake, she was joyous to see it considering her family situation. Sophia did think about how Alexander might have prepared a birthday present for her, but she never thought that he woulde all the way to the Dawson residence to see her. The butler was about to lock the gate when Sophia reached downstairs, and when he saw her running over, he said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, it''ste. Where are you going¡ª¡± ¡°I''ll just be right at the entrance,¡± Sophia stated before pulling the gate open and dashing out. Sophia was rushing the entire way, and even though she skidded to a stop before Alexander, she still bumped into his chest from the inertia. Alexander reached out to hold her as he lowered his head to look at her. ¡°There''s no need to run. I won''t just leave.¡± At that, Sophia turned flustered and asked, ¡°Why did you suddenlye?¡± The fireworks were still going on in the background, and when the colorful lights illuminated Sophia''s face, Alexander gulped. Suppressing the rising desire in him, he said, ¡°This is the first time I''m spending your birthday with you.¡± During those three years, he had never celebrated her birthday with her. Back then, Sophia was nothing but a stranger who was known as his wife. But now that they were back together again, he was looking forward to spending the rest of his life with her. Exactly twenty-eight years ago, Sophia had come into this world. So how could he not spend the day with her? Sophia smiled. ¡°Did you prepare those fireworks too?¡± As she spoke, she pointed at the noisy fireworks in the sky. Alexander turned around to nce at it before humming, ¡°Mhm.¡± That was not all. He even booked all of the LED screens in Jadeborough as well as the LED signs on all the roofs of the cabs and had them advertise birthday greetings for Sophia. If not for Perrin''s ongoing distaste for him, Alexander would have booked all of the LED screens in Doveston as well. ¡°Aren''t you scared that my grandpa would see you?¡± Alexander glimpsed at the mansion. ¡°I''m sure he wants you to be happy today too.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Thank you.¡± Truth be told, Sophia was immensely insecure after her parents passed away. She was only capable of enduring those three years of being married to Alexander because she had always wanted to have a family¡ªto have someone who would be by her side and care for her forever. Now that Alexander hade to her, Sophia suddenly felt that those three failed years were not too bad after all. She had gotten everything she had lost in the past. It was not a holiday that day, yet there were fireworks in the residential area thatsted over ten minutes. Perrin was about to sleep, initially, but the sounds of the fireworks outside were too noisy for him to do so. Raising his brows, he then went out of the room. When he reached downstairs, he saw Kylie and Kasper still in the living room. At that, he could not help but ask, ¡°Who''s setting off the fireworks?¡± Well, it is Sophia''s birthday today, so the fireworks are getting set off at the right time. Kylie smiled. ¡°If you walk out to the balcony, you''ll know.¡± Kylie had only heard about Alexander; she had never met him before. Still, she was surprised that Alexander would do such a thing for Sophia. She and Kasper used to be a romantic couple in the past. Although they did not do anything as dramatic as setting off fireworks, they once loved each other in passionate ways before too. Therefore, Kylie could not help but feel wistful as she recollected her memories of the past. Meanwhile, in confusion, Perrin walked out to the balcony to figure out what was going on, only to be surprised by Lukas standing there as well. When Perrin saw Lukas looking down, he scoffed and started, ¡°What''s there to see¡ª¡± Midway through his sentence, Perrin noticed a woman and a man at the entrance of the mansion. He was old, so he did not have good eyesight anymore. The distance between the balcony and the entrance meant that Perrin could only barely make out the two figures to be a man and a woman. Why are there a man and a woman standing right outside the house at this hour? And Lukas is just staring at them! Right then, Perrin realized something. ¡°That''s Sophia?¡± Lukas nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Perrin''s expression turned grim immediately. ¡°So the man is Alexander.¡± ¡°It is,¡± Lukas said before turning to Perrin, who was about to head downstairs to get Sophia. ¡°Sophia was running the whole way downstairs just now. She must have been hoping to see him today too.¡± At that, Perrin halted in his tracks. After a moment of contemtion, he held himself back. The grandfather and grandson then stared at the two people downstairs with gloomy looks. When Perrin saw Sophia about to enter the car with Alexander, he panicked and cried out, ¡°The brat''s trying to kidnap our Sophia!¡± Lukas narrowed his eyes, but he still stopped Perrin. ¡°Grandpa, Alexander knows his limits.¡± Lukas did not want to speak up for Alexander at all, but the thought of how Sophia had rushed downstairs for Alexander softened his stance. Ever since Sophia returned to their family, she had been quiet, considerate, and graceful. As her older cousin, Lukas wanted to spoil her. Yet, he did not even know where to start. It was his first time seeing Sophia so exhrated throughout these few months. It was as if she was an eighteen-year-old girl who found out that the boy she liked hade to see her. Even though she said nothing about it, he could see the joy on her face. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Furthermore, Alexander knew that the Dawsons did not quite like him, and so he had to know that Perrin would be even more irked by him if he came so suddenly. Despite that, he still came to meet Sophia on her birthday as a surprise. For that, despite how Lukas did not like Alexander, the former held himself back. Sophia must be happy. Despite Perrin''s reluctance, he had to admit that Lukas was right. After those two days of interacting, although Perrin was biased against Alexander, he had to say that Alexander was indeed a capable man. Of course, he was not going to forget what Alexander had done to his precious granddaughter. With a scoff, Perrin said, ¡°If he doesn''t bring Sophia back tonight, I''m going to break his legs myself tomorrow.¡± Lukas'' brows twitched when he heard that. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll be breaking his hands before you can break his legs.¡± ¡°Alexander''s an evil brat with wicked intentions!¡± Lukas inclined his head in agreement, ¡°Yes.¡± The duo continued to stand on the balcony and watched as the car drove off. A beatter, Lukas looked away and said, ¡°It''s gettingte, Grandpa. You should rest now.¡± A pauseter, he added, ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll only go to bed after Sophia''s back.¡± Perrin huffed again. ¡°You can''t sleep until Sophia''s back.¡± ¡°Leave this to me.¡± Perrin nced in the direction where the car went before reluctantly looking away and going back into the house. The butler then helped Perrin into his room. As Kylie stared at Perrin''s retreating figure, she smiled and said, ¡°It looks like Dad still doesn''t like Alexander.¡± Kasper patted the back of her hand. ¡°Be at ease. Alexander isn''t a simple man.¡± Kylie gave Kasper a nce. ¡°I just feel bad that Sophia''s in between them.¡± ¡°Dad feels bad for Sophia too.¡± The married couple chatted as they returned to their room. Soon, Lukas was the only one left in the living room. It was a long night, and he went to sit on the couch before closing his eyes. All of a sudden, he thought about the woman who had run into his arms many years ago. Chapter 330 Chapter 330 Sophia took nothing but her phone when she left home in a hurry. However, since Alexander imed he was hungry, she had no choice but to get into the car and go with him for supper. Sophia had a long dress on since she had gone out with the Dawson family for a meal earlier. Unfortunately, she was wearing a pair of flip-flops instead of her high heels at the moment. Also, all she had was her phone in her hand and nothing else. Her outfit was considered appropriate for a supper outing, though. Not far from the mansion, there was a ce where they sold all sorts of grilled food items. Kylie had told Sophia before that Penelope asionally took her there for supper when she was still alive and in good health. Sometimes, they would take Lukas along too. However, since Lukas was a germophobe and had always felt that the roadside stalls were not hygienic enough for his liking, he would merely follow thedies just to keep an eye on them. In the end, when Penelope realized that Lukas had no intention of eating anything there, she stopped taking him along. When Sophia first heard that, she found her granny to be a very interesting person. If fate had been on their side, she might have been able to join them for supper too. Sadly, there were no ifs in life, as by the time the Dawson family had located her, it was already too late. The car came to a halt, jolting Sophia out of her thoughts. She then got out of the vehicle with Alexander. One look and she could see that the long street was lined with numerous stalls that sold barbecued and street food. It was currently still early. The street was filled with families and young couples from nearby universities. This was the kind of environment Sophia was exposed to growing up. In fact, the condition at home was worse than the state of the food street. To her, the ce evoked a sense of familiarity instead of any negative impression. As for Alexander... Sophia then recalled Kylie telling her that the three of them used to have a difficult time finding a table for themselves when they came in the past. Instinctively, she nced at Alexander and asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to eat here?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Alexander also cast a nce at her before answering, ¡°Yes.¡± Sophia raised her brows and told him about Lukas. ¡°Don''t you suffer from minor germaphobia too?¡± Alexander held her hand and walked toward a nearby stall. ¡°I don''t anymore.¡± When he was with her, there was nothing he could not tolerate. Sophia could not help but smile when she heard his reply. ¡°I hope you don''t regret your decisionter.¡± The moment the good-looking couple walked in, the staff immediately went over to greet them, ¡°What would you like to have?¡± Sophia found a two-seater table by the side and said, ¡°We''ll have a look at the menu first.¡± The food choices were limited when it came to supper. In the past, Sophia went out with Katherine for supper very often, so after she took a quick nce at the menu, she handed it to Alexander. ¡°Take a look and see what you want to have.¡± It was indeed Alexander''s first time patronizing such food stalls. Although he grew up in a loveless family, money was nevercking in the Xenos family. Furthermore, his friends around him were of simr status. Since money was not an issue for all of them, they had always splurged when it came to food. Their most humble time was perhaps during their high school days when they ate in the school cafeteria. Once Alexander went to university, he never stayed in the dorm and certainly did not eat food from cafeterias anymore. There was nothing weird on the menu except for the obvious oil stains. Alexander looked at Sophia and saw no sign of disdain on her face, so he suppressed his difort. ¡°I''ll take the oatmeal then.¡± ¡°How about some barbeque?¡± Sophia pretended not to see the expression that just shed across his face. Instead, she asked the stall owner for some napkins and ced them in front of him. ¡°Maybe, we can go somewhere else.¡± ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± Sophia snorted lightly and replied, ¡°I like this and this, and also this one.¡± ¡°All right then. We''ll order these.¡± As he was talking, he raised his hand to get the server''s attention. ¡°Hi, we¡ª¡± Not wanting to make things difficult for Alexander anymore, she stopped him and said, ¡°Forget it. Let''s go somewhere else.¡± Alexander frowned and looked confused. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don''t feel like eating these all of a sudden.¡± Alexander eyed her for a while before responding, ¡°Actually, I can¡ª¡± ¡°No, it''s okay. Let''s just go.¡± In the end, the two of them went somewhere else for supper. Given the time that Alexander had arrived at her ce, he most likely had not had dinner yet. For someone as affluent as he was, Sophia doubted that his tummy could stand the hunger. It waste once they were done with supper, so Alexander sent her back to the Dawson residence. During their absence, the fireworks disy ended. It was now very quiet in the neighborhood. Sophia unbuckled her seatbelt but did not get out of the car immediately. She turned and looked at Alexander. ¡°I had a good time tonight.¡± That was the happiest birthday she had ever had since she turned seventeen. She had her family and the man she loved with her. Alexander reached out to caress her face before saying, ¡°I will do my best to make you happy for the rest of your life.¡± By now, Sophia was already used to the flirtatious way Alexander spoke. Although blushing, she was much calmer than the first time she heard such things. The corners of her eyes crinkled, and she leaned forward to kiss him on his lips. ¡°Goodnight, Alexander.¡± Her scent overpowered his senses. Before Alexander could react, the heat on his lips was gone. Sophia had already moved away when he returned to his senses. He looked at her with those dark eyes of his. ¡°Goodnight.¡± Sophia chuckled softly before she opened the car door and got out. Alexander watched her walk into the mansion, and he touched his lips. The rest of the Dawson family was asleep, so Sophia tiptoed her way upstairs. When she saw that the light on the second floor was still on, she was slightly taken aback. ¡°Lukas?¡± ¡°You''re back?¡± Lying on the couch, Lukas opened his eyes a little to look at her. Sophia nodded. ¡°Lukas, were you waiting for me?¡± ¡°Grandpa told me to wait up for you.¡± As he said that, he got up from the couch and looked at her before asking, ¡°Did you enjoy yourself tonight?¡± Sophia nced at Lukas before nodding in embarrassment. ¡°Yes, very much.¡± ¡°Good,¡± he said before rubbing her head. ¡°I''m d you enjoyed yourself. Go and sleep then.¡± Initially, Sophia thought Lukas was going to question her about something else. She did not expect him to caress her head and allow her to go to bed. Sophia eyed Lukas once more and saw that he meant what he said. His serious expression told her that he was not kidding around, so she replied, ¡°Take a good rest too, Lukas.¡± ¡°Hmm... Yes, I will.¡± At least, Alexander knows how to behave himself today. Lukas returned to his room. Before sleeping, he walked to the balcony and nced outside. In the darkness, the ck car was still parked under the streetlights. It was veryte. Yet, he had not left. Lukas frowned as he closed the sliding door before returning to his bedroom. At the end of the day, they''re still young people. After Sophia returned to her room, she also looked out from her balcony. Unsurprisingly, Alexander had not left yet. She took out her phone and sent him a message. After receiving her message, Alexander looked up and sent a brief response before driving away slowly. Once the car was out of sight, Sophia smiled to herself as she turned to head inside. Chapter 331 Chapter 331 That was the best birthday Sophia had ever had since her parents passed away. She was already twenty-eight and was way past the age of being excited over having surprise parties orvish celebrations. However, she still could not help but feel happy and touched when someone made an effort to surprise her. Despite being an early sleeper, Sophia could not sleep even though it was already past midnight. She was scrolling through her phone, looking at the photos Katherine had taken for her. She had always thought that no one would know of the fact that Alexander was the heir to the Xenos family and Odyssey if he did not have his good looks. The man liked keeping a low profile and wasn''t the sort of person who enjoyed the attention. Sophia could hardly believe that he had chosen to celebrate her birthday in such an borate manner. As the sky grew darker, Sophia gradually fell asleep. She had not had dreams for a long time. More than a year back when she and Alexander first got divorced, she would frequently dream of the day when the two of them first met. Subsequently, she would also dream of her deceased parents. That night, she dreamed of that day fifteen years ago. However, in her dreams, Alexander did not leave immediately after saving her. Instead, he held her hand and was leading her forward without telling her where they were heading to. Sophia was awakened by the ringing of her phone. When she opened her eyes, she was momentarily blinded by the warm sunrays that were shining through the windows. Instinctively, she lifted her hand to shield herself from the bright light. It took her a few seconds to realize that she had just woken up from a dream. She yawned as she reached for her phone to turn off the rm. She had gone to bedter than usual the night before and was feeling groggy from theck of sleep. However, in order to catch the ne at two forty in the afternoon, she had to head to the airport right after lunch. As Sophia wanted to y a few more rounds of chess with Perrin, she put down her phone and headed to the bathroom to wash up. When she was descending the stairs, she saw that everyone else in the family had already woken up. Kylie was talking to her friend on the phone while Kasper was reading the financial newspaper. ¡°Good morning, Uncle Kasper.¡± Kasper nodded with a smile. ¡°Good morning. Your granddad and Lukas are downstairs.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The butler asked Sophia if she would like to have pasta or oatmeal for breakfast. After giving it some thought, she replied, ¡°Oatmeal, please. Thanks, Nathan!¡± As she had woken upte, and it was only two hours until lunchtime, Sophia was worried that she would be too full to eat during lunch if she were to have pasta for breakfast. After finishing her meal, she headed outside to look for Lukas and Perrin, who were enjoying a game of chess in the gazebo. ¡°Granddad. Lukas.¡± ¡°Have you taken your breakfast?¡± Perrin asked, turning his head slightly to look at Sophia with a benevolent expression on his face. Sophia was not sure if her grandfather was aware of her meeting with Alexander the night before. However, since he did not ask about it and was behaving normally, she decided not to mention it. However, Lukas saw her yawning. ¡°Why don''t you get a little more sleep?¡± A blush of embarrassment spread across Sophia''s cheeks when she recalled that Lukas had waited for her to get home before going to sleep the previous night. ¡°I''m fine. I can sleep on theer.¡± It was extremely rare for the grandfather and his two grandchildren to spend quality time ying chess together. Before they knew it, one hour had already passed. Even though the midday sun was getting hotter, the three of them were sheltered from the heat in the gazebo. They were having a rxed time while enjoying the snacks and fruits that were ced on the table next to them. However, such happy times did notst long. Sophia and Lukas noticed it the moment Susan and her family walked through the gate. Hearing their voices, Perrin looked over as well and saw a housekeeper leading Susan and her parents into the mansion. Just then, the butler approached the gazebo and said, ¡°Mr. Dawson, Ms. Susan and her parents are here.¡± Perrin was still upset with the family over what had happened two evenings ago. His displeasure intensified after his peaceful morning with his grandchildren was interrupted. ¡°Why are they here?¡± ¡°It seems that they have brought a gift for Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia raised a brow when she heard the butler''s words. After taking a nce at Sophia, Lukas helped Perrin up and said, ¡°Let''s go in and take a look.¡± Although Lukas had told Susan and her family not to visit the Dawson residence ever again, they had notpletely fallen out yet. Since the family was already there on the pretext of giving Sophia a present, there was no excuse to reject them. Besides, it was inevitable that they would meet each other sooner orter. Sophia was not a single bit bothered by their presence as, to her, Susan was merely a nobody. If she was serious about teaching the woman a lesson, there were many ways in which she could do so. However, she did not want to put Perrin in an awkward spot. After all, Susan was also a Dawson, and no matter what, she was still rted to Perrin. Despite his anger with Susan over the things she had done, when Perrin heard she hade with a gift for Sophia, his expression softened. Taking into consideration their efforts to redeem themselves and their improved attitudes toward Sophia, the old man decided not to make things difficult for Susan and her family. Perrin had only held himself back from holding a banquet to announce his rtionship with Sophia to the world because Sophia did not want the attention. When Rachel was still around, she had been the apple of her father''s eye. As such, Perrin was overjoyed to know that she had a daughter and would do anything to give Sophia the best life. ¡°All right. Let''s go inside and see what they are up to,¡± he said before heading toward the mansion with his two grandchildren. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. The moment Susan saw Sophia, she shed a smile and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I heard from my friend that it was your birthday yesterday, so I''ve specially prepared a present for you.¡± She handed Sophia the gift as she spoke. Sophia epted it and replied with a cid smile, ¡°Thanks, Ms. Dawson.¡± Just then, Cherie piped up, ¡°Since Sophia is Uncle Perrin''s granddaughter, she and Susan are practically sisters!¡± What a way to link Susan to the Dawson family. This woman is really something. After a pause, Cherie looked at Sophia and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you and Susan are of the same age, but you were born two months before her, so that makes you her elder sister. Uncle Perrin, am I right?¡± Perrin cast a nce at Cherie and replied without answering her question directly, ¡°Well, you don''t just refer to anyone as your sister. After all, Sophia''s family name isn''t Dawson. Others might have thoughts about Espen if Sophia and Susan start referring to each other as sisters.¡± Perrin''s words had an underlying meaning to them. He was clearly aiming at where it hurt the most. It was an open secret that Espen had an illegitimate daughter who was of the same age as Susan. However, as Cherie was strongly against her husband bringing that girl back, Susan was the only daughter of the Dawson family whom everyone acknowledged. Back then, Perrin had scolded Espen for letting Cherie down when the cat was let out of the bag. As such, he managed to shut Cherie up easily by mentioning the matter subtly. Right after Perrin finished speaking, Cherie forced a smile and said, ¡°I suppose you''re right.¡± After that, she stopped talking. Even though Sophia was not aware of the situation, judging by Cherie''s reaction, she could more or less guess it. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I was just joking around with you two nights ago. I hope you don''t take it to heart,¡± Susan suddenly said. Sophia looked at her and replied smilingly, ¡°I don''t.¡± ¡°I''m d to hear that.¡± Susan breathed a sigh of relief and walked toward Sophia, wanting to wrap her arm around Sophia''s. However, Sophia dodged skillfully and asked, ¡°Ms. Dawson, is there anything else?¡± The smile on Susan''s face froze at once. She did not expect Sophia to reject her gesture of goodwill and could feel anger stirring within her. But because Sophia was Perrin''s granddaughter, she had no choice but to tamp down her fury. ¡°Oh, nothing. I just want you to open your gift and see if you like it.¡± Chapter 332 Chapter 332 Susan and Cherie pondered for a long time before bracing themselves to gift Sophia the present. It was a jewelry setunched by ST under the Starlight series five years ago. Each set consisted of a diamond ne and a pair of earrings. The design theme for every set revolved around the concept of starlight. Every set had unique patterns, so the essories were one-of-a-kind. ST had only released eighteen sets to that day, and each set was priced at no less than three million. Susan had done a background check on Sophia. Although thetter eventually married Alexander, she grew up in an ordinary environment. Women are fond of jewelry and essories. It is challenging to giftvish bags as presents, but a diamond ne will never go wrong. Moreover, an expensive gift could also let Perrin take notice of their generosity toward Sophia. Needless to say, Susan and Cherie had another reason for doing so. They thought Sophia would still be astonished and delighted to receive a set of diamond essories even if she didn''t develop a money-grubbing personality from growing up in a humble environment. The day before, Susan and her family had felt restless after they analyzed and figured out Sophia''s identity. Coincidentally, Alexander hosted a birthday celebration for her with great fanfare. Susan nned to visit Sophia after she learned from her friend that Sophia''s birthday was yesterday. However, before departing, she mulled the situation over. She thought Sophia must''ve wanted to celebrate her birthday with only members of the Dawson family since she had deliberately traveled there from Jadeborough. If Susan had gone there at that time, her presence might even have been disdained. As a result, she postponed her visit to that day. Sophia slightly curled her lips. ¡°In that case, let me see what''s inside.¡± By looking at Susan''s and Cherie''s facial expressions, she could already sense their ulterior motives. Sophia was curious to know what present they had prepared for her for them to feel so confident that she would like it. The gift was exquisitely packaged. Although Susan''s family wasn''t as rich as the Dawson family, they were still wealthier than most well-off households, so the present must be valuable. There was no doubt about that. Sophia unwrapped the gift rather slowly. The others in the living room waited for her to finish removing the wrapping. Taking in Sophia''s leisurely demeanor, Susan had the urge to help her unbox the present. Still, she had no choice but to gnash her teeth and keep a lid on her agitation because Perrin was sitting nearby. Sophia couldn''t help but gaze up at Susan when she removed the packaging and saw the customized box of ST''s Starlight series essories. It seems that I''ve underestimated Susan and her family. This is indeed a pretty generous gift. Sophia had given a set of jewelry from that series to Katherine. The designer only released three sets per year, and only eighteen sets of jewelry were avable globally thus far. In the past, she had had to fork out a significant amount of money too to get the gift for Katherine. No wonder Susan wants me to open the present. Sophia looked away and reached out to open the box. The diamond ne, dazzling under the sunlight, was indeed eye-catching. Anyone could tell the jewelry set was pricey even at a cursory nce. Susan and Cherie looked fixedly at Sophia''s expression. However, thetter''s countenance remained unchanged even after the ne and earrings inside the box were revealed. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Susan was unconvinced by Sophia''s reaction. ¡°Sophia, do you not like this present?¡± Sophia nced at her. ¡°No. They''re very pretty, and I like them very much.¡± Her tone was soft, and even though she spoke with sincerity, there wasn''t a hint of tion in her voice. That turn of eventsrgely deviated from Susan and Cherie''s expectations. Cherie smiled sheepishly. ¡°We didn''t have much time to prepare the gift. I nned to give this jewelry set to Susan when she marries someone. I thought every girl fancies shiny essories like these, and since it was your birthday yesterday, I brought this over as a present for you. But you don''t seem very fond of these things.¡± Sophia closed the box. ¡°That''s so thoughtful of you, Mrs. Dawson. Still, I don''t think I can ept a gift as valuable as this.¡± She nudged the box closer to Cherie as she spoke. Perrin piped up, ¡°Since this is Susan''s wedding gift, it is indeed inappropriate for Sophia to ept this gift.¡± Cherie was merely trying to be pretentious. She didn''t expect Sophia to refuse and return her the present. Susan attempted to salvage the situation. ¡°That''s all right. My mom told me Sophia is more beautiful, so this ne will look much better on her.¡± Then, she feigned friendliness andined to Sophia, ¡°Look, Sophia. My mom is already so fond of you after meeting you twice. I think I''m at risk of losing my position as her daughter!¡± Sophia shed a smile and uttered nonchntly, ¡°Perhaps Mrs. Dawson simply prefers to be with attractive people.¡± The conversation grew stagnant as Susan and Cherie were at a loss for words. Fortunately, it was lunchtime. The butler stepped forward to remind everyone to have their meal. Naturally, Susan and her parents were invited to stay back for lunch. The atmosphere around the table was rtively amicable. Susan tried to strike up different topics of conversation with Sophia, but the latter simply replied halfheartedly. Subsequently, Susan could tell Sophia was unwilling to speak with her further. Only then did she take the hint and stop talking. Sophia''s flight was at two forty in the afternoon. Lukas sent her to the airport after lunch. Following Sophia''s departure, Susan and her family felt ufortable lingering further at the Dawson residence. Before they left, Kylie returned them the present they had given Sophia. ¡°Sophia said this gift is too precious. She doesn''t dare to take it. She appreciates your gesture, so please take this present back.¡± Susan and Cherie had no choice but to bring the set of jewelry back since Sophia had refused to ept it twice. On their way home, Susan couldn''t hold it in further as sheined, ¡°Mom, Sophia is too arrogant. She disregarded me even after I humbled myself.¡± Cherie was also enraged, but she was more mature and worldly-wise than Susan, ultimately. ¡°You even mentioned so confidently that Sophia would be delighted to receive this jewelry set. I didn''t notice any changes in her expression when she saw the essories. Her eyes didn''t linger on the gift either. Your pieces of jewelry failed to impress her.¡± Susan snorted. ¡°What if she''s putting on a pretense?¡± ¡°Let me see you pretend, then?¡± Cherie had observed Sophia intently the whole time earlier. During and after Sophia unwrapped the gift, she had truly ced it aside after taking a nce at it. Espen, who was driving the car, piped up, ¡°I should remind you two that Sophia is still the major shareholder of twopanies. Three million may be significant, but she''s not strapped either.¡± Espen''s words hit the nail on the head. Susan pursed her lips. Despite feeling vexed, she had to admit Sophia might indeed notck money. Cherie sighed. ¡°It seems that Sophia isn''t approachable too.¡± She was under the assumption that Sophia, another member of the Dawson family, would be an easier target. Unexpectedly, thetter was just as tricky to handle as the rest of the family. Sophia wasn''t bothered by Susan and her family. She was more perturbed by how she should disclose to Perrin she was actually a closet tycoon because he had handed her a bank card before she left the house earlier. He told her the money in the card was her allowance. It was as if Perrin was worried she might have a tough time surviving, as that was already the second time he had provided her with money. ¡°Lukas, if I tell Granddad directly that I''m very rich, will he be shocked?¡± Lukas, who was driving, contemted briefly after hearing that. ¡°You won''t startle him, but he may feel sorry and dote on you more.¡± As people age, their imaginations tend to go wild. ¡°Oh.¡± The car gradually came to a stop at a red light ahead. ¡°Instead of worrying about that, you should be thinking about who you''ll bring as your date to attend Grandpa''s birthday banquet that will be held in a fortnight.¡± Sophia blushed and turned her head sideways to look at him. ¡°Who are you bringing, then?¡± Don''t mind me retorting since you brought up such a sensitive topic. Chapter 333 Chapter 333 The cousins did not hold back on roasting each other. In the end, silence ensued in the car. In all fairness, it was a good question, but there was no perfect answer. It would be problematic for Sophia regardless of who she decided to bring to Perrin''s birthday celebration. If she brought Alexander as her partner, Perrin would likely be displeased. On the other hand, she was not willing to invite someone else. As for Lukas'' case, nothing more could be said. If he had the willingness to find a girlfriend, he would not be single at the age of thirty-five. The chat was going on fine. Why must we hurt each other? Realizing his cousin was a force not to be reckoned with, Lukas decided to change the topic. ¡°Don''t let your guard down regarding Alexander and the Xenos family.¡± Seeing Lukas take the initiative to make peace, Sophia naturally yed along and responded, ¡°I got it, Lukas.¡± They soon arrived at the airport. Sophia did not bring much when she came over, so she did not have a big suitcase for her return trip. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! ¡°Are you on the same flight with Alexander?¡± Lukas asked suddenly as they got out of the car. Sophia nodded, feeling slightly guilty when Lukas looked at her. ¡°He''s already inside the airport.¡± ¡°Mm. Give me a call when you reach Jadeborough,¡± Lukas reminded. ¡°Will do.¡± ¡°All right, go on in.¡± ¡°Be careful on your way back, Lukas.¡± Sophia headed into the airport after bidding farewell to Lukas. Lukas only drove off after watching her disappear from his sight. Sophia immediately spotted Alexander when she entered the airport. He was holding a jacket in one hand and did not have much luggage either. He attracted a bit of attention from the passing human traffic as he stood near an elevator where it was crowded. Alexander spotted her as well. He walked over to her and reached out to hug her. ¡°Lukas gave you a ride?¡± The hand around her waist felt like hot, burning steel. Sophia became self-conscious, and her face blushed slightly because of the surrounding crowd. Sophia hummed in response. She raised her head to look at him as she recalledst night''s dream. As they stood on the esctor, Alexander nced down at Sophia, his ebony eyes flickering slightly. ¡°Sophia.¡± His ebony eyes emit a passionate aura, causing Sophia''s heart to flutter. She purposely looked away and changed the topic. ¡°Lukas knows about the matter between you and the Xenos family.¡± Alexander nodded. ¡°Kristen went to look for Dillon the day before.¡± The situation in the Xenos family was somewhat simr to that of the Dawson family. Beau only had one child¡ªZachary, who had since passed. The eldest member of the Xenos family currently was Dillion, the son of Beau''s younger brother. Before his retirementst year, Dillon had arranged for his youngest son, Randy Xenos, to work in Odyssey. Dillon''s eldest son, Tyler, was already working in Odyssey when Beau was still alive. After Dillon retired last year, Alexander conducted a restructuring exercise for the staff under the former, effectively reducing their influence in thepany. Subsequently, Alexander turned Tyler into a mere figurehead. As for Randy, Alexander was not too concerned, as he only held a small managerial role. Tyler and his men had been scheming behind Alexander''s back in recent years, but they failed to create any substantial threats because of the majority stake held by thetter. No matter how they tried, Alexander''s position remained firm. It was, however, bothersome for Alexander to deal with their little tricks and ploys. Tyler had quietened down a lot in the past two years after Dillon''s retirement. He probably realized he was ipetent to challenge Alexander''s position in Odyssey. Save for the fact that Beau had identified Alexander as the next rightful heir, the value of the wedding gift Eloise had left for Alexander before her death was sufficient to suppress Dillon and his family. However, if Dillon came to know that Alexander was not blood-rted to the Xenos family, he would, without question, create havoc. After learning that Kristen had gone to look for Dillon, Alexander immediately instructed Felix to investigate what Dillon and his family had done for the past few years. He had never gone to any battles unprepared. Moreover, Kristen had already pulled the first shot, presenting the urgency for him to collect ammunition and strike back. Alexander had never thought of hiding all these matters and his ns from Sophia or bypassing her. After listening to Alexander''s words, Sophia roughly guessed he had a n in mind and nced at him. ¡°You truly believe you''re not rted to the Xenos family?¡± ¡°I don''t know.¡± The fact surrounding his identity as a Xenos needed to be ascertained. However, if Dillon and Kristen dared to pull any tricks on him, he would undoubtedly make them regret it. Sophia was more suspicious of Kristen. ¡°Have ite across your mind that Leonard and Thalia may not be your father''s biological children?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alexander looked at her and admitted without hesitation. He was never a kind person, always thinking the worst of people. He would only unveil his gentle side to Sophia. In his heart, he merely treated Beau as an elder he needed to respect to gain his trust and attain the Xenos family''s inheritance right. Nothing could be said more for Zachary, who led a yboy life; Alexander had no feelings for him whatsoever. As for Kristen, his so-called biological mother, Alexander did not see her in the same light. She had used his and Leonard''s DNA reports and imed they were not blood-rted. However, before Leonard''s birth, she abandoned Alexander and eloped with another man. That was a fact worth suspecting about a woman who abandoned her husband and child to elope with her lover. Alexander naturally would imagine Leonard''s and Thalia''s biological links to Zachary. ¡°Oh,¡± Sophia responded and recalled the DNA report she had seen that day. ¡°You also don''t have any blood rtions with Kristen.¡± Regardless of whether Alexander was a Xenos, one thing was clear¡ªKristen did not give birth to Alexander. As they approached the immigration counter, Alexander lowered his head and kissed Sophia. ¡°Don''t worry. Everything will be fine.¡± Alexander''s abrupt kiss in a crowded ce made Sophia blush. ¡°Alexander,¡± Sophia called him softly, raising her head. ¡°We''re at the airport.¡± Don''t kiss me like that without any warning. ¡°All right,¡± he replied nonchntly and reached out to caress her cheek. Sophia did not sleep well the night before. She almost slept throughout the two-hour flight. The ne had yet tond when Sophia woke up. She noticed the nket on her and raised her head slightly to look at the man whose shoulder she was leaning on. Alexander seemed to be asleep as well; his eyes were tightly shut, and there was a tinge of coldness on his handsome face. Sophia shifted slightly, trying not to wake Alexander up, but failed. He opened his eyes slowly. ¡°You''re awake?¡± Sophia sat right up and used her hand to smoothen her hair. ¡°Mm.¡± The temperature in the ne was lower than usual, but Sophia did not feel so while sleeping, as she was covered with a nket. However, the nket slipped off when she moved, and she felt a chill momentarily. Seeing that, Alexander reached out to pull up the nket for her. As Sophia watched him, she suddenly remembered an incident from a few months ago. Back then, she was flying back to Jadeborough with Horatius. Alexander was seated next to them across the aisle. She had fallen asleep then too. When she woke up, she discovered she was leaning on Horatius'' shoulder. He said something to her then, but she still felt groggy and could not register his words. She leaned in, wanting to hear better, and that was when her hair fell and covered her face. She was about to tidy her hair when Horatius reacted first and helped tuck her hair behind her ear. As she alighted from the ne uponnding, she met Alexander''s eyes, and he looked as though he wanted to swallow her alive. Sophia did not think much of it but found it amusing as she recalled it. She nced at Alexander and smirked. Alexander looked at her puzzledly. ¡°What''s that smile about?¡± Sophia gave a wink. ¡°I''m not telling you.¡± Alexander twirled his fingers lightly in Sophia''s palm, causing her to feel ticklish and subconsciously pull her hand away. But he grabbed her hand back quickly and locked his fingers with hers. ¡°It''s time to get off the ne.¡± He lifted his eyes, revealing a rare twinkly smile in those usually cold pupils of his. He did not need her to tell him; he knew she was referring to the time when she flew on the ne with Horatius. Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Alexander drove to the airport the day before, and his car was still parked at the outdoor parking lot of the airport. However, the parking lots in Jadeborough were generally huge. The two of them were only able to find the car after circling the area. It was already half past five in the evening by then. During July, the night sky in Jadeborough took a long time to turn dark. Sophia stared out the window at the sky which slowly took on a yellowish-orange hue. As a taxi drove past their car, she suddenly recalled the photos that Katherine had sent her the night before. Sophia shifted her gaze to look at the man behind the wheel. ¡°I wasn''t in Jadeborough. Who did you rent those taxis and giant electronic screens for?¡± The car sped away from the airport and slowly stopped at a traffic light. Alexander turned to look at her and said in a deep voice, ¡°They weren''t for you.¡± Those were not for Sophia to see. Instead, he had rented those to silence the people who imed that Sophia was not worthy of marrying him. If it weren''t for the fact that he was afraid of angering Perrin, he would have also rented the LED electronic screens at Doveston. Sophia raised a brow at his response. ¡°Then who did you rent them for?¡± Alexander fixed his gaze on her for a few seconds before saying, ¡°I rented them for my love rivals to see.¡± Sophia chuckled in amusement. ¡°I have a lot of love rivals too. Should I rent a massive electronic screen to stake my im on you too?¡± ¡°You don''t need to do that.¡± Sophia snorted. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°You don''t need to stake your im. None of them stand a chance against you.¡± Sophia had no idea where Alexander learned it from, but his flirting skills were getting better every day. Initially, she had gotten used to his pickup lines. However, she found out that day that she was struggling to keep up with his ever-evolving skill in flirting. The traffic light turned green. Sophia smiled and said, ¡°The light has turned green.¡± Alexander hummed in response and started driving again. Half an hourter, they arrived at Mirage. By then, it was almost seven in the evening. The sky had turnedpletely dark by the time they finished dinner. It was already past eight when they reached the mansion. Sophia immediately went to shower when they returned. After she came out of the shower, she checked her phone and noticed that Katherine had sent her many messages asking if she had returned and saying that she had something to discuss with her. Sophia arched an eyebrow and sent her a question mark. Katherine was quick to reply: Will I disturb your quality time with Mr. Xenos if I call you? Sophia chuckled and replied: Yes, you will. In the next second, an iing call from Katherine popped up on the screen. Sophia switched on the balcony light and walked out. She leaned on the railing and enjoyed the night breeze. ¡°What''s up?¡± It was summer, and the wind carried hints of fragrance from the flowers that bloomed downstairs. Katherine cleared her throat and said awkwardly, ¡°We''ll be shooting the season finale for ''Going Forward'' this Saturday. The director wanted me to ask if you''d like to be a guest on the show.¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows and rejected without any hesitation, ¡°No.¡± Katherine''s acting spirit was immediately triggered when she heard that. She whined pitifully and said, ¡°How heartless of you!¡± Sophia massaged her temples. ¡°It''s already the season finale. Why do they still want me to be a guest on the show?¡± On the other end of the phone, Katherine had no choice but to confess, ¡°A few days ago, Sharon shared a post on Twitter, hinting that you funded the show. The show hasn''t even broadcasted yet, but her fans are already scolding people. We''re afraid that you might get the short end of the stick when it broadcasts.¡± Katherine also did not expect Sharon to be such a sore loser. After Sharon was eliminatedst week, she went home and posted an interesting post on Twitter. Although she did not mention the person she was referring to in the post by name, it was apparent that she was talking about the episodes that she starred in with Sophia and made it clear that Sophia had gotten the correct answer. She even wrote another post on Twitter that read: Some people want to be famous but are reluctant to let go of their pride, so much so that they''re acting pretentiously on a show. It is, of course, a piece of cake for them to be the winner since they already read the script and knew the answers beforehand. As expected of those who ¡°fund the show.¡± Sharon''s poprity had been on the rise for the past few years. The moment her post was published on Twitter, her fans quickly realized she was talking about ¡°Going Forward,¡± which she recently participated in. However, they could not pinpoint who she was referring to. After all, there were four amateurs on the show. She could be talking about anyone. The first episode of the show would be aired in September. When that happened, it would be pretty obvious that Sharon''s Twitter post was directed at Sophia. Katherine had been in the entertainment industry for a long time. She would fight back immediately if she was attacked by others. However, things were different when it concerned Sophia, who was not part of the entertainment industry. Although Sophia might not mind, Katherine was troubled by the issue. As Sophia''s number one fan and best friend, Katherine had already asked Jonice to contact Sharon''s manager. However, the other party behaved arrogantly and remained unreachable. The production team had no choice but to think of a solution overnight¡ªto invite Sophia as a guest for the season finale. They would then broadcast a recap of how she made deductions and found clues. That was not the best solution, but since Sharon made things into a big deal, that was the best method the production team coulde up with to save Sophia and the show. As Katherine spoke, the anger she tried hard to suppress surged in her chest once again. ¡°Soph, listen to me. That Sharon Xerxes must be crazy! This isn''t the first time she''s mocked you indirectly on Twitter!¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°Sharon Xerxes... If I''m not mistaken, she''s one of the artists from Starlight Entertainment, apany operating under Midway Media, right?¡± Katherine, who was about to scold and curse Sharon, stopped short and answered, ¡°I-I think so.¡± Sophia grinned. ¡°Why should I be afraid then? Just air the show as nned. When I get dragged into the mess in the future, I''m sure Mr. Schild won''t mind doing me a favor.¡± Katherine, who had been racking her brain for solutions, was suddenly enlightened. ¡°You have my respect, Soph!¡± Oh my goodness! Why is my best friend so amazing? Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°Then I won''t be joining the season finale.¡± Katherine, who wanted to show off Sophia''s beauty, tried persuading her friend. ¡°But it''s a good idea if you appear as a guest.¡± ¡°Nope. That''s not necessary.¡± Sophia, who liked to keep a low profile, hated attracting attention to herself. She couldn''t be bothered to exin anymore and said, ¡°I''m hanging up.¡± After she ended the call, Katherine sent her a message. Sophia tapped into the chatbox and saw screenshots of Sharon''s recent posts on Twitter. The content of the posts was indeed strange, as though allusively ridiculing someone. Sharon''s fans flooded thement section below the posts,forting her and criticizing the person she was referring to. Sophia scrolled through thements but did not take them to heart. She did not sleep well the night before. Although she took a one-hour nap on the ne, she was still tired since it was close to ten at night. Yawning, she retired to her bedroom. The sshing sound of water could be hearding from the bathroom. Sophia wondered when Alexander had gone in. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ncing at the bathroom door, she thought of what happened a few days ago, and her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. She quickly averted her gaze and lifted the nket before crawling into bed. Initially, she wanted to wait for Alexander toe out of the bathroom, but she was too exhausted. It did not take long for her to fall asleep after shey down. Shortly aftering out of the shower, Alexander saw Sophia lying on the bed, fast asleep. He turned off the lights, leaving only a nightmp on. Then, he made his way to the bed and carefully sat down. With one hand propping himself on the mattress, he lowered his head and looked at Sophia''s calm, sleeping face. His gaze averted to her hand on the nket, and he blinked ever so slightly. He could not help reaching over and touching the woman''s finger. Staring at her bare ring finger, he couldn''t resist caressing it. A whileter, he realized he should control himself. He withdrew his hand and gently ced her hand under the nket. ¡°Goodnight, Precious.¡± Alexander leaned over to nt a kiss on her forehead before turning off the nightmp. Chapter 335 Chapter 335 Sophia skipped work for three days and umted a backlog of work. As soon as she returned to thepany, she had to attend a meeting. Alexander''s action of renting all the huge digital screens in the city of Jadeborough to wish Sophia a happy birthday became a good example of a public disy of affection. Someizens even made jokes about the incident. As one of the people involved, Sophia was obviously happy about it. Apart from that, she did not have other opinions. After all, earning money is the top priority for people nowadays. Naturally, following Alexander''s high-profile move, rumors circted among the public, and everyone was wondering if the two of them would remarry each other. As the rumors spread like wildfire, people fabricated the fact that they were already married and were preparing to hold a banquet to celebrate their reconciliation. Samuel was so close to taking the rumors seriously. If he hadn''t risked getting beaten up by Alexander and phoned thetter for confirmation, he would''ve already prepared a wedding gift for the couple. When he found out it was nothing more than a baseless rumor, he immediately rebuked the person who had asked him about it. Only then did the rumors stop. The rumors eventually reached Sophia''s ears. Katherine had been part of the entertainment industry for decades and had some connections. She was also acquaintances with a few of Jadeborough''s socialites. It went without saying that she knew the rumor was fake the moment she heard it. However, she could not suppress her curiosity upon meeting Sophia when thetter came to Specter Entertainment for a meeting. ¡°Soph, are you and Alexander going to remarry?¡± Sophia, sitting on the couch, looked at her with a half-smile. ¡°Are you and Joshua preparing to get married?¡± Katherine replied sheepishly, ¡°I''m not the only one curious about this. The rumor has been circting all over the entertainment industrytely.¡± Sophia arched an eyebrow when she heard that. ¡°And you believe it?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. ¡°No. I was just curious, that''s all.¡± Sophia huffed augh in exasperation. ¡°There''s an idiom that goes ''curiosity killed the cat.'' Have you ever heard of it?¡± Katherine tilted her head to look at Sophia''s beautiful features. Although thetter had mesmerizing looks, Katherine could sense a hint of a dangerous aura surrounding her. How scary. ¡°Fine. I won''t ask again.¡± Sophia responded with a snort. She then threw the script in her hand onto the table. ¡°This script is terrible.¡± Subsequently, she looked at the manager that was sitting beside her. ¡°Who rmended this script to you?¡± The manager felt guilty under Sophia''s gaze. ¡°A screenwriter friend gave it to me.¡± The corners of Sophia''s lips curved into a sarcastic smile. ¡°Oh. That friend of yours isn''t talented enough in terms of screenwriting.¡± The manager nodded vigorously. He was unsure whether Sophia knew about the things he did behind her back, but her pretty eyes and the half smile she was wearing made him so anxious that he was sweating buckets. Sophia noticed his anxiousness and did notment too much on it. ¡°Okay. Go do what you have to do.¡± The manager quickly got up and hurried out of the office, relieved to get out of there. Katherine was in awe as she watched the scene unfold. ¡°Amazing! Jacob keeps rmending this script to me. It''s like he doesn''t understand a word I''m saying!¡± Sophia nced at her and smiled. ¡°I''m pretty sure he spent his own money to buy this script.¡± Katherine nodded in understanding. ¡°No wonder! This script was eliminatedst week during the voting, but he kept pushing me to read it. He even asked Jonice to make me read it. But after skimming through it, I still think it''s terrible!¡± Katherine had been in the film industry for many years and could tell whether a script was good enough to be a famous movie. She had a much more keen eye than Sophia in this. The characters in the script that Jacob rmended were a mess, and though the plot was decent, it was old-fashioned andcked uniqueness. Katherine had acted in a movie with a simr script when she just debuted. She did not expect to see a simr plotline after ten years. Tragedy shows were currently famous in the industry, so it would be practically impossible for romantic shows to be a hit unless they had a new and refreshing plot. Jacob had even boasted that an award-winning screenwriter wrote the script. Katherine had begun to suspect her own judgment when she heard that, so she showed Sophia the script since thetter happened to drop by. To Katherine''s surprise, just one look from Sophia was enough to make Jacob shrink away in fear. Katherine grew increasingly infuriated as she continued talking about the matter, so much so that she almost lost it and went to ask Jacob what was the deal with the script. At that moment, Jonice knocked on the door and reminded the duo that the meeting wouldmence soon. Sophia took a sip of coffee and asked, ¡°How about you go teach him a lesson before we start the meeting?¡± ¡°Never mind. Let''s go to the meeting instead.¡± Katherine was afraid that she might lose her temper and end up firing Jacob. It had been some time since Sophia and Katherinest had lunch together. When the meeting ended, it happened to be lunchtime, so they decided to head to a newly-opened seafood restaurant that had a good reputation. Sophia did not drive that day, so she and Katherine borrowed Jonice''s car. The restaurant was not far away and was easy to locate. The atmosphere of the restaurant was great, and it was worth the price range. When they entered, the ce was already abuzz with customers, but the tables were well-separated, and there were even small semi-enclosed booths that were perfect for celebrities like Katherine, who had to keep a low profile, to dine there. Katherine had asked Jonice to make a reservation before they came. A waiter brought them to a quiet and more secluded booth. ¡°It''s been a while since I''ve had seafood!¡± Katherine browsed through the menu. She wanted to order everything since all the food in the photos looked delicious. Sophia took a sip of lemonade. ¡°It''s on me. Order whatever you like.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sophia stared at her. ¡°Would you like to pay instead?¡± ¡°No way. Why would I fight for the bill with a wealthy person? Won''t I be insulting you if I do that?¡± She then looked down at the menu before tapping on the tablet at the side of the table, shamelessly ordering a lobster and a king crab. Sophia had gotten used to it. It was not as if she could not afford a meal worth that was worth thousands. Although Katherine wanted to order every single dish on the menu, she knew it would be impossible for the two of them to finish everything. Hence, she finally stopped after ordering some oysters. Smiling, she looked at Sophia. ¡°Soph, is there anything else you want to order?¡± Sophia nced at her. ¡°Can we even finish everything if we order more?¡± Katherine also ordered various side dishes aside from the main courses. She had a surprisingly big appetite despite her petite figure. ¡°I don''t think we can...¡± said Katherine sheepishly. In actuality, she only asked that question out of politeness. As the two chatted, a waiter led a couple to the table next to theirs. Katherine turned and was about to summon the waiter and order some fruit juice when she saw someone familiar at the neighboring table. It was none other than Sharon, the woman Katherine and Sophia were talking about the night before. Katherine scoffed in amusement. ¡°Soph, look at the next table.¡± Sophia looked at Katherine and noticed the strange look on her face. She then turned to look at where Katherine was looking. Upon seeing the two people sitting at the neighboring table, she was taken aback. Sharon, who seemed to have noticed the duo''s eyes boring into her, turned and froze when she saw Katherine and Sophia. Sophia averted her gaze calmly and said to Katherine, ¡°Do you know that man?¡± Katherine shook her head. However, that did not hinder her from ridiculing Sharon. ¡°Last month when she attended a talk show, she said she liked handsome men. Look at her boyfriend now. He''s not that handsome.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Indeed.¡± While speaking, she stole another nce at the man and confirmed her guess. Subsequently, she told Katherine leisurely, ¡°I know him. He''s Hanson Gagher, the second heir of New Aploth Properties.¡± She paused briefly before continuing, ¡°He just got marriedst year.¡± Katherine couldn''t help gasping when she heard that. ¡°Oh my goodness! Is she his mistress then?¡± ¡°I''m not sure.¡± Sophia was not close with Sharon. The only interaction she had with Sharon was during the shoot for the showst month. As someone in the entertainment industry, Katherine immediately understood something. ¡°D*mn. And yet she still had the audacity to ridicule you on Twitter!¡± She was irritated, but Sophia remained unfazed. Smiling, thetter said, ¡°Just let her be.¡± After all, no matter how much trouble Sharon caused, she would not be able to escape Midway Media''s control. Chapter 336 Chapter 336 Though Katherine had bumped into a disgusting person, she still had a satisfactory meal. After all, it was a seafood feast worth over four thousand. Every mouthful was worth a lot of money. Ah... Being friends with a wealthy person feels great. Before leaving, Katherine ordered a portion of seafood pasta to go with the noble excuse of buying it for Jonice. Sophia could not be bothered to expose her. It was just pasta, after all. It wasn''t something she couldn''t afford. After the bill was settled, they walked out of the restaurant and were instantly stopped by Sharon, who had been waiting outside. ¡°Ms. Quinn, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Katherine never expected Sharon to take the initiative to greet them. Smiling, she said, ¡°It''s been a while, Ms. Xerxes. Your tweets on Twitter seem to be quite viral.¡± There was a change in Sharon''s countenance, but she quickly snapped out of it. She did not stay back and wait for the two of them just to have an argument with them. ¡°I came out to have a meal with a friend. I wasn''t expecting to bump into you two today.¡± Sophia smiled faintly. ¡°Do you need something, Ms. Xerxes?¡± Sharon eyed the beautiful woman in front of her. For some reason, Sophia''s indifferent expression always made her feel guilty. However, she assumed there was no way Sophia would know Hanson, so her fear gradually dissipated. ¡°It''s nothing. I just wanted to say hello.¡± Pausing momentarily, she cast Katherine a nce before voicing her true motive, ¡°Ms. Quinn, you''re in the entertainment industry, too. I''m sure you know how nosy the paparazzi are these days. I was afraid of being misunderstood, so I stayed back to say hello.¡± In other words, Sharon was saying she had nothing to do with Hanson, and she hoped Katherine would shut her trap if the paparazzi took pictures of her and Hanson. Sharon had another motive for staying back to greet Katherine, which was to make others think they had a meal together. If the paparazzi snapped pictures of them, Sharon could use them to clear her name. Katherine saw right through Sharon''s tricks without needing Sophia to tell her about them. She could barely control her urge to roll her eyes. However, there were many passersby, and she did not want to get into an argument with Sharon, which could give the paparazzi more news to write about. ¡°Oh, I see. We''re done saying hello now. Your friend must be waiting for you. You''d better hurry over, Ms. Xerxes,¡± prompted Katherine. Sharon stole a nce at Sophia, who had only spoken once from the start of the conversation. The former could not help but feel strangely uneasy. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you''re not a part of the entertainment industry. I hope you won''t go around spouting nonsense if your friends ask you about today''s matters.¡± Katherine was already unhappy about Sharon using them. Now that thetter was speaking to Sophia in such a bossy tone, Katherine''s fury sprang to life. ¡°That''s really funny, Ms. Xerxes. Sophia never spouts nonsense. I can vouch for that,¡± she snapped. She paused before adding, ¡°Of course, Sophia prefers to speak the truth.¡± Sharon''s expression tensed, and she fell silent, for she could tell Katherine was mad. Nodding, she said, ¡°I didn''t mean it in a bad way. I was just worried Ms. Yarrow might get dragged into some gossip. Anyway, my friend''s waiting for me. I''ll get going now. Let''s talk another time.¡± With that, she pulled her mask up and spun on her heels. ¡°Wait, Ms. Xerxes!¡± Sophie called out. Sharon furrowed her brows, feeling a little annoyed. ¡°Is there anything else, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°We aren''t friends, aren''t we?¡± Those words dumbfounded Sharon. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sophia''s lips curled to form a subtle smile. ¡°Nothing much. It''s exactly what my words imply.¡± Sharon thought Sophia was doing that on purpose, so she thought little about it. ¡°We''re not close.¡± ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Indeed, we''re not close. So, what does today''s matter have to do with us?¡± Sophia''s simple sentence felt like an invisible hand that pped Sharon across the cheek. At first, Sharon thought Sophia was merely asking that question to humiliate her. To her surprise, not only did Sophia not regard her as a friend, thetter had zero interest in getting involved with her matters, too. With that, Sophia turned to Katherine and said, ¡°Let''s go.¡± Katherine couldn''t help raising her hand and pping silently. As they walked past Sharon, she whispered, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, we''re actually not that close. There''s no need to say hello when we meet next time.¡± Sharon was baffled. I never wanted to say hello in the first ce! Meanwhile, Sophia did not think much of Sharon''s matter. Since she had a meeting in the afternoon, she sent Katherine back to Specter Entertainment before returning to Sunshine Group. The moment her meeting ended, Katherine''s messages came flooding into Sophia''s phone. The first text read: Hahaha! Sharon''s trending now! She even mentioned me on Twitter to rify it''s just a normal gathering among friends. Katherine: Hahaha! I replied to the tweet with ¡°We''re not close, Ms. Xerxes. Please don''t tag me.¡± And now, Sharon''s manager has contacted us, asking me to post a tweet to exin that I was just joking. Katherine: Soph, this is hrious. I can''t wait for the day when Sharon gets exposed. Who knows? She might even get exposed before our program is even broadcasted. Raising a brow, Sophia scrolled through Twitter only to find news about Sharon and Katherine all over the tform. Of course, Sharon was trending on Twitter for the picture of her having lunch with a mysterious man. Katherine, on the other hand, was trending because of her sarcastic reply to Sharon''s tweet. Noting that, Sophia scanned the replies. Sharon''s fans are impressive. They''ve gone to Katherine''s profile to scold her. Ever since Katherine''s alternate ount came to light, she became self-indulgent. Everyone on the inte now knew she was Sophia''s best friend and greatest fan. Moreover, she was notorious for scolding others without cussing out, yet still able to hit a sore spot with her victims. Sophia could not help but chuckle. Putting away her phone, she turned to Yvonne. ¡°How''s Tanya doing these days?¡± Hence, Yvonne briefly reported Tanya''s condition. With a nod, Sophia said, ¡°All right. Noted that. Thank you for the hard work.¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! It had been almost two months since Tanya was admitted to the hospital, and she was visibly getting better. ording to the attending physician, she could be discharged by the end of the month if her condition maintained the same without encountering any event that would agitate her. Of course, Sophia was happy to hear that. In fact, her smile was wider than usual when Alexander came to pick her up at night. Alexander turned sideways to look at her. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± Curling her lips, Sophia answered, ¡°Tanya''s going to be discharged by the end of this month.¡± ¡°That''s good news.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Good news, indeed. Alexander caressed her face and retracted his gaze. His lips, too, curled into a smile. He was happy if she was happy. Having just finished work, Samuel looked out of the window to watch the sunset. Strangely, he felt a little sad about having to eat dinner alone again. Ever since Alexander and Sophia got back together, he became a lone wolf. Samuel felt as if he was abandoned by Alexander, who was once a single pringle like him. Just as he was about to give thetter a call to catch up and mend their rtionship, which was on the verge of copsing, his internal phone rang. That annoyed Samuel, who was ready to get off work and head home. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mr. Schild, Sharon and Ms. Yarrow''s friend got into a misunderstanding. They need your help to sort it out.¡± Samuel had been the peacemaker in many situations like that. However, he did not agree to it right away when he heard Sophia''s name. ¡°What happened exactly?¡± The secretary merely exined it was a misunderstanding caused by saying hello over a meal. Apparently, neither Sharon nor Katherine was at fault. Basically, it was just a tiny misunderstanding. However, the matter had gotten quite ugly on the inte, and it would not end well if Katherine refused to give in. To Samuel, it did sound like a trivial matter. Yet, for some reason, he recalled the time when he got tricked by Sophia at the golf course. ¡°You make it sound easy, but this is Alexander''s girlfriend we''re talking about. Why don''t you try handling it yourself?¡± Alexander''s not one to be trifled with. The same goes for Sophia. Now that they''re dating each other, who''d dare to mess with them? Chapter 337 Chapter 337 Samuel didn''t dare to call Alexander and discuss the matter with him. Naturally, Sophia was unaware that Sharon''s secretary had gone seeking help from Samuel. When Sophia and Alexander were having their meal, Katherine had already given Sophia a live update on WhatsApp of how many calls Sharon''s manager gave Jonice and the nice words the manager said. When the manager failed to convince Jonice politely, she began intimidating thetter. Sitting beside Jonice, Katherine sent a voice note of the content to Sophia, who transcribed it into text. She could not help but raise her brow when she had finished reading it. Sharon''s manager sure is arrogant. At the same time, Alexander, who had finished cutting up the steak, ced them in front of Sophia. Seeing she was mulling over something, he asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Sophia ced her phone in front of him. ¡°When Katherine and I were having lunch at noon, we bumped into a celebrity. The celebrity is from Mr. Schild''spany. Coincidentally, Sharon was having a meal with Hanson Gagher, the second son of New Aploth Properties'' owner. We then ran into her outside the restaurant after the meal. When we were leaving, she told us to not go around saying things. However, she got captured by the paparazzi, and the news began trending in the afternoon.¡± Alexander nced at the chat log between Sophia and Katherine, frowning. ¡°I''ll give Samuel a call.¡± ¡°It''s fine.¡± Sophia chuckled and reached out to take her phone. ¡°It''ll be fine as long as we don''t respond.¡± I''d like to see how long Sharon will keep this up. Seeing that, Alexander figured she had her own ns. Hence, he did not contact Samuel. They returned to the mansion after finishing dinner. As soon as their car turned into the road in front of their mansion, they spotted someone standing at the entrance from about eight meters away. It was none other than Kristen, thedy who contacted Sophia not long ago. Quirking her brow, Sophia turned to look at Alexander. ¡°It''s Mdm. Lambe.¡± Alexander''s expression turned slightly cold. ¡°I''ll get down. Wait here for me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia nodded while unbuckling her seat belt. She then watched Alexander get out of the car and approach Kristen. Kristen originally did not want to meet Alexander there, but it was inappropriate for her to go looking for him at Odyssey as well, not to mention Sophia''s ce. She was practically chased out when she went looking for Sophia. However, more than two weeks had passed, and the trial for Leonard''s case was starting soon. Though Kristen had already contacted Dillon, she still prepared a backup n by saying she had dirt on Alexander to make Dillon work with her. Dillon was smart, too. He insisted on finding out what dirt she had on Alexander before they discussed the matter further. Even so, Kristen was not a simpleton as well. After all, she was someone who made Zachary marry her despite her family background. She knew she could not reveal her trump card. Once it was revealed, she would not be able to work with Dillon, let alone save Leonard. After much pondering, Kristen decided to look for Alexander again. Recently, Alexander had been living in Sophia''s mansion. Thus, the best way was to wait for him at her ce. Getting out of the car, Alexander walked over to Kristen and asked, ¡°What''s up?¡± Under the dim yellow lighting, Alexander''s expression was as cold as ice. Kristen nced at him. ¡°Alex, I''m sure you''re aware of the matter I went looking for Ms. Yarrow for. I don''t mean to upset you, but I''m really out of options. You know I''ve treated you like my son all these years, don''t you? Can you please save Leonard for my sake? Don''t worry. I won''t expose the fact that you''re not a part of the Xenos family. As long as you help me out this round, I promise I won''t disturb you or Ms. Yarrow ever again. You, Ms. Yarrow, and I are the only ones who know about it. In fact, I''m sure no one else in this world will know about your real identity if I keep my lips sealed.¡± Alexander eyed her. ¡°Didn''t you contact Dillon already? What''s the matter? Did you two not reach an agreement?¡± His words hit the spot, and Kristen stiffened. ¡°Let me ask you again. Will you help me out?¡± Alexander snorted. ¡°I thought Sophia''s attitude made it very clear already.¡± Naturally, Kristen understood the meaning he was implying, and her face paled instantly. ¡°A-Aren''t you afraid I''d expose your identity?¡± ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Pausing momentarily, Alexander warned, ¡°If you dare harass Sophia again, then don''t me me for not showing you any mercy. Don''t forget. Leonard''s not your only child. You still have Thalia.¡± Kristen froze. ¡°W-What are you trying to do?¡± ¡°That depends on what you''re going to do.¡± That was the first time Kristen realized Alexander, the child who grew up under her watch, was actually that scary. In the next second, she regretted her actions. She regretted looking for Sophia as well asing here. I shouldn''t havee here, nor should I have told Sophia, either. I should''ve just gone to Dillon right away. And now, Alexander knows, and he''s prepared. That''s why he has nothing to fear. At that thought, Kristen broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Y-You still have to call me Mom, no matter what!¡± Alexander said nothing. He merely stood there with an icy expression. Gritting her teeth, Kristen nced at Sophia, who was still in the car, and stormed off in her high heels. With that, Alexander returned to the car and drove it into the mansion''spound. After replying to Katherine''s text, Sophia looked up and stared at his unchanged expression. Blinking, she queried, ¡°Did she threaten you?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Alexander had never been threatened in his life. Pondering for a moment, Sophia asked, ¡°She left. Does that mean she''s going to look for Dillon?¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± ¡°I see. What did you tell her?¡± Alexander parked the car, got out, and opened the car door for Sophia. ¡°Thank you.¡± As soon as she finished saying that, he bent over and swooped her up. ¡°Ah! Hey!¡± Sophia wrapped her arms around his neck, looking at him with amusement. ¡°Why are you suddenly carrying me?¡± ¡°I missed you.¡± Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Huh?¡± I''m right in front of him! Why is he missing me? While they talked, Alexander carried her to the second floor and ced her on the couch, giving her a kiss on the forehead before getting her a ss of water. ¡°Thanks.¡± Alexander took a gulp of water before answering the question she asked in the car earlier, ¡°I didn''t say much. I just reminded her that she still has Thalia.¡± Sophia could not help but click her tongue softly when she heard that. ¡°That means you threatened her as well.¡± ¡°Yep,¡± he admitted right away. Putting the ss of water down, he sat beside her and gazed at her with his head tilted. ¡°Will you still date me if I end up with nothing?¡± Arching a brow, she answered, ¡°I''ve got to consider this carefully.¡± Alexander''s brows moved a little, but his gaze was still fixed on her. Unable to stand his eyes boring into her anymore, Sophia asked, ¡°Will you still love me if I have nothing?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sophia smiled and answered softly, ¡°Then, so will I.¡± She did not know he was from the Xenos family when she fell in love with him, nor did she know how much his worth was. All she had for him was pure, unadulterated love without ulterior motives. Hence, she would still love him, even if he was not a member of the Xenos family. Chapter 338 Chapter 338 Alexander was talking softly on the phone at the side when Sophia woke up out of thirst. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw him walk out with the phone, turning the rm off at the same time. As she lifted her sore legs, she recalled the scene fromst night, which made her lips feel drier. She then sat up on the bed and told Genie to draw the curtains open. Sunlight instantly streamed into the room. Sophia blocked it with her hand and walked out in her slippers. Hearing the sound of footsteps, Alexander, who was sitting on the couch outside, nced over. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± Sophia shook her head and croaked, ¡°I want water.¡± ¡°I''ll get you some.¡± As he was saying that, he had already gotten up from the couch, walked to her side, and rubbed her cheeks affectionately. Sophia watched him walk out the door, absent-mindedly touching her face where his hand had been. Does Alexander think I''m a child? Why does he love pinching my cheeks so much? Sunlight streamed through the windows, lighting up the bedroom instantly. Recollecting her thoughts, Sophia turned around and entered the bathroom to wash up. By the time she stepped out of the bathroom, a ss of warm water was already ced on the dressing table. She shed Alexander a smile. ¡°Thanks.¡± Alexander''s eyes glinted as he stared at her. After telling the person on the call ¡°that''s all,¡± he hung up and entered the bathroom to wash up. The morning sun at the end of July was rather strong, so much so that Sophia was beginning to feel a little hot after standing on the balcony for some time. Nheless, the morning breeze was refreshing. Hearing the sound of footsteps, Sophia turned around and saw Alexander approaching. ¡°Who called you just now?¡± she asked with a smile. He walked over and wrapped an arm around her waist before giving her lips a gentle peck. ¡°It was Mr. Lane.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°Kristen went looking for Dillonst night.¡± ¡°That''s fast,¡± Sophia remarked with a raised brow. She went looking for Dillon as soon as she was rejected by Alexander. Looks like Thalia''s not as important as Leonard is to Kristen. Sophia huffed. ¡°Is she giving up on Thalia?¡± ¡°Beats me.¡± Truth was, Alexander had dirt on Thalia. What he said to Kristenst night was not just an empty threat. After all, he knew long ago that Thalia had done many immoral things. It was just that she had not been bothering Sophia recently. Hence, Alexander let Thalia off the hook. Now that Kristen had chosen Leonard over Thalia and was working with Dillon to make Alexander''s life difficult, thetter decided to return the favor. Sophia was a little tired from standing there. Resting her head on his shoulder, she asked, ¡°What are you nning to do next?¡± Alexander lowered his head to nce at her. ¡°I''ll wait for them to make their move.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Sophia responded. It was Saturday; they did not have to go to the office. After giving it some thought, she suggested, ¡°Shall we go horse-riding?¡± The weather that day was perfect for horse-riding. Besides, it had been a long time since Sophia visited a horse ranch. Herst visit to a ranch was during her university days when Katherine was filming a period drama. Thetter had to pick up horse riding for the shooting, so Sophia tagged along. After graduating from university, Sophia married Alexander, and many events happened after that. Hence, she had not been to a horse ranch for five to six years. ¡°Sure.¡± With that, they went to the horse ranch after their breakfast. There were more cars on the road because it was a Saturday, which made the wait for the green light longer than usual. It was close to ten o''clock by the time they arrived at the ranch. As soon as they changed into their protective gear, Alexander''s phone rang. Sophia, who was trying her hair up into a ponytail at the side, nced at his phone screen. Upon seeing the name on the disy, she could not help but raise a brow. It''s Samuel again. He''s got a lot of free time, huh? Indeed, Samuel had a lot of free time. He had invited Charles for a game of golf, but he thought it wasn''t as fun with only two people. Hence, he thought of inviting Sophia and Alexander over. Then, they could have a meal and y some poker. Just nning their day lifted his spirits. It''s going to be a wonderful and fun-filled day! The moment Samuel arrived at the golf course, he dialed Alexander''s number. The former, who had been single for over thirty years, was now smarter. He knew he should not disturb the couple''s quality time with each other before nine o''clock in the morning on such a beautiful weekend. It''s only ten o''clock. The time''s just right. Even Alexander''s picking up the call faster than usual. Raising his brow in glee, Samuel said, ¡°Alex, Charles and I are at the golf course. Would you and Sophia like to join us?¡± Alexander frowned with a look of disdain. ¡°We''re at a horse ranch.¡± ¡°Whoa! I haven''t ridden a horse in ages, too. Why didn''t you guys invite me?¡± Alexander snorted. ¡°Why should we?¡± Are single people not worthy of hanging out with them anymore? ¡°Which ranch are you at? I''ll go there with Charles.¡± It''s so hot. Horse-riding will be much better than golf. Alexander shot Sophia a nce. ¡°Samuel wants toe.¡± Lifting her gaze to his face, Sophia said, ¡°I can''t stop Mr. Schild froming. I don''t own this ranch, after all.¡± ¡°I can stop him froming.¡± Suddenly, Sophia felt pity for Samuel. ¡°It''s okay. The more, the merrier.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Alexander responded. He then said to Samuel on the phone, ¡°We''re at Gilly Ranch.¡± Meanwhile, Samuel thought Alexander was ignoring him without even bothering to hang up. Just as he was thinking their friendship was over, he was surprised to hear a reply from Alexander. Never did Samuel expect to hear a reply. Looks like our friendship still has hope after all! Cheerfully, he said, ¡°Charles and I will be there in half an hour!¡± Alexander gave a curt reply and hung up right away. Seeing he had ended the call, Sophia asked with a smile, ¡°Is Mr. Schild good at horse riding?¡± Alexander gazed at her and thought for a moment before answering, ¡°I''m better than him.¡± Baffled, Sophia said, ¡°I was asking about his horse-riding skills, notparing him with you.¡± Not only was Alexander shameless these days, but he was also more narcissistic. ¡°It''s okay, I guess?¡± After giving it a thought, Sophia suggested, ¡°Shall we have apetition? Let''s see if I can defeat Mr. Schild.¡± Alexander gazed at her gleaming eyes and responded gently, ¡°All right.¡± Twenty minutester, two galloping ck horses came to a stop. Sophia retracted the reins and led the horse over to Alexander. ¡°Is it okay?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Pausing momentarily, he added, ¡°He''ll slow down to avoid obstacles.¡± Sophia raised a brow upon hearing that. ¡°You''re telling me Mr. Schild''s weakness just like that?¡± Alexander looked at her and tucked the stray strands of hair by her cheek behind her ear. ¡°You want to win, right?¡± Since she wants to win, I''ll let her win. Sophia could not help but chuckle. ¡°Aren''t you afraid I might gouge Mr. Schild?¡± ¡°It''s okay. He''s rich.¡± Sophia''s eyes crinkled, and she chuckled softly. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Meanwhile, Samuel sneezed a few times as soon as he entered the horse ranch. Rubbing his nose, he asked, ¡°Charles, do you feel cold?¡± However, Charles merely turned to look at his friend as if thetter was an idiot. Samuel, too, knew he had asked a foolish question, but he could not think of a reason why he was sneezing. ¡°It''s so hot. There''s no way my body''s so weak, right? Am I really catching a cold?¡± Charles raised his brow. ¡°God knows how you''ve been ruining your body.¡± That rendered Samuel speechless, for he was expecting Charles to say somethingforting. What kind of person would say something like that? ¡°Can''t you say something nice?¡± Charles threw him a look. ¡°I was afraid you might not be smart enough to understand.¡± Stumped, Samuel said, ¡°Since when did you be so mean?¡± ¡°The problem is you''re an idiot.¡± With that, Charles marched off without saying another word. Chapter 339 Chapter 339 Charles and Samuel rode their horses and went to find Sophia and Alexander. By the time Charles and Samuel found them, Sophia and Alexander had alreadypleted two rounds. Sophia nced at Samuel and Charles when she greeted, ¡°Hi, Mr. Schild! Hi, Mr. Johnson! It''s been a while!¡± Charles nodded. ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°I haven''t seen you in so long, Sophia! You look even prettier now!¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. As soon as Samuel finished talking, he felt a chill down his spine. Cocking his head, Samuel saw Alexander ring back at him coldly. A sheepish smile was seen on Samuel''s face when he said, ¡°Don''t misunderstand me, Alex! I was just complimenting her.¡± Alexander ignored him and nodded at Charles. Samuel had always been a fun-loving person, so when he saw a group of people having a horse riding competition nearby, he uttered, ¡°Sophia, are you any good at horse riding?¡± At that moment, Samuel was actually thinking about what had happened the night before, but he didn''t know how to start the conversation. Suddenly, an idea urred to him. If I can win against Sophia in horse riding, the issue with Sharon could be solved easily, no? I''m so smart! That''s definitely an idea not many people can think of. I think I''m rather good at horse riding. Although Sophia is better than me at golf, she can''t possibly be better than me at horse riding as well. Sophia didn''t expect Samuel to bring it up first. I nned to talk to Samuel about something today, but I was struggling to think of a way to bring it up. After all, he could think I was trying to take advantage of him. Hence, I was going to ask him topete against me in a horse riding contest. Since Samuel offered her first, she answered, ¡°I guess I can do fine. However, I''ve only ridden a horse twice. I think you''re better at it than me, Mr. Schild.¡± Samuel was ted when he heard that. ¡°Are you being humble? Why don''t we have a contest?¡± After spending some time with Sophia, Charles and the others knew she was a bluffer. Hence, a bright person could surely tell Sophia was merely being humble when she said that. Evidently, Samuel wasn''t bright enough. Initially, Charles wanted to remind Samuel about it, but he gave up on the idea after hearing what Samuel said. Samuel had already lost once against Sophia, but he dug his own grave once again. He only has himself to me. Sophia shed a smile in response. ¡°How would you like topete, Mr. Schild?¡± ¡°Oh! There''s a horse racing track nearby, right? Let''s go thereter. Alex and Charles shall be referees. We''ll go one round, and whoever finishes the track first wins. How does that sound?¡± Samuel suggested. Indeed, there was a track forpetition nearby. In order to increase the difficulty, some obstacles were deliberately added to the track. Obviously, the obstacles weren''t high. Anyone with experience and guts would have no problem completing the track. Upon hearing that, Sophia shot Alexander a nce because she couldn''t bring herself to take advantage of Samuel. When Samuel saw Sophia looking at Alexander, he thought Sophia was asking Alexander for permission. ¡°It''s just a horse riding contest. Are you not okay with it, Alex?¡± Samuel asked. Alexander shot Samuel an icy-cold look in response. ¡°I have no problem with it.¡± Sophia suppressed herughter and said, ¡°Let''s go, then.¡± ¡°Hold on! Since it''s a contest, shouldn''t there be stakes to make it interesting?¡± Samuel asked. ¡°You''re right, Mr. Schild. What shall we bet?¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°If I lose, I''ll do you a favor. If you lose, you''ll need to do me a favor. How''s that?¡± Samuel asked. Right away, Sophia knew what Samuel was after. He''s talking about the thing with Sharon, isn''t he? Well, it''s not like I have anything to lose. ¡°Sure!¡± Sophia answered before blinking slyly at Alexander. In response, Alexander merely looked back at her dotingly and made no effort to bail Samuel out. Even Charles noticed something was up, but Samuel was still leading everyone toward the track gleefully. The group rode their horses while heading toward the track, and Sophia turned back to look at Samuel. ¡°Mr. Schild, should we have a best-of-three contest?¡± Samuel jumped in rm when he heard that because he immediately remembered the time when Sophia tricked him. ¡°Oh, no! I''m feeling a bit tired today. Let''s just do onep.¡± Charles, who was next to Samuel, uttered coldly, ¡°You''re a weakling.¡± ¡°That''s nonsense, Charles! I was workingtest night!¡± Samuel retorted. ¡°I know what you mean.¡± Sophia smiled mischievously. When Samuel saw the smirk on Sophia''s face, he said, ¡°Sophia, could you be any cruder?¡± ¡°Huh? What about workingte is crude?¡± Still smiling, Sophia shot Samuel an innocent look. Alexander was having none of it, so he asked, ¡°Are you guys not going to race?¡± Samuel was worried that Alexander would prevent him from racing with Sophia. Hence, he quickly rode his horse to the starting point after hearing what Alexander said. ¡°Yes! Let''s race! One round is all it takes to win!¡± Sophia then rode to his side and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Once Alexander and Charles had gone to the side, Alexander started a three seconds countdown. Three secondster, Samuel and Sophia went off at the starting point at the same time. Sophia didn''t know how good Samuel was, so she deliberately started off slow. In order to prevent him from getting suspicious, she stayed half a horse-length behind him. Sophia arched her brows when she saw how slowly Samuel went past the first obstacle. I can keep staying behind him. After clearing the first obstacle, Samuel turned back to see Sophia getting left behind, and he was thrilled. Meanwhile, Alexander and Charles were watching the contest intently at the starting point. Suddenly, Charles pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Is Sophia really that bad at horse riding?¡± Alexander turned to the side and shook his head. ¡°She''s good.¡± Charles saw how far Samuel had left Sophia behind and couldn''t help but doubt his initial judgment. Is Alexander saying she''s good just because he''s into her? It didn''t take long for Charles to realize that his initial judgment was spot-on. During the second half of the race, Sophia suddenly picked up her pace and got past Samuel. In fact, she was even clearing obstacles faster and smoother than before. Evidently, Sophia was merely testing Samuel during the first half of the race. Charles instantly knew what the oue would be, so he nced at Alexander and asked, ¡°What was Samuel thinking?¡± Considering how long they had known each other, Charles suppressed his urge to call Samuel stupid. Alexander arched a brow in response. ¡°Perhaps he''s just gullible.¡± ¡°I feel bad for you, Alex.¡± Charles let out a sigh. Throughout the years, Samuel would always stick with Alexander no matter where thetter went. In response, Alexander scoffed. ¡°Well, you''ll be the one dealing with him from now on.¡± Before Charles could utter a word in response, Sophia had arrived in front of them. Samuel only finished four seconds after Sophia, and he asked, ¡°Sophia, didn''t you say you weren''t good at horse riding?¡± ¡°Well, I''m not. Ipeted with Alexander just now, and I lost,¡± Sophia answered. Samuel was feeling aggrieved. So that''s what she meant. How reckless of me! One of Samuel''s biggest strengths was that he wasn''t a sore loser. Having lost the race, he asked, ¡°Go on. What would you like me to do for you?¡± Sophia shed a smile and answered, ¡°It''s nothing much, but I''m interested in your copyrights for December.¡± Hearing that, Samuel couldn''t help but gasp. ¡°Do you alwayspete with such high stakes, Sophia?¡± Sophia raised a brow at his response. ¡°Is that considered high?¡± ¡°Well... I guess not,¡± Samuel blurted after shooting Alexander a nce. I worked so hard to get that copyrights deal, and now it''s gone! I truly deserve a p across the face. Chapter 340 Chapter 340 Chuckling, Sophia added, ¡°Don''t misunderstand, Mr. Schild. I''ll pay you back the amount of money you negotiated. But I''d like you to transfer the distribution rights of December to us.¡± Samuel suspected that she was deliberately making fun of him. ¡°It''s not a matter of money.¡± Do I look as though I''m short of the copyright money? The author of December asked for a copyright fee of two point five million, and it hadn''t been easy to convince him to agree to it. Never had I expected that the copyrights I secured with blood, sweat, and tears would be gone in the blink of an eye just because I agreed to a race. Ah, the mere thought of it breaks my heart! Nheless, he was still a man of his word despite his ws. ¡°All this is fine, but you might need to talk to the original author.¡± After all, there was still a sizeable gap between Specter Entertainment and Midway Media. Usually, authors would choose Midway Media, which had a better reputation and resources, as a coboration partner instead of Specter Entertainment which had only been established for six to seven years. ¡°You don''t need to worry about that, Mr. Schild.¡± At the sight of the smile on Sophia''s face, Samuel knew that his reminder was unnecessary. Over the past year or so, they had already developed a clear understanding of the kind of person she was. She was definitely no ordinary woman, considering the fact that Alexander fell in love with her for real after their divorce. Furthermore, she was even Suny of Sunshine Group. Since she requested the copyrights for December, she would have undoubtedly taken such a trivial matter into consideration. Right then, Samuel was already thinking about how he should exin things to his subordinates when December had been listed as a key project that year. All of a sudden, regret swamped him for joining them that day. If I hadn''te over, things would''ve remained bright for me, and I''d still be in a great mood. Oh well, there''s no use regretting it when things hade to this! Nevertheless, he was still a tad curious. ¡°Why did you choose December, Sophia?¡± Casting him a t look, Sophia retorted with a guffaw, ¡°Because it makes money, of course!¡± Samuel felt as though he had been indirectly snubbed by her once more for asking such a foolish question. Seeing that the two of them had reached a consensus, Alexander chimed in, ¡°It''s time for lunch.¡± A smile bloomed on Sophia''s face. ¡°Mr. Schild, Mr. Johnson, it''ll be my treat today.¡± Only then did Samuel''s mood lift slightly. ¡°If so, I won''t stand on ceremony with you.¡± The few of them discussed for a while before they decided to go to Aqua Ptinate for a meal. Aqua Ptinate had only opened its doorsst month. The restaurant had no menu and only served ny-nine tables a day. On average, the cost per person exceeded a thousand. Nheless, it attracted the patronage of many in Jadeborough no sooner had it started operating. Thus, it went without saying that ny-nine tables a day were insufficient. By then, reservations had spanned three monthster. However, Aqua Ptinate''s owner was evidently a tactful person. On the surface, the restaurant only allowed ny-nine tables a day, but he had actually reserved threerge private rooms and two small private rooms for the rich and powerful in Jadeborough to dine on a whim. Although Sophia was nobody in Jadeborough''s elite circles, the same couldn''t be said of Suny. After getting into the car, Sophia phoned Yvonne directly. It was a wonderful weekend, and the singledy had just finished cooking lunch. When Yvonne received the call from Sophia, she thought something serious had happened. She immediately yanked the apron off her, nning to return to her room and change so that she could be on standby. Unexpectedly, just as Yvonne rushed back to her room, Sophia ordered, ¡°Please reserve a small private room at Aqua Ptinate for me, Ms. Leighton. I''ll be arriving in half an hour.¡± Yvonne breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Sure. Got it, Ms. Yarrow.¡± It was Samuel''s first time enjoying a meal courtesy of Sophia. Despite having lost December''s copyrights in a race, he had already tossed it to the back of his mind by the time he arrived at Aqua Ptinate. ¡°Sophia, Alex, do you have any ns after the meal?¡± Alexander shot him a sidelong nce. ¡°Do you not have anyone to keep youpany that you''re determined to tag along with us?¡± That wounded Samuel, who was pitifully single. ¡°I merely find it livelier when there are more people.¡± Taking the coffee the server handed her, Sophia thanked the man. She took a sip before shifting her gaze to Samuel and asking with a faint smile, ¡°Why don''t you find a girlfriend, Mr. Schild?¡± Pausing briefly, she continued, ¡°Is it because you can''t find one?¡± Samuel, who was just about to speak, felt that he had been stabbed in the heart by both Sophia and Alexander. Chagrin promptly flooded him. ¡°No. Mainly, it''s because I''ve got too many girlfriends. I don''t want to be with them during the weekend.¡± Hah! I can lose anything but not my pride! At that, Sophia threw him a meaningful look. ¡°Oh, I see. I didn''t expect you to be such an expert.¡± In a sh, Samuel puffed up with smugness. ¡°But of course! You know what, Sophia? When Alex pursued you back then, sixty percent of the ideas came from me. All things aside, I''ve got such rich experience in wooing girls that I''m second to none in Jadeborough!¡± Upon hearing that boast, Sophia couldn''t help bursting into giggles. She turned and eyed Alexander. ¡°So, it was Mr. Schild who taught you?¡± Samuel''s triumphant expression was so irritating that Alexander was gripped by the urge to throw the coffee in his hand at the man''s face. Yet, he still curbed the impulse since they were long-time friends. ¡°No.¡± Samuel bristled the instant he heard that denial. ¡°That''s a lie, Alex! Wasn''t I the one who taught you to send flowers?¡± After saying that, he swung his eyes to Sophia ingratiatingly. ¡°Wasn''t it romantic and delightful to receive anonymous flowers daily, Sophia?¡± In response, Sophia arched a brow slightly. ¡°Do you want the honest answer, Mr. Schild?¡± Samuel''s expression froze, and he suddenly felt that the truth might not be all that pleasant. He hurriedly waved a hand. ¡°Haha... that tactic is somewhat clich¨¦, but it''s only a basic strategy in pursuing girls.¡± Sophia merely smiled without saying anything. By then, Charles truly couldn''t stand watching anymore. He personally poured Samuel a cup of coffee. ¡°Here, have some coffee.¡± ¡°I''m not thirsty.¡± ¡°Have some coffee,¡± Charles repeated. Immediately, Samuel grew disgruntled. ¡°What''s wrong with you, Charles? I''ve already said I''m not thirsty. Why are you insisting that I''ve got to drink the coffee? How will you get yourself a girlfriend when you don''t listen when I talk about my tactics?¡± Charles threw him a look. ¡°Are you not thirsty after saying so much?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Abruptly feeling that he had been scorned, Samuel went silent. Tsk! What kind of friend is he? Sophia turned and nced at Alexander, suddenly realizing why the man managed to stand having Samuel by his side all these years. Honestly speaking, Samuel is so dense sometimes that he can turn himself into a joke. Listening to him every so often would make it difficult to feel sad. Alexander squeezed her hand. ¡°Don''t bother about him.¡± When Samuel, who had just quietened down, heard that, he almost couldn''t resist speaking again. Fortunately, the private room door was pushed open at that precise moment. A server wheeled a dining trolley in, serving the appetizers and soup. Putting aside the issue of taste, the presentation of the dishes was pretty impressive. Sophia tried a spoonful of the soup and found it decent. Shortly after, the main dishes were served. For a party of four, there were six dishes in total. After the meal, there were also some desserts and fruits. Both the variety and taste of the food were rtively good, proving that Aqua Ptinate wasn''t merely popr without any capabilities. At the end of the meal, Sophia footed the bill. They then left Aqua Ptinate in pairs. Just as they reached the parking lot, Samuel again asked Sophia and Alexander, ¡°Are you two really not going anywhere this afternoon?¡± Sophia nced at Alexander, upon which thetter snorted coldly. ¡°We''re going to the boxing gym. Do you want to join us?¡± Samuel, who hadn''t been beaten up in a long time, answered, ¡°Sure! I haven''t been to the boxing gym in a long time.¡± Hearing that, Sophia inexorably dissolved intoughter. ¡°Ah, never mind. It so happens that there are four of us, so let''s y poker together.¡± After saying that, she tilted her head and looked at Alexander. Glimpsing the glint in her eyes, Alexander instantly understood her meaning. Chapter 341 Chapter 341 Irrefutably, there was a need for Alexander to tell Samuel, Charles, and the others that he wasn''t rted to the Xenos family by blood. Dillon had always wanted to kick Alexander out of Odyssey, but thetter had the right to helm the company since his capabilities were there for all to see. Being a mere uncle, Dillon couldn''t do anything about it, so he begrudgingly backed off. Kristen had gone to look for Dillonst night. As such, the man would likely make his move soon. And in no time, rumors would start spreading in Jadeborough. During the drive, Samuel couldn''t helpmenting, ¡°Alex is so in love that he''s no longer acknowledging us as friends.¡± Charles, who was driving beside him, turned and cast him a look. ¡°Speak for yourself. Don''t drag me into it.¡± Pausing for a moment, he added, ¡°Give Justin a call and ask him to join us.¡± Samuel was just about to riposte him when that order startled him. ¡°Why? I called him this morning, but he said he was busy with sses and told me not to disturb him.¡± Verily, Charles felt that if he didn''t spell things out, Samuel would probably only realize Alexander''s intention when thetterid his cards on the table. His lips pressed into a thin line. ¡°Alex must have something to tell us since he suddenly changed his tune and wanted to y poker.¡± In truth, they weren''t a fan of poker. It was just that whenever they needed to speak about something, things would seem less grave as they talked while ying poker, and the atmosphere would be much more rxed. That aside, it was indeed rather strange for four men to merely sit and talk in a private room without doing anything every time they met up. ¡°Wasn''t it Sophia who proposed ying poker?¡± Samuel''s denseness tickled Charles pink. ¡°Why do you think she did so?¡± ¡°In consideration of me?¡± Evidently, even Samuel himself didn''t quite believe that reason. Out of the blue, he remembered that Sophia even looked at Alexander after she suggested that. At that time, he merely felt that they were putting on a public disy of affection. But on second thought, that didn''t seem to be the case. He was abruptly enlightened, understanding dawning upon him. ¡°I''ll call Justin.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Charles murmured. Seeing that the lights ahead had turned green, he stepped on the gas pedal lightly. They had just started the first round of poker when Justin arrived. He pushed open the door and entered the private room, taking a seat behind Samuel. ¡°It''s been a long time, Sophia.¡± Sophia shed him a smile. ¡°It''s been a long time, Mr. Quail.¡± In return, Justin inclined his head. He then glimpsed the empty seat at the side. ¡°Are you not ying, Alex?¡± Alexander, who was sitting beside Sophia, replied, ¡°I left the spot empty for you.¡± At that, Justin chuckled softly. ¡°You''re both teaming up? If so, aren''t we going to lose miserably today?¡± Following his remark, Samuel snorted. ¡°Why are you praising them and undermining us, Justin? Speak for yourself. I''m not going to lose!¡± Justin snickered. ¡°I hope you can still say thatter.¡± Although Sophia and Alexander were there to speak of a serious matter, it had no bearing on them winning since they were ying poker. Sophia had a photographic memory and could memorize the cards. The same went for Alexander. Joining hands, they could surmise the cards in Samuel''s, Charles'', and Justin''s hands. Consequently, the poker hands the men had were also no secret. In the first round, Sophia obtained a resounding win. However, Samuel was unwilling to admit defeat. ¡°This is just the first round!¡± ncing at Alexander, Sophia smiled at him without saying anything. During the second round, Alexander seized the opportunity while the cards were being shuffled in the card shuffler to start in a cool voice, ¡°Have you all heard about the matter regarding Leonard?¡± Samuel grunted in affirmation. ¡°He mowed someone down, and it was a senior executive from Odyssey at that. What''s the matter? Are you nning on helping him?¡± Charles and Justin remained silent, but their gazes were fixated on Alexander''s face, making it clear that they were waiting for him to continue. In response, Alexander shook his head. ¡°No. Kristen sought me out because of that matter. She gave me a few sets of documents, including a DNA test between me and Leonard, a maternity DNA test between her and me, and the paternity DNA test she did long ago between Zachary and me.¡± Having said that, he paused briefly before adding, ¡°All three test reports indicated that I''m not rted to them by blood.¡± Samuel sucked in a breath. ¡°Wait! What are you trying to say here, Alex? Does it mean that you''re not Zachary''s son or a member of the Xenos family?¡± Alexander stared right at him. ¡°No, I''m not.¡± Charles'' and Justin''s brows knitted together. Thetter pursed his lips beforementing, ¡°Your father has already passed away. Therefore, Kristen doesn''t have sufficient evidence to prove whether you are Zachary''s biological son or otherwise.¡± Charles nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed. The whole of Jadeborough knows that she eloped with another man just days after you were born back then. As such, it''s believable that you''re not her biological son. Furthermore, it had almost been ten years since your father passed away. No one else other than herself knows whose DNA was used for the paternity test.¡± ¡°Yeah, all that is still manageable. I''m telling you this because Kristen went to look for Dillonst night,¡± Alexander divulged. Samuel was so livid that his face flushed bright red. ¡°She wants to join forces with him and kick you out of the Xenos family?¡± Alexander''s expression remained unchanged. Likewise, Sophia wore a faint smile on her face throughout it all. Undeniably, that shocking revtion staggered Samuel, Charles, and Justin. Sophia picked up a chip, her lips turning up slightly. ¡°It''s difficult to prove whether Alexander is a descendant of the Xenos family. However, it''s easy when ites to Leonard and Thalia.¡± Picking up where she left off, Alexander continued, ¡°I''m already investigating the men entangled with Kristen back then, and the results will be out soon. I''m merely telling you this today in advance.¡± After all, it was a monumental matter. They were childhood friends who had known each other for years, so he needed to inform them even if he really wasn''t a descendant of the Xenos family. Charles bobbed his head in acknowledgment. ¡°Got it. I''ll also have someone look into this matter.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Hearing that, Charles chortled softly. ¡°Don''t be such a stranger to me.¡± Meanwhile, Samuel pondered for a while. ¡°I might not be able to help with other things, but I can still make some inquires.¡± Alexander studied him closely, not riposting him for once. ¡°Okay.¡± With that, the conversation drew to an end. While the news was shocking, they were from prominent families and had experienced many trials and tribtions. It was rare for them to gather and y poker, so they naturally continued the game after they had finished speaking of the matter. Even after losing three rounds, Samuel still felt that Sophia and Alexander only won because of luck. He adamantly refused to believe that he would continue suffering defeat. Thus, when Sophia won for the fifth time an hourter, all his chips had ended up in her hands. Sophia turned to Alexander and shed him a smile before shifting her gaze to Samuel. ¡°Do you still want to continue, Mr. Schild?¡± If he doesn''t want to y anymore, we''ll head to the boxing gym. It''s a little over three now, so we can have dinner after training at the boxing gym for an hour. Hmm, this arrangement is perfect! Samuel felt that he had been utterly embarrassed that day, having been proven wrong time and again. ¡°No, no, it''s okay.¡± Gah! Why do I never learn? Alexander alone can defeat me thoroughly, much less when Sophia teamed up with him! Verily, I''m scared of these two winners with photographic memories! The four men parted ways at the clubhouse. After leaving, Alexander and Sophia went to the boxing gym. Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Initially, Samuel wanted to tag along. But with a look from Alexander, he abruptly remembered the times he had been beaten up in the past. At once, he didn''t dare follow them anymore. The couple hadn''t been to the boxing gym for half a month. A little over half an hourter, Sophia was already feeling tired. On the contrary, Alexander''s stamina was incredible. He remained standing there, his breathing still as even as ever. Quirking a brow, Sophia called out, ¡°Alexander.¡± While saying that, she ran over and jumped onto his back. Alexander instantly lifted his hand to steady her, and Sophianded safely on his back. Gazing into his eyes, she beamed before pecking him on the lips. Chapter 342 Chapter 342 Alexander''s ebony eyes darkened a shade. ¡°Don''t tease me here, Precious.¡± Sophia was blushing in the first ce, and her face med hotter when she heard that. She struggled to get off his back, but he was holding her too tightly. Raising her hands, she wiggled. ¡°I want to get off.¡± ¡°Hold onto me tightly, Sophia.¡± As Alexander said that, he exerted strength and shifted her to his front without warning. With her arms around his neck, Sophia lifted her head and stared into his eyes. ¡°Aren''t you letting me down?¡± Alexander''s eyes flickered. sping the back of her head, he lowered his head and captured her lips. Compared to her kiss earlier, that kiss was so scorching that it could set one on fire. When it ended, both of them fell back onto the mat, panting slightly. Sophia''s eyes were closed lightly as Alexander''s rapid heartbeat sounded in her ear. The boxing room suddenly fell silent, neither of them saying a word. About two or three minutes passed before Alexander sat up and turned to her. ¡°Do you want to continue?¡± In response, Sophia snorted. ¡°Of course!¡± By the time they left the boxing gym, the sky had already started growing dim. It was a little over six o''clock in the evening then. The sky was setting over the horizon, painting a lovely glow over the city. At the sight of the stunning scenery in front of the windshield, Sophia couldn''t help turning sideways and casting a look at Alexander. ¡°Today''s sunset is amazingly beautiful.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Alexander murmured, his thin lips curving a fraction upward. When they returned home after dinner, it was already past eight o''clock. Sophia went back to the room and took a shower. Only when she was feeling refreshed did she turn on theputer and scan through the emails Yvonne sent her in the afternoon. ¡°You''ve got a call, Sophia.¡± Alexander walked in with her phone in hand. Seeing that, Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Thank you.¡± She took the phone from him, a smile blooming on her face when she glimpsed the caller ID. ¡°Hello, Lukas?¡± ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± On the other end of the phone, Lukas grunted in acknowledgment. ¡°Grandpa asks you whether you need an evening gown.¡± Sophia was touched to hear that. ¡°No, it''s okay. I''ve already had someone prepare an evening gown.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Pausing for a moment, Lukas asked, ¡°Are you really not nning toe over to Doveston anymore?¡± As a matter of fact, Perrin had also put the same question to Sophia not long ago. Sophia''s answer was that her entire life was there. Besides, Lukas was in politics, and it wasn''t entirely a good thing for her to go to Doveston. Hmm, he''s probably asking me this again because of the matter with Alexander. ¡°No, Lukas.¡± ¡°If it''s because of me, you don''t need to overthink it.¡± ¡°It''s not wholly because of you, Lukas. Actually, I do have some sentimental attachment to Jadeborough.¡± Upon hearing that, Lukas went silent for a moment. Sometimeter, he changed the subject and asked, ¡°Does Alexander have any n regarding that matter?¡± ¡°Kristen''s im might not necessarily be credible, Lukas.¡± Lukas was a smart man, so he promptly understood Sophia''s meaning. ¡°Got it.¡± After hanging up the phone, Sophia directed her gaze at Alexander, who was a near distance away. cing her hands on the desk, she propped them under her chin. ¡°What book are you reading?¡± Alexander showed her the book cover. When Sophia saw the title of the book, she hummed in approval. ¡°This book is quite good.¡± However, Alexander put the book down no sooner had she said that and walked over to her. He stared down at her intently. ¡°But I feel that you''re better, Precious.¡± A faint shade of scarlet stained Sophia''s face. ¡°Why are you growing increasingly fond of saying such things?¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. As Alexander gazed at her slightly flushed cheeks, his eyes darkened, and he changed the subject. ¡°Have you finished your work?¡± ¡°Yeah, I''m done.¡± In truth, Sophia hadn''t much work to do. It was just that Yvonne sent her two emails. They weren''t urgent, merely rted to the meeting on Monday. She happened to be free, so she looked them over. ¡°So, we can go to bed now?¡± Sophia turned off theputer. ¡°Yeah.¡± Just as she had gotten to her feet, Alexander scooped her up. On reflex, Sophia hooked her arms around his neck. Her lips curved into a smirk as she looked into his eyes. ¡°What are you doing, Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander merely remained silent. Carrying her into the bedroom, he ced her on the bed before leaning down and pecking her on the cheek. ¡°Kissing you.¡± After he had said that, he kissed her on the lips before traveling down to her chin. Ticklish, Sophia lifted her hand and nudged his shoulder lightly. ¡°It tickles.¡± Alexander pinned his eyes on her. ¡°Where does it tickle?¡± His voice was deep and hoarse as he said that. Sophia felt as though a feather had brushed across her heart, tickling her even further. She turned her head away. ¡°The spots you''re kissing.¡± ¡°Even here?¡± Lifting a hand, Alexander pointed at her lips. Without waiting for her reply, he dipped his head and captured them. The moonlight outside the window was bright, seeminglyplementing the infinitely romantic atmosphere in the room. When Sophia woke up the next day, it was already past eight o''clock. Having gone to the racetrack and raced a few rounds on horseback and going to the boxing gym before being put through the wringer by Alexanderst night, she was inevitably sore all over when she roused that morning though her physical fitness was great. ¡°Genie, open the curtains.¡± As the sunlight slowly streamed in, she propped herself against the bed and sat up. Then, she got up and went to the bathroom to wash up. After washing up, she headed downstairs. Before she reached the second floor, she smelled the fragrant aroma of oatmeal from the kitchen. Quirking a brow, Sophia strolled over to the kitchen door. Right then, Alexander was frying eggs, wearing the pink apron she bought around his waist. The sunlight hit him on the face. As Sophia gazed at him, it was as though she had gone back to the time when she was fifteen. Her heart started racing. She stood at the door for so long that Alexander sensed her gaze. He nced back over his shoulder at her. ¡°You''re awake?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Sophia replied before walking in. As soon as she reached Alexander''s side, thetter dipped his head and kissed her on the forehead. Lifting her hand, she touched the spot he kissed, her lips turning up a fraction. ¡°What oatmeal are you making?¡± ¡°Blueberry oatmeal,¡± Alexander answered. Subsequently, he added, ¡°It''s already done, so go out and have a seat.¡± Despite his words, Sophia wasn''t that shameless to merely sit around and wait to be fed after waking up sote. Moreover, when two people were in a rtionship, it wasn''t right to have only one of them make sacrifices alone. But then, she hadn''t much talent when it came to cooking. While she might not be able to help with that, she could still wash the dishes. ¡°I''ll wash the dishes.¡± ¡°I''ll do it.¡± Snorting, Sophia had already taken out two bowls from the disinfection cab. Alexander eyed her for a moment but said nothing. On a rest day, even the sunlight made one feelzy. The sunlight at nine o''clock wasn''t overly hot. Streaming in through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room, it illuminated the entire space. Sophia took the bowl of oatmeal Alexander scooped for her. ¡°Thank you.¡± Alexander''s brows twitched. When he saw her upturned lips, he likewise smiled in a rare moment. Neither of them spoke, both leisurely enjoying the freshly cooked breakfast. Nheless, an indescribable sense of romance and bliss hung in the entire dining room. Chapter 343 Chapter 343 Sophia and Alexander had guessed it right. Kristen had indeede over to pay Alexander a visit on Friday night. As Leonard''s trial wasing soon, Kristen got desperate when negotiations did not go the way she wanted. With no other choice left, she went to Dillon for help. Alexander, Justin, and Charles had predicted that Dillon would soon make his move when they had a discussion a few days ago. Sure enough, things went from being extremely peaceful to incredibly chaotic on Monday. Sophia had just returned from a meeting when she saw Yvonne staring at her. Judging by the hesitant look on Yvonne''s face, Sophia instantly knew that she had something to tell her. Having worked together for so many years, the two had developed a bond and became rather close friends. Sophia knew that Yvonne cared deeply about her, so she asked with a smile, ¡°Is there something you''d like to tell me about, Ms. Leighton?¡± Since Sophia had given her the green light, Yvonne decided to speak her mind. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, about Mr. Xenos¡ª¡± Sophia cut her off, ¡°Don''t worry about him. I know he no longer has any money, but I do.¡± Yvonne felt speechless when she heard that. She believed Alexander was unworthy of dating Sophia, but he had been treating her really well throughout the past few months of their being together. Alexander''s grand confession of his love to Sophia during her birthday was rather touching, so Yvonne stopped hating him and sincerely epted their rtionship. However, those peaceful days didn''tst long as trouble soon came knocking, and it was big trouble, too. The fact that Alexander wasn''t a member of the Xenos family meant he had no right to inherit Odyssey. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. If they managed to prove that Alexander wasn''t rted to the Xenos family, then Leonard would stand to gain everything he owned. Having worked as a secretary for so many years, Yvonne knew that losing Odyssey would surelye as a devastating blow to Alexander. Despite all that, she felt relieved after hearing Sophia''s reply, as she knew the two must havee up with some sort of solution. ¡°Understood. Please be careful, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Conflict would often result in coteral damage to bystanders, but Sophia was no ordinary bystander. Sophia felt touched when she heard Yvonne''s words. ¡°All right. By the way, how are things going with Liam?¡± ¡°The manufacturer has stopped delivering the goods, so they won''t be able tost very long,¡± Yvonne replied, giving her a brief summary of the current progress. Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°Very good.¡± That was when Yvonne recalled something and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, thedy at the front desk told me that a woman named Yvette came looking for you while you were in Doveston.¡± Yvette? Sophia arched an eyebrow when she heard that. ¡°Got it.¡± Havingpleted her report, Yvonne quickly turned around and stepped out of Sophia''s office. Yvette and Henry went to City Hall the day after the wedding to get their divorce procedure done. Yvette''s reputation was almostpletely destroyed, and things hadn''t exactly been great in her family, so it wasn''t hard for Sophia to guess the reason behind her visit. Sophia had just finished signing thest document at eleven when her phone screen lit up all of a sudden. Sophia''s lips curled into a smile when she saw that it was a text message from Katherine. She then handed Yvonne the document before tapping on the message. Sure enough, Katherine had texted her to ask about Alexander. The message read: Soph, I just found out something really shocking today! They say Alexander isn''t a member of the Xenos family! Is that true? Sophia replied: As of the moment, there is still no solid evidence that can confirm if Alexander is Zachary''s son or not. Katherine texted her back a minuteter with a relieved emoji: That means it isn''t true, then. Thank goodness! He wouldn''t be worthy of dating you otherwise! Sophia huffed augh in exasperation as she replied: You''d better watch what you say. Do not believe the rumors, and do not spread them either. Anyway, I''m going out for lunch now. She then closed the chat and got ready to leave for lunch. A lot of people had been asking Sophia about Alexander after Dillon put the word out that he wasn''t Zachary''s son. There was a dinner eventter that evening, and Sophia and Alexander were both invited to it. Back then, the focus would always be on Sophia whenever the two were together. Due to the release of the news, however, everyone''s eyes were on both of them the moment they entered the venue. Of course, with no concrete evidence to back the ims up, those news were simply rumors at the moment. Alexander was still the CEO of Odyssey and held the highest amount of shares in the company, so no one would dare make fun of him just yet. Dillon stopped attending such dinner events after retiring, yet, he showed up that night and greeted Alexander and Sophia with a smile. Given the fact that he had brought Tyler with him, it became obvious that he had attended that dinner event on purpose. Dillon and Tyler walked up to Alexander the moment they saw him. ¡°Alex, Ms. Yarrow, long time no see.¡± Despite the friendly greeting, Dillon could barely hide the gleeful look in his eyes. Sophia simply looked at Alexander and shed the duo a faint smile without saying anything. Dillon didn''t seem to mind, though. After all, he only came to the dinner event because of Alexander. Although Dillon was the one who released the news of Alexander''s identity, he chose not to release the evidence of it just yet. Since it was almost certain that Alexander wasn''t a member of the Xenos family, Odyssey''s stocks have been plummeting throughout the past few days. Alexander and Tyler were just cousins, so it didn''t really matter if he was gone. Tyler would still have Leonard and Thalia to help him out. After all, Kristen wasn''t exactly the kind of person that was easy to deal with. Things were fine while they were working together on the same side, but there was always a possibility of them bing competitors in the future. As such, Dillon decided to purchase Odyssey''s stocks while they plummeted. He only came to the dinner event that night to mock and humiliate Alexander. Alexander simply shot Dillon an icy-cold gaze before holding Sophia''s hand and walking off. The look on Dillon''s face was frozen in ce as he stood there and watched them leave. Tyler was spacing out a little as he stared at Sophia from behind. Man, Alexander sure is a lucky one... He has got so many beautiful women flocking to him. I can''t wait for the day he gets kicked out of Odyssey! When my father and I take over Odyssey, getting myself a taste of Sophia would be a piece of cake! Alexander paused in his tracks and shot Tyler a menacing re when he caught him ogling Sophia. Feeling nervous at being caught red-handed, Tyler quickly averted his gaze. Just wait, Alexander! It won''t be long before I wipe that smug look off your face! Chapter 344 Chapter 344 Sophia was surprised when she noticed the way Tyler was looking at her. She didn''t think he would have the guts to set his sights on her like that. Tsk, tsk, tsk... Tyler sure is a bold one... She then shifted her gaze toward Alexander and said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Schild is over there.¡± The frown on Alexander''s face eased up a little as he nodded in response. ¡°All right.¡± There were quite a lot of familiar faces at the dinner event, including Samuel, Charles, Megan, and even Casper. As Sophia had previously helped Megan out at the auction, she wasn''t as hostile toward Sophia when she saw her. ¡°Hello, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Ms. Queen? What a coincidence!¡± Sophia responded with a faint smile. The two of them weren''t exactly close friends, so they didn''t have much to talk about. Megan had just finished greeting Sophia when Samuel and Charles came over. ¡°Hi, Alex! Hi, Sophia!¡± Samuel then paused and nced at Megan as he continued, ¡°Oh, you''re here too, Meg.¡± ¡°Hello, Samuel,¡± Megan greeted him in response. Since the four of them were close, Megan grabbed Casper by the arm and walked off. After putting some distance between them, Megan looked back at Sophia, who was standing next to Alexander at the time. Word about Alexander not being Zachary''s son had spread like wildfire all over Jadeborough that morning, so the members in Megan''s chat group were discussing it earlier in the day. Of course, rich women like them didn''t really care all that much about the sentimental stuff. All they wanted to know was whether Sophia and Alexander would have to break up again. Although Sophia had helped her out at the auction, Megan did lose to her twice in the past. As Sophia had destroyed Megan''s reputation, she wasn''t about to forgive Sophia just because she did her a favor. Greeting Sophia without hostility was the most she would do. To expect anything more than that from her would be wishful thinking. When the members of her chat group asked if Sophia would leave Alexander, Megan said no. For some reason, she just felt it was highly unlikely for Sophia to break up with Alexander. Megan had been thinking about the past quite a lot ever since the auction took ce. Thalia and Kristen hated Sophia when she first married into the Xenos family four years ago. Since Megan was close to Thalia, it was only natural that she disliked Sophia as well. Megan and Thalia had secretly worked together to sabotage Sophia quite often in the past. However, Megan gradually stopped contacting Thalia ever since Alexander kicked her out of the Xenos family. While Thalia''s quality of life was still much higher than that of most ordinary people, she could no longer keep up with the spending habits of wealthy women like Megan, who would spend up to hundreds of thousands on shopping sprees. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Naturally, Thalia was well aware of that and stopped reaching out to them as well. Without Thalia badmouthing Sophia all the time, Megan was able to clear her head and saw that Sophia actually loved Alexander deeply. While it remained unknown whether Alexander would remain in Odyssey after word got out about his identity, Megan and the other wealthy women no longer desired Alexander as much as they used to. That was not the case for Sophia, though. As much as Megan hated to admit it, it was impressive how Sophia had amassed over a billion after divorcing Alexander and starting a business on her own. As such, Megan believed a strong and independent woman like Sophia would be able to support herself financially without the help of her man. After taking all of that into consideration, Megan realized she no longer hated Sophia all that much. ¡°What''s on your mind, Meg?¡± Megan snapped out of her train of thought when she heard Casper calling out to her. She then turned toward him and asked, ¡°Casper, do you think Ms. Yarrow is amazing?¡± Casper knew about Megan''s history with Sophia, so he chose not to answer her question directly. ¡°Do you want to hear the truth?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Casper shed her a smile as he replied, ¡°She is indeed amazing.¡± He knew he would not have been able to start such a sessful business all on his own. Megan pouted as she asked, ¡°And if I wanted to hear a lie instead?¡± ¡°Apart from having good looks, she''s not all that amazing,¡± Casper said. ¡°Why does it sound like you''replimenting her either way?¡± Megan snapped at him with an angry snort. Fearing that she would get mad at him, Casper was quick to exin, ¡°Please don''t get me wrong. I''m just saying she might have relied on her good looks to get where she is today.¡± Megan turned around and nced at Sophia after hearing that. Despite her easy-going and gentle personality, it was incredibly difficult to approach her. As such, Megan refused to believe that she achieved sess through her good looks alone. ¡°Okay, you didn''t have to insult her like that.¡± Casper shed her a smile. ¡°I thought you hated her?¡± ¡°Women tend to get jealous of other women who are better than themselves, after all,¡± Megan replied honestly. ¡°Actually, you could stand to benefit a lot from being Ms. Yarrow''s friend,¡± Casper suggested. ¡°I know that.¡± Of course, Megan understood that all too well. She simply couldn''t bring herself to let go of the past grudges between them. Sophia had no idea that Megan had changed her view toward her after their little interaction earlier. As Justin made his way over, Sophia ced her ss of orange juice down and walked off to give the four of them some privacy. She had just taken a few steps away when Charlize approached her from the side. ¡°Ms. Yarrow!¡± It had been a long time since shest saw Charlize. ¡°Hey, Charlize.¡± ¡°Your smile looks as stunning as always, Ms. Yarrow! My heart can''t take much more of this!¡± Sophia let out a chuckle as she asked, ¡°How are things at work? Have you gotten used to it yet?¡± Charlize graduated from university over two months ago. Charles mentioned while ying poker on Saturday that Charlize had been so busy working overtime that she didn''t have time to fangirl over her idols. Charlize covered her face to avoid looking directly at Sophia''s mesmerizing eyes. ¡°Yeah, I have. I''ve just been working overtime a lottely.¡± ¡°Does it pay you well?¡± That seemed to hit Charlize right where it hurt the most. ¡°Ms. Yarrow...¡± Sophia decided to stop teasing her. ¡°Remember to eat on time and take good care of your health.¡± ¡°All right, I will!¡± It had been a long time since theyst saw each other. Charlize was present during Sophia''s birthday party, but there were too many people around at the time, so Sophia didn''t get to talk to her much. After chatting for a bit, Charlize asked, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, is it true what they''re saying about Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°I''m not too sure about that, actually,¡± Sophia replied after taking a sip of her fruit juice. She genuinely had no idea if Alexander was Zachary''s son or not. Although the evidence that Kristen had presented so far indicated that he wasn''t Zachary''s son, she believed that Beau wouldn''t be fooled that easily. Kristen had demanded quite a huge sum when she returned to the Xenos family with Alexander back then. Sophia was certain that Beau would not have paid her the money so easily without first confirming if she was telling the truth. After all, Beau was the one who founded Odyssey. His body might have slowed down significantly due to his old age, but his mind was still sharp. It wasmon for people to lie about their children to rip off those from wealthy families, so Beau would surely be on his guard for such schemes. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Charlize then nced at Alexander and Samuel to make sure they couldn''t hear her before whispering in Sophia''s ear, ¡°Would you consider leaving Alexander if the rumors were true, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Chapter 345 Chapter 345 Upon hearing that, Sophia raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Why?¡± Charlize pressed her lips and tested the waters. ¡°He is poor, so he''s not good enough for you. But my brother is different¡ªtalent, looks, and money, he has them all. Moreover, he''ll one day inherit the Johnson family too. He''s definitely a perfect match for you! And, if you marry into our family, I promise I will never take a single cent from our family''s assets. I''ll leave everything to my nephew in the future!¡± Sophia chuckled at Charlize''s teasing. ¡°Does your brother know about your crazy thoughts?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Charlize giggled. I don''t care whether he knows or not. What''s more important is that Sophia is a great girl, and my brother will fall for her for sure. Captivated by Sophia''s qualities, Charlize was not afraid to blindly proim Sophia as a paragon of excellence. Sophia reached out and patted her head. ¡°If you''re keen on getting yourself a sister-inw, you should work hard to find a perfect match for him.¡± Don''t always put pressure on me. I don''t want to be in the eye of the storm. Charlize was embarrassed. ¡°Sophia, it''s not about me finding my brother a wife. To be precise, I want you to be my sister-inw. It''s all about you, get it?¡± Sophia responded with a wry smile. ¡°You have a great brother. I bet he will find a wife as good as him.¡± ¡°If only he''ll take the initiative to find himself a wife.¡± Charlize sighed. That was her only wish for her brother. She had once thought that Charles, Justin, and a few others were nning to check into a monastery when they got old. Their asceticism made her wonder if they were homosexuals. Sophia took a sip of juice and asked, ¡°I''m going to the restroom. Do you want toe?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. I want to check if my eyshes are smudged.¡± Sophia took a closer look at Charlize''s eyes and noticed her eye makeup was slightly smudged, but she did not say much. ¡°All right.¡± The banquet hall for this evening was on the third floor and was completely indoors. To get to the restroom, guests would have toe out of the side door of the banquet and walk through a long corridor. Besides the side door, there was an open-air rooftop garden of over a hundred square meters, equipped with two benches and a swing. Sophia felt that the air conditioning in the banquet hall was a little cold, so she decided to stay in the rooftop garden while waiting for Alexander and the others to finish their conversation. By doing so, she could avoid socializing with others. Upon knowing that Sophia did wish to return to the hall, Charlize decided to apany Sophia to the rooftop garden. Summer heat kept everyone indoors, resulting in an empty rooftop garden. Charlize sat on the swing alone, swaying gently. Sophia walked over to her slowly and asked, ¡°Do you want me to push you?¡± Hearing her words, Charlize turned her head expectantly and asked, ¡°Can you give me a little push?¡± ¡°Sure, I can push you as much as you want.¡± Sophia smiled and gently pulled the rope to push the swing. Roses that lined the edges of the garden bloomed brightly, and the air was filled with their sweet fragrance. The night breeze blew gently, warm andfortable. Sitting on the swing, Charlize could not help but exim, ¡°It''s sofortable that I feel like sleeping.¡± She had been working nonstop for a month. Now that the project had just ended, she finally got a chance to take a break. Sitting on the swing, Charlize leaned against the rope and yawned. Sophia lowered her head to look at her phone. ¡°It''s gettingte. Let''s go back.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Charlize got up from the swing. When they were about to leave, three elegantly attired women sauntered in. Charlize immediately recognized them, as the social circle had only a limited pool of faces, making it difficult to miss their recurring presence. Despite Ka being sent abroad, her close friends were still in the country. Those people were Ka''s close friends. Even though the Fletcher family was in a mess, they still maintained close contact with Ka, who was far away in another country. The three of them strolled in with phones in their hands, unaware of Sophia and Charlize''s presence due to the obscurity of their location in the night. The three women went straight to the garden and sat by the coffee table near the entrance. ¡°Kay, listen. Once Alexander''s rtionship with Zachary is confirmed, he will be expelled from Odyssey and the Xenos family. You will be able to return to the country after that,¡± one of her best friends uttered. ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°Yes. The news has been the talk of the town since this morning.¡± Another friend echoed, ¡°Well, Alexander will be broke soon. Well, at least he''ll still have Sophia to keep himpany for the rest of his life and live happily ever after!¡± The third friend burst intoughter. ¡°They''ll be matchmade in heaven if Sophia goes bankrupt too!¡± The first friend clicked her tongue. ¡°Now that you mention it, these two seem like a perfect match. Thank goodness you didn''t end up with Alexander, Kay, or else it would have been aplete disaster!¡± On the other end of the video call, Ka was d to hear the news. ¡°When Alexander finally gets kicked out of the Xenos family, make sure you record it for me! I can''t wait to see his face when he hits rock bottom! And while you''re at it, don''t forget to capture Sophia''s expression tool!¡± Charlize, who overheard their conversation, could not help but want to give them a piece of her mind, but Sophia beat her to it. ¡°Wow. I''m pleasantly surprised you girls hold my rtionship with Alexander in such high regard,¡± Sophia said while walking out of the darkness in her heels. Approaching the three women, Sophia grinned and continued, ¡°Oh, by the way, thank you for your blessings. Indeed, Alexander and I are a perfect match, and we will definitely live happily ever after.¡± After ring at them from the corners of her eyes, she turned around to look at Charlize. ¡°Charlize, let''s go.¡± Ka''s friends froze in ce, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say. When they finally came to their senses, they realized Sophia and Charlize had walked far ahead. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Sophia''s words had rendered them speechless, and all they could do was exchange annoyed nces. Two secondster, someone asked, ¡°What was she doing here in the first ce?¡± ¡°God knows!¡± The three women were startled by Sophia''s appearance. They were also stunned when she responded sarcastically to the remarks they made about her and Alexander. Sophia''s words left them with an uneasy feeling. It was as if she was insinuating something. They were scared that she might harm them, but at the same time, they had no idea what to do at that point. Charlize followed behind Sophia, admiring how she had effortlessly left the three of them speechless with just a few words. ¡°Sophia, that was so cool,¡± she said. Sophia nced at her. ¡°I didn''t do much.¡± When it came to arguments, Sophia knew she could not hold a candle to Katherine. Nheless, Charlize begged to differ. She continued showering Sophia withpliments. By the time they returned to the banquet hall, Alexander had already wrapped up his conversations with the guests and was on the lookout for them. As Alexander approached, Charlize felt a pang of guilt for trying to steal Sophia away from him. After greeting him with a quick hello, she excused herself to go and find her brother. Alexander looked at Charlize''s back. ¡°Did she say something bad about me behind my back?¡± ¡°No,¡± Sophia replied. She just tried to matchmake me and her brother, that''s all. Of course, Sophia didn''t say that out loud. She was not the kind of person who would betray her friends. Alexander took her hand. ¡°Where did you go?¡± ¡°I went to the small garden to catch some fresh air,¡± she responded. After a slight pause, she continued, ¡°I also just taught three shrews a lesson.¡± Upon hearing that, Alexander lowered his head and looked at her. ¡°Shrews?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sophia said, meeting his gaze with a serious expression. ¡°Who did you run into?¡± the man asked. ¡°Just a couple of buffoons,¡± Sophia said, not wanting to say more. Noting her reticence, Alexander decided not to press the issue any further. He held her hand tightly and whispered, ¡°Let''s go home.¡± Sophia''s heart skipped a beat. She turned her head to look at him, offering a soft smile. ¡°Okay.¡± The word ¡°home¡± filled her heart with warmth andfort. Chapter 346 Chapter 346 It was around eight when they left the hotel. That was pretty early. Sophia looked out of the window and noticed the road was crowded with cars. Suddenly, she was reminded of Charlize''s words and couldn''t help but chuckle out loud. Alexander, who was sitting next to her, felt his eyshes twitch when he heard her chuckle. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± ¡°It''s nothing. I was just reminded of something funny.¡± ¡°Mm?¡± Sophie turned to look at him and was about to exin when she noticed his expression turning icy. Without warning, he swerved the car, which ended up crashing into the median strip aside. The airbag popped up and hit Sophia''s face, making her a little dizzy. It took her a few seconds for her to regain herposure. She quickly asked, ¡°Alexander, are you okay?¡± ¡°I''m fine.¡± The other vehicle had made a turn and wasing directly toward them. In order to prevent Sophia from getting injured, Alexander steered the wheel to the right, causing the other car to collide with the side of his own. As a result, their car veered off and crashed onto the median strip. Alexander''s head was throbbing from the forceful crash. He reached up and touched his head,ing into contact with a sticky liquid. Alexander looked down and realized he was bleeding. Sophia''s heart leaped to her throat when she saw that. ¡°Your head is injured. Let''s get out of the car.¡± They were both conscious after the ident. Sophia wasn''t seriously injured and was feeling slightly dizzy from the impact of the airbag. However, Alexander was injured, with a gash on his forehead from the shattered ss, as well as having hit the back of his head. Sophia opened the door and stepped out. Her vision blurred for a short moment before it cleared. She quickly went over to Alexander''s side to help him out. Alexander''s forehead was marred with a deep cut, just one millimeter away from his eye. Blood continued to seep out of the injury, making for a gruesome spectacle. Sophia reached into her bag and pulled out a packet of tissues. She handed two of them to him. ¡°Apply pressure to your wound while I call the police,¡± she instructed. ¡°Mm.¡± Alexander epted the tissues and pressed them to his cut. He also fished out his phone to call Felix. The other vehicle had flipped over, and the driver''s fate was unknown. Several onlookers rushed over to extricate the driver from the wreckage. Despite suffering severe injuries and limping, he was still capable ofmunicating. The ambnce soon arrived, followed by Felix. Alexander and Sophia got into the ambnce. The nurse dressed Alexander''s wound so it finally stopped bleeding. At the hospital, they both did a thorough checkup. Alexander and Sophia had minor concussions. Besides that, Alexander suffered from some minor scratches. Sophia fared slightly better as she only suffered from a swollen arm. It would subside in the next few days. Other than that, they were mostly fine. They were incredibly lucky to survive the ident. After that, they went to the police station to record their statements. When the ident urred, Sophia was looking at Alexander and didn''t see anything. Nevertheless, Alexander kept his focus on the road. The other vehicle had tantly run a red light, and upon the light turning green on their side, it came hurtling toward them. If Alexander had not reacted in time, both cars would have collided, resulting in a trip to the operating room for Sophia and himself that very night. The police also went to the hospital to record the driver''s statement and administer a breathalyzer test. The test results indicated that the driver was under the influence of alcohol and would bear full responsibility for the ident. It was almost eleven when they were finally allowed to leave the police station. Felix was waiting outside in his car. Upon spotting them, he opened the door and greeted, ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nodded and entered the car. Half an hourter, the car rolled to a stop outside Sophia''s mansion. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I''ve canceled the meeting tomorrow,¡± Felix reported. Alexander grunted in acknowledgment as he stepped out of the car. With a hand hovering above the door, he waited for Sophia to get out. They were both caught unaware by the sudden ident. Sophia felt better after taking a shower. She nced at Alexander, who was about to step into the shower. ¡°Remember to keep your wound dry.¡± Alexander turned over his shoulder and assured her, ¡°I know.¡± Knowing news of their ident would most probably get out tomorrow, Sophia took her phone to text Katherine: I was involved in a minor car ident. I''m fine, though. Katherine loved pulling all-nighters, so she immediately read the text and replied: What happened? Why did you suddenly get into an ident? Sophia sighed, which was rare for her. She typed: We got unlucky. Indeed, they were unlucky to get hit by a driver driving under the influence. Katherine: Did you get hurt? Sophia: No. Katherine heaved a sigh of relief and urged her to go to bed early, which was unusual because she loved chatting with Sophia. Sophia felt tired. Her head had been throbbing since the ident urred. After their chat ended, she pondered for a moment before deciding to phone Yvonne and cancel the morning meeting scheduled for the following day. Shortly after, Alexander stepped out of the shower. Sophia jolted out of her thoughts and asked, ¡°Could Dillon be the mastermind behind this ident?¡± Dillon would be a fool if he had indeed resorted to despicable means to harm them. News that Alexander wasn''t a Xenos just got out this morning, and they met at the dinner that night. If Dillon was the one who arranged for this ident, then his intentions were ringly obvious to everyone. Alexander came over to her and stroked her face. ¡°No. He isn''t that foolish.¡± Sophia huffed. ¡°I knew it.¡± The cut on Alexander''s forehead was at least five centimeters long. It was bleeding profusely before the nurse dressed it, so she remembered panicking at the gory sight. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. The wound was now dressed and bandaged, and it wasn''t visible anymore. Sophia reached up to touch it gently. ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± ¡°It doesn''t hurt,¡± Alexander told her. He switched off the lights and left one nightmp on. He then pulled her onto the bed. ¡°Let''s sleep.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± At the same time, Dillon had just received news about Alexander''s ident. He burst outughing and asked, ¡°Did he die?¡± The person at the other end of the line responded awkwardly, ¡°He''s fine. He only sustained some minor injuries.¡± Dillon snorted icily. ¡°He got lucky.¡± Right then, Tyler came downstairs and noticed Dillon was in a good mood. He asked, ¡°Dad, why do you look happy?¡± Dillon harrumphed. ¡°I received a call just now informing me that Alexander and Sophia were in a car ident on their way back home.¡± Tylerughed upon hearing the news, too. ¡°Really? Did they die?¡± Their simr reactions confirmed that they were father and son. Dillon sighed in disappointment. ¡°He''s still alive but sustained some minor injuries.¡± ¡°Oh, what a pity.¡± Tyler tutted. Suddenly, something urred to him, and he suggested, ¡°Dad, why don''t we...¡± He trailed off as a menacing look shed across his face. Dillon grew flustered. ¡°Are you stupid? It''s a mess right now. If we take action, the police will definitely come to us!¡± Tyler reflected on his words and nodded in agreement. ¡°You''re right. We can''t take action now.¡± Dillon nced at him. ¡°Don''t worry. Alexander will meet his doom soon. He won''t be able to survive for long.¡± Tyler nodded eagerly. ¡°I can''t wait to see him getting kicked out of Odyssey!¡± ¡°Don''t worry. That will happen soon.¡± Dillon was pretty confident with his n. If we can covertly continue to purchase Odyssey''s shares over time, I can eventually strike a decisive blow against Alexander. Even if he resists leaving, the other shareholders will force him out of thepany. It''s hard to believe that one day I''ll have control of Odyssey! Lady luck is on my side, huh? It''s absurd that Alexander isn''t even Zachary''s son. Chapter 347 Chapter 347 That very night, news about Alexander and Sophia''s ident spread like wildfire in the circle. Upon hearing the news, Samuel sprang from his bed and grabbed his phone to call Alexander without dy. s, his calls went unanswered. At once, Samuel''s imagination went wild. He started wondering if Alexander was in the emergency room, about to die soon. Panic filled his heart as he got dressed and called Charles. It was past midnight. Charles was about to sleep when Samuel''s call arrived. Frowning, he answered the call. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Charles, Alex and Sophia were in an ident. I called Alex five times, but he didn''t answer his phone. We should head to the hospital as soon as possible.¡± Charles nearly cursed out loud when he heard what Samuel had to say. ¡°Have you considered the possibility that they had gone to bed after switching off their phones?¡± Samuel paused, holding his pants in his hands. ¡°It''s still early. I don''t think that''s possible, right?¡± Charles snorted. ¡°What time is it now?¡± Samuel nced at his watch. ¡°Twenty minutes past twelve.¡± ¡°Yeah. Is that early?¡± ¡°Fine. It''s a littlete.¡± Samuel was still worried. ¡°Shouldn''t we visit them at the hospital?¡± ¡°You can do that yourself.¡± Charles ended the call without hesitation. He couldn''t help but wonder if Samuel would burn the Schild family''s assets away with his low IQ. If something had indeed happened to Alexander, Felix would''ve informed them immediately. Samuel nced at his phone in disbelief and started suspecting their friendship. Why do they seem unbothered when Alexander was in a car crash? Are they that cruel? Don''t tell me Charles doesn''t want to be Alexander''s friend anymore, as there is a possibility he isn''t a Xenos. Refusing to give up, he called Justin next. Justin was in a foul mood as he got woken up rudely. ¡°This better be important. Otherwise, we''ll see each other in the boxing gym this weekend,¡± he warned. Samuel was rendered speechless. Why are people so violent nowadays? Samuel cleared his throat and inquired, ¡°Do you know Alex was in an ident?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I called his phone, but he didn''t pick up. I think he''s seriously injured, so I want to visit him at the hospital.¡± Justin was speechless for a moment. ¡°Did Felix tell you anything?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I''m going to bed. You can go to the hospital if you want,¡± Justin told him and hung up. Samuel nearly threw his phone away in frustration. Why are they so heartless? He put on his pants and grabbed his keys to drive to the hospital. At the garage, Samuel btedly realized he had no idea which hospital Alexander was admitted to. He scrolled to Felix''s number in his contact list and was about to make the call when Justin''s words reyed in his mind. I was too reckless! Felix didn''t inform us anything, so it means that Alex is fine. I wasn''t slow. I was just worried about Alex and ended up making a mistake. That very night, everyone was gossiping about Alexander and Sophia''s ident. The parties involved, however, were both sound asleep. Unsurprisingly, the following morning, they woke up to learn that someone had med the matter on Dillon. The onlookers were not naive. If anything were to befall Alexander, Dillon''s family would stand to gain the most. Last night, Felix had people investigate the driver. He found nothing as the driver had simply stepped on the elerator identally due to him being drunk. After hearing Felix''s report, Alexander answered curtly, ¡°Got it.¡± He hung up and nced at Sophia, who was still sleeping in bed. They both went to bed past elevenst night, which was past Sophia''s usual bedtime. Instead of waking her up, he went over and bent over to give her cheek a gentle kiss before heading downstairs to prepare breakfast. Sophia jolted awake from a nightmare. She dreamed aboutst night''s ident, but in her dream, they didn''t get lucky. She wasn''t in the car, but Alexander''s vehicle was severely damaged in the collision. When she rushed to the site after receiving the call, the paramedics informed her that Alexander had passed away on the spot. Sophia woke up instantly when she heard that. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw the white ceiling above her. That was when she realized it was just a nightmare. Sophia felt much better after the slumber. She fumbled about and found her phone to look at the time. It was almost nine in the morning. ¡°Genie, open the curtains.¡± After washing up, Sophia went downstairs to look for Alexander. The man was preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Recalling the nightmare, she sauntered over and flung her arms around his waist. ¡°Why didn''t you order food?¡± ¡°You''re awake?¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Sophia grunted. She looked up and noticed the gauze on his forehead. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± He looks quite pitiful. ¡°No, it doesn''t hurt anymore.¡± Alexander chuckled. ¡°I''m no longer a kid.¡± It was a deep cut, so Sophia didn''t believe him when he said it didn''t hurt. Alexander offered her a spoonful of oatmeal. ¡°Here you go. Be careful, as it might be hot.¡± Sophia parted her lips and took a sip of the oatmeal. ¡°It''s yummy.¡± ¡°Mm. I''ll bring it out.¡± Sophia was about to wash the spoon when her phone, which she had ced on the dining table, began to ring. She arched a brow and went out to answer it. ¡°Hello, Lukas.¡± It was Lukas. Sophia assumed he was most probably calling because ofst night''s ident. ¡°Did you get hurt?¡± Lukas asked. ¡°I''m okay,¡± Sophia responded. Concerned that he might not believe her, she added, ¡°I didn''t suffer any injuries, but I hit my arm, and it''s now swollen. Alexander got a cut on his forehead.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Lukas grunted. ¡°What happenedst night? Was it the Xenos family who did that to you?¡± ¡°No. It was a driver who drove under influence.¡± Lukas remained doubtful. ¡°Did you look into it?¡± He knew that feuds involving rich families could result in deaths. ¡°Alexander told someone to look into it,¡± Sophia revealed. She paused before continuing, ¡°Dillon only disclosed the information that Alexander wasn''t Zachary''s son yesterday morning, and we saw him at the dinnerst night. He wouldn''t be foolish enough to arrange for someone to harm Alexander so soon.¡± At the other end of the line, Lukas fell silent for a moment. ¡°Perhaps you should consider staying away from Alexander for the time being.¡± Knowing what he meant, Sophie let out a helpless chuckle. ¡°Lukas.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lukas knew she was fine and stopped asking questions. ¡°You should get back to work. Take care.¡± ¡°Okay. You too.¡± After she hung up, Alexander was already waiting for her at the table with two bowls of oatmeal. Sophia ced her phone down and went over to join him at the dining table. She chuckled and commented, ¡°Mr. Xenos, you are bing increasingly simr to a caring spouse and affectionate mother.¡± Alexander nced at her. ¡°Why don''t you earn money and provide for me in the future?¡± Sophia giggled. ¡°Sure!¡± She epted the spoon from him and started eating the oatmeal. Recalling Lukas'' earlier question, she asked, ¡°Did Mr. Lane find anything?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Alexander shook his head. ¡°The driver was driving under the influence.¡± He was saying that the ident had nothing to do with Dillon. ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Sophia dropped the subject. The incident wasn''t rted to Dillon, but most people assumed he was behind it. Consequently, people began to question the validity of the rumor that Alexander was not Zachary''s biological child. Given Dillon''s strong desire for Odyssey, many began to specte about his possible motives. Naturally, the onlookers were unaware of the actual facts and were merely gossiping and expressing their opinions. While this issue didn''t significantly impact Alexander and Sophia, it had a considerable impact on someone else. Chapter 348 Chapter 348 Dillon was furious early in the morning. He had not done anything but was somehow made to seem like he had made a move against Alexander. Rumors of him wanting to get his hands on Odyssey and that he had taken action toward Alexander due to that were currently spreading all over Jadeborough. Dillon could barely stomach his breakfast after hearing thements. ¡°If I had known this was going to happen, I should have sent someone to run Alexander over!¡± Randy, who sat nearby, disagreed. ¡°Dad, if you really sent someone to run Alexander over, the police would be knocking on our doors right this moment! Truth be told, this isn''t a bad thing. Although there are rumors of our family hiring someone to strike at Alexander, we haven''t actually done anything to him. Let the outsiders say anything they like. Since we haven''t done anything, Alexander can''t do anything to us. The police won''t be paying us a visit either. We only have to carry on as usual. After some time has passed, I''m sure it will be apparent that we have nothing to do with this and that we''ve done nothing to Alexander. When that timees, perhaps we can suggest that it was an act Alexander put on.¡± After listening to his son''s analysis, Dillon felt his mood bing better. ¡°You''re right. This can be a good opportunity for us!¡± Randy snorted. ¡°But of course.¡± At that moment, Alexander was unaware of Dillon''s and his family''s schemes. Ever since it was revealed that he wasn''t Zachary''s biological son, Odyssey''s stock prices had been plunging. It had fallen a great deal that day. Odyssey''s market price had dropped by over six billion in just two days, and the shareholders were already making theirints known to Alexander. Alexander''s expression immediately iced over when he received Felix''s phone call. ¡°Mr. Xenos, the directors are requesting a shareholders'' meeting today.¡± Alexander sneered. ¡°Arrange for a meeting this afternoon. I''ll head over then.¡± With that said, he hung up the phone. Sophia, who was lounging on the couch, turned around to look at him. Tilting her head, she smiled. ¡°Do you need some help, Mr. Xenos?¡± The hostile expression on Alexander''s lightened a little. He walked over to the couch beside Sophia and sat down. ¡°Well, it''s true that I could use your help.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Sophia responded, feeling surprised. She had only offered to help nonchntly, fully expecting that Alexander did not seriously care about the threat Dillon posed. Although Odyssey''s stock prices were plunging, it wasn''t quite the end of the line yet. ¡°I want you to use Sunshine Group to purchase some of Odyssey''s shares as well as the ones the other shareholders are holding.¡± Ever since Beau passed away, Alexander had been steadily developing Odyssey. Many of the otherpanies that had started at the same time as Odyssey fell after they could not keep up with the times. Under Alexander''s bold reformation, Odyssey managed to keep up with modern developments. With a new product development method, they were able to pioneer a new business scope, thus enabling Odyssey to flourish into what it was today. Odyssey''s shareholders were not foolish. If Alexander weren''t Zachary''s son or a member of the Xenos family, he would lose the right to inherit thepany, and Odyssey would have to appoint a new president. Dillon had been eyeing Odyssey intently. In order to get thepany into his hands, Dillon and his family would try everything at their disposal to besmirch Alexander and stir up trouble. Odyssey was in for some difficult times. Once Alexander was removed from the Xenos family and Odyssey, Dillon and his family members would then swoop in. It was uncertain if Odyssey would be able to continue to flourish. In fact, it might not even recover its former glory. The old shareholders were no pushovers. They were with Odyssey for a long time, and thepany had developed well under Alexander''s leadership. As they only had to sit on their hands and wait for the profits to flow in, naturally, they gave much thought to the matter. Moreover, the equities they owned weren''t worth fussing over. It would be better toe to terms with the situation and sit back and enjoy the show. However, since their profits were no longer guaranteed, they were eager to get rid of their shares on hand before Odyssey''s worth fell any further. Consequently, they would be able to sell off their shares for a lucrative price. If Alexander was the one who purchased the shares, it would prove that Odyssey was not doomed. As a result, the old men would never be willing to let the long-term dividends slip out of their grasp. On the other hand, it would be a different matter if Sunshine Group was the one that was making the purchase. While everyone knew that Sunshine Group was an investmentpany that had emerged in thest decade, there were not many who knew who was behind thepany. If Sophia made her move through Sunshine Group, the shareholders of Odyssey might be willing to part with their shares if the price was right. However, the funds needed for their n wouldn''t just cost a few billion. It would probably go up to tens of billions. While that amount of money would not pose a problem for Sophia, things would beplicated if they used a public ount as there would be too many interests involved. While Alexander and Sophia did not mind the cost, that did not mean Sunshine Group''s other shareholders would follow suit. As someone who would abandon righteousness if there were profits to be had, there was no way Ron would allow it. ¡°It may not be a good idea to use public ounts if we intend to use Sunshine Group''s name.¡± Alexander caressed her face gently. ¡°We don''t need Sunshine Group. Suny would suffice.¡± There wasn''t anyone in Jadeborough who did not know of Suny from Sunshine Group. Only the person behind the name remained a mystery. If Suny were to step forward, it would prove to be convincing. Both of their line of thought coincided. Sophia had been thinking of the exact same thing. Upon hearing Alexander''s words, Sophia grinned. ¡°Will I be reimbursed?¡± It would cost over ten billion, and that was not a small sum. Lowering his head, Alexander nted a kiss on her forehead. ¡°This is the reimbursement.¡± Sophia snorted in response. ¡°You''re such a rich man, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°Right back at you.¡± They had a good n and solution to their problem. Alexander had the shareholders'' meeting that afternoon, and Sophia had to drop by Sunshine Group. The two of them rested at the mansion briefly after lunch. After Alexander dropped Sophia off at Sunshine Group, he headed toward Odyssey. When Yvonne saw Sophia walk in, she informed thetter about what had happened to Tanya''s husband, Liam, before bringing up Yvette. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Saunders came to see you again this morning.¡± Sophia raised an eyebrow. ¡°How persistent.¡± After a moment, she asked, ¡°Did she say why she came?¡± Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Yvonne shook her head. ¡°No, she only said that she came to see you.¡± Sophia nodded in response. ¡°Got it.¡± ncing at Yvonne again, she said, ¡°Ms. Leighton, please go over my personal assets and find out how much money I can liquidate now. I need about thirteen billion. If my assets are insufficient, check and see which personal investments I can put out for funds.¡± Yvonne was shocked to hear Sophia''s words. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, did something happen?¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Everything''s fine. I''m helping a friend out.¡± Yvonne immediately understood the situation. Odyssey''s stocks had plunged in the past two days, and its market value had gone down by six billion. If this continued, Odyssey was unlikely to hold out. ¡°All right. Please give me some time, I''ll get to it immediately.¡± After saying that, Yvonne went to do Sophia''s bidding. Sophia owned a lot of personal investments, and thepanies she had invested in had taken off. One of thepanies, Magic Sense, had a market value that was currently as high as one billion after the sixth round of financing this year. Sophia had only invested about eighty million. If Magic Sense had a sessfulunch next year, thepany''s market value would skyrocket to two billion. As Magic Sense''srgest shareholder, Sophia would be able to more than three hundred million even if she sold off her shares now. Junta, which hadunched the year before, and Girl''s Heart, which hadunched in June, were among the otherpanies that Sophia had invested in. Sophia had made the capital investments while thepanies were still in their early stages. Hence, she owned up to forty percent of their shares. Once thepanies were listed, Sophia''s worth would be immeasurable. Chapter 349 Chapter 349 In truth, Sophia was merely joking when she asked Alexander for reimbursement. Even though Alexander had a worth of more than forty billion in Anndurn currency, the majority was the market value of Odyssey''s shares. Without selling the shares off, it was probably difficult for Alexander to take out ten billion within a short period. Since the man was willing to approach her, she thought she could lend him the money first. That was why as soon as Sophia returned to Sunshine Group, she asked Yvonne to work out the avable funds she had on hand. Actually, it was not easy for Sophia to take out thirteen billion as she wished so quickly. In no time, Yvonne had the sum worked out. Sophia only had about six billion avable funds and another two billion set aside for investments. Sophia nodded. ¡°Help me contact Mr. Anderson from Junta¡ª¡± At that exact moment, her phone rang. Lowering her head, she looked at the caller ID and realized it was from Alexander. She instinctively arched her brow and shifted her gaze to Yvonne. ¡°Let me answer this call first.¡± ¡°No problem, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne tactfully turned to leave and shut the door behind her tight so that Sophia would have some private space to answer the call. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± If I remember correctly, Alexander should be in a shareholder meeting right now, yes? ¡°What''s your ount number?¡± Sophia was briefly taken aback. ¡°What is it? Do you want to send me money?¡± Alexander, on the other end of the phone, answered, ¡°Didn''t I say I''ll reimburse you?¡± Hearing his words, Sophia clucked her tongue. ¡°We''re talking about thirteen billion here. Do you have that much funds on hand, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sophia broke into a smile and immediately told the man her ount number. ¡°All right, do keep an eye on it. I''ll get Felix to wire you the moneyter.¡± Sophia huffed. ¡°Where did you find so much money?¡± Being rich is one thing, but we''re talking about avable funds now. Where did Alexander get so much money? That''s thirteen billion. If I get that sum in cash, they''ll probably fill up my entire room, won''t they? ¡°I earned it.¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. In truth, Alexander had no intention of keeping her in the dark. After some hesitation, he added, ¡°I''ll tell you tonight, okay?¡± At that, Sophia lifted the corners of her lips into a wide smile as she supposed there was some inside scoop on the matter. ¡°Sure, since you know how to read the room, Mr. Xenos.¡± She paused for a moment before she continued, ¡°Shall we hang up now?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Even though Alexander agreed to it, he did not end the call. Sophia stared at her screen for a second before she reached her finger out and pressed the button to end the call. After that, she cupped her chin with her hands and began to mull over. She then called through the internalndline and asked Yvonne to head in. Very quickly, Yvonne pushed open the door and stepped in. ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°No need to contact Mr. Anderson anymore. Help me pay close attention to this ount. There''ll be a huge sum of money wired overter this afternoon.¡± Those words stunned Yvonne. Bafflement filled her as she reached her hand out to receive the card. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, did you suddenly ask for so much money because of Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°That''s right.¡± Sophia took a sidelong nce at Yvonne. ¡°But he got reimbursed. There''s no need for me to fork out the sum now.¡± Yvonne was about to persuade Sophia to think twice when she heard those words from thetter. Instinctively, Yvonne took in a deep breath. Where did Mr. Xenos manage to get that much money? It''s true he''s wealthy, but over forty billion in Anndurn currency are all Odyssey''s shares. It''s not like he''d sell off those shares, right? Anyway, there are rumors that he isn''t Zachary Xenos'' biological son. Perhaps there''s a need to re-evaluate his worth. Then again, it''s over ten billion funds we''re talking about here. The fact that he can easily fork out this sum proves that he''s richer than everyone assumes. At this point, Yvonne shifted her gaze at Sophia, only to realize thetter was staring back at her with a smile. That undoubtedly left Yvonne both embarrassed and nervous. ¡°If there''s nothing else, I''ll get back to work now, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia waved her hand. ¡°Okay, go on.¡± She shed Yvonne a faint smile as she finished speaking. At about five in the evening, the receptionist called again, saying that Yvette, who had asked to meet Sophia several times previously, had turned up again. Yvonne furrowed her brows. She keeps showing up everywhere, isn''t she? Why is she perpetually pestering Ms. Yarrow? Despite her strong disliking toward Yvette, Yvonne still fulfilled her duties as a responsible secretary. As soon as she concluded the call with the receptionist, she called Sophia on thepany''s internal line and asked for her opinion. Like Yvonne, Sophia thought Yvette was unusually persistent. Following a light scoff, she uttered, ¡°Let here up.¡± She wanted to see what tricks Yvette had up her sleeves this time. Less than five minutes after the internal line was concluded, Yvonne knocked on Sophia''s office door and brought Yvette in. ¡°Ms. Saunders is here, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Lifting her gaze to look, Sophia noticed that Yvette looked almost like a changed person in a short two- month period. Aside from her terribleplexion, her eyes seemed to contain a hint of lunacy. ¡°Please bring in two cups of coffee.¡± Yvonne hummed an acknowledgment and headed out to make some coffee. Sophia got up from her office chair and walked past her desk to the couch nearby. ¡°Have a seat.¡± With her bag in her hand, Yvette walked over and sat on the couch opposite. ¡°Sophia, I''ve been looking for you many times.¡± Sophia pulled a weak smile. ¡°I heard about it. It seems like you''re pretty unlucky. I''m always not around when you''re here.¡± Yvette let out a snort ofughter. ¡°You don''t have to put on a pretense in front of me. Don''t you merely want me toe and look for you?¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia raised her brows. ¡°I don''t understand what you''re trying to imply, Ms. Saunders. We don''t seem to have a deadly feud between us.¡± All of a sudden, Yvette snickered icily. ¡°Sophia, I''ve made my way here, yet you''re still pretending. It''s no fun at all! Are you trying to shrug off responsibility after doing it?¡± ¡°Huh? Shrug off responsibility after doing it? What are you referring to?¡± The smile on Sophia''s face faded slightly as she stared intently at Yvette. At that point, thetter opened her bag, pulled out a stack of something, and threw them on the table. ¡°I''ve checked. What happened at my wedding was caused by you!¡± Sophia took a nce at the photos. ¡°Oh, you''re referring to this matter. That''s right; I got someone to do it.¡± Finishing her words, she arched an eyebrow and shot Yvette a look, seemingly using her expression to ask thetter if she had a problem with it after finding out that she was the culprit. Colors drained from Yvette''s face almost instantaneously. Throughout her life, the setbacks she suffered were always because of Sophia. Before entering the university, she had always beenbeled the prettiest girl in ss and campus belle. Not only did she have excellent results, but she was also good-looking. She was always the center of attention wherever she went and always a goddess in the eyes of many men. However, things began to change after she met Sophia upon entry to the university. When she was picked as the prettiest in ss, people mocked it was surprising how she could outshine the campus belle, Sophia. Compared to how Sophia could effortlessly score high marks on her papers, Yvette''s good grades no longer seemed to be as impressive as before. Despite all of that, Yvette chose to swallow her pride. After all, Sophia was way above her in all aspects except for one¡ªher family background. Yvette came from a family who ran their own business. Her monthly pocket money could go up to several tens of thousands, thus exining why she was always dressed very differently from the other students in the university. That alone made up for the difference between her and Sophia. Sadly, that upper hand Yvette had did notst too long. In their second year, Sophia began to enjoy getting driven to and from school in a luxury car. During then, it was rumored that Sophia was a rich man''s mistress. Yvette saw that as an ill-gotten gain and thus felt that she was still the winning party. That was the only thing Yvette believed she could outshine Sophia. Yet, thetter married Alexander right after graduation. When the two ex-ssmates reunited five yearster, Sophia was already a major shareholder of a listedpany and the director of an entertainmentpany. Once again, Sophia had left Yvette beneath her. Nheless, at the thought of how Henry and her family still had to rely on the Xenos family''s support, she had no choice but to force herself to change her mindset and butter up to Sophia. Unfortunately, when she tried to show good intentions, Sophia dug out all of her past, thoroughly ruining her wedding and destroying her life. From that day onward, she got divorced from Henry. The business coboration between the Zimmerman family and her family fell through as they severed ties and became total strangers to each other. As a result, the Saunders family''s business suffered detrimental damages in all ways and went downhill day after day. The only person Yvette could think of was none other than Sophia. Initially, she could not wrap her head around why Sophia would do something like that. After all, they did not have any deep-seated grudge against each other. That was why she waited so long before she came to look for Sophia. The realization only dawned upon her recently that everything Sophia had done was because of Tanya. Chapter 350 Chapter 350 Yvette gritted her teeth and hissed, ¡°I know who you''re doing these things for, Sophia!¡± By then, the smile on Sophia''s face had faded away. She stared at Yvette and asked, ¡°If you do, then why are you here?¡± Right as she said that, Yvonne knocked on the door and came in with tea and some snacks. The air inside the office was tense, so after Yvonne put down the food and drinks, she left the room and closed the door behind her. Soon, only Sophia and Yvette were the only ones left. ¡°Nothing. I just want to ask you something. Since you''re so concerned about Tanya, and since I have something interesting on hand, I was wondering if you''d spend some money to buy it.¡± Yvette hade prepared. Right as she said that, she took out her phone to y the video before cing it on the table. The volume was not high, but neither spoke in the office, so the desperate voice of the woman in the video filled the air in the room. ¡°No! Please! Let me go! Please let me go!¡± Smack! ¡°B*tch, who asked you to spill the beans? You like tipping people off, don''t you? You love paying attention to my matters, don''t you? Do you like me? You should''ve told me if you like me! Why wouldn''t I want a woman who''s throwing herself into my arms?¡± Rip! With that said, the man tore the woman''s clothes off. As less and less clothing covered the woman, she was struggling more and more. At her thrashing, the man smacked her hard. The two people in the video were none other than Connor and Tanya. Not only was Connor raping Tanya, but he was recording it as well. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Sophia had never been this furious in her life, and she tightened her grip on the couch beneath her. Yvette then paused the video. When she saw Sophia ring at her, she smugly grinned. ¡°I heard that Tanya''s been getting treatment for her depression. Say, what do you think will happen if I send her this video?¡± What will happen if she sends Tanya this video? Tanya''s definitely going to lose her mind! Tanya had not climbed out of hell yet; she had only climbed to its edge and was finally seeing some light. But if Yvette were to stomp on her hand at a time like this, Tanya was going to let go from the pain and fall back down. Upon falling, she would nevere back up again. ¡°How much do you want?¡± Sophia''s hands were even shaking from fury by then. She had never seen someone as disgusting as Yvette. Lifting her hand, Yvette revealed five fingers and said, ¡°This.¡± ¡°Fifty million?¡± Is that all? ¡°No. It''s five hundred million.¡± ¡°You''re greedy. Do you really think that I''ll give that to you?¡± Sophia had never been threatened in this way before. Keeping away her phone, Yvette clicked her tongue and said, ¡°Greedy? Me? Well, I guess Tanya isn''t as important to you, then.¡± Staring at Yvette, Sophia suddenlyughed. She rose to her feet and leaned over to ce her hands on the table instead. Looking right at Tanya, she said, ¡°You can try it, Yvette. Try and send this video to Tanya or her family. If you do that, I''ll have a hundred and one ways of making your life such a living hell you''ll be begging for me to kill you.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°You were the one who showed me the video. If I ever see it circting anywhere, I''ll be holding you ountable, regardless of whether it was you or not, Yvette Saunders.¡± Yvette had never seen Sophia act in this manner before. She thought that her bargaining chip would be able to frighten Sophia into relenting. Yet, not only did Sophia not do that, she even became furious. Yes, it was fury. A raging fury that would devour Yvette whole. All of a sudden, Yvette was scared, but that fear went away in the next second. She soon recollected herself and uttered, ¡°Sophia, do you think I''m such an easy person to scare? If you don''t want Tanya to die, you better fork out five hundred million for me. Five hundred million, and I swear that I''ll delete all the copies of the video.¡± ¡°What if I don''t?¡± ¡°If you don''t, I''ll have to let Tanya relive those memories again.¡± As she spoke, Yvette lifted her hand to comb her hair. ¡°Tanya''s my university ssmate of four years too. Honestly, I''m d to see her getting better, but whether she lives or dies will be up to you, Sophia. Of course, if you can steel yourself to be this ruthless, I''ll have to be equally ruthless. After all, you and I aren''t the ones who are about tomit suicide from depression.¡± Right then, augh escaped Sophia. ¡°Did you think that you brought a fantastic bargaining chip to me today? What a pity you might lose that confidence of yours after you see what I''ve brought for you.¡± With that, Sophia turned around to grab a file and threw it in front of Yvette. ¡°Maybe you should go through this before negotiating this deal with me.¡± Yvette furrowed her brows, but she did not move. She knew that she was there to strike a deal with Sophia, and she could not let Sophia take control of the situation. ¡°I don''t need to look at it. My determination won''t waver regardless of what it is.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Sophia curled her lips and opened the file herself. She then threw the papers on the table and continued, ¡°But I think you know this person. Connor Wilkinson. You were so close with each other back then, and you''re both suffering in the same way now. Are you sure you don''t want to know anything about this?¡± The mention of the familiar name made Yvette blink. Despite herself, she lowered her head to nce at the papers. When she saw the words on the documents, her hands trembled. Yvette reached out to pick up the documents. After reading them, she paled drastically. Sophia took a sip of her tea, which was turning cold. ¡°Are you done reading them? What do you think?¡± Yvette ground her teeth. ¡°He doesn''t have a bargaining chip, but I do.¡± Connor''s family was no ordinary family, but Sophia had set many traps up for them. No wonder I heard that Connor''s family has fallen from grace. Connor''s family was not in the area, so Yvette had not dwelled on the news. She never thought Sophia was the one behind it. Not only was Sophia targeting her, but she was also targeting the culprit behind the matter, Connor Wilkinson. ¡°I merely had a slip of the tongue back then, but the true perpetrator was Connor. Sophia, do you think it''s fair for me to suffer the same punishment as him?¡± ¡°Is it not fair?¡± Sophia gave her a look. ¡°Have you forgotten what you said to me during the gathering of our ssmates?¡± If they didn''t agitate Tanya, perhaps her condition wouldn''t have worsened so quickly, and she wouldn''t have needed to stay in the hospital for three months. Yvette stiffened when she heard Sophia''s words. Evidently, she recalled what she said. But by then, it was toote to regret what she had done. ¡°So, you don''t care about whether Tanya lives or dies?¡± Yvette did not believe that Sophia would be able to ruthlessly ignore Tanya. Otherwise, Sophia would not have spent so much time and effort helping her out. Yvette was indignant. She was upset with the way Sophia was making everything hard for her just because she made a mistake when she was younger¡ªjust because she was involved in the matter back then. All Yvette wanted was money. She would leave the country with the money and never return. Five hundred million was more than enough for her to have a cushy life abroad until the day of her death. She would not need to fear for her life every day like she would in the country. Sophia snorted. She then enunciated, ¡°Yvette, have you ever thought about this? Now that Connor''s in this position, do you think he''ll do it if I were to tell him that I''ll spare him if he does to you what he did to Tanya?¡± Chapter 351 Chapter 351 Sophia''s voice was particrly clear in the spacious office, and Yvette was as still as a statue. Looking at Sophia in disbelief, she whispered, ¡°Do you really dare to do that?¡± ¡°If you dare to, so will I.¡± Sophia red at her, no trace of relenting in her eyes. Yvette had been confident at the start, thinking that Tanya''s life would be ruined if she were to circte the video she had. Sophia had spent so much effort in improving Tanya''s condition, so Yvette refused to believe that Sophia would just watch as Tanya ended her own life. That was what Yvette thought would happen earlier, but reality had pped her in the face. Yvette had forgotten that she was not the only one who was involved; the perpetrator, Connor, was too. Not only was Sophia settling the score with her, but she was also going after Connor. If Yvette had once not believed that Sophia was capable of doing anything to them, she now knew that, even without Alexander, crushing them would be a piece of cake for Sophia with her current connections and wealth. Connor''s family was more powerful than hers, but even it could not hold its ground against Sophia, so how was her family going to withstand Sophia targeting it? A cornered animal would bite. If Sophia were to use the Wilkinson family to threaten Connor, Connor would not mind adding Yvette to the list of his victims. Yvette had to admit that she could not be as ruthless as Sophia. After a while of staring at each other, Yvette looked away, defeated. Despite that, she could not simply ept her defeat and flee from the scene. ¡°I''ll give you the videos I have, including the negatives. I don''t want your money anymore, so can''t you just let the Saunders family go?¡± She was pleading for Sophia to spare her family, but she was the furthest thing away from a beggar. Of course, it was not as if Sophia was going to let Yvette go just because Yvette begged her to. They were adults. Since Yvette was capable of doing something like that, she had to be punished for the instigation she had done back then. ¡°Do you think you have the right to bargain with me, Yvette?¡± Sophia briefly raked her gaze over Yvette before summoning Yvonne into the room. ¡°Ms. Leighton, please send her off.¡± There was no way Yvette was going to leave willingly. It had been difficult for her to meet with Sophia, and it was highly likely that she would ever get to meet thetter again after leaving that day. Yvonne walked over to Yvette and said, ¡°Ms. Saunders, this way, please.¡± ¡°Sophia, must you be such a bully?¡± ¡°A bully?¡± Sophia burst intoughter when she heard Yvette''s words. ¡°Did you think about how you were a bully when you encouraged Connor to go after Tanya? Did you think about how much of a bully you were when you were hiding in the shadows, watching Tanya struggle as you filmed her with your phone? Please don''t say that I haven''t given you a chance. It has been so many years. If you had grown a conscience and handed the police the recording you had, you wouldn''t have had toe to me today! Also, it''s only been half a year, but I hope you haven''t forgotten about why Tanya is in the hospital. If not for you bringing people to her house and reminding her about her old trauma, I wouldn''t have been such a bully,¡± Sophia uttered, biting every word before asking Yvonne to summon security upstairs. Two minutester, two security guards came upstairs and dragged Yvette away. ¡°Ms. Leighton.¡± Sophia lifted her hand to rub her temples and suppress her anger. ¡°Please send some people to keep an eye on Yvette. She has a video of Connor raping Tanya with her, and I can''t let her circte the video.¡± Then, after a pause, ¡°Try to get someone to hack into herputer or trick her into deleting all those videos she has.¡± Yvonne did not expect Yvette to have a video like that, so she was taken aback when she heard Sophia''s words. Once she returned to her senses, she nodded. ¡°I understand, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia bobbed her head. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Leighton.¡± The smile on her face was still a faint one. Yvette''s video truly infuriated Sophia. She had initially given them a chance, but since they did not appreciate it, she was not going to show them any mercy anymore. Sophia nced at the two cups of tea on the table. After pursing her lips, she took out her phone to make a call to Tanya. Sure enough, Tanya was getting better and better, and she would be able to leave the hospital on Friday. By the time Sophia ended the call, she had calmed down. Hence, she continued reading the earlier documents and signed them. Alexander''s money came while the two were eating. When Sophia received the message Yvonne sent to her, she lifted her head to look at Alexander and smiled. ¡°I got the money.¡± A brief pauseter, she asked, ¡°Aren''t you afraid that I''ll run away with therge sum of money?¡± As Alexander put a slice of deboned fish onto her te, he returned the question. ¡°Will you?¡± Sophia raised her brows. ¡°Who knows?¡± Alexander nced at her. ¡°It''s fine if you hold onto the money as long as you don''t run off.¡± Sophia could not help but chuckle at that. ¡°All right, I''ll reluctantly take this then.¡± The two of them went back to the mansion after dinner. Right as Sophia was done with the call, she turned around to find Alexander putting a watermelon tter on the coffee table. Sophia smiled and walked over. Taking one of the slices, she said, ¡°Where are you getting all these funds from?¡± Alexander took a piece of tissue to wipe his juice-stained hand and answered, ¡°I started apany when I was in university.¡± Alexander had not studied at a local university, so Sophia knew little about his matters during his university years. ¡°Overseas?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Whatpany?¡± Hispany must not be a smallpany if he can get this many funds. Alexander turned to her. ¡°Fortuna.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°Who would''ve thought?¡± Fortuna was apany that rose to fame five years ago. As a technologypany, Fortuna''s products perfectly fit the customers'' demands for new technological products. It grew in the Anndurn market tremendously, and just three years after getting listed, its market value had surpassed tens of billions. Furthermore, Fortuna''s chairman was a puzzle to all. Some said that he was a mysterious man of Chanaean ethnicity, while others said he was from Ustrana. There were various theories about his identity. Joshua was curious about his identity in the past as well, but in the end, he found no answers. Fortuna''s chairman was truly a hermit, and in fact, it was rumored that even Fortuna''s executive members had never seen the chairman before. Sophia would have never guessed that the famous chairman of Fortuna was none other than the man by her side, Alexander Xenos. ¡°I could say the same of you,¡± Alexander said as he looked at her with a rare smile on his face. Sophia eyed him. ¡°No wonder you weren''t worried about Dillon at all.¡± Odyssey was one of thergestpanies in the country, but it was definitely not one of thergest companies in the world. Alexander was talented, and he managed to transform Odyssey early on to avoid it from meeting its demise. s, it was a traditional business, and its main business was starting to lose out in its competition against modern trends. Therefore, it would eventually be eliminated from the race. On the other hand, as a techpany, Fortuna was expanding more and more. It would only be a matter of time before it surpassed Odyssey. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. After a moment of rumination, Alexander said, ¡°It''s not that I''m not worried about it.¡± It was more because Dillon did not pose a threat to Alexander. Chapter 352 Chapter 352 Odyssey''s stocks had been falling for four days since rumors of Alexander not being Zachary''s biological child spread. The plunge in prices had moderated somewhat over the past two days, showing some signs of potential recovery. Nheless, the rumor had raised rm bells with Odyssey''s shareholders. Of course, most people knew Odyssey''s shares stood a higher chance of being in the negative over the next few months. Once concrete evidence was released confirming that Zachary was not Alexander''s biological father, Alexander would surely be ousted from thepany. It was difficult to imagine how badly thepany stocks would be hit then. Many smaller shareholders had begun letting go of their stocks in Odyssey, and to no one''s surprise, Dillon was busy snapping up the shares on the low. He even contacted some major shareholders with proposals to buy over their shares. At the same time, Sophia had arranged for Yvonne topete with Dillon for Odyssey''s shares. Besides Alexander, there were twelve major shareholders in Odyssey. Alexander held thirty percent of thepany''s shares, while the twelve major shareholders collectively owned forty percent of the company''s shares. Of the twelve major shareholders, Asher Jewell and Simeon Carden held fifteen percent of Odyssey''s shares between them. Dillon had spent the past two days reaching out to the men to no avail. Asher and Simeon were some of the oldest shareholders in Odyssey, having been around since Beau founded thepany. When Odyssey ran into a financial crisis years ago, Asher and Simeon nearly emptied their savings to help Beau, tiding thepany over a rough patch. That was also why the two men held more shares than the other ten major shareholders in the company. If Dillon sessfully bought over their shares, he would be in an even stronger position to propose Alexander''s removal from Odyssey. Naturally, Alexander and Sophia had fully considered the possibility of Dillon staging a coup. Thus, Sophia had arranged for Yvonne to reach out to Asher and Simeon with an offer price three percent higher than Dillon''s. They did not give Yvonne a definite answer and only said they would consider her proposal. Yvonne reported the details of the meeting to Sophia, who arched a brow in interest and replied, ¡°Got it.¡± I guess Asher and Simeon''s love for thepany can be bought after all. They had rejected Dillon''s offer outright when he approached them, so clearly, they weren''t happy with the price. As that thought crossed her mind, a wry smile appeared on Sophia''s face. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Leighton. That''s all for today.¡± ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Later that evening, Alexander came to pick up Sophia from her office. She told him about Yvonne''s meeting with Asher and Simeon, adding slyly, ¡°It seems your dear uncle is running short on funds.¡± Alexander nced at her and replied, ¡°Or perhaps Asher and Simeon are simply waiting for a better offer.¡± Sophia smiled agreeably and added, ¡°In any case, Odyssey''s future doesn''t seem too good.¡± Anyone in the industry could tell that an internal feud was brewing in Odyssey. Regardless of the final winner in this fight, thepany was destined to face an uphill battle to recover. ¡°Well, I can only y along with them.¡± Alexander wore a cold expression as he spoke. His cool tone drew a nce from Sophia. She chuckled and said, ¡°That''s fine. You''re not wanting for money anyway.¡± Even if he ran out of money, Sophia could still fork out her funds to help. She did not believe Dillon''s wealth could trump hers and Alexander''sbined. Her confidence was not unfounded. Fortuna''s worth aside, several bigpanies under Sophia''s name had gone public. The smallest of these already boasted a worth of two to three billion. She could easily pocket ten billion just by selling her stakes in thesepanies. July passed by in a sh. Still, Jadeborough appeared the same as ever in August. The sunset was as beautiful as always. Sophia turned to look out the car window. She was so lost in her thoughts that she did not realize the car hade to a stop in the parking lot of a restaurant. Beside her, Alexander unbuckled his seat belt and shot her a nce. ¡°We''re here, Precious.¡± Sophia collected herself, a flirtatious expression shing through her gaze. She returned his stare and replied seriously, ¡°All right, Mr. Xenos.¡± Someone who did not know any better would have assumed the two were in some special rtionship. Alexander''s gaze darkened as he caught sight of Sophia''s growing smirk. He felt the urge to nip on her lips. She sensed the change in his gaze and promptly alighted from his car. Crossing her arms before her chest, she ordered, ¡°Come on, Mr. Xenos.¡± He nced at her before getting off the car. Then, he walked over to her side and wrapped his arm around her waist, swooping in to kiss her on the lips. After their kiss, he even rubbed her lips with his fingers and shot her a cheeky stare. Sophia blushed in embarrassment. Alexander was bing more shameless and lustful than she could have ever imagined. When another car pulled into the lot beside theirs, Alexander retracted his arm from her waist and held her hand instead. His expression returned to normal. Sophia failed to stifle a giggle and tickled his palm with her finger. He responded by grabbing her finger, and they only halted their yful gestures once inside the elevator. They had reserved a spot in the restaurant and were promptly led to their table once they arrived. The newly opened restaurant featured Ferropenian cuisine, which Sophia had missed dearly. She did not even have to think twice when Alexander asked her earlier that afternoon if she was in the mood for Ferropenian cuisine. The restaurant''s ambiance was excellent, and the owners invested wisely in its decor. Sophia had spied a painting near the entrance, which was the work of an up-anding artist from Granatano. The painting came with a six-digit price tag, and while it was a small sum in the grand scheme of things, most artists would struggle to auction their paintings at a simr price. In other words, this restaurant was the perfect ce to run into their acquaintances. Sophia looked up from the menu and immediately noticed Tyler walking into the restaurant, arm-in-arm with his beau. He seemed pleased to see her and dragged his girlfriend to their table. ¡°Alex, Ms. Yarrow. What a coincidence.¡± Alexander spared him a cold nce and mumbled, ¡°Hmm.¡± Sophia shot him a perfunctory smile and greeted him curtly, ¡°Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°I won''t disturb you two then.¡± After that, Tyler led his girlfriend away to their assigned table. They had barely taken their seats when his girlfriend remarked curiously, ¡°Alexander and his companion don''t seem too keen on chatting with you.¡± Tyler was already upset by his cousin and Sophia''s behavior, and his mood worsened at his girlfriend''s comment. He red at her and barked, ¡°Do you want to eat here or not?¡± His fury quickly shut her up, even though she was brimming with questions. Then, worried that Tyler would notice her peeking at Alexander, she hastily retracted her gaze from their table. s, Tyler was in no mood for a pleasant dinner date. He probably would have believed he was chewing cardboard for dinner; that was how distracted he was by his dark mood. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. About forty minutester, he noticed Alexander and Sophia getting up from their seats. Tyler said through gritted teeth, ¡°I''m making a move.¡± I can''t stand his attitude! Why is he still so snobbish? Can he even afford to do that? Tyler initially thought of osting Alexander. He raised his brows in interest when he realized Sophia had gone to the restroom while his cousin was paying their bill at the reception. He abruptly changed tack and swiveled on his heels, heading in the direction of the restroom instead. Chapter 353 Chapter 353 Sophia spotted Tyler as soon as she walked out of the restroom. It seemed that he was waiting specifically for her. Sophia cast a nce at him and paid him no heed. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Tyler called out to her, causing her to stop momentarily in her tracks. She inquired, ¡°Mr. Xenos, what''s the matter?¡± She was curious as to what he was nning to do. Tyler smiled. ¡°It''s nothing. I wanted to ask if you''re interested in finding another partner.¡± Sophia turned to shoot him a perfunctory smile. ¡°Why don''t you put it in simpler terms? I''m afraid I might misunderstand you.¡± Upon hearing that, Tyler presumed that Sophia only coveted Alexander''s wealth and became excited. ¡°Okay, let me make it clear, then! You should know that Alexander is not Zachary''s biological son, and we have the evidence to prove that. When it gets released to the public, you should know better than me what will happen to Alexander!¡± Sophia watched him with interest and asked, ¡°So?¡± ¡°You''re smart. Alexander will have nothing if he leaves Odyssey. Why would you want to be with him then?¡± Sophia nodded as though she understood. ¡°So what you''re saying is I should find a boyfriend with a better prospect?¡± Tyler nodded. He was thrilled as he thought that Sophia was on board. ¡°You''re indeed clever. A few sentences were all it took for you to understand this.¡± Sophia nced at him and frowned. ¡°But who do you think would be a better partner for me then? Is it Mr. Schild? Mr. Johnson? Or perhaps Mr. Quail?¡± Tyler''s lips twitched when she mentioned a few names but didn''t bring him up. ¡°Why would you choose a difficult option when a much easier one is right in front of you? You might be staring at your potential partner right now.¡± ¡°Oh? Are you saying that you''re suitable to be my future partner?¡± Sensing something was amiss from Sophia''s tone, Tyler was startled momentarily. ¡°Am I not?¡± Sophia was done fooling around. At the thought that Alexander was still waiting for her, she didn''t want to continue the conversation with Tyler anymore. She sneered. ¡°Then, I suppose you have to search what a prospective partner entails on Google. You don''t seem like a good choice of partner.¡± Pausing momentarily, she continued, ¡°Excuse me, but Alexander is still waiting for me, so I''ll take my leave.¡± Tyler''s expression turned as cold as ice when he heard Sophia''s words. He initially thought that Sophia had intentions of leaving Alexander, but it seemed that she was only ying along with him. Tyler''s face turned red with anger. He was so enraged that even his eyes turned bloodshot. He gritted his teeth and smacked the railings nearby before leaving in a fit of anger. When Sophia returned to the restaurant, she noticed Tyler''s girlfriend was posing seductively in an attempt to attract Alexander''s attention. Interesting. Sophia curled her lips slightly and walked over to them. Alexander noticed a familiar scent and turned back to look at her. ¡°You''re back. Let''s go.¡± With that, he grabbed her hand. Sophia shed him an ambiguous smile. Instead of leaving, she turned to look at Tyler''s girlfriend. ¡°Do you guys know each other?¡± Although the woman was afraid of Alexander upon thinking of how he had rejected her just now, she was angrier than anything. Therefore, she answered, ¡°We have met before.¡± ¡°No.¡± Alexander didn''t even cast a nce at the woman as he stared at Sophia. Although they answered the question simultaneously, their answers were different. Sophia smiled. ¡°This is a problem. Thisdy says you guys have met before, but you say you don''t know her.¡± Alexander pursed his lips. ¡°She was trying to seduce me just now.¡± Sophia only wanted to tease Alexander a little. She didn''t expect him to speak the truth so bluntly as there were still people around them. Even though Alexander was not embarrassed, she was. At that moment, Tyler finally returned to the restaurant. Sophia saw him and called out, ¡°Mr. Xenos.¡± Upon hearing Sophia''s voice, Tyler assumed she regretted her previous words, and his tense expression eased a little. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°I believe you need to keep a tighter leash on your girlfriend. She shouldn''t be trying to get my boyfriend''s contact number.¡± Sophia''s lips curved into a smile when she said that, but her gaze was cold. Tyler looked at his girlfriend and got even madder. ¡°Are you still not leaving? You''re just embarrassing yourself!¡± The woman didn''t want to give up on Tyler since Alexander had rejected her. ¡°Tyler, let me exin. Things are not what they seem,¡± she tried to rify. Tyler didn''t bother listening to her and walked off quickly. He was embarrassed that he was tricked by Sophia just now. After storming out, it was to find his girlfriend flirting with Alexander. No one would be able to let this slide, more so him. Although he didn''t have feelings for his girlfriend and wanted to break up with her after a while, he was mad that she had cheated on him so tantly. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. The moment he exited the restaurant, he gave her a tight p. ¡°Am I not better than Alexander? How dare you try to get with him when I was in the restroom?¡± The woman was still trying to act pitifully and shook her head fervently. However, when Tyler gave her another p, she grew mad. She held her stinging cheek, and a malicious expression spread across her face. ¡°You are worse than Alexander in every way! Do you even see yourself? How are you even comparable to him? At the very least, he was treated as the heir of the Xenos family for more than twenty years. He''s both capable and handsome. You''re just a rich person with the samest name as him. How dare youpare yourself with Alexander just because you''re also a Xenos?¡± Then, she turned around and left without another word. Tyler stood rooted to the ground, his face pale. Sophia didn''t expect to hear such interesting remarks upon leaving the restaurant. She tilted her head to look at Alexander. ¡°That woman has good taste.¡± Alexander simply eyed her briefly, not saying anything in reply. Then, he walked past Tyler while holding Sophia''s hand,pletely ignoring the other man. Tyler''s expression stiffened when he saw Alexander and Sophia. He prepared to start an argument with Alexander, but thetter walked past him without even sparing him a nce. In an instant, Tyler had nowhere to vent his anger. It was unbearable! Compared to him, Alexander and Sophia were in a good mood. Where did Dillon find such a dumb son? Sophia wondered as she told Alexander about what had happened outside the restroom. Alexander would reply to her in the beginning. However, he was eerily silent when Sophia finished talking. This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Sophia raised her brows. She lifted her head to look at him and asked, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± The moment Sophia finished speaking, Alexander suddenly pinned her to the bed. Sophia struggled but couldn''t get out of his grasp. They were no more than ten centimeters apart as she stared at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I''m doing something I love doing.¡± With that, he leaned down to kiss her. Sophia immediately flushed crimson. Her entire body was burning from the kiss. Alexander was getting better at his pickup lines. Even though she had started getting used to it, it seemed that his flirting skills were improving faster than she could keep up. Sophia gripped the bedsheets instinctively as Alexander rained kisses on her. She couldn''t help but moan, ¡°Alexander...¡± Passion glimmered in Alexander''s eyes as he stopped his actions and stared at her. ¡°Rx, Precious.¡± ¡°You...¡± The room was quiet save for their heavy breathing. The moonlight outside the window was bright, seeminglyplementing the infinitely romantic atmosphere in the room. Chapter 354 Chapter 354 It was almost eight when Sophia woke up the following day. Alexander was already awake. He had already cleared the clothes strewn on the ground fromst night. Sophia massaged her temples as she recalled their wild night. Her cheeks heated as she drew the curtains open and padded to the bathroom to wash up. Downstairs, Alexander had already prepared breakfast. That day, he opted for a simple meal of milk and a sandwich rather than preparing oatmeal. ¡°Thank you,¡± Sophia said as she epted a ss of warm water from him. She sipped on it and asked, ¡°Are the share prices still dropping?¡± ¡°It increased eighty cents from yesterday.¡± Sophia raised a brow. ¡°If this goes on, both Asher and Simeon will continue taking a wait-and-see approach.¡± Dillon, on the other hand, would most probably do something to lower Odyssey''s share prices so he could reap the benefits. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Alexander nced at her. ¡°Just ignore them.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°All right.¡± The month of August brought with it the scorching heat of the sun to Jadeborough even though it was only eight in the morning. After leaving Sophia''s office that day, Yvette had been kept in suspense, not knowing what would happen next. Sophia''s words had an immediate and powerful impact on Yvette, leaving her feeling uncertain and helpless. When Diana''s call came, Yvette was so desperate for help that she clung to it as though Diana was her only savior. She had always been on good terms with Diana. Back in university, they had shared a mutual dislike for Sophia and taken great pleasure in discussing the various ways they coulde up with to embarrass her. Their ns did not always work out well, but they were satisfied with their actions. Yvette was at a loss, so Diana was herst hope. They agreed to meet for lunch. Yvette arrived at the restaurant earlier than their scheduled meeting time. Thest time they saw each other was at the wedding which fell through. Yvette had an arrogant personality. Although she was on good terms with Diana and a few other friends, her family was the wealthiest among them, and as a result, they tended toply with her every request. After the wedding fell through, Yvette felt thoroughly humiliated. She assumed Diana and the rest would look down on her if she were to ask them out. She was lost in thought when Diana arrived. ¡°Yvie.¡± Yvettest met Diana over a month ago. She might be wrong, but it seemed that Diana looked different that day. However, couldn''t tell what was different. Yvette silently assessed Diana''s clothing and noticed that her friend was still dressed in an affordable luxury brand. Letting out a small sigh of relief, she greeted her by saying, ¡°Long time no see, Dee.¡± ¡°Yes. How are you?¡± Diana asked carefully. They had known each other for almost ten years, so she knew Yvette well. ¡°No, Dee. I''m not doing well! Do you know who did that to me at the wedding?¡± ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°Sophia!¡± Diana''s expression changed slightly. ¡°Why would she do that?¡± Yvette clenched her jaw and told her about Tanya. ¡°I have the video with me. Connor''s family is in trouble, and so is my family. I know Sophia won''t let the matter slide easily!¡± Yvette had been holding back, but she eventually broke down. ¡°Dee, what should I do? I think Sophia wants me dead!¡± Diana considered the situation for a moment before speaking up. ¡°Yvie, don''t be upset with me, but I think it''s important to be honest. Neither you nor Connor are a match for Sophia. I believe it will be in your best interest to make peace with her.¡± ¡°Make peace?¡± Yvette would kill for a chance to make peace with Sophia, but thetter wouldn''t give her any chance to do so. Regret filled Yvette''s heart. If I hadn''t gone to Sophia that day, there might have been a chance to turn things around. s, there is no turning back. They chatted for a long time but couldn''t figure out a solution. Before going on their separate ways, Diana suddenly said, ¡°Oh, Yvie, you need to make sure to keep the videos safe. If they ever get leaked, you won''t have any other options.¡± Yvette bobbed her head. ¡°Don''t worry. I saved them in a safe ce. No one knows where it is.¡± ¡°You should save them in a sh drive instead if you have it stored on a cloud storage service,¡± Diana advised. ¡°There have been many cases of cloud storage services getting hackedtely.¡± ¡°I know. Don''t worry!¡± Yvette was frustrated as there was no solution to her problem yet. She didn''t feel like talking anymore. Seeing that, Diana didn''t press on and waved her hand. ¡°I''m leaving, then!¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Yvette grunted absent-mindedly. Diana took onest look at her before turning to leave. Back in her car, Diana immediately fished her phone out to make a call. Knock, knock! Sophia raised her head. ¡°Come in.¡± Yvonne opened the door and walked to her desk. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I have hired someone to obtain Yvonne''s video and have subsequently erased them all.¡± Sophia raised a brow. ¡°How did you do that? Did you hire a hacker?¡± Yvonne shook her head. ¡°I contacted Yvonne''s university ssmate and roommate, Diana Barrymore.¡± Diana was also Sophia''s ssmate at university. Sophia remembered that Diana and Yvette were inseparable during their time at university. They were the best of friends. She had no idea Diana would end up betraying Yvette. Indeed, some rtionships are prone to temptation and can be fragile in the face of the influence of money. A smile nudged Sophia''s lips. ¡°Okay. Got it.¡± She paused before adding, ¡°Good job, Ms. Leighton. I shall increase your sry ahead of time.¡± Yvonne was taken aback, but she quickly snapped back to her senses and said gratefully, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Yarrow!¡± Oh, Ms. Yarrow is pretty, kind, and generous! If she''s a man... No, if she''s a lesbian, I''ll definitely volunteer myself! Seeing her delight, Sophia chuckled. ¡°All right, get back to work.¡± Yvette had lost her evidence, so Sophia needn''t worry that she''d continue to threaten Tanya''s health. It was Thursday, and Tanya would be discharged from the hospital tomorrow. Sophia rested her chin on her palm, feeling content and cheerful. A few days passed before Yvette realized that the videos she had saved were nowhere to be found. She searched every possible area, but they were gone. At the realization that she had lost her bargaining chip, Yvette bought a ticket to flee the country the following day. Of course, that was a story for another day. Odyssey''s share prices were back to normal. That morning, Sophia discussed with Alexander about what despicable trick Dillon would pull next. As expected, Kristen suddenly appeared and announced Alexander wasn''t her son. She had gotten him from the hospital. Naturally, she didn''t directly announce it to the media. A recording of a conversation between Kristen and Dillon was leaked. The alleged recording was then spread within their circle, rather than on social media, much like the previous rumors. It seemed that Dillon was afraid the rumor would spread like wildfire, making it difficult to wrap things up. He even spent money to tamp down the matter, so the alleged recording didn''t cause an uproar online. However, everyone was talking about it in private. Sophia had no idea what Dillon was getting at. She was utterly confused. One day, they happened to bump into Kristen and Thalia at lunch. Chapter 355 Chapter 355 Thest time Sophia had met Kristen was that fated night. After bumping into them today, she nced at Alexander instinctively. ¡°I think Mdm. Lambe wants to talk to you.¡± Kristen gave Sophia a grateful look, one that was rare for her, then said to Thalia, ¡°Tally, wait for me downstairs.¡± Thalia shot Alexander and Sophia a conflicted look. Her usual arrogant self would''ve never said no, but this time, she said nothing and turned to walk down the stairs. Sophia shed a smile. ¡°I''ll wait for you downstairs, then.¡± With that, she went after Thalia unhurriedly. Sophia had just arrived at the lobby when Thalia suddenly halted in her tracks and turned to look at her. ¡°We have solid evidence to prove that Alexander isn''t my biological brother, Sophia.¡± Sophia''s lips curled. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°You won''t have a future if you insist on being with him.¡± It had been a while since they hadst met, so Sophia thought Thalia had grown up since then. s, she had overestimated Thalia''s intelligence. Sophia arched a brow. ¡°I have money and a bright future. How will that affect me?¡± Thalia stiffened. ¡°I just thought you should know. Alexander will soon be kicked out of Odyssey. I''m giving you a friendly reminder because I know how hard you''re trying to fit into the upper-ss society.¡± Sophia burst outughing at her words. ¡°Should I thank you, Ms. Xenos?¡± She then gestured toward Kristen, who was standing nearby with a grim expression. ¡°Mdm. Lambe is here, and she doesn''t look too happy. You should probably go and offer her somefort.¡± Thalia turned over her shoulder to see Kristen descending the stairs. From afar, she noticed Kristen seemed upset and was walking quickly. Biting her lip, Thalia went over to join Kristen. ¡°Mom, what did he say?¡± Kristen cast a quick nce at Sophia, who was looking back at her with a calm expression. As Kristen set eyes on Sophia, she couldn''t help but recall Alexander''s words from a while ago. A wave of fury crashed through her. We could''ve defeated Alexander easily, but Sophia kept clinging to him. Herpanies aren''t as capable as Odyssey, but Alexander has her support. A while ago, Alexander had told her calmly that he didn''t mind being a kept man. That was why Kristen was breathless with anger when she saw Sophia. Looking away, she harrumphed angrily and stormed out of the restaurant in her heels. Sophia couldn''t help but lift her brow at the sight of Kristen''s and Thalia''s backs. I wonder what Alexander told Kristen. Why does she look furious? Sophia chuckled aloud. She looked away to see Alexandering to her. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Sophia gazed at him as her eyes crinkled up. ¡°What did you guys talk about? Mdm. Lambe seemed really upset.¡± ¡°She said I can never be Dillon''s match and told me to give up as soon as possible,¡± Alexander replied after giving her question some thought. ¡°Was that all?¡± Sophia asked dubiously. ¡°She also said you wouldn''t want me to be a kept man.¡± Sophia stared at him. ¡°And how did you reply to her?¡± ¡°I told her you''d dly provide for me.¡± Sophia let out a chuckle. ¡°No wonder she seemed upset.¡± Kristen must be furious. She thought Alexander would be alone and helpless, but little did she know I''m rich enough to provide for him. A snort escaped her lips. ¡°What a coincidence to bump into them today.¡± ¡°Dillon made the arrangements,¡± Alexander said as he took her hand and led her out. ¡°When we were talking, I spotted someone observing us secretly.¡± Alexander wanted to see what Dillon was capable of. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g! Sophia was surprised to hear that. ¡°What is Dillon up to?¡± It didn''t seem that Dillon would benefit from this meeting. She couldn''t help but wonder if he merely wanted Kristen to disgust Alexander. ¡°I don''t know.¡± Alexander wasn''t bothered by what tricks Dillon would be ying as he knew Dillon would end up losing to him. The following morning, Sophia got to know what Dillon''s trick was. Yesterday afternoon, he had spread the recording within their circle, and that morning, he had released photos of Kristen and Alexander arguing. In fact, Kristen was most probably doing the quarreling as Alexander couldn''t be bothered to talk to her. At the same time, the recording of Kristen iming Alexander wasn''t her biological son was also leaked online. In just a week, the rumor that Alexander wasn''t Zachary''s biological son seemed to be affirmed. Naturally, Odyssey''s share prices dropped drastically. Even Asher and Simeon took the initiative to contact Yvonne to rediscuss the possibility of selling their shares. It was clear that the intriguing drama that unfolded signified that Odyssey was headed for turbulent times ahead. When big shots fight, small fries will suffer. Asher and Simeon initially wanted to see how things would go, but if the share prices continued to drop, they would suffer a great loss. Sophia received Yvonne''s call when she was on the way to the hospital to pick Tanya up. ¡°Asher and Simeon contacted you?¡± Sophia asked as she nced at the traffic light. There were still forty-nine seconds till the light turned green. ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia arched a brow and chuckled. ¡°Oh. Remember how they replied to me? Return that to them.¡± She was skilled inmunication in the corporate world. At first, they had taken the initiative to contact Asher and Simeon, so they were in a disadvantageous position. Now, it was the opposite. Sophia needed not to worry at all. Besides, Yvonne had bought a few ten of million shares from the shareholders, which amounted to five percent. Dillon didn''t have that much money, so she wasn''t worried that Asher and Simeon would go to him. After the call ended, the light turned green. Sophia removed her Bluetooth earphone and hit the pedal. At the hospital, she stepped out of the elevator and bumped into Tanya''s attending doctor, Kirk Fallon. Kirk recognized her immediately. ¡°Ms. Yarrow,¡± he greeted her with a nod. Sophia gave him a smile. ¡°Dr. Fallon.¡± Kirk nced at Tanya''s ward and informed her, ¡°Tanya has packed up.¡± ¡°Thank you for treating her, Dr. Fallon.¡± ¡°It''s my job.¡± After chatting with the doctor briefly, Sophia went to Tanya''s ward. She had just arrived at the door when Tanya ran out to wee her. ¡°Sophia!¡± ¡°Congrattions!¡± She spread her arms wide to give Tanya a gentle hug. ¡°Thank you, Sophia,¡± Tanya said gratefully. If it wasn''t for Sophia, she most probably would have still been drowning in the past. Laura was ted to see Sophia when she returned. Sophia chuckled. ¡°All right, that''s enough. Today is the day Tanya gets discharged from the hospital. Let''s go eat something delicious.¡± She paused and added, ¡°By the way, tell your dad to join us, too.¡± Delighted, Laura nodded happily. ¡°Sure, no problem! Our family owes you one, Ms. Yarrow.¡± She wanted to thank Sophia. Despite their strapped finances, Laura chose to eat at an expensive restaurant. During the meal, Sophia slipped out when they weren''t noticing and paid for their meal. When Laura learned that the meal had been paid for, she felt guilty. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, why did you waste your money?¡± Sophia nced at Tanya. ¡°I''m not wasting my money. I''m treating Tanya to a meal to celebrate her discharge from the hospital.¡± Laura wiped the corner of her eyes discreetly. Afraid Tanya would see her tears, she didn''t say anything else. Sophia drove them back to Moonlight Bay. When Laura headed to the kitchen to get them some coffee, she asked, ¡°Tanya, do you want to get a divorce now?¡± Chapter 356 Chapter 356 Tanya had been staying at the hospital for over two months. Sophia had instructed the hospital staff not to allow anyone other than Tanya''s parents, herself, and Yvonne to see Tanya. So during those two months, despite Liam''s repeated attempts to see Tanya, security would always escort him out of the hospital before he could get near her. Tanya hadn''t seen her so-called husband for as long as she had stayed at the hospital. It had been so long that she''d almost forgotten that she was married. Right then, Sophia''s mention of the word ¡°divorce¡± reminded her of her terrible marriage and husband. The smile on Tanya''s face faded as she became anxious. ¡°He''s not going to agree to the divorce, Sophia.¡± Liam was trying to force her into agreeing to a divorce without anypensation. However, Tanya didn''t want to let Liam and the homewrecker benefit from her hard-earned money over the years. She would never be willing to let them enjoy the fruits of herbor. Tanya would stand up to Liam for as long as it took him to return her sry. If she remembered correctly, the homewrecker was almost due. She had all the time in the world for a long battle, but she knew for a fact that they didn''t. Sophia nced at Tanya. She knew what was on thetter''s mind. The Mill family was beyond awful. Sophia didn''t think it was worth the effort to wait another two-year separation period to file for divorce, especially since Tanya was already stuck in the family for three years. ¡°Don''t worry. Say the word, and I''ll make him beg for a divorce,¡± Sophie uttered. A glint fleeted across Tanya''s eyes when she heard Sophia. ¡°As long as he promises to reimburse me with the three years'' sry, I will agree to divorce him!¡± ¡°Okay. I''ll bring you to him for the divorce discussion.¡± However, Tanya was still concerned. ¡°Sophia, they''re bad people. I''ll go on my own.¡± Sophia shed her a smile. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ve seen my fair share of bad people.¡± Tanya had always admired Sophia. Although Sophia had seldom attended sses, she had consistently ranked number one in her course. She had also passed the Ustranasion test with flying colors. Sophia''s frequent appearances in luxury cars after graduation had sparked rumors she was being financially supported by a wealthy man, leading some to specte that she might have been a kept woman. She had never bothered to entertain those rumors. After many years, she had be the major shareholder for a fewpanies and one of the most prominent alumni of Jadeborough University. Her impressive aplishments had then helped to dispel the rumors and redeem her reputation. There were a few instances when Tanya had thought that her problems were beyond salvation, but Sophia had made solving the problems look like a piece of cake. This time, Tanya believed that Sophia would also help her. She felt so indebted to Sophia that she didn''t know how else she could thank her. She knew that no amount of money could make up for the gratitude she felt for Sophia. ¡°Thank you, Sophia.¡± When Tanya saw Sophia to her door, she reached out to give thetter a hug. ¡°Just work hard if you want to thank me,¡± Sophia said. It was already over four o''clock when she left Moonlight Bay. Sophia went back to Sunshine Group and looked for Yvonne. ¡°Ms. Leighton, could you help prepare the contract on the coboration with the Mill family? I''m heading there tomorrow.¡± Yvonne knew Sophia wanted to bring Tanya to talk about thetter''s divorce. ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow. I''m going to get the relevant documents ready by tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Sophia smiled at Yvonne and looked at the time. Seeing that she still had time to spare, she nned to wait for Alexander to get off work at Odyssey. Coincidentally, Sophia bumped into Dillon and his secretary being stopped by the receptionist right after she arrived at Odyssey. ¡°I''m sorry, Old Mr. Xenos. Mr. Xenos has ordered that you''re prohibited from going upstairs.¡± Dillon used to be the senior executive of Odyssey for over a decade. His triumphant exchanges with Alexandertely had also made him more confident. He didn''t expect that he would be denied entry at the lobby of the Odyssey building. In contrast, Sophia was greeted by another receptionist right after she arrived. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nodded in acknowledgment. Her gazended briefly on Dillon. ¡°Ms. Yarrow!¡± This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org. Dillon''s face went red from fury. She had just gotten to the elevator when she heard him. She turned around and gave him a faint smile. ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Tell Alexander that he''s going to pay a huge price for the humiliation I''ve suffered today!¡± Dillon then let out a furious snort and turned around to leave with his secretary. Sophia smirked. As she watched the old man leave, her almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly. Dillon has quite the nerveing here. After recollecting herself, Sophia entered the elevator. There was someone in Alexander''s office when she arrived at his floor. Felix approached her and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Xenos is entertaining a guest in his office right now. Could you wait over here for a moment?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia didn''t have to wait long before Alexander was done meeting his guest. She lifted her head when she heard someone talking. Alexander coincidentally looked in her direction as well. Sophia smiled and mouthed the words: You''re so busy, Mr. Xenos. Alexander''s brows twitched when he noticed her. He headed out of his office right away. Felix saw the guest to the exit. There were only a few secretaries on that floor. At that moment, Alexander and Sophia were alone in the reception room. Alexander lowered his head to give Sophia a kiss on the forehead right after entering the reception room. ¡°Didn''t you go visit Ms. Gomez?¡± ¡°She''s discharged.¡± Sophia felt her forehead and was left speechless. ¡°I''m going to Bera tomorrow.¡± Cocking a brow, Alexander asked, ¡°For work?¡± ¡°Tanya''s old ce is there.¡± She wanted to apany Tanya for the divorce discussion. ¡°I''ll go with you?¡± Sophia stared at him. ¡°Do you think you''re not recognizable enough?¡± Alexander did not answer her and instead asked, ¡°So, what do you feel like for dinner?¡± ¡°Anything.¡± Alexander knew that when Sophia said ¡°anything,¡± she really meant that she was open to anything. If she was craving something, he knew she would tell him instead. ¡°I''ll get Mr. Lane to book a ce.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Then, he took a seat beside her and reached out to take the cup of coffee that Sophia was having moments ago. ¡°Don''t you find it too sweet?¡± Sophia asked as she eyed him. ¡°Sweet, huh?¡± Sophia was all too familiar with Alexander''s double entendre by now. Her face turned crimson. ¡°I saw Dillon on my way up here.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Alexander hummed nonchntly. ¡°What did he say to you?¡± Sophia chuckled when she thought about what Dillon had said. ¡°He said he will make you pay a huge price for the embarrassment he suffered today.¡± Alexander scoffed, ¡°Where did he get the confidence?¡± Sophia couldn''t help but let out a chuckle. ¡°I''m guessing from the plummeting share prices of Odyssey.¡± Sophia''s curiosity was piqued. ¡°Do you really n to let Odyssey''s shares keep plummeting like this?¡± ¡°Yeah. It''s not a big deal. I''m not short of money,¡± Alexander replied nonchntly. ¡°Right...¡± Chapter 357 Chapter 357 ¡°All right now, let''s go grab a bite.¡± Alexander got to his feet and held out his hand to her. With a smile on her face, Sophia took his hand and left Odyssey together with him. Felix had made reservations for a newly opened restaurant for them. Upon their arrival, they found the ce fully packed. They also saw someone familiar. Having caught a glimpse of Samuel, who was nearby, Sophia couldn''t help but cock a brow. ¡°Isn''t that Mr. Schild?¡± I don''t think I made a mistake. Even though she had no idea why Samuel was suddenly working as a waiter at the restaurant, she was certain that she wasn''t seeing things. Samuel, too, was surprised to see the two of them there. If I were to greet them, wouldn''t it ruin my reputation as a rich bachelor? No, I can''t do that. I can''t let them recognize me. Samuel raised his tray to shield his face and slipped away when Alexander looked in his direction. Nheless, Alexander had managed to get a good look. ¡°Yeah, it''s him.¡± Only Samuel is capable of doing something as unbelievable as this. When Sophia saw Samuel hiding behind his tray, she couldn''t resist chuckling. ¡°It seems Mr. Schild doesn''t want us to expose him.¡± Alexander''s brows furrowed slightly. ¡°Just ignore him.¡± Despite that, fate works in mysterious ways. After running into Alexander and Sophia in the lobby, Samuel figured it would be safer to serve the private rooms. At the very least, he didn''t need to reveal himself. If he was recognized and had his picture taken, he would be in a dilemma whether to admit it or not. In order to avoid such a conundrum, Samuel decided to wait on the tables on the second floor instead. Unfortunately, the moment he opened the door to the private room, a barrage of swear words flooded into his mind. As he pushed the serving cart, the smile on his face froze at the sight of Alexander and Sophia. Sophia exchanged a look with Alexander, then gave Samuel an indifferent nce as if she didn''t know him at all. ¡°Please bring us two tes of spaghetti.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Alexander added, ¡°And two bowls of soup.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Samuel acknowledged their orders while serving their table with the dishes on the cart. Once he was done, he noticed that Alexander and Sophia weren''t as puzzled or surprised as he had expected. In fact, Sophia even smiled and asked, ¡°Do we need to settle the bill now?¡± Samuel began to wonder if there was something wrong with their eyes. Why didn''t they greet me? ¡°No. You can do that after the meal.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia nodded as she received a bowl of soup from Alexander. Unable to resist it any longer, Samuel asked, ¡°Don''t both of you find me familiar?¡± Alexander gave him a disgusted look. ¡°No. We don''t know anyone as ugly as you.¡± ¡°That''s too much, Alexander. How could youbel me ugly when all I did was change my clothes?¡± Samuel had thought that it would be embarrassing for Alexander to see him working as a waiter. Little did he expect thetter not to recognize him. It was then that he felt their twenty-year friendship meant nothing at all. ¡°You have misunderstood me. What I''m saying is that you have always been this ugly.¡± Samuel was stunned. Is he addicted to personal attacks now? Upset by thements, he pulled a chair and sat down beside them. ¡°I''m Samuel. Don''t you guys recognize me?¡± Sophia broke into a smile, amused. ¡°Mr. Schild, Alexander and I can see perfectly well.¡± ¡°Then were you just pretending not to recognize me?¡± After swallowing the soup in her mouth, Sophia retorted, ¡°Weren''t you the one who didn''t want us to recognize you?¡± Samuel was rendered speechless by Sophia''s point. ¡°Um, aren''t you curious why a CEO like me is working as a lowly waiter?¡± Sophia gave him a look. ¡°Perhaps you have a secret fetish. It''s not our ce to judge.¡± The mockery in Sophia''s tone upset Samuel. ¡°What bloody fetish are you talking about? If I hadn''t gotten on the nerves of my friends, I wouldn''t¡ª¡± Before he could finish, the walkie-talkie he was carrying began to beep. Once he pressed a button, someone asked him where he was, for there were other guests waiting to be served. After acknowledging the person, Samuel returned his attention to Sophia and Alexander. ¡°Forget it. I''ll exin to youter. I have to get back to work now.¡± ¡°There''s no need for exnations. We''re not interested in hearing it.¡± No sooner had Samuel walked to the door than Alexander''s voice rang out. If it wasn''t for his walkie- talkie ringing again, Samuel swore he would have turned around and given Alexander a good beating. When the door to the private room finally closed, Sophia let out a chuckle. ¡°Mr. Schild seems to be pretty hardworking.¡± She was surprised to learn that the CEO of Midway Media had to moonlight as a waiter in a restaurant to satisfy his desire to work. Alexander furrowed his brows slightly. ¡°Perhaps he likes the uniforms here.¡± Upon hearing his words, Sophia tilted her head at him. ¡°Aren''t you worried if Samuel cut ties with you?¡± ¡°He can''t beat me in a fight.¡± Sophia was suddenly intrigued when she recalled Samuel''s previous words. ¡°Is that the reason you kept asking him to go to the boxing gym when we first got divorced?¡± ¡°What''s wrong with some exercise?¡± ¡°Nothing at all.¡± I just sympathize with Samuel for getting beaten up all the time. Since he had been recognized, Samuel decided to go along with the fact. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. He came in with the payment terminal when they were about to settle the bill. While swiping Alexander''s card, he invited them to go out to sea during the weekend. Unfortunately, Alexander rejected him, saying that he wasn''t free. Once the bill was settled, Samuel couldn''t help throwing Sophia a nce. Sophia''s brow arched in response. ¡°You''ve got the wrong idea. I just felt a sudden sense of sympathy for you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Samuel was baffled. Being rich and single, he couldn''t figure out what it was that elicited her pity. Sophia simply nced at him with an indiscernible smile. ¡°No reason. I just suddenly felt it.¡± It isn''t easy being a human punching bag at all. Before Samuel could say anything else, Alexander had led Sophia out of the room. It''s always hoes before bros with him! At eight in the evening, a soothing breeze blew in the air. Holding her fluttering hair down, Sophia turned toward Alexander. ¡°My granddad''s birthday is next week.¡± ¡°I''ve already gotten Mr. Lane to prepare a present.¡± Sophia let out a snort. ¡°Why are you so sure that I''ll be taking you?¡± Upon reaching a red light, Alexander brought the car to a stop and turned to look at her. ¡°Don''t you want to?¡± Chapter 358 Chapter 358 Cocking a brow, Sophia replied in a nonmittal tone, ¡°Why don''t you make a wild guess?¡± Alexander continued to stare at her until the lights turned green. Only then did he retract his gaze. For the rest of the journey, he didn''t say another word. Sophia, thinking that he was angry, couldn''t resist asking when they returned to the mansion, ¡°Are you angry?¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Since when did he be so petty? Before she could finish, Alexander pulled her into his embrace. Sophia went along with his tug and wrapped her arms around his waist once she fell into his arms. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I''m not.¡± Alexander lowered his head to look at her. He stroked her face before nting a kiss on her lips. Thinking that it would end with a peck, Sophia was surprised that he followed up with another kiss. Unsatisfied still, he pried open her mouth to ravage her with his tongue. What started as a slow kiss gradually evolved into a passionate one. She felt as if a gentle wave had turned into a maelstrom that slowly engulfed her senses. Dazed by her lust, she murmured, ¡°We haven''t showered yet.¡± Taking the opportunity to catch his breath, Alexander carried her up from the couch. ¡°Let''s do it together.¡± Upon hearing his words, Sophia felt her mind go nk. After carrying her into the bathroom upstairs, heid her down on the countertop and turned on the shower. The first cold spurt of water jolted Sophia back to her senses. Throwing her arms around Alexander''s neck, she shed a smile at him. ¡°I''m heading to Bera tomorrow.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Despite hearing a grunt from him, Sophia had no idea if he actually heard her. The next second, he carried her back down. As warm water began to flow down her head, she felt as if she was being immersed in water. Alexander pressed himself against her back. She tilted her head to look at their tightly sped fingers, then closed her eyes and allowed herself to be intoxicated by his fiery passion. The next morning, Sophia was woken up by her rm. When she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, it took her a few seconds for her to regain her senses. On that day, she was due to apany Tanya toplete her divorce procedures with Liam. After giving her temple a quick massage, Sophia gradually got out of bed. The sudden soreness she felt in her thighs reminded her of the wild session from the night before. As her cheeks began to blush, Sophia shook her head to stop the images from flooding in non-stop. She couldn''t deny that Alexander''s stamina was a lot better than hers. When they were training together in the boxing gym, she would gasp for air after forty minutes, while he would continue without breaking a sweat. When it came to love-making, his stamina was naturally carried over. Even though he was clearly the one doing all the work, he looked just as vibrant the next day, while Sophia''s body ached all over. He had even gotten up an hour earlier just to prepare breakfast. Sophia finally gathered her thoughts. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Xenos.¡± With breakfast in his hands, Alexander came over and gave her lips a peck. ¡°Good morning.¡± After that, he returned to the kitchen to continue cooking. Brushing her fingers across her lips, Sophia nced at his silhouette as a slight smile emerged on her face. Bera wasn''t located far from Jadeborough and could be reached in forty minutes via high-speed rail, which was a lot more convenient than taking a ne. Wanting to ensure that the divorce between Tanya and Liam could bepleted that day, Sophia had gotten Yvonne to make an appointment on Tanya''s behalf for two-thirty in the afternoon. Once both sidespleted the negotiations, she would have them seal the divorce. There''s no way they can''te to a settlement unless the Mill family wants to lose everything. By the time Sophia gathered her thoughts, their car had already arrived at Sunshine Group. After she unbuckled herself and opened the door, Sophia smiled slightly at Alexander. ¡°I''m heading up now.¡± ¡°You really don''t need me to go with you?¡± ¡°No. I''ve gotten Ms. Leighton to make all the arrangements.¡± ¡°Let me know when you return.¡± Sophia looked at him with a glint in her eyes. ¡°Okay.¡± Once Sophia emerged from the elevator, Yvonne had prepared all the necessary documents. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, we have everything you need.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Get ready. We''re going to pick Tanya up.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne had already arranged everything for the day. After running a quick check, she gave the driver a call. Upon signing a document from the day before, Sophia left her office and headed to Tanya''s. Well aware that Sophia would be taking Tanya back to Bera, Tanya''s parents were worried that the ladies couldn''t handle themselves. All this while they had been living an honest life and raising an extraordinary daughter. Just when they thought they could retire peacefully, Tanya not only encountered the incident at university but also married someone as terrible as Liam. Given that they had suffered at the hands of the Mill family, Laura was worried that the same would happen to Sophia. She held Sophia''s hand before Sophia left. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I don''t know much and can''t really offer any advice, but the Mill family isn''t one to be trifled with. If things don''t work out, we''ll just go with Tanya''s n. What matters is that you keep yourself safe and don''t get into trouble on Tanya''s ount. Otherwise, I''ll feel guilty for the rest of my life.¡± Feeling moved yet sympathetic at the same time, Sophia nodded with conviction. ¡°Don''t worry, Mrs. Gomez. I''ll definitely keep Tanya and myself safe. The Mill family is past the peak of their influence now. Unless they''re prepared to lose everything, there''s no way they will disagree with the divorce.¡± Although Laura was cognizant of how capable Sophia was, the Mill family was still a force to be reckoned with. Sophia''s words had failed to fully reassure her. Tanya added, ¡°Mom, don''t worry. Sophia and I know what we''re doing.¡± Since she was discharged from the hospital, Tanya looked much more energetic and vibrant. Despite the light makeup, she appeared stunning that day due to her inherent beauty. It was as if the Tanya of old had returned. Sophia grinned at her. ¡°And here I was, worried that you would feel unsettled.¡± Momentarily stunned, Tanya chuckled in response. ¡°My life is great now, Sophia, and I believe it will keep getting better. You''re right that there''s still a wonderful world out there, where my fans are waiting for me. I can''t let those who are trying to hold me back seed!¡± Sophia beamed proudly at her. ¡°It has been a while, Tanya.¡± Her words brought tears to Tanya''s eyes. ¡°Indeed, it has.¡± It was ten by the time the group got onto the high-speed train, and they arrived in Bera close to eleven. When they exited from the station, the car Yvonne arranged was already waiting. With that, the group got in and headed to see the Mill family. Recently, the Mill family had fallen into difficult circumstances. Their suppliers had suddenly cut off their supply of raw materials, preventing them from delivering on the massive contracts that they had signed. Consequently, thepensation for reneging on the contracts was enough to bankrupt the family. They begged every single supplier they could find. The smaller ones were out of stock, whereas the larger suppliers refused to cooperate. With the delivery day approaching, Liam''s family began to grow desperate after exhausting all avenues of potential help. It was noon when Sophia and Tanya arrived at the Mill family''s factory. The sun was shining brightly in the sky. Thenguid security guard was jolted by the sight of Tanya. ¡°Mrs. Mills, it''s you. Did you juste back?¡± Tanya could hear the mockery in the security guard''s tone. ¡°Is Liam inside?¡± ¡°Yes, but I''ll have to call him before letting you in.¡± The security guard subsequently shifted his attention to Sophia. ¡°Oh, is this a friend of yours, Mrs. Mill? She''s really pretty!¡± Yvonne stepped forward to block his view. ¡°Can you tell Mr. Mill that the person in charge of Rising Group is here?¡± The security guard didn''t seem to be bothered when all he saw was a group of women. Sophia emerged from behind Yvonne with a smirk. ¡°This factory is about to go bust, and you''ll be out of a job soon. Are you sure you don''t want to call your boss to verify if we''re the suppliers your factory desperately needs now?¡± Cognizant of the factory''s predicament, the security guard looked grim upon hearing Sophia''s words. ¡°Wait here!¡± Chapter 359 Chapter 359 When Donald heard that the representatives of Rising Group had arrived, he sprang up from the couch and nudged Liam with his foot. ¡°Go get someone to reserve a restaurant. The representatives of Rising Group are here.¡± For the past six months, Donald and Liam had been at their wit''s end. The father and son could not come up with a solution no matter how hard they tried. Rising Group was the biggest raw materials supplier in Coldbridge. They had attempted to contact the company a long time ago, but they kept getting rejected. Liam had even treated the executives of Rising Group to meal after meal, giving them both money and gifts, yet all his efforts proved to be futile. Both Donald and Liam had thought that any attempts at going through to Rising Group hade to an end. Never did they expect such a turn of events. The instant Liam heard that people from Rising Group hade to visit, he quickly perked up. The Mill family had gained all their wealth and pride from their handbag manufacturing factory. If their company were to close down all of a sudden, pride would be the least of their concerns. The penalty of not being able to meet contract deadlines would drive them broke for life as they tried topensate for the loss. In other words, each contract that Donald and Liam had signed happily two months ago would determine the magnitude of their downfall. Rising Group would be their lifesaver at a time like this. The fact that Rising Group had taken the initiative to send representatives to their doorstep moved Donald so much that his eyes began to redden the moment he walked out of the office. Liam immediately ordered someone to make reservations at the best and most luxurious hotel in the area before asking the assistant to prepare some coffee for the guests. Donald and his secretary walked as fast as their legs could carry them, worried that security would take their important guests lightly. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. In reality, the security guards had, in fact, treated Sophia and the rest asmon guests. Donald was easily over one hundred and fifty pounds. As he rushed to greet the executives of Rising Group, he was quickly out of breath. By the time he reached the main entrance of the factory, the first person he saw was his daughter-inw, whom he had not seen for over six months. Despite his confusion, Donald was still an experienced businessman. Suppressing a puzzled look, he turned to Sophia. ¡°Are you Ms. Leighton of Rising Group?¡± Sophia smiled courteously in response. ¡°No, she is.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne tossed Sophia a mildly exasperated look, much to Sophia''s amusement. Straightening herself, Sophia nodded at Donald. ¡°Let''s talk inside, Mr. Mill.¡± Seeing that all of his guests were women¡ªone of them being his daughter-inw¡ªDonald could not help but furrow his brows. However, how Sophia carried herself showed she was no ordinary person. After a brief moment of hesitation, Donald nodded respectfully and invited them inside. ¡°Of course. Let''s take this inside.¡± Nodding in response, Sophia turned to Tanya and arched an eyebrow, assuring thetter not to worry. Donald exchanged nces with his secretary, signaling thetter to ask Rising Group about his guests. As the four of them got into the elevator, the secretary hurried over and whispered in Donald''s ear, ¡°Rising Group said that their new chairman hase to visit us today.¡± Donald''s expression shifted as he began treating Sophia and the rest with more respect. ¡°This way, please.¡± Liam had already gotten the coffee ready for the guests from Rising Group. To his surprise, his wife Tanya showed up instead. When he caught sight of Tanya, his expression darkened. ¡°You''ve finally decided toe back, Tanya.¡± As he spoke, he raised his hand to pull Tanya over. But before he could even touch her, Sophia had swatted his hand away. Pulling Tanya behind her, Sophia gave Donald a half-smile. ¡°Mr. Mill, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sophia Yarrow. This is Ms. Leighton, my secretary and the new chairman of Rising Group.¡± Upon hearing that the new chairman of Rising Group was just Sophia''s secretary, Donald immediately knew who had the final say in terms of Rising Group''s decision. ¡°Dad, didn''t you say the representatives of Rising Group are here?¡± Liam frowned, displeased. When he took another look at Sophia, he froze. Tsk, when did Tanya find herself such a gorgeous friend? Howe I''ve never seen her before? Shooting Liam a warning re, Donald quickly apologized, ¡°Please excuse his impertinence, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia merely smiled in response. ¡°It''s okay to offend me, but I will not tolerate any offense toward Ms. Gomez. Ms. Gomez here has been specially hired by ourpany as an artist. She is irreceable to me.¡± As she was speaking, Sophia led Tanya to the couch and took a seat. Taking the contract that they had prepared earlier from Yvonne, Sophia tossed the documents onto the table in front of her. ¡°Let''s cut to the chase, Mr. Mill. I''m here today to offer you help in these desperate times. I''m sure you''re fully aware of the situation that yourpany is facing. ¡°As of now, all the suppliers nearby¡ªbig or small¡ªwill not be supplying you with the materials that you need. Not long ago, you signed a few orders. The earliest order that you are to meet is roughly about a month from now, while thetest order will be four months from now. The sum of the three orders in your hands adds up to more than six hundred thousand. The total price of the materials that you need is not small either. Even if you manage to get a small supplierpany to help you out, I believe it won''t be of much help. ¡°After a month, if yourpany cannot provide your customer with one hundred and fifty thousand''s worth of products as promised, the penalty will be five million. Surely, that won''t be a problem for you, Mr. Mill. In fact, I believe you have the ability to cover the penalty of thirteen million after the second month as well. The deal breaker lies with the thirty million that you will have to pay after four months.¡± When Donald heard what Sophia had said, his expression stiffened. ¡°What are you saying, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Take a look at the offer first, Mr. Mill. If you''re pleased with the terms, you can sign here.¡± Donald picked the papers up from the table. The contract stated that Rising Group would supply the factory with all the materials they needed at the original price that Rising Group obtained the materials. Donald could not believe what he was reading. He had been in the business for over twenty years. Even though he was not outstanding, he had enough experience to know that they were being set up. There were only two reasons he could think of for such an borate setup. Either someone was seeking revenge, or they had some toxicpetition. However, Donald still could not understand. He could not recall anyone whom he had offended in the past, not to mention someone powerful and rich enough to spend so much money and effort to back the Mill family to the wall. Toxicpetitors were out of the question as well. Following the advancement of emerce, they were already facing troubles in their business. Furthermore, theirpany was not powerful enough to be a threat to anybody. Donald was even prepared to pay Rising Group a high price for helping their factory in times of need. When he saw the price being offered, he could not help but question his own eyesight. ¡°Liam, take a look at this.¡± Liam took the contract from Donald. The shock on his face was evident when he finished reading the terms and conditions. Even though Liam was neither a good husband nor a good man, he had his smarts. ¡°You''ve put so much effort into backing us into a corner, and now you''re ying the hero and rescuing us from our problems? Tell me, Ms. Yarrow, what''s the deal?¡± ¡°You''re smart. I like it. It''s simple. As I have mentioned, Tanya is the artist that ourpany has specially hired. She''s a very important asset in mypany. I cannot bear to see such talents being weighed down by unfortunate events. It breaks my heart to see her miserable every day.¡± After a brief pause, Sophia continued, ¡°So when I heard that Tanya was not allowed to get a divorce, naturally, I wanted to help her solve this issue.¡± Liam was still in disbelief. ¡°Just that?¡± ¡°Of course. I want the both of you to collect your divorce certificates this afternoon, and you, Mr. Mill, are to return all of Tanya''s ie in these past two years to her.¡± Liam tossed Tanya a nce. ¡°Where do you find yourself such a powerful ally?¡± Tanya stared at him with a frosty gaze. ¡°It''s none of your business.¡± ¡°Mr. Mill?¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Brilliant. I admire your decisiveness.¡± She paused before adding another request. ¡°And another thing... I heard you cheated on her, Mr. Mill. I believe you should rify the reason for your divorce to your neighbors. Of course, if you''re too embarrassed to do so, it''s no big deal. I''ll do it for you.¡± Liam''s expression darkened instantly. Before he could react, a pair of heavy hands pressed him down by his shoulders. ¡°Liam!¡± Donald hissed. At the thought of the materials, Liam had no choice but to clench his teeth and bite his tongue. Chapter 360 Chapter 360 The entire ordeal went more smoothly than Sophia had expected. Within ten minutes, the three of them exited the Mill family''s office. When they returned to the car, Sophia turned to Tanya. ¡°Did you bring your keys?¡± Tanya had never imagined that everything would be so easy. Liam did not even put up any fight and agreed to the divorce immediately. Tanya was lost in a trance, remembering all the times she and Liam almost got into a physical fight when Liam insisted on not divorcing her. Only when she heard Sophia calling her did she snap out of her daze. She blinked for a few seconds before answering, ¡°Yes.¡± The night before, Sophia had intentionally given Tanya a phone call to remind her to bring the keys to her and Liam''s house. Although Tanya did not know what Sophia was up to, she had full confidence that anything Sophia did would be for her benefit. Moreover, she was about to divorce Liam. The keys to the house would not be hers any longer. Sophia looked at Tanya and gave her a reassuring smile. ¡°Don''t worry. We''re just bringing you back to get the things that rightfully belong to you.¡± Before this, Yvonne had already done her investigations. Within twenty minutes, the car pulled into the residential area where Tanya and Liam''s house was located. When Tanya saw the familiar entrance to the residential area, she felt a hint of mncholy, but only for a flicker of a moment. Liam was not a good person. She did not love Liam either. There was no reason for her to ruin the rest of her life for two miserable years. ¡°I assume you still remember which way to go?¡± Upon hearing Sophia''s voice, Tanya snapped out of her thoughts and recollected herself. ¡°I remember.¡± She smiled. ¡°All right. Lead the way, then.¡± All of a sudden, Tanya understood what Sophia''s n was. Her emotions were stirred up as excitement lit up her face. Nodding to Sophia, Tanya took out the keycard and led them inside. The security guard recognized Tanya. As they entered, the guard greeted them warmly. Tanya smiled at the guard wordlessly as they passed by. Soon, the elevator reached the floor of her unit. Fishing out her keys, Tanya unlocked the front door. After six months of absence, the familiar space had be a little foreign. The trash looked as though it had not been taken out for a long time. Clothes were piled onto the couch messily. That was a familiar scene that always awaited Tanya when she opened the door. Yet, at that moment, Tanya felt relieved. Turning her eyes away from the mess, Tanya looked at Sophia. ¡°I''ll go get my things.¡± Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Okay.¡± With a nod, Tanya disappeared into the master bedroom. Cosmetics and skincare products that Tanya had never used were on the vanity. Her clothes were also gone from the closet. It didn''t take much for Tanya to figure out who had been in the master bedroom. When she first found out about Liam''s affair, she had been upset. At that moment, however, Tanya felt at peace. Using the chair of the dressing table as a stepping stool, Tanya took a box from the topmost shelf of the cupboard. Inside the box was her graduation certificate, as well as all the certificates that she had won from variouspetitions since young. She could lose every other thing, but the certificates were symbols of all her past glory. She could not bear to lose them. When Sophia heard the sound of Tanya clearing her things from the master bedroom, she inclined her head at Yvonne and shed thetter a smile. ¡°Ms. Leighton, where are the people that I asked you to call?¡± ¡°They''ve arrived. They should be here any¡ª¡± Before Yvonne could finish her sentence, the doors of the elevator opened. Four men dressed in in ck T-shirts stepped out. ¡°They''re here, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Good. Ask them to carry all the furniture inside and throw them into the garbage pile downstairs.¡± A pauseter, she added, ¡°If any of the neighbors ask what''s going on, tell them that the husband cheated in the house, and the wife is repulsed by the mere sight of the furniture.¡± Tanya had told Sophia that when they got married, Liam''s family was the one who paid the down payment on the house while all the furniture and decorations¡ªeven down to the smallest cup¡ªwere bought by Tanya''s family. Leaving the furniture with Liam would let him off the hook too easily. They were certain that Liam would not pay Tanya back for her fair share of the mortgage. In the five months that Tanya was in Jadeborough, Liam had brought Ximena to the house. The mere thought of reusing the furniture that had marks of one''s husband''s mistress was enough to disgust anyone. Sophia was not short of money. She was willing to throw away everything and buy Tanya apletely new set of furniture instead of allowing Liam to have it easy or Tanya to be disgusted. Therefore, she had asked Yvonne to contact movers from a movingpany before they arrived. After Tanya was done packing her things, she exited the master bedroom. Upon seeing the four unknown men in the house, she was slightly taken aback but quickly understood when she realized that Sophia had hired them. Even though Tanya was easily swayed and not as decisive as Sophia, she still had her fair share of dignity. Everything inside the house had been hand-picked by her before buying them. Despite not wanting to take the furniture away with her, Tanya did not want to leave them for Liam either. ¡°Thank you, Sophia.¡± When Sophia heard that, she could not help but chuckle. ¡°You don''t me me for doing this without your permission?¡± Tanya blinked in surprise before breaking into a huge grin. ¡°My biggest weakness is being too compassionate to people who don''t deserve it. Do you know what I admire most about you, Sophia?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Tanya raised her head to meet Sophia''s eyes. ¡°For some reason, you''re always so confident and so composed. Remember our second year at university? A senior confessed his love for you, saying that if you reject him, you might never find anyone better than him.¡± Sophia thought for a while. It had been seven or eight years since then. If Tanya had not brought it up, she would not have remembered such a small incident. ¡°I remember.¡± ¡°Back then, you told him that you might not know whether or not you''d end up with someone better, but you''d definitely not meet someone else as presumptuous as he was.¡± The senior had pursued Sophia for an entire semester. Every morning without fail, he would bring her breakfast. He would also give her presents during every special asion and festive season. He had confessed his love for her onstage during his graduation ceremony in front of thousands of students. If it were Tanya, she would not even be brave enough to go onstage, much less reject him. Since young, Tanya had always been indecisive. She had always admired people like Sophia, who was composed and efficient. If she were to return to the house on her own that day, she would just get the divorce certificate along with her pay and savings from Liam. Nothing else. Yet at that moment, as Tanya watched the house get emptier and emptier, she felt an indescribable sense of lightness. It was as though she had been reincarnated. As the memory of the confession surfaced in Sophia''s mind, she smiled. ¡°What would you do if it were you?¡± The senior was not a bad person, but he was extremely conceited. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Sophia did not like presumptuous people, especially those who would force something she didn''t like onto her, thinking that she would change her mind. Tanya thought it over. ¡°I would probably ept the confession at first, then tell him the truth in private.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Tanya, sometimes, life is a lot better when you''re a little selfish.¡± After all that she had gone through, Tanya resonated with what Sophia had just said. ¡°You''re right. I''ll try my best to be more selfish in the future.¡± Sophia beamed proudly at her. ¡°Good.¡± It didn''t take long for the four men topletely clear out the house. At that time, many neighbors had gone home for lunch. When they inquired about the situation, the movers answered exactly the way Sophia had instructed them. Within minutes, the narrative shifted from Tanya eloping with her lover to Liam bringing a mistress home. Seeing that the work was almost done, Sophia gestured to the door. ¡°Come. Let''s go grab a bite first.¡± Tanya nodded in response. The three of them left the empty house together. Before they left, Tanya left her keys on the hook behind the door. She would nevere back again. Chapter 361 Chapter 361 As Liam drove into the residential area, he could not help but feel as though the security guard was looking at him weirdly. Nheless, he was in a happy mood and could not be bothered by the guard. He was still wondering where Tanya had gotten herself such a powerful ally to have her back. They had pulled so many strings just so he would divorce Tanya. However, Liam was certain that he would still be gaining. After all, as long as he divorced Tanya, he would earn a lot from the deals worth six hundred thousand that they had signed. In the past two years, it had been getting increasingly challenging for their business. Not only did they have muchpetition, but their small factory had been overshadowed by multiple big ones, so much so that they had been struggling to stay afloat. The fact that they could earn six hundred thousand in six months would mean that they were set for the rest of the year even if they did not work a day. When Liam found out that all his worries regarding supplies would be solved the moment he divorced Tanya, he was beyond ecstatic. He was so ted that he no was no longer troubled by the fact that Ximena had left him. Why, then, should the guard''s side eye bother him? Liam had gone back to get the divorce certificate. When he got out of the elevator, he bumped into his next-door neighbor, who was about to throw out the trash. Having never been one to make friends with his neighbors, Liam did not bother to greet his neighbor as he walked by. To his surprise, when his neighbor saw him, she muttered, ¡°What a bad omen.¡± Liam frowned. Turning around, he called out to his neighbor. ¡°Hold on a second, Ma''am. What does that mean? Why am I a bad omen? You''re not leaving until you give me an exnation!¡± Thinking that he was being reasonable for once, Liam was sure that his neighbor would at least give him an exnation. Never did he expect his neighbor to scoff at him. ¡°Is it not a curse to any woman who got themselves involved with a sc*mbag like you? Tanya told us everything! She did not run away with her lover. You made her leave by bringing home a mistress! If it ends there, that''s fine. What I can''t believe is the audacity of the Mill family to expect Tanya to leave without anything. Hah! What a shameless family you lot are!¡± Liam was not living with his parents, but his folks were living just one floor above them. When they were looking for a house, his mother did not like the idea of him living far away from them, so she bought the unit above theirs and moved in along with the newlyweds. Until that day, they were still living there. Indeed, scandals as such would always spread like wildfire. The rumor that Tanya had run away with a lover was started by Ximena for the sake of her own dignity. As for Liam, he had chosen to remain silent for the sake of the baby Ximena was carrying. He had never expected that there would be a day when Tanya would rify the truth. A blush crept onto Liam''s neck as he tried to defend himself. Before he could even speak, the neighbor cut him off, ¡°Don''t bother denying it. Everyone here saw you bringing back your mistress with our own eyes! The Mill family is such a prominent family in our neighborhood. If you want to cheat, then go ahead. But how could you cheat out in the open? Tanya has been married to you for over two years and has served you and your family diligently. She took care of all the chores and even cleaned your parents'' house on the weekends. Where can you find a better wife than her? But you know what? Good for her for divorcing you! Let me give you a piece of advice. Dig deep into your soul and find whatever piece of humanity you have left in you. Don''t paint Tanya as the viin after your divorce. We all have eyes that see the truth!¡± Retired women''s favorite pastime was gossiping their boredom away. No matter how strong-willed Liam was, he knew he could not win a debate against someone like that. Moreover, the neighbor was telling the truth. As Liam stood there, his face turned purple in fury. Unable to withstand it any longer, he took out his keys and unlocked his door. The second he stepped foot into the house, he was dumbstruck. Have I been robbed? Liam stared at his empty house. Nothing was left except for his four walls. Even robbers do not have the ability to clear out everything. It didn''t take long for Liam to figure out who was behind it. Despite being married to Tanya for two years, he had not expected her to have the gall to do something like that. Whipping out his phone, he punched in the digits furiously without hesitation. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Because they would be getting divorced that afternoon, Tanya had unblocked Liam from her contacts. The three of them had just been seated at a restaurant when Tanya''s phone began to ring. Thinking that it was her mother, Tanya reached for her phone. As she nced at the caller ID, her brows knitted together. Flipping through the menu, Sophia noticed Tanya''s reaction and smiled. ¡°Is that Liam?¡± Tanya raised her head to look at Sophia. ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded. Putting down her order, Sophia passed the menu to Yvonne before asking Tanya, ¡°Would you mind putting him on speaker?¡± Tanya immediately handed Sophia the phone. Upon epting the call, Sophia did not forget to turn on the speakers. Liam''s furious voice immediately sounded from the other end of the call. ¡°You sure have gotten audacious, eh, Tanya? Threatening me to divorce you is one thing. How dare you tell everyone in the residential area about the fact that I cheated? Do you really think that you have backed me into the wall?¡± As he finished speaking, Liam let out a frustrated howl. ¡°If you don''t get someone to bring back all the furniture, you can wait by yourself in front of the City Hallter!¡± As if thinking that his words were not threatening enough, Liam added, ¡°Do you believe that I have the ability to kill you and the rest of your family, Tanya?¡± That was the first time that Liam had ever been so humiliated in his entire life. If thements of his neighbor had sent him on edge, seeing the house void of furniture had sessfully pushed him over. Liam had officially lost it. Tanya was grateful that she was not in front of Liam at the moment. Otherwise, he would have hit her so hard that she would not even dare bring up the divorce. No matter what, Tanya was still afraid of Liam. She was married to him for two years. In the first six months, they had been on their honeymoon period. However, things changed once the butterflies were gone. The Mill family was one of the better-off families in the area. Liam had been spoiled ever since young. He began showing his true colors, scolding her for every small mistake she made and even hitting her. Tanya had endured all that hardship for the sake of her parents. It was until the news of Liam having a mistress went public did she bring up the divorce. However, after years of being subjected to his abuse, Tanya had learned to be obedient and submissive for the sake of her own safety. Even though she had made the decision to walk out of his life, the fear she had for him could still be found deep in her heart. When Tanya heard Liam''s threat, colors drained from her face. She cast a helpless look at Sophia. At that moment, the only person she could trust was Sophia. Upon noticing her fear, Yvonne reached for Tanya''s hand. ¡°Don''t worry, Ms. Gomez. Ms. Yarrow is here. No one is going to bully you.¡± Sophia turned off the loudspeaker and ced the phone to her ear. ¡°Then do you believe that I can also make your life a living hell so much so that you will wish to die instead, Mr. Mill?¡± A hint of a smile could be detected in her voice as Sophia spoke. It was as though she was saying something as innocent asmenting on the weather. However, there was an edge to her voice that could send shivers down one''s spine. Liam froze. He clenched his hand so tightly around the phone that his hand began to shake. Gritting his teeth, he forced his voice to be even. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I have already agreed to divorce Tanya. The truth of my cheating is also out in the open now. And yet, she cleared out all the furniture in my house. How is that reasonable?¡± ¡°All that she cleared out was furniture that she had hand-picked for the house. Now that you two are about to be divorced, she has just taken away the things that rightfully belong to her. How is that unreasonable?¡± Sophia paused momentarily before continuing, ¡°Mr. Mill, I don''t have much patience. Tanya could wait forever to divorce you, but I believe that your familypany can''t afford to wait that long. This afternoon, two o''clock. If you''re even one minutete, I''ll see you in court.¡± With that, Sophia hung up the call and ced the phone next to Tanya before shing a reassuring smile. ¡°Don''t worry, Tanya. If he doesn''t show up, we''ll sue him for bigamy.¡± Taken aback by Sophia''sment, Tanya stammered, ¡°C-Can we do that?¡± Sophia rested her chin on her hand as she blinked innocently at Tanya. ¡°Do I look like I''m lying?¡± Staring into Sophia''s bright eyes, Tanya felt the fear and anxiety in her heart vanish into thin air. As her shoulders slumped in relief, Tanya smiled. ¡°Not at all.¡± Chapter 362 Chapter 362 Liam tossed his phone away when Sophia hung up on him. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. How brazen of Sophia! Despite his anger, he could not refute her as she was speaking the truth. After two years of separation, Tanya could apply to the court for a divorce. While she could wait for two years, their factory could not afford to. They could not even afford to wait for two months, let alone two years. He had to admit that Tanya had managed to turn things around and emerged victorious. Yvonne made an appointment for Tanya at two thirty in the afternoon. Since they finished lunch with an hour to spare, they decided to head to a coffee shop near the City Hall to wait. Yvonne noticed a car parked in front of the City Hall ten minutes prior to the appointment. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Gomez, Liam is here,¡± she said to Tanya and Sophia as soon as she saw the man get out of the car. Sophia clicked her tongue and looked out the window. They could easily spot Liam standing in front of the City Hall across the road. Tanya grabbed the strap of her purse unconsciously as she struggled with her anxiety. Sophia raised her hand to halt her as she was going to get up and march to the City Hall. ¡°Why are you in a hurry? Let''s wait for another five minutes.¡± Sophia did not request that he appeared earlier; she merely asked that he not bete. Tanya was aware of Sophia''s intentions, so she nodded and sat down again. Five minutester, Sophia smiled and said, ¡°All right, let''s go.¡± She tidied Tanya''s clothes as she continued, ¡°I can help you with a lot of things, but you have to do this yourself, Tanya.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Tanya would not be just divorcing Liam today; she would be saying goodbye to the man and all the terrible things from the past. After today, these terrible things would no longer have anything to do with her. She could now live freely and joyously. She would not have to be concerned about Liam''s family''s opinions or be subjected to his verbal and physical violence. She would never have to fear retaliation against her parents in the future. After today was over, she would never return. Taking a deep breath, Tanya looked at Sophia with a slight smile. She nodded and turned around decisively, heading out of the coffee shop. Tanya could see Liam smoking on the opposite side of the road. Her heart was racing, and her hands were trembling with nervousness and fear. After crossing the street, she could not help but look back. Arge truck drove by, cutting her off from everything on the other side of the road. As Sophia vanished from view, she was left to confront Liam alone. The man had already put out his cigarette and walked over. He looked her up and down and then sneered, ¡°You''re lucky to have found a backer. Where did you find such help?¡± Tanya sighed softly and said, ¡°Let''s go inside.¡± She ignored his query and walked into the City Hall, causing the man''s face to darken. Once they arrived, the officer asked some questions as usual. Tanya remained expressionless throughout, while Liam''s countenance was grim. ¡°Are you really sure about getting a divorce? Is it a rash decision? Do you need to reconsider?¡± the officer asked. Tanya could not stand the persuasion from others for the first time. ¡°I''ve been considering it for nearly a year. Can you tolerate your husband using violence and going out of control over you?¡± Before the officer could answer, she added, ¡°Please get my documents settled as quickly as possible. I need to catch a high-speed train.¡± When the officer realized how determined she was, he said nothing more and stamped the documents. Liam stood beside them, his face contorted. Tanya did not even nce at him after receiving the divorce document; she simply stood up and left. ¡°Tanya...¡± She had already vanished from view before Liam could speak to her. He immediately gave chase and grabbed her. ¡°Why are you running? Are you afraid I''ll harm you here?¡± Tanya gritted her teeth and yanked his hand away from her. ¡°We are no longer acquainted because we are divorced. I''ll call the cops if you touch me again.¡± Liam jeered, ¡°Do you really think I''m scared of you now, Tanya? What could you possibly do if I actually touched you? Are you going to call the¡ªah!¡± Tanya kicked him in the crotch before he could finish his sentence. She then immediately fled without looking back. Liam was wailing in anguish behind her, clutching his crotch. She could hear his cries at first, but by the time she got to the other side of the road, she could no longer hear anything. Tanya had never felt so relieved as she waited to cross the street and rejoin Sophia and Yvonne. When the light turned green, she dodged the iing traffic before sprinting to Sophia''s arms. ¡°Thank you, Sophia. I''m really happy right now.¡± Words could not describe how happy she felt to be freed from Liam''s evil clutches. ¡°Congrattions,¡± Sophia murmured in Tanya''s ear and hugged her tightly. Thetter''s eyes turned red, and she began to choke up. ¡°Thank you so much, Sophia.¡± It was only a modest act of conscience for her, but she had no idea Sophia would go to such lengths to help her. Yvonne was also feeling emotional about Tanya''s newfound freedom. She said, ¡°Ms. Gomez, I''m sure you''ll be happier from now on.¡± Tanya wiped the tears off her face and turned to face Yvonne. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Leighton. I know you''ve helped me a lot too.¡± Yvonne nced at Sophia and replied, ¡°It''s all part of Ms. Yarrow''s instructions. I''m just doing my job.¡± Sophia raised a brow and said, ¡°Don''t be modest, Ms. Leighton.¡± The embarrassed Yvonne replied, ¡°All right, it''ste now. Let me get the driver to send us back.¡± Sophia nodded in agreement. ¡°Go on,¡± she said, not wanting to make things difficult for Yvonne. Sophia and Tanya stepped back onto the sidewalk behind them. When thetter lifted her head, she happened to see Liam grinning widely as he walked out of the City Hall. He probably noticed her gaze as he looked over at her too. Liam mouthed a sentence to Tanya. However, his expression dulled when he saw herughing and giving him the middle finger. She better hope she never crosses paths with me again, or I''ll make sure she pays for her deeds. Sophia smirked when she took notice of the exchange between Liam and Tanya. ¡°I didn''t know you had that in you,¡± she praised. ¡°It''s my first time,¡± Tanya admitted, blushing. She had always been obedient, never daring to say or do anything vulgar. However, she was in an exceptionally good mood that day. It was all thanks to Sophia that she finally had the courage to do something she had never done before. Tanya used to think she should just endure the suffering, but the reality proved that endurance did not make life easier. As she watched Sophia throw the furniture into the trash bin, she realized that she did not feel sorry. In fact, she felt a sense of satisfaction at the thought of how shocked and angry Liam would be when he returned to that empty house. When Tanya kicked him hard just now, she experienced a sense of pleasure she had never felt before. She learned that sometimes patience was not enough, and resistance was the most effective way. Sophia grinned and praised, ¡°Well done.¡± After a short pause, Tanya chuckled too. Chapter 363 Chapter 363 When the three of them reached the high-speed railway station, Tanya received a message on her phone, informing her that Liam had already made a deposit of three hundred and fifty thousand in her ount. That was two years'' worth of her sry. Tanya could feel tears welling up in her eyes when she saw the text. Filled with a myriad of indescribable emotions and overwhelming gratitude, she looked at Sophia, who was next to her. ¡°Sophia.¡± Hearing her name, Sophia smiled and asked, ¡°Have you received the money?¡± Tanya nodded while showing Sophia the message on her phone. ¡°Shall we let bygones be bygones, then?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Tanya nodded firmly. ¡°I intend to buy a two-room apartment with this money. As for the money I owe you, I will pay it back slowly.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Sophia knew that with Tanya''s grateful nature, Tanya would definitely feel bad if she were to reject her wish to pay back her kindness. Just then, an announcement was made through the broadcast system, reminding passengers to get their tickets ready. Yvonne said to Sophia and Tanya, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Gomez, they are going to check our tickets now.¡± Sophia picked up her bag and tapped Tanya''s shoulder. ¡°Let''s go.¡± The three women stood up and walked toward the turnstile. Sophia''s phone rang at the same time the train arrived at the station. She smiled when she saw that it was Alexander who called. ¡°Hey, Sophia, it''s me. I''m already here at the station exit.¡± ¡°My train has just arrived at the tform.¡± ¡°All right.¡± The train came to aplete halt as the call ended. Sophia spotted Alexander the moment the three of them reached the station exit. She turned to look at Yvonne and instructed, ¡°Ms. Leighton, please send Tanya home.¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Yvonne nodded and replied, ¡°Got it, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia responded with a smile before she turned her attention to Tanya and said, ¡°Have a good rest, and get ready to start work tomorrow.¡± ¡°All right!¡± Tanya replied with glistening eyes. Things were going smoother than expected, and Tanya was much stronger than Sophia had imagined. It had been a long time since Sophia had been in such a good mood. She waved at Alexander and started walking toward him. As soon as the woman was in front of him, Alexander reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist. Feeling self-conscious about the man''s public disy of affection, Sophia blushed. ¡°Mr. Xenos, why are you so free? Don''t you have meetings to attend?¡± ¡°Nothing is more important than picking you up,¡± Alexander said while gazing into her eyes. ¡°Sweet-talking doesn''t work on me,¡± Sophia replied with a snort. Looking at her, the man chuckled and replied, ¡°Would it work on Mr. Dawson?¡± Sophia nced at Alexander and said with a cheeky glint in her eyes, ¡°Well, I''m not sure about that. After all, you''re the first man I''m introducing to him.¡± The two of them continued chatting while walking away from the station. Watching their figures from afar, Tanya could not help butment, ¡°It seems that Mr. Xenos really loves Sophia a lot.¡± Yvonne pursed her lips slightly. Even though she did not agree with a lot of the things Alexander had done in the past, she still replied, ¡°He does.¡± Tanya smiled and tilted her head to look at Yvonne. ¡°Ms. Leighton, does it feel good to make money?¡± Yvonne froze slightly before replying with a rare smile on her face, ¡°Yes, it does, Ms. Gomez.¡± ¡°That''s wonderful. I guess I will also get to experience the same feeling from now onward.¡± ¡°You can do it, Ms. Gomez!¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± Tanya was determined to be like Sophia and live a happy life, one which would allow her the freedom to do anything she wanted. As the car sped along the highway, Sophia swiveled her head to look at the man next to her. Suddenly, memories of their divorce shed in her mind, and she could not help but call out his name, ¡°Alexander.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± the man responded softly, his eyes still focused on the road. ¡°Were you very happy when we divorced back then?¡± After all, he had always wanted to get rid of her. Alexander pressed his lips together when he heard the question and remained quiet. After waiting for a while and receiving no reply, Sophia decided to drop the question and did not speak any further. Eventually, silence ensued. She turned to look out the window, and her thoughts drifted to two hours ago when she waited at the coffee shop while Tanya finalized her divorce. Perhaps how I felt at that moment was simr to how Katherine had felt when Alexander and I separated back then. No words could describe the joy of seeing a good friend finally freed from misery. Unknowingly, Sophia fell asleep. She was drifting in and out of sleep when the car came to a stop. Just then, she felt Alexander nudging her and opened her eyes. With a slight crease between her brows, Sophia asked, ¡°Are we home?¡± Right after she finished speaking, she noticed the straight road ahead of them. ¡°Why did you stop here?¡± ¡°I wasn''t very happy.¡± Sophia was taken aback for a moment, as she did not understand Alexander''s reply. She only realized a secondter that he was responding to her previous question. ¡°Oh.¡± She could not help but let out a chuckle. Alexander suddenly looked at her and asked, ¡°Were you very disappointed?¡± Sophia curled her lips slightly and replied, ¡°No.¡± Even though she did feel upset and aggrieved, the truth was, she felt surprisingly calm when she was holding the divorce certificate in her hands. If she had to describe the feeling that she had felt at that time, it would be that of relief. She was relieved that she had finally decided to be kind to herself. ¡°Okay,¡± the man mumbled in response before he lifted his hand to touch her eye. ¡°Precious, can I kiss you?¡± Sophia''s face flushed red at once. The next moment, she pointed toward the window at the side of the driver''s seat and said, ¡°I think you would have to get the traffic police''s permission first.¡± Upon hearing that, Alexander turned around and saw the police officer who was knocking on his window. He retracted his hand as though nothing had happened and rolled down the window. ¡°We''re leaving now.¡± Not expecting Alexander to be one step ahead of him, the police officer was stumped for words. Sophia''s face was burning with awkwardness as it was the first time she had ever had police knocking on her car window. On the other hand, not a hint of embarrassment could be seen on Alexander''s face. Before Alexander drove off, he took a nce at Sophia and, as if he was being considerate, asked, ¡°Are you feeling warm?¡± ¡°Just drive!¡± Sophiaughed in exasperation. Fifteen minutester, the car pulled into the mansion. When Sophia was changing upstairs, her phone rang. Alexander nced at the caller ID, and when he saw Lukas'' name on the screen, an inexplicable glint shed across his eyes. After leaving the phone to ring for a while, he finally picked it up and answered, ¡°Mr. Dawson.¡± Lukas furrowed his brows slightly when he heard the unexpected voice. ¡°Where''s Sophia?¡± ¡°She''s upstairs changing.¡± ¡°It''s not even six in the evening yet. Mr. Xenos, may I ask why you are with her now?¡± Alexander replied in an even tone, ¡°She had some business to settle in Bera earlier, and I went to the train station to pick her up just now.¡± He sounded so nonchnt that Lukas was expecting him to ask if he had a problem with him doing that. ¡°Mr. Xenos, can you please get Sophia to call me backter?¡± When Alexander heard that, he looked toward the stairs and saw Sophia walking down. ¡°Hold on. She''s here,¡± he said before passing the phone to Sophia. ¡°It''s Mr. Dawson.¡± After taking the phone, Sophia looked at Alexander with a half-smile and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Lukas?¡± ¡°Bad news. Grandpa already knew about what happened with the Xenos family.¡± That was not great news indeed. The smile on Sophia''s face faded as she replied, ¡°All right, I got it. Thanks, Lukas.¡± Lukas hung up after that. When the call ended, Sophia shed a smile at Alexander and said, ¡°Mr. Xenos, maybe it''s not a good time for you to make your grand appearance at my granddad''s birthday celebration after all.¡± Chapter 364 Chapter 364 ¡°Why?¡± Alexander gazed at her with slightly furrowed brows. Sophia tied her hair up, walked over to him, and nestled into his arms. ¡°My granddad already knows what happened.¡± The man was unusually taken aback. ¡°It''ll be fine.¡± She looked up at him and chuckled. ¡°But he gets mad the moment he sees you.¡± ¡°That won''t happen soon enough.¡± Intrigued by his remark, Sophia arched an eyebrow and asked, ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± ¡°I had Mr. Lane prepare an agreement,¡± Alexander admitted. ¡°What agreement?¡± Not saying anything, he grabbed his phone from the side, opened up the electronic document, and ced it in front of her. She shot him a nce before taking the phone and swiping her finger across the screen to read the agreement he had mentioned. A prenup? Oh, no, to be exact, it''s an agreement that would take effect both before and after marriage. The agreement stated that if Alexander were ever unfaithful to Sophia, all of his assets would be transferred to her, regardless of whether the two of them were dating or already bound by marriage. No one would everin about having too much money. Alexander''s shares in Odyssey itself were already worth over four million in Anndurn currency, but those were not the only shares dered in the agreement. Even his Fortuna shares were listed in it. In other words, the man was betting his entire fortune on his rtionship with Sophia and could lose everything in one night if he were to cheat on her. While money did not mean as much to Sophia as it did to many others, not to mention that she was also wealthy, she was certainly still astounded by all those assets worth over a hundred billion in Anndurn currencyid out in front of her. The woman stared at the electronic document for a while before letting out a chuckle. ¡°Aren''t you worried I''d get someone to set you up?¡± Alexander nced at her. ¡°You wouldn''t.¡± He spoke with absolute confidence while clutching her hand. Feeling her cheeks burn from his stare, Sophia tried to retract her hand but could not do so due to his tight grip on it. She then gazed up at him, crinkling her eyes in a smile. ¡°Do you think my granddad will give in just because of this?¡± ¡°Whether or not he does is a different matter, but this is my way of showing my sincerity.¡± He certainly was sincere. Sophia huffed. ¡°I want some oatmeal tonight.¡± Having taken the train and spent nearly an hour in the car, she did not want to eat much else. Alexander finally let go of her. ¡°Okay. I''ll get someone to send some over.¡± After taking care of matters between Tanya and Liam, Sophia had Yvonne handle the rest regarding Connor and Yvette. The trap had long beenid for Connor, while Yvonne had already gotten someone to find and erase all the videos in Yvette''s hands. It was about time those two paid for their crimes. Yvette had anticipated such a day to arrive the moment she found out she had lost all the videos; it was just far sooner than she had expected. Nevertheless, she had already fled the country several days ago. It was none of her concern if others scorned her for being selfish. She was genuinely terrified of Sophia at that point. After receiving a call from her parents, Yvette gazed at the setting sun outside the window and recalled the incident from eight years ago. If she had not said all those things to Connor back then, would she have gotten married to Henry and started her own beautiful family by then? s, there were no ifs. Everything changed the moment she met Sophia. She used to me Sophia for robbing her of everything she had, as well as for refusing to let her go until the end. It was only after hearing from her parents that her family had gone bankrupt and was even over eighty million in debt did Yvette suddenly realize that Sophia was never to me. It was her own fault all along. Everything had happened because of her own jealousy and narrow-mindedness. However, it was all toote by then. There was no going back in time. At that thought, the woman covered her face and began to sob. Meanwhile, Yvonne reported to Sophia immediately after learning that the Saunderses had contacted Yvette. ¡°I''ve found out where Yvette is, Ms. Yarrow. She''s currently in Jetroina.¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia lifted her head and nced at Yvonne. ¡°I thought she''d have at least run off to Epea. I didn''t think she''d be in Jetroina instead.¡± She must really have reached the end of the road, seeing that she couldn''t afford to flee to Epea, though it''s no surprise. The Saunderses are bankrupt now, so I suppose she doesn''t have much money left on her. I can imagine just how miserable her life will be from now on. Then again, it has nothing to do with me. None of this would''ve happened to her if she hadn''tmitted those misdeeds back then. ¡°What about Connor?¡± Sophia asked while tapping her pen on the paper. ¡°His bride left with all his savings, so he''s been trapped in his own house thanks to all the creditors going after him.¡± Sophia could not resist clicking her tongue at the thought of how Connor used to go around unting his wealth at school. ¡°Do you have his number?¡± Yvonne took out her phone, browsed her contact list, and sent Connor''s number to Sophia on WhatsApp. ¡°I''ve sent it to you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia smiled as her phone screen lit up. ¡°Okay, thanks. You can get back to work now.¡± Yvonne nodded and showed herself out of the office, closing the door behind her. Sophia was not the type to kick a man when he was down, but that time around, she was adamant about letting a scumbag like Connor know what he did wrong. Of course, whether or not he would repent was none of her concern. After ncing at the number disyed on her phone screen, Sophia stood up and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window, where she made the call. No one picked up the first time, so she patiently tried again, only to receive the same result. Unlike her usual impatient self, she dialed the number for the third time without a frown on her face. The misery Connor faced in his life then waspletely unprecedented. He went bankrupt out of the blue and even owed tens of millions in foreign debt. Creditors would show up at his door each day, demanding that he pay what he owed them. His bride ran off with all the gold bars and cash he had at home, and his cars were towed away as coteral. Still, those cars were not enough to clear his debts. His workers, who had not received their pay, would crowd around outside his mansion every single day, whereas calls from loan sharks kepting. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. At present, Connor nced at the unknown number that was calling him for the third time. It seemed in obvious to him that the caller was one of his creditors, so he instinctively wanted to smash his phone to free himself from the annoyance. Yet, as he stared at the number, he was seized by a sudden impulse and ultimately decided to answer the call. He was not sure why, but for some reason, he secretly hoped that it was his runaway wife calling. To his disappointment, what came through the line was an unfamiliar woman''s voice. ¡°Hello, Connor. Do you still remember me?¡± Sophia paused briefly before continuing, ¡°This is Sophia Yarrow speaking.¡± Sophia! She was the woman he had failed to woo, even after his two-year courtship of her when they were in university; the woman he had always wanted but could never have. Connor had no idea what she wanted from him, given that she was suddenly calling him when it had been five years since their graduation. ¡°How did you get my number?¡± he asked. ¡°Is it that unusual? Not only do I have your number, but I also know what''s been going on in your life.¡± Men always had a maniacal stubbornness to appear tough in front of the women they wanted but could not have, and Connor was no exception. ¡°What do you know?¡± he demanded, feeling a stab in his heart from Sophia''s words. He refused to believe it. ¡°Nothing much. All I know is that your family''spany has gone bankrupt, and you haven''t paid over a hundred employees their wages. You''re also unable to pay off the remainder of your projects, so you now have a foreign debt of about seventy million,¡± Sophia remarked. She then chuckled and added, ¡°Oh, and it looks like your wife ran off with all your family''s cash and jewelry.¡± ¡°You''ve been spying on me?¡± ¡°Please don''t put it that way. I don''t have such a hobby.¡± A moment of silenceter, Sophia continued, ¡°I just tend to have more confidence in the things I do myself.¡± ¡°It was you! You did it! Why? Why would you do this to me? Is it just because I courted you for two years back in university?¡± Unsurprisingly, Tanya was just an insignificant character in his life, so he had long forgotten the horrible thing he had done to her. ¡°Have you forgotten what you did to Tanya?¡± Sophia scoffed. ¡°Who''s Tanya? I''ve dated about a hundred girls in the past! You can''t possibly being after me because of them¡ª¡± Suddenly, Connor''s expression stiffened. Chapter 365 Chapter 365 Connor recalled that Sophia''s ssmate was the one who told on him when he intended to drug Sophia during graduation. That woman even hounded me like a mad dog due to that incident, but it made no difference since, in the end, she''d watched on helplessly as I was acquitted! Never did he expect Sophia to seek him out many yearster because of that matter. ¡°You''re going to such lengths to ensure my demise just for her sake?¡± he asked in disbelief. News regarding Sophia had more or less reached his ears, although he had not been in Jadeborough for several years. Moreover, she was recently invited to give a speech at Jadeborough University during its anniversary celebration as an outstanding alumna. Even though Connor did not keep himself up to date with Sophia''s aplishments in the past years, he was aware that she was doing very well in life. The woman vanished into thin air right after their university graduation, and there had barely been a whisper about her. Initially, he had plotted to stage an appearance when she was in deep waters. It was his firm belief that she would crawl back to him after being hammered by the harsh realities of society. Sophia thoroughly snubbed him when he pursued her for two years while they were in university. His ego as a man was bruised, and he did not think he would ever get over her indifference toward him. During high school, his family was paid several million inpensation when their house was demolished. His parents subsequently opened apany following that, and he, too, founded a cosmeticspany after graduating from university. Even though hispany had not reached the point of being publicly listed, he was still much better off than most of the general popce. As someone with a worth of tens of millions, Connor believed that Sophia would actively approach him without the need for him to lift a finger should he show up before her. That was what he had assumed two years ago. Unfortunately, his bubble burst as soon as he knew that Sophia was Alexander''s ex-wife. Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected her to reach out to him after he had given up on her. When Sophia heard his words, she knew there and then that he would remain unrepentant for his whole life. With a cid smile on her face, she said, ¡°That''s right. What can you do to me, Connor?¡± In the past, Connor would have arranged for a group of mobsters to assault her at her provocation. Nheless, the reality was that the tables had turned. There was nothing he could do to her. ¡°I''m certain that I''ve never harmed you in any way. Therefore, why are you so adamant about destroying my life?¡± he questioned. ¡°The damage was done when you spiked my ss of wine. I''m demanding justice on behalf of Tanya. I hope you enjoy the rest that is toe, you worthless scum.¡± After saying those words, Sophia hung up immediately and blocked his phone number. Connor''s face had darkened at her pronouncement, yet there was nothing he could do but ept his fate. Sophia was the only one who could solve all his problems if she was the perpetrator. s, he could not reach her when he tried to call her. Only then did he realize she had blocked his number. It was worth noting that Connor was also a big shot at Jadeborough University, though he did not belong in the same league as Sophia and Joshua. Because his household became wealthy overnight from the demolition when he was in high school, he was a profligate skirt chaser who drove a BMW around and gained notoriety for being a yer in university. Moreover, his incident with Tanya had blown up and be widely known throughout Jadeborough University. Although he had graduated many years ago, all the girls he had toyed with rejoiced at his family''s downfall. In just a matter of days, the online forum of Jadeborough University was flooded with posts on how curses, like chickens, came home to roost. They were all aimed at Connor. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Tanya, who worked at Sophia''spany immediately after her divorce, had never foreseen ever coming across news regarding Connor years after graduating. Haunted by her traumatic experience with him over the past few years, she was caught off guard to hear of his ruination. Nevertheless, she soon grounded herself back in the present and discovered that those who were tied to that incident many years ago, such as Yvette and Connor, were in troubled waters. Tanya was no longer a naive child. Her notions about how everyone would reap the harvest were long since dispelled when Connor was acquitted back then. Yet, to her surprise, Yvette and Connor were paying for their crimes, and the only one she could think of was Sophia. Sophia had meted out justice to Liam, Connor, and Yvette, the ones who had wronged her in the past, on her behalf. Tanya held on to her phone for several prolonged moments before ultimately deciding to give Sophia a call. When Sophia heard her phone ring, she subconsciously arched a brow. At the sight of Tanya''s caller ID lighting up her screen, she waved her phone at Alexander and answered the call. ¡°Tanya?¡± ¡°It''s me, Sophia.¡± ¡°Are you going to treat me to a meal?¡± Sophia chuckled as she remembered their conversation from when she apanied Tanya to sign the divorce papers. ¡°Sophia, I heard that both Connor''s and Yvette''s families have gone bankrupt.¡± There, Tanya paused before continuing, ¡°Thank you, Sophia.¡± ¡°It''s all over, Tanya.¡± Sophia had no ns to hide her involvement in those matters from Tanya. After all, she was not a benevolent person and was merely paying her debt to thetter. ¡°You''re right. I promise to move on in life and make it worthwhile.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Sophia stared at her phone after ending the call. Momentster, the corner of her lips quirked upward into a smile. Alexander, who was next to her, asked, ¡°Did something good happen?¡± She lifted her head to nce at him. ¡°Those unpleasant experiences are but a thing of the past.¡± He was privy to the incidents that befell Tanya and had pulled several strings behind the swift bankruptcy of Connor''s family. ¡°It is indeed an asion worth celebrating,¡± he remarked. Sophia could not hold back herughter as she eyed him. ¡°Fingers crossed that my grandad won''t be apoplectic when he sees youter.¡± With that, she rested her head on his shoulder. Alexander held her hand as he pursed his lips in silence. Truth be told, it was his first time experiencing the feeling of nervousness in his entire life. Soon, the airport broadcast reminded them of the boarding of their flight, so they got to their feet and made their way to the VIPne to enne. The journey took approximately two hours, and it was six o''clock when they touched down at Doveston. In addition to Perrin''s birthday celebration, the Dawson family would also announce Sophia''s identity. As such, it was a very grand asion. Lukas most likely had no desire to see Alexander, considering that he did not show up at the airport and had arranged for a chauffeur to pick Sophia up instead. The Dawson family had always kept a low profile. The only other time they had held such an extravagant banquet was during Penelope''s sixtieth birthday celebration. Perrin was used to having a minimalistic lifestyle, so he merely had a simple celebration for his sixtieth birthday. Many spected about whether a wedding announcement would be made for Lukas due to the exceptionally grandiose celebration. Sophia was undeniably one of the most likely candidates whom Lukas would marry. Even so, those within the inner circle were aware that Sophia and Alexander were an item, as there had been sightings of the couple for several months. While the social circles of the upper ss in Doveston were not identical to Jadeborough, some who upied those positions were the same. Since everyone was more or less acquainted with one another, it only took a spark for news to spread like wildfire. The banquet hall was already crowded before seven o''clock in the evening. The Dawson family held superior positions of power in both the political and business spheres. Therefore, the guests at the banquet were all influential people of high status. Sophia turned to face Alexander as the car made its stop in front of the hotel entrance. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± she asked. ¡°Not really.¡± Alexander detected that she was jesting and slightly tightened his grip on her hand. As if. Sophia harrumphed and got out of the car after him. As the two of them had arrived directly from the airport, she was not splendidly decked out. Nheless, she still managed to attract the attention of many in a simple dress due to her good looks and graceful air. Chapter 366 Chapter 366 Sophia''s appearance took a lot of people by surprise. Even Alexander''s appearance at the current event was nothing shocking. However, when the two of them showed up together, everyone was baffled. Shortly after the couple entered the venue, many people started gossiping. ¡°Are my eyes ying tricks on me? Alexander arrives with Sophia by his side, and the two of them look like they are back together! I thought the Dawson family is going to pick Sophia as their daughter-in- law. What''s going on?¡± ¡°How should I know? This birthday banquet is so grand. I thought they are going to announce the engagement between Sophia and Lukas!¡± ¡°Two months ago, I heard that Sophia has gotten back together with Alexander. But during this period of time, she has also visited the Dawson residence quite a number of times. If Sophia isn''t going to marry into the Dawson family, why does Mr. Dawson like her so much?¡± Gossip and discussions were buzzing wildly, but Sophia ignored all of them. When she found Kylie, she went over with Alexander immediately. The moment Kylie saw theming, she excused herself from her guests and called out, ¡°Sophia.¡± ¡°Aunt Kylie.¡± Sophia greeted Kylie and saw her aunt scrutinizing Alexander. She could not help but feel a little embarrassed. ¡°Aunt Kylie, this is my boyfriend, Alexander.¡± Kylie nced at her and smiled. ¡°So, you have decided not to hide him anymore?¡± Sophia was feeling very awkward. ¡°I have never done that.¡± Although Alexander was a reserved person, he was still very respectful. Previously, Kylie had some prejudices against Alexander because of their divorce. However, her displeasure subsided when she heard his casual yet respectful greeting. ¡°We have a lot of guests today. Please forgive us if the service iscking, Mr. Xenos.¡± Kylie then turned to Sophia and said, ¡°Go on and see your grandpa. He''s resting in the lounge.¡± With that, Kylie gestured to a waiter and got him to bring the couple to meet Perrin. The day before, Sophia had already met her granddad. That night, she brought Alexander with her. It was Perrin''s birthday that day after all. Although the most important thing was to announce Sophia''s real identity, Kylie hoped that everything could go on peacefully. She did not wish for Perrin to be upset if he met Alexander in front of everyer on. Sophia understood Kylie''s intention. She turned to Alexander and said, ¡°This time around, we are really going to meet my granddad.¡± Alexander lowered his nce and nodded. ¡°Sure. Don''t worry. I''m not nervous.¡± Sophia could not help butugh when she heard that. ¡°I didn''t say you are nervous.¡± Alexander pursed his lips and kept quiet. Sophia felt his grip tighten around her hand, but she did not call him out. Instead, she pulled him along as they followed the waiter. Very soon, the waiter came to a halt. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, this is where Mr. Dawson is resting.¡± Sophia nodded and thanked him before knocking on the door. Perrin''s assistant opened the door almost immediately. When John saw Sophia, he smiled. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you''re here.¡± ¡°Mr. Zinn, is Granddad in there?¡± ¡°Yes, he is. Pleasee in.¡± John was smart enough to leave them alone, and Sophia went into the lounge while holding onto Alexander''s hand. The moment she walked in, she saw Perrin drinking coffee. ¡°Granddad.¡± Perrin looked annoyed. ¡°Didn''t I tell you that I don''t want to see him?¡± Sophia turned around to look at Alexander before she smiled and said, ¡°But, I can''t help it, Granddad. I only like this man.¡± When Alexander heard what she said, he cast a nce at Sophia before walking forward. ¡°Mr. Dawson.¡± Perrin responded with a cold snort, ¡°Mr. Xenos, you''re a smart man, so I will get straight to the point. I don''t approve of you getting together back with Sophia. If the two of you want to date, I don''t care. But if you want to remarry, I will never agree to it!¡± Alexander was mentally prepared, so when he heard what Perrin said, he was not surprised. He nced at Sophia and asked, ¡°May I speak privately with Mr. Dawson?¡± Sophia raised her brows. She did not expect Alexander to be so confident. ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia looked at Perrin and patted his shoulders before she left. ¡°Granddad, it''s only a chat. Please keep things civil. Don''t get rough, please.¡± Perrin burst outughing. ¡°Silly girl! Am I such a person?¡± ¡°Of course not. I''m just worried that you may hurt yourself.¡± ¡°How dare you! Leave us. I want to hear what Mr. Xenos has to say!¡± Sophia took another look at Alexander and whispered into his ears before leaving, ¡°Watch what you say. If not, I''ll be angry.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Alexander looked at her and acknowledged solemnly. Without saying another word, Sophia turned around and left, leaving Alexander and Perrin alone. Just as she shut the door, Perrin opened his mouth. ¡°Now that Sophia isn''t here, just say whatever it is on your mind.¡± Alexander nodded. ¡°Do you know why Sophia likes me?¡± His words infuriated Perrin. ¡°It''s all because of that face of yours, isn''t it? Do you think Sophia is after your money?¡± Alexander was not angry when he heard the old man''s response. In fact, he was quite happy. However, he controlled himself since he was still negotiating with Perrin, so he put on a serious expression. ¡°That''s true. But, there''s something else you may not know.¡± Perrin was losing his patience with Alexander. ¡°Just say it. Don''t beat around the bush. I''m not Sophia. I don''t buy this sh*t of yours.¡± Alexander was extraordinarily patient. ¡°Twelve years ago, when Sophia was in Jadeborough for a competition, she was nearly abducted by human traffickers. I was the one who rescued her. I have no other intention when I tell you about this incident. I only want to let you know that I didn''t remember that incident back when Sophia first married me. I also had no idea that she married me because she likes me. I''m sure you''re aware of the situation in the Xenos family. I grew up in a loveless family. All everyone cared about is scheming against one another. As such, I find it hard to trust others and certainly don''t believe in love. I''m not trying to find excuses for myself by sharing all these with you. I won''t justify the way I have hurt Sophia during those three years. I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt her.¡± Alexander paused for a while before continuing, ¡°What I mean is I used to be a very horrible person. I assumed the worst in a person and knew nothing about love and how to love someone. But, Sophia has taught me that not everyone who gets close to mees with ulterior motives. Not every romantic rtionship is a transaction. She is like a ray of light that brightens up my world of darkness.¡± ¡°So? Do you think I will approve of your reconciliation since you tried to appeal to me with these soppy stories?¡± ¡°No. I only want to let you know that I love and protect Sophia just like you do. I want nothing but happiness for her. But, I don''t want to leave her happiness in the hands of others. I truly believe that I''m the only person who can make her happy. Beforeing here, I got my secretary to consolidate all of my assets. If I allow Sophia to suffer again, everything that belongs to me will go to her. Mr. Dawson, this is how sincere I am.¡± Perrin nced at him and uttered, ¡°We aren''t in need of money.¡± ¡°I know but everything I own belongs to Sophia.¡± Chapter 367 Chapter 367 Sophia bumped into Lukas when she came out of the lounge. There were plenty of notable guests that night, and Lukas only came up when he finally found some free time. When he saw Sophia standing in the corridor, he guessed that Alexander had to be chatting with Perrin privately in the lounge. Lukas still did not like Alexander because of Sophia''s disastrous three-year marriage. As her older cousin, Lukas did not wish to see Sophia returning to a time like that. If Sophia was not his baby cousin, Lukas would have admired Alexander. s, that was not possible. Being a family meant they would be unreasonably biased toward their own. When Lukas saw Sophia standing before the railing, he walked over to her and asked, ¡°Alexander''s inside?¡± ¡°Lukas,¡± Sophia greeted, surprised to see him. She then nodded. ¡°Mhm. He said he wanted to have a private talk with Granddad.¡± Lukas nced at the tightly shut door. ¡°Aren''t you afraid that it''ll go wrong?¡± Augh escaped Sophia. ¡°I don''t think Alexander will push his luck that much.¡± Lukas turned back to her and stared at her for a while. ¡°You trust him quite a bit.¡± Sophia could hear the disgruntled tone in Lukas'' words, and she stiffened. ¡°Lukas, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If I weren''t married to Alexander for those three years, or if I didn''t get a divorce from Alexander, would you still dislike him this much?¡± It was a straightforward question to say the least. Lukas knew that Sophia was smart, but he was still surprised with how Sophia managed to keep a clear head despite being in the middle of the matter. ¡°I won''t deny that he''s an outstanding man, but an outstanding man does not equate to an outstanding significant other.¡± Sophia nodded in contemtion. Then, an even more straightforward question came out of her. ¡°So, Lukas, will you be an outstanding significant other?¡± Lukas, who was trying to convince his cousin to give up on Alexander, turned speechless at that. Sophia cocked her head and watched him for a while. ¡°Lukas, no one''s perfect.¡± A rare smile went past Lukas'' lips. ¡°There''s no use in you trying to convince me on that. I''ve never been thergest obstacle between the two of you.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°I know.¡± She just wished that her family would be able to ept Alexander. Right as the two of them were chatting away, someone suddenly opened the door behind them. Sophia instinctively turned around. When she saw Alexander walking out of the room, she smiled and said, ¡°You''re done?¡± Alexander gave Lukas a nce. ¡°Mr. Dawson.¡± As he spoke, he walked over to hold Sophia''s hand and nodded. ¡°Lukas.¡± Just as Lukas returned the nod to Alexander, Perrin called him. ¡°I''ll be taking Grandpa downstairs. You should head down too.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Then we''ll be going down first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lukas nced at Alexander again but he said nothing else before turning and entering the lounge. ¡°Grandpa.¡± Perrin turned toward him and uttered, ¡°Alexander told me some things earlier.¡± Lukas raised his brows a little. ¡°He''s a silver-tongued businessman. Don''t step into his trap.¡± Perrin scoffed. ¡°I''ve lived for over eighty years, and I''ve seen more things than he has. Does he really think he''ll be able to dismiss how he has hurt Sophia just with a few words? He can dream on!¡± ¡°What do you have in mind, then? It looks like Sophia really likes him.¡± ¡°There are so many smart young men around, and Sophia''s such a pretty girl. Who knows who she''ll end up with, really?¡± A smug grin grew on Perrin''s lips as he spoke. ¡°Doesn''t the boy from the Swain family want to court Sophia?¡± Lukas pursed his lips. ¡°Horatius is too much of a yboy.¡± Perrin shot a re at Lukas. ¡°You know so many people, but are none of them a good match for Sophia?¡± ¡°I don''t think anyone is a match for Sophia.¡± She''s so smart and pretty. Besides, she''s kind too. Personally, I don''t think anyone''s worthy of her. Previously, he had introduced her to Zayne, but that was only for the sake of pissing Alexander off. Furthermore, with Zayne''s personality, Lukas knew that he would not be able to get together with Sophia in the end. Perrin agreed with Lukas. ¡°Yes, but we still need to get someone to protect Sophia. Lukas could only hum in agreement. Old people always felt that young people should start a family and have their own careers. ¡°It''s almost time. Let me take you downstairs.¡± Perrin nodded. ¡°Let''s go downstairs now. It''s not just my birthday today, after all!¡± Lukas smiled and led Perrin down the stairs. Most of the guests were there already. Once Sophia and Alexander were downstairs, they went to Kylie and Kasper''s side. Even though it was a grand banquet that night, Kylie was the one who had organized everything; she did not get the other branch of the Dawson family to help out at all. Not too long ago, people in the social circle were talking about how the other branch of the Dawson family had a falling out with the Dawson family and that the Dawson family wanted to cut contact with members of the other branch of Dawson family. Even though Kylie did not get anyone to help her out today, and even though the other branch of the Dawson family was there as well, they were treated as guests. Everyone could see how things were, and after that night, many were going to look at the other branch of the Dawson family in a new light. Standing beneath the stage, Susan was close to crushing her teeth from gritting them as she stared at Sophia, who was by Kylie''s side. She never thought that Kylie would be this merciless. She had been by Kylie''s side for more than two years. Even if she were just a pet, Kylie would have still grown feelings for her. However, that night, Kylie did not even chat with her parents after they arrived. Initially, Susan wanted to use this opportunity to dismiss the rumors in the social circle, but when she went over to Kylie with a smile to offer her help, Kylie said, ¡°You''re a guest. How can I ask you to help us out?¡± Kylie''s response affirmed everyone''s guesses that the Dawson family had a falling out with the other branch of the family. Furthermore, the reason for the falling out was none other than Sophia, who had just been brought back into the family. Nevertheless, Susan''s fury was pointless, for, after that night, everyone was going to learn that Sophia was Perrin''s granddaughter. When Perrin and Lukas came down the stairs, the people who were chatting in the room fell silent. Perrin then took the microphone Kylie passed to him and smiled before starting, ¡°Actually, I have something important to announce today.¡± Right as Perrin said that, the discussion among the guests began again. Their topics revolved around Lukas and Sophia. However, both Sophia and Alexander were standing at the side, and Lukas, who was beside them, did not look annoyed at all. Hence, the guests wondered when the Dawsons had be such magnanimous people. Right in the middle of the discussion, Perrin''s voice traveled to every corner of the room. ¡°Everyone knows that our family lost a daughter over thirty years ago, but my wife and I have never once given up looking for my youngest daughter. s, fate is cruel, and my youngest daughter, Rachel, passed away in a car ident ten years ago.¡± The mention of Rachel seemed to put Perrin into a daze. His unfocused gaze was fixed in a spot a short distance away, and while no one knew what he was looking at, none said a word. After two seconds of pause, Perrin continued. ¡°Fortunately, Rachel was married and had a child before she passed away. Even though she''s no longer around, her daughter is still with us. Therefore, I''d like to introduce a person to all of you today. This is the daughter of my youngest daughter, Rachel¡ª Sophia Yarrow.¡± Chapter 368 Chapter 368 Right as Perrin''s words were out in the air, the crowd flew into an uproar. Many people had made guesses as to what Perrin was going to announce, but they were not expecting to hear him say that Sophia was one of the Dawsons and was Perrin''s biological granddaughter. ¡°Oh my god! Sophia''s so lucky! I can''t believe she''s Perrin''s biological granddaughter! The only grandchild they have was Lukas, so that means Sophia won''t need to worry about anything in life after being epted into the Dawson family!¡± ¡°She''s really too lucky! Now that she''s Perrin''s granddaughter, she''s definitely a match for Alexander. Alexander''s back together with her, and he''s even showing up here with her today. They are probably getting married soon! By then, Sophia will be part of the Xenos and Dawson families! She has truly hit the jackpot!¡± As the guests chattered away, Perrin nced at Sophia before giving her a loving smile. ¡°Sophia,e here. Say hello to everyone.¡± Kylie gently patted Sophia''s shoulder. ¡°Go on.¡± After a nce at Alexander, Sophia went up the stage and walked to Perrin''s side. ¡°Hello, I''m Sophia Yarrow.¡± Sophia had juste from the airport with Alexander, so the dress she was wearing was a casual champagne-colored dress that glittered under the lights. She was elegantly standing beside Perrin, and while the people were envious of her status, they had to admit that Sophia was simply too attractive. As a matter of fact, she bore some resemnce to Penelope. Many of the older people knew that the Dawson family had lost a daughter over thirty years ago, but the Dawsons did not continue looking for her in high profile after more than a decade. Hence, as time passed, the older people spoke lesser and lesser about the matter to the younger ones. Hence, many of the younger generations did not know about the incident. Still, even though many did not know the original story, none questioned Sophia''s identity after hearing Perrin''s announcement. Once the introduction of Sophia waspleted, Perrin was done with one of the two important tasks he had for the night. Meanwhile, when Sophia came back down from the stage, there were more people who paid attention to her. Nevertheless, Sophia grew up under the watchful eyes of most people, so she was used to the attention. Even after leaving the stage, she continued to have a small smile on her face as if she was unfazed by how she suddenly gained an identity that would make many envious. After the banquet, Sophia went back to the Dawson residence with Perrin and the others. As for Alexander, he had no choice but to stay in the hotel. Just a while after Sophia''s shower, she noticed several friend requests on WhatsApp. Sophia lifted her brow, but she neither epted them nor rejected them. Soon, she found out why she was getting that many requests. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Sophia did not know what Alexander had said to Perrin, but Perrin had asked Lukas to give her number to several young men from prestigious families. Clearly, Alexander''s chat with Perrin had not gone too well. Sophia''s trip there was a short one, and she had booked a flight back to Jadeborough at ten the next morning. Before she left, Perrin, who was standing by the doorway with a cane, said, ¡°I''ve asked Lukas to introduce a few excellent men to you. Do meet them even if you don''t like them. It''ll be good for you to be friends with them.¡± Sophia nced at Lukas, a little flustered. ¡°Got it, Granddad.¡± Perrin scoffed. ¡°I knew you were going to say this to me, and I know you''re not going to meet them. Don''t you try to fool me for I know their parents!¡± Sophia was exasperated. ¡°I''ll go and meet them, Granddad.¡± After a nce at the time, Lukas reminded Perrin, ¡°Grandpa, she only has one and a half hours left.¡± ¡°All right, send your cousin to the airport.¡± It was only then Sophia let out a sigh of relief. Lukas was surprisingly free that day, so he personally sent Sophia to the airport. Forty minutester, the car came to a stop. Lukas cocked his head to the side to look at her. ¡°Dillon isn''t anyone good, so be careful, okay?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°I will.¡± As she spoke, she opened the door. ¡°I''ll be going in now, Lukas.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lukas answered. He only drove off after watching Sophia enter the airport. By the time Sophia reached the security checkpoint, Alexander was already waiting for her there. The two of them traveled light the day before, so they did not have much to bring back as well. ¡°Let''s go,¡± Alexander said as he held her hand the moment she reached him. Looking at him, she smiled. ¡°What did you tell my grandfather yesterday?¡± Alexander lowered his head to look back at her. ¡°I''ll be honest with you.¡± And he did just that and shared with her how he saw the situation. Sophia huffed. ¡°Granddad asked Lukas to introduce a few young talented men to me.¡± Right as Sophia said that, Alexander''s grip on her hand tightened. ¡°What''s the point of getting to know them?¡± Alexander furrowed his brows, looking gloomy. ¡°But my granddad insisted that I have to meet them before I left the house this morning.¡± Alexander pursed his lips for a while before uttering, ¡°Just once.¡± Sophia could not help chuckling. ¡°I can''t guarantee that.¡± Fate was unpredictable, and coincidences happened. Meeting them only once was something she could not guarantee. However, just as those words left Sophia''s mouth, Alexander''s expression darkened. It was a rare sight for Sophia to see ever since they got back together. Amused, Sophia reached out to touch his furrowed brows, but he let go of his hand on her waist. In the next second, Alexander pulled her into his arms and wrapped an arm around his waist. ¡°What are¡ª¡± She could not finish her sentence before Alexander pecked a kiss on her lips. Right then, it was their turn at the security checkpoint, and the officer behind the window was looking at them as he said, ¡°Next.¡± It felt as if someone had lit Sophia''s face on fire. She red at Alexander before walking over to the counter with her ID card and flight ticket. It was exactly half-past twelve when the ne touched down at Jadeborough. Since the two of them had no check-in luggage, they headed straight out of the airport. Right as they reached the esctor, Sophia heard someone calling her name. Turning around, she realized it was a young man. ¡°Mister, are you asking for me?¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''m Chandler Shaw. We metst night.¡± Sophia soon recalled who he was. ¡°Oh, it''s you, Mr. Shaw. Hello.¡± Chandler gave her a smile before raking his gaze across Alexander. ¡°It has been a while, Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander gave Chandler an icy look. ¡°It has been a while, Mr. Shaw.¡± ¡°I have something to attend to, Ms. Yarrow, so let''s talk next time.¡± As if Chandler did not sense Alexander''s irritation, he waved his phone before leaving and said, ¡°By the way, Ms. Yarrow, please add me on WhatsApp.¡± Just as he said that, he walked off, leaving the scowling Alexander behind. Sophia was certain that Chandler was doing it on purpose. She turned to Alexander and chuckled. ¡°Is there something between you and Mr. Shaw?¡± ¡°Why does he have your number?¡± Sophia hummed. ¡°Lukas gave it to him.¡± Alexander, who had intended to settle the score with Chandler, was rendered speechless at that. Chapter 369 Chapter 369 In just one night, everyone in the upper-ss society in Jadeborough and Doveston found out that Sophia was Perrin''s granddaughter. The ones most stunned by the news were none other than the Xenoses. Dillon had been so certain that he was going to be the victor. He was sure that he would be able to kick Alexander out of Odyssey in no time, but now, Sophia turned out to be Perrin''s granddaughter. Anyone with some wits would know who Perrin Dawson was and what kind of family the Dawson family was. Dillon thought that Alexander had no one to back him up, but the tables turned when it was revealed that Sophia was Perrin''s granddaughter. The Dawson family had foundations in both the political and the corporate world. In the early years, Penelope umted a substantial amount of money for the Dawson family. Putting aside how the Dawson family''s business was still doing well¡ªeven if the Dawson family had gone bankrupt¡ªthe Dawsons could still survive on whatever wealth they had left for generations toe. If Dillon wanted to kick Alexander out of Odyssey, he needed to make sure that Alexander was not a Xenos; besides, he also needed money. Dillon knew that very well. Those old fers in Odyssey only looked at the money and nothing else. Furthermore, Alexander did manage Odyssey well enough to improve it in recent years. If those directors had been making money, they would surely want to make sure that money kept pouring in. Therefore, Dillon was livid when he heard the news. He immediately tossed his phone. Everyone in Jadeborough knew that Alexander had gotten back with Sophia. If he were to insist on kicking Alexander out of Odyssey, it would mean that he was making the Dawson family his enemy. Of course, other than Dillon''s fury in response to Sophia''s rtionship with the Dawson family, there were also Kristen and Thalia who were shocked and frightened by the news. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Kristen knew that she and Alexander were archenemies the moment the recording was uploaded online that night. If not for the uploaded recording, Kristen would not feel so fearful and regretful. After all, she thought that Alexander would stand no chance against them as Dillon gradually forced Alexander out of Odyssey. Yet, the tides had changed. Sophia was no longer an ordinary woman; she was now Perrin Dawson''s granddaughter. She was rich and powerful. Kristen had lived long enough to master the skill of analyzing the situation. Unfortunately, she had gone all out against Alexander earlier on, and it was toote for her to regret her decision. Everything that happened in the past six months was more than enough to show everyone Alexander was not someone who should be easily crossed, but she had still done it nheless. Meanwhile, ever since Thalia was kicked out of the Xenos family, she had been going through all the ups and downs in life. She thought that she was going to get back her old identity, but now, Sophia was turning out to be a massive backup for Alexander. ¡°Mom, what do we do now?¡± ¡°What can we do? We''ve already had a falling out with Alexander. Even if we beg for his forgiveness now, he won''t forgive us!¡± Thalia pursed her lips. When she thought about how cruel and heartless Alexander could be, she turned a few shades paler. ¡°How did Sophia end up being one of the Dawsons?¡± ¡°How would I know? If Sophia''s really a part of the Dawson family, we might lose against Alexander if we keep fighting him.¡± Thalia bit her lower lip as chills ran down her spine. A thought popped into her head, and she said, ¡°Mom, what if Sophia''s not part of the Dawson family?¡± Kristen froze before turning to Thalia. ¡°What are you nning to do? If Sophia isn''t part of the Dawson family, the Dawsons naturally won''t care about Alexander''s problems. If the Dawsons aren''t going to intervene in this, Alexander won''t be able to hold his ground for long.¡± At that point, Kristen suddenlyughed. ¡°Dillon has been running thepany for so many years. There''s no way Alexander''s going to win against him!¡± Of course, her statement was based on the condition that Alexander did not have help. Thalia hesitated for a second before leaning closer to Kristen to whisper a n to her. Before Sophia boarded the ne, she had taken two calls. One was from Horatius, and the other was from Charlize. Without a doubt, the two were calling to ask about the announcement of her identity the night before. Right as Sophia came out of the airport, she received another call. This time, it was Yvonne. Yvonne knew that she had juste out of the ne at that time, so she would definitely not call her unless she had something urgent. Sophia gave Alexander a nce and said, ¡°I''m going to pick up a call.¡± With that, she walked to a quieter spot and answered the call. ¡°Ms. Leighton?¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Lowering her head to stare at the tip of her shoes, Sophia smiled and asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Dillon called me this morning.¡± At that, Sophia raised a brow. ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He said he wishes to meet you and that he has a coboration he would like to discuss with you.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°He''s a fast one, isn''t he?¡± She wondered if Dillon would explode in fury if he were to find out that the one he was looking for help from was actually her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, do you want to meet him?¡± Sophia glimpsed at Alexander and chuckled. ¡°How boring it will be if I meet him now, so no.¡± Yvonne understood what Sophia meant immediately. ¡°Of course. I understand, Ms. Yarrow.¡± After ending the call, Sophia arched a brow at Alexander and said, ¡°Dillon called Ms. Leighton.¡± There was no look of surprise on Alexander''s face. He had expected Dillon to go to Sunshine Group, for he knew that Dillon did not have much money. ¡°What conditions did he list?¡± ¡°None. I don''t want to meet him now.¡± Isn''t Dillon confident that he''ll win? I''d like to see what he''s going to use to win! It''ll be boring if I show up now, so I''ll wait. Once Dillon loses, I''ll present myself as the mastermind. That''ll be brilliant. Yes, I am so kind and understanding. Alexander knew what Sophia was thinking about. He took her hand and gently brushed his finger on the back of her hand as he looked at her dottingly. ¡°As long as you''re happy.¡± Sophia''s face heated up, and she averted her gaze. ¡°Where''s the driver?¡± Right as those words were out of her mouth, a ck Bentley drove over and stopped in front of them. The driver came out of the car and ran over to them. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow, I''m sorry. There was some traffic congestion, so I''m a littlete.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°It''s fine.¡± With that, she hunched over to enter the car through the door Alexander opened for her. By the time they returned to the mansion, it was already past one o''clock. Just as Sophia changed into fresh clothes and went downstairs, she heard Alexander on a call. It seemed like it was a call with Felix. Sophia walked over to sit on the couch. She then noticed a ss of warm water on the coffee table, which was filled for her by Alexander. Sophia picked up the ss. As she drank the water, she watched Alexander, who was by the windowsill. The light filtered through the window and cast a glowing nket on him, taking away much of his iciness. Seemingly sensing her gaze, Alexander turned to look at her. Sophia cocked a brow and mouthed, Why are you looking at me? Chapter 370 Chapter 370 Alexander arched an eyebrow as he cut Felix off, ¡°Got it. Continue to keep an eye on things.¡± He then hung up the phone immediately after and walked up to Sophia. The couch sank a little when Alexander sat down on it. ¡°That was quite a short phone call you had.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Alexander replied as he put his phone on the table next to them. He then reached out to caress her face and traced his finger along her eyebrow. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Sophia asked in confusion. ¡°No,¡± Alexander said while leaning in close to Sophia. With their faces being mere centimeters away from each other, Sophia was able to feel his breath on her cheek. It felt warm and tickled a little. Sophia arched an eyebrow at him in amusement. ¡°What are you doing, then?¡± ¡°What was it you asked me just now?¡± ¡°I asked you why you were looking at me.¡± ¡°Oh, it''s because you look great.¡± Sophia let out a chuckle when she heard that. ¡°Where did you learn to talk like that, Alexander?¡± Alexander shed her an affectionate smile as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in for a deep and passionate kiss. Sophia moaned as she gripped the sides of his shirt tightly in response. The room was filled with the sounds of their increasingly rapid breathing as he lifted her shirt and fondled her breasts. As Alexander continued to explore her body with his hands, Sophia found herself feeling hotter and hotter. Alexander was a natural when it came to such things, especially since it wasn''t his first time kissing her. Sophia felt as though she was lying in a tub of warm water as their bodies were pressed tightly against each other. It wasn''t until the doorbell rang muchter that Alexander halted his barrage of kisses. Sophia was still panting heavily as she rested her head against his shoulder. Her face burned bright red when she saw him swallowing hard to calm himself down. ¡°Is it the deliveryman bringing us lunch?¡± she asked while averting her gaze. Alexander nced at her rosy red lips and fought the urge to kiss them again as he replied, ¡°Yeah. I''ll go get the door.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia grabbed the ss of water from the table and sipped on it as she watched him head down the stairs. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Alexander returned momentster with the food. He had Felix arrange for food to be delivered to the mansion since they had just returned from the airport not long ago. Given how the food had arrived so quickly, Sophia couldn''t help but be impressed with Felix''s level of efficiency. As the dishes were chosen based on Sophia and Alexander''s preferences, it was only normal that they would find the food to their liking. Alexander had a meeting in the afternoon, and Sophia needed to make a trip back to Sunshine Group as well, so the two headed out shortly after lunch. Sophia had just settled down at her desk when Yvonne came in through the door, ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Hmm? What is it, Ms. Leighton?¡± Sophia asked with a smile. ¡°Dillon called again. He wants to see you.¡± Sophia arched an eyebrow when she saw the conflicted look on Yvonne''s face. ¡°He did more than just call you, did he?¡± ¡°His assistant is already waiting downstairs. Dillon knows we have an important meeting today. I''m sure he''lle over shortly,¡± Yvonne replied awkwardly. Sophia let out a chuckle. ¡°That''s fine. Just keep them waiting, then.¡± Yvonne nodded when she understood what Sophia meant. ¡°Understood, Ms. Yarrow.¡± She then stepped out of Sophia''s office and returned to her desk. The meeting started at three in the afternoon and ended at around five in the evening. Sophia and Yvonne had just stepped out of the conference room when thetter''s assistant, Belinda Sarde, approached them with an awkward look on her face. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Leighton.¡± ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Sophia asked with a gentle smile. She rarely showed her cold side to her subordinates, which made them feel all the more guilty whenever they brought her bad news. ¡°It''s all my fault, Ms. Yarrow. I was unable to stop Dillon and his assistant in time. They''re currently waiting inside our reception room,¡± Belinda replied apologetically. Sophia clicked her tongue in annoyance. ¡°Does Dillon''s shamelessness know no bounds?¡± Yvonne then motioned to Belinda to head back downstairs. Belinda hesitated and shifted her gaze between Yvonne and Sophia. ¡°Go wait for us downstairs. We''ll be there in a minute,¡± Sophia said. She then paused briefly before continuing, ¡°You didn''t tell them about my rtionship with Sunshine Group, right?¡± Not many of the employees in Sunshine Group knew about Sophia and Suny being the same person. Only those in the higher levels of management like Yvonne and major shareholders like Ron were aware of Suny''s true identity. Had Belinda not been Yvonne''s assistant, she wouldn''t have known about it either. One of Sunshine Group''s unwritten rules was to keep Suny''s identity a secret. Having worked under Yvonne for three years, Belinda knew it was something to be kept a secret. ¡°No, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nodded and said with a smile, ¡°All right, then. Just try to rx and go get the refreshments ready downstairs.¡± It would be rude not to wee their guests, after all. Meanwhile, Dillon was getting a little fidgety as he waited downstairs. Suny of Sunshine Group had always remained a mystery even though thepany had been around for seven years. Only a select few knew about Suny''s true identity, and the ones who knew were very good at keeping it a secret. Dillon had tasked someone with investigating Suny two years ago in hopes of establishing a business partnership. However, his attempts at investigating Suny had all ended in failure. Since Suny would asionally show up at Sunshine Group''s internal meetings, Dillon pulled some strings and found out that Suny was present in the office that day. With no other choice left, Dillon took a risk and came over to try and catch Suny in person. He was well aware that his sudden visit might offend Suny and screw everything up, but he believed that Suny would not be able to resist the temptation of a hugepany like Odyssey. Dillon''s eyes lit up with excitement when the door to the reception room opened. He was about to stand up and greet the person, only to realize that it was Belinda bringing in some refreshments. ¡°Here you go, Mr. Xenos. Have some coffee.¡± Dillon was in no mood for coffee at the time. ¡°Is Suny still in a meeting?¡± Belinda shook her head. ¡°I''m not too sure about that. You can head on back if you''re busy, Mr. Xenos. I will inform Ms. Leighton about it.¡± Dillon shot Belinda a nce before replying, ¡°Oh, it''s fine. I was just asking, that''s all.¡± Dillon was not about to leave until he met Suny in person. Sophia and Yvonne headed straight for the reception room after stepping out of the elevator. She was able to see Dillon from about seven to eight meters away. With her eyebrow arched, Sophia entered the reception room. ¡°Hello, Mr. Xenos. I hear you wanted to see Suny.¡± The look on Dillon''s face changed the moment he saw Sophia. ¡°Huh? What are you doing here?¡± Sophia shed him a smile as she replied, ¡°I''m Suny''s assistant, so it''s only normal for me to be here.¡± As Dillon was unaware of that, his expression grew tense when he heard what she said. ¡°I came here to see Suny, Ms. Yarrow.¡± As though he were dissatisfied with Sophia''s attitude, Dillon turned toward Yvonne and repeated his request, ¡°Ms. Leighton, I came here today to meet Suny.¡± Sophia''s lips curled into a faint smile as she sat down on the couch in front of him. ¡°Suny has already left as he still has other business to attend to, Mr. Xenos. He said you could leave your message with me instead. Rest assured that I have the authority to make ny percent of his decisions for him.¡± ¡°I don''t want to deal with you! I want to see Suny! Don''t think for a second that I don''t know what you''re ying at, Sophia! I have a huge project worth tens of billions that I''m going to work with Suny on! You can''t possibly be authorized to make that decision!¡± ¡°Suny has told me that I am authorized to make those decisions for him. What project are you referring to, Mr. Xenos? Tens of billions is quite a huge sum,¡± Sophia replied calmly. Dillon went livid with rage. ¡°You... You are not qualified to make deals with me!¡± Yvonne had wanted to say something, but Sophia shot her a warning nce and motioned to her to keep quiet. Sophia then leaned back against the couch and sipped on a cup of coffee as she said casually, ¡°That''s a shame, then. It looks like we won''t be having a deal, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°Don''t give me that crap, Sophia! You''re just an assistant! Stop pretending to be someone you''re not! I''ll have you know that¡ª¡± The smile on Sophia''s face vanished as she asked Yvonne, ¡°Ms. Leighton, am I pretending to be someone I''m not?¡± Yvonne stared coldly at Dillon as she said, ¡°Mr. Xenos, you''ve angered Suny by barging in without a prior appointment. To make matters worse, you''ve just insulted Ms. Yarrow, whom Suny values greatly. It would make no difference if Suny were to meet you in person because he wouldn''t ept your deal anyway. Please¡ª¡± Chapter 371 Chapter 371 Dillonpletely disregarded Sophia''s words. He assumed she was just an assistant, nothing else. Sophia was a housewife after she married Alexander, and they eventually divorced just a year and a half ago. Thus, it seemed imusible to Dillon that she had the ability to sessfully win over Suny''s approval in such a short amount of time. However, Yvonne was different. Everyone in the industry was familiar with the fact that she was Suny''s secretary and had been ever since thepany was founded. Dillon could be dismissive of Sophia and anyone else, but not Yvonne. As it became clear that Yvonne was eager to have him leave, Dillon''s expression turned awkward. Despite this, he was aware that he had to see Suny today. If he were to leave without meeting Suny, there was no telling when he would be able to meet thetter next time. He couldn''t afford to wait that long. Dillon gazed at Yvonne and offered her a sheepish smile. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Leighton. I only came upstairs as there''s something urgent that I need to attend to. I was hoping that you could help me out by notifying Suny about my arrival.¡± However, Yvonne stood still, her face devoid of any expression. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I believe you know that you should apologize to Ms. Yarrow instead of me. Suny has made it clear that Ms. Yarrow is the second-inmand of thepany and has the right to make almost all of the decisions at the company before informing Suny. using Ms. Yarrow of being something that she is not is an insult. As Suny''swyer and Ms. Yarrow''s colleague, I strongly rmend that you apologize to her.¡± Yvonne had been employed by Sophia for a lengthy period of time, so she knew how to act in Sophia''s favor. Dillon held Alexander in contempt, but his disdain for Sophia was even more severe. Despite the fact that Sophia was the granddaughter of Perrin, Dillon still felt that she was not as important to the Dawson family as Lukas. He could not bring himself to apologize to Sophia. After all, he was already in his sixties, and he was afraid that people might ridicule him for fearing a young woman. He could not bear the thought of being a subject of mockery. Dillon refused to apologize, instead shifting the conversation to his need for an audience with Suny. ¡°Ms. Leighton, I have an important project to discuss with Suny, and I believe he''ll be interested in it,¡± he said, his tone indicating his urgency. ¡°Could you tell me when he''s free? Yvonne stole a nce at Sophia before responding coolly, ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow is the only person in ourpany who is allowed to contact Suny anytime she wants. You should ask her when Suny is free to discuss the project with you.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Beside them, Sophia''s lips curled into a smirk when she heard Yvonne lying through her teeth. Dillon happened to turn his gaze toward Sophia, and when he did, he noticed her smirk. His expression instantly turned grim as he was convinced that she was mocking him in some way. If this had happened in the past, Dillon would''veshed out at her. Despite the fact that Dillon very much disliked her, he was aware that he had to restrain himself from raising his voice at her here in thepany. s, he couldn''t bring himself to give in and apologize to her, either. Right then, Ron, who rarely made an appearance at thepany, showed up to talk to Sophia. He was surprised to see Dillon there. Ron was smart. He knew Sophia didn''t want to expose her identity. He also knew why Dillon was here to talk to Suny. It only took him one nce to realize that their discussion wasn''t going well. To be exact, it was clearly Dillon who was unhappy at not getting what he came for. Ron had been employed by Sophia for many years, and he never once saw Sophia getting worked up over anyone. Dillon''s awkward expression transformed into pure delight the second heid eyes on Ron. Although it was not possible for him to meet Suny today, his visit was not a wasted effort, as he was able to see Ron. Dillon promptly ignored Yvonne and Sophia. They were adamant in their resolve, so he saw no purpose in trying to change their minds. He turned to Ron and greeted warmly, ¡°Mr. Murphy, long time no see!¡± ¡°Yes, it''s been a while since west met, Mr. Xenos,¡± Ron replied off-handedly. Dillon used to be treated with respect when he worked at Odyssey, but everyone in his social circle knew about his retirement. Alexander and Sophia''s rtionship was no secret, and Sophia was also Perrin''s granddaughter. Ron was a smart man who was acutely aware of who he should side with. In Ron''s opinion, Dillon was foolish to think he was capable enough to defeat Alexander. However, Ron was mindful to not burn bridges with Dillon. He was uncertain of what the man might be capable of in the future, and so he inquired, ¡°Mr. Xenos, what brings you here today?¡± Dillon initially felt a wave of annoyance wash over him when he observed Ron''s off-handed attitude toward him, yet upon realizing that Ron had been more polite to him than Sophia and Yvonne, he allowed himself to rx. He dered, ¡°I''d like to propose a joint venture with yourpany.¡± Ron immediately realized what project he was talking about. He shed a smile and responded, ¡°The best person to speak to about that would be Ms. Yarrow. Suny granted Ms. Yarrow the full authority to make all decisions on behalf of the organization.¡± Dillon paled visibly at his words. Yvonne''s hurtful words were like a p in his face, and now Ron''s words had pierced his heart deeply. Ron was telling him that Sophia called the shots in Sunshine Group now, so it was pointless for him to try to butter Ron up. ¡°Mr. Xenos is here on official business, so I''ll leave you all to have a private conversation. We can catch up some other time!¡± Ron told Sophia with a grin. With that, he waved at them and left. Refusing to give up, Dillon called out, ¡°Mr. Murphy, shall we talk? Mr. Murphy!¡± Ron left without looking back as though his words had fallen on deaf ears. Sophia had had enough of Dillon, and she was no longer willing to waste her time on him. Fixing her gaze on Dillon, she said cheerily, ¡°Mr. Xenos, I need to get back to work. If there''s nothing else, please take your leave.'' Dillon''s expression shifted dramatically. A whileter, he clenched his jaw and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I was ignorant earlier. Please don''t take it to heart. I understand that my age can sometimes make me forgetful and slow, and I''m not always very articte with my words.¡± Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I do not believe that I am deserving of your apology.¡± She then turned to Yvonne. ¡°Ms. Leighton, please escort Mr. Xenos out. I need to head in to report my work progress to Suny.¡± Knowing Sophia wanted Dillon out, Yvonne walked over to him. ¡°Mr. Xenos, this way please.¡± Dillon''s body quivered with rage as he red at Sophia with a menacing expression. Sophia''sposure remained unfazed as she returned to her desk and opened a file. Without so much as a nce in his direction, she wordlessly attended to her task. Yvonne parted her lips again. ¡°Mr. Xenos, this way please,¡± she repeated. Knowing his visit was in vain, Dillon had no choice but to leave. Outside Sunshine Group, Dillon''s secretary told him, ¡°Mr. Xenos, isn''t that Mr. Murphy?¡± Dillon frowned and shifted his gaze toward the direction his secretary was indicating. Indeed, he saw Ron exiting the premises of Sunshine Group. Delight crossed Dillon''s face as he hurried over to Ron. ¡°Mr. Murphy, I''d like to discuss a business deal with you.¡± Ron had no idea he''d bump into Dillon again. He greeted thetter politely, although inwardly he was cursing his luck. ¡°Mr. Xenos, please don''t say that. I''m just a shareholder with no power at Sunshine Group. You should talk to Suny regarding that business deal.¡± Dillon asked softly, ¡°Wouldn''t you like to be the one making the decisions in Sunshine Group?¡± ¡°I''m used to leading a carefree life. Suny does an admirable job of managing Sunshine Group, right? I''m not that ambitious, so you''ve got the wrong person, Mr. Xenos. Please excuse me.¡± Ron had no intention of taking away Sophia''s position at Sunshine Group due to her close connection with the Dawson family. He was well aware of how well she was doing in running the business and had no desire to interfere. Moreover, even if he desired to assume her role, hecked the necessary skills and experience to run thepany. Ron knew his ce. In stark contrast, Dillon was sadlycking in insight, failing toprehend his circumstances despite his age and experience. After walking away, Ron snorted icily. Chapter 372 Chapter 372 s, Dillon thought Roncked insight instead. He stood still and watched as Ron hurried away. Narrowing his eyes, he sneered, ¡°What a useless man. You let Sophia get away with treating you like dirt without fighting back.¡± Dillon cursed angrily for a few moments before marching back to his car with his secretary to leave Sunshine Group. Not long after Dillon left, Sophia received a call from Alexander. She paused in her work and got up to head to the window. Downstairs, she saw Dillon''s car driving away. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Did Dillone to yourpany to talk to you?¡± ¡°He didn''te for me. He demanded to talk to Suny.¡± Hearing that, Alexander raised his brow. ¡°Did he make things difficult for you?¡± Sophia chuckled in response. ¡°Not many people are capable of making life difficult for me.¡± Alexander pondered over her answer before changing the topic. ¡°What would you like for dinner?¡± After giving it some thought, Sophia asked, ¡°Will you get mad if I said anything is fine?¡± She couldn''t decide what to eat for dinner. ¡°Of course not. I''ll decide, then.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Are you done? Should Ie pick you up now?¡± Sophia tilted her head and agreed, ¡°Sure.¡± Dillon had taken up some of her time, and it was already half past five. It would be six by the time she finished reading this file, just in time for dinner. After Sophia signed the document, Alexander called to inform her that he was downstairs. Sophia hung up, packed her stuff, and left her office. On the way out, she bumped into Yvonne. ¡°Dillon might be up to something, so it''s important to keep a close watch on him,¡± she reminded. Yvonne nodded. ¡°Okay, got it.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°You should get off work earlier today.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Yvonne knew that Sophia meant her words. A smile nudged Sophia''s lips as she strutted into the elevator in her high heels. It was still bright at this hour. As soon as Sophia stepped outside, she noticed Alexander standing beside his car. As the clock struck six, many employees began to pour out of the building. Many female employees cast admiring nces in Alexander''s direction as they walked past him. His tall figure looked especially handsome in his suit. Sophia hurried over to him. When she came closer, Alexander reached out to take her hand. Some passers-by initially wanted to get Sophia''s number but dismissed that thought when they saw that sight. Sophia and Alexander looked like a match made in heaven that no one could bring themselves toe between them. ncing at him, Sophia asked, ¡°Are you not busy?¡± After they started dating, Alexander''s previously packed diary was immediately freed up. It seemed that he had more free time to spare than she did, which was quite remarkable considering how full his calendar had been before. ¡°Nope,¡± came Alexander''s reply as he opened the door, gesturing for her to get in. Sophia got into the passenger seat. Instead of leaving, Alexander helped her put on the seatbelt before finally making his way over to the driver''s side. Sophia raised her eyebrows and tilted her head inquisitively. ¡°What are we having for dinner?¡± ¡°Ferropenian cuisine.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Sophia responded cheerfully as she nced at the traffic before them. Soon, the car drove away from the office building. The Ferropenian restaurant wasn''t located in the city center, so it was obvious that Felix had picked this ce. There was a table reserved for them. When they arrived, a server led them to their table. The restaurant was a sight to behold with its sophisticated elegance. There was a grand white piano on the stage, and a man dressed in a white suit was providing the perfect apaniment to the evening by ying a beautiful piano piece. After ordering a few Ferropenian dishes that she was familiar with, Sophia began to fill Alexander in on the details of how she toyed with Dillon earlier. Alexander noticed the mischievous look in her eyes, and his gaze softened. ¡°If he shows up another time, just have him kicked out.¡± Sophia was surprised to hear that. ¡°Isn''t that considered rude?¡± I''m not a rude person. Alexander cracked a smile, which was rare for him. ¡°Up to you, then.¡± They were chatting pleasantly when someone called Sophia''s name. Sophia spun around to face the source of the voice, and when she saw it was Chandler, a smile nudged her lips. ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Shaw.¡± ¡°Yes, fancy running into you here, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Chandler then turned his attention to Alexander. ¡°Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander''s expression turned icy. ¡°Mr. Shaw, don''t make your friend wait too long.¡± Chandler raised a brow but didn''tment on that. ¡°I''ll take my leave now. We''ll chat another time.¡± Sophia inclined her head. ¡°Sure.¡± After Chandler left, Sophia regarded Alexander and burst out giggling. ¡°Alexander, do you like being jealous?¡± Alexander nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes.¡± Sophia had no idea he''d be this honest. ¡°But I think I should be the one getting jealous.¡± Alexander was taken aback by her answer. ¡°How so?¡± Sophia harrumphed. ¡°Chandler was obviously here for you.¡± Chandler was clearly teasing Alexander during both encounters. Alexander frowned slightly. ¡°I''m not close to him.¡± Sophia immediately caught the main point in his answer. ¡°You are not close to him, but that doesn''t mean you don''t know him at all.¡± Right then, the appetizer was served, so Alexander didn''t provide her with an answer. Sophia gave him an amused look and fell silent. After dinner, they left the restaurant. This time, they didn''t bump into Chandler. The sky was getting dark as it was past seven in the evening. N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner. Sophia looked up at the night sky and remembered that there was a light show taking ce nearby. She asked, ¡°There is a light show at Gen Square. Do you want to check it out?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Alexander was not the most perceptive of people, but he was smart enough toply with whatever Sophia proposed. The square was quite crowded due to the spectacr light show that was going on. Finding a parking spot was difficult, and it took them a while to locate one close to a residential area that was approximately one kilometer away from the square. The residential area was tranquil, despite the steady stream of people making their way home. They were strolling along the street when a young couple approached them. The young couple, both dressed in their school uniforms, came to a sudden halt as the girl noticed Alexander and Sophia. The boy gave the girl an awkward tug. ¡°Stop staring. They are looking at you.¡± The girl jolted out of her reverie, and her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. When both couples walked past each other, the girl couldn''t help but steal another nce at them both. Sophia spun around on her heels, practically yanking Alexander along with her as she trailed behind the young couple. She kept her distance, not wanting to intrude on their conversation, but still close enough to hear what was being said. She heard the girl remark, ¡°Isn''t the couple good-looking? They look like they could be celebrities.¡± ¡°Even if they are good-looking, you shouldn''t stare at them. They were looking at you!¡± ¡°I can''t help it! Thatdy was really gorgeous. You like gorgeousdies too, right? Her legs were so long and slender. Oh, I admire her. I wish I could be half as elegant as her.¡± ¡°What a fool!¡± the boy chided as he knocked the girl''s head. The girl held her head and gave him an aggrieved look. ¡°Why did you hit me?¡± ¡°Because you''re a fool!¡± ¡°How am I a fool?¡± ¡°If you''re not a fool, you wouldn''t ask me that question.¡± ¡°Do you like prettydies like her, then?¡± Sophia halted in her tracks and stopped following them. The young couple slowly walked away, but from several meters away, they could still hear the boy saying, ¡°You''re the only person I like! I don''t like her...¡± They soon disappeared from sight. Sophia tutted and turned around, only to realize that Alexander was staring at her. Before she could say a word, he announced, ¡°You''re the only person I like, too.¡± Chapter 373 Chapter 373 Sophia gazed at him and clicked her tongue. ¡°You learn quite fast, huh?¡± Alexander reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°I mean what I say.¡± Sophia''s lips curled into an alluring smile. ¡°All right. Let''s go watch the light show.¡± She was uncertain if he meant it, but he was taking every opportunity to flirt with her. It was the first light show in Jadeborough this year, so the square was packed. Sophia looked at the crowd and turned to Alexander, asking, ¡°Do you want to squeeze into that crowd?¡± ¡°Do you?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The weather was scorching hot, and the square was filled with people as far as the eye could see. The pungent smell of sweat was so overpowering it was enough to make her turn away in disgust. Sophia opted to notplicate matters for herself, selecting a location that was a distance from the square but still afforded them a good view of the spectacr light show. The light show started at eight sharp. It had taken them twenty minutes to walk to the square from their parking spot. As such, when they arrived at the venue, the light show began a few minutester. Sophia had never before witnessed a light show and was dazzled by the extraordinary sight before her. Of course, what mattered most was the person who apanied her. It was the first time they had joined such an ordinary event. Most of the spectators tonight were couples, making it an especially romantic evening as the light show''s theme was Valentine''s Day. When the red hearts fluttered down from the sky, many couples embraced and kissed each other passionately. Sophia felt her cheeks heating up when she noticed the kissing couples not far away from her. Without warning, Alexander hugged her from behind. Sophia''s cheeks immediately turned crimson red. Alexander''s hoarse voice rang in her ear, ¡°I love you, Sophia.¡± His heated breath fanned her cheek, causing her body to grow hotter. Every inch of her felt alive with an uncontroble burning sensation, as if her heart had been set on fire. Sophia turned slightly to gaze at him and grinned. ¡°What a coincidence. I love you too, Alexander.¡± Hearing that, the man tightened his arms around her, and they watched the dazzling lights silently. The light show was supposed tost for one hour and thirty minutes, but Sophia and Alexander left after half an hour. As they departed earlier than expected, they were fortunate enough to avoid any traffic and arrived at the mansion at nine-twenty. It was still a weekday tomorrow, so Sophia went upstairs to shower right after arriving home. Alexander received a call from Lukas that came as a surprise to him. Arching a brow, he greeted, ¡°Mr. Dawson?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lukas answered at the other end of the line. He quickly exined the purpose of his call. ¡°Old Mrs. Sharp came to us with ady and her daughter. She imed Sophia''s mother isn''t my aunt.¡± Alexander immediately realized what he meant. ¡°Old Mrs. Sharp recently came to ask Sophia for money.¡± Not too long ago, Delh had used her granddaughter of being unfilial and disrespectful, but now she went to the Dawson residence with ady and her daughter to tell the Dawson family that Rachel was not their daughter who had been abducted at a young age. It was clear that her words could not be taken at face value. ¡°Okay.¡± Lukas added, ¡°I discovered that Thalia met Old Mrs. Sharp a while ago.¡± Alexander''s gaze turned dark. ¡°Got it.¡± No wonder Lukas took the initiative to call me when he doesn''t like me at all. It turns out the matter is rted to Thalia. After stepping out of the shower, Sophia noticed Alexander was still on the phone. She cocked a brow and went downstairs to get two sses of water. When she returned, Alexander had just hung up. Sophia handed one ss of water to him and asked in a cheery tone, ¡°That call was quite long, huh?¡± Alexander turned to her and, with a serious expression on his face, began to rte the conversation he had had with Lukas. ¡°I''ve already told Felix to handle the matter.¡± Thalia''s involvement meant that Kristen and Dillon were both involved in the situation as well. They seemed to be targeting Sophia, but their actual target was Alexander. Sophia remarked, ¡°It looks like Dillon is getting desperate.¡± I can''t believe he had the guts to target me. Has the Dawson family kept too low a profile these few years? Or does Dillon think that the Dawson family won''t defend me as I only reunited with them a while ago? Alexander gulped down the water. ¡°I''ll go shower now.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. ¡°Okay.¡± The following morning, Yvonne''s call came in right after Sophia washed up. It had been an eternity since Yvonnest phoned her in the early hours of the morning, and Sophia couldn''t help but recall the conversation she had with Alexander the night before. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Leighton.¡± ¡°Good morning, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne hesitated for a moment before adding, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, there has been a rumor spreading around the Inte sincest night about you and the Dawson family.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°What rumor?¡± It looks like I''m right. ¡°Last night, Old Mrs. Sharp posted a video along with a mother and daughter duo...¡± The video was posted at midnight. It was immediately reposted by several official ounts and quickly gained traction. In the video, Delh, Rachel''s adoptive mother, appeared with a mother-daughter duo. She was ovee with emotion andined that Sophia was taking on the identity of the mother-daughter pair. Delh exined that she had not bought Rachel but instead obtained her from a rtive back then. This was amon practice during that era when families did not have the means to care for their children and would give them away to their rtives. Delh even provided a recording of Rachel''s ¡°birth mother¡± as further proof of her story. All evidence in the video pointed to Rachel not being the Dawson family''s daughter who went missing back then, so naturally, Sophia wasn''t Perrin''s granddaughter. Once the video was exposed, everyone used Sophia of iming someone else''s identity in order to be part of a wealthy family. Yvonne was already fast asleep, unaware of the incident that had broken out past midnight. It was only when she awoke in the morning and read the message from her assistant that she was made aware of the situation. Knowing Sophia''s schedule, she waited until Sophia was awake before making the call. Sophia found the situation funny. ¡°Ignore the matter for now.¡± It would be very difficult to disguise the truth and turn a false statement into a fact. As usual, Delh was willing to do anything if it meant making money, even if she had to distort the truth. She was just a foolish elderly woman from the vige, and it had always been an effortless task for Sophia to get her to sumb. On this asion, it was simrly effortless for Sophia to teach her a lesson. Sophia was mischievous enough to stop Yvonne from interfering now. Dillon should be feeling smug now, huh? I''ll give him some time to bask in his sense of aplishment and think that his sess is ensured. But soon enough, he will find out what it is like to abruptly and unexpectedly tumble from a position of great power and privilege. Now that is interesting. Chapter 374 Chapter 374 Sophia went downstairs after ending the call. By then, Alexander had made breakfast. When Sophia walked to him, he passed her a ss of warm water. ¡°Thank you.¡± Alexander nced at her. ¡°Do you know about the video Old Mrs. Sharp postedst night?¡± Sophia took a sip of her warm water and nodded. ¡°I just received a call from Ms. Leighton.¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Alexander muttered before reaching out to touch her cheek. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Alexander was definitely going to find out what Sophia was nning to do. Sophia smiled and revealed to him the thoughts in her mind. ¡°Regardless of whether it''s Kristen or Dillon, the two of them must think that they can stop the Dawson family from helping you by doing this. We''ll go along with their assumptions, then.¡± Anyway, it was not as though Alexander needed the Dawson family''s help with how capable he was. Kristen and Dillon had to be fearful and desperate to have used such lowly tricks. Their actions also meant that they were not confident. ¡°As you wish.¡± It was something easy for Alexander to do. All he needed was to give an order, and Felix would deal with it immediately. However, since Sophia was keen to watch a show, a show was what he was going to give to her to make her happy. Sophia''s ears heated up when she noticed his stare, and she quickly turned away by drinking the water. ¡°Time to eat breakfast now.¡± Alexander nced at her and quirked his brow, but he did not say anything about Sophia''s obvious shyness. After breakfast, the two of them went to the office. Sophia had a meeting that day. Perhaps Dillon''s incident the day before served as a warning for Ron, for the shrewd Ron did not protest against any of Sophia''s decisions that day. Right as Sophia came out of the conference room, Belinda rushed over to her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Leighton.¡± Sophia lifted a brow and gave Belinda a smile. ¡°Calm down and tell me what happened.¡± Belinda turned red in the face at Sophia''s smile, for she realized she was being a little too anxious. After taking a deep breath to rpose herself, she informed, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, there is arge group of reporters downstairs, and they''re saying that they want to meet you. Also, Jadeborough Evening News'' reporters came right up with their press passes.¡± Sophia lifted her brows. ¡°They came right up?¡± Belinda nodded. That was why she had been in such a rush to get to Sophia. Sophia scoffed. ¡°It looks like Jadeborough Evening News is desperate to earn some cash.¡± It was rare for Yvonne to see Sophia''s icy look. Hence, she knew that Sophia was truly angry when she saw the fading of thetter''s smile. ncing at Belinda, she then said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''ll get the security up here.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Look into what Jadeborough Evening News has been doingtely, too. Let their editor-in-chief see what his reporters have been doing.¡± Although Sophia was not as much of a gossipmonger as Katherine, she still knew most of the things she needed to know. There had been many reported incidents involving Jadeborough Evening News in the first half of the year, and those incidents had all left records on the inte. Jadeborough Evening News did not seem to care much about its reputation and was willing to do anything for the sake of poprity. Hence, Sophia did not mind lending them a helping hand and making them trend on the inte. Yvonne hastily nodded in response. ¡°I got it, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia then turned to Yvonne and said, ¡°I''ll be going back first. Do deal with the reporters downstairs.¡± Although Sophia wanted to watch Dillon embarrass himself, it did not mean that she enjoyed others disrupting her schedule. As for her anger... Technically, she was not angry. Coincidentally, Katherine was free that day. After exiting Sunshine Group, Sophia went straight to the kebab shop Katherine had rmended. It was a weekday, so the shop was not crowded. Katherine had recently filmed a promotional video, so she had been quite poprtely. Therefore, she had to fully cover herself up before leaving her house. Katherine spotted Sophia from afar, and she waved at her friend. Sophia smiled and walked toward her. ¡°Hi, Ms. Famous. It''s been a while.¡± ¡°Look at the tears in my eyes! Soph, did you miss me?¡± Sure enough, it had been some time since the two met up. Katherine''s schedule was packed previously, and she even took on an advertising job from a famed brand. She had just gone to Epea the week before for the filming. Right as Sophia took her seat, Katherine ran over to her side and spread her arms to hug her. However, Sophia stopped her and uttered, ¡°Restrain yourself.¡± Katherine huffed in dissatisfaction. ¡°You''ve changed! What happened to sisters before misters? Boo- hoo! My life is terrible! I can''t believe my dear friend doesn''t want me anymore!¡± It had been a few months since Katherine had taken on an acting role, but it seemed like she still had no trouble being dramatic. Sophia only smiled at her in silence. After a while of her fake crying, Katherine became bored and dropped the act. ¡°Ahem. Let''s get back to the real topic. What''s that old hag trying to do this time?¡± It was not the first time Delh hade to stir up trouble with Sophia. Thest time she did that, Sophia had taught her a lesson. Who would have expected her to repeat her actions just a few months after that? Frankly, Katherine was at the end of her patience with Delh. However, Sophia chuckled and said, ¡°She''s only doing this for the money.¡± Katherine knew more or less about Dillon''s matter. Even if Sophia did not tell her anything, Joshua would have told her bits and pieces about it. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. For once, the gears in Katherine''s mind turned, and she said, ¡°Alexander has much on his te too.¡± Sophia nced at her and questioned, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± A wave of guilt hit Katherine at her stare, and she cleared her throat. ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± ¡°Uh-huh?¡± There was no way Sophia would believe her dismissive response. Nevertheless, she did not verbally prompt her further¡ªshe just kept staring at Katherine. In the end, Katherine relented and muttered, ¡°Do you know Chandler Shaw?¡± Sophia lifted a brow in response. ¡°What''s with him? Are you familiar with him?¡± A pauseter, Sophia added, ¡°Does Joshua know about this?¡± All courage fled Katherine at the mention of Joshua. ¡°Hey, don''t overthink this! I''m not close to him. I only heard this from someone else, okay? It seems like he has something against Alexander. Also, didn''t your granddad try to y matchmaker for you and Chandler?¡± Sophia could not help but click her tongue. ¡°You know quite a lot, don''t you?¡± Katherine sheepishly smiled. ¡°It''s mainly because of my socialwork.¡± As Sophia flipped through the menu, she asked, ¡°So, what are you trying to tell me?¡± Katherine was someone who could not keep things under wraps for long, so she blurted out everything she knew, regardless of whether or not it was something she should be telling Sophia about. It was a pretty dramatic matter. As it turned out, Chandler had a younger sister named Noelle Shaw. She used to have a crush on Alexander, but her love was unreciprocated. Alexander never once looked at her in a friendly manner, and he was extremely rejectful of her. One night, Noelle was robbed. She called Alexander, but he hung up on her and blocked her. By the time Noelle was sent to the hospital, she had lost too much blood and died. Katherine even btedly added, ¡°I don''t mean anything else, by the way. I just want to share some gossip with you.¡± Sophia gave her a half-smile. ¡°Are you about to tell me that Alexander''s too cold-blooded?¡± We really are good friends! Sophia truly can read my mind. Right as Katherine was about to wistfullyment how well Sophia knew her, she heard Sophia say, ¡°What did Chandler offer to you?¡± Chapter 375 Chapter 375 ¡°Y-Y-You¡ª That''s too much, Soph!¡± Katherine stared at Sophia, looking aggrieved. The surface of her eyes was watery as though she was going to burst into tears if Sophia continued questioning her about it. Perhaps Joshua would be fooled by that, but not Sophia. The smile that did not reach her eyes remained on Sophia''s face as she prompted, ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I''m not at all close to Chandler! Why would he bribe me? Have faith in me, Soph! He really, really didn''t bribe me! This is just a casual conversation!¡± Then, Katherine raised her hand and swore, ¡°Fine, fine. I''ll make an oath. I''ll swear I''ll never be able to get rich if I lie to you!¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. An angryugh escaped Sophia at that. ¡°Who makes an oath with four fingers?¡± The guilty Katherine was rendered speechless for a moment. ¡°I... didn''t realize that. Why are you so focused on these details?¡± Sophia closed the menu and looked right at her. ¡°Are you against my rtionship with Alexander?¡± Katherine''s guilt was amplified by Sophia''s stare, and she averted her eyes. ¡°I... No.¡± I''m not the one against this. It''s Mr. Dawson! ¡°Then why are you mentioning Chandler? You even knew that my granddad introduced Chandler to me.¡± By then, Katherine knew that she could not hide it from Sophia anymore. As she covered her face, she blurted out, ¡°I''m sorry, Soph! I shouldn''t have done this!¡± She then hugged Sophia and bawled out the half-an-hour-long call she had had with Perrin. ¡°No one offered me anything! Mr. Dawson said that it''s chaotic in the Xenos familytely, and some of the Xenoses have their eyes on you because of Alexander. Moreover, there''s that tragedy that made Chandler and Alexander enemies. Then, when I thought about your three years of marriage with him previously, I lost control.¡± Katherine was not fully against Sophia''s rtionship with Alexander. She did not know much about the corporate world, and Perrin had tricked her by saying that Alexander was currently in hot water. Bankruptcy was not the main problem, for the Dawson family was rich. However, Alexander''s uncle was a man who would stoop low for his goals. Delh was a good example of the future troubles Sophia might face if she continued staying by Alexander''s side. In fact, Sophia''s safety might be compromised if this went on. Katherine had mulled over Perrin''s words and found sense in them. Now that Sophia''s rtionship with the Dawson family was known to the public, outsiders would assume the Dawsons would be Alexander''s support in his n to get Odyssey. The main reason the Dawson family would help Alexander out was Sophia. Thus, no one could say for sure that Alexander''s uncle would not target Sophia in his desperation. Chandler came from a good family, and Perrin knew the Shaw family well. Thus, Sophia''s interaction with Chandler would benefit her and do no harm at all. The best n Katherine coulde up with was to have Sophia and Alexander argue because of Chandler so that rumors of their breakup would spread. That way, she would be able to shift Alexander''s uncle''s attention away from Sophia. Those who had nothing to lose had the least to fear, and that was the case for Alexander''s uncle. Who knew what kind of horrendous things he would do if he were to go all out? Sophia was unsure whether she should be moved or enraged after hearing Katherine''s exnation. Looking at Katherine, Sophia cocked her brow and said, ¡°So you don''t have trust in Alexander, and you don''t have trust in me either.¡± Katherine fell silent. Why are we talking about how I supposedly don''t have trust in her? It took Katherine a while before she could find her voice. ¡°That''s not what I mean. It''s better to be safe than sorry.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°Now you''re being cautious.¡± Didn''t you throw caution to the wind when you were dissing the representative of a big brand? Were you not scared of getting cklisted back then? Of course, that was something Sophia did not say out loud. Katherine was her best friend, and she was not going to embarrass her like that. Nevertheless, Katherine could hear the hint of mockery in Sophia''s words, and she scrunched up her face. ¡°That''s what Mr. Dawson said.¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°Dig in now.¡± It had been a long time since Katherine got to gobble down meat. The moment the kebabs were brought to them, she could not resist the temptation of devouring everything on the te. ¡°Yes, yes, let''s dig in!¡± Food first, talkter. Sure enough, Katherine was not the kind to remember that she had something important to talk about after finishing her meal. It was only after the two went their separate ways after lunch and in the middle of Katherine''s drive did she recall that she had not suggested Sophia separate from Alexander for a while. Ah, it was all because themb kebabs were simply too delicious... By the time Sophia came back from lunch, Yvonne had sent security to get rid of the reporters downstairs. Only a handful of reporters were left stubbornly waiting around the corner. Sophia took the underground path from the side entrance, so no one noticed her return. When Yvonne saw her, she quickly passed her the invitation Megan had delivered. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Queen asked me to give this to you.¡± Sophia arched her brow and took the engagement party invitation card. After a nce, she commented, ¡°They''re rather quick.¡± If her memory served her right, it had been less than two months since Megan and Casper got together. But they''re engaged so soon? It seems like Megan''s rather pleased with Casper. If one were to simply consider the Queen family, then Megan would be marrying someone of a higher status than her by marrying Casper. However, Megan was cousins with the Schilds. With the Schilds in the equation, Megan would be marrying someone of a simr status. Still, Sophia was not expecting Megan to deliver the invitation card to her personally. After a moment of contemtion, she said to Yvonne, ¡°Ms. Leighton, please prepare a gift for me.¡± She could not possibly be a no-show after Megan''s sincere invitation. ¡°Of course, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne was experienced in situations like this, so Sophia was not worried to leave the gift preparation in Yvonne''s hands. The main reason Sophia returned to the office was to sign a contract. Once she was done, she left the building, for she did not know whether or not more reporters would be waiting for her outside. When she came out of the office, it was only a little past four. Sophia hailed a cab back to the mansion. Right as the car drove down the alley, Sophia spotted some reporters waiting outside her house. It must be tiring for the reporters to be doing this on such a hot day. ¡°Mister, please send me to Odyssey instead.¡± The driver hummed in acknowledgment and drove past the mansion''s entrance. At the same time, Sophia took out her phone to take a few photos. She sent them to Yvonne and asked thetter to deal with it. The long drive meant that it was past five when she arrived at Odyssey''s building. Just as Sophia stepped into the office, the receptionist led her to the private elevator. Even before the elevator could reach Alexander''s office floor, the news of Sophia at his office had traveled to his ears. Once Felix made his report, he stood aside and fell silent. If not for Sophia''s arrival, he would not have risked facing Alexander''s wrath by walking into his office. The other executives were all carefully watching Alexander, too. They were terrified that he would fire them if they were to say the wrong things. Alexander''s icy expression softened when he heard Felix''s words, but he still gave the two executives before him a dark look. ¡°I''ll give you three more days.¡± The two executives breathed sighs of relief and quickly agreed to it. Without wasting any time, they left Alexander''s office. Just as Sophia stepped out of the elevator, she bumped into the two executives. It was the executives'' first time seeing Sophia, and while they were stunned by her beauty, they were also looking at her as if she was their savior. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia inclined her head. Upon noticing the slightly ajar door of the office, she figured out what had happened and quietly chuckled. So, Mr. Xenos is throwing a temper tantrum. Chapter 376 Chapter 376 Felix heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you''re here.¡± He deliberately called her even though she was still some distance away. Sure enough, Alexander''s stern expression softened visibly when he heard Felix. Sophia nced at Felix and chuckled. ¡°You''ve worked hard.¡± Noticing that Sophia had seen right through his antics, Felix smiled sheepishly. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Then, he tactfully came up with an excuse and returned to his office. Sophia entered Alexander''s office. He was still teeming with fury. However, his eyes had nothing but tenderness when he lifted his head to meet her gaze. ¡°You''re not busy?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Sophie answered. She took a nce at the proposal on his desk and asked, ¡°Not in a good mood?¡± Alexander shook his head. ¡°That''s not it.¡± He was not in a rotten mood, per se. Alexander just didn''t care for nonsense. The amendment for the new project proposal had taken almost two months, and yet the resubmitted proposal was less than useless. Sophia didn''t ask for the details. After all, Alexander would never ask about herpany affairs, so she thought it was best not to pry into his. Even though she seldom lost her temper, it didn''t mean that people could just walk all over her. She wouldn''t go easy on her subordinates if they were ipetent either. ¡°Are the reporters still there?¡± Alexander knew about the reporters swarming the Sunshine Group building and had asked Felix to help deal with them. ¡°I noticed two reporters waiting right outside our ce when I returned,¡± Sophia said. After a brief pause, she added, ¡°I''ve asked Ms. Leighton to deal with them.¡± Yvonne had worked for Sophia for many years and had be adept at handling these matters. Sophia only needed to send the photos of the reporters to Yvonne, and thetter would know what to do. Alexander nodded, but as he looked at Sophia, he found himself not in the mood to focus on work. ¡°What would you like to have for dinner tonight?¡± he asked. Right then, Felix''s assistant knocked on the door and brought in some coffee for Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow,¡± he greeted. Sophia took over the cup of coffee and shed the assistant a smile. He didn''t dare to linger and scurried out of the office after humming a response. Taking a sip of the coffee, she peered over the rim at Alexander. ¡°You''re quite scary, huh?¡± The assistant didn''t even dare to look at him. Alexander shot her a doting look and asked her what she wanted for dinner again. Sophia thought momentarily and replied, ¡°I just hadmb kebabs with Katherine, so I''m thinking of something light for dinner.¡± ¡°How does pasta and sd sound?¡± he suggested. ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia had heard Katherine saying that there was a new restaurant in Midway za serving decent pasta. Since it was a new ce, the restaurant was quite packed. Most of the tables were upied by the time Alexander and Sophia arrived. Felix had booked a private room for them. A waiter approached Alexander and Sophia and asked if they would give the private room to another family, as it was the first time the family was celebrating an elder''s birthday. They couldn''t get a private room, and the public space was too cramped for them. The eleven of them would fit just nicely in a small private room. The restaurant didn''t actually have to approach Alexander and Sophia at all. However, the restaurant offered a twenty percent discount if they were willing to give way to the family. Sophia nced at Alexander and was about to say yes when a woman in the group suddenly said, ¡°There''s only two of you. Why do you have to use a private room? You might as well let us use the private room and get twenty percent off. You''re not losing anything!¡± Sophia raised a brow and looked at the other family members. She thought that they would at least say something. However, like the woman, they all acted as if it was only right for Sophia to give them the private room. Her lips curled into a slight smile. She turned to look at the troubled manager and said, ¡°Excuse me, but we''re not giving away the private room.¡± Then, Alexander grasped her hand and walked ahead. However, the woman suddenly reached out to stop them and said, ¡°We''re only asking you to give us the private room. There are plenty of tables outside. The two of you can sit anywhere you want! Why do you insist on getting a private room?¡± Alexander''s expression turned dark, while Sophia''s smile faltered slightly. She looked at the middle- aged woman and said, ¡°Excuse me, but I prefer to sit in a private room. Additionally, my mother taught me to never take people''s kindness for granted, let alone be upset when someone chooses not to do us an unobligated favor.¡± Sophia''s good looks and calm tone made her all the more unnerving. The faces of the woman and the middle-aged couple behind them turned grim. The woman then pushed Sophia and scowled, ¡°Who do you think you''re scolding here? Don''t think you''re all high and mighty just because you scored a rich guy with your good looks. Do you have any idea who my uncle is? My uncle is an executive at Technology Innovations! Have you ever heard of Technology Innovations, you country bumpkin? My uncle is on his way here right now. Give us the private room, or I''ll make your life in Jadeborough a living hell for you!¡± Sophia did not dodge and, as a result, staggered a few steps back from the momentum of the push. Alexander''s face was dark as a storm. He was about to make a move when he noticed Sophia shaking her head at him. He pursed his lips and stood there, fighting to hold himself back. Sophia lowered her head to look at her arm, where the woman had pushed her. There was not a hint of anger on her face. Dusting her arm where the woman touched her earlier, she asked, ¡°Who''s your uncle?¡± What a coincidence. An executive at Technology Innovations? Hah. The woman took in Sophia''s movement, and her expression became even uglier. She let out a snort when Sophia asked for her uncle''s name. ¡°My uncle is Bob yton. You won''t know him even if I tell you his name. So, be amb and give us the private room. We''re going to owe you a favor, and my uncle might offer you a job when your man''s sick of you!¡± An older woman, who appeared to be the insolent woman''s mother, tugged at her, perhaps sensing that her daughter had gone overboard. Sophia chuckled. ¡°Well, I''ll have to thank you, then.¡± After a brief pause, Sophia asked, ¡°Right. Do you know who I am?¡± The woman let out a derisive snort. ¡°Who are you? Do you go around expecting people to know you just because you have a pretty face? Do you think you''re a celebrity or something? Even if you are one, you must be a Z-list nobody!¡± ¡°I''m not a celebrity, nor am I anybody impressive. However, coincidentally, I am an employee at Technology Innovations too,¡± Sophia quipped. ¡°I''m Sophia Yarrow. Feel free to ask your uncle about me. He should know who I am.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Sophia Yarrow? Sounds like a menial employee. My uncle is a top-tier executive. How would you know him?¡± the woman retorted. ¡°Indeed, I don''t know your uncle. However, since he''s my colleague, I''ll just give you the private room,¡± Sophia said. She held Alexander''s hand and uttered, ¡°Let''s go.¡± The woman had a full rebuttal ready, but Sophia''s sudden concession caught her off guard. Alexander was a straightforward man. He would have flipped out on the woman if Sophia had not stopped him. However, Sophia adopted a different approach to the matter. One would say that she was more subtle, but it was actually not the case at all. Like hitting a snake, she liked hitting it where it would hurt the most. However, before making a move, Sophie enjoyed putting her target on a pedestal and watching them fall off it. After all, the higher the pedestal, the more it would hurt. There was no better feeling than to watch her enemy suffer. Right after Sophia and Alexander left, the man, Bob yton, whom the woman imed to be an executive of Technology Innovations, entered the private room with an older woman and a young teen who looked about seventeen or eighteen. The woman noticed her little cousin and recounted the incident as a joke. ¡°That woman, Sophia Yarrow, had the cheek to say that she works in the samepany as Uncle Bob!¡± Bob wasn''t paying attention at first until he caught Sophia''s name. ¡°Hold on. Cassie, do you know Sophia Yarrow?¡± Cassandra Holloway pursed her lips. ¡°Who the heck knows her? I just happened to bump into her. She said that you''re her colleague and gave us this private room because of you.¡± Bob was taken aback, as he hadn''t expected Sophia to give him the private room. ¡°Ms. Yarrow is such a nicedy.¡± Cassandra snickered. ¡°Yeah, right. She only gave us the private room because I dropped your name as a top-tier executive in Technology Innovations!¡± All colors drained from Bob''s face. ¡°W-What did you say?¡± At the same time, the private room''s door was pushed open. A waiter came in, serving them a dish they hadn''t ordered. ¡°Who is Mr. Bob yton?¡± Bob responded, ¡°I am.¡± The waiter smiled. ¡°A Ms. Yarrow asked me to send this as her token of goodwill for your elder''s birthday celebration.¡± Bob''s expression turned grim after listening to what the waiter said. Chapter 377 Chapter 377 Bob initially thought Sophia had kindly allowed him to use the private room for his father-inw''s birthday because she knew he was an employee at Technology Innovations. However, Cassandra''s exnation sent shivers down his spine. He fidgeted ufortably in his seat when a dish ¡°specially¡± sent over by Sophia arrived. Even Bob''s wife, Sabrina, picked up on the oddity of the situation and asked, ¡°What''s wrong? Is this Ms. Yarrow really your colleague?¡± Bob had never hated his niece-inw more than at that very moment. Still, it would not do for him to lose his temper in front of his father-inw. Eventually, he hissed through gritted teeth, ¡°How can she be my colleague!¡± Relieved, Sabrina muttered, ¡°Then why are you so nervous? Cassie''s right. There are plenty of people eager to climb the socialdder! It''s not as if we can''t afford these dishes. Hey, waiter. Take this back. We can afford to order it ourselves!¡± Bob panicked at his wife''s words and blurted out, ¡°No, don''t send it back! She isn''t my colleague but a shareholder at mypany!¡± The smug expressions worn by his diningpanions instantly disappeared. Sabrina paled and sputtered, ¡°O-Oh my goodness! Doesn''t this mean we just offended her?¡± Bob eyed his father-inw cautiously before closing his eyes. ¡°Let me apologize to Ms. Yarrow.¡± Cassandra had clearlymitted a huge faux pas. Her mother remembered she was still banking on Bob to snag her son a job at Technology Innovations and immediately struck Cassandra furiously. ¡°What''s wrong with your mouth? Why must you say such nasty remarks?¡± Cassandra had not expected someone as young as Sophia to be a shareholder at Technology Innovations. She had been working for a couple of years and believed she was well-versed in the hidden rules of society and the industry. That had emboldened her to act so pompously around Sophia. After all, things had only been looking up for Technology Innovations since it became publicly listed. Its net worth was poised to triple this year, and as a member of Technology Innovations'' top management, Bob''s sry and status had skyrocketed. Many small and medium business owners were falling over themselves to suck up to Cassandra''s uncle-inw. Cassandra had noticed that the purse in Sophia''s hand cost a pretty penny. The man beside Sophia was dressed sharply, and Cassandra immediately assumed Sophia was his mistress. Since the man appeared to be a small business owner, Cassandra could not resist dropping Bob''s name to encourage their brownnosing efforts. However, Bob''s revtion held another significant implication. Since Technology Innovations went public, eighty percent of the shares were held between two people. One was the founder and director of Technology Innovations, Joshua Lewis. The other was his friend. Cassandra was suddenly reminded of something else. Just months ago, Jadeborough University organized a talk by outstanding alumni, and it happened to feature a famous woman by the name of Sophia Yarrow. Cassandra was suddenly reminded of something else. Just months ago, Jadeborough University organized a talk by outstanding alumni, and it happened to feature a famous woman by the name of Sophia Yarrow. In the face of all this damning evidence, Cassandra finally realized the enormity of her mistake. Bob could very well lose his job if they did not salvage the situation. Her uncle-inw had just joined Technology Innovationsst year and had not received any shares in thepany. Besides,pared to his peers at thepany, Bob only boasted the advantage of experience. If Sophia had been offended by their actions earlier, it would only be a matter of time before Bob was fired from thepany. Cassandra dared not say a word while her mothermbasted her repeatedly. Meanwhile, Bob was no stranger to the antics of his brother-inw''s family. Cassandra''s mom was merely making a show of reprimanding her daughter to protect her son''s future job at Technology Innovations. Perhaps there was a hint of genuine remorse over her daughter''s actions, but Bob believed the woman was more concerned about her son''s future. Bob tamped down his anger and ordered, ¡°Come with me, Cassie. Let''s apologize to Ms. Yarrow.¡± Cassandra stiffened and nched. Even her mother''s hands, which had been pummeling her earlier, froze. Cassandra''s mother said, ¡°Bob, Cassie doesn''t even know Ms. Yarrow. It was just a misunderstanding. Surely, it''s enough for you to go alone. You''re top management in thepany, after all. As a shareholder, I''m sure she wouldn''t hold this against you.¡± N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. In an unusual show of persistence, Bob replied, ¡°I don''t know if Ms. Yarrow will fire me over this incident, but one thing is certain. If we don''t apologize now, Cedric will never set foot in Technology Innovations.¡± Bob''s threat worked. Cassandra''s mom did an about-turn and shoved Cassandra, instructing, ¡°Go on! Apologize to Ms. Yarrow! She''ll know you didn''t mean it.¡± She sounded so blithe that one had to wonder why she never considered Sophia''s background before swiping thetter''s private room. Just then, Bob''s father-inw, who had been silent the whole time, piped up, ¡°Go on, then. Apologize to thedy with your uncle-inw.¡± Cassandra''s father barked impatiently, ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± In the end, Cassandra reluctantly left her seat. Bob nced at her before addressing the waiter, ¡°Where is Ms. Yarrow''s table? Could you show us the way?¡± The waiter nodded in acknowledgment and led them out of the private room. Sophio ond Alexonder were obout to tuck into their meol when Cossondro ond Bob opprooched their toble. Sophio orched o brow in interest. Bob wolked up ond greeted her politely, ¡°Hello, Ms. Yorrow. My nome is Bob Cloyton, ond this is my niece. I just leorned thot she soid some unpleosont things to you eorlier, ond I hope you would be kind enough to forgive her ignoronce.¡± After thot, he nudged the young womon beside him ond uttered, ¡°Cossie, soy sorry to Ms. Yorrow.¡± Cossondro observed the ghost of o smirk on Sophio''s foce ond fumed. Still, now thot she wos poinfully owore of Sophio''s true identity, Cossondro could only swollow her indignonce ond eke out on opology. It wos cleor from her volume ond ottitude thot the opology sorely locked sincerity. Sophio merely smiled ond replied, ¡°Thot''s oll right. You''re celebroting your fother-in-low''s birthdoy todoy. Do send my kind regords to him.¡± Bob did not know Sophio well, but he wos well owore of how superiors were. Hence, his heort sonk ot her words. There wos nothing left for him to do but nod ond opologize for intruding on their meol. Then, he led Cossondro bock to their privote room. Needless to soy, Bob did not enjoy thot meol ot oll. After he got home, Bob immediotely told Sobrino to distonce herself from her brother''s fomily. Sobrino replied hesitontly, ¡°But he''s my elder brother¡ª¡± Bob cut in ogitotedly, ¡°His fomily sure isn''t treoting you like his sister. Do you hove ony ideo who Sophio Yorrow is? Or the mon beside her? Did you think I wos oll thot becouse I''m in Technology Innovotions'' top monogement? One word from Sophio, ond I could be sent pocking! And thot boyfriend of hers. He''s Odyssey''s choirmon, Alexonder Xenos! No one in Jodeborough will hire me if he even so much os hints ot his displeosure toword me!¡± His ront continued, ¡°Deor brother? Hmph! All they core obout is getting Cedric o cushy job ot Technology Innovotions. They know thepony''s potentiol ond wont their son to be o port of it, but they''ve never put themselves in my shoes. Since our morrioge, I''ve helped your brother''s fomily plenty. I pulled strings for Cossondro to get into her currentpony. Go oheod ond help your brother if you wont to flush my coreer prospects in Jodeborough down the droin!¡± His words finolly sobered his wife, who uttered, ¡°I know whot to do.¡± Knowing his wife''s personolity, Bob decided it wos not worth his time to tolk more sense into her heod. He slipped off his jocket ond stolked into the bedroom. I might be oble to sove my reputotion in Jodeborough if I resign tomorrow. Sophia and Alexander were about to tuck into their meal when Cassandra and Bob approached their table. Sophia arched a brow in interest. Bob walked up and greeted her politely, ¡°Hello, Ms. Yarrow. My name is Bob yton, and this is my niece. I just learned that she said some unpleasant things to you earlier, and I hope you would be kind enough to forgive her ignorance.¡± After that, he nudged the young woman beside him and uttered, ¡°Cassie, say sorry to Ms. Yarrow.¡± Cassandra observed the ghost of a smirk on Sophia''s face and fumed. Still, now that she was painfully aware of Sophia''s true identity, Cassandra could only swallow her indignance and eke out an apology. It was clear from her volume and attitude that the apology sorelycked sincerity. Sophia merely smiled and replied, ¡°That''s all right. You''re celebrating your father-inw''s birthday today. Do send my kind regards to him.¡± Bob did not know Sophia well, but he was well aware of how superiors were. Hence, his heart sank at her words. There was nothing left for him to do but nod and apologize for intruding on their meal. Then, he led Cassandra back to their private room. Needless to say, Bob did not enjoy that meal at all. After he got home, Bob immediately told Sabrina to distance herself from her brother''s family. Sabrina replied hesitantly, ¡°But he''s my elder brother¡ª¡± Bob cut in agitatedly, ¡°His family sure isn''t treating you like his sister. Do you have any idea who Sophia Yarrow is? Or the man beside her? Did you think I was all that because I''m in Technology Innovations'' top management? One word from Sophia, and I could be sent packing! And that boyfriend of hers. He''s Odyssey''s chairman, Alexander Xenos! No one in Jadeborough will hire me if he even so much as hints at his displeasure toward me!¡± His rant continued, ¡°Dear brother? Hmph! All they care about is getting Cedric a cushy job at Technology Innovations. They know thepany''s potential and want their son to be a part of it, but they''ve never put themselves in my shoes. Since our marriage, I''ve helped your brother''s family plenty. I pulled strings for Cassandra to get into her currentpany. Go ahead and help your brother if you want to flush my career prospects in Jadeborough down the drain!¡± His words finally sobered his wife, who uttered, ¡°I know what to do.¡± Knowing his wife''s personality, Bob decided it was not worth his time to talk more sense into her head. He slipped off his jacket and stalked into the bedroom. I might be able to save my reputation in Jadeborough if I resign tomorrow. Chapter 378 Chapter 378 The unpleasant interlude in the restaurant hardly weighed on Sophia''s mood. Bob''s obnoxious niece barely piqued her interest. In fact, Sophia was more interested in Alexander and Chandler''s history. She wanted to broach the topic during their meal, but the opportunity was lost when Bob approached them with his niece and an apology in tow. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. A whileter, their car cruised into their neighborhood. The two reporters who had been camping outside the gate that afternoon were gone, returning the road to its usual peace. Alexander turned onto his street and soon pulled up before the mansion. Sophia''s phone vibrated with an iing notification. She looked down and realized it was a text from Katherine informing her that the variety show they filmed back in June would be premiering next week. Katherine had sent her a promotional trailer of Going Forward. The special guests had been blurred out in post-editing, but Sophia could immediately tell who they were. Filming for the show had ended almost two months ago, so Sophia had almost forgotten about the whole thing. Sophia closed the video yer to find more enthusiastic updates from Katherine, who was enthused over the number of future fans Sophia would surely gain after the show was out. The ttery was nothing new to Sophia, who smiled before shooting off a monosybic reply to acknowledge Katherine. Katherine was understandably ticked off by the one-word response to her slew of enthusiastic texts. She replied: You''re cruel and heartless. How could you send me a single ''ok'' after all my updates? I''m cutting you off for three days! She followed that up with a few crying emojis. s, much to her dismay, Sophia texted: Sure. Katherine was annoyed but resigned. I poured my efforts into the wrong person! Alexander returned to Sophia with two sses of water just as she finished texting her friend. She set her phone aside and received a ss from Alexander, shooting him a grateful smile. ¡°Thanks.¡± Alexander downed half his ss at a go before sitting beside her. ¡°Another video surfaced today.¡± Delh had made a move again, likely in retaliation to Sophia''s continued refusal of an interview request. The rejected reporter spun his own tale about Sophia''s motives instead. He argued that Delh had raised Sophia''s mother, so even if Sophia was not the olddy''s biological granddaughter, her refusal to meet Delh was nothing short of cold-blooded. The paparazzi loveding up with such scandalous usations to increase their readership. They stood on their moral high horse and criticized Sophia forcking filial piety. Sophia never gratified their attacks with ament, long numb to their actions. Netizens these days were far more logical and intelligent as well. Sure, there were still those who disparaged Sophia, but some had stood out to defend her, even bringing up the incident when Delh threw a tantrum outside Specter Entertainment three months ago, demanding money from Sophia. Sophia never gratified their attacks with ament, long numb to their actions. Netizens these days were far more logical and intelligent as well. Sure, there were still those who disparaged Sophia, but some had stood out to defend her, even bringing up the incident when Delh threw a tantrum outside Specter Entertainment three months ago, demanding money from Sophia. The fresh wave of attacks began just past seven that evening. Sophia had already received a heads-up from Yvonne on the way home. Again, she could not be bothered by their spections. Karma would eventually bite them in the back. ¡°I''ve seen it,¡± she said to Alexander after taking a sip of water. Her nonchnce reassured Alexander that she was blissfully unbothered by Dillon''s second wave of attacks. He dropped the topic. Sophia drank more water before propping her chin up on one hand. She stared at Alexander and asked, ¡°Did you know Chandler from before?¡± Something shed through Alexander''s eyes at her question, though he did not deny their previous acquaintance. ¡°Yes.¡± He paused and added, ¡°But we''re not close.¡± Sophia chuckled and asked, ¡°Oh really? I heard you went to the same university.¡± Pursing his lips, he replied, ¡°We did, but we weren''t close to each other.¡± A smirk yed on her lips as she added, ¡°Did you know Chandler has a younger sister?¡± Alexander''s expression shifted as he mumbled, ¡°Yes.¡± It was obvious from Sophia''s question that she knew about his history with the Shaws. Since Alexander had no ns to hide the truth from Sophia anyway, he exined, ¡°Her name was Noelle Shaw. Ten years ago, she passed away during a robbery. She had called me the night of the incident, but I didn''t answer her call. I hung up and blocked her number immediately. Chandler holds me responsible for his sister''s death.¡± He had never believed he was responsible for Noelle''s unfortunate demise, not even when the Shaw family rebuked him for his heartlessness. Noelle''s call that night was no different from the countless times she had harassed him against his will. In fact, going by Alexander''s temper, he would have blocked her number ages ago if not for Chandler''s sake. The morning of Noelle''s death, she even presumptuously cleaned his condominium and broke his laptop in the process. It contained his thesis, which he had worked on painstakingly for over a week. He would have struck her if she was not a girl. Over the years, he had never told anyone about Noelle''s obnoxious behavior, nor did he have ns to do so in the future. In ony cose, Alexonder believed he hod the freedom to onswer or reject Noelle''s coll. Hence, he would not shoulder the blome for her trogedy. He osked Sophio, ¡°Did Chondler tell you obout this?¡± She shook her heod. ¡°Kotherine did.¡± The onswer surprised Alexonder, who looked to Sophio ond questioned, ¡°Well, do you think I''m ot foult for her ident?¡± Sophio wos rother indifferent obout the whole issue. She did not think Alexonder''s rejection ond blocking of Noelle''s number were to blome for her ident either. Noelle should hove colled the police when she wos in donger, not Alexonder. Certoinly, some would ossume Noelle hod ponicked out of feor ond colled Alexonder for help becouse he wos soved os her emergency contoct. Colling Alexonder would hove been her most stroightforword option. Yet, Noelle cleorly knew Alexonder did not oppreciote her ottentions. Soving his number os her emergency contoct wos simply foolish. Of course, Sophio wos not one to speok unkindly of the deod, but she believed Noelle hod colled Alexonder precisely to force him into some form of emotionol blockmoil. Anyone with o smidge of o morolposs would hove rushed over to sove her. Hod Alexonder onswered her coll, he might hove orrived in time to rescue her. If he wos too lote, the result would be the some os if he did not onswer her coll. If Alexonder hod rushed to the scene ond rescued Noelle, she hod the perfect excuse to continue hounding him. To immediotely hong up on her coll ond block her number spoke volumes obout how onnoyed Alexonder hod been by Noelle''s constont horossment. The only person to blome in this incident wos the robber who took Noelle''s life. Sophio could hordly coll herself o soint. While she would never wilfully horm onother, she did not hove o fountoin of sympothy for just onyone either. In o society thot obsolved the deod of ony wrongdoing, it wos o necessory evil to view one''s flows objectively, even if the victim wos on innocent person. Otherwise, one would foil to see the kindness of o bystonder. Sophio knew Alexonder''s reosons for posing his question. Everyone must hove shoved the blome on him over the yeors. She, however, strongly disogreed. Arching o brow, she stored ot Alexonder for o moment. Her lips curved into o foint smile os she osked, ¡°Whot exoctly did you do wrong?¡± Alexonder returned her goze ond suddenly pulled her into his embroce. ¡°I didn''t do onything wrong.¡± It hod been yeors since the incident, yet Sophio wos the first person to ever question if he hod done onything wrong. In any case, Alexander believed he had the freedom to answer or reject Noelle''s call. Hence, he would not shoulder the me for her tragedy. He asked Sophia, ¡°Did Chandler tell you about this?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Katherine did.¡± The answer surprised Alexander, who looked to Sophia and questioned, ¡°Well, do you think I''m at fault for her ident?¡± Sophia was rather indifferent about the whole issue. She did not think Alexander''s rejection and blocking of Noelle''s number were to me for her ident either. Noelle should have called the police when she was in danger, not Alexander. Certainly, some would assume Noelle had panicked out of fear and called Alexander for help because he was saved as her emergency contact. Calling Alexander would have been her most straightforward option. Yet, Noelle clearly knew Alexander did not appreciate her attentions. Saving his number as her emergency contact was simply foolish. Of course, Sophia was not one to speak unkindly of the dead, but she believed Noelle had called Alexander precisely to force him into some form of emotional ckmail. Anyone with a smidge of a moralpass would have rushed over to save her. Had Alexander answered her call, he might have arrived in time to rescue her. If he was toote, the result would be the same as if he did not answer her call. If Alexander had rushed to the scene and rescued Noelle, she had the perfect excuse to continue hounding him. To immediately hang up on her call and block her number spoke volumes about how annoyed Alexander had been by Noelle''s constant harassment. The only person to me in this incident was the robber who took Noelle''s life. Sophia could hardly call herself a saint. While she would never wilfully harm another, she did not have a fountain of sympathy for just anyone either. In a society that absolved the dead of any wrongdoing, it was a necessary evil to view one''s ws objectively, even if the victim was an innocent person. Otherwise, one would fail to see the kindness of a bystander. Sophia knew Alexander''s reasons for posing his question. Everyone must have shoved the me on him over the years. She, however, strongly disagreed. Arching a brow, she stared at Alexander for a moment. Her lips curved into a faint smile as she asked, ¡°What exactly did you do wrong?¡± Alexander returned her gaze and suddenly pulled her into his embrace. ¡°I didn''t do anything wrong.¡± It had been years since the incident, yet Sophia was the first person to ever question if he had done anything wrong. Chapter 379 Chapter 379 Alexander''s gaze darkened as he looked at Sophia, who was lying in his arms and looking at him. After a while, he asked in a low voice, ¡°If I hadn''t saved you back then, would you still fall in love with me?¡± Sophia was taken aback. She raised her brows and shot back a question of her own, ¡°If we turn back time, will you still save me?¡± If we turn back time, will I still save her? Yes. The incident had happened more than ten years ago, and he could barely remember much. In fact, if Sophia had not married him all of a sudden, he would probably never recall that incident again. Yet, he remembered everything like it was yesterday. He recalled how frightened and lost Sophia was back when she was fifteen years old. Those seductive, teary eyes of hers looked at him in despair. He knew that he would save her again if he were given another chance. Some things were mysterious in their own ways. He was never one who loved to help others. In fact, when he encountered some terrible situations, he would most likely watch in silence. In truth, he did not me Chandler and the others for calling him cold-blooded. He was never a gant person. If Sophia had not been the one being abducted that day, he would have never lent a helping hand. However, coincidentally, it was Sophia who got abducted that day, and it was he who rescued her. Suddenly, that thought warmed Alexander''s heart. Even though Sophia did not answer his question, he already knew her answer. If he had not been the one who saved her, she might not have fallen for him. But there were no ifs. Too many things had happened between them. Anything more or less would result in a different scenario. That was, perhaps, the wonderful and miraculous thing about fate. ¡°Is it time for your shower?¡± Since Alexander had his answer, he did not pester her for one. Instead, he raised his hand and caressed Sophia''s long hair. Sophia nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Just as she responded to his query and nned to head upstairs, Alexander picked her up in his arms. Sophia quickly ced her arms around his neck. When she looked up at him, she found that Alexander was looking at her too. Those dark eyes of his caused her body temperature to rise. All they could hear was Alexander''s footsteps. They sounded so loud, as if they were stomping on her heart. Very soon, both of them arrived at the master bedroom. Sophia moved slightly and said, ¡°Let me down.¡± The man did not release her. Instead, he carried her into the bathroom. Sophia looked into the mirror, and her heart hammered against her chest. ¡°Do you want to shower first?¡± She turned around and looked at him. You''re asking the obvious. Alexander hugged her from behind and nted a kiss on her neck. Sophia found it ticklish and shrank away instinctively. ¡°Let''s shower together.¡± His mouth opened up slightly as he kissed her. She could feel his warm breath all over her body. In an instant, Sophia felt a warm sensation running all over her. August in Jadeborough was still the summer season. Although it was cool in the bathroom, Alexander felt like a ball of mes, engulfing Sophia in his fiery passion. August in Jadeborough was still the summer season. Although it was cool in the bathroom, Alexander felt like a ball of mes, engulfing Sophia in his fiery passion. Sophia could no longer stand the series of kisses, and her legs were about to turn to jelly. Alexander''s arm around her waist was the only reason why she had not fallen to the ground. Their intimate moment was reflected clearly by the mirror in front of them. One look and Sophia was about to lose it. Alexander looked into the mirror and saw Sophia''s ssy, half-opened eyes. There was a tinge of blush on that fair face of hers. Her earlobes quivered in synchronization with the twin peaks on her chest. He turned on the shower. As the warm water sprayed on their naked bodies, the temperature in the bathroom rose instantly... The next morning when Sophia woke up, she realized that her legs ached. The thought of their passionate night made her blush furiously, and she reached out to cover her burning face. Sophia dared not continue to think about it. Instead, she got up and went to the bathroom. That morning, the news of Delh''s recrimination against Sophia was still trending on the Inte. She had used Sophia of being a materialistic and unfilial person. However, there were no reporters harassing her that day. Most likely, Yvonne''s warning had reached them. Sophia had a short meeting that day. Once the meeting was over, she received a phone call from Joshua. Sophia guessed that it must have been because of the previous night''s incident that Joshua called her out of the blue. In recent times, Technology Innovations had been upgrading their smart butler, and that kept Joshua very busy. The two of them had not been in contact for quite a while. It did not take her long to figure out why he called. After knowing one another for so many years, Joshua did not beat around the bush with Sophia. ¡°Bob submitted his resignation letter to me today.¡± Sophia could not help but raise her brows when she heard the news. ¡°That''s quick of him.¡± At the other end of the phone, Joshua frowned. ¡°What happened?¡± Sophia briefly recounted the incident from the night before. ¡°He has already apologized to me. I''ll let you deal with him ordingly.¡± To be honest, she was not nning on settling the score with Bob. Sophia did not like to abuse her authority. She was one of the original shareholders and had more shares in Technology Innovations than the others. Other than that, she was no different from the rest of them. Joshua had established Technology Innovations through sheer hard work. As such, Sophia never intended to interfere with his management. All those years, she had always been a silent shareholder. The two of them might have known each other for many years, but they drew the line when it came to business. She believed that no one would like others to tell them how to run apany that they had set up on their own. Sophia put herself in his shoes. She knew that if she would not like it, neither would Joshua. Sophio wos o womon of principles when ite to motters like thot. Although it wos true thot she felt offended the night before, she did not inform Joshuo. In truth, one phone coll from her to Joshuo ond Bob would hove been fired on the spot. However, Sophio did not do so. In foct, she wos prepored to let it go. Even though Joshuo phoned her, Sophio''s thinking remoined the some. Technology Innovotions hod yet to stobilize. If Bob were truly o copoble stoff, she would not mind if Joshuo decided to keep him. Although Sophio''s response wos o short one, Joshuo understood whot she meont. Throughout oll those yeors, os the lorgest shoreholder, Sophio hod olwoys supported Technology Innovotions ond never once interfered withpony motters. For thot, Joshuo wos very groteful. ¡°All right. I get it.¡± Sophio chuckled before soying, ¡°So, I con hong up now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After thot, Joshuo osked his secretory to get Bob toe to his office. Ever since Bob submitted his resignotion letter, he wos ill ot eose. He hod no ideo if thot drostic move of his would work to his odvontoge. Technology Innovotions wos still o buddingpony, ond it would need copoble stoff. Bob truly believed thot his connections were his borgoining chip. If the person he offended hod not been Sophio, he would not hove been worried ot oll. Unfortunotely, it wos Sophio, ond she wos one of the founders of Technology Innovotions. Just os he wos concerned obout his future, Bob sow Joshuo''s secretory wolking in his direction. ¡°Mr. Cloyton, Mr. Lewis is reody to see you.¡± Bob nodded. Outwordly, there wos o colm smile on his foce, but internolly, he wos worried sick. When they orrived outside Joshuo''s office, his secretory knocked on his door. Very soon, they heord him soy, ¡°Come in.¡± Bob took o deep breoth before wolking in. ¡°So, you wont to resign?¡± osked Joshuo os he picked up Bob''s resignotion letter. To thot, Bob nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Bob wos token obock by Joshuo''s question. Yet, he dored not tell his boss obout the incident thot hod token ploce the previous night. If the news got out, he would never be oble to find onother job in thot industry ever ogoin. Then ogoin, Joshuo wos not reolly interested in whot he hod to soy. ¡°I just gove Sophio o coll. I know whot hoppened lost night. She hos no intention of pursuing the motter, but I don''t like my stoff flounting off using ourpony''s nome. I will let it go this time oround, but your bonus for this quorter will be forfeited. If the some thing hoppens ogoin, I won''t be bothered to look ot your resignotion letter.¡± If Joshuo did not wont to see Bob''s resignotion letter, he would noturolly not osk him to stoy. In thot cold office, Bob wos so frightened thot sweot storted pouring down his bock. No sooner hod he emerged from Joshuo''s office thon he heoved o sigh of relief. Thonkfully, Ms. Yorrow doesn''t hold o grudge ogoinst me. Sophia was a woman of principles when it came to matters like that. Although it was true that she felt offended the night before, she did not inform Joshua. In truth, one phone call from her to Joshua and Bob would have been fired on the spot. However, Sophia did not do so. In fact, she was prepared to let it go. Even though Joshua phoned her, Sophia''s thinking remained the same. Technology Innovations had yet to stabilize. If Bob were truly a capable staff, she would not mind if Joshua decided to keep him. Although Sophia''s response was a short one, Joshua understood what she meant. Throughout all those years, as thergest shareholder, Sophia had always supported Technology Innovations and never once interfered withpany matters. For that, Joshua was very grateful. ¡°All right. I get it.¡± Sophia chuckled before saying, ¡°So, I can hang up now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After that, Joshua asked his secretary to get Bob toe to his office. Ever since Bob submitted his resignation letter, he was ill at ease. He had no idea if that drastic move of his would work to his advantage. Technology Innovations was still a buddingpany, and it would need capable staff. Bob truly believed that his connections were his bargaining chip. If the person he offended had not been Sophia, he would not have been worried at all. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Unfortunately, it was Sophia, and she was one of the founders of Technology Innovations. Just as he was concerned about his future, Bob saw Joshua''s secretary walking in his direction. ¡°Mr. yton, Mr. Lewis is ready to see you.¡± Bob nodded. Outwardly, there was a calm smile on his face, but internally, he was worried sick. When they arrived outside Joshua''s office, his secretary knocked on his door. Very soon, they heard him say, ¡°Come in.¡± Bob took a deep breath before walking in. ¡°So, you want to resign?¡± asked Joshua as he picked up Bob''s resignation letter. To that, Bob nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Bob was taken aback by Joshua''s question. Yet, he dared not tell his boss about the incident that had taken ce the previous night. If the news got out, he would never be able to find another job in that industry ever again. Then again, Joshua was not really interested in what he had to say. ¡°I just gave Sophia a call. I know what happenedst night. She has no intention of pursuing the matter, but I don''t like my staff unting off using ourpany''s name. I will let it go this time around, but your bonus for this quarter will be forfeited. If the same thing happens again, I won''t be bothered to look at your resignation letter.¡± If Joshua did not want to see Bob''s resignation letter, he would naturally not ask him to stay. In that cold office, Bob was so frightened that sweat started pouring down his back. No sooner had he emerged from Joshua''s office than he heaved a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Ms. Yarrow doesn''t hold a grudge against me. Chapter 380 Chapter 380 Sophia never asked how Joshua dealt with Bob in the end. After all, she believed the way Joshua dealt with him was most appropriate. Meanwhile, Sophia said nothing about Delh. No matter how much fuss thetter and media companies caused, Sophia remained silent the entire time. She merely viewed the entire situation as if it were a clown show. Several dayster, Dillon, Kristen, and the others found their methods did not work. Not only was Sophia keeping silent, but the Dawson family was not even meeting Delh. The fuss about Alexander not being Zachary''s child had quietened when Sophia was revealed to be Perrin''s granddaughter. Recently, Odyssey''s shares had been slowly increasing as well. Dillon was so furious that he smashed a few cups. What made him feel worse was that he originally nned to buy Odyssey''s shares when the prices were decreasing due to Alexander''s rumors. For some reason, someone was one step ahead of him. That was why Dillon dared not use his trump card until now. He feared he would be affected after kicking Alexander out of Odyssey. Meanwhile, Delh had be an inte celebrity after causing a ruckus on the inte for several days. A group ofizens pitied her for having an ungrateful granddaughter at such an old age. When Katherine saw thements under Delh''s social media ount, her face contorted with fury, and she used her main ount to confront theizens under the posts. That was not the first time Katherine had done such a thing ever since her ount was exposed. Even Jonice could not be bothered as well. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Thanks to the matter, Katherine was trending on the inte again. In the meantime, Sophia wanted to stop seeing Delh and Rupert''s drama on the inte. Hence, she posted her paternity results with the Dawson family and pictures of her, Rachel, and Penelope on her Twitter ount. Instead of looking like Penelope, Rachel looked more like Perrin. Thetter was rather good-looking when he was younger. Naturally, Rachel looked good as well. Sophia did not look exactly like Penelope, but anyone could tell the former''s eyes and nose resembled Penelope''s. If one were to cover both Sophia''s and Penelope''s mouths, no one could tell which was who. With irond evidence, the woman Delh imed as the Dawson family''s lost daughter became a joke to the public. Not only did they not look alike, but they were alsopletely unrted. Moreover, one could tell the Dawson family had incredible genes by just looking at Sophia and Lukas. Everyone from the family was good-looking. The woman Delh imed to be the lost daughter looked drastically different from Sophia''s mother, despite looking good for her age. Katherine retweeted Sophia''s tweet as soon as Sophia uploaded it. The publicity from Katherine''s ount was so great that the tweet blew up and became the most trending tweet in less than half an hour. The publicity from Katherine''s ount was so great that the tweet blew up and became the most trending tweet in less than half an hour. People who supported Delh a few days ago began swearing at her on the inte. When Kristen and Dillon realized their move was useless, Dillon hurriedly asked Kristen to transfer a sum of money to Delh and the others to dismiss them. Delh had always been a greedy person. After getting a taste of earning money as an inte celebrity, she was not the slightest bit attracted by Kristen''s offer, which was worth one hundred thousand. After all, Delh earned fifty thousand by just appearing in an advertisement for an insurancepany. Although Delh was illiterate, she was proficient when it came to earning money. She did not give up, even after epting Kristen''s money. In fact, Rupert looked for some shameless marketingpanies to continue stirring trouble. Of course, Sophia would not let the olddy make money out of her fame. The moment Sophia found out Delh refused to stop and even continued using her to draw more attention, the former instantly requested Yvonne to send Delh and the others awyer''s letter. Delh admitted defeat as soon as she heard she might have topensate Sophia a few million. The former hurriedly ordered Rupert to record a video of her apologizing and uploaded it onto the inte. Moreover, Delh even exposed Kristen as the mastermind. Kristen was so shocked that she fainted right after she found out about it. The matter took around seven days before it officially ended. For the past few days, Sophia had been watching them stir up trouble as if it was a drama. And now, Kristen was dragged into the mess, and it brought thetter criticisms from theizens. Kristen had be a joke to the industry, not to mention Thalia. Both the mother and daughter dared not leave the house and stayed at home all day. Delh''s situation was no better, even after she cowardly retreated to her vige. The inte was so advanced that everyone knew Delh was ndering Sophia for money when Delh and Rupert stirred up trouble on the inte for the past few days. The Sharp family was constantly beingughed at by the vigers. Although Delh was thick-skinned and even shameless for money, that only applied when she was in Jadeborough. However, the vige was filled with familiar faces. Delh cared about her reputation there. Of course, Sophia was oblivious to all that, but she figured they would have a hard time when they went back. After all, Sophia lived there for some time when she was younger. It was September in the blink of an eye. Autumn had not arrived in Jadeborough, despite it being September. The weather was still boiling hot out there. Furthermore, there hod been typhoons recently, which contributed to gloomy weother. It mode Sophio feel lozy. She only worked for holf o doy; she would deol with oll the importont motters ond return to the monsion. Alexonder, on the other hond, wos swomped with work. In foct, he went on business trips for the post two doys. Since Sophio hod no meetings in the morning thot doy, she finished her breokfost ond took her time to cleon up. She then procticed yogo for obout on hour ond went out to hove lunch before driving slowly to Sunshine Group. Someone from opony hode seeking them for investments twice. Sophio hod olreody reod the detoils of the proposol. The ogreed time wos three o''clock in the ofternoon; it wos olreody two thirty-five by the time she orrived ot Sunshine Group. She flipped through the otherpony''s proposol ogoin. By the time it wos two-fifty, Yvonne knocked on the door ond informed Sophio thot the representotive hod orrived. Sophio nodded, soying, ¡°Got it.¡± With thot, she closed the document ond followed Yvonne to the reception room. The second she entered the room, she noticed Cossondro stonding behind the mon. Sophio could not help but cock her brow. Nheless, she retrocted her goze ond looked ot the mon in front of him. ¡°Hello, Mr. Weylondt.¡± Floshing him o smile, Sophio took o seot ond glonced ot Cossondro. The smile on the former''s foce deepened os she colled out, ¡°Whot o coincidence, Ms. Hollowoy.¡± Viktor Weylondt wos stunned to heor thot. When hee to his senses, o look of surprise crept over his foce. ¡°Ms. Yorrow, ore you ocquointed with Cossondro?¡± Sophio smiled subtly. ¡°Yes. Of course, I know the fomous Ms. Cossondro Hollowoy. I''d be too ignoront if I didn''t know her.¡± The smile on her foce did not fode when she soid thot, though her words sounded odd. Regordless, Viktor noticed nothing. He simply thought the women were friends ond thot Cossondro wos on incredible person. Hence, he figured Sophio wos just joking. Thinking he would surely secure on investor thot doy, Viktor soid, ¡°Whot o coincidence, indeed. I never thought you two were old ocquointonces.¡± ¡°Old ocquointonces? You''ve misunderstood, Mr. Weylondt. Ms. Hollowoy ond I hove only met once, but she''s so incredible thot I con''t forget her.¡± Viktor studied the beoutiful womon stonding before him. The crinkles ot the corners of her eyes mode her look like she meont those words. ¡°I bet you two got to know eoch other in on interesting woy,¡± commented Viktor while pressing his lips together. Sophio chuckled with o nod. ¡°It wos reolly interesting, wosn''t it, Ms. Hollowoy?¡± Furthermore, there had been typhoons recently, which contributed to gloomy weather. It made Sophia feelzy. She only worked for half a day; she would deal with all the important matters and return to the mansion. Alexander, on the other hand, was swamped with work. In fact, he went on business trips for the past two days. Since Sophia had no meetings in the morning that day, she finished her breakfast and took her time to clean up. She then practiced yoga for about an hour and went out to have lunch before driving slowly to Sunshine Group. Someone from apany hade seeking them for investments twice. Sophia had already read the details of the proposal. The agreed time was three o''clock in the afternoon; it was already two thirty-five by the time she arrived at Sunshine Group. She flipped through the otherpany''s proposal again. By the time it was two-fifty, Yvonne knocked on the door and informed Sophia that the representative had arrived. Sophia nodded, saying, ¡°Got it.¡± With that, she closed the document and followed Yvonne to the reception room. The second she entered the room, she noticed Cassandra standing behind the man. Sophia could not help but cock her brow. Nheless, she retracted her gaze and looked at the man in front of him. ¡°Hello, Mr. Wendt.¡± shing him a smile, Sophia took a seat and nced at Cassandra. The smile on the former''s face deepened as she called out, ¡°What a coincidence, Ms. Holloway.¡± Viktor Wendt was stunned to hear that. When he came to his senses, a look of surprise crept over his face. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, are you acquainted with Cassandra?¡± Sophia smiled subtly. ¡°Yes. Of course, I know the famous Ms. Cassandra Holloway. I''d be too ignorant if I didn''t know her.¡± The smile on her face did not fade when she said that, though her words sounded odd. Regardless, Viktor noticed nothing. He simply thought the women were friends and that Cassandra was an incredible person. Hence, he figured Sophia was just joking. Thinking he would surely secure an investor that day, Viktor said, ¡°What a coincidence, indeed. I never thought you two were old acquaintances.¡± ¡°Old acquaintances? You''ve misunderstood, Mr. Wendt. Ms. Holloway and I have only met once, but she''s so incredible that I can''t forget her.¡± Viktor studied the beautiful woman standing before him. The crinkles at the corners of her eyes made her look like she meant those words. ¡°I bet you two got to know each other in an interesting way,¡± commented Viktor while pressing his lips together. Sophia chuckled with a nod. ¡°It was really interesting, wasn''t it, Ms. Holloway?¡± Chapter 381 Chapter 381 The moment Cassandra saw Sophia entering the room, she froze. She thought she would never see Sophia again after that night. She never thought that Sophia would be one of the investors that thepany wanted. Furthermore, Sunshine Group sent out two representatives. One was Sophia, and the other was the woman beside Sophia. Cassandra was no fool, and she was a snob. Otherwise, she would not have pretended to be more than she was by using Bob''s name. When Sunshine Group''s two representatives entered, Sophia was walking in the front while Yvonne walked behind her. Most would figure out that the one who was in charge that day was Sophia. By then, it was already the third round of financing for theirpany. Cassandra only managed to join thepany as a manager in a department, thanks to her connection to Bob. If everything went well, theirpany would be able to apply for listing by the end of the next year. Once thepany was listed, the market value of thepany would rise tremendously. Naturally, Cassandra''s sry would increase as well. In other words, the meeting that day was crucial, and Cassandra had made many preparations for it. However, the other party was Sophia Yarrow. Cassandra could not snap herself back to her senses after hearing Sophia greet her. It was only when Viktor nudged her beneath the table did she force a smile onto her face. ¡°Indeed, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nced at Cassandra but soon turned to look at Viktor instead. ¡°Mr. Wendt, I''ve looked at your proposal, and there are several things I would like to find out more about.¡± Clearly, Sophia was interested in theirpany. Viktor hastily asked Cassandra to introduce the company to Sophia. Even though Sophia was smiling at Cassandra, somehow, Cassandra found chills running down her spine. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Leighton, please allow me to talk about ourpany''s ns for development.¡± Sophia nodded, the smile still on her face. It was the same demeanor she had the other day when she looked unfazed about everything. ¡°Sure, please go ahead, Ms. Holloway.¡± Even though Cassandra could not make her lips curl into a smile, she knew it was something she had to do, nevertheless. Fortunately, Cassandra was rather thick-skinned. When she found out that Sophia was the investor she was meeting that day, she was taken aback, and she panicked. However, she told herself that what was done had been done, and her panic would do nothing to salvage the situation. Thus, by the time she stood up to introduce thepany to Sophia, she had rposed herself. Cassandra''s voice was the only voice reverberating in the conference room. She had gone through the proposal multiple times. The only times she made mistakes were when she met Sophia''s eyes and was hit by a wave of guilt. Still, Sophia remained silent the entire time, so she pretended as if all was fine and continued. Cassandra''s voice was the only voice reverberating in the conference room. She had gone through the proposal multiple times. The only times she made mistakes were when she met Sophia''s eyes and was hit by a wave of guilt. Still, Sophia remained silent the entire time, so she pretended as if all was fine and continued. ¡°That is all. Thank you.¡± By the end of her speech, Cassandra''s heart was no longer racing. Sophia lifted her head to take a glimpse at Cassandra. ¡°Ms. Holloway, I have a few questions I''d like to ask.¡± Despite her calm state, the smile on Cassandra''s face stiffened when she heard Sophia calling her name. ¡°Please go on, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°If I invest eighty million into yourpany, may I know how yourpany is nning to allocate the funds?¡± That was a question Cassandra had prepared for. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, nowadays, we can consider the viral phenomena equivalent to money. Hence, marketing has be even more important for products. We will divide the money into three parts, one of which will be invested in advertising and marketing to further improve product awareness. The rest will be invested in product development to improve product quality to improve its sales.¡± The answer was an ordinary one¡ªit was nothing outstanding. Sophia inclined her head and gave her a small smile. ¡°Another question. If yourpany is unable to receive any funds this time, what would yourpany''s ns for development be like?¡± It was a question that many investors loved asking. After a nce at Viktor, Cassandra gave Sophia another normal answer. Sophia hummed before turning to Yvonne. ¡°Ms. Leighton, are there any questions you''d like to ask?¡± Yvonne then asked a question, and Cassandra was still the one who answered. Two minutester, Sophia looked at Cassandra with a smile that did not reach her eyes before saying to Viktor, ¡°Mr. Wendt, we''ll need to think about this first.¡± What she was actually saying was, I''m sorry, but I''m not interested in investing in yourpany. Viktor paled the second he heard Sophia''s words. Not wanting to waste any time, Sophia asked Yvonne to send them off. ¡°Ms. Leighton, please send Mr. Wendt and Ms. Holloway out.¡± Yvonne nodded and rose to her feet. ¡°Mr. Wendt, Ms. Holloway, this way, please.¡± ¡°Ms. Yorrow¡ª¡± Viktor wonted to soy something else, but he reolized Sophio''s focus wos fully on Cossondro insteod. Reolizotion struck him like o bolt from the blue, ond he instontly scowled ot Cossondro. Thinking thot Sophio ond Cossondro knew eoch other, he thought the meeting would go well. However, he belotedly recolled whot Sophio hod soid eorlier¡ªhow Sophio soid thot she wos not thot fomilior with Cossondro ond even soid thot they met in on interesting woy. Finolly, Viktor figured out whot wos going on. He stopped trying ond gove Sophio ond Yvonne o smile insteod. ¡°Ms. Yorrow, I''ll toke my leove now, then.¡± Sophio returned the smile with o quiet greeting, but she remoined seoted, not intending to send them off. Yvonne led them out of Sunshine Group. ¡°Mr. Weylondt, Ms. Yorrow, thonk you foring todoy.¡± Once Yvonne wos done with the polite words, she turned ond left. The second she wos gone, Viktor''s scowl deepened. ¡°Cossondro, you know Ms. Yorrow?¡± Cossondro shuddered when he osked her the question. ¡°W-We met just once.¡± Viktor sneered, ¡°Be honest with me. Did you cross Ms. Yorrow?¡± There wos no woy Cossondro would dore to odmit to thot. ¡°No, but my uncle knows Ms. Yorrow, so I''ve met her once.¡± Viktor wos o smort mon, ond he did not believe her words ot oll. ¡°Then whot does Ms. Yorrow meon when she soid thot your encounter with her hod been on interesting one?¡± ¡°I wos... I wos...¡± Cossondro could note up with on impromptu excuse. She could only store ot Viktor os cold sweot sooked her bock. She knew thot she wos going to lose her job. Her reoction offirmed Viktor''s speculotions. ¡°Moke time ond opologize to Ms. Yorrow os soon os possible. I don''t core how you opologize to her, but if Ms. Yorrow still refuses to invest in ourpony, I wont you out of thepony!¡± Bock then, he hod turned o blind eye to how Cossondro joined thepony by pulling strings. He thought thot it would be fine since the pretty young womon hode from o fomous university ond spoke fine. She hod not beenpletely useless, so he kept her oround. However, if he were to lose Sunshine Group''s investment becouse of Cossondro this time, he wos never going to let Cossondro go. Once Viktor soid his piece, he went into the cor with the secretory. The cor drove off, leoving Cossondro to stond under the hot sun olone. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Ms. Yarrow¡ª¡± Viktor wanted to say something else, but he realized Sophia''s focus was fully on Cassandra instead. Realization struck him like a bolt from the blue, and he instantly scowled at Cassandra. Thinking that Sophia and Cassandra knew each other, he thought the meeting would go well. However, he btedly recalled what Sophia had said earlier¡ªhow Sophia said that she was not that familiar with Cassandra and even said that they met in an interesting way. Finally, Viktor figured out what was going on. He stopped trying and gave Sophia and Yvonne a smile instead. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''ll take my leave now, then.¡± Sophia returned the smile with a quiet greeting, but she remained seated, not intending to send them off. Yvonne led them out of Sunshine Group. ¡°Mr. Wendt, Ms. Yarrow, thank you foring today.¡± Once Yvonne was done with the polite words, she turned and left. The second she was gone, Viktor''s scowl deepened. ¡°Cassandra, you know Ms. Yarrow?¡± Cassandra shuddered when he asked her the question. ¡°W-We met just once.¡± Viktor sneered, ¡°Be honest with me. Did you cross Ms. Yarrow?¡± There was no way Cassandra would dare to admit to that. ¡°No, but my uncle knows Ms. Yarrow, so I''ve met her once.¡± Viktor was a smart man, and he did not believe her words at all. ¡°Then what does Ms. Yarrow mean when she said that your encounter with her had been an interesting one?¡± ¡°I was... I was...¡± Cassandra could note up with an impromptu excuse. She could only stare at Viktor as cold sweat soaked her back. She knew that she was going to lose her job. Her reaction affirmed Viktor''s spections. ¡°Make time and apologize to Ms. Yarrow as soon as possible. I don''t care how you apologize to her, but if Ms. Yarrow still refuses to invest in ourpany, I want you out of thepany!¡± Back then, he had turned a blind eye to how Cassandra joined thepany by pulling strings. He thought that it would be fine since the pretty young woman hade from a famous university and spoke fine. She had not beenpletely useless, so he kept her around. However, if he were to lose Sunshine Group''s investment because of Cassandra this time, he was never going to let Cassandra go. Once Viktor said his piece, he went into the car with the secretary. The car drove off, leaving Cassandra to stand under the hot sun alone. Chapter 382 Chapter 382 Sophia did not actually intend to make things difficult for Cassandra, even though the woman was quite annoying that night. After all, Sophia did not take the matter to heart. The main reason she did not sign the contract with them was herck of trust in theirpany. Of course, a part of her also desired to retaliate against Cassandra. However, if theirpany''s prospects were promising and their ns were reasonable, Sophia would not let the opportunity to make money slip away because of a minor grudge. The crux of the issue was that Cassandra''spany was not doing well. However, Sophia could not control Cassandra''s and Viktor''s thoughts. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Holloway is...¡± Even though Yvonne did not know what happened that night, having followed Sophia for many years, she had guessed from the first sentence that Cassandra had offended her during the negotiation before that. When she heard Yvonne''s words, Sophia raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°It''s nothing. When we dined out a few days ago, she asked me to let her have the private room.¡± After a short pause, she continued, ¡°She said that her uncle is an executive at Technology Innovations. I decided to show him some request, so I gave her the room.¡± After speaking, Sophia smiled. Yvonne immediately understood what had happened. She knew that Sophia rarely targeted a person. When she spoke strangely to Cassandra earlier, it was clear that thetter had offended the former. It did not ur to her that Cassandra would be so foolish. How dare a future executive at Technology Innovations act arrogantly in front of Sophia? As the company''s major shareholder, wouldn''t Sophia be able to crush her? Cassandra was not only foolish but also unlucky. Theirpany''s investments had ties to Sophia. No one could im to have worse luck than her. Cassandra also felt that she was unlucky. She had not expected a woman she casually met that day would be someone she should never have offended. The previous day, Viktor had already warned her that she would need to resign from thepany if she failed to get the investment from Sunshine Group. Cassandra did not want to leave thepany. Even though she was just a low-ranked manager, there were many people who ttered her. In addition, Viktor was acquainted with Bob''s friend. Everything was going ording to her wishes at thepany. Cassandra wondered how exactly she should apologize to make Sophia forgive her. Even though she had been thinking about it all night, she could note up with a solution. Just yesterday, Viktor had said that if she could not seek Sophia''s forgiveness, she should pack up and leave thepany. Early this morning, when Cassandra returned to her small office, she found that the lock on her door had been changed. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Just yesterday, Viktor had said that if she could not seek Sophia''s forgiveness, she should pack up and leave thepany. Early this morning, when Cassandra returned to her small office, she found that the lock on her door had been changed. When she asked her passing colleagues, a junior employee looked at her awkwardly and said, ¡°Ms. Holloway, Mr. Wendt said that you should note to thepany for a while.¡± No one knew exactly what had happened. All thepany''s employees only knew that after Viktor returned yesterday, he suddenly became furious and smashed things in the office. He angrily ordered his secretary to change the lock on Cassandra''s office and told thepany''s staff to treat the woman like an invisible person for the next three days. Of course, the junior employee knew that Cassandra was not someone who was magnanimous. So, he did not dare to repeat Viktor''s exact words but only gave a general idea of what happened. After hearing the junior employee''s words, Cassandra''s face turned pale. She had almost been able to call the shots in thepany for the past two years, but now she was being chased out of the door. Cassandra could not bear the defeat. The woman stiffened her face and walked away dejectedly. Sophia was not busy today. After handling two documents, she nned to head to Specter Entertainment. As soon as Sophia walked out of the office door, Yvonne walked toward her and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow...¡± Yvonne stood a short distance away and looked at Sophia, who had a slight frown. It seemed that the woman was somewhat displeased. ¡°Ms. Cassandra Yarrow came to look for you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Sophia raised a brow before continuing, ¡°Well, she''s here just in time. Let her in.¡± She smiled, visibly in a good mood. She was also interested to see how Cassandra would make the apology. When Yvonne nced at Sophia, she saw the flicker of delight in the woman''s eyes. She was stunned momentarily but then quickly reacted and nodded. ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Soon, Yvonne brought Cassandra into Sophia''s office. ¡°Ms. Holloway is here, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia hung up the phone, turned around, and looked at Cassandra. Her gaze swept over the item in her hand, and she smiled slightly. ¡°Ms. Leighton, please pour Ms. Holloway some coffee.¡± Yvonne acknowledged her instructions before leaving the room. There were only Cassandra and Sophia left in the office. Thetter walked to the couch and sat on one side, then raised her hand and pointed to the opposite couch. ¡°Please take a seat, Ms. Holloway.¡± Throughout the whole process, Sophio wos olwoys smiling. In controst, Cossondro wos inexplicobly nervous. She could not even give the gift she wos holding to Sophio. When Sophio looked ot her, Cossondro instinctively ploced the gift behind her. ¡°Thonk you, Ms. Yorrow.¡± She wolked over reluctontly ond sot down on the couch opposite Sophio. ¡°Ms. Hollowoy, Ie here todoy to sincerely opologize to you.¡± Sophio looked ot her ond osked, ¡°Why is there o need for on opology? Did you do onything wrong, Ms. Hollowoy?¡± Heoring this, Cossondro''s foce stiffened. ¡°Ms. Yorrow, I know I wos wrong thot night. I wos blind ond didn''t recognize you. I soid some offensive things. Pleose be mognonimous ond forgive me.¡± ¡°Ms. Hollowoy, you ore moking me confused. Whot you soid thot night wos true. I wos indeed ignoront. It wosn''t o big deol for me to let you hove the privote room when you ond your fomily were hoving o birthdoy celebrotion.¡± As soon os Sophio finished speoking, Cossondro''s foce turned pole. ¡°Ms. Yorrow, I...¡± Before she could continue, Yvonne, stonding outside the door, colled out, ¡°Ms. Yorrow.¡± ¡°Come in,¡± the womon instructed. Cossondro could only purse her lips ond stop tolking, looking on os Yvonne brought in the coffee ond ploced it in front of her. From the moment Cossondroe in until now, Sophio hod been cordiol. However, the more friendly she wos, the more uneosy Cossondro felt. It wos only the two of them in the office ofter Yvonne left. ¡°Hove o drink, Ms. Hollowoy,¡± Sophio urged. She leoned over ond offered Cossondro the cup Yvonne hod just brought in. However, before Cossondro could even touch the edge of the cup, Sophio directly sploshed the hot coffee onto her hond. The coffee wos not very hot, but there wos o slight wormth when it londed on her hond. ¡°Ms. Yorrow...¡± soid Cossondro with o trembling voice, looking troubled. Sophio smiled slightly os she gozed ot her. ¡°You see, there ore some things I''m willing to give you if I so desire. Yet, if I don''t wont to offer them to you, you should not even think you''re worthy of them.¡± At this point, Sophio poused for o moment before continuing, ¡°Ms. Hollowoy, it''s better to be humble. You don''t hove to opologize. Just toke your things ond leove my office. If you don''t leove now, I think I still hove the obility to moke it difficult for you to survive in Jodeborough.¡± Throughout the whole process, Sophia was always smiling. In contrast, Cassandra was inexplicably nervous. She could not even give the gift she was holding to Sophia. When Sophia looked at her, Cassandra instinctively ced the gift behind her. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± She walked over reluctantly and sat down on the couch opposite Sophia. ¡°Ms. Holloway, I came here today to sincerely apologize to you.¡± Sophia looked at her and asked, ¡°Why is there a need for an apology? Did you do anything wrong, Ms. Holloway?¡± Hearing this, Cassandra''s face stiffened. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I know I was wrong that night. I was blind and didn''t recognize you. I said some offensive things. Please be magnanimous and forgive me.¡± ¡°Ms. Holloway, you are making me confused. What you said that night was true. I was indeed ignorant. It wasn''t a big deal for me to let you have the private room when you and your family were having a birthday celebration.¡± As soon as Sophia finished speaking, Cassandra''s face turned pale. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I...¡± Before she could continue, Yvonne, standing outside the door, called out, ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Come in,¡± the woman instructed. Cassandra could only purse her lips and stop talking, looking on as Yvonne brought in the coffee and ced it in front of her. From the moment Cassandra came in until now, Sophia had been cordial. However, the more friendly she was, the more uneasy Cassandra felt. It was only the two of them in the office after Yvonne left. ¡°Have a drink, Ms. Holloway,¡± Sophia urged. She leaned over and offered Cassandra the cup Yvonne had just brought in. However, before Cassandra could even touch the edge of the cup, Sophia directly sshed the hot coffee onto her hand. The coffee was not very hot, but there was a slight warmth when itnded on her hand. ¡°Ms. Yarrow...¡± said Cassandra with a trembling voice, looking troubled. Sophia smiled slightly as she gazed at her. ¡°You see, there are some things I''m willing to give you if I so desire. Yet, if I don''t want to offer them to you, you should not even think you''re worthy of them.¡± At this point, Sophia paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Ms. Holloway, it''s better to be humble. You don''t have to apologize. Just take your things and leave my office. If you don''t leave now, I think I still have the ability to make it difficult for you to survive in Jadeborough.¡± Chapter 383 Chapter 383 Cassandra was exasperated and furious that Sophia drenched her dress with coffee, but knowing that thetter was the one in charge of the investment, she had no choice but to suppress her feelings. Cassandra''s face had already turned grim halfway through Sophia''s taunt. Anger overtook her, and she almostshed out at Sophia for her unreasonable remarks. However, when she heard all thetter had to say, she froze, turning white as a sheet. If Sophia were solely Technology Innovations'' major shareholder and the decision maker of the investor, Cassandra would have no qualms about disregarding the warning. Yet, Sophia was not only Technology Innovations'' major shareholder but also the chairman of Specter Entertainment. Moreover, her ex-husband and then-boyfriend, Alexander, was Odyssey''s chairman. Unlike Cassandra, who had acted impertinently that day only because she dropped Bob''s name, Sophia had the money and connections to easily make everyone in Jadeborough turn Cassandra out if she wanted to. Initially, Cassandra wanted to argue further, but Sophia''s ultimatum deterred her from doing so. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow. I''m truly sorry. I''ll leave right now!¡± While speaking, she stood up to leave with her coffee-stained dress stuck to her thighs. Ufortable as she was, she dared not breathe another word because it was Sophia who had thrown the coffee at her earlier. After scrambling out of Sunshine Group, Cassandra called Bob to ask him to help get her another job because she knew she had just lost hers. Despite her many calls, Bob''s line remained busy, so Cassandra had no choice but to call his wife, whom she knew to be soft-hearted and easygoing. Yet, no matter how hard Cassandra tried to persuade her aunt, thetter insisted that she could not help. Soon enough, it dawned upon Cassandra that her uncle, Bob, was not picking up her calls because he had blocked her entirely, not because his line was upied. Once that realization struck her, Cassandra felt a chill run down her spine. It was then she knew she had offended the wrong person. Not only had she lost a good job, but she had also made her uncle and aunt, who were usually amiable, turn their backs on her because of what she did that night. Meanwhile, after Cassandra left, Sophia drove to Specter Entertainment, which she had not visited for more than a month. Thepany had just signed contracts with two new trainees, so Sophia swung by to see how they were doing at training. She also went through a few reports at thepany until the clock struck sometime after five, when she finally left to meet Charlize for dinner. Since Katherine and Alexander were both away for shooting and a business trip, respectively, Sophia agreed to Charlize''s dinner invitation straight away when thetter asked her the day before. The location for their dinner was set at a seafood buffet spot chosen by Charlize. Sophia arrived earlier than Charlize since thetter would only get off work at six, not to mention it would take her half an hour to reach there. As soon as Charlize took her seat, she started apologizing to Sophia without even taking a breather. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow. The traffic was bad.¡± As soon as Charlize took her seat, she started apologizing to Sophia without even taking a breather. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow. The traffic was bad.¡± Sophia poured her a ss of apple juice, smiling as she asked, ¡°How''s work?¡± ¡°Thanks, Ms. Yarrow!¡± Charlize chirped. Only after she drank half a ss of apple juice did she respond to Sophia''s question. ¡°I''m so busy! My boss is so heartless. He makes me work overtime every day!¡± Good thing I snuck out earlier, or else I might have to work overtime again tonight. ¡°But yourplexion looks pretty good.¡± Sophia chuckled. Thatment of hers set Charlize on fire. ¡°The main point is that my boss has been asking me to y badminton with him daily. He knows I''m bad at it, but he never once went easy on me. It''s so effortless for him, but I have to pick up the shuttlecock almost every time!¡± In hindsight, Charlize felt that the amount of running she had been doing to pick up the shuttlecock had improved her stamina. She was not even panting as hard anymore after a sprint. Well, I must admit there''s still a good thing that came out of ying badminton with my crazy boss. Having noticed that Charlize had been talking about her boss frequently, Sophia arched a brow and asked, ¡°This boss that you''re talking about¡ªis he young?¡± ¡°Yeah. He''s about Charles'' age. He was my senior at school.¡± Sophia gazed at the clueless girl in front of her and let out a chuckle. ¡°I see. Your boss must be very capable, then.¡± ¡°I guess you can say so.¡± In that respect, Charlize could not disagree with Sophia. Even so, it was undeniable that she had a lot of pent-up frustration about her boss. Sophia patiently listened to Charlize''sints, just as she would listen to Katherine grumble about her work in the past. It was something she had grown ustomed to. The only difference was that it was Charlize venting to her instead of Katherine. Sophia found it somewhat enjoyable to listen to Charlize while eating seafood. However, the more she listened to Charlize, the more she became firm with the conjecture in her mind. Just as she was about to talk about it with Charlize, thetter came to an abrupt stop and asked uneasily, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, are you not interested in what I''m sharing?¡± ¡°No. I think it''s pretty interesting. Katherine would alwaysin about the entertainment industry to me,¡± Sophia answered, extracting some crab meat before putting it in Charlize''s empty bowl. Charlize''s heart warmed at Sophia''s gesture. ¡°You should eat more yourself, Ms. Yarrow. I can help myself.¡± Sophia nced at her and smiled. ¡°Don''t worry about me. I ought to repay you for all the interesting stories you share with me.¡± Charlize was at a loss for words. ¡°But I''m almost done with what I wanted to say.¡± Sophia raised her brows. ¡°I thought you said your boss had always treated you poorly since you two were still at school?¡± ¡°Yeah. Back then, he always gave me the cold shoulder and put on airs around me just because he was my senior. If it were not for...¡± Mid-sentence, Chorlize suddenly flushed. Sophio stopped whot she wos doing. ¡°You were soying?¡± Chorlize''s foce be redder ot Sophio''s question. Deep down in her heort, there wos o secret she hod never mentioned to ony soul. As o motter of foct, she hod osked Sophio out for o meol on thot doy portly becouse she wonted to tell her obout it. At the sight of Chorlize lowering her heod in silence, Sophio sipped some juice ond picked up o lobster. ¡°Go on.¡± Chorlize snuck o glonce ot Sophio. With her foce still red, she whispered, ¡°Ms. Yorrow, how did you monoge to stoy in love with Mr. Xenos for so long?¡± Now, where did this questione from? Sophio blinked, then looked ot Chorlize with o holf-smile. ¡°Do you hove someone you like, Chorlize?¡± Given how protective the Johnson fomily wos¡ªor, more precisely¡ªhow protective Chorles wos of Chorlize, there wos no woy she could hove doted onyone ot school. It wos something Sophio could tell ot o glonce through Chorlize''s boshful reoction. Ah, whot on obedient but poor girl. Hoving hod her soul bored to Sophio, Chorlize went scorlet. The smile on Sophio''s foce broodened. ¡°Is it your boss?¡± she osked. ¡°H-How did you know?¡± Chorlize wos shocked. Wos I thot obvious? Sophio swollowed the shrimp in her mouth, then replied smilingly, ¡°I guessed it myself.¡± At thot, Chorlize wos stumped for words. Thot''s spot on! The young womon covered her foce os o mixture of emborrossment, onxiety, ond exhilorotion coursed through her body. Two seconds loter, she could not help but steol o glonce ot Sophio through the gop between her fingers. When she sow thot the lotter did not hove much of o reoction ond wos only smiling ot her, she sighed in relief ond put down her hond. ¡°How did you guess it?¡± ¡°I guessed it the moment you mentioned him the second time.¡± At thot point, Sophio poused before continuing, ¡°Also, I reolized thot¡ª¡± ¡°Whot did you reolize?¡± Chorlize looked ot her, eyes sporkling with onticipotion. ¡°I reolized thot olthough you wereploining obout him, it seemed like you glodly put up with him.¡± Emborrossed from being exposed, Chorlize lowered her heod ond soid, ¡°It''s becouse I get to be closer to him.¡± Sophio propped her chin in the polm of her hond ond stored ot the younger womon. ¡°So, ore you going to confess to him?¡± ¡°Did you guess thot os well, Ms. Yorrow? You''re so good ot this!¡± Amused by her reoction, Sophio chuckled. ¡°I''d odvise you to hold off for now, though.¡± Since Chorlize hod olwoys odmired Sophio ond hod even osked the lotter out thot night to solicit odvice from her on thot motter, the discourogement did not upset her. Insteod, she continued to osk for guidonce. ¡°Whot should I do then?¡± Gozing ot the innocent girl before her, Sophio fell silent for o second before she spoke. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll guide you.¡± Mid-sentence, Charlize suddenly flushed. Sophia stopped what she was doing. ¡°You were saying?¡± Charlize''s face became redder at Sophia''s question. Deep down in her heart, there was a secret she had never mentioned to any soul. As a matter of fact, she had asked Sophia out for a meal on that day partly because she wanted to tell her about it. At the sight of Charlize lowering her head in silence, Sophia sipped some juice and picked up a lobster. ¡°Go on.¡± Charlize snuck a nce at Sophia. With her face still red, she whispered, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, how did you manage to stay in love with Mr. Xenos for so long?¡± Now, where did this questione from? Sophia blinked, then looked at Charlize with a half-smile. ¡°Do you have someone you like, Charlize?¡± Given how protective the Johnson family was¡ªor, more precisely¡ªhow protective Charles was of Charlize, there was no way she could have dated anyone at school. It was something Sophia could tell at a nce through Charlize''s bashful reaction. Ah, what an obedient but poor girl. Having had her soul bared to Sophia, Charlize went scarlet. The smile on Sophia''s face broadened. ¡°Is it your boss?¡± she asked. ¡°H-How did you know?¡± Charlize was shocked. Was I that obvious? Sophia swallowed the shrimp in her mouth, then replied smilingly, ¡°I guessed it myself.¡± At that, Charlize was stumped for words. That''s spot on! The young woman covered her face as a mixture of embarrassment, anxiety, and exhration coursed through her body. Two secondster, she could not help but steal a nce at Sophia through the gap between her fingers. When she saw that thetter did not have much of a reaction and was only smiling at her, she sighed in relief and put down her hand. ¡°How did you guess it?¡± ¡°I guessed it the moment you mentioned him the second time.¡± At that point, Sophia paused before continuing, ¡°Also, I realized that¡ª¡± ¡°What did you realize?¡± Charlize looked at her, eyes sparkling with anticipation. ¡°I realized that although you wereining about him, it seemed like you dly put up with him.¡± Embarrassed from being exposed, Charlize lowered her head and said, ¡°It''s because I get to be closer to him.¡± Sophia propped her chin in the palm of her hand and stared at the younger woman. ¡°So, are you going to confess to him?¡± ¡°Did you guess that as well, Ms. Yarrow? You''re so good at this!¡± Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Amused by her reaction, Sophia chuckled. ¡°I''d advise you to hold off for now, though.¡± Since Charlize had always admired Sophia and had even asked thetter out that night to solicit advice from her on that matter, the discouragement did not upset her. Instead, she continued to ask for guidance. ¡°What should I do then?¡± Gazing at the innocent girl before her, Sophia fell silent for a second before she spoke. ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll guide you.¡± Chapter 384 Chapter 384 Sophia began by giving Charlize a thoughtful suggestion. ¡°You should make Spencer draw a clear line between him and you.¡± ¡°I don''t quite get it, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Charlize was a little puzzled. ¡°Simply put, him being demanding of you at work is normal behavior between a superior and his subordinate, but him asking you out to y badminton is a social interaction only friends do. Spencer is your superior, so technically, there is nothing wrong with him maintaining a professional rtionship with you during working hours, then being friends with you after work.¡± There, Sophia stopped and nced at Charlize. When she saw thetter''s bemused expression, she chuckled and rephrased herself more simply. ¡°If you want to be more than friends with him, you should ensure that both of you remain just as friends for now. In other words, you should make him think for himself about whether he wants to be your friend or boyfriend.¡± Even then, Charlize could not understand her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''m still not following,¡± the younger woman uttered sheepishly. ¡°If you don''t get it, just do as I say.¡± Although Sophia''s statement was over Charlize''s head, following explicit instructions was not an issue for her, so she nodded readily upon hearing the other woman''s suggestion. ¡°No problem. What am I supposed to do then, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°Don''t ept his invitation the next time he asks you to y badminton with him.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because an employee has no obligation to y badminton with their higher-ups,¡± Sophia exined, smiling at Charlize, who finally seemed toprehend what she was conveying. ¡°You''re so smart, Ms. Yarrow!¡± thetter eximed. Seeing the innocent smile on Charlize''s face, Sophia could not help but wonder if the girl would still like her the same in the future, for she knew that Spencer¡ªfor the very least¡ªwould despise her. Whatever. A young man like him should just say how he feels instead of pulling tricks to confuse Charlize. It peeves me. The two women left the restaurant after they were done with dinner. Sophia was about to ask Charlize if she needed a ride home when thetter suddenly fell silent. Intrigued, Sophia arched her brows and followed Charlize''s gaze. A man with narrowly long, upturned eyes and chiseled features came into view. d in a neatly-ironed suit with a pair of thin temple sses resting on his tall nose bridge, the man looked somewhat cold. Sophia retracted her gaze after taking a mere nce at him. Wearing a smile on her face, she looked at the younger woman beside her and asked, ¡°Is he your boss?¡± Charlize seemed to have returned to her senses by then. ¡°Yes. It''s him,¡± she replied, nodding. Sophia harrumphed, her gaze falling back on the man not far away. ¡°Let''s go say hello to him.¡± ¡°I don''t think there''s a need for that, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Charlize eyed Spencer, bing inexplicably timid all of a sudden. ¡°He''s your superior. You should at least greet him.¡± While speaking, Sophia tugged Charlize over until they came right in front of Spencer. ¡°What a coincidence, Mr. Lacroix,¡± Charlize uttered with difficulty. The man nodded in response and glimpsed at Sophia before fixing his gaze on Charlize. ¡°Did you just have dinner with your friend?¡± His tone was indifferent as if he was merely asking a casual question. The truth was that Charlize had left work earlier with the excuse that she was not feeling well so that she could dine with Sophia. s, it so happened that she ran into Spencer right after their dinner. Met with Spencer''s unemotional gaze, she became even more anxious. While she liked that man, she was equally afraid of him. After all, Spencer was known to be a strict boss and had previously scolded Charlize so severely that she was brought to tears. Of course, she only ever shed tears in secret. Finding crying to be an embarrassing behavior, she would never dare to bawl in the open. ¡°Y-Yes.¡± Charlize nodded frantically as she pulled Sophia''s arm. ¡°Mr. Lacroix, Ms. Yarrow and I still have other engagements, so we''ll take our leave first.¡± With that, Charlize left with Sophia. The moment thetter turned around to leave, she voiced unhurriedly, ¡°Charlize, do you like that guy we metst time?¡± Charlize nodded unattentively as she did not hear Sophia clearly, but Spencer interpreted her nod as an agreement to the question. As Sophia watched Charlize incline her head, she could not help but look over her shoulder. When her gazended on the man''s gloomy face, a chuckle escaped her lips. Tch. Are you finally getting anxious now? I suppose you weren''t desperate when you pulled all those tricks back then. Sophia figured out Spencer''s intentions when Charlize told her the man had asked her to help him buy a necktie. I''ve always regarded Charlize as my younger sister, yet Spencer watches Charlize center around him like a fool, even though he clearly knows that she likes him. He may be pleased about it, but I''m vexed. This time, I''m just giving him a taste of his own medicine. While Sophia and Charlize walked out of the mall, the former suddenly recalled one particr matter. ¡°By the way, Charlize, you mentioned you wanted to meet Mason, right?¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. As an avid fan of different celebrities herself, Charlize happened to have a roommate in university who was Mason''s diehard fan. She had quite a good rtionship with the roommate, and since thetter''s birthday wasing up in another month, she thought of arranging for her to meet Mason, so she asked Sophia for a favor several days ago. At first, Sophia dly agreed to set something up but had not been able to do so due to Mason''s tight schedule. Fortunately, he should have some time to spare the following week. Considering how things were between Charlize and Spencer, Sophia thought she could conveniently use the meet-up with Mason to Charlize''s advantage. As for Charlize, she heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that Spencer had not followed them. It was then that she had the leisure to look at Sophia. ¡°Yes. Is Mason free?¡± ¡°He should have an event to attend next Wednesday, so go over with your friend if you two are free. I''ll make the arrangements,¡± thetter replied. Charlize was so delighted that, for a brief moment, she forgot about Spencer. ¡°Really, Ms. Yarrow? My friend loves Mason! It''ll be marvelous to meet him!¡± Spencer, who had just caught up with them, heard thest part of her exmations, and his face turned as ck as thunder. When Sophia caught a glimpse of his reaction out of the corner of her eye, she quirked her lips into a discreet smile and replied, ¡°I mean it. Come on. Let me give you a ride home.¡± ¡°That''s amazing, Ms. Yarrow! You don''t have to send me back, though. I can call a cab.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. I''m free today.¡± Coincidentally, Charlize wanted more of Sophia''s input on her dilemma, so she changed her mind and epted the offer upon hearing thetter''s response. ¡°All right. Thank you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Don''t mention it.¡± Smiling, Sophia led Charlize to her car before getting into the driver''s seat herself. When the car pulled up at the Johnson residence, Sophia bumped into Samuel, who happened to be leaving the ce. The man was startled to see her. Recalling what had happened earlier, Samuel felt inexplicably guilty. ¡°It''s been a long time, Sophia.¡± Sophia wound down her window and tilted her head to look at him. ¡°Mr. Schild, you don''t seem very pleased to see me.¡± Chapter 385 Chapter 385 Samuel was already feeling guilty, and that difort intensified after he heard Sophia''s question. ¡°That''s not true! I''m just in a hurry to attend to some matters. Anyway, I have to go now. Talk to you next time!¡± Quirking her lips, Sophia did not respond to him. Instead, she watched him hop into his car and disappear from her sight. Running off right after seeing me? Did he do something he feels guilty about? It did not take her long to find out what Samuel had done. The moment Sophia drove home, she received a text message from Katherine. After parking her car, she took out her phone and read the message while walking up the stairs. Katherine: Soph! Quick! Come on out now! Something''s happened! It''s something major! Her friend''s exaggerated tone brought a faint smile to her lips. In aposed manner, she continued reading the following messages. Katherine sent her quite a number of photos depicting a woman scurrying out of a hotel room while half-naked. If those images were all that Sophia could see, she would not have been able to understand the context. Thanks to Katherine''s exnation seeding the images, she learned that the venue shown in the photos was not any regr hotel. It was the six-star hotel Alexander so happened to be staying at during his business trip. That hotel room was not an ordinary room either; that was the one Alexander upied. It did not take a genius to tell what was going on from seeing a woman run out of that room. Katherine bought those photos from a paparazzi, spending an rming sum of over two hundred thousand. ¡°Don''t be sad, Soph. There''s plenty of fish in the sea. Who cares about a scumbag like Alexander? Chandler''s a pretty decent guy! Besides, Mr. Dawson also prefers...¡± Katherine was probably so worked up that she continued with a voice message. However, she did not finish her sentence, and no other messages came from her after that. Sophia could not help but arch a brow upon seeing the photos. Then, she dialed a number right away. Samuel did not expect to bump into Sophia at the Johnson residence. He had sent people out to get rid of those photos. Unbeknownst to him, it was a little toote, and the news of Alexander''s little ¡°affair¡± had already gotten out. I''ve managed to contain those photos, so as long as both Alex and I stay quiet about this, Sophia will never find out about that woman. Man, I''m such a genius. Thank goodness I came up with an excuse to leave after seeing her. Otherwise, I might''ve caved and ratted Alex out if she kept staring at me like that. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Samuel was just about to phone Alexander to deliver the good news, only to receive a call from Sophie. An ominous feeling rose within his chest the instant he saw the woman''s name appear on his phone screen. ¡°Your phone''s ringing, Mr. Schild,¡± the person seated across thoughtfully reminded Samuel, thinking that thetter had not noticed the iing call. Samuel, who did not want to pick up the call at all, snapped, ¡°I know that!¡± Do I look blind or deaf to you? Of course, I know my phone''s ringing! Seriously, he just can''t keep his mouth shut. Samuel red at the man briefly before walking out of the private room with his phone. ¡°Hey, Sophia!¡± ¡°I''m not bothering you, am I, Mr. Schild?¡± Samuel shuddered internally upon hearing the woman''s light-hearted tone. ¡°Not at all! Is something the matter? Alex isn''t around, so just let me know what you need.¡± At that moment, Sophia was gazing at the night view a near distance away. When she heard his response, she quirked her brow slightly and chuckled. ¡°All right. I won''t hold back, then.¡± Then, she paused before asking, ¡°Were you the one who took down the photos?¡± Samuel stilled briefly as his grip on his phone tightened. ¡°What photos? I don''t know what you''re talking about.¡± Sophia was not upset at all. Instead, she let out another chuckle. ¡°Do you really not know, or are you ying dumb?¡± Samuelughed along with her. ¡°You''re talking as if I''m deliberately trying to hide something from you!¡± ¡°Are you not?¡± The woman shot back without mercy. Just as he was about to continue denying his involvement, she added, ¡°I''m a vengeful person, Mr. Schild. I hope you''ll think hard before giving me your answer.¡± That rendered him speechless. Is she threatening me now? I must have had such terrible luck to have met her and Alex. They keep doing this to me! ¡°I take your silence as admission?¡± Sophia remarked, no longer giving him a chance to answer. ¡°Please send me the photos, Mr. Schild.¡± ¡°But Sophia! I really don''t¡ª¡± Before Samuel could utter the word ¡°know,¡± all he heard next was a series of beeps from the speaker. The man covered his own face. Why is being Alexander''s friend so tiring? Never mind. I''m a good man. And so, the good manpiled all of the images he had taken down and sent them to Sophia. He even left Alexander a text message: Alex, I''ve sent Sophia the photos. You''re on your own now. Alexander, who had just finished a dinner meeting, was left bereft of words when he saw Samuel''s message. How did so many things happen throughout the duration of one meal? There were so many photos that it took Sophia a few minutes to download everything. The images were more or less simr¡ªhalf of them were of a woman dashing out of the hotel room, and the other half was of the same woman and Alexander clinking sses at a party. In fact, the photos from the party were captured at such misleading angles that they made the two appear very intimate with each other. Sophia went through the images one by one and eventually grew bored halfway through browsing them. As soon as she decided to turn off herputer, her phone vibrated. Tilting her head, she nced at the phone screen. It was Alexander. With a brow arched, she walked to one side with her phone and answered it. ¡°It''s me, Alexander,¡± said the voice from across the line. ¡°Have you seen the photos?¡± The man was straightforward, and he did not sound guilty at all. Sophia picked up her cup and took a sip of her water before replying nonchntly, ¡°Not all of them.¡± ¡°I don''t know her.¡± In spite of his poor choice of words, Sophia understood what he meant. Not only that, but she also began to tease him. ¡°Isn''t that normal?¡± she remarked, tapping the cup before her. Who would have a one-night stand with someone they actually know? Hearing her utterance, Alexander fell silent for a moment before continuing, ¡°Don''t be mad, Sophia.¡± ¡°I''m not.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°But don''t you think you should at least exin yourself?¡± ¡°She might have been sent by Dillon,¡± he replied. There, the man paused again before informing abruptly, ¡°I''ll be back tomorrow.¡± Sophia harrumphed. ¡°Okay.¡± Right afterward, a call from Katherine suddenly appeared on her phone screen. She nced at it and said, ¡°Katherine''s calling. I''ll talk to youter.¡± With that, she hung up on Alexander immediately and answered her friend''s call. ¡°What else do you have to say now?¡± ¡°Forget everything I said to you just now, Soph! This whole thing is most likely a misunderstanding. I''ve seen many instances of this trick being used in showbiz,¡± Katherine gushed, having lost all her boldness after recalling what had happened over half an hour ago. ¡°Don''t be deceived by that b*tch and start a fight with Mr. Xenos because of this! If you do, you''ll be giving that b*tch exactly what she wants!¡± It was as though she had transformed into apletely different person. Sophia raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you being sarcastic?¡± ¡°What? No! I''m being serious right now! This is not sarcasm! I repeat! It''s not sarcasm!¡± Sophia grew curious upon hearing Katherine stressing that point repeatedly. ¡°Tell me¡ªdid someone tell you something?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Katherine answered sheepishly. ¡°It''s just that I bumped into Alexander while sending you that voice message...¡± Sophia did not know what to say in response. And I thought she suddenly grew a conscience! Turns out she''s just feeling guilty. Chapter 386 Chapter 386 The recollection of the terrifying incident from half an hour ago still struck fear in Katherine''s heart. She knew Alexander was on a business trip in the same city as her, but she did not expect him to appear when she was badmouthing him in front of Sophia once in a blue moon. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. As a matter of fact, she was merely making idle chatter when she mentioned Chandler and had no intention of trying toe between Alexander and Sophia. Apparently, that was not what Alexander thought. While bbering and gloating with excitement, Katherine noticed Jonice, who stood beside her, had fallen silent. Upon lifting her head, she saw that man had stood before her. Awkwardness hung heavily in the air as the scene yed out in its brutal and unforgiving glory. Katherine believed Alexander would have ordered his secretary to tear her mouth apart had she not fled quickly enough. Oh, my gosh. That was terrifying! How could I not panic when he appeared just as I was speaking ill of him? Nevertheless, she was genuinely afraid that the couple might get into an argument, especially after the farce concerning the photos. Therefore, a brief hesitationter, she still decided to phone Sophia. I meant every word I said earlier! Meanwhile, Sophia was surprised that Katherine was able to run into Alexander at the same hotel, considering the fact that Jedayton was arge city. To make matters worse, Alexander overheard Katherine talking negatively about him and praising Chandler as being better than him. Sophia could imagine how intense their encounter must have been. At that, she chuckled and said, ¡°Oh, I see.¡± After a short pause, she continued, ¡°Well, things are a little tricky now... I just hung up on Alexander to ept your call.¡± Katherine, who was eager to make up for her mistake, asked, ¡°Then... does he know I was the one who called you?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Sophia asked. Speechless, Katherine ended the call without hesitation. Goodbye, Soph! Sophia looked down at her phone, the corner of her lips quirking upward in response to Katherine''s reaction. My, she''s such an easy person to spook. It''s not like Alexander would have the guts to do anything to her when I''m around. Sophia then nced at the photos on herputer once more but still found that they did not hold much meaning to her. Thus, she got up and returned to her room to freshen up. Truth be told, Sophia did not believe any of the photos. If they were shown to Charlize, she probably would not believe them either, let alone Katherine. Evidently, Dillion was desperate, seeing that he was willing to resort to such a brainless tactic. Did he think I''d quarrel with Alexander and break up with him because of this scandal? Did he think the Dawson family would withdraw their support for Alexander as a result? How na?ve. He was so na?ve that even Sophia could not bear to watch him make a fool of himself. As an early meeting was scheduled the next day, she turned off the lights and went to bed at quarter past ten. Sophia rarely had trouble falling asleep, but the absence of Alexander in thest couple of days made it difficult for her to fall into a restful slumber. Lying in bed, she was caught between wakefulness and sleep and did not truly drift off until nearly eleven. Even so, she was not in a deep sleep. When she heard a sound, she frowned and sat up in bed groggily. Just as she was about to turn on the night light, a familiar manly voice came from above her head. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± Upon hearing Alexander''s voice, Sophia was stunned for a moment. In a hoarse voice, she instructed Genie to turn on the night light. Under the warm yellow light, she saw his familiar face. The man carried a subtle scent of alcohol, likely a remnant from the evening''s dinner meeting. Sophia caught a whiff of the alcohol from his body, which seemed to have woken her up. She looked up at him, her brows scrunching slightly. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°About one in the morning,¡± Alexander replied. She asked, ¡°Didn''t you say you''re onlying back tomorrow?¡± After removing his necktie and tossing it to the armchair, he leaned forward and gave her lips a gentle peck. ¡°I''m going to take a shower now.¡± He dared not hug her because he reeked of alcohol. Sophia hummed in response and watched him walk into the bathroom. It took her a while to fully wake up. She then got up to go downstairs and poured a ss of warm water. When Alexander came out of the bathroom, Sophia had turned on all the lights in the room, making it as bright as day. Handing him that ss of warm water, she asked, ¡°Why did youe home early?¡± Alexander took the ss with one hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist before taking a long swig of water. Once he put the ss on the nightstand, he returned to scoop her up in his arms. Sophia wrapped her arms around his neck and gently caressed the bags under his eyes. ¡°Did you not sleep well?¡± The man responded with a deep grunt. Without Sophia by his side for thest three days, he only managed to fall asleep at about two in the morning. Alexander ced her on the bed and gazed into her eyes for a few seconds before asking, ¡°Are you mad?¡± His question made herugh. ¡°I wasn''t mad in the first ce.¡± The hint of joy in her eyes reminded Alexander of the uneasiness he had felt on his way back. With resignation, he nibbled her bottom lip. ¡°Don''t y such a prank on me next time.¡± Sophia let out a snort. ¡°Aren''t you a smart cookie? Can''t you tell if I''m really mad or just pulling your leg?¡± ¡°I couldn''t tell,¡± he replied. Subsequently, Alexander instructed Genie to switch off the lights, allowing the room to plunge into darkness. He snuggled beside Sophia, embraced her from the side, and buried his face on her shoulder. As he inhaled her familiar and calming scent, he muttered, ¡°My intelligence is useless when it comes to you, Sophia.¡± Even though he did wonder whether Sophia was acting angry, he did not want to take any chances, even if the odds were as slim as a needle in a haystack. Alexander felt his heart had stopped beating when Sophia hung up on him four hours ago. Seeing her smile at him lifted a weight off his shoulders. Sophia could not see his face clearly in the dark, but she could feel his head resting on her shoulder and his short hair tickling her skin, causing her heart to race. One corner of her lips quirked up. She lifted her hand and patted his head. ¡°It''ste now. Let''s sleep.¡± Alexander hummed in agreement before holding her even closer. Feeling a little ufortable from his tight embrace, Sophia adjusted her position by turning around and wrapping her arms around him. ¡°Let''s fall asleep like this.¡± Upon hearing her utterance, Alexander retracted his arms and ced them on her waist so that his hands rested on her back. With his eyes slightly closed, the man no longer moved and fell asleep soon after. He had not been able to sleep a wink in thest few days. Sophia knew Alexander had fallen asleep when she heard his steady breathing. At that discovery, she moved slightly and got up to kiss his cheek before closing her eyes and going to sleep. The two of them managed to sleep soundly throughout the night. In fact, Sophia was so deeply asleep that she almost did not hear the rm the next day. Chapter 387 Chapter 387 It was already past one in the morning when Alexander returned home the previous day. Sophia, who had been struggling with insomnia, had finally fallen asleep around eleven, only to be awoken two hourster. As a result, both of them were still sound asleep when the rm went off in the morning. Genie, their smart home assistant, automatically drew the curtains back and activated ¡°awaken¡± mode when it detected the rm on Sophia''s phone going off. Sophia was roused from her slumber by Genie''s ¡°awaken¡± rm, marking the first time she had slept so soundly that she had missed her phone rm. Alexander, who was beside her, was also awake. With one hand on her waist, he asked with half- opened eyes, ¡°Do you have a meeting in the morning?¡± His breath tickled her waist through the thin fabric of her clothing. Sophia instinctively recoiled, and the next thing she knew, he had pulled her into his arms. The woman lowered her head and nced at him. ¡°I need to wash up now.¡± She had little time left to prepare for her morning meeting since she had slept in. At that time, it was already ten past eight. Alexander let her go and answered, ¡°Okay.¡± The sun shone through the windows and lit up the room because Genie had drawn the curtains back. It was almost nine by the time Sophia arrived at Sunshine Group. As a result, she only had time to flip through the main points of the meeting agenda prepared by Yvonne. Just as she reached the conference room, Yvonne suddenly called out to her, ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia, who was flipping through the document, paused and turned to smile at the secretary. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Bora received a parcel addressed to you this morning.¡± ¡°I''ll check it out after the meeting.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Smiling, Yvonne opened the door of the conference room for Sophia. As most of the required personnel had arrived, the meeting began once the two women were seated, The main agenda of the meeting that day was to assess apany called Yonda Group. Sophia was against acquiring Yonda Group, but the higher-ups in Sunshine Group thought otherwise. The meeting went on for almost two hours. It was close to eleven by the time Sophia emerged from the conference room. Upon entering her office, she recalled the parcel Yvonne had mentioned before the meeting. ¡°Ms. Leighton, where''s the parcel?¡± ¡°One moment, please, Ms. Yarrow,¡± Yvonne replied, ncing at Sophia. Then, she turned around and walked out of the office to retrieve the parcel. Watching Yvonne return with the parcel, Sophia raised a brow and asked, ¡°Who sent it?¡± Her secretary lowered her head to check the details of the parcel and could not help but frown. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, the sender''s field is left nk.¡± Sophia tutted. ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°I''ll leave you to it, then,¡± Yvonne said after handing over the parcel to her. ¡°Sure, thank you.¡± Sophia smiled at her, motioning her to continue with her work. She took the parcel and opened it to find an envelope inside. Curiosity got the better of her, so she took out the envelope and felt it with her fingers. There''s something solid inside. In a swift motion, she tore it open and spilled the contents onto her desk. High-definition photos fell to the surface of the desk with a swoosh. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. I just saw thesest night. These are in the photos Samuel sent me yesterday. She then picked up the envelope, which she had thrown away earlier, and noticed that the sender''s field was, indeed, left nk. Intrigued, Sophia arched a brow and snapped a picture of the envelope''s contents with her phone before sending them to Alexander. He happened to have a free day, so his reply came almost immediately: Who sent those photos? Sophia: The sender field is left nk. That time around, Alexander did not respond to her message instantly, only doing so around two minutester. His text read: Are you done with your meeting? Shall Ie to pick you up? In actuality, Sophia was quite free recently. She only had to sign a document after the meeting, and then she would be finished for the day. Alexander had driven her to the office that morning, but she did not expect him to be avable then. Sophia: Okay. After closing her text messaging app, Sophia perused the document on the table and signed it. With her handbag in hand, she got up to leave the office. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, do you need me to find out who sent the parcel?¡± Yvonne thoughtfully asked when she spotted Sophia. ¡°No, there''s no need for that anymore.¡± Thetter shook her head and smiled. She was confident that she would soon meet the sender. After all, they were in such a hurry, even sending the photos to her office. ¡°Okay, Ms. Yarrow,¡± Yvonne replied. Alexander drove to Sunshine Group rather quickly. No sooner had Sophia stepped out of the elevator than she received a text message from him, which informed her that he had arrived at the building. The streets were rtively quiet as it was still ten minutes before noon. As soon as Sophia emerged from her office building, the zing sun momentarily blinded her. She instinctively reached out to shield herself from the bright light. The moment she reopened her eyes, Alexander approached her while holding an umbre. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± he asked. ¡°Can we have Thymion food?¡± she replied. ¡°Sure,¡± Alexander said, leading her to the car. He pulled open the car door for her and ced a hand on the roof to shield her head as she got in before going around the vehicle to get to the driver''s seat. After buckling up, Sophia tilted her head to look at him, then showed him the photos. Alexander gave a nce at them. ¡°The woman from the other day is Jazzlyn Cadogan. She''s the daughter of one of the directors at Kindle Corporation,¡± he exined, his gazending on Sophia''s face. Sophia looked at him with a half-smile, ying dumb by asking, ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± I never said that I didn''t believe him. All of a sudden, Alexander leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the lips. ¡°She must be the one who sent these pictures to you,¡± he said. Sophia chuckled. ¡°Is she working with Dillon, then?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Does that mean she''s your admirer, Mr. Xenos?¡± she asked teasingly, giving him a sidelong nce. The car started moving forward slowly. Alexander, who was focused on the road ahead, frowned when he heard her remark. ¡°No,¡± he answered firmly. ¡°Then what is she?¡± ¡°She''s trouble,¡± the man replied without missing a beat. ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± Sophia responded, unable to stifle herughter. Following that, she kept quiet and flipped through those five photos out of boredom. When the car stopped at a red light, Alexander suddenly reached out and snatched the photos away from her. Sophia tilted her head to face him. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°There''s nothing to see there,¡± he said as he tore them up and stuffed them into a small trash can at the side. His action andment made her arch a brow. ¡°But I think those were nice shots.¡± The hint of amusement on her face was clearly visible. ¡°Sophia!¡± Alexander eximed, staring at her with resignation. Sophia quirked her lips in response. ¡°All right,¡± she said, letting the matter slide and changing the topic. ¡°Dillon must be feeling the pressure right now.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Alexander agreed, taking her hand and stroking her fingers as he gazed at her. Sophia intentionally curled her fingers and brushed his palm with her nails, causing him to feel ticklish. He looked up, only to see her beaming at him. At that moment, he became lost in her eyes, which seemed to contain countless stars. Alexander pursed his lips and interlocked his fingers with hers, unwilling to let go. ¡°The light turned green,¡± Sophia reminded him as she tried to pull her hand away. ¡°Okay.¡± It was only then did he let go of her hand reluctantly to grip the steering wheel once again. As if he wanted to retain the warmth in his palm, he curled his fingers while his heart fluttered. Indeed, humans are greedy for beautiful things. Chapter 388 Chapter 388 In truth, Sophia did not take the matter of the photos to heart. Even if Alexander had not made it back that night, she would still have believed him. At her very first sight of him, she had known the kind of person he was. He was exceedingly apathetic in nature, loathed to interfere in other people''s affairs, and detested having others interfere in his. In fact, he would not even spare anyone or anything that he had no interest in a single nce. Never would he stoop to doing something so underhanded as lying. The worst she had ever seen of him was his indifference toward their three years of marriage. Beyond that, he had never done anything vile. As for the photos, they were snapped at tricky angles, leading to suggestive postures. Right then, someone even sent them to her doorstep. She was no fool, so she naturally would not allow herself to be led by the nose. Samuel had suppressed the photos, stopping them from being leaked out. Thus, few were aware of their existence. Ever since Samuel had sent the photos to Sophia that night, he had been on tenterhooks every single day, terrified that he would receive news of Sophia and Alexander breaking up because of some rtionship issues one day. After fretting for four to five days, he finally broke down and gave Alexander a call. Alexander had been in a considerably good mood these past few days. Consequently, even his tone toward Samuel was better than usual. ¡°What''s up?¡± Hearing the man''s upbeat tone, Samuel could not help clicking his tongue. ¡°You seem to be in a pretty good mood, Alex.¡± Although Alexander was in high spirits, he knew that Samuel never had anything nice to say, considering thetter''s character. As such, he had no ns to shoot the breeze with the man. ¡°Spit it out.¡± Samuel had been gripped by apprehension before making the call, but his anxiety promptly disappeared after the call went through and he heard Alexander''s upbeat tone. That aside, he even had the urge to taunt thetter. As reality then proved it, he failed to curb that impulse. Right after Alexander had spoken, he daringly asked, ¡°Sophia didn''t mind after seeing the photos?¡± ¡°What''s there to mind?¡± She''s not dumb like him. Catching the hint of mockery in Alexander''s voice, Samuel could not resistmenting, ¡°That doesn''t make sense. Any woman would be upset to see her boyfriend photographed intimately with another woman. Could it be that she doesn''t love you?¡± The instant the man said that, Alexander''s face went as ck as thunder. ¡°Buzz off!¡± Having said that, he hung up right away. Sure enough, he never has anything great to say! Contrarily, a faint sense of thrill suffused Samuel as he stared at his phone screen with the words ¡°call ended¡± written on it. Whoa! It''s actually quite exciting to anger Alexander! Despite having been snarled at by Alexander, he could tell that the photos that had worried him for several days could not make any waves between Alexander and Sophia. Neither of them appeared to be bothered. Why is Sophia different from other girls? She should at least mor for a breakup so that Alexander would be down in the dumps and I could rejoice in his suffering! Ah, what a pity! Oh, well... Meanwhile, Sophia was oblivious to Samuel''s thoughts since the photos did not bother her much. She was far more curious about the line of thinking of the woman in the photos that thetter could come up with such a substandard tactic. God probably perceived her curiosity, for Jazzlyn came looking for her. When the woman strutted over, Sophia and Yvonne had only taken their seats a moment ago. Sophia had gone to Magic Sense for an inspection at a little over ten o''clock that morning. It happened to be lunchtime when she left, so she took Yvonne for lunch at a restaurant at the square nearby. As it was a workday, there were few patrons in the restaurant. The click of Jazzlyn''s high heels was awfully loud as she approached. Only when she had reached Sophia and Yvonne''s table did shee to a stop. Lifting her head, Sophia eyed the woman standing by her table. At a single nce, she recognized the latter as the woman in the photos¡ªJazzlyn Cadogan. ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Yarrow. I''m Jazzlyn Cadogan, spelled J-A-Z-Z-L-Y-N.¡± Jazzlyn held a hand out. The nails on her long and slender fingers were painted bright red, garishly ostentatious and vivid. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. As Sophia studied the woman, intrigue danced in her eyes even as a faint smile bloomed on her face. ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Cadogan.¡± Subsequently, Jazzlyn turned her gaze to Yvonne, who was seated across from Sophia. ¡°Excuse me miss, but could you please sit elsewhere? I''ve got something to say to Ms. Yarrow.¡± While it was a question, her bodynguage had made it evident that she expected Yvonne to leave. Yvonne nced at Sophia and only left after gaining approval from thetter. She got up and gave her seat to Jazzlyn. As soon as she had left, Jazzlyn plopped down across from Sophia unceremoniously. She looked Sophia up and down before remarking, ¡°Sure enough, you''re a beautiful woman, Ms. Yarrow. No wonder Alexander is obsessed with you.¡± She took the initiative to mention Alexander, going straight to the heart of the matter. Her tone was as provocative as ever. Her attitude made it clear as day that she was not there for an amicable chat. Sophia poured a ss of fruit juice unhurriedly. When it was three-quarters full, she slid the ss over to Jazzlyn. ¡°Have some fruit juice, Ms. Cadogan.¡± Jazzlyn shifted her gaze to the ss of fruit juice in front of her. Then, she lifted her head and fixed her eyes on the woman before her. Beforeing over, she had long since made inquiries about Sophia and knew that the woman was no easy prey. However, she had not expected thetter to be calm and unruffled even after hearing Alexander''s name out of her mouth. What was more, she had spoken in a provocative tone, yet the smile on Sophia''s face remained unchanged. She had never met such an interesting woman before. Thanking Sophia graciously, she picked up the ss of fruit juice and took a drink. Sophia likewise took a sip of the fruit juice in front of her. She sat there and waited calmly for the woman to continue speaking. At the same time, Jazzlyn was also waiting for Sophia to speak. One of the skills of negotiation was to refrain from being the person to initiate the conversation. That was something her father taught her. She had always felt that she was good at doing so, and since she was going up against Sophia this time, she was all the more determined to win the game. After the stalemate between them had persisted for a few seconds, Sophia furtively quirked a brow and started, ¡°I reckon you didn''t specifically seek me out to have lunch with me, Ms. Cadogan?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Eyeballing Sophia, Jazzlyn inwardly looked down upon her. Hah! It''d only been a few seconds, but she''d lost her cool. It seems that she isn''t impressive as the rumors im. At that thought, her confidence soared. ¡°I was the one who sent those photos to you, Ms. Yarrow. I didn''t mean anything by it. I just sent them to you for your viewing pleasure because I think they''re pretty nicely taken.¡± Sophia shed her a smile. ¡°Indeed, the photos are pretty good.¡± Reserve psychology, huh? I''ve seen it far too often! She scrutinized the woman before her, finding the heiress of Kindle Corporation an intriguing individual. Well, I''m bored anyway, so I''ll y with her for a bit. At Sophia''s reply, Jazzlyn''s eyes constricted imperceptibly. I underestimated her. Even now, she can still remain so calm and unruffled. She changed her sitting posture. ¡°Honestly, I''m indeed interested in Alexander. You won''t be jealous, will you, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Chapter 389 Chapter 389 Arching a brow, Sophia tossed the question back to Jazzlyn. ¡°Do you want me to be jealous, Ms. Cadogan?¡± Throughout it all, the smile on her face remained unchanged. Jazzlyn could not even tell whether Sophia was angry or otherwise. Naturally, Sophia was not enraged. Although it was her first time encountering a woman like Jazzlyn, she believed that it would be amon urrence in the future. After all, her boyfriend was too outstanding, and she was not the only one with good taste. The choice was in Alexander''s hands. In light of the fact that he had chosen her, other women''s appearance was destined to amount to nothing. If she were to be infuriated every time a woman who took a fancy to him sought her out and provoked her, she would only be giving herself high blood pressure. Instead, she was far more curious about where Jazzlyn got the confidence to pay her a visit. When the ball was in Jazzlyn''s court again, she did not quite know how to answer the question for a moment. Verily, she had never met a woman who could still remain calmly seated even after several provocations from her. ¡°I thought you''d be angry, Ms. Yarrow. Ultimately, no woman will be unbothered when another woman comes right up to her and admits to liking her boyfriend as well. Well, unless...¡± While saying that, she paused for a second and regarded Sophia thoughtfully. ¡°You don''t really love Alexander.¡± ¡°Ms. Cadogan.¡± Sophia''s smile faded. The curve of her lips ttened significantly, and her expression as she looked at Jazzlyn also turned considerably solemn. Jazzlyn mistakenly thought that she had finally riled the woman up. She straightened in excitement, but just when she expected Sophia to fly into a rage, she heard thetter''s voice drifting into the air, still as calm as ever. ¡°I''d like to ask you a few questions.¡± Jazzlyn''s ruby lips curled. ¡°What would you like to ask me, Ms. Yarrow?¡± I shall see what kind of trick she wants to y! ¡°My first question is this¡ªdo you think you''re more beautiful than me, Ms. Cadogan?¡± Rendered speechless, Jazzlyn stared at the exquisite countenance before her. She actually wanted to answer in the affirmative, but the words got stuck in her throat since she was embarrassed to utter such a tant lie for once. ¡°My second question is this¡ªdo you think you''re richer than me, Ms. Cadogan?¡± Just as Jazzlyn was going to say ¡°yes,¡± she abruptly remembered that the woman in front of her was one of Technology Innovations'' directors. Her expression froze, and she was again at a loss for words. ¡°My third question is this¡ªdo you think Alexander likes you or me, Ms. Cadogan?¡± Once more, words eluded Jazzlyn. She found that she could not answer any one of Sophia''s three questions. In reality, she had the answers. Worse than her inability to reply, however, was the fact that all the answers would humiliate her. Unfortunately for her, Sophia twisted the knife deeper. ¡°Look, you can''tpare to me in those three aspects alone. So, why should I be jealous?¡± At that, she paused briefly before adding smilingly, ¡°To tell you the truth, not only am I not jealous, but I also don''t even care.¡± In other words, she did not care about the photos or Jazzlyn, who was inferior to her in all aspects. When Jazzlyn heard that, her face drained of all color. It was the first time in her entire life that someone cut her to the quick in such a manner. Yet, she could not even utter a single word of rebuttal. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Just then, a server came with the steak. ¡°As the saying goes, Ms. Yarrow, the grass is always greener on the other side. All men cheat. As long as I put my back into it, I believe that Alexander will lose control one day.¡± That remark of hers was utterly tasteless. Eyeing her, Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°All things aside, Ms. Cadogan, I''m downright curious about how you''re capable of illustrating shamelessness to its full potential.¡± It was a ratherplexment, so Jazzlyn could not immediately digest its meaning. Only when she had finally registered everything did she realize that Sophia was insulting her. Her expression promptly darkened. She was just about to riposte thetter for putting on airs when something urred to her. The smile returned to her face. ¡°That can''t be helped. In all these years, few men had ever snagged my interest, but I just so happened to take a fancy to Alexander.¡± Pausing momentarily, she continued, ¡°Initially, I came today to ask you whether you''d be willing to give Alexander to me, Ms. Yarrow. But from the look of things now, the answer is no. Anyhow, it''s okay. Men always change.¡± Sophia studied the woman in front of her. For a moment, she could not tell whether Jazzlyn''s obsession with Alexander stemmed from a genuine attachment toward him or a result of being triggered by her. No matter the reason, she was still a touch annoyed although she was not incensed. With mirth dancing in her eyes, she eyed Jazzlyn smirkingly. ¡°Are you done, Ms. Cadogan?¡± That stunned Jazzlyn slightly. ¡°You''re angry, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°You''re mistaken. My secretary''s steak has been served, so I think you should allow her toe back to eat. As for when Alexander is going to change,e and seek me out again when that has happened.¡± Discerning the sarcasm in her words, Jazzlyn''s face paled a shade. ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± ¡°There''s nothing I can do if you want to interpret it as such, Ms. Cadogan.¡± Sophia''s eyes remained pinned on her, a faint smile showing in them. Her amusement made Jazzlyn''s blood boil. ¡°Just you wait, Sophia! Soon, Alexander will dump you!¡± ¡°In that case, thank you for warning me about it beforehand so that I can brace myself, Ms. Cadogan.¡± While speaking, Sophia extended a hand out, gesturing for the woman to leave posthaste. Gritting her teeth, Jazzlyn snagged her handbag beside her and stood up. Thereafter, she stalked off in her high heels. Not only did she wear a red dress that day, but her high heels were also of the same color. It rendered her very much fiery and passionate. Before she reached the door, a man came over and hit on her. She was furious in the first ce, and that incident had her recall Sophia''s mocking remark earlier. Hence, she did not turn the man down. After giving him her phone number, she threw a gloating look at Sophia. s, a near distance away, Sophia was wholly focused on cutting her steak with her head lowered and did not pay Jazzlyn any mind. Seeing that she did not even bother ncing over, Jazzlyn got even more incensed. She stomped her foot hard before shoving aside the man who hit on her and left the restaurant. Meanwhile, Yvonne returned to her seat. At the thought of the woman''s hostility earlier, she could not help feeling worried. ¡°Who was that just now, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°A love rival.¡± When Sophia said that, she still had a faint smile on her face. With a fork in her left hand, she took a piece of steak and ced it into her mouth after replying calmly. Her tone was so in it was as though she was merely talking about the weather. Yvonne''s hands that were holding the cutleries trembled. Gazing at Sophia cautiously, she ventured, ¡°Mr. Xenos¡ª¡± In response, Sophia shot her a look. ¡°Don''t worry. He didn''t cheat on me.¡± Even if he really did cheat on me, it''d be no big deal. At worst, I''d simply break up with him. Breaking up doesn''t matter when we''ve even divorced. Yvonne breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Sorry, Ms. Yarrow. I was merely curious.¡± Fixing her gaze on Yvonne, Sophia chuckled. ¡°Nosy, you mean. I understand.¡± Embarrassed by her scrutiny, Yvonne did not dare continue asking about the matter. Halfway through the meal, Sophia''s phone rang. ncing at the phone, Sophia glimpsed Alexander''s caller ID at once. Upon seeing that, she could not help quirking a brow. Picking up her phone, she swiped the answer button. ¡°It''s me, Sophia.¡± Whoa! That was pretty quick of Mr. Xenos! Yvonne had also caught sight of the caller ID. She thoughtfully got to her feet and pretended to go to the restroom. Chapter 390 Chapter 390 Needless to say, Alexander called because of the matter about Jazzlyn. After Jazzlyn had left the restaurant in a fit of pique, she grew increasingly irate on her way back to the hotel. Snapping, she gave Alexander a call. At the end of the day, she was best at sowing discord. Hah! Sophia was calm and unruffled, no? I''ll just antagonize her through Alexander, then! However, Alexander had long since blocked her, so she had no choice but to call Felix. She did not say much, merely stating, ¡°This is Jazzlyn here, Mr. Lane. I met up with Ms. Yarrow a while ago, and I reckon she''s likely in a bad mood right now. Do tell Alexander to appease her.¡± Her remark was pleasant-sounding, making it seem as though she was genuinely hoping Alexander couldfort Sophia. In truth, however, Jazzlyn knew all too well that all women were the same. Although Jazzlyn had nothing to do with Alexander at present, Sophia would definitely be jealous and start panicking no matter how calm she was as long as Jazzlyn misled her into believing that they had something to do with each other. Well, Alexander would certainly contact Sophia when my words reach his ears. And as long as he does so, I would''ve aplished my goal. It hadn''t been long since I''d parted ways with Sophia. If he calls her right away, she''d undoubtedly surmise that I contacted him if she''s no fool. Regretfully, she was destined to be disappointed, for the first thing Alexander said was something she would have never expected. ¡°Do you need me to have Felix deal with her?¡± At that, Sophia chuckled. Flicking her hand that held the fork, she fiddled with the utensil while drawling nonchntly, ¡°Deal with her how?¡± ¡°By ensuring that she doesn''t bother you anymore.¡± Sophia arched a brow, recalling Jazzlyn''s words earlier. ¡°Can you bring yourself to do so when Ms. Cadogan likes you so much?¡± Her tone wasnguid, but if one listened closely, one could still hear the mirth in her voice. Any normal person would be able to tell that she was joking. But at that very moment, Alexander was seemingly not quite normal. ¡°I''ll have Felix contact Mr. Cadogan.¡± Sophia felt slightly awkward after hearing that, but an explicable sense of bliss pervaded her at how protective Alexander was of her. ¡°Okay.¡± Getting rid of Ms. Cadogan is never my intention. It''s Alexander who misunderstood my meaning. Alexander did not want to continue talking about Jazzlyn, so he changed the subject. ¡°Are you busy this afternoon?¡± At that question, Sophia hummed softly. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°I see.¡± It would seem that Alexander merely asked that for the sake of asking. After obtaining the answer, he did not say anything further. Sophia cast a nce at Yvonne''s te across from her. Hmm, if I don''t end this phone call soon, Ms. Leighton is going to end up eating cold steak. ¡°I''m going to continue eating. Talk to youter.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± After hanging up the phone, Sophia tilted her head and looked at Yvonne, who stood a stone''s throw away after having ¡°gone to the restroom.¡± Noticing her gaze, Yvonne felt somewhat uneasy. She headed back to the table. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia shed her a smile. ¡°Hurry up and eat. Otherwise, it''ll be cold.¡± Yvonne dared not look at her employer after her intentions were seen through. She sheepishly kept her head lowered and slowly ate the steak on her te. When they had finished eating lunch, they parted ways. Sophia had little to do in the afternoon, so she did not want to return to Sunshine Group. She bought a bouquet of flowers and went straight back to the mansion. It had been a long time since there had been fresh flowers in the vases in the mansion. That day, she specially brought home a huge bouquet of flowers. The afternoon sun shone brightly. With the air-conditioning turned on in the house and soothing piano music ying, Sophia sat on the carpet andnguidly arranged the flowers in the vases. No sooner had Alexander walked down the stairs than he was greeted by the sight of her sitting cross- legged on the carpet in a dark brown spaghetti strap dress, trimming the flowers with her head lowered. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. A near distance away, soothing and rxing piano music streamed out of the speakers. Sunlight shone in from the floor-to-ceiling windows, stopping about half a meter away from her. He was standing at thending, so he could only see her slightly low profile from that angle. Her long hair was casually pulled back, leaving a few scattered strands by her ears. On the coffee table was an unwrapped bouquet of yellow roses. The bouquet, which was mere inches away from her cheek, rendered her skin as white as snow. Out of the blue, he was reminded of a particr day half a year after they had gotten married. It was about at this hour that he went back to the Xenos residence to retrieve a document. Hearing movement on the balcony when he went upstairs to the third floor, he walked over unbidden, only to see Sophia watering her sulents with a small watering can. She seemed to love nts, for the few pots of sulents on their balcony on the third floor multiplied and took up more than half the space there in the three years of their marriage. There were also a few pots of roses and daffodils among them. The mixture of leaves and flowers made for an eye-catching sight. ording to the butler, she usually spent most of her time at the Xenos residence fiddling with her flowers and sulents. She treasured them so much that when Thalia wanted to destroy her sulents, she smashed the pot of uprooted sulents beside thetter''s feet on the spot, warning her that it would hit her the next time she tried doing that. Later, after their divorce, he discovered that the sulents on the balcony and some nts in the room were gone. The space was restored to its initial bareness, but he could not shake off the feeling that something was missing every time he walked past it recently. Indeed, something is missing. The Xenos residencecks a mistress, and Ick a wife. Corralling his thoughts, Alexander strolled over and leaned down, hugging her from behind. ¡°How fragrant.¡± Sophia had sensed when the man approached her, but she did not expect him to bend down and hug her the moment she nced over her shoulder. He buried his head in her neck, his short hair prickling her. It both stung and itched slightly. She tilted her head to the side. ¡°Why are you here at this hour?¡± Logically speaking, he should be pretty swamped these days. Putting aside the fact that Dillon is making things difficult for him everywhere, Odyssey''s new projects in the second half of the year alone are enough to keep him busy. Alexander kept his head in her neck for a while before he straightened and sat down beside her. Picking up a thorny rose at the side, he asked, ¡°Didn''t you love cultivating nts on the balcony back then? Why aren''t you doing so anymore?¡± Instead of answering her, he put that question to her. Sophia trimmed the yellow rose in her hand before inserting it into the vase beside her. Then, she took some small white daisies from the side and interspersed them in the gaps. When she finished arranging the flowers, she lifted her head and fixed her eyes on him. ¡°It isn''t easy to take care of nts.¡± In the past, she was a free and easy mistress in the Xenos residence. She had plenty of time on her hands every day and had nothing to do. That aside, her mother-inw and sister-inw loved picking fault with her. Hoping to have fewer conflicts with them, she cultivated nts on the balcony to kill time. Truth be told, she was not all that passionate about cultivating nts on the balcony. She merely did it to pass the time besides finding herself in a much better mood after enjoying the view of the nts and flowers. Alexander understood her meaning. Bringing up the past would only affect their rtionship, so she handed the flower in his hand to her and changed the subject. ¡°What would you like to eat for dinner?¡± Pausing briefly, he added, ¡°I''ll cook.¡± Chapter 391 Chapter 391 At Alexander''s offer, Sophia inexorably quirked a brow. ¡°I want to eat a few specialty dishes.¡± In response, Alexander nodded. ¡°Sure. What dishes would you like to eat? I''ll have someone deliver the ingredients over.¡± Without holding back, Sophia named the few local specialty dishes she had been craving. None were easy, but she was not worried he would have difficulty producing them since he was far more talented in cooking than her. After inserting the final stalk of rose into the vase, she rolled up the newspaper before her that was containing the excess she had trimmed from the flowers and tossed it into the trash can. She handed two vases to Alexander and had him ce them in the study and bedroom, respectively. Watching as Alexander came back down from upstairs, Sophia asked him with a smile, ¡°Do you want some water?¡± Alexander said nothing. He merely walked over and lifted the bottom of the cup she was using before dipping his head and drinking from her cup. Seeing that, Sophia giggled. ¡°You''ve got your own cup.¡± Why is it that he always like to use mine? ¡°Yeah,¡± Alexander concurred evenly. It was evident that he had heard her, but he had no intention of changing that habit of his. When he was done drinking, he lifted his head and looked at her. The sunlight was streaming through behind Sophia. Under its illumination, she gazed at him with her eyes dancing in delight and a beam on her face. Alexander recalled the day she walked toward him in a wedding gown four years ago, and his heart skipped a beat. ¡°Sophia.¡± Sophia held her gaze as he called her name. ¡°Hmm?¡± His ebony eyes flickering, Alexander reached out and took the cup from her hand, cing it on the dining table behind her. ¡°Nothing. I merely feel like kissing you.¡± That was not a question but a statement. Just as Sophia parted her lips, the man''s thin and cool lips had already captured hers. With her eyes opened, she regarded him smilingly. In the same manner, Alexander''s ebony eyes stared back at her. Fiery desire zed within them. His intent gaze on her inexplicably had her start growing hot and bothered. She could not help closing her eyes and lifting her hands to wrap them around his waist. It was exceedingly quiet in the mansion until Alexander carried her up, and her leg identally knocked into the cup ced on the table earlier. The porcin cup toppled on the table, upon which a crisp ng split the air. Clear-headed and embarrassed, Sophia instinctively curled her toes. When her gaze met Alexander''s dark eyes, her heart raced. In the next second, the man had carried her to the second floor. It was still hot during early September, so much so that one would inevitably sweat after going out. That urred to Sophia while she was in the grips of passion. Just when she was about to mention it, Alexander had already carried her into the bathroom. ¡°Shall we take a shower?¡± He ced her on the basin. His voice was deep and hoarse to the point of being gravelly, yet it was incredibly alluring. Merely casting him a look, Sophia leaned against him without saying anything and hugged him loosely. Alexander turned on the shower. At first, the water was cold, hitting him first before sshing onto Sophia. But in no time, the water turned warm. As the water drenched the dress Sophia wore, it clung to her, outlining her curves. Alexander started kissing her again, his thin lips no longer cold. His scorching kiss fell on her eyes, nose, and lips before stopping at her corbone, where he bit her, both restrained and domineering. A shudder ran through Sophia''s body. It was a tad painful and slightly ticklish, but all that was overwhelmed by an indescribable spark of desire. The hand on her waist tightened without warning. In the next heartbeat, Alexander had ced her on the ground. The tiles were rather chilly, so she reflexively flinched when her feet came into contact with them and stered herself even closer to him. Hugging her tightly from behind, the man lowered his head to her ear and murmured her name while kissing her. ¡°Sophia.¡± In front of her was the icy cold sink, while behind her was Alexander''s feverish chest. Since she was sandwiched between two extremes, an indescribable feeling surged within her. Subsequently, the sound of the metal buckle from the man''s belt drifted into her ears. Upon hearing that, she instinctually clenched her hands. Their height difference was over twenty centimeters. It was quite a big gap, but that was no obstacle to Alexander. Exerting a modicum of force, he lifted her up. Sophia grunted. Her legs were suspended in mid-air, and her center of gravity tilted forward, so she had no choice but to lean against the edge of the sink. As the cold marble touched her skin, she inexorably shuddered. Kisses continued falling on her back, and Alexander''s entire body enveloped her tightly like an imprable. His lips traveled upward bit by bit until his searing breath hit her face. Throughout it all, her breathing grew increasingly harsher. ¡°Precious.¡± He called out to her, his low and deep voice threaded with infinite affection. Sophia stared at him, feeling as though he was killing her. Ah, a man''s sexiness is lethal sometimes! By the time their passions receded, Sophia was drained of all energy andy limply in Alexander''s embrace. Her eyes glistened, the limpid pools beyond riveting. The sunlight in the bedroom was a touch too ring. When Alexander carried Sophia out, she could not help but squint slightly. Unfortunately, shecked the strength to even lift her hand to shield her eyes. Alexander ced her on the bed. Immediately, she snagged the nket at the side and draped it over her body as she held hisrge hand against her face. That was the first time she behaved so clingy and coquettish with him. Alexander looked down at her with pleasure etched across his rxed countenance. The sunlight hit his face, melting his usual frostiness away. Sophia closed her eyes, feeling slightly tired and sleepy. Tugging at his hand, she whined, ¡°Keep me company while I sleep for a bit, Alexander.¡± Her soft voice carried a hint of coyness, encasing him entirely. His heart melted. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. Lying down beside her, he lifted his arm a fraction and hugged her loosely. Sophia grabbed his index finger, but her eyes remained closed. ¡°What was it you wanted to say just now?¡± She, of course, noticed that he was hesitating to say something a few moments ago. Moving his hand, Alexander took hers. For a long time, he said nothing. While Sophia waited in vain for the man behind her to speak, she gradually dozed off. Silence reigned in the room. Lifting his head, Alexander pecked her on the cheek before whispering into her ear, ¡°I want to marry you.¡± However, he knew that it was no longer as easy for him to say that. His ebony eyes darkened a shade. Tightening his arm around her, he hugged her tightly before closing his eyes and falling into slumber with her. As soon as the doorbell rang, Alexander jolted awake. Sophia was still sleeping, so he carefully pulled his arm out from under her. Getting out of bed, he went downstairs and opened the door. It was Felix, who came with food and documents. Verily, he was troubled when Alexander suddenly skipped work that afternoon. As the man''s secretary, there was nothing he could do when his employer did not feel like working out of the blue. He did not want to intrude either, but the document was truly urgent. Enduring Alexander''s oppressive gaze, Felix ventured, ¡°This document is needed today itself, Mr. Xenos.¡± In a good mood, Alexander did not bother taking him to task but promptly signed it before taking the food from him. ¡°You may leave now.¡± Relief suffused Felix. Recalling the matter about Jazzlyn, he added, ¡°Mr. Xenos, I''ve already contacted Mr. Cadogan. He said he would ensure that Ms. Cadogan never bothers Ms. Yarrow again.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Alexander replied. Then, he spun on his heel and went back into the mansion. Felix stood outside the gate, gazing at the man''s back. He then ran his hands over his face in frustration. Ah, when exactly is Ms. Yarrow going to marry Mr. Xenos? If this goes on, we won''t be able to take it anymore! Chapter 392 Chapter 392 When Sophia woke up, the curtains in the room were tightly drawn, making the space dimly lit. Alexander was no longer in the room. Sophia shifted her body sideways, and the nket on her slid off. She rolled over and looked at the curtains before telling Genie to open them. The sunlight was no longer as bright as it had been at noon as the curtains gradually opened. Sophia got up and walked out of the room in her slippers. She was thirsty and wanted to get some water. As soon as she walked down the stairs, she smelled a strong aromaing from the kitchen. She immediately spotted Alexander cooking when she reached the kitchen door. Alexander heard her footsteps and turned around to look at her. ¡°You''re awake?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sophia replied, pouring a ss of warm water. She stood half a meter away, watching him pan- fry the vegetables. In the past, Sophia could have never imagined Alexander cooking. To her surprise, however, she was currently privileged to enjoy his cooking. I have to admit it feels pretty good. ¡°I''m almost done. You should go out and wait for me.¡± When she didn''t leave, Alexander nced at her again. Sophia arched her brow and grinned. ¡°Okay.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. It was not as if she would be able to help him out in the kitchen since she was so bad at cooking. Alexander was indeed talented in cooking, and the dishes he made always tasted amazing, even though it was his first time making them. Sophia could still remember how horrible her cooking tasted. For the first time in her life, she thought it was unfair. Why is Alexander so talented at cooking when we''re all equal human beings? ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Alexander stared at her with arched brows. Only when she heard his voice did she regain her senses. ¡°I''m just thinking about the vast differences between people.¡± Alexander caught what she was implying and smiled. ¡°One has to learn to be content with what one has.¡± Compared to most people, Sophia could also be considered one of the lucky few. Many women were envious of her and despised her because of her face alone, let alone her intellect and emotional intelligence. Sophia mulled it over and felt that his words made sense. One shouldn''t be too greedy in life. It was only just past seven o''clock after dinner, and the sky had just turned dark. Sophia sliced some fruits and brought them out. Alexander was standing on the balcony, making a phone call. The evening breeze in September was slightly chilly. Sophia brought the te to him and tried to feed him a strawberry. Alexander looked at her and parted his lips, eating the whole strawberry. In the process, his lips even deliberately touched her fingers. Sophia curled her fingers instinctively and nced at him. ¡°My hand is dirty.¡± ¡°It''s not.¡± Alexander hung up the phone and enveloped her hand in his palm. Sophia lifted her head to look at him as she lifted the te in her other hand. ¡°How am I supposed to eat the fruits if you''re holding my hand?¡± ¡°I''ll feed it to you.¡± As he spoke, he took a strawberry and brought it toward her mouth. Sophia arched her brow and stole a nce at him. For some reason, she felt like getting back at him when she thought of how his lips touched her fingers. She opened her mouth to eat the strawberry. Then, she imitated his action, ad her lips made contact with his fingertip. While gazing at her, a warm smile graced his countenance. Sophia stared back at him, beaming provocatively. ¡°Is it sweet?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Alexander didn''t seem to believe her words. ¡°The one I ate was really sour.¡± Sophia grinned. ¡°Then, you should try another one.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He released her hand and wrapped his arms around her waist before exerting some force and pulling her into his embrace. She looked up at him and asked the obvious, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I want to taste if the strawberry was sweet as you said,¡± he answered seriously. The next second, he lowered his head and kissed her lips. His warm breath enveloped her as he pressed his lips against hers. Bliss overwhelmed Sophia as she subconsciously closed her eyes and tightened her grip on his clothes. It was a beautiful night, with the moon shining brightly outside, entuating the pretty scenery. The couple was engaged in a passionate kiss, whichsted for almost two full minutes. When they finally separated, Sophia was breathing heavily. She pursed her lips before smiling at him. ¡°So, is it sweet?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alexander looked down at her and caressed her brows. Their breaths tangled together, and it was impossible to differentiate their breathing. However, they didn''t care since they were already so intimate with each other. Sophia took a strawberry and stuffed it into his mouth when he wasn''t paying attention. ¡°Dillon and Mdm. Lambe have been unusually quiettely. Are they preparing to unleash some huge n?¡± Alexander answered calmly, ¡°Yes.¡± Dillon and Kristen were indeed plotting something. The rumors about Alexander not being Zachary''s son and a part of the Xenos family were never confirmed by any solid evidence. Despite the numerous paternity test results in Kristen''s possession, it had been almost two months and she still had not released them. This was not Dillon being merciful and wanting to give Alexander a way out. Instead, Dillon just wanted to deal the final blow at the most critical moment. However, the recent period was also a setback for him since he could not buy many of Odyssey''s stocks at a low price. Even the major shareholders were reluctant to give up their shares to him. In addition, Dillon even heard that Suny from Sunshine Group had recently contacted Odyssey''s shareholders. He was used to seeing all kinds of dirty tactics in the business world, so he knew Suny meeting these shareholders for dinner wasn''t just for a friendly chat. Dillon had previously approached Suny to discuss coboration, but the other party refused without leaving room for discussion. Coupled with this rumor about Suny contacting the Odyssey''s shareholders, Dillion already knew what was going on. Everyone wanted a piece of Odyssey. If Alexander fell from grace, there would be many people waiting to pick up the pieces. Dillon didn''t gain much from the previous two months of showdown. He probably couldn''t take it any longer, for he had Kristen leak Alexander''s paternity test results ¡°by ident¡± after a short interval of not pulling any underhanded tricks. As soon as the paternity test results were out, chaos erupted in Jadeborough. The next day, Sophia woke up and saw the message Yvonne had sent her. After reading it, she couldn''t help but scoff. She had just told Alexanderst night that Dillon had been well-behaved recently. To her surprise, such a bombshell dropped so early in the morning. Now that Dillon''s biggest trump card had been revealed, he no longer had any other tricks up his sleeve. However, this news was still quite shocking, especially after receiving it so early in the morning. Sophia went downstairs to find Alexander after she finished washing up. Alexander, who had just finished making breakfast, was now on the phone. Sophia overheard him saying Dillon''s name on the phone when she wasing down the stairs. Curious, she picked up a ss of warm water from the dining table, sipping on it as she listened to Alexander''s arrangements. Alexander spoke to Felix on the phone without trying to hide anything from Sophia. After hanging up the phone, Alexander looked at her and said, ¡°Kristen has leaked the paternity test results.¡± ¡°Then, what''s the deal with the paternity test you mentioned earlier?¡± Sophia asked. This wasn''t something she had overheard; he had said it on the phone openly with her there. Alexander sat down next to her and filled a bowl of oatmeal for her. He replied, ¡°A while ago, I contacted the man Kristen had been in contact with before she reunited with Zachary.¡± Upon hearing this, Sophia couldn''t help but click her tongue. ¡°Are you saying that Thalia and Leonard might not be your biological siblings?¡± ¡°It''s not a possibility. It''s the truth,¡± he said as he served her breakfast. Chapter 393 Chapter 393 Sophia raised her brows. ¡°Did you manage to dig up that fact?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alexander had never been one to sit on his hands. When Kristen came looking for Sophia with the paternity test report, Alexander was already making preparations. Back then, Kristen was a bar hostess when she met Zachary. Later on, she even had the audacity to take flight with her lover. It was obvious that she was an indecent woman. There was also definitely something strange about her pregnancy back then. Beau refused to let her marry into the Xenos family. Before she gave birth to Alexander, there was absolutely no news of her being pregnant. After that, she brought Alexander to the Xenos family and asked Beau for a sum of money before running away with her lover. Everyone in Jadeborough knew that Kristen ran away shortly after giving birth to Alexander, but most people were not aware of the details. Alexander was aware only because Beau informed him about it after he grew up. The old man was worried that Alexander might be manipted by Kristen, so he decided to tell his grandson the truth. After eloping with her lover, Kristen returned to Zachary when she was a middle-aged woman. This time around, she got pregnant with twins and managed to find her way into the Xenos family, which was impressive. Alexander felt nothing for Kristen, and he did not find the existence of Thalia and Leonard a threat to him. As he had never regarded Kristen as his mother, he naturally expected nothing from her. However, Alexander found it strange when Kristen imed that he was not Zachary''s son and not a part of the Xenos family. She decided to reveal the truth now, of all times, after so many years had passed. There was, definitely, more to this than met the eye. As expected, when Alexander found plenty of inside information after telling Felix to conduct an investigation. Alexander was not sure if he was Zachary''s son. However, there was no doubt that Zachary was not Thalia''s and Leonard''s father. It was not difficult to find out who Thalia''s and Leonard''s biological father was. All Felix had to do was investigate all the men that Kristen had rtionships with back then. However, Kristen''s private life was chaotic back then, and it took Felix quite a while to filter every man before he found the answer the week before. They did not expect the oue of their investigation to come in handy so soon. After listening to Alexander''s description, Sophia could not help feeling impressed. Kristen is really something else. I can''t believe she could keep this a secret for so many years. Then again, both Thalia and Leonard resembled Kristen more. To top it off, Kristen got pregnant before joining the Xenos family. Perhaps not even Beau would expect her to be so bold. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. There was still an unanswered question. Sophia looked at Alexander and asked, ¡°Then who are you?¡± Since Alexander isn''t rted to Kristen by blood, then whose child is he? ¡°Grandpa had long since done a paternity test for Zachary and me. The report is in the possession of hiswyer.¡± He was Zachary''s biological son. As for his biological mother, Kristen was probably the only one who knew who it was. Or perhaps, she had no idea either. Sophia was slightly taken aback by the fact that Beau was somehow able to foresee the future. Blood rtions were, of course, important for a prominent family like the Xenos family. If Alexander was not Zachary''s son, Beau would not have entrusted Odyssey to him. The paternity test that she heard Alexander mention earlier during the phone call with Felix must be referring to the one that Beau had done for Zachary and Alexander. Other than that, Alexander had also instructed Felix to arrange for an ¡°ident¡± where the biological father of Thalia and Leonard would leak the paternity tests out to the world by ¡°ident.¡± Sophia ate a mouthful of oatmeal, thinking that Kristen would probably go insane for the next few days. Things were about to get interesting. Oh, not just Kristen. I suppose Dillon will go crazy too. Dillon would probably never expect such a move from Beau. He assumed that it would be difficult to determine Alexander''s identity now that both Beau and Zachary had passed away. Since Alexander was not Kristen''s biological son, he was naturally not rted to Thalia and Leonard as well. That alone was enough to prove that Alexander was not Zachary''s son. Therefore, he had no right to inherit the shares of Odyssey that Beau left behind. However, the paternity test that Beau had left behind with hiswyer proved to be more powerful. It''s still early in the morning, and it has already been an exciting day so far! Alexander and Sophia were in an excellent mood, but the same could not be said for the others. As soon as Kristen ¡°identally¡± leaked the test results out to the public, thewyer appointed by the late Beau sent her awyer''s letter and publicized the paternity test between Zachary and Alexander. However, that was not the worst part for Kristen. The worst part was that the biological father of Thalia and Leonard also ¡°identally¡± leaked the paternity test results he had done on the quiet. Early in the morning,izens were having a jolly good time reading up on the family drama of the Xenos family. No one expected more secrets to be revealed after Kristen dropped such a huge bombshell. In fact, Alexander was a lot quicker than she was in revealing inside stories. Furthermore, the stories released by Alexander were so solid and backed by evidence that there was no way for anyone to refute them. Kristen was about to go crazy, and so was Dillon. Thetter quickly called Kristen, but that was not helping their cause at all. The evidence they presented was inadequate, while Alexander''s was solid. The public was no fool, and they could easily tell which statement was true and which was fake. Thalia was on the brink of losing her mind, too. After seeing the news, she drove home straightaway and questioned Kristen, ¡°Mom, is it true?¡± I''m not a daughter of the Xenos family? Does that mean I''m going to lose everything I have? Am I just an ordinary person? Thalia was devastated and could not ept the truth. This was worse than the time when she was driven out of the Xenos residence by Alexander. That was because back then, she knew that she was still a part of the family no matter what happened. As long as she behaved herself and never offended Alexander and Sophia again, she believed that Alexander would never abandon her because of their familial ties. It was ironic now that she thought about it. She was not even rted to the Xenos family in the first ce. Kristen conceived her with another random man. On the other hand, Kristen was currently in a mess. All she wanted was to save her son. She did not expect things to spiral out of control. Receiving no response from her mother, Thalia grabbed her and shook her violently. ¡°Mom! Tell me it isn''t true!¡± ¡°It''s true! You aren''t rted to the Xenos family! Neither is your brother!¡± Thalia''s face turned pale when she heard the revtion. She had never felt so hopeless in her life. ¡°No! I don''t believe you! I''m going to ask Alex! I don''t believe!¡± I don''t believe it! There''s no way! Thalia thought that Alexander must have exposed this because he was angry with Kristen for being in cahoots with Dillon for Leonard''s sake! She wanted to apologize to Alexander, and she believed that Alexander would forgive her if she apologized. s, just as Thalia ran out of the house, she saw a man in his fifties standing at the entrance. Thalia was momentarily stunned. She wanted to ignore the man, but he grabbed her. ¡°Are you Kristen''s daughter?¡± At the mention of her mother''s name, Thalia stopped in her tracks. ¡°Who are you?¡± When Kristen heard that Thalia wanted to go and look for Alexander, she immediately chased after her. Thalia would only make things worse if she went to Alexander at that moment. As soon as Kristen arrived at the door, she saw Thalia standing there with a man. Kristen called out Thalia''s name, and at the same time, she heard the man telling Thalia that he was her father. When Kristen heard that, she let out a shrill cry before she fainted on the spot. Chapter 394 Chapter 394 The drama involving the Xenos family had everyone dumbfounded. They had thought there were no two ways about the information that Alexander was not Zachary''s biological son and did not expect everything to turn on its head. Beau''swyer not only publicly confirmed Alexander''s identity, but also served Kristen papers, suing her for defamation and nder. The evidence released by Alexander''s team was the final nail in the coffin for Kristen and the others. Those who did not fully understand the situation thought it was merely a tussle over the family fortune. However, those who had been in the business world for a long time could more or less tell that although it appeared to be a dispute between Alexander and the twins¡ªThalia and Leonard¡ªon the surface, the truth of the matter was that Dillon wanted to kick Alexander out of Odyssey and reap all the profits for himself. It was also clear how things would pan out. Kristen''s so-called DNA test results showed that Alexander was in no way rted by blood to the twins and herself. However, the appearance of Thalia''s and Leonard''s biological father turned the whole incident into a farce. The twins'' biological father, Sean Janney, went looking for Kristen and indicated his desire to acknowledge them as his children. Hence, Kristen, Thalia, and Leonard were also in a bind. When Dillon found out what Sean was nning to do, he was so incensed that his blood pressure shot up, and he passed out on the spot. The gossip columnists somehow dug up information on those events and posted them online, causing the attention surrounding the Xenos family to intensify. Sophia had just stepped out of a meeting when her phone started ringing. Yvonne, who was going to report to Sophia about some work matter, tactfully fell a few steps back to give her some privacy. When Sophia nced at the caller ID, her eyes crinkled slightly. ¡°Hello, Lukas.¡± The call was from Lukas, and the reason for it was obvious. He murmured an acknowledgment. It sounded as though he was busy with something as she could hear some noise in the background. Lukas mumbled something to someone next to him, and his end of the line became much quieter. Then, she heard him ask, ¡°Is the news on the inte true?¡± Naturally, he was referring to the matter involving Alexander. If Old Mr. Xenos were still around, it would''ve driven him mad to see the drama about his family''s blood ties ying out right now. She chuckled. ¡°Yes, it''s true.¡± He had not been expecting that response. After a short pause, he finally said, ¡°If that''s the case, Dillon might do something desperate. Be extra careful when going to and getting off work the next few days.¡± ¡°I will.¡± He did not have much else to say after that. ¡°I''m hanging up now. Come home for a meal when you have the time.¡± After a pause, he reluctantly added, ¡°Alexander hasn''t paid us a formal visit yet.¡± His remark stunned her momentarily. She could hardly believe her ears. ¡°Has Granddad epted Alexander?¡± ¡°No,¡± Lukas replied. Although that was the truth, he was not being unreasonable by asking Alexander to visit them. It was one thing for Perrin to disapprove of Alexander, but an entirely different matter if Alexander himself did not try to make an effort. Sophia may be intelligent, but she doesn''t understand our grandfather particrly well. Haste makes waste, but in this case, I''m afraid Alexander will get the short end of the stick if they employ the slow and steady approach. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. From his answer, Sophia knew he was deliberately giving her a hint, and gratitude spread through her heart. ¡°Thanks, Lukas.¡± ¡°If he ever mistreats you, you have to let us know. Okay?¡± Sophia held her phone tightly as his words warmed the cockles of her heart. She felt blessed to have someone look out for her even though she was already an adult. ¡°I will.¡± ¡°I''ll let you get back to your work, then.¡± After the call ended, she stood there for a while and only pulled herself out of her thoughts when Yvonne knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Yvonne hade to report on the survey results for the newpany they had talked about the other day. She ryed the information methodically. After ncing at Sophia, who looked deep in thought, she added, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''ve prepared the wedding gift for Ms. Queen as you instructed.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Sophia replied. Megan and Casper were getting married that Saturday. Since they had personally delivered an invitation to her, she felt she should attend the wedding. Even though she and Megan had some disagreements previously, that was all water under the bridge now. Hence, the wedding gift had to be chosen with care. Yvonne has always been very discerning in such matters, so I know I don''t have to worry. And now, she has already prepared the gift for the wedding on the day after tomorrow. How wonderful. Sophia looked away and lowered her head to read the document in front of her. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia raised her head when she heard Yvonne''s voice again a whileter. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Dillon Xenos is here again.¡± ¡°What''s he doing here?¡± ¡°He says he wants to meet with Suny.¡± Sophia clucked her tongue. ¡°Have security kick him out.¡± It looks like he''s really desperate. With things as they are, is he still so delusional that he thinks Sunshine Group will work with him? Tsk, tsk, tsk. He''s well and truly backed into a corner. Well, I''ve no interest in entertaining a mad dog. Who knows whether he''ll turn around and bite the hand that feeds him? When Alexander came by that evening, Sophia mentioned Dillon''s visit and Lukas'' reminder as soon as she saw him. ¡°Lukas wants us to be extra careful.¡± Although the car crash had been an ident, Alexander still felt a lingering fear. If Sophia had been in the car and something were to happen to her, everything would be over. ¡°Okay. Mr. Lane has arranged for someone to keep a close watch on Dillon.¡± She nodded. ¡°I don''t have to worry with Mr. Lane on top of things.¡± Upon hearing that, he suddenly tilted his head to look at her and asked, ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°You?¡± She arched a brow at him. After a deliberate pause, she continued, ¡°I never have to worry about you.¡± Alexander''s expression rxed when he heard those words. He lowered his head and gave her a quick kiss. ¡°What do you feel like eating tonight?¡± ¡°Whatever you decide is fine with me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Since there happened to be so many surprising incidents that day, Sophia thought those close to Dillon would maintain a low profile. To her surprise, they bumped into Tyler while at dinner. Tyler''s expression darkened instantly the moment he spotted the pair. Sophie''s eyes flitted to Alexander, but she saw that thetter acted as though he had not noticed Tyler. It was clear he had no intention of acknowledging Tyler''s presence. Her lips curved into a slight smile as she stared straight ahead and followed Alexander to their table. However, even though they did not intend to greet Tyler, thetter approached them with his female companion. ¡°Hello, Alex, Ms. Yarrow. The two of you appear to have a very close rtionship.¡± As he spoke, he fixed his gaze on Sophia as though Alexander was invisible to him. Alexander''s eyes darkened as he shifted slightly to block Tyler''s line of vision. ¡°Sophia is timid. It''d break my heart if you ended up frightening her.¡± ¡°How sweet of you,¡± Tyler remarked with augh. He flicked his gaze over to Sophia before leading his companion away. However, just before he left, he turned to nce at her again with a look of naked desire. Chapter 395 Chapter 395 Sophia had seen Tyler look at her with that expression before. It was the same look he gave her the last time they met at a banquet. Dillon was not a good person, so his two sons were a chip off the old block, too. Standing behind Alexander, Sophia''s smile started to fade. The expression on Alexander''s face was even worse. Had Tyler not made a hasty exit, Sophia believed Alexander would have taught him a lesson. After Tyler disappeared from their sight, Alexander turned to Sophia and said, ¡°If he dares to have any bad intentions, I will make him regret it for the rest of his life.¡± Sophia looked up at him and gave him a grin. ¡°I don''t think he has the courage to do so.¡± The incident was unpleasant, but both Alexander and Sophia did not take it to heart. While Dillon had already been defeated, Tyler''s days, too, were numbered. He might be able to make a scene now, but he would not be able to do so for long. The Queen family had invited Alexander and Sophia to attend Megan and Casper''s wedding on Saturday. Megan even personally invited Sophia as a sign of extending an olive branch. That was why Sophia felt she should make an appearance at the celebration. As for Alexander, given his connection with the Schmidt family and his close friendship with Samuel, he naturally had to show up at Megan''s wedding. He saw many familiar faces there. The attendees at today''s event werergely the same as those who attended Alexander and Sophia''s wedding then. The weather in Jadeborough during September was still warm and humid, so Sophia opted for a simple but tasteful dress and put up light makeup thatplemented her skin tone. After all, Megan was the star of the day, so Sophia did not want to steal her limelight. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. People would often have boundless energy when a happy event is around the corner. Bruno, who had been under the weather not long ago, looked positively radiant today. The moment Alexander and Sophia stepped into the hall, Jessica and Harold went up and greeted them. ¡°Wee, Mr. Xenos and Ms. Yarrow.¡± Jessica had always looked down on Sophia but no longer detested her as much since Sophia quit bidding and gave Megan a chance to win the bid on a collectible. The fact that the Dawson family had acknowledged Sophia as a part of the family also prompted Jessica to treat her differently. Having long known the way of life of the upper echelons of society, Sophia did not actually have negative feelings toward her. It was not surprising that Jessica looked down on her. Jessica had always been a wealthy youngdy of the Schild family. When she married Harold, it was considered as marrying below her social ss. Over the years, she had witnessed how women tried to rise to the top by marrying into wealthy families. When Sophia married Alexander, she was indeed a nobody. As a member of the Schild family, it was understandable that Jessica looked down on Sophia, thinking she was one of those women who pursued fame and fortune. Despite any underlying feelings, Jessica gave Sophia a cordial smile since today was Megan''s wedding. Sophia, too, reciprocated the gesture politely. The atmosphere at the wedding hall was peaceful and pleasant. Jessica, who had to greet the other important guests at the wedding, delegated the responsibility of entertaining them to Samuel after escorting Sophia and Alexander to the hall. ¡°Hi, Alex, Sophia.¡± he greeted. Alexander and Sophia instantly recalled the photo incident when they saw Samueling in their direction. Sophia could not help but knit her brows and responded with a baffling grin. ¡°You seem to be in a good moodtely, Mr. Schild.¡± Upon hearing that, Samuel also thought of the photo incident. His smile froze for a moment. ¡°Not too bad. I believe Alex is in a better mood than me.¡± Alexander gave him a re. ¡°You haven''t been to the boxing gym for some time, have you?¡± Upon sensing the implied meaning in his words, Samuel cleared his throat before changing the subject. ¡°Justin and the others are already seated over there. Let''s join them, shall we?¡± Alexander let out a cold snort and exchanged nces with Sophia. Instead of exposing Samuel, they followed him to their seats. Megan''s wedding was an extravagant affair, as both the Queens and Coopers were known for their wealth and social status. As esteemed guests, Sophia and Alexander were arranged to sit at the second table from the main stage. Megan''s entrance in her magnificent wedding gown,bined with the stunning lights and romantic ambiance, created a captivating atmosphere that stirred the hearts of all in attendance. Samuel, being one of the four wealthy bachelors in Jadeborough, could not help but feel a rush of emotions as he witnessed Megan''s grand wedding. He had always assumed the quartet of bachelors would remain single forever, but Alexander had broken the pact by getting married. Despite their subsequent divorce, Alexander and Sophia remained close, adding to Samuel''s surprise. As Samuel tilted his head to catch a glimpse of Sophia and Alexander sitting opposite him, Sophia made her way towards Megan, with Alexander watching her from afar. Upon noticing the expression on Alexander''s face, Samuel could not help but shiver and kicked him under the table. Alexander, aware of Samuel''s behavior, knew no one else in the hall was capable of doing such a thing. He shot a disdainful re at Samuel. ¡°Yes?¡± Samuel nced at Sophia, who was talking to the bride, before teasing, ¡°Alex, you wish to get married soon too, right?¡± That question rendered Alexander speechless. He did not want to admit it, but he was indeed envious of Megan and Casper. Despite the noise in the wedding hall, Sophia overheard their conversation. She could not help but arch a brow. ¡°Are you desperate to get married too?¡± Words caught in Samuel''s throat. I shouldn''t have dug my own grave. Upon noticing his helpless expression, Sophia smirked. She lowered her head and took a nce at Alexander before tickling his palm gently. Alexander''s heart skipped a beat. He looked at her with a gentle gaze. ¡°He can only dream of it since he doesn''t even have a girlfriend.¡± Unlike Samuel, he was pleased that he could live happily with Sophia. Samuel felt as if someone had pricked his heart with a needle. Justin, who sat beside him, chuckled before adding, ¡°I think he doesn''t even have a crush.¡± Samuel was stumped upon hearing that remark. How could he attack me like this! Sophia giggled and then popped a candy into her mouth. ¡°Let''s stop teasing Mr. Schild, shall we?¡± Samuel was moved by Sophia''s words. I shouldn''t have let these men get to me! However, Samuel''s momentary gratitude was quickly shattered when Sophia added, ¡°After all, Mr. Schild is destined to remain single for the rest of his life.¡± He was at a loss for words. I should have kept my mouth shut and not said a thing just now! Oh, my. What have I done? Feeling defeated, Samuel decided to zip his mouth. Marriage was indeed a sacred union. Everyone was touched when Megan and Casper spoke on stage. Sophia, swept up in her emotions, felt a hand grasping hers. She tore her gaze from the stage and turned to Alexander. Alexander looked into her eyes quietly. Sophia curled her lips. ¡°Let''s visit Granddad when we''re free, okay?¡± Alexander froze upon hearing that. His eyes flickered in disbelief. ¡°Can I?¡± Sophia arched her brow and asked, ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Alexander responded in a deep voice, still gazing into her eyes and tightening his grip on her hand. Chapter 396 Chapter 396 After the customary procedure, the married couple came down from the stage to mingle with the guests. Sophia, Alexander, and the others were seated at the table in front, so Megan and Casper arrived at their table with their wine very quickly. Sophia couldn''t tell if Megan loved Casper, but Megan seemed to be very satisfied with the Cooper family because she had been beaming throughout the evening. After toasting the guests, Megan said to Sophia, ¡°Sophia, thank you foring.¡± ¡°You''re wee, Ms. Queen.¡± Sophia smiled. Megan nodded and followed Casper from behind with a smile on her face. Sophia smiled alluringly upon taking a nce at Megan''s retreating figure. Seemingly in a good mood, Sophia proceeded to down half a ss of her wine. This is an auspicious asion. Although Megan isn''t my friend, she''s surely not my enemy. Since it was a wedding reception between the Cooper family and the Queen family, the dinner was a grand affair. The dishes were all prepared by the chefs from Mirage. Halfway through the meal, Sophia had to use the restroom because she had just had two sses of juice before dinner. She knew it had been a while since Alexander met up with Justin and the rest, so she merely took her purse and left after informing Alexander about where she was going. After Sophia left, Samuel asked without restraint, ¡°Alex, have you not proposed to her yet?¡± Alexander almost threw his ss at Samuel upon hearing that question. Does Samuel not know any boundaries? He knows the Dawson family is opposing our rtionship at the moment. How can I propose if I can''t even get the Dawson family''s approval? Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Seeing how solemn Alexander''s expression was, Samuel was eager to take revenge, so he sighed and asked the obvious, ¡°Does Mr. Dawson not like you?¡± ¡°You could''ve just told me you wanted a good round of beating,¡± Alexander sneered in response. Charles nced at Samuel, and he didn''t pity Samuel one bit. ¡°I think he hasn''t gotten a beating in a long time.¡± Justin then swirled his wine ss and uttered, ¡°From what I hear, you seem to have fallen for a girl recently. However, your feelings aren''t reciprocated.¡± Samuel''s mood turned sour when he heard what Justin said. ¡°Who told you that? I''m handsome, rich, and generous. Is there any girl I can''t get?¡± ¡°Oh? I wanted to offer you my help. Since you''ve already gotten your hands on her, forget about it.¡± Justin scoffed. Samuel failed to show off, so he said, ¡°Well, there''s nothing wrong with learning more. If you have advice for me, I''m listening.¡± Charles couldn''t help chuckling when he heard that. Alexander, on the other hand, wasn''t in the mood to listen to that conversation. Samuel''s mouth is good for nothing except for talking crap. However, he asked a good question. When should I propose? Given a choice, I would propose to her right now! Of course, I know I have to at least wait until Mr. Dawson agrees to see me. If someone were to ask me if I have regrets in life, I would definitely say I regret going through the divorce procedure with Sophia two years ago. That''s not something I can change now, so it''ll remain a regret in my life. Megan''s awe-inspiring wedding reception was held in an enormous ballroom. Therefore, it took Sophia a five-minute walk to exit the ballroom through the side entrance. The restroom wasn''t far from there onward, but there was a long line of people outside the restroom. Sophia was familiar with the hotel, so she quickly headed to take the elevator to the fifth floor. The fifth floor was mainly VIP rooms, and every VIP room had its own restroom. Therefore, the common restrooms were all avable. Due to how long it took her to get there, Sophia was worried that Alexander could get concerned about her. Hence, she wrote him a text on her phone after exiting the restroom. Before she could hit send, someone suddenly grabbed her from behind by grabbing her waist with one hand and covering her mouth with the other. The assant then dragged Sophia into a VIP room nearby and locked the door from the inside. Upon locking the door, the assant thought Sophia couldn''t escape, so he immediately let go of her. ¡°Hi, Sophia,¡± the assant said. Sophia couldn''t help but chuckle when she saw Tyler before her eyes. ¡°Mr. Xenos? What are you doing?¡± Tyler frowned when she saw Sophia smiling. However, he didn''t give it much thought. As a matter of fact, kidnapping Sophia was a spur-of-the-moment decision. He saw Sophia on the third floor when she was going to the restroom. He also saw her going to the elevator after taking a nce at the line outside the restroom. Since the wedding reception between the Cooper family and the Queen family was held on the third floor that day, the restroom was bound to be crowded. Tyler could tell that Sophia didn''t want to wait in line. At that moment, he started nning his attack. The fourth floor is filled with standard private rooms, so the restrooms there would most probably be packed with people, and the cleaners would also be there. The fifth floor, on the other hand, has VIP rooms. Since those VIP rooms have private restrooms, themon restrooms will be empty. Sophia will eventually end up on the fifth floor, so I should wait for her there. Sure enough, he saw Sophia walking into the restroom after he got prepared. Upon seeing Sophia entering the female restroom, Tyler entered the male restroom and waited outside for her before he caught her and dragged her into the VIP room. Tyler had been into Sophia ever since she divorced Alexander, but he had to abandon his desire for her. Although he wanted to pursue her back then, he was still working at Odyssey. Besides, Alexander was still rather friendly with Sophia. Things changed after Alexander forced Tyler and the others out. With nothing left to gain, Tyler also knew he had nothing to lose. Hence, he proceeded to go after what he had always wanted. ¡°We''re alone, aren''t we? Don''t you already know what I want to do?¡± Tyler smiled devilishly and poured a ss of water. He then whipped out a white tablet from his pocket and dropped it into the ss of water before Sophia''s eyes. That white tabletpletely dissolved in the water within a couple of seconds. ¡°Here, Ms. Yarrow. Drink this. After this, you''ll be in seventh heaven. I promise,¡± Tyler instructed. Still wearing a smile on her face, Sophia asked Tyler, ¡°What if I say no?¡± Tyler scoffed coldly in response. ¡°I''ve already locked the door. Even if Alexander is out there looking for you now, it''ll take him some time before he reaches here. You can''t escape, and he won''te to your rescue. If you don''t want to suffer, I suggest you y along. After all, you''re a pretty woman. I wouldn''t want to handle you roughly!¡± With that, his expression turned grim, and he shoved that ss of water toward Sophia. ¡°Drink!¡± Sophia took a step back and shied away from Tyler when she reached out her hand. ¡°I''ll do it myself.¡± Tyler cocked his brow in satisfaction when he saw Sophiaplying. Hence, he gave her the ss. Sophia took the ss and turned around to send Tyler crashing into the wall with a kick. Before Tyler could react, Sophia grabbed a chair with the other hand and mped it on his waist to hold him down. Afterward, she squeezed his mouth open and poured the drink down his throat. After he had gulped down the entire ss of water, Sophia let go of him and dropped the ss on the ground. It shattered the moment it hit the ground. ¡°You''re asking for trouble!¡± Tyler caught his breath and red at Sophia. Did she force the entire ss of water down my throat? Is she crazy? Sophia gave him an amused look and kicked him once more. ¡°Am I?¡± Sophia was wearing heels that night, so Tyler felt as though he had been stabbed with a knife when she kicked him. As soon as Sophia finished her sentence, she grabbed the chair and smashed him with it. Tyler wailed in pain and curled up into a ball on the ground. The moment Sophia let go of the chair, she heard noisesing from the other side of the door. She then stepped aside and saw Alexander walking into the room after the door was pushed open. Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Alexander entered the room and shielded Sophia. ¡°Did he hurt you?¡± he asked. Sophia shook her head and smiled after taking a nce at Tyler, who was gritting his teeth in pain on the ground. ¡°No. However, I think I''ve hurt Mr. Tyler.¡± After all, she struck his waist with all her might. Upon hearing that, Alexander shot Tyler a cold look andunched a kick at him. ¡°Ouch! Have you gone mad, Alexander?¡± Tyler was still in pain after getting beaten up by Sophia. Yet, Alexander hadnded a heavy kick on his shoulder. Although it wasn''t a life-threatening kick, it was hard enough to almost knock Tyler unconscious. While holding his shoulder, Tyler leaned against the wall and slowly rose to his feet. When he saw Alexander''s vicious gaze, however, he couldn''t help but shudder. Alexander looks like he wants me dead! Tyler suddenly felt terrified, and when he saw there were people behind Alexander, he called out, ¡°Are you guys blind? Can''t you see what he''s doing? He''s about to kill me! Call the police!¡± The staff who followed Alexander there turned to look at Alexander sheepishly after hearing what Tyler said. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Although Tyler was an esteemed guest at the hotel, Alexander was their most valued guest. If they had to choose to side with one of them, they would rather cross Tyler than Alexander. Therefore, the staff didn''t dare to call the police when Tyler told them to. Right then, Alexander snorted and turned toward Sophia. ¡°What did he want to do just now?¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Mr. Tyler wanted me to drink something.¡± She then paused for a second and added, ¡°However, I never liked drinking something given by others, so I forced him to down it instead.¡± Alexander knew what Sophia meant right away. Tyler gave Sophia weird looks the past few times they met. With Dillon''s current situation, I didn''t expect Tyler to have the balls to go after Sophia. Obviously, I''m not going to hand him over to the police because the police are only going to keep him locked up for a couple of days for his offense. That''s far less than what he deserves. With that in mind, Alexander gazed at the hotel staff and said, ¡°He''s my cousin, so this is a private matter I need to deal with. You guys may go back to your duties.¡± Since Alexander had already said it was a private matter, the hotel staff no longer dared to stay. Tyler got scared when he heard what Alexander said and instinctively walked toward the exit. However, after just taking two steps, he was sent crashing back against the wall after Alexander kicked a chair toward him. Tyler grew anxious and shouted at the staff, who had already walked off, ¡°Come back, you guys! Come back!¡± The staff pretended as though they didn''t hear him and kept walking without turning back. Alexander then mmed the door shut. He mmed the door so hard that even the wall Tyler was leaning against shook a little. One of the staff heard the loud banging sound and couldn''t help but turn back. Seeing that the door was mmed shut, he turned toward the hotel manager next to him and asked, ¡°Nothing bad is going to happen, right?¡± The hotel manager red at him and fumed, ¡°Do you take Mr. Xenos for a fool? Nothing''s going to happen. You''d better keep your mouth shut about what happened this evening. If this gets out, you''ll get fired!¡± The employee was shivering all over when he promised the manager he wouldn''t tell a soul about what happened. Meanwhile, Tyler was retreating along the wall when he saw Alexander close the door. While looking at the look in Alexander''s eyes and the smug expression Sophia was wearing, Tyler uttered, ¡°Alex, I''m your cousin. Don''t act rashly!¡± ¡°Cousin?¡± Alexander scoffed and scanned the private room. He saw a wine cab with a few bottles of wine on it nearby and walked toward it. After grabbing a bottle, he turned around and smashed it toward Tyler. ¡°Alexander!¡± Tyler lifted his arm in fear to shield himself. In the next second, he heard the sound of the bottle shattering. The bottle didn''tnd on his body. Instead, it was smashed against the wall next to his head. Tyler breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the wine off of his face. Right when he was about to talk, he raised his gaze and met Alexander''s gaze. He froze and stammered, ¡°D-Don''t do anything crazy, Alexander! Murder is a serious crime!¡± Alexander was holding the broken ss bottle against Tyler. Tyler went pale and slumped onto the ground after his knees gave in. ¡°I-I didn''t do anything! C-Calm down! I was merely scaring Sophia! Alex, I''m your cousin! Don''t act rashly! You won''t achieve anything by killing me! You still have a bright future ahead! Why would you ruin your future for a piece of trash like me?¡± Tyler was on the verge of peeing his pants because Alexander had a horrifying look on his face. Alexander then grabbed Tyler''s cor and lifted him up. While pressing the sharp broken bottle against Tyler''s carotid artery, he asked, ¡°Didn''t I warn you before? Didn''t I ask you to stay away from Sophia?¡± ¡°Yes! Yes! I lost my rationality just now! I was wrong! Alex, I understand I was wrong! I really didn''t do anything to Sophia. If you don''t believe me, you may ask Sophia!¡± Tyler knew he couldn''t convince Alexander to let him go, so Tyler turned toward Sophia and said, ¡°I''m sorry, Sophia! I''m sorry! Please ask him to put the broken ss bottle away! Killing someone is a crime!¡± Sophia swept a nce at Tyler and pulled Alexander''s arm. ¡°Let go of the bottle. Don''t hurt yourself.¡± Hearing that, Alexander tossed the bottle away to avoid harming Sophia identally. Tyler heaved a sigh of relief after seeing Alexander throw the bottle away. Tyler wanted to escape, but Sophia anticipated it. The moment Tyler turned toward the exit, she threw a ss at Tyler''s foot. Alexander went ahead and kicked Tyler once more to send him crashing onto the ground. ¡°I-I won''t disturb the two of you anymore,¡± Tyler promised. Looking at Tyler, Sophia chuckled and uttered, ¡°Mr. Tyler, I didn''t say I would let you leave.¡± With that, she took a pot of water off the table, went up to Tyler, and poured the water down on him. It was a pot of boiling water. Sophia didn''t pour it on Tyler''s face, though. Instead, she was pouring it down on Tyler''s back. Tyler''s shirt should be able to prevent him from getting burned, but the heat should still be unbearable. Sure enough, Tyler started screaming in pain halfway through the torture. Tyler wanted to avoid the stream of boiling water, but Alexander would kick him back into ce every time he moved. Sophia gradually finished pouring the entire pot of water. By then, Tyler''s face was already covered in tears. At the same time, the drug in his body was starting to kick in, so his eyes were extremely red. Sophia ced the pot back onto the table and looked down at Tyler, who had curled up into a ball on the ground. ¡°Mr. Tyler, if you repeat your mistake, your punishment won''t be as light as this.¡± With that, Sophia turned to look at Alexander. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Alexander''s gaze softened when itnded on her. Subsequently, he hummed an acknowledgment, held her hand, and left the room with her. With his body curled up on the ground, Tyler gritted his teeth as he watched the couple leave. Despite feeling angry, he didn''t dare to retaliate. Both Alexander and Sophia are not to be trifled with! I really regret my actions now! Chapter 398 Chapter 398 Sophia manage to escape unscathed and was unaffected, but they both left the event before it ended. On the way back, she could sense that Alexander was brimming with fury. Back at the mansion, Sophia prepared a te of cut fruits and settled down beside him. ¡°He actually didn''t take advantage of me. I knew someone was tailing me when I entered the bathroom, so I deliberately allowed him to take me with him.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. At first, Sophia thought that Tyler had taken action against her with malicious intent. She assumed he was attempting to kidnap her in order to intimidate Alexander into transferring the shares of the company to him and Dillon. Consequently, even though she was aware of Tyler''s presence behind her in the restroom and his intention to assault her, she chose not to resist and instead, allowed the situation to unfold to see what Tyler had in store for her. s, she had overestimated Tyler. He was, in fact, nothing but a man driven by his sexual impulse. Tyler failed to take advantage of Sophia earlier. Instead, he got kicked and pped several times by Sophia. When Alexander showed up and smashed a wine bottle, Tyler''s face drained of all color as he feared that he was going to face his demise. Alexander parted his lips and epted the piece of apple that Sophia offered him. As he chewed and swallowed, he murmured, ¡°I shouldn''t have given him such an easy way out.¡± I should''ve kicked and punched him a few times more. Alexander had been training in kickboxing for a while, so he was well-versed in the areas that would cause the greatest amount of pain. Even if the victim were to seek medical attention, the injuries he inflicted would not be noticeable enough to be diagnosed. Moreover, Tyler might hesitate to call the police if he were to do that. Sophia burst out giggling when she heard that. ¡°The pot of hot water wasn''t that pleasant either.¡± Indeed, Tyler was in anguish after Sophia poured a pot of hot water on him. The hot water that was poured over Tyler seeped through his clothes and caused his back to turn bright red. He felt like his skin was burning, and the fabric of his clothes seemed to adhere to his body. When Tyler tried to take off his clothes at home, the sensation was so unbearable that he could feel tears welling up in his eyes. s, he had no one to whom he could express his anguish. He dared not and could not do anything to avenge himself. On the contrary, he had to worry if Alexander would take action against him. Tyler had reason to be concerned, for Alexander was not intending to let him off the hook easily. Alexander and Dillon had been at each other throats for the past few months, so the former had umted a considerable amount of damaging information about Dillon, Tyler, and Randy. He wasn''t going to hold back as Tyler was foolish enough to provoke him. Alexander wasted no time in calling Felix, instructing him to prepare to deliver harsh punishment to Tyler. Tyler had the audacity toy his hands on Sophia earlier, so Alexander was determined to make Tyler pay for his actions! A smile nudged Sophia''s lips as she overheard Alexander talking on the phone. She was far from generous, but Alexander had brought a few employees to the hotel room earlier tonight to save her. They witnessed Tyler getting punished for his misdeed, so if anything were to transpire to Tyler, they would have little doubt that she and Alexander were responsible. Tyler hadmitted his fair share of crimes previously, however, Dillon was always there to pick up the pieces and make sure no one discovered his misdeeds. Sophia was nning on asking Yvonne to investigate Tyler to give him a taste of his own medicine. Now that Alexander had done it, she wouldn''t have to trouble Yvonne anymore. After hanging up, Alexander noticed Sophia was smiling at him. She was sitting with her chin resting in her hand, her eyes sparkling with joy and amusement. Captivated, he couldn''t tear his eyes away. No longer looking aloof, he reached out to stroke her cheek. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± Sophia sat up straight and gave him a flirtatious look. ¡°Because I''m happy.¡± ¡°Why are you happy?¡± Sophia snorted. ¡°You''re asking the obvious!¡± She then rose to her feet. ¡°I''ll go take a shower.¡± It was a Sunday tomorrow, which meant that she didn''t have to head to work, but it was still beneficial to go to bed early. Alexander took action against Tyler in a simple but crude way. Tyler wasn''t aw-abiding person, so Felix had uncovered a great deal of evidence that could be used to incriminate him two months ago. However, he hadn''t exposed any of the evidence yet. It was now time for Felix to take action after he received Alexander''s orders. The offenses that Tyler perpetrated were strikingly simr to those that Leonard hadmitted, but Tyler was more brazen than Leonard as Dillon would cover his crimes. A few years ago, Tyler raped an underage girl. The girl came from a poor family, so Dillon bribed her family to keep the matter to themselves. The young girl had since reached adulthood. Her family rarely spoke of the incident but she could never forget what happened to her. When Felix reached out to her, all she asked of him was that Tyler be brought to justice for his actions. She didn''t want anything else. She had managed to record the entire ordeal surreptitiously on her phone. Although the video wasn''t However, this video and the witnesses were enough to send Tyler to jail. Of course, this would be a long process, and Tyler would definitely submit an appeal. In addition to bringing the incident to light, Felix also acted as an upstanding citizen by notifying the authorities of how Tyler had recklessly hit and killed a pedestrian while driving under influence and then arranged for someone else to take the me. Besides that, Felix also asked for Samuel''s help to unmask Tyler''s despicable side by circting the information online. It would take some time before Tyler would be brought to justice, but he had now be the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons. He was too afraid to even leave his home. Dillon was in hot waters himself. Randy''spany was now under investigation. He owned some of Odyssey''s shares, but that cost him a lot of money. However, his purchase was now proving to be a poor decision as he was stuck in this situation. Tyler was in a precarious position and Randy''s business was in dire straits, so they needed a substantial influx of capital. However, their cash reserves had been depleted months earlier when they purchased stocks from Odyssey in secret. Before they could take Alexander down, he had already taken them down. Everything happened in a matter of a few days after that night''s event, prompting Sophia to express her admiration for Felix''s efficiency. Indeed, he''s as efficient as Ms. Leighton. Sophia was musing over Yvonne when suddenly the door to her office was knocked, jolting her out of her reverie. ¡°Come on in.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± It was Yvonne, who entered her office with a document. ¡°This is our quarterly financial report for your perusal.¡± Sophia nced at her and shed a smile. ¡°Okay, got it.¡± ¡°One more thing, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia raised a brow. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mdm. Kristen Lambe is downstairs. She wants to see you in order to discuss an important matter.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue and tapped her pen against the table. A few secondster, she made up her mind and dered, ¡°Bring her upstairs.¡± Let''s see what ¡°important matter¡± Kristen wants to talk about. Dillon was in dire straits, and Kristen''s situation was no better. Leonard''s trial began half a month ago. Both Sophia and Alexander didn''t attend the court session or pay any attention to it, but the oue was evidently not to Kristen''s satisfaction. ¡°Got it, Ms. Yarrow.¡± With that, Yvonne went out and told Belinda to bring Kristen upstairs to Sophia''s office. Yvonne had been witnessed to Kristen''s mistreatment of Sophia for the past three years, and if it wasn''t for the fact that Kristen had strongly emphasized the seriousness of the situation, Yvonne would have chosen not to disturb Sophia and risk affecting her mood. Chapter 399 Chapter 399 Shortly after, Yvonne led Kristen upstairs. It was the second time Kristen hade to meet with Sophia at Sunshine Group. Sophia swept her gaze over Kristen calmly. ¡°Ms. Leighton, please pour Mdm. Lambe a cup of coffee.¡± Yvonne nodded and showed herself out of the office. Sophia and Kristen were left in the office. Compared to her previous visit, Kristen seemed to be in rather bad shape today. Sophia''s gazended on the dark circles under Kristen''s eyes. A smile tugged at her lips as she asked, ¡°Mdm. Lambe, didn''t you sleep wellst night?¡± The dark circles couldn''t even be concealed by makeup. Hearing herment, Kristen froze awkwardly. She deliberately used concealer on her dark circles and put on more blush than usual in an effort to disguise her awful look so Sophia wouldn''t realize anything. Nevertheless, she forgot that she was already in her fifties and that her skin was no longer glowing as it had in her youth. The stress of Leonard''s trial took its toll on her, and she found herself unable to sleep well for several nights consecutively. Herplexion began to suffer as a consequence. Sophia''sment made Kristen realize that she was not going to be fooled by her tactics. Pursing her lips, Kristen said directly, ¡°I''d like to propose a deal, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Sure. I''d like to know what your bargaining chip is, though.¡± If she wanted to propose a deal, she would need to provide something that Sophia would find beneficial in exchange. Sophia wasn''t looking down on Kristen. Rather, Kristen''sck of financial and social resources made it unlikely that Sophia would be interested in her so-called bargaining chip. However, Kristen came prepared. She was, in fact, afraid that Sophia wouldn''t mention it. ¡°It is a known fact that Alexander is Zachary''s son, but I believe that you would want to know the identity of his birth mother.¡± Sophia was stunned, a reaction she rarely experienced. After a moment of surprise, she slowly straightened her posture, her pleasant expression fading into a cold re. ¡°So this is your bargaining chip, Ms. Lambe?¡± she asked in an icy tone. She paused before chuckling. ¡°A pity that I''m not interested in that information. Perhaps you should strike a deal with Alexander instead of me.¡± Kristen''s face went pale with shock as she stared at Sophia incredulously. ¡°Sophia, I don''t think you realize how important this is. I can guarantee that I''m the only person in the world who knows who Alexander''s birth mother is. If I don''t give him this information, he will never find her. Perhaps you think I''m being overconfident, but I can assure you that his birth mother might not even know where he is!¡± Assuming Sophia had no idea how important this was, she clenched her jaw and tried to make things clear to Sophia. However, Sophia remained unfazed even after hearing the exnation. Her smile never wavered, yet her expression turned much colder. ¡°Is that so?¡± Sophia tutted. ¡°Mdm. Lambe, how can you be sure that Alexander wants to find his birth mother, and that I''m willing to help him find her?¡± ¡°Y-You...¡± Kristen was rendered speechless. She was counting on Alexander to be curious and eager about the information on his birth mother, but the decision was ultimately up to him. If Alexander never wanted to find his birth mother, her information would be useless to him. Even if Alexander longed to discover the identity of his birth mother, there was no telling whether or not Sophia would be willing to assist him in the quest. Simply put, Kristen shouldn''t havee to ask for Sophia''s help today. It would have been better off if she reached out to Alexander, who was more pertinent to the situation than Sophia was. That realization made Kristen''s face turn as white as a sheet. Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. The motive for her visit to Sophia was to exploit Sophia''s love for Alexander in order to coerce her into lending a hand. Kristen never expected that Sophia would decline her deal. ¡°Mdm. Lambe, is there anything else I can do for you?¡± She wanted to summon Yvonne to see Kristen to the door if they were done here. Kristen had nothing else to say. Dillon was in trouble, and Leonard''s first trial didn''t end well. With no other viable option, Kristen was forced to turn to Sophia for help. She had expected Sophia to be hostile towards her and was bracing herself for the worst, yet she was given a rejection without hesitation. This was far more mortifying than any insult Sophia could have thrown at her. ¡°Sophia, are you not at all interested in finding out who Alexander''s birth mother is?¡± she inquired, refusing to give up. Sophia gave her a look and chuckled. ¡°Of course I''m curious.¡± ¡°As long as you can help get Leonard out of trouble, I''ll tell you who his birth mother is!¡± Sophia gazed at her in amusement. ¡°It is perfectly natural to be curious. I, myself, am intrigued to learn more about Alexander''s birth mother, but my mere curiosity is not enough topel me to offer you assistance. If you have nothing else to say, you may leave now.¡± Sophia pressed on the internalndline and summoned Yvonne, who had left earlier to ¡°brew some coffee.¡± She instructed, ¡°Ms. Leighton,e in and send Mdm. Lambe off.¡± Kristen was rooted to the spot, her body became rigid as an icy chill ran through her veins. Her eyes were fixed on Sophia, who seemed unconcerned. Yvonne quickly came in and stopped beside Kristen. ¡°Mdm. Lambe, this way please,¡± she said politely and extended an arm, motioning for Kristen to leave with her. Kristen parted her lips to protest, but her gazended on Sophia, and she ended up not saying anything. Sophia had lowered her head and refused to look at her, so there was nothing else she could say. Looking away, Kristen retrieved her bag and left, her shoulders slumped in dejection. Before leaving, Yvonne closed the door behind her. Sophia was once again left in her office alone. Right then, she looked up and gazed at the door thoughtfully. Sophia would be lying if she imed she wasn''t curious as to who Alexander''s birth mother was. However, Alexander wasn''t willing to reveal much, so she didn''t want to act on her own. Alexander arrived to pick her up after six in the evening. It was September in Jadeborough, and the sun was already setting at this hour. The street was bustling with activity as it was rush hour, but Sophia was able to locate Alexander, who was standing in front of his ck Cayenne in the crowd immediately. He was wearing his usual suit, standing out among the sea of people with his tall stature and icy expression. However, his cold exterior melted away when he saw Sophia. Alexander straightened his back as Sophia walked to him. He opened the door of the vehicle, waiting for her to enter. Sophia gave him a smile and entered his car. ¡°Thanks!¡± After closing the door behind her, Alexander made his way to the driver''s side. The car soon merged with the stream of vehicles. It was rush hour, and the traffic was congested. He slowed down when the traffic light turned red. Alexander turned to look at her. ¡°What do you want for dinner?¡± Sophia gave his question some thought. ¡°Ms. Leighton said there is a restaurant that serves delicious chicken soup nearby Rainbow Square.¡± As the temperature began to drop in Jadeborough, it seemed like a great idea to warm up with a comforting bowl of steaming hot chicken soup. ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia grunted in acknowledgment before saying, ¡°Today, Kristen showed up at my office.¡± She paused as the red light turned green. ¡°The light has turned green.¡± As the road was congested with cars, the car rolled forward until it eventually came to a halt several meters ahead. Alexander gazed at her. ¡°Why did shee to your office?¡± ¡°She said she is the only one who knows who your birth mother is.¡± Alexander furrowed his brows. ¡°What does she want?'' ¡°She wants me to help Leonard,¡± Sophia exined. Snorting, she added, ¡°But I said no.¡± Knowing what she meant, Alexander ced his hand reassuringly on her knee. ¡°Ignore her. I''m not interested in that information.¡± Sophia cocked a brow. ¡°That was what I thought, too.¡± For more than thirty years, Alexander had been living without his birth mother. It seemed that she too had moved on with her life, and if they were to suddenly recognize one another''s existence, it may not result in a positive oue for both of them. Chapter 400 Chapter 400 Anyway, Alexander emerged victorious from his battle with Dillon. The incident regarding Tyler had blown up, and some people were smart enough to realize that Alexander was behind this. Despite Dillon''s best efforts, he was ultimately unsessful in his endeavors. Taking care of his sons'' trouble took up all his energy, and he no longer had the strength to fight Alexander. The turbulence that had gued Odyssey for so long finally came to a close on the seventeenth of September. Taking advantage of Alexander''s financial resources, Sophia seized the opportunity to invest in Odyssey''s stocks. This move altered theposition of thepany''s ownership. During thest two months, Odyssey''s stock prices kept fluctuating, causing some shareholders to be wary and sell off their shares. Coincidentally, both of the shareholders decided to sell their shares to Sophia, or more precisely, Suny of Sunshine Group. Sophia also invested heavily in Odyssey''s stocks when they fell to the limit-down mark. As a result, she was now the proud owner of ten percent of Odyssey''s shares, making her the fourthrgest shareholder after two of Odyssey''s elderly shareholders who had a long-standing rtionship with Beau. That was an unexpected gain. Themotion had finallye to an end, so Sophia nned on transferring all her shares to Alexander. However, the wealthy and generous man told her to keep them for herself. Sophia raised a brow. ¡°What about the over ten billion from before?¡± She had spent a lot of money, but there was still a lot left. Alexander was busy preparing breakfast when Sophia said those words. He carefully ced the delicious beef pies he had prepared onto a te and then removed his apron. When Alexander came outside with the te, Sophia had already prepared oatmeal for both of them. After settling into his seat, he replied, ¡°You can keep the money as your pocket money.¡± Sophia burst out giggling. ¡°You want me to keep over five billion as my pocket money?¡± ¡°Can''t I do that?¡± ¡°Of course you can,¡± Sophia replied with a nod. Although she was far from being destitute, it would be a lie if she imed she didn''t want to keep the five billion. She added, ¡°But I don''t want your money.¡± Sophia had no intention of taking more than she deserved. ¡°I''ll transfer the shares to you when you''re free.¡± ¡°Keep the shares,¡± Alexander said as he ate the oatmeal. ¡°There is a new shareholders meeting tomorrow morning. You shoulde to Odyssey with me.¡± Sophia was stunned, which was rare for her. After regaining herposure, she couldn''t help but marvel at how detailed Alexander''s n was. ¡°Alexander, how can you be this shameless?¡± By doing this, he was essentially indicating to everyone that he was in a rtionship with Sophia. ¡°That wasn''t my intention.¡± He stared at her, his gaze brimming with affection. ¡°This is just the beginning of what I prepared for you as our betrothal gifts.¡± Alexander had taken care of all the details in advance, ensuring that everything was in ce for her to agree to their marriage. However, the main reason why he was reluctant to ask for her hand in marriage was due to the Dawson family. Sophia cocked a brow. ¡°What did you prepare?¡± ¡°You''ll find outter.¡± Sophia gave him a look but didn''t probe any further. They had parted ways only two years prior, and it wasn''t until approximately eight months ago that they began seeing each other again. Hence, Sophia wasn''t in a hurry to get married. Besides, Perrin had yet to approve of their rtionship. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Alexander knew that well, so that was why he didn''t ask for her hand in marriage despite his strong desire to do so. Sophia suddenly felt sorry for him. Serves him right, though. Hmph! Something else urred to Sophia. ¡°If I show up at Odyssey with you tomorrow, that means my identity as Suny will be exposed, right?¡± ¡°Don''t you want that?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°It''s not that. I''m just concerned that my identity will scare others.¡± It came as a shock to many when the divorcee of a wealthy family ended up reuniting with her ex- husband and, even more astonishingly, became the granddaughter of the respected Dawson family. The revtion that she was actually Suny from the Sunshine Group would have been absolutely astounding to many people. ¡°Great!¡± Alexander gazed at her. ¡°That way, other men wouldn''t dare to court you.¡± Sophia felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. After Sophia attended a dinner, she realized Katherine had sent her a lot of texts. The previous variety show, Going Forward, which she attended as Katherine''s special guest, premiere airs tonight. For over a month, the show had been hyping up its grand debut, and the anticipation had been building ever since. Everyone was eagerly awaiting to view the show in the evening. Katherine had been in the entertainment industry for many years, but she was still as excited as a beginner who had struck the lottery. ¡°I''m so thrilled, Soph! I''m sure you''re going to be a hit. Just think of those people who talked behind your back. They''re going to be so upset. Do you remember Sharon? I can''t wait for the premiere. I can''t believe she had the gall to pick on you over the inte. What was she thinking?¡± If Katherine hadn''t mentioned Sharon, Sophia would''ve forgotten about her. Herck of interest in the variety show she attended as Katherine''s special guest was evident as she had always been in the limelight since young. She wouldn''t have agreed if it wasn''t for Katherine''s desperate pleas. Although she thought rather highly of herself, it was the truth. If Sophia wanted to, she could have entered the entertainment industry long ago. However, she did not find the industry appealing as it was apetitive environment, full of people who were often willing to do whatever it took to get ahead despite the low ie. Even though she had the skills and determination to outwit them, Sophia chose to pursue other paths that would allow her to make money without the need to deal with the cutthroat nature of the industry. Katherine''s voice message was long, and Sophia chuckled after listening to it. She was toozy to type her reply and sent a voice message: ¡°Got it.¡± Katherine was at a loss for words as her enthusiasm was for nothing. However, Katherine was right. After the premiere of Going Forward that night, Sophia immediately became famous. Katherine had always maintained a stoic and mature persona in the entertainment industry, but that image was shattered when it was revealed that she had been using an alternate ount toe to the defense of her friend, Sophia. Although Katherine had always presented herself as an unfeeling and aloof individual, everyone now knew that she was a na?ve person who was simply trying to protect her friend. After her true persona was revealed, she lost many fans and was insulted badly. Nevertheless, following the premiere of Going Forward, many viewers were drawn to Katherine''s na?ve and lovable character. Onement read: Ah! I finally know why Katherine looks icy but has a na?ve personality. That''s because Ms. Yarrow has protected her too well! Oh, I envy her for having a gorgeous and capable friend. I''d die to have such a friend! Another read: Wow, Sophia is absolutely incredible! She emanates such self-assuredness that it''s hard not to be drawn to her. I can''t believe how those eyes of hers can look both mesmerizing and intimidating at the same time! When she saw the hint, I think she must have been thinking, ¡°Is this even a question? The answer is obvious!¡± Sophia, please make your debut soon! I will be your most loyal fan! The followingment read: Dream on. Katherine is Sophia''s most loyal fan! I wasn''t a fan of Katherine previously, but I am now her fan. I wonder if she can bring Sophia as a guest on shows more often. Onement read: Wow! Please debut, Sophia. Kath is so adorable! Another read: A smart and gorgeousdy versus a na?ve award-winning actress? What abination. I love them both! Going Forward premiered at eight. At eight-thirty, Sophia and Katherine were already trending on Twitter. Sophia had gone viral, and theizens were pleading for her to make her debut. Chapter 401 Chapter 401 Katherine wasn''t bothered by how viral the news had be. In fact, she even tweeted: Don''t envy me. You shouldn''t even be jealous. Hahahaha! With that, her Twitter blew up instantly, and manyizens began to express their ¡°bitterness¡±. Of course, there would always be haters, and some hostilements began to pop up amid all the compliments Sophia and Katherine were receiving. One imed to be part of the film crew, saying that Katherine had invested in the series and brought Sophia in as a special guest, so thetter had received all the answers to the game show beforehand. In other words, it was alleged that Katherine''s naivety was nothing but an act, whereas Sophia looked like a brainiac simply because she already had all the answers prior to filming. Manyizens began to bash the person who had written this post. Sophia had appeared on the news for being the top scorer in her university entrance exam. Moreover, all the awards she had won from pastpetitions could be easily found on the inte. It wasn''t unusual to be skeptical of other aspects of this woman, but doubting her intellect was simply uneptable. Netizen A: Wow! You really are bitter, huh? I have nothing to say if you think her beauty doesn''t meet your standards, but to think you''re doubting the intelligence of Jadeborough University''s top scorer? I''m starting to think you''re actually stupid. Netizen B: If I remember correctly, Ms. Quinn has always been known for her cool nature. She once lost a ton of fans after using her alternate ount to defend Ms. Yarrow from trolls, and now you''re telling me she''s acting dumb and innocent on purpose? I think you should stop trying to look smart. Netizen C: Honestly, the questions weren''t even difficult. They were mostly just on ssical poetry. Ms. Yarrow is someone who can easily get a perfect score in advanced math, so why wouldn''t she be able to answer the game show''s questions, especially when there were so many hints given? Netizen D: Congrattions on embarrassing yourself. Mostizens were on Sophia''s side. They weren''t that dumb. Sophia had everything she wanted¡ªmoney, talents, looks, and intelligence. Everyone could tell that she had only participated in the game show for Katherine''s sake. Yet, to think that someone was now using her of having obtained the answers in advance. This had to be the joke of the year. Katherine was livid to see the post, and she used her main ount to fire back at the anonymous writer: Don''t go around spouting such nonsense about people getting the answers beforehand just because you can''t even count using your fingers! It was a bustling night as Sophia swiped away on her phone to observe everything that was happening. While still in the middle of arguing online, Katherine sent Sophia a text message: I think this ''I''mAStar'' user was definitely paid to write that post. I have to get Jonice to look into her. I''m going to sue her until she loses everything! Upon reading the message, Sophia couldn''t help butugh. Alexander just so happened to return from taking a phone call and noticed the smile on her face. ¡°What''s so funny?¡± The woman passed him her phone. ¡°Remember that game show I joined with Katherine in July? It just aired tonight and seems to have gained quite some traction, but someone''s using me of having gotten the answers in advance.¡± From the hint of amusement in her voice, it was clear that she was rather tickled by the anonymous writer. ¡°Have you watched it?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°Nope.¡± Alexander gazed at her and let out a rare chuckle. ¡°Let''s watch it together.¡± While speaking, he turned on the television and connected his phone to it. Sophia grinned as she saw herself on the screen. ¡°Sure.¡± The first season contained eight episodes ranging from eighty to ny minutes each. There were six teams participating in the game show, and each team only had a little over ten minutes of screen time. Perhaps due to Katherine''s investment in the program, the post-editing didn''t seem to have been done maliciously. Alexander was only interested in Sophia''s appearance on the show, so it took them a mere half an hour to finish watching the entire season. ¡°What do you think?¡± asked Sophia. It was her first time having taken part in a show, and she found it interesting. The way it''s been edited makes the show look a lot more funpared to the actual filming. Alexander ced his arms around the woman. ¡°You''re so smart, Precious.¡± Then, he turned to stare at her. Feeling her cheeks burn, Sophia averted her gaze. ¡°The questions weren''t difficult.¡± She wasn''t acting modest, but the first season''s questions were indeed fairly simple. Alexander took her phone. ¡°You have a text from Ms. Quinn.¡± Without avoiding him, Sophia opened up her chat conversation with Katherine right in front of the man. This time, it was a voice note from Katherine. ¡°I''m so frickin'' p*ssed off! Are these guys stupid or what? We finished answering the questions early because that''s just how smart we are, and now they''re saying we don''t respect the show! Arghhhh! I''m going to dig out whoever''s writing all this nonsense!¡± Following her voice note was a screenshot. Most people didn''t believe in I''mAStar''s post, but an entertainment ountter shared it while adding that Sophia and Katherine had joined the show purely for their own enjoyment rather than for the show''s best interest. Despiteizens'' skepticism toward that post, the entertainment ount had still seeded in making it the eighth most trending item on Twitter. ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Hearing Alexander''s words, Sophia nced up at him and beamed. ¡°How could I ever trouble you with such a trivial issue, Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander''s gaze darkened as he read the nastyments Katherine had screenshotted. However, since Sophia had refused his help, he said nothing more. The woman looked at the time. ¡°Okay, I should go take a shower and sleep. I have a new shareholders'' meeting to attend tomorrow.¡± Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. She had to show up as Suny. She also didn''t know how people would react after seeing her tomorrow, given that some had just mentioned tonight that she wanted to enter showbiz. Sophia eyed Alexander briefly and pecked him on the cheek while he wasn''t paying attention. Then, she took her phone and walked toward the stairs. Alexander clutched his face as he watched the woman leave, his heart feeling as warm as his cheeks. When Sophia had walked up to the third floor and disappeared turning a corner, he whipped out his phone and dialed Felix''s number. As a responsible secretary, Felix was naturally aware of tonight''s events. Hence, he wasn''t surprised to receive Alexander''s call. ¡°Good evening, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°I need you to look into whatever people are saying about Sophia online.¡± He paused while mulling over something before adding, ¡°Get some reporters to drop by tomorrow''s meeting. Sophia will be there.¡± The man wanted those people to know that Sophia didn''t deign to join the entertainment industry. Why would she need to? She was already loaded. ¡°Noted, Mr. Xenos,¡± Felix answered. After hanging up, Alexander logged into his dead Twitter ount and tapped on Sophia''s handle. She was the only person he followed. Herst post was a retweet of Katherine''s endorsement advertisement two months ago, which had over twenty thousandments under it. Clearly, people had only started leaving thosements today. Alexander tapped on Sophia''s post and read the topment: Please make your debut, Ms. Yarrow. I''m more than happy to spend my money on a face like yours! The responses to thatment were also of people begging Sophia to join showbiz. Then, as Alexander exited the first thread and went on to the second topment, he began to type his very first Twitterment. Chapter 402 Chapter 402 Katherine, Sophia''s number one fan, was fighting against the inte trolls when she realized that her inbox was bursting with private messages. She had assumed that the messages were from the trolls but was stunned after reading them. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Most of the texts were of a consoling nature, asking her not to cry. Confused, Katherine checked the trending topics and finally understood why everyone was telling her to cheer up. Two months ago, Sophia shared an advertisement video of a brand that Katherine was endorsing, and Katherine responded with thement: I''m so touched. I knew Soph loves me the most! Katherine was surprised to see that the two-month-oldment had been revived. She did not mind that it was brought to the public''s attention once again, given that there was nothing wrong with her jokingment, however, someone seemed to have an issue with it. Katherine wasn''t sure if Alexander was being serious or not, but the man had replied to herment: She loves me the most. Because of Going Forward, Katherine and Sophia were already at the top of that evening''s trending topics. As Sophia was not very active on Twitter, her most recent post was Katherine''s endorsement video that she had shared. Naturally, fans had leftments on that post, expressing their support for her. Katherine''sment had attracted numerous likes from her fans and was thement that received the second most number of likes. As for why it wasn''t first, perhaps, it was because there was ament that deserved that spot more. Theizens went wild after seeing Alexander''s reply to Katherine''sment. In less than ten minutes, someone had already verified that the Twitter ount indeed belonged to Alexander, the CEO of Odyssey. Whenizens saw the verified status of his ount, their excitement grew. They immediately started sympathizing with Katherine, after Alexander asserted that he was Sophia''s greatest love. Sophia had only found out what happened when she saw Katherine''s text aftering out of the shower. Obviously, Katherine was rendered speechless by Alexander''s childish behavior. Then, she texted: Can you believe he wrote that? Is he reallypeting with me for your affection? How can a CEO be so childish? Katherine did not send a voice message as she did not want to risk Alexander hearing it. After reading her friend''s text, Sophia let out an amused chuckle before replying: Let me ask him about it. She headed downstairs after sending the message. Alexander was still sitting on the couch when Sophia approached him from the back. She leaned forward and propped a hand against her chin before showing him Katherine''s text. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I think you''ve just ruined your image.¡± Alexander put down his phone and started to slowly unbutton his shirt while replying in a casual tone, ¡°I was just stating facts. How would that ruin my image?¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia cocked her brows. ¡°How do you know you are the one I love the most?¡± ¡°Am I wrong?¡± The man lifted his head and looked straight into her eyes. Unable to stand the intensity of his gaze, Sophia hummed softly, ¡°Nope.¡± Right after she finished speaking, Alexander suddenly stood up and held her waist with one hand. Lifting her chin, he nted his lips on hers. The kiss engulfed Sophia like a surge of waves. She had only parted her lips slightly, but Alexander had effortlessly invaded every inch of her mouth, iming each corner with his unique scent. He was holding her so tightly and kissing her with such passion that Sophia was starting to have difficulty breathing. Gasping for air, she pushed Alexander away. Only then did Alexander let go of her. He lowered his head and pressed his forehead against hers. Staring deep into her eyes, he said, ¡°Sophia, you''re the one I love the most.¡± Sophia could feel her heart racing as she watched the movements of his alluring thin lips. A few secondster, the woman was unable to resist herself, so she opened her mouth slightly and nibbled on his lips gently before pulling away. That was something she had wanted to do for a long time. She had always been tempted to take a bite of his thin lips. However, she felt somewhat guilty after finally doing it. ¡°It''s almost ten. Time to shower and get ready for bed,¡± Sophia said, lowering her head. ¡°All right,¡± the man grunted in agreement, only letting go of her a few secondster. He stood up and walked around the couch before picking Sophia up in his arms. Sophia gasped softly as she instinctively put her arms around Alexander''s neck. ¡°Hmm?¡± Without replying, the man carried her upstairs to the master bedroom on the third floor before putting her down on the bed. ¡°Wait for me,¡± he said. Sophia could feel her cheeks burning. As the couple has been cohabiting for a while, she knew at once what Alexander meant. Keeping quiet, she rolled over to her side. Alexander straightened his back andnded his gaze on Sophia''s earlobes, which were slightly flushed red. A mischievous glint shed across his eyes as he unbuttoned thest two buttons on his shirt. Instantly, his shirt opened up, revealing his eight-pack abs. Sophia could not help but freeze at the sight. When she snapped back to her senses a momentter, she scoffed lightly and said, ¡°Are you trying to seduce me?¡± Instead of replying, Alexander took off his shirt, exposing his entire muscr body. A blush spread across Sophia''s face at once. Knowing that she wasn''t his match, she turned her gaze away and said, ¡°Aren''t you going to shower? Get going now.¡± Alexander cast a nce at the woman and chuckled softly before heading into the bathroom. Sophia only turned to look at the bathroom when she heard the sound of the door closing. When she recalled how Alexander had intentionally removed his shirt in front of her earlier, she could not help but smile. Just then, her phone vibrated in her hand. Sophia retracted her gaze and nced at her phone. Unsurprisingly, it was a message from Katherine. She had texted Sophia ten minutes ago, reminding her not to ask Alexander about it. Seeing that ten minutes had passed and she had yet to receive a reply, she texted a few Crying Face emojis to Sophia. In the same message, she also informed Sophia that Jonice had found out the real identity of the blogger, I''mAStar, who had made a post on Twitter to smear Sophia''s name. Jonice had been in the entertainment industry for over a decade and had seen her fair share of such underhand tactics. She had easily found out who the person behind the blog was after inquiring with a few veterans in the industry. Katherine was boiling with rage after knowing the truth. If not for the fact that Jonice had urged her multiple times not to do anything rash, she would have already exposed the culprit on the inte. However, Sophia was not surprised at all to learn that Sharon was the one who did it. When they were filming together previously, Sharon had lost her temper after failing to guess the correct answer. One month ago, during the show''s promotional activity, the woman had also tried to nder Sophia behind her back. She had even gotten Samuel involved. Back then, Sophia had chosen not to go to the extreme and get rid of Sharon but merely taught her a lesson. Apparently, that wasn''t enough for Sharon to learn her lesson, given that it had only been forty days, and she was already stirring up trouble. Sophia was rather impressed with the woman''s tenacity. It seems like Ms. Xerxes is determined to leave the entertainment industry... After reading Katherine''s question, asking her if she should expose Sharon online, Sophia contemted briefly before replying: Just do whatever makes you happy. That was exactly the reply Katherine was waiting for. After all, Jonice was afraid to offend Midway Media, thepany that was supporting Sharon. However, with Sophia''s approval, there was no longer a need for them to fear. Katherine was overjoyed to receive Sophia''s consent and replied at once: Okay. Soph, just wait. I''m going to expose her evildoings right away! Sophia smiled at the message but did not reply. She was not worried about what Katherine would do as she was confident that things would end up in her favor no matter what. Chapter 403 Chapter 403 When Katherine dered that she wanted to expose Sharon before the public, she was serious about it. A few minutes after she said that, during which Sophia had just finished reading an email, she had already snapped a screenshot of the Tweet she posted and sent it over. In the past, she had to maintain her high and mighty regal persona. As such, Jonice was the one who managed her official Twitter ount. But half a year ago, Jonice gave up entirely after Katherine''s alternate ount came to light. Following that, she even took back control of her official ount. With over seventy million fans, Katherine tweeted: Are you a sore loser to resort to ying tricks behind the scenes? At the end of it, she tagged Sharon, making it known to everyone that Sharon was the person who had someone write the few defamatory posts on Sophia. The instant that matter became public knowledge, Katherine''s and Sharon''s fans plunged into an uproar. On top of that, the fans Sophia attracted during the premiere of the show that day went wild. Katherine was Sophia''s top fan. Naturally, her fans and Sophia''s fans were on the same side. The sheer number of theirbined fans almost crushed Sharon''s fans, not to mention when Katherine herself joined the battle. In a sh, the matter became the hottest topic on the inte. When Sharon''s manager saw the trending headline, her face drained of all color. If Sharon weren''t filming a show, she would have barged in right away and dragged her out to demand an exnation about the issue. The matter previously hasn''t been resolved, and she has created another one. Is she out of her mind? Since the matter had blown up, it went without saying that Samuel, as Midway Media''s current executive director, was notified about it. Ever since Alexander got back together with Sophia, Samuel no longer found any joy in going to bars for a drink. In time, he did not even want to step foot in such establishments anymore. Sophia''s show happened to be premiering that day, so he watched it out of curiosity. Although it had been edited, he could still tell that she really solved the question andpleted the challenge herself since he was a professional in the field. If I had been given that question, I don''t think I could''ve figured out the answer even in a few days and nights. Undeniably, she doesn''t only have beauty but also brains. Regretfully, she got married young. She''d finally gotten divorced, but she''d now jumped back into the trap again. Ah, what a pity! Verily, it''s a shame! The response to the show''s premiere was exceedingly encouraging. There were three natural headlines, all rted to Sophia and Katherine. Contrarily, the headlines the show''s management team bought were only in the middle of the trending list, making for a rather embarrassing situation. Feeling that Sophia''s persona as a top scorer with a high intelligence quotient could be used as a reference, Samuel phoned his secretary after scrolling through Twitter, nning tounch a program to produce idols among university students. After hanging up the phone, he felt smug over his dedication and professionalism. While doing so, he discovered that there was a new tweet by Alexander''s dormant Twitter ount that he followed. He clicked in for a look, only to find himself a recipient of a public disy of affection. Gah! I should''ve controlled my finger and not tapped it open! Jealous over the tweet, he logged out of Twitter so that he did not have to look at it anymore. Having done that, he remembered that it had been a long time since he had worked out. He picked up his phone, nning to grace the treadmill in his gym that he had not used in a while with his presence. Ten minutes into his run, the phone in front of him rang out of the blue. Samuel nced at it. Upon seeing that it was a call from his secretary, he could not help but arch a brow. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It''s bad, Mr. Schild. Sharon Xerxes has made the trending list.¡± For a moment, Samuel had no recollection of such a person. Hence, he was downright amused to hear that. ¡°What has that got to do with me?¡± ¡°Today is the premiere of Going Forward. After the broadcast, Ms. Yarrow received a lot of attention. Sharon paid someone to write defamatory posts on Ms. Yarrow and publish them on Twitter. Ms. Quinn found out about it and tagged her.¡± By the time his secretary had said that much, Samuel finally remembered who Sharon was. An imperceptible frown marred his countenance. ¡°I remember that she was also the person who offended Sophia a little over a month ago. Is that right?¡± On the other end of the phone, his secretary hesitated briefly. ¡°Yes, Mr. Schild.¡± At once, Samuel was no longer in the mood to run on the treadmill. Argh! This Sharon character must be a sandwich short of a pic! Otherwise, why would she pick trouble with Sophia for no apparent reason? The matter previously is already up in the air, and it hasn''t even been two months, yet she''s up to no good again. Never mind that, but why did she have to target Sophia of all people? Isn''t that proof that she isn''t quite right in the head? He promptly blew a gasket. ¡°Inform her manager to stop all the work she has on hand!¡± Perceiving the fury in his voice, his secretary immediately notified Sharon''s manager about it after hanging up the phone with Samuel. This time, Sharon is really asking for it. I reckon Samuel wouldn''t give her any more chances without needing Ms. Yarrow to speak to him about it personally. Meanwhile, Samuel lifted his hands and massaged his temples after hanging up the phone. He was convinced that Sharon was a troublemaker. Picking up his phone, he again tapped open Twitter for a look. It had only been forty minutes, but there had been a bloody battle on the social media tform. As he scrolled through the tweets, he felt his temples throbbing. He could imagine Alexander''s expression when the man saw all that. He wavered for two minutes before tactfully giving Alexander a call in the end. Sophia eyed Alexander''s ringing phone. Then, she lifted her head and nced at the closed bathroom door. With a quirk of a brow, she strolled over to the bathroom door with the phone in hand. Lifting her hand, she knocked on the door. Subsequently, she hollered, ¡°You''ve got a call from Mr. Schild.¡± No sooner had her words rang out than the closed door right in front of her swung open, revealing Alexander, who had just finished showering. He stood before her in a loose bathrobe. ¡°Samuel?¡± Sophia''s gaze was riveted on the water droplets clinging to the ends of his short hair. Her eyes flickered, and she murmured, ¡°Yeah.¡± Taking the phone from her, Alexander ced the call on loudspeaker and tossed it to the side. ¡°What''s up?¡± ¡°You''ve seen the news on the inte, Alex?¡± ¡°No.¡± Alexander stilled as he toweled his hair and cast a look at Sophia. Meeting his gaze, Sophia handed her phone to him. In no time, Alexander skimmed through everything and understood the ins and outs of the matter. On the other end of the phone, Samuel was still organizing his thoughts and racking his brain for a way to tell Alexander about the issue when thetter''s voice drifted into his ears. ¡°I now know what''s going on.¡± ¡°Uh... Don''t worry, for I''ll definitely give Sophia an exnation for this!¡± ¡°How so?¡± Alexander''s gaze was frightfully dark, making it evident that he was very much chagrined about the smear campaign against Sophia on the inte in the brief time he took a shower. Worse still, the culprit behind the incident was none other than a popr singer under Samuel''s company. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I''ve already given the order to halt all of Sharon''s work. It''s toote tonight, but I''ll have her personally pay Sophia a visit and apologize tomorrow!¡± Everything is Sharon''s fault, so exact your revenge on her. Just don''t me it on me, Alexander! Samuel abruptly remembered the incident whereby Alexander overheard someone talking ill of Sophia behind their backs half a year ago. The man had someone bring a bucket of ice cubes over on the spot before stuffing them all into the person''s mouth. It was horrifyingly cruel, and the mere thought of it sent a chill down his spine. Chapter 404 Chapter 404 Seeing that Samuel was so tactful, Alexander did not bother taking thetter to task. He merely grunted softly in a promise that he would not be exacting revenge upon the man. After hanging up the phone, he turned to Sophia beside him. ¡°Samuel said he''d have Sharone over and apologize to you in person tomorrow.¡± At that, Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Great.¡± I shall see how she''s going to apologize. ¡°Shall I suppress the negativements on the inte?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°No, it''s okay.¡± Well, they like to disparage me, no? In that case, I shall give them the freedom to do as they wish. The more Sharon''s fans attack me, the greater they''ll regret itter. ¡°All right,¡± Alexander concurred. With a slight movement, the loose bathrobe on him slid down on one side, revealing an expanse of skin at his neckline. The sight made Sophia''s face me, and she averted her gaze. ¡°Has your hair dried?¡± Instead of replying to that question of hers, Alexander brought his head right before her. Chuckling, Sophia reached out and ruffled it, only to find that it was still a tad damp. ¡°It hasn''t dried fully. I''ll blow-dry it for you, okay?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Alexander threw her a look before he sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for her after murmuring his agreement. Sophia snorted, realizing that it was a deliberate act on his part earlier to get her to help him blow-dry his hair. The man''s hair was very short, so it only took a few minutes to dry. Turning off the blow-dryer, Sophia ced it into his hand before shey down in bed. She snagged a thin nket and draped it over herself. Alexander ced the blow-dryer aside and turned off the main light, leaving a nightlight on. Reaching out, he pulled Sophia into his arms alongside the nket. Sophia was flush against his embrace, the distance between them was negligible to the point that his scent filled her nostrils. Her face was reflected in his ebony eyes, and she saw herself in them the moment she lifted her head. ¡°Are you sleepy?¡± Alexander asked in a low voice, staring down at her. Sophia''s brows twitched. ¡°Isn''t there a new shareholder meeting tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Alexander admitted nonchntly. He ced his hand on her face, his fingers brushing across her brows before sliding over the bridge of her nose and gliding downward gently until they finally stopped at her lips. ¡°The meeting is at ten o''clock.¡± Having said that, he dipped his head and sealed his thin lips against hers. Sophia gazed at his face that was mere inches away. Blinking, she lifted her hands and hooked them around his neck, lifting her head a fraction in reciprocation. In the end, she only slept sometime past eleven at night. Massaging her temples, she nced at the time on her phone. It took two seconds before she managed to gather her wits about her and got out of bed to wash up. When the couple left home, it was about twenty minutes past nine. Recalling Alexander''s promise that they would not betest night, she could not help but lower her head and giggled softly. He hit the nail right on the head! It was the first time Sophia ever stepped foot in Odyssey with Alexander. As Felix had long since known she would being over that day, he was not surprised to see the couple exiting the elevator together. The new shareholder meeting was scheduled at ten o''clock, and it was only forty minutes past nine then. There were still twenty minutes left. Nheless, several shareholders were already waiting in the conference room at that moment. Alexander brought Sophia into the office and handed her a document. ¡°Here''s some information on the other shareholders. You can have a look at it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Despite the fluctuations in Odyssey''s share prices in the past few months and the vtile state of things, its shareholders had not changed much. The most significant difference was Sunshine Group''s chairperson, Suny, who was also Sophia, bing the fourth biggest shareholder in the blink of an eye. Dillon also became one of the shareholders, but the number of shares he had only afforded him attendance in such a meeting. Conversely, Alexander''s total shares remained unchanged, putting him ahead of everyone else and granting him the absolute right to speak. In the past few days, Dillon had been utterly restless. In fact, he did not want to attend Odyssey''s new shareholder meeting that day. However, Sunshine Group''s chairperson, Suny, would be in attendance, and he was interested to know the individual''s identity that had been a mystery for such a long time. It was five minutes to ten o''clock. Other than Alexander and the mysterious Suny, all shareholders of Odyssey were already in the conference room. After learning that everyone had arrived, Felix knocked on Alexander''s office door before stepping into the room. ¡°All the shareholders are here, Mr. Xenos.¡± In response, Alexander nodded. Subsequently, he turned and looked at Sophia. Flipping the document in her hand closed, Sophia raised her head and met his gaze with a smile. ¡°Shall we go over as well?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Felix perceptively walked out first, leading the way ahead. Just as Sophia stood up, she was greeted by the sight of Alexander reaching out to take her hand. She quirked a brow. ¡°I''m here for business today. It''s better for us to keep a measure of professionalism, Mr. Xenos.¡± After all, holding hands would give others the impression that she was only there because of her rtionship with Alexander. Alexander scrutinized her for two seconds before relenting with a bob of his head, ¡°Okay.¡± By the time they walked out of the office side by side, Felix was already waiting in the elevator. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. The conference room was on the twenty-third floor, while Alexander''s office was on the twenty-fifth floor. In just two seconds, the elevator arrived on the twenty-third floor. Stepping out of the elevator, Felix held the doors for the couple. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sophia cast the man a nce and shed him a faint smile. Hmm, Alexander''s secretary is pretty thoughtful. But still, Ms. Leighton is better. Shortly after, Felix stopped in front of the conference room door. All the other shareholders had arrived with the exception of Alexander and Suny, the two major shareholders. When the closed conference room door was pushed open, everyone in the room reflexively swung their gazes at the door. Needless to say, there was nothing remarkable about Alexander when they saw him at least once a month, if not daily. The person they were curious about was the chairperson of Sunshine Group, Suny, who had never appeared in public in seven to eight years. Suny''s leap to bing one of Odyssey''s shareholders was already a surprise since Sunshine Group was an investmentpany. Odyssey''s capabilities were strong enough that it did not require investment from Sunshine Group. Yet, Sunshine Group''s chairperson seized advantage of the chaotic state of things to muscle in on the company. That sparked a heated debate in Jadeborough. Furthermore, Alexander had never allowed anyone to intrude on his territory. Even if Odyssey experienced ack of funds, the Johnson family''s Prosperity Enterprise would be far more reliable than Sunshine Group with decades of history. Moreover, Alexander and Charles were close friends. Therefore, it was impressive that Suny could get into Odyssey at such a time. Huh? Why has Sunshine Group''s chairperson, Suny, be Alexander''s ex-wife and current girlfriend, Sophia? Dillon had always been a cunning fox, but he failed to keep his cool at the sight of Sophia. ¡°Isn''t it the new shareholder meeting today, Mr. Xenos? I don''t think it''s appropriate for Ms. Yarrow to be here.¡± His life had been wretchedtely. For that reason, he had long since put away all pretentiousness before Alexander. After ripping off all pretense of civility, he seemingly did not bother to suppress his grievances anymore. He felt that it was because Sophia misused her authority at work and denied him ess that he did not get to meet Suny back then. Thus, when he saw Sophia there, he was convinced that it must have been Suny who sent her over. In spite of that, the other shareholders present had no idea that she was Suny''s trusted subordinate. In other words, he deliberately wanted to embarrass her. Of course, she was also Alexander''s girlfriend. Hence, any humiliation she suffered would be more or less shared by the man. As soon as Dillon''s words rang out, one or two other shareholders started growing disgruntled about the matter. ¡°Pardon me for saying this, Mr. Xenos, but it''s thepany''s conference room here. It''s a ce to discuss business and not to date. No matter how close your rtionship with Ms. Yarrow is, she shouldn''t be here today, yes?¡± ¡°That''s true, Mr. Xenos. It''s inappropriate for Ms. Yarrow to be here today.¡± Alexander swept a chilly look over the few people who objected earlier. ¡°Let me do the introductions. Standing beside me here is Sunshine Group''s chairperson, Suny.¡± ¡°How could that be?¡± ¡°W-What?¡± Chapter 405 Chapter 405 Alexander''s statement plunged everyone into sheer shock. All the shareholders in the conference room were stunned, and they all gaped at Sophia, who was walking in slowly. Among them, Dillon''s disbelief was the greatest. ¡°This is impossible! Ms. Yarrow, you said that you were Suny''s executive assistant previously! You were a mere assistant, so how did you be¡ª¡± Before he could finish speaking, he abruptly stopped short, for realization had dawned upon him mid- utterance. Suny has remained behind the scenes all these years. As such, few within the industry are aware of her true identity. In recent years, it''s been either Sophia or Yvonne who stepped out to handle Sunshine Group''s business matters. Judging from that, there''s seemingly nothing amiss. But when I sought Suny out back then, I once threatened Sophia with a big project, saying that she might not necessarily be able to take responsibility if she were to cause thepany to miss it. Yvonne, however, dered that Sophia''s decision was also Suny''s. At that time, I merely thought Sophia was acting high and mighty. Thinking back to it, he sensed waves of mortification crashing over him. Sophia is none other than Suny! Back then, she was merely ying me for a fool! At that thought, he paled before flushing bright red in fury, alternating between the two. No wonder! No wonder I didn''t get to meet Suny even once back when I went knocking on the company''s door. It makes sense why Sunshine Group suddenly interfered in the matter and acquired Odyssey''s shares. It turned out that such is the truth! So, this is the reason for it all! Dillon pinned his eyes on Alexander and Sophia, shooting daggers at them. Noticing his gaze, Sophia merely smiled faintly. ¡°You look exceedingly surprised, Old Mr. Xenos. Why is that so? Is it so unbelievable to you that I''m Suny or do you think that I came here especially to impersonate Suny?¡± After saying that, she scanned her gaze over the other shareholders with a half-smile on her face and continued, ¡°I know all of you here might find it incredulous that I''m Suny or feel that I don''t quite match the image of Suny in your minds. Regretfully, I''m really Suny. As I prefer keeping a low profile, I hadn''t been showing my face around in the past few years. But this time, Mr. Xenos invited me to this meeting sincerely. I find no point in concealing my identity and decided to take this opportunity to make it public. Don''t worry. While I''m one of Odyssey''s shareholders, I''ve never liked interfering in apany''s operations. I think anyone familiar with Sunshine Group knows that. That being so, just consider me an observer today.¡± She sounded calm and unruffled, but the same could not be said of the crowd before her. No one would be able to remain unmoved when Suny, who had only ever been known in name, had made an appearance right then. That aside, it was none other than Sophia, whom everyone was familiar with yet never taken seriously. It gave most people a sense of inexplicable embarrassment. All of them could imagine the uproar that would soon sweep over Jadeborough after Suny''s identity came to light that day. Ultimately, however, everyone there was a veteran in the business field, having been through various trials and tribtions. Despite feeling shocked beyond words, they still had to ept the truth following Sophia''s exnation, regardless of how bitter a pill it was to swallow. On top of that, her present identity was extraordinary, not to mention that she was also Alexander''s girlfriend. That made it a powerful alliance. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell Odyssey had a bright future ahead. From that perspective, this matter was great news. With Sophia as one of Odyssey''s shareholders, it would be practically impossible for thepany to go bankrupt one day. On the contrary, Dillon did not feel the same. s, his thoughts could no longer change anything. He knew that he had been yed for a fool by Sophia and Alexander, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had lost, and it was a devastating defeat at that. Throughout the meeting, he did not say a single word further, merely ring at Sophia and Alexander icily. Alexander had even instructed Felix to arrange for reporters toe over. There would be a series of interviews after the meeting had ended. Getting to his feet, Dillon left right away. The other shareholders were aware of the intense battle between Alexander and Dillon sometime ago, so none of them said anything to stop him from leaving then. After all, the more dependable person between the two men was clear as day. Winners took it all, and that had always held true since ancient times. In fact, Dillon had never won. He was merely a clown whose end was near. Sophia trained her eyes on Dillon''s back as he left. Delight danced in her eyes, and her mood took a turn for the better. I wonder if his blood pressure will skyrocket from his fury toward me. By then, the reporters had already arrived. Retracting her gaze, she exchanged a look with Alexander. Neither of them spoke, but both knew the other''s thoughts. It was past eleven o''clock when everything had wrapped up. Alexander left Odyssey with Sophia for lunch. As the interviews earlier were broadcasted live, everyone in the business field knew that Sunshine Group''s chairperson, Suny, was Sophia within half an hour. The myriad of trending debates on Twitter from the premiere of Going Forward yesterday night still persisted that day. Needless to say, the most heated topic was the matter of Sharon defaming Sophia. As a rising singer who had beenuded as the queen of modern love songs, she had a huge fanbase. Katherine took the lead in condemning herst night. Even at that instant, almost all the trending headlines on Twitter had to do with the matter. When the fact that Sophia was Sunshine Group''s chairperson, Suny, came to light that day, Twitter crashed. It only gradually went back online at a quarter past twelve. At the same time, Sophia''s identity as Suny topped the trending list. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Following that turn of events, Sharon''s fans were all bewildered. Those young and dense were baffled, but the majority understood its significance. That was to say, Sophia was not strapped for cash, much less the paltry sum from making a name for herself in the entertainment industry. Therefore, the post that Sharon paid someone to publish, which insinuated that Sophia obtained the answers beforehand to debut, did not exist at all. Besides, it was also a p in the face to many who had always felt that Sophia was unworthy of Alexander and was with him for his money. Although the Dawson family had acknowledged her as part of the family a while ago, many people still felt they were separate entities. While she was the granddaughter of the Dawson family, the possibility that she was a gold digger still existed. At the end of the day, everyone loved money. Furthermore, Lukas was the heir of the Dawson family, whereas Sophia was merely a granddaughter. But right then, she was Sunshine Group''s chairperson and thepany''s biggest shareholder. Sunshine Group was an investmentpany that appeared out of thin air five years ago, and several fast-growingpanies today were inextricably linked to it. In other words, Sophia might not necessarily be less affluent than Alexander. She herself was a true wealthydy in her own right. Unexpectedly, that was not the most shocking news. Instead, it was the sudden apology video addressed to Sophia, uploaded on Sharon''s Twitter ount. Since it was a video and not in text format, Sharon''s fans could not deny their idol''s culpability anymore, even if they wanted to do so. If it were a piece of writing, they could delude themselves that it might be her manager who took control of her Twitter ount and posted the message. However, it was a video. If Sharon had remained tight- lipped, the apology video would never have existed. The instant the apology video was released, allizens plunged into an uproar. The admission of her actions previously led to the loss of arge number of fans. When Katherine learned about it, she cackled with her phone in hand. Sophia had just seen Sharon''s apology video when Alexander drove the car over. Withdrawing her gaze, she stuffed her phone into her pocket and headed toward the vehicle. No sooner had she gotten into the car than her phone rang. It was a call from an unknown number. Arching a brow, she answered the call. ¡°Hello, this is Sophia speaking.¡± She was in a good mood, so she did not decline the call. ¡°Hello, Ms. Yarrow. This is Sharon Xerxes''s manager, Justina Davis. May I know if you''re free this afternoon? Can we meet with you?¡± Ah, this is about paying me a visit to apologize. ncing at Alexander beside her, Sophia replied smirkingly, ¡°I have a meeting in the afternoon. If you don''t mind, you cane to Sunshine Group at five o''clock.¡± An apology online isn''t sincere at all. Since Sharon wants toe and apologize in person, I naturally have to listen to it personally. Chapter 406 Chapter 406 After Sophia hung up the phone, she turned and looked at Alexander, who was driving beside her. Grinning, she dered, ¡°Just now, Sharon''s manager called and said she''s bringing Sharon over to apologize to me this afternoon.¡± At her remark, Alexander''s eyes darkened a shade. ¡°Samuel has already notified the industry about it, so there''s no need to bother about them.¡± In his opinion, Sharon should have been cklisted when she started a smear campaign and defamed Sophia on the inte. Understanding his meaning, Sophia chuckled softly. ¡°While she isn''t as popr as Katherine, she still has quite a huge fanbase. I''ll be better if I don''t back her into a corner.¡± It had almost been ten years since Sharon''s debut. She started rising to fame five years ago and attended quite a number of variety shows in the past few years. Consequently, she enjoyed far greater poprity at present. Otherwise, she would not have forgotten her ce either. It went without saying that Sophia did not have to ept her apology. With Samuel backing her up, she would not be in much trouble even if she were tombast Sharon to her face. Unfortunately, the entertainment industry was exceedingly strange. It was both easy and difficult to cklist someone, especially during the current age when traffic yed a pivotal role. Sharon''s poprity was on the rise right then. If she were to hold a grudge and Sharon utilized her unwillingness to ept the apology to establish a pitiful persona, thetter would still enjoy much traffic despite her ruined image. As Sharon had already stabbed her in the back twice, Sophia would never allow her to benefit from the slightest traffic flow. She wants to apologize, huh? In that case, I''ll forgive her. The greater my magnanimity, the more others would find her unreasonable. Sometimes, revenge doesn''t need to be so tant. Alexander had always respected Sophia''s decisions and knew she was no easy prey. Thus, he did not argue further despite his chagrin toward Sharon. Fifteen minutester, the car came to a stop below Sunshine Group. In view of Suny''s identity finallying to light that day, a crowd of reporters was naturally waiting for Sophia outside. Since her identity was already in in sight, Sophia did not bother avoiding the reporters anymore. After alighting from Alexander''s car, she graciously picked a few questions and answered them with a smile. Soon, Yvonne came downstairs and blocked the reporters. shing them a smile, Sophia murmured an apology before whirling around and entering the building. The security was beyond strict, and it was a rather special day, so Yvonne had arranged for someone to keep guard at the entrance on the ground floor. The reporters could only watch as Sophia disappeared into the building. In truth, they still had many questions. For instance, they wanted to know why she did not publicize her identity back when she married Alexander although many criticized her for being a gold digger. Regretfully, Sophia avoided answering such questions. Anyway, she knew that they would not believe it even if she were, to tell the truth. The fact that Sophia was Sunshine Group''s chairperson, Suny, sparked a heated debate in Jadeborough within mere hours. It was even more shocking than the news of her marrying Alexander in the past. Samuel was wholly stunned when he learned about it. Thinking that he was seeing things, he summoned his secretary and asked repeatedly, ¡°Is Sophia really Suny?¡± At the sight of his shell-shocked expression, his secretary, who had finally recovered from the shock, answered with much difficulty, ¡°Yes, Mr. Schild.¡± ¡°I don''t believe it!¡± How could Sophia be Suny? That''s a joke! Samuel stubbornly refused to believe it, convinced that his secretary must have eyesight problems due to his age and mistook things. He threw the man a sidelong nce in disdain. ¡°Forget it. You''re dismissed. You''re already up in years, so your vision and hearing are bad.¡± Words eluded his secretary, who was only in his early thirties. After dismissing his secretary, Samuel quickly snagged his phone and gave Alexander a call. Seeing that it was a call from Samuel, Alexander frowned slightly. He knew all too well why the man was calling at that time. It was evident that he did not really want to take the call as it was rather difficult tomunicate with someone whose intelligence was inferior to his. However, he also knew that Samuel would phone him incessantly if he were to decline the call. In the end, he swiped the answer button with a frosty expression on his face. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°I thought you''d know what I want to ask you¡ª¡± ¡°It''s true.¡± Samuel, who had just prepared his speech and was about to speak, was struck dumb. ¡°No, that doesn''t make sense. How did Sophia suddenly be Suny? Had she purchased Sunshine Group''s shares? Suny sold thepany to her, right?¡± In response, Alexander snorted. ¡°What do you think?¡± Still, Samuel refused to ept the reality. ¡°I think that''s entirely possible.¡± ¡°Believe whatever you want. I''m going back to work.¡± Having said that, Alexander hung up right away. Samuel gaped at the disconnected call on his phone, utterly stumped. No wonder Sunshine Group hadary Media steal two of my projects a year and a half ago for no apparent reason. At that time, I was livid to the point that I lost my appetite, fuming inwardly. I even wanted to seek Suny out to talk things out and ask how I''d offended him or her. But Iy in wait several times yet failed to ambush Suny. Once, I bumped into Sophia, and she mocked me, saying that I couldn''t get to meet Suny because I was too unsightly! Ah, it turned out that she was ying me for a fool then! He shot up from his chair, feeling that it was time for him to settle the score with Sophia. Just when he reached the office door, he chickened out. Back then, Sophia managed to y me like a fiddle. Wouldn''t I be offering myself up on a silver tter now to seek her out? Ah, never mind! Forget it! Alexander and Sophia are wolves that an innocent lamb like me can''t afford to offend! Retracing his steps in aggravation, he downed several cups of coffee all at once before the fury zing within him abated slightly. Ugh! I''m still a bit angry, mad at myself for being so dumb! When Sophia told Sharon''s manager that she had a meeting in the afternoon, she was serious and not being difficult. The meeting was at three o''clock. It was only at half past four that Sophia stepped out of the conference room. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne, who had been waiting for a long time, walked up and stared at her with a conflicted expression. Sophia quirked a brow. ¡°Who''s here?¡± ¡°Ms. Xenos.¡± Sophia had not seen Thalia in a long time, but she had never expected thetter to have the guts to come knocking on her door at such a time. From N?velDrama.Org. Her lips curved into a smirk. ¡°Turn her away.¡± Without having to give it any thought, she knew the purpose of Thalia''s visit. However, Thalia and Kristen had no bargaining chip to negotiate with her anymore. As such, she did not need topromise with Thalia anymore. Understanding promptly dawned upon Yvonne. ¡°Got it, Ms. Yarrow.¡± At that precise moment, Belinda came over. ¡°Two women downstairs are asking to meet you, Ms. Yarrow. One is Justina, and the other is Sharon.¡± ncing at the time, Sophia saw that there were still ten minutes to five. Not bad. Sharon is actually tactful enough toe early. She turned to Belinda and shed her a smile. ¡°Bring them up.¡± ¡°Sure, Ms. Yarrow.¡± It was only when Sophia had returned to the office that she noticed the many messages from Katherine on her phone. Katherine was over the moon that Sophia''s identity as Suny hade to light. No one in the entertainment industry knew that she was thetter''s best friend previously, but now, she could lord over everyone in the circle. She took on a new movie, but the script changed too much after the contract had been signed. Considering her status, there was no problem with her ying the female lead. However, the female lead was inexplicably weakened in the script she received the second time. Instead, the screen time of the second female lead ounted for sixty percent of the entire movie. Having been in the industry for a long time, she naturally knew what was going on. Hence, she had Jonice ring the director up to inquire about the matter. At first, the other party gave excuses, saying that the second female lead was the investor''s daughter. In the morning, he gave a long speech yet refused to change the script or allow her to terminate the contract. But less than two hours after the fact that Sophia was Suny came to light, Jonice received a phone call from him, in which he apologized profusely and promised that the original script would be used instead. Katherine had been in the industry for many years and did notck that opportunity, so she requested to terminate the contract. Verily, it gave her a smug sense of satisfaction. Right after signing the termination contract, she texted Sophia to share the news and tter her. Sophia was only halfway through the flurry of messages when Yvonne led Sharon upstairs. Hearing the knock on her door, she put her phone down and lifted her head to direct her gaze at the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Chapter 407 Chapter 407 As soon as she finished speaking, Yvonne pushed the door open and guided Sharon and her manager into the room. Although Sophia participated in three episodes of the show''s filming, she didn''t interact much with Sharon, not to mention Sharon was reced by Joshua in theter phase of the show. Despite theck of interaction, Sharon had defamed Sophia twice on the inte in the past two months. Sophia had yet to settle the score between them following the first incident, yet Sharon decided to court trouble again. Noticing Sharon''s entrance, Sophia smiled faintly. ¡°It''s been a long time, Ms. Xerxes.¡± Initially, Sharon was filming a show, but she received a call from the head office, notifying her that all her scheduled work had been put on hold. Justina was scolded rather badly by the higher-ups from the head office, prompting her to bring Sharon over to apologize to Sophia, hoping she could still turn the situation around. Sharon gazed at Sophia, who was seated before the desk while wearing a faint smile. She lifted her hand to take off her sunsses and forced a grin. ¡°It''s been a while, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia curled her lips and nced at Yvonne. ¡°Ms. Leighton, please help me prepare some drinks for Ms. Xerxes and Ms. Davis.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Yvonne hummed an acknowledgment before turning around and left, not forgetting to close the door behind her. Subsequently, the trio was left alone inside the office. Sophia stared at Sharon and Justine silently, showing no inclination to initiate a conversation. Justina tugged at Sharon before breaking the silence in the office by uttering, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, excuse us for taking up your time. Wee here today mainly to apologize to you. We deeply regret what happenedst night. Sharon didn''t mean to give you a bad name. Unexpectedly, thoseizens misunderstood her. We are really sorry because this matter caused such a significant impact on you. Justina pushed the me onto others and even attempted to whitewash Sharon. Sophia had to admit how dutiful Justina was, carrying out her duty as Sharon''s manager. After saying that, Justina nudged at Sharon. Sharon pursed her lips. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''m sorry for troubling you because of what happenedst night.¡± In fact, she didn''t want to apologize. Sharon felt she was different from Katherine, who depended on momentary poprity to make a living. I rely on my singing skills to earn money. I''m sure I can survive in the entertainment industry as long as I continue producing songs with good quality. Sharon disliked Sophia for no reason. During their previous filming sessions, she couldn''t stand the sight of Sophia''s confident mien. Now that the show was aired, she couldn''t believe so many idiotic peopleplimented Sophia for her intelligence. Sharon did not think that Sophia was smart. On the other hand, she thought Sophia was indifferent toward everyone else aside from Katherine during the filming of the show''s three episodes. Why is she participating in filming a variety show if she wishes to act so haughtily? Her behavior of keeping up that high and mighty demeanor while hoping to garner fame and wealth is detestable! She did feel fearful during the previous incident, but nothing happened afterward. Hence, Sharon didn''t believe Sophia could do anything to her. With that thought in her mind, even her apology sounded insincere. Sharon merely reiterated Justina''s words, uttering them without putting her heart into them. Nheless, Sophia wasn''t infuriated. She shed a faint smile at Sharon. ¡°Ms. Xerxes, may I ask you a question?¡± Staring at Sophia, Sharon was momentarily stunned. ¡°What do you wish to know, Ms. Yarrow?¡± Sophia tapped her pen-holding hand on the tabletop. ¡°Did I do anything to wrong you in the past?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sharon frowned. Evidently, she was baffled by Sophia''s inquiry. On the other hand, Justina sensed the message Sophia was implying and hurriedly said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, please don''t mind her. She truly meant you no harm. She just wanted¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Sophia interjected with a second question, ¡°In that case, why did you repeatedly sully my reputation on the inte?¡± The smile on Sophia''s face faded, and the cheery look in her eyes dissipated as she spoke. A hint of coldness glinted in her eyes as she fixated her gaze on Sharon. Sharon froze for a few seconds before biting her lip. ¡°I didn''t do that.¡± ¡°Really?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Sophia grinned and got to her feet. ¡°Initially, I was quite impressed by you, Ms. Xerxes. After all, you were someone who had the guts to admit your doings.¡± She paused briefly to nce at Yvonne, who had reentered the room, before continuing, ¡°Little did I anticipate you tock the courage to own up to the things you''ve done.¡± Sophia''s tone was cool and impassive. Still, the casual mockerycing her words was apparent to everyone present. She was implicitly jeering at Sharon for being a coward who dared not take responsibility for her actions. Evidently, Sharon also fathomed the meaning behind those words. A grimace spread across her face. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''m here to apologize to you today.¡± ¡°In that case, aren''t you being too insincere? Since you meant me no harm, what are you apologizing now?¡± Sophia wouldn''t allow them to escape admitting what they''d done after what had happened. Besides, Sharon and Justina''s statements were conflicting. They mentioned they weren''t targeting Sophia on purpose, as it was theizens who misapprehended them. Then, they imed they were there to apologize. What a joke. Why should they apologize if they''ve done nothing wrong? Sometimes, ¡°Excuse me¡± and ¡°I''m sorry¡± carry different weights. Stumped, Sharon turned to look at her manager. Unfortunately, Justina wasn''t doing much better. She didn''t expect Sophia to be so troublesome to deal with. On second thought, Justina realized they wouldn''t be there in Sophia''s office if she were a pushover. Yvonne served the coffee on the table. Sophia walked to the couch and took a seat. Then, she lifted a ss and took a sip of the coffee. ¡°Ms. Xerxes, Ms. Davis, please sit. Let''s rify some matters, so please help yourselves to the drinks to soothe your throats. You can also ponder on whether you''re here to apologize to me today while doing that.¡± Sophia regarded the duo with an amused expression while saying that. Justina had worked in the entertainment industry for a long time, so she had mastered an eloquent and persuasive manner of speaking. However, Sophia''s terse remarks and piercing gaze rendered her unable to utter her excuses as those pretentious speeches lodged in her throat. Sharon''s career had progressed from nothing to something under Justina''s guidance. Despite her stubbornness, Sharon had always beenpliant toward Justina''s advice. Before their visit to Sophia''s office, Justina had warned Sharon to follow her lead. They had to convince Sophia to let that matter slip that day no matter what. Hearing Sophia''s words, Sharon instinctively exchanged nces with Justina. Thetter shook her head at Sharon. Silence filled the tense atmosphere in the office once again as no one spoke. Having said that, only Justina and Sharon felt the pressure. In contrast, Sophia sat on the couch rxedly. Apparently, she was in a rtively good mood. The quietnesssted for close to thirty seconds. Justina secretly stole a look at Sophia. Unexpectedly, Sophia caught her gesture. Justina kicked Sharon under the table and ced the gift in her hand before Sharon. Sharon received the item and ced it on the table. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ie here to apologize to you with utmost sincerity. This is a small gift I have prepared for you. I hope it canpensate for the damage I''ve caused you.¡± Sophia merely swept her gaze across the bag on the table, showing no inclination to receive it. Taking in Sharon''s faint smile, she enunciated, ¡°Although I''m not sure why you hate me so much, I shall not pursue this matter further since you came here to apologize to me personally. I ept your apology, Ms. Xerxes. It''s gettingte now, and the crowd outside will turn into a horde during the peak hours when everyone gets off workter. It''ll be bad if others identify you. We shall call it a day and speak again when we''re free next time.¡± With that, Sophia nced at Yvonne, who was standing nearby. ¡°Ms. Leighton, please escort them out.¡± The sudden change in Sophia''s attitude shocked Sharon and Justina. Nevertheless, they noticed Sophia was smiling and seemingly not enraged. Chapter 408 Chapter 408 While the two of them were still trying to figure things out, Sophia''s secretary walked over and said, ¡°Ms. Davis, Ms. Xerxes, I will see you out.¡± Sharon was secretly relieved that Sophia had suggested that they leave. She did not want others to recognize her and be a trending topic again for making an apology. After all, she also wished for the incident to die down. She did not want to provoke Sophia again in the future. When Sophia noticed Justina was looking at her suspiciously, she smiled and nodded at her. Hence, Justina decided to withdraw her gaze and leave. She could not figure out why Sophia, who had been so overbearing earlier, was now letting the matter off so lightly. On the contrary, Sharon did not think much of it. She believed that she was one of the hottest celebrities in Midway Media; hence, it was impossible for thepany to give up on one of the most popr singers in recent years. She had already shown Sophia enough respect by personally apologizing to her. If Sophia and Samuel, the owner of Midway Media, were friends, the former probably would not want to worsen the matter. Before leaving, Justina had warned Sharon to behave herself as the matter was tricky, but now the latter sneered inwardly. Sharon nced at Sophia before she left. I don''t believe that Sophia will do anything to me! The two held different thoughts as they walked toward the door. Suddenly, Sophia called out, ¡°Wait.¡± Justina''s heart skipped a beat, and Sharon was also startled. The two turned around and saw Sophia pick up the gift on the coffee table and walk toward them. ¡°Take it with you. I don''t need anything.¡± When she spoke, her eyes carried a hint of mockery; her voice was soft but clear. It was like an invisible p striking Sharon''s face directly. When Sharon heard Sophia''s words, her face burned with anger and shame. It was evident that the woman was insulting her as she had not even nced at the gift since it was presented. Without knowing the content, Sophia held it out to Sharon and told her to take it back. She even said that she did not need anything. It was definitely a p in the face. Justina also heard the sarcasm in Sophia''s words. Fearing Sharon could not help but lose her temper on the spot, she quickly reached out and took the bag from Sophia. ¡°Sorry to disturb you, Ms. Yarrow,¡± she apologized. Sophia smiled and said nothing, watching the two leave the office. She then turned to her desk, picked up her phone, and sent a WhatsApp message to Katherine: Sharon just came to apologize to me. I forgave her. The woman then smirked delightfully. It''s none of my business if theizens believe it or not. After leaving Sunshine Group, Justina felt that something was off. Although Sophia said she did not hold a grudge and the matter was over, it was clear from their conversation that the woman''s attitude toward them was unfriendly. Despite having interacted with a wide range of people in the entertainment world, this was Justina''s first interaction with someone like Sophia. She was not easily swayed by persuasion no matter what was said. In fact, she had her own way of doing things. Even though Sophia held no grudges, every word she uttered was subtly insulting them. Furthermore, she spoke with a grin, making it difficult for them to interpret her true intentions. After getting in the car, Sharon curled her lips and said, ¡°We''ve done enough, right?¡± Justina turned around and looked at her. She could not help but poke the woman''s temple hard and chided, ¡°If you do something like this again, I won''t clean up your mess for you ever!¡± Sharon knew she was in the wrong. In fact, she regretted sending that short write-up after she had done itst night. But when she saw the online public opinion starting to attack Katherine and Sophia, she secretly felt a sense of satisfaction. The reason why she agreed to record Going Forward was to improve her image and increase her poprity, in order to secure an endorsement from a major international brand in January next year. Yet, following the initial airing, Sophia and Katherine were the most popr not her. Sharon never liked Katherine as she felt the woman had climbed the ranks by relying on men. Sophia was even worse, especially with a face that even prettierpared to Katherine''s. Moreover, Sophia was not even from the industry; she was just an ordinary person. Feeling dissatisfied with all the marketing hype around her, Sharon decided to stir up trouble with the public ounts. However, she regretted her actions as soon as the posts were sent out. After all, she remembered what had happened a month ago. Sharon concluded that withdrawing it immediately would make her appear guilty because the damage had already been done. Now, she just had to apologize in person. She did not need to suffer any serious consequences. What''s there to be afraid of? At worst, I''ll just terminate my contract with Midway Media. Sharon had be popr in recent years, and the support of her fans had made her a little too cocky. Hence, she thought that she was too important for Midway Media to abandon her. Having been in the industry for fifteen years, Justina had a vast amount of experience. Everyone knew the rtionship between Midway Media''s young boss, Samuel, and Alexander. Sophia and Alexander''s rtionship was even more like an open secret. Midway Media had already ceased all of Sharon''s work after she insulted Sophia, even before thetter protested. It was clear what was happening. Despite Sharon''s apology and Sophia''s deration that the matter was resolved, Justina believed it was not so simple. Even though Sharon did not think much of it, Justina could not bear to see the woman she had painstakingly nurtured being wrecked. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. She had not paid much attention to Sharon before because she was a singer, not an actor. She could sing well, so it was not difficult for her to make a hit. Sadly, now that she had offended the investors, she could be disregarded at any time, even if she was a popr singer. Seeing Sharon''s nonchnt attitude, Justina scowled and reprimanded, ¡°Don''t think this is over yet. Although Sophia won''t pursue it, don''t forget about the rtionship between Samuel and Alexander. All it takes is a word from them, and you''ll be ousted from this industry! Besides, you''ve offended Sophia for no reason twice. Theizens are sharp. Do you think everything is over just because Sophia forgave you after you apologized?¡± Sharon''s face darkened when she heard Justina''s words. ¡°What should I do? I''m just a singer. I have fans because I sing well. I''m not an actor, so I don''t need the audience to criticize me.¡± Justina sneered, ¡°Don''t you have any self-awareness about your own singing ability? If it weren''t for the company''s marketing efforts in recent years, do you really think you''re able to have more than ten million fans on Twitter?¡± It was the first time Justina had said such harsh words to Sharon, and she felt like she had been pped across the face. Her face flushed with embarrassment as she asked, ¡°Wasn''t I popr because of my own ability?¡± ¡°Do you remember Meryl Wolfe? She no lesser than you. In fact, when she was at the pinnacle of her career, she was much more popr than you are now. But where is she now? Whichpany dares to sign her?¡± Justina red at Sharon coldly. Meryl Wolfe was a senior who had debuted five years before Sharon. She was also a typical singer, chosen and marketed by thepany. However, three years ago, when she was at her peak, she offended someone and was banished from the industry. Sharon had heard that Merly was seen singing in a pub. She was no longer the diva she once was. Realizing the severity of the situation, Sharon started to panic. ¡°What should I do, Justina?¡± ¡°Wait and see,¡± Justina replied. We shall see if Sharon''s luck is good or bad. Chapter 409 Chapter 409 After apologizing to Sophia in person, Sharon also posted a written apology at around seven o''clock that evening. No one knew what caused her to change her mind, but her written apology was much more sincere compared to her verbal apology earlier in the afternoon. Katherine was a little indignant after learning that Sophia had forgiven Sharon on the spot that afternoon. At the same time, she felt that her friend should not have relented. When she saw Sharon''s published apology on Twitter, she was ted. At once, she took a screenshot and forwarded it to Sophia with a gleeful message: Look, Soph! Sharon is eating humble pie again! Upon noticing that her phone lit up from Katherine''s message, Sophia clicked to view the screenshot, and her lips quirked into a smile. As the car slowly came to a stop in front of the red traffic light, Alexander tilted his head and spotted her smile. ¡°What''s so amusing?¡± he asked curiously. Sophia showed him her phone and said, ¡°I received another apology from Sharon. This time, she posted it online.¡± Alexander gave it a cursory nce and retorted, ¡°If all can be forgiven with a mere apology, then we might as well do away with the justice system.¡± It was obvious that he had had enough of Sharon''s nonsense. Sophia thought what he uttered sounded familiar, and a distant memory came flooding back. It was not long after they finalized their divorce that he found out he had wronged her by mistaking her for a gold digger. Those were the words she had told him when he went to apologize to her. Hearing those words again evoked a chuckle from her. ¡°You''re right.¡± Alexander briefly darted his eyes in avoidance as he recalled the incident as well. ¡°The light has turned green.¡± Sophia alerted him when the traffic light shifted from yellow to green. He threw her another nce before turning his attention back onto the road and driving off. It was Justin''s birthday that day, and he was throwing a huge party at Corona, booking an entire level for the asion. Alexander and Justin had been friends for over thirty years, so he would definitely not miss his old pal''s birthday celebration. Sophia felt obliged to attend as well because Justin had someone send her his gift to her on herst birthday. When Alexander and Sophia arrived at Corona, they met Charlize and Charles, who had also just alighted from their vehicle. The fact that Sophia was Suny of Sunshine Group surprised many in Jadeborough. When Charlize got to know about it, her admiration for the older woman grew. Prosperity Enterprise was the family business of the Johnsons, and it was one of the top investment firms in the country. When Sunshine Group made a name for itself in that industry, Charles and Ashley had talked about the new kid on the block a few times during their meals at home. Charlize quietly listened to their discussions and harbored great admiration for the mysterious Suny, the genius they spoke of, the more she listened to stories about thetter. Never in her wildest dreams would she expect Suny to be her idol¡ªSophia. In truth, she was so proud of Sophia when she learned of the revtion. Upon seeing Sophia, Charlize immediately ran over and greeted, ¡°Ms. Yarrow!¡± It had been almost a month since theirst meeting. Thrilled to see Sophia again, Charlize ran toward her with open arms, ready to give her a big hug. However, when her gazended on Alexander, who was next to Sophia, the smile on her face froze, and she tactfully retracted her arms. With her hands by her side but a sparkle in her eyes, she cooed, ¡°I miss you so much, Ms. Yarrow!¡± Tilting her head, Sophia shot a nce at Alexander. She knew he must have given Charlize a death stare to scare her off, and it caused her to chuckle. ¡°I miss you too,¡± she replied to Charlize as she stroked her head. ¡°You''re so awesome, Ms. Yarrow!¡± Charlize gushed. Although Alexander''s hostility dampened some of her enthusiasm, she still could not contain her excitement from seeing Sophia. Naturally, Sophia knew what Charlize was referring to. The only thing worthy of discussion over the past couple of days had to be the revtion of Suny''s true identity. ¡°You''re not too bad yourself!¡± Sophia praised in return. Thest time they met, Charlize was still in agony over her rtionship problem. Yet, she was all smiles at that moment, with no hint of anguish in her eyes. It was apparent she had resolved it. However, that was a little secret between thedies, not to mention Alexander and Charles were with them, so Sophia did not make it too obvious what she wasplimenting Charlize on. Nevertheless, Charlize got the point, and a look of embarrassment shed past her eyes. Since Justin, the birthday boy, had already arrived, Sophia did not continue to chat with Charlize and held Alexander''s arm to get moving. Along with Charles and Charlize, the couple made their way into Corona. Alexander had been busy dealing with the trouble created by Dillon, so he had not met up with Justin and the others for quite some time. Sophia nned to give the men some privacy to catch up with one another. After the initial greetings were exchanged, she decided to head to another end of the hall with Charlize for their girls'' talk. Charlize also could not wait to update Sophia on her development with Spencer, for without thetter''s advice, she was sure she would not have gotten him to confess his love to her. Sophia was amused by the excited look on Charlize''s face. Knowing that she was eager to spill the beans, she smiled at the men and said, ¡°Have a good chat, guys. I''ll head over to the other corner with Charlize.¡± Charles was very protective of Charlize, but with Sophia by her side, he knew his sister would be in good hands. Alexander also felt at ease having Charlize apany Sophia. That should deter any Tom, Dick, and Harry from approaching his woman. Moreover, the guests for that night were mainly close friends of Justin, so they were all familiar faces, even if Alexander himself was only acquaintances with them. After all, their social circle was not that huge. That was why even though the party was getting lively and wild, the safety of thedies was assured. From N?velDrama.Org. As it was bing too crowded and noisy in the hall, Sophia and Charlize decided to head out to the balcony for their chat. The weather was nice in Jadeborough duringte September. A few small groups were already seated on the balcony, enjoying the cool evening breeze. The twodies sat down at the furthest table, and a server immediately brought over some juice for them. After thanking the server, Sophia looked toward Charlize and asked, ¡°So, what''s new between you and Spencer?¡± Blushing, Charlize looked at her shyly as she replied, ¡°He confessed his love for me, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia was not the least surprised by that development. ¡°Congrattions!¡± she said, smiling. ¡°I have to thank you for that, Ms. Yarrow. Without your advice, I would never find out that he likes me too!¡± ying with her straw, Sophia casually replied, ¡°I don''t deserve that credit. If Mr. Lacroix had no interest in you, nothing I said could have made it happen.¡± Although Charlize could not find fault with that logical exnation, she was adamant about showing her gratitude. ¡°Whatever! I simply want to say thank you, Ms. Yarrow!¡± she insisted. Seemingly recalling something, she hurriedly reached into her handbag and brought out a gift box. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I bought this when I was on a business tripst week. It''s nothing expensive and is merely a small gift from me. This is to thank you for your help!¡± Sophia graciously epted the gift and asked, ¡°Do you mind if I open it now?¡± ¡°Of course not! Please do! This is the first time I''ve chosen a gift for you, so I don''t know if it is to your liking...¡± Charlize said. Sophia smiled and started to unbox the gift. She carefully removed the wrapper, untied the ribbon around the box, then opened the box to reveal a cute chubby cat figurine. ¡°This is so adorable! I love it! Thank you, Charlize!¡± she eximed, touching the figurine lovingly. She was not merely being polite when she raved over the gift. It was indeed something she liked very much. Unbeknownst to many, she had always had a soft spot for cute things. Only Yvonne and Katherine knew about it, although Alexander recently became aware of that preference of hers too. Charlize was d to see that Sophia liked her present. Gazing at thetter, she wanted to say something but abruptly paused from embarrassment and hesitation. Sophia could tell what was on her mind, so she chuckled and took the initiative to ask, ¡°How did Mr. Lacroix confess to you?¡± Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Sophia''s question brought a blush to Charlize''s cheeks. However, as the older woman was the first to learn about her crush on Spencer, shefortably shared, ¡°After I got home from dinner with you that day, I did as you told me to. I told him I was merely his subordinate, so he had no right to meddle in my life after working hours. I also said I had no obligation to take instructions from him after work...¡± At that time, Spencer''s face darkened as soon as he heard her utterances, but Charlize remembered Sophia''s advice and pushed ahead with the n, continuing to tell him off. Subsequently, she followed Sophia''s instructions wholly, limiting their interactions to work-rted matters. In the first few days following the confrontation, Spencer would put on a grim face whenever they met. Charlize had a hard time pulling through more than a week of tense interactions with him. Luckily, her university club buddies initiated a gathering to celebrate the birthday of their club leader just as she was on the verge of giving up on her standoff with Spencer. The group chat with the buddies was lively and fun, which sessfully distracted her. Eventually, she did not find Spencer''s poker face as terrifying as before. Still, she was disappointed that Spencer had not softened his stance and initiated contact with her. Sophia had warned her that if he did not do so, it simply meant he was never interested in her. However, that feeling of disappointment was dulled by the excitement of attending the highly anticipated gathering with her university buddies. Suddenly, work did not seem so unbearable and agonizing anymore. Finally, the weekend arrived, and she packed her bag to head to the beach for the gathering. She was close to her friends from the university club and always had a good time with them. They had nned lots of exciting and enjoyable activities for the gathering, such as surfing, barbecuing, camping on the beach, and so on. Even the schedule itself screamed fun. The weather was fantastic that weekend, and the getaway chased away Charlize''s blues. They went snorkeling during the day and were enthralled by the beauty of the underwater world. In the evening, they sat on the sand, celebrating the club leader''s birthday with a barbecue feast while ying the game of ¡°Truth or Dare.¡± It all went well until the birthday boy made a love confession to Charlize, and that surprise move stunned her. All her friends were in cahoots with her admirer. They used the pretense of a birthday celebration to allow their club leader to make a surprise love confession to her. The site was beautifully decorated with romantic fairy lights, and their friends enthusiastically cheered them on. Charlize''s admirer was a perfect gentleman too, so it was a wless and beautiful confession session. However, her heart was with Spencer, and when she thought of how he had given her the cold shoulder and had not invited her for a game of badminton in the past ten days, she felt sad all of a sudden. Despite her low spirits, Charlize felt obliged to politely reject her admirer without making anyone feel awkward. After all, he had put a lot of effort into nning that asion. Just as she was contemting the best way to handle the situation, Spencer suddenly appeared out of nowhere to crash the party. He took her hand in his, turned to her dumbfounded admirer, who was still awaiting her response to his confession, and said, ¡°I''m sorry, but she''s taken. She''s my girlfriend.¡± The stunned Charlize was led away by Spencer, and in her daze, she did not notice where he was bringing her. By the time she recovered from the shock, she was already on a quiet stretch of the beach, away from everyone else. All she could hear was the soothing sound of waves crashing on the shore. Charlize took a few seconds topose herself before trying to confront Spencer. She tried her best to appear confident and in control, just as Sophia had advised. However, she was too nervous and ended up stumbling over her words. To her surprise, she saw Spencer''s face break into a smile. The man looked absolutely dashing when he smiled. If not for the tense situation they were in, Charlize would have been happy to stare dreamily at that mesmerizing smile forever. However, she found it impossible tough along with him since he wasughing at her. At the thought of Sophia''s words, she flew into a rage and growled, ¡°What are youughing at, Mr. Lacroix? Don''t you think you owe me an exnation for saying something so misleading?¡± Probably because she felt humiliated and furious, her countenance was cold when she said those angry words to him. Deep in her heart, she was already mourning the end of her crush and sadly imagining a lonely life ahead for herself. At that point, her imagination was running wild. While she hesitated on whether she should simply go all out and take advantage of him, Spencer suddenly reached out to gently wipe the tears from her cheek. ¡°You are so dumb, Charlize Johnson,¡± he chided gently. Enraged by his condemnation, Charlize shed more tears. Then, he added, ¡°Can''t you tell I''m deeply in love with you?¡± With that confession, he lifted her chin to turn her face toward him and kissed her. It happened eight days ago, but it still felt surreal to Charlize. She gave Sophia a shy nce and continued, ¡°From that night onward, we became a couple.¡± Something came to her mind, and she could not help but wonder out loud, ¡°You''re so amazing, Ms. Yarrow. How did you know he likes me too?¡± Charlize was innocent and a little oblivious in love, but she was not dense in the head. After that fateful day, she recalled all the past incidents and pieced together quite a fair bit of the puzzle herself. However, she was still amazed by the fact that Sophia was so certain that Spencer harbored romantic feelings for her. After all, she had only shared with Sophia what she did or felt as the one with a one-sided crush on Spencer. Sophia gave her a smile and revealed, ¡°Because you can''t hide the love in your eyes.¡± Worried that Charlize might not understand her point, she borated, ¡°Initially, I was also second- guessing. After all, Mr. Lacroix is a sessful young man who is also your direct superior. If he wanted someone to join him for a game of badminton, he could have reached out to many other people. It isn''t necessary for him to choose you, his subordinate, to join him in the game. Getting one''s subordinate involved in one''s private life is something a superior would usually not like to do. However, when we met Mr. Lacroix after dinner that day, I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was in love with you, Charlize.¡± Sophia got Charlize another ss of juice beforeplimenting her. ¡°You''re pretty and lovable, so it doesn''t surprise me that he fell for you.¡± ¡°I feel so dumb whenever Ipare myself to you and the others, Ms. Yarrow,¡± Charlize confessed. She was awed by the perceived huge intellectual difference between a genius such as Sophia and someone asmon as herself. It made her feel like a pathetic fool. The two of them had been chatting for more than half an hour, so Sophia reckoned it was almost time for the cake-cutting session. After taking a final sip of her juice, she smiled at Charlize and urged, ¡°Let''s get back inside. Mr. Quail should be cutting the cake soon.¡± ¡°Yup, sure!¡± Charlize nodded and stood up to walk back into the hall with Sophia. Just as they stepped in from the balcony, they overheard someone mention Sophia''s name. Instinctively, Charlize looked at Sophia, who shook her head and made her stop in her tracks. ¡°Goodness gracious! How could Suny of Sunshine Group be Sophia Yarrow?¡± ¡°I find it absurd too! How is it that Sophia is Suny of Sunshine Group? It''s impossible! If she really is Suny, then why didn''t she refute us when we mocked her for being a gold digger back then?¡± ¡°Gosh! Who knows! Sophia is so weird! Why is she hiding the fact that she''s wealthy? Could she be worried we''d rob her of her money if we knew?¡± ¡°s! Anyway, let''s keep out of her way and not mess with her in the future. Look at what happened to Kay. Now she has to stay abroad and can''t even return home!¡± ¡°Yup, we can''t afford to offend her! She''s being ced on a pedestal and is unrivaled in Jadeborough now. Moreover, she''s also Alexander''s girlfriend. From the way I see it, they are probably getting married soon.¡± The threedies standing before Charlize and Sophia had their backs toward the doorway to the balcony, engrossed in their gossip. Since they were in a corner, they probably thought that no one would overhear them. Sophia could identify that two of thedies were Ka''s friends, and thus, she could not be bothered to deal with them. However, Charlize was deeply infuriated by what they had said and wanted to step in to rebuke them. Sophia held her back and jested, ¡°Forget it. They said that they couldn''t afford to offend me anyway.¡± Sophia was not perturbed by their harmless gossip. To her, it was nothing intolerable. Charlize, on the other hand, was still vexed. ¡°Although they didn''t say anything evil, I''m still offended by what I overheard. I''m not about to let them off without giving them a warning, Ms. Yarrow,¡± she insisted, pouting in annoyance. Sophia noticed Charlize appeared to have taken the gossip quite personally, so she smiled and stopped trying to dissuade her. Without further objections from Sophia, Charlize stepped forward and headed toward the gossipers with her ss of juice in hand. ¡°Are you jealous of her well-deserved wealth? It''s just too bad that you can only fume in silence, as you''re simply no match for our capable and talented Ms. Yarrow. That feeling of inadequacy must be really depressing, isn''t it?¡± she mocked. Her appearance gave Maggie Bronson and her fellow gossiping partners a jolt. Upset with Charlize''s scathing words, the three women turned around and were about to argue with her when they saw Sophia standing behind Charlize, looking at them with a half-smile on her face. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Knowing they were in the wrong, they hung their heads and sheepishly greeted Sophia before they scurried off with their sses of juice. As Charlize watched them flee, she spat in contempt and muttered, ¡°Cowards!¡± Sophiaughed softly and urged, ¡°All right. Let''s head back to Mr. Quail''s party.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Charlize happily agreed. Satisfied that she had stood up for Sophia, she retracted her gaze and obediently joined her in search of her older brother and his friends. Chapter 411 Chapter 411 Shortly after heading back inside, the two women saw Justin and the others. When Sophia and Alexander first entered the venue, they had not seen Samuel anywhere as he got held up at another dinner meeting. By the time thetter showed up, Sophia was no longer by Alexander''s side. Her identity as Suny had been on Samuel''s mind the entire day. The moment he saw her, he walked up to her even before Alexander could do so. ¡°Suny?¡± Despite hearing his term of address for her, Sophia remained calm andposed. ¡°Can I help you with anything, Mr. Schild?¡± ¡°Are you really Suny?¡± Samuel asked, frozen in disbelief. Sophie nced at the approaching Alexander and smiled. ¡°You can also choose not to believe it.¡± After all, I can''t stop him if he wants to deceive himself, can I? A mix of emotions flitted across Samuel''s face after he had his doubts cleared by her. ¡°In that case, why did you tell me back then that it was hard to meet Suny and that I should stop waiting around?¡± Even though the incident happened a year and a half ago, Sophia could still remember it. ¡°I stood before you, yet you failed to recognize me. How is that my fault?¡± Samuel was immediately rendered speechless. Argh! She does have a point... Just then, Alexander appeared and draped an arm around Sophia''s shoulder. ¡°You can ignore him.¡± Sophia tilted her head and grinned as she met the man''s gaze. ¡°No way. I''m worried Mr. Schild might not be able to sleep tonight.¡± Samuel had a nagging feeling that she was mocking him, but unfortunately, he could not prove it. ¡°Since you''re Suny, why did you letary Media fight with me for the copyrights?¡± he said through gritted teeth. That''s one thing I still can''t get over! I''ve thought long and hard about it, but I couldn''t see how I could''ve offended anyone from Sunshine Group. Sunshine Group is an investment firm, for goodness'' sake. Why would it meddle inary Media''s affairs? Before today, I didn''t know Sophia was Suny or why Sunshine Group decided to make a fool of me... Sadly, even after knowing the truth about Sophia, I still don''t understand the intention behind her actions! ¡°I have such a good rtionship with Alex,¡± Samuel added. ¡°Why did you have to make an enemy of me?¡± ¡°I guess I just couldn''t stand the sight of you then, Mr. Schild.¡± Sophia harrumphed. At that time, it had only been a few months since she divorced Alexander, so it was particrly annoying to see Samuel constantly hanging around the man. As such, she started disliking him as well. Unfortunately, that reason left Samuel feeling even more perplexed. ¡°Why, though? Did I do something to annoy you? Or could it be that I''m too ugly to look at?¡± he asked dejectedly. Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org. Pulling Charlize over, he asked, ¡°Charlize, is my face that ugly?¡± Charlize scrutinized his face, and even though she did not think he was as handsome as Spencer, she did not find him off-putting, either. ¡°No. I don''t think you''re ugly.¡± By then, Samuel was utterly befuddled. ¡°Sophia, could you have misunderstood something about me back then?¡± he asked, looking at Sophia with a bemused expression. Curious as ever, Charlize could not help but pipe up, ¡°What was the matter, Mr. Schild?¡± Samuel looked aggrievedly at her and gave her a rundown of the situation. ¡°Do you still remember that book? You were the one who rmended it to me. I thought it was pretty good, so I got someone to contact New Dawn Publishing. We had managed to hash out a deal, but to my dismay, New Dawn Publishing suddenly quit on us.¡± After ncing at Sophia, who had been smiling the entire time, Charlize instantly figured everything out. ¡°Mr. Schild, don''t forget that Ms. Yarrow and Mr. Xenos had just gotten divorced then.¡± Everyone knew what good friends Alexander and Samuel were, so there was a good chance Sophia hadshed out at thetter to vent her anger. Samuel was stunned momentarily, but once the realization struck him, his edge of irritation returned. ¡°Oh,e on! It''s so unfair to make me coteral damage!¡± Sophia eyed him coldly as she uttered, ¡°Well, not quite, Mr. Schild. Didn''t you say everything about me is good, except for my family background?¡± There, she paused before adding, ¡°Sorry, but I''m pretty good at holding grudges.¡± Ha. I remember every single person who had kicked me when I was down! Right after those words fell from Sophia''s lips, Samuel felt Alexander giving him the death stare. He froze and smiled sheepishly at her. ¡°Oh, look at the crowd today. It''s pretty lively, huh? Hey, Justin, isn''t it time to cut the cake?¡± he suggested in an attempt to change the subject. Justin chuckled. ¡°Yes, yes. It''s about time.¡± Ha! What a spineless coward! Upon feeling a tickle on her palm, Sophia tilted her head and smirked at Alexander. Well, well, well. Samuel wasn''t the only one who had scorned me back then... Alexander, who had guessed what was on her mind, felt a little helpless. ¡°I''ve never scorned you.¡± That had her arching a brow. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± With that, he moved in closer to her till they were shoulder to shoulder. Since the two of them were whispering to each other, Charlize knew better than to disturb them and ran to her older brother instead. When she realized Charles was also staring at the couple, she patted him on the shoulder and asked, ¡°Hey Charles, are you envious of Ms. Yarrow and Mr. Xenos?¡± At her question, Charles retracted his gaze and shot his younger sister an indifferent look. ¡°What''s there to be envious of? That they can peel prawns for each other during meals? That they can fight over a nket at night? Or am I supposed to be envious that their IQ is dropping?¡± ¡°Oh,e on, Charles! That''s not right! Being in love means having someone to peel the prawns, warm the bed, and do silly things together! Why do you always only see the bad and not the good?¡± Unfortunately, Charles was the typical individual who did not believe in love or marriage. As such, Charlize''sments barely made an impact on him. ¡°Oh? I don''t like any of the scenarios you''ve just listed. I still prefer to be on my own.¡± ¡°Humph! You can remain single for the rest of your life, then!¡± Charlize retorted. ¡°Once Mr. Xenos, Mr. Schild, and Mr. Quail are married with kids, you can drink by yourself!¡± Charles quirked a brow. ¡°Why would I do that? I don''t even like to drink.¡± Knowing it was impossible to get through to her thick-skulled brother, Charlize threw in the towel. Since it was Justin''s birthday, almost all his guests were friends of simr ages and from the same social circle. It was, without a doubt, a fun and lively event. Once the cake was cut, Samuel suggested ying poker, much to Sophia''s amusement. Staring at the overly enthusiastic man, she swallowed the remaining bit of cake in her mouth and teased, ¡°My, my, Mr. Schild. Are you nning on buying us supper tonight?¡± He''s the one who always wants to y poker, yet he''s also the one who always loses. Tch. What a generous man. Losing tens of thousands is peanuts to him, huh? ¡°Don''t speak too soon, Sophia. Lady Luck''s shining on me today. I''m certain I won''t lose tonight!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Sophia replied as she shared a knowing smile with Alexander. Justin was too busy entertaining guests as the birthday boy, but thankfully, they still had Charlize to make up the numbers. Since Samuel was a regr at Corona, it did not take long for him to snag a private room and have the staff set up a poker table. Surprisingly, he did seem to be on a lucky streak as he won the first game. Even though it was not a lot of money, it was still a solid win. It was also his first time winning against Alexander and the others in poker, so he could not help but beam with an air of smugness. ¡°See, I told you so. Lady Luck is on my side today.¡± Sophia, too, grinned. ¡°Indeed. Fortune is smiling on you, Mr. Schild.¡± Charlize, on the other hand, let out a derisive snort. ¡°This is only your first game, Mr. Schild. Why are you being so smug?¡± ¡°Okay, okay. I''ll stop being smug! Just be sure not to cry when you lose!¡± ¡°I won''t cry!¡± Charlize replied as she rolled her eyes, refusing to believe Samuel could have such good luck. After all, he had always lost to them in the past. Sure enough, Charlize was right when she said it was only the first game. The group yed four more games in the next hour, but unfortunately, Samuel lost them all. Charles was the dealer and tried to go easy on his younger sister. Thanks to him, Charlize managed to win one game and pocket a tidy sum of ten thousand. Meanwhile, Sophia and Alexander won three games and were more than twenty thousand richer by the end of the night. Needless to say, that was enough for them to have a sumptuous supper. It was past ten o''clock when Alexander finally took the initiative to call it a day. The group promptly filed out of the private room, and it was clear that Samuel had lost all the bravado he had earlier. Sophia nced at him and instantly burst intoughter. ¡°Mr. Schild isn''t good at poker, but he''s still pretty addicted to it, huh?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Alexander said casually. ¡°He''s dumb and rich.¡± Samuel, who was walking behind them, was rendered speechless. Chapter 412 Chapter 412 Today was not Friday, nor was it the weekend. Everyone still had to return to work tomorrow. Of course, the ones who attended the event were all wealthy scions or high-level executives of the company. Hence, it did not matter if they werete to work the next day. However, Sophia was used to going to bed early, so she was already tuckered out at that point. Alexander led her to Justin, and after greeting the man, the two left the venue. Unlike the others, Charlize was a sried employee who could not bete for work. Hence, as soon as Sophia and Alexander departed, she returned home with Charles in tow, too. On the way back, Sophia leaned against the car window and almost fell asleep. She usually went to bed around ten o''clock, taking approximately thirty minutes to fall asleep. At the latest, she would be asleep by eleven o''clock. It was almost eleven when they left the event, so Sophia naturally felt lethargic. After parking the car in the garage, Alexander unbuckled his seatbelt and alighted from the vehicle without waking Sophia up. Instead, he walked over to open the door to the passenger''s seat. He had just bent over when he met the woman''s smiling eyes. A tender light flickered in his ebony eyes as he spoke. ¡°You''re awake.¡± As Sophia watched Alexander help her unfasten her seatbelt, she hummed softly in response. ¡°I didn''t fall asleep.¡± She had only shut her eyes to rest for a short while but hadn''t entirely fallen asleep. Hence, when Alexander stepped out of the car, she awoke promptly. The man grunted in response but still bent over to lift Sophia in his arms. Sophia allowed him to do so and lifted her arms to wrap them around his neck as he carried her upstairs. In truth, she felt drowsy on the way back, but now that she was home, she did not feel as sleepy anymore. Moreover, she did not have an appetite earlier that night and had not eaten much at Justin''s birthday party. As a result, as soon as she sat down, her stomach growled. Feeling slightly embarrassed, the woman lowered her head to sip on some water before stealing a nce at Alexander. Upon meeting his gaze, she lifted her head and admitted without shame, ¡°I''m hungry.¡± After all, hunger was not something that one could control. Alexander unfastened the first button of his shirt cor and walked to her side. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Something simple will do,¡± she responded. It waste, and it would be too time-consuming to whip up aplicated dish. After giving her a peck on the cheek, Alexander said warmly, ¡°Go take a shower. I''ll make you tomato beef pasta.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia answered obediently. She handed him the ss in her hand and went upstairs. The beef he would use was imported beef that Felix had delivered a few days before. It was supposed to be used for dinner the other day, but something came upst minute, so the ingredients had been sitting in the fridge all this time. It was a coincidence that they could use it tonight. Otherwise, Sophia would have had to settle for in tomato pasta. After Sophia finished showering and came back downstairs, Alexander had already finished cooking the pasta. As soon as she reached the foot of the steps, the aroma of the tomato beef pasta wafted into her nose. It simply made her even more hungry than she already was. When Sophia took the fork from Alexander, she saw the beads of sweat on his forehead. Her heart skipped a beat as she asked, ¡°Have you ever pictured yourself cooking for your girlfriend one day?¡± ¡°No.¡± He had never thought about such things, not even after he started dating Sophia, because, in his perspective, doing all that for Sophia was not worth mentioning. He could keep cooking for her as long as she liked his cooking. Sophia was not in a hurry to eat the freshly cooked pasta as it was steaming hot. Hence, she rolled up a small portion of it and let it cool while propping up her chin with her other hand, looking at Alexander. ¡°Do you think I''m useless because I''m incapable of doing anything?¡± Alexander''s eyes flickered slightly when he heard her words. With a hint of amusement in his eyes, he responded, ¡°You know how to make money, though.¡± ¡°Are you praising me?¡± Sophia teased. ¡°Yeah,¡± he answered. The woman felt embarrassed at his swift candid response. Thus, she kept silent and started to eat her pasta. ¡°It''s delicious,¡± she praised, assuming it was Alexander''s first time cooking the dish. However, her guess was incorrect this time, as the man said, ¡°I used to cook this dish a lot when I was studying overseas.¡± Alexander was not someone who would settle for things he disliked. Since he could not get used to the food abroad, he learned to cook for himself. Pasta was one of his favorite foods, so he usually prepared beef spaghetti. He did not have time to make fresh pasta for a hungry Sophia that night, so he used off-the-shelf noodles, which were not as tasty as homemade noodles. Sophia nced at him and praised, ¡°No wonder it tastes so good.¡± Even though Alexander did not say anything, the look in his eyes turned as tender as ever when he gazed at Sophia. Sophia ate slowly. She had only eaten half of her portion when the man already finished his. It was only fifteen minutes left until midnight. Alexander looked at her and said, ¡°I''m going upstairs to shower.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia then picked up her phone to read the messages that Katherine had sent her. She had not been checking her phone all night, and the moment she unlocked it, she saw dozens of messages from Katherine, all rting to Sharon. Sharon was once again a trending topic on Twitter after she apologized. Although Sharon might have benefited from all the attention, luck was not on her side. Numerous netizens had left harshments on her first apology video, asking her to stop pretending to be innocent, but most of theizens were kind, and the negative remarks were eventually drowned out. However, someone still brought up the incident a month ago when Sharon maliciously smeared Sophia, iming she was a repeat offender and even digging up some of her past scandals. After Sharon apologized again, the aforementioned Twitter post suddenly became popr. She was immediately criticized by theizens. After all, this was not the first time that she had deliberately damaged Sophia''s reputation for no reason. On Katherine''s Twitter, there were many people asking if Sophia had really forgiven Sharon. Katherine posted a reply, which basically meant that Sophia had forgiven Sharon after thetter apologized to her in private. However, one could interpret that Sophia''s forgiveness only meant that she would not pursue the matter further, and nothing more. Basically, this meant that Sophia did not really forgive Sharon. When Sharon first smeared Sophia, the former''s fans even helped to attack theizens who commented on Katherine and Sophia''s Twitter. Some of her fans were critical of her conduct the second time the incident urred. Despite the fact that she had apologized, some of them were still disappointed. Sharon had over thirteen million fans, but in just three hours, she lost nearly one million of them. Everyone in the entertainment industry knew that most fans on Twitter were bought. It would be impressive enough if half of Sharon''s followers were actual people rather than zombie ounts. But now that she had lost one million fans in just three hours, it was clear that she was losing a lot of real fans as well. Not only did she lose some supporters, but some of them even began to criticize her. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Many people liked Sharon because of a song she released in her second year of debut. At that time, in the music video, the woman looked innocent and pretty, but her voice was powerful and unique, which created a huge contrast and left a deep impression on people. However, her music in the past two years had not been as good as before. Still, fans were biased toward their idols and had a strong sense of tolerance. Hence, most of them continued to encourage her. However, Sharon was really pushing her luck. She had done many reckless things, and the incident with Sophia had been the biggest scandal in the past two months. In March, she also maliciously ridiculed a senior on Twitter for no reason. This caused a lot of fans to be disgusted. Many of her supporters grew to loathe her after thistest act of hostility against Sophia. Katherine, the queen of gossip, added that Jonice had learned that Midway Media no longer intended to promote Sharon. Sophia lifted her brow when she saw Katherine''sst message. Mr. Schild is actually quite a good man. Sophia was almost done with her meal after reading Katherine''s messages. She ced the bowl in the dishwasher before heading upstairs. Just as she entered the bedroom, Alexander came out of the shower, wearing a loosely tied bathrobe that revealed the taut muscles on his chest and back. The woman gulped and averted her gaze. ¡°Is Mr. Schild nning to abandon Sharon?¡± When she saw Alexander''s warm gaze, her heart skipped a beat, and her face flushed. The man had already walked to her side when she raised her head once more. He wrapped his arms around Sophia''s waist, lifting her onto the bed. ¡°Are you going to plead for mercy on her behalf?¡± he asked. ¡°I''m just curious,¡± she replied while staring at him. After looking at her for a while, Alexander said, ¡°Yeah, I asked him to do so.¡± Seems like I overestimated Samuel. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± asked Sophia, chuckling, despite knowing the reason behind his actions. Alexander did not answer her question. He held the back of her head and suddenly lowered his head to kiss her, sticking his tongue into her mouth before he pulled away and looked at her. ¡°The tomatoes taste sweet.¡± Sophia felt her mind go nk and her body heating up. She wanted to look away but didn''t know where she should turn her head to. The hand that was cradling the back of her head then slid all the way down her neck and lifted her up by her waist. ¡°Do you have an early meeting tomorrow?¡± he asked while holding her. ¡°No...¡± Sophia uttered. ¡°Me too.¡± He spoke before dipping his head to kiss her again. This kiss was evidently filled with more passion and desire than the previous one. Chapter 413 Chapter 413 Because Sophia went to bed at around two in the morning, it was almost ten by the time she woke up. The room was dim as the curtains were still drawn. She still felt somewhat drowsy due to sleepingte the night before. ¡°Genie, open the curtains.¡± Having received hermand, Genie slowly opened the curtains to let the sunlight into the room. It was so bright that Sophia had to shield her eyes from it, and whatever sleepiness that remained was gone in an instant. The weather was great with the sun shining brightly up in the clear, blue skies. Sophia got out of bed and made her way into the bathroom. After washing up, she got changed before heading downstairs. She could hear Alexander talking on the phone before she even got to the second floor. It waste September, but Jadeborough was still hot from the summer heat. The full-length windows on the second-floor balcony and the dining hall were opened to let air flow through the house. That way, it wouldn''t be too hot indoors. Upon hearing her footsteps approaching, Alexander told Felix over the phone, ¡°Talk to you next time.¡± He then put his phone aside and turned around to face her as he asked, ¡°Want to have some breakfast?¡± ¡°I want some oatmeal,¡± Sophia replied with a nod. ¡°Perfect. I made you some oatmeal,¡± he said while making his way into the kitchen. Alexander then returned a few minutester with a bowl of oatmeal and a few slices of beef pie. Sophia shot him a nce and asked, ¡°You made beef pie?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied while cing the food down on the dining table. As Sophia had gotten used to sleeping and waking up early, her sleepingtest night threw her body clock off and affected her appetite. She only managed to finish some of the oatmeal and a single slice of beef pie. ¡°Do you want to go back to sleep?¡± Alexander asked as he helped finish off the two remaining slices of pie. Sophia shook her head. ¡°No, that won''t be necessary.¡± Alexander didn''t say anything further when he saw how listless she looked. He also prepared lunch that day, and it was a Thymion dish that he had learned online. As the seafood and ingredients were delivered that morning, they were incredibly fresh and helped bring out the authentic vor of that dish. Sophia actually had a meeting scheduled that afternoon, but she called Yvonne and had it canceled because she didn''t feel like going to the office. She was so tired from staying upte that she went to take a nap in the bedroom shortly after lunch. As Alexander had a meeting that he absolutely had to attendter that afternoon, he drove to the office after Sophia had fallen asleep. Sophia was sleeping soundly at three in the afternoon when her phone''s vibrations woke her up. With a somewhat cold and annoyed look on her face after having been disturbed, she reached for her phone and answered the call. ¡°Hello, this is Sophia speaking.¡± Although her tone sounded no different from usual, those close to Sophia and who knew her well would know that she would be in a bad mood whenever she was awakened. Upon ncing at the unknown number on the screen, Sophia was about to hang up the phone when a familiar voice said, ¡°Hello, Ms. Yarrow. It''s me, Sharon.¡± Sophia frowned when she heard Sharon''s voice. ¡°Ms. Xerxes? Is there something I can help you with?¡± ¡°I''m sorry to disturb you, Ms. Yarrow, but I¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, so you do know that you''re disturbing me? I believe we have settled things between usst night, Ms. Xerxes.¡± The look on Sharon''s face turned gloomy the moment she heard that, but she knew that Sophia was the only person who could help her out. ¡°I''m terribly sorry, Ms. Yarrow. I only called you because I had no other choice.¡± After taking a few seconds to clear her head, Sophia got up, opened the curtains, and stepped onto the balcony. The weather was rather hot during the afternoon, but the strong winds helped keep the ce cool. ¡°What is it?¡± Sophia asked while ncing at the garden below. ¡°You told me yesterday that you have already forgiven me, right? In that case, could you help me speak to Mr. Schild? It wasn''t easy for me to get where I am today, and I truly regret my actions. Please have mercy on me, Ms. Yarrow! I promise to behave myself from now on!¡± Sharon was really getting desperate at that point. She had assumed that the incident would be over after she apologized to Sophia. As Sharon was currently Midway Media''s milk cow, she believed that thepany wouldn''t cklist her so easily. However, she did not receive any messages from her manager telling her that she could return to work even though she had been waiting at home for over an hour. Feeling worried, Sharon made another apology to Sophia on Twitter. Thinking that her apology was sincere enough and that Sophia would surely forgive her after that, she decided to go to bed. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. It wasn''t until she woke up and saw no updates from her manager that Sharon realized she was wrong. Just two hours ago, Justina gave her a call and told her to take a long vacation. Not only did Justina not specify how long that vacation would be, but she also asked Sharon to make a trip to the office and cancel all of her ongoing projects. That included product advertisements and television shows. Having worked in the entertainment industry for a long time, Sharon knew exactly what that meant. They''re trying to cklist me! With that in mind, Sharon drove back to the office and asked Justina what was going on. Justina simply told her, ¡°These are Mr. Schild''s orders.¡± In other words, it was Samuel who told them to cklist her. Although Midway Media would suffer huge losses if they cklisted a famous singer, they had no choice but to do so anyway. Given the amount of losses incurred as a result, it became obvious that Samuel did not do it out of his own will. Not many in Jadeborough had the power to make Samuel do something against his will, so it wasn''t hard to figure out who it was. Alexander, Sophia''s boyfriend, was the only one among the few who held a grudge against Sharon, so thetter figured Sophia must''ve had something to do with it. Sharon was dumbfounded. She thought everything was over after Sophia forgave her yesterday, but that was clearly not the case. Even so, there wasn''t much she could do if Sophia decided to take revenge on her. Sharon was frightened and angry at Sophia at first, but Justina reminded her that Sophia wouldn''t have met her the day before if she really wanted to destroy her. Therefore, Sophia was merely a part of the equation. It was actually Alexander who wanted to teach Sharon a lesson. Terrified, Sharon called Sophia immediately after hearing what Justina told her. Sophia let out a chuckle after hearing what Sharon said. ¡°I''m afraid you''re barking up the wrong tree here, Ms. Xerxes. What happened to you was between you and your boss. Coming to me for help won''t do you any good.¡± ¡°You''re friends with Mr. Schild, aren''t you? I''m sure he''ll let me off the hook once you tell him that you have forgiven me!¡± Sophia was instantly amused by her words. ¡°Why would I do that for you, though? If I recall correctly, we''ve only worked on one show together before you tried to ruin my reputation.¡± Sophia''s casual and nonchnt reply left Sharonpletely speechless. Not wanting to waste any more of her time talking to Sharon, Sophia added, ¡°Anything else? If not, I''ll be hanging up the phone now. Oh, by the way, I don''t answer calls from unknown numbers on my personal phone. I identally answered your call this time because I was too sleepy earlier. I will not be so nice to you if you call me like this again.¡± Sophia then hung up immediately after saying that. Sharon went pale as she stood there and stared nkly at the screen of her phone. Seeing her in a daze, Justina sighed and approached her. After all, Sharon was a celebrity she was in charge of, and she felt bad for her. ¡°What did Ms. Yarrow say?¡± she asked. ¡°She asked me why she should help me out.¡± Tearfully, Sharon then recounted everything Sophia said earlier to Justina. Chapter 414 Chapter 414 Justina froze briefly after hearing her story. ¡°You now have two choices. You can either terminate your contract with thepany right away, or give Ms. Yarrow some time to cool off before asking her for forgiveness again.¡± Neither of those options were great for Sharon. If she terminated her contract with Midway Media, no otherpany exceptary Media would dare sign up with her. And even ifary Media did take Sharon in, there was no guarantee that it would make her famous again. If Sharon refused to terminate her contract and stayed with Midway Media, then she would not be as famous even if she made aeback a few monthster. Midway Media would also no longer focus its resources on her, so her loyal fans would be her only source of support. Therefore, neither of those options was favorable to Sharon at all. ¡°You have only yourself to me for this. It''s about time you reflected upon your mistakes,¡± Justina continued with a sigh. She was deeply disappointed in Sharon, whom she had high hopes for. Of course, the incident dealt a blow to Justina, as well. Because of Sharon, thepany demoted Justina''s position and was transferring her to Faike. It would take her at least three to five years to rebuild her career and get back to her current position. Even so, she understood that what happened was beyond her control as Sharon had made that mistake during her own free time. Justina had given Sharon a scolding the first time she tried to smear Sophia, but that was all she did. Not taking further action to prevent Sharon from doing it again was an error on Justina''s part, so it was only fair that she suffered the consequences as well. Since Sharon was a mature adult, she would have to be held ountable for her own actions. ¡°Is there no other way, Justina?¡± Sharon asked while tugging at the other woman''s sleeve. Justina brushed her hand off. ¡°Do you have any bright ideas?¡± ¡°I-If I terminate my contract and go toary Media¡ª¡± Justina''s forehead creased with shock and disbelief when she heard that. ¡°Have you lost your mind, Sharon?ary Media is Midway Media''s rival! Putting aside the fact thatary Media probably wouldn''t care about your development, have you forgotten that Cataleya Young is there too? Do you think you can put up with her bullying you? Even if you could put up with her, do you even realize what you''d be doing? How do you think your fans would react if they found out that you switched over to netary Media? Do you think you''d be able to survive in this industry after that? Midway Media could squash you like a bug, Sharon! Do you really think you''re all that?¡± The audacity of her to even consider that! She got herself into this mess, and she can''t even wait a few months for all this to blow over! Justina was fuming. ¡°Anyway, I''m no longer your manager, so you''re free to do as you wish,¡± Justina said with a disappointed look in her eyes before walking off, leaving Sharon rooted to the spot with her mind completely nk. Justina was the one who helped her get where she was, so she still saw Justina as a respectable elder even though she was no longer her manager. As such, Sharon was shocked to see her react so strongly when she mentioned switching over toary Media. I don''t think I said anything wrong, though. Midway Media is going to cklist me, so what''s wrong with me seeking another way out? Of course, Sophia did not know about the conversation that took ce between Sharon and Justina. Since she no longer felt sleepy after hanging up the phone, she decided to bring out a mat and do some yoga instead. At about four in the afternoon, Katherine sent her a screenshot of Sharon announcing the termination of her contract with Midway Media. Sophia couldn''t help but admire Sharon''s courage when she saw that. Katherine was in the middle of a photoshoot when she texted: I bet Sharon is going to joinary Media soon! Hahaha! Everyone knowsary Media and Midway Media are rivals, so Sharon is pretty much dooming herself! She''s definitely done for this time! Sophia let out a chuckle as she replied: Since when did you get so smart? Katherine texted: Oh, please! I have always been smart! Sophia arched an eyebrow and replied: Sure, sure. Katherine could almost feel Sophia''s sarcasm through the screen of her phone. Inhaling deeply, she texted: Hey! This is prejudice! You can''t just assume... Sophia had only read half of the text when someone rang the doorbell aggressively, so she went downstairs to open the door. The heat from the sun was no longer that intense at five in the evening, and the winds were getting a little chilly as well. As Sophia had just finished her yoga session, she didn''t have time to change out of her yoga outfit. Thalia saw Sophia elegantly making her way over from about seven to eight meters away. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. As much as she disliked Sophia, she couldn''t help but admit that Sophia was indeed good-looking. From her slender legs to her slim waistline, everything about Sophia looked amazing. As if that wasn''t enough, the yoga outfit she had on helped highlight her curves even more. She looked as beautiful and graceful as a swan in ake with sweat droplets trickling down her wless, fair skin. Thalia pursed her lips and suppressed her burning envy as she said, ¡°There''s something I need to talk to you about.¡± Sophia wasn''t expecting Thalia toe and see her, though. If I recall, Thalia went looking for me at Sunshine Group yesterday... Sophia shed her a faint smile and replied, ¡°I don''t think we have anything to talk about, Ms. Xenos.¡± ¡°Just open the door and let me in. I only need five minutes of your time.¡± Sophia arched an eyebrow in amusement when she heard that. She then opened the door and stepped aside to let Thalia in. Instead of entering the house, Thalia simply made her way underneath a tree in the garden as she said, ¡°I want to make a deal with you.¡± Huh... Thalia wants to make a deal with me? I certainly did not see this oneing! ¡°Oh? What kind of deal are we talking about, Ms. Xenos?¡± Sophia asked as she walked up to the tree and stood about one meter away from her. Thalia had never feared Sophia in the past, but she found herself being a little scared of Sophia ever since thetter divorced Alexander. She felt an inexplicable sense of uneasiness even though Sophia was just staring at her. ¡°I''m sure you already know about Alexander not being my mother''s biological son. I believe my mother has already spoken to you two about who Alexander''s biological mother is.¡± Sophia''s lips curled into a smile when she heard that. ¡°Let me guess; you came to see me because you know who his biological mother is. Am I right?¡± ¡°Yes, and I am prepared to make a deal with you. Don''t worry; I''m not going to ask you to rescue Leonard.¡± ¡°What do you want, then?¡± Thalia pursed her lips as she held up five fingers and said, ¡°I want fifty million. You pay me that money, and I''ll tell you who she is.¡± Wow... I have to admit, Thalia is a lot smarter than Kristen! Even so, I''m not about to just give her what she wants! With that in mind, Sophia said, ¡°I think it would be more appropriate if you make this deal with Alexander instead.¡± Thalia''s expression froze when she heard that. ¡°My mother is keeping a close eye on us, so I can''t even contact Alexander.¡± ¡°I''m not that interested in who Alexander''s mother is, though,¡± Sophia said with a chuckle. She then paused for a few seconds before continuing, ¡°Besides, I don''t even know if the information you''re offering is true. I''d be paying fifty million for nothing if you feed me false information.¡± ¡°I''m not lying! I got this information from my mother! She told me that¡ª¡± Realizing that Sophia was trying to trick her into revealing that information, Thalia quickly stopped herself mid-sentence and said, ¡°I''ll even make do with thirty million if you can''t afford to pay me fifty million.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°Fifty million isn''t too much, but I don''t feel like giving it to you. I''m afraid we don''t have a deal, Ms. Xenos. Please leave.¡± ¡°Sophia! Alexander doesn''t give a crap about Leonard, and my mother is prepared to take the secret into the grave! Don''t you want to know who Alexander''s biological mother is? There isn''t a single person out there who wouldn''t want to know who their real parents are, and Alexander is no exception! If you love him so much, then you should have no issues spending some money to buy him that information! Isn''t this a great deal?¡± Sophia stepped forward and looked down at Thalia as she asked, ¡°It is a great deal. However, we can find that out on our own, so why should I pay you for that information?¡± Thalia went pale when she realized that Sophia was right. She had actually been hesitant toe over because of that. ¡°I can provide you with another piece of information! It''s about Dillon! He''s nning to make a move on Alexander!¡± Sophia arched an eyebrow at her in response. ¡°I can see that you''re really desperate for money, but I''m not some charitable organization. Please leave now, or I will call the police.¡± Thalia was fuming at being humiliated, but there wasn''t much she could do about it. ¡°You''ll regret this!¡± she yelled before leaving. ¡°I''ll worry about that when that day actuallyes,¡± Sophia replied with a faint smile. Chapter 415 Chapter 415 Thalia did not expect to return empty-handed. Even after stepping out of the mansion, she still refused to ept reality. ¡°Are you sure you don''t want to know who Alexander''s biological mother is?¡± Sophia stood in a distance, shing her a half-smile. ¡°I''m not as curious as you think, Ms. Xenos.¡± Just as Thalia, who was desperate for money, was racking her brain toe up with something to persuade Sophia, she heard the sound of a car approaching in her direction. She froze, looked to the side, and noticed it was Alexander''s car. Seeing Alexander''s car from a distance, she did not dare to linger any longer despite her reluctance to leave just like that. Thalia bit her lip resentfully and ran off before his car coulde close. Sophia stood in the courtyard, wondering why she had fled. What''s wrong with her? Am I a man-eating monster? Soon, realization dawned on Sophia. The gate was not shut, so the ck car entered the mansion right away. A smile nudged Sophia''s lips when she saw Alexander in the driver''s seat. I see. That''s why she ran away. After watching Alexander drive into the garage, Sophia lifted her hand to shut the gate and returned to the mansion. ¡°Was Thalia here just now?¡± Alexander stepped out of the garage and held her hand. Sophia bobbed her head in response. ¡°She said she knew who your biological mother was and promised to tell me if I rewarded her fifty million.¡± After a short pause, she continued, ¡°She seems to be desperate for money.¡± Alexander''s expression turned frosty when he heard that. ¡°Of course, she is.¡± Sophia asked curiously, ¡°Hmm? What happened to her?¡± Alexander narrowed his eyes and looked at Sophia, the coldness in his gaze fading away. ¡°She and her colleague misappropriated thepany''s money to trade stocks, and they lost more than three million.¡± In the past, three million was merely the amount Thalia received as her monthly allowance, and she could easily get that amount of money as long as she whined to Alexander or Kristen, but times had changed. The Leonard incident had pitted Alexander against Kristen, and since then, Thalia could no longer live it up like she used to. Kristen was reluctant to give her three hundred thousand as her monthly allowance, let alone three million. In addition, Kristen had spent a considerable amount of money trying to get someone to help Leonard, who had gotten into trouble. She had even invested arge sum of money just for a chance to coborate with Dillion. Back then, Alexander''s grandfather disliked Kristen, as well as Leonard and Thalia. That was why he only gave Zachary enough money to sustain a luxurious lifestyle for the rest of his life instead of transferring the shares of hispany to him. Furthermore, regardless of everything, Zachary was still Alexander''s biological father. As long as Odyssey did not copse, Beau believed Alexander would still take care of Zachary even if Zachary had spent all the money Beau left for him. With that in mind, Beau, who initially wanted to leave most of his assets to Zachary, decided to just give him one-tenth of his fortune¡ªthat was equivalent to more than five hundred million. Zachary was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so he was used to living a life of luxury. However, after Beau''s passing, his behavior became even more outrageous, and more often than not, Alexander had to clean up his mess for him. At the time of his death, Zachary''s only remaining assets were a mansion worth over a hundred million, two other properties, and thirty million in cash left for Kristen. After Zachary''s death, Kristen sold the mansion. Despite having three billion in cash, she still relied on the Xenos family''s resources. If it weren''t for the falling out between Sophia and Alexander, Kristen would have been able to save up a lot of money for Leonard to use following her demise. However, following the fallout, Kristen had a hard time sustaining her lifestyle and supporting Thalia and Leonard. To make matters worse, Leonard turned out just like Zachary the moment he was born, but the only difference was that Zachary had the support of the Xenos family while Leonard did not. Consequently, in thest six months, Kristen spent over fifty million dors on Leonard alone. Kristen''s spending habits without a steady ie left her with no choice but to halt Thalia''s monthly allowance of three hundred thousand, using the money to bail Leonard out instead. Thalia had never experienced such financial hardship before. After throwing tantrums a few times, she finally learned that Leonard was the only apple of Kristen''s eye. Despite a brief moment of hesitation, she decided to use thepany funds to trade stocks when her colleague told her about the insider news. The stock Thalia invested in was an overseas stock. She had observed its recent performance and discerned the prices had been steadily rising albeit not too noticeably. At first, Thalia had reservations, but her colleague convinced her that taking risks was necessary to reap the rewards. She also warned her that it would be toote to capitalize on the stock''s sess if others learned about it. Thalia thought about it and realized what her colleague said made sense. She mustered the courage and withdrew the money from thepany''s ount. Initially, Thalia and her colleague had nned to sell the stock after two weeks. Even if the information were unreliable, the stock price would not fluctuate excessively, and she also was prepared to lose tens of thousands. However, just two days ago, when they were about to sell the stock, it suddenly hit the limit down and continued to fall for three consecutive days. As thepany was about to check the ounts by the end of the month, Thalia could not recover the three million she took. Should she fail to do so, she could face a minimum of five years in prison for the crime. She tried asking Kristen for money but to no avail. Thalia had no choice but to go and look for Sophia behind Kristen''s back. She demanded fifty million because she wanted to flee the country for good with the remaining forty million after paying back the three million eighty hundred thousand. Thalia believed she could manage with just five million if Sophia declined to give her the fifty million. However, to her surprise, Sophia showed no interest in the insider information, and Thalia ended up with nothing. Before Thalia could continue to negotiate with Sophia, Alexander returned. At this point, Thalia was terrified of Alexander. Back when she was still the pampered princess of the Xenos family, she thought Alexander was a powerful man. Even when others criticized him for his terrifying methods of handling things, she was still proud of him. But now that she was no longer a member of the Xenos family, Thalia was like a deer in headlights whenever she bumped into Alexander. She would scamper away as quickly as her legs could carry her. Thalia ran for a while until she was out of breath and stopped. The ounts would be checked the day after tomorrow, but currently, she only had a little over three hundred thousand in her possession. To make things worse, Kristen had also sold off all the jewelry pieces she owned. Thalia had never felt so desperate before. She hated Kristen, Alexander, and above all, Sophia! Everything changed the moment Sophia entered her life. If it were not for Sophia, she would still be a member of the Xenos family, enjoying the envy andpliments of the other socialites. She would not have to resort to desperate measures for money. Upon hearing what Alexander said, Sophia looked at him, her eyes curving slightly. ¡°Did someone deceive her?¡± Alexander walked out of the kitchen holding a ss of water and approached Thalia, handing it to her. ¡°Yes.¡± Sophia took over the ss, lowered her head to take a sip, and tutted. ¡°Poor thing.¡± After a short pause, she lifted her head to look at the man. ¡°Are you not going to help her?¡± After all, they had been siblings for more than twenty decades. Alexander nced at her and responded, ¡°Why should I?¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia could not help but chuckle. ¡°You''re right. There really isn''t any reason for you to help her.¡± Thalia was neither rted to Alexander by blood nor a member of the Xenos family, yet she had been enjoying all the privileges for decades. She should have counted her blessings. She only had herself and her foolishness to me. Sophia believed Thalia had every right to be mad at Kristen and her colleague. But it''s not fair for her to me Alexander and me. Sophia took another sip of water and thought of what Thalia had said earlier before letting out a snort. ¡°ording to Thalia, Dillon had devised another n to take you down.¡± Alexander knitted his brow slightly. ¡°I''ll get Felix to keep an eye on him.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she replied. Sophia could not help but wonder how Thalia could be so naive and foolish to reveal such critical information during a negotiation. If Thalia had approached the situation differently, Sophia might have considered giving her the money. Seeing Sophia bow her head and smile, Alexander looked down at her and asked, ¡°What''s so funny?¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Upon hearing his words, Sophia lifted her head and looked at him, her almond-shaped eyes curving slightly from the smile she was wearing. ¡°It''s obvious Thalia is not your sister.¡± She walked over to the side and ced the ss of water on the coffee table in front of the couch. ¡°Because she''s stupid¡ªlike really stupid.¡± Chapter 416 Chapter 416 Alexander had no feelings for Thalia at all. The only reason he would pay her any attention was on the ount that she was family. Now that both Thalia and Leonard had sullied their family''s name and he was not rted to them by blood, Alexander had even lesser reasons to care about her. Therefore, Alexander didn''t feel that Sophia was insulting Thalia when she called thetter an idiot. Instead, he agreed with her assessment, for Thalia was undeniably a fool. Nheless, fools had their uses still. For example, Thalia had inadvertently informed them that Dillon was going to take desperate measures against him. Alexander consequently ordered Felix to keep an eye on Dillon because he was curious to see what thetter was capable of cooking up. Thalia, on the other hand, had never gone to Sophia again since that day, likely due to how resolute the latter was during their previous conversation. Meanwhile, the next session of Leonard''s trial was inte October. Rumor had it that Kristen, in order to mitigate Leonard''s sentence, had spent a fortune to hire awyer from Alenvista, one who had never lost a case before. As for Thalia, Sophia wasn''t really sure what had be of her. However, since there was no news of Thalia on thest day of September, Sophia figured that Kristen must have paid someone off to resolve thetter''s predicament. Thalia was still her daughter at the end of the day. Meanwhile, Sophia decided to travel to Doveston on the third of next month so as to spend some time with Perrin. She thought of bringing Alexander along to remind Perrin of his existence so that the old man would stop trying to find her an eligible bachelor. Chandler, who was introduced to her two months ago, had finally returned from a business trip overseas. No sooner had he returned than he invited Sophia out to dinner. Nevertheless, Sophia rejected it and candidly told him about her situation. Chandler simply reacted with a smile and asked if they could still be friends. Alexander was right beside Sophia when she received that particr message. Upon reading it, Sophia handed the phone directly to Alexander. ¡°You respond to him. I''m going to take a shower.¡± Sophia never found out what Alexander wrote in reply. All she knew was that Chandler''s contact had disappeared from her phone when she remembered his existence one day. Tsk-tsk, jealous men can be terrifying at times. That day was thest day of September and Sophia had a dinner to attend in the evening. At around six, she and Yvonne headed to the hotel where the event was held. Due to the next day being a holiday, traffic was a lot heavier than usual. What was usually a half-an-hour journey ended up taking more than an hour. Hence, Sophia and Yvonne werete by the time they arrived. Hardly had they alighted from their car when the hotel attendant at the entrance recognized them. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Leighton, Mr. Lewis and the others are waiting in the private room.¡± With that, the attendant gestured for them to follow him. Checking the time, Sophia realized they werete by twenty minutes. Soon, the attendant led them to the entrance of the private room. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Leighton, this is you.¡± Sophia shed a smile at him. ¡°Thank you.¡± As Yvonne took the lead and entered, Sophia followed closely behind. Inside, Ben and Jack got to their feet the moment they saw the two. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Leighton, wee.¡± Sophia threw them a nce. ¡°I''m sorry we''rete. We were caught in traffic.¡± Given Sophia''s current status, no one would dare hold it against her. The negotiation over the acquisition was smooth, and all the details were ironed out over dinner. The only thing left was the contract signing after the holidays. ¡°I look forward to working with you, Mr. Lewis.¡± ¡°Likewise, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Both of them shook hands to signal the end of the dinner. After grabbing her jacket, Sophia got up to leave. The moment she stepped out of the private room, she ran into someone familiar. ¡°Sophia!¡± When she saw Megan approaching her briskly, Sophia cocked a brow in reflex. ¡°Ms. Queen, it''s been a while.¡± Megan nced at Sophia''spanions, and both Ben and Jack took their leave tactfully after saying goodbye, leaving only Yvonne by Sophia''s side. Despite knowing Megan for a long time, Sophia had never seen her so anxious before. Moreover, the former seemed worried on her behalf. Sophia subsequently gave Yvonne a look, who knowingly stepped aside. Once they were given some privacy, Sophia asked Megan, ¡°Ms. Queen, what is it? I''m sure you can speak about it now.¡± As she rushed over without thinking, Megan began to hesitate over what she had just heard. ¡°When I passed by a private room on my way to the restroom, its door was left open, so I nced inside out of curiosity. I stopped the moment I recognized those inside and coincidentally heard them talking about you. That person was Dillon''s secretary. He said that his men hadid an ambush in Peace Street and were ready to kidnap you once your car passed by.¡± After rting the entire incident in a single breath, Megan felt that she might have been too abrupt with the news. ¡°That said, I might have heard wrongly.¡± Given the bad blood between Dillon and Alexander despite being uncle and nephew and the fact that Sophia and Alexander had joined forces and dealt him a blow, Megan wasn''t surprised that Dillon wanted revenge. Staring at Megan, Sophia was not only surprised but also touched by the former''s gesture. She responded with a gentle smile. ¡°I got it. Thank you, Ms. Queen.¡± Sophia''s calm reaction caused Megan to feel embarrassed, thinking that she might have overreacted. ¡°It''s no big deal. I may have gotten carried away.¡± Although Sophia was cognizant of Megan''s feelings, it wasn''t the right time to exin. Dillon clearly had someone following her since he nned to make his move that night. Any further chatter about the matter would only raise his suspicions. As Alexander had someone watching Dillon all this while, Sophia figured that he would have already known about thetter''s n. In spite of that, Dillon was still a ticking time bomb that would bother them continuously. Sophia consequently felt that this was a good opportunity to detonate this annoying bomb so as to avoid being caught in the explosion when their defenses were lowered. Upon gathering her thoughts, she thanked Megan again. ¡°I understand. Don''t worry, Ms. Queen. Please return to your private room. I won''t take up any more of your time.¡± Just as she spoke, she threw Yvonne a nce. ¡°Ms. Leighton, it''s time for us to go.¡± Although she was clueless as to what was going on, Yvonne did as she was told. Standing in the same spot and watching Sophia''s leaving silhouette, Megan hesitated momentarily before calling out, ¡°Um, Sophia...¡± Upon hearing her name being called, Sophia stopped in her tracks and turned around with a smile. ¡°Is there anything else, Ms. Queen?¡± ¡°Do you need help?¡± Right when Megan was speaking, a man walked past her. Even though he was looking ahead, Sophia could feel that his attention was somehow trained upon her. Hence, she shook her head. ¡°The negotiations for the project have been concluded. Thanks for the kind offer, Ms. Queen.¡± With that, Sophia gave Yvonne another look before heading into the elevator. Despite being puzzled by Sophia''s words, Megan didn''tment further once she saw the former step into the elevator. Sophia is Alexander''s girlfriend after all. I''m sure she''ll be fine. That said, I still can''t help but worry. As the elevator doors closed slowly, Sophia curled her lips into an indiscernible smile while watching the man outside the door. Sophia turned toward Yvonne the moment the doors were shut. ¡°Megan told me that Dillon is going to take action against me tonight. Someone is probably watching us right now.¡± Shaken by the revtion, Yvonne began to worry upon regaining her senses. ¡°Do you want me to call the police, Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°I''m going to give him a taste of his own medicine.¡± Sophia broke into a cunning smile as she spoke. Yvonne could tell from the look on Sophia''s face that she had a n. ¡°In that case, what do I need to do?¡± ¡°They n to ambush me on Peace Street. When the timees, just watch out. Other than that, act normally and pretend that you don''t know anything.¡± At that moment, they still had no idea what Dillon was really up to. No sooner had Sophia spoken than her phone began to ring. When Yvonne noticed that the caller ID was showing the name ¡°Alexander,¡± her growing fears were quickly put at ease. Mr. Xenos probably knows about it. Ms. Yarrow would not be in any danger if he does. With that thought in mind, Yvonne couldn''t help stealing a nce at Sophia. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. I would be devastated if someone as pretty as Ms. Yarrow were to be hurt. Hence, Yvonne decided to shield Sophia from danger if anything untoward were to happenter. Chapter 417 Chapter 417 Alexander had a meeting at eight in the evening. However, the meeting had barely started when Felix interrupted it with an important matter to report. As Felix had worked as his secretary for years, Alexander knew the former wouldn''t have done something like that for no good reason. After making a decisive decision to suspend the meeting, Alexander left the room to speak to Felix. It turned out that Felix''s man who was watching Dillon had reported that thetter was going to make a move on Sophia that night. As Sophia had a dinner appointment at a hotel, Dillon sent many of his men to infiltrate the venue. Furthermore, he had also arranged for his men to gather at a club on Peace Street. Initially, Felix''s man couldn''t tell that Dillon had something nned for the night. It wasn''t until they saw Dillon''s men arrange for a huge truck that they, based on their professional instinct, figured out what was going on. Only then did they call to inform Felix of the developments. Felix was well aware of Sophia''s itinerary for the day. In order to return to the mansion from the hotel, she would definitely pass by Peace Street. Moreover, the street was located far from Jadeborough''s city center. As Sophia''s safety was his priority, Felix decided that no meeting was more important than her, regardless of how pressing it was. Thus, he decided to interrupt the meeting once it dawned upon him what was about to happen. From N?velDrama.Org. Just as expected, Alexander''s expression turned solemn after he heard the news. ¡°Send men to Sophia''s side at once.¡± ¡°Right away, Mr. Xenos.¡± At that moment, Alexander wasn''t aware that Sophia already knew of Dillon''s n. When the call connected, he asked anxiously, ¡°Are you still in the hotel?¡± Sophia instantly knew the reason for his call. ¡°I just came downstairs and am preparing to leave.¡± After a brief pause, she added, ¡°I know Dillon is targeting me tonight. However, I n to walk into his trap.¡± A glint shed across Alexander''s eyes. ¡°Are you nning on ying along and taking this to your advantage?¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm. You''re sharp as usual, Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander felt a sense of resignation when he heard her tone. ¡°But I don''t want you to put yourself in danger.¡± ¡°It''s not dangerous at all.¡± Sophia paused briefly before continuing, ¡°Once we have him cornered, there''s no way for him to escape.¡± Alexander fell silent over the line. ¡°But that would put you in physical danger.¡± ¡°It''s worth the risk to settle this once and for all.¡± Avoiding him won''t solve anything, as Dillon would just keeping at us. With nothing to lose, he might take even more extreme measures the next time. ¡°What''s your n?¡± Alexander knew that no one could change Sophia''s mind once her decision was made. Even though Alexander couldn''t deny the merits of the opportunity, he was reluctant to let Sophia take that kind of risk. Nevertheless, faced with Sophia''s persistence, he had no choice but to provide all the support he could to make sure everything would be smooth sailing. When the elevator finally arrived on the ground floor, Sophia had given a brief overview of her ns. ¡°I''m exiting the elevator now. We''ll speak againter.¡± ¡°Be careful, Sophia.¡± ¡°I will.¡± I haven''t gotten the chance to marry him yet. Furthermore, Sophia was confident that Dillon wouldn''t really dare harm her due to the rule ofw. His real objective was to extort a fortune out of Alexander by holding her hostage. After ending the call, Sophia turned toward Yvonne. ¡°Whatever happenster, your priority is to protect yourself, do you hear me?¡± Yvonne was touched to hear her words. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, actually, I can¡ª¡± Having heard Sophia''s earlier conversation with Alexander, Yvonne felt that she could disguise herself as the former. There was no need for Sophia to put her physical self at risk. Nheless, Sophia rejected the idea before Yvonne could finish. ¡°That won''t work. After following us for a few days, they can clearly tell both of us apart.¡± Staring at Sophia, Yvonne swallowed the words that she felt like saying. By then, both of them had arrived at the hotel''s entrance where their driver was waiting. Sophia subsequently got into the car right away. As for Yvonne, she pursed her lips and resigned herself to following Sophia. After all, there was nothing she could say that would change thetter''s mind. As the driver wasn''t informed of the situation, Sophia gave Yvonne a look. ¡°Why don''t you let Clint know what to expectter.¡± Cognizant that Sophia was firm in her decision to pitch in, Yvonne briefly rted the n to Clint, hoping to avoid any unnecessary casualties during the impending conflict. When Clint was still confused, Yvonne ordered him to ignore whatever that was going to happenter. This instruction was simple enough for him toply with. Soon, their car arrived at Peace Street. Traffic was heavier than usual due to it being the eve of a holiday. Right before the car ident, Sophia had sent her location to Alexander. The car in front of them screeched to a halt abruptly. Unable to m on the brakes in time, Clint crashed their car into the hood of the car in front. Although the damage was minor, the driver in front alighted and began banging on their car aggressively. Observing the man outside the window, Sophia instructed, ¡°Clint, go out and take a look.¡± Upon getting out of the car, Clint heard the man demanding forpensation since they had crashed into him from behind. When two men inadvertently ushered him to the front to inspect the car''s damage, Clint ended up forgetting Yvonne''s earlier instructions. With his line of sight obstructed, Clint was unable to see the backdoor being opened. At that moment, Yvonne, whom Sophia had called over, sat motionless while gritting her teeth. Sophia had been dragged out by another man. After giving her a good look, the man and his companion stuffed her inside the back of a small van. Surrounded by the kidnappers, Sophia was ¡°quietly¡± bundled into another vehicle just like that. No sooner was she carried onto the vehicle than a de was pressed against her neck. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I would advise you to cooperate with us. We have no intention of harming you, as money is what we''re after.¡± Upon lowering her gaze to look at the de, Sophia held out her hand to be bound. The men in the vehicle didn''t make things difficult for her since she cooperated with them. ¡°Where are you taking me? Who sent you?¡± Sophia demanded with a frosty look on her face. She finally stopped asking when no one gave her an answer. When the two men saw her quieten down, they threw her a subconscious nce. ¡°Ms. Yarrow seems to be more cooperative than I expected.¡± Sophia let out a snort. ¡°Dillon put you up to this, didn''t he?¡± The two men refused to respond, causing a tense silence to descend upon the vehicle. As time ticked by, their vehicle arrived in an abandoned warehouse an hour and a halfter. Sophia was then dragged out of the car. Other than her hands which were bound, she could still move the rest of her body freely. Once the two men shoved her into the warehouse, they mmed the door shut with a loud bang. Although the warehouse was dimly lit by a single incandescent bulb hanging off the ceiling, it was enough to illuminate the entire ce. Sophia untied her hands as she scanned her surroundings. Thereafter, she retied them before sitting down in front of a pile of goods. Dillon came faster than Sophia had expected. The moment the main door was pulled open, a ray of light crept in through the gap. Dillon subsequently entered with an insidious smile on his face. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I can''t help but admire your courage. Despite your dangerous circumstances, you continue to show no fear.¡± With two bodyguards behind him, Dillon wasn''t afraid of any resistance Sophia would potentially mount. He walked right up to her face and looked down at her. ¡°I''m sure you didn''t expect it to be me, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Peering straight into his eyes, Sophia broke into a faint smile. ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, but I did.¡± Sophia''s calm reply caused Dillon to burst intoughter. ¡°You''re a sharp one, Ms. Yarrow. No wonder Sunshine Group has grown to what it is today.¡± Sophia was in no mood for idle chatter. ¡°What do you want with me, Old Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Nothing much really. Prior to this, you and Alex tricked me into losing all my assets. Considering how wealthy both of you are and how fond Alex is of you, I don''t think it''s too much for me to seek payment from Alex in return for your freedom.¡± Dillon''s words elicited a tsk-tsk from Sophia. ¡°It is just as I''ve predicted, Old Mr. Xenos. I even thought that you would use me to threaten Alexander into transferring the shares to you. Clearly, I''ve overestimated you.¡± When Sophia saw Alexander outside the window, she got to her feet and retreated a few steps. ¡°You¡ª¡± Dillon was still gloating when he heard a suddenmotion outside. Turning around by reflex, he froze the moment Alexander came into his view. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Chapter 418 Chapter 418 Dillon had just finished his sentence when a huge group of police officers swarmed in from behind Alexander. Seizing upon Dillon''s shock, Sophia swiftly backpedaled a few steps. The police had already detained Dillon by the time he regained his senses. ¡°Dillon Xenos, you''re suspected of kidnapping. Please cooperate bying with us to the police station for further investigations.¡± The words stunned Dillon as he gave Alexander an indignant look. ¡°You set me up, Alexander!¡± Alexander walked up to Sophia''s side and untied her. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Sophia shook her head before giving the detained Dillon a look. ¡°You''re indeed brazen, Old Mr. Xenos. It''s just unfortunate for you that kidnapping is a crime.¡± Only then did Alexander turn to look at Dillon. ¡°Uncle Dillon, why did you do this?¡± Dillon''s face turned red in anger when he saw Sophia and Alexander feigning innocence in front of the police. These two were clearly expecting me to make my move tonight and used it against me! Unfortunately, that realization came toote, for he had sent out the threatening message to Alexander and was now caught red-handed. Even though Sophia was unharmed, kidnapping was still a crime punishable by at least three to five years in jail, a fate that Dillon couldn''t escape from. His mistake was that he had been too reckless and contacted Alexander too soon. If only he had transferred Sophia to a ce further away and observed the situation for a few days, his n would have worked perfectly. Considering how the situation turned out, Dillon knew that anything he said would be futile. In spite of that, the indignance within him remained strong. Right before he was escorted into the police car, Dillon shot Alexander a deathly stare. The expressionless Alexander curled his lips suddenly as he watched Dillon get into the car. Thetter was aware that Alexander was mocking him. Trembling in anger, Dillon pointed his finger at Alexander as he bellowed, ¡°Alexander, don''t get too full of yourself! Sooner orter, you will be defeated by somebody! It''s a matter of time before Odyssey copses! Both of you are¡ª¡± Before Dillon could finish, he was cut off when the patrol car''s door was shut in his face. No one outside could hear him anymore. The policeman apprehending him had also lost his patience. ¡°Shut your trap! You''re in a police car!¡± Dillon was cowed into silence upon being yelled at. After watching the police car drive slowly away, Sophia and Alexander needed to give their statement at the police station too. ¡°Ms. Yarrow!¡± Yvonne ran up to Sophia. After scrutinizing thetter for injuries, she heaved a sigh of relief to find Sophia unharmed. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Despite knowing about the kidnapping ahead of time and that Alexander had men following Dillon''s car, Yvonne couldn''t help worrying during the two hours Sophia was gone. Sophia shed a reassuring smile at her. ¡°Don''t worry. I''m a lot tougher than you think.¡± Yvonne nodded as the concern on her face began to ease and was reced by her usual stern look. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you should go on ahead to the police station with Mr. Xenos first. I''ll contact thewyer and join you thereter.¡± ¡°Okay, Ms. Leighton. I appreciate it.¡± Now that Sophia emerged unharmed, Yvonne felt that everything she had done was well worth it. ¡°It''s no big deal. I was just doing my job.¡± With that, Sophia threw Alexander a nce. ¡°Shall we?¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± Upon humming in acknowledgment, Alexander entered another patrol car with Sophia in tow. Although Dillon had been caught red-handed for kidnapping Sophia and no amount of denying would save him, he was adamant about not admitting his wrongdoing. At the police station, he refused to confess and insisted on seeing hiswyer. Furthermore, he imed that it was a practical joke, as there was no way he would actually kidnap his nephew''s girlfriend. His words triggered a sneer from the investigating officer. ¡°Dillon, regardless of whether you confess or not, Alexander has shared with us the threatening message you sent him. That alone is solid evidence of your crimes. On top of that, we found Sophia locked in your warehouse when we arrived! ¡°Also, the men you hired have spilled the beans. Half a month ago, you ordered them to keep an eye on Sophia. Knowing that she would have a business meeting tonight, you arranged for them to ambush her on her way home. Now that all of them have confessed, I would advise you to do the same!¡± Just as he spoke, the officer threw a pile of evidence in front of Dillon. Having worked for Beau for decades, Dillon was only good at one thing¡ªputting up a strong front in the face of adversity. Regardless of the officers'' words and attempts at ying good cop, bad cop, Dillon stubbornly refused to say a word. When both parties finally lost their patience, Dillon suggested through his gritted teeth, ¡°Let me see Alexander. After that, I''ll tell you everything you want to know.¡± After the two investigating officers exchanged nces, one of them stepped out. ¡°Is Alexander still around?¡± Alexander and Sophia were just preparing to leave after giving their statements. When they heard Alexander''s name being called out, Sophia turned to him. ¡°Yes, we''re still here.¡± Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The officer approached them upon hearing the reply. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Dillon wants to see you before he''s willing to confess. Is it all right for you to meet with him?¡± In truth, it didn''t matter whether Dillon confessed or not since he was caught red-handed. His refusal to confess would only serve to anger the judge further, resulting in a heavier sentence. Nevertheless, Alexander didn''t decline, as he wanted to hear what Dillon still had to say for himself. ¡°All right then.¡± ¡°I''ll wait for you outside.¡± Upon releasing his hand, Sophia walked out with her phone. Only after he saw Sophia''s silhouette disappear through the door that Alexander turned to the officer. ¡°Please take me there.¡± The officer nodded in response. ¡°Right this way.¡± Thereafter, Dillon''s expression drastically changed at the sight of Alexander. ¡°I want to speak to him alone.¡± ¡°No, we have already made an exception by allowing Mr. Xenos to see you, Dillon, so don''t push your luck!¡± After the two officers rejected Dillon''s request coldly, both of them got up and stood by the side. The small interrogation room allowed them to hear everything still. Well aware that his fate was sealed, Dillon spoke candidly. ¡°I''ve made meticulous preparations for over two months. How did you find out?¡± Alexander gave him a frosty look. ¡°You shouldn''t have done it if you didn''t want anyone to find out.¡± Dillon snorted in response. ¡°What''s the point of gloating at a time like this? If you''re still a man, tell me how did you learn of it!¡± Alexander maintained an emotionless look. ¡°That''s a really strange assumption. You speak as if I was aware of your n to kidnap Sophia.¡± Dillon wanted to trick Alexander into telling him the truth, but thetter wasn''t falling for it. Enraged by his failure, Dillon attempted to grab the files on the table and smash them on Alexander. Right before he did, the police officers, who had been keeping an eye on him, bellowed, ¡°Dillon Xenos, this is a police interrogation room!¡± Dillon finally calmed down after being yelled at. ¡°I admit that my ipetence has led to my defeat at your hands. However, Alexander, you had better not rest on yoururels. There are plenty of people who want you dead!¡± All of a sudden, he leaned in toward Alexander and hissed through his gritted teeth, ¡°You had better watch out. Who knows when you''re going to be killed in a car ident.¡± Alexander looked down at him with a smirk on his face. ¡°Even if that dayes, you won''t be around to witness it.¡± Thereafter, he lowered his voice and whispered, ¡°Didn''t you notice my men who have been tailing you the entire way, Dillon?¡± After saying that, Alexander pushed Dillon away. ¡°We''ve nothing more to talk about.¡± With that, he turned around and left the interrogation room. Meanwhile, Dillon froze when he finally heard Alexander admit to setting him up. ¡°You did know from the very beginning! Did both of you hear him? He set me up! I didn''t kidnap Sophia!¡± The two officers shoved him back into his chair. ¡°Hear what? All we heard was you ranting incessantly. This is yourst warning. If you dare disobey us and ignore the rules again, we will have to take harsher measures against you!¡± Dillon had no choice but to settle back down upon hearing the officer''s warning. ¡°I admit that I had nned to abduct Sophia, but Alexander knew of my ns and deliberately let me do so tonight!¡± The two officers exchanged nces. ¡°If you continue to spew nonsense, we''re going to note down that you''re unwilling to cooperate.¡± Is Dillon crazy? Did he just use Alexander of deliberately waiting for him to kidnap his girlfriend? Chapter 419 Chapter 419 Yvonne tactfully ended their conversation upon seeing Alexandere out. Sophia turned to face the man and smiled at him. ¡°That was fast.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Alexander responded, reaching to hold Sophia''s hand. ¡°Let''s go back.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Sophia agreed with a smile. After everything that had happened, midnight was near. Both Felix and Yvonne had brought their secretaries along to handle the remaining matters. Alexander nced at Felix. ¡°You and Ms. Leighton will take care of this together. We don''t want any compensation. We want imprisonment¡ªthe longer, the better.¡± Felix nodded. ¡°I understand, Mr. Xenos.¡± Sophia looked at Yvonne. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Ms. Leighton.¡± Yvonne quickly shook her head. ¡°It''s nothing, Ms. Yarrow. It''s gettingte. You and Mr. Xenos should head back first. We''ll discuss the remaining matters with Mr. Lane.¡± Yvonne was her capable assistant, and Felix was Alexander''s trusted aide. Sophia felt that entrusting the matter to them would be more than enough. ¡°All right.¡± After replying to Yvonne, she then followed Alexander and got into the car. The car slowly began driving. As it was nearly midnight, the roads were quite empty with few vehicles passing by every now and then. Feeling sleepy, Sophia yawned. Alexander nced at her in response. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Sophia hummed softly in response. ¡°Yeah, a little.¡± Pausing for a moment, she asked, ¡°Was Dillon trying to get information from you earlier?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The car stopped at a red light. Alexander turned his head to look at Sophia and briefly recounted what had happened. After hearing the story, Sophia couldn''t help arching an eyebrow. ¡°He probably won''t be getting much sleep tonight.¡± Alexander caressed her head. ¡°You can''t endanger yourself like this again in the future.¡± Gazing at him, Sophia replied solemnly, ¡°Okay, I won''t do it again.¡± The traffic light turned green soon, and Sophia pointed a head, reminding, ¡°The light''s green now.¡± Alexander shifted his gaze back to the road and started driving again. Sophia looked out the window and thought about what had happened. ¡°It was Megan who alerted me tonight.¡± Upon recalling how Megan offered to help before she left, she was quite touched. ¡°I see. I''ll have Samuel send her a gift.¡± Sophia thought for a moment before answering, ¡°All right.¡± After all, there used to be enmity between her and Megan in the past. Although things were now settled, it would still be quite awkward for her to suddenly gift her something. Since Samuel, Megan''s cousin, was avable as a convenient intermediary, wasting such a great opportunity would be a shame. When they returned to the mansion, it was already twenty minutes past midnight. Although Sophia hadn''t been injured, her biology clock was acting up at such ate hour. Exhausted, she fell asleep right away after taking a shower. When Alexander came out from the shower, he noticed Sophia was asleep. Quietly approaching her, he carefully and gently tucked her in. Tonight''s events had gone smoothly, and Sophia was safe. However, they were lucky that Dillon hadn''t gonepletely mad. Alexander swore to himself that he would never allow Sophia to take such risks again. Before the police arrived, he had been in the car nearby. His heart was like a string, taut with anxiety. Any slightmotion in the warehouse would stir up ripples in his heart. Sophia stirred slightly in bed, and Alexander snapped out of his thoughts. Gently, he climbed into bed and pulled her close, holding her tightly before finally closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. The next day, the couple woke up at around eight in the morning. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Sophia moved and was surprised to realize that Alexander was still in bed. It was a rare sight. Turning to him, she saw the stubble on his chin and gently touched it with her hand. ¡°Good morning.¡± Alexander''s dark eyes flickered, and he nted a soft kiss on Sophia''s forehead. Smiling faintly, Sophia propped herself up in bed. ¡°Genie, open the curtains.¡± Sophia raised her hand to shield her eyes as the bright sunlight poured in. ¡°I''m going to freshen up now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Squinting, Alexander watched as Sophia entered the bathroom before picking up his vibrating phone and answering the call. Felix was the one who called. Last night''s kidnapping case was the talk of the town. Somehow, the news had leaked around three in the morning, and now the inte was abuzz with the story of Odyssey''s shareholders kidnapping one another. Despite theck of photos or videos, the rumors alone were enough to cause Odyssey''s stock to fluctuate significantly in the early morning. One shareholder kidnapping another was no small matter; it naturally impacted Odyssey. Felix had discovered that Randy was the one who released the news. Dillon and his gang had truly gone mad, seemingly determined to destroy Odyssey and drag Alexander down with them. Felix had managed to suppress the news, but he was worried Randy might take further action, so he called Alexander for instructions. Alexander''s expression turned grim after he heard Felix''s report. ¡°He sure has a lot of free time. Since he''s so free, let''s find something for him to do.¡± Felix understood what his employer meant. ¡°I got it, Mr. Xenos.¡± He then told Alexander about the result of the discussion with Sophia''swyer. ¡°Though Dillon kidnapped Ms. Sophia and tried to extort you, she wasn''t harmed, and he didn''t physically assault her. The case is rtively minor, and he could face up to five years in prison. However, after Randy spread the news online, Mark contacted me. If the incident causes significant social impact, the sentence could be increased to somewhere between five to ten years.¡± Public opinion was a double-edged sword. Dillon wanted to use it to crush Odyssey and Alexander, but it seemed to have backfired on him. He was desperate to see Alexander suffer. Now faced with a dilemma, they could either sacrifice Odyssey''s interests for a longer sentence or protect Odyssey at the cost of a shorter sentence for Dillon. Alexander scoffed. ¡°Then let''s not suppress the news. In fact, let''s make the incident even more public.¡± He was wealthy and didn''t care about the consequences. When Sophia finished freshening up and heard Alexander''sment, she curiously asked, ¡°Expose what?¡± Alexander hung up the phone and put it aside. ¡°Randy posted online about the kidnapping incident.¡± Sophia frowned. ¡°That''s not good for Odyssey.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Alexander nodded. ¡°But it could make Dillon''s imprisonment sentence even longer.¡± Pausing momentarily to process everything, she then chuckled. ¡°Is that worth it?¡± ¡°It''s okay. I''m not short of money,¡± he reassured her. Sophia hummed in agreement. ¡°That''s right, you don''t.¡± Alexander caressed her cheek. ¡°I''m going to wash up now.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she replied. Sophia picked up her phone and, as expected, saw several messages from Yvonne. The content was simr to what Alexander had just told her. Although Dillonmitted kidnapping, he hadn''t physically harmed her, so the charges were rtively light, with a maximum sentence of about five years. However, if the impact of public opinion was amplified, they could fight for an extension of his sentence by two to three years. Well, that exined it. With an additional two to three years, Alexander could earn back the money he had lost recently. However, Dillon would have to spend those extra years in prison, and once he got out, he likely wouldn''t have many years left to live. Considering that fact, Sophia suddenly felt it was worth it. Once Felix ended the call with Alexander, he immediately instructed his team to release the news again. As time ticked by, more and more people became aware of the situation. Randy, who had just woken up, saw Odyssey''s plummeting stock price and felt a surge of satisfaction. However, he knew this was not enough. Topletely destroy Alexander, he needed to make this incident even more groundbreaking. Randy wasted no time releasing the second wave of news, directly naming Dillon this time. This was all part of the n he and his father had devised. They originally intended to release the news after Dillon had fled the country, but Dillon ended up getting arrested, and when Randy went to visit Dillonst night, thetter told him to proceed with the original n. Dillon even urged him to make Alexander suffer at all costs. It was only after further questioning that Randy learned Dillon''s arrest was due to Alexander''s counterplot. Alexander had lured his father into a trap. With his father arrested, his brother entangled in legal troubles, and his ownpany nearing winding up, Randy med Alexander for his misfortunes and loathed him deeply. He and Dillon shared the same goal¡ªto make Alexander pay, no matter the cost. Chapter 420 Chapter 420 Very soon, lots of people found out that Dillon had kidnapped Sophia. On the second day, the shares of Odyssey plummeted. That incident brought lots of negative effects. Everyone was wondering if Odyssey was on the brink of copse given the recent turbulent times. Obviously, those who were knowledgeable knew that it was impossible for such a thing to happen. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Given the rtionships Alexander had with the Schmidt and Quail families, it would be nearly impossible for Odyssey to copse, let alone the fact that Sophia was also one of Odyssey''s shareholders now. However, the internal conflicts among the shareholders had escted to such an extent that kidnapping was involved. Several people felt that Odyssey was facing too many issues that year. In order to make matters worse for Odyssey, Randy had bribed a number of the media and got them to spread rumors that Alexander had the intention to sell Odyssey. Once the rumors were out, even Felix received quite a few phone calls from some of the shareholders. Shortly after Sophia finished her yoga session, Katherine called and asked her what was going on. The news of the impending copse of Odyssey was all over the Inte. She wondered why Alexander had yet to send someone to suppress the wild online discussion. Sophia turned to look at Alexander who was running on the treadmill before sitting down on her yoga mat and taking a few sips of water. She then said calmly, ¡°That''s how he intends it to be. My kidnapping incident isn''t serious. Thewyer says that even if he is found guilty, he will only be sentenced to a maximum of six years in prison.¡± Katherine disyed a rare moment of intelligence when she heard what Sophia said. ¡°You mean you guys intentionally allowed this issue to fester so that you can sue Dillon and have him imprisoned for a few more years?¡± Impressed, Sophia clicked her tongue and said, ¡°Clever girl. I can''t believe you made the right guess.¡± Katherine scoffed. ¡°I was never stupid!¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Despite agreeing with her friend, Sophia obviously did not mean what she said. Katherine pouted before asking, ¡°By the way, do you know that Sharon has signed a contract with netary Media?¡± ¡°Now, I do.¡± Before that, Sharon called and begged Sophia to speak to Samuel, but Sophia turned her down. Afterward, she did not hear from Sharon, and there was also no news of her on the inte. Of course, Sophia was not interested in paying attention to Sharon. As an insider, it was natural for Katherine to know about such things. When Katherine recalled the way Sharon behaved the previous day, she could not help but grumble, ¡°I bumped into her yesterday at the movie set. It seems likeary Media ns to make her famous so that she can join showbiz.¡± Sophia snorted disdainfully. ¡°Can she even act?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± When Katherine recalled the real reason she called Sophia, she spoke in a ttering manner. ¡°Soph, do you still love me now?¡± The moment Sophia heard that tone, she knew her friend was up to something. ¡°I refuse to be on any shows or stand in front of a camera.¡± Words eluded Katherine. In fact, she was entrusted with the task to invite Sophia to be a cameo in hertest show, but now that thetter directly rejected her, she didn''t know how she should go about her mission. After a moment of silence, Katherine refused to give up. ¡°Soph, do you still love me?¡± Amused, Sophia could not helpughing. With a smile, she replied without hesitation, ¡°No, I don''t love you anymore, I''m sorry.¡± ¡°Boohoo... Don''t be so mean! Your face is so beautiful. It''s such a waste to hide it!¡± ¡°What? Since when am I hiding it?¡± ¡°I''m just exaggerating! There''s a role in my new movie that suits you very much. It''s only twenty minutes of screen time. Both my director and I think that¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Sophia cut her off. ¡°Kathy, do you know how much I make in a minute?¡± Katherine was taken aback when she heard that. She could not help but ask, ¡°How much?¡± ¡°Not much. About thirty to fifty thousand.¡± She paused before continuing, ¡°I can be a cameo in your show, but ording to my ie, I will charge six hundred thousand for twenty minutes of screen time.¡± ¡°Can''t you make a guest appearance on the ount of our friendship?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Sophia chuckled before hanging up the phone. For the first time in her life, Katherine felt the difference between the wealthy and the poor. So she''s rich. What''s the big deal? Well... it''s indeed a big deal. After a short rest, Sophia stopped perspiring. Alexander had also stopped running on the treadmill. He wiped off his sweat and walked toward her. ¡°Was that Ms. Quinn?¡± Sophia looked up at him and happened to notice a drop of sweat flowing down from his neck all the way to that sexy Adam''s apple of his. Finally, it seeped into his white sports shirt. ¡°Eh?¡± While she was in a daze, Alexander squatted down in front of her. Sophia took one look at those dark eyes of his, and her face flushed in response. Embarrassed, she looked away and pretended to drink her water. After regaining herposure, she answered his question, ¡°Yes, it was Katherine.¡± ¡°She wants you to be a cameo?¡± Sophia gulped down thest of her water before nodding. ¡°Yes, but I don''t want to go.¡± ¡°You''re right. You have your own job, and you need to focus on it.¡± As Alexander was talking, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The two of them had just finished exercising. It was still early October, and it had yet to turn cold in Jadeborough. Earlier on, when Sophia was seated on the floor, she did not feel hot. However, the moment Alexander walked up to her, she felt as though she was in a sauna. Her forehead was wet with perspiration again. She wiped them off and said, ¡°I''m going to take a shower.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Alexander hummed an acknowledgment before downing the rest of his water. Sophia nced at him again before heading upstairs. At four in the afternoon, the sun was still shining brightly. The breeze came blowing in through the opened windows, and the room felt cool. After more than two hours of yoga, Sophia had perspired quite a bit. The moment she turned on the shower, the bathroom door opened. Her hands, which were removing the rubber band in her hair, stopped. ¡°Alexander?¡± Sophia waspletely naked and too embarrassed to look over her shoulder at him. ¡°Let''s shower together.¡± After the man shut the door, he strode up to her before hugging her from the back. Sophia turned to look at the mirror, and Alexander gave her a peck on her cheek. The water falling on her was warm, but the man standing behind her felt hotter than the water. In an instant, Sophia felt her body heating up. Panting slightly, she asked, ¡°Don''t we have a dinner appointmentter on?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He huffed a breath before continuing, ¡°But, it''s still early.¡± Sophia felt as if she had been tickled in the ear. The sensation caused her entire body to go limp. Alexander''s lips seemed to be burning as he kissed her, leaving a scorching sensation on different parts of her body. After kissing her eyebrows, his thin lipsnded on her lips. That kiss on her lip felt more aggressive than all the previous tender kisses. It was as though he wanted to devour her. Trying to catch her breath, Sophia reflexively reached out and embraced him. The water continued to fall on them, and the temperature in the bathroom continued to rise. In the midst of their passion, Sophia turned and looked at the mirror. Their intimate posture was being reflected in the mirror. One look and her heart palpitated uncontrobly. At the same time, Alexander slipped into her from behind. Sophia let out a gasp, and her hands that were holding onto his shoulders tightened instinctively. The sound of the flowing water was mixed with soft moans and panting every now and then. After more than an hour of showering together, Sophia felt even more exhausted than when she first went in. In fact, she was so exhausted that Alexander had to carry her out. Autumn in Jadeborough had arrived, and the air was a tad dry. Her throat felt a little painful and very parched. After buttoning her blouse, she looked up and saw Alexander walking in with a ss of water. She looked up at him with those watery and mesmerizing eyes of hers. Alexander''s gaze darkened, and he handed her the ss of water before looking away. Sophia blinked and said, ¡°Thanks.¡± She was too thirsty to pay attention to Alexander''s tiny reaction. After gulping down half the ss, Sophia felt much better. She subsequently felt sleepy following all those exercises she did, but Alexander''s aunt had just returned from abroad the day before. They were supposed to meet for dinner. Sophia checked the time on her phone and red at Alexander. ¡°It''s already past five o''clock.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. I''ll get Aunt ra to change the time.¡± Alexander was in a good mood, and his tone was tender. He found it adorable when Sophia red at him and reached out to caress her cheek lovingly before sending a message to ra. Just as he finished typing the message, a fair hand snatched the phone away from him. ¡°She''s your aunt. How can you tell her to change the time of the dinner?¡± Sophia nced at the phone and noticed that he had not sent the message out. It was only then she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I still have the energy to go for dinner, Mr. Xenos.¡± With a snort, Sophia handed the phone back to Alexander. Chapter 421 Chapter 421 It was the first time Sophia met Alexander''s aunt, ra, formally. When she married Alexander, ra couldn''t make it as she had something on. Later on, Alexander probably said something to ra, so thetter didn''te back specifically to see Sophia. Theirst meeting over eight months ago had been slightly awkward because Sophia had thought ra was Alexander''s new girlfriend. Sophia could tell that ra was more important to Alexander than Kristen. ra probably cared about Alexander more than his own mother in his childhood. They arranged to meet at half past six in the evening. However, it was already forty minutes past five when Sophia came out of the shower. She changed into a long, light-colored dress and went out with Alexander. Since it was the second day of the National Day holidays, the traffic in Jadeborough was congested. They had been on the road for half an hour and would usually have arrived at the hotel by now, but they were still stuck in traffic. When they finally arrived at the hotel, it was thirty-seven minutes past six. The waiter told them ra was already waiting in the private room. Sophia turned to Alexander beside her and said, ¡°We''rete.¡± ¡°She won''t mind,¡± Alexander replied. Sophia let out a chuckle in exasperation upon hearing him. She pinched his arm and whispered, ¡°It''s all your fault!¡± If he hadn''te in to shower with her, they wouldn''t have beente. Alexander turned to nce at her. ¡°Yes, it''s all my fault.¡± As they chatted, the waiter led them to the private room. Opening the door, the waiter turned back to them and uttered, ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow, Ms. Lambe is waiting for you guys inside.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Sophia regained herposure. She put on a light smile and straightened her posture. Since they had a small misunderstanding the previous time they met, Sophia still felt slightly embarrassed meeting ra again. Alexander could feel Sophia''s nervousness and tightened his grip on her hand. ¡°Don''t be afraid. Aunt ra won''t bite you.¡± Sophia shot him a look. ¡°I''m not afraid.¡± I''m only slightly nervous. Alexander didn''t expose her and led her into the private room. ¡°Aunt ra.¡± ra had not changed much over the eight months. Although she was over fifty years old, she was still in good shape. Sophia could only imagine that ra was a very self-disciplined person. ¡°Ms. Lambe.¡± Sophia smiled and took a seat next to Alexander. She was no longer nervous now that she had met ra. ra nced at the two of them. ¡°I thought you wouldn''t give him another chance, but you guys are together again?¡± Sophia heard this and smiled. ¡°Yes, I still like him.¡± Seeing her so honest, ra was pleased. ¡°You guys have gone through a period of separation, so the road ahead will be smoother.¡± ra had been living abroad for years and was an open person. She admired Sophia for incorporating so manypanies. This meeting with ra went more smoothly than Sophia had imagined. When they parted, ra gave Sophia a bracelet. With just one nce at the color, Sophia knew it was not a simple bracelet. ¡°Alex''s grandmother left this for his mother. Since Alex''s mother passed away, she couldn''t give you this bracelet in person. I''m doing it in her stead.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ms. Lambe.¡± ¡°If Alex ever bullies you, I''ll help you teach him a lesson! He''s lucky to marry a beautiful woman like you. If he doesn''t treat you well, I know many tall, handsome guys in Ustrana!¡± ra was a fan of people with good looks, so she thought Alexander had struck gold to have such a stunning woman by his side. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Sophia replied in embarrassment, ¡°He wouldn''t dare.¡± The three chatted for a while outside the hotel. Soon, ra''s ride arrived. ¡°My boyfriend is here, so I will head off first!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia looked in the direction ra was leaving and saw a tall, handsome, blue-eyed foreigner. She turned her head and smiled at Alexander. ¡°It looks like she wasn''t lying to me.¡± Alexander heard her and tightened his grip on her hand. ¡°You don''t have the chance anymore.¡± Sophia raised her brows. ¡°That''s not necessarily true.¡± Alexander couldn''t resist and leaned in for a kiss upon seeing her gleeful smile. At that moment, ra turned around to bid them farewell and saw this scene. She paused for a moment before realizing what was going on and hugged her boyfriend. ¡°They''re such a perfect match, aren''t they, dear?¡± ¡°We''re also a perfect match, my dear.¡± Sophia realized what was happening and quickly pushed Alexander away, looking toward ra and her boyfriend, who had already gotten in the car and left. She watched the ck car drive away, and her face turned slightly red. ¡°Ms. Lambe was trying to bid us farewell!¡± ¡°I waved goodbye.¡± Sophia was rendered speechless. Is this what I''m concerned about? It''s not! After meeting Alexander''s aunt, it was time for him to meet the Dawson family. The two had booked a flight for the next day at nine in the morning. When they touched down at Doveston, it was right before noon. The person picking them up was Lukas. Upon seeing Alexander, the smile on his face disappeared. ¡°It''s been a while, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°Long time no see, Mr. Dawson.¡± The two exchanged polite but distant greetings while Sophia watched at the side. Upon hearing her giggle, Lukas nced at her and said, ¡°You''ve got some guts.¡± Sophia curled her lips and replied, ¡°Wasn''t you the one who wanted me to do this?¡± ¡°I was merely making a suggestion.¡± It was up to Sophia and whether she had the courage to do it. ¡°Granddad won''t bite me. What is there to be afraid of?¡± Lukas only hummed in acknowledgment. He didn''t express his opinion on this matter. Alexander and Sophia got in the car and slowly left the airport. They encountered some traffic on the highway, so by the time they arrived at the Dawson residence, it was already past one o''clock. Perrin and the other family members knew Sophia wasing back to the residence, so they waited for her to have lunch together. ¡°Granddad, I''m back.¡± Hearing his granddaughter''s voice, Perrin was delighted. A smile appeared on his usually stern face. ¡°It''s good that you''re back. You must have gotten tired on the way here. Let''s eat lunch first before you go and rest.¡± ¡°Mr. Dawson.¡± Perrin''s attention was solely on Sophia, so he didn''t notice Alexander beside her. Perrin instinctively looked over upon hearing a man''s voice and saw Alexander. His smile disappeared instantly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Alexander pretended not to notice Perrin''s cold expression. ¡°I came here with Sophia to see you.¡± Perrin retorted, ¡°What does it have to do with you when my precious granddaughteres back to visit me?¡± Sophia nced at Alexander and pulled Perrin''s sleeve gently. ¡°Granddad, I''m hungry. Can we eat lunch first?¡± Hearing that Sophia was hungry, Perrin decided to ignore Alexander and led his granddaughter toward the dining table. ¡°Let''s eat! Let''s eat! I told Catherine to make you many delicious dishes! You''re too skinny. You must not have been eating properly.¡± Lukas nced at Alexander and whispered, ¡°His temper has been getting worse now that he''s getting old.¡± Alexander shook his head. ¡°It''s fine.¡± As he spoke, he greeted the others. Since he was a guest, the others didn''t hold much hostility toward Alexander. At the very least, he wasn''t given the silent treatment. However, Sophia had been beside Perrin since they entered the residence. Alexander didn''t have the chance to be by her side at all. Lukas sat beside Alexander during lunch. Since he didn''t want Alexander to sit beside Sophia, he could only sit beside thetter. Thinking about it, Lukas felt that he could endure sitting beside Alexander. The Dawson family had always been quiet when they were having lunch. However, Sophia had just returned, so Perrin bombarded her with many questions, making the atmosphere much more lively. Perrin had been pretending not to see Alexander, but it was impossible to ignore him when he was also eating with them at the dining table. Every time Perrin looked at Alexander, he felt annoyed. After asking about Sophia''s recent situation, he deliberately asked, ¡°By the way, Chandler said he was quite satisfied with you. Did you go out with him? You young people should interact more. You two get along well, so it''s not a bad idea to be friends with him.¡± Sophia didn''t expect Perrin to mention Chandler in front of Alexander and was embarrassed. ¡°Granddad, I haven''t contacted Mr. Shaw for a long time.¡± Perrin wasn''t disappointed when he heard her reply. He thought about it for a moment and replied, ¡°It''s fine. If you don''t like Chandler, I know many outstanding young men! I have arade''s son who just returned from studying abroad with a doctorate. How about I take you to meet him tomorrow?¡± Sophia nced at Alexander and saw that he still seemed calm. ¡°Granddad, I''m still young! Do you want me to get married so soon?¡± ¡°Certainly not! Even if you don''t marry, I can support you for the rest of your life! You are extremely capable. How can I allow you to marry so impulsively?¡± ¡°So, what''s the point of introducing me to so many guys? Are you not pressuring me to marry?¡± Perrin immediately shook his head. ¡°Of course not! Let''s forget about it, then! We aren''t meeting them!¡± ¡°Granddad, this dish is delicious. Let me give you some!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Sophia managed to change the subject, and Perrin finally stopped bringing this up on the dining table. Chapter 422 Chapter 422 Perrin enjoyed the meal immensely because his precious granddaughter was keeping himpany. Among the many incidents that urred in Jadeborough, almost all of them were connected to Sophia, after all. After the meal, Perrin decided to head downstairs with Sophia for a walk. Before he did, he intentionally nced at Alexander, who wanted to follow them. ¡°I''m going to take a stroll with Sophia, Mr. Xenos. I know you''re tired, so Lukas will send you to the hotel to rest lest you think our hospitality is inadequate.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Sophia couldn''t help but grin when she heard that. In response, Alexander nced at her. Upon meeting her eyes, he saw her shaking her head and mouthing at him to return to the hotel. Before they arrived, she had already asked him to request Felix to book a hotel room. Perrin was already tolerating when he allowed Alexander to join the meal. Therefore, he definitely wouldn''t have allowed the younger man to spend the night in the mansion. In fact, Perrin was evidently displeased when Alexander insisted on participating in the dinner. If he weren''t, he wouldn''t have kept encouraging Sophia to meet other men. Thus, Alexander stopped and watched the two of them leave. It wasn''t until they were out of his sight that he turned to Lukas. ¡°Sorry to trouble you, Mr. Dawson.¡± Lukas, who was standing at the staircase entrance, smiled. ¡°Not at all. If anything, you''re the one in trouble, Mr. Xenos.¡± As he spoke, he headed to the garage. ¡°I''ll drive the car to the entrance. Please wait for me there, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°All right,¡± responded Alexander before leaving the mansion. Meanwhile, Sophia and Perrin were standing beside the goldfish pond in the garden. Perrin loved to fish, so almost all the fishes inside the pond were ones he caught. Only some of the aquatic creatures underwater were goldfish. After dumping the young fishes he caught into the pond, he let them grow before fishing them when they matured. Nowadays, no one was willing to apany him outside for a fishing trip, and he found the activity boring when doing it alone. Thus, he opted to spend his time at the goldfish pond. After the meal, Perrin thought about his fish and brought Sophia to the pond to see if the neighbor''s cat stole some. Just as she listened to his tale about how the cat was caught stealing a fish a few days ago, she heard somethingnding on the ground. Perrin sneered, ¡°Look! That fat cat is here to steal my fish again!¡± When she turned in the direction he pointed at, she saw a round, fat cat strolling toward the pond. It wasn''t afraid of people. Under the sunset glow, its fur appeared soft and fluffy. Just ncing at it would be enough for anyone to know how much its master loved it. ¡°This is my granddaughter. Don''t you think she looks pretty?¡± Perrin smirked at the cat. As though it could understand what he said, it swayed its tail as it approached Sophia and sniffed her. She quite liked cats, so when she saw that, she wanted to touch the fat cat. ¡°Does it scratch people, Granddad?¡± ¡°No, but it''s very clingy!¡± Just as he ended his sentence, the cat rubbed its body against her leg. Sophia''s heart melted as she crouched and tentatively touched its head. Instead of scratching her, it brushed its head against her palm. ¡°Isn''t it acting affectionately, Granddad?¡± His mood was lifted when he saw how happy she looked. ¡°That''s the only thing it knows how to do!¡± Then he smiled at her. ¡°Do you like cats?¡± ¡°Yes. They''re too cute.¡± ¡°Since you live alone, it''s not a bad idea to raise a cat.¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia somewhat guiltily nced at Perrin. ¡°I''m not usually home, so I''m worried it''ll run away.¡± ¡°That''s true. Cats are unruly. When this cat was still a kitty, it loved to visit the mansion. In the past, Stanley adored it so much that he brought it everywhere he went. After it grew up, it wandered around the neighborhood by itself. More than a decadeter, it had probably gone through every nook and cranny in this area.¡± When his thoughts arrived at Stanley, his grin faded because a doctor told him his friend''s remaining time in the world wasn''t long. It''s awful to see the people I know leave me one by one. Sophia noticed the shift in his expression. ¡°I haven''t met Mr. Willis yet, Granddad.¡± That stunned him a little before he returned to his senses. ¡°I''m aware. You know, Stanley never believed you looked simr to your grandmother. Tomorrow, we''ll visit the hospital and let him judge if you resemble her or not!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She withdrew her hand and stood. ¡°Let''s walk outside, Granddad.¡± Just as she finished speaking, she saw Alexander staring at her in the distance. In response, she smiled at him. Momentster, Lukas drove his car to Alexander, directly blocking thetter''s line of sight. ¡°Get in the car, Mr. Xenos.¡± Upon hearing that, Alexander looked away and entered the vehicle. Perrin watched the ck car slowly exit the mansion while snorting. Standing at the side, Sophia pursed her lips with embarrassment. Then she supported him as they sauntered outside of the mansion. The neighborhood was surrounded by greenery. However, the people living in the area tended to be wealthy, busy individuals. Hence, only old people like Perrin had the time to admire the view. Whenever October rolled around, Doveston would get colder than Jadeborough. As fall had already arrived, the night breeze was much more freezing. Therefore, fewer people strolled outdoors. ¡°Do you like that brat from the Xenos family that much, Soph?¡± Perrin inquired. In response, Sophia lowered her head and nced at him. ¡°Didn''t Granny love you dearly in the past too?¡± Decades ago, Penelope''s family was much more well-off than Perrin''s. When he was young, the Dawson family consisted of only farmers. All year long, they would struggle to put food on the table. It wasn''t until after he joined the military that his family''s condition improved. However, it was still iparable to Penelope''s affluent family. She was the only daughter in her family. Thus, when she expressed her desire to marry him, her family vehemently opposed the idea. However, after she lied to her parents that she was pregnant, they had no choice but to agree to the marriage. Fortunately, she was right to marry him. After her family was struck by misfortune, Perrin took care of his inws. That was why the main and branch Dawson families were two different families. Kylie disclosed that information to Sophia in the past. At first, Sophia only treated it like a story. However, after she recalled those facts at that moment, she realized her aunt was also an interesting person. Upon hearing what Sophia said, Perrin recollected the days of his past and sighed. ¡°I''m only thinking for your own good, Soph.¡± Noticing his attitude had softened slightly, she added, ¡°I know. You just want me to be happy.¡± ¡°Of course! You''re my granddaughter, and I''ll feel contented as long as you lead a happy life. While I never expected you to do great things, I''m still delighted to know you''re an aplished woman! I want you to remember that no matter what, when you feel down or aggrieved, you''ll still have your family. Your uncle, aunt, brother, and I will always be there to support you. All you need to do is visit us, and we''ll lend you a hand or an ear.¡± His heartfelt words made her eyes wet. ¡°Thank you, Granddad.¡± ¡°Don''t thank me. I hadn''t agreed to your marriage with him yet!¡± She then nced at the fat cat and smiled. ¡°But it does mean you approve of my rtionship with Alexander, right?¡± ¡°Hmph! So what? You''ll pick someone else when you realize he''s not suited for you.¡± While Perrin had allowed her to continue her rtionship with Alexander, he still hadn''t given up on introducing other men to her. Chapter 423 Chapter 423 In any case, Perrin was relieved. After their walk, he sent Sophia off to rest. At the same time, Lukas had dropped Alexander off at his hotel. Thetter had texted Sophia to let her know he had arrived about half an hour ago. Sophia only saw his text then and fired off a reply. Alexander texted back almost instantly: Done with your walk? Sophia: Yes. A secondter, Alexander sent her an audio message. ¡°What are your ns tomorrow?¡± Sophia recalled Perrin''s words earlier and inadvertently smirked. She decided to y a prank on him and called him back. ¡°Granddad wants to introduce me to his friend''s grandson.¡± There was a longer pause before Alexander continued, ¡°Where are you headed?¡± ¡°I don''t know yet.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± A momentter, Alexander added, ¡°Get an early rest.¡± Sophia thought he was angry and called out hastily, ¡°Alexander?¡± ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Tentatively, she asked, ¡°Are you angry?¡± ¡°No.¡± Alexander was hardly an oblivious fool. He knew Sophia''s grandfather had never warmed up to him, and he was painfully aware of Perrin''s multiple attempts at matchmaking Sophia with another man. So, no, he was not angry, but he certainly wished to have someone investigate the man Sophia would meet the next day. Alexander appeared to be telling the truth, as Sophia surmised that his tone sounded the same as it always did. Still, if she hung up now, Alexander would definitely think that the matchmaking was real. She giggled and fessed up. ¡°I lied. We''re visiting Mr. Willis at the hospital tomorrow.¡± Alexander appeared uncharacteristically startled. He recovered himself sometimeter, a wry smile on his face. ¡°Cheeky girl. Don''t crack jokes like that next time.¡± Sophia harrumphed and teased, ¡°Well, I didn''t think you''d fall for it.¡± ¡°I''ll believe anything you say.¡± Not even the static noise of the phone call could diminish the effect of his earnest words, which brought a furious blush to Sophia''s cheeks. She raised her hands to her burning cheeks and cast her gaze toward the night sky. ¡°I''ve got to get up early tomorrow, so I better call it a day and wash up.¡± ¡°All right. Rest well.¡± After their call ended, Sophia stared at her phone and smiled. Perrin functioned at an earlier sleep schedule thanks to his old age. When Sophia headed downstairs at seven in the morning, she bumped into her grandfather, who was back from an early morning walk. Perrin worried if she had enough rest and asked, ¡°How do you feel? Are you used to getting up so early?¡± Sophia shook her head and reassured him, ¡°I went to bed earlierst night.¡± Perrin nodded approvingly andmented, ¡°Sleeping and waking up early is a good habit. Youngsters these days love to stay upte. Just look at your brother. He never heads to bed before midnight.¡± ¡°Well, Lukas is busy,¡± replied Sophia good-naturedly. It did little to appease Perrin, who grunted and said, ¡°Let''s not talk about him! Time for breakfast.¡± What good is it being so busy all the time? He''s over thirty years old and still woefully single! Ugh, just looking at him frustrates me! ¡°Okay.¡± The pair had finished their breakfast when Lukas sauntered downstairs. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Sophia was chatting with Kylie as Lukas approached the table and drawled, ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°Morning, Lukas.¡± Sophia shot him a sidelong nce and could not resistughing when she recalled Perrin''s earlier annoyance with Lukas. Kylie noticed her amusement. A resigned smile appeared on her face as she uttered, ¡°Your brother may be a grown man, but we just can''t stop worrying about him!¡± Sophia retracted her gaze from Lukas and spoke up for him. ¡°Aunt Kylie, I''m sure Lukas knows how to manage his life.¡± ¡°If he knew how to manage his life, he wouldn''t be barreling toward his thirty-fifth birthday with no girlfriend in sight. Honestly, I''m not rushing him to get married; Lukas has plenty of ideas of his own. Not that it matters. He isn''t half as sensible as you, even though he''s in his thirties!¡± At that point, Kylie nced at Perrin and continued, ¡°What did I say, huh? Your granddad likes to hide his soft heart behind that sharp tongue. Did he give inst night?¡± Sophia nced at her grandfather, remembering their conversation the night before. She shot Kylie a grateful look and said, ¡°Thank you, Aunt Kylie.¡± ¡°There''s nothing to thank me for. I''m your aunt, after all. Truth be told, your granddad isn''t really against your rtionship with that Xenos boy. He just didn''t want you to be unhappy. He''s hung up on your history. You know what old folks are like. Give him some time, and he''ll surelye around. Plus, he definitely wants a great-grandkid soon!¡± Warning bells went off in Sophia''s head. She quickly changed the topic and announced, ¡°I''m going upstairs to get changed, Aunt Kylie.¡± Kylie knew she was apanying Perrin to visit Stanley at the hospital and nodded. She patted her niece on the shoulder and said, ¡°Go on, then.¡± Sophia darted to the safety of her room and changed. Lukas finally finished his breakfast when she came downstairs. Since he had nothing nned for the day, Perrin promptly assigned him as their free driver. On their way to the hospital, Perrin did not spare Lukas from a lecture on his rtionship status. Sophia listened quietly to her grandfather''s impassioned speech, keeping her guard up lest he suddenly decided to include her in his lecture too. Half an hourter, the car pulled into the militarypound''s hospital. About two months ago, Sophia had heard from Perrin about his friend, Mr. Stanley Willis. Stanley was no stranger to Perrin''s boasts about his pretty granddaughter, whose beauty rivaled that of Penelope in her youth. He also knew that Perrin''s daughter had gone missing when she was ten. Over thirty years of searchingter, Perrin never reunited with his daughter, but he did find a granddaughter, and it was already an ending better than he could have hoped for. Perrin had also boasted to his friend about his granddaughter''s achievements. She was an outstanding schr and a savvy businesswoman with several sessfulpanies under her belt. Naturally, Stanley could not wait to meet his friend''s multi-talented granddaughter. He used to dote on Sophia''s mother, Rachel, and thus shared Perrin''s sorrow over her disappearance for a long time. Rachel had already passed away, but her daughter was still alive, and Stanley wished to meet her in person before his own time on Earth was up. Despite Perrin''s reassurances that Stanley was going through a rough patch and was destined for a long life, his friend thought otherwise. All of us on the battlefield went through a rough patch. Stanley knew he did not have much time left. Much to his relief, Perrin was finally visiting him with his precious granddaughter. Sophia greeted him, ¡°Hello, Mr. Willis.¡± Ah, what a sweet voice! It surely belongs to a beautiful youngdy! Stanley used to have impable eyesight. Sadly, his eyes were injured in battle and never truly recovered. He had relied on sses since then. Years of sickness worsened his eyesight, and he could only make out a hazy form in front of him. Sophia knew Stanley struggled with his vision and moved closer to his bed. She called out gently, ¡°Hi, Mr. Willis. I''m Sophia. I''m here to see you.¡± Now that she was closer, Stanley managed to get a good look at her face. He raised his bony hands and uttered fervently, ¡°So alike! They look the same!¡± He looked toward Perrin, who stood behind Sophia, and added, ¡°Perrin, your wish came true. Ray''s daughter looks so much like Penelope!¡± Rachel looked more like her father than her mother, and Perrin used to be frustrated over that fact. Of course, Sophia was no spitting image of Penelope, but one could see traces of Penelope''s younger self in Sophia at one nce. So in a way, Stanley had hit the proverbial nail on the head when he said that Perrin''s wish hade true. Perrin smiled happily and replied, ¡°Of course! Let me tell you something¡ªgranddaughters are much better than grandsons! Just look at Lukas. That stubborn boy is always getting on my nerves!¡± His sentiments struck a chord with Stanley, who was still staring at Sophia. Suddenly, he thought of something and asked, ¡°Perrin, does Sophia have a boyfriend? No? Sirius just turned thirty, and I''m sure you know his personality. Why don''t we introduce them to each other?¡± His spirits had improved significantly after two days of rest post-chemotherapy, and his old friend''s visit definitely helped matters. Perrin pondered his suggestion and said, ¡°Sirius is a decent fellow. I think they should meet each other.¡± Beside him, Sophia stiffened in the middle of peeling an apple. She piped up, ¡°Hey, Granddad, Alexander asked if you wanted to go fishing at Rosse Lake tomorrow.¡± Stanley asked, ¡°Who''s Alexander?¡± ¡°He''s my boyfriend, Mr. Willis.¡± Stanley would have loved having someone like Sophia in his family, but he would never stoop so low as to break up her rtionship. He red at Perrin and asked, ¡°Why didn''t you say Sophia had a boyfriend?¡± Perrin replied indignantly, ¡°I haven''t given them my blessings, so it doesn''t count!¡± His pettyment drew a chuckle from Sophia. Chapter 424 Chapter 424 Perrin and Stanley appeared to have a lot to catch up on, so Sophia quietly left the ward after peeling some apples. She turned the corner after the stairs and spotted Lukas on a phone call some distance away. The rather chilly breeze that day was warmed by the bright sunlight, making for rather pleasant weather. Sophia''s long dress was practically made for that weather. Since Lukas was busy, Sophia turned away and checked her phone for any messages. There was a text sent by Alexander twenty minutes ago asking if she was free for dinner that night. Sophia considered her schedule before firing off a reply: Sure. Someone called her name right after she sent the text message. She looked up to see who it was. A middle-aged, suit-d man approached her. Sadly, his beer belly ruined the effect of his sharp suit. When he noticed Sophia raising her head in his direction, his eyes lit up with delight. ¡°Hello there. My name is Horace Cardette. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡± As he spoke, he lifted his hand, tantly jingling the keys to a Ferrari. This was the first time Sophia had witnessed someone boasting their wealth so grantly. Augh bubbled out of Sophia as she stared at the man. ¡°I''m sorry. I''m not a fan of befriending strangers.¡± When Sophia smiled, she was positively enchanting. Her eyes were mesmerizing when they crinkled in joy. Horace had never encountered such a feisty woman. Every frown and smile merely deepened his infatuation with her. He assumed from her attire, which consisted of lesser-known brands, that she did note from wealth. Nheless, she seemed to exude an innate elegance. As Horace''s venture gained traction over the years, he had been in thepany of countless beautiful women. Based on his past encounters, he discerned that Sophia came from a cultured and well- educated family. Such women were not simply wooed by a mountain of gold. He needed to pull other tricks out of his sleeve. Just as he thought about showing off an expensive painting he bought recently, a distinctly male voice rang out behind him. ¡°Why did youe downstairs?¡± Lukas had ended his call and walked right up to Sophia when he saw her. Of course, he did not miss the lecherous man standing in front of her. He knew at first nce what Horace''s motives for approaching Sophia were. However, Lukas neverid all his cards on the table. Instead, he shot Horace a faint smile. The atmosphere suddenly chilled by several degrees. The pressure of Lukas'' gaze was stifling. Horace squirmed upon meeting his stare. The man shrewdly cooked up an excuse and left. He allowed himself onest longing nce in Sophia''s direction. Lukas'' tight-knit brows rxed once the man had left. ¡°Did he do anything to you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sophia smiled and added, ¡°It''s not that easy for him to hurt me.¡± Lukas mulled over her words and shot his cousin a smile as though he recalled something. ¡°That''s true. Granddad and Mr. Willis will probably be chatting for a while longer. Shall we head home first?¡± She eyed the elevator and asked, ¡°Should we tell Granddad we''re leaving?¡± ¡°Sure. I''ll tell one of the staff to inform him.¡± Sophia nodded and said, ¡°Then let''s head home, Lukas.¡± He mumbled an agreement, and they headed to the parking lot. The hospital entertained many visitors on the Fourth of July. As the cousins trekked the long distance from the hospital building to the parking lot, they naturally attracted plenty of stares. It was difficult not to, given that they clearly won the gic lottery in the looks department. Two girls were so absorbed in staring at Sophia that they even bumped into a passerby. Their behavior did not escape Sophia''s notice. She lowered her head and smiled to herself. They soon arrived at their car in the parking lot. Lukas was in the middle of opening his car door when a man''s voice boomed from the vehicle beside him. The man spoke so loudly that anyone within a radius of three meters could hear his words clearly, let alone Lukas and Sophia, whose car was parked beside his. ¡°Let me tell you, Jett. I ran into an absolute bombshell earlier! Too bad she has a boyfriend. He seems pretty young and isn''t wearing anything branded. I bet he''s nowhere near as rich as me! If I weren''t suddenly struck by a sense of chivalry, I would''ve whisked his girlfriend from under his nose. I''ll even introduce her to you.¡± Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. He had barely finished his sentence when another man said, ¡°Are you serious, Horace? Is she even prettier than Millie?¡± ¡°Someone needs to broaden your horizons, man! Sure, Millie Jablon is beautiful, but she''s nowhere near top-notch. The woman I met earlier was exactly that! They sure are difficult to woo; I''ll give her that. I already unted this Ferrari, and she barely lifted her eyes. That''s why they''re different from all the other women!¡± ¡°Now I''m curious to see her in person, Horace! But wait. Is there a woman who wouldn''t worship you? Don''t worry about it. I''ll put out some feelers and make sure she''s your future missus!¡± ¡°Huh, I guess your mind isn''t as dull as I thought. That''s a great idea! If I can get such a gorgeous woman to be my wife, I''ll be the target of everyone''s admiration!¡± The two men smoked and continued their conversation, blissfully ignorant of the eavesdroppers beside their car. Horace added, ¡°She was wearing a long skirt, but it didn''t hide her smoking hot figure. Tsk, tsk¡ª¡± Lukas'' frown deepened severely as their conversation progressed. He shot Sophia a sidelong nce and dered, ¡°Stay in the car. I''ll just be out for a while.¡± While Sophia was in a good mood that day, she would never stand for someone talking about her in such a vulgar and presumptuous manner. She would happily give Lukas her blessings to teach those men a lesson. Lukas, however, always came across as a mild-tempered man. That only meant he did not confront people head-on and chose to strike in the dark. When Horace noticed Lukas'' arrival, his expression shifted ufortably. ¡°Hey, I didn''t expect to see you again.¡± Lukas shot him an insincere smile and asked, ¡°I just wanted to say hello and make your acquaintance. What''s your name?¡± At the same time, he red coolly at Horace. Horace shifted guiltily and chuckled. ¡°Why, sir, I don''t think we run in the same circles¡ª¡± The man beside him suddenly offered, ¡°What''s up with you, man? This here is Horace Cardette of Cardinal Industries! Everyone knows who he is.¡± Horace panicked and kicked Jett warningly. ¡°He''s spouting nonsense.¡± Lukas merely side-eyed him and replied, ¡°Nice to meet you, Horace.¡± Then, he stared at Horace a moment longer before returning to his car. Chapter 425 Chapter 425 Horace elbowed the man beside him right after Lukas left. ¡°I just said you''re smart, and you go act like an idiot right away! Are you dumb? He is no ordinary man. How dare you drop my name right away? You''re not afraid of getting beaten up, huh?¡± Jett felt a little upset after hearing him. ¡°Horace, who do you think that man is?¡± ¡°Who is that man? Obviously, he''s that hottie''s boyfriend!¡± Horace said. Jett snorted. ¡°So what? It''s not like he''s some big shot!¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? Did you see what car the man was driving?¡± Lukas was driving an S-ss Maybach. It was a low-key car, but a car enthusiast would recognize it as a luxurious car with just a single look. Even though Horace''spany had been doing well these few years, he couldn''t afford a car that cost at least three million either. Most men knew a thing or two about cars. Jett cocked his head to take a better look at Lukas'' car and noticed that Horace was right. ¡°My goodness, Horace! This car is at least three million! He has to earn at least billions to be able to afford that car!¡± Horace smacked Jett''s head and chided, ¡°You don''t say?¡± Horace had thought that the young man merely had a good job. However, he admitted defeat after seeing Lukas'' car. He grimaced at the thought of what he had said to Lukas earlier. Sophia''s smile widened as she looked at the two men through the rearview mirror. She had only retracted her gaze after the car left the hospital. Sophia then cocked her head to one side to look at Lukas. ¡°What did you say to them, Lukas?¡± How did he manage to scare them senseless in just a few seconds? ¡°Nothing much,¡± Lukas replied nonchntly. Sophia raised a brow in doubt. However, she did not press on since Lukas didn''t seem like he wanted to discuss the matter further. After all, no matter what he said, Lukas was teaching the arrogant man a lesson on behalf of her. As the car cruised through the city center, Sophia hesitated a little before she said, ¡°Lukas, please drop me off at Golden Hotel.¡± She was going to have dinner with Alexander anyway. Hence, she reckoned it didn''t matter whether she met him up earlier orter. Lukas turned to eye her and asked, ¡°Are you going to meet Alexander?¡± Though his tone was neutral, Sophia still felt abashed as she mumbled, ¡°Yes.¡± She kept her head low and didn''t meet Lukas'' gaze. He said nothing and took a turn at the next intersection to drop her at the entrance of Golden Hotel. ¡°Are youing back for dinner tonight?¡± Lukas asked. ¡°I''m meeting up with Alexander for dinner.¡± Lukas'' expression stiffened ever so slightly. ¡°I''ming over to pick you up at tenter.¡± Sophia''s cheeks tinged pink. ¡°I''ll go back before ten.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lukas replied. After a brief pause, ¡°Aren''t you guys going fishing with Grandpa tomorrow?¡± He reckoned that they should go to sleep earlier if they were going fishing the next day. Sophia sensed the undertone to his question and felt her face going hot with embarrassment. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Go on in,¡± Lukas said. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Sophia nodded. She bade him goodbye and turned to head inside the hotel. Alexander didn''t actually know that she would be there. She was nning to surprise him. However, she noticed that Alexander was not in the room. Sophia texted him, only to find out that he was out. However, he was already on his way back to the hotel. Sensing that something was off, Alexander replied: What''s the matter? Sophia: Oh, nothing. I wanted to order afternoon tea for you. Alexander: You can order it now. Sophia: Okay. A familiar voice rang in the lobby on the first floor right after she was done replying to his message. Since she didn''t have the room card, Sophia couldn''t enter Alexander''s room. Hence, she could only wait for him in the lounge on the second floor. She thought it would take at least Alexander half an hour to return to the hotel. Sophia then hastily ordered afternoon tea to go and brought it up to the eighteenth floor to Alexander''s room. After Sophia exited the elevator, she bumped into a hotel staff delivering afternoon tea to the opposite room. That gave her an idea. She stood outside Alexander''s room and changed her voice. ¡°Greetings, sir. Your afternoon tea is here.¡± The door was open in seconds after she knocked on the door. ¡°Surprise?¡± Sophia unted the bag in her hand, her eyes crinkling into a smile. Alexander grinned in response. He patted her head and grabbed her hand, leading her into the room. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Hofstadter and Ms. Hofstadter. This is my girlfriend.¡± Sophia felt awkward when she noticed there were other people in the room. She cast a nce at Alexander, who was still holding her hand. His thin lips were curled into a smile, and it was obvious that he was in a good mood. Unlike Sophia, he didn''t feel awkward at all. Sophia straightened her back and wore a more serious expression to greet Alexander''s guests. ¡°Please excuse me. I didn''t mean to impose.¡± ¡°Not at all. We''re the ones disturbing Mr. Xenos,¡± the man on the sofa, Jonathan Hofstadter, said with a smile. He eyed Sophia momentarily and immediately turned to look at Alexander. ¡°Mr. Xenos, your girlfriend is so pretty. I''ve heard a lot about you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia managed a polite smile. ¡°Likewise, I''ve heard a lot about you as well, Mr. Hofstadter.¡± ¡°Since Mr. Xenos is upied, we shouldn''t disturb you further,¡± Jonathan said. He then turned to look at his daughter sitting beside him. ¡°Kristin, we should head back now.¡± The young woman stood up and approached Sophia. ¡°I''ve been looking forward to meeting you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia had been in plenty of simr situations as this one. She managed a graceful smile and offered Kristin a handshake, ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Hofstadter.¡± ¡°I''ve watched thetest two episodes of Going Forward. I like you so much, Sophia! Are you really not considering debuting as an artist?¡± Kristin suddenly asked. Sophia was caught off guard when the young woman suddenly switched from formal greeting to fangirl mode. And here I thought she was yet another love rival I had to fend off. All right, then. Dealing with her will be a piece of cake. Sophia snapped out of her thoughts and let out a soft chuckle. ¡°Thank you, but I was just doing my friend a favor.¡± Kristin was crestfallen andmented, ¡°What a pity! You should debut as an artist. With such a pretty face, I want to shower you with gifts, even if you''re just standing here doing nothing! Oh, can I take photos with you? My friends are your fans as well. They think you''re so pretty, like an angel. Oh my gosh, I met an angel today. I''m so happy!¡± Not only was Sophia stumped by Kristin''s response, but Jonathan was dumbfounded by his daughter''s reaction as well. However, Kristin''s request was reasonable. It was apparent that Jonathan was in the middle of a business discussion with Alexander. Sophia reckoned that it was only right she did Alexander a simple favor. In the end, Sophia took a short video and three photos with Kristin and signed on five photos of herself. Then, Kristin left in satisfaction with her father afterward. Alexander hugged Sophia from behind right after the door was closed behind them. Sophia was taken aback and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Just... a little upset.¡± He carried her to the couch and sat down, his eyes trained on hers. Sophia raised a brow and deliberately asked the obvious, ¡°Because of Ms. Kristin Hofstadter?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Amused, Sophia quipped, ¡°But she''s a girl!¡± ¡°That doesn''t make it okay!¡± Chapter 426 Chapter 426 ¡°Alexander, what''s the matter with you? Why do you get jealous so easily?¡± Sophia slightly arched her brow at him, evidently teasing him on purpose. Taking in the smile on her face, Alexander let out a rare chuckle as well. ¡°Yes. I''m jealous because it''s you.¡± Tightening his arms around her waist as he spoke, he lowered his head and rested it against her forehead. As a result, his lips became positioned a few millimeters above Sophia''s. ¡°The two stayed in close proximity. His hot and humid breaths puffing on her face caused Sophia to hyperventte a little. She looked up at him. ¡°Are you thinking about kissing me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Right after saying that, he kissed her lips. Alexander pecked her lips, coaxing Sophia to part her lips gradually. Sophia felt hot as the air-conditioning inside the room wasn''t switched on. She couldn''t stop herself from letting out a moan. When he slipped his hand into her shirt, she tilted backward. ¡°No. I don''t have any spare clothes.¡± Hearing that, he lifted his head and regarded her eyes filled with burning passion and lust, prompting her to be entirely captivated by him. Her heart skipped a beat, and a scorching sensation coursed through her body as if her skin was being licked by mes. She hurriedly averted her gaze. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against his shoulder, staring nkly at the scene behind him. The room was quiet, save for their heavy breathing. Approximately two minutester, Alexander gently moved away to look at her. ¡°Didn''t you mention there''s afternoon tea?¡± She nced at him. ¡°Do you drink ck coffee?¡± The afternoon tea provided by the restaurant mainly served Ferropenian desserts, which were all too sweet tasting. Alexander wasn''t fond of sweet food, so Sophia deliberately ordered a cup of ck coffee for takeaway and brought the snacks upstairs. ¡°I''ll drink whatever you bring for me.¡± He caressed her face before watching her get to her feet to unpack the bag of snacks. Sophia merely bought a few pieces of cookies and a cup of ck coffee. ¡°I heard the hotel made these cookies, which are supposed to be quite delicious.¡± ¡°Let me have a taste.¡± From N?velDrama.Org. Despite uttering those words, he stayed still and trained his eyes on her, apparently waiting for her to feed him. Feeling helpless for being on the receiving end of his stare, she fed him a piece of cookie. ¡°Here. Open your mouth, you big baby.¡± He''s a grown man, yet why does he act like a baby, insisting on letting others feed him? Alexander wasn''t embarrassed. In the past, whenever he had his meal with Samuel, they would see other couples feeding one another. He regarded their behavior in disdain previously. However, as he watched Sophia feeding him the cookies now, he would finish any amount even though they didn''t taste good. Regrettably, there were only five pieces, so she was done feeding him in just a short while. Taking in the downcast look in his eyes, Sophia couldn''t help but click her tongue. ¡°Do you want more? We can go downstairs to have more of these cookies.¡± Alexander''s eyes gleamed when he heard her suggestion. ¡°That''s not needed.¡± He reached out to lift the cup of coffee and took a sip as he spoke. The coffee tasted bad, but Sophia bought it for him. With the thought in his mind, he decided to gulp the beverage. She noticed the changes in the expression of his eyes, so she immediately snatched the cup away from him. ¡°This coffee isn''t that delicious. You don''t have to force yourself to drink it if you don''t like it.¡± She tossed the cup of coffee into the trash can as she talked. Alexander merely watched without stopping her. This ck coffee is disgusting. She lowered her head to look at her wristwatch. ¡°It''s not even four o''clock. Since it''s still early, should we go to the lounge on the second floor to y billiards?¡± While waiting for him earlier, she had explored the entire second floor of the building. There were plenty of recreational facilities on the second floor. Most of the guests didn''t stay in the hotel during the day, so the ce wasn''t crowded. It had been a long time since shest yed billiards, too, so Sophia thought that would be an excellent opportunity for her to work her muscles. ¡°Okay. Let me get changed.¡± Sophia nodded. Then, she picked up a magazine from the table and browsed through the content. Most people would enter the bathroom to change their clothes. However, Alexander removed his clothes and changed into another outfit beside his luggage, acting as if he was the only person in the room. Sophia felt her cheeks heating up as she listened to him unbuckling his belt. Although she was looking at the magazine before her, she couldn''t focus on the words as the sound of him changing his clothes behind her formed an irresistible distraction. Fortunately, the process didn''tst long. Five minutester, countless scious scenes had yed out and shed across her mind. Finally, Alexander''s familiar voice sounded. ¡°I''m done, Sophia.¡± She regained herposure and calmly closed the magazine before turning around to look at him. ¡°Let''s go, then.¡± She was taken aback when she saw him. That was the first time she had seen Alexander dressed in such a young and casual outfit after knowing him for so many years. He had always been d in suits aside from the asional sportswear when he was out exercising. At that instant, dressed in dark-colored jeans, a loose white T-shirt, and an undershirt, he suddenly resembled a teenager. ¡°Do I not look good in this outfit?¡± Alexander frowned a little. He used to dress in that manner when he was abroad. However, as he attracted too many girls to swoon over him in that attire, he changed into wearing a suit all the time upon returning to the country. Unlike Samuel, he didn''t fancy women adoring and pursuing him. He was satisfied to win only Sophia''s affection. However, when he called Samuel two nights ago to ask about ways to please an elder, Samuel pushed his luck and began roasting his fashion sense as they chatted. Samuelmented on how Alexander was constantly wearing suits. No matter how good-looking he was in the attire or how attractive his physique was, others would eventually get tired of seeing him in the same style of outfits. Not to mention, he appeared too formal when dressed in suits. Samuel told Alexander he needed to give off a less severe presence if he were to be in Perrin''s good books. The gist was to disy his more vibrant side by avoiding wearing suits too often. Samuel also mentioned Alexander was thirty-two years old, which was five years older than Sophia. Sophia was pretty and seemed young, so Alexander would appear old inparison if he always wore a suit. Although Samuel''s words wereced with hints of jeers, Alexander thought part of Samuel''s remarks made sense upon further ponderation. Therefore, Alexander requested Felix to help him purchase some trendier clothes the day before. The latter implicitly reminded him that the current stylish outfits might be too out-there and would only worsen things for Alexander. In the end, Alexander decided to go to the shopping mall to purchase the clothes personally. Alexander was confident in his facial features, but Samuel''s constant mockery about his aesthetic sense caused him to doubt whether the change in his fashion style had failed to achieve his intended goal. Sophia burst outughing when she heard that. ¡°Since when have you be so unconfident in yourself?¡± She quickly strode over and wrapped her arms around his. ¡°You look terrific. This is the first time I''ve seen you in this type of outfit, so I''m quite astonished. At the same time, I like this appearance too.¡± A man was also fond of ttery. Hence, herments brightened up Alexander''s mood. ¡°I think you look good in everything you wear too.¡± Sophia gazed at him and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Should I reply you ''likewise''?¡± Alexander lowered his head to look at her. ¡°Thank you.¡± He''s such a narcissist! Chapter 427 Chapter 427 Sophia was wearing a casual dress as she walked alongside Alexander. The two of them looked like a university couple on vacation. Many people couldn''t help but stare at them when they walked out of the elevator because of their attractive looks. Some even thought they were actors filming a scene for a drama. However, after waiting for a while, and Sophia and Alexander had already walked away, the onlookers realized they were just two good- looking people after not seeing a film crew. Sophia hadn''t yed billiards in years. Katherine used to enjoy ying it when they were in junior high. As a result, Sophia, Katherine, and Joshua would always gather at the shop behind the school and buy a bottle of drink. Then, they would y billiards until it was time to go home for dinner. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Sophia and Katherine were gorgeous, and the shopkeeper developed a liking for them. Although the three of them only spent around three dors, many students came to the shop to buy snacks to catch a glimpse of Sophia and Katherine, inadvertently boosting the shop''s business. The shopkeeper even offered them free drinks to encourage them to continue ying billiards there. Joshua''s family was not well-off, so he often had to help his ssmates with their homework to earn five dors per subject. There were a few wealthy and academically challenged students in their school who would always ask Joshua to do their homework. After school, Joshua would be at the side, working on his ssmates'' homework while Sophia and Katherine yed billiards. However, Katherine''s billiards skills were terrible, causing Sophia to feel as though she was ying with a child. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Alexander''s voice brought Sophia back to reality. She collected her thoughts and smiled at Alexander. ¡°I was just reminiscing about the times when Katherine and I used to y billiards together.¡± Over ten years had passed in the blink of an eye, and all three of them had achieved sess in their own ways. Alexander chalked his cue stick and asked, ¡°When did you learn how to y?¡± ¡°In junior high.¡± Alexander nced at her, and his gaze softened. ¡°Precious, your skills must be quite impressive.¡± They were the only ones left in the billiards room, but it was still a public space. However, Sophia still couldn''t help but blush when she heard Alexander call her ¡°Precious.¡± She quicklyposed herself and smiled. ¡°Not too bad.¡± ¡°How about a match between us?¡± Alexander suggested. Sophia cast a nce at him and raised a brow. ¡°Do you want to ce a bet?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What should we bet on?¡± ¡°If I lose, I will take you home after dinner. If you lose, we''ll pick up Mr. Dawson together tomorrow.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°You''re rather bold, aren''t you?¡± He was openly abducting her in the Dawson family''s territory without fear that Perrin would tear him into pieces the next day. ¡°One needs to be adventurous in life sometimes.¡± He paused and added, ¡°The hotel bed is ufortable to sleep on. I had trouble sleepingst night, but I wouldn''t be if I was holding you.¡± Sophia lowered her head and looked at the colorful balls, and her smile deepened. ¡°Sure.¡± He might not win against me, anyway. Katherine''s skills were terrible, therefore, entuating Sophia''s billiards skills. The adults ying at the adjacent tables would y with Sophia frequently, improving her skills. By the time they were in their third year of junior high, many people knew that Sophia was good at ying billiards and came to challenge her. Sophia felt it was annoying, so she mentioned that whoever lost had to pay her a hundred. This statement did scare off many people who weren''t confident in their skills, but there were still people who thought that the rumors were exaggerated and challenged Sophia. At that time, Sophia''s allowance was only a hundred per month. To avoid losing all her allowance, she even watched videos of international billiards matches. Sophia''s sharp memory and excellent psychomotor skills made her a fast learner. She was able to learn these techniques after practicing them a few times. Sophia was able to win more than three thousand from these billiards matches. Of course, she did lose before. However, her billiards skills were still extraordinary, considering the fact that she only lost two matches after ying around forty games. Later on, more and more people came to challenge Sophia, and even billiards clubs went up to her door and tried recruiting her. Sophia was afraid that it would disturb her family. She didn''t need the money, so she yed against Joshua and lost all three games. After that, Joshua no longer needed to help his ssmates with his homework since it was not worthwhile when he could earn a hundred ying billiards for half an hour. It would take him more than three hours to earn fifty by doing his ssmates'' homework. Later, Joshua''s reputation overshadowed Sophia''s, and fewer people went to challenge her. She finally had peace of mind. Of course, Alexander didn''t know about these things since he didn''t ask. Half an hourter, Sophia looked at Alexander and said, ¡°You won.¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Alexander put down his cue stick and walked to her side. He lowered his head and gave her a kiss. ¡°What do you want to eat tonight?¡± At this moment, a group of people walked in. Sophia blushed crimson and looked up at him. ¡°Let''s eat in this hotel. I heard their signature dish is pretty good.¡± The group that walked in consisted of three men and two women. They were all dressed in luxury brand clothing, probably from affluent backgrounds. Since there were only Sophia and Alexander in the billiards room, they instinctively looked at the two when they walked in. Sophia''s back was facing them, so the group didn''t get a glimpse at her face. However, Alexander was facing them. When the two women saw Alexander, they exchanged nces and started whispering while staring at him. The three men quickly averted their gaze and stopped looking at them. The two women''s scrutinizing gazes were too obvious, causing Sophia to move closer to Alexander. Sophia and Alexander were standing so close to each other that it seemed Alexander was holding her in his arms. It was evident they were a couple. Despite that, a woman in a racy outfit still walked over and uttered, ¡°Sorry to bother you guys.¡± Sophia nced at Alexander and smiled at the woman who came over. ¡°Do you need something?¡± Erika Moore finally got a clear look at Sophia''s face. When she saw Sophia''s appearance, she was stunned for a moment but quickly recovered and raised her hand to y with her long hair. ¡°We''re not very good at ying billiards. We saw you guys outside, and you guys seemed really good. Can you teach us?¡± Sophia didn''t say anything. Instead, she looked up at Alexander. Alexander replied coldly, ¡°Sorry, we can''t.¡± ¡°Oh. Sorry for bothering you guys.¡± Erika nced at the woman. She had been smiling the whole time throughout the whole interaction. Feeling inexplicably nervous, Erika quickly turned and headed back to her group. As soon as she got back, Jasmine ese pulled her and questioned, ¡°How was it?¡± Erika shook her head. ¡°They are a couple. The man is too cold!¡± Remus Cobb interjected, ¡°The girl is so pretty! Is she a celebrity?¡± Jasmine red at her. ¡°There''s no one like her in the entertainment industry.¡± Sophia nced at the time and realized it was already past five. She didn''t want to stay here any longer, so she asked, ¡°Should we head back now?¡± Alexander agreed, annoyed that the men in the group kept looking their way. The two put down their cue sticks and prepared to leave. One of the men called out, ¡°Hey. Are you guys not ying anymore?¡± Sophia nced at Alexander, and they both tacitly decided not to respond. They simply held hands and left. Chapter 428 Chapter 428 Sophia and Alexander were rather pleased with the hotel''s restaurant. It was already dark outside at 7 p.m. when they finished dinner. Since the material of Sophia''s dress was too thin to withstand the chilly weather after sunset, the pair headed straight back to their room after finishing their meal. Since their room had a mini auditorium, they decided to watch a movie to pass the time. At around nine in the evening, Perrin called Sophia inquiring when she''d be back and for Lukas to pick her up when she was ready. Sophia eyed the man beside her in exasperation. ¡°It''s Granddad.¡± The round of billiards in the afternoon was still fresh in her mind. Either way, she wasn''t a sore loser. Nheless, she hadn''t thought of a reasonable excuse to use on Perrin. Sophia gave it some thought and decided to be forting. ¡°I won''t being back tonight. Alexander and I will drop by tomorrow to pick you up and go fishing instead.¡± Perrin snorted. ¡°Is Alexander beside you?¡± The corners of Sophia''s lips lifted as her eyes met Alexander''s. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Pass your phone over to him. There''s something I need to tell him.¡± ¡°Granddad, I can''t go back as I''ve got matters to attend to.¡± ¡°Let me have a word with him.¡± Nothing Sophia did could sway Perrin when he was being willful. ¡°All right. Don''t be angry.¡± With that, she handed her phone over to Alexander. ¡°Granddad wants to have a word with you.¡± Sophia raised her brows and propped her chin on her hands as he took the phone from her. This is going to be interesting. She finally understood why Katherine enjoyed gloating over others'' misfortunes so much. Who knew how entertaining it could be? Alexander''s gaze flicked toward her as he greeted, ¡°Mr. Dawson.¡± ¡°Mr. Xenos, we may be living in the twenty-first century where the norm for most young couples is to cohabit, but I don''t have a very positive impression of you. As long as I''m around, I won''t allow Sophia to stay the night at your ce!¡± Perrin was exceptionally frank with Alexander. Although he had not explicitly chastised him, it was clear as day that Alexander was being put to me. ¡°Sophia was just pulling your leg. She does not intend to stay the night at all. We''re currently watching a movie. Once we''re done, I''ll be sending her back home.¡± Alexander checked the time. ¡°It''s 9.25 p.m. now. I''ll drop Sophia off at the Dawson residence by eleven.¡± Perrin harrumphed in disdain. ¡°You''d better! Don''t be toocent because Sophia fancies you. You have a rather questionable track record. Just because I allow you to be with her doesn''t mean I approve of your marriage! All this is so Sophia doesn''t have to be forced to pick sides. You''d do well to keep that in mind.¡± ¡°I understand. You should get some rest.¡± Perrin was caught off guard by Alexander''s ready acquiescence and had no choice but to swallow his discontent. ¡°Alexander, you''d better keep your promise if you''re a man!¡± ¡°I''ve always been a man of my word.¡± ¡°Yet, you broke your wedding vows with Sophia back then!¡± Perrin had gotten the upper hand in their verbal sparring and hung up before Alexander could refute him. Sophia had been listening in on their conversation all along. ¡°Why did you lie to granddad?¡± ¡°I didn''t.¡± Alexander returned Sophia her phone and patted her head. Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°Well, why deceive me, then?¡± ¡°I''ve done no such thing.¡± His dark eyes flickered as he lowered his head and focused on her. ¡°If Mr. Dawson had not called, I wouldn''t have let you go home.¡± Sophia flushed under the intensity of his gaze that brimmed with desire. She averted her eyes and focused on the movie before her. ¡°How cunning of you.¡± He was ying the good guy from all fronts. What an infuriating fellow. Naturally, she couldn''t continue staying over now that Perrin had personally given her a call. Alexander was true to his word and drove her home to the Dawson residence after the movie ended. His car reached the mansion''s entrance at thirty minutes past ten. The lights on the second floor of the mansion were still on. Sophia distinguished a figure standing on the balcony as she looked out the car window. It was Lukas. Sophia frowned. ¡°I''ll head back now. Drive safe. Goodnight.¡± Alexander said nothing as he drew closer and tilted her chin up before capturing her lips with his. Sophia made a muffled sound of surprise, which allowed him to deepen their kiss. Alexander''s kisses were rough, as if he wished to swallow Sophia whole. She could barely catch her breath. The hand Sophia rested on his chest gradually loosened. The wind blowing in from the window tethered her back to reality, and she pushed him away. ¡°My brother is on the balcony.¡± Alexander''s lips glistened, and his ebony eyes swirled with emotions under the dim light. Sophia feared she would be lost in his stare and scrambled to get out of the car. ¡°See you tomorrow morning.¡± Alexander swallowed and said huskily, ¡°See you.¡± Sophia waved goodbye and turned to make her way into the mansion. ¡°I''m back.¡± Lukas came in from the balcony the moment she reached the second floor. ¡°Lukas,¡± Sophia addressed him sheepishly as she was certain he had seen everything that had taken ce in the car just now. Lukas did not probe. ¡°It''s gettingte. You should go to bed.¡± ¡°Goodnight, Lukas.¡± ¡°Goodnight.¡± Sophia gave him a slight smile as she walked past him and continued upstairs. How embarrassing it was to be in a romantic rtionship when one was no longer as young as one used to be! On the other hand, Alexander had just reached the hotel when a woman he was not acquainted with approached him. ¡°Hello, Alexander.¡± He gave her an icy look and nned to ignore her. Alexander got into the elevator and sent a message to Sophia, informing her that he''d reached the hotel safely. The woman followed him into the elevator when he''d sent the message. She stood beside him on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear with a smirk, ¡°Are you interested in me?¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± She remained unfazed as she chuckled. ¡°But I''m really into you. Perhaps we should find a ce where we can have a little chat.¡± All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Sophia finished showering at 11 p.m. She replied to Alexander''s text message and waited for his reply for several minutes. When he still hadn''t responded, she sent him a goodnight message and fell asleep promptly after lying on the bed. Sophia was awoken by the noise of her phone vibrating early the following morning. She had fallen asleep at around 11 p.m. yesterday, and it wasn''t even seven in the morning when her slumber was disturbed. She was instantly in a foul mood. Her brows furrowed as she nced at the caller ID. ¡°Alexander?¡± ¡°Is this Ms. Yarrow? This is Lieutenant Heughan of the vice squad in Avenport of Doveston. We received a call yesterday reporting that a sedan had driven off course into Mapleton River. We found Mr. Xenos'' phone and ID when we fished it out. Could you please head over to the police station right now?¡± ¡°All right. Got it.¡± Sophia''s mind was nk when she hung up. Chapter 429 Chapter 429 After a brief pause, Sophia suddenly realized something. A scam call! Yes, it''s a scam call! Justst night, Alexander texted her when he returned to his hotel. There was no way he could have ended up in the Mapleton River. That was in the opposite direction! Sophia began to calm down as she grabbed her phone and checked their WhatsApp conversation. But the truth was, thest message with Alexander was her wishing him goodnight the previous night. Alexander hadn''t replied to her message. Unlike now, he would always at least send an ¡°Mhm¡± response. But there was nothing after her goodnight message. Sophia felt a sudden weakness as she stared at the empty chat screen. It took her some time to fully regain herposure. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. She didn''t know what had happened, and panicking now would be pointless. Sophia closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down. Once she calmed down, she got out of bed, washed up, and changed her clothes. As dawn broke outside, Perrin was exercising in the garden. Lukas, who rarely woke up early, had just returned from a morning run. Upon seeing Sophia, Perrin asked dotingly, ¡°Why didn''t you sleep in?¡± Sophia shook her head with a smile. ¡°Granddad, I have to go out for a while. I won''t be able to join you for fishing today. Something happened to Alexander.¡± Lukas, who was standing nearby, furrowed his brows. ¡°What happened?¡± Sophia nced at him and bit her lip. ¡°I just received a call from the deputy chief of Avenport''s criminal investigation team. He said Alexander''s car plunged into Mapleton River at three o''clock this morning.¡± Perrin, who had initially been displeased, stopped his exercise. ¡°What''s going on?¡± ¡°I''m not sure yet, Granddad.¡± Perrin looked at Sophia''s calm face and tenderly patted her head. ¡°Don''t be afraid. Let your brother go with you.¡± Lukas nodded. ¡°Give me a moment.¡± Sophia didn''t refuse. Although she appeared calm, her mind was in turmoil. If she had to drive to the police station alone, she didn''t know if she could manage. ¡°Don''t worry. Even though I don''t like Alexander, he''s a tough guy. He''s going to be fine. Have breakfast first, and then we''ll go.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia responded. Perrin noticed how cold her hand was. With an empathetic expression, he guided her back to the mansion. When Kylie and Kasper came downstairs, they saw the trio sitting at the dining table. At that instant, Kylie knew that Perrin and Sophia were nning to go fishing but had yet to depart because it was still early. Kylie walked over with a smile, about to make a teasing remark, but she noticed Sophia sitting there, lost in thought. She looked at Lukas and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Something happened to Alexander.¡± Kylie''s expression changed slightly, but she didn''t ask any more questions. Lukas started munching down his food, but after consuming half a bowl of oatmeal, Sophia still didn''t eat anything. Realizing that she really had no appetite, Lukas no longer forced her to eat. They picked up the car from the garage before heading to the police station. As they entered the station, a man spotted Lukas and approached with a smile. ¡°Oh, Lukas, our VIP!¡± Lukas nced at the man and introduced Sophia. ¡°This is my sister, Sophia. We''re here to see Lieutenant Heughan from the criminal investigation team.¡± The man looked at Sophia, taken aback for a moment, but before he could express his surprise, Abel Heughan appeared behind them and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Lieutenant Heughan, let''s get straight to the point. I want to know what happened.¡± Abel had never encountered someone soposed. He got to the heart of the matter, briefly summarizing the events. ¡°We received a reportst night that a sedan had careened off control and plunged into Mapleton River. After getting the report, we immediately dispatched a search team that scoured three kilometers along the river, but the car owner was nowhere to be found. At around six in the morning, the car was recovered, and our officers found a jacket belonging to Mr. Alexander Xenos inside. His wallet and phone were in the jacket, and when we removed the SIM card from the phone, we discovered that you were the only contact in it. That''s why we called you.¡± Sophia looked at Abel, frowning slightly. ¡°Correct me if I''m wrong, but this seems like an idental car incident. Why is a criminal investigation team handling a case involving a vehicle falling into the river?¡± Abel was taken aback but quickly admired Sophia''s intelligence. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you''re a perceptive person. That''s precisely what I wanted to discuss. We suspect that this is a premeditated murder case because, upon inspecting the vehicle, we found that the brake system had been tampered with.¡± After hearing the word ¡°murder,¡± Sophia''s hand tightened at her side. ¡°Where is Alexander?¡± ¡°We have yet to find Mr. Xenos'' body,¡± Abel replied. Sophia didn''t like the word ¡°body¡± but knew it was reasonable for Abel to assume the worst. With Alexander''s car brakes failing and his vehicle careening off the bridge into the river, the odds were against his survival. Despite this, she couldn''t ept it. ¡°Lieutenant Heughan, Alexander wouldn''t have gotten into an ident so easily. He learned diving and was a city swimming champion in the freestyle category in junior high.¡± Abel remained silent for a few seconds, avoiding the sensitive topic. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, we need your cooperation in our investigation.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Sophia agreed, pausing momentarily. ¡°But first, I need to make a phone call.¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Abel gestured for her to proceed, then instructed a colleague to prepare Sophia''s written statement when ready. Sophia took out her phone and called Felix first. Given the current situation, she needed Felix to help manage Odyssey so that thepany would remain intact when Alexander returned. Next, Sophia called Yvonne, asking thetter to bring people over quickly. Finally, she made a call to Samuel. The truth couldn''t be concealed forever. Sooner orter, the news of Alexander''s ident would spread, and there would be rumors within their social circle. She could hide it from many people, but hiding it from Samuel and the others was unnecessary. After making those three calls, Sophia looked at Lukas. ¡°Lukas, I might need your help. My people should be arriving this afternoon.¡± Lukas looked at her and gently hugged her. ¡°I''ve already sent someone to investigate. Don''t worry. Both Granddad and I are here for you.¡± Sophia''s eyes welled up with tears, and she softly replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Soon after, Sophia followed Abel''s colleague into the interrogation room. As she entered, a policewoman poured her a ss of water. Sophia nced at her and smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you.¡± The policewoman nodded, picked up the written statement, and began questioning her, ¡°When was yourst contact with Mr. Alexander Xenos?¡± ¡°Last night, at ten-thirty. He sent me home and then went back to his hotel. He texted me, saying he had returned to his hotel. I was taking a shower at the time. When I saw the message, I waited for him to reply, but he didn''t. I assumed he was showering, so I sent him a goodnight message, then put my phone away and drifted off to sleep.¡± Sophia paused momentarily. ¡°We had arranged to go fishing with my Granddad in the countryside today.¡± Abel, who was nearby, asked, ¡°Did Alexander have any enemies?¡± ¡°Dillon Xenos, his uncle.¡± ¡°What was their feud about?¡± Sophia took a sip of water, looked up at Abel, and said, ¡°It was about their family inheritance.¡± The questioning continued for over half an hour. As soon as Sophia left the interrogation room, she saw several missed calls from Samuel on her phone. Sophia looked at Lukas. ¡°It''s a call from Alexander''s friend. I''ll need to call him back now.¡± Lukas nodded and stood under the old locust tree, watching Sophia. As soon as Sophia left the interrogation room, the policewoman immediately said, ¡°Lieutenant Heughan, are Sophia and Alexander really in a rtionship? She seems so calm, answering our questions clearly and logically. It''s like she knows what we''ll ask, and she gave clear and detailed exnations. It was as if she had prepared her answers in advance, no?¡± Abel gave the policewoman a sidelong nce. ¡°Do you think every woman in this situation should be crying non-stop?¡± The policewoman was unconvinced and pouted. ¡°But she''s too calm!¡± Abel scoffed. ¡°You didn''t notice her hands shaking as she held the cup.¡± Sophia was afraid too, but she knew that in the current situation, only by fully cooperating would Alexander''s chances of survival be higher. There are different types of people in this world, and it''s impossible to generalize. Chapter 430 Chapter 430 Only a few people personally informed by Sophia knew about the incident, while others were still unaware of what happened to Alexander. Sophia''s first suspicion fell on Dillon when Alexander suddenly got into trouble. However, Felix''s investigation showed that Dillon was still held in police custody as his kidnapping case was awaiting trial. Randy and Tyler were too preupied with their problems to deal with Alexander, especially with Dillon''s mess. They couldn''t even resolve their own issues, let alone target Alexander. Certainly, it wasn''t done by Dillon''s group. For a moment, Sophia couldn''t think of any other suspects. For a veteran businessman like Alexander, making enemies would be inevitable. However, it was hard to imagine who would dare to make a move against him. Sophia had never been so disoriented before. She couldn''t think of anything and had no clear thoughts. Noticing her silence, Lukas asked the waiter for a cup of warm water and said to Sophia, ¡°My people have retrieved the hotel''s surveince footage fromst night.¡± Sophia reacted and looked up at Lukas. ¡°Should we go to the hotel now?¡± ¡°Let''s eat first.¡± Sophia pursed her lips, not expressing any agreement or disagreement. Yet, she really had no appetite. At the same time, she knew that Lukas was looking out for her. Lukas handed her the menu. ¡°Order first, and after that, I''ll tell you about what happened in the surveince footagest night.¡± Sophia took the menu, nced at it, and casually ordered some dishes. Lukas added two more dishes and sent the order. Then, he began to speak. ¡°The surveince shows that when Alexander returned to the hotelst night, a woman approached him. Alexander ignored her and went straight to the elevator. However, the woman followed him inside.¡± Lukas paused briefly, looked at Sophia to gauge her reaction, and then continued. ¡°The elevator footage shows that the woman said something to Alexander. When they reached the top floor, he didn''t leave. Instead, he went back down with the woman, left the hotel, and drove away. We haven''t been able to identify who the woman is yet.¡± Sophia nced at Lukas. ¡°I understand, thank you.¡± She didn''t say anything further. Lukas frowned slightly. ¡°The woman was young and beautiful.¡± At that instant, Sophia furrowed her brows. ¡°Lukas.¡± She looked at him. ¡°He wouldn''t do that.¡± Sophia had known Alexander for so many years, and although their three-year marriage was nothing to celebrate, she had never seen him close to another woman. He had never been involved in any scandal with other women during their marriage. Initially, she thought Bethany was his first love. Still, after their divorce, Alexander''s attitude toward Bethany made it clear to Sophia that it was just a y orchestrated by Bethany amidst the chaos. She was too close to realizing the truth, so she was manipted. Alexander had never been involved in any scandal before, and now he had even less reason to do so. Sophia knew what Lukas wanted to say but didn''t believe it and was confident that Alexander would never do such a thing. ¡°I didn''t mean it that way, Sophia. I think that this woman might be our breakthrough.¡± Sophia pursed her lips. ¡°I think so too.¡± The sudden appearance of this woman, Alexander''s decision not to exit the elevator even after reaching his floor, and his returning to the ground floor and leaving with the woman raised many questions. Sophia had no appetite and could only eat a few bites before losing interest. Lukas didn''t say anything. After paying the bill, he took her to the hotel. Lukas'' assistant had alreadymunicated with the hotel staff, so they went directly to the manager''s office when they arrived. Given the prominent status of the Dawson family and Lukas himself, the hotel naturally wouldn''t refuse their request to view the surveince footage. Alexander returned to the hotel around ten past eleven after dropping Sophia off at the Dawson residence. From the surveince room, it was clear that Alexander entered the hotel alone, and the woman Lukas mentioned followed him inside. The two entered the elevator and then left the hotel within ten minutes. When Alexander and the woman came out of the elevator, his facial expression appeared no different from usual¡ªstill wearing a cold demeanor, maintaining nearly half a meter distance between them. There was no hint of intimacy between the two, so there was no reason to believe Alexander would cheat on Sophia. Moreover, this was a hotel. If Alexander and the woman wanted to hook up, they wouldn''t have needed to leave the hotel. This was thest footage of Alexander before his disappearance. Sophia watched it five times but couldn''t discern anything unusual. Lukas, who was standing next to her, turned off the surveince video. ¡°Don''t watch it anymore.¡± He nced at Sophia and then turned to the hotel manager. ¡°Is the woman in the footage a registered guest at the hotel?¡± The hotel manager hesitated. ¡°Mr. Dawson, I''m not sure. I''ll have someone check it right away.¡± Lukas acknowledged the response and looked at Sophia, who was watching him. He had asked the question she wanted to know the answer to. Soon, the hotel''s front desk informed the manager that the woman who approached Alexander and left the hotel with him was not a registered guest. In other words, they still had no idea who the woman was. The woman was the key, but since she wasn''t staying at Golden Hotel, investigating further into that that would only be a waste of time. Coincidentally, Sophia received a call from Yvonne, who had justnded and was on her way. After hanging up, Sophia looked at Lukas, who had been with her all day. ¡°Yvonne is on her way. You don''t have to stay with me anymore. You can take care of your own matters.¡± ¡°I have nothing else to do today.¡± Considering the situation, Lukas couldn''t possibly leave Sophia alone. All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Sophia seemed fine since the morning, apart from her woeful expression. However, Lukas knew that it was just a facade. Despite that, Sophia had a huge ego, and he wouldn''t want to expose her pretense. Sophia pursed her lips and ultimately didn''t refuse Lukas''pany. ¡°In that case, could you take me to Mapleton River?¡± Sophia wanted to visit the scene, and Yvonne would join herter. ¡°All right.¡± As the duo left the hotel, they ran into Abel, who hade to investigate and gather evidence. Abel hesitated upon seeing the duo. ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Lieutenant Heughan,¡± Sophia called out to him, ¡°I won''t hinder your investigation, but I hope to pursue my own investigations as well.¡± Lukas added, ¡°We won''t make things difficult for you.¡± Abel nodded. ¡°If you find any new leads, please share them with us.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Sophia responded indifferently, ¡°Lukas, let''s go.¡± ¡°Hey, where are you two nning to go? Mapleton River?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sophia answered confidently, leaving Abel little to say. As evidence had already been collected when the vehicle was retrieved in the morning, the bridge had to be reopened to the public. It couldn''t remain closed indefinitely. Since it was a public area, Sophia and Lukas were free to visit, and Abel could do nothing to stop them. However... ¡°Ms. Yarrow, we suspect that this is a premeditated murder case. The perpetrator is cunning; it won''t be easy to solve. I understand your feelings, but please trust the police. For your safety, it''s best to stay away from this matter.¡± The car''s brakes had been tampered with, and surveince footage from the bridgest night showed that Alexander''s car plunging into the river wasn''t simply due to brake failure. Before falling into the water, another vehicle had rear-ended his car. Of course, these details were confidential, and Abel couldn''t disclose them to Sophia. All he could do was subtly warn her. ¡°Thank you, Lieutenant Heughan. I understand.¡± Sophia''s response was still indifferent, making it clear that she wasn''t heeding his advice. Watching their retreating figures, Abel sighed. Chapter 431 Chapter 431 The weather today was gloomy and overcast, a stark contrast to the clear blue skies yesterday. It was autumn in Doveston; as soon as the sun set, the air turned chilly. As Sophia stood by the river watching the waves crash, the frigid air sent shivers down her spine. Lukas quickly retrieved a nket from the car, draping it over her shoulders. As she snuggled into its warmth, she looked at the man and said gratefully, "Thank you, Lukas." "Even though I never liked Alexander, I''m sure he is fine," Lukas assured. Despite the imusibility of his words, one had to hold on to the belief that miracles could happen. Sophia had never been religious, superstitious, or a believer in miracles. However, at this moment, she could only hope that her prayers were heard and that a miracle urred. After all, Alexander was still young. "Ms. Yarrow." Yvonne appeared to have rushed there, and when she realized Sophia was safe, she breathed a sigh of relief. Sophia smiled as she turned to face the woman. "You''re here, Ms. Leighton." Having apanied Sophia for many years, Yvonne discovered that the woman smiled often. However, with her experience, she could distinguish a genuine smile from a fake one at one nce. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Yet, she could not tell whether Sophia was smiling genuinely at the moment. While Yvonne was thinking about what to say, Sophia continued, "I sent you a picture of the woman who left the hotel with Alexanderst night. I want to know everything about the woman as soon as possible. Also, I know that you are in close contact with Felix recently; please ensure that any news rted to Alexander is kept under wraps." As she spoke, the smile stered on her face vanished. Sophia turned to face the river, the wind blowing cold against her face as she remained expressionless. Yvonne felt her heart sink, but she knew it was more useful to quickly get on with the investigation than to offer words of constion. "All right, Ms. Yarrow. I''ll have someone look into this." Sophia nodded before turning to Lukas. "Ms. Leighton will take care of the matter. There''s no need for you to intervene, Lukas." After all, the man''s political career could be impacted if he was found to be involved. Lukas decided not to press the matter further upon noticing how determined she was. "Don''t worry, Sophia. Feel free to call me for help anytime, okay?" "Thanks, Lukas," Sophia replied gratefully. The trio then parted ways, with Yvonne continuing her investigation in Doveston and Sophia and Lukas returning to the Dawson residence. When Sophia and Lukas arrived at the Dawson residence, they ran into Perrin and Kylie, who were sitting in the living room. Perrin was at a loss for words tofort Sophia after the sudden incident involving Alexander. His heart ached for Sophia, and when he noticed her silence, he decided to console her. "There''s no need to worry, Sophia. Alexander isn''t an ordinary man; he will be all right." To put Perrin at ease, the woman grinned and answered, "I have faith in him, Granddad!" Kylie walked over and held Sophia''s hand. "I''ve ordered a gown. Would you mind apanying me to try it on?" Sophia agreed, knowing Kylie was trying to divert attention from the former''s troubles. Moreover, there wasn''t much she could do but wait for Yvonne and Felix to finish the investigation. After two months of preparation, Kylie received a call today informing her that the gown was ready for fitting. As a result, she decided to bring Sophia along to distract the woman from the incident. Kylie frequently visited the renowned gown-making store in Doveston; most of her gowns were created there. As Sophia stepped into the store, she was mesmerized by the rows of beautiful gowns in various designs and colors. "Would you like them to make you a gown too?" Kylie asked. "Sure." Alexander had never seen Sophia in a gown before because she had never worn one. Upon hearing Sophia''s response, Kylie immediately summoned the seamstress. "Maria, hurry! Make a gown for my niece!" Maria was ady in her forties with a pleasant demeanor. She was dressed in a simple navy blue gown, her hair tied up neatly in a simple essory. When she saw Sophia, she could not help but exim, "Your niece looks like an angel from the heavens!" Kylie chuckled. "Sophia is really beautiful." "How may I address you, miss?" Maria asked tenderly. "I''m Sophia Yarrow." As Maria took Sophia''s measurements, she asked, "Have you worn a gown before, Ms. Yarrow?" The woman shook her head and responded, "Nope." "What a pity! With your perfect body and good looks, I''m sure you will look gorgeous in a gown!" Maria said sincerely. Sophia nced at Kylie before replying, "Thank you, Maria." "Such a polite girl!" Maria praised. The custom-made gown crafted by Maria would naturally be of the highest quality. She would design the gown herself based on Sophia''s measurements, and it would take about two to three months for the gown to be ready for collection. By the time Sophia and Kylie left the shop, it was four in the afternoon. Sophia graciously epted Kylie''s offer to dine out and chose a specialty restaurant. When they returned home at night, Kylie said nothing more and patted Sophia on the shoulder. Sophia then apanied Perrin for a game of chess. However, because of her poor performance, the game was over in twenty minutes. Perrin couldn''t bear to say more; he simply advised her to get some rest, and if she needed assistance, she could seek out Lukas. Sophia nodded. "I''m fine, Granddad. You should get some rest." With that, she supported Perrin to the study before returning to her room. Spending the whole day outdoors helped Sophia to escape the troubles that gued her mind. Finally, she received a call from Yvonne at seven o''clock the next day. As expected, Yvonne was an efficient secretary. In less than a day, she had uncovered the woman''s background. "Ms. Yarrow, that woman is called Qahira Lombard. She''s twenty-six years old, an Ustranasion and of Chanaean ethnicity. She arrived in Xemrich on the twenty-eighth ofst month, then made her way to Jadeborough on the thirtieth. She finally arrived in Doveston on the first of this month and has been staying at Floral ins Hotel. However, she hasn''t returned to the hotel since she left at noon the day before." After giving her temple a quick massage, Sophia asked, "Who did she have contact with in Jadeborough and Doveston?" "We are still in the process of identifying Qahira''s interpersonal rtionships. ording to the hotel''s reception, she was in Doveston for a holiday." After a brief pause, Yvonne continued, "However, there were no traces of her engaging in any tour activities in Jadeborough or Doveston. Furthermore, there were no records of her purchasing tickets for popr tourist destinations. Therefore, I suspect that she was after Mr. Xenos," Yvonne reported. Sophia furrowed her brow in disbelief. "Is there any information on her life abroad?" Who is Qahira Lombard? How is she rted to Alexander? Why did shee to Doveston to look for him? What exactly does she want? Is she responsible for Alexander¡¯s disappearance? "I have already sent someone to investigate her background in Ustrana, but it may take some time to gather the information. Rest assured, Ms. Yarrow, I will ensure that they uncover the truth as soon as possible," Yvonne said with confidence. "All right, thank you for your hard work," Sophia replied gratefully. "I''m just doing what I should." After a short pause, Yvonne continued, "I believe Mr. Xenos would never abandon you just like that, Ms. Yarrow." A soft chuckle escaped Sophia''s lips, but tears glistened at the corners of her eyes. "I trust him too. Don''t worry about me; I''m fine." "Okay. Take care, Ms. Yarrow." Sophia drew open the curtains after ending the call. The weather seems splendid today; it''s going to be a great day. Chapter 432 Chapter 432 On the third day of Alexander''s disappearance, Yvonne finally uncovered Qahira''s identity. Her parents were immigrants who settled in Ustrana many years ago. Qahira was of Chanaean ethnicity, born and raised in Ustrana. When she was ten years old, she traveled to Chanaea with her parents for a vacation. Since then, she never stepped foot into the country again. Qahira''s familial connections weren''t intricate. Beyond her rtives, her circleprised childhood friends and ssmates. Despite Yvonne''s exhaustive search, she could not find anyone who had crossed paths with Alexander. Felix had also sent someone to check on Alexander''s overseaspanies. Simrly, there were no signs of anything amiss. There was no clear indication of whether Alexander''s incident was an ident or foul y. The truth remained elusive. And the one person who could potentially shed light on the mystery, Qahira, seemed to have vanished without a trace. Both Yvonne and Felix''s men had scoured everywhere to find her, but their efforts had yielded no results. No one knew if Qahira was dead or alive. Yvonne grew increasingly concerned as Sophia remained silent for a prolonged period of time after learning of the findings. Worried about her friend, Yvonne couldn''t help but say, "Ms. Yarrow, sometimes no news might be good news." In response, Sophia looked at Yvonne with a faint smile. "Yeah, I know." After a brief pause, she added, "Thank you for your hard work. I''ll be making a trip to Jadeborough tomorrow. Please help me to continue investigating the matter, Ms. Leighton." She needed to keep Sunshine Group and Odyssey running. Hence, she couldn''t stay in Doveston indefinitely, even if it was for Alexander''s sake. "Rest assured, Ms. Yarrow. We will update you once there is further progress in the investigation." "Okay. Let''s eat." Sophia had lost her appetite over the past few days, and her meals had been meager. But now, with a slight hunger gnawing at her, she lowered her head and ate in silence. After dinner, Yvonne and Sophia parted ways. Sophia spotted the Dawson family''s car as soon as she stepped out of the restaurant. It turned out that Perrin, who was worried about her, had arranged for the driver to pick her up. "Hi, Ms. Yarrow," Alfred greeted before opening the car door for Sophia to enter. The woman responded with a smile, "Thank you, Alfred." She slumped into her seat, her gaze unfocused as she stared out the window. As Perrin caught sight of Sophia''s return to the Dawson residence, a wave of relief washed over him. He asked, "Have you had dinner? If you are still hungry, I can ask the servants to prepare supper for you." Sophia''s appetite had waned recently, so herplexion had be pallid. Even though Perrin was concerned about her well-being, he knew better than to discuss the matter. Sophia shook her head and replied, "I have taken my dinner, Granddad. Shall we y a game of chess?" She knew that Perrin was worried about her. It had been three days since Alexander''s disappearance; it was time for Sophia to regain herposure. After all, she couldn''t afford to stay dejected indefinitely. Upon hearing her offer, Perrin could barely hide his joy. "You have a morning flight to catch tomorrow. Will it affect your rest?" "It''s only eight o''clock, Granddad." "Ah yes! Great, let''s y chess. I like ying chess." With a renewed sense ofposure, Sophia seemed much calmer. After ying a game of chess, Perrin let out a sigh of relief. Sophia wanted to dispel Perrin''s worries before she left. Given Alexander''s sudden ident, she knew there would be a tough battle to fight when she returned to Jadeborough. "Please take care of your health, Granddad. I may not be able to visit you for an extended period of time." The old man looked at his granddaughter affectionately, reaching out to touch her face. "I know you''re upset, but we still don''t know the truth. Moreover, no one knows how Alexander is doing. When you go back to Jadeborough this time, there will be many challenges that you need to handle. If you encounter difficulties, remember to seek help from Lukas. He may not be talented, but he''s definitely able to support you." "I will, Granddad," Sophia replied gratefully. "Take care of yourself. For all you know, Alexander could be fine while you are wearing yourself out from exhaustion." "I will." After the heart-to-heart talk, Sophia returned to her room and rested. Her flight was set for ten minutes past nine the next day, which meant she had to be awake by six in the morning. "Lukas?" Sophia was surprised to bump into the man at the stairwell. For the convenience ofmuting to work, Lukas chose to stay closer to the city center during weekdays, returning to the Dawson residence only on weekends. Lukas went back to work two nights ago and hadn''t been at home since. Given that Sophia went to bed earlyst night, she didn''t know Lukas hade back. Hence, she was shocked to see the man early in the morning. However, she could guess the reason for his appearance. Despite being incredibly busy with work, Lukas rushed back to see her off at the airport. Sophia blinked and said, "Morning, Lukas." "Morning," he greeted, taking a bottle of milk and handing it to her. "Remember to eat your meals when you are back." "Okay," she answered. As Kylie knew that Sophia would be taking the morning flight, she, too, woke up early for the family breakfast. Finally, Lukas and Sophia left for the airport at half past seven. At this hour, the traffic on the road was congested. Fortunately, Sophia arrived at the airport ahead of schedule at a quarter past eight. After the car came to a stop, Lukas turned his head to look at her. "Odyssey has just stabilized. You won''t be able to keep Alexander''s incident under wraps for long. When the matter is revealed, the shareholders will definitely be standing against you." After a short pause, the man continued, "Please call me if you need support." Sophia pursed her lips and epted the offer. "Sure." She was not fighting alone now; she no longer felt helpless, like when her parents had passed away. Hence, she was confident that she could keep thepany running and that it would be in the same state when Alexander returned. "Hurry on then!" Lukas patted her head gently. Not only did Alexander''s ident catch them by surprise, but none of them had anticipated waking up to the news of his disappearance. After unfastening her seat belt, Sophia said, "Lukas, can you please spend some time ying chess with Granddad?" "Okay," the man assured. Although they had only recently reunited, the unspoken understanding between family members was palpable. They managed to convey everything that needed to be said in just a few words. Yvonne had opted to remain in Doveston, leaving Sophia to make the journey back to Jadeborough alone. The ne was set to depart at ten past nine, and after a two-hour flight, Sophia arrived at her destination just as the clock struck twelve. When she walked out of the airport gate, she caught sight of Felix and Samuel. From N?velDrama.Org. Since the day Sophia informed Samuel about Alexander''s mishap, he had initially thought it was all just a joke. However, when he called her again, she sounded deadly serious. Only then did he know that she wasn''t fooling around. Samuel could not believe the twist of events. If Felix had not stopped him, he would have flown to Doveston to look for Sophia. After enduring several days of waiting, he finally persevered until her return. He abruptly walked out of the meeting with thepany''s high-level executives so that he could rush to the airport to wee her. "What happened to Alex?" Samuel asked. Sophia nced at him and replied, "Let''s talk in the car, Mr. Schild." The man kept silent after surveying his surroundings. Then, he turned sideways and examined Sophia. A part of him still believed that Alexander''s incident was a joke. Unfortunately, it wasn''t. Once they got into the car, Sophia briefly updated Samuel on thetest situation. "Are you saying that Alexander got into trouble after he left the hotel with a mysterious woman?" the man asked with a solemn expression. Sophia tilted her head to face him. "Well, you can put it that way." Suddenly, Samuel looked at her with a strange expression. "Do you really think he''s that kind of person?" Since when did Alexander be a dishonorable man? Knowing Samuel had misunderstood the situation, Sophia challenged, "What about you, Mr. Schild? Do you think he''s that kind of person?" "Of course not! He wouldn''t let any womene close to him before he met you. If not, why did you think in your first three years of marriage, he..." Samuel immediately stopped himself when he realized he had said the wrong words. "I misspoke." "Good that you are self-aware, Mr. Schild." The man let out a cough before saying, "You seem to be in a good mood." She''s still in the mood to banter with me. Is this really not a joke? The smile on Sophia''s face faded as she heard his words. "I trust him." Samuel was momentarily stunned as he realized it wasn''t a joke. "What''s your n?" he asked seriously. "I''ll wait for him." "Aren''t you afraid..." Sophia lifted her head slightly and looked at the man. "I''m afraid." Nevertheless, the woman knew being afraid was useless. She had only loved that one person her entire life. Chapter 433 Chapter 433 To be honest, I don''t have any ns regarding this matter rted to Alexander. Samuel''s question has genuinely stumped me. Sophia turned to look out of the car window and was quiet for a few moments before saying, "I don''t have any ns. I just want to wrap my mind around this situation as best as I can and figure out what exactly is happening." Samuel gazed at her with a somewhat dispirited expression. "You''re right." After a brief pause, he added, "By the way, has Alex ever told you about Fortuna?" When Alexander studied abroad years ago, he and a college ssmate co-founded Fortuna. Afterward, his ssmate returned home to inherit his family business and sold all his shares to Alexander, making Alexander thergest shareholder of Fortuna. However, not many people knew about that. Most people in the industry were under the impression that Fortuna''s chairman was a foreigner. Despite that, no one knew what the so-called "foreign chairman" looked like, let alone associating him with Alexander. Sophia averted her gaze and nodded. "I found out about that not long ago." Samuel was a little surprised, but he quickly pulled himself together. "If you need any help, don''t hesitate to ask." Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. "Of course." With Alexander missing, the biggest challenge Sophia had to face now was handling Odyssey. Although Dillon was no longer a threat, not all the remaining old-timers at Odyssey were truly loyal to Alexander. They were more like fence-sitters, swaying between sides. Some shrewd or ambitious ones were even waiting to take advantage of the situation and reap the benefits after all the conflicts ceased. The news of Alexander''s disappearance wouldn''t remain a secret for long. Once the word got out, Odyssey would definitely be in turmoil again. As thergest shareholder of Odyssey besides Alexander, it was reasonable for her to take over his position and manage thepany. Unfortunately, since the shares in her possession weren''t substantial, it wasn''t impossible for those old- timers to join forces against her and seize the opportunity while Alexander was absent. Even though she had never been afraid of them, it was difficult to guard against others'' secret ploys, so who knew what would happen in the future? Alexander''s current predicament urred precisely due to such concealed maneuver. Samuel was initially worried about Sophia, but after seeing her current state, he realized he was concerned for nothing. "No wonder Alex likes you." Sophia was a little curious after listening to his remark. She turned her head sideways to look at him and asked with her brow raised, "Why do you say that?" "You''re different from the others." Be it Bethany or Ka, there were many socialites and wealthydies like them who could be a good match for Alexander. However, Sophia was the only one who stood out. Even without the Dawson family, everything Sophia owned now was enough for her to be on par with Alexander in terms of their background. She wasn''t a parasitic vine that couldn''t survive without clinging to others, as she was more than capable of surviving by relying on herself. If that incident had urred to any other person, they would''ve panicked by now, but Sophia didn''t. Even though she mentioned she had no ns, Samuel could tell she had already devised strategies for what she would do next. The car soon exited the highway and gradually entered the city. Samuel nced at Sophia sitting beside him. "Do you want to have lunch together?" She shifted her gaze. "Will you be treating me, Mr. Schild? In that case, I shall take you up on that offer." "You really are a perfect match for Alex." Sophia enjoyed hearingments like that. Perhaps all women love listening to these words. If Alexander were also here, I''d be more thrilled. After having lunch together, Sophia and Samuel went their separate ways. She first made a trip to Odyssey and brought all the documents rted to thepany''s several ongoing projects back to the mansion. "Ms. Yarrow." Complicated emotions churned within Felix''s chest as he saw her off at thepany''s entrance. Sophia looked at him. "What''s the matter?" "This is a gift agreement that Mr. Xenos signed previously." She nced down at the agreement Felix was handing to her. She knew about the content of the document without even reading it. "I got it." He feared she would misunderstand, so he exined, "Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Xenos notarized and signed this gift agreement a year ago, so please don''t misunderstand." "I didn''t." Sophia couldn''t be more familiar with Alexander''s personality. She smiled at Felix before getting into the car. When she reached the mansion, Sophia ced the pile of documents in her hands on the coffee table. Then, she picked up the gift agreement, unsealed the envelope, and took out the paperwork inside. If anything happened to him or if he betrayed Sophia during their time together, Alexander would gift her all his Odyssey shares. Currently, he didn''t do anything to wrong her, but an ident had urred. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the couch, covering her eyes with her hand. I still feel horrible. Days passed, and Alexander remained missing. No one knew if he was dead or alive. Neither the police nor Yvonne managed to find any information about him. The same applied to the strange woman, Qahira Lombard, who showed up at the hotel and approached Alexander that night. However, as time went on, the news of Alexander''s mishap couldn''t be suppressed any longer. With Felix''s help to appease everyone at Odyssey and Sophia''s response to the public queries, they managed to suppress the spread of Alexander''s disappearance. Sophia and Felix both imed Alexander had gone abroad to negotiate a partnership, but details about the coboration couldn''t be disclosed yet. Still, that excuse couldn''t hold up for long. Two weeks after Alexander went missing, rumors of his ident began to spread among the elite social circle. Some even imed the case had been reported to the authorities. Samuel was the first to catch wind of the hearsay. He grew so furious that he tracked down the person who spread the rumor and forced thetter to rify the statement that very night. However, there wouldn''t be smoke without fire. As Alexander had been absent from public view for almost twenty days, no matter how hard Sophia and Felix refuted the rumors, Odyssey''s shareholders no longer believed Alexander had gone overseas for business negotiations. Upon learning an ident had befallen Alexander, Odyssey''s shareholders grew restless. Looking at the group of cunning old men in front of her, Sophia sneered inwardly but didn''t let her emotions show as she maintained a poker face. "Sophia, since Mr. Xenos was met with a mishap, we need to elect a new chairman for Odyssey. Aside from Mr. Xenos, you and Mr. Zaat hold the most shares in thepany. However, since you are still young and Odyssey has a different nature of business from Sunshine Group, we, the shareholders, have briefly discussed this matter and believe Mr. Zaat is more suitable to be the new chairman. I assume you have no objections regarding our decision?" Although the speech sounded innocuous, and the person who uttered those words even wore a cheery smile as he spoke, every sentence he said was meant to quash Sophia. Sophia sat on the chair and shed a faint smile. "Before I answer your question, I have something I''d like to show all of you." She turned around to nce at Felix as she spoke. "Mr. Lane, please show them." "All right, Ms. Yarrow." Felix nodded. Then, he distributed the photocopied documents to each shareholder. Once he was done handing out the papers, Sophia uttered unhurriedly, "Mr. Ladd mentioned that besides Alexander, Mr. Zaat and I hold the most shares in Odyssey. However, I''m sorry to inform you that Alexander had notarized and signed a gift agreementst year. I''ve requested Mr. Lane to make copies of the agreement and hand them out to each of you. The agreement you now hold contains the details of that gift agreement I''m talking about." She paused briefly before continuing, "If everyone''s eyesight is still fine, I believe you can all understand the content of the agreement. Now that an ident happened to Alexander, the Odyssey shares in his possession have been legally transferred to my name. If my math is correct, I should now be the major shareholder of Odyssey. In that case, I think there shouldn''t be an issue for me to fill the position of Odyssey''s chairperson, right?" "This..." Alistair Ladd shot a quick look at Percy Zaat. He didn''t anticipate Alexander to have that ace up his sleeve. As a result, he was at a loss for words to retort. Percy, who was behaving smugly moments ago, now wore a cold expression. He stared at Sophia and snorted. "Ms. Yarrow, while it''s true that you hold the most shares in thepany, your understanding of Odyssey''s operations is nowhere near half of mine. I, for one, cannot ept you as Odyssey''s chairperson!" Hearing his exmation, several others also voiced their disapproval. Sophia curled her lips into a smile. "You''re right, Mr. Zaat. I am young and certainly not as knowledgeable about Odyssey''s operations as everyone present. In that case, it is only fair for me to step down from the chairperson position and let someone more familiar with Odyssey handle the responsibility. However..." At that point, her countenance grew solemn. "Odyssey is currently thriving. Our quarterly reports are also showing continuous growth. I can understand your concerns about my ability to manage the company. Simrly, as Odyssey''s major shareholder, I''m even more worried about Odyssey''s decline and seeing the fruit of Alexander and Old Mr. Xenos''bor be ruined. I don''t care about the position of chairperson. Anyone can take on the role, but I have one condition. The chairperson needs to compensate threefold for whatever amount of losses Odyssey suffers. Whoever agrees to this can undertake the responsibility." With that, Sophia stood up and vacated her seat. Chapter 434 Chapter 434 At first, everyone was secretly pleased with what Sophia said in the beginning. When she finished her sentence, their faces fell. Alistair, who was working with Percy, instantly expressed his disagreement. "See, that''s where you''re wrong, Ms. Yarrow. Sometimes, apany''s development isn''t entirely because of the decision- makers. Odyssey faced a loss when Mr. Xenos first took over Odyssey back then, remember? Yet, Odyssey is leading its peers now." Sophia turned to Alistair and said nonchntly, "So, you''re saying that you cannot promise Odyssey will keep developing, right? Since everyone thinks I''m too inexperienced to take over the position, I willingly gave it up. As Odyssey''s biggest shareholder, I want the new chairperson to ensure the company''s development. Surely, my request is not too much? If everyone thinks it''s too much, I can be the chairperson instead and will dlypensate threefold the amount of loss we suffer during the period of my management based on what I had said earlier." The second she finished, Percy, who had been displeased from the start, uttered coldly, "That''s some confidence you have, Ms. Yarrow. As expected from the younger generation. I wonder how many days Odyssey canst in your care." Chuckling, Sophia responded, "Since you are curious, surely you have no objections to me being the next chairperson?" With that, Sophia paused before continuing, "Let''s vote, then." Percy was so furious that he stormed out of the room. Naturally, nobody else dared to object anymore. As the biggest shareholder of Odyssey, Sophia still had the final say, even if they voted to decide. Needless to say, she became Odyssey''s chairperson effortlessly. When Sophia exited Odyssey''s building in the afternoon, a group of reporters swarmed her. "Ms. Yarrow, could you tell us what Mr. Xenos'' current condition is?" "Ms. Yarrow, rumor has it that you''ve been chosen as Odyssey''s chairperson. Congrattions! There''s a rumor saying you had something to do with Mr. Xenos'' incident. Apparently, you did it to get revenge for what he did to you back then. Do you havements on this?" "Ms. Yarrow, rumor has it that Mr. Xenos got into an ident. Is that true?" The smile on Sophia''s face gradually disappeared as the questions got more unpleasant. She nced at Felix and instructed, "Mr. Lane, please record the names of all the reporters here. Then, get thepany''s legal team to prepare warning letters for them." The media had the habit of exploiting others to gain more readers. Thus, Sophia did not want to waste her breath on them. Thankfully, Katherine''s car rolled up at the right time. With the help of Felix and the guards stopping the reporters, Sophia quickly got into the car. Katherine had just found out about Alexander''s ident. After all, she had been filming in another country, and Sophia had never told her about it. She rushed back the moment she heard the film crew talking about it. Despite Sophia''s indifference, Katherine knew the former was simply used to hiding her sorrow. In fact, Sophia seemed unaffected when she got a divorce in the past, yet she had trouble sleeping during those nights. Katherine was the only person who truly understood her. The fact that those reporters were shamelessly harassing Sophia enraged Katherine so much she wanted to run them over with her car. Even so, she swallowed her fury and drove away from the insensitive employees of mediapanies. Soon, the car got further from the building. As it came to a stop at the red light, Katherine turned sideways and tugged at Sophia''s sleeve. "Are you okay, Soph?" Sophia tilted her head to look at her friend, chuckling. "What''s wrong? Are you worried I''d do something rash?" "You won''t, right?" Sophia stared at the red light in front of the windshield. "Exactly. I won''t." Katherine had known Sophia for many years, but it was her first time seeing thetter in such a state. She felt bad and at a loss for what to do. Katherine wanted to ask Sophia about Alexander''s situation. However, she decided against it. She''s already feeling terrible. Asking her questions will only make her feel worse. Katherine could tell how serious things were. It was only normal for someone to feel so helpless at that moment. Still, at least Sophia seemed to be in good condition. Katherine hoped Sophia''s health was fine, too. It seemed that Katherine had quite the foresight as a few days after Katherine recounted everything to Joshua, Sophia fell sick. When Sophia was admitted into the hospital, news about her fainting from grief spread all over Jadeborough. The color drained from Katherine''s face when she heard about it. She quickly changed into a pair of ts and shot out of the filming location. At that moment, the shoot was the least of her concerns. Jonice tried her best to run after Katherine but to no avail. The film crew turned to Jonice. "What do we do?" Sighing, Jonice said, "Let''s film another day. Otherwise, you can take this as a breach of contract." Although Jonice was usually strict with Katherine, she knew how important Sophia was to thetter. It was better to pay for the advertising fee, which was only a few million. Katherine had suffered a terrible scare. The second she arrived at the hospital, she picked up the hem of her dress and ran toward Sophia''s ward, attracting much attention along the way. Some fans even recognized her and began running after her for a picture. s, none of them caught up to her. "How''s Soph, Mr. Lane?" Katherine asked while gasping for air. She had run all the way to the ward. Felix was just stepping out of the ward when Katherine tugged at him. Hearing a voice calling out Katherine''s name behind her, he turned around and opened the door before giving thetter a gentle push inside. "Ms. Yarrow''s in there, Ms. Quinn." Felix''s movements were smooth and swift. Likewise, Katherine''s reaction was fast, but her dress was not helping. She stepped on the hem of her dress and stumbled forward until she was half kneeling beside Sophia''s bed. All of that happened within three seconds. The moment Sophia turned around to put down the fruit knife, she saw Katherine kneeling before her. Chuckling in amusement, Sophia teased, "You don''t have to bow before me, you know?" Katherine said nothing. Instead, she looked up at Sophia, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw the latter''s goodplexion. "Are you all right? Why did you pass out?" Sophia stretched out an arm to help Katherine up before exining slowly, "Don''t worry. I''m fine. It was just an act." "What do you mean?" Upon hearing that, Sophia paused momentarily. "I faked it." Only then did Katherine feelpletely relieved. Sophiaughed. "I''m not that weak." She stuffed a slice of apple into Katherine''s mouth. "After all, I''ve got to take care of Alexander''s company." She turned to look at something outside the window with a serious gaze as she spoke. For some reason, Katherine felt bad when she gazed at Sophia. Now that Alexander was missing, many people were hoping to see Odyssey go bankrupt. Yet, Sophia took over thepany, preventing their wish froming true. Days went by and seasons changed. Just like that, six months passed in the blink of an eye. There was still no news about Alexander. Even the police had given up on the investigation and filed it as a traffic ident. Yvonne, too, found no leads. Alexander had disappeared without a trace in just one night. When Sophia returned to the Dawson residence for New Year''s, Perrin vaguely suggested introducing other men to her. s, Sophia rejected his idea firmly, which was a first. Perrin sighed but said nothing. There seemed to be some changes, yet none at the same time to Sophia''s life after Alexander''s disappearance. Sophia needed to go on a business trip for Odyssey at the end of March. Coincidentally, Katherine and Joshua were going on a honeymoon in Lightspring, so while Sophia was on the business trip, they dragged her along for a holiday. It wasn''t much of a holiday, as Sophia was as busy as ever. She received emails and calls all the time, which gave Katherine the urge to smash her phone. "Are you really that busy? You''re going to lose me if you keep working, Soph." Katherine pretended to sob. Hearing that, Sophia hung up. She could not help butugh in exasperation when she gazed at Katherine, who was hugging her thighs. "What is it? What evil ideas do you have this time?" "What do you mean evil? It''s a good idea! Since we''re already in a city known for gambling, why don''t we go out and have some fun?" "No." Sophia did not even bother giving it some thought. "Pretty please! I''ll let you go back tomorrow if youe with me." Sophia raised her brow at Katherine''s offer. "Really?" "Of course! But I have a condition." Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. With one look, Sophia could tell Katherine was up to no good. Then again, the former did not want to keep third wheeling. "Okay." Chapter 435 Chapter 435 That night, Sophia studied her reflection in the mirror, asking, "So, this is the surprise you were talking about?" Just then, Katherine walked out in an identical long dress but of a different color. "It''s for besties! Aren''t you surprised?" Sophia peered at Katherine, clicking her tongue. "I am. ck and white, eh?" "Let''s go! Getting properly dressed is a must in the city known for gambling." Although Sophia had no objections to that statement, she asked, "Does Joshua know about this?" Her question was greeted with silence. After all, Sophia asked the very question Katherine did not want to hear. Katherine had her eyes on the dresses when she was in Pillere to watch a fashion show. That was when she told Jonice to order the two dresses. The dresses were of simr designs and were iid with sparkling diamonds. Not only that, the slim- fitting dresses had a crossover neckline, an off-shoulder design, and arge slit, making the two women''s figures ttering when they stood, but they were not too revealing. From N?velDrama.Org. However, their legs would be exposed through the slits when they walked. Katherine would never go out in that on her own. The moment Katherine saw the two models wearing the dresses during the fashion show, she instantly pictured Sophia and her wearing them together. s, there were too many paparazzi in their country. Thus, Katherine did not dare to wear it for fear of trending again once her picture was taken. Nheless, things were different in other countries, and there were fewer people in a casino. It was not too pompous for them to dress a little nicer. In fact, it was the perfect opportunity for them to go out in those dresses. After all, Katherine had bought them. She did not want them to go to waste sitting in the wardrobe. Katherine would never allow that to happen. Pulling at the hem, Katherine arched her brows gleefully. "This is a matching outfit for besties. I''m not the only one wearing it." Sophia could not help but click her tongue. "So, you''re using me as a shield, eh?" "No way. I just figured this dress suits you. Look, Soph. You look like an elegant princess!" Sophia checked herself out in the mirror andughed. "Am I not usually elegant?" Abruptly, Katherine was at a loss for words. "It''s not that... You''re usually elegant, but not alluring enough." Right when she finished her sentence, a knock sounded on the door. "That must be Josh. I''ll go get the door." With that, Katherine dashed off. Sophia chuckled as she watched her scurry away. At the same time, she grabbed the shawl on the couch and draped it over herself. Guilt bubbled within Katherine only when she arrived at the door. Hence, she quickly gave the cor a little upward tug. Although it was a crossover neckline, it was extremely tight around her chest. That was why Katherine felt a little guilty, especially when Joshua was a reserved person. She adjusted the dress a little before opening the door. "Hey, you''re here." The look in Joshua''s gaze shifted when he saw Katherine''s dress. "Aren''t you cold?" Lightspring had typical subtropical weather. The weather in April varied drastically between daytime and nighttime. It could go over twenty degrees Celsius during the day and below ten degrees Celsius during the night. "Nope. There''s air-conditioning in here, and a heater in the car. I won''t¡ª" Katherine paused halfway as she was beginning to feel ufortable under his stare. "I-I guess it''s a little cold. I''d better put on a coat." She dashed off to grab her coat immediately after she finished her sentence. To Katherine''s surprise, Sophia had gotten the coat ready. When she saw Katherine returning, the former instantly tossed her the coat. Katherine looked a little disappointed as she epted the coat. After all, Katherine was looking forward to making a grand entrance with Sophia in their matching outfit. And now, her hopes were shattered. Sophia nced at Katherine and gave thetter a nudge. "Ms. Famous, are we still going to the casino?" "Of course! Let''s go!" Sophia had been working day and night for the past six months. Now that Katherine finally had the chance to bring the former out, she naturally would not let Sophia go back so easily. Although Sophia looked fine since Alexander''s disappearance, she had been on endless business trips for the past six months. Back then, she was never involved in Odyssey and Sunshine Group. Yet, she currently had to take care of every little matter herself. Katherine had no idea how it felt to be truly swamped with work until she learned Sophia was always in a meeting or at work whenever she asked thetter out. Surprisingly, both Katherine and Sophia had not met up in person for almost four months. If Sophia had not had a business discussion in Lightspring, they might not have met for six whole months. Of course, Katherine was well aware of the reason behind Sophia''s hectic schedule. Humans tended to overthink when they were unupied. Moreover, there were no traces of Alexander even after six months. Worried Sophia might change her mind, Katherine quickly took the former''s hand and walked out. Sophia shed Joshua a helpless smile. "Please hold on to your wife''s hand, Mr. Lewis." Casting Katherine an exasperated look, Joshua said, "I think she prefers to be with you now." "Soph, I''m going to cry if you try to leave me again." Sophiaughed. "Let''s go." The trio got off in front of the city''s most famous hotel. It had a casino inside, which made things convenient for them. It was still early by the time they arrived, so the casino was not crowded. As it was their first time visiting the casino, Katherine was stunned by the luxurious interior. "Oh my goodness. Are those golden pirs made of real gold?" Her question made Sophiaugh. "Why don''t you bite on it to see if it''s real?" Katherine shook her head. "It''s too inappropriate. There are too many people here." Sophia was rendered speechless. She never expected Katherine to consider that idea. Looks like I''ve overestimated her. There were many ways to get rich in a casino. Of course, one could go bankrupt overnight if they were not careful. Sure enough, the casino was not cold. Hence, Katherine quickly removed her coat when Joshua left to exchange some casino chips. As soon as Katherine removed it, she tugged at Sophia''s shawl. "Don''t you feel hot?" Sophia caught Katherine''s hand, saying, "I''m fine. It''s not too hot." Katherine simply tugged at the shawl without removing it. When she saw Sophia meeting her gaze with a half-smile, she shrugged and stopped forcing thetter. Soon, Joshua returned with the chips. Not many chips could be exchanged with three hundred thousand. Meanwhile, Katherine had done some research earlier. She did not know how to yplicated games, but she thought she could try out those machines that relied on luck. As soon as Joshua returned with the chips, Katherine took Sophia''s hand and approached the machine in the distance. However, Sophia shrugged Katherine''s hand away. "You should go with Joshua. I can y over there." Sophia pointed at a gambling table in the distance. She figured they were ying barat there. Barat isn''t difficult. Every yer''s given three cards. The ones with letters K, Q, J, and the value ten are zero. The other cards'' values will remain. Whoever has thergest single digit after adding all the cards'' values wins. Katherine was a little hesitant. "I don''t think it''s wise to leave you alone." There were more men at the gambling tablepared to women. Katherine could not help but worry as she gazed at Sophia''s pretty face. Sophia chuckled. "Why not? Enjoy your time." When she finished, she lifted her feet and marched off. It was rather eye-catching to have someone with Aplothian features at the gambling table all of a sudden. Regardless, Sophia did not lose her cool. The way she stood there calmly made the others soon retract their gazes. Barat depended on the yers'' luck, but the truth was that the casino had control over everything. Thus, it was crucial for yers to know their limit. Sophia made small bets on every round, and she would leave every gambling table with a few extra chips. The most important skill in gambling was to know when to stop. Therefore, Sophia only yed a few rounds at one table before trying out other games. Even though she did not like the bustling atmosphere of the casino, the games gave her a sense of gratification. After roaming around for more than half an hour, Sophia stopped ying. She grabbed a ss of juice and watched the games from the side. "Stop right there, Anson!" Sophia''s attention was captured when she heard someone use Chanaean in a foreignnd. She looked over instinctively, only to find a woman in a red dress hurrying past as if she was chasing after someone. Soon, the other party vanished from her sight. Shifting her gaze, Sophia put down the ss in her hand and joined the table that yed Granatann poker with a few chips. Let''s try something more exciting. It was an exciting game, indeed. In just one round, she doubled her chips. An Epean man beside her tried to flirt with her in Ustranasion. Sophia merely smiled and waited for him to finish speaking before saying, "Sorry. I''m not fluent in Ustranasion." The man wanted to say something, but after studying her for some time, he apologized and scooted to the side. Meanwhile, Sophia sat upright and ced her first bet for the second round. The dealer dealt the cards again while Sophia twirled a chip mindlessly. Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out. "Shall we make a bet? If you lose, you''ll stop pestering me. If I lose, I''ll keep youpany for the whole day tomorrow." Sophia''s hand that was ying with the chip froze, and she looked up at the man in a ck shirt sitting across the table. The moment she realized who he was, she stood up and knocked over the pile of chips in front of her. As they scattered onto the ground, the foreigner beside her said, "Hey, your chips fell." Seemingly sensing her gaze, the man across the table looked up. Chapter 436 Chapter 436 Sophia stood still as she stared at the man, who did not move either. "What are you looking at?" Yasmin Lawre was unhappy when she noticed that udius Lenoir was silent. She shifted her gaze to where he was staring and saw a beautiful woman standing beside a gambling table not far from them. That woman was gorgeous, her eyes mesmerizing. At that moment, she was also staring at udius. All of a sudden, Yasmin oddly felt threatened. She instinctively moved closer to udius and asked, "Do you know her?" udius was annoyed. He thought Yasmin was like a fly that kept bugging him. He averted his gaze and looked down at her. "I''m warning you, stop following me!" Yasmin was displeased when she heard that. "What the heck? I''m also here to have fun! You don''t have the right to control what I do! It''s not like your family runs this hotel!" Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. udius'' lips tugged into a sneer before he turned around and looked at the bodyguard behind him. "Throw her out." Unfortunately, the hotel was indeed run by his family. "How dare you, udius! Why don''t I go back and tell Mdm. Rose all about this?" "Do as you like." With that, udius left without sparing her a second nce. Yasmin wanted to chase after him, but his bodyguard stopped her. "My apologies, Ms. Lawre. The Lenoir family indeed runs this hotel. Mr. udius had asked us to kick you out, so please don''t make things difficult for us!" Yasmin was rendered speechless. "Miss, it''s your turn to ce your bet." Sophia watched the man walk away before she shifted her attention back to the table. She ced her cards on the table and said, "Sorry, I have something to attend to." With that, she left the gambling table. There were many people at the casino. It was not easy for her to chase after the man. He moved fast despite her seeing him a few seconds ago. She had just gotten up from the table, but he had disappeared. Was he a figment of my imagination? Sophia stood in the middle of the bustling casino. It was the first time she could not determine whether what she saw was real or her imagination. It''s been more than six months. To be exact, it''s been a hundred and twenty-six days. Alexander had disappeared off the face of the earth. No one knew if he was dead or alive. Sophia was at a loss. She stood there until a waiter passed by and asked in broken Chanaean if she needed help. Only then did she snap out of her daze. Sophia smiled, shook her head, and replied in Ustranasion, "Thank you, but I''m fine. May I know where''s the restroom?" The waiter pointed in a certain direction. Sophia nodded and passed by multiple strangers as she approached the restroom. She was more sober after sshing cold water onto her face. She then watched the sexy woman beside her reapply a blood-red lipstick before she stared at herself in the mirror. I look pale. Sophia reached up to massage her temples before she took out her phone and sent a message to Katherine. She nned to return to her room to rest. I haven''t had enough rest recently. I''m so exhausted to the point that I''m starting to hallucinate. That hallucination of hers seemed to appear quite frequently as she saw "Alexander" again when she left the restroom. This time, the other party did not notice her. He held a phone to his ear, looking to be on a call with someone. His expression looked grim. It seemed like the person on the phone had said something to displease him as he ended the call without saying goodbye. A couple walked past her, blocking her from looking at him. After they left, she no longer saw "Alexander." Sophia panicked. She quickly ran to where he stood, but he was no longer around. It had only been a few seconds, yet Alexander had disappeared again. Looking around, she noticed that there were people everywhere, but the person she was looking for was nowhere to be seen. She stood there, dazed. She had never felt so horrible and flustered before. That feeling felt exactly like when she stood at the scene of the car ident while watching the burning fire ten years ago. There were people around her, but she still felt alone and afraid. "Are you looking for me?" All of a sudden, a man''s voice rang out from behind Sophia, taking her by surprise. She was in disbelief, turning around and looking at the familiar yet foreign man. She suppressed the emotions rising within her as she stared at him and softly said, "You look like a friend of mine." udius nced at the woman before him. He smiled in amusement. "Really? Where''s your friend?" "He''s gone." "Did he go missing?" "Yeah," Sophia replied. "He got into an ident half a year ago." "Oh. What a pity." Her thoughts were all over the ce as she stared at the man who looked like Alexander standing before her. "You don''t look so well. Are you feeling sick? Do you need me to send you to the lounge?" "Can you?" Sophia balled her hands into fists as she lowered her gaze, trying to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. She had not seen Alexander in a hundred and twenty-six days. I miss him so much. The man narrowed his eyes at Sophia and considered it momentarily before saying, "Follow me." "Thank you." The man did not respond as he turned around and led Sophia to the lounge. Sophia''s hands shook as she stared at his back. She lowered her gaze to look at his hands. Out of instinct, she reached forward and tugged on his shirt sleeve. udius stopped when he felt a tug on his shirt sleeve. He looked behind him at the woman and said, "I don''t like people touching me." "I''m feeling a little faint. Can you please support me?" Sophia paused momentarily before continuing, "I''m sure this hotel wouldn''t have staff that would watch as their customers faint, right?" Her eyes were locked onto his as she spoke. udius'' sharp gaze sent a chill down her spine, but she ignored it. The two exchanged looks for a few seconds before he spat, "Go ahead. Faint then." Is she trying to threaten me? udius'' words had just left his mouth when the eyes of the woman fluttered shut, and she fainted before him. He knew that this was one of women''s tactics, but his body acted on instinct. Before he had a chance to realize his action, he had already reached out to wrap her in his arms. The faint smell of the woman''s scent wafted into his nose, but he did not gag at the smell. It was rare for him not to get annoyed by it. udius stared at the woman in his arms. I must say, this woman has quite the nerve to approach me and put on an act in front of me. She looks like the typical woman from Jazona, Chanaea. She has delicate features and looks beautiful from any angle. Especially those alluring eyes of hers. Now that they are shut, they are not as enticing as before. Just now, when she looked at me, it seemed like she was seducing me, but at the same time, her gaze also looked pitiful. What an expert. udius'' eyebrows furrowed into a frown. "All right. You win. Get up now." However, the woman in his arms did not stir. He freed one of his hands and lightly tapped her face, but still, she did not respond. She had really fainted. udius'' expression turned grim. He quickly picked her up and held her bridal style. Not far from him, one of his bodyguards hurried over after seeing him carrying Sophia. "Mr. udius, allow me." udius nced at the woman in his arms, his eyes darkening. "No need." With that, he carried her out of the casino. The two bodyguards behind him were surprised. They exchanged nces before hurrying after him. Everyone in the casino was busy trying to get rich. Hence, no one paid much attention to the incident. The woman''s dress was beautiful but had a slit at the side. When udius lifted her, the dress slipped down to reveal her pale, slender legs. The slit was almost to the top of her thigh. Although udius'' hand was secured at the bend of her legs, it made the hem of her dress rise a little, exposing even more skin. There were many people in the elevator. Whether or not they had ill intentions, their gazes focused on her. udius was displeased. He turned around so the woman would face the elevator wall, stopping other people from looking over. "Allen, take off your coat." udius'' bodyguard, Allen, was taken aback. Though confused, he still did as asked. He took off his suit coat and held it toward udius. "Here you go, Mr. udius." "Cover her." Allen quickly ced the coat on the woman in udius'' arms. He identally saw her face when he backed away. Jumping in shock, he looked up to see udius staring at him. Allen quickly turned around and stared straight ahead at the elevator doors. Chapter 437 Chapter 437 It had been a long time since Sophia fell into such a deep sleep. She did not know whether it was due to her seeing "Alexander" or because she had identally drunk a ss of fruit wine. However, before this, she had also tried drinking some wine before sleeping. Although she did fall asleep, her sleep quality was horrible, and she would have chaotic dreams every night. She could remember some of those dreams after waking up, but often she would forget them. Most of the dreams were rted to Alexander. Some of the things she would dream about were made up, while some were part of reality. Hence, when Sophia saw "Alexander" wearing a bathrobe sitting on the couch before her and holding onto a ss of wine, she could not differentiate whether she was in reality or dreand. "You''re awake?" the other party asked coldly, not giving her much time to sober up and respond. That made Sophia think of Alexander when they had just gotten married. That night, after the wedding banquet ended, he was staring at her with that exact same gaze in their bridal chamber. He was expressionless and did not have any warmth in his eyes. "Tell me. Who sent you here? Did they think I would let my guard down just because they sent a Chanaean woman? Go back. Tell the person behind you that only capabilities can get you far in the business world." Sophia did not interrupt him. She waited for him to finish talking before saying, "I''m Sophia Yarrow. What''s your name?" udius stopped swirling his wine ss when he heard her question. However, he soon snapped out of his daze as his lips curved into a smirk. "You react quite fast. You know how to change tactics quickly." Sophia did not respond. She got up from the bed and walked toward the man, standing before him. She then reached forward to take the wine ss from his hand and ced it on the coffee table behind her. As she hooked his chin with her hand, she leaned forward and bit his lips hard. "It''s okay if you forget me. You''ll remember me sooner orter." Sophia had actually bit him. When she pulled away, blood was oozing from the man''s lips. udius hissed at the pain. He felt that he should reach up and push the woman away. However, he did no such thing. He felt helpless against her when his eyes met hers. Apart from that, he also felt an ufortable tug on his chest. It did not hurt, but it felt stuffy and tight. Sophia did not do anything else. She took a name card from her purse that was on the table and ced it in his hand. "Remember this well. My name is Sophia Yarrow." With that, she straightened up, nced at him onest time, and turned to leave. "Wait. You''re the CEO of Odyssey?" Sophia turned back to look at him. "Yes, but I''m just managing thepany temporarily." udius reached up to touch the wound on his lip. He quickly realized that the woman before him was not sent by anyone. "udius Lenoir. You can call me udius." "udius." Sophia lowered her gaze as she muttered the unfamiliar name. Suddenly, she smiled as tears that had unknowingly welled up in her eyes fell. "How unfamiliar." She reached up to wipe her eyes and looked at udius. "I''ll wait for your call." After that, she did not stay long, quickly leaving the room. udius stared at her back. Soon, he heard the sound of the door closing. He averted his gaze and stared at the name card in his hand. It was a simple, rectangr name card. CEO of Odyssey, Sophia Yarrow, was written on it, and a phone number was under the name. So... did she mistake me for her friend that got into an ident? Suddenly, udius felt an indescribable burst of anger bubble within him. I have no intentions of being a substitute. He snickered and threw the name card into the trash can. The two bodyguards at the door watched Sophia leave udius'' room. Sophia was calm. She nodded as a greeting to them before she entered the elevator. After returning to her room, she felt drained, heaving a heavy sigh. She took out her phone and dialed Yvonne''s number. From N?velDrama.Org. Katherine had dragged Sophia to Lightspring while Yvonne stayed behind in Lusterg. Yvonne answered the phone almost immediately. "Yes, Ms. Yarrow?" "Ms. Leighton, I want you to help me run a background check on someone." "Sure, Ms. Yarrow. Please go on." "His name is udius Lenoir. He should be of Chanaean ethnicity. His family owns shares of the hotel I''m staying at." Sophia paused briefly before continuing, "He looks exactly like Alexander." She wanted to say that udius was Alexander. However, she wanted to know what had happened that night and how Alexander had be udius. Yvonne was taken aback when she heard Sophia''sst sentence. She was silent for a moment before returning to her senses. "All right. I''ll have someone run the check right away, Ms. Yarrow." "Okay. Thanks." Sophia hung up and moved to sit on the couch. She stared at the red wine on the table as she slowly drifted away into her thoughts. Meanwhile, Katherine was enjoying herself in the casino. She was unlucky and foolish at gambling, but Joshua, who sat beside her, was pretty quick-witted. Neither of them had lost a game of Granatann poker. If Joshua had not told her they might lose if they kept gambling and winning, Katherine would have been unwilling to leave the gambling table. They moved to a different ce. Only then did Katherine think of Sophia. She took out her phone and realized Sophia had sent her a message. She pursed her lips. "Soph went back to her room." Joshua had just brought over two sses of fruit juice and sat down. "I think that''s enough gambling for today. We should go back." Katherine was reluctant but intimidated when Joshua shot her a look. "All right." The casino was located three floors underground. The elevator stopped on the first floor, and many people flooded in. Katherine shuffled to a side. Joshua slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Katherine saw a familiar face. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to look at Joshua. "I-It''s Alexander!" She quickly pushed her way through the people in the elevator and rushed out before the doors closed. Nevertheless, she no longer saw Alexander after running toward the grand hall. Joshua came up from behind her and grabbed her hand. "Perhaps you saw wrong." "But... He looked exactly like¡ª" Katherine paused abruptly when she thought of the man from moments ago. She had been in the entertainment industry for a long time and developed a talent for recognizing people. Hence, even though it was a quick glimpse of the man, she knew he was most definitely Alexander. Even if it wasn''t Alexander, he looked very simr to Alexander, almost like a carbon copy. It was a pity, though. She had taken a few seconds longer to squeeze out of the packed elevator. When she ran out, the man had disappeared. Of course, neither Katherine nor Joshua told Sophia about the incident. Sometimes, if a person had been disappointed too many times, any little bit of hope could destroy them. The incident did not matter much anyway. Sophia would fly back to Lusterg the next day and then back to Chanaea the day after. Sophia''s flight was in the afternoon. Early in the morning, Katherine knocked on Sophia''s room door, wanting to take Sophia sightseeing before she had to return. "Oh,e on. Let''s go. This is Lightspring! Not only are there many casinos, there are a lot of ces to shop at! Since you''re here, you should shop until you drop! It''s not like it will affect your flight in the afternoon!" Sophia looked at Katherine before she shrugged off thetter''s arms. "Who said my flight was in the afternoon?" Katherine was taken aback. "What? Don''t tell me you''re flying back in the morning?" Sophia scoffed. "Is it not okay for me to stay here and not leave yet?" "What do you mean by that?" Sophia raised her eyebrows. "Well, I realized that the casinos here are quite fun." At least, the person I miss is here. Chapter 438 Chapter 438 As Sophia unexpectedly wanted to stay, Katherine was both delighted and confused. After her initial excitement, she calmed down and asked, "Be honest with me. Are you hiding something from me? Why do you suddenly want to stay?" That shouldn''t be the case. For the past six months, Sophia had been busy flying everywhere. I had to use our past twenty years of rtionship to make here to Lightspring. Even so, she could only afford to spend two days here. Sophia arrived two nights ago and had purchased a ne ticket to fly to Lusterg this afternoon with a transit back to her home country scheduled for tomorrow morning. Katherine tried to convince Sophia to extend her stay before heading to the casinost night. However, Sophia didn''t budge and instead demandedpensation for any lost business opportunities, as she had to sign a contract worth three hundred million soon. Hearing that, Katherine relented. Otherwise, she would''ve kept Sophia''s visa, forcing her to stay here for at least four days. This is great! I don''t have to keep her visa or beg her to stay. Sophia has decided to stay! Katherine refused to believe that Sophia would change her mind suddenly for no reason. Sophia chuckled. "Should I ask Ms. Leighton to rebook my flight?" There were many flights from Lightspring to Lusterg, so it wasn''t hard to rebook her flight. Hearing that, Katherine grabbed her arms. "No! I was just curious, that''s all." She winked at Sophia and asked, "Uh, Soph. Aren''t you going to finalize and sign the three hundred million contract back at home?" Sophia grabbed a soda beside her. "No. I''m not short of money." It was a lie. Sophia might not be present to sign the contract, but she could assign someone else to do it on her behalf. Katherine gasped in disbelief. "Are you serious? It''s three hundred million, not three thousand! Why don''t you go sign the contract first before flying back here? It''s the same either way. We can stay for a few more days and wait for your return." Sophia pushed her away. "Are you pretending to be dumb, or are you really dumb?" Sensing the mocking tone in her voice, Katherine scoffed. "I''m not dumb." "Didn''t you realize I was being sarcastic?" "When were you being sarcastic?" Sophia burst outughing. "You want to go shopping, right?" Katherine was so excited at the prospect of shopping that shepletely forgot about being called dumb. "Let''s go!" she eximed, eager to hit the shops. "Let me change my clothes." Sophia pushed her away and entered her walk-in closet. Katherine fell back into the couch. "Okay. Put on a pretty outfit!" In this world, everyone would judge a book by its cover. Katherine had done her homework before arriving in Lightspring, specifically researching the city''s shopping districts. While Lightspring was well-known for its numerous casinos, it also boasted a plethora of shopping areas. The hotel provided free shuttles to the shopping mall. As it was pretty warm in the day, Sophia wore a knitted gray long dress and put on some light makeup. Katherine had a penchant for wearing brightly colored clothes. In contrast to Sophia''s more subdued and "drab" outfit, Katherine''s choice of attire was definitely more eye-catching. There was no need to worry about paparazzi in a foreign country, so Katherine didn''t bother wearing her sunnies and happily went on a shopping spree with Sophia. To Yasmin''s surprise, after udius got the security guards to kick her out of the casinost night, she was now cklisted by both the casino and the hotel. Yasmin contacted Rose Lenoir, who assured her that she would take care of udius and teach him a lesson for his behavior toward Yasmin. Yasmin waited for half a day, expecting udius to show up and apologize to her as promised, but he was nowhere to be seen. Never mind if he didn''t show up to apologize to her. Yasmin wasn''t even allowed entry into the hotel! Furious, she went to the shopping mall and bought a lot of stuff. Despite so, she was still livid. When someone was angry, it can feel like the entire world was against them. Yasmin bumped into someone as she was walking along the path. Staggering backward, she pressed a hand to her forehead and scowled unhappily. "Where did you learn to walk? If you don''t want your eyes, you should donate them! Why bump into someone on the street? Are you blind?" she cursed nonstop in Ustranasion. Katherine''smand of the Ustranasionnguage was limited, but she could pick up a few words here and there. When she heard the words "walk" and "eyes" being directed toward her, she pieced them together and realized that the person was hurling insults at her. She was frustrated as she had never been treated this way. It was her who showed up out of nowhere and hit my shoulder! How dare she me me when it was her fault? Despite her fury, Katherine wasn''t good at Ustranasion. She parted her lips to retort but discovered she only knew a few simple curses in Ustranasion. She was wordless with rage when Sophia finally returned after ending her call. Katherine spotted Sophia and quickly called out, "Hey Sophia, over here!" She was hoping Sophia could help her. They were surrounded by foreigners, so Katherine''s voice stood out. Sophia immediately spotted her standing not far away. shing a smile, Sophia went over to her. She btedly realized something was amiss when she came to a stop beside Katherine. The sight of the angry woman in front of Katherine made her eyes widen in surprise. I know her. She''s the one who was with Alexander... No, she was with udiusst night. Sophia pulled herself out of her reverie and nced at Katherine, who was also fuming with rage. "What happened?" Yasmin''s expression changed when she saw Sophiaing to them. I know her. udius was staring at this woman when he said he wanted to make a bet with me. Yasmin couldn''t help but feel a sense of danger as Sophia looked stunningly gorgeous. When Sophia arrived, Katherine''s confidence was boosted. "This youngdy ran into me but used me of bumping into her!" She tugged at Sophia''s clothes urgently. "Soph, that woman spoke in Ustranasion, but I could tell she was yelling at me. She even used some curse words. Can you yell back at her on my behalf?" Sophia nced at Katherine, feeling a mix of sympathy and amusement at her distress. "Sure thing," she replied. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. It wasn''t good to yell at someone, but she could be sarcastic. Sophia gazed at the woman and said slowly, "I''m sorry. It was my friend''s fault. We shouldn''t hold a grudge against someone with disabilities. Please don''t take it to heart." It was clear to Yasmin that Sophia was mocking her. Her expression froze instantly. Furious, she demanded in Chanaean, "Are you calling me blind?" Sophia arched a brow. "You''ve gotten it wrong. I wasn''t calling you blind." Hearing that, Yasmin snorted icily. "That''s more like it. Since you''ve apologized¡ª" Before she could finish, Sophia added casually, "I''m not only calling you blind, for you''re also deaf." Her lips curled into a smile. "What a pity that you''re deaf and blind at a young age." Katherine nearly burst out in giggles after hearing her words. That was the first time Yasmin had ever been insulted in her entire life. Her face contorted in anger as she screamed, "You crazy b*tch!" Instead of replying, Sophia turned to Katherine. "Come on, we shouldn''t hold a grudge against someone who''s deaf and blind. Let''s be magnanimous." Katherine couldn''t help but admire Sophia''s quick wits. The other party is seething in anger, so I will refrain from giving Sophia a thumbs-up in support for fear of provoking her and escting the situation into a physical altercation. Doing her best to tamp down herughter, Katherine gave a solemn nod. "You''re right. Let''s go!" They turned on their heels and left. Yasmin''s eyes reddened in anger. She stared at Sophia''s retreating back and clenched her jaw. "Wait a minute!" Chapter 439 Chapter 439 Sophia stopped in her tracks and turned over her shoulder to see Yasmining over to her. She shed a smile. "Why? Do you need my help?" She paused before continuing, "We usually love to help others, but we won''t help selected people." Yasmin was seething with anger, and Sophia''s mocking words only made it worse. Her first instinct was to give her a tight p, but she knew better than to start a fight with two strangers in a foreignnd. Despite Sophia''s unreasonable attitude, Yasmin reminded herself that she didn''t know who they were. Sophia looked elegant in an understated dress, and Katherine, despite her limitednguage skills, was dressed in expensive clothing. Yasmin didn''t want to offend anyone with money and influence. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to calm down. "Do you know udius Lenoir?" Sophia raised a brow. "No, I don''t." Yasmin refused to believe that they knew each other, but she was still upset upon recallingst night''s events. "Then why did you look at him?" Sophia let out a loud chuckle. "Come on, he''s handsome, so I stared at him. Is that a crime?" Katherine was getting extremely curious after hearing their conversation. If Yasmin hadn''t cursed at her earlier, she would''ve asked who udius was in a heartbeat. Not expecting her answer, Yasmin froze in shock. They had already left by the time she regained her composure. She stomped the floor furiously and fished out her phone to call Rose yet again. Katherine turned to look at Yasmin and made sure thetter didn''te after them before she asked hastily, "Be honest with me! Who is udius Lenoir?" Sophia shot her a look as her smile faded slightly. "I don''t know him." "If you don''t know him, why did you stare at him?" Katherine found Sophia''s words hard to believe. She knew Sophia wasn''t a superficial person, or else she would have shown an interest in Howard and Mason back at Specter Entertainment. However, Sophia never paid any attention to the guys at thepany. Sophia pursed her lips. "He looks a lot like Alexander." Actually, they look exactly the same. Naturally, Sophia didn''t tell Katherine thest sentence. In the past six months, none of them mentioned Alexander in front of her. Six monthster, if she were to mention Alexander, Katherine would think she was hallucinating. She had already ordered Yvonne to investigate udius'' background, so she would be able to discover whether udius was Alexander soon. Katherine inhaled sharply. She gazed at Sophia and suddenly recalled something. Her expression changed as she blurted out, "Soph..." Hearing that, Sophia snapped out of her reverie. "Are you trying to tell me that I was imagining things?" Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Katherine shook her head and swallowed. "Actually, I saw someone who resembled Alexander when I was heading back with Joshst night. I thought I was seeing things." Sophia was caught by surprise. She nced at Katherine before chuckling aloud. "Perhaps they merely resemble each other." Katherine was aware that Sophia had been through a lot in the past six months. Alexander''s disappearance was a deep wound that refused to heal. Although Sophia had tried to appear strong and carry on with her life, Katherine knew that she was still mourning inside. Unless Alexander possessed some supernatural abilities, it was likely that he had met an unfortunate end. As Sophia refused to believe that, they couldn''t bring themselves to destroy her hope. The best thing to do was to not mention the incident. Katherine quickly changed the topic. "Hurry, we have yet to visit Fidment''s store!" Sophia raised an eyebrow at Katherine''s sudden change of topic but didn''t want to call attention to her friend''s poor acting skills. Instead, she simply nodded and followed Katherine as thetter led her deeper into the mall. After spending a fruitful two hours shopping, Katherine had umted quite a few bags of new purchases. Not wanting to be weighed down while exploring more of the mall, they decided to drop off their shopping at the information desk for delivery to their hotel. They then opted to have lunch at a popr restaurant that was conveniently located across the street from the mall. Katherine had indeed done her homework, for she knew where to eat and where to have fun. Not long after they walked away from the information desk, Yasmin stalked toward them. There was someone with her. From afar, Katherine couldn''t see clearly as she was a little short- sighted. When she realized who it was, she hid behind Sophia guiltily. "Soph, why is sheing to us with someone else? Is she going to beat us up?" The sight of the familiar face made Sophia''s lips curl. "Are you here for me?" udius had no idea the person Yasmin wanted him to see was Sophia. His brows furrowed as he nced at Yasmin. "What exactly do you want?" "Do you know her?" Yasmin asked, pointing a finger at Sophia. "Don''t you dare lie to me!" "Yes, I do." Hearing the man''s answer, Yasmin bristled angrily and turned to Sophia, demanding, "Didn''t you say you don''t know him?" Katherine waspletely taken aback by the man who looked exactly like Alexander. She couldn''t help but wonder if she was dreaming. "Are you Alexander Xenos?" "Who is Alexander Xenos?" udius asked when he heard Katherine''s question. Sophia looked at Yasmin, who was visibly upset. "I think you should exin why you know me," she told the man. udius turned his attention to Yasmin. "I didn''t know her untilst night." He paused briefly before adding, "Is that what you want to know? Now that I''ve made it clear, it''s time for you to leave Lightspring, right?" There was no way Yasmin would leave right now. She nced at Sophia before her gazended on udius. "Dream on, udius Lenoir! You want me to leave so the both of you get to date, right? Do you think I''m a fool? You must''ve known each other for a long time! Don''t think I didn''t notice the way you were looking at each otherst night. Did you n toe to Lightspring just to meet her? What about Mdm. Rose? She would never approve of you marrying her. And let''s not forget that we are supposed to be in an arranged marriage! I''m the only one you can marry!" Katherine had yet to recover from the shock that Alexander was now someone else when the woman''s rants brought her back to her senses. It turns out that the man who looks exactly like Alexander is udius Lenoir, her fianc¨¦. Their family has agreed to an arranged marriage, so udius has to marry her and cannot get together with Sophia. Is that woman insinuating that Sophia has known udius for some time? Realization dawned upon Katherine when she recalled their previous conversation. "Sophia, is he..." Sophia turned to Katherine and shook her head. It wasn''t the right timing to mention whether udius was Alexander. Shocked, Katherine remained silent, which was a rare moment of wisdom for her. Getting impatient, udius ordered his bodyguard, "Allen, send Ms. Lawre back to Lusterg." "Don''t you dare!" Yasmin warned. Allen gazed at udius, seemingly stumped. "Mr. udius, this doesn''t sound like a good idea." "Whose orders do you follow, mine or hers?" Naturally, Allen followed udius'' orders. He apologized before dragging Yasmin away. Yasmin resisted and thrashed around, hitting and kicking at Allen. Left with no choice, Allen hoisted her over his shoulder and strode away. After Yasmin left, it was much more peaceful now. udius stared straight at Sophia and said, "I have some questions for you." It was clear he was talking to Sophia as he had fixed his gaze on her. To Katherine, he seemed scarier than Alexander. His demeanor was unrefined, and he no longer treated Sophia with tenderness. Katherine pursed her lips and plucked up her courage to stand in front of Sophia. "Sir, we don''t know you. You¡ª" "Can you give my friend a ride back to the hotel?" Sophia interjected. "Sure," came udius'' reply. He turned to look at his remaining bodyguard. "Joe." Joe stood his ground, refusing to leave. "Mr. udius, Mdm. Rose left instructions that either Allen or I must be at your side at all times." udius didn''t seem to mind. "You two can follow behind my car." Turning to Sophia, he asked, "Do you mind if we talk back at the hotel?" Sophia smiled and shook her head. "Of course not." Katherine chimed in, "In that case, we can be in the same car." She looked up and met udius'' icy gaze. "Forget it. You can ride with him," she caved in weakly. udius won''t gobble Sophia up, right? Chapter 440 Chapter 440 Sophia nced at Katherine and chuckled. Then, she diverted her gaze toward udius and said, "Mr. Lenoir, if we''re all returning to the hotel, I''ll be sharing a car with my friend. Let''s meet at the hotel entrance." udius stared at Sophia for a while. "See youter." With that said, he left with his bodyguard. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Once udius was gone, Katherine hastily stepped out from the spot behind Sophia to say, "Soph, isn''t he... isn''t he Alexander?" Sophia glimpsed at her. "I don''t know." After a pause, she prompted, "Let''s go back to the hotel first." Nevertheless, Katherine was still a little worried about udius. "I''d say udius isn''t a simple man. We''re not in Jadeborough, let alone in the country, so we''ll have to keep our heads low even if anything happens. Why don''t I get Joshua to apany youter?" "No, it''s fine. I think he''s only curious." That piqued Katherine''s interest. "What''s he curious about?" However, Sophia gave her no answer. "Let''s go back first." After all, she could not possibly tell Katherine that she had bit udius on his lip when she saw him the night before, right? Sophia had drunk a little the night before, and she lost control of herself when she saw udius'' face, which looked extremely simr to Alexander''s. She had jumped to conclusions. However, if udius had been living overseas the entire time, then he would just be someone who looked a lot like Alexander. Sophia was drunk the night before, so she could not catch a good look at udius. Now that she was much more sober, she realized there were some differences between udius'' face and Alexander''s face. Thus, after the solemn study of udius'' face, Sophia no longer dared to be certain that udius was Alexander. Katherine dropped the topic at Sophia''s silence. If udius was Alexander, that meant that Alexander was alive, and that was good news. However, Alexander''s transformation into udius would not be a result of any simple event. However, if udius was not Alexander, that would be hurtful news to Sophia. Even though Katherine seemed like a rowdy person on most days, she was quite considerate and careful when it came to Sophia''s matters. A silentpanion was what Sophia needed most at the moment. The mall entrance had dedicated cars for hotel guests, and the two women quickly hailed one. In no time, they were back at the hotel. Once the car stopped, Sophia got out of the car and turned to Katherine. "Go ahead and have fun with Joshua. You don''t need to worry about me. Enjoy your honeymoon." "Sophia¡ª" Before Katherine could say anything else, she spotted udius'' bodyguard, who was waiting by the hotel''s doorway. When udius'' bodyguard saw Sophiaing out of the car, he started making his way toward Sophia. In stiff Chanaean, he said, "Ms. Yarrow, Mr. udius has sent me to take you upstairs." Sophia nced at the bodyguard and arched her brow. "Thank you." A pause after, she continued in Ustranasion, "Are you from this country?" Joe stopped speaking in Chanaean when he heard Sophia speaking in Ustranasion. "Yes, my parents migrated here decades ago. I was born here." "Is that the case for Mr. Lenoir too?" "Yes." There were many people in the elevator, so Sophia stopped talking. Though, she did nce at Joe with a half-smile on her face. Around seven secondster, the elevator doors opened. Joe stepped out first to lead the way. Sophia hade here the night before as well, but she was carried here by udius while she was unconscious, so naturally, she would not remember the way. Soon, Joe came to a stop and knocked on the door for her. Then, he turned to face her and said, "Ms. Yarrow, Mr. udius is waiting for you inside." "Okay, thank you." Just as Sophia said that, someone opened the door. It was udius. "Pleasee in." The roomyout was simr to Sophia''s, but there were two floors for the room. Sophia guessed that the room was a reserved suite for personal use. When she raked her gaze across the room, she stopped at the opened bottle of red wine on the bar counter. "Would you like a drink?" udius asked as he walked over to get one of the sses for her. Sophia shook her head. "I have a low alcohol tolerance." udius took a sip of the red wine and gazed at her for a few seconds. "Did you drinkst night?" "A ss of fruit wine." "You''re right. You can''t hold your liquor," he mercilessly agreed. Sophia sat down on the couch before heading straight to the point. "Mr. Lenoir, is there anything I can help you with?" "Was your friend''s name Alexander Xenos?" Sophia''s hand that was clutching her phone shuddered. Sophia indirectly agreed by saying, "You''re smart, Mr. Lenoir." udius tipped his head back to down his drink. Then, he walked over to Sophia and asked, "Was he your sweetheart, or was he your husband?" "My sweetheart." "I look a lot like him?" "Mhm." All of a sudden, udius leaned over until he was a hair''s breadth away from her. With dark eyes fixed on her, he asked, "How much do I look like him?" Sophia stared at his dark eyes in silence for a moment. "Are we identical?" he asked when he heard nothing from Sophia. You look too much like him. Sophia shifted and averted her gaze. Staring at the cigars on the table, she whispered, "Yes." Her voice was soft, but they were the only ones in the room. udius heard her answer and curled his lips. "So you think of me as a recement for your sweetheart." As he spoke, he deliberately lifted his arm to touch the spot Sophia bit the night before. Sophia had lost control over herself the night before and gave udius a hard bite, making a corner of his lower lip bleed. It had scabbed over now, but the darkness of the scab was visible against his pink lips. "Sorry. I was inebriatedst night." "Is that so?" he said with a scoff, evidently not believing Sophia''s words. udius fell silent and straightened up. In the next second, he sat down beside Sophia and leaned over to take a cigar. Lowering his head, he lit it. He then took a puff before exhaling the smoke. As he narrowed his eyes, he asked, "Ms. Yarrow, do you think I''m Alexander?" Looking at the familiar stranger, she replied, "I wish that you are, but at the same time, I wish that you aren''t." Sophia wanted Alexander to still be alive, but she did not want Alexander to have turned into udius. "Then you''re a greedy one," he said, humming, before exhaling another mouthful of smoke. Augh escaped Sophia. "Aren''t we all? If you have no other questions, Mr. Lenoir, I''ll be taking my leave. I have other things to attend to." "You don''t like my smoking?" udius asked apletely unrted question from their previous topic. After one nce at Sophia, he extinguished the unfinished cigar. Then, he turned to face Sophia. "I had a sex dreamst night." A rare frown appeared on Sophia''s face. "Mr. Lenoir, I''m afraid we haven''t reached the point in our rtionship where we can share with each other the details of our dreams. Sorry, but I''m leaving now." With that, Sophia stood up. However, right as she rose to her feet, udius grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down. She fell back onto the couch. When she saw udiusing closer to her, the smile on her face faded, and an icy look reced the amicable expression in her eyes. Yet, udius abruptly broke into a smile before leaning to her ear to say, "You were the star of my dream, Sophia." "You''re making me angry, Mr. Lenoir." "I know you''re a smart woman, so you definitely know what I''m talking about." udius let go of her and leaned back on the couch. Tilting his head to the side, he continued, "I''m sure you''re in the middle of looking into whether or not I''m Alexander, but I think your men might not be able to find anything concrete. Let''s be frank, then. I felt a sense of familiarity when I first saw youst night. I have a good memory, and I can remember the sequence of a pack of poker cards in ten seconds. Yet, I can''t remember who you are. Maybe it''s time for you to tell me what''s going on with this Alexander of yours." Sure enough, Sophia was an intelligent woman. udius was clear in his words. He had a good memory, and yet, he could not recall who she was despite finding her face familiar. Something was clearly amiss. Him having amnesia would be the only answer to the baffling situation. Chapter 441 Chapter 441 Sophia, however, was sober as never before. Staring at the man before her, she asked, "You lived in Anndur since you were a child?" "ording to them, that''s indeed the case." Sophia instantly caught the main point in his words. "ording to them? So, you lost your memory?" "I got into an ident three months ago. I only regained consciousness a month ago, but when I did, I couldn''t remember anything." "He got involved in an ident about half a year ago." udius gazed at her, his eyes darkened. "I don''t remember anything. It''s possible that the things I know are all fabricated." At this point, he straightened his back. "Half a year ago... That makes it Octoberst year?" "Yeah." "Have you found the body?" "No." There were zero clues regarding Alexander''s whereabouts, and Sophia was left wondering if it was a good or bad thing. "What happened?" Sophia stared at the burning cigar on the ashtray with an arched brow. Momentster, she raised her head and turned to look at udius. "Have you had stic surgery before? Or perhaps, have you done any facial reconstructive surgery?" "Yes. About six months ago." Sophia lowered her head and covered her face with her hands. As tears welled in her eyes, she clenched her fists tight instinctively. She had been looking for him for more than six months, or to be exact, a hundred and twenty-six days. Sophia''s cries were very soft, almost as if she was trying her best to suppress her emotions. Without paying close attention, it was imperceptible. Upon noticing Sophia''s shoulders shaking and soft sobbing sounds, udius furrowed his brows. As much as the atmosphere was growing a little tense, he did not interrupt her from venting out her emotions. The two remained silent for a long time. About two minutester, he grabbed a few tissues and passed them to Sophia. She epted and used them to wipe the tears off her face. Her eyes had turned reddish as she lifted her head again. "Thank you." "You love him very much." "He loves me very much too." Sophia took a deep breath to calm herself down. Her gaze was flooded with longing as she stared at the face before her. "He''s a little more good-looking than you." The two, in fact, already had an answer in their mind. There was no doubt about udius being Alexander, but as for how Alexander became udius, perhaps only udius could find out the truth. Now that udius had forgotten everything, including the past and Sophia, he was none other than someone upying Alexander''s physical body to Sophia. "I am Alexander Xenos." "You''re him." She paused briefly. "But you''re not him too. You don''t remember a thing. To you, I''m nobody but a stranger." Sophia was absolutely right, yet udius felt a little upset. "So, are you trying to say you''re giving up on me?" "Why did you lose your memory? What did the doctor say?" "There''s a blood clot in my brain that''s pressing on the nerve. Surgery could only remove a portion of the blood clot, so I can only wait for the rest to dissolve naturally." "Does that mean you''ll lose your memory forever if the blood clot doesn''t dissolve?" "That''s right." That was undoubtedly a cold, harsh truth. As much as udius knew what was on Sophia''s mind, he had a different line of thought. "Since you love me that much, why can''t you give me some time to fall in love with you again?" "Are you sure you''ll fall in love with me again?" "Do you not have any confidence in yourself?" Sophia stared at him and burst outughing. "No. Instead, I''m not confident in you, udius." A frown marred the man''s countenance. "Why?" Sophia was about to say something when someone began kicking the door aggressively. Those were apparent door-kicking sounds and not door-knocking sounds. The sounds outside the room were not as audible to the two inside since the hotel had good sound instion. However, the door kicking sound was too vehement that they could still hear it by paying close attention. Sophia stood up. "If I''m not mistaken, your family is well-off now, but you have an arranged marriage waiting for you. I can give you time, but that doesn''t mean you have time for me. Besides, you''ve forgotten everything of the past. If you didn''t, you''ll know why I have no confidence in you." Sophia knew she was being obstinate. Yet, the truth was too much for her to digest in such a short time. So, Alexander is now udius. Now that he has lost all his memory, he doesn''t look at me the same way again. It''s almost as if I''m a total stranger to him. She felt that she had seemingly returned to their first three years together. Nevertheless, the current Sophia was no longer as courageous as before to wait for him for another three years. For some reason, Sophia''s words had an indescribable disheartening vibe, and udius was bothered by that. At the same time, the kicking sounds at the door were getting increasingly louder. The man nced at Sophia, lifted his hand to wipe off the tears at the corners of her eyes, and cut to the chase. "It''s true I don''t remember anything of the past. But I reckoned my feelings for you wouldn''t change much since I loved you so much back then. I''ll settle everything that you''ve mentioned. All I hope is for you to give me some time." The man''s fingers were cold. She felt as if something was slitting through her heart as he brushed his finger across the corners of her eyes. Sophia felt a jolt in her heart. In that instant, her fear and hesitation dissipated entirely. "I can give you some time." She looked at him, her almond-shaped eyes curved upward as she broke into a smile. "Go and open the door." I''d be silly to give my man up to somebody else. Indeed, only the dumb would do that. Sophia was smart enough to make the right decision. Gazing at her for a couple of seconds, udius suddenly cradled the back of her head and lowered his head to nt a passionate kiss on her lips. "I had a good dreamst night." Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Finishing his words, he walked past her to the door and opened it. "Why is she still here?" Yasmin shoved the man aside and strutted into the room. When she saw Sophia inside, her expression darkened drastically. "Why is she here? The nerve of you to tell me you two don''t know each other? udius, it''s obvious you have a thing for her!" Trembling in rage, Yasmin strode toward Sophia in her high heels. "Are you so in need of men? He''s my fianc¨¦. Mine! Any idea what your behavior is called?" Sophia looked at her cidly. "What do you like about him? It''s only been three months. What is it that you like about him?" Yasmin was shocked. It was beyond her imagination that the woman before her was not at all shaken and could even find words to retort her. Of course, she reacted rather quickly too. "How is that any of your business? Our families have sat down to discuss and decide on your marriage. udius is my man. You''re the third party now! Are you not ashamed at all? If you''ve got no shame, I can teach you¡ª" As Yasmin spoke, she lifted her hand and swung it toward Sophia''s cheek. Unexpectedly, udius blocked her before her palm even got near Sophia. Yasmin stared at the man in disbelief. "You''re still protecting her? Mind you, I am your fianc¨¦e!" "I don''t have a fianc¨¦e." After saying that, udius shook her hand off. Yasmin staggered a few steps back, her body shuddering violently and her teeth tightly clenched in extreme anger. Right then, uniform voices resonated from outside the room. "Mdm. Rose." Shortly after, Sophia heard a woman''s voice. "udius, what''s themotion about?" Following that, she saw an alluring woman walking in. At the sight of that woman, Sophia was taken aback. Naturally, Rose also took notice of Sophia, who was standing beside udius. The former scrutinized Sophia from head to toe before finallying to a stop on her face. "What a prettydy indeed." Rose shifted her gaze to udius. "This is the type you like?" He kept an icy look on his face. "I think you should know whether or not this is the type I like even more than I do." "udius, is that how you talk to me?" The man did not utter a response and, instead, stepped forward and stood in front of Sophia. That was an action he did on reflex. He only realized what he did after doing it. Sophia felt her heart skip a beat. As much as udius had lost his memory, he still never failed to protect her, moreover, doing it out of instinct. Recognizing that her backer was here, Yasmin quickly walked up to Rose. "Mdm. Rose, look!" Rose gazed at Yasmin and smiled. "Don''t be angry, Yas. I''ll seek justice for you." Then, she turned to Sophia and asked, "What''s your name, youngdy?" Behind udius, Sophia stepped out, then answered, "Sophia." "What a nice name." Rose smiled in response. "You should apologize to Yasmin." "Why should she apologize?" udius frowned in disapproval. Rose nced at the man before directing her gaze back at Sophia. "In a way, you''ve stolen Yasmin''s fianc¨¦. I don''t think it''s too much to ask you to apologize to her, isn''t it?" Chapter 442 Chapter 442 Upon hearing what Rose said, Yasmin let out a cold snort. "Did you hear that, udius? Mdm. Rose is asking her to apologize. You guys are in the wrong!" Sophia nced at Yasmin before shing Rose a smile. "What if I don''t want to apologize?" Sophia paused and continued, "I think you should be very clear about whether I have snatched Ms. Lawre''s fianc¨¦ away." Rose wasn''t angered. Instead, her gaze turned friendlier when she looked at Sophia. "You have quite a temper." With that, Rose turned toward Yasmin and said, "Yas, I''m actually at fault. I met your dad privately and arranged your marriage with udius. If udius doesn''t want to marry you, I can''t force him to." After that, Rose cast Sophia a nce and added, "If udius likes thisdy instead of you, there''s nothing I can do about it. Please forgive me regarding the marriage arrangement. When I get back to Lusterg, I''ll tell your dad about it and cancel the arrangement." Needless to say, Rose''s words caught everyone off guard. Sophia was mentally prepared to get scolded, and she didn''t expect Rose to cancel the marriage arrangement between Yasmin and udius. Besides, Sophia could tell that Yasmin was in no position to stop Rose from canceling the marriage arrangement. On the other hand, Yasmin thought Rose was there to back her up. After all, Yasmin regarded Rose as her family ever since Yasmin was little. Rose treated Yasmin very well back then, so when Rose asked Yasmin if she would marry udius, Yasmin agreed hesitantly. Yasmin agreed to marry udius because he was Rose''s son. Besides, he was a good-looking man. Growing up, Yasmin was used to getting praised for her looks, and everyone wanted to befriend her. That was the case for everyone apart from udius. In fact, he would ignore her whenever she approached him to greet him. Since Yasmin had always been living abroad, her personality differed from the local girls. However, she came from a rich family, and she excelled in everything she did. udius had been her biggest challenge for the past thirty years of her life. Regardless of how she tried to be more open-minded, she still couldn''t ept it. Besides, she seemed to be attracted to his aloofness. The more udius ignored her, the more she wanted him. Hence, Yasmin regarded udius as a challenge in her life. That was why she couldn''t ept it when Rose canceled the marriage arrangement. Yasmin looked at Rose in disbelief and asked, "What did you say, Mdm. Rose? I don''t think I understand you." "You know how I''ve always been respectful toward the younger generations, Yasmin. Naturally, I''ll give udius the freedom to choose who he wants to be with." Rose smiled. Rose''s words had crushed all of Yasmin''s hopes and dreams. Yasmin''s face was as pale as a sheet when she questioned, "Are you kidding me, Mdm. Rose? An ordinary person would surely not care who udius was into. However, considering your status and worth, the marriage arrangement will only benefit our families." "I''m old now, and I don''t even know how much time I have left. Thus, I don''t think too far into the future." Rose heaved a sigh. I''m done talking to Yasmin because my mind is set. With that in mind, Rose turned to look at udius. "Send Ms. Yarrow back." Rose''s attitude toward Sophia was unexpected. Not only Yasmin but udius and Sophia also found it mind-boggling. Sophia didn''t know who Rose was, but Sophia found it better now that Alexander had be udius. udius'' mother has to be someone with significant influence. I bet she had already investigated me before she came here today. Still, I didn''t expect her to stay out of udius'' love life. Regardless, it''s good that she''s a friendly person, and she isn''t out to make my life difficult. Since Rose had already mentioned it, Sophia nced at udius and said, "That''s not necessary. My room is on the sixteenth floor." As soon as those words fell, Rose smiled and said, "Let him send you. I need to talk to Yasmin." Seeing how straightforward Rose was, Sophia tactfully shed a polite smile and said, "I''ll be on my way, then, Ma''am." "Myst name is Lenoir," Rose uttered. Sophia was stunned for a moment, but she regained her senses a secondter. "All right, Mdm. Lenoir." Rose nodded in response and cast udius a nce. udius couldn''t ask for a better oue. Initially, he thought he would need some time to convince Rose. Now, it seems like I need to find a way to regain my memories. After all, the fact that I don''t remember anything is cruel and unfair to Sophia. "Let''s go." udius retracted his gaze and lowered his head to look at Sophia. Sophia followed him out of the room, and Allen, one of the bodyguards guarding the door, wanted to follow them from behind. udius saw that and stopped him. "I''m going down to the sixteenth floor." Allen stopped in his tracks instantly. udius was staying on the top floor, so there was no one in the elevator. Sophia followed him into the elevator and watched the doors close. After that, she smiled and asked, "Do you always have two bodyguards following you around?" "Mm-hmm." Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Hearing that, Sophia turned and lifted her head toward udius. "You seem to have a good rtionship with your mother." udius lowered his head to look at her. "Frankly, I don''t feel a connection with her." Soon, the elevator arrived on the sixteenth floor, and the doors opened. "It''s my floor." Sophia paused and hesitated. "Would you like toe in for a ss of juice?" It was hard to get a ss of tea or warm water in the foreign country they were in. Since the wine in Sophia''s room was taken away, all she could offer him was a ss of juice Katherine had brought over earlier. "Have you had lunch?" udius asked. Sophia arched a brow. "I don''t think it was lunchtime yet when I met you at the mall." "Let''s go downstairs for lunch." udius closed the elevator doors, and Sophia went along with it. Although Alexander had be udius, the man was still behaving like Alexander. The two went to the hotel restaurant for a buffet lunch. Since it was lunchtime, the ce was packed. Sophia wasn''t used to western cuisine, so she only took a sandwich for herself. udius, on the other hand, seemed to have gotten used to the food there, so he returned with a te full of food. When he saw Sophia had only taken a sandwich, he asked, "Are you not used to western cuisine?" "Not really." Sophia took a sip of her apple juice and nced at his te. "Well, you seem to have gotten used to the food here." "I''m not a fan of it, though." Sophia merely smiled in response. After one hundred and twenty-six days, I''m finally having a meal with Alexander again. Surprisingly, I''m feeling calmer than I expected. Chapter 443 Chapter 443 Alexander, who was also udius, didn''t ask much about his own past at the dining table. Instead, he asked Sophia how long she was going to stay there. Sophia took thest bite of her sandwich and mulled over it before replying, "My friend brought me here. Initially, my n was to fly back to Lusterg in the afternoon and return to my country tomorrow." In other words, she had changed her ns. Although she wasn''t leaving yet, she couldn''t stay for too long. I chose to stay back because I wanted to find out if udius was actually Alexander. Now that I have gotten my confirmation, I ought to return to the country to deal with the aftermath. Since she had already found Alexander, she could delegate the matters concerning Odyssey. "Did youe here for business?" udius asked. "Yes. I''m here for an overseas project." Sophia wiped the corners of her mouth with a piece of tissue and looked at udius while she drank her juice. "You won''t be staying here for long, right?" "Have you always been this smart?" udius nced at Sophia. "I guess so." Sophia chuckled. "Well, I''m more interested in smart women. Yasmin is rather dull." In other words, he hated Yasmin. Hearing that he had mentioned Yasmin, Sophia asked directly, "If you hadn''t met me and remembered me, would you have gone along with the marriage arrangement?" "Would Alexander do that?" "I think so." Sophia raised her eyebrows. udius wasn''t happy with her answer. With a frown, he argued, "I don''t think so." "Why not?" Sophiaughed. "I don''t know." udius was telling the truth because he really had no idea. However, before he met Sophia, he had never considered marrying Yasmin. That was why he would tell the bodyguards to chase Yasmin out of the hotel. Sophia nodded in response. "I''m done eating." "Let me send you back." "Thank you." They were no longer alone in the elevator when they were on their way back. They had to share the elevator with a couple of men with a pungent smell of cologne on their clothes. The smell was so strong that Sophia was having trouble breathing. Fortunately for her, the men went off the elevator on the sixth and seventh floors, respectively. Although Sophia and udius were the only ones left in the elevator, the smell was still lingering in the air. As a result, neither of them was in the mood to start a conversation. Soon, the elevator arrived on the sixteenth floor. Sophia quickly stepped out of the elevator to breathe in a breath of fresh air. She then turned around to see that udius had also exited the elevator. Sophia was caught by surprise. "I think your mother is waiting for you." udius hummed a quick acknowledgment and showed no sign of leaving in a hurry. "I need to confirm something." "What is it?" "When I kissed you, did I do it like this¡ª" udius pulled Sophia into his embrace and lifted her chin to kiss her on the lips. udius was too fast, so by the time Sophia had raised her arms to shield herself, he was already kissing her. A faint scent of wine invaded her mouth, and all of a sudden, she felt something sweeping across her lower lip. When she came back to her senses, udius had already pulled away from the kiss. He hung his head low and looked at her with his obsidian eyes. "Did I kiss you like this back then?" Sophia blushed and murmured, "Yes." That was a habit Alexander had whenever he kissed her. Before he pulled away, he would always lick her lower lip. "All right," udius responded in a deep voice. "Which room are you staying in?" "Room 8." Sophia retreated from his embrace and nced at him. "I''ll go back on my own." "Okay." Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Before Sophia walked back to her room, she spared him another nce. Seeing that udius wasn''t following her from behind, she whipped out her key card and entered her room. As soon as she entered the quiet room, she closed the door behind her and touched her lower lip. While she was doing that, she couldn''t help but lower her head and chuckle. Feeling her tearsing, Sophia lifted her hands to cover her eyes. This feels surreal! Meanwhile, udius watched Sophia go into her room, and he turned around to enter the elevator. That was how I kissed Sophia in my dreamsst night. I thought it was merely a wet dream, but it could be something from the past. Of course, I''ll only know for sure once I regain my memories. When udius arrived outside his room, those two bodyguards were still guarding the door. However, the room appeared to have quieted down, and Yasmin seemed to have left. Inside, Rose was sitting on the couch with a cigar between her fingers. Upon seeing his return, she blew out a cloud of smoke and smiled. "I thought you would onlye back tonight." "Do you have something to say to me, Mother?" Rose lifted her head to look at him. "Are you ming me for hiding it from you?" udius kept mum, walked to the bar, and poured himself half a ss of wine. After that, he leaned on the side of the bar and looked at Rose. Rose was in herte fifties, but she took exceptional care of herself. Besides, Aplothians would normally look younger than they were. Thus, she looked like she was in her thirties. With that mesmerizing smile of hers, it was safe to assume that she was a beautifuldy in her younger days. In fact, if one were to take a closer look, one could definitely see the simrities between udius and Rose in terms of appearance. Although he had his father''s facial structure and nose, he inherited Rose''s looks when other aspects were concerned. Rose looked at the face that was almost simr to her own, and her smile faded a little. "I didn''t mean to hide it from you. It''s just that you''ve only gotten discharged recently, so I didn''t want to put extra pressure on you." With that, Rose retracted her gaze and took a puff of her cigar. "I won''t stop you from being with Sophia, but you have to promise me something in return." "What is it?" "You must stay here until you''ve cemented your position in UI." Rose went on to narrow her eyes and added, "You''re my only son, so I''m giving you everything I own. Jeff and I worked extremely hard to establish UI, so I really hope you can keep it running. I won''t intervene in your private matters." udius took a sip of his red wine and gazed at Rose''s back. A tender light flickered in his eyes when he asked, "May I ask you a question?" "Go on." "Since you didn''t bother looking for me over the past thirty-odd years, why did you suddenly look for me?" Rose wasn''t surprised to hear that question. She stubbed out her cigar, leaned on the sofa, and turned around to look at udius. "I''m getting old, so I must sort these things out before my time runs out." With a smile on her face, she answered the question in a casual tone. With that, she took her handbag and left. Chapter 444 Chapter 444 It was only when her phone rang did Sophia snap back to reality. She snagged her bag from the side and took the device out. Casting a nce at the caller ID, she saw that it was a call from Yvonne. Hmm, there''s likely progress with the matter about udius for her to call at this hour. A smile curved her lips. "Hello, Sophia speaking." "I''ve gathered all the information on udius, Ms. Yarrow." Hearing that, Sophia arched a brow. "Go on." Yvonne scanned her eyes over the stack of information she had just received a while ago. "He''s the son of Rose Lenoir, a resident of Moranta of Chanaean ethnicity. He''s thirty-four years old this year..." She briefly narrated udius'' background before adding, "I had someone visit udius'' university and inquire about him, but there were no records of him attending school there. But when I went to Rose''s company, UI, and asked around, all the employees knew that their chairman had a son named udius. However, the man had been living abroad and seldom made any appearances, so few had ever seen him. A month ago, Rose announced her retirement and dered that her son would be taking over her position in UI, bing thepany''s new CEO." At this point in her speech, she paused for a moment. Then, she ventured, "From udius'' picture, he looks exactly the same as Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow." Indeed, Sophia had already verified whether udius was Alexander. While Yvonne did not draw a conclusion directly, that remark of hers could be considered an indirect expression of her opinion. Sophia chuckled softly. "He''s Alexander." On the other end of the line, Yvonne was slightly stunned upon hearing that. "You''re sure?" "Yes," Sophia murmured. Then, she leaned over and picked up the bottle of fruit juice on the table. Unscrewing the cap, she took a sip of its contents. "Oh yes, what''s the situation like with Rose?" "I was just about to tell you about her." Yvonne put her surprise away and started speaking about Rose. "She''s the only daughter of the chairman of Aplomb Corporation back then, Caleb Lenoir. Her name was originally Gemma Lenoir. She later changed her name to Rose, a type of flower in Ustranasion. Thirty-five years ago, Aplomb Corporation went bankrupt due to poor management, leading Caleb tomit suicide. She then went abroad with her mother to stay with her aunt and uncle. She returned once after going abroad and stayed for about three months before leaving again. This time, she never returned to the country again. She dated Zachary before the Lenoir family went bankrupt, but she had already broken up with him prior to that because he was still entangled with Kristen during their rtionship. At thirty-three years old, she married her business partner, Jeff." Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Sophia knew that Rose must have deliberately allowed them to obtain information on her since Yvonne managed to gather all that. It was not Jadeborough there, so it would be a piece of cake if Rose had wanted to conceal all that. However, she did not do so. Well, I reckon she isn''t nning on keeping everything secret to the bitter end. "Thank you, Ms. Leighton." "You''re most wee, Ms. Yarrow." Yvonne likewise found it unbelievable, never having expected Alexander to be Rose''s biological son. She added, "I''ve already sent the information to your email, Ms. Yarrow." "Okay, got it." In truth, Yvonne merely gave a brief report. The information she sent via email was the detailed report instead. Before thirty years old, Rose was a wealthy heiress who grew up pampered. But when she hit thirty, it was as though her luck had run out. UI was currently a world-renownedpany, with many of its subsidiaries being familiar brands. One could only imagine Rose and her husband''s capabilities that they sessfully expanded the company to its current scale in just thirty years. Verily, Rose was a formidable woman. Turning off herputer, Sophia changed and took a nap. It had been a long time since she hadst done so, and she overslept. By the time she woke up, the sky was already dark outside. She strolled over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and gazed out, only to see the city bustling with life. It was eons ago since she had slept so well. Picking up her phone, she nced at the time. To her surprise, it was already past seven at night. Pangs of hunger hit her. Katherine and Joshua had gone out to have fun, and she did not really want to go and eat alone at a restaurant. Thus, she ordered some food and had it delivered. Shortly after, a knock sounded on her door. She lowered the volume of the projector before getting to her feet and going over to open the door. When she caught sight of udius, she was startled for a moment. "Is... something the matter?" Recalling the kiss earlier in the afternoon, she unconsciously pursed her lips, her cheeks ming. "Have you had dinner?" udius looked down at her, his gaze alighting on her slightly pursed ruby-red lips. He was again reminded of the wonderful dream he hadst night. In response, Sophia shook her head. "I ordered room service." No sooner had her words rang out than the ding of the elevator doors opening sounded in the distance. On the heels of that, the sounds of a serving cart being wheeled down the carpet drifted into the air. Peering out, Sophia smiled. "I think it''s probably my dinner." "Can Ie in?" udius asked, lowering his head and holding her gaze after a quick nce into the room. Following that, Sophia turned sideways. "Sure." udius brushed past her and walked straight into the room. The space carried a faint fragrance he perceived on her previously. For some inexplicable reason, it put him at ease. Without standing on ceremony, he plopped right down onto the couch upon entering the room. Subsequently, a hotel staff wheeled the serving cart in andid out the food Sophia ordered on the dining table, one by one. After epting his tip, he left. With that, only Sophia and udius were left in the room. Sophia closed the door and eyed udius on the couch. "Have you had dinner?" "Nope." At his answer, Sophia nced at the food on the table that was only enough for a person. "Shall I order something for you?" "I''ve just done so." "Okay, then," Sophia replied. Pulling out a dining chair, she sat down at the dining table. "I''ll be eating first, okay?" She ordered steak, which would not taste good when it had gone cold. "There''s no need to wait for me." On the couch, udius stared at her fixedly with his ebony eyes, his thoughts indiscernible. His gaze was so scorching that Sophia could not help tilting her head and looking back at him after cutting the steak. She quirked a brow imperceptibly. "Do you have something to say to me?" "Eat first." Since the man had said as much, she did not bother to stand on formality with him. In no time, udius'' food arrived, and the hotel staffid out the food on the dining table. Sitting across from Sophia, udius took a long look at her before lowering his head and cutting his steak methodically. When Sophia had finished thest piece of steak, she took a sip of orange juice to remove the taste of meat from her mouth. Then, she propped her chin on her hands and imitated his action earlier, keeping her eyes trained on him. However, udius acted as though he did not notice anything but continued eating unhurriedly. Soon, he also finished eating. Snagging a wet wipe, he cleaned his hands. After doing that, he turned his gaze to her. "When are you going back to Chanaea?" "The day after tomorrow." Sophia was there on a business trip, and she was presently managing twopanies concurrently. As such, she could not take breaks as she liked in the past. "You''ll be going back to Lusterg first?" "Yeah." As udius had lost his memories, their interactions felt familiar yet foreign to them. "What perfume do you usually use?" That took Sophia aback. "I don''t use perfume." While saying that, she paused briefly. It was as though something had urred to her. "There''s a specialized fragrance on my clothes." She did not like using perfume, so she used her own specialized potpourri in her closet. The aroma would diffuse significantly after she had worn the clothes for a while, leaving only a faint trace of it. It was much more pleasant than perfume. Alexander had also asked her the same question in the past. After learning that she was using potpourri, he stuffed his clothes into her closet as well. "It smells far better than perfume." "Thank you." udius raised a brow. "How about going downstairs for a walk?" Right then, they were neither lovers nor strangers. Hence, it was a touch awkward to be in the same room for an extended time. Sophia shed him a smile. "Sure. Wait a moment while I change." udius'' brows twitched. "The dress you wore that night was stunning." Pausing, he continued, "But I don''t quite like other men seeing you dressed sexily." Although he no longer remembered anything, his inherent possessiveness remained. The knowledge that Sophia was his woman was sufficient for him. Chapter 445 Chapter 445 At udius'' remark, Sophia dipped her head and chuckled softly. Whirling around, she went into the walk-in closet and changed before emerging again. She still wore a maxi dress this time, but it was much more elegant and casualpared to the one Katherine wanted her to wear together that night. The light apricot floral chiffon dress paired with a dark blue denim jacket on the outside gave her a casual sense of being on vacation. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. She had no makeup on, merely lipstick. The maple red lipstickplemented her dress perfectly. Despite theck of makeup, herplexion had improved considerably. udius had just hung up the phone when he was greeted by the sight of Sophia walking out the instant he lifted his eyes. His ebony eyes flickered, and heplimented her generously, "You''re absolutely gorgeous." A smile bloomed on Sophia''s face. "Thank you." Snagging her phone, she left the room with udius. udius stayed on the top floor, while Sophia was only two floors below his room. The elevator remained empty until it reached the restaurant on the third floor, and a few people entered. As Sophia was tall and slender with fair skin and Aplothian features, those who stepped into the elevator reflexively took a second look at her. Epeans with chiseled features, bright hair, and blue eyes appeared exceedingly romantic and alluring when they stared someone in the eye. The Epean who entered the elevator was very much open, staring at Sophia as soon as he stepped in. If it were any other women, they would have long since been hypnotized. However, Sophia merely smiled faintly before lifting a hand to tuck the scattered hair by her cheek to the back of her ear. Then, she turned and looked away. Probably because of her unresponsiveness, the Epean man retracted his gaze and conversed with his friends in Ustranasion. Listening in, Sophia and udius gathered that the men were talking about a seductive blonde girl they had metst night. The conversation was somewhat scandalous. On instinct, Sophia stole a peek at udius, only to notice that the man was also looking at her. Mortified, Sophia withdrew her gaze and pinned her eyes on the elevator floor disy. Fortunately, the elevator arrived at the second sub-basement shortly. It was a little past eight at night, and a crowd had only started thronging the casino. It was a huge ce, and Sophia only managed to explore less than a third of itst night. No sooner had they entered the casino than udius'' bodyguard handed them a basket of chips. "Mr. udius, Ms. Yarrow." Sophia swept a gaze over the chips that were worth over a million in Anndurn currency in the basket. She could not help arching a brow. "How many shares does Mdm. Lenoir own here?" "Fifteen percent," udius replied while taking the basket. Thereafter, he asked, "What would you like to y?" Sophia scanned around the ce. She yed baratst night and even won a tidy sum, but she merely left her chips on the table to chase after udius. Recalling that matter, Sophia snorted softly. "Can I get back the money I wonst night?" udius said nothing, merely shooting an indifferent look at Joe at the side. Joe was bewildered for a moment, but he swiftly understood the man''s meaning. "Of course. I''ll go and get it for you right away." "Thank you." Well, it was at least eight hundred thousand, enough to buy Katherine two handbags. Sophia wavered for a moment before answering udius'' question earlier. "ckjack?" "Sure." ckjack, also known as Twenty-One, originated from Ferropene. It was not a difficult game, merely requiring the total value of the cards in its yers'' hands to be below twenty-one. A yer was allowed to stop asking for cards midgame. When all the yers had done so, the dealer would flip over the hole card and continue drawing cards until the hand total exceeded seventeen points. If the dealer went beyond twenty-one points, it meant that he lost, and the yers would win double their bets. Otherwise, it would be aparison of values whereby the person with the highest value would win. If the values drew even, it would be considered a tie, and the yers would get their bets back. Sophia had yed the game once for the sake of acquiring apany in the past. Both Sophia and udius were Aplothians with outstanding auras and extraordinary looks. The moment they took their seats, they snagged everyone''s attention. There was a high-low card counting strategy in ckjack. It involved adding a point to each card with values of two, three, four, five, and six, adding none to cards with values of seven, eight, and nine, and subtracting a point to cards with values of ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. All the points were to be totaled. Therger the figure, the fewer cards of lower values had appeared previously, and the more beneficial it was to yers as there was a high possibility for the dealer obtaining a card with a high value and exceeding twenty-one points. Conversely, if the sum was a negative number, few cards of high denominations had appeared previously, and the stakes were on the dealer''s side. A deck of cards contained fifty-two cards in total. Sophia and udius had incredible memories, and they both had a rough idea of the situation after a hand had been dealt. Sophia was exceedingly bold in ying cards. While her hole card was of a high value, and she could easily go over twenty-one points if she were to continue drawing cards, she could still do so without any change in expression. Just after two rounds, she won a mint. They yed a few rounds and won almost every single one. Therefore, it was no surprise that someone had his sights on them. When a round of ckjack drew to an end, a tall and slender girl with blond hair and blue eyes came over and asked, "Hello, sir, miss. The gentleman over there would like to y a few rounds with you both. Do you mind?" Following the girl''s gaze, Sophia discovered that the man was Aplothian. She withdrew her gaze and turned to look at udius. "Mr. Lenoir?" "Whatever you decide is fine with me." Sophia studied the Aplothian man once more. She dipped her head slightly before looking up and replying smilingly in Ustranasion, "Okay." udius ced his chips in her small basket. Sophia threw him a sidelong nce before following the girl ahead with a chuckle. "Hello, Ms. Yarrow." The Aplothian man called out Sophia''s name right away. Sophia scrutinized the middle-aged man in front of her, but she had no recollection of him. "Sorry, but you are?" "Ss Cadogan." While Sophia had never met Ss before, she was all too familiar with that name. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Cadogan." If my memory serves, the chairman of thepany thatpeted with Odyssey for the project in February this year was named Ss Cadogan. Ah, our meeting today is more or less an unfortunate coincidence! Ss was already in his sixties, but he kept in shape, so he looked like a man in his early fifties. It was rumored that he abandoned the education field to venture into business. Wearing a pair of thin-rimmed sses, he regarded Sophia with a smile, appearing all elegant. "I didn''t expect to bump into you here, Ms. Yarrow." Pausing momentarily, he shifted his gaze to udius beside Sophia. "And of course, Mr. Xenos." Despite the perpetual smile on the man''s face, Sophia could tell at a single nce that he was up to no good. Alexander had been missing for half a year, and everyone in Chanaea was convinced that he must have long since died. Yet, Ss was addressing udius as "Mr. Xenos" right off the bat, sounding even more confident than Sophia did when she firstid eyes on the man. Hmm, something is fishy about this. udius cast Ss a cold look. "Indeed, it''s very much a coincidence." Lifting a hand, Ss nudged his sses, the smile in his eyes intensifying. "I noticed that you were both having fun and took the liberty to intrude for a bit. It so happens that I also love ying ckjack. Why don''t the three of us y a few rounds?" At that, Sophia chuckled. "Sure." "In that case, follow me, please." By then, the girl from earlier had returned. She led the way ahead. Sophia and udius walked behind Ss. Sophia stared at thetter''s back, the smile on her face dimming a shade. Turning her head, she fixed her eyes on udius. Her lips moved imperceptibly as she warned the man soundlessly that Ss must be plotting something nefarious. Just when she had done so, she sensed a sudden squeeze on the hand by her side. For a rare moment, she was stunned, for that was something Alexander used to do. While she was distracted, udius lowered his head and whispered into her ear, "Don''t be afraid." Blinking, Sophia suppressed the emotions surging forth within her. In truth, she was not afraid, merely unsure about Ss'' motive. In no time, the three of them arrived at a private room. The private room was much quieter than the gambling tables outside. Sophia ced the small basket in her hand on the table. Meanwhile, Ss lifted a hand and dismissed the girl with a wave. After the girl had left the private room, a croupier walked in. "I previously heard that some ident had befallen you, Mr. Xenos. Even the inte was abuzz about your demise. From the look of things now, all that was likely just baseless rumors." Picking up a chip, Sophia held it between her index and thumb fingers, tapping it against the table without saying anything. Beside her, udiusmented, "You''re quite a busybody, Mr. Cadogan." Following that, Ss chortled. "Well, I enjoy the entertainment segment asionally." The croupier asked whether they would like to begin the game. Ss nced at Sophia before turning his gaze to udius. "Small bets are fun, but huge bets lead to ruination, Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow. Let''s just have some fun." As he said that, he tossed his chip out. Despite proposing a small bet, he flung out a chip worth a hundred thousand right off the bat. Tsk-tsk, a small bet, huh? Chapter 446 Chapter 446 Sophia curled her lips slightly before taking out the chips from her basket and cing them in front of her. udius followed suit. When Ss saw that, he smiled but did not say anything. "It seems like Mr. Xenos and Ms. Yarrow are still as close as before." Sophia peeked at her hole cards and replied with a cid smile, "Thanks for your concern, Mr. Cadogan." Ignoring the man, udius tapped his fingers on the table tomunicate the intentions of his next move to the dealer. Ss proceeded to change the topic, discussing other business matters, while Sophia continued entertaining him by giving half-hearted replies. At times, he tried to direct the conversation to udius, but udius would simply reply with one-word answers. Whenever Ss asked a question, udius would not answer if Sophia had answered it first, and vice versa. Seeing how stubborn the two of them were, Ss stopped talking after a while, as there was no point carrying on. A few roundster, Ss started to get bored and excused himself after taking a call. "Let''s catch up again soon. Please remember to send me a wedding invite when the two of you are getting married." Still holding her cards, Sophia shed a half-smile while lowering her head. When udius heard that, his eyebrows twitched. Then, he replied with the longest sentence he had spoken that day. "Don''t worry, Mr. Cadogan. We will definitely be delivering the invitation to you personally." Ss nodded and took another nce at Sophia before walking out of the private room. Once the man left the room, the smile on his face vanished. He turned toward his assistant and instructed, "Find out what Alexander has been up to in the past six months." As Alexander had been missing in Chanaea for half a year, Ss found it strange that the man had suddenly appeared in Lightspring. He was certain that there was more than met the eye. Besides, Sophia had been the one handling everything in Odyssey back in Chanaea. If Alexander is fine, why did he choose to leave the country? The feud between Ss and Alexander had been going on for years. In addition, Ss lost the project bid to Odyssey two months ago. As such, he could feel his anger mounting when he saw Sophia and Alexander earlier. However, he was good at hiding his true feelings behind his perpetual smile. He had hoped to find out some useful information during the game earlier but failed to make any headway. Nevertheless, the man was rather impressed with the two of them for managing not to give anything away. Shortly after Ss left, while the dealer was shuffling the cards, Sophia smiled at udius and asked, "Do you remember meeting him before?" "No," udius replied, shaking his head. "That was a very quick reply." Although udius was putting up a good act, Sophia was still worried that Ss would find out about udius'' memory loss when the two men interacted earlier. Sophia had not met Ss formally before, but she had had prior dealings with him. Moreover, Felix had also warned her previously that Ss was a scheming man who had a perpetual smile on his face. A hypocrite was a thousand times more dangerous than an unapologetically despicable person. Naturally, Sophia had to keep her guard up in front of him. Hence, knowing that Ss was testing the waters, she tried to give ambiguous replies to all his questions earlier. She knew that the man had no means of verifying her answers anyway. From the looks of the current situation, even if he was harboring ill intentions, there was nothing much he could do. An inexplicable glint shed past udius'' eyes when he noticed the smirk on Sophia''s face. Recalling the sensual dream he had, the man swallowed subtly as he looked down at his chips. "Are we continuing?" When Ss was the banker earlier, the minimum bid for one round was a hundred thousand. Half an hour and several roundster, the two of them had won around five hundred thousand in total. Sophia nced at the chips on the table in front of her. Letting out a yawn, she shook her head and replied, "No." It was already ten at night. After returning to the hotel and taking a shower, it would be almost time for bed. It had been eight days since Sophia arrived in Moranta, and she was no longer jegged. During Alexander''s absence, she managed to maintain a regr daily routine despite her busy schedule and even found time to attend boxing sses. She was not used tote nights, and that had not changed when she was in Moranta. "Do you have any ns tomorrow?" "I will be flying back to Lusterg tomorrow evening." A frown appeared on udius'' face. "Shall we have breakfast together tomorrow?" From N?velDrama.Org. "Sure." After cashing out their chips, the two of them entered the elevator and headed back upstairs. udius walked Sophia back to her room before returning to his. When Sophia was opening the door, udius'' phone suddenly rang. Leaning against the door frame, Sophia said, "I''m going in now. Good night." "Good night," udius replied as he took out his phone. Sophia cast another nce at the man before shutting the door. She removed her jacket, intending to take a rxing bath. Katherine had gone out with Joshua that day and had sent Sophia a lot of photos. Sophia turned on the tap and started filling the bathtub with water. While waiting on the couch, she browsed through Katherine''s messages. Halfway through, she noticed that Katherine had asked her a question about Alexander. As that message was sent together with a bunch of photos, she could have easily missed it if she had not paid attention. Clearly, Katherine was shocked to see udius earlier that afternoon. Even after spending an entire day outside, she was still thinking about what had happened. Sophia massaged her temples before typing a reply: He''s indeed Alexander, but he has lost his memory. His name is now "udius." As Katherine did not reply to her text straight away, Sophia guessed that her friend was most likely still outside partying. Without waiting for Katherine to reply, Sophia grabbed her clothes and entered the bathroom. After pouring a few drops of essential oil into the bathtub, she stepped inside. Mmm, this feels so good. Meanwhile, after his call ended, udius looked toward Sophia''s door for a few seconds before turning around and entering the elevator. udius was awoken by a dream in the middle of the night. However, it wasn''t a pleasant dream, unlike the one he had the night before. In that dream, Sophia had divorced him, and the two of them were walking out of City Hall expressionlessly with their divorce certificate in their hands. The next moment, the scene changed. It was their wedding ceremony. However, it wasn''t as grand and bustling as he had imagined it to be. Rather, it seemed as if he had been forced to get married. Judging from his cold expression, it looked like he was attending a funeral instead of a wedding. udius was unable to remember what exactly he had seen in his dream after he woke up. All he could feel was a sense of emptiness. He squinted at the dim yellow light after turning on the nightmp while grabbing his phone from the bedside table. He nced at the time and saw that it was only two in the morning. However, he did not want to continue sleeping after having a dream like that. Hence, he decided to get out of bed. Sitting on the couch, udius reached for a cigar and put it in his mouth before lighting it. The man fell into a daze as he blew smoke rings into the cool air that was reflected in his deep, dark eyes. Just then, he recalled Sophia''s disapproving expression when she saw him smoking the previous day. At that thought, he extinguished the unfinished cigar at once. As thest smoke ring gradually dissipated, udius thought about that sensual dream he had again. Although it was just a dream, it felt so real that he could not stop savoring the feelings it gave him. Putting a hand to his forehead, a twinkle appeared in those usually cold pupils of his. He realized that his feelings for Sophia were growing every time he reminisced about the dream. Chapter 447 Chapter 447 Sophia was awoken the next morning by a call from Katherine. The sun had yet to fully rise. The weather that day seemed unpleasant as it had a gloomy and cloudy appearance, giving the impression of an impending rainstorm. Sophia picked up the phone that kept vibrating and narrowed her eyes at the screen. ''What''s wrong, Kathy?" "Sophia! Is it true that udius is actually Alexander?" she asked. Sophia massaged her forehead and chuckled. "Yes." She then wore her slippers and got into the bathroom. "I''m going to freshen up." With that, she ended the call. Upon hearing Sophia''s answer, Katherine sat up from the bed. "Oh, my God!" Stunned, she tilted her head to look at Joshua. "Alexander is alive." Joshua nced at her while arching his brows. "The person you guys met yesterday was Alexander?" "Yes. Sophia admitted it herself just now!" Katherine eximed. Despite his typically calm demeanor, Joshua was momentarily struck speechless. After a brief pause, he pulled Katherine, who was visibly excited, into an embrace. "If that''s the case, you should avoid disturbing Sophia." Before Katherine could speak, Joshua leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, silencing her momentarily as she let out a few soft huffs. Soon, the room was filled with the sound of their heavy breathing. Though the sky outside the floor-to-ceiling window gradually brightened, a light drizzle started to fall. Sophia freshened up and grabbed a ss of warm water. She walked over to the window to watch the rain outside, taking small sips of water from the ss. It''s drizzling now¡ªnot the best time to leave the room. After getting changed, Sophia heard the doorbell ring. She saw udius standing before her upon opening the door. He was wearing a dark sweater. "Good morning. It''s drizzling now." Sophia bobbed her head in response and smiled. "Yes, it is." "Do you want to go out and have some fun?" he asked. Lightspring was known for its tourist spots, but Sophia did not enjoy going out in the rain. She shook her head and declined the offer. "Not really." "Yeah, me neither." udius nced at her before walking into the room. "Do you mind giving me your number? Add me on WhatsApp too." After closing the door, Sophia noticed udius was already sitting on the couch and holding out his phone to her. Perhaps because of the cold weather, udius wore a dark gray sweater instead of a formal shirt, and the low-neck sweater revealed his Adam''s apple. As Sophia lowered her head, she could not help but notice his Adam''s apple bobbing up and down. Seeing that caused her heart to skip a beat, but she steadied herself, took out her phone, and scanned the QR code on his device. "I haven''t had breakfast yet," she said. Sophia nced at udius'' phone screen and realized there was nothing much on the phone. "Me neither. Someone will send food over in a short while," he responded. Sophia''s brows twitched. After putting her phone back into her pocket, she walked to the projector. "Want to watch a movie?" "Choose one that you like," he said. Sophia responded with a grin, "I want to watch a horror movie." udius looked at the gloomy sky outside the window. "This weather is perfect for watching horror movies." Sophia picked a ssic horror movie. Before sitting down, she hesitated for a second. In the end, she decided to sit next to him. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. The ssic movie Sophia chose was thrilling, but the man kept looking at her instead. After just a few minutes, Sophia found it hard to continue watching. She turned sideways to look at udius. "Don''t you want to watch the movie?" "I had a dreamst night," he uttered. Sophia''s hand jolted. She picked up the remote control and hit the pause button. "So it was another..." She hesitated to use the term "sex dream." With a reddened face, she nced at udius and rephrased her question. "Was it about me?" udius hummed in affirmation. He gazed into her eyes, his dark eyes flickering. He knew she intentionally avoided uttering those two words. Shifting closer to Sophia, he turned his body sideways and met her gaze. "Have we been married before?" Sophia lifted her eyes and replied, "Yes, we had." "Did we eventually file for divorce?" he asked again. She hummed in acknowledgment. udius knitted his brows. "Why?" Sophia gazed at him with her almond-shaped eyes curved slightly upward. "It was because you didn''t love me." He could not quite understand. "Why would I marry you if I didn''t love you?" "I threatened you," she replied. udius responded with a tut. "I can''t imagine what methods you could have used to threaten me." After a short pause, he continued, "But since it''s in the past, and I no longer remember it, you shouldn''t dwell on those things either." Sophia gave him a grin without saying anything. Seeing the alluring smile on her face caused his heart to race with desire. Unable to resist, he leaned in and nted a kiss on her lips. Sophia blinked before giving his lower lip a gentle nibble and pulling away from the kiss. "The doorbell is ringing." Indeed, the doorbell rang. Breakfast was here. udius frowned, feeling dissatisfied with the waiter''s untimely arrival. After ncing at Sophia, who gave him a subtle grin, he suppressed his urge and said, "Let''s have breakfast first." Sophia was stunned for a moment. Upon realizing what he meant, she blushed instantly. So he still wants to kiss after breakfast. udius got up and opened the door for the waiter to enter with the serving cart. Sophia pressed her lips together, got up from the couch, and walked to the dining table. Though she had arrived at Lightspring almost ten days ago, she was still not used to eating their local breakfast. After taking a few bites of her sandwich, she held her ss of milk and lowered her head to sneak a peek at udius. "Not used to the breakfast here?" udius lifted his eyes and nced at her before gulping one-third of the milk from his ss. Sophia noticed he had a hearty appetite. "I''m not quite used to the breakfast here. But, to be honest, I don''t eat a lot in the morning." Sophia had a white milk stain around the corners of her lips after she finished her milk. After looking at the stain for two seconds, udius got up and wiped off the milk stain with his thumb. He then retracted his hand, ced his thumb by his mouth, and licked it. "It''s kind of sweet." Sophia blushed as she looked at the half-full ss of milk on the table. Should I finish it or not? The doorbell rang again, and Sophia thought it was the waitering back to collect the dishes. She paused the movie. "Soph, good morning¡ª" When Katherine noticed the person who answered the door was udius, she instinctively stepped back. If it were not for Joshua, who stood behind her, she might have bumped into the door behind her. Hearing Katherine''s voice from a distance, Sophia got up and walked over. She nced at the couple and asked, "I thought you guys are going out today?" Katherine cast a covert nce at udius. She had a lot of questions for Sophia, but with him standing there with an icy expression and his dark eyes devoid of any warmth, she did not feelfortable asking in his presence. udius recognized that she was the woman who had apanied Sophia yesterday afternoon. She must be Sophia''s friend. He also noticed that she came with a man. They look pretty close. I bet they''re together. After putting his guard down, udius introduced himself. "I''m udius. udius Lenoir." Joshua froze for a moment. "You lost your memory?" He hummed in acknowledgment. Joshua nced at Sophia and asked, "Does she know about it?" "Yes," udius answered. Joshua had never been much of a talker, and he and Alexander had not had many conversations before. With Alexander now suffering from amnesia, theirmunication had be even more limited. Meanwhile, Katherine embraced Sophia and tried gathering more information quietly when the two men fell silent after ending their brief conversation. Katherine''s voice echoed through the room, and udius felt it was a bit too loud for his taste. Nheless, after seeing the smile on Sophia''s face, he decided to suppress his annoyance. udius looked away and turned his attention to Joshua. "Does your girlfriend always talk this much?" Joshua could sense the disdain in his tone, but he chose not to confront udius. Instead, he calmly corrected him, saying, "Katherine is my wife." udius froze for a moment. After a short pause, he asked Joshua, "Do you know why Sophia and I decided to get a divorce back then?" Chapter 448 Chapter 448 Joshua didn''t know much about Alexander''s and Sophia''s marriage, but he had heard about how much of a jerk Alexander had been to Sophia for the past three years from their mutual friend Katherine. Joshua''s eyes turned cold as he recalled the past. "You''ve done Sophia wrong." udius frowned. "Did I cheat on her?" Joshua gave him a look and replied, "No, but the things you did to her were just as bad." Joshua paused, realizing that this might be one of the few opportunities he had to teach Alexander a lesson on Sophia''s behalf. Despite not knowing much about their marriage, he still felt a surge of anger on Sophia''s behalf. Even though it had been three years since their marriage, and he didn''t actually hate Alexander that much, Joshua wouldn''t let this rare opportunity of teaching Alexander a lesson slip away. "Most of Sophia''s family and friends didn''t want the both of you to get back together before tragedy befell you." udius'' face fell after he heard the man''s words. The two of them fell silent at that. Sophia''s and Katherine''s conversation wereing to an end as well. Katherine checked the time and saw that it was already past eleven. She made her way over to Joshua to ask if they wanted to grab lunch but held her tongue when her gazended on udius. She dragged Joshua out the door, saying, "We''ll be having lunch now and won''t be sending you off to the airport this afternoon, Soph!" Sophia smiled and walked them to the door. "Okay." Katherine heaved a sigh of relief as they exited Sophia''s room. "What did you and Alexander... I mean udius, talk about? He didn''t look too happy when we left." Joshua lowered his head, gave Katherine a look, andbed through her messy hair with his fingers. "Nothing much. Just the things he did before he had amnesia." "Oh. What was it about that put him in such a bad mood? I had wanted to ask if he wanted to grab lunch together but refrained from doing so after seeing the look on his face." Joshua changed the subject. "Let''s leave them alone for now. Sophia had spent more than half a year looking for him. They must have a lot to talk about right now." Katherine harrumphed. "He has lost all his memories. What is there to talk about? Who knows? He might even have lost interest in Soph!" She started to panic upon that thought. "He couldn''t have lost interest in Sophia, right? I think we ran into his fianc¨¦e yesterday!" Joshua sighed helplessly. "Why would he be in Sophia''s room if he has lost interest in her?" "What does that have anything to do with him being in Sophia''s room?" Katherine frowned, confused. Joshua paused and continued, "Why would hee and see her if he doesn''t like her?" "Hm... You''re right!" Sophia watched them until they entered the elevator before shutting the door behind her. She turned around and was about to ask udius what time he wanted to have lunch when she noticed he was standing close behind her. Sophia stared at him and asked, "Shall we go out for lunch?" However, udius brushed her question away and suddenly pinned her against the door, leaning in to kiss her on the lips. "What are you¡ª" His kisses were hot and passionate, reminding Sophia of how Alexander used to kiss her when she got him hot and bothered. But I didn''t wind him up. He was talking with Joshua all along just now. All I did was ask him if he wanted to grab lunch now. Soon, Sophia couldn''t think of anything else anymore. Her mind went nk as he swept her away with his kisses. After what felt like three minutes, udius pulled away, his eyes dark with lust. He lowered his head and stared at her with slightly parted lips. "Sophia, I must have loved you deeply before I lost my memories." His words tugged at Sophia''s heartstrings. She stared at him, wondering if he was just ying with her and had not truly lost his memories. The room fell silent as they both remained motionless for a few seconds. Finally, Sophia spoke up, breaking the silence. "Shall we head out for lunch?" "Okay." udius released his grip on her. They both went downstairs for lunch and returned home to finish watching the horror movie. Later on, udius drove Sophia to the airport for her flight, scheduled for six in the evening that day. The weather in Lightspring was cooler than usual due to the recent rain. It was already past five in the evening when Sophia and udius arrived at the airport. Sophia headed directly to the check-in counter to drop off her luggage. As they approached the security checkpoint, Sophia hesitated and asked, "Will you return to Chanaea?" udius met her gaze and gave her a firm reply. "Yes." A smile broke out on Sophia''s face. "Then I''ll head in first. See you." udius remained silent as he watched her leave. Soon, Sophia passed through security and entered the departure lounge. udius waited until he could no longer see her before turning around and making his way back to the hotel. As he rolled to a stop at a red light, he reached for a cigar in a metal box. Just as he was about to light it up, his gazended on a ring on the passenger seat. He paused, put the cigar back into the box, and reached for the ring. The design of the ring was simple and elegant, looking somewhat like a wedding ring, but its size indicated that it belonged to a woman. Sophia had left it behind. udius raised a brow as he slid the ring on his little finger. The light turned green just as he put it on. He gave the ring a look before stepping on the gas. The flight duration from Lightspring to Lusterg onlysted eighty minutes. Hence, it was only half past seven in the evening when the flightnded. Sophia received a call from Yvonne the moment she pulled her phone out. She checked the exit signs before answering the phone. "Ms. Leighton." Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. "Ms. Yarrow, I have arrived at the entrance of the airport." "Okay. Got it." As expected, Sophia caught sight of Yvonne the moment she walked out of the airport. "Ms. Yarrow, have you had dinner yet?" Sophia shook her head. "No. Have you?" "No, I haven''t. Shall we grab dinner together, then?" "Sure, sounds good." Yvonne briefed Sophia on the meeting between Odyssey and Sunshine Group yesterday as they made their way to the car. As they settled into the car, Sophia took some time to reply to messages from Katherine and udius. She didn''t receive an immediate response, presuming they were preupied with work. Therefore, Sophia ced her phone back in her bag and took a nap. Since she had a flight to catch back to Chanaea the next day at eleven in the morning, Sophia indulged in a warm bubble bath before calling it a night. Just as shey down on the bed, she received a text message from udius. She stared at her phone and replied: Goodnight. Alexander had forgotten everything they''d been through together. There was nothing else Sophia could do but wait patiently for him to recover at this point. The next day, Sophia woke up around seven in the morning. She packed her bags and had breakfast with Yvonne before heading to the airport. Ady called out to her just as she arrived. "Ms. Yarrow." Sophia turned around and saw that it was Rose. She smiled and greeted, "Mdm. Lenoir." "Can we talk?" asked Rose. Sophia gave Yvonne a look and replied, "Sure." At that, Yvonne tactfully walked away with the luggage to the check-in counter. Chapter 449 Chapter 449 After Yvonne left, Rose smiled at Sophia and pointed at a cafe nearby. "Let''s talk over there, shall we?" "All right." Sophia''s impression of Rose was ratherplicated. It wasn''t bad, but it wasn''t good, either. Rose had not sought out Alexander at all for the past thirty years or so, yet suddenly turned up to bring him overseas. That wasn''t what a good and responsible mother would do. "Don''t worry. I won''t cause you to miss your flight." The corners of Rose''s lips curled as she noticed Sophie checking the time on her watch. Sophia returned the gesture and followed her into the cafe that wasn''t too crowded then. Rose chose a spot with more privacy and ordered twottes before they each took their seats. "Mdm. Lenoir, may I know why you''re looking for me?" Rose was being quite amiable, and Sophie remembered that the former said she wouldn''t object her rtionship with udius. Nheless, Sophia had no idea whether Rose truly approved of their rtionship or was merely putting on an act in front of udius. Rose flicked her hair and retrieved a set of documents from her bag, which she handed to Sophia. "Ms. Yarrow, since you need to go through a security check before boarding your ne, I''ll keep things brief. You must be questioning why I''m sending udius overseas when he''s been doing fine all this while without me. Indeed, my absence as his mother doesn''t affect his life in any way. In truth, I didn''t seek him out for the past thirty years as I had no idea he existed." Sophia''s hand that was opening the file jolted slightly. "You didn''t know he existed?" Just then, the waiter served them their drinks. Rose paid him his tip and waited for him to depart before continuing, "I believe you''ve done a background check about me. My family was bankrupt when I left the country thirty-four years ago. While in Moranta, I depended on my aunt. Back then, I had broken up with udius'' father for six months already. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "We tend to be so reckless and stubborn during our youth. I had broken up with Zachary because of Kristen. After that, I bumped into him when he was on a business trip in Norham. I was naive to think I could teach him a lesson back then, as I ended up the fool. I only realized I was pregnant after I had moved overseas, and it was toote for an abortion. I inquired about Zachary, learning he was still together with Kristen. As such, I resented him and the child. Once I was eight months pregnant, I returned to the country wanting to send the infant to Old Mr. Xenos immediately after giving birth. "Yet when it came time to do so, I regretted my decision. Unfortunately, the nurse informed me that my child had died due to oxygen deficiency. I initially refused to believe her, but they brought a stillborn baby to me to prove their point. I was so exhausted afterbor and devastated by the pain of losing my child that everything that happened after that seemed like a blur. I spent two more months in Chanaea and departed only after giving my child a proper burial. I never returned after that as there were too many people and incidents I wasn''t willing to face." Rose cast her nce at Sophia. "I only knew of udius'' existencest year. I established UI together with my husband as well as the support of my uncle. My cousins subsequently took the positions of the higher-ups in thepany after the passing of my aunt and uncle. As the saying goes, greed knows no bounds. They weren''t satisfied with their current state and yearned to possess UI. I would never hand over Jeff and my life''s work to those unsatiable monsters. Actually, I discovered my son''s existence thanks to them. I had no idea how they found out that Zachary and I had a son who was over thirty years old and went by the name Alexander. My cousins assumed I would be passing down UI to him. Hence, they dispatched many assassins to Chanaea to do away with him." At that point, Sophia understood the whole story. "So why did the hospital deceive you regarding your child''s death?" "You''d better pose this question to Kristen." Kristen again. The smile on Sophia''s face faded. "Does he know about all this?" Rose took a sip of coffee. "Sooner orter." Rose gestured at the documents Sophia was holding. "Aren''t you going to take a look?" Sophia pursed her lips and removed the documents from the file, revealing a will. She was taken aback for once. "Mdm. Lenoir, what''s the meaning of this?" "My cousins are unscrupulous and no longer care about our familial ties. It wouldn''t be safe for me or udius to hold on to this will. If you hadn''t appeared, my only option would be to pass it to Yasmin." Sophia frowned. "You mean you expect me to bring it back to Chanaea?" "You are pretty bright after all." Rose grinned at Sophia. "Never in their wildest dreams would they expect the will to be in your hands." She paused before continuing, "Worry not. Threewyers have notarized the will. Whatever it stiptes has to be followed unless I say otherwise." Sophia felt that something was off but couldn''t quite put her finger on it. She looked at the older woman and hesitated before questioning, "I hope you don''t mind me asking this, but I suppose you haven''t reached the age of sixty yet, right?" "I''m sixty-two." Rose tapped her fingers on the rim of her cup. "You must be curious why I already have a will ready when I''m only sixty-two." Sophia continued staring at Rose without a word. She was indeed intrigued. While people these days preferred nning ahead, and Rose didn''t seem to be in a good ce at the moment, Sophie still felt that she would not be so easily ovee when she''d managed to survive all this while. No matter what the reason was, it was unorthodox for someone like her to prepare a will this early. Rose nced at her watch. "I was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago and had undergone surgery to remove it. My check-upst year, however, revealed that I have rpsed." She got to her feet and looked at Sophia for onest time. "The doctor says I might pull through this year with luck. If not, perhaps you''d hear of the news of my passing from udius the moment you reach Chanaea. Sophia, I''m really fond of you as my daughter-inw. I''ll take you skiing if I''m still alive when you''re back in Moranta." Rose turned to leave after finishing her sentence. Sophia sat there in shock as Rose''s figure disappeared into the distance. This was not what she''d foreseen happening. Chapter 450 Chapter 450 Just as Sophia left the cafe, Yvonne arrived after dropping off the luggage. Yvonne was worried Rose would trouble Sophia, so she first nced at Sophia''s countenance. When she saw Sophia seemed to be okay, she sighed with relief. "We should go through the security check now, Ms. Yarrow." In response, Sophia nodded. "Let''s go." After a nearly fifteen-hour flight, the nended in Jadeborough at nineish that night. It was a rainy season during April in Jadeborough. As Sophia watched the raindrops stream down the window, she thought about Rose''s words. Yvonne noticed Sophia was lost in her thoughts. So, she hesitated momentarily before asking, "Are you hungry, Ms. Yarrow?" Upon hearing Yvonne''s words, Sophia turned her sight toward the former. "We''ll eat somethingter." "Okay." It was already nearly eleven when Sophia arrived at the mansion. After staying in Moranta for over ten days, she had adjusted to the time zone there, so she wasn''t feeling drowsy yet. Before she returned, Felix had already asked people to clean up the mansion. Jadeborough had just received a nearly week-long spring shower, so the mansion didn''t smell pungent. Sophia set aside her luggage, removed the will Rose entrusted her from her bag, and tossed it to the bedside table. I must say, Rose is intelligent. I doubt anyone expected her to have the will. When her train of thought ended there, she went to take a bath. Due to jeg, she hadn''t felt sleepy yet. Thus, she turned on herputer to check a few files. It wasn''t until after three in the morning that she fell asleep. It wasn''t a pleasant slumber for her, and she had many short dreams. She woke up at seven in the morning before the sun rose. After what happened to Alexander, Sophia took charge of Odyssey. Aside from her mealtime and sleep, she''d spend her waking hours working. Right after she finished breakfast, Felix called her. She hadn''t told him about udius'' matter. There was a meeting during the morning, so Sophia thought Felix was calling her to inform her ofst- minute changes to it. She ced the cup in her hand down and answered the call. "It''s me, Sophia." "Good morning, Ms. Yarrow," greeted Felix. "Good morning. Is there anything wrong with thepany?" "Everything''s fine." "In that case, why are you calling me, Mr. Lane?" "I received a screenshot earlier. Apparently, someone sent a picture depicting you and another man together to the circle. Now, there are plenty of unsavoryments about you. Do you need me to take care of it?" Sophia raised her eyebrow. "What picture?" "I''ve sent it to your WhatsApp." "I''ll take a look." As she spoke, she lowered her phone and turned on WhatsApp. When she saw the photo Felix sent, she tutted. "I have something I haven''t told you about, Mr. Lane." Upon hearing that, Felix tightened his grip around his phone. Ever since Alexander went missing, he became Sophia''s secretary and was responsible for dealing with Odyssey''s matter. While he still didn''t understand her well, even after working with her for more than half a year, he knew Sophia believe Alexander was still alive. Of course, he refused to ept Alexander was gone, too. Earlier that day, he received a photo showing Sophia with another man. Even though it was taken from the back, and she didn''t seem that intimate with the man, it was still the first time she was spotted spending time with a man since the incident more than half a year ago. Furthermore, the picture was taken in a foreign country. It was difficult for anyone not to specte. While Felix didn''t believe she would give up on Alexander that quickly, he was worried about what would happen if she did. After all, who else would continue to protect Odyssey for Alexander? Hence, he felt a little troubled when he heard what Sophia said. Still, he had been Alexander''s secretary for nearly ten years. During that time, he had experienced all kinds of tribtions. Thus, it took only two seconds for Felix to calm down. "Go ahead, Ms. Yarrow." We''re just outsiders, and Sophia''s still young. We don''t have any right to request her to keep waiting for Mr. Xenos after he vanished. "I found Alexander," Sophia revealed, which dumbfounded Felix. Thinking that his ears were ying tricks on him, he asked incredulously, "Are you speaking the truth, Ms. Yarrow?" She smiled. "I am. Take a closer look at the picture." He was stunned for a moment before realizing something. Hastily, he zoomed in on the photo. The photo was taken from behind. Sophia just so happened to turn her head to the side at that moment so her face could be clearly seen. The man next to her was lowering his head and staring at her. Due to the angle, one could only see a fifth of his countenance. None of his facial features were even visible in the photo. However, after working under Alexander for so many years and receiving a hint from Sophia, he recognized the man in the picture. "It''s Mr. Xenos!" "It is him." Sophia was slightly touched. It was her first time witnessing Felix being emotional. "There''s still one more thing." "Go ahead." "Alexander has lost his memory. Currently, he''s udius Lenoir. I''ll ask Yvonne to send you his informationter." "He lost his memory?" Felix was still in an uplifting mood when he heard the bad news and was taken aback. "Does this mean Mr. Xenos doesn''t remember who you are, Ms. Yarrow?" "It''s fine." With a grin, Sophia added, "He''ll remember me in the end." Felix was moved as he pressed the edge of his eye. "I believe it, too." After calming down, he recalled the matter regarding the photo. "What should I do with the picture?" "Just leave it be," answered Sophia. I want to see who''s trying to provoke me. "I''m going to change before heading to thepany, so I''ll be hanging up now." "Okay. It''s been rainingtely, so please take care of yourself, Ms. Yarrow." "Thank you. I will." After the call disconnected, Sophia picked a coat from the wardrobe, put on a pair of boots, and went to Odyssey with an umbre. News of Sophia''s "new lover" slowly spread in Jadeborough''s upper-ss society. The people in the city were jealous of her because Alexander left her with Odyssey''s shares, which they coveted. Unfortunately for them, Odyssey didn''t show any signs of deterioration while it was under Sophia''s control for the past six months. So, it didn''t matter if they were coveting her shares or position. If even the old codgers who nned to usurp her back then had settled down, there was nothing outsiders could do. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. After constant failure to find something to criticize Sophia for half a year, those who were envious of her finally obtained the ammunition they needed. Thus, they began to badmouth her behind her back. The news swiftly reached Samuel and the others. After what happened to Alexander, Samuel was dispirited for a while. His personality became gloomier, and his usual na?ve quality disappeared. After Sophia left her meeting, Felix informed her that Samuel had arrived at her office to visit her. In the end, he added, "I can tell Mr. Schild isn''t in a good mood. I hope you won''t pick a fight with him, Ms. Yarrow. He has always been very good to Mr. Xenos." She smiled. "Don''t worry. I won''t." As she spoke, she ced her documents in his hand before entering the elevator to return to her office. Chapter 451 Chapter 451 Sophia''s office belonged to Alexander before he disappeared. She didn''t touch anything in the room. The furniture remained the same, and his spare clothing was still in the wardrobe within the lounge. It was the first time since Alexander vanished that Samuel visited Odyssey. In the past, he would often come to meet with Alexander. He was so familiar with the building that he could find Alexander''s office with his eyes closed. After he saw the picture, he immediately drove to thepany. The receptionist was familiar with him and greeted him. No one blocked his path into the elevator and toward Alexander''s office. Steve was stunned for a moment when he saw Samuel before greeting him. However, Samuel didn''t seem to be in a good mood, as he didn''t respond to anything Steve said. He merely waited in the office with a dark expression. It was Steve''s first time seeing Samuel like that, so he immediately notified Felix about the matter. Felix understood Samuel somewhat, so he couldn''t help but make a fewments when informing Sophia of Samuel''s arrival. Many people in the circle loved watching any drama unfold. Hence, when the picture was posted, many people talked about it. Felix believed in Sophia. However, Samuel had a one-track mind, so he wouldn''t think much about the matter. On their way there, Felix followed closely behind Sophia. Before stepping into the office, she had already seen Samuel waiting inside. After Alexander disappeared, she only met Samuel twice. It was the first time Samuel visited Odyssey to meet her. Judging from his expression, it would appear Samuel came to confront her. Sophia stopped at the office entrance and nced at Felix. "Please brew two cups of coffee for us, Mr. Lane." Felix stared at her and nodded. "Will do, Ms. Yarrow." With a grin, Sophia entered the room. "You''re free today, Mr. Schild?" The instant Samuel heard her voice, he stood from the couch and turned to her. Before he arrived, he felt veryplicated. There was a mixture of disappointment and anger swirling in his heart. He thought about what to ask Sophia as he waited for her for over ten minutes. However, when he finally met her face-to-face, he was at a loss for words. Wordlessly, he peered at Sophia for seconds before questioning, "Are you really with another man now?" Sophia was aware of how awful Samuel felt after Alexander vanished. It''s obvious how much he cares about Alexander, considering he rushed over here. If I was the one who disappeared instead, and Alexander found a new lover after only half a year, I think Katherine would probably confront Alexander like Samuel with me. I must say, I''m touched by how strong Samuel''s bond with Alexander is. Still, this doesn''t stop me from wanting to tease him. When her train of thought ended there, she nced at Samuel. "Do you have opinions about that?" "Of course I¡ª" Samuel interrupted himself and gritted his teeth. "Alex is still missing, so it''s possible he''s still alive. It''s only been half a year. Have you really given up?" "I haven''t." Peering at him, she continued, "If I did, I wouldn''t be here, now would I?" Samuel was so enraged by Sophia''s words that he almost couldn''t speak. "If you haven''t given up yet, tell me why you were spotted spending time with another man on a business trip. You said you love Alex, but it''s only been six months¡ª" At that moment, Felix entered the room with two cups of hot coffee and interrupted Samuel. "Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Schild." Upon seeing Felix, Samuel was further infuriated. "You''ve followed Alexander for nearly ten years, Felix. Don''t you have any thoughts on the matter?" In response, Felix turned to Sophia, who shook her head at him with a grin. Therefore, he went along with her n. "This is Ms. Yarrow''s private matter, Mr. Schild. We don''t have the right to interfere." "You! It''s only been six months-ish since Alexander disappeared. Have you really recognized a new master after such a short period?" Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Sophia sipped her coffee. "You may leave first, Mr. Lane." Then she turned to Samuel. "The coffee Mr. Lane brewed is pretty good, Mr. Schild. Don''t you want to give it a try?" Samuel stared at Sophia as though she had made his best friend a cuckold. Like heck, I do! Alexander''s an idiot to give her Odyssey! I''m not saying she should wait for him for the rest of her life, but it''s only been half a year. Can someone so deeply in love with another genuinely do such a thing? To think I was jealous of Alexander for finding a loving girlfriend in the past. Now that I think about it, this gives me goosebumps! Indeed, beautiful women are vicious! The more he dwelled in his thoughts, the angrier he became. In fact, he was incredibly tempted to hit her as he watched her act nonchntly. However, he wouldn''t hit women, so heposed himself and spat coldly, "Yes, we don''t have the right to intervene with your private life, but Odyssey belongs to Alex. He gave it to you, so if I find out you''re working with an outsider to do something bad with it, I, Charles, and the others won''t forgive you!" Upon ending his sentence, he turned away with a scowl and left. Sophia put her coffee down, watched Samuel reach the exit, and chuckled. "Have you seen the picture in detail, Mr. Schild?" The instant Samuel heard that, he tightened his fists and eximed, "Don''t force me to break my rule of not hitting women, Sophia!" "If you take a closer look at the picture, you should be able to tell that the man in the picture is Alexander." Both of them spoke at nearly the same time. When Samuel realized what Sophia had said, he was stunned. The rage in his countenance dissipated. Secondster, he turned around and gazed at Sophia, dazed. "What do you mean by that, Sophia? Did you find a substitute for Alex in another country? Don''t you think you''ve gone overboard with that?" She was a little astonished when she heard that. With his rich imagination, it''s a shame he isn''t a writer. Felix, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation outside the room, couldn''t hold it back any longer and pushed the door open. "What Ms. Yarrow means is that the person in the photo is Mr. Xenos." Swiftly, he turned to Sophia apologetically. "I couldn''t help it, Ms. Yarrow. If you keep hiding the truth from him, I''m worried he''ll get so angry that he''ll burst a vein." Chuckling, Sophia waved her hand. "It''s fine. I overestimated Mr. Schild." I can''t believe he didn''t understand what I meant, even though Iid it out so clearly. Although, as dumb as Samuel is, I think he should understand what Felix meant. Immediately, Samuel pulled out his phone and examined the photo he had received during the morning again. He had to inspect the picture several times before realizing the man was Alexander. "You''re not lying to me, are you, Sophia?" he asked, stunned. How did she suddenly find Alexander? Chapter 452 Chapter 452 Unable to hold back herughter any longer, Sophia giggled. "Does it seem like I have a reason to lie to you, Mr. Schild?" In response, Samuel thought, Frankly, yes, though I''m not saying that out loud. I prefer not to get my teeth knocked off once Alexander returns. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Then he asked, "Where is Alex now?" "He''s still in Moranta." Samuel was momentarily stunned. "Didn''t he disappear in Doveston? Why is he in Moranta? Did something happen to his body? No, that seems unlikely, considering he appears well in the picture. Did he lose his memory?" Sometimes, he could be surprisingly sharp, though his brilliance was unreliable. All in all, he was correct in his blind assessment. It surprised Felix, who nced at Sophia before exining, "Mr. Xenos is doing fine. Although, he did lose his memory, which is why he didn''t return to the country." It was Samuel''s turn to be astonished. "I was just kidding about that. He really did lose his memory?" "Yes," answered Sophia. "He even forgot you?" "That''s right, Mr. Schild." "That''s just great. He definitely won''t remember me, then." At least he''s self-aware in that regard. Upon lifting her eyebrow, Sophia offered, "Are you sure you don''t want to try Mr. Lane''s coffee, Mr. Schild?" Samuel nced at the coffee. As he still wanted to learn more about Alexander''stest situation, he returned to his seat and sipped the coffee. I usually don''t like coffee, but the one Mr. Lane brewed today is pretty good. "How did Alexander end up overseas?" Promptly, Sophia turned to Felix. "Mr. Lane, would you mind handing the information you''ve prepared beforehand to Mr. Schild?" Without dy, Felix did as she asked. "This is Mr. Xenos'' current situation, Mr. Schild." "Let me see." Samuel epted the file. I feel like I''m dreaming. I came here to confront Sophia and failed. Yet, now, I''m suddenly notified that Alexander has been found. This is the happiest I''ve felt since Alexander vanished half a year ago. I''ve known Alexander for more than thirty years. We may not technically be biological brothers, but we basically act like we are. My private life felt so nd after he was gone. Yes, we''ve spent much less timepared to before after Alexander fell in love, but we would still spar with each other at a boxing gym. While I''m usually the one being beaten, and I''ve lost plenty, I still wish I could spend time with him. With him gone, things got boring. Whenever I called Charles and the others after encountering something during the day, they''d act like old codgers. As he held the papers with trembling hands, he scanned the information on them. He was shocked when he reached the part about Alexander''stest identity. "How did he get involved with the chairman of UI? And why is this Rose his mother now?" Sophia smiled wordlessly as Felix gestured for him to keep reading. "You''ll understand when you reach the end." In response, Samuel glimpsed at the duo before continued reading it. Five minutester, he was up to date with Alexander''stest situation. For a moment, he felt veryplicated. The office was suddenly very quiet. None of them spoke a word. After a while, Samuel blurted, "What the h*ll is this situation?" Rose must be Alexander''s stepmother, right? If she were his biological mother, she wouldn''t have spirited him away without telling any of his friends about it, causing us to worry for half a year for no reason. I feel so happy and livid. In fact, I''m very tempted to visit Rose right now and knock on her head to ask her if she has a loose screw inside. It was about time for Sophia to attend her lunch meeting, so after Samuel finished reading the information, she spoke. "Does this answer all your questions, Mr. Schild?" "Yes, but I''m still wondering about something. Is he going to keep staying in Moranta so long as he doesn''t recall his past?" inquired Samuel, which struck the heart of the problem. Felix reflexively turned to Sophia. Among the three of them, she had the most say in the matter. Sophia''s eyshes quivered before she replied, "I didn''t ask him that question." She paused, then continued, "Should I ask him that on your behalf next time?" Upon seeing the disappointed look on Samuel''s countenance, she chuckled and stopped joking. "He''ll probably return. Just not in the short term." That instantly revitalized Samuel. "I''m d to hear that! It''s fine if he doesn''t return immediately because he lost his memory." A thought crashed into his mind before he asked, "Alex doesn''t have a fianc¨¦e there, does he?" Felix, who had just learned of Yasmin''s existence from Yvonne, nced at Sophia reflexively. "Why did you suddenly ask that, Mr. Schild?" "Isn''t that how novels usually go?" Sophia shed a half-smile at Felix before thetter turned away. "Your imagination is rich, Mr. Schild. You should write a novel." "Hmph. Writing novels doesn''t earn me money." Samuel was being frank, but he had a point. "It''s gettingte," Sophia interrupted. "I have a meal I need to attend. If you have any questions, Mr. Schild, I''ll answer them next time." The rage that was initially in Samuel''s heart had vaporized, reced by excitement. Upon hearing her words, he stood tactfully. "In that case, I''ll take my leave now! See youter!" "Please send Mr. Schild out, Mr. Lane." Sophia smiled. Felix nodded. "Will do, Ms. Yarrow." Without dy, he sent Samuel to thepany entrance. When Samuel lifted his umbre to shield him from the rain, he saw Felix doing the same. For once, he sharply deduced, "Do you have something you want to tell me, Mr. Lane?" Felix hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I shouldn''t say this. However, I''ve stayed by Mr. Xenos'' side for nearly a decade and spent more than half a year with Ms. Yarrow. While these words may come across as offensive, I still want to utter them for your sake." Samuel tutted. "Who do you think I am? Just speak! No need to treat me so politely. I''m in a good mood right now, so I won''t be angry even if you scold me." "It''s not that serious." "Then there''s nothing you need to worry about! Quickly, speak your mind. Sophia is still waiting for you to join her meal!" Upon hearing that, Felix didn''t hold back his words. "While I won''t say I perfectly understood Ms. Yarrow''s feelings for Mr. Xenos, after staying by her side for more than six months, I knew it better than most. During this morning, when the picture was posted, I never suspected Ms. Yarrow had stopped waiting for Mr. Xenos and started dating another man. Ms. Yarrow and I know you''re Mr. Xenos'' best friend, but you should never question her feelings for him." He still didn''t have the nerve to speak too straightforwardly, so he stopped there. "I''m sorry if I''ve offended you today, Mr. Schild." Samuel peered at him. "You didn''t, and you''re right. I shouldn''t have done that. She wouldn''t have stayed at his side for three years if she couldn''t even wait for six months." Then he patted Felix''s shoulder. "You really are Alex''s subordinate! When I meet Sophia again, I''ll apologize to her with a gift. I''ll be leaving now. Take good care of Sophia, okay?" Felix sighed in relief and beamed. "I will. Safe travels, Mr. Schild." Samuel waved his hand as he stepped into the rain with his umbre. Chapter 453 Chapter 453 Felix watched Samuel enter the car before heading back upstairs. Sophia was signing a document when she saw Felix returning. "What did you talk about with Mr. Schild?" Instead of hiding the truth, Felix informed her everything he told Samuel. Sophia smiled. "Samuel may be a little hotheaded sometimes, but he''s a good friend to Alexander." Felix nodded in agreement. "Of course. I heard from Mr. Schild that they were already friends when they were babies." In response, she raised her eyebrow. "It sounds like they''re almost like brothers." Then she picked up her bag. "It''s raining right now, and it''s already half-past eleven. We should set off for the hotel right now. It won''t be nice if we''rete." "All right, Ms. Yarrow. I''ll go and grab the files." "Mhm," answered Sophia before lowering her sight and smirking at the picture on the phone. Whoever took this picture clearly has ulterior motives. Even though Alexander has an easily recognizable face, they managed to take a photo of him without including any of his distinct facial features. Concurrently, Samuel was also staring at Alexander''s picture. I still feel like I''m dreaming, but this picture and the files in my hand are undeniable proof that I''m in reality. That man really is Alexander. I have known him for thirty-three years. Even if he has stic surgery, I''ll still recognize him. Of course, I didn''t expect him to undergo one. If Sophia didn''t tell me, I wouldn''t have recognized him. Also, I''m angry at the photographer who took this picture. While the side of Sophia''s face was only visible in the photo, those who had met her before would be able to recognize her. On the other hand, Alexander''s face was nearly entirely obscured. His head''s lowered, so only his jawline can be clearly seen. Additionally, his eyes are blocked by his hair, and I can barely make out part of his nose. I don''t want to admit it, but the photographer is pretty skilled. He realized he was crying when he brushed his hand on his cheek. It was only natural since he had known Alexander for more than three decades. Ever since they could crawl, their grandfathers made them ymates. Even though he was a few months older than Alexander, thetter was always the one helping him clean up his mess. Before Beau passed away and before Zachary and Kristen moved into the Xenos residence, Samuel always hid in Alexander''s home whenever he did something wrong. His father would often chase after him rowdily with a stick into the Xenos residence but could never find him. Samuel was inseparable from Alexander during their time in school. Even after Alexander studied overseas, Samuel would visit him once every month. In other words, it was Samuel''s first separation from Alexander for more than half a year. He almost thought Alexander was gone. Hence, after he learned Alexander was found alive, the emotions bottled up in his heart over the past six months finally erupted. He allowed it to happen because he was alone in his car. He thought it was embarrassing for a thirty-something-year-old single man to cry, so he stopped after a few seconds. Swiftly, he contacted Charles and Justin to inform them of the news. After starting a voice group chat, he immediately told them Alexander was still alive, astounding Charles and Justin. When Justin asked him for more details, he smugly exined the situation. Once Samuel finished the tale, Charles, who had been silent, questioned, "So you really went to confront Sophia?" "I just got a little angry. That''s all," answered Samuel. Charles snorted. "You''re an idiot." Samuel was dumbstruck by his friend''s words. Just as he was going to retort Charles, Justin added, "You should think about how to apologize to Sophia. Otherwise, you may spend six months in the ICU when Alex recovers his memory and learns what you did." Samuel was speechless for a moment before uttering, "Are you serious? Yes, I know I should''ve listened to you two in the morning when you advised me not to confront Sophia, but we''re buddies." Charles remarked, "It''s because we''re buddies that we kindly offered you advice. Anyway, I need to attend a meal now. Bye." With that, Charles left the groupchat. Justin did, too. Of course, before he left, he reminded Samuel to apologize to Sophia. Fury and joy danced in Samuel''s heart as he put away his phone. Overall, I''d say this is a happy day. After all, I learned that Alexander is alive and well! Sure, he doesn''t have his memory, but it''s better than him being dead. When his train of thought ended there, his mood was lifted. After stacking the files neatly, he left Odyssey in his car. Meanwhile, Sophia and Felix arrived at the hotel two minutes past noon. The moment she stepped into the private room, she apologized, "I''m sorry for making you wait, Mr. Hofstadter. There was a traffic jam on the road." Jonathan chuckled. "No need to apologize, Ms. Yarrow. You arrived just in time. I was the one who reached here too early." From N?velDrama.Org. Smiling, Sophia set her coat aside and sat. Due to hertest status, she wasn''t a figure to be trifled with. Even if she wasn''t in charge of Odyssey, the fact that she was Sunshine Group''s Suny meant that no one in the industry would dare to mess with her. While Jonathan was usually quite the yboy, he didn''t dare to look at Sophia inappropriately. The lunch proceeded smoothly. Both sides had already hammered out the details prior to the meeting. Thus, they were only there to confirm all the details and sign the document. As Sophia didn''t drink wine, Jonathan didn''t order any. It was just a typical lunch. Less than an hourter, Sophia and Felix left the private room. It was still raining outside. Sophia nced at Felix and stated, "I need to use the restroom." "All right, Ms. Yarrow. I''ll wait for you at the entrance." Sophia nodded, left Felix, and headed to the restroom. At that point, many patrons were leaving after finishing their meals. Therefore, when Sophia exited the restroom, she bumped into a group of people who had just left their private room. She nced at the elevator and stopped. Since I can''t enter the elevator, I may as well wait here instead of with a group of strangers. After a while, she headed to the central staircase. She was on the fourth floor, so reaching the bottom wouldn''t take her too long. Upon taking a turn, she heard someone talking about her. "I told you, didn''t I? That Sophia has a new lover! It''s only been a little over six months. I pity Alexander." "She''s a winner in life already. Who can do better than her, the person in charge of Odyssey and the chairman of Sunshine Group?" "I wonder if she''s responsible for what happened to Alexander when he went to Doveston with her. After all, he seemed fine before their journey." Just as Sophia nned to check out who was badmouthing her, someone was one step faster than her. Chapter 454 Chapter 454 Megan happened to be eating out with friends that day. As she was leaving the restaurant, she realized she left her purse behind and made a U-turn to retrieve it. She retrieved her purse without incident and headed for the elevator. On her way there, she noticed some people chatting in a small lounge. Megan recognized them as people who ran in her social circles. She would not exactly call them friends, but she was well acquainted enough with them to remember their names. She had been married to Casper for almost a year by then, and he had proved to be a kind husband. Marriage had changed Megan for the better, removing her from Jessica''s round-the-clock mollycoddling at the Queen residence. The Coopers were a prestigious lot and had high expectations for their daughter-inw. Megan often found herself at odds with her inws at the beginning of her marriage, though Casper threw his support behind her in every disagreement. He would educate her on the proper etiquette when interacting with elders and eptable social manners in public. Over the course of a year, Megan had certainly be more socially adept and mature. She knew it was prudent to greet her acquaintances in the lounge politely, even if they were not close friends. Before she could approach them, however, Megan heard them discussing a familiar name¡ªSophia Yarrow. Jadeborough''s upper society had been horrified upon learning of Alexander''s car ident half a year ago. There were the usual bbermouths, the sympathizers, and those who attempted to capitalize on his misfortune. Some people had even tried to woo Sophia. Sophia took over the reins at Odyssey, keeping the corporation running as it did when Alexander was still around, quashing their delusions of whisking Sophia away. Megan knew her acquaintances were discussing Sophia because of a particrly incriminating photo circting WhatsApp that morning. She had once been notorious for her conflicts with Sophia, which embarrassed the Queen family to no end. Thankfully, the two women ended up burying the hatchet. Sophia and Alexander even attended her wedding with a lovely and expensive gift. Her newfound maturity allowed Megan to realize how she had always instigated their past conflicts. Naturally, she now viewed Sophia through a wholly different lens. In her husband Casper''s words, Sophia was more impressive than most people they knew, given how she had singlehandedly founded Sunshine Group and invested in many sessful, listedpanies. Sophia''s pretty looks were only icing on the cake. She was intelligent, talented, and a natural-born leader. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Megan had been jealous when Casper was praising Sophia, but half a year''s observation convinced her that Casper was merely stating the truth. A woman''s animosity toward another came easily, but so did a favorable impression. After her marriage, Megan found herself admiring independent, capable women much more than wealthy heiresses who only knew how to swipe a credit card. She truly admired and respected Sophia''s abilities. That was why she immediately wrote off what Sophia''s photo had alluded to earlier that morning. Of course, Megan could not im to know Sophia like the back of her hand, but she was certain that Sophia would never be such a disloyal partner. If Sophia was going to give up on Alexander so easily, she would not have married into the Xenos family while subjecting herself to all the gold-digger usations. Everyone bore witness to Sophia''s well-being during her married years. Even when she divorced him three yearster, she acted with equal resolve. Their reunion afterward was also built on the foundation of stronger feelings and the two being on equal footing. Megan herself believed their remarriage was only a matter of time. It was inconceivable that Sophia would seek a new lover while Alexander''s fate remained unknown. Megan frowned, though she did not interrupt her acquaintances'' conversation. A nasty, ungrounded remark by one of the women ticked Megan off. She burst into the lounge and berated them, "Did you know all this baseless gossip is basically nder against Ms. Yarrow? If she knows about this, I''m sure Sunshine Group and Odyssey''s legal departments will be on your doorstep. I''d strongly advise against meeting them in court." Jadeborough''s social circle was only so big. Anyone who had attended a ck tie dinner would know who Megan was. The three women gossiping about Sophia appeared somewhat sheepish. The one who used Sophia of killing Alexander pouted and retorted, "That''s funny, Ms. Queen. We''re just doing some harmless gossip here; it''s not as if the public will hear about this. We won''t go to the press with our discussion, either. Why are you suddenly using us of nder?" Megan scoffed and shot back, "You''d do better to say kinder words in the future! You may not think much of me overhearing your gossip, but what if Mr. Schild and Mr. Quail were here? Your family businesses would be on theirst legs!" Her threat finally frightened the women into silence. Back when Alexander disappeared after his ident, the Dawson family of Doveston thought it was the perfect opportunity for them to teach Sophia a lesson. They assumed she had lost her only pir of support in Jadeborough. After all, no amount of talent could make up for power and connections in the city. s, they never expected Samuel and Justin to step up and support her. The two even attended Sunshine Group''s annual dinner. Convincing just one of them to attend a business event was already a Herculean task, yet Sunshine Group had sessfully gotten both men to show up. The feat warned others against belittling Sophia''s influence. The gossiping women ultimately proved to be more bark than bite. After surreptitiously exchanging nces among themselves, they no longer argued against Megan''s words. They were smart enough to know the repercussions of offending ady affiliated with both the Cooper and Schild families. The woman who challenged Megan earlier lowered her head meekly. Her friend, however, offered an apology. "Again, it''s just harmless gossip, Ms. Queen. We won''t talk about it again. Please don''t take this to heart." Megan let the women''s snarkyments earlier slide. She was not Sophia anyway. In fact, she would onlye across as unreasonable if she insisted on nitpicking at their apologies as well. She remembered Casper''s reminder that one''s status often dictated the extent to which one could involve themselves in another person''s matters. At the end of the day, she was not the party concerned. It was rather inappropriate for her to defend or attempt to exin Sophia''s stance. Megan cleared her throat and appeared less frosty than before. "Of course, everyone enjoys a little gossip now and then. Ms. Yarrow is a lovely woman, though. It never hurts to watch your words." "You''re absolutely right, Ms. Queen. We were speaking too recklessly." Before Megan could say her farewells, someone emerged from the corner of the corridor. It was none other than the topic of their conversation, Sophia. She smirked at the group and drawled, "I fully agree with Ms. Queen. Some things are just better left unsaid, especially in such a public space. You''d never know if you''d run into the subject of your gossip herself." The women paled immediately upon recognizing her. Running into Sophia right after dragging her character through the mud was beyond their wildest imaginations. Megan was also surprised by Sophia''s arrival, and she became embarrassed as she recalled her words earlier. Her rtionship with Sophia was not so close that she was obliged to stand up for Sophia. Meanwhile, Sophia shot the cowering women another chilling smile before turning her attention to Megan. "Hello, Ms. Queen. It has been a while." Megan smiled back and replied, "Nice to see you too, Ms. Yarrow." Sophia''s smirk returned as she stared at the gossiping women and asked, "Oh right, the three of you seem to have plenty of interesting insights about Alexander''s disappearance. Should I get in touch with the police on your behalf so you can share new evidence with them?" Chapter 455 Chapter 455 Sophia uttered those words in a calm and unruffled manner. However, the mention of the word "police" was sufficient to render the three women shuddering in fear. The trio only made thosements out of jealousy that Sophia could take over Odyssey. Nheless, their remarks were baseless. If Sophia was determined to pursue that matter further and held them ountable, they would be guilty of spreading rumors and defamation. That was not all. If they truly offended her, triggering Samuel and Charles to take action against them, their family businesses would likely be in jeopardy. The market was already tough in the past two years, and even the allowances the three women received from their families had been reduced. If their families''panies were to face further troubles, the consequences would be dire and devastating. "Ms. Yarrow, please have mercy and forgive us for spouting nonsense." "We were just chatting casually. Please don''t take our words to heart. We''re very sorry, Ms. Yarrow!" Gazing at Sophia, even the woman who had dared to argue with Megan earlier became afraid. "Ms. Yarrow, I''m a halfwit who has a habit of speaking without thinking. I didn''t mean anything by it. Please don''t hold it against me. I''m terribly sorry, Ms. Yarrow." From N?velDrama.Org. The three of them were genuinely frightened, as Sophia was now the most untouchable figure in the city. Not only was she backed by her own considerable resources, but she was also supported by the Schild, Johnson, and Quail families. Not to mention, Sophia was also protected by the distant Dawson family. Under such circumstances, no one would dare to provoke her. The trio was indeed ustomed to speaking without restraint. Unexpectedly, they encountered Sophia in person that day, prompting them to yield and apologize at once. Sophia nced at them nonchntly, not wanting to bother pressing that matter further, so she merely uttered with a half-smile, "Gossiping isn''t a good habit. Perhaps youdies should think carefully before you speak in the future." "You''re absolutely right, Ms. Yarrow. We''ll definitely correct our bad habit!" Sophia smiled and disregarded them afterward. She turned to Megan. "Thank you." Noticing Sophia wasn''t paying them any attention anymore, the three women hurriedly scurried away. Megan nced at their leaving figures from behind, then looked at Sophia. "I didn''t do much." Sophia curled her lips into a faint smile. "I have some matters to attend to and need to return to the company. Let''s have a meal together sometime." That was the first time Megan had received an invitation from Sophia since they met. Megan was momentarily dazed before regaining her senses and quickly nodded. "Sure. You should go. My friend is also waiting for me. We''ll catch up next time." That was a courteous response Megan had often said to others, but it was genuine when addressed to Sophia. Now that she was more mature and viewed things differently, she was naturally willing to befriend Sophia. Sophia nodded. "See you next time." "S-See you." Megan felt surreal as she watched Sophia''s retreating figure. Why did I ever think Sophia was difficult to get along with? While she was lost in her thoughts, the phone inside her bag suddenly rang. Megan was stunned for a few moments before recalling she had taken almost ten minutes to retrieve her bag upstairs. Casper, who was waiting downstairs, must be getting anxious. She jogged toward the elevator while answering the phone, "I''ming down now." On the other end of the call, Casper told her the car was parked at the hotel entrance. Megan hummed in acknowledgment and hung up. "What took you so long?" Seeing Megan walking out of the building, Casper opened the car door for her. She bent down and got into the vehicle. It was drizzling outside, and the weather was slightly chilly. In contrast, the car''s interior felt warm. She turned to look at him, her face full of joy. "When I exited the room after retrieving my bag, I ran into some people who were badmouthing Sophia." He nced at her. "I thought you didn''t hate Sophia anymore?" "That''s right. I couldn''t stand listening to them, so I went over and lectured them. Unexpectedly, Sophia was right behind them, listening to the gossip. Casper, you should''ve seen the expressions on those women''s faces when they saw Sophia. They turned pale almost instantly. I kind of regret not recording their reaction on my phone." He chuckled. "You''re so happy just because of this?" Sophia gazed at him and suddenly felt a little self-conscious. "Actually, it''s not entirely because of that. Sophia thanked me and even mentioned we should have a meal together sometime. Do you know? That''s the first time she''s ever said something like that to me. I think Sophia never bothered giving courteous responses like that." Casper fathomed that was the real reason behind her tion. He nodded. "It seems like you don''t really dislike Ms. Yarrow either." "You told me Sophia has proven her capabilities by maintaining Odyssey''s superb performance all by herself. My dad also said Sophia is the most courageous and intelligent woman he has ever met." At that point, Megan paused briefly before adding, "She''s also one who can''t be taken advantage of." Naturally, Megan''s family knew all too well about that side of Sophia''s character. Even as she talked about it at the moment, Megan couldn''t help but feel a little guilty and embarrassed. Casper was well aware of his partner''s personality, so he didn''t mention what happened in the past. "Your father''s evaluation is indeed urate. If you don''t dislike Ms. Yarrow, befriending her wouldn''t be a bad thing." Megan nodded repeatedly, knowing full well Casper was right. Regardless, I''ve left a different impression on Sophia today. The past is in the past, and I should let bygones be bygones. Dad also said that although Sophia is not one to be taken advantage of, she''s a straightforward person and wouldn''t let her emotions get the best of her. Sophia was unaware of Megan''s thoughts. Nevertheless, she was still surprised Megan had actually defended her that day. "Ms. Yarrow." Hearing Felix''s voice, Sophia collected her thoughts and looked at him. "Yes?" "Dillon wishes to meet with you." Approximately two months after Alexander''s ident, Dillon was convicted of kidnapping and threatening. He was then sentenced to five years and eight months of imprisonment. The two brothers, Tyler and Randy, were also preupied with their problems. Tyler had relied on Dillon''s reputation and umted a huge "debt." Considering the scores he had to settle, he was no better off than Dillon. Randy didn''t go to prison, but hispany was investigated, and significant issues were discovered, resulting in a fine of over three hundred million. However, the Xenos family couldn''te up with that much money, so Randy had to sell some of his Odyssey shares. To Sophia, Dillon and his family were now nothing more than a group of pathetic clowns. Nheless, she couldn''t understand why those clowns wouldn''t take a break from showing up in front of her. Now that Dillon had taken the initiative to request a meeting with her, she reckoned that could only mean trouble. Sophia narrowed her eyes. "What''s up with Dillon recently?" "He has been diagnosed with lung cancer and applied for medical parole." "Medical parole?" She chuckled. "No wonder he wants to see me." She paused briefly before adding, "In that case, please arrange the meeting for me, Mr. Lane." Felix nodded. "All right, Ms. Yarrow." It was two o''clock in the afternoon when Sophia returned to Odyssey. She approved an application and then headed over to Sunshine Group. There was an important meeting at Sunshine Group at three o''clock, and she needed to be there. By the time the meeting was over, it was past five o''clock. The rain was still falling, and the sky had turned significantly darker. Sophia nced at her phone and saw Katherine had sent her many photos from her travel. udius had also sent her a message. Due to the different time zone, it should be early morning in Lightspring. Sophia hadn''t contacted udius since she came back to the country. He told her he had another dream, but he didn''t mention what it was about. She stared at her phone and was reminded of the time he had whispered the words "erotic dream" beside her ear. Inexplicably, she felt her face flush. "Ms. Yarrow." Yvonne, sitting next to Sophia, called out to thetter softly. Sophia snapped back to reality. "What''s the matter?" "Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Schild''s secretary called and asked if you have ns tonight." Sophia was free that night, and it was also one of those rare nights she didn''t have to work overtime. She could roughly guess the reason why Samuel was asking her out. She smiled and replied, "I''m avable. Ask him about the time and ce." "All right, Ms. Yarrow." Chapter 456 Chapter 456 When Sophia arrived at the restaurant, Samuel was already there. She thanked the waiter for leading her to the table. As soon as she set her bag down, Samuel pulled out the chair for her. How gentlemanly of him. Sophia nced at Samuel and uttered, "Thank you." Samuel touched his nose, feeling a bit embarrassed. "We''re way past these courtesies, so there''s no need for such formalities." Then, he handed her a menu. Sophia''s lips quirked into a smile as she took over the menu. After skimming through the dishes and their prices, she remarked, "You''re really generous, Mr. Schild." The dishes were far from ordinary. Even though it was just the two of them, the meal would easily cost Samuel three to four thousand. "It''s nothing. If you like the food here, you can alwayse back and put it on my tab," Samuel offered. Sophia took a sip of her coffee and said, "I won''t spare you the courtesy next time, then." "You''re most wee." Samuel was not at all concerned about the money. Sophia proceeded to order several dishes and some soup without hesitation. "This should be enough for the both of us. After all, it''s just the two of us, and it''s not likely that we can finish it all," Sophia said. Samuel nodded. "We can always add moreter if needed." Sophia smiled and took another sip of her coffee. "I''m guessing you didn''t invite me here just for a meal, right?" Samuel let out a chuckle. "Sophia, you''re a smartdy. I''m sure you know why I invited you out today." Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "I''ve witnessed almost everything that had happened between you and Alex throughout the years. I might have been hasty this morning and said some offensive things. Please don''t hold it against me. As you know, I can be quite forthright," Samuel went on. Pausing briefly, he raised his cup of coffee as a token of apology. "I apologize for my blunt words this morning. Just think of it as me rambling nonsense." Sophia regarded him with a raised brow. "What if I mind?" The response caught Samuel off guard, stumping him. The atmosphere turned awkward as he struggled to find the right words. Sophia, however, seemed entirely at ease. After half a minute, she decided to let him off the hook. "I don''t think I''m that petty, am I, Mr. Schild?" Samuel hesitated, struggling to keep up with her shifting tone. He finally got what she was trying to say and breathed a sigh of relief. "No, you''re not petty at all." As their soup arrived, the conversation paused. Once the waiter left, Samuel asked, "So, you''ve forgiven me?" Sophia removed the lid of the soup bowl before ncing at Samuel. "I wasn''t angry." She added seasonings to the soup, stirring it as she spoke. "I understand the bond between you and Alexander. If it were me who had gotten into trouble, I knew that my friend, Katherine, would have done the same as you and question Alexander." Samuel hadn''t expected Sophia to be so magnanimous. He even felt worse about his actions earlier in the morning. He cast a nce at Sophia and said, "Thank you. I was too hasty. It''s been six months without news of him. People have been telling me to move on, but I''ve never believed that he''s gone. I know you think the same as well. Besides, your presence at Odyssey really gives me hope to hold on. At least, I know I''m not alone in this." Samuel had never shared these thoughts with anyone else. Charles and Justin were burdened with a simr sense of guilt, but such feelings were ultimately futile. After all, no one could predict what the future might bring. The news of Alexander''s sudden mishap struck them like a bolt from the blue. Everyone had their own lives to lead, and people came and went with such frequency that Samuel knew it was unreasonable to expect others to remain fixated on the past, unwilling to move on like he was. Though Samuel might be somewhat careless in everyday matters, he could see the bigger picture in important matters quite clearly. Charles and Justin were more mature and level-headed than he was, and they were able to ept Alexander''s tragic fate far more quickly. Samuel didn''t me them, but the thought of people gradually forgetting Alexander caused him great pain. However, he knew Sophia was different. She loved Alexander deeply. If it weren''t for him, Sophia wouldn''t have joined Odyssey and thrown herself into such a hectic life. Even though Sophia had never made her intentions known to others, Samuel could guess that her ceaseless dedication to her work was an effort to protect Odyssey until Alexander''s return, at which point she could hand it back over to him unscathed. However, after seeing the photo in the morning, Samuel knew it would incite a myriad of gestictions within the circle. He was not in love with Sophia, and he didn''t care if she liked him, but if Sophia had moved on with another man, did it mean that she had given up on Alexander too, leaving Samuel the only fool still waiting? It was the first time Sophia had seen this side of Samuel. She pursed her lips slightly and said, "I get it." Samuel exhaled deeply. "How is he doing abroad?" Sophia did not wish to dwell on such a heavy subject. Seeing as Samuel had steered the topic of conversation, she went along with him and smiled. "I think he''s doing great." After a brief pause, she continued, "Right. His name is udius Lenoir now. He has a fianc¨¦e named Yasmin Lawre." Samuel gazed at the smile on Sophia''s face, uncertain whether she was jesting or speaking the truth. I don''t recall these ever being mentioned in the documents. Or have I missed out on them? Samuel couldn''t recall anything on the subject, but the question had brought on an awkward atmosphere. "Maybe that''s not what he wants," Samuel remarked. Sophia smiled without saying a word, leaving Samuel feeling like a square peg in a round hole. Fortunately, the waiter arrived with a cart of food, providing the perfect distraction. Samuel changed the topic again. "There''s an auctionter. Would you like to go take a look together? An apology alone is not enough. Let me make it up to you with a gift." Sophia was not in need of money. Hence, Samuel didn''t think it was sincere enough to offer her a simple mary gesture. It just happened that he recalled his secretary telling him an auction was taking ce that day. With a variety of items up for bid, Samuel believed there would surely be something that Sophia would fancy. Sophia, never one to turn down free money, agreed to the arrangement. After having dinner, the two drove separately to the auction house. Sophia had received an invitation as well but had asked Yvonne to decline on her behalf. However, since she followed Samuel there, she wouldn''t have to pay a single dime for any items she fancied. With that thought in mind, the seemingly dull auction suddenly didn''t seem so cumbersome now and was worth her time. There were ten items on auction that evening. Sophia found herself drawn to two limited-edition designer handbags and a ne among the antiques and paintings. She had little interest in thetter, but the handbags piqued her curiosity. After all, Katherine was an avid handbag collector, and these two bags were indeed hard toe by. The auction was well-attended, and Sophia recognized many familiar faces. She greeted them with a warm smile before taking her seat and examining the promotional booklet for the two handbags'' auction hours. She spared Samuel no courtesy and handed the booklet to Samuel and said, "Mr. Schild, this handbag, please. Thank you." Samuel, intent on making a sincere apology, was not one to be stingy. "All right. Got it." ncing at the booklet in his hand, he asked, "There''s another one here. Shall I bid this one for you as well?" Sophia chuckled. "I''ll take no reward when I''ve done no merit. I''ll bid on that myself." She was, after all, a woman of principle. Chapter 457 Chapter 457 "It''s fine. It wasn''t expensive, so I thought I''d get it for you while I''m at it," Samuel added, worried that Sophia would be unwilling to ept the gift. Sophia gave Samuel a look. "Apologizing once is enough for one mistake. You have already purchased one bag for me, so that''s sufficient. I will get the next one myself." Following that, she let out a snort and added, "Otherwise, I''m afraid you''ll have trouble exining yourself to Alexander." The sudden public disy of affection silenced Samuel. He dared not insist on getting her anything and looked toward the stage, nning to bid a handsome price immediately after the bag was up for auction. The bag''s reserve price was one million and eight hundred thousand, and he nned on offering two million and five hundred thousand. Increasing the price by seven hundred thousand would deter others frompeting with him. s, Samuel had underestimated the allure of bags to women. After he offered two million and five hundred thousand, someone else increased the price to two million and six hundred thousand. Samuel frowned and dered, "Three million." Sophia moved and nced at Samuel''spetitor. By coincidence, the woman Samuel waspeting with happened to be the same woman who had been overheard speaking ill of Sophia at the hotel earlier that day. The auctioneer had already called the sale twice. He was about to call the price for the third time when suddenly the woman raised her paddle once again. The auctioneer came to an abrupt stop and announced, "Three million and one hundred thousand. The lady has offered three million and one hundred thousand." Impatient, Samuel was about to raise his paddle to offer three million and five hundred thousand when Sophia pressed his hand down. Taken aback, Samuel asked, "What''s wrong? I can afford to buy the bag. It''s only around three million." Sophia tutted. "Mr. Schild, you are both rich and generous, but this bag only cost one point five million when it was sold on the market. Since it''s now discontinued, its reserve price in the auction is one point eight million, and two point five million is already a high price to pay. If you increase the price beyond three million, you''ll be losing more than one million instead. It''s not worth it." In her opinion, the bag wasn''t worth three point five million. "Never mind. We''re having fun, aren''t we? I promised to get it for you, so even if I have to fork out thirty million, I must get it done." Sophia was amused by his response. "Mr. Schild, you don''t mind acting foolishly, but I do!" If he sessfully bids for the bag at three point five million, I''m not even sure if I could sell it for two millionter on. Sophia was used to having a business-oriented mindset. Despite her intention to purchase the bag as a surprise for Katherine, she was not willing to pay an exorbitant price for it. "Don''t you like it?" Samuel was baffled. "I like money better," came Sophia''s reply. As they spoke, the auctioneer had already closed the bid. The bag now belonged to thedy. It was toote for Samuel to increase the price. "Someone else managed to bid it." Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Sophia pointed at another bag. "You can get this for me, Mr. Schild." "Sure! Don''t worry. I promise I''ll get this one for you no matter how expensive it is." Samuel knew handbags were the solution to everything for women. He was sincere in his apology and didn''t mind how much it cost. Sophia shot him an amused look. "Mr. Schild, is this how you discuss business coborations with others?" Midway Media would most probably go bankrupt if he was this generous. "This is different. Wee to auctions to bid on stuff we like. We earn money to spend it, right? Don''t worry. I''m not as rich as Alex, but I can afford to buy a bag that costs a few million," he assured her. Samuel thought Sophia had misconceptions about his wealth. Have I appeared to be too frugal all this time? After pondering for a while, he whipped out his phone and tapped furiously on the screen. A whileter, he handed his phone to Sophia. "This is the credit limit of the card I normally use." His actions caught Sophia by surprise. It took her a while to regain herposure. "Mr. Schild, what''s the meaning of this?" "Don''t worry. I''m not short of money." Finally, Sophia understood why Alexander loved spending time with Samuel. Thetter could be adorably foolish at times. "You''re the CEO of Midway Media. Why would you be short of money?" Sophia responded. Samuel reassured her, "Exactly. So don''t worry, the amount I spent buying a car can easily buy several of these bags." Sophia burst outughing. "Samuel, has Alexander ever told you that it is easy to swindle money out of you?" Samuel froze for a bit. After registering the meaning of her words, he asked, "What do you n to do?" "Let''s see how it goes." The bag Sophia wanted was already up for auction at that moment. Its reserve price was one point five million, and someone already raised their paddle immediately. However, the person didn''t increase the price. As the bag''s price didn''t rise right off the bat like the previous one, a few people started lifting their paddles one after another, offering a higher price. When the price reached one point eight million, there weren''t that manypetitors anymore. Sophia thought about it and told him, "The price should be around two to two point two million. If it exceeds that price, don''t bid for it." Samuel was afraid that Sophia would call him a fool again, so he didn''t raise his paddle as swiftly as before and did as told. When the price reached two million, his onlypetitor was anotherdy. In the end, Samuel got the bag for two point three million. When the sale was finalized, he nced at Sophia instinctively. "This price isn''t too expensive right?" A smile nudged Sophia''s lips. "Even if the price is too expensive, I''m not the one paying for it." Samuel rubbed his nose sheepishly. Why does it sound like she''s criticizing me for being a nouveau riche without any taste? As the duo had already gotten the bag they had set their sights on, they stopped paying attention to the following auction items. Samuel inquired about Alexander''s situation abroad, and Sophia readily informed him of all the details. "If he lost his memory, how did you both get to know each other?" What he said caught Sophia off guard, for she had not expected him to ask such a good question. Sophia couldn''t help but recall how Alexander whispered into her ear. The words "sex dream" made her feel uncharacteristically embarrassed. She stole an awkward nce at Samuel and replied, "I introduced myself to him." "Oh, I see." Samuel nodded. "It looks like Alex''s character has changed after he lost his memory." Sophia nearly choked on her water when she heard that. Samuel turned to her. "Why? Did I say anything wrong?" "Oh. He actually didn''t change much." "Then why did he even bother talking to you?" This was the first time Sophia realized that Samuel was actually quite clever. "I just introduced myself, that''s all. I didn''t pester him," she replied. Samuel stared at her for a while beforementing, "Looks like you''re indeed his type." Sophia raised her eyebrows. "So I should consider myself lucky to look like this, right?" Samuel remembered something from the past and clicked his tongue. "You know, one day after Alex married you back then, I asked him if he was ever interested in you. Do you know what he said?" Sophia never had the opportunity to understand Alexander''s situation or his thoughts during their marriage thatsted for three years. She never got to know him back then. Samuel and Alexander are close friends, so they must''ve talked about me. Sophia''s interest was piqued. She blinked and asked, "What did he say?" "He said you''re pretty but too arrogant." Sophia knew that wasn''t apliment. Taking note of her silence, Samuel was concerned that he might have unintentionally caused a rift between her and Alexander. He hurriedly added, "Don''t get mad. Alex is a proud man, and he can be stubborn at times. From what I observed, he had a pretty good impression of you when you were married. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have let you stay in the Xenos family for so long. He''s just stubborn. If you hadn''t asked for a divorce, he would have kept up the act for ten years or so." Intrigued by his words, Sophia arched an eyebrow and asked, "How do you know that?" Chapter 458 Chapter 458 Samuel assumed Sophia was upset as Alexander had lost his memories. If Alex did something stupid unknowingly, I can help him byplimenting him. That way, Sophia might be generous enough to forgive him. Without hesitation, he revealed his friend''s doings. "You may not know this, but Alex''s mother... I mean, Kristen. She came to him with a stack of photos about six months after you married him, iming that you were cheating on him with someone else. She asked him to divorce you, but Alex didn''t say a word. He took the photos and original copies from her but didn''t mention anything about divorcing you after that." After a pause, he continued, "If you don''t believe me, you can visit the condominium Alex previously stayed in. The photos are in his bedside drawer. I didn''t know anything until I visited him during the holidays. He pulled out a photo of you walking out of a hotel with another man and asked me if the man was more handsome than him. I got curious and asked about the photo, so he told me about it. That was how I got to know about that incident." Sophia lowered her eyes. "What else?" "Oh, yes. He bought a pair of wedding rings and left them in his closet at the condominium. I was the one who rmended the designer to him. I think he never gave it to you, or else you wouldn''t have asked for a divorce." Samuel grew increasingly excited as he continued to reveal what he knew. "There''s also another incident that I bet you had no idea about. The year after you got married, you suddenly had a fever and fainted, right? When you brought lunch to Alex that day, he noticed that you didn''t look well. Not long after you left, he followed you back to the Xenos residence. When you fainted, Kristen initially didn''t want to send you to the hospital, so Alex had to carry you and take you to the hospital himself. He left before you woke up. Kristen and Thalia never liked you, so I bet they never mentioned anything about it to you." "Mm. They never told me anything," came Sophia''s answer. Hanging her head, she stared at the back of her hand, lost in her thoughts. Something urred to Samuel, and he suddenly shed a mysterious smile. "Oh, another thing. Alex used to eat the meals you delivered to him! He thought you had prepared them yourself, but you lied and said the chef had made them because you were afraid he wouldn''t eat them otherwise. After your divorce, he got drunk one day and told me that he had no idea that you didn''t personally prepare the meals." The more excited Samuel got, the more things he remembered. Noticing that Sophia had fallen silent, he quickly shot her a look. "Sophia, are you all right?" They were once close, and it was both cruel and sad that Alexander no longer remembered anything. Samuel btedly realized he shouldn''t have revealed this much. Alex''s right. Sometimes, I''m too talkative. Sophia looked up and gave him a smile. "Anything else, Mr. Schild?" The sight of Sophia''s reddened eyes made Samuel flustered. That was the first time he had ever seen her cry. "Don''t cry, Sophia. I''m here to apologize to you, not to make you cry! Please don''t cry. If Alex finds out about this, he''ll skin me alive!" Sophia covered her eyes with her hands and said, "I''m not a crybaby. Please continue. I would like to hear more." She wanted to know what she had missed during the three years of their marriage. Nevertheless, Samuel dared not reveal anything else. "Why don''t we pay attention to the auction? What else do you want? Let me bid it for you." "I had no idea about those incidents, Mr. Schild. Throughout our three years of marriage, I believed I was loving someone who would never reciprocate my feelings. And to this day, I still feel the same. I''ve never felt as defeated in my life as I did when I was married to him," Sophia said, her voice heavy with emotion. Sophia had never doubted Alexander''s love, but she couldn''t shake off the memory of his cold and distant behavior toward her, even when she had made great sacrifices for him. It was truly heartbreaking. Even though Samuel had known Sophia for a long time, this was the first time he had seen her like this. When Sophia first married Alexander, she was gentle and caring. After their divorce, she led a carefree life. She was gorgeous, smart, charming, and capable. It seemed like she could achieve anything effortlessly. However, she was now confessing that she had felt utterly defeated during her marriage to Alexander and that the feeling still lingered with her today. Samuel hesitated for a moment. "You don''t have to feel that way. Alex has always been a proud man, and his actions may not have been a reflection of his true feelings. Your marriage started off on the wrong foot, so he treated you coldly. But that doesn''t mean he didn''t care for you. He may appear indifferent to you, but when you weren''t around, he didn''t hate you that much. Kristen oftenined about you to him, but he chose to ignore her. He even scolded Thalia and her friends for bullying you. As for Bethany, she and Alex were never romantically involved. Bethany was delusional and spread rumors about her being his first crush. Alex was annoyed by all the girls who pursued him, so Bethany suggested they pretend to be a couple. That was how the rumors came about." Samuel chose to focus on the significant events that Sophia may not have been aware of during the three-year marriage. While three years wasn''t particrly long, it wasn''t short either. As he recounted these events to Sophia, he began to realize that Alexander had also made some significant contributions during their marriage. He only stopped talking when the auction came to an end. "I''ve already told you almost everything that I can remember." Sophia gazed at him and shed him a grateful smile. "Thank you." "It''s nothing. Alex has had it rough these past few years. It hasn''t been easy for him to find someone he loves so dearly. I hope that you''ll be happy together. That''s my only wish." Sophia arched a brow when she understood the underlying meaning in his words. "Don''t worry." From N?velDrama.Org. When Samuel went toplete the payment, he ran into the woman whopeted with him for the bag. The woman was surprised to see Sophia and Samuel, too. She froze, not sure whether she should sign for her item. She truly liked the bag and didn''t think of snatching it from Sophia on purpose. Knowing what was going on in the other woman''s mind, Sophia smiled and turned to leave after Samuel signed his name. The woman paused in her tracks when she saw them leave together. Suddenly, something urred to her. "Oh, dear. Why is Sophia with Mr. Schild?" No way. Don''t tell me Samuel snatched his friend''s wife! "Do you know her?" Samuel asked curiously after they were some distance away. I don''t think they know each other. If they do, why would that womanpete with us to get the bag? Sophia shook her head. "I don''t know her." "Oh, I see." As they were about to exit the venue, another woman approached them with a smile on her face, but anger was evident in her eyes. "I thought you said you had a prior appointment with a friend tonight?" she demanded. She was obviously here for Samuel, so Sophia raised a brow and watch the scene unfold quietly. Samuel furrowed her brows. "Sophia is my friend." The woman was rendered speechless by his reply. She turned to Sophia and introduced herself. "Ms. Yarrow, I''ve heard a lot about you. My name is Beatrix Houghton, and I''m Samuel''s fianc¨¦e." A smile nudged Sophia''s lips. Slowly and calmly, she replied, "Hello, Ms. Houghton." Samuel raised a hand to massage his temples in exasperation. "Sophia, you should head back now. It''s gettingte." Sophia gave Beatrix onest look. "Thank you for your generosity this evening, Mr. Schild." "You''re wee. Remember to text me when you reach home," Samuel reminded her. Alexander was abroad, so naturally, Samuel had to take care of Sophia on his behalf. Sophia grunted in acknowledgment and spun on her heels to leave. The moment Sophia disappeared, Beatrix''s expression turned grim. "Samuel, have you no shame? Alexander has just died¡ª" "Shut up!" Samuel had always hated it when people talked about Alexander being dead. His expression turned icy as he warned, "Beatrix, if you dare say something like that again, I''ll get someone to rip your mouth apart!" Beatrix froze. That was the first time she had ever seen Samuel flying into a rage. Her initial defiance faded as fear flooded her heart. However, she was still indignant when she thought about Sophia. "Sophia is Alexander''s girlfriend and ex-wife. Are you nuts? Samuel, how could you snatch your best friend''s partner?" "I won''t show you mercy if you continue spouting nonsense. Beatrix Houghton, if you want to act like a crazy woman, do it in your own home! If you keep up this behavior, I will break off our engagement," he warned, his tone stern and unwavering. Those words hit Beatrix''s sore spot. She pointed an using finger in Samuel''s direction but dared not say anything in retort. In the end, she gritted her teeth and ran away. "She''s crazy!" Samuel muttered, frowning at her retreating figure. How did the Houghton family teach their daughter? Just look at her! Chapter 459 Chapter 459 The rain was still going on. When the red lights lit up, Sophia stopped the car. Samuel''s words reverberated in her head as she stared at the foggy scene outside. She was so lost in her thoughts she never even realized the traffic light turned green. It was only when the car behind her honked at her did she snap back to her senses and stepped on the elerator. Fifteen minutester, she arrived at Alexander''s condominium. It was Sophia''s first time at the man''s condominium. After she and Alexander married, Alexander rarely returned to the Xenos residence. Instead, he had been living in this condominium in the city center. Sophia neither had an ess card nor did she know the password. It was an upscale condominium, and when she entered, she was stopped by the security guard. "Hello, Miss. You don''t look like a resident here." Sophia nodded. "I''m the girlfriend of Unit 2803''s owner." Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. The guard froze for a second when he heard that. "That''s Mr. Xenos'' unit, but he was in an ident half a year ago. I''m sorry, Miss, but in ordance with our rules here, I can''t let you in." Sophia did not voice a word in protest. Instead, she moved to the side and called Felix. Felix was surprised to receive a call from her. During his six months of working for Sophia, he discovered that she was someone who drew a clear line between work and private life. Therefore, she would not call him if she was off work. That was why he was worried when he saw her name on his phone screen. Subconsciously, he thought that something had happened to her. "Good evening, Ms. Yarrow." "Good evening, Mr. Lane. I''m currently on the ground floor of Neb Residence. The security won''t let me in. Do you have any way of getting me in?" Felix stiffened for a moment beforeing back to his senses. He promptly said, "Ms. Yarrow, could you please pass the phone to the guard?" Sophia smiled and did as he asked. "Hey, do you mind answering the phone for a moment?" Her gentle demeanor and sweet looks made the guard take the phone after a moment of feeling stunned. "Hello, this is Neb Residence''s security guard." "I''m Felix Lane, Mr. Xenos'' secretary. I think my number is in the condominium''s records. My number is..." Felix then proceeded to list out his phone number. "The owner of this phone is Mr. Xenos'' girlfriend. She forgot her ess card, so please let her in." Sure enough, Felix''s number was in their records. As a security guard, he memorized details of some of the more important residents, including Alexander, who was a prominent figure in Jadeborough. Furthermore, those who lived in the condominium were either the rich or the powerful. It would spell bad luck for him if he identally crossed someone. Thus, right after Felix said that, the guard let Sophia in. "I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow. I didn''t know it was you." Sophia took her phone back and shed him a smile. "It''s fine." She then thanked him for opening the door for her and walked into the guarded area. Felix then said, "Ms. Yarrow, the password to the condominium is your birthday." Sophia''s hand shook. A beatter, she pressed a button to get the elevator and muttered, "Okay. Thank you." Right as she ended the call, the elevator arrived. Alexander liked staying on the highest floor, so naturally, his unit was on the top floor. Moreover, even though Neb Residence had two units on every floor, the highest three floors only had one unit on each floor. Reaching the twenty-eighth floor took about half a minute. Upon stepping out of the elevator, Sophia took a left turn and reached the door. After keying in the password, the door beeped twice and unlocked. At the same time, the lights at the doorway lit up. Despite the fact that Alexander had not been in the unit for close to a year, Felix had arranged for weekly cleaning, so the house remained clean. There were three pairs of shoes on the rack¡ªtwo pairs of leather shoes and a pair of slippers. Even though there was a couch in the living room, the condominium unit of over two hundred square meters still seemed empty. Sophia changed into the slippers, but as they were Alexander''s, they were too big for her. The color scheme of Alexander''s home was primarilyposed of sleek gray and ck tones, imparting a strikingly somber ambiance. The rooms were separated by hidden doors. As it was Sophia''s first time at the house, it took her a few tries before she found the door to the guest room. The door to the master bedroom was even more challenging to find. The dark walls of the corridor and the door seemed to blend together. Only when she was close to the end of the corridor did she finally find the master bedroom''s door. The master bedroom was spacious, but there was nothing inside besides a bed, two bedside tables, and a one-seater couch. Indeed, the simplistic manner was something Alexander would like. Sophia walked over to the side of the bed and pulled the drawer of the bedside table. Samuel was right. There was a stack of photos in it. Though they were ced in an envelope, half of the photos were peeking out of it. One of the photos was right on top of the envelope, however. It was a photo of her and a man walking out of a hotel. She guessed that was the photo that Alexander used when asking Samuel whether or not he was more handsome than the other man. Sophia lifted the envelope and gently tilted it to its side. Dozens of photos poured out of the envelope immediately. They were photos of her when she was in business meetings¡ªof her and the business partners she met with within half a year after marrying Alexander. There were more than forty photos in total, and there were three different men, as well as her. No wonder Kristen would show these photos to Alexander. It''s quite misleading. Sophia could not find the negatives that Samuel told her about, so she guessed that Alexander had destroyed those. A whileter, she put the photos back into the envelope and drawer before closing it. Then, she walked toward the walk-in closet. The master bedroom''s walk-in closet was huge, but there were few clothes kept inside. Almost all were suits. Samuel only told her that it was in the closet¡ªhe did not specify where¡ªbut it was not difficult to find them. On the third drawer Sophia opened, she found the two boxes. Samuel was right. It was a pair of rings. The diamond sparkled brilliantly as it caught the light, radiating an array of prismatic colors. Sophia looked away from its ring reflection, hot tears welling up in her eyes. She never knew about this. Alexander never told her about this. He always had few words and an icy expression for her during those three years. He abandoned her in the Xenos residence, and she told herself to wait for three years. Sure enough, she got a divorce from himter on. The fury on his face on the day of the divorce had been baffling for her. She thought he was upset about how she was the one to raise the topic of divorce. Now, she realized it was probably because the woman who had been adamant about marrying him turned out to be the first to want a divorce. She had been so unrelenting, too. Isn''t he a smart man? Why is he so stupid on this, then? Sophia took out the ring and slid it into her ring finger. How strange. It''s almost been four years since then, but the ring still fits me so well. She caressed the ring for a while before putting it back into the box. Since Alexander never told her about this, she was going to pretend that she never knew about it either. It was still pouring outside, and therge windows were fogged from the cold. Sophia stood in ce for a moment before taking out her phone to message Yvonne. After that, she turned to head back into the master bedroom and entered the shower with Alexander''s bathrobe. Right as she was done with her shower, the door''s surveince camera rang. Yvonne had reached, so Sophia unlocked the door for her. It had only been two minutes, but Yvonne was already there with the clothes and products she needed. "Ms. Yarrow, the clothes and toiletries you asked for." Sophia handed her a ss of warm water. "Thank you." Yvonne stared at Sophia curiously, but she could not bring herself to ask anything. Sophia smiled and moved aside to let her in. "I came to look for some things, but I realized it''s raining outside, so I didn''t want to drive back. It''s close to Odyssey, anyway." Yvonne nodded. "Are you going to move over from now on?" Sophia took a sip of the warm water and shook her head with a smile. "No, I''ll only be staying here for a night." It was only to satisfy her uncontroble yearning. Chapter 460 Chapter 460 Sophia was someone who had to get used to sleeping on a new bed, so she found herself tossing and turning in Alexander''s condominium. Not a hint of his scent was left in the room. Instead, there was just the faint smell of room freshener. There was a slight whiff of wood and a touch of fruity smell, but it was still not Alexander''s scent. Sophia closed her eyes, but she suddenly thought of Samuel''s words about her passing out the other time. A day before the incident, Thalia had poured water on her as a prank, making her soaking wet. That night, she developed a low fever. When she wokete the next morning, Kristen berated her for over half an hour. It had almost been two months since Alexander returned to the Xenos residence back then. In the afternoon, she would deliver food to Alexander. Sophia was not a good cook, so the Xenos family''s chef was the one who made the food. Kristen imed to be getting Sophia to curry favor with Alexander, but the truth was that she could not stand watching Sophia have any free time. That was why Sophia had to bring food to Alexander every day at half-past eleven. Indeed, Sophia had the intention of buttering up to Alexander by delivering food to him when she first married him, but soon after, it became nothing but a chore. The man always gave her scowls, and he even threw the food away in front of her once. As usual, she had wanted to wrap up her task of delivering food to Alexander before leaving. Sophia knew Alexander did not like hering to thepany. She knew that long ago. At the start, she would deliberately talk about what she did in the Xenos residence while she was at the office and stick around for a longer time, but Alexander never gave her any reply. He pretended as if she was not there. Eventually, Sophia lost interest and stopped doing that. That day, Sophia was not feeling well, for she had a fever the entire night. After getting put into a tight spot by Odyssey''s receptionist as usual, Sophia became even less interested to talk. She left after putting down the lunchbox, and not long after she returned to the Xenos residence, she fainted. She still clung to bits of her consciousness after she copsed to the cold ground, so she could hear Thalia and Kristen''s conversation. "Mom, she''s passed out." "So what? If she dies, your brother will get to marry someone else." "You''re right. This woman''s shameless. She insisted on staying in our house. If that incident didn''t blow out of proportion, we would''ve never let her join the Xenos family!" What urred next in the conversation was lost to her after that. When Sophia returned to the waking world again, she was already in a hospital ward. Right as Thalia and Kristen entered the room and saw her, they rolled their eyes. "You''re finally awake. You''re such an unlucky woman. I can''t believe you passed out just like that. Are you trying to haunt us by dying in our house?" The gears in Sophia''s head spun slowly. "Who sent me to the hospital?" She knew that Kristen and Thalia were desperately hoping that she would drop dead, so there was no way they would be the ones who brought her to the hospital. It was a miracle that they had not kicked her while she was unconscious. However, Thalia had an angry outburst almost instantly. "Who else could have sent you here if not for us? Are you seriously hoping that my brother wille home to send you here? Keep dreaming, Sophia! Alex won''t even bat ash if you were to die in front of him!" Sophia believed Thalia back then, so even though she could smell cologne on her, she dismissed it. There was no way Alexander would have sent her to the hospital. Thalia''s right. Stop reaching for the stars, was what Sophia thought back then. Now, she realized it had not been an idea too far-fetched. Sophia curled her lips and turned to the other side before covering her eyes. Memories of the past kept emerging in her head as her eyelids fluttered open. I can''t sleep... By the time Sophia fell asleep, it was past one in the morning. Perhaps it was because she found out too many things of the past, her sleep was gued with dreams. The next morning when her phone rm rang, Sophia woke with a headache. She propped herself up and stretched out her arm to switch off the rm. Even though she had slept until eight, she still felt ill, for she had not been able to sleep well the night before. However, there was a morning meeting at Odyssey, so Sophia had to get out of bed. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Herck of sleep the night before meant that there was no joy in the smile she wore during the meeting. The directors liked making things tough for Sophia in meetings like these, but she had always treated them as if they were monkeys performing in a circus and ignored them. No matter what they said, she would smile and wait until they were done before asking, "Mr. Ladd, are you done?" Alistair would find himself dispirited by her nonchnt attitude. He had attacked her to the best of his ability, but in the end, his attacks hadnded nowhere. They did not know whether or not Sophia was annoyed by it, but they certainly were. That day, Sophia was in a foul mood, and anyone who had a brain could tell. However, Alistair and the others enjoyed making things tough for her, so they were even more motivated when they realized that she was in a bad mood. Sure enough, Alistair was quick to act. Felix''s team was the one who made the proposal, and even though it was not perfect, it was rather well done. Yet, Alistair kept picking a bone with it. Once the man was done with his bombardment of questions, Sophia shed him a half-hearted smile and said, "Interesting points you''ve made, Mr. Ladd. In that case, why don''t I hand this project over to you to handle it?" Before waiting for a reply from Alistair, she turned to Felix and said, "That''s it for today''s meeting. Everyone''s dismissed." Alistair froze. Why am I in charge of the project now? If I mess this up, I''ll lose my managerial role! I''ll be giving Sophia a chance to kick me down the pyramid! With that thought in mind, Alistair promptly said, "Ms. Yarrow, I think that¡ª" Sophia was in the middle of standing up when she heard Alistair''s voice, and she cut him off, saying, "Oh, by the way, Mr. Ladd, a reminder for you. I want this project proposal the day after next. Instead of spending time telling me about your thoughts here, why don''t you take the time to think about how you should write the proposal?" At that, Sophia paused. "Also, this is an important project¡ªit''s one of the projects that thepany is focusing on for the first half of the year. Mr. Ladd, if you can''t seed in this project, then I''m sure you, an employee of Odyssey for over twenty years, will know what to do next." If Alistair knew shame, he would then leave thepany on his own ord. Of course, if he was shameless, Sophia would still have a way to get rid of him. Alistair, understandably, panicked when he heard her words. He had essentially shot himself in the foot. Even non-Odyssey employees knew how important the project was, let alone those who worked for Odyssey. As one of the older executives and shareholders of Odyssey, Alistair certainly knew how crucial the project was. If the project flopped, not only would Sophiae after him, but the other shareholders would as well. He had basically dug his own grave. How was Alistair going to ept that? But s, Sophia turned and left. Alistair paled as he stared at the woman''s back, then he instinctively turned Percy. "Mr. Zaat, what do we do?" Percy shot him a look of disdain. "What are you so scared of? If she can do it, why can''t you? Are you telling me that you, an employee who has been in Odyssey for over twenty years, aren''t as good as an outsider like her?" Ultimately, Percy would not feel the fear because it was not happening to him. However, Alistair was in despair. Ever since he heard about Alexander''s ident, he began siding with Percy, hoping that he would be able to be the vice president eventually when thetter rose the ranks. Unfortunately, he had be a stepping stone before Percy was promoted. How could Alistair not feel disheartened about that? For once, Felix was unable to read Sophia''s mind. When they were back in the office, he asked, "Ms. Yarrow, are we really going to leave the project in his hands?" Traces of Sophia''s anger seeped away, and she lifted her head to look at Felix. "What do you think?" Felix immediately understood what Sophia was trying to do, and he nodded fervently. "I got it, Ms. Yarrow." ncing at the woman, he mused about the consequences of Alistair messing up the project and how intelligent Sophia was to make a move like that. It seemed like an angry Sophia was not someone who could be trifled with. Chapter 461 Chapter 461 In the meantime, udius, exited a restaurant in Lusterg to find Yasmin blocking her path. Rose had already discussed with Yasmin''s parents to announce the cancetion of Yasmin and udius'' engagement this week. udius wasn''t into Yasmin, but the same could not be said for Yasmin. Thetter had been following udius around ever since he regained consciousness. Yasmin, who was actively pursuing her doctorate degree, had plenty of time to win udius'' heart. After all, it is always easier for women to pursue men. Yasmin believed that with time, udius would fall in love with her eventually. That was her belief until Sophia showed up. Chanaea and Anndur had a time difference of sixteen hours, so Yasmin received those photos at around five in the morning. Immediately after waking up, she flew all the way to Anndur to look for udius, wanting to confront him. However, udius was nearly impossible to find. Ever since the day that Rose imed she would talk to Yasmin''s parents about the annulment of Yasmin and udius'' engagement, udius'' two bodyguards stopped revealing any information about his whereabouts. Yasmin spent more than six hours flying to Lightspring, only to find out that he was no longer there. Hence, she instantly flew back and headed straight for the hotel udius was staying at after she landed. To her dismay, he didn''t even spare her a nce as he walked straight toward his car. Yasmin gritted her teeth. "udius, aren''t you interested in the information I have about Sophia?" udius had just gotten into his car when he heard Yasmin''s question. The man merely peered at her, showing no intention of getting down from the car. Noticing that udius was still giving her the cold shoulder, Yasmin panicked. "My friend snapped a few photos of Sophia on a date with another man in Chanaea. Are you sure you don''t want to look at it?" A frown marred udius'' countenance. Only then did he alight from the car, walking toward Yasmin. "Hand over the photos." Yasmin shed the photos smugly and gave them to udius, arching her brows in excitement as she said, "udius, I''ve already told you she is not a decent woman. She flirted with you in Lightspring and took advantage of her beauty to seduce you, but see for yourself! She has a boyfriend in Chanaea! My friend in Chanaea told me that the man in the photo wasn''t even her boyfriend! He is her boyfriend''s friend, and her boyfriend died in an ident half a year ago! Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! I can''t believe her! Oh my goodness, she is such a wicked woman! How can she hook up with her boyfriend''s friend? Now do you still like her? Why did you cancel your engagement with me for an unscrupulous woman like her? udius, are you insane?" Yasmin grew increasingly furious as she spoke, but just as she was about to borate further, she was interrupted by a ripping sound. udius tore the photos into pieces before throwing them to the bodyguards beside him. With that, he turned and got back into his car. Yasmin was stunned by the man''s reaction. She stared at udius in disbelief. "udius! What is wrong with you? Are you blind? Can''t you see that Sophia was on a date with another man? Do you like her that much to turn a blind eye toward the truth?" Just then, udius turned sideways to look at Yasmin, sneering. "You''re right. I like her a lot." Then, udius instructed his driver to drive off, leaving behind a cloud of exhaust gas and harsh words that cut deep into Yasmin''s heart. Yasmin stood rooted to the spot as udius'' car disappeared into the darkness. She regained her senses after a while, trembling in anger. "udius, you b*stard!" She cursed loudly in Chanaean, attracting the attention of many passersby who looked over curiously. Stomping her foot lividly, she waved her hand to hail a taxi. The incident went down without Sophia''s knowledge. After ruthlessly setting Alistair up during the meeting earlier, she felt much better, and her mood improved significantly. Lifting her head to check the time, she realized it was time for lunch. She massaged her temples before leaving her office for a meal at thepany''s cafeteria. Lukas'' call came in just as she sat down. Sophia peered at the caller ID before cing the bowl of soup on the table. "Hi, Lukas." "Have you eaten?" "I''ve just ordered some food." Lukas hummed in response on the other end of the line. "Have you found Alexander yet?" Sophia''s hand that was holding the spoon froze, and a smile formed on her lips. "Yes. I saw him in Lightspring, Moranta." "Why hasn''t he returned to the country?" "He lost his memories." Lukas fell silent and didn''t probe further into the matter. After asking Sophia how she was doing, he hung up the phone. Sophia arched her brow while looking at her phone. As expected from Lukas. He''s smart enough to guess everything just by looking at one photo! How impressive! At that point, Sophia''s foul mood had dissipated for good, and even the in food looked more scrumptious to her. Samuel, on the other hand, was so frustrated that he didn''t feel like eating anything. He did not expect rumors about him courting Sophia to spread after they merely had a meal and went to an auction together. Argh! Do they think I''m crazy? How would I have the guts to court Alexander''s woman? First of all, she would never fall in love with me, and second of all, I would never dare to do something like that! On top of that, I''m perfectly aware of my own limits and know that there''s no way I can handle an extraordinary woman like Sophia! Alexander might be the only man who ispatible with her. He couldn''t help wondering whether those gossipers who imed he was trying to snatch Alexander''s woman had a screw loose. Do they have nothing better to do? Why do they always like to talk behind others'' backs? Samuel was so furious that he skipped lunch and instructed his secretary to find the culprit behind the tittle-tattle. Since it was rare for Samuel to blow his top, his secretary dared not make a peep and quickly carried out the order. It wasn''t difficult to identify the culprit in the digital era; one only needed to ask around in the correct circle to get down to the root of the rumor. After all, the upper-ss circle was small with only a few families involved. Samuel''s secretary discovered the culprit in no time. It was none other than Cecily from the Young family. After finding out who the offender was, Samuel headed straight to the Young residence. Meanwhile, Cecily had just received the bag worth more than three million from the auction the night before and was admiring it when the butler informed them that a guest had arrived. Cecily was unfazed while Bianca asked, "Who is it?" "It''s Mr. Schild, Mrs. Young." Bianca was surprised beyond words when she heard of Samuel''s arrival. She quickly tugged at her daughter. "Stop looking at your bag! Mr. Schild is here. Come with me and meet him downstairs!" Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Cecily pouted unwillingly. However, she relented and followed Bianca downstairs. When they were halfway down the stairs, she remembered something and stopped in her tracks. Her face paled as she subconsciously turned around to return to her room, but to her dismay, Samuel had alreadye up the stairs. Immediately after spotting Cecily, he greeted her coldly, "Hi, Ms. Young. We meet again! What did I do to offend you? Why did you spread rumors about Sophia and me?" Bianca, who was overjoyed upon learning that Samuel hade to visit, was shocked to see the man''s hostile expression. Her expression changed drastically when she heard his words, and she asked in rm, "Is there a misunderstanding, Mr. Schild? Cecily has always been a good girl. She''s not the type to talk behind others'' backs." Naturally, Bianca was aware of her daughter''s true nature, but shecked the courage toe clean before Samuel. ying dumb wasn''t going to work on Samuel. He bluntly stated, "Apologize to the public and clear up the rumors. Express your apologies to Sophia personally, too. Or else, serious consequences await you. You better watch your mouth, for trouble wille your way!" He snorted coldly before storming out of the Young residence. Chapter 462 Chapter 462 Bianca turned and pinched Cecily right after Samuel left. "Are you out of your mind? Ourpany''s situation is bad enough as it is, and here you are, making things worse! Why did you offend those people?" Gasping in pain, Cecily looked at her mother pitifully. "I didn''t do anything to offend them!" "Why did he show up at our house if you didn''t do anything?" Cecily stammered, hesitant to tell the truth. It wasn''t until Bianca pped her gently as a warning that she exined the ins and outs. "W-When I went to the auctionst night, I saw Sophia and Samuel there, so I told Xena and the rest about this. I''ve already warned them that this information should be kept between us! I didn''t expect them to spread the rumors!" Bianca looked at Cecily with mixed feelings of disappointment and frustration as she hit thetter. "There''s no point trying to exin anything now. Mr. Schild has made himself clear. Go get ready. We need to apologize to Sophia." Cecily was reluctant to do so. Sophia had caught Cecily and her friend badmouthing her yesterday noon, and now that something simr happened, Cecily was naturally unwilling to meet Sophia. Besides, Sophia had already warned her yesterday. Hence, the consequences would be dire if the former found out that Cecily was the culprit behind this rumor. Bianca was enraged when she didn''t receive a response from her daughter. "What are you waiting for? Do you think Mr. Schild is joking?" Seeing that her mother was about to strike her again, Cecily dodged quickly. "It''s not that I don''t want to apologize to Sophia, but I was gossiping with Xena and the others while we were having lunch yesterday and Sophia caught us red-handed..." Bianca''s face flushed bright red with rage. "I can''t believe you! I''ve already told you to be mindful of your words! Oh, you brats are so ignorant! I swear you''re going to be the death of our family sooner or later!" Cecily was aware that she had made a mistake, so she didn''t dare say anything in retort. Both Samuel and Sophia weren''t people that the Young family could afford to offend. She nced at Bianca. "What should we do now, Mom?" "Oh, so you''re looking to me to solve your problem now? You''re pissing me to death!" Although Bianca was livid, she was always rational when it came to such crises. Cecily was foolish enough to badmouth others and spread rumors. What''s worse, she got caught red- handed, and the subject of her gossip found out about everything. This matter is tricky. Samuel even showed up personally to demand an exnation, so an apology is inevitable. We''ll see what happens after we apologize and act ordingly. "Post an apology statement on Instagram first. Tell Xena to disseminate your apology statement the same way she spread the rumors about Samuel and Sophia." Bianca paused before continuing with a frown, "Meanwhile, let me think of a gift for Sophia to express our apologies." If this had happened five years ago, they could''ve gifted Sophia money, a handbag, or a car because nobody knew she was secretly loaded. Everyone thought she married Alexander merely because she wanted to climb the socialdder. But now, things were different. Sophia was not short of money, so it would be difficult to find her a suitable apology gift. Besides, she wouldn''t appreciate the gift no matter how expensive or precious it was, for she was never a materialistic woman. Bianca continued to consider their options. A good gift must be something that suits the liking of the recipient, but now, it''s difficult for us to ask around about what she likes because she doesn''t have many friends in the circle. We don''t know where that celebrity friend of hers is right now, and neither are we worthy of talking to Charlize Johnson. Noticing that Bianca was having a headache trying toe up with a solution, Cecily hesitated before saying, "Mom, why don''t we give her a handbag as an apology gift?" "Does she like to collect handbags?" "Remember the bag I gotst night at the auction? Samuel wanted to give it to her before I won the bid. I didn''t know at first but found out when I was paying for it. Besides, all women like handbags." Bianca almost passed out when she heard Cecily''s words. She staggered and slumped on the couch while the housekeeper hurriedly brought her medicine over to her. Bianca swallowed the pill before shooting her daughter a cold re. "Why are you still standing there? Go get that handbag and bring it to Sophia as an apology gift." Cecily''s expression changed drastically. "Mom, are you asking me to give that bag to Sophia?" "Of course. You snatched that bag from her and badmouthed her behind her back. Do you think you have a better solution other than giving that bag to her?" "But... I spent more than three million to purchase that limited edition bag. There are only three of them all around the globe!" "Oh, is that a no? Okay then. I''ll get your dad to cancel all your credit cards tomorrow!" Without a doubt, Bianca had grasped Cecily''s weakness. The younger woman dared not say anything further and ran upstairs to grab the handbag she had just received. She then ced it back into its packaging before returning downstairs with it. Bianca''s grim expression eased as she said, "Take out your phone and post an apology online." Worried that her cards would be canceled, Cecily handed her phone to Bianca obediently. After posting the apology statement, Bianca returned Cecily the phone before saying, "Go get changed." The mother and daughter changed into presentable outfits before rushing to Odyssey to apologize to Sophia. Little did they know that Sophia was not present at Odyssey at the moment. She went over to Sunshine Group after finishing her lunch. When the mother-daughter duo arrived at Sunshine Group, a sullen-looking Sophia had just stepped out of the lounge after napping for a bit. Sophia was massaging her temples when someone knocked on the office door. "Come in," she said. "Ms. Yarrow," Yvonne voiced. She knew Sophia would always be in a foul mood after waking up, so she usually wouldn''t talk to her within five minutes after Sophia''s break time. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. However, today was an exception. Bianca and Cecily suddenly showed up, announcing that they were from Hord Corporation and had important matters to talk to Sophia about. Left without a choice, Yvonne reported to Sophia, "Mrs. Young and Ms. Young from Hord Corporation are requesting to meet you. They said they have something crucial to discuss with you." Sophia arched her brow in puzzlement. "Hord Corporation?" She searched through her memory before finally recalling who was the chairman of Hord Corporation. "All right. Let them in." "Noted, Ms. Yarrow," Yvonne answered and left the office before instructing Belinda to make Sophia a cup of cappino for thetter to refresh herself. Soon, Yvonne entered Sophia''s office with Bianca and Cecily in tow. "Ms. Yarrow, Mrs. Young and Ms. Young are here to see you." Sophia nced at them, smiling. "Ms. Leighton, please make them both a cup of coffee." "Sure, Ms. Yarrow." Yvonne tactfully left the room upon hearing that, knowing Sophia wanted some privacy. Sophia, Bianca, and Cecily were the only ones left in the office by then. Sophia got up from her office chair and walked over to the couch. "Mrs. Young, Ms. Young, please take a seat." Bianca felt relieved when she saw the constant smile on Sophia''s face. "All right. Thank you, Ms. Yarrow." Cecily followed suit and expressed her gratitude before the three sat in their respective seats in the reception area. Sophia nced at Cecily with a smile. "We meet again, Ms. Young." Guilt crept into Cecily when she heard Sophia mentioning her name. She shuddered before answering, "Hi, Ms. Yarrow." Sophia retracted her gaze after one nce at Cecily and shifted her focus to Bianca. "Mrs. Young, I wonder why you took the time out of your busy schedule to meet me." Sophia''s soft and gentle voice caused embarrassment to inundate Bianca. The older woman shoved Cecily and urged, "Cecily, tell her why we''re here." Cecily froze momentarily before cing the bag in her hand on the coffee table and pushing it toward Sophia. "Ms. Yarrow, I came specifically to apologize to you in person. I''m so sorry for ruining you and Mr. Schild''s reputation with my blunder. This is an apology gift. Please ept it." Sophia, on the other hand, was unaware of the rumors about her and Samuel. However, she knew immediately from Cecily''s words that Cecily must have said something she shouldn''t have. Sophia remained silent. She took out her phone and texted Samuel. Samuel responded immediately without revealing any details about the rumors. He merely told Sophia that Cecily badmouthed her and that she could forgive Cecily if she wanted to, but if she was reluctant to let the matter slide, he could find a way to help her settle the score. Sophia didn''t probe further when she noticed that Samuel was unwilling to tell her everything and contacted Charlize instead. Charlize was livid when she first found out about the rumor, but she didn''t tell Sophia about the matter because she knew how upset Sophia had been after Alexander''s ident. She didn''t want to add more trouble to her friend''s te. And so, Sophia unraveled the whole matter by simply asking Charlize some questions. After that, she put down her phone and stared at Cecily while wearing a half-smile. "You''re still young, so I suppose you have a pretty good memory. You must still remember what I said to you yesterday, right?" Chapter 463 Chapter 463 The silence in the office was beginning to disconcert Bianca and Cecily. They sat on the couch uneasily, still unable to believe that was the first thing Sophia had to say after that long pause. While Sophie browsed through her phone quietly, Cecily had already turned pale. Unlike Cecily, Bianca looked moreposed, although she was initially a little taken aback. She had been through worse and could deal with a sticky situation like that. "Ms. Yarrow, I heard Cecily argued with you over a bag last night. You must have been so upset because of her, but rest assured she had no ill intention. She just liked that bag too much. As her mother, I would like to apologize on her behalf for her unthoughtful words and behavior. She is still young and doesn''t know what she should and shouldn''t say. We want to make it up to you. If you really like that bag, we don''t mind letting you have it. I know my daughter is at fault here, so we came here in person to apologize to you. Just let us know if there is anything we can do to make it up to you. Our family will do everything within our capacity for you." Despite Bianca''s proposal, Sophia was fully aware that it was just lip service since there was nothing the Young family could offer her. The truth was Sophia had wanted to forgive Cecily since that was her first offense, but she had changed her mind when Cecily began spreading rumors about her and Samuel. Sophia was no saint to let Cecily walk all over her. Looks like she didn''t heed my warning yesterday. "You may not be familiar with how I do things, Mrs. Young. I am not a woman of patience, so let me recap what your daughter said about me yesterday: I wonder if she''s responsible for what happened to Alexander when he went to Doveston with her. After all, he seemed fine before their journey," Sophia repeated Cecily''s words verbatim. Given her photographic memory, she narrated every word exactly and could even retell the story in Cecily''s original tone. Havingid all the cards on the table, she smiled and nced at Cecily. "Tell me, Ms. Young. Did I misquote you?" Bianca was horrified when she heard the whole story. She had thought that Cecily had spread some frivolous gossip about Sophia, but upon learning the harsh truth, she nced at Sophia and turned to p Cecily. "How dare you say that? You went out of line!" Cecily, already frightened by the mess she caused, broke down in tears when her mother pped her, but Bianca did not stop. She kept berating her daughter and pping her while Sophia sat there, watching quietly as if she enjoyed the entertainment. Suddenly, a knock came on the door, and Yvonne entered with some coffee. "Mrs. Young," Sophia finally interrupted, "I warned Cecily yesterday afternoon to stop her idle talk. She promised not to do it again, but she forgot all about it that night itself. I think there''s no ridding her of this habit." Here, Sophia looked at her secretary and asked, "Ms. Leighton, what do you think is a good way to make her stop this bad habit?" Yvonne looked Sophia in the eyes and suggested apathetically, "I think you should just cut her tongue so she never talks again. That''s how she canpletely wean herself off the habit." Bianca turned pale as a sheet when she heard Yvonne. Beside her, Cecily was quivering in fear as she inched closer to her mother subconsciously. "M-Ms. Yarrow, this is against thew." "You''re right, Mrs. Young. This is against thew," Sophia said with a smile and turned to Yvonne again. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. "Ms. Leighton, I''m aw-abiding citizen. How could you suggest that I do something like that?" Yvonne pursed her lips and replied, "I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow." "It''s okay. I forgive you. Just don''t do it again." Sophia then got up. "It''s time I get back to work. See them off, Ms. Leighton." "Ms. Yarrow¡ª" Before the desperate Bianca could finish her sentence, Yvonne said, "Mrs. Young, Ms. Young, Ms. Yarrow is busy. I hope you all understand." Petrified by Sophia''s threat to cut off her tongue, Cecily pulled her mother''s sleeve and urged, "Let''s go, Mom." Seeing how terrified her dear daughter was, Bianca decided to leave, although she was still unsure if Sophia had forgiven Cecily. Before the two reached the door, Sophia''s voice suddenly rang out from behind. "Hold on, Mrs. Young," Sophia called out as she walked to the reception area and lifted the untouched package. "I''m not a fan of bags. Besides, I don''t like taking things that don''t belong to me." Having read between the lines, Bianca wanted to say something, but Yvonne beat her to it. "Mrs. Young, have a good day." When Bianca saw Sophia smiling faintly at her standing some distance away, she knew Sophia would not put Cecily''s wrongdoing behind her that easily. However, she could not tell what Sophia''s next step would be. Silence resumed in the office after Bianca and Cecily left. Back at the table, Sophia grabbed a ball pen and doodled away as she thought hard. When Yvonne finally returned after sending off Bianca and Cecily, she asked, "Ms. Yarrow, is there anything I can do for you?" Sophia put down her pen and smiled at her. "Do you have any dirt about the Young family?" "Mr. Young has an affair with a woman and has a son with her," the secretary replied after giving it some thought. "I see. I''ll do his son the favor of finding his father, then." Since Cecily loves gossiping so much, I''ll let her have the full extent of it. "I''ll look into it," Yvonne replied once she had understood the assignment. "Good." Sophia smiled, thinking how Cecily would feel when her own family was caught in a scandal. However, Sophia quickly gathered her thoughts and dived right into work until five o''clock. It was then her phone on the table rang. It was a call from Samuel. Sophia knew at once his purpose for calling. She picked up the call and put it on speaker, then rested against the chair as she massaged her sore neck. "Mr. Schild, are you calling to apologize again?" Her statement elicited a sheepish smile from Samuel who was on the other end of the call. "I just wanted to ask how Cecily''s visit to your office went." With the ongoing rumors about Samuel stealing Sophia from Alexander, there was no way Samuel would want to meet Sophia for a meal. "It was okay. She was sincere," Sophia replied casually as she nced outside the window. Hmm, it''s still raining. "So, did you forgive her?" Samuel asked, relieved. Sophia burst outughing at the question. "Must I forgive her just because she was sincere?" There''s no way I''m calling it even just because she apologized. "That''s not what I meant. I was just trying to say that I could help you get back at her if you wanted to," Samuel exined immediately. He had also found out then that Cecily had repeatedly spread stories about Sophia. Still, he hid the fact from Sophia because given Sophia''s temper, she could make everyone around Cecily pay for one mistake. He would rather deal with Cecily''s past deeds himself in a more reasonable way. That was why Samuel ended up just asking about Sophia''s n. After all, it would be easy as pie for Samuel to crush the Young family since theirpany, Hord Corporation, had been underperforming over the past two years. "You don''t have to worry about it. I just thought I should let her taste her own medicine," Sophia answered. "Which means..." Samuel asked, notprehending what Sophia meant. "I heard that Mr. Young has a son out of wedlock, so I figured I should just help that child find his long- lost father." "Ah! Understood!" Samuel instantly caught on. With his experience in the entertainment industry, he could tell what Sophia''s next course of action was. "By the way, I have something you might want to hear. It seems that Cecily Young is involved with two university students. They might be her sugar babies." "Whoa, Ms. Young sure is adventurous." "I''ll look into this myself," Samuel volunteered, feeling that Sophia might not feelfortable getting involved. "It''s okay. I''ll get Ms. Leighton to do it." "All right, then," Samuel agreed reluctantly. When Sophia sensed she was depriving the man of a chance to make up to her, she smiled and straightened her back. "Fine. You can look into those two guys if you feel guilty about the whole thing. Ms. Leighton is busy, anyway. I don''t want to put too many things on her te." Chapter 464 Chapter 464 With Yvonne''s efficiency, she dug out all the dirt about Conrad Young''s illegitimate child and made it public in no time. Her means to bring the scandal to light were somewhat unusual. She had met Conrad''s mistress, Jamie Wagner, and asked her to pick up her son. As agreed, Jamie would then let her friend drop her son off at the Young residence, where the boy was supposed to cry to attract people''s attention as he imed he had lost his way. The n coincided with Jamie''s interest since she had long wanted to marry into the Young family. After all, Conrad had always wanted a son, which Bianca failed to give him. Since Jamie had given birth to the boy, she had tried testing Conrad''s stance on the formal acknowledgment of the son, to which Conrad expressed approval but had not yet gone into the details of how he would make that happen. As did all mistresses, Jamie was not satisfied with being the other woman and was ambitious about marrying Conrad. With Bianca in deep trouble with Sophia, Jamie did not see why she should let the opportunity to oust Bianca slide, especially when she had someone backing her. She followed Yvonne''s instruction and fetched his son, Dn Young, from the kindergarten before asking her friend to send him to the Young residence. The poor boy, barely three years old, was deeply attached to his mother since she was his only family. When he was suddenly left alone and could not find her mother''s friend, he was so frightened he dared not go anywhere. He stood helplessly in the middle of the road as he recalled that Jamie had told him to stay where he was in case he got lost. Jamie had also instructed him to show his nametag and ask people to call his father if some strangers answered his call for help. The boy nced at his name tag and began crying. As his sobs grew louder, the butler noticed it and went out to check what was happening. When he saw the boy crying at the door, he went over to check on him, only to receive a name tag with a phone number from the boy. "H-Hold on... What''s your father''s name?" the butler asked, stunned. "I call him Dad..." the boy choked out. Although the old butler did not get a name, he was all too familiar with Conrad''s phone number. He observed the boy and intended to drive him away but could not since no adults were around. Moreover, the boy was crying increasingly loud. Just as he was caught in a dilemma, Cecily arrived at the door in her car as she was heading out. After a long and disappointing day with Sophia, she figured she should go out and unwind with her little boyfriend, but before she could even drive out of the house, she was met with yet another obstacle. When she saw the boy bawling his eyes out and looking for his father, she got out of the car grumpily and asked, "Who is he? Why is he crying here?" "I''m looking for my dad. Call him for me!" the boy pleaded and ran over to Cecily, who dodged the boy immediately. Her disdainful nce swept across the boy and finally stopped at the phone number on the name tag. Spurred by a sense of familiarity, she checked her phone contacts. As she punched the fifth digit on her phone, Conrad''s name appeared on the search result bar. "How did you get my dad''s number?" she interrogated the boy. "He''s my dad! Call him! Call him!" "Don''t touch me!" Cecily yelled, pushing the boy away. Having been thrown to the ground, the boy cried even harder, bringing Bianca to the scene. Bianca was only slightly alerted when she saw the boy, but her entire face paled from shock when she saw the number on the name tag. As a drama evolved at the residence, a man Yvonne hired recorded everything on the sly. Once he had everything on video, he uploaded the recording and started sharing the content among the upper-ss circle with the help of several users. Within just an hour, the scandal about Conrad''s illegitimate child spread on social media. Later on, ording to Charlize, an intense fight broke out in the Young family that night, where Cecily was pped by her father so severely that she ran out of the house while Bianca was admitted to the hospital out of shock. Overnight, the Youngs became the topic dominating every conversation. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After all, how the whole secret came to light was rather amusing. Somemented that Jamie was the ultimate winner. On the surface, it seemed that she was exacting revenge on Sophia''s behalf, but in the greater scheme of things, she got to rece Bianca as Conrad''s wife. However, Jamie did not make her personal motivation known to the public, for Yvonne had earlier told her to reveal Sophia as the sole mastermind behind this fiasco. Sophia preferred taking down her enemies openly. Since Cecily loved being a tattletale, Sophia wanted reprisal for her in the same manner. She had no reservations about Bianca and Cecily finding out about her being the mastermind since they could not do anything to her even if they knew she had plotted all that. After all, Sophia was doing them the favor of exposing Conrad''s affair. Meanwhile, Samuel was having fun looking at how the whole scandal unfolded. What tickled him the most was that Jamie was Cecily''s close friend back in university. As to how Cecily''s schoolmate ended up giving Cecily a half-brother from the same father, that was something only Jamie and Conrad could answer. Impressed by how well-pulled the stunt was, Samuel figured he should also do his part in that revenge spree, so he proceeded to do what he was best at. Cecily''s two sugar babies were university students in their early twenties studying in Jadeborough. Since the two young men were cash-strapped, Samuel offered them one hundred thousand each if they agreed to put up a show by fighting over Cecily in public. Still trying to cope with her father''s scandal, Cecily was caught unprepared when she saw the two sugar babies arguing at the cafe, demanding that she chose one of them. They unted the items Cecily bought for them at each other, trying to prove that they were her favorite. Anyone watching them could easily guess that they were Cecily''s sugar babies. When Samuel''s men had the incident taped, Samuel shared the video on his Instagram ount, where most of his followers were mainly in the entertainment circle. Soon, news about Cecily spread like wildfire online. When Conrad discovered it, he pped Cecily again when she arrived home. As the two incidents catapulted the Young family to notoriety in Jadeborough, Cecily could no longer stay in the country since her reputation had been ruined and she was shunned everywhere. In the end, when Bianca finally came to terms with the fact that Conrad did not love her anymore, she drew up a separation agreement with him and managed to leave the country with Cecily after securing half of Conrad''s wealth. But of course, that was what happened eventually. Before that, the Young family was caught in deep trouble when Cecily''s scandal erupted following her father''s. Sophia did not see the point of keeping abreast of thetest development of the Young family since she had done her part of teaching Cecily a lesson. She was impartial enough only to retaliate once since Cecily had only offended her once. Concerning what Samuel did, Cecily only had herself to me for it for crossing two people at the same time. Chapter 465 Chapter 465 By the time the episode regarding Cecily ended, Katherine and Joshua were already back from their honeymoon. After the variety show was aired, news of their wedding was made official, and their rtionship was confirmed. Since Katherine''s fanbase was primarily women, her followers increased after her wedding was reported. Because of how well things had turned out, Jonice unprecedentedly allowed Katherine to take a break for twenty days for her honeymoon. After the vacation ended, the couple arrived in Jadeboroughte at night. Due to jetg, Katherine slept till four in the afternoon the following day before she headed out to meet Sophia. Sophia had just finished a two-hour meeting when she came out of the conference room at four o''clock. "Ms. Yarrow, you have a meeting with Ms. Quinn now," Felix said. Sophia remembered the date, but the secretary reminded her nheless because she was already runningte. Sophia rushed back to her office and grabbed the handbag she had bid for a few days ago before driving to the clubhouse. "I''m sorry. I was at a meeting," Sophia apologized upon arrival just as Katherine was about to say something. Over in the room, the actress yawned and red at Sophia begrudgingly. "I can''t believe you''rete for thirty minutes." Sophia smiled and passed her the bag she brought. "Take this as a token of apology." Katherine''s face lit up instantly. "I''ll let you off the hook this time. What is this?" she asked with her brows arched. "Open it," Sophia urged, pouring a ss of water for herself. Katherine nced at her and unwrapped the present in excitement. She was stunned when she saw an Artemis Collection handbag from Arterius¡ªone of the most-coveted limited edition handbags in the world. To build exclusivity, thepany had it written in ck and white that the model would not be mass- produced when it was firstunched five years ago. To be precise, there were only ten thousand bags of its kind worldwide. Priced at a staggering eight hundred thousand, the only Artemis Collection handbags avable in the market then were all second-hand. Even then, getting one''s hands on it was extremely difficult. After all, people who bought those bags in the first cecked no money, so it was unlikely that they would sell the bags. More than a year ago, Katherine had asked her friends to keep an eye out for potential sellers. Although someone in Salinsburgh was willing to sell at two million then, Katherine had no choice but to put the idea on the back burner since she had not saved up enough. A year passed when she finally had enough and was looking for a seller again. However, Sophia was a step ahead of her when she gave Katherine the surprise she had been dreaming of. ted, Katherine threw herself at her friend to hug her, but thetter blocked her off. Despite the unsessful attempt to hug Sophia, Katherine was still over the moon. "Soph! You can bete every time we have a date from now on. You can even bete for an hour!" "This is not happening again," Sophia said, smiling. Katherine gazed at the bag in the box longingly until she finally put it away in a waterproof wrapping for fear of dirtying it. After she covered the box and put it back in the bag, she asked, "Where did you get this from? I''ve been asking around for half a year but still couldn''t get anyone to sell." "I got it at an auction," Sophia stated, ncing at her from the corner of her eyes. "Whoa, it must have cost more than two million, then." "It''s not my money, anyway," Sophia replied nonchntly. "Whose money is it?" The generous buyer piqued her interest. "Mr. Schild." "Samuel Schild? Why did he buy you a bag?" Katherine was confused. Guessing that the busybody Katherine must have heard a thing or two about the Young family''s scandal, Sophia filled her in on everything that had transpired. Upon listening to the whole story, Katherine said, "What''s wrong with Samuel, by the way? You''re clearly not interested in dating anyone else right now, or you won''t be working hard at Odyssey. Also, who is this Cecily Young? Why did she try to mess with you? I bet this is not her first time ndering you." Sophia chuckled at her friend''s conjecture. "Spot on." Katherine was indignant to have her spection about Cecily confirmed. She could not believe that someone had the audacity to bully Sophia during her short absence of just twenty days. "What else did she do?" Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. "Well, nothing too serious. She posted something about me after that." Given Sophia''s meticulous nature, she had instructed Yvonne to run a background check on Cecily to find out what she had been up to. Upon investigation, it was revealed that Cecily was connected to Bethany and had shared posts aimed at smearing Sophia''s reputation after her divorce from Alexander two years ago. As Bethany''s bosom friend, Cecily had been targeting Sophia even after Bethany passed on. Despite Cecily''s tenaciousness, Sophia was sure she would not have the guts to cross her again after the two scandals. "Dang! I should''vee back earlier!" Katherine raged. Sophia raised her brows at her and put on a half-hearted smile. "Says the one who sent me photos of her on her honeymoon daily. You were having fun, weren''t you?" Caught in the act of lying, Katherine clutched the bag and exined, "Well, I just wanted to share with you..." Sophia snorted. "Why, thank you." The two chatted more about other things until Katherine brought up udius. Since she did not have a chance to delve into the details when she was in Lightspring, Katherine asked for the full story from Sophia now that they met in person. As she requested, Sophia spared her no details. Sophia smiled rigidly when she was asked about udius'' fianc¨¦e and said, "Mdm. Lenoir said they would nullify the engagement." Feeling guilty under Sophia''s piercing gaze, Katherine looked away and put a cherry in her mouth. "Well, she isn''t that bad for a mother after all." Sophia smiled without addressing thatment while Katherine munched her cherry. After swallowing it, Katherine thought of another question. "So does that mean she knew about Alexander two years ago but only went to find him half a year ago?" "She was diagnosed with cancer," Sophia revealed. "But she doesn''t look sick at all," Katherinemented, astonished. Sophia sat back on the couch and pressed her temples. "She probably didn''t go for chemo." A proud woman like her probably doesn''t want to look all haggard. Besides, this is the second rpse. With the current technology, she will only get to live for a few more months at best, so it''s better that she lives the rest of her life peacefully doing the things she likes. "I see." Katherine nodded. After talking for about an hour, the two women went to a new restaurant nearby for dinner at six. Since Katherine had taken a long break, she would have to start shooting again in two days after her return, so Joshua picked her up right after she finished dinner. Behind them, Sophia stood at the restaurant entrance as she watched the couple walk away. After a long while, she finally turned and took the elevator to the underground parking. She missed Alexander. Chapter 466 Chapter 466 Because Alexander was in Moranta and no longer remembered anything, Sophia knew it was pointless to miss him. Although the two of them were notplete strangers, they weren''t exactly close either. Since Alexander could not remember anything about Sophia, she decided not to put any pressure on him. Sophia hardly contacted Alexander ever since she returned to her country. Their recent chat history mostly consisted of good morning texts, good night texts, and messages about the weather. However, Sophia didn''t really feel down about that because she was too busy with Odyssey and Sunshine Group. After taking a moment to regain herposure, Sophia continued going through her emails. Knock! Knock! "Come in!" Sophia called out in response to the knock on her door. Felix came in with Alistair. Sophia arched an eyebrow at him when she saw him. "Oh, hello there, Mr. Ladd. Is there anything I can help you with?" Alistair had caused Sophia problems during the previous meeting. She had Felix, who was originally in charge of the project, hand it over to Alistair. However, Alistair screwed it upst Friday, so Sophia proposed to have him fired from Odyssey. With the exception of Percy, who was on good terms with Alistair, all the other shareholders agreed with her proposal. As Sophia held a huge amount of Odyssey''s shares, her decision was as good as final. Since the other shareholders also agreed with her proposal, Alistair was immediately relieved of his duties. Given everything that had happened, it wasn''t hard for Sophia to guess why he hade to see her. Alistair was already in his forties and had worked in Odyssey for twenty years. He had waited a long time for Beau to pass so he could finally make his way up the ranks. It was only natural that he couldn''t ept being fired after a few years. "I have something to discuss with you, Ms. Yarrow." It became obvious that Alistair was prepared to sell Percy out. Sophia shot Felix a nce and said, "Mr. Lane, could you have them modify that proposal of yours?" Felix took the document and quickly left her office. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Alistair waited until he closed the door behind him before whipping out an envelope from his coat pocket. "Ms. Yarrow, this is a photograph of Mr. Zaat meeting Dillon. I also have some evidence of Mr. Zaat and Dillon embezzling Odyssey''s funds," he said while handing it over to her. Without even looking at the photograph inside the envelope, Sophia smiled at him and said, "Since you have gone this far, I shall be very straightforward with you, Mr. Ladd. I''m pretty sure everyone knows of your rtionship with Mr. Zaat. He even objected to that decision earlier today for your sake. You two have been very close for years now, so why would you betray him and take my side all of a sudden?" Alistair was not expecting her to ask him that, so he paused and thought for a bit before replying, "I''ll be honest with you, Ms. Yarrow. I''m almost fifty now, and I don''t have many of Odyssey''s shares. I know I won''t be able to get that position, but Percy is a cunning b*stard who often uses me to get what he wants. I wouldn''t have ended up like this today if it weren''t for him. Everything was already over byst Friday. Percy was simply putting up an act when he objected to your proposal. As I''ve been thinking about this a lottely, I realized that I had been working in Odyssey for twenty long years. This company has be like a second home to me. Percy has been meeting up with a lot of outsiders lately. I know him. It''s highly possible that he''s going to pull a big move soon. I''ve actually gotten used to living a safe and stable lifestyle. I only wanted to move up the ranks to satisfy my vanity. I may only be a shareholder in thispany, but this could very well affect my bonus, so I won''t just sit by and watch Percy make a move on Odyssey. Don''t worry. I''m not demanding anything. I don''t even have any comints about you firing me. I simply have a small request to make. You see, I have an illegitimate child who has just returned afterpleting his Ph.D. in Moranta. He''s also doing research and development in this field, so I was hoping you could hire him. Maybe give him a position as a team leader in the research and development department or something." Sophia waited until he had finished before asking calmly, "Are you saying that you will step down and have your son take your ce, Mr. Ladd?" Fearing that she would get the wrong idea, Alistair said, "My son is really capable, Ms. Yarrow! You can look him up!" Sophia let out a chuckle. "I never doubted the fact that your son is capable and talented, Mr. Ladd. However"¡ªshe paused and tapped her pen on the table¡ª"you just told me that you couldn''t stand Percy making a move against Odyssey. Why were you okay with it before?" The smile on Sophia''s face faded. "What did Mr. Zaat offer you to have you approach me like this?" The look on Alistair''s face changed. "I don''t fully understand what you''re saying, Ms. Yarrow. It''s true that Percy had convinced me to help him in the past, but I''ve received a wake-up call after everything that had happened all this while. I''m only telling you this so you can be prepared for what Percy might do. You may choose not to believe me, but you didn''t have to humiliate me by saying all that!" Sophia shed him a sarcastic smile. "Do you realize where you messed up, Mr. Ladd?" "If you don''t believe me, then nothing I say will make a difference!" Alistair was about to open the door and leave when Sophia said, "Here''s a piece of advice, Mr. Ladd. You should never be too hasty and reveal your trump card before entering a negotiation. That is an absolute no-no in the corporate world. You''ve been in this field for a very long time, so I''m sure you know that rule better than I do." Alistair froze for a few seconds before opening the door aggressively and storming out of Sophia''s office. Felix came in shortly after he left. "Ms. Yarrow?" Sophia shed him a smile and said, "Find out what Percy is possibly up totely." She then gave it some thought and added, "Make sure to investigate him thoroughly. It''s possible that he may try to fool us by putting up an act." Felix frowned when he heard that. "What was Mr. Ladd''s concern about?" Sophia let out a chuckle when she recalled what Alistair said earlier. "He said he was here to side with me." Felix was genuinely surprised when he heard that. After all, it was highly unlikely for Alistair to side with Sophia like this. If they decided to take legal action against Alistair and Percy, the two of them would be sentenced to life imprisonment. Felix paused for a few seconds before replying, "Understood, Ms. Yarrow." The fact that Alistair was trying to act as a spy for Percy showed that they were up to something. However, it would not be easy to investigate and find out about their n. "By the way, Ms. Yarrow, you''re supposed to head over to the prison west of the city at three today," Felix reminded her. Sophia nodded. "Got it." It has only been a few months, and they''re all acting up because they think Alexander is out of the picture. Let''s see what they''ve got! Her lips curled into a smile. Chapter 467 Chapter 467 Sophia pulled up outside the front gate of the prison at three in the afternoon. As she wasn''t able to drive her car inside, Sophia had to get out of the car and walk in there instead. Dillon had gotten a lot skinnier despite spending only a few months in prison. "Long time no see, Old Mr. Xenos!" Sophia said with a smile as she sat down in front of him. "Yes, it has indeed been a long time. I can''t believe Alexander died just like that! This is such great news!" The handcuffs on his wrists did nothing to stop Dillon from smacking the table as he burst outughing. Sophia simply maintained a calm smile and waited for Dillon to stopughing before she said, "Word sure gets to you fast, Old Mr. Xenos." As there were two prison wardens inside that tiny room with them, Dillon didn''t dare gloat even though he felt extremely gleeful. "Hmph! Rumor has it that you liked him very much, Ms. Yarrow. I suppose the rumors are just rumors, after all. You don''t seem upset in the slightest." Sophia let out a chuckle. "Alexander is perfectly fine, so why would I be upset?" Dillon refused to believe what she had just said. "Alexander is dead, Sophia! His car crashed into that river in the middle of the night during winter! Do you have any idea how cold the water was? The only reason they didn''t find his body is because the fish have eaten it! Stop trying to deceive yourself!" Sophia decided to get straight to the point and said, "If you don''t believe me, then I have nothing else to say to you. Anyway, I came here because you wanted to see me. Well? What is it, Old Mr. Xenos?" Dillon had a smug grin on his face as he leaned back against his chair and said, "Oh, it''s nothing much, really. I just think you''re a very talented person, Sophia. It''s a shame you have such poor taste in men. Both of my sons are just as good, if not better, than Alexander. Had you be my daughter-inw instead, the Xenos family would''ve be the wealthiest one in all of Jadeborough!" Sophia lowered her head and snickered in response. "Oh, don''t worry. The Xenos family is currently the wealthiest one in Jadeborough." She looked up at Dillon. "However, it''s not your family that I''m talking about." "Don''t push your luck! Well, whatever... I don''t want to argue with a young one like you. I''ll be leaving the country in a few days, so it won''t be easy for you toe to see me even if you want to!" Dillon''s eyes were beaming with excitement when he thought of finally gaining his freedom after making his way overseas. "Yeah, you''re right. People with end-stage lung cancer don''t usually live very long, after all. You''re not exactly known for your good luck, Old Mr. Xenos. Who knows? You might sumb to it shortly after leaving the country!" "Do you want me dead that badly?" Sophia shrugged nonchntly. "I can''t help it if you insist on seeing it that way. I simply want you to be aware of all possibilities, that''s all." Dillon''s face turned gloomy when he heard that. It was true that he hadte-stage lung cancer and would be receiving treatment overseas. However, Dillon firmly believed that medical technology was better overseas and could easily prolong his life by another five to six years. It wasmon for people to fear death as they grow old, and Dillon was no exception. Even so, he thought he would not be so afraid if he could reim Odyssey before his death. All he wanted in life was to get his hands on Odyssey, but he didn''t dare make a move while Beau was still around, and he was no match for Alexander after Beau passed. Since Alexander was supposedly dead, he felt certain that he could defeat Sophia with ease and reim Odyssey. "Is that all that you wanted to tell me, Old Mr. Xenos? If so, then I shall take my leave now. Have a nice day even if it is in prison." Sophia''s smile only made her sarcasm all the more obvious, much to Dillon''s chagrin. Noticing that his face had turned red with anger, Sophia added with a chuckle, "Don''t be so angry, or your blood pressure will spike again! You wouldn''t want to die before you even made it out of the country, would you?" Sophia had deliberately said that just to spite Dillon. He clenched his fists so tightly that his veins were bulging from the back of his hands. "Don''t get too cocky, Sophia! I have a feeling you won''t be working in Odyssey for long, so you would be wise to be on your guard at all times!" Sophia got up and met Dillon''s gaze as she replied, "Thank you for your concern, Old Mr. Xenos, but Odyssey is doing just fine right now. Oh, this reminds me... There''s something I forgot to tell you about. I have obtained the original ledgers containing evidence of you and Mr. Zaat''s misdeeds. You can go and get treated overseas, but if you''d like to return to this country, then I would be more than happy to help make this prison your retirement home." Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "You¡ª" Dillon knew he couldn''t afford to get mad at Sophia at the moment, so he could only grit his teeth in frustration. He had hypertension, so he could very well end up dying before getting treated overseas. Not wanting to give Sophia the satisfaction of watching him die from anger, Dillon closed his eyes and tried to keep his emotions in check. Sophia broke into a faint smile as she walked up to him and whispered in his ear, "Make sure to stay safe while you''re overseas, Old Mr. Xenos. Guns are legal there, so be careful not to get shot." She then stood up straight and shed Dillon yet another smile before leaving the room. Dillon was so mad that it took him quite a while to realize what Sophia was talking about. What the... Did she just threaten to have someone assassinate me while I''m overseas? Just how terrifying is this woman? Having spoken to Dillon, Sophia finally understood why he had wanted to see her. So, he only wanted to see me because he thought Alexander was dead. Heh... He sure overestimates himself sometimes. Did he really think he could aplish with his old and frail body what he couldn''t while he was young? What a joke! Hmm... It''s also possible that he just thinks I''m a pushover. "Ms. Yarrow!" It wasn''t until Sophia left the prison that she realized it was drizzling outside. Fortunately for her, Felix was already waiting there with an umbre. Sophia shot him a nce and said, "Thanks." "Don''t mention it." Although Felix was curious and worried about Dillon''s intentions, he didn''t dare ask Sophia about it. "You want to know what Dillon is up to, don''t you?" Sophia asked when she saw him fidgeting about. Felix nodded. "I had someone investigate him. He is indeed suffering from end-stage lung cancer. That, combined with his existing hypertension, makes for a very poor prognosis." "He thinks Alexander is dead, so he might make a move after he heads overseas for his treatment," Sophia said. "Given his health condition, I doubt he would have the time and energy to do much, though." Felix agreed with her statement, but he was still a little concerned. "You never know what a desperate man is capable of." Since Dillon was dying, there was no telling what he might do if he failed to reim Odyssey. "Well, that''s assuming he actually lives that long," Sophia replied as she got into the car. It was almost five by the time they returned to Odyssey. Since Sophia didn''t have anything nned for the rest of the day, she had Felix stop the car outside the main entrance of the office building. "I think I''ll ck off for today." "You sure had it roughtely," Felix said with a chuckle. "You guys have it worse." "Don''t forget your umbre, Ms. Yarrow." Sophia took the umbre and got out of the car. She didn''t drive that day because her car had been sent for servicing. Despite it being only a drizzle, it was incredibly cold due to the strong winds. Holding the umbre, Sophia was about to hail a cab and return to the mansion when someone honked at her. She jumped in shock and instinctively turned toward the direction of the noise, only to see a ck sedan slowly pull up beside her. Sophia frowned in confusion as she leaned forward to have a closer look, only to see a familiar-looking person emerge from the car. It was none other than Alexander, otherwise known as udius. Chapter 468 Chapter 468 "Get in." Sophia closed the umbre, turned sideways, and got into the car. udius handed her a handkerchief, and she reached out to take it. "Thank you." She wiped the rainwater on the back of her hand and turned to look at udius beside her. "Why are you back in the country?" "To negotiate a project." Sophia smiled. "I thought you specifically came here to see me." udius gazed at her. "I dide specifically to see you." Hearing that, Sophia couldn''t help but click her tongue. "I don''t believe you now after hearing you say that." "Why?" She merely smiled silently in response and nced outside the window. "Did you just get off the ne, or have you been here for a while?" She changed the subject. udius had been on a flight for more than ten hours. As soon as he got off the ne, he asked the driver to send him there to meet with Sophia. The ne hadnded at around two o''clock in the afternoon, and he had reached Odyssey at around four, but he didn''t go upstairs to find her. As Rose had said, he didn''t remember anything now. Returning to the country and encountering the people who were familiar with him would only make Sophia feel awkward and ufortable. Odyssey was once his. If he were to get out of the car and show his face in public, he would undoubtedly be recognized. Unfortunately, since he couldn''t remember anyone, it would only cause more trouble for Sophia if word about that got out. udius had nned to wait inside the car until Sophia got off work, but he didn''t expect her to have just returned to the office too. Having just gotten off the ne, he was a little tired. He raised his hand to rub his temples while replying to Sophia, "I just arrived today, and I''ll be staying at Silverstone Hotel." Noticing his worn-out appearance, Sophia suggested, "You just got here and are still experiencing jet lag. Why don''t you take a rest at the hotel first?" udius shook his head. "Let''s have a meal first." Boring her eyes into him, Sophia didn''t decline further. Twenty minutester, the car came to a halt outside Mirage. Sophia couldn''t help but nce at udius. "You used to likeing here to have your meal too." "Really? My secretary rmended it." "Oh," Sophia grunted in acknowledgment and got out of the car with her umbre. udius also alighted from the car, but he didn''t have an umbre. He stood by the vehicle and stared at her, seemingly waiting for her toe over. Sophia arched her brow and walked up to him while holding her umbre. "Let me." udius reached out to take the umbre from her. Sophia let go of her hand and looked up at him. Only then did she notice the stubble on his chin. Her fingers twitched, and she couldn''t stop herself from stretching out her arm to touch it. "You''ve grown some bristles." Only after doing that did she realize her gesture might''ve been a little inappropriate. Sophia retracted her hand and looked at him graciously. "I''m sorry." "I''ve had more dreams recently." Instead of responding to her, udius changed the topic of the conversation. He held the umbre and led her inside. "But I can''t tell which ones are real and which ones are fake." That night, the words udius had mentioned had left a deep impression on Sophia. When she heard him talking about his dream, she wondered if he was having erotic dreams again. Looks like I can never get over this. She looked downward to conceal the guilty look in her eyes. "What did you dream about?" "I dreamed that you pped me." Hearing that, Sophia looked up and suddenly burst intoughter. "That might be real." As they spoke, udius closed the umbre and handed it to the doorman before entering Mirage. Right after they stepped through the door, the server stepped forward and greeted, "Ms. Yarrow, M-Mr. Xenos." For the past six months, rumors about Alexander''s death had been circting in Jadeborough. The sudden appearance of someone said to have died shocked the server. Even the people nearby were astounded when they heard the server utter the words "Mr. Xenos." They turned to look at the entrance. Isn''t the man standing beside Sophia Alexander? Although Sophia couldn''t guess udius'' intention for suddenly returning to the country, she had mentally prepared herself to face the possible reactions his reappearance might cause. The server was bbergasted when he saw udius. He blocked Sophia and udius'' way and remained unmoving for a few seconds. Sophia didn''t bother taking offense at the server and merely grinned. "Excuse me. Please let us through." The server pulled himself together after hearing her voice and hurriedly stepped aside. "I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Xenos!" "It''s fine." Sophia smiled and led udius inside. "Did you reserve a private room?" udius shook his head. "No." "That''s all right. I have a private room." Over the past six months, Sophia had been frequenting Mirage for coboration discussions, so the restaurant had tactfully reserved her a room. Whenever she visited, they would make the arrangements for her without requiring an advanced booking. udius followed her down the corridor and into the private room. A waiter entered and handed them the menus right after they got seated. Sophia received the menu and gave the other copy to udius. "Have your preference for food changed?" "No." udius didn''t take the menu. "I''ll let you ce the order." Sophia nced at him. Not bothering with pleasantries, she ordered four dishes and a soup. The news about Alexander being alive spread like wildfire throughout Mirage. Upon hearing that news, Samuel immediately ditched his secretary. "Have Yosef attend the dinner tonight." With that, he swiftly left. The secretary couldn''t even stop him. Inside the private room, Sophia took a sip of the soup and looked at udius. "Does the food suit your taste?" "Yes." "How long are you nning to stay here?" She paused briefly before adding, "Your grandfather''s death anniversary ising up in a few days. Since you''re back, it''ll be great if you can spend time visiting his grave." The other members of the Xenos family weren''t particrly kind to Alexander, but Beau had undoubtedly devoted himself to nurturing him. Even before his death, he did his best to pave the way for him. If Beau had been more fortunate and lived a little longer, Sophia wouldn''t have been bullied by Kristen and her daughter when she married into the Xenos family. Regrettably, there were no ifs. Sophia chuckled. She gathered her thoughts and put down the spoon in her hand. "I''ll be staying for one week." udius looked up at her. "Will you apany me there?" "Sure." While they were chatting, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open. Startled, Sophia turned to look at the door and saw Samuel. Having not seen Alexander for half a year, Samuel hesitated to approach when he noticed his friend, who was alive and well. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. He nced at Sophia before taking the initiative to join them around the table. "Did I interrupt your meal?" Sophia shook her head. "I nned to inform you tonight. He''s here to discuss a project and just got off the ne today. I also just found out." Samuel grunted in response and turned to gaze at udius with slightly reddened eyes. "I heard you''ve lost your memories, so I suppose you''ve forgotten about me. That''s fine as well. You don''t remember all the bad things I did, so you no longer have anything on me." "Samuel Schild." Samuel was stunned when he heard udius calling his name. "You still remember me, Alex?" udius stared at him. "I received a photo of you and Sophia a few days ago. The person who sent me the picture told me you''re my childhood friend." "So, do you still remember me or not?" "I don''t." Samuel was a little disappointed. Nevertheless, he was d Alexander was alive and well. "It''s all right, Alex. Oh, I forgot. Your name is udius now. I still think your previous name sounds better." Samuel had always been an extrovert, not to mention the person he was hanging out with was Alexander. He didn''t feel awkward at all for showing up unannounced. He shot a quick look at Sophia and asked, "Do you mind if I join you to have a meal together?" Sophia curled her lips into a smile. Then, she immediately had someone bring Samuel a set of utensils. Samuel was initially dazed to find Alexander alive and sitting before him. Now that he had pulled himself together, he began chattering in excitement like a man who had lived in istion for years, talking to his friend without taking a break. Sophia had eaten her fill. She set aside her fork and slowly savored her soup while listening to Samuel bombarding udius with various questions. udius seemed to be getting annoyed by the endless stream of queries. He furrowed his brows. "Were you always this talkative?" Samuel, who was thrilled about his friend being safe and sound, asked, "Do you find me annoying?" udius nced at him coldly. "You''re giving me a headache with your jibber-jabber." Samuel was rendered speechless. He''s indeed Alexander! Chapter 469 Chapter 469 Feeling bitter, Samuel looked at Sophia and asked, "Do you find me annoying, Sophia?" Sophia chuckled. "Not at all. I think you''re okay." "So it''s your problem, Alex. Sophia doesn''t find me annoying," Samuel said. udius nced at Sophia and said calmly, "Maybe she just doesn''t want to hurt your feelings." Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Despite udius'' memory loss and altered state from his previous self, his interactions with Samuel seemed to have transported them back to the time when they were the best of friends. Even with his memory loss, some deeply ingrained habits seemed impossible for him to forget. Samuel probably felt attacked. Alex might have lost his memory, but his sharp tongue remained as cutting as ever. After dinner, Samuel decided to make a move, and Sophia apanied udius back to the hotel. Somehow, she felt that udius had an ulterior motive for returning to the country. As she regained herposure, she turned around to face udius, who had just changed into fresh clothes and was walking toward her. "Why did youe back? What do you have in mind?" Rose had mentioned that udius was in danger, yet he had decided to return to the country without his two bodyguards. udius sat on the couch and nced at her. "Nothing. I just needed to confirm something." "Oh." Realizing that he did not wish to borate further, Sophia chose not to press the matter. She lowered her head to check the time on her wristwatch. "It''s already past eight o''clock, and you''ve been on a ne for more than ten hours. You should rest now. I''ll leave you alone." "Sophia," udius called her when she was turning around. Sophia stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at him. "Yes?" "Will you still stay by my side even if I don''t remember a thing about the past?" Sophia froze for a moment. That''s a tough question to answer. She pressed her lips and kept mum for a few seconds. "I think so." A corner of her lips quirked up. "After all, you''re still Alexander." udius'' eyes darkened. He stared at Sophia for a moment before saying, "I''ll get the driver to send you back." "All right." udius got up and walked her to the door. Sophia said, "I''m gonna go now. You get some rest." "Goodnight." udius lowered his head and gave her forehead a gentle peck. Sophia looked up and then flung her arms around his shoulders, rising onto her tiptoes to press a kiss to his thin lips. His lips felt cool to the touch, imbued with a refreshing scent of lemon water he had just consumed. udius froze for a moment before wrapping his arms around her waist, lowering his head, and deepening the kiss. Memory might fade, but the body would always remember the familiar touch. They were out of touch for more than half a year, but the intimate connection between them remained strong. As their lips met in a passionate kiss, they easily rekindled the mes of their desire. If the elevator door had not suddenly opened, Sophia felt she would have lost control. The sound of the elevator door opening instantly brought them back to their senses. Sophia instinctively stepped back, but udius hooked his arm around her waist and swiftly pulled her into the room. After kicking the door open, he carried her in his arms, brought her into the room, and closed the door in just a few seconds. He pressed his back against the wall near the entrance while Sophia leaned against his chest. They were so close to each other that their breathing became more rapid. udius adjusted the position of his body before reaching out to touch her cheek. "I''ve been having the same dream, Sophia." Although he did not specify the dream, Sophia instantly understood what he was saying. The topic that udius brought up, especially after that intimate moment just now, caused Sophia''s face to flush. Immediately, her legs and entire body followed suit, growing warm with desire. The heat between her thighs was especially intense. She stood still and did not dare to move an inch. Time ticked by before udius released her from his embrace. "You should go home now," he uttered in a deep voice. Sophia tilted her head and gazed into his eyes, which seemed to be burning with fire. With just one nce, Sophia felt as if she was being consumed by a fiery passion that burned within him. Sophia''s heart skipped a beat. She nodded and responded, "I''m gonna go now. Have a good rest." "All right." After sending her off, udius closed the half-opened door. Now that udius was all alone, the room fell back into a peaceful stillness. He lowered his gaze and stared into the distance before closing his eyes. When he opened them again, they had turned cold. udius walked into the room and picked up his phone. After finding Samuel''s number he had saved earlier, he hit the call button. Samuel was enthusiastically telling Charles and Justin about udius when he received the call. He could not believe his eyes when he saw the caller on the screen. After picking up the phone, he asked Justin, "Can you check for me if that''s Alex''s number?" Justin rolled his eyes. "Did you not realize you saved the number under ''Alex''?" Samuel was ted. "Alex called me! I''m going to answer his call!" Grabbing the phone, he ran out of the private room and found a quiet spot to answer the call. "Alex?" Samuel was still not used to the name "udius," so he insisted on calling him Alexander. "Are you free now? There are some questions I want to ask you. Come over to Silverstone Hotel, Room 1608, if you''re avable." "Yes, of course! I''ll be there in twenty minutes!" "Okay," udius mumbled a response before ending the call. Samuel held his phone, ran back to the private room, and picked up his car key right away. "I gotta go now. Alex needs me. You two carry on drinking!" Charles arched his brows. "Calm down. He probably just called you to ask about Sophia." Samuel tutted. "You''re just jealous of me!" After responding with a grin and keeping mum, Charles exchanged nces with Justin. Justin raised his ss and clinked it against Charles'', silently conveying his agreement with thetter''s thoughts. Samuel gritted his teeth. "Well, at least he thought of me first!" With that, he left the room. Alex may have lost his memory, but I''m still the first person he thought of! We are truly buddies who have been through thick and thin together for the past thirty years! Reflecting on his thoughts, Samuel felt a sense of warmth in his heart. As he was driving, his emotions got the best of him, and he identally exceeded the speed limit. Unfortunately, his luck ran out when a cop stopped him for suspected drunk driving. Although Samuel had not consumed any alcohol earlier, the incident still dyed him for more than ten minutes. It took him forty minutes to arrive at Silverstone Hotel. When he got into the elevator, he nced at the time on his wristwatch. He could not help but feel embarrassed because he had promised udius he would arrive in twenty minutes. As soon as Samuel knocked on the door, it swung open almost immediately. udius stared at him for a while. "Come on in." "I was stopped by the police for a random breath test on the way here." "Okay," udius responded. He had been taking a nap on the couch, so he did not pay attention to the time. udius walked to the bar, fetched a bottle of red wine, and asked Samuel, "You want some?" "Sure. It has been a long time since west drank together." udius picked up another ss and filled two sses with red wine. He then handed one to Samuel and said, "I''ve been meaning to ask you about Sophia." Samuel''s expression instantly changed when he heard those words. I''m really just being used as a tool to answer questions! "What do you want to know?" Samuel gritted his teeth. He resigned himself to the fact that he was being used as a mere tool. Well, at least I''m useful! udius took a slow sip of his red wine and began to speak. "I have these vague memories of things from the past, but they''re all in bits and pieces." He then paused, stared at Samuel, and asked an unexpected question, "Why did Sophia and I get a divorce?" Chapter 470 Chapter 470 Samuel gazed at udius. "How did you know that you and Sophia got divorced?" "I remembered that we had gone to the City Hall to get our divorce certificate," udius replied. Samuel took a sip of his red wine, feeling that Alexander''s question was really putting him in a difficult position. "So... At that time, you didn''t like Sophia, and when she suggested a divorce, you went along with it," Samuel said, trying to rify. "If I didn''t like Sophia, why did I marry her in the first ce?" udius asked, throwing another curveball. Samuel felt that Alexander had invited him over tonight to y the role of the bad guy. Bringing up these old,plicated issues made him feel as though he was betraying Sophia. After all, if Sophia didn''t even mention any of this to Alexander, she probably didn''t want to bring it up. It''s all in the past, so why bring it up now? Although Samuel was sometimes slow to react, it didn''t mean he was stupid. When Samuel didn''t say anything, udius asked, "Was there a misunderstanding?" "Not exactly," Samuel replied. He looked at udius with mixed emotions. "Have you ever considered whether or not Sophia wants you to know about these things?" udius furrowed his brows slightly. "Before Sophia left tonight, I asked her a question." "What did you ask her?" What does this have to do with the current issue? "I asked her if she would still be with me if I never remembered the things from the past." Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Samuel raised an eyebrow. "What was her answer?" "She said, ''After all, you''re still Alexander.''" Samuel was taken aback. He had just been hit with a dose of cheesy public disy of affection. "So why didn''t you just ask her about the past directly?" "I didn''t want to upset her." Samuel was speechless. "I thought you have amnesia, but the way you treat Sophia doesn''t seem like it at all!" udius red at Samuel. "Will my amnesia affect my feelings for Sophia?" I shouldn''t havee here in the first ce! Samuel wiped his face, not wanting to continue the topic. He decided to answer udius'' question instead. "You married Sophia because she saved your mom¡ªoh, your stepmom, Kristen, whom you don''t remember anyway, so let''s not worry about her. You said you would give Sophia money, and she originally asked for five million, then ten million, and finally three hundred million. In the end, she asked to marry you. "Your rtionship with Kristen wasn''t good at that time, and she was always trying to get you to marry someone from a family that matched yours better, so you just married Sophia. By the way, I forgot to tell you that Sophia kept a really low profile at that time. I mean, even though she was very rich, no one knew. So when she married you, everyone in Jadeborough, including you and me, thought she married up and was trying to rise up in the Xenos family. "You told me that Sophia was too scheming and had a big n. After you got married, you let Sophia live in the Xenos residence while you stayed at the condominium. Kristen and your conniving younger sister were both schemers. They caused trouble for Sophia during those three years. Later, Sophia probably felt disillusioned and asked for a divorce." udius looked at his wine ss, lost in thought. "Was I good to Sophia during those three years?" Samuel nced at him. "If you were good to Sophia, do you think she would divorce you?" udius frowned. "What about you?" One couldn''t deny that Alexander had a knack for direct questioning, which was true in the past and remained so in the present. Samuel rubbed his nose irritably. "You weren''t good to her, so do you think I could be better to her than you? Speaking of that, it was you who denied your feelings for Sophia and caused the divorce. Then you shamelessly went to her and asked her back afterward, and even I couldn''t look at you with a straight face." Lowering his head and keeping silent, udius was lost in thought. Since hest saw Sophia in Lightspring, he had sporadically remembered some things. However, those memories were all fragments, like him and Sophia getting divorced, Sophia pping him, or Sophia being with another man. Those things were all disjointed, and he couldn''t put together what had happened. As Samuel was speaking, he remembered the slip of the tongue he had made at the auction before, so he became a bit uneasy and dared not say too much. He lowered his head and drank his sorrows away in silence. udius pieced together what he had remembered and what Samuel had told him. Now, he had a rough outline of what had happened between him and Sophia. "What about Kristen? Where is she now?" Samuel had never liked Kristen. If it weren''t for Kristen, people wouldn''t have said so much about Alexander behind his back when he was a child. Now that he knew Kristen wasn''t Alexander''s biological mother at all, he naturally didn''t want to know anything more about her. However, Kristen was still Alexander''s mother on paper, and she had been Mrs. Xenos for over ten years. Although she was kicked out of the family, people still liked to gossip about her. Samuel didn''t need to pay attention. He had heard enough about it. "She seems to be in prison." "In prison?" Samuel nodded. "Besides having a younger sister who is not rted to you by blood, you also have a younger brother who is the same and a real troublemaker. He was spoiled by Kristen and has done a lot of stupid things. Before your ident, Leonard was sued by many people. Kristen worked with your cunning and sly uncle, Dillon, to get her son out. "But Dillon couldn''tpete with you and Sophia and was also sent to prison. Recently, I heard that he has terminal lung cancer and is applying for medical parole. After his family fell apart, Kristen had a fallout with him. Leonard was sentenced to more than ten years, and Kristen wanted to reduce his sentence. She somehow hooked up with a prison guard, but he denied it afterward and wouldn''t help her. Kristen got angry and ended up stabbing him with a knife. Later, she was arrested and is supposed to go to court this month. She''ll probably get sentenced to three to five years in prison." "Okay," udius responded. "I''ve asked everything I need to. You can go back now." Samuel was speechless. Is he just using and throwing me away like that? Noticing that Samuel was in a daze, udius exined, "I''ve been on a ne for more than ten hours. I''m tired." Samuel feltforted. "All right, get some rest, then. I''ll make a move." After drinking, Samuel couldn''t drive himself back and had to call for a driver. He had had too much to drink. ording to the Schild family''s butler, Samuel even hugged a vase and wailed, "Alex, it''s great that you''re not dead." Samuel cried for most of the night, and the people living in the Schild residence were disturbed by his wailing. The next day, Samuel slept until almost eleven. When he woke up, he realized that he hadn''t taken a shower the night before. Hmm, I smell bad all over. He quickly took a shower and came out with his stomach growling. Then, he hurried downstairs to find something to eat. When he saw the dark circles under the butler''s eyes, Samuel clicked his tongue and said, "Jorge, you''re getting old. You shouldn''t stay upte. It''s not good for your health." Jorge was speechless. At this moment, Petunia, the housekeeper, brought some oatmeal, and Samuel saw the dark circles under her eyes too. Startled, he nced at the butler again. Oh, I was too na?ve. However, Samuel soon realized that not only Jorge and Petunia had dark circles under their eyes. Even the gardener and the chef didn''t look too good. Before leaving, Samuel couldn''t help but ask, "Was there a burr in the housest night? You guys don''t look so good. Did you not sleep well?" One of the Schild family members who had just returned pped Samuel on the head, took out the video he had recordedst night, and said, "Take a look at yourself. You were wailing like a pig. Who can sleep through that?" After watching the video, Samuel was dumbfounded. Chapter 471 Chapter 471 It was the first time someone hade to see Kristen since her imprisonment more than two weeks ago, and she immediately thought Thalia had returned when the prison guard told her she had a visitor. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Six months ago, Thalia had stolen arge sum from Kristen and fled abroad. Kristen had been too preupied with handling Leonard''s affairs at the time, so naturally, she had no time or energy to pay attention to her daughter. By the time she discovered what Thalia had done, thetter had already cut off all means of contact. After Leonard received a fourteen-year jail sentence, Kristen could not be bothered to care about Thalia because she was putting all her effort into getting him freed. s, not only did she fail to do so, but she even wound up in prison herself. Kristen continued mulling over how to save Leonard throughout her two weeks or so in prison, and even now that someone hade to see her, her first thought was to ask her visitor to help her son. She waited eagerly, but her face nched when she saw that her visitor was Alexander. "Aren''t you supposed to be dead?" udius stared at her, having no recollection of her at all. If Rose had not forced him toe and meet Kristen, he would not have wanted to see her at all. "I''m not dead. Are you disappointed?" Although he had lost his memory, Samuel''s brief exnation the previous night had been sufficient to make it clear that he did not have a good rtionship with Kristen. I''m not her biological son. I also kicked her out of the Xenos residence. No matter how I think about it, she should loathe me. Kristen had always been under the impression that Alexander had passed away. Didn''t they say he fell into the river in the middle of the night and that they couldn''t recover his body? How can he be standing, alive and well, before my very eyes now? A look of resentment shed in her eyes. "Why didn''t you die?" "Do you remember Gemma?" he asked, fixing his gaze on her. It had been thirty years since Kristenst heard that name, and she turned deathly pale at the mention of it as though she had just seen a ghost. She turned to him in disbelief. "How do you know about her?" "Is it something I shouldn''t know?" udius snorted. "She asked me to pass you a message. Thirty years ago, youmitted a sin. Thirty yearster, your son will be the one to pay for it." After a pause, he continued, "The main reason for my coming here today is to tell you that you don''t have to fret over Leonard''s imprisonment anymore. I''m going to make sure he stays in there for the rest of his life and never gets out." Kristen''s body went limp. She nearly lost her bnce and fell out of her chair. She only managed to steady herself and stop herself from toppling over by clutching at the table. Panic gripped her, and she looked imploringly at him. "Come at me for the wrong I did thirty years ago. Leonard is innocent. Whatever it is, he was your younger brother for over twenty years. Didn''t the two of you used to get along pretty well? He always looked up to you. Alexander, he has nothing to do with this! I''ll bear responsibility for my actions! Don''t drag Leonard into this." udius merely shot her a nce before getting up to leave. Kristen tried to reach out and grab onto him, but a prison guard quickly stopped her. "Alexander! Do you even have a heart? The both of you may not be blood-rted, but he was still your brother for many years! Take it out on me!" I regret it now! I shouldn''t have taken Alexander from Gemma for my own all those years ago because of that small sum of money. I wish I hadn''t done it! If he had gone abroad with her, everything the Xenos family had would belong to me and my children now, and Leonard wouldn''t be in jail! Oh, how I rue my decision back then! s, remorse was pointless at this point. Meanwhile, Sophia had just finished a meeting when she saw Steve rush toward her with a look of delight. "Ms. Yarrow! Mr. Lane! Mr. Xenos is back!" The usually calm andposed Felix suddenly looked stunned when he heard that. He turned to Sophia subconsciously, who smiled and nodded. Not expecting it to be true, he was so overwhelmed with joy that he could hardly contain himself. "W- Where is he?" "In the office. He says he''s waiting for Ms. Yarrow." Hearing that, Felix gradually calmed down, then turned to Sophia. "I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow, but may I go and see Mr. Xenos?" Despite being aware of Alexander''s memory loss, he still wanted to see Alexander with his own eyes. Sophia chuckled at his question. "Mr. Lane, I''m not that inhumane." A rare trace of embarrassment crossed Felix''s face. "Sorry about that." "Go on, then." Felix had been Alexander''s secretary for over ten years. The bond between the two men was no longer just that of a boss-employee rtionship. He was just as worried as Samuel when something happened to Alexander. Even after Sophia said she had found Alexander, he remained unconvinced. Now that Alexander had turned up, it went without saying that he had to see Alexander in person. Only then would he be able to confirm that Alexander was alive and well. After Sophia nodded, he hastened toward the elevator. She followed closely behind him. Although he was overwhelmed with emotions, he still remembered to wait for her to get into the elevator before closing the doors. When the elevator came to a stop, he let her walk out first before hurrying past her to the office. Since she had told him that Alexander had lost his memory, he did not go into the office and merely looked at Alexander through the doorway. Seeing Alexander standing there and looking perfectly fine after all that time, Felix finally breathed a sigh of relief. Walking up to the office door, Sophia looked at him and chuckled. "Aren''t you going to say hi to your ex-boss?" Felix shot her a rare smile. "That''s all right, Ms. Yarrow. Mr. Xenos doesn''t remember me, so there''s no need to give him any added burden." What a considerate and understanding secretary he is. Smiling, Sophia raised her head and entered the office. "Is something the matter?" "Can''t I look for you even if everything is fine?" Setting down the photo frame he had been holding, udius turned toward her. "Why didn''t you put your photo?" Sophia''s eyes flicked toward the photo frame. Arching a brow, she replied, "Because Katherine has a photo of me at her ce." udius pondered for a moment. "Is she the woman who was with you in Lightspring?" "Mm-hmm. I''ve known her and her husband for over two decades already." "I see," udius murmured, then nced at Felix standing at the door. "I think your secretary is looking for you." "He used to be your secretary," Sophia said, casting a nce at Felix. Upon hearing that, Felix stepped forward while looking somewhat embarrassed. "Mr. Xenos." "I''m sorry, but I''ve lost my memory." Even as udius gazed at the man before him, he could not remember who he was. Felix shook his head. "That''s all right. I shan''t bother the two of you anymore." With that, he excused himself. "Shall we have lunch together?" "Sure," Sophia replied after checking the time. She tidied her things away, then took her bag and walked out of the office. udius'' sudden appearance at the office caused everyone in thepany to think that Alexander had returned. Ever since that day when he and Sophia had a meal together at Mirage, practically everyone in Jadeborough knew that Alexander was still alive and in good health and that he had returned. His return sparked the curiosity of many in the city. They could not help wondering what had happened to him in those six months. Some even imed that the man photographed shopping with Sophia in a foreign country was actually Alexander, saying that nothing untoward had happened to him and that his reason for going abroad was for market expansion. Of course, all that was pure spection. What happened that night and why he had disappeared for over half a year was still a mystery. udius'' return to the country also threw Percy, who had been hatching a big plot against Odyssey, for a loop. Chapter 472 Chapter 472 Coincidentally, Sophia and udius bumped into Percy as they stepped out of the elevator. For the past six months, Percy had been refusing to give up. It was just two days ago he had asked Alistair to be a spy by putting her near Sophia. He had always thought that Alexander had really died. Knowing the news that Alexander was still alive, Percy was skeptical about it. He wanted to find out the truth. When Percy saw the man standing beside Sophia, his expression changed drastically. He quickly regained hisposure and approached udius with a smile. "Mr. Xenos, it''s been half a year since west met. I thought something unfortunate happened to you. It''s good to see you again!" udius gave Sophia a nce and replied, "Is it? I thought you would be worried to see me again, Mr. Zaat." Percy froze when he heard udius'' remarks. Then he smiled and said, "What are you talking about, Mr. Xenos? Ms. Yarrow has been working hard for Odyssey during the six months of your absence! Because of that, she has lost a lot of weight." Sophia piped up, "Thank you for the concern, Mr. Zaat. My body is still the same. I didn''t lose any weight." They didn''t bother to give Percy an out, making him feel slightly awkward. He smiled sheepishly in response and said, "Is it? I must have a bad memory because of my old age. You look slightly pale, Ms. Yarrow, which makes you look weak. I''m sure you two must be busy. I will make a move first, then. Let''s catch up another day, Mr. Xenos!" Then, Percy turned and left. Sophia looked at his chubby figure as he walked away, her eyes curved slightly upward. After a brief moment, she withdrew her gaze and turned sideways to look at udius. "How do you know who that person is?" With his eyes fixed on her, udius answered, "I did some research on Odyssey before I came." Sophia tutted. "You mean you did your research on me?" udius lowered his head to look at Sophia. "Are you mad?" "There''s nothing to be mad about. You will remember everything after recovering your memories. Why would I be mad at you for checking me when you''ve lost your memories?" udius gazed into her mesmerizing eyes, feeling a weird sensation inwardly. It had been three months since udius had regained consciousness and got discharged from the hospital. Ever since then, he had never felt anything like that before. udius was unclear of the subtle feeling. Nheless, he instinctively knew that it was love. With just one lovely smile from Sophia, udius would feel his mood improve tremendously for the whole day. If this is not love, then what is? "I thought you would get angry about it." "You''re the exception." Why would I get angry at someone I love? Furthermore, this is a unique case for both of us. Soon, they walked out of thepany. udius drove himself that day and parked his car in the parking lot in front of the office. Sophia followed him to his car. udius opened the door of the passenger seat for her, but she did not get into the car directly. She asked, "Do you know the direction?" udius looked her in the eye. "You drive, then." He walked to the other side of the car and opened the door for Sophia. Sophia got into the car and asked, "Have you made any reservations?" "No." Sophia had guessed it. Grabbing her phone, she showed udius a barbecue restaurant rmended by Yvonne and asked, "Are you all right with this?" "Sure." "Okay. Let''s go to this restaurant," said Sophia, taking back her phone from him. Although it was not winter yet, the weather was chilly in Jadeborough. The rainy season was around April. The restaurant rmended by Yvonne was nice. They noticed that the restaurant was already full upon arriving at their destination. Fortunately, it was not lunchtime yet, so they managed to find a seat there to dine in. Shortly after, they left the restaurant, and it was not even one o''clock. "Do you have any other matter to attend to for your return this time?" "Yes, I do." Sophia arched an eyebrow and asked, "What''s that?" Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. udius stared at Sophia for a moment before replying, "Before I returned to the country, my secretary found out that Percy has been contacting my mother''s nephew, Mike Quinn." In fact, the incident that had happened to Alexander was caused by Mike as well. "Are they nning something against Odyssey?" "Yes." From his words, Sophia understood everything right away. "Is that why you appeared at Odyssey today? Were you trying to warn Percy just now?" "Yes." Percy had the audacity to mess around as he assumed that Alexander was dead. udius was trying to kill two birds with one stone by making an appearance in front of Percy. He was hoping that Percy and Mike would behave themselves. Otherwise, Mike might think that he could inherit Rose''s assets alone after her death. Sophia nodded in response, then pointed at the park opposite them. "Let''s go there for a walk. It helps with digestion." "Sure. We''ll do as you say." "I''ve never taken a walk in the park with you before," said Sophia. As soon as she said that, she felt someone grabbing her hand abruptly. Sophia froze while ncing at their intertwined hands. She didn''t let go, and a faint smile appeared on her face. The scenery was breathtaking, especially in April. The peach blossoms bloomed beautifully in the park. Taking a stroll to the garden, they saw the multicoloredyer of blooms in front of them. They could smell the lingering sweet floral fragrance in the air. Just then, Sophia''s phone rang. She cast a nce at udius and said, "Excuse me. I need to take this call." It was a call from Yvonne. She had called to inform Sophia that Kristen wanted to meet her. Sophia had heard a little about Kristen going to jail for attempted murderst month. Nheless, she was not interested to know anything about Kristen and her children anymore. "I''m not going to meet her." "Understood, Ms. Yarrow." Yvonne understood what Sophia meant immediately and hung up right away. For a moment, Sophia was in a daze as she stared at the phone screen. But quickly, she regained her senses, put away her thoughts, and walked toward udius. "Have we ever fought during our marriage?" While she was away, udius had witnessed a couple quarreling with each other. The next second, the husband hugged the wife unexpectedly. The couple then reconciled as if they had never started a fight. That sudden question caught Sophia by surprise. It took her a while to snap back to her senses. "No, we have never quarreled before." They had a cold and distant marriage during their three years rtionship. Naturally, there was no opportunity for them to quarrel with one another. udius looked at Sophia. "I''m sorry for the bad experience in that three years." Sophia shook her head. "It''s all in the past." She then swiftly changed the topic. "Have you met Kristen? She''s your father''s second wife." "I have." Sophia let out a chuckle and said, "It makes sense now. I just got informed that she wants to meet me." "Just ignore her." Kristen was suffering the consequences of her own action. Chapter 473 Chapter 473 It began drizzling after they stayed in the park for a while. Though the rain was light, the temperature dropped by a few degrees. "Let''s head back," Sophia suggested, ncing at udius. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. As her words fell, he took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. udius'' scent enveloped her instantly. He had changed his perfume, but it smelled simr to the previous one. Inhaling his scent, Sophia allowed udius to lead her back to the car. By the time they got in the car, udius'' hair was damp with a thinyer of raindrops. It was warm inside, so Sophia removed the coat. "Is your perfume customized?" "Yes. It''s not the best," replied udius while looking at her. His words incited a chuckle from Sophia. "Should I ask Mr. Lane to refer you to the perfumer who made your perfume before?" After giving it a thought, udius asked in return, "Can you give me your incense?" Sophia froze briefly. Then, she realized what he meant and grinned. "Sure." The rain was getting heavier. udius started the car and drove away, while Sophia turned to the window and watched the scenery outside. It had been so long since she had felt so at peace. When they arrived at the mansion, udius woke Sophia up. She opened her eyes and rubbed them, wondering when she had fallen asleep. She looked out the window, expecting to see the entrance of Odyssey, but a familiar mansion entered her sight instead. "How do you know I live here?" Sophia asked in surprise. Right after she said that, she realized she had asked a silly question. udius had admitted to investigating her background. Naturally, he would know where she was currently staying. Besides, with his exceptional memory, it was a piece of cake for him to remember the exact address. Sophia unbuckled her seat belt and felt her sleepiness wear away. "I''ll be off, then." "Can I stay with you for a few days?" udius suddenly asked. "I can''t fall asleep in the hotel." Since the moment he regained consciousness, a sense of uneasiness had been bugging him. In fact, he hadn''t had a good sleep ever since he was discharged from the hospital. Upon remembering the erotic dreams he had told her about, Sophia felt her face heat up. "Sure. My house has a lot of guest rooms." udius looked at her, something flickering across his eyes. "I''ll ask someone to bring my luggage later." Sophia nodded, then took out a remote and opened the garage door. udius slowly steered the car inside. The moment they walked out of the garage, Genie''s voice sounded. "Long time no see, Mr. Xenos." "This is Genie, my smart butler," exined Sophia. udius did not say anything in response. He simply lowered his gaze at Sophia, then followed her upstairs. Sophia went straight for the bar counter and brought out udius'' mug. Following the ident, it had been more than six months since the mug was used. She cleaned it and poured two mugs of warm water before passing udius'' mug to him. udius stared at the mug in Sophia''s hand, and his eyes turned solemn. "This is the couple mug that I had someone customize before," he uttered affirmatively while taking it. Sophia''s hand trembled. "You remember?" "I recalled some things." udius raised his hand and pointed at a door near the entrance. "That''s a guest room," he said before walking over and opening the door. Indeed, it was a guest room. "I''ve been recovering some fragments of memorytely. Most of them are about this mansion." Upon confirming that he remembered correctly, udius turned back to Sophia. "I want to take an afternoon nap. Do you mind?" His voice snapped Sophia out of her senses. "No. Feel free to use the pajamas and the bathrobe in the guest room." udius bobbed his head. "Are you going to take a nap as well?" "I do feel a bit drowsy." The rainy weather was perfect for naps. With the sun hidden behind the clouds, the sky was gray and gloomy. Sophia took a sip of water and continued, "I''ll go upstairs and rest now." "Have a good nap." "You too." Despite her sleepiness, Sophia couldn''t fall asleep after changing into her pajamas and lying on the bed. The fact that Alexander was downstairs in the guest room made her feel as if she was dreaming. In the end, she sat up and buried her face in her hands. Some timeter, she got off the bed, put on her slippers, and headed downstairs. The guest room was not locked, so she was able to enter easily. It was dim inside as the curtains were drawn closed. udius seemed to be in a deep slumber, lying on his side and facing Sophia. Approaching the bed quietly, Sophia sat at the edge and gazed at him. In the past six months, she had been haunted by a thought. If I hadn''t let Alexander drive me back to the Xenos residence that night and asked Lukas to fetch me instead, would things have turned out differently? Sometimes, she would me herself for not putting in more effort to make him stay at the Dawson residence back then. For half a year, Sophia had no idea if Alexander was dead or alive. Despite that, she had never shed a tear. But now that she was watching him sleeping soundly right before her, tears escaped her eyes. When her tears fell on the bedsheet, udius suddenly opened his eyes. Their eyes met for a split second before Sophia turned her face away. She did not want him to notice she was crying. It took udius a few seconds to figure out what was going on. "Don''t cry." He sat up and caressed Sophia''s face. Pulling her into his arms, he went on, "You may think I''m lying, but my heart actually hurt when I saw you crying." Hearing that, Sophia broke down in his embrace. The emotions she had kept in for half a year surged out uncontrobly at that moment. udius looked down at her. She wept softly, but every time he saw her tearful eyes, he felt suffocated as if there was a heavy rock on his chest. He found it hard to believe. Even with his memories gone, every single action of Sophia tugged at his heartstrings. When he noticed Sophia sobbing harder, he lifted her chin and left feather-like kisses on her eyes. "Although I lost my memories, I believe this part of me remembers everything." As he said that, he took Sophia''s hand and brought it to the left side of his chest. With her palm against udius'' chest, Sophia could feel his steady, strong heartbeat. udius'' kisses seemed to be effective in consoling Sophia. She gradually got ahold of herself and raised her head, looking into udius'' dark eyes. "I''m sorry. I just... missed you too much." Those words struck udius'' heart, which was already disarmed in the first ce, and an indescribable feeling filled him. What he was certain of was that even if Sophia asked him to give her his life now, he would do so without the slightest hesitation. He might have forgotten about the past, but his ardent emotions had be an instinct and a habit. Stroking Sophia''s cheek, udius leaned in and sealed her lips. "It''s my fault," he murmured. No matter what happened, it''s my fault for making her struggle so much. Just like how Sophia used to be his "Precious," she was now his beloved whom he wanted to cherish carefully. udius did not know how much he loved Sophia before. All he knew was that at this moment, with her in his arms, all he could feel was tender affection. Just then, the doorbell rang, interrupting their passionate kiss. Having cried and shared a kiss with udius, Sophia looked like a doll with her blush-tinted porcin skin. Her alluring eyes were watery, and just one look from her was enough to take his breath away. udius couldn''t help but gulp. "I think my luggage is here." "Go get it. I''m going to wash my face." Sophia pulled away from him. "All right." After casting her a nce, udius stood up and went downstairs. Chapter 474 Chapter 474 Sophia was soberer after she sshed cold water onto her face. I didn''t want to lose myposure in front of him, but I couldn''t help it. The past six months had been empty and hopeless. I couldn''t even find a glimmer of hope. Suddenly, the sound of luggage being pulled came from outside and broke her train of thought. Sophia gathered her thoughts and went outside. "I have a meeting in the afternoon." udius pulled the luggage into the guest room and asked, "Do you want me to send you?" Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Sophia nced at the drizzling sky outside and answered, "I''ll drive myself there. I bet you haven''t slept well for the past two days. Have a good rest here. I''m going upstairs to get changed." With that, Sophia turned around and went upstairs. When she came back down, udius was on the phone on the balcony. The cold wind blew at him, but he didn''t feel cold at all. Perhaps he heard hering down because he immediately turned to nce at her. Sophia smiled and mouthed the words: I''m going to Odyssey. udius walked over to her instantly and hugged her. "What would you like to have for dinner tonight?" Sophia lifted her head to look at him. It has been over half a year since I ate a meal prepared by him. However, he has lost his memories. "I''ll tell youter," she replied. udius hung up the phone as soon as the person on the other end of the call finished his sentence. "What would you like to eat? I''ll cook for you," he said to her. Sophia arched a brow. "In that case, cook whatever you want." She checked her watch. "My meeting starts in forty minutes. I have to go." After speaking, Sophia gave him a nudge. udius followed behind her and watched her bend over to put on her shoes at the entrance. This feels so familiar. Upon putting on her shoes, Sophia turned to look at him. "Get some rest, okay? I''m going to Odyssey now." "Be careful." "All right!" After Sophia left, udius didn''t go back to his room to rest. Instead, he went to the third floor. A few days ago, images of this mansion shed through my mind. He opened the door to the master bedroom to see a familiar sight and made his way to the walk-in closet. There, he saw the clothes he used to wear. Upon exiting the walk-in closet, he saw the huge bed. Right then, he recalled his wet dream after meeting Sophia for the first time. This is the bed I saw in my dream. That wasn''t just a dream! udius walked toward it and sat on it. As soon as hey down, he caught a whiff of a familiar scent that made him feel at ease. He closed his eyes and dozed off soon after. By the time Sophia''s meeting ended, it was half past five in the evening. She checked her watch and asked, "Mr. Lane, would you mind rmending me a nice restaurant?" Felix had been Alexander''s secretary for a long time, and he was also Sophia''s secretary for the past half a year. He knew exactly what Alexander and Sophia liked to eat. After giving it some thought, Felix rmended a restaurant that had just opened a couple of months ago. "Ms. Yarrow, should I make a reservation for you and Mr. Xenos?" "That won''t be necessary." Sophia shed a smile. Perhaps dinner will be ready by the time I get home. Sophia had been working her fingers to the bone over the past six months. However, that seemed to have changed recently, and she had be moreid-back over thest few days. "I''m heading back now. Don''t overwork yourselves," Sophia said. Felix had been by Sophia''s side over the past six months, so he knew how busy she had been. In fact, Felix and Yvonne had urged Sophia to go on a vacation to avoid overtiring herself, but Sophia had said she was fine. At that time, Felix and Yvonne knew that wasn''t true. With Alexander gone, Sophia was depressed, so she had to keep herself busy to prevent herself from overthinking. The month before that, Sophia had been on a business trip in a foreign country, and she had suffered from a high fever for over two weeks. She had to be on an IV drip for three days to recover from it. During that time, Felix was utterly heartbroken. Therefore, he was more than happy to see Sophia ck off. "Sure, Ms. Yarrow. It''s raining, so please stay safe," Felix reminded. "I know. Bye!" Sophia smiled. With that, she waved him goodbye and entered the elevator. Sophia left the office earlier to avoid getting caught in a traffic jam during rush hour. Since the traffic wasn''t congested, she arrived at the mansion within twenty minutes. Upon exiting the garage, she raised her brows when she noticed how quiet the mansion was. He must''ve gone to sleep after I left. He took a flight of more than ten hours to return to the country, and he couldn''t sleep in the hotel for the past two days. Anyone would be tired. Sophia poured a ss of warm water and drank half of it before walking toward the guest room. The moment she pushed the door open, her mind went nk when she saw the empty guest room. A look of disbelief spread across her face, and she went in to lift the nket. There''s no one here! Where is he? Sophia''s face was as pale as a sheet, and she had to shut her eyes to calm herself down. He asked to stay here, and he had even asked me what I wanted for dinner before I left. The mansion has an excellent security system, and the security guards are well-trained. There''s no way strangers cane in as they please. Besides, the mansion has a smart home system that will notify me if something out of the ordinary happens inside. It''s even capable of rming the police on its own! At that thought, she regained her calmness. When she turned around to leave the guest room and saw the luggage leaning against the wall, she became even calmer. Standing in front of the couch, Sophia mulled over it and lifted her head to nce at the third floor. He won''t just leave like that. She went up to the third floor and opened the door to the master bedroom. There, she saw udius sleeping on her bed. She heaved a sigh of relief when she finally saw him. He''s still here. She approached the bed and refrained from touching him this time. She stood next to the bed for a while before turning around to leave. However, the person on the bed moved all of a sudden after she had just taken two steps. Turning around, she noticed that udius was already awake. "Did I wake you up?" udius looked at her and kept mum. Sophia did not say anything as well, and the two simply stared at each other. After a while, udius suddenly said, "Sophia,e here for a second." Since he had just woken up, his voice was slightly hoarse. Sophia walked up to him, and udius pulled her in as soon as she arrived at the side of the bed. Caught by surprise, she ended up falling into udius'' burning embrace. His chest was so hot that Sophia felt as though she was wrapped by a ball of mes. "udius?" He hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek. "I had the dream again¡ªwait. No. That wasn''t a dream." His hot breaths brushed past Sophia''s ear, and she shuddered. "What do you¡ª" "We were on this bed." udius let go of her slightly before carrying her onto the bed. He was on top of Sophia when she looked at him with her reddened face. "Are you still not awake?" "Sophia, let''s take a trip down memoryne, shall we?" Sophia''s heart raced when she heard his deep and hoarse voice. Her mind was buzzing, and before she could react to it, udius had gone in for a kiss. The temperature on the bed increased, and Sophia felt as though she were in a pool of warm water while she was in his arms. Suddenly, his sexy, irresistible, and alluring voice rang out once again next to her ear. "Can I?" Chapter 475 Chapter 475 udius seemed to have found the magic words because Sophia couldn''t resist the temptation. The temperature in the room continued to rise, and the initially quiet room was filled with sounds of heavy breathing. After some time, the room became quiet once again. The rain was still pattering on the window, and Sophia was listless when udius carried her out of the bathroom. As soon as udius ced her on the bed, she immediately pulled the nket over herself. A faint blush was visible on her face. Seeing that, udius lowered his head and caressed her cheek. His dark eyes were filled with gentleness. "Take a nap, okay?" Sophia turned to look outside the window. It was getting dark, so she said, "I''m feeling a little hungry." "What would you like to have for dinner?" "Let''s just order takeout." Sophia lowered her gaze. She was worn out, and she didn''t have the mood to eat out. udius nodded and stroked her cheek. "All right. Get some rest. I''ll wake you up when the food arrives." Sophia let out a yawn and nced at udius. "Okay." She was indeed exhausted. She fell into a deep slumber seconds after turning to the other side of the bed. udius sat on the edge of the bed and watched Sophia fall asleep. Momentster, he left the master bedroom to order takeout on his phone. He only realized he didn''t have the mobile application for takeout after he unlocked his phone. Hence, he went back into the master bedroom to grab Sophia''s phone. Seeing that Sophia''s phone was password-protected, udius instinctively keyed in a string of numbers. His dark eyes flickered when he realized that he had unlocked the phone. Did I key in the correct password without knowing it? It seems like it was muscle memory, which I can''t forget. Putting away his thoughts, udius ordered a takeout meal. Sophia didn''t have a good night''s sleep the night before, so she was sleeping soundly. By the time she woke up, it was around seven in the evening. She couldn''t see a thing because the lights weren''t switched on, and the room was pitch ck. Having just woken up, Sophia was in a daze when she searched for her phone. She couldn''t help frowning when she realized her phone was missing. She sat up on the bed and figured out what was going on. He must''ve used my phone to order takeout. Just then, the door was pushed open, and udius switched on the lights at once. The lights were rather ring, so Sophia instinctively raised her arms to shield her eyes. By then, udius had arrived beside her. He sat down, gazed at her, and swept her fringe aside. "Are you awake?" Sophia had just woken up, and she was still blushing. She nodded in response after taking a nce at udius. udius tapped the corner of her eye and said, "Dinner''s here. Let''s head downstairs to eat." Sophia nodded, got out of bed, and followed udius to the second floor. udius had ordered pasta and sd, and the amount of food was just nice for the two of them. They finished eating at around eight, and since Sophia had taken a nap earlier, she wasn''t feeling as lethargic as before. Cupping her face in her hands, she gazed at udius. "Tomorrow is your grandpa''s death anniversary." Sophia didn''t know Beau well because Beau had passed away three years before she married into the Xenos family. Despite that, Sophia knew Beau meant a lot to Alexander. Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. Since Zachary was a terrible father, Alexander grew up with Beau by his side. Over the years, Beau was most probably the only person who had been kind toward Alexander. Before Alexander lost his memories, he would visit Beau''s grave every year and hang around for a few hours every time he visited. Sophia was hoping that although Alexander had lost his memories, he would still visit Beau''s grave during Beau''s death anniversary. She didn''t want Alexander to feel remorseful once he had regained his memories and found out that he had missed out on visiting Beau''s grave. udiu''s eyes gleamed when he heard what Sophia said. "Okay." It was April in Jadeborough, and it was experiencing a continuous spring shower. Sophia woke up that morning to find that it was still drizzling outside. The room was still rather dim after Sophia had drawn the curtains. She stood in front of the window, lost in her thoughts. Momentster, she went to the bathroom to wash up. udius was already awake, and he was no longer in the room. Sophia only saw him after she was done washing up. "Breakfast is ready." udius walked up to her and helped her brush her hair around her cor. udius'' fingers were cold, and Sophia shivered when he brushed his fingers across her neck. Sophia raised her head and met udius'' dark gaze. Right away, her earlobes turned slightly red, and the amorous atmosphere lingered between the two of them. Sophia retracted her gaze and went downstairs. When she arrived at the dining table, she was stunned to see that udius had made them breakfast. Ever since Alexander disappeared, I never had breakfast at home. It has been a long time since I ate a meal Alexander prepared. "What''s on your mind?" udius served Sophia a bowl of oatmeal. Sophia finally snapped out of her dazed state when she heard those words. Upon lifting her head to look at him, she smiled and shook her head. "It''s nothing." Instead of questioning further, udius merely nced at her and said, "Let''s eat." They both woke up early that morning and finished breakfast before nine. Coincidentally, that was the rush hour. Sophia called Felix and told him to postpone her morning meeting to the afternoon. It was almost nine when she hung up the phone. She turned around and saw udius looking back at her. She smiled and said, "Let''s go." udius nodded. "Sure." The cemetery was an hour and a half away from the mansion. By the time they arrived at the entrance of the cemetery, it was thirty minutes past ten. It was still raining at that time, so udius alighted from the vehicle and walked over to Sophia''s side while holding an umbre. He opened the door for her and waited patiently as she got out. Due to the rain, there were fewer vendors at the entrance of the cemetery. For the sake of livelihood, a couple of vendors were still selling flowers under their umbres at the entrance. Sophia turned to udius and said, "Old Mr. Xenos loved dioli. But since they don''t sell dioli here, we''ll just get a bouquet of white chrysanthemums." udius lowered his head to nce at her. "Sure." The two bought the flowers and entered the cemetery. Chapter 476 Chapter 476 As it had been two weeks since Good Friday, there was scarcely anybody else at the cemetery. Beau''s plot upied five square meters within the cemetery¡ªa reflection of his prestige in life and even in death. Sophia ced the bouquet before his tombstone, then nced at udius beside her. She did not speak but stood quietly beside him. udius could not remember Beau. He stared at the unfamiliar photograph on the tombstone, unable to summon any recollection of the deceased. Yet, a gloomy feeling was spreading within him. A faint sob sounded not far away, but they could not see who it was. It sounded indescribably mournful, especially while they were standing in the drizzle. Sophia nced at udius, who was studying the face on the tombstone with his head bowed. The wind blew, and with it the rain. It made her shiver. Sophia pulled her coat tighter around her, trying not to alert udius to her movements, but he turned nevertheless. "Are you cold?" Sophia shook her head with a smile. She did not answer him. Instead, she asked, "Do you recall anything?" udius nced once more at the photograph on the tombstone, hoping for a sh of the past when suddenly an image presented itself in his mind. The image, however, was a strange one. It was of Sophia standing before a grave, but he was looking at her from a distance. It was an overcast day as well. He was too far from Sophia to see her expression. He only saw her sitting before the grave. After settling herself down, Sophia produced a container of pies. As she ate, she spoke to the gravestones. The cemetery was deserted aside from him and Sophia that day. The recollection of her sitting and eating from afar made his heart ache with sorrow for reasons he could not exin. From his vantage point behind her, he heard her say, "Mom, Dad, I''m alone again." Recollecting himself, he met Sophia''s eyes. "Have Ie with you to a cemetery before?" Sophia was startled by his words. Suddenly, she recalled the time when Alexander returned to Coldbridge with her. It was New Year''s Day, and the year they got divorced. During a visit to her parents'' graves the day after the New Year, she sensed somebody following her. However, she never caught them whenever she turned around. She suddenly felt certain that the person following her that day was Alexander. Sophia''s heart lurched as she gazed at udius. "Did you recall something?" udius returned her gaze and nodded. "I suddenly remember following you and watching you enter a cemetery. It was quite a gloomy day then. I saw you sit before a gravestone, produce a container of pies, and eat it as you spoke to them. I think I was behind you, but that''s about all I can remember." Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. udius did not hold anything back. He told her everything he remembered. Sophia noticed that the man was agitated, but she did not want to ce too much pressure on him, so she smiled reassuringly. "That must be the year we got divorced." After a pause, she continued, "My parents died on the second of January, so it must have been then that I paid them a visit." At the mention of the past, she could not resist adding, "I''ve never learned how to cook, and my father would tease me about it. He would tell me my cooking is so bad that I wouldn''t even be able to bake pies. He loved minced pork pies. When I visited them that day, I made a batch. Seeing their faces again after all these years made me feel funny inside, so I couldn''t resist talking to them." Sophia gave a faint smile at this point. "It''s too bad you couldn''t remember anything else. I''m curious to know when you started following me." She had seen him upon exiting Katherine''s house, but since he had kept a careful distance from her, she did not expose him. Alexander was shameless to have followed me the entire day, even after night fell. I''m sure that if I had not stopped to make him show himself, he would have kept tailing me. Sophia regained herposure before changing the subject. "Do you not remember anything about your grandfather?" udius shook his head. "Oh," Sophia responded nomittedly. "Shall we go home, then?" Though the rain was light, they had been standing under it for over half an hour. The wind had been sending a spray of fine mist all over them. "Let''s go home." udius suddenly grabbed her hand. Sophia looked down at her hand in his. She did not speak but allowed herself to be led out of the cemetery. The cries from the cemetery did not cease. Sophia turned around and saw a woman holding an umbre through the mist. She suddenly recalled her seventeen-year-old self. It was right after she buried her parents. She, too, had stood at the cemetery for hours, alone. It was there she remained until Katherine and Joshua came to bring her away. Walking alongside her, udius must have felt the shift in her mood. He nced at her, and his hand tightened around hersfortingly. Sophia felt her hand growing warm from the heat radiating from his, thawing the chill in her heart. Sophia smiled. She was determined not to give matters of the past any more thought. It was almost one when the pair returned to the city. Sophia brought udius to the restaurant rmended by Felix the day before for lunch. As they arrived a littlete, the restaurant was already packed. The manager arranged for them to be seated in the main hall. After their meal, Sophia excused herself to use the restroom. Not long after she left, a woman took her seat. "Do you know about Ms. Yarrow''s affair with Mr. Schild, Mr. Xenos?" she said immediately upon sitting down. udius looked at the woman before him with a grim expression. His beady eyes glittered coldly. "Get lost!" Beatrix froze. She intended to continue, but her courage failed her when she met his gaze. Then, she recalled how Samuel had called off the engagement with the Houghton family, and her resentment red again. "Samuel called off his engagement with me for Sophia, Mr. Xenos. Don''t you care at all?" However, nothing Beatrix said invoked any reaction from the man before her other than a cold re. "Feel free to keep shooting your mouth if you have little regard for your family''s survival." His words frightened her to such an extent that she turned pale. She shot a nce at udius and said, "My apologies, Mr. Xenos." Then, she scuttled away. Chapter 477 Chapter 477 Sophia saw a woman hurrying away when she emerged from the restroom. She took another nce and realized it was Beatrix. At the recollection of that night, she raised her brows before looking away and returning to udius. Upon arriving back at her seat, she looked at udius'' face and asked with a smile, "Who upset you?" udius looked up to return her gaze. "There was a woman talking nonsense earlier." "It was Beatrix, wasn''t it? She used to be Samuel''s fianc¨¦e, but not anymore. He called off the engagement." "Mm," udius grunted in response, clearly not intending to continue discussing Beatrix. "Shall I send you back to the office?" Sophia had a meetingter that afternoon, so she nodded at his offer. After getting the bill, the couple left the restaurant. Half an hourter, they arrived at the lobby of Odyssey. Holding an umbre, udius emerged from his side of the vehicle and walked over to Sophia''s. He opened the door for her and waited patiently as she got out of the car. udius walked her to the entrance. As it was lunch break, there were not many people at the entrance. Sophia turned to him. "I''m going in, then." udius nodded. He stood there and watched as Sophia''s silhouette diminished in the distance. Only after she disappeared did he turn around, walk through the fine spray of mist, and return to his car. udius did have matters to attend to for returning to the country. Over the following two days, they were both kept busy with their respective obligations. However, Sophia had been leaving the office on time to return to the mansion. Since that night, things felt as if they had gone back to the way they once were. Three days flew by in the blink of an eye. udius had been back for a week and was scheduled to fly back to Moranta the following day. The pair was reluctant to say goodbye on the eve of his departure. Though there were still many things that udius could not recall, he had regained fragments of memories from the past couple of days spent with Sophia. Memories of their time spent together asionally surfaced in his mind, but he did not share any of them with her. Once he returned to Moranta, udius nned to undergo a check-up to see if there was any improvement to the blood clot in his brain. Sophia noticed udius watching her after she hung up the phone. Her eyes crinkled, and she rested her chin in her hand as she returned his gaze, looking him deep in the eyes. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. It was in this manner with which Sophia smiled while the pair sat in silence. After several seconds, Sophia went over and wrapped her arms around his neck. She looked up to meet his gaze and caressed his eyelids. "I will only run Odyssey for you for another year." "Fine." udius already had somebody investigate the matter pertaining to Odyssey. Despite what he used to think, he never considered taking Odyssey back even if he regained his memories, although he had to take care of business there within a year. However, within the short span of a week, he was already having second thoughts about returning to Moranta. Sh*tty food. Sh*tty people. Everything is sh*tty there. udius looked at Sophia, and his gaze softened. He held her face in his palms, his fingers grazing her cheeks, and leaned in. Sophia watched him lean closer and closed her eyes. As they had both taken a shower, the scents of their shower gels mingled and became indiscernible. The thought of parting the following day was an unpleasant one. Nobody spoke, but the room felt as if it was filled with noise. In her daze, Sophia opened her eyes slowly. Her heart gave a lurch when she saw that he was above her. She had not felt reluctant sinceing into adulthood, but she felt as if she was transported back in time when a sense of unwillingness for udius to leave arose within her. Sophia retracted her arms that were around him. "Stay with me, please?" Her voice, meek as a kitten''s, reached his ears. Like a vine, it wrapped tightly around his heart. udius did not speak. Instead, the rhythm of his hips, with its increasing urgency, conveyed everything. It finally ended two hourster. Exhausted, Sophia copsed in udius'' arms. He carried her into the bathroom. Having overexerted herself, Sophia waspletely limp. Only by leaning her entire weight against udius did she manage to remain upright. udius held Sophia with one hand and turned on the shower with the other. The warm stream of water fell from both their heads. Sophia fidgeted. She tipped her head back and watched his Adam''s apple bob, then instinctively reached out to touch it. Her fingers had merely grazed him, but udius felt as if he had been electrocuted. Shuddering imperceptibly, he lowered his head and gazed deep into her eyes until he managed to quell his earlier impulse. Sensing his reaction, Sophia smiled wickedly and lifted her finger that had been on his Adam''s apple before tapping it again. udius could not bear the torment any longer. Grabbing Sophia''s wrist, he looked down at her helplessly. "Quit messing around!" His voice was attractive in its hoarse urgency. Sophia felt her scalp tingle as if something had grazed it. The warm cascade continued streaming down her hair. Sophia felt her cheeks bing increasingly hot. She could not tell if the heat wasing from the water or her scalding cheeks. She looked up at him. Her eyes, misty from the shower, twinkled and tormented him to such an extent that he could bear it no longer. Bending down to kiss her, he grabbed her by the waist and pressed her against the wall. When Sophia''s arm touched the tiles, the sudden coldness caused a whimper to escape her lips. udius held her from behind. His chin was pressed onto her shoulder. While kissing her cheeks, he commanded softly, "Lower. Good girl." Sophia''s mind went nk when she heard those words. She became rooted to the spot. Suddenly, hisrge hands gripped her waist and forced her down with the slightest exertion of force. Sophia groaned. Their breathing grewbored. Even the cascade of the shower could not drown out their amorous cries. Half an hour had passed by the time Sophia emerged from the bathroom in udius'' arms. This time, she waspletely limp. Upon being ced in bed, she was so weak that she did not even have the strength to pull the quilt over her. udius gave an uncharacteristic chuckle when he saw her before helping her with the quilt. The low rumble of his amusement tickled her ears. Her pink cheeks grew scarlet once more. udius gazed down at her blushing cheeks and felt his heart grow tender. He caressed her cheek with his finger, then leaned over to nt a kiss on her forehead. He studied her for a while with his beady eyes. "Sleep," he said gently. Sophia was exhausted. She blinked at him and fell asleep almost immediately after. Chapter 478 Chapter 478 When Sophia woke up, she realized it was still early, and she was still nestled in udius'' arms. The sky outside had yet to turn bright, and the room was dark. She opened her eyes and waited for some time for her eyes to grow ustomed to the pitch-ck surroundings before she could vaguely make out his facial features. Afraid to wake him, she didn''t dare to move. Instead, she merely raised her hand and traced the outline of his face in midair. I wonder when we can see each other again after today. At that thought, Sophia felt a little heavy-hearted. Given a choice, I would like to apany him back to Moranta, but I need to stay here to help Alexander manage Odyssey. While she was lost in thought, udius stirred and gradually opened his eyes. The man gazed at her and reached out to touch her eyebrows. Then, he ced his hand on the back of her head and pressed gently while leaning down to kiss her forehead. "It''s still early. Why aren''t you sleeping?" Sophia didn''t respond and merely wrapped her arms around his waist to pull herself closer to him. She stuck her face against his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat as hot tears welled up in her eyes. Perhaps after experiencing the six-month-long solitary, Sophia hade to yearn for the intimacy and warmth they''d shared in the past few days tost longer. Reluctance to part with the charming man churned within her chest. She hadn''t felt that upset in many years. Maybe when a person has learned to be independent for too long and finally found a shoulder to lean on, they couldn''t help but want that situation tost forever. As long as udius was by her side, she would feel incredibly at ease, even if they were doing their own thing. However, he was leaving that day. The thought of them being thousands of miles apart and not knowing when they could meet again distressed her. Sensing Sophia''s silence, udius lifted his arm to stroke her hair and kept quiet as well, asionally lowering his head to kiss her. After about two minutes, she finally moved. She looked up at him and asked Genie to turn on the lights inside the room. Dazzled by the lights, Sophia squinted for a moment. After getting used to the bright environment, she reached for her phone nearby and checked the time. "It''s almost seven o''clock now." "Okay," he responded and gazed downward at her. Sophia was now wearing a faint smile as if the person who had been overwhelmed by sorrow while burying her face in his chest earlier wasn''t her. Sheposed herself and beamed at udius. "Shall we get up and prepare our breakfast?" "What do you want to eat?" Sophia contemted briefly before saying, "Let''s make something simple." udius'' flight was at eleven o''clock in the morning, after all. After saying that, she propped herself up on the bed. As soon as she sat up, soreness spread through her legs. Recalling what happenedst night, Sophia stole a nce at udius and felt her cheeks flushing instantaneously. She immediately averted her gaze, put on the slippers on the floor, and walked toward the bathroom to freshen up. By the time the two finished their breakfast, it was already past eight o''clock. The couple rested for a short while, and Sophia drove udius to the airport. Samuel knew udius would be returning to Moranta that day, so he also went to the airport to see the latter off. udius'' flight was at eleven o''clock in the morning, and they reached the airport around ten. Noticing Samuel, Sophia tactfully excused herself, temporarily giving the two men some time alone. udius watched her figure from behind until she disappeared around the corner before he finally looked away and nced at Samuel, who stood beside him. udius arched his brow slightly. "What''s the matter?" Samuel, who had nned to get emotional, caught himself after hearing udius'' words, which were laced with hints of disdain and indifference. Instead, he asked, "When will you return to the country?" "If everything goes well, next year." Samuel let out a sigh of relief. "I thought you were enjoying yourself abroad and didn''t want toe back." udius didn''t respond and merely cast a cold sidelong nce at him. Samuel, feeling somewhat guilty because the man was staring intently at him, snorted and said, "Actually, there''s something I need to tell you." "Mm?" "It''s not a big deal, but some have been talking nonsense recently, spreading rumors that I have a rtionship with Sophia. I''m just worried that you might misunderstand. I''ll feel so bad if you two quarrel because of me." After he finished his sentence, he sensed something was off with the way udius was looking at him. Panicked, Samuel hastily said, "No way. Don''t tell me you really suspected me?" udius scoffed. "You''re overthinking. Anyone with a bit of sense would know that Sophia''s taste in men isn''t that poor." Samuel suddenly sensed udius'' sarcasm and instantaneously became displeased. "Come on. I''m not that bad, you know? I''m still the scion of the Schmidt family, a wealthy and handsome bachelor. When I take a stroll outside, plenty of pretty girls would ask for my contact details." udius remained silent and merely regarded Samuel with a meaningful gaze, leaving thetter to comprehend its message. Samuel, who still perceived nothing but mockery in udius'' eyes, was rendered speechless. Why is he still as annoying as before, even after he lost his memories? Nevertheless, the bantering had somewhat diminished the sadness of parting. Samuel gazed at udius and patted thetter''s shoulder. "I heard many people are targeting you at Anndur too. Don''t hesitate to let me know if you need any help." Although his memories are gone, and he''s still as irritating as before, he is still my close friend for over thirty years. I will still lend him a helping hand when necessary. What can I say? I''m such a nice person, after all. udius looked at his watch and said to Samuel, "It''s already twenty minutes past ten." The contempt in his voice could not be more apparent. Samuel gritted his teeth but eventually suppressed his urge to fight with udius. "Fine. I''ll stop bothering you two." With that, he waved his hand and really turned around to leave. Sophia, who was at a small shop in the distance, saw Samuel''s retreating figure and slightly raised her brows. After paying the bill, she walked up to udius and beamed at him. "It''s about time. You should proceed with the security check and boarding now." udius looked down at her in silence. The next moment, he abruptly reached out to hold the back of her head and leaned down to kiss her lips. Sophia was taken aback, but after she regained her senses, she quickly wrapped her arms around his waist, stood on her tiptoes, and reciprocated his kiss. The airport was crowded and with people constantly moving around. However, the two continued to indulge in the passionate kiss as if no one else was around, turning many heads in their direction. Samuel, who had suddenly recalled something and retraced his steps, witnessed that scene. He stopped in his tracks approximately three meters away from the couple. He grinned at the sight of them and ultimately decided not to disturb the happy couple. The kisssted for about two minutes. When Sophia was released from his embrace, she was already a little out of breath. Holding onto udius, she panted while gazing up at him. The noise from the bustling crowd reverberated in the air, but the only sounds she could distinctively hear were his breathing and heartbeat. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Sophia blushed. Only after she regained herposure did she realize what she had done. She touched her burning cheeks and felt embarrassed all of a sudden. udius bored his eyes into her, his eyes full of tenderness. He caressed her face with hisrge hands. She grabbed his hands and smiled. "All right. It''s time for you to go through the security check." Facing the imminent separation, udius felt a wave of reluctance in his heart, but he restrained himself. He lowered his head to kiss her and whispered in her ear, "Wait for me." Staring at him with tears brimming in her eyes, Sophia nodded. "Okay." He took one final look at her before heading toward the security checkpoint. Soon, it was udius'' turn at the VIP security checkne. Before entering, he turned around to nce at Sophia. She was still rooted to her spot, beaming at him. However, that additional look had caused him to feel a heavy blow to his heart. Even though he hadn''t remembered many things, his feelings for Sophia washed over like water gushing out from a broken dam, uncontroble and overwhelming. I really do love her very much. Chapter 479 Chapter 479 Sophia watched udius amble past the security check and vanish from her sight before she left the airport. The moment she stepped into her vehicle, her phone rang. It was a text from udius saying he had boarded the ne. Sophia grinned and texted back: Safe travels. Then, she put her phone aside and drove back to the company. On the third day after udius left, Felix informed Sophia that a woman with thest name Lawre wanted to meet her. Sophia thought about it. "Lawre?" There aren''t many people in Jadeborough with thatst name. I only know a few of them, but I rarely interacted with them, much less met them privately before. The only person with thatst name I can recall is Yasmin, who should be in Moranta. When her train of thought ended there, she said, "Let her in." I''ll know soon enough if it''s Yasmin. Felix nodded and promptly went downstairs to bring the visitor. Soon, he returned and informed, "This is Ms. Lawre, Ms. Yarrow." Sophia stared at Yasmin and grinned. "It''s been a while, Ms. Lawre." The second Felix heard that, he knew Sophia had met Yasmin before. "Please bring me two sses of fruit juice, Mr. Lane." Sophia shot a nce at him. Nodding, Felix left. Sophia then rose to her feet and approached Yasmin. "Have a seat over here, Ms. Lawre." With a scoff, Yasmin nted herself on the couch. Sitting across Yasmin, Sophia faced the former with a half-hearted smile. "Have you just returned from your vacation, Ms. Lawre?" Yasmin wasn''t interested in wasting time with Sophia, so she immediately pulled out a diagnosis report from her bag. "Let''s cut to the chase, Sophia. I''m here today because of udius." As she spoke, she delivered the report to Sophia. "Mdm. Lenoir is suffering from stage four breast cancer. In the few days that udius was back in Chanaea, she was sent to the emergency room. UI is the product of Mdm. Lenoir''s and her husband''s years of hard work. If anything happens to Mdm. Lenoir, udius won''t be able to protect UI without my family''s aid." Yasmin nced at Sophia before adding, "Your rtionship with udius is a thing of the past. I''d say you two are fated not to stay together, considering he lost all memories of you. If you''re smart, you''ll let him go now. It''ll be good for the both of you." Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Sophia tilted her head downward, ever so slightly, to look at the report. A smile curved her lips as she questioned, "So, you''re here today to persuade me to break up with udius? Am I right?" "Don''t worry. So long as you break up with udius, my family will help you handle your matters in Chanaea." Sophia snickered in response, her gaze falling on the other woman. "You''re so kind, Ms. Lawre." She paused, then continued, "However, I'' ''m afraid you failed to understand something. Aside from the fact that udius and I already knew each other, even after he lost his memory, the only woman he likes is me. You said I''m not fated to stay with him, so how do you exin that? I appreciate your kindness, Ms. Lawre, but I''m more than capable of protecting apany. Also, I won''t hand my man over to another person so easily." Just as she ended her sentence, Felix brought two sses of juice into the room. Sophia cast a firm nce at the secretary and uttered tly, "Please send Ms. Lawre out, Mr. Lane." With that, she returned to her seat. Felix nced at Yasmin. Snapping back to his senses, he quickly ced the sses down and strode to the woman''s side. "Ms. Lawre, this way, please." Yasmin did not expect Sophia to reject her in such an outright manner, and her expression dimmed at once. She stood up and red daggers at thetter before scoffing, "Don''t worry, Sophia. There will come a day when you''ll have to beg me for my help!" Sophia lifted her head and shed Yasmin aposed smile. "Oh, I hope that day wille soon, for I''m not a very patient woman," was her response. Her words only caused Yasmin''s rage to intensify. Thetter''s face flushed red in anger as she gritted her teeth. She looked as though she had something to say but eventually tamped down her anger and decided against doing so upon seeing Felix. After tossing another re at Sophia, Yasmin clenched her jaw and spun on her heel to leave. The door to the office was shut, leaving Sophia alone in the room. A slight grin yed on her lips. However, when her gazended on the diagnostic report sitting on the coffee table, her smile faltered slightly. A frown crossed her face at the thought of Yasmin''s words. It seemed Rose wasn''t doing well. Indeed, the older woman was in critical condition. udius had only returned to Chanaea for a couple of days when she lost consciousness and was rushed to the emergency room. The doctors managed to save her life, but unfortunately, they also mentioned that they had less than a month to live. Rose''s current condition was starkly differentpared to before. Ever since she was resuscitated, her body became weaker, and she couldn''t even leave the ward. The woman refused to undergo chemotherapy, resulting in the worsening of her condition and causing her immense pain. She could only use morphine to alleviate some of her diforts. Fortunately, Rose was feeling much better a few dayster. She nced at her secretary, who had been by her side for more than thirty years, and said, "Call udius here. It''s time for me to speak with him about some things." After udius returned to Lusterg, he received news that Rose had been sent to the hospital. He couldn''t recall anything from the past, and he didn''t feel any emotions toward Rose. However, he was no monster, and Rose was his biological mother, so he still cared about her when he heard she copsed. Moreover, he also knew that Rose was friendly toward Sophia. udius headed straight for the hospital after getting off the ne, but Rose refused to meet with him then as she was in a terrible condition. He had a feeling of what was toe when the woman summoned him to the hospital a few dayster. After wrapping up his meeting, udius drove directly to the hospital. He arrived at Rose''s ward to see the woman in a wheelchair. She was the only one in the room and appeared as if she was waiting for him. "Mom," greeted udius as he entered the room. "You''re here?" Rose turned around to face her son. Even though it had only been ten days since theyst saw each other, she appeared like apletely different personpared to before. His heart ached slightly when he saw that. "Mhm." udius stepped toward Rose and waited for her to speak. In response, she handed him the document in her hand. "I asked someone to make a copy. The real one is in Sophia''s possession." udius took the document over and lowered his head to look at it, only to realize that it was a will. Stunned, he asked, "Are you truly nning to cease treatment?" Rose waved her hand. "It''s fine. I doubt I''ll have long to live even if my cancer is cured. I''ve epted my fate. Perhaps my rpse is all a part of God''s n. Besides, I haven''t seen Jeff in five years. I think it''s about time for me to reunite with him." The topic of death didn''t seem to faze her whatsoever. "Bruce and Truce Valentine have been active recently. I heard they contacted someone in Chanaea to do something to Sophia. Also, I''ve looked into Sophia, and I must say, she''s an impressive woman. You have my wholehearted approval to take her as your wife. Of course, I know you''ll still marry her even if I disapprove of her. You''re my son, and I''ll obviously be happy if you can marry such a wonderful woman. While many things here need to be dealt with, you can tend to Sophia''s matters if you like. I have my secretary keeping mepany. There''s no need for you to worry about me," Rose began. She paused momentarily and suddenly lifted a hand to caress udius'' cheek. "You may be an ident, but I''m still happy to have given birth to such an outstanding son like you, udius. UI''s future will be in your hands, and I hope you''ll be able to protect it for me." Chapter 480 Chapter 480 In the middle of May, Sophia suddenly received a call from Rose. However, it turned out to be Rose''s secretary, Madeline, on the line. Madeline informed Sophia that Rose had gone into cardiac arrest the night before but was subsequently revived after the doctors provided her with emergency treatment. Nheless, the doctors dered that her condition was critical. When Rose was still conscious, she had instructed Madeline to request Sophia''s presence in Lusterg in the event she was on her deathbed. "Ms. Yarrow, Mdm. Lenoir mentioned that Mr. udius is herst living blood rtive. Even though he has lost his memory and probably doesn''t feel anything toward her now, she doesn''t want him to remember the fact that he had to face her death alone when he recovers his memory one day. Since you are Mr. udius'' significant other and will be the person who is the closest to him in the future, Mdm. Lenoir wants you by his side during this trying period. She hopes that you would agree on the ount that she''s his mother." The secretary''s words came as a surprise to Sophia. When Rose met Sophia the other day, the former talked about udius in an unsentimental tone, as if he was nothing but a promising heir to her. The attitude she disyed was devoid of any motherly warmth. However, Sophia realized now that Rose did love udius. She just didn''t want her motherly love toExclusive content from N?velDrama.Org. burden him, knowing that death would soone for her. Given that they never interacted for the first thirty-four years of his life, she didn''t want to weigh him down emotionally in his thirty-fifth year. "All right, Ms. Zobek. I''ll head over right away." "I appreciate it, Ms. Yarrow." "I should be the one saying that." With no time to lose, Sophia instructed Felix to book her the fastest flight to Lusterg. "Do you need me to go with you, Ms. Yarrow?" Sophia shook her head. "Percy will probably make his move soon, so you''ll need to stay here and keep an eye on him. If there''s an emergency, you should discuss it with Yvonne and deal with it immediately. Otherwise, wait for my return if it isn''t urgent." At that moment, Felix recalled the troublesome timebomb that remained within Odyssey. "All right, Ms. Yarrow. I''ll send you to the airport." "Thank you." After signing the two documents in hand and returning them to Felix, Sophia grabbed her jacket and strode out of the office. During the journey to the airport, she sent udius a message: I''m taking the three o''clock flight to Lusterg. udius was probably busy and didn''t reply. Without bringing much luggage, Sophia picked up her ticket and passed through the security check with her passport in hand. Once she did so, she could hear the boarding announcement for her flight. It was then that her phone began to vibrate. Expecting it to be udius, she furrowed her brows when she saw that it was Katherine on the line. "What is it?" "I''m wrapping up work tomorrow and will be back in Jadeborough the day after. Are you free, President Yarrow? I would like to treat you to a meal." Sophia chuckled in resignation. "Rose''s condition has taken a turn for the worse. I''m at the airport now, flying out to Lusterg." "That''s so sudden. In that case, take care and call me when you''re back. I have a surprise to share with you!" When Sophia recalled Katherine''s so-called "surprises" in the past, she quipped, "I hope you''re not going to give me another shock." "No, not this time. I swear!" Cognizant that it was time for Sophia to board the ne, Katherine ended the call after wishing her a safe journey. Thereafter, Sophia smiled at her phone before boarding the ne once the flight attendant returned her ticket. The ne finally soared into the sky half an hourter. After staring through the window at the increasingly small buildings, Sophia retracted her gaze to get some shut eye. Nevertheless, her sleep was anything but restful, for she kept cycling through different dreams. By the time she woke up, the flight attendant happened to be serving dinner. With not much of an appetite, Sophia ate a bun and drank a ss of milk. After a fourteen-hour-and-twenty-minute flight, her ne finallynded in Lusterg at one. The weather in Lusterg was pleasant that day, and Sophia saw udius'' reply once she disembarked from the ne. He had sent Joe, the bodyguard she met before in Lightspring, to pick her up. Upon leaving the terminal, Sophia spotted Joe right away. "Ms. Yarrow, I''m Mr. udius'' bodyguard. We have met before this." Sophia nodded in acknowledgment. "Thank you foring." Joe then shifted his gaze to Sophia''s back. "Did you not bring any luggage with you?" "Nope." Before Joe could say more, Sophia suggested, "Let''s head to the hospital right away." Hearing that, Joe led Sophia to the parking lot and drove her straight to the hospital without saying anything else. Half an hourter, their car arrived at the hospital entrance. As Sophia wasn''t sure where Rose''s ward was, Joe personally guided her to it. By the time she arrived, udius was already inside. Madeline, who was standing outside the ward, was taken aback by Sophia''s arrival. "Ms. Yarrow." Sophia gave her a cordial nod. "Ms. Zobek, how is Mdm. Lenoir doing?" Thetter shook his head. "She was briefly conscious in the morning but can''t even speak now. The doctor gave her a morphine injection and said that she only has two to three days left." As sorrow descended upon Sophia, Madeline changed the subject. "After rushing all the way here, did you manage to get something to eat? Or would you like to rest first?" Sophia shook her head in response. Despite her exhaustion, she was not in the mood for food or sleep. "I''ll go in and see her first." "All right." After Madeline opened the door for her, Sophia was greeted by the sight of udius standing by the bed. The sound of her footsteps caused him to turn around, while the sight of her triggered a gleam in his eyes. "Have you had anything to eat?" Sophia shook her head as she walked up to his side and gave Rose a nce. Just one month ago, Rose looked like an entirely different person. When Sophia ran into her at the airport, thetter was wearing delicate makeup and dressed like a distinguisheddy. One could hardly tell from the elegant aura she exuded that she was an olddy in her sixties. In contrast to then, she was now lying on a hospital bed. Her face appeared shriveled, while her eyes had nothing but a listless look in them. Noticing Sophia''s gaze, Rose struggled to turn and look in the former''s direction. When she opened her mouth to say something, all she could manage was an inaudible whisper. Sophia quickly leaned in and picked up a faint "thank you." Naturally, she understood the rationale for Rose''s gratitude. Not only did Sophia rush all the way to Lusterg, but she was also putting herself in danger due to the animosity harbored by Rose''s nieces and nephews. Consequently, her presence indeed deserved appreciation from Rose. When Sophia turned toward udius and saw the tired look on his face, she was distressed. "Did you have trouble sleeping?" udius nodded as he looked down at her. Once Rose drifted back to sleep from the effects of the morphine, Madeline suggested that udius take Sophia out to get some food and rest. She would stay back at the hospital to keep vigil. As udius had rushed over after his meeting in the morning, he, too, hadn''t had anything to eat for lunch. Since both of them barely had any appetite and Sophia wasn''t keen on Epean food, they only ended up having some soup and a few bites of sandwiches. Sophia didn''t eat or sleep well during her journey there, and to make matters worse, Rose''s condition caused her to be overwhelmed by sorrow. As a result, there was no way she could get proper rest. udius poured a ss of water for her, and she was surprised to find the ss warm when she took it from him. "Thank you." udius suggested, "Why don''t you get some rest first? I still have something I need to take care of." With that, he led her to the master bedroom. As the entire condominium had a minimalist design to it, the room''s design was consistent with what she saw outside. The moment Sophia stepped into the room, she noticed the perfumed sachet she had given him a month ago lying on the bedside table. A familiar fragrance filled her senses when she approached. Behind her, udius took a t-shirt out of the closet for her. "Put this on first. I''ll get someone to bring you a set of pajamaster." Having rushed all the way over, Sophia didn''t bring anything else other than her documents and ID card. She was still wearing the dress and jacket she wore the day before, and her attire was indeed not suitable for bed. After putting on his shirt, she quickly caught a whiff of the same familiar scent. She broke into a faint smile upon lowering her head to take another sniff. udius wasn''t lying. He did like the fragrance she had gotten him. Chapter 481 Chapter 481 Finally, Sophia managed to fall asleep after almost twenty hours of not getting any rest. It was probably thanks to the familiar fragrance and udius'' scent that lingered on the bed. By the time she woke up, darkness had already filled the sky and also the room. Sitting up groggily, she called out to Genie thinking that she was still at home. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. It wasn''t until the words rolled off her tongue that Sophia realized she was in udius'' condominium. After rubbing her temples to wake herself up, Sophia felt for themp switch beside her and turned it on. With help from the light, she found her phone and realized it was eight in the evening. At that moment, the condominium was silent, a likely indication that udius had left. Upon walking out of the room, she saw that the living room lights were still on. It wasn''t until she got closer that udius'' sleeping figure on the couch came into view. Hisptop was ced on hisp, but its screen had already darkened. Sophia carefully tried taking theptop away from him, wanting to put it on the table, but the movement caused udius to open his eyes. Staring nkly at her, he took a while to regain his senses. After putting theptop aside, she said, "You''re awake. It''s already eight in the evening." Frowning, udius handed her a bag from the armchair beside him. "Your new clothes are inside. You should go take a shower. I''ll be making us some food." Sophia nodded in acknowledgment. "Sure." Even though udius wasn''t close to Rose, their bond as mother and son was undeniable. Thus, he was still emotionally affected by her condition in one way or another. Thereafter, Sophia felt a lot better after taking a bath. When she emerged from the shower, udius had grilled two steaks and made two sses of orange juice. "I''ll get someone to buy vegetables tomorrow, so I can cook Chanaean food for you." From their time in Lightspring, udius learned that Sophia didn''t like Epean food. Thetter took a seat opposite him. "You don''t have to do that." There''s no need to waste time cooking when Rose is in critical condition. udius threw her a nce. "It''s no trouble at all." Seeing how persistent he was, Sophia said nothing in response. When the stubbles on udius'' chin caught Sophia''s attention after dinner, she asked, "Why don''t you go and take a shower?" She had a feeling that they weren''t going to get much rest that night. udius downed his orange juice before leaning back into his chair to look at her. A short while passed before he gestured for her to approach him. "Come over here, Sophia." udius'' hoarse voice betrayed the exhaustion he felt from not being able to get any proper rest due to Rose''s illness. Concerned, Sophia walked to his side. "What''s wrong?" No sooner had she spoken than udius pulled her into his arms and circled her waist. Lowering his head, he peered into her gaze with his ck obsidian eyes. He then stroked her cheek with his hand before sealing her lips with a kiss. After more than a month of being apart from each other, they couldn''t stop the sense of longing from overwhelming them. Sophia subconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck as his kisses grew increasingly passionate and intense. It was as if he was going to devour her at any moment. The kisssted for almost three minutes before udius finally pulled away. He pressed her into his embrace after that, cing a hand on her back. Nestling against his chest, Sophia could hear every single beat of his heart. His short, ragged breathing right above her head was also unmistakable. Her own breathing was equally irregr as she closed her eyes andy silently in his arms. As time ticked by, neither of them said a word. Finally, the silence was broken by udius'' ringing phone. After ncing down at her, he carried her to the couch and answered his phone. "It''s me." It was a call from Joe, who was instructed by Madeline to contact udius to inform him that Rose was on herst legs. Upon ending the call, udius caressed Sophia''s hair. "I''m going to the hospital. She''s not doing good." Sophia gave him a nod. "I''lle with you." With that, she quickly got herself changed. By the time she came back down, udius was already waiting for her by the doorway. Sophia walked up to him and held his hand. "Let''s go." The man tightened his grip on her hand and didn''t say a word as he entered the elevator with Sophia in tow. The hospital was located near the condominium, allowing them to reach there within a ten-minute drive. As it was already past nine, the ce was extremely quiet. Even its corridors were devoid of sound. Under such conditions, the echoes of Sophia''s and udius'' footsteps sounded especially jarring. The moment both of them arrived at the ward, the doctor apologized to udius before exiting with the nurse. Rose''s heart was still beating, but she was too weak to even speak. All she could manage physically was to look at udius with her cloudy eyes. Tears streamed down the old woman''s wrinkled cheeks, leaving a burning sensation in Sophia''s heart. She subconsciously nced at udius. He was standing still and returning Rose''s gaze. None of them spoke, and all they could hear was the faint noise of medical equipment in the background. Madeline was also by Rose''s bedside. She was desperately trying to hold back her tears despite her reddened eyes. Half an hourter, Madeline left the ward wiping her tears, leaving only udius and Sophia in the room with Rose. Meanwhile, Rose continued to stare at udius for four hours consecutively before finally passing away at one forty-eight in the morning. Just as the heart monitor in the ward tlined, Rose closed her eyes and breathed herst. Sophia turned to look at udius. "She''s gone." "Mmm-hmm," udius hummed before getting up to remove Rose''s oxygen mask and the tubes attached to her body. Upon hearing movement inside, Madeline barged into the room. "Mdm. Lenoir..." Madeline had spent more than thirty years working for Rose, and the connection between them had grown into something more than an employer-employee rtionship. Madeline, who was in her fifties, seemed to have aged in an instant following Rose''s passing. Thereafter, a nurse entered the ward and wheeled all the medical equipment out. The quiet ward was filled with nothing but Madeline''s suppressed sobs, which brought distress to anyone who heard them. At two in the morning, Rose''s three nieces and nephews barged into the room, crying. They shoved udius aside and began wailing beside Rose''s dead body. Sophia held udius'' hand as she stared at the scene in front of her in disgust. After crying for more than ten minutes, the three of them got up and red at Madeline, using the The sight of the devious trio reced Madeline''s sorrow with anger. After wiping away her tears swiftly, she regarded them indifferently. "I was following Mdm. Lenoir''s instructions. She has lived a chaotic life and wants to die in peace. All she wants is Mr. udius by her side." At the mention of udius, the trio were outraged. They pointed their fingers at udius and imed that he was an illegitimate child who appeared out of nowhere to swindle Rose of her wealth. The three of them, who were supposedly grieving a moment ago, were now hurling vile usations. Not even Sophia was spared from their disparaging words. udius'' expression turned grim. "Joe, Hellen, throw them all out!" Upon hearing udius'' instructions, the two bodyguards dragged the trio out. Subsequently, the mortuary cosmetologists Madeline had arranged for came in to apply makeup for Rose. As someone who was particr about her looks when she was alive, Rose had to look good even in death. Meanwhile, Bruce and the others were still kicking up a fuss outside when the undertakers finally arrived. Visibly annoyed by their behavior, udius summoned a group of his men and ordered them to detain Bruce and hispanions in the hospital. Chapter 482 Chapter 482 It was very quiet at the funeral parlor, only the sound of the billowing wind could be heard. Rose''s nephews and nieces were all held back by udius at the hospital, leaving only Sophia and several others at the funeral parlor in the early morning. That was the third time Sophia came face-to-face with death. As Rose''s body was sent into the chamber for cremation, her family members waited outside. Madeline was the only one sobbing softly in the long and empty hallway. Sophia turned sideways and took a nce at udius. Thetter stood still, his gaze fixed ahead, seemingly in a daze. No one knew what was on his mind. It was a bit chilly, so Sophia decided to hold his hand again. Just then, udius lowered his head and looked at her, asking, "Are you feeling cold?" Sophia shook her head and said, "Nope." Then, silence ensued again after a brief conversation between them. Time ticked by slowly. Forty minutester, all that was left of Rose was her cremains. udius then took Rose''s ashes with him and drove back to her mansion. When Rose was still alive, she expressed her desire to have a simple funeral. The only thing that she wanted was to be buried with her husband, Jeff. At that time, almost all of Rose''s housekeepers at her mansion had been dismissed. The only one left was Agatha, thedy who traveled with her from Chanaea. When Agatha saw udius carrying an urn home, she rose to her feet and stared at it nkly. After a while, she finally came to her senses and uttered, "Mr. udius, please ce Mdm. Rose here." Even though Rose had requested for everything to be kept simple, there was a need to light at least a candle when the ashes of the newly deceased was brought home before the burial ceremony. That was a customary practice in Chanaea. Thankfully, Agatha had prepared everything, and Rose had had her obituary photo taken two months ago. The ck and white photo showed Rose curling her lips into a smile, disying no hint of sadness on her face. udius ced Rose''s urn in front of her photo. Meanwhile, Agatha lit a candle and passed it to him. "Mr. udius, please offer your prayers to Mdm. Rose." Lusterg was still pitch dark at five in the morning. After getting changed, Sophia realized that udius was not on the second floor. She pressed her lips, strode down the stairs immediately, and found him standing perfectly still in front of the altar. Initially, Sophia wanted to approach him, but she came to a stop at the veryst step. In the end, she did not go over to him. udius might not be close to Rose, but she was his biological mother after all. In fact, Rose did not really abandon him. Unfortunately, fate worked in mysterious ways. Sometimes, an idental mistake would hurt one more than having the person totally abandoned by his parent. At that moment, udius found himself in a dilemma. If only he had regained his memory, he would keep vigil for Rose. Soon, the sky above the mansion gradually became brighter past seven in the morning. It was then that Sophia woke up with a start, only to realize that she was sleeping on her bed. Last night, she saw udius keeping vigil alone for Rose and decided not to disturb him. Instead, she sat by the stairwell and apanied him quietly. She had no idea when she fell asleep. She was even more startled to find herself waking up on her bed. Sophia gave her temple a quick massage and then found her phone, only to realize it was already past eight in the morning. They were supposed to depart for the cemetery at nine and conduct a ceremony there to have Rose buried alongside Jeff. Hence, Sophia quickly washed up and got herself ready. By the time she walked out of the room, Agatha had already prepared breakfast. It was not easy for her to have the chance to eat an authentic Chanaean-style breakfast in Moranta. Yet, not only did Agatha make her oatmeal and beef pie, but there was milk too. "Good morning, Ms. Yarrow." "Good morning, Agatha." udius strode down the stairs just after thedies had exchanged their morning greetings. He was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday. The stubble on his chin grew even more obvious, whereas his eyes were bloodshot. One would know that he stayed up all night without even having to ask. udius stared at Sophia for a while. "Eat first," he said while walking toward the room. Fifteen minutester, he came out clean-shaven. He had also changed into a new suit and looked much better even though his eyes were still bloodshot. As Rose said before, it was inevitable for all human beings to go through the cycle of life. Though she did not live long, she felt contented spending sixty-two years on earth. Thus, thest thing she ever wanted was for her family to cry as they bade her farewell forever. Rose was a social butterfly who had many good friends. However, she had indicated her wish to be buried alongside Jeff in a simple way, and there was no need for a grand funeral. Therefore, her funeral included the basics and nothing more. Madeline only notified Rose''s best friends. Everyone present watched the pastor ce the ashes of Rose and Jeff together. Subsequently, they closed their eyes and said their final goodbyes. Lastly, the tomb was sealed and the funeral was over. The entire process took less than thirty minutes. Soon, only udius and Sophia were left standing in front of the tombstone that was full of people earlier. Rose had been a big fan of roses her entire life. Another request she made was to have a bouquet of red roses ced at her tomb. Right above the scarlet red flowers were the pictures of Rose and Jeff; one was beaming with delight, whereas the other looked gentle and elegant. The fiery red bouquet seemed to represent their intense love for each other, whichsted forever. Although Rose''s funeral was done, udius still had another tough battle to fight. Now that Rose was gone, Bruce and Joy were like unstoppable racehorses charging out of its gate. No one was able to control them. However, protecting UI was the only wish Rose had in her lifetime. At that thought, Sophia recollected herself and held udius'' hands. "Let''s go home." The man lowered his gaze and looked at her as soon as he heard her. "Let''s go." Before leaving, Sophia turned around and stared at Rose''s picture on the tombstone. She could not help but recall Rose''sst words to her at the airport. Sophia, I like you very much as my daughter-inw. If I''m still alive the next time you visit Moranta, I''ll bring you skiing. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. Now that she was in Moranta, Rose was no longer around to bring her skiing. Although they had only met each other several times, Sophia felt rather dejected whenever she recalled Rose''s words. Sophia then withdrew her gaze and collected her thoughts before making her way out of the cemetery with udius. One should always keep moving forward. It began drizzling after the both of them got into their car. "Let''s go back to the mansion," requested udius before leaning against the car seat and keeping silent again. The driver hummed in acknowledgment as he started the car engine. Forty-five minutester, the car pulled into the mansion. udius did not get out of the car but opened his eyes and turned to Sophia. "I need to make a trip to UI. You go ahead and get some rest. I''ll see you at dinner." Sophia nced at him and replied, "Prioritize your business but take care of your health too." With that, she hugged him gently. "Go and do what you need to do." Then she got out of the car and walked toward the entrance, where she stood and watched him leave. When the vehicle had gone a distance, she finally made her way into the mansion. Chapter 483 Chapter 483 The minute Sophia stepped into the house, Agatha greeted her with a cup of ginger tea. "Ms. Yarrow, the weather is getting cold since it''s starting to rain. Have a cup of ginger tea to warm up." Sophia smiled at her kindness. "Thank you." As Agatha studied Sophia, her eyes brimmed with tears. Sophia probably reminded her of Rose. "Mdm. Rose used to say Mr. udius has a beautiful fianc¨¦e. She met you before and liked you a lot." Sophia''s movement halted and consoled, "Don''t be sad, Agatha. I''m sure Mdm. Lenoir doesn''t want you to be sad as well." Agatha nodded in agreement. "Mdm. Rose said we shouldn''t cry over her death, but I''m old and can''t help it." After wiping away the tears streaming down her face, Agatha looked at Sophia and started, "Mdm. Rose didn''t have it easy. My mother used to work as her housekeeper. Mdm. Rose''s family was wealthy in the past, but everything turned south overnight. Her father jumped off from a building, leaving only her and her mother to fend for themselves. Mdm. Rose had a smooth sailing life as she grew up, but since that day, debt collectors would kick at their doors and smash their windows to threaten the mother and daughter. Her mother couldn''t deal with the turn of events once they got here and would condemn her for being a useless woman instead of a man who could do more. Mdm. Rose had to strike a bnce between her studies and being the breadwinner of the family. She would have gone berserk if she didn''t have a strong will! After that, she finally met Mr. Jeff and established UI together. Yet, Aploth financial crisis urred, and they weredened with debt. In the end, they pulled through, and their days got better. It didn''tst long because Mr. Jeff got into a car ident and lost a leg. Despite that, they still lived happily. Those days were short-lived. Six years ago, Mr. Jeff was suddenly diagnosed with liver cancer and passed away six monthster, leaving Mdm. Rose alone. She always said being alive was pointless and wouldn''t have continued living if it wasn''t for her strong determination to prevent UI, thepany she painstakingly established with her husband, from falling into the hands of those vultures." Agatha''s sobbing had turned to bawling as she continued. Sophia reached for a box of tissues and handed it over to her. "It''s all in the past now. I''m sure Mdm. Lenoir hoped that we could live happily." Agatha took the box and thanked her before she continued, "I wasn''t even eight years old when Mdm. Rose''s family went bankrupt. My mother had heard about the news and stole an antique vase from Mdm. Rose''s house and fled with her lover. My life might''ve ended there if Mdm. Rose didn''t take me along with her. Ms. Yarrow, Mdm. Rose was such a kind person. Why did God have to be so unfair and take away such a kind soul?" Bitterness filled Sophia at her question. She exhaled deeply and assured, "Let''s think of it from another angle. Maybe Mdm. Lenoir missed Mr. Jeff so much that she left early to meet him." After pouring her sorrow out, Agatha finally calmed down slightly. She wiped away her tears and said, "Ms. Yarrow, UI was Mdm. Rose''s and Mr. Jeff''s flesh and blood. You and Mr. udius must never let UI fall into the hands of the Zimmerman family." "Don''t worry. udius will never allow it." "I''m sorry for losing myposure, Ms. Yarrow. I heard from Ms. Zobek you didn''t get much rest during your journey and only arrived at Lusterg yesterday. Now that Mdm. Rose''s affairs havee to an end. Please get some rest, Ms. Yarrow." Sophia finished the ginger tea in her cup and answered, "Sure, thank you for the ginger tea. It warmed me up." Agatha shed her a smile and took the cup back to the kitchen. Feeling lethargic, Sophia went to the guest room. It was already the middle of the night in Chanaea. Sophia was tired from the long journey to Lusterg. However, she couldn''t fall asleep despite lying in bed. Maybe Rose''s passing made her sad or perhaps she was worried about udius'' mental state. She got up from bed and crossed the room to stand by the window. The rain had slickened every surface outside. Looking down, Sophia noted the roses blooming in the garden. Sophia was lost in thought as she stared at the flowers. By afternoon, Agatha came knocking at her door. "Ms. Yarrow, lunch is ready. Do you want to have it now?" Agatha probably thought Sophia was sleeping, so her voice wasn''t too loud. Since Sophia wasn''t asleep, she could hear her clearly. Snapping out of her thoughts, she retracted her gaze from the blooming flowers before she turned around to open the door. "Sure. Thank you, Agatha." Only Sophia and Agatha were in the mansion, so when the house was silent after lunch, perhaps Agatha had gone to take a break. The rain was still falling outside, so Sophia went to the garden with an umbre. The fragrance of roses blew toward her along with the breeze. As she toured the garden, she noticed roses were nted everywhere, including the corners. Returning inside, she saw Agatha standing by the doorway, looking at her. "Mr. Jeff nted every rose in that garden for Mdm. Rose," she exined. "How romantic of him." No wonder Rose insisted on being buried beside Jeff after she passed. "Do you want some dessert, Ms. Yarrow?" Sophia shook her head. "You don''t have to go to the trouble of preparing it. I''ll go get some rest, and you can focus on your work." Sophia returned to her room and fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. When she woke up, the sky had already turned dark. The room was shrouded in darkness, so she turned on the lights. Then, she reached for her phone to check the time and realized it was already seven in the evening. Besides, Katherine had called her two hours earlier. Rubbing her temples, she returned Katherine''s call. It was eight in the morning in Chanaea, so Sophia didn''t have to wait long for Katherine to pick up the call. "Sophia?" Sophiaughed. "Yes, it''s me. What''s wrong?" "Nothing. I just want to ask you how are thing over there." Sophia sighed. "She passed awayst night. We had the funeral today." "Oh, apany Alexander then. I''ll end the call so that I won''t be a bother." Sophia arched a brow and asked, "What are you hiding from me?" "Didn''t I say I have a surprise for you? I''ll tell you when you''re back!" At the heels of her words, Katherine hung up. Sophia looked down at her phone. Some of the heaviness weighing on her heart had eased. It sounds like good news. As she spaced out, the door opened. She thought it was Agatha, but it turned out that udius was back. Setting down her phone, she beamed at him. "It looks like you''re a man of your word." udius walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Yeah." Sophia stood up with her arms circled around him. "Is dinner ready?" "Yes." udius wrapped one hand underneath her knee, carrying her to her shoes. Once she slid her feet into the slippers, they left the room, heading for the dining room. Agatha had made Chanaean cuisine and chicken soup. Sophia could smell the delicious aroma of the chicken soup the minute she stepped out of the room. The dishes were already set up on the table, and Agatha had returned to her room. Only Sophia and udius were in the dining room.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 484 Chapter 484 udius hadn''t been sleeping well for the past two days so exhaustion was evident on his face. After dinner, Sophia rested her chin on her palm and stared at him with concern. "Shall I massage you?" udius nced at Sophia at her offer and nodded. With a soft smile, Sophia got up from the table and took a seat on the couch, then beckoned udius over. "Come here." udius strode toward her and sat beside her. Sophia turned slightly so that she was half-kneeling on the couch. Her fingers gently massaged his temples. The living room was silent. None of them spoke. A whileter, his hand covered her, stunning her. Turning her head slightly, she met his dark gaze. "What''s wrong?" "When are you flying back?" Sophia raised a brow at his question. "Have they done something seeing that you''re eager for me to return?" Even though udius couldn''t remember anything from the past, he knew Sophia was intelligent after spending time with her. He knew there was no hiding it from her, so he ryed what had happened at his office. "Bruce''s side doesn''t own many shares, so they''re iming I''m not rted to Mom, but Mom had prepared a few copies of DNA test results verified by authorized organizations. They''re merely trying to dy by using my identity as an excuse." Sophia frowned. "You think they''re up to their old trick?" Rose didn''t have any rtives in the past. Naturally, her nephews weren''t too worried about UI falling into another''s hands. Yet, udius'' appearance threatened them. If they wanted UI, their only choice was to take out udius, who was Rose''s biological son. It was a stupid but practical method. Moreover, Bruce had no idea Rose''s will was in Sophia''s hands. If they found out, her situation wouldn''t be any better than udius''. Hence, it made sense for udius to want her to fly back soon. "They can''ty a hand on me, but they might do something to you." Sophia chuckled. "Oh, I see. Mr. Lenoir worries that I''ll be your burden and weigh you down." udius immediately pulled her into a hug. Lowering his head, with his lips nearly touching Sophia''s, he looked into her eyes. "You will never weigh me down." "And why is that?" "Faith." Sophia''s cheeks blushed. "Didn''t you lose your memories?" "I only lost some of my memories. It doesn''t mean my IQ and EQ will take a nosedive." Sophia couldn''te up with any rebuttal to his argument since it made perfect sense. "Go back tomorrow, please." He lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. Instead of calling it a discussion, udius was coaxing her. Sophia blinked. "How about the day after tomorrow?" "Deal," udius uttered, then continued to deepen the kiss. His kiss was fervent. Sophia felt he had sucked all her breath away. The two''s weight had left a deep indentation on the soft cushion of the couch. With udius pressing down on her, his scent filled her nose, overwhelming her. Before things got even more heated, udius loosened his grip, but his lips kept leaving fleeting kisses on her lips. Sophia closed her eyes as she tried to calm her breathing. Shortly after, udius helped Sophia up from the couch and tucked some of her loose strands behind her ear. "Get some rest." Sophia''s brows furrowed as she instinctively grabbed onto the hem of udius'' clothing. "You still have work to do?" It has already been a day and night since hest gets some shut eyes. udius'' lips touched her forehead before he answered, "I just have two more documents." Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. "Can''t you read them tomorrow?" "I''ll finish them in half an hour." Their determined gazes locked briefly before Sophia conceded. "I''ll go take a bath and fill the bathtub for you. You should take a nice, warm bath." "Okay." udius carried her back to their room and set her down on the bed. She watched as he turned around to leave. "Half an hour. Remember." udius looked over his shoulder at her reminder. His mood brightened when his gazended on the curve of her lips. Her smile instantly chased away the dark clouds hovering over him for a few days. "Okay." Sophia already had a nap in the afternoon, so she wasn''t sleepy. Actually, she wasn''t all that better than udius. It had almost been forty-eight hours since she arrived at Lusterg, but she had only slept for a few hours. It was exactly twenty minutes once she finished her bath. After applying some skincare products on her face, she went back into the bathroom to fill the bathtub for udius. She filled it with hot water since udius would only get in after five minutes. The five minutes were enough to cool the water to afortable temperature. Once that was done, Sophia picked up her phone and checked an email from Felix. At nine-fifteen, udius returned to the room. Sophia lifted her gaze from her phone. "Thirty-five minutes." He''s five minuteste. "There won''t be a next time." Sophia merely pointed at the bathroom. "The tub is filled. Go on ahead." "Okay, don''t wait up for me and go to sleep." Sophia muttered an acknowledgment but didn''t sleep. Finished reading Felix''s email, she realized it was nearly ten. She was about to go and check on him, thinking he might''ve fallen asleep in the tub when the bathroom door opened. udius walked in and saw she was still awake. "Aren''t you tired?" "I napped in the afternoon." She scooted slightly, making space for him. "I''m turning off the lights. "Okay." The illumination dimmed, and darkness imed the room. Once her vision adjusted, she rolled to the side to look at the man beside her. Her fingers gently stroked his eyebrows. "Good night." "Good night." udius was exhausted. With her pleasant scent filling his nose, he fell asleep just after a few seconds. Sophia was still wide awake from the jetg and afternoon nap. When she finally fell asleep, hours had passed. The next day morning, udius was already gone by the time she woke up. Seeing sunlight filtering through the window, Sophia picked up her phone and checked the time. It was nearly nine o''clock. News of Rose''s passing had been announced on the web. Sophia swiftly skimmed through a few articles, then went to wash up. Madeline suddenly dropped by to meet Sophia in the afternoon. Sophia, who was reading on the balcony, was surprised by her visit. Seeing Madeline standing behind Agatha, Sophia immediately set down her book. "Ms. Zobek." "Sorry to disturb you, Ms. Yarrow." Sophia finally noticed the small case in Madeline''s hand when she came closer. She immediately averted her gaze. "May I know the reason for your visit, Ms. Zobek?" Madeline nodded. "Mdm. Lenoir just passed away two days ago, so I had much to handle and couldn''t find the time to meet with you. I heard you''ll be leaving tomorrow, so I hurried over." Madeline ced the small case on the coffee table and opened it. "Ms. Yarrow, Mdm. Lenoir asked me to hand this over to you. She said she really liked you and felt bad that she couldn''t witness your wedding with Mr. udius. Thus she had me pass this to you as a wedding gift." Chapter 485 Chapter 485 Sophia nced at Madeline before opening the box in the briefcase. To her surprise, a set of emerald jewelryy neatly inside. As someone who had seen a lot in her life, Sophia had had many people shower her with gifts, especially when they wanted to secure Sunshine Group''s investment. However, due to her somewhat mysterious profile in thepany, no one could ever find out her likes and dislikes. As a result, the gifts she received were plenty but varied. Even the fake vase that had once turned Megan''s family topsy-turvy was identally acquired by Sophia. After all, it was impossible to get out of socializing, so why not collect some antiques that might be put to good use in the future. Later, after acknowledging the Dawsons as her maternal family, Sophia''s collection grew even more. As it turned out, Penelope''s hobbies during her younger days were making money and umting all kinds of antiques. She acquired so many of them that the small vi next to the Dawson residence was brimming with her impressive collection. Since Lukas was a public official, the Dawsons needed to keep a low profile. Sophia, however, was a businesswoman and could always use an antique or two as decorative pieces. Therefore, Perrin handpicked several items the year before and gifted them to Sophia. Anyone with a bit of understanding and knowledge of antiques would know that the set of emerald jewelry was far from ordinary. Needless to say, Sophia could tell from the detailed sculpting alone that the jewelry items were vintage and worth a small fortune. Madeline nced at Sophia and exined, "When Mdm. Rose went abroad, the only thing she took with her was this set of emerald jewelry, which also happened to be Old Mrs. Lenoir''s wedding gift. Before the Lenoir family went bankrupt, someone had offered Old Mrs. Lenoir more than eighty million for the jewelry set. However, she rejected them because she intended to pass the jewelry down to Mdm. Rose. Later, when the Lenoir family got into trouble, Old Mrs. Lenoir did consider selling the set cheap to get themselves out of the financial hole. Sadly, the debt was far too much, and Old Mr. Lenoir had killed himself before anything could be done. As such, Mdm. Rose and Old Mrs. Lenoir left the country with nothing but this wedding gift of hers." After a pause, Madeline continued, "A few days ago, Mdm. Rose instructed me to gift the jewelry to you. She knows you aren''t short of money or antiques, but she still wanted you to have it. I hope you won''t reject her kind offer, Ms. Yarrow." Naturally, there was no way Sophia could bring herself to turn down such a heartfelt gesture. In fact, if Rose hadn''t passed away, she''d have waited until udius and Sophia''s wedding day to give thetter the jewelry set in person. s, that opportunity was gone. She didn''t even have the energy to speak before she breathed her last, so she could only trust Madeline to pass the message on to Sophia. Sophia closed the box and met Madeline''s gaze. "Thank you, Ms. Zobek. I love this gift." "That''s good to hear, Ms. Yarrow," Madeline replied, her lips curled into a smile. She had served Rose faithfully for over two decades, and now that thetter was gone, she seemed to have aged ten years in a matter of days. "I''ll be busy tomorrow, so I won''t be able to see you off, Ms. Yarrow. Have a safe trip. Goodbye until next time." "Okay." Having seen Madeline off, Sophia stared wistfully at the box in her hands before walking back into her room. When udius returned that night, Sophia wasted no time showing him the emerald jewelry set. "Look. Mdm. Lenoir entrusted Ms. Zobek to give this to me." "Oh. This was originally intended for Yasmin." Upon hearing the man, Sophia arched a brow. "If I hadn''t followed you in the casino that fateful day, would you and Yasmin be married by now?" I wouldn''t be surprised if that were the case... After all, the Lenoir and Lawre families have a strong alliance, and Yasmin does seem to like udius a lot. Besides, Rose''s condition was deteriorating so quickly that both families might have considered bringing Yasmin and udius'' wedding forward. udius lifted his head and stared solemnly at Sophia. "I won''t marry Yasmin." Even before Sophia appeared, I had never once thought about marrying Yasmin. Why would I when I don''t even like her? I had known this since I was a kid, for goodness'' sake... Sophia couldn''t help but chuckle. After closing the jewelry box, she carefully ced it back into the briefcase and locked it. "Well, don''t be so sure of yourself," she said teasingly, eyshes fluttering as she turned her attention back to udius. Feeling his heart skip a beat, udius approached Sophia and pulled her onto the bed. "I don''t remember what Alexander Xenos was like, but I, udius Lenoir, will never marry someone I don''t like." After a pause and seemingly knowing what Sophia was worried about, he added, "Not even my parents will be able to force me into it." Moreover, I really don''t have any romantic feelings for Yasmin... Sophia looped her arms around the man''s neck and smiled. "You won''t marry someone you don''t like, but what about those you like?" "I won''t like anyone else." In all honesty, Sophia was only joking. She wasn''t the kind to get hung up on things that weren''t within her control. Alexander had already lost his memory, so there was a chance of him falling in love with someone else if they hadn''t reunited. After all, it wasn''t surprising for anyone to fall in love several times in their lifetime. Simrly, if Sophia hadn''t met Alexander first, who was to say she wouldn''t have married another man? Despite that, udius remained very serious as he stared into Sophia''s eyes. Thetter felt herself blushing from the close contact and promptly loosened her arms around udius'' neck. Even though she went on to give his shoulder a nudge, it wasn''t enough to make him budge. udius lowered his head to nce at her. "When I look at you, I feel something that no one else has ever made me feel." If it had been some other woman that night, I wouldn''t have bothered to look at them. Bruce and the rest have tried setting me up with plenty of women before, but I''ve never taken a liking to any of them. Even when I first caught Sophia staring at me in the casino, I genuinely thought she was just another woman sent by Bruce. However, I was overwhelmed by an indescribable feeling when I finally met her gaze... It was as though there was something magical about her that drew me in, so much so that I couldn''t help but follow her to the restroom. Yes. I had willingly walked into her "trap" that night, and what a beautiful trap it was. "Oh? And what does that feel like?" Sophia asked smilingly. "It makes me want to kiss and hug you," udius replied, straightforward and confident. With that, Sophia looked down at udius'' chin before suddenly leaning in to kiss him on his lips. "Like this?" Instead of replying, udius decided to let his actions do the talking. Sophia''s kiss might have been soft and gentle, but udius didn''t hold his back. He kissed with such intensity that it left her giddy with arousal. Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org. At one point, Sophia couldn''t help but moan and grab udius'' arm. Before long, the quiet room was filled with the sounds of their gasps and heavy breathing... Chapter 486 Chapter 486 Sophia was awakened by the sound of the rm clock. She realized udius was no longer in the room when she woke up from her slumber. Her flight was at twenty minutes past ten in the morning, and the ringing rm clock signified it was already eight. The sun was already shining brightly outside the window. The rain had stopped, and the weather that day was simply perfect. When Sophia exited the bathroom after freshening up, she saw udius entering the room. She blinked and greeted him, "Good morning." "Good morning to you, too." He walked over and handed the ss of warm water to her. She nced at him and drank half a ss of the water. Then, she strode toward the dressing table and took a seat. After packing her belongings, the two headed downstairs. Agatha had already prepared breakfast for them. Sophia had been eating Chanaean-style breakfast for the past two days, and today was no different. udius sent her to the airport after breakfast. Sophia didn''t bring any luggage when she arrived, so she had nothing much to take with her when she left. The set of emerald jewelry Rose gifted to her was too valuable, so udius arranged for someone to send it back to Chanaea in a couple of days to avoid any idents from happening if Sophia carried it alone. The time was already twenty minutes to ten when the car reached the airport. Sophia unbuckled her seatbelt and turned sideways to look at udius. "I''ll be going in now." "Okay." He hugged her and sat inside the car, watching her enter the airport before driving away. Sophia had no luggage, so she went directly to the security checkpoint for boarding after iming her ticket. The ne took off at ten forty-five in the morning. When the nended, it was already five o''clock in the evening the next day in Chanaea. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. As soon as Sophia exited the airport, she saw Yvonne, who hade to pick her up. "Ms. Yarrow." Sophia nodded. "Thank you for your hard work recently." With Sophia not in Chanaea, Yvonne had to handle all the affairs at Sunshine Group alone. Yvonne smiled. "I''m fine. You''ve been on the ne for nearly fifteen hours. Would you like to eat something first, or do you want to go back to the mansion to get rested?" Sophia was indeed exhausted after spending over ten hours on the ne. However, as she couldn''t get used to having the in-flight meal, she hadn''t eaten anything for more than ten hours either. "Let''s eat first." As Sophia spoke, she suddenly recalled something. "Help me reserve a table at Mirage." Didn''t Katherine mention she has a surprise for me? Now that I''m back, I''d like to see if what she has prepared is a surprise or a fright. The sky of Jadeborough in May was still bright even though it was already five o''clock in the evening. Katherine also knew Sophia was returning to the country that day. Before Sophia even contacted her, she had sent thetter a message: Soph, are you tired? If you aren''t, let''s meet up. I''ll go to your house. What do you say? Katherine had been suppressing her urge to share that news with her best friend, and she couldn''t hold it in anymore. Sophia couldn''t help but curl her lips into a smile after she saw the message. She replied: I''m heading over to Mirage. Ms. Leighton reserved a private room there. You cane over. After sending the message, she massaged her temples and closed her eyes, intending to take a quick nap. Yvonne knew Sophia had been on a flight for over ten hours and was worn out at that moment. Hence, even though many things were pending Sophia''s decision, Yvonne didn''t bring them up yet. However, not long after, Sophia opened her eyes all of a sudden. Inexplicably, her heart clenched, and she felt a little panicky. Sophia nced at Yvonne. Sensing Sophia''s gaze on her, Yvonne asked in bafflement, "Ms. Yarrow, are you feeling under the weather?" The woman couldn''t help but worry when she noticed Sophia''s ashenplexion. Sophia shook her head and looked down at her phone. She pursed her lips and dialed udius'' number. However, no one picked up the call. She tried again, but still, no one answered. She clicked into her conversation with udius on WhatsApp. Twenty minutes ago, after getting off the ne, she sent him a message to inform him she had arrived safely, but he hadn''t replied yet. At that moment, it was around one o''clock in the morning at Lusterg, so it wasn''t surprising if udius didn''t answer her calls. After all, he should be asleep at that time. Nevertheless, the fleeting uneasiness earlier caused Sophia to be slightly perturbed. "Ms. Yarrow, is something wrong?" Yvonne couldn''t stop herself from asking because she had rarely seen Sophia behaving in that manner. Hearing Yvonne''s voice, Sophia nced at the woman and shook her head. "It''s nothing." Perhaps I''m overthinking. She then closed her eyes again and raised her hand to massage her temples. Soon, the car came to a halt in front of Mirage. Sophia got out of the vehicle and entered the restaurant. When she arrived at the private room, Katherine had coincidentally stepped out of the elevator. "Soph, were you not used to the climate overseas? Why do you look so pale?" Sophia collected her thoughts and grinned at Katherine. "You, on the other hand, look radiant." Katherine touched her cheeks. "Have I gained weight recently?" Sophia entered the private room and draped her coat over the chair before turning to size Katherine up. "I''m d you at least have some self-awareness." Katherine also knew she had put on weight. As a celebrity, she had always been strict about maintaining her figure. She had anticipated the numbers to go up when she stepped on the weighing machine in the morning. Nevertheless, it still stung her heart a little when she heard Sophia pointing that matter out so straightforwardly. However, Katherine quickly regained herposure. "That''s all right. It doesn''t matter even if I gain some weight now." Sophia, who was flipping through the menu, paused. "Why? Are you thinking of switching careers?" She regarded Katherine with an amused expression after saying that. Thetter snorted. "How dare you look down on me!" Sophiaughed. Then, she informed the waiter of the two dishes she would like to order. Katherine, seemingly venting her anger, ordered three dishes. Sophia couldn''t stand her friend''s way of behaving. "Have you really given up on yourself? Aren''t you afraid of Jonice?" Katherine scoffed smugly when she heard Sophia mentioning Jonice. "Even Jonice doesn''t dare to criticize me now." Sophia was momentarily taken aback. She shifted her gaze onto Katherine''s hand that was covering her stomach. "What''s the surprise you were going to tell me?" Sophia queried, her eyes gleaming with delight. After Katherine had ced her orders, she waited for the waiter to leave before looking at Sophia mysteriously. "Why don''t you guess? Aren''t you brilliant?" Cupping her chin with her hand, Sophia almost couldn''t resist blurting out the truth as she took in Katherine''s smug countenance. Forget it. Considering our years of friendship, I might as well indulge her. "Did you ept a role as an overweight character in a film?" Katherine waved her hand and arched her brows at Sophia, the way thetter used to treat her. "Do you think Jonice will ever allow me to take on such a role?" Katherine had always been known for her morous image. Although her public persona had been negatively impacted in the past two years, the stark contrast of her appearance and personality still managed to win the hearts of many fans. Hence, there was no way Jonice would ever let Katherine assume such roles that would ruin her image. Katherine wanted to step out of herfort zone and challenge herself by ying different characters too, but s, her manager prohibited her from doing so. Looking at how pleased Katherine was with herself, Sophia found her demeanorical. Nheless, she didn''t expose her good friend. "Oh. It seems like Jonice wants you to try something new." "No! Soph, howe you''re not as smart as before now? Is that the only two reasons you can think of to exin why I can now get fat and consume anything I want?" Sophiaughed in amusement. "Fine. Why don''t you tell me, then? What are some other possibilities?" Chapter 487 Chapter 487 "I''m pregnant!" Although Sophia had already guessed that, she was still slightly shocked when she heard Katherine actually uttering those words. "How far along are you?" "Fourteen weeks." Sophia smiled. "Congrattions! You''re about to be a mom!" Katherine caressed her belly. "Time really flies, doesn''t it, Soph? Lately, I keep recalling the time when we used to y billiards together after school. It feels as if we just graduated not that long ago, and yet, it''s been more than half a year since Joshua and I got married. I''m even pregnant with his child now." She covered her face with her hands as she went on, "Gosh, this feels like a dream." Reminiscing about the past, Sophia began to feel rather nostalgic as well. "Indeed, it does feel like a dream," she agreed with a sigh. "So, are you nning to make it public?" Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Katherine pouted. "No way. Those people are much too terrifying. If my child has to be under their scrutiny from the moment they''re born, wouldn''t that be the same as being imprisoned for life?" Even though Katherine was usually a little slow, she could be quite smart at times as well. Craving the spotlight, she had aspired to be a star ever since she was a child. Since she was little, she had always admired Sophia and Joshua. From elementary school to high school, those two were the role models of their peers, their excellence unparalleled. Katherine knew on a deep level that it was unlikely she would ever be as brilliant as them in terms of academics. Fortunately, her mother, whom she had never met before, had blessed her with an attractive face. Thus, it urred to Katherine that she could work toward bing a celebrity. However, after she sessfully became one, she realized it was not all sunshine and rainbows like she had expected. Katherine was considered one of the lucky ones among those who had entered the entertainment industry, as she had Sophia and Joshua protecting her at all times. Although she still suffered quite a few grievances, she never had to worry about being bullied. Nheless, Katherine sometimes still felt rather sick of being in the entertainment industry, especially during the time that she and Joshua had not yet made their rtionship public. Back then, she felt as though they were filming a spy film whenever they went on a date. It did feel quite fun and exciting in the beginning, but after some time, it became mentally and physically draining. Unfortunately, the paparazzi would not stoping after them. Katherine did not want her child to grow up under such trauma. She considered herself a mediocre person and had no hopes that her child would grow up to be extraordinary. All she hoped for her child was that they would grow up in a healthy and loving family and have a more pleasant childhood than she and Joshua did. Sophia took away Katherine''s cup of coffee and poured her a ss of in water instead. "You should drink less coffee now that you''re pregnant." Katherine was not a fan of coffee anyway, so she had no objections to that. "How long is the leave that Jonice arranged for you?" asked Sophia. "Only three months!" Katherine answered in a slightly dissatisfied tone. Sophia could not help but chuckle. "Isn''t that more than enough? Or would you rather take an entire year''s leave and announce to the world that you''re going off to give birth to a baby?" "Well, she could at least have given me half a year off!" Sophia thought for a moment. "Don''t worry. Jonice has always been kind toward you. I''m sure she would give you more than just three months off when the timees." After some thought, Katherine figured Sophia had a point. After all, Jonice had been her manager for almost ten years. Although she was usually rather stern, she would always be the most anxious one whenever something happened to Katherine. At this thought, Katherine instantly felt warmth spreading through her heart. Just then, the waiter arrived with a cart of food. Katherine had only just gotten pregnant, but unlike other pregnantdies, her appetite was as good as before. Now that she did not have to control her weight anymore, she ate even more unrestrainedly, barely saying a few words as she ate. Worried that she might feel sick with so much food, Sophia finally stopped her. "All right, that''s enough. Don''t overeat." Katherine looked at the specialty grilled pork tenderloin and pretended to sob. "Can''t I just have one more bite? Just one, please?" Of course, Sophia did not fall for the act. "Here, just have some soup." She had specially asked the waiter to switch their order to this particr soup, as it was more nutritious for pregnantdies. By the time they finished their meal, it was already seven o''clock at night. Katherine wanted to drag Sophia to go shopping with her, but thetter rejected her tly, "I don''t have your level of energy." Katherine knew that Sophia had just had a long flight. Therefore, although she was a little disappointed by Sophia''s response, she did not try to persuade her further. Sophia tugged Katherine''s arm. "Will you stand straight? Or are your legs too weak to walk now?" There were many passersby at the entrance of Mirage, but Katherine was not embarrassed at all as she swung Sophia''s hand, whining, "Don''t you like me anymore, Soph?" Sophia soon began to feel dizzy all that swinging and shaking. Fortunately, she soon spotted Joshua''s car. "Considering how much you love acting, I think three months'' leave might be too long for you," she suggested meaningfully. Hearing that, Katherine immediately quit her whining and stood straight obediently. By then, Joshua had already crossed the road and was heading toward them. "Kath." The man''s stony expression instantly softened when he saw Katherine. Sophia nodded at Joshua, then turned to Katherine. "All right. Joshua''s here for you." Katherine went to Joshua and burrowed into his embrace. "Do you want a lift, Soph?" Sophia nced at them. "No, thanks." She was not in the mood to deal with them being all lovey-dovey today. Katherine wanted to say something else, but her view was soon covered by Joshua''s hat as he lowered his head toward hers. Sophia waved and turned around, heading toward the parking lot. Yvonne had returned to the office, and the driver was waiting for Katherine in the car. Seeing Sophia entering the car, the driver passed her a bottle of water, but Sophia smiled and shook her head, stating, "It''s fine. Please send me back to the mansion." "Sure, Ms. Yarrow." The time was approaching eight at night, and the sky had darkened. Sophia turned her head sideways and gazed at the scenery outside, then she took out her phone to have a look. It was already three in the morning where udius was, but she still had not received a reply from him. Perhaps he''s fallen asleep. She was utterly drained. Leaning against the car window, she closed her eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep herself. Twenty minutester, the car parked in thepound of the mansion. The driver called Sophia but received no response from her. He immediately turned around to check on her, only to realize that she had fallen asleep. "Ms. Yarrow?" he tried calling her name a couple more times. After a while, Sophia finally stirred. Opening her eyes, she realized that they had arrived at the mansion. "We''re here, Ms. Yarrow." Sophia nodded, massaging her temples. "All right, thank you for your hard work. Go on and get off work." As she spoke, she opened the car door and alighted from the vehicle. The mansion looked exactly like how she left it. She called out to Genie, "Prepare me a hot bath." "Yes, Master." Sophia then took a hot bath, feeling much more refreshed than before at the end of it. Massaging the back of her neck, she headed toward the study and went through her mail. It was not till almost one in the morning that she started to feel the drowsiness seeping in. The flight thatsted almost fifteen hours was indeed exhausting. She fell into a deep slumber almost as soon as her head touched her pillow. Chapter 488 Chapter 488 In the meantime, a nurse pushed udius out of the operating room of Lusterg''s private hospital. Spencer took one look at udius, who was still unconscious due to the anesthesia, and ordered Joe and Allen, "Watch Mr. Lenoir closely." Knowing it was their fault this time, Joe and Allen could only nod in response to Spencer''s strict orders. None of them expected Bruce and Truce to actually pay someone to attack udius. It was past nine o''clock at night when Joe and Allen were exiting UI''s office building with udius. While they were escorting him to the condominium, a group of armed men blocked their path in the middle of the road. At first, the duo thought they had identally intruded into the men''s territory. To their surprise, the group of armed men began shooting at them. In order to keep udius safe, Joe and Allen had no choice but to drive the car away with the former in it. Unfortunately, the trio was outnumbered. Most importantly, the other party was armed. No matter how professionally trained Joe and Allen were, the situation was too tough for them to handle. Hence, Joe and Allen quickly brought udius to an abandoned factory nearby. They made sure to hide udius properly before heading out to deal with the group of eight. Since they did not have to keep an eye on udius anymore, Joe and Allen attacked their opponents mercilessly. Never did Joe and Allen expect the other party to be merely keeping them upied while two of their men sneaked into the abandoned factory to look for udius. By the time Joe and Allen realized that, udius had only managed to eliminate one person while another had aimed a gun at him. The chemistry between Joe and Allen was great, for they had worked together for many years. One of them distracted the opponent, while the other shot at him. Everything went smoothly until the opponent turned his head and fired a shot at udius. The bullet hit udius'' abdomen, causing him to fall off the tform. It took nearly five hours of surgery before he was pushed out of the operating room. Since that incident, both Joe and Allen made sure to stay by udius'' side all the time. Meanwhile, Bruce and Truce did not dare to pull any tricks for the time being after the failed assassination attempt. udius'' condition was Spencer''s only concern at that moment. Thetter watched Joe and Allen leave with the hospital bed before withdrawing his gaze and turning to the two chief surgeons. "How is Mr. Lenoir''s condition?" "The wound isn''t too serious, and although he had a great fall, the injury wasn''t too bad. Mr. Lenoir will be awake once the anesthesia wears off. Don''t worry, Mr. Lacroix." Spencer breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the doctor''s words. Rose had paid Spencer a visit shortly before her death, asking thetter to take good care of udius. Spencer was entrusted with a task. The fact that udius got into an ident a few days after Rose''s death filled Spencer with guilt. He didn''t know how he would face her in death. Thankfully, udius was only shot once and had no major issues. Two hours had passed by the time udius woke up. It was four o''clock in the morning and extremely quiet as there was no one else in the ward. udius tried to move and felt a slight pain in his abdomen. A frown instantly formed on his face. Hence, he stopped moving and simply stared at the ceiling. The sun had already risen when Sophia woke up. As her eyelids fluttered open, Sophie instructed Genie to open the windows. She then instinctively reached for her phone by her side and tapped on the screen to see if she had gotten a response from udius. It should be three o''clock in the afternoon there. Over twenty hours had passed since hisst reply. Just as Sophia was thinking about that, her phone vibrated in her hand. It was a reply from the man himself, reading: Sorry. I left my phone in the office. Sophia breathed a sigh of relief when she received the text. She responded: It''s okay, then got out of bed to freshen up. She had a lot of work to deal with at Odyssey after having skipped work for five days. She arrived earlier that day and hung out in the office for a while until Felix arrived. "Good morning, Ms. Yarrow," he greeted. Sophia shed him a smile. "Good morning." ncing at Felix, she asked, "What''s Percy up to these days?" Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Felix hadpiled the results from the investigation. "Here, this is aption of histest actions." Sophia nodded in acknowledgment. "Let me have a look." It took her less than two minutes to finish reading the report since it had little information. She could not help butugh. "He thinks he has someone backing him, huh? It''s no wonder he''s so bold." Bruce and the others were working with Percy, so thetter was pressuring her in Chanaea so that she could distract udius. They must be running out of ideas. I can''t believe they came up with such a lousy n. Closing the folder, Sophia said, "Since he''s so confident, then there''s no need to go easy on him anymore. Submit everything you collected in the past to the police." Half a year ago, when Alexander had just got into the ident, the people over at Odyssey were already looking to stir up some trouble. Of course, as one of the directors and senior executives of Odyssey, Percy had plotted his fair share of schemes. Unfortunately for him, however, Sophia had already dug out all the things he did. It involved a huge sum, so she''d have to be a fool not to notice the man''s tricks. The only reason she kept things civil between her and Percy was to avoid Odyssey having to go through too many significant changes. But when udius returned to Chanaea, many were already aware that Alexander was fine. As long as Alexander was fine, Odyssey would not fall. Furthermore, Sophia had proven, in the past six months, that she was more than capable of managing and developing thepany. It was finally time to get rid of the remaining scum in Odyssey. Simrly, Felix had been waiting for that day for a long time. After all, Percy and his minions had caused Sophia plenty of trouble during Alexander''s absence. Thus, Felix could not be more excited to hear Sophia was finally ready to deal with them. "I''ll get it arranged right away, Ms. Yarrow." Sophia chuckled at his words, for he sounded a little too excited. "Go on. I know you''ve been tolerating him for a long time." Realizing he had lost hisposure earlier, Felix hurriedly recollected himself and said, "I''ll get back to work, then." "Okay." Sophia then picked up a ballpen and lowered her head to sign some documents. Felix had only taken a couple of steps when he thought of something and turned back around. "Oh right, Ms. Yarrow, there''s something I think you should know." "Hm? What is it?" She lifted her head to look at the man. "A shooting incident broke out at the hospital that''s in charge of Dillon''s medical parole. He was held hostage and killed by the kidnappers." Sophia''s hand that held the pen froze, and a smile formed on her lips. "That''s good." Felix shared the same sentiment. "I thought so, too." He nced at her and informed, "I''ll get going now, Ms. Yarrow." This time, Felix left and shut the door behind him. There were no more details left out. Chapter 489 Chapter 489 News of Dillon''s death soon traveled to Jadeborough. Percy felt strangely uneasy when he learned about the news. Sure enough, his sixth sense was right. As soon as Sophia gave Felix the order to file a police report against Percy for embezzlement of company funds, Felix gathered all the evidence and handed them to the police that morning. At around three in the afternoon, Percy was taken away by police officers from the economic crime department. Percy had yet to realize what was happening when he was being taken away. In fact, he did not look the slightest bit guilty. "I''ll cooperate with the investigation, officer." Percy looked too calm to be a criminal. When Sophia heard the economic crime police officers had arrived, she purposely took the elevator to wait on the first floor. After all, it was a rare scene. It did not take long for her to see a few policemen leading Percy out of the elevator. With a smile on her face, she approached them and asked, "What''s going on?" Percy scowled at the sight of her, but he quickly recollected himself. "It''s nothing. The officers said someone reported me for embezzling thepany''s funds, so I''m going to the station to cooperate with their investigation." Sophia shed him a meaningful smile. "Please do your best, Mr. Zaat." With that, she turned around and walked off in the opposite direction. When Percy turned around to nce at her, she had already arrived at the elevator door. Suddenly, a thought urred to him when he recalled her ambiguous smile from moments ago. His countenance changed, and his heart pounded with panic. "Let''s go." The police officer nudged him. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Percy quickly gathered his thoughts and left with the officers. Soon, news about Percy being taken away for investigation spread like wildfire among the employees of Odyssey. Even the senior executives who were on his side began feeling uneasy. On the third day after Percy was taken away, his men finally surrendered to Sophia. However, she did not respond to them. She simply watched as they fought among themselves. Two weeks after Percy''s arrest, almost all thepany''s traitors were exposed. That was when Sophie gave Felix the green light to eliminate all of them. Percy was next after they dealt with his people. Sophia did not have to do anything, though. After all, the evidence was solid. Percy would need a scapegoat if he wanted to get out of his predicament. Unfortunately for him, Sophia had cut him off from Truce and the others. Basically, Percy was on his own, and no one wanted to be his scapegoat. Sophia and udius had been busy for the past few days. And with the time difference, they barely interacted with each other. Sophia''s life became smoother when Percy''s matters ended. She even gotzier and slept until nine o''clock in the morning. Upon finding her phone, she realized udius had called her after she had fallen asleepst night. Sophia raised a brow, no longer feeling sleepy. It should be around seven o''clock at night over there. She gazed at her phone, feeling a little hesitant. Still, she returned the call. The moment udius'' phone rang, everyone in the conference room fell silent. udius nced at the phone on the table. Seeing the caller''s name, he picked it up and walked out of the conference room. "One moment, please." The manager, who was in the middle of a presentation, instantly paused the slides and watched udius step out of the room. The phone rang for quite some time without udius picking up. Just as Sophia was about to hang up, the call connected. "It''s me, Sophia." The two had not seen each other for more than twenty days. However, Sophia did not really miss udius when she was busy with work. Now that things had calmed down, she had the sudden urge to secretly pay him a visit. A subtle smile formed on her lips as she nced out of the window. "I just woke up and realized I missed your callst night. What''s up?" The sixteen-hour time difference made it difficult for them tomunicate via phone calls. "Nothing. I just wanted to hear your voice." Sophia was taken aback by the deep voice that came through the phone''s speakers. She had missed Alexander''s pickup lines. Chuckling, she asked, "Have you eaten?" "Not yet." His answer immediately brought her back to reality. She cocked an eyebrow and asked, "Are you still at work?" "I''m in a middle of a meeting." It was at that moment Sophia realized why udius took over ten seconds to answer the phone. "Carry on with your meeting, then. I won''t disturb you anymore." "Okay." Despite saying that, udius did not hang up. Sophia hummed a response, saying, "I''m going to hang up now." "Okay." Upon hearing that, she ended the call. When udius saw the words "call ended" on the screen, he did not return to the conference room right away. Instead, he dialed another number. Samuel thought his eyes were ying tricks on him the second he saw the caller ID. Alexander had returned to Moranta for more than a month. Their most recent interaction was a month ago when Rose passed away. That was when Alexander sent Samuel an obituary. Seeing that, Samuel told the secretary to postpone the meeting to ten minutester before returning to his office with the phone. "Alex, if you had called me a littleter, I would''ve taken a flight to Moranta to see for myself if you''ve gone missing again." Regardless, the person on the other end of the phone went straight to the point. "I need your help with something." "What is it?" "I want to propose to Sophia." Samuel gasped. "You haven''t regained your memories, though." "That doesn''t change my love for Sophia." Samuel was speechless. This is too much. Why do I even have to listen to this? "Spit it out. How do you n to do it?" uttered Samuel through gritted teeth. It''s just a proposal, anyway. I have my fair share of experiences with proposals. "I need you to get her measurements for the ring." For a moment, Samuel forgot the fact that udius had lost his memories. The former asked subconsciously, "Didn''t you get a ring custom-made for Sophia already? You can just ask Anne for the measurements. I''ll help you with anything but getting the measurements of Sophia''s fingers. I feel that''s a rather inappropriate thing to do..." Samuel did not dare to touch Sophia, let alone take her finger''s measurements. In fact, some mediapanies cooked up nonsensical articles just because he had a meal with her. I bet those paparazzi will evene up with rumors of us having a child together if I touch her. Samuel paused briefly before adding, "Besides, Sophia knows about the ring already. I think that ring is quite meaningful. If you use that one¡ª" Before he could finish, udius'' icy voice sounded. "How did Sophia know about it?" Samuel felt a rush of guilt, and his phone almost slipped from his trembling hands. Nheless, he quickly came to his senses. Alexander lost his memories. He wouldn''t know what happened. "Weren''t you the one who spilled the beans?" "Really?" "Y-Yep." "Oh... Okay, then." With that said, udius ended the call. Chapter 490 Chapter 490 As soon as May was over, summer arrived at Jadeborough. Ever since Katherine got pregnant, Jonice cleared the former''s schedule, apart from the filming of somemercials and publicity projects. Back then, Katherine badly wanted to get a six month break after working for six months. Now that she had all the time in the world, she spent most of it in Jadeborough having meals and shopping with Sophia every three to five days. And ever since Percy was arrested, Sophia had fired all the employees he nted in Odyssey. Although thepany had two major projects that year, Sophia let the deputy general manager and Felix handle them. As for Sunshine Group, Sophia had basically delegated it to Yvonne, just like the time when Sophia was married to Alexander. Once in a while, she would visit thepany to meet some clients or sign some contracts. Now that she had handed the reins over, Sophia was not as busy as before. On the other hand, udius was swamped with work, but he said nothing much about it. All he told her was that Truce and Bruce had sued him and started to rope in thepany''s former employees. It had barely been six months since udius started working at UI. Although Rose had done her best to pave the way for him before she died, there were still many who did not buy it. Truce and Bruce had been working in UI for more than a decade. On top of that, they were Rose''s biological nephews and senior employees of UI. More importantly, they had a fair amount of the company''s shares. There was no way udius could beat them. It had not been a month since Rose''s death, but both Truce and Bruce were already working together to deal with udius. That put thetter in a tough position. Although udius did not divulge much information, Sophia experienced a simr situation in her management of Odyssey during Alexander''s disappearance. She knew what he was going through, even if he did not say anything about it. Moreover, it had only been slightly over six months since Rose acknowledged udius as her son. After that, udius was in aa for close to three months when he got into an ident. Technically, he only joined UI less than two months after regaining consciousness. He was alone in both UI and Moranta. In fact, his current situation was moreplicated than Sophia''s. Thus, Sophia could only suppress her urge to see him and make a rational decision to stay in Jadeborough. Sophia was exiting the airport when Katherine called. Last week, Perrin''srade passed away. Worried about his emotional state, Sophia traveled to Doveston to keep himpany for a few days. Seeing Katherine''s name on the screen, Sophia answered the call while pulling her luggage behind her. "What''s up?" "Soph, you''vended, haven''t you? I''m waiting for you in the parking lot. I came all the way here just for you. Aren''t you touched?" Sophia paused when she heard that. She instantly turned around and headed toward the parking lot. "Which one are you at?" "Number four." Sophiaughed. "Okay. Got it." Hanging up, she made her way to parking lot number four with her luggage. Soon, she arrived at her destination. Katherine fancied red cars. Since Joshua banned her from using the sports car for fear of it affecting her pregnancy, Katherine chose to drive the Audi RS7 that day. Sophia noticed it almost instantly. "Soph!" The moment Sophia walked over, Katherine pulled the former into her embrace. Katherine was almost five months into her pregnancy; her belly was already slightly visible. Sophia instinctively nced at the former''s belly, reminding her, "Be careful." "Don''t worry. He''s a tough one." With that, Katherine patted her belly. "Right, son?" Eyeing Katherine, Sophia asked, "Why are you here?" Katherine raised her brow smugly. "I''m here to pick you up. Aren''t you moved?" Sophia could not help but chuckle. "Are you sure you''re not using me as an excuse to sneak out?" Katherine felt slightly guilty now that her intentions were exposed. "Don''t say that. I''m here to pick you up." With that, she went over to help Sophia with her luggage. However, Sophia stopped her. "Give me the car keys." There were times when Katherine obeyed her close friend''s words, despite how famous she was. Although she was reluctant, she still ced the keys in Sophia''s palm with a pout. Sophia wrapped her fingers around the keys and prompted, "Get in." She then ced her luggage in the trunk, got into the driver''s seat, and drove the car out of the parking lot. When the car was finally on the airport expressway, Sophia checked the traffic ahead before asking, "What do you want to eat?" Hearing that, Katherine announced the name of the restaurant she had sourced. "Okay. Why don''t you get some rest first?" Sophia suggested. Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Of course, there was no way Katherine could fall asleep. She gossiped with Sophia during the entire journey. Twenty minutester, the car exited the expressway and entered the town area. Sophia slowed the car since there were many vehicles in town. Coincidentally, the traffic lights had turned red. Just as Sophia stopped the car, Katherine suddenly called out, "Soph, look over there. Is that Megan?" Following Katherine''s gaze, Sophia noticed a rear-end car ident at the side of the road. Thetter spotted Megan surrounded by three people as soon as she looked over. The trio did not seem like people who should be taken lightly. Katherine, too, realized that as well. "They look like they''re going to hit her. Should we call the police?" Raising a brow, Sophia said, "Go ahead." Just then, the light turned green. Sophia stepped on the elerator and made a turn at the intersection. Two minutester, the car came to a stop by the side of the road. Sophia unbuckled her seatbelt and nced at Katherine. "Stay here. Don''t leave the car." "But I want to..." Katherine''s voice trailed off before she could say the words "watch the show." Sophia''s gaze had chickened the former out. "I''ll stay." Sophia put on a satisfied smile before getting out of the car and walking toward Megan. "What''s wrong, Ms. Queen?" Megan was thinking of paying up to resolve the matter when she heard Sophia''s voice. The former''s face lit up with joy when she came to her senses. "Sophia!" Sophia smiled in response. With a raised brow, she nced at the trio of two men and a woman. "Tailgating?" Megan nodded. "They were the ones who braked all of a sudden. I¡ª" "What nonsense are you talking about? You''re the one who knocked into us. Do you think you''re special just because you drive a luxury car? I''m streaming this live. All theizens are watching this!" Sophia simply swept her gaze past the woman and ignored her. She turned her attention to Megan instead, asking, "Are you sure they braked first?" Nodding, Megan peered at the trio before whispering into Sophia''s ears, "Casper has a project recently. I have a feeling they''re..." Megan was much different from the past. Casper had taught her enough to help her sense the trio was up to something. Sophia understood it right away. She patted Megan''s shoulder and assured her, "Don''t worry." She then turned to the trio, exining, "There are surveince cameras here. I''m sure we''ll find out who''s at fault once we hand this matter over to the police. We''llpensate you if it''s our fault. Likewise, you''ll have to pay up if it''s yours." Chapter 491 Chapter 491 Sophia''s words injected Megan with a sense of confidence. Even though she wasn''t a particrly good driver, she had received her license ten years ago and had driven for at least seven to eight years, making her an experienced one. Although she had rear-ended someone else''s car, she wasn''t on her phone, wasn''t distracted, had changed out of her heels to ts, and wasn''t the first to m on the brakes. Consequently, Megan was certain that the traffic police would judge the ident in her favor once they arrived. The moment she alighted earlier, she was surrounded by the trio and had her driving skills questioned. The woman leading the trio even recorded Megan with her phone and said, ¡°Do you even know how to drive? You crashed into our new car.¡± She spoke as if Megan was responsible for the ident. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. On top of that, Casper was in the midst of fighting for a big project. Megan didn''t dare react too strongly for fear that the trio was sent by hispetitors to stir up a controversy. Now that Sophia was backing her up, she could now throw caution to the wind. Before she got married, she was the apple of the Queen family''s eye. Hence, due to her illustrious family background, no one had ever bullied her other than Sophia. Despite their unpleasant past, she couldn''t deny Sophia''s smarts and sharp tongue, which was capable of putting even a champion debater to shame. Whenever Sophia argued with someone, she would calmly bombard her opponent with irrefutable points. Half of her victory would be secured before her opponent even said a single word. Consequently, Sophia''s earlier words caused the expressions of the arrogant trio to change drastically. The woman heading the trio nced at Sophia before shifting her eyes to Megan. In the end, she returned her attention to Sophia still. ¡°Who the heck are you? Do you even know what happened? She was the one who crashed into us from behind. This car was supposed to be used as dowry for an uing wedding. Just look at the huge scratch on our new car. Isn''t it clear that you should compensate us?¡± ¡°If you hadn''t mmed on the brakes all of a sudden, I wouldn''t have done the same, let alone hit your car from behind. You''re the one to me, not me. Also, the bumper of my car has been damaged. Since you''re the one at fault, you should be paying me for my losses instead.¡± ¡°What are you saying? You''re the one who hit the brakes out of nowhere!¡± Megan''s temper was never good, to begin with. With Sophia by her side, she no longer feared their numbers as she began to argue with thedy. Standing there, Sophia stared at the two men who seemed to be scrutinizing her. As an indiscernible smile broke out across her face, she looked to the man on her right and asked, ¡°Have you installed a dashcam in your new car?¡± Sophia''s question made the man feel self-conscious. Meanwhile, the woman quarreling with Megan exchanged nces with the man before easing her tone. ¡°Obviously, we hadn''t had time to install one.¡± Sophia shed a smile as she asked Megan, ¡°Since your car isn''t new, I''m sure you have a dashcam installed.¡± Megan, who wasn''t a fool, immediately realized where Sophia was going with her question. ¡°Yes, I do have a dashcam. I''m sure it has recorded who it was that mmed on the brakes first.¡± With that thought in mind, Megan looked up and turned toward the woman''s phone camera. ¡°My friend has called the police on my behalf. Once they''re here, they will determine who is to me. If it''s indeed my fault, I''ll apologize to you. If the reverse is true, I don''t need your apology. You just need to pay for my repairs.¡± Megan let out a snort as she spoke. ¡°Just so you know, I have never been taken advantage of by anyone before.¡± As Sophia had gotten Katherine to call the police before she came over, they arrived right after Megan finished. At the sight of the police officers, the trio promptly requested for the matter to be settled privately. The officers naturally agreed since it was a trivial matter. Megan was driving a Lexus on that day. The ident had left a fifteen-centimeter-long scratch on the car, and the bumper was cracked. If they were to take the insurance route, the repairs would cost at least ten thousand. After the trio paid for the damages, Sophia called out to them right before they left, ¡°Wait, there''s one more thing.¡± Sophia was wearing a long, turquoise-blue chiffon dress. She had porcin white skin and spoke in a gentle and amiable tone. Therefore, the trio found it hard to be rude despite the resentment they felt. Nheless, the woman let out an impatient snort. ¡°We have agreed topensate you and even apologized. What else do you want?¡± Although Megan was satisfied with the oue, she knew that Sophia must have her reasons for stopping the trio. Thus, she watched on without saying a word. Letting out a chuckle, Sophia pointed at the woman''s phone. ¡°Officer, thisdy recorded a video of us and put us on a live stream. I can forget about the live stream, but we have the right to demand that she deletes the video since we were the ones that were captured on the video.¡± After a brief pause, Sophia continued, ¡°Of course you can choose not to delete it, but that will result in us resolving this at the police station. As you didn''t obtain our permission when you filmed us, that would make the video an illegal recording, no?¡± The mention of the topic by Sophia reminded Megan of the matter''s importance. ¡°Delete the video, or I''m not going to settle today''s matter privately!¡± With that, the woman brought out her phone reluctantly and deleted the video in front of everyone. Sophia cocked a brow. ¡°I have no right to check your phone. Since you have deleted the video, we''ll treat it as such. That said, if any pictures or videos were to surface online and negatively affect us, we''ll definitely take legal action against you.¡± No sooner had Sophia finished than she waved her phone in the air. ¡°I already have a recording of our conversation with these two officers as witnesses. Ma''am, if you have no objections to what I said, please say ''I agree.''¡° The scowl on thedy''s face deepened once Sophia was done. ¡°I agree!¡± the woman replied through gritted teeth, signaling the conclusion of the matter. Thereafter, Megan couldn''t help but stare in admiration of Sophia. ¡°You''re amazing, Sophia. Let me buy you a meal to thank you for all that you''ve done.¡± Sophia threw her a nce before pointing at Katherine inside the car. ¡°My friend is still waiting for me, so I''ll have to take a rain check. Be more careful on the road next time.¡± After she finished, Sophia strode back to her car. Watching Sophia''s dress billowing in the wind, Megan, for the very first time, was awed by the former''s beauty. Sophia is truly gorgeous and kind. Was I so blinded in the past to think badly of her? I guess I really was blind. Chapter 492 Chapter 492 Growing impatient inside the car, Katherine felt the urge to get out if Sophia was not back soon. Just as Sophia got back in, she raised a brow upon noticing Katherine closing her door. ¡°What are you doing?¡± shing a sheepish smile, Katherine changed the subject. ¡°Has it been resolved?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Sophia hummed while giving Katherine a look of amusement. Feeling awkward from the stare she received, Katherine remarked, ¡°I''m hungry. Let''s get something to eat, Soph!¡± The suggestion brought a smile to Sophia''s face as she retracted her gaze and began to drive. After the meal, Joshua came over to pick Katherine up. Sophia, who was left with the car, drove back to the mansion on her own. Amidst the darkness of the night, Sophia stood on the balcony and gazed at the distant stars in the sky. It wasn''t until a long whileter that she walked back inside. She felt like seeing udius, but he was upied with work. With so much free time on her hands, Sophia could visit the boxing gym more often. Many new members had joined the gym over thest half year. A young boy who came out of nowhere waited there for Sophia every day after seeing her once. Upon learning about the matter, the nosey Katherine was tempted to see if the boy was good-looking or not, triggering an eye roll from Sophia. She then rubbed her belly andmented, ¡°Fine. I won''t.¡± Sophia snorted as she asked, ¡°What would you like to eatter?¡± When Katherine showed Sophia her phone, thetter nced at it and replied, ¡°Got it.¡± With that, she started driving slowly. During the journey, Katherine sucked the lollipop in her hand. ¡°Your birthday is next week, Soph. Do you want to organize a party this year?¡± Tapping her finger on the steering wheel, Sophia pondered upon the matter before replyingnguidly, ¡°Not really.¡± She didn''t feel like seeing anyone in particr or celebrating her birthday. Katherine pouted before tilting her head at Sophia. ¡°All right then. Let''s just have dinner together.¡± The suggestion drew a beam from Sophia, for it was something eptable to her. ¡°Sure.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Having known each other for many years, the three of them would always celebrate their birthdays with a meal, to the extent of it bing a tradition. As the days passed quickly in summer, Sophia''s birthday arrived in the blink of an eye. All this while, her birthday celebrations had always been low-key, as she didn''t like being in a crowd, especially one where she was the center of attention. Therefore, she would only have dinner with Katherine and Joshua during the asion. It wasn''t until her divorce from Alexander that she agreed to let Katherine organize a party just to not let thetter worry. However, this year was different. On top of Katherine being pregnant, Sophia wasn''t in the mood. Having received the same answer despite asking multiple times, the former abandoned the idea of throwing a birthday party for Sophia. As the days were long in Jadeborough during the month of July, the sky was still bright when Sophia stepped out of Odyssey. Even though it wasn''t even six yet, the roads were already clogged with traffic. This year, instead of celebrating the birthday at the club they frequented, they did so in Katherine''s newly rented condominium. Coincidentally, it was the same one which Alexander used to stay in previously. Due to the traffic, the sky was painted ming red by the time Sophia arrived. After parking her car, she grabbed her bag and proceeded into the condominium block. Security was extremely tight in this high-end condominium. Nheless, as it wasn''t Sophia''s first time there, security didn''t stop her. The facial recognition system of the surveince cameras already recognized her. Upon arriving on the thirteenth floor, the ding of the elevator preceded its opening doors. Once Sophia stepped out, she was greeted by the sight of two units on the floor. Nevertheless, a single nce was all she needed to tell which one was Katherine''s. After walking over and pressing on the doorbell, Sophia waited for a few moments before Katherine opened the door for her. Seven months into her pregnancy, the bump on Katherine''s belly was unmistakable. ¡°Happy Birthday, Soph!¡± Sophia was all smiles as she stood still and gave Katherine free rein to hug her. However, thetter was swiftly pulled back by Joshua. ¡°What are y¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Katherine was cowed by the look on Joshua''s face. As a result, she held Sophia''s hand to lead thetter in while mumbling under her breath, ¡°He''s so petty!¡± Sophia snorted in response. ¡°It''s my birthday today. Can you tone down on your lovey-doveyness?¡± Katherine turned around and threw Sophia a nce before patting her own lips. ¡°Oops.¡± After being led to the dining table, Sophia was greeted by a smorgasbord of food. She could immediately tell that they weren''t prepared by Katherine. ¡°Did you order them?¡± Sophia turned her attention toward Joshua, who nodded in response. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± I knew it! Sitting down with a grin, Sophia watched Joshuay a napkin for Katherine. The heartwarming sight suddenly made her long for Alexander. It wasn''t until Katherine seemingly said something that Sophia regained her senses and put her napkin on herp. All this while, Katherine had always been the life of the party, for Joshua and Sophia shared simr demeanors¡ªboth of them were more reserved. Katherine''s incessant chattering had managed to prevent the event from turning into a boring affair. Sophia arched a brow as she listened to Katherine reminisce about their school days. ¡°Back in the day, didn''t you copy either mine or Joshua''s mathematics homework?¡± Katherine, who was just bragging about how the mathematics teacher praised her, replied, ¡°That''s not entirely urate, as I didn''t copy everything.¡± Sophia scoffed jokingly, ¡°Obviously you had to make one or two mistakes to avoid raising the teacher''s suspicion.¡± Katherine was rendered speechless. This is too much, Soph! When they chatted about the past, even the usually quiet Joshua couldn''t resist joining in. Sophia, who was in a good mood, took a sip of wine. Unable to drink, Katherine could only look on in envy from opposite her. All of a sudden, she asked, ¡°By the way, Sophia, you haven''t told us why you fell for Alexander.¡± Joshua and Katherine only knew that she had a crush on Alexander a long time ago but wasn''t privy to the reason. Sophia was briefly stunned after being caught off guard by the question. Upon regaining her senses, she teased them with a grin, ¡°Why don''t you make a guess?¡± The other two were stumped for words. It''s impossible to guess something like that! With her curiosity triggered by Sophia, there was just no turning back for the nosey Katherine. Unfortunately, despite Katherine''s best efforts to persuade her, Sophia kept insisting that the former guess. Once Sophia had cut the cake, it was almost time for the pregnant Katherine to rest. Present in hand, Sophia waved goodbye and told them she could show herself out. However, right before she stepped out of the door, Katherine grabbed her hand. ¡°No, you must answer me. Why did you fall for Alexander back then?¡± Sophia gave Katherine a look before lowering her head and curling her lips slightly. Thereafter, she raised her head with her eyes brimming with glee. Staring at Katherine, Sophia let out a chuckle before saying, ¡°I was probably turned on by the sight of him.¡± Mesmerized by Sophia''s smile, Katherine took a while to regain her senses. ¡°Soph, you had better not sh that smile of yours indiscriminately. You might end up causing trouble.¡± No one can resist that smile. Even I, a girl, can''t stop myself from sumbing to it. Meanwhile, Sophia gave her the side eye. ¡°I''m going off now. You should shower and go to bed.¡± With Joshua standing behind her, Katherine had no choice but toply. Hence, all she could do was watch Sophia leave and close the door behind her. Chapter 493 Chapter 493 After entering the elevator, Sophia watched the door shut slowly before pressing the button with the number twenty-eight. It was her birthday, and she missed Alexander terribly. Nheless, she knew Alexander was extremely upied in Moranta, not to mention he had not recovered his memory. That was why Sophia dared not expect too much. It just so happened that she came to the condominium Alexander used to live in. More importantly, she was feeling a little downcast and did not want to return to the mansion. Although the condominium had been unupied for two years, it still had traces of Alexander from his past residence. The elevator took only about twenty seconds to move from the thirteenth floor to the twenty-eighth. When the elevator stopped and opened its doors with a ding, Sophia recollected herself, stared ahead, and walked out. It was her second time visiting Alexander''s condominium, so it took her only a few seconds to find the door. Thebination to the lock was her birthday. After she keyed in the numbers, the door beeped and unlocked. Pushing the heavy door open, Sophia stepped into the house and subconsciously turned on the lights, only to recall that the main switch was not turned on. She smiled at the realization and took out her phone to turn on the shlight. The moment she looked up again, she noticed that there was lighting from the living room. Sophia was momentarily stunned. How did a thief break in when this condominium has such a great security system? It did not take long for her to realize the lighting from the living room was from a balloon. Stunned yet again, Sophia entered the living room to find the television disying the words: Happy Birthday, Sophia. Even so, the house was awfully quiet; not a single voice could be heard. The entire ceiling was filled with floating balloons that lit up half of the living room. That was when Sophia spotted the card on the coffee table. She bent over and picked the card up that read: There''s a surprise in the master bedroom. The statement made Sophia cock her brow in puzzlement. Nevertheless, she made her way around the couch to the hallway and saw pots of red roses hanging on both sides. Adorning the roses were little fairy lights that flickered in a pattern that indicated Sophia to head in the master bedroom''s direction. Hence, she followed the lights and walked to the bedroom. As the door was not shut tightly, Sophia pushed it open and was greeted by a romantically decorated interior that had a warm glow. Still, no one was to be seen. More fairy lights arranged into an arrow were pointing toward the walk-in closet. The first thing that caught her attention were the roses and fairy lights on the bed. In fact, the room was decorated with gorgeous bouquets of roses, filling the air with a wonderful floral scent. After admiring the interior for a while, Sophia retracted her gaze and entered the walk-in closet. As soon as she got in, she saw a man getting up from the stool used to change one''s shoes in the middle of the space. ¡°Happy birthday, Sophia.¡± Sophia stared nkly at udius, unable to believe her eyes for a moment. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°It''s your birthday.¡± udius gazed at her, his dark eyes sparkling with warmth. Right then, Sophia walked over and brought the card to his face. ¡°Did you prepare all of this? Did Mr. Schild tell you¡ª¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. udius suddenly got on one knee before she could finish her sentence. Sophia was taken aback for once. All she could do was stare at the kneeling man, not knowing how to react. ¡°This might be a little sudden, but I''ve been wanting to propose to you ever since I regained my memories. I''ve waited for fifty-two days, and the day has finallye. Ms. Sophia Yarrow, I''m asking you from the bottom of my heart. Will you marry me?¡± There was so much information in his speech that Sophia, who was usually calm, was rendered speechless. She simply stood frozen to the spot, surprised by udius'' recovery and delighted by his proposal. However, thebination of the two pieces of information left her at a loss for what to do. She did not know which to deal with first. Moreover, Perrin did not seem particrly fond of Alexander. While she was thinking about that, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from outside, ¡°Say yes. Soph, say yes!¡± It was Katherine, and standing beside her were Joshua, Perrin, Lukas, Kylie, and the others. Katherine took the lead to cheer, emboldening Charlize to join the former. Sophia nced at the crowd behind her and smiled suddenly. ¡°Seeing that you''re this prepared, I will marry you, Alexander.¡± Upon hearing her answer, Alexander looked up at her and carefully slipped the ring he had prepared onto her finger. The sight of the ring shocked Sophia. This ring... It''s the one Alexander got designed before we divorced back then. The ring was slipped onto her finger while she was still gripped with surprise. After that, Alexander got to his feet and slipped an arm around Sophia''s waist. Motivated by Katherine''s and Charlize''s cheers, he nted a kiss on Sophia''s forehead. It was such a light peck that it felt like a gentle tap on Sophia''s forehead. Immediately, she returned to her senses, and she felt her face grow hot with shyness as she swept a nce over the group of friends and family present. Just then, all the lights in the house were turned on, and the interior brightened. Sophia immediately caught the twinkle in Alexander''s dark eyes. She, too, could not help but smile when she lowered her gaze to study the ring on her finger. ¡°Another kiss! Another kiss!¡± Katherine cheered, encouraging Charlize to join her as well. Sophia eyed the two and smiled. ¡°That''s some acting skills.¡± Katherine chickened out because of Sophia''s stare, and she hurriedly threw herself into Joshua''s arms and stopped cheering. Now that Katherine had backed out, Charlize, too, lost the courage to carry on. Meanwhile, Sophia retracted her gaze and was about to approach Perrin when Alexander suddenly interlocked his hand with hers. While she subconsciously looked at Alexander, he led her to Perrin. ¡°Mr. Dawson, I know this proposal''s a little sudden, but please trust me. I won''t let Sophia down again.¡± The Dawson family knew what Sophia had been through when Alexander got into that ident. Compared to the past when he could never agree to their rtionship, Perrin hade to ept the situation. After all, Sophia was living a much better life than before. Perrin nced at Sophia before shifting his attention to Alexander. ¡°Sophia''s not alone this time. If you dare bully her again, Lukas will teach you a lesson without needing my instructions.¡± With that, he turned to his granddaughter, saying, ¡°Happy birthday, Sophia.¡± Sophia gazed at him and shed him a grateful smile. ¡°Thank you, Granddad.¡± It was gettingte, and all the rushing over from Doveston exhausted Perrin. Thus, Alexander instructed someone to send the Dawson family to a hotel and handle everything from there. Just like that, Sophia and Alexander were the only ones left at the condominium. Chapter 494 Chapter 494 Sophia lowered her head to look at the ring on her finger with a dazed look on her face. It was only when Alexander walked over and pulled her into his embrace did she snap out of it. Looking at him, she asked, ¡°When did you regain your memories?¡± The usual indifference in Alexander''s eyes was reced with gentleness as he stroked Sophia''s ring. When he lowered his gaze at her, he broke out into a smile. ¡°It happened not long after you returned to the country.¡± With a raised brow, Sophia asked, ¡°It happened suddenly?¡± Alexander''s brow twitched, and his gaze returned to Sophia''s ring. ¡°Yep.¡± His reaction only made Sophia feel as if something was wrong, for he was clearly avoiding her gaze. All of a sudden, she recalled that uneasy feeling she had felt two months ago when she returned from Moranta. That night, she could not sleep well because Alexander did not reply to her text. Now that she thought about it, she figured something must have happened on the day she left. ¡°What happened?¡± It was clear to Alexander that the matter could not be hidden from her. Moreover, it had been two months since then, not to mention he was fine. In fact, it was a blessing in disguise that he regained his memory because of the incident Bruce and the others caused. He stared at her for a moment before starting, ¡°There was a little ident that day.¡± ¡°A little ident?¡± Sophia eyed Alexander with a half-hearted smile, clearly not believing his words. Sensing her doubt, Alexander caressed her face and smiled helplessly. ¡°On the night you left, I encountered Bruce''s men after my meeting. They had guns, so Joe and Allen told me to hide in order to protect me. While they dealt with those men, someone came around and found me. I failed to dodge in time, so I got shot in the abdomen and fell. I remembered everything when I woke up after the surgery.¡± Alexander was as cool as a cucumber when he recounted the entire incident. It was as if the incident was nothing. It had been two months since it happened. Although Alexander had regained his memories and was standing in one piece before Sophia, she could not help but feel shocked. She subconsciously nced at his abdomen when she finished listening to his story. ¡°Was it here?¡± While saying that, she reached out to lift his shirt. The scar on Alexander''s abdomen was still rather obvious under the bright lights, even though it had been more than two months. Sophia''s head was lowered as she stared at it, her finger that held the shirt trembling. After staring at it for some time, she looked up at him and gently ced her finger on the scar. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Alexander took her hand and shook his head. ¡°Not anymore.¡± In fact, he did not feel any pain when he got shot since he passed out after his fall. Then again, they were living in an era of peace. He knew Sophia would be worried sick if he told her about him getting shot. Bruce and Truce also kept a watchful eye on Alexander during that period of time. That was why the latter dared not contact Sophia even after regaining his memories. For one, he feared the duo might attack Sophia out of desperation. Secondly, he wanted to deal with the duo as soon as he recovered and give Sophia a surprise. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Now that Bruce and Truce were not worth being afraid of, Alexander naturally did not want to wait any longer. Sophia touched the scar again. More than two months had passed, and only a scar remained in the ce of the gunshot wound. He shouldn''t be feeling any pain now since it has be a scar. Sophia pressed her finger gently against the scar before retracting her hand and strolling to the countertop to boil some water. As the steam rose from the kettle, Alexander followed closely behind Sophia, unsure if thetter was angry. The duo simply stood there in silence; only the sound of water boiling could be heard in the house. When the water came to a boil, Sophia poured herself a cup and ced it on the countertop. Propping her chin up, she stared at Alexander through the steam rising from the cup. ¡°You remembered everything two months ago?¡± There was a subtle smile on Sophia''s face when those words left her mouth, but the smile did not reach her eyes. Naturally, Alexander understood what she meant. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Alexander gazed at her, his eyes brimming with sincerity with a tinge of grievance. Snorting lightly, Sophia said, ¡°I don''t deserve your apology, Mr. Xenos.¡± Indeed, Sophia was not mad, but the thought of Alexander hiding two major pieces of information from her during their calls for the past two months annoyed her. ¡°I didn''t mean to keep it from you. I just wanted to give you a surprise.¡± ¡°It was quite a pleasant surprise,¡±mented Sophia while ncing at the ring. She removed her right hand from under her chin and twisted the ring on her finger. Atst, she gave up on the idea of removing it. After a brief pause, she said, ¡°That only applies to the proposal.¡± The rest was not much of a pleasant surprise for her. Feeling guilty, Alexander gave the woman an apologetic look. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Is that the only thing you know how to say, Mr. Xenos?¡± Sophia nced at him. It was Alexander''s first time seeing Sophia angry since they got back together, and it reminded him of the time they first got divorced. Feeling helpless, he went around the countertop and hugged her from the back. ¡°I''m sorry, Sophia. I just didn''t want Bruce and the others to hurt you.¡± The two had not met each other for more than two months, yet Alexander chose to propose the moment they reunited, not to mention giving her the huge ¡°surprise.¡± It would be a lie if Sophia said she was not delighted but she was displeased, too. However, the frustration in her seemed to melt away when he hugged her. Sophia merely watched the steaming cup of hot water without saying a word. Meanwhile, the man standing behind her rested his chin on her shoulder and took her hand. ¡°This ring was made long ago. I''m sure Samuel told you about it before.¡± There was a brief pause before he continued, ¡°The only reason I chose to propose here on this very day is that I didn''t want to wait any longer. That''s why I asked for Mr. Dawson''s permission before sending him off.¡± He took her arm and spun her around so they could face each other. Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, he suggested, ¡°Let''s go to City Hall tomorrow, Sophia.¡± This time, Alexander swore to never let go of her again. His seriousness took her by surprise. As she carefully took in the face of the man in front of her, she suddenly could not bring herself to be angry anymore. ¡°All right.¡± She curled her lips, and her eyes that stared into the other pair twinkled. Chapter 495 Chapter 495 Alexander, too, smiled in response. ncing at the ring, he exined, ¡°I originally wanted to get a new ring designed, but this pair...¡± He paused momentarily before resuming, ¡°I originally wanted to make it a gift for our fifth-year anniversary.¡± The two had been married for three years and divorced for two, which meant it would be their fifth year of being together that year. Alexander then removed his ring and slipped it onto Sophia''s ring. That was when Sophia realized the two rings formed the number ¡°five¡± when they were ced that way. Sophia was pleasantly surprised by the discovery. ¡°Don''t change it. I love the ring.¡± After all, it also signified that the three years they had spent together were not wasted. Now that the water had cooled a little, Sophia raised the cup and took a sip. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Alexander nced at her and added, ¡°These will be our engagement rings. We''ll see a designer tomorrow to get a pair of wedding rings designed.¡± Having finished the water, Sophia turned sideways and hummed in agreement. Abruptly, Alexander carried her into his arms. Stunned, Sophia hurriedly wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his shoulder, letting him take her to the master bedroom. Momentster, Sophia was deposited on the bed. It wasrge and soft, so much so that Sophia sank a little into the bed when shey on it. Since it was her birthday that day, she wore a nicer-looking dress, as insisted by Katherine. The hem of her dress spread out as she was ced on the bed, so she subconsciously adjusted it. As soon as that was done, she felt the other side of the bed sink a little, causing her grip to tighten around her dress. She turned her head sideways and met the man''s passionate gaze. Staring at the man who was only an arm''s reach from her, she smiled. ¡°Aren''t you tired from being on a ne for more than ten hours?¡± Alexander had taken the first ne from Moranta as soon as he ended his meeting at noon and settled all the urgent tasks. Immediately after the nended, he rushed to Doveston and informed Perrin about his intentions to propose before making arrangements for the Dawson family to witness it that night. For the past thirty hours, the only time Alexander managed to get some shut-eye was during his ten- hour flight. Unfortunately, he was a light sleeper. It was pretty much impossible for him to sleep on a ne. Hence, strictly speaking, Alexander never slept for the past thirty hours. He was undoubtedly tired, but he missed her more than anything. Alexander''s eyes bored into hers for a good two seconds before he grabbed her by the back of the head and kissed her lips. His action spoke volumes. The two had not seen each other for more than two months, and their desire for each other was mutual. Besides, it was a special day for Sophia. She had been thinking of the man in front of him ever since she left Katherine''s house. So many things had happened that day, and each one of them filled Sophia with joy. When Alexander kissed her on the lips, she responded by wrapping her arms around his waist. ¡°Sophia,¡± he called out in a deep voice, leaving a ticklish sensation in her ear. Sophia lifted her head slightly, revealing her sparkling eyes that made Alexander feel hot all of a sudden. As he took in her beautiful eyes, he swallowed hard and slipped his hands up her back, pulling her closer to his body. That was when Sophia felt something unusual between his legs. It was hot and hard. His kisses had gotten much gentler, yet Sophia felt herself getting less sober, as if she was soaking in a large tub of warm water. In her daze, her dress was already removed and on the ground. She could not help but shiver a little as the cold air from the air conditioner brushed her skin. ¡°I missed you so much.¡± Alexander pulled away from her lips and gazed at her again. Sophia''s eyes were lowered, and hershes trembled when she heard his words. In the next second, hisrge hands that were around her waist pushed her forward, making her groan. The excitement was too much for her to bear. Soon, the temperature in the room rose. By the time Alexander carried her out of the bathroom, she was too weak to move. An intimate atmosphere lingered in the room as Sophiay on the bed, her cheeks still flushed from the activity. Alexander reached for the nearby nket and ced it over them, leaning down to kiss her forehead. ¡°Goodnight, Precious.¡± The form of address left Sophia''s heart racing for a long time, and the man beside her had drifted off to sleep by the time she recollected herself. She, too, was exhausted herself. Thus, it did not take long for her to fall asleep to his steady breathing. The room was still dim when she woke up. Even Alexander was not awake yet. Realizing that, she turned her head to look at Alexander, who was still sound asleep. Alexander must''ve rushed back yesterday. Sophia guessed he had not slept much for the past few days. After all, he rushed back from Moranta and even brought the Dawson family over to witness the proposal. One had to work without stopping to rest to be able to aplish so many things in such a short time. The dark circles under his eyes gave her the urge to touch them. To her surprise, Alexander opened his eyes the moment her hands touched him. Seeing his eyes fluttering open, Sophia pulled her hand away only to have it caught by Alexander before she could do it. There was a bleary look in his eyes instead of his usual alert gaze. Even so, Sophia could not help but feel embarrassed under it. She struggled to free her hand, but Alexander only tightened his grip. Sophia flushed bright red after being stared at for several seconds. ¡°I''m getting up.¡± With that, she tried to pull her hand out, but to no avail. To her surprise, Alexander exerted some force and pulled her into his embrace. Just like that, their faces were now only a few centimeters apart. Every breath he exhalednded on her face, leaving Sophia''s face feeling hotter. His gaze was still pinned on her, the bleariness in his bottomless eyes gone and reced with tenderness. Unable to endure his persistent stare, Sophia quickly covered his eyes with her hand. ¡°Don''t look at me like that, Alexander.¡± When she said that, her face was burning hot. Alexander chuckled in response and moved her hand. ¡°Why?¡± Knowing what his intentions were, Sophiaughed in exasperation. Just as she was about to respond, she felt something hot in her palm. She froze and quickly withdrew her hand when she snapped back to reality. Chapter 496 Chapter 496 While Alexander was not paying attention, Sophia got off the bed. ¡°I''m going to freshen up.¡± She turned around and quickly ran into the bathroom. By the time Sophia came out of the bathroom, Alexander was already up and sitting on the edge of the bed. Propping one hand on his thigh, he held his phone with the other hand to answer a call. Sophia nced at him. Without saying a word, she sat down at the vanity table. Alexander turned his head slightly to look at Sophia. After casually responding to the person on the other end of the phone, he hung up and went into the bathroom. It wasn''t that early when they both got up. Although the apartment was regrly cleaned, there wasn''t much food in the refrigerator because it had been a while since anyone stayed there. Sophia was about to suggest going out for breakfast when the doorbell rang. She instinctively nced back at Alexander. As he handed her a cup of warm water, he exined, ¡°I ordered breakfast.¡± Smiling, Sophia reached out and took the cup. After taking a sip of the warm water, she then sat down at the dining table. Soon, Alexander returned with breakfast. By the time they finished breakfast and prepared to leave, it was already around ten o''clock. While Sophia sat in the car, her heart pounded. Last night, Alexander mentioned that they would go to register their marriage today. Sophia thought he was just casually mentioning it, but he actually took her to City Hall after breakfast. When the car stopped, Sophia collected her thoughts and nced at City Hall across the road. Turning to look at Alexander beside her, she announced, ¡°We''ve arrived.¡± Alexander unfastened his seatbelt and nced at her. ¡°Yes, we''ve arrived,¡± he murmured. Then, he got out of the car, came around, and opened Sophia''s car door. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Sophia looked up at him and ced her hand on his as she stepped out of the car. ¡°There are so many people.¡± It seemed to be an auspicious day for people to get married because there were many couples at City Hall that day. As soon as Sophia walked in, she saw a long waiting line. There were already at least twelve couples waiting. Alexander nced at Sophia briefly. Then, holding her hand, he kept walking inside until they reached the third person in line. The person was stunned for a moment before quickly smiling at Alexander and Sophia. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow, you''re here.¡± Sophia was taken aback when Alexander pulled her into the queue. It was only then that she realized that he had already arranged for someone to queue for them earlier. Thanks to Alexander''s preparation in advance, they didn''t have to wait long at City Hall. Shortly after they arrived, it was their turn to register for marriage. This wasn''t Sophia''s first marriage, and she was marrying the same person this time. However, after many years, her state of mind was different. The whole process didn''t take much time. When they came out of City Hall, only half an hour had passed. Sophia looked down at her second and new marriage certificate in her hand. As she stared at the gold- foiled words ¡°marriage certificate¡± glinting under the bright sunlight, Sophia suddenly felt dazed. On the day she and Alexander registered their marriage for the first time, the weather was just as good. At the time, she believed that it was a sign that her married life would be filled with happiness. However, things didn''t go as she had hoped. The past three years of marriage had not been happy for her. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Seeing that Sophia was silent, Alexander raised his hand and gently brushed her hair. As she felt his warm fingertips graze her cheek, she collected her thoughts and looked at him with an eyebrow raised. Smiling slightly, she replied, ¡°I didn''t think that you''d be the one by my side again when I get my second marriage certificate.¡± Alexander was reminded of the past upon hearing Sophia''s words, but it was not a memory he wanted to reminisce about. ¡°This time, I''ll keep the marriage certificates.¡± As he spoke, he reached out to take the marriage certificate from Sophia''s hand. Sophia reacted quickly and shifted her hand slightly to avoid his hand. Eyes narrowed, she looked at Alexander with an amused expression on her face. ¡°Why don''t we keep our own certificates?¡± When they got married back then, Sophia suggested that she should keep their marriage certificates the moment they walked out of City Hall. At the time, she didn''t have any ulterior motives. She simply thought that men were not meticulous about such matters. If she kept the certificates, it might be more convenient to find themter. However, Alexander merely gave her a cold look and said, ¡°Just take care of your own things,¡± before leaving. Now that their roles were reversed, Sophia couldn''t help but retort back using his words. Alexander''s eyes glinted when he saw the smugness in Sophia''s eyes. As he lowered his head and nced at the marriage certificate in his hand, his lips curled up slightly. Then, cing his marriage certificate in Sophia''s hand, he said, ¡°I shall let you keep them then, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Sophia snorted softly, but she didn''t refuse. After obtaining the marriage certificates, the next thing to do would be to inform the Dawsons about it. Just as Sophia was about to mention it, Alexander informed her that he had already made lunch ns with Perrin and the others. Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°It seems like you have it all nned out.¡± Alexander didn''t deny it. ¡°Yes, I''ve been nning this for a long time.¡± He looked down at her, his dark eyes reflecting the sunlight and her figure. Sophia''s face flushed a little under his gaze. Averting her eyes, she broke the silence. ¡°Let''s go.¡± With that, she started walking toward the pedestrian crossing ahead. When she reached the pedestrian crossing, Sophia realized that Alexander hadn''t followed her. Puzzled, she turned back to look at him, only to see that he was still standing in the same spot and holding his phone up in her direction. Sophia realized that Alexander was taking a photo. After putting away his phone, he strode over to her side and took her hand. ¡°You''re taking pictures in secret?¡± Sophia nced at him and snorted. ¡°It''s not in secret,¡± he replied. He took the photo openly. Alexander showed Sophia the photo he had just taken. ¡°I want to post it on social media.¡± Alexander had some talent for photography, indeed. This was the first time Sophia had seen a photo taken by him, with herself as the main subject. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. In the photo, she was standing under a streetmp. There was a zebra crossing in front of her, a road sign behind, and a row of trees further back. The sun was still not quite scorching in thete morning. Hence, the rays that fell on her face were warm and gentle. In the photo, she was looking back at Alexander with happiness in her eyes. It was a stunning photo. Sophia stared at it for a long time before managing a reply. ¡°Oh.¡± If she openly praised the photo, it would feel a bit like self-praise. ¡°I''m going to post it on Twitter,¡± Alexander added. Sophia looked down at their entwined fingers and casually responded, ¡°Okay.¡± Just then, the traffic light on the opposite side of the road finally turned green. Sophia gathered her thoughts and said, ¡°The light''s green.¡± Alexander put away his phone. Hand in hand, they walked to the other side together. As Sophia tilted her head slightly and leaned toward Alexander, the joy in her heart surged uncontrobly. What a pleasant day! Chapter 497 Chapter 497 It was about twenty minutes until noon when the car stopped in front of Mirage. Sophia and Alexander could be considered celebrities in this city. As soon as they arrived at the entrance, a waiter was already assigned to take them to a private room. The private room had been booked by Alexander through Felix the day before. It was a VIP room located on the third floor. Alexander and Sophia were early. The Dawsons hadn''t arrived yet. After the waiter led them to the entrance of the private room, he opened the door and gestured for them to enter. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow, please.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± With a polite smile, Sophia followed Alexander and stepped into the room. After putting down her bag, she asked, ¡°What time did you arrange for the meeting to be?¡± Alexander nced at her as he shifted the tea that the waiter had brought to the side. ¡°Twelve o''clock.¡± Sophia nodded in response. Then, she took out her phone to reply to Katherine''s message. Yesterday, Katherine deliberately led Sophia to the condominium with a rather convincing performance to help Alexander carry out his proposal. When Sophia woke up early this morning, she received a bunch of messages from Katherine. IgnoringPlease check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. the quirky emojis and irrelevant questions, she only answered a few of Katherine''s inquiries. After hesitating for a moment, Sophia told Katherine about her marriage registration before setting off to City Hall. After sending the message, Katherine didn''t reply. There had been no response from her until just now. Sophia took out her phone and saw that Katherine had sent her more than ten messages with a series of emojis representing shock and disbelief. Finally, seemingly unable to believe it, she asked: Are you really married to Alexander now? Sophia nced at her newly issued red marriage certificate inside her bag and smiled lightly. Then, she swiftly took a photo of the certificate and sent it to Katherine. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Just as Sophia finished sending the photo, Alexander suddenly approached. Feeling inexplicably guilty, she nced at him and shook her head. ¡°Nothing, I''m just replying to Katherine''s message.¡± Alexander nced at Sophia''s phone and noticed the photo she had just sent. His dark eyes flickered as he reached out and took the marriage certificate from Sophia''s hand. ¡°Let me use it for three seconds.¡± Then, he ced it on the table in front of him and blocked any important information before taking a photo. After that, Alexander sent it to his group chat with Samuel and Charles along with the caption: I''m married. Then, Alexander casually handed the marriage certificate back to Sophia. ¡°Done.¡± As he put the certificate back in Sophia''s hand, he couldn''t help raising his hand and gently touching her head the moment he looked into her smiling eyes. ¡°Keep it safe, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Upon hearing how he addressed her, Sophia blushed shyly. As she put the marriage certificate back into her bag, her phone screen flickered nonstop with Katherine''s bombarding messages. Amused by Katherine''s exaggerated reaction, Sophia was about to pick up her phone to reply when the door of the private room was opened. The waiter led Perrin and Kylie inside. Due to a business trip, Kasper couldn''t make it to Jadeborough yesterday to witness Alexander''s proposal to Sophia. As a government official, Lukas couldn''t take time off work either. After Alexander proposed to Sophia yesterday, Lukas took the early morning flight back to Doveston straightaway. Therefore, only Perrin and Kylie were present at the meal today. Perrin had been to Jadeborough before and had dined at Mirage. Thest time he was in Doveston, he couldn''t stand Alexander at all. That day, Perrin didn''t find Alexander too pleasing either. However, so much had happened in the past ten months. After Alexander went missing, Sophia became increasingly dejected. Now that Sophia and Alexander could finally have a happy ending, Perrin could only let go of his dissatisfaction with Alexander and ept him. After all, he knew that Alexander was probably the only man Sophia would love in this lifetime. With these thoughts in Perrin''s mind, his attitude toward Alexander was much betterpared tost time. Kylie wasn''t as hostile toward Alexander as Perrin was. Sophia hadn''t been doing well over the past six months, but now that Alexander had returned, Sophia was visibly happier. Since the two of them obtained their marriage certificates that day and were now legally married, Kylie''s attitude toward Alexander had also softened because of her love for Sophia. Overall, it was quite a joyful lunch. After lunch, Perrin went to meet up with hisrades while Kylie went to meet a good friend whom she hadn''t seen in over a year for afternoon tea. Since Sophia had an important meeting in the afternoon, Alexander was the only one with nothing to do. When the Dawsons arrived, Felix had already arranged a chauffeur and a car for Perrin and Kylie thoughtfully. After lunch, they went their separate ways outside Mirage. Sophia watched Perrin''s car until it disappeared from sight. Only then did she withdraw her gaze and turn to Alexander. Smiling lightly, she asked, ¡°Are you going back to catch up on sleep?¡± Alexander took her hand directly. ¡°I''ll drive you to Odyssey.¡± Sophia caught the underlying meaning in his words and couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I''m going to meet Samuel,¡± Alexander replied. Sophia knew that Alexander and Samuel had a special rtionship. Now that Alexander had returned to the country, it was only natural for Samuel, the son of the Schild family, to meet him. ¡°Oh,¡± Sophia responded. She then followed him to the car. Sophia arrived at Odyssey exactly at half past one. The meeting was scheduled for two o''clock, so after briefly ncing at the documents, she headed straight to the meeting room. After leaving Odyssey, Alexander drove directly to Corona. Since it was his first time going to Corona since the incident, the staff at Corona were taken aback when they saw him. Although rumors that Alexander hadn''t been involved in any incident and had simply gone abroad to explore overseas markets had been circting three months ago, it was all hearsay. Since nobody had seen him in person, they only regarded it as a rumor. After all, Alexander was the only one left in the Xenos family now. If he wanted to expand Odyssey internationally, it would be sufficient enough to send executives overseas. There was no need for Alexander himself to go, especially when he was gone for more than half a year without any news of him. Therefore, everyone was naturally surprised by his appearance. Nheless, the staff at Corona were ustomed to serving prominent figures. They had been trained to stay calm and not let their surprise overwhelm them. Alexander looked at the person before him coldly. ¡°Which private room is Samuel in?¡± Samuel had arrived earlier and had already given instructions to the staff. The staff, who recovered from his daze, quickly led Alexander inside. Halfway down the corridor, Alexander already knew which private room Samuel was in. It had been a while since Alexander hadst visited, but he hadn''t forgotten anything. Soon, the staff stopped in his tracks. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Mr. Schild is waiting for you inside.¡± Nodding, he pushed the door open and entered the room. In the private room, Samuel was still on the phone. When he saw Alexander enter, he paused for a moment before swiftly hanging up the call. ¡°Alex, are you and Sophia really married?¡± Alexander shot him a re. ¡°Forgery of marriage certificates is illegal.¡± Samuel chuckled. ¡°Okay. I guess it''s true then. You said the same thing when you got divorced.¡± Alexander fell silent, irritated by Samuel''s unconstrained mouth. Chapter 498 Chapter 498 It was rare for Samuel to see Alexander looking so deted. Now that Alexander had been rendered speechless by him, Samuel could not help but raise his brows and smirk. ¡°You should remember that since you have regained your memory.¡± It was true. Alexander did say that, but when he heard Samuel mention it, he was annoyed. He looked at Samuel coldly and asked, ¡°Is there anything else?¡± If there was nothing, he was going to leave. Strictly speaking, this was their first time being able to catch up with each other since Alexander''s incident. The moment Samuel heard his question, he dared not tease him anymore. After all, when Alexander said he would leave, he definitely would. Samuel cleared his throat and sat back down. ¡°Have you really regained your memory?¡± Two months ago, Alexander had told him that he could not remember anything. In fact, Alexander had asked him things about Sophia. Alexander threw a scornful look at the wine that was on the table before replying in contempt, ¡°No. Perhaps, you can tell me how Sophia knows about the rings in the condominium.¡± The instant Alexander mentioned that matter, Samuel felt guilty and looked away. Samuel then tried to change the topic. ¡°I heard that the two nephews of Mdm. Lenoir are quite difficult to deal with. How are things at Moranta?¡± Alexander cast a nce in Samuel''s direction and decided not to question him about his betrayal. He stood up, walked to the nearby fridge, and took a bottle of water. ¡°I''m almost done.¡± Samuel looked at the bottle of expensive wine on his table and the bottle of water in Alexander''s hand. He wondered why Alexander preferred the water over the wine. Samuel could not help but sing praises about the wine. ¡°This is good wine.¡± Alexander took a sip of the water and looked at Samuel indifferently. ¡°Later, I''ll be fetching my wife.¡± Samuel, who had yet toe to his senses, said, ¡°Who''s your wife? Didn''t you and Sophia just...¡± Halfway through, realization dawned on Samuel, and he looked at Alexander, speechless. He''s trying to force this lovey-dovey thing down my throat! Seeing that Samuel hade to his senses, Alexander continued, ¡°I can''t drink and drive.¡± Samuel was stumped. That''s enough. I know you are married! Samuel believed that Alexander had regained his memory as thetter was his usual hurtful self again. Samuel kept quiet for a while before asking, ¡°Now that Sophia and you are married, are you nning on staying here for good?¡± ¡°No.¡± Samuel could not help but make a sound of disapproval. ¡°So, both of you n to have a long-distance rtionship?¡± Alexander stared at Samuel as if he was an idiot. ¡°I still need to go back and sort things out.¡± Bruce and Truce were no longer threats, but he had to deal with UI as Rose had put much effort into the organization. Although Alexander did not want to have control over UI, he still epted it because of Rose''s kindness to Sophia when she was still alive. Since he had chosen to ept it, he would naturally ensure UI''s sess. Alexander had spent close to three months setting a trap for Bruce and Truce. In the end, he managed to take them down in one fell swoop. Even though the greatest problem of UI had been resolved, there were still other minor issues that Alexander had to see to. Upon processing what Alexander said, Samuel was happy again. ¡°Does that mean that you will be in Jadeborough from now on?¡± Alexander raised his brows and asked, ¡°What''s wrong? Am I not wee in Jadeborough?¡± ¡°What... If you dare to, say this in front of Charles and the others.¡± ¡°There''s no need for smart people to talk so much.¡± Once again, Samuel had been hit by his sarcasm and was rendered speechless. Alexander is literally forcing me to cut ties with him! Forget it. Since he had lost his memory in the past, I will be kind and not be calctive with him as his brain might not be as fine as before. Samuel controlled himself and changed the topic again. ¡°Do you intend to hand UI over to someone else?¡± Alexander widened his eyes in confusion. ¡°Is the Inte not convenient enough?¡± We can hold meetings online anytime we want to, no? Samuel felt like a fool. Just as he was about to open his mouth, he heard Alexander ask, ¡°Do you know Beatrix Houghton?¡± The quick change of topic caught Samuel off guard. ¡°I do. She''s my fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°Oh, I heard that she bullied my wife in the past.¡± ¡°Uh... I don''t think it counts as bullying.¡± Beatrix was a fussy person. That day, the two women had a misunderstanding, and Beatrix said some awful stuff. Furthermore, given Sophia''s character, nobody could ever bully her. Obviously, Samuel did not dare to utter his thoughts in front of Alexander. If he said it out loud, Alexander would surely kill him. Alexander snickered and said, ¡°There are so many women who are suitable to be your wife. The Houghton family isn''t your only option. Why don''t you marry someone else other than Beatrix?¡± He paused for a while before continuing, ¡°It''s better to find someone you like when ites to marriage.¡± Samuel found those words very familiar. ¡°Since when do you say things like that?¡± ¡°Weren''t you the one who said that before?¡± Samuel thought about it. It was true. Back when Alexander and Sophia got married, Samuel had told Alexander the same thing. Samuel shot Alexander a nce and felt a little guilty. ¡°You''re right. I''ll call off my engagement with the Houghton family.¡± Alexander took a drink of his water and said nonchntly, ¡°That''s your call.¡± Looking at Alexander, Samuel felt like punching him, but he dared not. Even if he dared to, he was no match for Alexander. Forget it. He has hit his head before. Perhaps, his brain isn''t working. Samuel rubbed his nose. ¡°When are you going back to Moranta? Both Charles and Justin want to meet you.¡± It had been a while since the four menst met up with one another. ¡°Maybe next time. I''m not free at the moment.¡± Samuel let out a snort. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to go? You''re leaving so soon after registering your marriage with Sophia? You''re such a scumbag, Alex!¡± Alexander retorted, ¡°Who told you I''m in a hurry to get back?¡± ¡°Then why are you not free?¡± ¡°Because I have just gotten married. I want to keep my wifepany.¡± Samuel was dumbstruck. He had miscalcted. Alexander was a ruthless man. Alexander''s reason made it difficult for a bachelor like Samuel to retort. After all, Samuel did say Alexander would be a scumbag if he left so soon after registering his marriage with Sophia. Samuel could not help but let out a sigh. ¡°All right then. When is the next time that you will be back?¡± ¡°You''ll know when I''m back.¡± What! Looks like Alexander needs a beating. Alexander checked his watch and said, ¡°Is there anything else? If not, I''ll make a move now. I''m going to fetch my wife, and we''re going out for dinner.¡± He kept mentioning his wife, and Samuel could not take it anymore. Initially, Samuel wanted to ask him about something else, but he changed his mind because he refused to be humiliated again. ¡°Nothing. You can go now.¡± Go fetch your wife! ¡°Okay.¡± With that, Alexander put his water down and turned around. Looking at his retreating figure, Samuel called out, ¡°Hey! You¡ª¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Before he could finish his sentence, Alexander opened the private room door and left. Samuel had wanted to ask Alexander when he would be returning to Moranta. Get lost then! Chapter 499 Chapter 499 Sophia had just finished a meeting when Felix, who was standing beside her, informed her, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Xenos is waiting for you in the office.¡± Sophia nodded. Her lips curled into a slight smile as she handed him the documents. ¡°Very well. Please take charge of this project. Thanks!¡± ¡°It''s my pleasure, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Felix took the documents and trailed behind Sophia. When she entered the office, she immediately spotted Alexander, who was already waiting there. Felix and Steve tactfully stood by the office door. After Sophia went inside, Felix even closed the door. Sophia nced at Alexander and remarked, ¡°You''re so fast.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± replied Alexander. ¡°Where''s Felix?¡± Sophia was puzzled. ¡°What''s up?¡± Lifting the bag beside him, Alexander said, ¡°I''m thinking of asking him to distribute our wedding gifts.¡± Sophia''s face flushed in embarrassment. ¡°He''s probably in the office.¡± Casting a nce at her, Alexander walked to the desk and called Felix through the internal line. Felix, who was in the middle of discussing the new project with Steve, was surprised to hear the phone ring. Quickly stopping mid-sentence, he picked up the call. ¡°Ms. Yarrow?¡± ¡°It''s me.¡± The voice that echoed through the receiver wasn''t Sophia''s, but Alexander''s. Felix was even more astounded. ¡°Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Yes. Pleasee over.¡± Alexander hung up immediately after saying that. Felix stole a quick nce at Steve and instructed, ¡°Peruse the details of this project.¡± Tossing the documents to Steve, he hastened toward the office. Standing before the office door, Felix took a moment topose himself and check if his attire was neat. Upon making sure, he raised his hand and gently knocked on the door. It had been a long time since he felt this nervous. Two seconds passed before he even registered that Alexander asked him to enter. He pushed the door open and said, ¡°Hello, Mr. Xenos and Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia was sitting on the plush sofa and sipping on some water. Hearing Felix''s voice, she nced at him and offered a gentle smile, not uttering a word. In an instant, Felix knew that it was Alexander who summoned him. After greeting them, he looked at Alexander, ¡°How may I help you, Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander grabbed the two huge bags on the coffee table and passed them to Felix. Confused, Felix took the bags and was momentarily caught off guard by how heavy they were. Before he could inquire about the bags'' contents, Alexander exined, ¡°These are some wedding gifts. Distribute them to everyone.¡± His words left Felix momentarily stunned. After a brief pause, realization dawned upon Felix. Although he helped set up and arrangest night''s proposal, he was still astonished by how swiftly they registered their marriage. Their marriage was registered just one night after the proposal, which was surprisingly fast. Not many couples in Jadeborough could be as fast as them. Overwhelmed by happiness for Alexander and Sophia''s official union, Felix, who was usually reserved, put on a rare silly grin instead of his typical serious expression. ¡°Certainly, Mr. Xenos. I''ll distribute them to everyone now.¡± Alexander cast a brief nce at Sophia and nodded. ¡°Go on, then.¡± With two heavy bags in hand, Felix walked toward the door. However, before he could exit the office, Alexander called out, ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos?¡± Felix turned back, awaiting further instructions. Alexander said seriously, ¡°Please distribute one hundred and forty-three to each person as mary gifts. I''ll transfer you the moneyter.¡± Although Alexander was known for being a generous boss and leader, there were at least two thousand employees at Odyssey''s headquarters. One hundred and forty-three per person would amount to a total of over two hundred and eighty thousand. Undoubtedly, today was their lucky day. ¡°Got it, Mr. Xenos.¡± Felix left with the bags, making sure to close the office door behind him. Steve was surprised when he saw the huge bags that Felix was carrying. ¡°Mr. Lane, are these souvenirs from Mr. Xenos?¡± Felix couldn''t help but crack a rare smile. ¡°No, they''re actually wedding gifts. Mr. Xenos and Ms. Yarrow just registered their marriage today. Can you help distribute the gifts to everyone?¡± Steve was stunned upon hearing Felix''s words and only snapped back to reality when Felix patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Mr. Xenos and Ms. Yarrow... registered their marriage?¡± he asked in disbelief. Felix raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No, not at all. I''m just really happy for them!¡± Although Steve hadn''t worked in Odyssey as long as Felix, he had been there for nearly six years. He had witnessed the ups and downs of Alexander and Sophia''s rtionship, including their divorce and subsequent remarriage. Even though he was not directly involved, he was heartened to hear the news. Felix, too, shared the sentiment. He had been fond of Sophia from the beginning, and he felt that it was quite a pity when she and Alexander filed for divorce. However, he could onlyment in silence because an outsider like him had no right toment on their rtionship. Later on, just when the two of them reconciled and were about to remarry and spend the rest of their lives together, Alexander went missing for over half a year. Their journey had been long and challenging. Now that they were officially engaged, Felix couldn''t help feeling genuinely happy for them. ¡°Go on and give the gifts to everyone.¡± Felix passed the wedding gifts to Steve, for the former still needed to head to the finance department and arrange for each employee to receive a mary gift of one hundred and forty-three. Meanwhile, in the office, Sophia nced at Alexander after Felix left. Alexander''s actions would cause the news of their remarriage to spread like wildfire throughout Odyssey, and though Sophia was never one to seek attention, she didn''t voice any objections because even though she was not fond of unting, she didn''t hate doing so. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. After all, as a woman, she still loved romantic gestures. ¡°Do we have anything else to take care of?¡± Sophia appeared calm andposed despite feeling embarrassed deep down. Alexander walked over, a faint frown marring his countenance as he looked at her earnestly and asked with a serious tone, ¡°Do you think one hundred and forty-three might be too little? Should I give them one thousand four hundred and thirty-seven instead?¡± Amused, Sophia couldn''t help but chuckle. ¡°Since you''re so rich, it doesn''t really matter, right? By the way, do I get to receive the mary gift too?¡± After all, she would never be sick of money. That huge sum was more than enough to pay for a good meal. Alexander gazed at Sophia as his jet-ck eyes lit up with a glimmer of affection. ¡°Of course.¡± With that, he reached for his phone. Sophia arched an eyebrow when she heard her phone buzzing continuously on the desk. Smiling, she walked over and picked up the phone to see notifications of bank transfers from Alexander. Each sum he transferred had different meanings, with one hundred and forty-three meaning ¡°I love you,¡± one thousand four hundred and thirty-seven meaning ¡°I love you forever,¡± and many, many more. He even added a caption for each transfer so that Sophia would know the special meaning behind those digits. Sophia''s face flushed red after she read the captions. Chapter 500 Chapter 500 Afterpleting the transfers, Alexander dialed Felix''s number. Felix had just arrived at the finance department and had yet to inform the department head about the mary gifts. ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos?¡± Felix wondered why Alexander called him at this moment. Is he thinking of going back on his word? However, after a moment''s consideration, he realized it was unlikely. Though the sum of over two hundred and eighty thousand was huge to them, it was probably nothing in Alexander''s eyes. That sum was just enough for him to buy a car or a watch, which was as simple as grocery shopping for him. As expected, Alexander immediately said, ¡°Make the value of the mary gift one thousand four hundred and thirty-seven.¡± One thousand four hundred and thirty-seven stands for ¡°I love you forever.¡± Felix felt attacked by the public disy of affection and said through gritted teeth, ¡°Understood, Mr. Xenos.¡± That''s how the rich are¡ªso extravagant and reckless. There are over two thousand and three hundred employees in thepany, and Mr. Xenos casually decided to give them one thousand four hundred and thirty-seven each just to celebrate his engagement with Ms. Yarrow. After hanging up the phone, Felix nced at the head of the finance department as his expression reverted to his usual serious demeanor. ¡°Mr. Hill, please distribute one thousand four hundred and thirty-seven each to every employee. Deduct it from Ms. Yarrow''s personal ount.¡± Patrick Hill, the head of the department, thought his ears had deceived him. ¡°To every employee?¡± Felix nodded affirmatively. ¡°Yes.¡± Patrick nced at his assistant. ¡°Is today a special day?¡± It''s just an ordinary day in July. What holiday could it be? The assistant''s confusion mirrored Patrick''s. ¡°Today is just a Wednesday.¡± ¡°What''s this money for, Mr. Lane? Is it a bonus from thepany? But that has been included in everyone''s sry at the end ofst year.¡± Felix cleared his throat. ¡°Mr. Xenos and Ms. Yarrow got married today. This is a mary gift from them.¡± Apparently, that revtion was even more shocking than the fact that every employee would receive one thousand four hundred and thirty-seven. Patrick and his assistant were left speechless. ¡°Ms. Yarrow and Mr. Xenos remarried?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Felix took pleasure in witnessing Patrick''s surprised reaction. ¡°Please make sure to let everyone know this is a gift from Mr. Xenos and Ms. Yarrow. Transfer it to the employees'' personal ount.¡± Patrick, who was experienced and had been through a lot in life, quickly regainedposure and said, ¡°Okay. I''ll arrange for the money to be distributed immediately.¡± ¡°Remember to do it by today.¡± Patrick reassured him, ¡°Don''t worry, Mr. Lane.¡± Although it was a tiring task to distribute money to so many employees, he was quite pleased to receive such a handsome amount of money himself. Afterpleting the task, Felix didn''t linger around. He didn''t save any wedding gifts for himself earlier, so he wanted to grab some for himself. Alexander had just finished his call with Felix in front of Sophia. When she saw him hang up, she couldn''t help but arch an eyebrow. ¡°You''re quite generous.¡± Alexander walked over to her side. ¡°We''re using your ount to distribute the money.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°So, it''s my loss.¡± A rare smile tugged at the corners of Alexander''s lips as he gazed at Sophia tenderly. ¡°It''s not.¡± With that, he took out his wallet and pulled out a card. Just as Sophia thought he was going to give her the card, Alexander handed her the wallet. ¡°The password is your birthday.¡± He kept only one supplementary card for himself and gave her all the others. Sophia looked at the wallet. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled back at him. ¡°We''re married now. As a married couple, it doesn''t really matter who has the money, does it?¡± Without a prenuptial agreement, they already shared everything as a couple. Alexander felt touched when he heard Sophia refer to the two of them as a married couple. That was probably because his memories of what they had been through together were much clearer after he recovered from his amnesia. Of course, it would be even better if she could call him ¡°Hubby.¡± Alexander remained silent, his dark eyes fixed on her. Sophia felt her face burning under his gaze, so she turned away and averted her eyes. ¡°I have one more document to review. Give me five minutes, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He reached out to gently caress Sophia''s long hair before sitting down on the couch. She looked at him, smile faintly, and walked back to her desk. The document had been delivered by Felix before the meeting. He mentioned that it was urgent and to be dealt with within today, so Sophia had no choice but to peruse and sign it now. Sophia focused on the document, quickly scanning through it. Although it was over thirty pages long, she could usually finish reviewing the important parts in just two minutes. However, that wasn''t possible now because the man on the couch kept watching her. His gaze was too obvious to ignore, no matter how hard she tried to. Halfway through the document, she lifted her head and nced at Alexander. He met her gaze calmly while sitting on the couch as if he didn''t mind being caught peeking at her. ¡°Are you done reading it?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Why is he asking me that when he knows the answer very well? Sophia twirled the pen in her hand. ¡°Can you stop looking at me?¡± Alexander raised his brow. ¡°Did I disturb you?¡± Sophia scoffed, annoyed. ¡°Alexander, you''re doing this on purpose.¡± The man blinked. ¡°What if I say I''m not? Would you believe me?¡± Of course not! Sophia let out a soft snort and lowered her head again to read the document. This time, she chose to ignore Alexander''s gaze. After five minutes, she finally signed the document. As she put down the pen, she made an internal call to summon Felix and hand over the paperwork. When Felix came to retrieve the documents, he also updated Alexander on the distribution of the wedding gifts and money. Sophia listened attentively. Even though she was not one to feel embarrassed easily, she still felt a slight blush creeping up her cheeks. On the other hand, Alexander sat there while wearing a satisfied expression, not appearing awkward or embarrassed at all. He asked, ¡°Are you certain everyone received their share?¡± Felix nodded. ¡°They did.¡± Alexander trusted Felix to do the job well. ¡°Okay.¡± Casting a quick nce at Sophia, Felix tactfully exited the room with the documents in hand. As the office door closed behind Felix, Alexander shifted his attention back to Sophia. ¡°Come here, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Mrs. Xenos. This was the second time Sophia heard Alexander refer to her as ¡°Mrs. Xenos.¡± A warm sensation washed over her heart, allowing her to ascertain the fact that she was about to get married to Alexander. Snapping out of her trance, Sophia walked toward him. With a yful smile gracing her lips, she asked, ¡°Can I help you, Mr. Xenos?¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Alexander reached out and pulled her onto hisp. Nestling in his warm embrace, Sophia felt her own body heating up, too. Alexander tenderly brushed aside a stray strand of hair from her cheek. ¡°Yes.¡± Sophia raised her head to meet his gaze. ¡°Hmm?¡±Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Chapter 501 Chapter 501 ¡°I was thinking when can we send out the wedding invitation cards?¡± The man''s deep voice rang out beside her ear. She was momentarily taken aback, and when she returned to her senses, she chuckled. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry, Mr. Xenos?¡± We have just only gotten registered, and he wants to hold a wedding already? ¡°Yes,¡± replied Alexander almost immediately. He didn''t waste a single second hesitating. Sophia threw him a nce and said, ¡°We''ll hold the wedding once you are done dealing with the issue in Moranta.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He was so quick in his response that something seemed amiss to Sophia. ¡°There must be quite a lot of matters to tend to in UI, no?¡± Alexander nodded and kissed her on her lips all of a sudden. ¡°Now that Truce and the others have been released, they''re trying to rope in the old shareholders.¡± ¡°How persistent of them.¡± They still hadn''t given up on trying to take over UI when things had already reached this point. ¡°It''s going to be six o''clock soon. Shall we go for dinner?¡± asked Alexander. Sophia nodded in response and stood up. Alexander did the same as Sophia walked over to the desk to grab her bag. The moment she turned around, Alexander took her hand. She looked down, smiled, and said nothing before walking out of the office with Alexander. Some employees of Odyssey had already received one thousand four hundred and thirty-seven with the payment remark ¡°mary gift.¡± Most of them had no idea why they received that amount of money until the wedding gifts were distributed to them. It was then they realized that Alexander and Sophia had registered their marriage. Very soon, all of Odyssey''s staff found out about the good news. The moment the couple stepped out of the elevator, two of the receptionists who were more than ten meters away congratted them, ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow, we wish the both of you a long and blissful life ahead.¡± Their voices resonated loudly in the empty reception area. Sophia blushed furiously while Alexander appeared exceptionally calm. Holding her hand, he walked past the reception counter with her and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. When Sophia heard that, she followed suit and thanked them as well. She turned to look at Alexander and wanted to chide him for making this such a big deal, but she decided against it when she caught sight of his faint smile. Noticing her gaze, Alexander asked her, ¡°What''s wrong? Do you not like it?¡± He knew that Sophia never liked drawing attention, but he wanted the whole world to know that they were married. She shook her head with a smile. ¡°No.¡± ¡°What did you want to say just now?¡± Sophia looked into those jet-ck eyes of his andughed. ¡°You look very handsome today.¡± Alexander knew that was not what she wanted to say, but he did not pursue the matter. ¡°Mrs. Xenos, you''re particrly beautiful today too.¡± Sophia raised her brows and said, ¡°Thanks.¡± All Alexander wanted to do was pull her into his arms when he saw her adorable expression. Unfortunately, he could not do so because they were out in public and not at home. He gulped and tamped down his desire before forcing himself to look away. ¡°How about grilled fish for dinner?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The two of them walked up to the car and drove away. Sophia took out her phone and saw that Katherine had sent her quite a number of messages. The first message started with a crying emoticon and read: Soph, I can''t believe you really got married. I''m devastated. My rich friend no longer belongs to me. Do you still love me now that you''re married? I don''t care. You must love me! Oh my! Soph, you''re trending again! Alexander is impressive! Two pictures were then sent over with the caption: Take a look! Gosh! You look gorgeous in your marriage certificate photo. I''m so lucky to have such a wealthy and beautifuldy as my best friend. Tsk, tsk, tsk. It was only after reading all of Katherine''s messages that Sophia realized that Alexander had posted their photo on Twitter. Chaos broke out on the inte right now. After all, their divorce back then had made the headlines. Initially, Sophia wanted to log into her Twitter and take a look, but her ount crashed due to the endless flow of private messages she received. Left with no choice, she could only log into her alternate ount. Katherine shared Alexander''s post almost as soon as it was published, and in a matter of a few hours, Sophia and Alexander''s remarriage had be the top trending topic on the Inte. However, theizens had different opinions when it came to the reconciliation of Sophia and Alexander. Most of them wished the happy couple well. However, quite a number of them felt that Sophia should not get back together with Alexander since she suffered a lot during thest three years. Even though Katherine said that she did not want Sophia and Alexander to get back together, she still defended the couple whenever someone said something nasty or opposed their rtionship. There was ament under the post Katherine shared that read: Ah! They still end up together, huh? I just don''t get it. Ms. Yarrow is pretty and rich. Why does she have to remarry Alexander? She''s so cheap! To that, Katherine wrote: What''s wrong? Can''t a beautiful and wealthy woman pursue love and happiness? Love just happens. Nothing else matters as long as Sophia is happy. Who gave you the right toment on other people''s rtionships? I think you''re the one who''s cheap! As expected, Katherine''sment became a trending topic as well. Sophia found the whole thing amusing and was engrossed in watching the drama unfold, still enjoying it even when the car came to a stop. It was only natural for her to be interested since the gossip was about her. Alexander unbuckled his seat belt and leaned over when he saw Sophia still looking at her phone. He immediately saw those awfulments. Looking at her, he asked, ¡°Sophia, why did you forgive me?¡± Sophia was taken aback when she heard his question, but she soon regained her senses and looked at Alexander, smiling. ¡°I won''t say that I forgave you. When I think about it from your point of view, you haven''t done anything wrong. After all, I was the one who forced you to marry me, didn''t I?'' It was her first time falling in love with someone. When emotions got involved, one could often lose sight of what they were doing. Alexander was an outstanding man, and there would be other women who would be interested in him. When the opportunity arose, all Sophia could think of was to seize it and be the first woman to stand by Alexander''s side. She didn''t think too much about the rest. Reality proved that her decision was right. They did end up together, albeit going through an arduous and difficult journey. Back then, she was the one who started it and dove headfirst into this rtionship willingly. Even if Alexander was at fault too, what he did wasn''t unforgivable. People tended to make mistakes when they were in the prime of their youth. It was not like Sophia had forgiven Alexander. Instead, she had be more mature and handled rtionships with a more rational approach. ¡°It''s my fault,¡± said Alexander. He paused for a while before continuing, ¡°If I had spent more time looking at you, we probably wouldn''t have to go through so many hardships.¡± Sophia could not help but smile when she recognized he was praising her. ¡°I''m hungry.¡± ¡°Let''s go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± They were both smart, knowing that past mistakes were meant to be a lesson instead of a punishment for their current selves. Chapter 502 Chapter 502 At that time, there were quite a few people in the restaurant. When Sophia and Alexander entered, they noticed many seats were already taken. As the decision to dine out was made rather impulsively, Alexander hadn''t made a reservation in advance. However, the grilled fish restaurant was quite spacious, with many booths further inside. Sophia hadn''t had grilled fish in over half a year. Since Alexander was previously met with a mishap at Doveston, she had spent most of her time at Odyssey and Sunshine Group. Hence, she ate meals prepared by Felix or Yvonne and rarely went out to eat. Even when Katherine invited her out for meals asionally, they would typically go to popr, trendy restaurants. Sophie and Alexander arrived neither too early nor toote, and the food was dished out fairly quickly. After waiting for just about ten minutes, the grilled fish was served. Sophia had just put down her juice when she heard a girl passing by say, ¡°I''m so envious of my friend. Theirpany''s previous and current chairpersons remarried today, and thepany gave every employee a mary gift of one thousand four hundred and thirty-seven for them to share in the joy too.¡± Content property of N?velDra/ma.Org. Hearing that, Sophia instinctively turned to Alexander, sitting opposite him. Evidently, he also heard that because he was looking at her. Sophia arched her brow, smiling faintly without saying a word. The few girls had seated themselves diagonally behind Sophia. They spoke rtively loudly, so she managed to listen to their entire conversation. ¡°You''re talking about Odyssey, right? I saw the news on the trending list. Their previous and current chairpersons are so good-looking and young. Their divorce two years ago made the headlines too, right? Unexpectedly, they''re remarried now and even generously gave all their employees mary gifts worth over one thousand four hundred each. I''m a little jealous.¡± ¡°Honestly, I''m more envious of Ms. Yarrow. The announcement of their remarriage was posted by Alexander on his Twitter ount, and giving the mary gift also seems to be his idea. It''s as if he''s staking his im on Ms. Yarrow by making such argemotion.¡± ¡°Oh? I didn''t notice this before, but now that you mention this, I think you have a point.¡± The girls grew more excited as they chatted. They even opened their Twitter and discussed Sophia''s and Alexander''s past posts. As the subject of their discussion, Sophia felt a little self-conscious and somewhat amused, sitting there listening to their gossip. She nced at Alexander. ¡°Are you really trying to stake your im on me?¡± He swept his eyes across her and ced a piece of fish on her te before calmly replying, ¡°Yes.¡± He wanted everyone to know that Sophia was his wife now so that those harboring ulterior motives would know their ce. Hisposed and solemn response rendered Sophia stumped. Sophia looked down at the piece of fish on her te and smiled. Indeed. Women do sometimes appreciate this kind of ¡°strategy.¡± After dinner, the sky outside turned dark, and the lights lit up, giving Jadeborough a more vibrant and lively vibe than during the day. Alexander and Sophia had never been fond of nightlife, so they headed straight back to the mansion after finishing their meal. The time was still early. Sophia drank a cup of warm water and looked up at Alexander, standing not far away. Just then, Alexander had finished talking on the phone. Meeting her gaze, he strode up to her. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Do you want to watch a movie?¡± It had been almost half a year since Sophia had watched a horror movie due to her busy schedule. ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia hadn''t been in the home theater for a long time. If the housekeeper hadn''t been cleaning it regrly, the room would probably have been covered in dust. Yvonne knew Sophia enjoyed horror movies and would collect new ones for her from time to time. Over half a year, a considerable number of films were umted. Sophia selected an Irushean movie, dimmed the lights, and leaned back on the couch to focus on watching the show. Alexander shifted over to her side, lifting his arm to pull her into his embrace. The quiet twenty square meter home theater was filled only with the sound of the movie. Sophia grew more excited as she listened to the eerie, tension-building background music. Meanwhile, Alexander, sitting beside her, wore a poker face. He enjoyed watching Sophia more than the movie. The film''s introduction was too long, and the climax wasn''t sufficiently impactful. After around forty minutes into the show, Sophia lost interest. She gazed down at Alexander''s hand fiddling with the ring on her finger, finding his gestureical. He''s been ying with the ring for about half an hour. ¡°Is it fun?¡± she asked, picking up the remote control and turning off the movie. He nced at her and lowered his head to lean against her shoulder. ¡°Mhm.¡± Sophia sensed the boredom in his voice and couldn''t help but chuckle. ¡°Let''s stop watching the show. I haven''t practiced boxing in over a month. Do you want to train with me for a while?¡± Upon hearing her suggestion, Alexander moved slightly and regarded her with his dark eyes. ¡°Okay.¡± Their home was equipped with a gym. At the start of the year, Sophia had asked Yvonne to arrange for someone to install a small boxing ring in the gym for her convenience to practice at home. However, she had been busy since and didn''t have much time to exercise. Alexander''s clothes had always been kept in the closet. The two changed into some light clothing and stepped into the ring. After putting on her boxing gloves, Sophia asked Alexander while stretching her leg, ¡°Are you out of training for an extended period?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. She stared at him and snorted. ¡°Do you want to make a bet?¡± Sophia had always lost to him in the past, but considering he hadn''t practiced for over eight months, she figured her chances of winning that night were high. Naturally, what they bet on didn''t matter to her because she just wanted to win for once. ¡°What are we betting on?¡± Alexander cut to the chase. She pondered briefly but couldn''te up with anything. ¡°What do you want to bet on?¡± Hearing that, he paused abruptly in his movements. He bored his eyes into her and said, ¡°You.¡± Sophia blushed and clicked her tongue. ¡°And what if you lose?¡± ¡°In that case, you can do whatever you want.¡± His response was nothing more than a simple sentence, yet inexplicably, when paired with the way he was looking at her, Sophia sensed hints of sensuality in his words. She switched to stretch her other leg and averted her gaze. ¡°Okay.¡± Half an hourter, Sophia trained her eyes on the man who was pinning her down and panted heavily while chirping, ¡°You lied to me?¡± ¡°I didn''t.¡± He had indeed not practiced boxing for a long time, but he had been training in other ways that helped him achieve simr results. Besides, he had been boxing for over ten years, and his body had long developed a habitual reaction. As long as his speed was fast, having practiced recently or not didn''t truly make a difference. ¡°But you¡ª¡± ¡°Joe is a retired special forces soldier. He has been training me these past few months.¡± Sophia fell silent. I''ve miscalcted. She uttered in embarrassment, ¡°You win.¡± She would honor her bet. Alexander''s gaze darkened after he heard her terse response. Sophia stared into his eyes and felt her heart skip a beat. The next second, Alexander, who had only been pressing on her waist, lowered his head, propping his hands on either side of her. He held her gaze in close proximity to her face. ¡°From now on, you''re mine.¡± Sophia was taken aback. Then, she suddenlyughed. ¡°Aren''t we already married?¡± He bent down and rubbed his face against her cheek. ¡°Yes.¡± His deep and hoarse voice wasced with intense adoration toward her which he had never expressed verbally. Chapter 503 Chapter 503 The two of them got incredibly close, to the point where Sophia could feel every breath Alexander exhaled on her face. Despite the sufficient air conditioning in the gym, Sophia still felt warm. Those dark eyes made her heart race, and Sophia made a slight movement, tilting her head slightly, wanting to pull away from Alexander, but before she could move further, Alexander pressed down on her even tighter. Sophia arched her brows and gazed into his eyes. ¡°It''s gettingte. I need to take a shower.¡± Despite hearing that, Alexander remained still and lowered his head, bringing his lips closer to hers. Sophia gazed at his face, her breath quickening even more than before. ¡°Sophia, I want to have a baby with you,¡± Alexander said. I''m already thirty-four years old this year. Age is catching up. Sophia was taken aback for a moment upon hearing his words, and then she realized his soft lips were already pressed against hers. The man''s hot breath enveloped her, and she feltpletely immersed in his presence. She was momentarily lost in the sensation. His kiss seemed to ignite a fire, igniting sparks with every touch. Before long, Sophia felt like she was engulfed in mes. In the spacious gym, the only sounds that filled the air were their increasingly rapid breaths. When Alexander lifted Sophia into his arms, she regained her senses and raised her brows slightly, casting him a nce. His inky eyes drew her into its depths, and in an instant, she could no longer look away. ¡°Hold me tight.¡± Alexander cradled Sophia in his arms, one hand supporting her body while the other reached for her hands, guiding them to wrap around his neck. Sophia nced at him and tightened her grip on him. She lowered her head, resting it on his shoulder, allowing him to carry her out of the gym and up to their bedroom. Soon, Alexander carried her back into the room. The air-conditioner in the room hummed softly, maintaining afortable temperature. As Sophia was gently ced on the bed, her hands brushed against the cool, crisp bedsheets, which contrasted with the warmth of Alexander''s embrace. Unable to resist, Sophia looked at Alexander, who was also gazing at her. ¡°Shall we have a child?¡± he asked. Sophia''s face grew warm as she simply gazed at him, neither giving a definitive answer nor rejecting the idea. Soon enough, Alexander understood her intentions. ¡°I love you so much, Mrs. Xenos,¡± he whispered with a touch of emotion as he leaned down to kiss her. At that moment, Sophia felt as if she were enveloped in pure tenderness. Instinctively, she held him tightly, gently closing her eyes and basking in Alexander''s love. The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly heated, to the point where even the air conditioning could not cool it down. By the time it ended, both of them were covered in perspiration. After two rounds of physical activity, Sophia felt exhausted. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Alexander carried her into the bathroom and ced her under the shower, gently washing her with care and tenderness. He then carefully carried her back to the bed, making sure she wasfortable. Alexander reached for the nearby nket and covered Sophia, leaning down to nt a gentle kiss on her forehead and whispered, ¡°Sleep tight.¡± Indeed, it was gettingte. Sophia nced at Alexander and softly grabbed onto the nket, quickly drifting off to sleep. When Alexander emerged from the bathroom once again, Sophia was already fast asleep on the bed. Under the dim light, her serene face rested peacefully against the dark bedsheets. After his memories were restored, Alexander had been dreaming about this day for every single moment of the past seventy days. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. It felt both real and surreal at the same time. Raising his hand, he turned off the bedroom light. He then gently embraced Sophia, closing his eyes and falling asleep alongside her. The next morning, when Sophia woke up, the sun was already shining bright. She had not been checking her phone after finishing dinner yesterday. Now, as she picked it up, she found her inbox filled with messages congratting her and Alexander on their remarriage. Sophia smiled and posted a photo on her Instagram as a reply to all the well-wishes. Setting the phone aside, she put on her slippers and went to freshen up. After finishing her morning routine, Sophia came out, and Alexander stepped in with a cup of warm water for her. Sophia smiled at him, reaching out to take the cup. She took a sip of water before asking, ¡°Do you have any ns for today?¡± Alexander nodded and replied, ¡°I''ll take you somewhere.¡± Upon hearing his response, Sophia raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°You''ll find out when we get there,¡± he replied. Since he wanted to keep it a secret to surprise her, she chose not to inquire further. Instead, she smiled and made her way to the dressing table, taking a seat. Alexander prepared a refreshing set of breakfast¡ªsome fruit-filled oatmeal to beat the heat of the summer day and cool down their bodies. After finishing breakfast, the couple headed out directly. While they were on their way, Sophia received a phone call from Yvonne, who updated her on the recent developments of apany they were considering investing in. As the call ended, the car came to a stop. Sophia nced outside and realized they were in an unfamiliar ce. She instinctively turned to Alexander beside her and asked, ¡°Is this the ce?¡± Alexander hummed in response. He reached over to unbuckle his seatbelt. He then got out of the car and went around to Sophia''s side, opening the door for her. ¡°Come.¡± Sophia smiled and ced her hand in his as they both stepped out of the car. They did not walk far. After crossing a road outside the parking lot, they continued down the road for about three minutes. Soon, Alexander came to a stop. Sophia looked up and saw a uniquely designed studio with a round-arched entrance. As they approached, a receptionist quickly approached and opened the ss door. ¡°Good morning, you are?¡± Before she could continue, Alexander cut her off, ¡°Alexander Xenos. I have an appointment with Ms. Hathaway.¡± Curling her lips into a grin, Sophia nced at Alexander. Ms. Hathaway? A woman, huh? The receptionist paused for a while upon hearing Alexander''s words but soon regained her senses. She quickly led them inside. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Ms. Yarrow, pleasee this way.¡± The two followed the receptionist further inside, and Sophia soon discovered a hidden gem within the studio. After passing through a doorway, they entered a long art gallery adorned with beautiful wedding photographs on both sides of the walls. When Sophia saw the wedding photos, she instantly understood why he brought her there. Five years ago, the only picture she and Alexander had taken together was the small passport-sized photo on their marriage certificate. Lost in her thoughts, Sophia was brought back to the present as the receptionist led them to an office. The receptionist pushed the door open and called out to the person inside. Soon, Sophia saw a woman walking out. The woman had short hair and was dressed in loose trousers and a suit jacket, giving her a sleek and confident appearance. Her white shirt added to her sharp and stylish demeanor. ¡°I''m Celia Hathaway. It''s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Xenos.¡± Celia was very tactful. Despite extending her greetings to both of them, she reached out to Sophia first. Sophia smiled and reciprocated the gesture by holding her hand. ¡°Nice to meet you, Ms. Hathaway.¡± ¡°Please have a seat here, Mr. and Mrs. Xenos,¡± Celia said, gesturing toward the chairs. Celia''s office was spacious, and it disyed numerous wedding photos. Sophia nced at Alexander and they both took a seat on the couch. Soon, someone came over to serve them coffee. Chapter 504 Chapter 504 ¡°Mrs. Xenos, what style of wedding photos do you prefer?¡± Sophia nced at Alexander, then threw the question back at Celia. ¡°What style do you think is suitable for us, Ms. Hathaway?¡± Celia was a sweet girl. She had directed the question at Sophia immediately, valuing her opinion. Hearing Sophia''s reply, Celia turned her eyes to Alexander, then back at Sophia. Finally, she called an assistant to bring over several sample photo albums. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Xenos, you are both outstandingly beautiful people. In my opinion, you two can pull off any style. It really depends on what style you like, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Everyone lovespliments, and Sophia was no exception. She smiled and said to Alexander, ¡°Ms. Hathaway certainly is good with her words.¡± Celia smiled at Sophia''s remark. ¡°I know it sounds like I''m exaggerating, but it''s the truth. After all, the netizens have alreadyid down their judgment on your appearance, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Celia paused for a beat. Then, she ced one of the sample photo albums in front of Sophia. ¡°If you really have no idea what style you like, perhaps this may stir your imagination.¡± The thought of wedding photos had never really crossed Sophia''s mind. When Alexander and she got married back then, they had not had any photos taken. Thus, she had long forgotten that wedding photos were part and parcel of a wedding. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Sophia picked up the album and started to flip through it. Celia found an excuse to leave the two of them alone in the office. Sophia turned to Alexander who was seated beside her and asked, ¡°What style do you like?¡± ¡°I like them all.¡± Celia was right. With Sophia''s and his good looks, any style would suit them. The end result would look beautiful regardless of what they chose. Anyway, Alexander did not care what the photos look like as long as the person in the photos with him was Sophia. Alexander was better off not giving a response at all. Sophia smiled to herself. She had not had much hope that she would receive any helpful input from him, anyway. Even before Katherine had entered the entertainment industry, she had loved cameras and modeling for photos. Sophia, on the other hand, disliked having her photos taken. She preferred not to be in front of a camera if she had the choice. Now that Alexander had brought her here to take their wedding photos, Sophia was having a hard time deciding on a style. She had never had wedding photos taken before. The sample album showed models in various styles. Sophia thought all the styles were beautiful except for the overly extravagant ones. She thought for a moment before pulling out her phone and sending Katherine a message. After all, Katherine was also in the entertainment industry, and she was so much more familiar with such things than Sophia. Katherine was rxing when she received Sophia''s message. She quickly replied: Are you taking wedding photos already? After the message was sent, Katherine felt that her words may be taken the wrong way. She quickly followed up with another message: Soph, don''t get me wrong. I didn''t mean to say... Sophia smirked to herself and ignored the question. Instead, she typed: What style of wedding photos do you think would suit Alexander and me? Any style would suit the two of you. Just pick any style you like? was Katherine''s response. The two of them would look good even if they were dressed in potato sacks. To that, Sophia replied: Oh, I just wanted to pick the best style. Since it would be their wedding photos, she wanted them to look their best. Katherine thought for a while. Then, she suggested: Vintage style! I don''t think I''ve ever seen you dressed in vintage gowns before, Soph! Katherine could not help imagining how Sophia would look in beautiful vintage dresses. Even as a woman, the thought of it was enough to make Katherine sigh in admiration. I don''t know how Sophia grew up to be so beautiful! We are both women, we both grew up together, and we ate the same things! How are her legs so long, her chest so lush, and her waist so narrow? Yet, she isn''t too skinny! She''s well-proportioned with such seductive curves! She would look perfect in vintage gowns! Sophia read Katherine''s reply. Coincidentally, the photo album on herp was open on the pages showing vintage-style photos. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Yes, vintage style sounds pretty good! Anyway, I still have that dress that Kylie brought me to have made when we were in Doveston back then. I still haven''t worn it yet. Sophia pointed out the photos to Alexander and asked, ¡°What do you think of these vintage-style photos?¡± Alexander nced at the photos. Then, he raised his eyes to meet Sophia''s and said with a smile, ¡°It looks great.¡± He had never seen Sophia in a vintage gown before either. Sophie quickly and randomly picked out a few other styles. They had no budget to consider, and all the photos were nned to be taken outdoors. Since the couple were good-looking people, the resulting photos were sure to be beautiful. When Celia finally received the list of styles from Sophia, she smiled. The moment she firstid eyes on Sophia, she had thought thetter had the perfect face and body for vintage gowns. Of course, Celia had not said that out loud to Sophia. It would not be very polite to say something presumptuous to someone she was meeting for the first time. She felt her heart flutter with excitement when she saw vintage style included on Sophia''s list. She had photographed many brides in vintage-style shoots, but not many women can pull off vintage dresses. However, Sophia''splexion, body figure, and aura all seemed as if they came straight from olden-day Jazona. After leaving the bridal studio, Alexander and Sophia went to grab some lunch. After that, he brought her to meet another person. ¡°Hello, Sophia.¡± Sophia turned to Alexander. ¡°Who''s this?¡± ¡°This is Ms. Lydia West. I''ve asked her to design your wedding dress.¡± Sophia was momentarily stunned. The name ¡°Lydia West¡± was not unknown to her. Ten years ago, Lydia West was known for her intricately embroidered wedding dresses. All the wedding dresses made by her were now considered collector items and were priceless. Five years ago, Lydia retired, and she no longer eptedmissions for wedding dresses. Sophia was surprised that Alexander had managed to talk the famed designer out of her retirement. ¡°Hello, Ms. West. I have long admired your beautiful work.¡± Lydia smiled kindly at her. ¡°There''s no need to be so formal with me. Alex''s grandmother and I were very good friends. Please call me Lydia.¡± Sophia did not expect Alexander to be so well acquainted with Lydia. Sheughed in pleasant surprise and said, ¡°Okay, Lydia.¡± The older woman gazed at Sophia with soft eyes and said, ¡°What a beautiful youngdy you are! If only Alex''s grandmother was still alive... She would''ve been very happy to meet you. She loved beautiful people since she was a baby.¡± Sophia ducked her head, embarrassed by thepliment. She had always been beautiful and was used to hearing all sorts ofpliments, but she felt awkward hearing such words from the elder woman''s mouth. Alexander cast a sideway nce at Sophia. ¡°Indeed, she would,¡± he acquiesced, his eyes gleaming with delight. Lydia, too, loved beautiful women. She gazed at Sophia with a soft smile and dered approvingly, ¡°One look at you, and I know you''re a good girl.¡± Sophia''s face burned. She quickly picked up a cup of tea and handed it to Lydia, trying to draw attention away from herself. ¡°Lydia, please have some tea.¡± Lydia chuckled upon seeing how shy Sophia had gotten. She exchanged a quick nce with Alexander. Then, she epted the cup of tea from Sophia and said, ¡°Alex tells me that you two will be getting married soon. Time is running out! I''m older now, and I can''t make wedding dresses as quickly as I used to be able to. Tell me, what''s your dream wedding dress?¡± Sophia was not prepared to answer such a question, but she had faith in Lydia''s taste. ¡°Lydia, you have so much experience in making wedding dresses. I''m sure whatever you design for me will be perfect. It''ll be silly for me to make any demands of an expert like you.¡± Lydia''s smile widened at Sophia''s words. ¡°You''re such a sweet girl! Alex asked me to design the wedding dress two months ago, but at that time, I haven''t met you yet, so I''d only made a prototype. Since you''re leaving it up to me, I''ll design the dress for you. Don''t worry. I''ll make sure you will be the most beautiful bride ever!¡± Chapter 505 Chapter 505 Lydia was there to take Sophia''s measurements. The former had already designed and made the dress, so the only thing left to do was embroidery. Sophia had never seen the design personally, but she trusted Lydiapletely and didn''t have any comments to make. When the couple sent Lydia off, the sky had already started growing dim. Sophia turned to give Alexander a nce and said, ¡°You...¡± She had a lot of things to say, but at the same time, she didn''t know what to say. In the end, she bit her lip and uttered, ¡°It seems like you have everything nned out, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°I have.¡± Alexander looked at her and didn''t deny it. In response, Sophia lowered her head and smiled. ¡°What are we having for dinner tonight?¡± In the blink of an eye, the day had gone by. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. It was July, so it was hot in Jadeborough. Although the sun was already setting, it was still unforgiving. When the two came out of the air-conditioned cafe, the difference in temperature was hard to miss. Seeing how hot it was, they couldn''t help craving something refreshing that wasn''t too heavy on the pte. In the end, the couple had some seafood dishes. After dinner, they arrived back at the mansion at around eight in the evening. Right after Sophia had changed into casual clothes, she received a call from Kylie. Sophia looked at Alexander, who was on the couch, and said, ¡°It''s Aunt Kylie.¡± Alexander nodded and watched her walk toward the balcony. He only retracted his gaze to focus on his laptop after she was no longer in sight. ¡°Hi, Aunt Kylie,¡± Sophia greeted. ¡°Have you had dinner, Sophia?¡± Kylie asked. The weather was splendid, and the sky was clear save for the bright moon. The breeze is cool, and it''s no longer as hot as it was during the daytime. Sophia leaned against the railing and replied, ¡°I''ve just arrived home after having my dinner.¡± Instead of beating around the bush, Kylie got straight to the point. ¡°Well, we''ve not only traveled here to attend your wedding, Sophia. Your granddad wishes to see the city in which you and your mom lived for the past twenty-odd years. At the same time, he would also like to pay his respects to your mom by lighting her a candle.¡± Perrin''s daughter was abducted over thirty years ago. By the time he found out where she had ended up, there was nothing left but ashes. After Stanley had passed away, Perrin could feel that his days were numbered. In fact, he was turning ny in three years'' time. Although technological advancement was capable of improving life expectancy, one could never know when one would pop their clogs. Therefore, Perrin thought since he could still move around on his own, he could visit the city Rachel had lived in for over twenty years. Needless to say, he was interested in learning more about the life she had led back then. Simultaneously, he was also doing it on behalf of histe wife. Hearing that, Sophia frowned and lowered her gaze toward the lights illuminating her garden below. ¡°All right. When would Granddad like to go there?¡± Naturally, she didn''t want Perrin to go, but she was Rachel''s daughter and Perrin''s granddaughter. Rachel was obligated to apany him if he wanted to visit Coldbridge to learn about their past. ¡°There''s no rush. After all, your granddad isn''t up to anything in particr. He enjoys the culture and lifestyle of the locals in Jadeborough, and he told me he had left too soon during his previous trip. Thus, he wants to stay for a month or two this time around,¡± Kylie answered. Sophia knew Perrin had told Kylie to say that. He most probably wanted Sophia to spend more time with Alexander because they had just gotten married. After all, Alexander was kept busy in Moranta, and it wasn''t easy for him to take some time off to be with Sophia. Although Perrin didn''t like Alexander, the former was still a considerate man. Sophia then went back into the house and saw Alexander working on the couch. Upon letting out a chuckle, she replied, ¡°Okay, then. I''ll make the necessary arrangements.¡± ¡°All right. Don''t tire yourself too much with work. You guys have only gotten married recently. It''s a good idea to go on a honeymoon.¡± Kylie smiled. That idea hadn''t crossed Sophia''s mind, so she felt slightly embarrassed when she heard what Kylie said. ¡°I know, Aunt Kylie. Are you enjoying your time in Jadeborough?¡± ¡°Are you worried about me? When Kasper and I were young, we stayed in Jadeborough for almost a decade, so we know quite a number of people here. Don''t worry about me. I should hang up soon to let you youngsters enjoy each other''spany. Once you''ve made the arrangements, give me a call, and I''ll inform your granddad.¡± ¡°I will. Rest early, Aunt Kylie.¡± ¡°It''s still early! I''ll hang up now.¡± Right after Kasper graduated from the university, he had indeed stayed in Jadeborough for a few years. Back then, the Dawson family had to set up a branch office in Jadeborough to handle their import and export trading. It was an important branch office, so he managed it personally. At that time, Kylie was still in university. Right after she graduated, she went to Jadeborough to see Kasper. The two stayed there for almost a decade, and they only returned to the Doveston headquarters once the operations in the branch office were stabilized. That was why Kylie had quite a few friends in Jadeborough. In fact, even Lukas had spent around eight years in Jadeborough. Upon hanging up the phone, Sophia gathered her thoughts and nced at Alexander, who was still on the couch. Seeing that he was busy working, she went to the countertop nearby to pour herself a ss of warm water. After she had quenched her thirst, she poured a ss of water for him and ced it on the coffee table in front of him. The ss she used to serve him was one of the couple sses Alexander had asked someone to customize for them. Seeing the ss, he lifted his gaze toward Sophia and asked, ¡°Are you bored?¡± ¡°Go ahead with your work. I''ll take a bath.¡± She shook her head. Alexander looked at her and hummed a quick acknowledgment. The amount of sex they had the night before was taking a toll on Sophia. She rarely got the chance to return home early, so she decided to make full use of the opportunity. After running a bath for herself, she dripped a few drops of essential oil into the bathtub and stepped inside with a steam eye mask on. It was quiet in the bathroom, and the hot water was soothing every pore on her skin. With the rxing eye mask on, Sophia quickly dozed off. She didn''t realize it when Alexander pushed the door open and entered the bathroom. The moment he went in, he saw Sophia in the bathtub with an eye mask on. Due to the steam in the bathroom, a warm sensation began to emanate all over his body. Sophia''s corbones were peeking out from the bubbles in the bathtub, and her fair hands were resting on the edge of the bathtub. Alexander''s eyes darkened shortly after. In the next second, he started unbuttoning his shirt. Sophia only realized she wasn''t alone in the bathroom when Alexander turned on the shower. She quickly removed her eye mask and narrowed her eyes to adapt to the lighting condition. By the time she could see clearly, she saw Alexander standing under the shower. He was in his birthday suit, and water was running down his closed eyes, pointed nose, and sexy lips. From his neck, Sophia gradually lowered her gaze to admire his shoulders, abs, and everything else from his waist down. Chapter 506 Chapter 506 Noticing her gaze, Alexander suddenly turned toward her. Sophia was caught off guard, and their gazes met. She had never felt more guilty in her life, and she instantly blushed uncontrobly. Although there was an exhaust fan in the bathroom, the temperature in the summer was high, so the mist quickly intensified due to Alexander''s hot shower. Yet, Sophia caught a perfect view of his naked body. Sophia instinctively sat up when she saw Alexander walking toward her. However, he had already entered the bathtub by the time she had sat up straight. The initially spacious bathtub became cramped all of a sudden. Sophia retracted her legs and watched him sit down next to her. In the next second, he reached out his hands and pulled her into his embrace. Just like that, he ended up hugging her from behind. After that, he pulled her in once again to let her lean back against his chest. At that moment, Sophia couldn''t help but realize Alexander''s body was burning. She moved slightly, and Alexander lowered his head to kiss her cheek. ¡°What did our aunt say to you?¡± Sophia was puzzled because she knew Alexander only had one rtive left, and that was ra. She only returned to her senses momentster to realize that he meant Kylie. Sophia nced at him and answered, ¡°Granddad would like to go to Coldbridge to visit Mom''s grave.¡± ¡°When?¡± He kissed Sophia on the lips and continued, ¡°Do you think I should also visit my parents-in- law?¡± Sophia was baffled once again when she heard that. Although the water in the bathtub was turning cold, Alexander''s body was still as hot as before. Hence, Sophia felt as though she was sitting in a pool of hot water. In the next moment, he started running his hand all over her body. Hearing her moan, he lifted her up and pinned her against the edge of the bathtub. The shower had been turned off a few minutes prior, so the mist in the bathroom had subsided. With a clear view of what was happening, Sophia stared into the mirror before her eyes and tightly gripped the bathtub''s edge. It was a hot summer night, but the couple seemed to have managed to intensify the temperature in the bathroom. Nothing could be heard in the bathroom apart from their heavy breathing. Over an hourter, Sophia was carried out of the bathroom. After Alexander ced her on the bed, she covered herself up with a nket and turned to look at him. Her eyes look so beautiful and enticing. He tucked the strands of hair scattered by her ear to the back of it and said, ¡°Let me get you a ss of water.¡± Sophia hummed gently and weakly in response. Alexander nced at her for a while more before getting up and going downstairs to pour her a ss of water. Right after she had gotten dressed, Alexander walked in with the water. ¡°Have you made the arrangements?¡± he asked. Sophia froze momentarily before realizing that he was talking about the trip back to Coldbridge. She shook her head in response, exining, ¡°I only found out about what Granddad and the others had in mind. Apparently, they''re nning to stay in Jadeborough for a couple of months. Hence, there''s no rush.¡± Alexander sat down next to her and helped her set the ss aside. ¡°I have some matters to deal with in Moranta, so I''ll have to leave soon.¡± She expected that to happen, so she threw him a nce and leaned on his body. ¡°When are you nning to go back there?¡± ¡°It could be as soon as this Saturday.¡± ¡°Well, you''re definitely leaving on Saturday, then.¡± Seeing that Alexander was keeping mum, Sophia recalled what he said in the bathtub. With her reddened cheeks, she asked, ¡°Do you really want to visit Coldbridge as well?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Alexander responded. That''s where Sophia grew up. I had been there before, but I didn''t go with her. I would like to go there with her and learn about her past. Sophia lowered her head, took his hand, and ced it in her palm. ¡°In that case, we''ll go there when you return.¡± Alexander hummed in acknowledgment. It waste, and Sophia couldn''t help letting out a yawn. ¡°Let''s sleep.¡± He nced at her andy her down. While lying next to the man, Sophia arched her brows and said, ¡°Goodnight, Alexander.¡± ¡°Goodnight, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Alexander stayed in Jadeborough for the next few days before he had to take an afternoon flight back to Moranta on Saturday to deal with some matters. Sophia knew he had to leave soon because there were a lot of things he had to deal with in Moranta. However, she still couldn''t bear to watch him leave. As usual, she suppressed her emotions, and she was still wearing a smile on her face when they were on their way to the airport. ¡°Wait for my return, okay?¡± As they approached the immigration counter, Alexander hugged her and lowered his head to kiss Sophia''s forehead. ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia hugged him and leaned her head against his chest. Meanwhile, a couple nearby was parting ways, but unlike Sophia and Alexander, that random couple was arguing. Sophia nced at the couple and chuckled softly. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Alexander raised his brows when he heard her chuckling. In response, she pointed at the couple and uttered, ¡°I wonder why they''re arguing.¡± Alexander traced Sophia''s gaze and noticed the quarreling couple. They were arguing so loudly that even though they were more than a dozen meters away, Sophia and Alexander could still hear them clearly. That woman was asking, ¡°What''s with your response? Do you find it difficult to say that you''ll miss me? So? Are you going to miss me or not?¡± To which the man responded, ¡°Why are you so p*ssed off? You asked if I would miss you, and I hummed in acknowledgment. Didn''t that mean I would miss you?¡± ¡°What''s with your expression, then? Are you shunning me? I knew it! You must have a lover elsewhere! I knew long-distance rtionships would never work! That''s it. You can stop taking days off to see me. Let''s just break up!¡± With that, the woman spun on her heels and left. No one knew what was on that man''s mind, but he merely stood rooted to the spot and watched her leave. Seeing that, Sophia clucked her tongue and was about to retract her gaze. However, that man suddenly chased after the woman and pulled her arm. ¡°What are you doing? Let go¡ª¡± The woman couldn''t finish her sentence because the man suddenly kissed her on the lips. She struggled at first, but she soon gave in and went along with it. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. The two kissed for a long while before realizing that they were in public. Upon noticing that there were a lot of people around, the man finally let go of the woman. Sophia couldn''t help but chuckle once again. They had broken up moments ago, but a kiss seemed to have fixed all the problems they had. How sweet. ¡°Sophia?¡± Alexander suddenly called out. Sophia retracted her gaze and lifted her head to look at the man beside her. ¡°What is it?¡± As soon as she lifted her head, Alexander pinched her chin and kissed her on her lips. Sophia was taken aback. By the time she had regained her senses, Alexander had pulled away. He then lowered his head and said, ¡°I don''t have other lovers anywhere.¡± Embarrassment inundated her. ¡°It''s about time for you to go through the immigration counter.¡± ¡°Will you miss me?¡± he asked. Sophia recalled the conversation between the couple nearby when she heard his question. ¡°Yes. I''ll miss you dearly.¡± She smiled. ¡°Okay. I''ll miss you even more, then.¡± Alexander caressed Sophia''s cheek, and his dark and cold eyes were filled with reluctance. Chapter 507 Chapter 507 After Alexander''s return to Moranta, Sophia had Yvonne schedule all urgent matters within the next week. She nned to handle the urgent issues in Odyssey and Sunshine Group before apanying Perrin to Coldbridge. In the blink of an eye, more than half the month of July had flown past. As August approached, Sophia asked Yvonne to arrange an itinerary. She then brought Perrin and Kylie to Coldbridge. Toward the end of July, extreme temperatures raged in the entire country, and Coldbridge was no exception. Last year, Sophia spent New Year in Doveston. She made a trip back to Coldbridge for Good Friday this year, but after that, it was only then that she again stepped foot into the city she had lived in for almost twenty years. The instant she walked out of the airport, a wave of heat hit her in the face. Transportation had long since been arranged. No sooner had Sophia and the others exited the airport than the drivers, who were there to pick them up, hurried up to them while waving their hands. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Dawson, Mrs. Dawson, the cars are already at the parking lot. Pleasee with us.¡± Yvonne had always been a thoughtful person. She knew that Sophia''s trip to Coldbridge this time involved a party of four. There were neither too many people nor too few. Indeed, a single car was sufficient to ferry all four people. However, Perrin was up in years, and the weather was scorching hot. With the addition of the driver, it would be five people altogether. Therefore, three people in the back seat would be a touch cramped. For that reason, she arranged for two cars and two drivers. The two drivers came up and took the luggage from Sophia and the other''s hands. Sophia naturally allowed it. After she had been relieved of her luggage, she supported Perrin to the parking lot with an umbre overhead. It was not Perrin''s first visit to Coldbridge, but it had been over forty years since hest came to the city. In that lengthy period, everything had changed. Sophia took the same car as him while her assistant and Kylie boarded the other car. As the car traveled down the airport highway, Perrin directed his gaze out the car window at the unfamiliar surroundings. Coldbridge was no longer the same city in his memories. ¡°During the three years I was transferred here forty years ago, I had explored Coldbridge quite a bit. Unexpectedly, I can''t find any semnce of the past now.¡± Beside him, Sophia chuckled. ¡°It''s been forty years, Granddad. Putting that aside, from the time I left here to attend university, Coldbridge has already changed a lot.¡± When I left for Jadeborough to attend university back then, Coldbridge had no high-speed rail yet, and there were few skyscrapers. Right now, new buildings are everywhere. New construction projects are also mushrooming with each passing day. Perrin turned and nced at her. ¡°You''re right. It''s been forty years.¡± While saying that, he heaved a sigh. ¡°In the blink of an eye, forty years had passed.¡± This is the thirty-eighth year Rachel went missing. If she were still alive, she would be almost fifty years old. What a pity! At the thought of Rachel, the smile on his face gradually faded. He said nothing further, merely turning and observing the city beyond the car window, where his daughter had lived for almost thirty years. Regret swamped him that he was making the trip alone. If Penelope could''ve held out for a while longer, just a little bit, she would''ve been able to make a visit here for a look at our daughter''s former home. Seeing that her grandfather had suddenly gone silent, Sophia knew that he must have recalled some memories of the past. Thus, she made no sound to disrupt him. The interior of the car remained quiet. Half an hourter, the car drove into a residential area. Although Sophia rarely returned, Yvonne arranged for someone to clean the house regrly. Since they wereing back this time, thetter had already made arrangements two days ago to have someone straighten up the ce the day before their arrival. The initially empty refrigerator was filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. That aside, the bedding in every room had also beenundered and sunned. Sophia took her clothes out of the suitcase and hung them up before giving Alexander a call to inform him that she had arrived safely. Subsequently, she went out and brewed a cup of coffee. It had been a tiring journey. Perrin was advanced in years, so weariness lined his face. Sophia ced the coffee on the desk at the side. ¡°Have some coffee, Granddad.¡± Perrin, who stood on the balcony, nced back over his shoulder at her. ¡°The view from your residential area is pretty good.¡± In response, Sophia smiled. ¡°When you''ve eaten somethingter, take a rest first. I''ll bring you and Aunt Kylie out for a walk in the evening.¡± Anyway, it was hot right then. As such, it would not be a good choice to go out during the day. Already in the city, Perrin was not bothered about a slight dy. He nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay.¡± As he spoke, he walked back into the house with his hands behind his back. After drinking the coffee Sophia brewed, he sighed softly. ¡°Oh well, I''ve truly gotten old.¡± Seven or eight years ago, I went hiking with Stanley every other day, and I was still breathing steadily after five or six hours. But now, I''ve only taken the car twice and the ne once, yet I''m already feeling worn out. ¡°A verbal statement doesn''t count.¡± Noticing that he had already finished the cup of coffee, Sophia picked up the coffee pot and refilled his cup. Perrin was usually a stern person, but he was no more than an amicable elderly man before her. ¡°Oh? What counts, then?¡± A grin stretched Sophia''s lips, and she kept him in suspense. ¡°Of course, it''s... your eyes! Your eyes are clear and limpid, Granddad. Other than limited mobility, you''re still energetic in speech. How are you old? Time and tide wait for no one, but you can''t simply admit to being old.¡± In truth, she was inept at waxing lyrical. Hence, that was considered her true sentiment. To her, Perrin was indeed old in terms of age. However, his state of mind was still young and robust. Despite hisments about his advanced age, that consideration did not show in any of the things he did. Stanley''s demise had a pronounced impact on him. Over the past half a year or so, he liked going on vacations and traveling all over the ce with his assistant. His perspective had grown much broader than it was in the past. Hearing that, Perrin chortled. ¡°Why is your script exactly the same as your cousin''s? Did the two of you team up to dupe me?¡± ¡°Of course not. It''s obviously a true evaluation by me and Lukas.¡± Right after she had finished speaking, Sophia saw her grandfather yawning. Aware that he was tired, she did not make any more conversation but urged him to rest. Picking up the coffee pot, she left the room. By then, Kylie had also finished unpacking. She sat on the couch, drinking water. At the sight of Sophia, she shed her a smile. ¡°This ce of yours is really well-decorated.¡± Sophia bought that house a long time ago. She decorated the ce ording to the home in her memories as much as possible. While the style was far more modern, the warmth of the past remained. Following Kylie''sment, Sophia admitted frankly, ¡°It resembles my home in the past.¡± For once, Kylie was momentarily stunned. In the next second, she snapped back to her senses. ¡°How silly. You''ve got a home now, and two at that.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Honestly, Sophia was not sad. It had been many years, and she had already grieved more than enough back then. As the years flew past, she was all the more nostalgic and regretful that her parents did not get to keep herpany longer. On top of that, as Kylie said, she already had two homes¡ªone was her small family with Alexander, and the other was the Dawson family. ¡°I know, Aunt Kylie.¡± Chapter 508 Chapter 508 After having lunch, everyone was a tad tired. Perrin and Kylie returned to their rooms to rest, while Sophia went to the study with herptop to read the minutes of the meeting that morning Yvonne sent her. It was only at a little over five o''clock in the evening that she took Perrin and Kylie out for dinner. Although Coldbridge was merely a third-tier city, it had a number of local specialties. Sophia''s cooking skills were dismal. Ever since graduating from high school, she rarely returned to the city and had been eating the food in Jadeborough. That day, she would be getting reacquainted with the food in her hometown after a long time. Most of the food in Coldbridge was spicy. Sophia was afraid that Perrin and Kylie would be unustomed to it, so she specially asked for the dishes to be less spicy or non-spicy. To her surprise, Perrin liked the food in Coldbridge. As he ate, he reminisced about his life with Penelope in the city when he was young. ¡°I''m old, after all. My sense of taste is no longer as sensitive, for I find the food a bit too nd.¡± Beside him, Sophia could not help giggling upon hearing that. ¡°I specially asked them to make it less spicy, afraid that you and Aunt Kylie couldn''t take the heat.¡± Besides, he''s not young anymore, so it''s better for him to have milder food. When Kylie heard that, she likewise burst intoughter. ¡°If that''s the case, your worry had been in vain. My grandmother was a native of Summerbank, and I grew up with her, so I love eating spicy as well.¡± Pausing for a moment, Kylie continued, ¡°But when I got pregnant with Lukas, I had inmed gums and too many ulcers. Thus, I didn''t eat anything spicy in those ten months. Thereafter, I rarely ate spicy foods anymore.¡± Sophia had never expected such a twist of events. Doveston was a water city in Jazona, and the food there was generally nd. While there was spicy food, only a few unique dishes were seasoned with chili. For that reason, she was worried that they would be unused to the local food. ¡°Then, I won''t tell them to reduce the spiciness tomorrow.¡± ¡°Great.¡± The few of them ate leisurely, and dinner passed in afortable and harmonious atmosphere. By the time they had finished having dinner, the sky had already grown dark. The wind outside was also much colder than earlier. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Sophia led Perrin and Kylie across the road of the residential area and traveled down the old street of the past. Everything around the ce was no longer the same as her memories. It had only been eight or nine years, but her former home had long since been bulldozed and turned into amercial square. ¡°Our house used to be here, but this ce was acquired by investors the year I graduated from high school. Now, it has be Glorious Square.¡± Holding Perrin''s arm, Sophia tried to speak more about the past. She added, ¡°There was a path here back then, and it led to the back entrance of my high school.¡± She pointed at the smooth asphalt road in front of her. The path littered with potholes in the past had been transformed into an avenue. Due to the presence of a square at the side, there were many skyscrapers all around, and that road no longer led to the back entrance of her high school. At present, there was likely no shortcut to her high school anymore. Instead, one would have to walk fifteen minutes by the main road. Perrin directed his gaze in the direction she was pointing without saying anything. Even if Sophia had not mentioned a word, he knew that everything had changed then. Indeed, everything had changed. No matter how good Sophia''s memory was, she could draw no simrities between the ground on which she was currently standing and the ce that was once a few hundred meters away from her home. The bustling vendors below her house were long since gone. Even the old street downstairs had disappeared into thin air. She pursed her lips briefly. ¡°Would you like to go to my high school for a look, Granddad?¡± ¡°Yes, sure!¡± Although everything had changed, with the old buildings transformed into a square and the path into an avenue, the school would still be there despite the changes. Smiling, Kylie remarked, ¡°I remember Lukas saying you''d been ranked top three in school ever since young.¡± While it was the veritable truth, Sophia was still somewhat embarrassed when an elder brought it up. ¡°The exams were rtively easy.¡± At that, Kylie chuckled. ¡°This is exactly what your cousin said. If your ssmates were to hear this, they might just burst a blood vessel.¡± Laughing, Sophia led the two of them toward her high school. The building was still in the same ce, but the exterior had changed significantly. Surprisingly, the security guard at the gates was still the same man though it had almost been ten years. Sophia had been a model student from a young age, used by her homeroom teacher, form teacher, and headmaster to show off to outsiders. Coupled with her striking looks since childhood, even the security guard had a deep impression of her. The high school had been ced under tight security, so irrelevant people were not allowed entry easily. Initially, Sophia thought it would be difficult to get in since she was with Perrin and Kylie. Unexpectedly, she had only stood at the gates for a while and snapped a photo with Perrin when the security guard in the security booth voluntarily walked over. ¡°You were a former student of Central High School, yes? You''re Sophia... or something of that sort. I recognize you. You ced first every year. During the university entrance exam, you even obtained second ce in the state and first in the city.¡± Smiling, Sophia introduced herself. ¡°Yes, I''m Sophia Yarrow.¡± Upon hearing that, the security guard seemingly recalled something important. He was over the moon. ¡°Yes, yes, that''s it! Sophia Yarrow! At that time, you often hung out with the boy who ced second and another beautiful girl. They came backst year to take their wedding photos here. I wondered when you''d return as well!¡± Everyone, regardless of gender and age, had an innate affinity toward those with good looks and grades. That was precisely the security guard''s sentiments toward Sophia. When he saw that she had two elders with her, he even took the initiative to ask whether she would like to bring her family into the school for a look. Sophia did not stand on ceremony with him. Indeed, she had not been back for almost ten years. She returned once during her sophomore year with Katherine and Joshua to celebrate the school''s anniversary, but never again after that. The distance was one of the factors. That aside, it was also because she did not like socializing. Particrly due to the fact that she was the top student who was renowned in the entire school in the past, she would definitely have to socialize if she were to bump into a teacher while visiting. She brought Perrin there that day because she wanted to let him have a look at the ce she once lived. After all, her home had already changed beyond recognition. Central High School was the only ce with many memories left. It went without saying that the security guard did not prohibit them entry since he recognized Sophia. He allowed them into the school though he did request them to register as per the procedure. It was not the weekend then, so the students in their senior year were having a self-study session. Coincidentally, Sophia had just led Perrin and Kylie through the school cafeteria when they bumped into her former homeroom teacher. Sophia was an outstanding student at Central High School. As her homeroom teacher for three years, Gabrielle Yates was understandably excited and gratified to see her. There was a lot of information about her on the inte. If it weren''t because Gabrielle saw that her sessful student had two elders with her, she really wanted to ask Sophia to share her experience with her students who were currently doing self-study. Of course, she also knew that Sophia''s good grades were thanks to her talent and not hard work. She often mentioned thetter to her students, but they never took it seriously. Hence, she felt that they would likely never again dare say that she was exaggerating if they were to see Sophia in the flesh that day. ¡°It''s self-study period right now. Would you, your granddad, and your aunt like to go to the ss for a look? The principal had someone inscribe the quote you left on the ckboard before graduating, and it''s now hung above the ssroom door.¡± Sophia cast a nce at Perrin. There was nothing thetter loved more than hearing people praise his granddaughter, so he naturally wanted to have a look when he heard about it. ¡°I need to have a look at it! I didn''t know Sophia was so incredible!¡± Gabrielle was also a person with the gift of the gab. ¡°You might not know this, Mr. Dawson, but she''s not only famous in our school...¡± The two of them continued walking as they talked. Kylie looked at Sophia and grinned. ¡°Come, let''s hurry up and go after them. Otherwise, your granddad will likely stay here the entire day!¡± Mortified, Sophia quickly hastened ahead with Kylie. Chapter 509 Chapter 509 Even though Perrin was old and had mobility issues¡ªhe seemed slow with his walking cane¡ªhe was, at the moment, walking swiftly behind Sophia''s high school homeroom teacher. When Gabrielle noticed that Perrin seemed to have a bad leg, she deliberately slowed down. To her surprise, Perrin was walking even faster than her. The group of people soon came to the building. As they ascended the stairs, Perrin finally slowed down. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Sophia caught up with him and supported him. ¡°Granddad, slow down.¡± It was not as if that thing would grow legs and run away. Kylie, who finally caught up as well, chuckled. ¡°Dad, it''s been more than a decade since you walked that fast, right?¡± Perrin was in a good mood, so he only smiled in response to his daughter-inw''s teasing. In no time, they were on the fifth floor. Sophia''s ssroom was right at the end of the corridor. It was after eight at night, so the students in the ssroom were in their self-study session. When the teacher on shift noticed Gabrielle leading a few people toward the ssroom, he froze and asked, ¡°Ms. Yates, this is...¡± Gabrielle arched her brows in delight and eximed proudly, ¡°This is Sophia Yarrow. The same Sophia Yarrow the principal keeps telling you about!¡± The teacher on shift had onlye to the school three years ago. While he had heard of Sophia, he had never seen her in person. Though, he did see her in a photo before. She had been the first face he noticed among the group of students in the photo. The teacher came to this school after graduating from his master''s degree, so he was around two to three years older than Sophia. It was dark outside, and the lights were dim, but despite that, the teacher still could not help but be attracted by Sophia''s pretty eyes. People tended to fall for pretty people and pretty things. The teacher, who was in his early thirties, was single. The second he saw Sophia, he found himself infatuated with her. His face flushed red, and he stiffly turned to Gabrielle. ¡°Oh, so she''s Sophia Yarrow.¡± Since the surroundings were dim and Gabrielle was focusing all her attention on Sophia, she did not notice the blush on the young male teacher''s face. She even chuckled and remarked teasingly, ¡°She''s beautiful, isn''t she? Those kids in our ss always say that I''m exaggerating and that geniuses tend to have pimply faces. I''m afraid that''s not the case for Sophia. Just look at her. In fact, she doesn''t seem like she ever had pimples! Am I right, Mr. Jarlett?¡± The teacher nodded fervently and squeezed out awkwardly, ¡°You''re right.¡± Sophia gave them a small smile in response but remained silent. Once Gabrielle was done exchanging pleasantries with the young male teacher, they continued their way. Soon, they arrived by the window of the ssroom Sophia used to be in. In the prime of their youth, seventeen-to-eighteen-year-old high school seniors were experiencing the beauty of adolescence. Time had flown by, yet the ssroom remained a nostalgic reminder of the past. Though one noticeable change was the absence of fans, reced by modern air conditioning units. The desks, however, remained the same, a symbol of continuity. ¡°Look, Mr. Dawson. Those are the blessings Sophia wrote back then!¡± Even though Sophia seemed elegant and quiet, her calligraphy was bold. The short blessing she had written on the ckboard had been rubbed and hung above the door. It was a rather charming decoration. Perrin saw it too. He was not a man who had much education, so he was not as well-versed in such matters as Penelope. However, Penelope came from a family of schrs and was influenced by her grandfather. Every once in a while, Perrin would practice calligraphy with Penelope. Though he was not as skilled in it as Penelope, he could tell that Sophia''s words were written magnificently, just like her personality. Judging from the short phrase she had written, Perrin could already tell that his granddaughter was a woman with a profound mind of her own. Perrin nodded in satisfaction before turning to Sophia. ¡°It''s been a long time since you''re back, right? Since you''re here, do you want to say hello to your juniors?¡± Perrin''s suggestion was exactly in line with Gabrielle''s intentions. At the end of the day, Sophia was her student, and she knew the young woman''s personality well. Sophia had indeed shown great courtesy toward her. The fact that the principal and other school leaders held Sophia in such high regard could be attributed not only to her outstanding academic prowess but also to the thoughtful gifts she would send during holidays and festivals. The gifts were not expensive, but they were gifts chosen through careful consideration, for they were food and essential items¡ªthings that others would notin about upon reception. Furthermore, Sophia would donate a sum to the school every year to be used for educational expenses. There were many things Sophia did for the school, so the school expressed their desire tomend Sophia and help her apply for a title as one of the top youths in the city several times, but Sophia always rejected them. Later on, the principal told them that Sophia was indifferent to such superficial des and advised against further disturbing her. After that, the others stopped talking about the matter, but Sophia remained a cherished presence in everyone''s minds. Now that she was back, Gabrielle, without a doubt, wanted her to boost the morale of the current students. However, she knew that Sophia never enjoyed such asions even when she was still a student. The third-best student in Sophia''s grade would always be the one to give the student representative speech during school opening ceremonies, for the second-best student, Joshua Lewis, was just as low-profile as Sophia. Strangely, the school had managed to groom two excellent students¡ªJoshua and Sophia¡ªin the same year and in the same ss. Even though it had been years since Sophia and Joshua''s graduation, that still felt so surreal to Gabrielle. Moreover, Sophia, Joshua, and Katherine had been inseparable since their high school days. As their teacher, Gabrielle could not help but feel a swell of pride seeing how Sophia, Joshua, and Katherine were flourishing in their chosen fields. Sophia cast a quick nce at her enthusiastic teacher, finding it hard to decline. Sporting a smile, she replied, ¡°All right, I''ll head in and say hello to the underssmen.¡± Gabrielle beamed when she heard that. ¡°That''s wonderful! Let me break the good news to them.¡± With that said, Gabrielle went into the ssroom. Sophia stayed by the windowsill, awkwardly shifting on her spot a little. A handful of students had already noticed her. Nevertheless, by then, Gabrielle was already in the ssroom. As she walked to the front of the room, she said, ¡°Apologies for upying ten minutes of your valuable time. Today, we have a special guest, Sophia Yarrow, a senior whom you''ve only heard about but never had the chance to meet until now. As your teacher, I shamelessly requested her to engage with all of you. Make sure you don''t let this opportunity slip by you! Feel free to ask any questions you may have. And for those who may doubt the rumors, do take a good look and see if Sophia truly possesses the rumored beauty and intellect!¡± Despite being in her forties, Gabrielle possessed an open-minded nature and was far from strict when it came to her students. As soon as Sophia entered, Gabrielle graciously moved aside, creating space and allowing Sophia to take the spotlight. Sophia made a grand entrance, adorned in a stunning floor-length dress. Due to the chilly atmosphere during her meal, she opted to add a beige cardigan as an extrayer to her ensemble. Her makeup was minimal, but she had bold and striking features. When she stood by the podium and was under the glowing radiance of the lights, the teenagers in the ssroom could not help but feel a sense of awe. ¡°Sorry for intruding on your self-study time. I was informed by Ms. Yates that many of you have been curious about me, so I thought it would be good toe in and satisfy your curiosity. Truth be told, I''m just a regr person.¡± Sophia smiled slightly when she spoke. By then, a smallmotion had erupted among the students. Chapter 510 Chapter 510 ¡°Wow, Sophia looks absolutely stunning! Her fairplexion is just mesmerizing! Why do I waste my time obsessing over celebrities when I could simply stan Sophia?¡± ¡°Surprisingly, Ms. Yates didn''t exaggerate this time!¡± One was even fake sobbing. ¡°Oh, Sophia, the goddess of education! I wholeheartedly desire to partake in your good fortune and gain admission into a prestigious university!¡± Despite Sophia''sck of makeup, she still looked like a gorgeous woman who had just stepped out of a world-famous painting. Naturally, the teenagers who had only heard about Sophia but never had the chance to see her in person were filled with excitement. A few brave teenage boys even rose from their seats and inquired, ¡°Sophia, we heard from Ms. Yates that you''ve consistently been the top student from elementary school all the way through high school. Is that really true?¡± Sophia turned to the boy who spoke and bobbed her head. ¡°Yes. I was in Terciaro Elementary School and Greenmeadow Middle School before enrolling in Central High School. If you''re skeptical about this, feel free to Google it.¡± ¡°Sophia, Sophia! When ites to studying, do you think natural talent or hard work holds greater significance?¡± After someone broke the ice, a wave of questions began pouring in, prompting more people to participate in the discussion. The students, who were initially shy, began actively engaging with Sophia. Sophia encountered such situations throughout her journey from childhood to adulthood. As she stood on the stage, a surreal sense washed over her, transporting her back to the past. Afterpleting her university entrance exams, she sumbed to the allure of marypensation offered by a tutoring center, unwittingly getting caught up in supposed ¡°socialization.¡± Arching a brow, Sophia turned to the boy who spoke and replied, ¡°Personally, I hold the belief that talent merely determines the extent of effort one needs to exert in their studies. It cannot be solely relied upon as a measure of academic achievement. Even if a student possesses incredible talent, without attending sses or dedicating themselves to studying, their exam results will not be impressive.¡± ¡°Then how do you get such marvelous grades, Sophia?¡± This question seemed like it was voiced by a child who was refusing to admit defeat in apetition. Sophia lowered her head and clicked her tongue. ¡°Who told you I didn''t study hard?¡± ¡°Hahaha! What kind of stupid question are you asking, Cole Dixon? Yates has already told us that Sophia''s smart and hardworking. Look at her; she''s obviously a good student. She''s not like you, who only thinks of ying games and nothing else!¡± It appeared that Cole suddenly realized the perceived foolishness of his inquiry. His ears turned slightly red, and he cast a sheepish nce at Sophia, seemingly embarrassed by his own query. At that, Sophia interrupted the awkward air by saying, ¡°I came in a hurry today, so I didn''t get to bring any gifts for all of you, though I would like to offer you my heartfelt blessings instead.¡± As she spoke, she picked up a chalk and turned around to write on the ckboard: Fear no hardships in the years of honing your de, for it shall gleam and be your guiding aid. ¡°May you all continue to be as happy as you are today on this same day next year. I won''t disturb your self-study session any longer.¡± With that said, Sophia turned to look at Gabrielle, who was standing by the doorway. Gabrielle didn''t make things difficult for Sophia and promptly walked over to take her ce. However, a few minutes weren''t enough for the students to satiate their curiosity about the legendary Sophia. ¡°Yates, we have so many more questions to ask Sophia!¡± Gabrielle huffed out an angryugh. ¡°And yet I don''t see all of you being this enthusiastic in ss on most days. Ask me instead; I know everything about Sophia!¡± ¡°Ms. Yates, do you happen to know if Sophia is married or still single? I have a younger uncle who is currently unattached!¡± The girl who voiced her question was known for her lively and outgoing nature. Gabrielle, having built a strong rapport with her students, was well acquainted with the girl''s younger uncle, who happened to attend Silverleaf School. He was an impressive young man, two years older than Sophia, boasting a tall and slim physique that seemed to catch the attention of girls at first nce. The second that girl spoke, someone retaliated, ¡°Marissa Falkner, didn''t you say your uncle''s so wonderful that no one''s worthy of him?¡± Marissa scoffed and retorted, ¡°That was before I met Sophia!¡± If I can sessfully persuade such a woman like Sophia to be my aunt, it will be absolutely marvelous. The future cousins I''ll have from them will undoubtedly possess extraordinary beauty! Marissa had grand ns formting in her head, but s, the reality was cruel. ¡°How long has it been since youst used the inte? Sophia''s married. Just half a month ago, her husband was showing off their rtionship online. it was even trending!¡± Gabrielle frequently brought up Sophia in ss, and being a group of young and curious individuals, the students would often browse the inte on their phones during their free time. The name ¡°Sophia Yarrow¡± had a distinctiveness that captured their attention whenever they encountered it. However, they had yet toy eyes on either the online-mentioned Sophia Yarrow or the Sophia Yarrow spoken of by Gabrielle. The world was vast, leaving them uncertain if it was indeed the same Sophia Yarrow or an entirely different person altogether. Having caught a glimpse of Sophia in person today and cross-referencing it with the photos they had stumbled upon online, those who often browsed gossip websites could readily recognize her with ease. Gabrielle chuckled and added, ¡°Considering how remarkable Sophia is, it''s no surprise that she had many admirers in the past. Even if she isn''t currently married, it''s quite likely that she already has a boyfriend!¡± Gabrielle engaged in yful banter with the students for a few moments before bringing an end to their commotion. ¡°All right, settle down now, or the student council will be deducting points from all of you once again. Let''s refocus on our assignments! Remember, even if you can''t be another Sophia, there might be opportunities to join Sophia''spany when you graduate!¡± Sophia, who had yet to leave, stiffened when she heard that. In contrast, Perrinughed. ¡°I never expected our Sophia to be such a remarkable girl!¡± Kylie nced at Sophia andmented, ¡°Dad, Lukas has already said that Sophia''s been an excellent girl all along.¡± Perrin nodded vigorously in agreement. ¡°As expected of a Dawson. You''re just like your granny.¡± The thought of his wife made Perrin''s smile fade a little as a tinge of sorrow seeped into it. Once Gabrielle calmed the students down, she came out of the room to send Sophia and the others out of the school. Sophia did not reject her offer, knowing that Perrin wanted to learn more about her from Gabrielle. On their way out, Gabrielle told Perrin about Sophia''s past. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°Sophia was truly a well-mannered and exceptional student in the past. During her freshman year, Silverleaf School sought to recruit her by offering a substantial sum. However, Sophia declined the offer. If she had epted, our school wouldn''t have had the privilege of having her among us!¡± Sophia blinked sheepishly when she heard that. She had not wanted to attend Silverleaf School back then because it was more than half an hour away from home. It was far, unlike Central High School, which was only a dozen of minutes'' walk away from home. If she took a bicycle, she would reach home in five minutes. It was convenient. But of course, that was not something Sophia would say out loud. ¡°I don''t think you know about this, but there were so many boys courting Sophia back then. To be honest with you, I was worried that Sophia would start dating at a young age, but the principal said that Sophia''s grades won''t be affected even if she does.¡± Some individuals were simply blessed with innate talents. Sophia''s phenomenal achievements are likely attributed to her naturally high intelligence and photographic memory. ¡°But as time went on, I realized that I was overthinking it. Aside from spending time with her childhood friends Katherine and Joshua, Sophia rarely engaged with others. I always knew Sophia had tremendous potential, and now she has blossomed into a sessful female entrepreneur. She''s even generously contributing to the school through annual donations...¡± Chapter 511 Chapter 511 As they chatted, the group arrived at the entrance of the school. Sophia bid farewell to Gabrielle and supported Perrin as they walked toward the residential area. Kylie, standing on the side, gazed at Sophia with a smile. ¡°Why didn''t you choose to go to Silverleaf School, Sophia?¡± Sophia looked up at Kylie and shed a sheepish grin. ¡°Haven''t you already guessed the reason, Aunt Kylie?¡± Hearing that, Kylieughed heartily. ¡°So, you turned down the offer because that ce was too far from home?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Sophia replied, ncing at the traffic light across the street. ¡°Silverleaf School was too far away. It would take me more than half an hour to reach there by bus.¡± Perrin chimed in, ¡°You''re exactly like your brother.¡± ¡°Lukas did the same?¡± Kylie responded, ¡°That''s right. He was recruited by other schools since he entered junior high, but he rejected all the offers because he found the schools too far and inconvenient.¡± Sophia hadn''t expected Lukas to be the same as her. To people like them, attending a different school wouldn''t affect their grades, but it would impact theirmute time and means of transportation. It was especially troublesome on rainy or snowy days. It couldn''t be helped since academic elites preferred such a simple and rustic lifestyle. By the time they returned home, it was already past nine o''clock at night. Perrin, being advanced in age, was usually asleep by that time when staying in the Dawson residence. It had been a tiring day. Sophia prepared a basin of warm water for Perrin to soak his feet. Around ten o''clock, she returned to her room to take a bath. Sophia was also a little exhausted. Before turning in, she sent Alexander a goodnight message. After cing down her phone and rolling over on the bed, she soon drifted off to sleep. Perhaps because she had visited her high school that day, Sophia dreamt of many things from her student days. Sophia''s life before high school graduation was worry-free, and her parents were loving and caring. Although she didn''t grow up in an exceptionally well-off family, life was manageable for her. Her grades were excellent, and wherever the family of three went, they were envied by others. In her dream, she was back in the second year of high school. After apanying Katherine to a singingpetition, she returned home to find a birthday surprise arranged by her parents. When the rm rang the next day, Sophia experienced difficulty waking up. The rm rang for some time before she got up. The sky outside had turned bright, and sunlight filtered in through the gaps in the curtain. She noticed a message from Alexander. Separated by a sixteen-hour time difference, they were indeed faced withmunication challenges, so they tacitly agreed to send each other messages and reply only when they saw them, without expecting to be online at the same time. The weather was great that day. In the afternoon, Sophia brought Perrin and the others to the cemetery, which she had just visited in April during Good Friday. The ce was well-maintained and tidy. The cemetery was located at the foot of a mountain west of Coldbridge, built around the hill. The tombstones wererger the further they moved inward. Sophia''s parents loved each other dearly in their lifetime. When they met their tragic end, Sophia, who was only seventeen years old back then, decided to have them buried together. At that time, she didn''t have much money at her disposal, and she would have to wait several months before receiving the demolitionpensation for the old house. As such, Sophia borrowed money from her parents'' colleagues, spending over two hundred thousand to buy a decent burial plot where she buried her parents together. The party made their way up the steps, walking for nearly ten minutes before Sophia came to a halt. She led Perrin along a small path off to the side. Her parents'' grave was situated in the middle of that row. Their tombstones were side by side, and beneath the stonesy their ashes. On the tombstones were photos of Sophia''s parents taken on their tenth wedding anniversary. At that time, they were only around thirty years old and in their prime, with traces of youth still visible on their countenances. Rachel looked a lot like Perrin. Tears welled up in Perrin''s eyes after he saw the photo on the tombstone. When Rachel went missing, she was only ten years old. Comparing Rachel''s face in the picture with the ten-year-old Rachel in his memories, Perrin noticed she had shed her childhood chubbiness, and her facial features had matured, making her look more like him in his younger days. Perrin was proud and delighted that his daughter resembled him. He enjoyed bringing her out to y whenever he returned home from training. She was especially close to him. Back then, Perrin was always serious and stern to his subordinates and Kasper. He only showed a different side of himself to Rachel. When spending time with her, he was an utterly doting father. Penelope used to question him that since he spoiled Rachel so much, what would happen when she grew up and got married into another family? Perrin would always reply that there was no need for Rachel to get married as he would take care of her for a lifetime. Everything was so perfect back then. Because of his daughter, Perrin even showed more leniency toward his subordinates. However, everything changed the year Rachel turned ten. Perrin was actually more frantic than Penelope when Rachel first disappeared, but he didn''t let his emotions show since he was used to being a leader. Only he himself knew he was trembling in fear and worry. In the following years, whenever he was on leave from work, he would travel to different ces to search for Rachel. After persisting in his quest for almost thirty years, he never expected that his beloved daughter had long been reduced to a pile of bones buried underground. Worried that Perrin would be overwhelmed by grief, Sophia called out, ¡°Granddad.¡± Perrin regained his senses only after he heard Sophia''s voice. He wiped the tears off the corner of his eyes and shifted his gaze onto Sophia''s father''s picture. ¡°Your dad was quite a handsome man.¡± This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Sophia chuckled. ¡°Mom used to say that her decision to be with Dad was significantly influenced by his good looks.¡± Perrin was taken aback. ¡°That''s Ray for you. Your mom had always fancied beautiful things since she was little. She wanted everything around her to be visually appealing, including her outfits, belongings, and toys.¡± ¡°When I was little, Mom liked making me pretty dresses and weaving my hair into pretty braids.¡± Perrin nced at Sophia. ¡°It seems you don''t care much for such things.¡± Sophia grinned. ¡°I don''t particrly love it, but I don''t hate it either. Mom told me I''m not like her at all. I prefer simple and elegant things, which she found were rather in.¡± Perrin''s mood brightened up significantly as the temperament of his daughter, described by his granddaughter, aligned with the memories of Rachel he had etched into his mind. ¡°Did your dad drink?¡± Perrin asked his assistant to open the bottle of wine he brought along. Sophia shook her head. ¡°I inherited my dad''s alcohol tolerance. We get drunk from just consuming one ss of wine.¡± The old man nodded. ¡°That''s god too. A man who doesn''t drink is more responsible and caring toward his family.¡± ¡°Dad would alwayse straight home after work.¡± Knowing his daughter had married a good husband provided some constion to Perrin. The assistant handed over the bottle of wine. Perrin received it and said, ¡°Although you can''t handle alcohol, I must insist you drain this ss. After this drink, you''ll officially be my, Perrin Dawson''s, son- inw!¡± Perrin poured some of the wine in front of the tombstone as he spoke and then took a swig. Chapter 512 Chapter 512 Neither Sophia nor Kylie said anything as they stared at the tombstone in front of them. It had been a long time since Perrin drank alcohol. He loved to drink when he was young, but he cut down on it after starting a family. With Penelope keeping a close eye on him, Perrin hardly had any chance to drink anyway. After Penelope was diagnosed with cancer, Perrin stopped drinking completely. The wine that Perrin''s assistant, John brought from the Dawson residence was Perrin''s favorite kind. He had been storing it in a cab for over twenty years. For the first time ever, Perrin found the wine''s taste to be unpleasant. He only took a sip of it before handing it back to John. Sophia looked up at Perrin and asked, ¡°Shall we head back, Granddad?¡± Perrin shot her a nce and nodded in response. The group then left two bouquets of flowers before the tombstone to signify their visit and walked out of the cemetery. It was still early when they returned to the city and not yet time for dinner, so Sophia brought Perrin and Kylie to Quantus Mountain, a popr spot in Coldbridge to watch the sunset. The view from Quantus Mountain during sunset was beautiful regardless of the seasons, making it famous all over the country. Perrin had been feeling blue since they left the cemetery. Sophia, on the other hand, was feeling all right as her parents had been gone for almost ten years. She had long since epted that cruel reality. It was five in the evening when they arrived at the bottom of the mountain. The hot sun was still high up in the sky, and the surrounding area remained brightly lit. Sophia opened an umbre after getting out of the car and held Perrin steady as they made their way toward the ticketing counter. A lot of people loveding over to Quantus Mountain for trekking and camping activities during the weekends. It wasn''t really tall, so it would only take a three-hour hike to reach its peak. However, they were short on time that day, and Perrin''s legs were not exactly in good condition for such strenuous activity. As such, they decided to ride a cable car up the mountain instead. It was still fairly early by the time they arrived at the peak. Because schools and universities were on summer vacation, most of the students woulde over to camp. Watching the sunset in the evening, stargazing at night, and having some cookies for breakfast before heading back the next morning made quite a pleasant experience. Sophia would often go camping at Quantus Mountain with Katherine and the others during her high school days. The night sky looked really pretty with all the stars shining brightly. A tour guide was giving an introduction of Quantus Mountain nearby. After wandering around for a bit, Sophia finally found a vacant spot and sat down with Kylie and Perrin. The three of them were seated about a few meters apart and enjoyed the cooling mountain breeze while listening to the tour guide''s speech. Perrin, who had been in a bad mood since they left the cemetery, finally spoke up. ¡°Quantus Mountain sure is an interesting ce.¡± ¡°Mom and Dad used to bring me hiking here when I was five. They didn''t have cable cars here at the time. I got tired halfway through the hike, so Dad carried me on his back and continued the hike up the mountain,¡± Sophia said with a smile. That was Sophia''s first time seeing the sunset. As she was only five at the time, she didn''t really understand the concept of sunsets. All she knew was how beautiful it looked as she stood at the peak and stared at the clouds floating in the bright orange sky. In the years after that, sunsets had always held a special ce in Sophia''s heart. John bought them some drinks from a nearby stall. Sophia took a sip of it and nced at her watch. It was half past five at the time, so the sun would set in another thirty minutes. Perrin loved hearing stories about Sophia''s childhood, so she told him the ones that were interesting to keep him entertained. They had such a great time together that thirty minutes went by before they even realized it. The sky began to get dark at six in the evening, and an orange glow began to spread from the horizon. Most of the photography enthusiasts had already whipped out their cameras and were testing them out in preparation. The people at the peak had doubled in number, so they couldn''t see anything while sitting down. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Mr. Zinn, could you please help hold Granddad steady?¡± Sophia said while helping Perrin to his feet. Given how crowded the ce had be, it would be safer to have John hold Perrin instead. John quickly put his things down and stepped forward to hold Perrin''s arm. The sun was starting to set, and the sky looked even more beautiful with each passing second. Kylie, who was standing next to Sophia at the time, eximed, ¡°Now I see why people love watching the sunset!¡± Sophia turned around and asked, ¡°Have you and Uncle Kasper not watched sunsets before?¡± Kylie snorted in displeasure. ¡°Hmph! That dense guy doesn''t know a thing about romance!¡± Sophia couldn''t help but agree with her statement after thinking about Kasper''s personality. ¡°Lukas is just as dense as he is!¡± Perrin chimed in. He wouldn''t still be single if he weren''t so dense! Just thinking about Lukas was enough to put a frown on Perrin''s face. Kylie let out a helpless sigh. ¡°Well, you know what they say. Like father, like son...¡± ¡°I''m not like that, though! It''s not my fault they turned out like this!¡± Perrin eximed. Kylie let out a soft chuckle. ¡°Of course, Dad! Mom told me a lot of good things about you.¡± ¡°Oh? What did she say about me?¡± Perrin asked. ¡°She said you gave her a book the first time you met her. She also told me that you would always bring her a little surprise whenever you two went out on dates. Sometimes, it would be a flower from the mountains, and sometimes it would be a barrette that you probably spent a lot of money on,¡± Kylie replied. Sophia was a little shocked when she heard that. She had always assumed that Perrin was a dense man because of his job as a soldier. She did not expect him to be such a romantic person during his younger days. As Kylie was quoting Penelope directly, Sophia could tell from her choice of words that Penelope saw Perrin''s small acts of affection as a sign of his love for her. Feeling happy for them, Sophia lowered her head and let out a soft chuckle. Upon looking up, she made eye contact with a man standing about seven to eight meters away from her. He was dressed in a baseball outfit and staring right at her. When he saw her looking at him, he even arched an eyebrow at her. The smile on Sophia''s face faded instantly, and she quickly retracted her gaze. Yulisa Saddler eximed with a dissatisfied frown when she saw Heath Barker being distracted. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Heath slowly turned around upon hearing that and shot her a nonchnt gaze. ¡°Nothing.¡± Yulisa stared at the direction he was facing in hopes of finding out what he was looking at but to no avail. ¡°Keep in mind that you agreed toe here with me today!¡± Heath frowned impatiently at her. ¡°So? Do you think I would''ve said yes if it weren''t for your brother?¡± ¡°You...¡± Yulisa burned bright red with anger, but Heath didn''t seem to care. ¡°What? Are we done here? I''m leaving if we are.¡± Yulisa gave in the moment she saw him get ready to leave. ¡°No, we''re not! We''re staying here until the sunset is over!¡± Rumor has it that if we see the sunset at Quantus Mountain with the person we like and sincerely wish for us to be together, then that wish wille true! Little did Yulisa know, she was simply being na?ve. Given how short a sunsetsts, it would not make sense to use it as a symbol of a longsting rtionship. Chapter 513 Chapter 513 Given how Perrin and Kylie couldn''t stopmenting on how beautiful the sunset at Quantus Mountain was, it wouldn''t be an overstatement to say that it lived up to its reputation. Perrin even had Sophia record a video of him so he could send it to the chat group with his oldrades. Kylie said she woulde here with Kasper after his retirement to watch the sunset again. The group then headed back down the mountain after enjoying a beautiful sunset. The sky was already dark by the time they got to the bottom. It was half past seven when they returned to the city. Sophia brought them to a restaurant that she had contacted on the way down the mountain to make a reservation. The food was served shortly after the three of them took their seats. It was prettyte at night when they finished their meal. Since both Perrin and Kylie were fairly advanced in age, and Sophia did not have any other ns for the evening, they decided to head home and get some rest. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Heath, who happened to be dining at the same restaurant, did not expect to run into Sophia here as well. He had been with many women in the past, but none of them could bepared to Sophia in terms of appearance. Being thirty years old, Heath could no longer afford to just hit on every woman he took a liking to. The Barker family would not allow him to continue fooling around any longer. Although Yulisa wasn''t exactly his type, she would make a decent wife due to her family background and upbringing. However, Heath didn''t expect to meet the woman he just saw an hour ago at the mountain again. That led him to believe it was fate. Snuffing out his cigarette, he decided to go after Sophia. Yulisa had just returned from taking a phone call when she saw that Heath was no longer at the table. After ncing about, she saw that Heath had already stepped out of the restaurant. ¡°Wait for me, Heath!¡± Yulisa shouted while running after him. Heath had already gotten into his car when he heard her voice. He simply turned around and nced at her before closing the car door and speeding off without any hesitation whatsoever. Yulisa had liked him for over ten years and clung to him since high school. She refused to move on even though Heath had dated tons of girls throughout those years. Sometimes, Heath even questioned if he was really all that great. He couldn''t understand why Yulisa would continue to crush on him for so long. Rtionships were strange and inexplicable. He used to treat Yulisa like a younger sister when they were younger. After she confessed her feelings for him, however, Heath stopped liking her even as a sister. While he didn''t exactly hate her, he did find her behavior somewhat annoying. Heath didn''t even want to go out with Yulisa that day, but thetter called up her brother, Emilio Saddler, for help. Emilio then forced Heath to go watch the sunset with Yulisa. Unexpectedly, Heath found another woman to his liking during his outing with Yulisa, and he felt d that he had gone to watch the sunset with her. She can only me herself for forcing me to go to Quantus Mountain with her. Little did Yulisa know, Heath was considering giving up on finding someone else and just settle for her. All she had to do to be his wife was behave herself and stop annoying him so much. After running into Sophia a second time, however, Heath figured he was still young and decided to give it a shot. Sophia instinctively tried to protect Perrin when their car got hit from behind, but Perrin was quicker and had already reached his arm out to shield her from the impact. Sophia felt a warm sensation spread through her heart when she saw that. Fortunately, the car behind them did not bump into them too hard. Sophia assumed the driver simply didn''t hit the brakes in time. A nce in the rearview mirror revealed that it was a Bentley that hit them. As the owner of the Bentley stepped out of the car, Sophia recognized him to be none other than the man she met atop the mountain. Sophia arched her eyebrow in response and began to question if he had deliberately hit their car. The driver, who got out of the car to speak to the man, returned shortly after and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, the man says he would like to deal with you in person.¡± ¡°He''s the one who bumped into us, so why should she have to go deal with him?¡± Perrin eximed in displeasure. Kylie''s car was right in front of theirs at the time, so she knew something was up when she saw them stop in the middle of the road. She quickly pulled over to the side and came running over. ¡°What happened, Sophia? Did that car hit yours? Are you two all right?¡± Sophia helped Perrin steady himself before nodding in response. ¡°We''re fine, Aunt Kylie. Don''t worry about us.¡± She then nced at the man, who was waiting by the roadside, as she continued, ¡°Granddad, why don''t you and Aunt Kylie head on home? I''ll stay here and wait for the traffic police toe and resolve this.¡± ¡°John can stay here instead!¡± Perrin protested, reluctant to let Sophia stay. ¡°I''ll be fine, Granddad. I''m just going to deal with him really quickly, so you two can head on back now,¡± Sophia replied. Seeing as Sophia was adamant about handling this herself, Perrin had no choice but to give in. ¡°Be careful, then. Let the traffic police take over if that guy tries anything funny.¡± Perrin then turned toward John and continued, ¡°John, you stay here with her.¡± Sophia did not object to that arrangement. ¡°Aunt Kylie, you and Granddad should get going now.¡± Kylie figured something was probably up, so she simply nodded and said, ¡°All right; try not to stay out toote.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Sophia waited for Kylie and Perrin to be out of sight before walking up to the Bentley. ¡°If I recall correctly, you rear-ended our car while we were driving safely in ourne. The car in front of us stopped because of the red light, so we stopped as well.¡± Heath stared at her for a few seconds before letting out a nonchnt chuckle. ¡°Hi, my name is Heath Barker. What''s your name?¡± He paused briefly and gave it some thought before continuing, ¡°I heard your elders calling you ''Sophia'' earlier. Is that your name?¡± Having dealt with tons of men who tried to flirt with her, Sophia shed him a faint smile as she replied, ¡°Let us settle this privately, Mr. Barker. We will not take legal action against you this time, but please be more careful on the road. After all, not everyone out there is as forgiving as I am.¡± Sophia had on very light makeup that day, so Heath could clearly see her facial features under the dim lighting of the streetmps. She has got pretty eyes, but they look a little cold. Tsk... She''s a thorny rose, huh? ¡°I always listen to my girlfriend, so I will do as you say, Ms. Yarrow,¡± Heath said. Sophia had seen shameless men, but none of them were as shameless as Heath. yboys like these will only get even more smug if you keep talking back to them. With that in mind, Sophia stopped smiling and shed him an icy-cold re before walking off. John quickly followed behind her and returned to the car with her. There was a look of excitement in Heath''s eyes as he watched them leave. ¡°Mr. Zinn, I would prefer if the conversation earlier does not reach Granddad''s ears,¡± Sophia said. John let out an awkward chuckle when Sophia saw through his intentions. ¡°Understood, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Wearing a half-smile, Sophia nced at John''s eyes in the rearview mirror. ¡°I''m sure you wouldn''t want to upset Granddad either, right, Mr. Zinn? We all want the best for him, so it is sometimes necessary to tell a lie out of kindness.¡± John was surprised that Sophia could tell his response was half-hearted. After hearing what she said, John decided to keep his mouth shut about Sophia''s encounter. ¡°You''re absolutely right, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Please continue driving, then.¡± Chapter 514 Chapter 514 Perrin was not yet asleep when Sophia arrived home. Instead, he sat alone on the couch. His expression rxed when she entered. ¡°Is it done?¡± Sophia nodded with a smile. ¡°It''s done. No big deal.¡± ¡°I''m d to hear that. It''ste. You should rest, Sophia.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°I will. You too, Granddad.¡± ¡°I''m going to tuck in.¡± As he spoke, Perrin nced at John, who understood his employer''s tacit summon after years of working for the former. After a sideways nce at Sophia, he followed Perrin into the room. ¡°How was the matter dealt with, John?¡± John recalled Sophia''s words and opted not to tell Perrin. ¡°That person was mistaken. He had an altercation with the driver of another car of the same make as ours and mistaken us for them. The matter was resolved after Ms. Yarrow rified things.¡± That exnation sounded reasonable. Perrin studied John for a moment before saying, ¡°I see. You did well. It''s gettingte. You should get some rest, too.¡± ¡°I will. You too, sir,¡± Perrin answered. He entered the study, gathered his things, then took a shower. Sophia awoke early the following day. She had been sleeping exceptionally well from apanying Perrin on his excursions all over the ce ofte. That day, she nned to take a trip back to the vige. Since theirst encounter, Sophia no longer had anything to do with the Sharp family. After being forced by Yvonne, who was in turnpelled by Sophia, to spend a stint in prison, Rupert and his family became much more reserved. Later on, however, they ndered her to Dillon for the sake of money. Aside from that, they did not manage to cause much of a stir. Sophia did not want to see the members of the Sharp family. She did not have a good impression of any of them. To put it more bluntly, she thought ill of them all. From her so-called grandmother, who was entering her eighth decade, to her sons, Rupert and the other one, all of them were people who would relish seeing her fall. Delh had made sure they never forgot her kindness in adopting Rachel. Despite how long it had been, Sophia remembered the day when Delh, with a look of glee and barely suppressed impatience, gave her away. Sophia never told Perrin any of that. Lukas would have found out, but he must not have mentioned anything, so she yed along with him. It was something Perrin did not need to know lest it hurt him. Aside from visiting Rachel and Sophia''s father, Perrin wanted toe to Coldbridge to visit the ce where Rachel was adopted. Sophia had no reason to turn him down, so she made arrangements for the trip. The journey from the city to the country took almost two hours. Sophia had not returned in fifteen years. Since her parents moved into the city, she had note back. Despite the passage of time, Forest Bank Vige had not changed much. However, the roads had been patched up, and there were extensive renovations to the houses nking them. It looked much cleaner and more pleasantpared to how it was fifteen years ago. In contrast to the view of the roads and the buildings of the city they had left behind, however, the houses of the vige were inly outdated. New developments were everywhere to be seen after fifteen years, but aside from the better roads and some of the nicer-looking houses, Forest Bank Vige did not change much. There were antiquated houses on either side. Many of the bottom floors were little shops serving breakfast, junk food, toys, and mini-marts, but they were small and old. The house at the end of the road belonged to the family who adopted Rachel¡ªthe Sharps. Upon catching wind of Sophia''s sess, Delh had once brought Rupert to ask her for money. Sophia did not give them a penny. Repaying the debt of raising Rachel was her own to bear, which had nothing to do with Delh. Call me cruel or cold-blooded, but I do not wish the old woman and her offspring well. If not for Rachel paying her a visit behind Sophia''s back, the couple would not have lost their lives out there. They should have arrived, and the house would have been there after they made the turn into the residential area. It would have been there, just that little distance away, but there was nothing there. Furthermore, Delh had only bought Rachel as she had been without children. After birthing her own, she exploited Rachel. Delh, as the buyer, was not wholly innocent in the incident of Rachel being trafficked. ¡°Let''s stop here and get down for a walk, Sophia.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Sophia answered, then had the driver pull over. The vige was filled with bums. With the sudden appearance of the two shiny, expensive-looking cars, the group ying cards turned instinctively to Sophia and her group. Though the road had been mended, it must have been damaged again soon after; it was a bumpy ride. Its surface was a whole foot below the shop on the sidewalk. The car pulled over. It was the time of day when the street was crowded. Afraid of bumping into Perrin, Sophia exited the vehicle from the side closer to the shops against the sidewalk. ¡°Be careful, Granddad. The ledge is quite high.¡± Perrin looked down. He took one step onto the elevated pavement and exited the vehicle with his other hand clutching his cane. Soon after, John and Kylie emerged. Kylie nced about her. She had the distinct impression of having traveled back two decades in time. She had not left the house for a long time after Penelope''s death. On her trip out, she was surprised to learn that there were such impoverished areas that seemed stuck in the past. Sophia was wearing a pair of straight-washed denim trousers and a white long-sleeved chiffon jacket that day. It was a hot day, so she tied her hair into a fishtail braid that hung behind her neck and wore a bucket hat. Despite the simplicity of her outfit, Sophia attracted plenty of attention from the moment she descended the vehicle. Kylie was in her fifties, but she took good care of her skin and looked to be in her thirties instead. She was wearing a pair of white denim trousers, a light pink chiffon shirt, and a bucket hat like Sophia''s. Standing side by side, the pair looked very much like mother and daughter. Though the group was dressed simply, they did notpromise in their regality. The air they exuded looked at a nce to be people of importance. ¡°These are rich people,¡± one of the gamblers suddenly remarked. ¡°Of course they''re rich. Look at the car they came in!¡± ¡°I''ll be d*mned. In all my years, I''ve never seen such a beautiful woman. How do you think it''ll feel being on top of that woman, Jasper?¡± Jasper Sharp, the fellow who was nudged, did not speak. Instead, he was gazing at the group who had gotten out of their vehicles with his eyes narrowed. He thought the young woman looked exceedingly familiar. He had seen such a beautiful woman only once before. The more he stared, the more convinced he became that she looked like his cousin, Sophia. Chapter 515 Chapter 515 As it had been a sunny couple of days, Perrin felt sorry for Sophia, so he refused her help and relied on his cane instead. John walked beside him with an umbre while Sophia followed behind with Kylie. Sophia did not know Forest Bank Vige well, so there was not much information she could furnish Perrin with. Perrin, on his part, did not look as though he needed Sophia to. His purpose ining was to visit the ce his daughter was raised in. He had braced himself for the trip. Though the town was not as developed as Doveston, there were buildings, convenient transportation, andpleted buildings; Forest Bank Vige was still a vige, and it was expected not to be as developed. However, Perrin did not expect the differences to be that vast. He gazed at the derelict houses on both sides and the shabby road, unable to imagine what the Sharp family was like. Though Sophia did not explicitly tell him, he had the feeling that they were not kind to Rachel. If not for her gratitude, the Sharp family would have moved out of the vige and into the city. Perrin felt conflicted. I can''t believe my darling daughter was sold to such a ce. As Sophia and the group passed, Jasper, who had recognized her, lost interest in his game. Leaping up with excitement, he flung his excellent hand onto the table and went after them, deaf to the cries of his fellow bums without even sparing them a backward nce. ¡°Sophia!¡± Sophia frowned upon hearing her name. Kylie caught sight of the young man who had suddenly appeared. She did not look too pleased. ¡°Who are you? We don''t know you.¡± The young man had been regarding Sophia with a gaze that was overtly offensive, so Kylie stood before her to block her from view. Jasper got a shock when he got a closer look at Sophia. The sweet girl I knew had grown into such a beauty! Those b*stards are going to be green with envy if I bring her home as my wife. Jasper assumed Kylie, who was standing before Sophia, to be Rachel; Delh did not inform the Sharp family about Rachel''s death. Even if she did, the news would not make waves in the Sharp family. Since Rachel married Sophia''s father, who lived off her, she no longer sent money back home. In the beginning, they managed to get Rachel to send them some money by concocting the excuse of Delh and her husband falling ill, but six monthster, possibly due to seeing through their intentions, Rachel stopped sending them money. Aside from seeing them during the holidays, she hadrgely cut ties with them. Jasper giggled. ¡°It''s me, Aunt Rachel! Jasper, your nephew! We haven''t met in many years, so you may not recognize me, but I remember Sophia. She''s still as beautiful as she used to be.¡± As soon as Jasper spoke, a pain shot up his leg¡ªPerrin had swung his cane against the former''s shin. ¡°Ah! Who the f*ck struck me?¡± Hugging his left foot, Jasper hopped away, and when he saw that it was Perrin, gritted his teeth and yelled, ¡°Why did you hit me, d*mn old man?¡± Sophia scowled when she heard that. With a deft flick of her foot, she flipped a pebble up, caught it, and hurled it into Jasper''s mouth while he was distracted. Sophia flung it hard. The pebble flew into his mouth, striking his front teeth so hard that they came loose. ¡°Who threw that? Step forward, you piece of¡ª¡± Before he finished speaking, another pebble found its way into his mouth. This time, it struck his bottom teeth. Jasper pped a hand over his mouth. He gazed around and found the few of them ring at him. Then, Sophia stepped out from behind Kylie. ¡°I don''t know you. I am an only daughter, and my mother has one brother. I only have one cousin.¡± ¡°Your name is Sophia, is it not?¡± Jasper blubbered, his hand still over his mouth. As he was covering his mouth while he spoke, his words came out slurred. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Sophia did not respond. ¡°I''m going to call the cops if you follow us again.¡± Jasper chuckled. Given the size of this ce, I know all of them. Call the cops? Is she joking? However, the pain in his teeth was unbearable. Jasper nced at them, then decided to first get his teeth looked at before seeing Sophia again. Sophia hasn''t been back for over ten years. She must be here for us. It was in that Jasper thought too highly of himself. Even after he disappeared from sight, Perrin''s expression remained cold. Looking away, Sophia turned her gaze to Perrin and smiled. ¡°Are you all right, Granddad?¡± ¡°Is he one of the Sharp family members?¡± Sophia nodded, not intending to keep anything from Perrin. ¡°He is Rupert''s eldest son, and he''s a year older than me. Rupert has another son who is three years my junior.¡± Perrin scoffed. ¡°Scum of society.¡± ¡°Don''t get worked up over people like that, Granddad. I''ve stood up for us, haven''t I?¡± Perrin finally smiled at the recollection of Sophia''s maneuver, as did Kylie. ¡°You''re just like your brother.¡± Both of them are no pushovers. Sophia was abashed. ¡°He was uncouth.¡± Thus, I''m forced to find a way to shut him up. Uncharacteristically, Perrin voiced his approval. ¡°Well done!¡± With a grin, Sophia changed the subject. ¡°It''ste, Granddad. Let''s find somece to have lunch.¡± It was indeed gettingte. Sophia did not know the ce well, but she spotted a small restaurant in the distance. Perrin''s leg pained him, and he did not wish to walk any further, so they decided to have a meal. The dpidated restaurant had never seen such esteemed visitors; the owner of the eatery was momentarily stunned when the group filed in. ¡°Are you here for a meal, sir?¡± John answered, ¡°We are, sir. Please get us a table.¡± The owner was tactful. Noticing that they were nomon customers, he quickly ordered his wife to clear them a table with more care than they usually did, then arrived before them with a pen and a notepad. ¡°There''s nothing much we can serve you with from a ce as small as ours, sir. If you don''t mind, allow me to make some rmendations on our local cuisine.¡± Then, he added, ¡°It''s what we serve guests during the festivities. Though not as good as what city folks eat, it''s at least a novel experience.¡± ¡°You decide, Granddad.¡± ¡°I''m happy having anything.¡± Since the others were agreeable, Perrin nodded. After Jasper had had his teeth checked out, he dashed through his house. ¡°Where''s Sophia, Grandma?¡± he yelled, bursting through the door. Chapter 516 Chapter 516 Delh had not heard the name Sophia in over a year. When she suddenly heard her grandson mention it, memories of the past flooded back, and her body trembled. ¡°What Sophia? Have you lost your mind from ying poker? Where did this Sophiae from?¡± She was furious that her two sons were useless despite giving birth to them. Even their own sons turned out to be just as worthless. If she had known earlier about Sophia''s capabilities and the wealth of Zoey''s family, she would not have engaged in a bitter feud with Sophia and her mother. She also would not have sold off Sophia. Delh was not foolish. Given a choice between a consistent source of ie and a one-time fortune, she would naturally opt for the former. If it were not for Sophia holding a grudge against what happened in the past, Delh would not have acted so harshly. She knew Sophia med her for the death of her parents and resented the incidents from her childhood. That was why she brought Rupert to Jadeborough to ask Sophia for money three years ago. Initially, she had intended to leverage her identity as Sophia''s grandmother to exert pressure on her, but Sophia remained resistant. That was when Delh contemted taking things from Sophia''s bag, as she was unwilling to part with a few hundred thousand dors despite running a sessful company. Little did Delh expect that Sophia would be ruthless enough to report them to the police. Afterward, the situation continued to worsen. Last year, they took a stand to smear Sophia''s reputation on behalf of someone else, and to their astonishment, Rupert ended up being arrested. Eventually, they werepelled to return all the money they had received to Sophia aspensation. Delh harbored a mixture of fear and hatred toward Sophia. When Jasper mentioned her name, Delh''s face twisted in anger as she impulsively grabbed a nearby broom and struck him with it. Jasper skillfully dodged the broom a few times and eximed, ¡°Grandma, I''m talking about Sophia Yarrow, my stunning and brilliant cousin! She''s Aunt Rachel''s daughter! I saw her! She''s thriving now, even more beautiful than before. And guess what? She''s driving not just one but two Bentleys! Do you even know what a Bentley is, Grandma? Each one is worth over a million, even two million! Ah, I doubt you canprehend what I''m saying!¡± At that moment, Jasper was determined to find Sophia. ¡°Grandma, are you absolutely sure you didn''t see Sophia?¡± ¡°No! Why would shee here? Is she here to settle old scores with us?¡± Delh eximed. ¡°What score? Do you think our family owes her anything?¡± Jasper snorted. Remembering Sophia''s words, he sneered, ¡°She''s achieved great sess now. Why would she bother acknowledging poor rtives like us?¡± Upon hearing Jasper''s words, Delh knew he was up to no good. She angrily threw the broom she was holding at him. ¡°Don''t you dare provoke her! She''s not someone you can mess with, you hear me?¡± ¡°Grandma, it was incredibly foolish of you to have sold her off. Just look at how hot she is now! If only you had raised her, she could have been my wife!¡± Jasper eximed. ¡°What are you nning to do, huh?¡± Delh raised her voice, but Jasper had already walked away, paying no heed to her calls. ¡°Jasper? Jasper Sharp!¡± After making a trip home and realizing Sophia had no interest in meeting them, Jasper did not even bother to enter the house. He let out a snort. If she doesn''t want toe home, then so be it! Let''s see if she''ll still act all high and mighty when I teach her a lessonter! Meanwhile, Sophia remained unaware of Jasper''s malicious intentions. She and the others went out for lunch, but due to the scorching midday sun, Sophia decided against taking Perrin for a walk. Sophia instructed John to find a hotel, but unfortunately, there were no hotels in the vige, only inns. The inns in that vige were unsuitable for amodation. Despite being called inns, they offered minimal amenities, with only a wooden bed, a wooden chair, and a wooden table. Staying there for a night would raise significant hygiene concerns, but for a quick respite during the afternoon, it would not be a major issue. They booked two rooms, with Sophia and Kylie sharing one and Perrin and John staying in the other. The room was dirty, with dust covering the bedding. Both Sophia and Kylie hesitated to sit on the bed, so they cleaned the wooden chairs and sat on them instead. With Perrin no longer present, Kylie had the opportunity to ask the questions that had been on her mind. Seizing the moment, she turned to Sophia and asked, ¡°Sophia, did your mother have a difficult childhood?¡± Sophia reached for a bottle and poured a ss of water for Kylie. ¡°My mom doesn''t talk much about her childhood.¡± While Rachel rarely talked about her childhood, Sophia, being astute, could gather some clues whenever she apanied her to visit Delh. Sophia ced the mineral water back on the table and took a sip from her ss. She nced at Kylie and smiled gently. ¡°I can deduce that my mom didn''t have an easy childhood. When I was in elementary school, my mom used to tease me, saying that I couldn''t even cook noodles properly. She would share stories about how she was already skilled in cooking at my age.¡± Whenever Rachel shared those anecdotes with a smile, Sophia could not resist the urge to embrace her. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Sophia was initially unaware of Rachel''s struggles, but as time passed, she learned more about her mother''s past. This knowledge deepened Sophia''smitment to always be there for her, ready to offerforting hugs whenever needed. If her childhood memories were pleasant, I wouldn''t have needed to console her, would I? Moreover, when Rachel told her that she had to learn how to cook at a young age, it was not difficult to imagine how miserable it was for a youngdy who had never experienced any hardship before the age of ten when the human traffickers took her away. Thirty years ago, during a time when most families were still impoverished, it was highly improbable for the family that purchased Rachel to possess the means to raise her as a privileged youngdy. Perhaps, initially, Delh treated Rachel well when she had no children of her own. However, as time passed, Delh gave birth to a son within the second year of acquiring Rachel. Delh, who already favored sons over daughters, could not possibly treat Rachel well. The only reason she did not sell Rachel off was perhaps because thetter was diligent and capable of doing house chores. Although Sophia did not provide many details, Kylie could deduce the challenging circumstances that Rachel had endured. ¡°That elderly woman treated you badly, too, didn''t she?¡± Kylie asked. Lukas kept the incident of Delh trying to sell Sophia a secret from the Dawson family. However, Kylie sensed that Sophia''s attitude toward Delh went beyond Rachel''s ident. She felt that there were underlying reasons behind Sophia''s resentment that were yet to be revealed. Sophia had reunited with the Dawson family for two years. Kylie knew her niece might appear aloof on the surface, but she was someone who cared deeply for her friends and family. She firmly believed that Sophia was not the type of person to ce me solely on someone for the car ident that involved Rachel and her husband. There must be other factors at y. Sophia grinned, acknowledging Kylie''s sharp observation. ¡°Nothing escapes your eyes, Aunt Kylie.¡± With a smile, she gave her a brief ount of what had happened. Years had passed, and she had learned to let bygones be bygones. ¡°Old Mrs. Sharp is not a good person at all.¡± Kylie''s anger boiled over when she heard the story. No wonder Sophia was willing to donate millions to her alma mater every year but refused to spend a hundred thousand to buy Rachel''s adoptive mother a house in town. If that''s not karma, I don''t know what is. Chapter 517 Chapter 517 Sophia and the others stayed in a shabby-looking inn to hide from the scorching sun. When the weather was much cooler, they entered the cars and went straight to Delh''s ce. Sophia had no intention of bringing Perrin there. She feared Delh would kick up a fuss if thetter saw them. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. She helped Perrin out of the car and stood beside him. She pointed at a house further up and said, ¡°Granddad, it''s the third house over there, but there should be someone home at this hour, so it''s best if we don''t go over.¡± However, Perrin was persistent. ¡°I want to go and take a look.¡± Sophia had no choice but to nod and agree. ¡°All right. I''ll help you there.¡± Everyone in the vige was surprised at the sudden arrival of two cars and a group of people wearing luxurious clothes. They quickly ran out of their homes to check themotion. The people in the vige were nosy and liked to gossip. One of them recognized Sophia. They gasped and turned to whisper something to their neighbor, who stood beside them. Sophia had stayed in that area for some time before, so she could understand some of what the vigers were saying in their dialect. The vigers were talking badly about her. She heard them saying things like, ¡°Hey, it''s Old Mrs. Sharp''s ungrateful granddaughter!¡± and ¡°She looks gentle and pretty. How can she be so heartless?¡± It was easy to guess that Delh had told them about things. Sophia could not be bothered to hold a grudge against the vigers. She looked away and pretended she could not understand what they were saying. Fortunately, Perrin did not ask her about the vigers'' conversations. The group soon arrived at Delh''s house. Naturally, Delh was preparing dinner at that hour. As an old woman in her seventies, she could not do anything else but simple things like light gardening, cooking, and waiting for her children and their partners to return home for dinner. The vigers created too big of a stir. Delh could hear the chatter from her home. She froze when she heard Sophia''s name. At first, her face paled at the mention of the name. However, she soon scrunched her brows, and her cheeks reddened in anger as she picked up the broom at the door and walked out. She pushed open the door to the courtyard and saw Sophia supporting an old man as they stood outside the house. Delh was panicking, but she was also fuming. ¡°You brat! What are you doing here?¡± Before Sophia could speak, Perrin yelled in dissatisfaction, ¡°You crazy b*tch!¡± Perrin was furious. He mmed his walking stick onto the ground and huffed. Sophia patted his back andforted, ¡°Leave her be, Granddad. She''s always like that.¡± However, she did not expect Perrin to suddenly ask her, ¡°Back then, did she mistreat your mother?¡± Sophia was momentarily stunned, but she quickly returned to her senses. ¡°Mom hardly told me about her past.¡± Perrin was a quick-witted person. One nce and he knew that the old hag before him had tortured Rachel. When he recalled how his precious daughter was kidnapped to this sort of ce, he felt heartbroken, especially when there was a possibility that this family could have abused her. Perrin, who did not even cry when he got shot by a bullet, felt his eyes sting and redden as tears streamed down his face. ¡°Granddad, it''s all in the past,¡± said Sophia. Kylie, who stood on Perrin''s other side, persuaded, ¡°Dad, we''re only here to see Rachel''s living environment from back then. As Sophia said, it''s all in the past, so don''t get too upset. If you get sad, Sophia will be even more upset.¡± Kylie had been Perrin''s daughter-inw for a few years now, and it was only natural that she understood how Perrin felt at that moment. As soon as those words left her mouth, Perrin wiped the corners of his eyes and rposed himself. His expression turned grim as he stared at Delh, who was holding a broom in the courtyard. Delh felt a sense of guilt bubbling within her when she met his gaze. She turned away and cursed as she went back inside. The Sharp family''s two sons were gambling addicts andzy bums. They would use whatever money the family had to gamble. The courtyard had turned into ruins because of a hurricane. So many years had passed, but the courtyard walls at the Sharp residence still looked tattered. They were two feet tall and surrounded the residence like a fence. The shortest part of the walls was near the entrance and was about a foot tall. From that height, anyone could see into the house. The Sharp family was as poor as a church mouse. Plus, Jasper had always been doing shady business in the vige. No one dared to rob their house, nor were they willing to do anything to the walls around the residence. Perrin could tell the house beyond the courtyard was old and dpidated. What a terrible environment! The house I lived in thirty years ago is much better than this! ¡°Granddad, it''s gettingte. We should go back. Otherwise, it''ll be dark when we return.¡± Perrin nodded. This ce looks run down. I don''t even know where we''ll stay if we want to stay overnight. Sophia helped Perrin back to the car. Seeing them leave, the neighbors started to gossip in their vige dialect. Delh knew Sophia had left through the vigers'' chattering. Only then did she walk out of the house. She cursed and grumbled as she stared in the direction Sophia and the others were heading. A neighbor heard Delh''s grumbling. Curious, she asked, ¡°Old Mrs. Sharp, what did she do? It''s rare for her toe back to visit you. Why did you shoo her away?¡± ¡°Visit me?¡± Delh spat, ¡°That despicable brat is here to anger me! Don''t you know how heartless she is? Didn''t I tell you about it three years ago...¡± Delh started to talk about the past. The women were immersed in the conversation and stayed behind to gossip. They happily left after listening to Delh chastising Sophia. Meanwhile, Sophia''s situation was not as good. They had been on the road for about half an hour when the tires went t. They had two spare tires, one in each car, but they were not enough to rece all the t ones on both cars. It would also take around two hours for tow trucks toe from the city. Sophia and the others had no choice but to wait for the tow trucks to arrive. There were rarely any people along the way to the vige. There were mountains on either side of the road and mud everywhere. When the driver went down to check on the t tires, he noticed that the tires had been punctured by nails. Moreover, it wasn''t just a few. Judging by the amount, it was apparent someone had done it on purpose. After finding out about the nails, Sophia immediately asked the driver to return to the car. She also asked him to lock the doors and windows and forbade him from getting out of the car. It was five in the afternoon. The sun was setting, so it was not as hot as before. The wind rustled the trees surrounding them. It would be pretty scary if someone had gotten into an ident while driving alone. Sophia and the others did not stay inside the cars for long. Soon, several people appeared. There was a total of seven men ranging from different ages. The youngest looked to be sixteen or seventeen, while the oldest looked like he was in his thirties. They all had metal bats in their hands as they approached the cars and circled them. The windows had been tinted with a unique privacy film. The people inside the car could see everything happening outside, but the people outside could not. Perhaps it was because the men could not see anyone through the windows as they raised their bats, smacked on the windshields, and yelled, ¡°Get out of the car!¡± Sophia and the others remained unmoved. However, in the next second, the men used the bats to smash the windshields. Sophia was afraid the men would shatter the ss and hurt Perrin. ¡°Granddad, stay in the car. I''ll go and have a look.¡± Perrin grabbed Sophia. ¡°No. Don''t go out, Sophia.¡± ¡°It''s all right, Granddad. I learned a few self-defense moves. Plus, I have a taser.¡± Sophia had done some research beforeing to the vige. Because of how poor the vigers were, there were bound to be some troublesome people who came to give passersby a difficult time. Hence, she had prepared a taser in advance for emergencies. ¡°Sophia!¡± Perrin yelled. The men got more excited about smashing and destroying the car. Perrin stared at Sophia, a crease forming between his brows. That was the first time he had been so strict with her. Sophia sighed helplessly. ¡°Granddad, please don''t worry. If I lose even a strand of hair, I''lle back and y a round of chess with you, okay?¡± Perrin remained grim. Sophia breathed a heavy sigh. She had no other choice. ¡°I''m sorry, Granddad. Sit tight. I promise nothing will happen to me.¡± With that, she pushed open the door and got out. Kylie and John got out of the other car too. Sophia was taken aback when she saw the duo. ¡°Aunt Kylie?¡± Chapter 518 Chapter 518 The moment Sophia got out of her car, the young men''s eyes lit up. Kylie and John swiftly positioned themselves between the two cars, forming a barrier in front of Sophia, shielding her from the prying eyes of onlookers. The sky was still bright, so Sophia immediately recognized Jasper standing among those men. Kylie''s expression was sterner than usual as she turned to look at Sophia. ¡°Sophia, get in the car. I''ll handle this.¡± ¡°Aunt Kylie, I''m afraid they are not just after money,¡± Sophia told her. She paused and fixed her gaze on Jasper. ¡°The man we met this noon is also here.¡± Hearing that, Kylie promptly understood that these men wouldn''t leave even if they were given money. While at the hotel, Sophia shared a few details about Jasper with Kylie. Sophia didn''t know Jasper that well, but when Delh showed up at Jadeborough to cause trouble for her, she told Yvonne to look into the Sharp family''s current situation. When Sophia skimmed through the investigation report, she briefly nced at Jasper''s details. Jasper had dropped out of school when he was sixteen. He usually idled around and would asionally venture into town with his friends to engage in questionable activities, often returning home in the early hours of the morning. While he had faced several arrests, the items he stole were not of significant value, resulting in brief detentionssting only a few days each time. Jasper seemed to have a keen understanding of how much he could steal without facing more severe charges, so he made sure that he limited his thefts to a few hundred each time. After spending the money, he would then repeat the cycle. Jasper and his friends, being familiar with the local police at Forest Bank Vige, had developed a sense of confidence. They knew that even if they were apprehended, they would be released within a few days. This assurance made them fearless and willing to engage in various activities without much concern. However, Sophia had never anticipated that they would confront her in broad daylight with the intention of robbing her. They are clearly ignorant fools who rely on theft to survive. Their audacity to attempt a robbery in broad daylight is astonishing. Never mind if all they want is money. I''m afraid... Sophia''s expression turned frigid as that realization sank in. She cast a piercing gaze at Jasper, her eyes filled with icy disdain. Jasper felt a pang of guilt in his heart as he faced Sophia''s piercing re. However, as he gripped the iron rod in his hands, his guilt waned, reced by a lecherous expression. Amidst the tense silence, Kylie spoke up. ¡°We sincerely apologize for intruding on your territory today, and we are willing to offerpensation for any inconvenience caused. Please inform us of the amount you deem suitable, and if it is within our means, we will dly provide thepensation.¡± Right after she said that, the leader of the thugs let out a bark ofughter. ¡°I love how straightforward you are. It isn''t easy for us to manage this area. You need to pay us before we allow you to leave.¡± He hesitated for a moment, his gaze shifting toward their luxurious cars. ¡°You''re driving Bentleys and d in expensive clothes. You seem to be influential people. It is clear that you''re merely passing by. I''m not a greedy person. Why don''t you give the seven of us one hundred grand each? If you agree, we will ensure your safe passage out of this area!¡± The other men''s eyes lit up with excitement upon hearing his proposal. Being residents of a secluded and impoverished vige, their stolen loot barely allowed them to scrape by. The promise of receiving one hundred thousand grand each for simply blocking the path was an unimaginable reward. ¡°Hubie!¡± one of them blurted out eagerly. Jasper could barely tamp down his excitement, too. He stared at Sophia, feeling reluctant to let her go easily. In a low voice, he whispered, ¡°Hubie, getting money is great, but look at the woman. She''s gorgeous, isn''t she? We have never seen someone as gorgeous as her. Hubie, you might''ve seen your share, but we''ve never made it out of this vige and are inexperienced. We''d like to hold her hand and kiss her cheek.¡± Sophia caught everyone''s attention the moment she came out of her car. Hubie was captivated by her beauty, let alone the rest. He couldn''t help but ponder over Jasper''s suggestion. The woman looks delicate with her fair and bouncy skin. F*ck it. I would die to touch her, let alone Jasper! That isn''t it, for I''d also like to... Kylie knew something was wrong when she noticed they were discussing among themselves. Sophia is right. None of the Sharp family members are decent people. Even though Sophia is Jasper''s cousin, he still betrays her and conspires with his friends to take advantage of her. He is truly a despicable creature! ¡°I can give you money, but you don''t have to protect us. We''ve called the tow truck, and they are on their way here. You may leave after getting the money,¡± Kylie dered sternly upon realizing their evil intentions. Hubie pulled out his phone and approached Kylie. ¡°Madam, please transfer seven hundred grand to me.¡± Kylie whipped out her phone and transferred the money to him without hesitation. It was arge sum, so the transfer wouldn''t be approved so quickly. Hubie was smart enough to ask, ¡°Madam, you have a nice bag. Mind showing it to me?¡± Kylie had disembarked from the car without her bag, so her bag was still inside the vehicle. ncing at John, she said, ¡°Mr. Zinn, please help me get my bag.¡± John nodded and returned to the car to retrieve her bag. The moment John stepped away, it became difficult for Kylie to shield Sophia from the rest. Hubie nearly cussed out loud when he saw Sophia from a close distance. She''s the most attractive woman I''ve ever seen! Hubie reached out to touch Sophia''s cheek, but she backed away. ¡°I have a bag, too.¡± Even though Hubie failed to touch her, he restrained himself from yelling at her due to her obliging attitude. Thumping his iron rod against the ground, Hubie touched his jaw in contemtion, his eyes fixed on Sophia''s retreating figure. ¡°Is she your daughter?¡± he asked Kylie. ¡°She''s even more beautiful than the celebrities we see on TV.¡± Kylie didn''t bother answering him as John approached with her bag. Without a word, she handed her bag to Hubie. John had already taken out her IDs, but her purse and expensive stuff were still inside her bag. Kylie rarely carried cash with her, but before arriving at the vige, she made a stop at the ATM to withdraw three thousand in cash. She had anticipated that electronic wallets and cards might not be widely epted in this remote location. However, to her surprise, she soon discovered that e-wallets and cards were readily epted forms of payment in the vige. As a result, she didn''t end up using any of the cash she had withdrawn. Hubie took away all the cash he found in her bag. Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Sophia soon returned with her bag, tossing it to the ground. She returned to Kylie and discreetly handed thetter a taser. In a hushed tone, she whispered in Ustranasion, ¡°Aunt Kylie, this is a taser. Make sure to turn it on and find a safe ce to conceal it. If anyone attempts to harm you, use it to defend yourself.¡± Kylie bobbed her head and met Sophia''s gaze. Hubie was focused on digging through Sophia''s bag. She had around five thousand in her bag as her spare cash. After taking all the cash for himself, Hubie tossed Kylie and Sophia''s bags on the ground, not realizing that they cost a few hundred grand each. ¡°Since you''re both being cooperative, I won''t make things difficult for you. Madam, your daughter is quite attractive, and my friends haven''t seen anyone as beautiful as her. Let''s keep it simple. We''ll leave if you agree to let your daughter give each of us a kiss.¡± As the sky grew darker, the secluded path remained devoid of cars and people. The men''sughter filled the air, dripping with lecherous and repulsive undertones. ¡°Sure,¡± Sophia agreed as she turned to the men, her gaze unflinching. Chapter 519 Chapter 519 Hearing that, Kylie immediately knitted her brows. Even John couldn''t help but blurt out, ¡°Ms. Yarrow?¡± Sophia shot John a reassuring smile before turning to her aunt. Kylie said nothing, her expression frosty. Sophia took two steps forward and pointed at Jasper. ¡°I''d like to kiss him first.¡± Hearing that, someone protested, ¡°Why? Even if you agree to kiss us, Hubie should be the first one!¡± Sophia nced at the leader. ¡°Hubie, do you know why I request to kiss him first?¡± Hubie had been the leader of the thugs for a few years, so he found Sophia''s words offensive. He couldn''tprehend how he could be considered inferior to Jasper. ¡°Why?¡± Sophia''s lips curved into a sly smile. ¡°He will be the first one to receive my kiss. In fact, I''ll even reward him with an extra one. After all, he looks more like a leader to me.¡± Displeased, Hubie dragged Jasper over and demanded, ¡°Take a good look. Who looks more like a leader?¡± Jasper''s initial excitement turned to fear when Hubie dragged him over. Sophia deliberately observed Jasper closely before replying, ¡°Him, of course.¡± After a pause, she muttered to herself, ¡°He was the one who requested for me to kiss you, right? You listened to him well, didn''t you?¡± Jasper was no fool. It was clear that Sophia was trying to sow discord between them. The lecherous thoughts vanished from his mind as he fervently pleaded, ¡°Hubie, please, listen to me. She''s trying to divide us! I''ve always been loyal to you, haven''t I? You''re the leader, and I''ll do whatever you ask of me!¡± Sophia had humiliated Hubie several times, so Jasper''s words merely served to add fuel to the fire. ¡°Bullsh*t! Who are you to order me around?¡± He delivered a flying kick to Jasper and turned to Sophia. ¡°Look how weak he is. Do you still think he''s leader material?¡± Jasper fell to the ground, wailing in pain as he held his abdomen. Sophia gave him a forceful kick and agreed, ¡°Yes, I was wrong. You''re the leader. Come on, then.¡± As the sky grew darker, the fading sunlight cast a gentle glow on the surroundings. With no street lamps to illuminate the road, thest remnants of the sunset offered a faint source of light. Sophia''s beauty seemed to radiate even more under this subdued illumination, captivating Hubie''s attention. Enthralled, he couldn''t resist but move closer to her. Bending down, Sophia grabbed his iron rod with one hand when he wasn''t paying attention and pressed the taser she was holding with her other hand firmly against his chest. The events unfolded so rapidly that the other men, enveloped in the darkness of the night sky, only became aware of what had urred when Hubie crumpled to the ground. Sophia tossed the iron rod to John, who quickly grabbed it and stood in front of her in a protective stance. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, step back.¡± Kylie took Sophia''s hand and urged, ¡°Sophia,e here. Mr. Zinn is a retired special force.¡± Instead of putting up a tough front, Sophia retreated and stood behind John. The thugs were flustered when they realized Hubie had been incapacitated. As Jaspery sprawled on the ground, his astonishment was evident on his face. Despite his instinctive attempt to rise, Sophia swiftly intercepted his movement, stepping over and restraining him with her foot. Casually, she pressed the taser firmly against his back. Jasper''s body shook before he fell unconscious. There were five of them left standing. One of them cursed out loud and charged toward Sophia and the rest, brandishing his iron rod. Due to an injury sustained during a past mission, John''s hand was permanently affected, rendering him unable to wield a firearm. Consequently, he made the decision to retire from active duty and took on the role of Perrin''s assistant. Perrin personally mentored him, treating him as a cherished son. Despite his retirement over a decade ago, John remainedmitted to honing hisbat abilities. He could easily take the unskilled thugs down. The thugs had never been trained properly, as they usually bullied others with their sheer numbers. John made sure to hit them all with the iron rod. The iron rod wasn''t thick, but it was painful to get hit by it. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. After he delivered one blow to each of them, some were unable to bear the intensity of their injuries, howling in agony as they clutched their legs in distress. John took the chance to disarm them and tossed their iron rods far away. Having lost their weapons, the thugs quickly pleaded for mercy. Finding them noisy, Sophia tossed the taser to John. ¡°Render them unconscious.¡± After taking the taser, John proceeded to do as told. He then found a vine nearby and tied the seven thugs up together, leaving them by the side of the road. As the sky turnedpletely dark, the piercing buzz of insects resonated through the air. The vige was notorious for its mosquito poption, prompting Kylie to hastily pull Sophia toward the car. Once they got into the car, Perrin said coldly, ¡°You didn''t listen to me!¡± Sophia replied sheepishly, ¡°Granddad, don''t worry. I know what I''m doing.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Right then, Kylie spoke up. ¡°That was bold of you. Weren''t you afraid that they''d take action on you?¡± Sophia''s cheeks flushed pink. ¡°They wouldn''t dare do so.¡± ¡°You never know. The thugs in this vige may have only resorted to small-time thefts because they never had the opportunity tomit bigger crimes. If we were to push them into a corner, they might go to extreme lengths to protect themselves, even resorting to violence to silence us, taking our cars and money in the process.¡± Perrin didn''t share Sophia''s sentiments. He knew what she was thinking, but humans were greedy creatures. Sophia chose not to argue or exin further as she knew that it wouldn''t make a difference whether she stayed in the car or got out of it. Jasper had brought his friends specifically to target her, and if she refused to get out of the car, he would find a way to force her out. ¡°Mr. Dawson, I''ve called the police,¡± John reported, knocking on the car door. Hearing that, Sophia asked, ¡°Mr. Zinn, did you call the vige''s police station or the town''s police station?¡± John was no fool and immediately realized what she was getting at. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, thank you for the reminder.¡± The thugs usually roamed around in the vige and likely had close connections with the local police officers. This meant that even if they were apprehended, they wouldn''t face severe consequences for their actions. John made another call to the town''s police station. Suddenly, Perrin spoke up. ¡°I remember Rufus has a subordinate who got transferred here two years ago, right?¡± John was taken aback, but he quickly realized who Perrin was referring to. ¡°Thanks for the reminder, Mr. Dawson. Carter Zinn was stationed here two years ago after his retirement. Let me give him a call.¡± Perrin was a disciplined man and never leveraged his connections for personal matters. However, the current situation had pushed him to make an exception, demonstrating just how furious he was about the incident. Chapter 520 Chapter 520 The group waited in the car for around ten minutes before the local police arrived. Sophia and the others were then brought to the police station to have their statements taken. By the time they were done giving their statements, it was well past eight at night. Sophia was worried about Perrin not having anything to eat. Hence, they went to a restaurant nearby to have dinner. As soon as they were done with dinner, John''s phone rang. After hanging up the phone, John looked at Perrin and smiled. ¡°Mr. Dawson, Carter ising to get us and send us back into town.¡± Right after John had finished his sentence, Sophia saw a middle-aged man and a young man approaching. The middle-aged man got emotional when he saw Perrin. ¡°M-Mr. Dawson!¡± Although Perrin''s expression was still as stern as always, his gaze had definitely be gentler. ¡°It''s been a while, Carter!¡± ¡°Indeed, Mr. Dawson!¡± Carter replied. Carter Yach was a soldier Perrin had trained in Coldbridge over two decades ago. Two years ago, Carter retired from the military due to his injuries and became a captain of the police force in Newcove. Perrin didn''t think to contact Carter before going to Coldbridge because he thought thetter would be busy. After all, the police force there was known to be hard-pressed. However, after going through what happened that day, Perrin decided not to let those thugs off the hook so easily. If not for Sophia''s intelligence and John''s fighting skills, things could''ve gotten dangerous. ¡°Carter, this is my granddaughter, and this is Kylie, my daughter-inw. I believe you''ve met her before,¡± Perrin uttered. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Carter had attended the party when Lukas was born back then. Hence, he knew who Kylie was. However, this was the first time he had met Sophia. All of Perrin''s soldiers knew he had lost his daughter a long time ago. Besides, when they were in the army, Perrin would tell his soldiers to keep an eye out whenever they returned to their hometowns. Naturally, everyone also knew Perrin had reunited with Sophia not long ago and how Rachel had unfortunately passed away. Carter was momentarily stunned when he saw Sophia. ¡°Mr. Dawson, your granddaughter looks exactly like thete Mrs. Dawson!¡± Sophia smiled and introduced herself, saying, ¡°Hi, Mr. Yach. I''m Sophia Yarrow.¡± ¡°Hi, Sophia. I''m so sorry. I came in a rush, so I didn''t prepare any gifts for you,¡± Carter uttered. ¡°You''re too kind, Mr. Yach. You''re my elder. If anything, I should be the one preparing gifts for you,¡± Sophia replied sheepishly. Hearing that, Carter scratched his head and eximed, ¡°Mr. Dawson, Sophia even talks like thete Mrs. Dawson!¡± Recalling what had happened earlier that day, Perrin couldn''t help scoffing and chiming in, ¡°I know! She''s also as brave as her granny was!¡± Perrin was beyond anxious when he, from inside the car, saw Sophia rushing forward to deal with those thugs. Having spent some time catching up, Carter noticed Perrin''s fatigue and suggested, ¡°Mr. Dawson, Kylie, Sophia, and John, why don''t we return to town? The lodging here is less than ideal.¡± Carter and his colleague had arrived at the location in separate jeeps. Therefore, Sophia and Kylie were seated together in one jeep, while John and Perrin upied the other. Considering the circumstances, it was reasonable to assume that the men had plenty of topics to discuss and reconnect on after being apart for an extended period. Kylie was dog-tired, so she dozed off soon after getting into the car. Meanwhile, Sophia was looking out the window because she didn''t know the driver well. While conversing in the other car, John shared with Carter the details of what had transpired. Carter clenched his teeth and eximed, ¡°Those j*rks! Mr. Dawson, rest assured, I will take charge of addressing the incident that urred earlier today. I won''t allow them to escape the consequences effortlessly, especially when a significant sum of one hundred thousand was involved. I will ensure they are sentenced to three to five years in jail.¡± Perrin scoffed. ¡°Those individuals seemed like troublemakers. It''s outrageous that they would have the audacity to rob others!¡± ¡°I''ve looked into those punks'' records. They are all small-time thieves, and the longest they have ever served in jail is three months.¡± It''s not that we haven''t been doing everything possible to keep them incarcerated. It''s just that the crimes they havemitted have been rtively minor in nature. Perrin acknowledged Carter''sment with a nod. Suddenly, thetter had a realization and eximed, ¡°Mr. Dawson, your granddaughter''s name sounds incredibly familiar!¡± ¡°You must have heard of her! Nine years ago, she was attending Central High School and achieved the highest score in the university entrance exam, surpassing all other students in the entire state,¡± Perrin responded with a touch of warmth in his expression as Carter mentioned Sophia. Upon hearing Perrin''s exnation, Carter''s memory was jogged, and he eximed, ¡°That''s it! I remember now! I had heard about her! My son also attends Central High School, and just a few days ago, he mentioned that his homeroom teacher had invited a senior student back to the school. He described how beautiful she was, but I didn''t pay much attention to her name at the time. Now it all makes sense! He was definitely talking about Sophia! Mr. Dawson, your grandchildren are truly exceptional!¡± Perrin smiled and replied, ¡°Well, Max is also doing great, isn''t he? You often tease Max, but let''s not forget that you had to seek assistance from others to write your lines of apology back then! Max did extremely well to have been able to get into Central High School.¡± ¡°That child thinks he''s smarter than all of us, but he''s actually a cheeky boy!¡± Carter heaved a sigh. He went quiet after a while. Exhausted, Perrin fell into a deep sleep momentster. After approximately fifteen minutes, Carter nced at the rearview mirror and noticed that Perrin had drifted off to sleep. Taking advantage of the quiet moment, he asked John softly, ¡°John, do you have any idea why Mr. Dawson made a sudden trip here?¡± John turned his head to briefly observe Perrin''s slumber before responding in a hushed tone, ¡°Do you recall Rachel, Mr. Dawson''s daughter? She was abducted some time ago and taken to Forest Bank Vige. Mr. Dawson wished to meet the family who raised Rachel during her time there.¡± ¡°How did that go? Was the family decent?¡± Carter sighed. It doesn''t matter if they''re rich or poor. All that matters is if they''re kind-hearted. John shook his head. ¡°It was the Sharp family, and one of the j*rks we dealt with today was from that family.¡± Carter and John had shared a battlefield in the past, so even though John didn''t explicitly express it, Carter understood the significance behind those words. ¡°What... a bunch of j*rks!¡± Carter cussed. ¡°Mr. Dawson doesn''t know about this because Ms. Yarrow instructed us not to disclose this information to him,¡± John reminded Carter. Clearly, John was aware that Perrin would be deeply saddened if he were to discover the truth. ¡°I''ve heard that Mr. Dawson''s daughter had a difficult life. ording to my son, Sophia''s parents tragically passed away in a car ident right in front of their house on the second of January one year.¡± Carter had heard a lot of things about Sophia from his son. After all, she had not only been the top scorer in the state but also the most aplished student to graduate from Central High School. It was clear that Carter''s son greatly admired Sophia. Upon initially hearing the story, Carter couldn''t help but feel a sense of sympathy for Sophia due to the tragedy that befell her parents. Little did he know that she would grow up to be a sessful businesswoman and turn out to be Perrin''s granddaughter. It seems like everyone from the Dawson family is highly capable! Chapter 521 Chapter 521 As Jasper regained consciousness, he was momentarily blinded by the intense brightness of the light. Nevertheless, he quickly recognized his surroundings, as it was a ce he would frequent numerous times throughout the year. Upon seeing the familiar policeman sitting across the table, Jasper heaved a sigh of relief and greeted, ¡°Hey, Cal! It''s been a while!¡± That policeman who sat across him was none other than Callum Little. With eight years of experience on the force, Callum had apprehended Jasper on numerous asions in the past. However, Jasper had never been arrested for a severe crime. In fact, the offenses he hadmitted were not even considered chargeable offenses, making it impossible for the police to send him to jail. Jasper, Hubie, and the others were despised by everyone in the vige as these men were as sly as a fox. They intentionally engaged in minor crimes, ensuring that the police could only detain them for a short period, thus evading more severe consequences. Although their crimes were considered minor, Jasper, Hubie, and the others would regrly pilfer a few hundred dors every few days. Additionally, they resorted to stealing bicycles and selling them for quick cash. They would asionally engage in acts such as dine-and-dashing and vandalism. While they may not have been inherently evil individuals, the vigers still harbored deep animosity toward them. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Callum, having arrested Jasper just the month before, was taken aback to see him once again at the police station. In truth, Callum didn''t see much value in obtaining statements from Jasper and the others. The group of petty thieves would engage in casual conversations with the police, but Callum understood that there was little the police could do in terms of taking significant action against them. This time, Callum spected that Jasper had been apprehended for a more significant offense, possibly involving the theft of someone''s phone or handbag. It surprised Callum to see that Jasper had progressed to robbing people, and the amount of money involved in such crimes had escted considerably. The authorities in town informed Callum and his colleagues about Jasper''s attempted robbery by stopping a vehicle on the road. Given the serious nature of the crime, they determined that Jasper should face severe punishment as a result. Callum, noticing the mischievous grin on Jasper''s face, reacted swiftly by mming the document down on the desk. Firmly, he asked, ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Don''t you know that already, Cal?¡± ¡°I''m interrogating you! Behave yourself!¡± Jasper''s smirk vanished when he saw the serious look on Callum''s face. ¡°Cal, I¡ª¡± Callum shot Jasper a re before thetter could finish his sentence. Frightened, Jasper replied, ¡°My name is Jasper Sharp.¡± ¡°How old are you? Where do you stay?¡± ¡°I''m twenty-nine, and my address is No. 33 Forest Bank Vige.¡± ¡°Why did you guys go after Sophia Yarrow?¡± ¡°My grandmother adopted a girl in the past, and Sophia is that girl''s daughter. So, technically, Sophia is my cousin. I saw her on the streetst night and tried to greet her, but she ignored me. I thought it would be a good idea to scare her by bringing along Hubie and the others. We didn''t intend to harm her; we just wanted to create some fear by cing nails on the road to puncture their tires...¡± As Jasper spoke, he started to panic because he realized what he did was no longer a petty crime. Callum was having none of it, though. ¡°Tell me what happened yesterday afternoon.¡± Jasper was visibly sweating and bing increasingly nervous as Callum pressed him with further questioning. Throughout his time in junior high and beyond, Jasper had been involved in mischief, but he had never crossed the line intomitting significant crimes. That was why his panic escted when Callum revealed that the attempted robbery was considered a grave offense. ¡°Cal, we really didn''t do anything to them. All we did was puncture their tires! They''re all well and healthy, no? On the contrary, they shot us with their stun guns and assaulted us. My body still aches now...¡± Jasper attempted to plead his case, hoping to persuade Callum and avoid further trouble. Following the conclusion of the interrogation, Callum exited the room, leaving Jasper alone inside. It was approaching midnight as Sophia and the others reached the residential area. Exhausted from the events of the day, they were all physically and emotionally drained, with Perrin particrly affected. Carter, understanding the situation, showed tact by refraining from disturbing Perrin that night. With a basin of hot water in hand, Sophia approached Perrin to offer assistance by massaging his feet. Perrin, feeling guilty, insisted, ¡°Sophia, it''s enough for me to soak my feet in the water. You should take the opportunity to freshen up and get some rest.¡± He knew how tired everyone was. Sophia lifted her head, wearing a smile, and reassured Perrin, ¡°Don''t worry, Granddad. Let me massage your feet for just ten minutes to alleviate any difort you may feel tomorrow morning.¡± The elderly man felt both sorry and d at the same time. Although Lukas is a filial grandson, he''ll never do such things for me. It''s true that girls are more attentive than boys. After she was done massaging Perrin''s feet, Sophia went to knock on Kylie''s door. ¡°Aunt Kylie, I''ll give you a foot massage.¡± Kylie stood at the doorway, offering a smile to Sophia. ¡°There''s no need for you to go through the trouble, Sophia. I can simply soak my feet in warm water. You can take a rest.¡± Sophia couldn''t help but feel remorseful, knowing that she was the cause of the incident earlier that day. How could I cause my elders trouble? Despite her initial reluctance, Sophia eventually yielded, understanding that Kylie was simply looking out for her well-being and didn''t want her to overexert herself. With a nod, she replied, ¡°All right, then. Rest early, Aunt Kylie.¡± ¡°You too.¡± ¡°I will.¡± With that, Sophia turned around and noticed John''s presence. She grabbed a ss to pour him some water, and grateful for his efforts, she expressed her appreciation, saying, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zinn, for all your hard work today.¡± ¡°There''s no need to thank me, Ms. Yarrow. I was simply doing my job.¡± John shook his head profusely. ¡°Rest early, Mr. Zinn.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After drinking some water and returning to her room to freshen up, Sophia realized that it was already past midnight. Feeling an overwhelming sense of sleepiness, Sophia sent a goodnight message to Alexander and quickly sumbed to slumber shortly after. The sun was shining brightly when Sophia woke up at around nine the next morning. Everyone woke up a tadter than usual due to what they had gone through the day before. As usual, when Sophia emerged from her room after finishing her morning routine, she found John already back with breakfast. Seeing that Perrin and Kylie were still in bed, Sophia uttered softly, ¡°Good morning, Mr. Zinn.¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± John pointed at the breakfast he bought and said, ¡°Breakfast is on the table. I bought some buns, oatmeal, and milk.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zinn.¡± Sophia was never picky with breakfast, so she took a bun and some milk before keeping the food away to keep them fresh for Perrin and Kylie. Kylie only woke up at around ten that morning. When she came out, she saw Sophia and John sitting in the living room. Upon letting out a chuckle, shemented, ¡°Seems like I''m getting old! I stayed up late and couldn''t wake up on time this morning.¡± ¡°Well, it''s only natural for things like that to happen, right?¡± Sophia responded. As she said that, Perrin was seen walking out of his room. With no specific ns for the day, they had originally intended to return to Jadeborough the following day. However, Sophia made arrangements with Yvonne to reschedule their return due to the recent incident. Additionally, Perrin had just reunited with his former subordinate, adding another reason to extend their stay in town. That afternoon, John received a call from Carter, and thetter invited them out to dinner. Perrin hadn''t seen his former subordinate in a long time. Since they had met up the day before, Perrin felt it would be impolite to decline the invitation extended to him. During the dinner gathering, Carter brought his son, Maximilian Yach, along as a guest. Coincidentally, Maximilian had crossed paths with Sophia on a previous asion and had developed an admiration for her. As the evening unfolded, Perrin engaged in conversation with Carter, while Maximilian found himself engrossed in lively discussions with Sophia and Kylie. ¡°Sophia, I saw the scores you got during your exams back then. You scored full marks in mathematics every single time. How did you do it?¡± Maximilian asked. A smile tugged at the corners of Sophia''s lips as she replied, ¡°Paying attention to detail is important.¡± ¡°But I always fail to get thest questions right in my exams!¡± the young man grumbled. Needless to say, Sophia didn''t have the answer to that question. Seated beside them, Kylie chuckled and yfully remarked, ¡°Oh Max, you asked the wrong question! Sophia is undoubtedly a math whiz. You should ask her about the other subjects.¡± Maximilian had a moment of realization. ¡°Sophia, I''ve noticed that you often incorporate historical quotes into your essays, and theye from various extracurricr sources. How were you able to memorize them so effectively?¡± he inquired. Sophia nced at her junior and responded modestly, ¡°I have a good memory, I suppose.¡± ¡°Oh? Did you go through lessons to improve your memory, Sophia?¡± ¡°No. I was born with a photographic memory.¡± Promptly, Maximilian was rendered speechless. She''s so talented! Chapter 522 Chapter 522 Perrin hadn''t seen Carter for a long time. John was also Carter''srade-in-arms before he retired from the military. The three of them chatted about old times,pletely unaware of the time flying by. Maximilian had specifically tagged along with his father there that night to meet his idol, Sophia. Initially, he wanted to discuss how he could achieve such high scores as Sophia on every examination. However, after asking a few questions, he realized that having an extraordinary intelligence quotient was an innate privilege. Not to mention, Sophia had a high IQ and was also a hardworking student. It came as no surprise that her grades were always outstanding. Maximilian''s results were not bad, and getting into a top-tier university wasn''t a problem for him. Still, he had ambitions, and his current grades were still a littlecking to enter his desired school. Now that he realized the fundamental reason for Sophia''s excellent grades, Maximilian felt somewhat disheartened. Sensing his silence, Sophia knew she might have inadvertently dampened his hopes. She took a sip of coffee before turning to smile at the young man. ¡°What''s the matter? Are you feeling discouraged?¡± Maximilian had always been an exemry student since childhood. In addition, because of Carter''s profession and Maximilian being a boy, thetter developed a prideful character. His questions and Sophia''s answers had indeed caused him to lose heart. Maximilian wasn''t adept at lying, but he was also too embarrassed to admit that he had been demoralized by the few questions. As a result, he blushed and remained silent. Sophia arched her brow and said, ¡°Are there any students whoe from particrly wealthy families in your ss?¡± At his age, Maximilian had yet to understand the connection between family background and studying. Hearing Sophia''s words, he merely assumed she was changing the topic of discussion and nodded. ¡°Yes. Our ss prefect and ss representative both came from rich families. The ss prefect''s parents own apany, so they are loaded, while the ss representative''s father is the chairman of a listedpany, and his mother is thedy boss of an art exam training center.¡± ¡°Do you envy their wealth? Do you feel inferior because of that?¡± Maximilian was baffled after hearing that. ¡°Why should I envy their wealth? Those are things their parents gave them. Their parents worked hard for them before they were born. Besides, there are also students from low-ie families in my ss. Although my family is not exceptionally rich, we don''t lack money. I am still blessed with having pocket money to spend, so why should I feel inferior? Moreover, if I perform well in the university entrance exam, get into a top university, and work harder to further my studies, I may earn a decent amount of money after graduating.¡± Students are naive, after all. Sophia smiled. ¡°So, why do you feel discouraged because my IQ is high and I achieve such good grades? My intelligence is innate, just like others'' family backgrounds. These are things beyond our control. Even though someone''s IQ cannot be altered, a person''s family background can. Simrly, academic performances can be changed too. I believe you don''t need me to tell you the story about how the clumsy birds have to start flying early, right, Max? My talent just makes it a little easier for me to do well in my studiespared to others, but if you work harder, it doesn''t mean you can''t catch up with me one day.¡± Listening to their conversation from one side, Kylie couldn''t stop herself from chuckling. ¡°Max, Sophia rarely puts so much effort into consoling someone. If you still feel disheartened, she will probably be depressed.¡± Sophia nced at Kylie without refuting thetter. ¡°If the future pir of our nation decided to give up on pursuing his dreams because of me, that''ll be an unforgivable sin on my part,¡± she chimed in. Maximilian fathomed Sophia''s intent, blushing slightly in embarrassment. ¡°Thank you, Sophia.¡± ¡°You''re wee.¡± Sophia grinned and picked up her handbag. ¡°Excuse me. I''m going to the restroom.¡± Kylie nodded in response. Sophia nced at Perrin, who was happily chatting with Carter and the others. She didn''t interrupt them and got up to leave the room. Carter booked the hotel, which had just recently opened for business. That was Sophia''s first time visiting that ce, so when she stepped out of the private room and reached the junction at the end of the corridor, which splits into several paths, she couldn''t figure out where the restroom was. Fortunately, she ran into a waiter who showed her the direction to the restroom. The restroom wasn''t crowded, so it didn''t take Sophia long to finish using the toilet. The time was past eight at night. Many of the guests in the other private rooms had finished their dinners and were dispersing. Sophia noticed a group of people moving in her direction, so she instinctively stepped aside to let them pass. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Heath Barker didn''t see Sophia at first. However, Shiloh Chambers, standing beside him, suddenly nudged him and said exaggeratedly, ¡°Heath, look at that. Hurry up and take a look. Where did that beautye from? She''s gorgeous!¡± Heath was absorbed in a popr game on Twitter and on the verge of advancing to the next level. Shiloh''s disturbance had caused him to lose his in-game progress. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and shifted his gaze upward to see Sophia, dressed in a pink floral dress, standing quietly at one side. The square cor of the dress revealed her delicate neck. As he looked up, Sophia''s exquisite countenance entered his vision. She was slightly lowering her head, and from his point of view, her glossy, rosy lips resembled freshly cleansed cherries. Heath narrowed his eyes and put away his phone. ¡°What beauty? She''s your sister-inw.¡± Shiloh was taken aback. Before he could react, Heath was already striding toward Sophia. At that moment, Sophia was gazing down and replying to Katherine''s message. Right after she finished typing, she heard a man''s voice sound beside her. ¡°Are you waiting for me?¡± She subconsciously took two steps back and looked up, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Do we know each other?¡± Heath Barker. Sophia recognized that man before her, but she wasn''t inclined to be acquainted with him. ¡°Don''t you remember? We met a few days ago.¡± Hearing that, Sophia smiled faintly. ¡°Is that so? I don''t seem to recall.¡± She paused briefly before adding nonchntly, ¡°I don''t usually remember unimportant people.¡± With that, she reced her phone in her bag and walked past Heath to return to the private room. That was the first time in Heath''s life that he had been referred to as an unimportant person. Amused and intrigued, he reached out to grab Sophia, who was leaving. ¡°Hold on. Since we''re fated to meet, why don''t you leave me your contact details?¡± She shook off his hand. ¡°I don''t think that''s the case. Your friend is waiting for you, mister. I''ll be taking my leave now.¡± He would be insolent if he insisted she stay for a third time. Hence, Heath pursed his lips and didn''t attempt to stop her anymore. Instead, he merely watched her retreating figure pensively. Interesting. It''s been a long while since Iid my finger on a woman as beautiful and fascinating as her. Chapter 523 Chapter 523 ¡°Heath, you know that pretty girl?¡± It was Shiloh''s first time seeing Heath getting rejected by someone. His cousin had always been the target of girls'' affections since kindergarten. When he grew a little older, girls would fight against each other to share a table or be on a team with him. When he was in middle school, Shiloh would say, without exaggeration, that if the girls who were courting him were lining up, they would form a line spanning the entire corridor. In the many romantic rtionships Heath had, most of the time, the girls and the women were the ones who confessed. There were only one or two people who could make Heath court them instead. One was the campus beauty from the university''snguage department, and the other was the pretty girl from earlier. However, Heath ended up breaking up with the girl from thenguage department in less than three months. It was the first time in years since Shiloh had seen Heath asking for someone else''s contact details, but that was not the strangest part. The oddest thing was that the pretty young woman had said that she did not remember them ever meeting. How could she not? No one will say that to Heath! Shiloh had voiced out the question the others were thinking about too. They were also wondering about Heath''s rtionship with Sophia. Right as Shiloh said that, the others who were discussing which bar to head to next paused their conversation. Heath finally looked away and turned to face Shiloh and the others. ¡°Pretty girl? She''s my girlfriend.¡± A pause after, he added, ¡°Remember that she''s my girlfriend the next time you see her, got it?¡± When Shiloh and the rest heard that, they stiffened. Wow, he''s still as flirtatious as ever. Meanwhile, Sophia had no idea she had abruptly be someone else''s girlfriend. Sophia had always kept her distance from yboys like Heath. Even if she was not married and did not have anyone she liked, she would never spend her time in a rtionship with a casanova like Heath. It was not that she could not afford to do that, but that she did not like these ways. Mm, Alexander''s still the best. As that thought formed in her head, Sophia arrived by the door of the room. When she pushed the door to enter, she saw Perrin, Carter, and the rest chatting away. A nce at the time told Sophia that it was over nine, but it was not toote. Curling her lips, she went back to her seat. When Kylie saw her, she asked in concern, ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sophia shook her head and took a sip of the juice in front of her. ¡°I''m fine.¡± Kylie smiled. ¡°I thought you were in some kind of trouble.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Sophia did not even want to mention bumping into Heath. Right as she finished her juice, she realized Maximilian was not in the room with them. Turning to Kylie, she queried, ¡°Aunt Kylie, where''s Max?¡± ¡°Oh, Max? He has sses tomorrow, so he went back earlier.¡± As Kylie said that, she passed a note to Sophia. ¡°He told me to give you this. It''s his WhatsApp. He wants to add you as a friend.¡± Sophia had few people who she added to her WhatsApp, for she did not like adding people irrelevant to her life. A few days ago, she encountered Gabrielle, so she had no choice but to have a brief appearance in the ss. The students there were eagerly trying to add her on WhatsApp, but Sophia had managed to reject them all. As for Maximilian... Sophia peeked at Carter, who was chatting with Perrin, and took the note from Kylie to add Maximilian on WhatsApp. Maximilian quickly added her as well, but he only greeted her before ending the conversation, smartly not disturbing Sophia further. The dinnersted until half-past ten in the night. Perrin and Carter reluctantly ended their conversation. By the time they reached home, it waste. They had a flight back to Jadeborough the following afternoon, so while Sophia massaged Perrin''s back, the grandfather-and-granddaughter duo had a brief chat before they went away to rest. After a day of resting, everyone was rejuvenated. It was a flight at three, so Sophia nned to have lunch at a hotel before heading straight to the airport. They had to go there earlier than usual, for Perrin had mobility issues. It would not be great if they ended up having to rush for the ne. Thus, after breakfast, Sophia, Kylie, and the rest began packing. Even though they were only there for approximately five days, they had packed plenty of things along with them. Before traveling, Sophia had packed and categorized the items in her bag. Furthermore, there were housekeepers who came at specific times to bring the clothes to theundromat and back. They even folded the clothes and returned them to their respective rooms. Thus, all Sophia needed to do was pack them into the garment bags. Then, she kept her cosmetics and skin care products in her luggage. The entire process only took ten minutes. When she was done, she brought her luggage out, intending to help Perrin next. Right as she stepped out of her room, she heard someone ringing the doorbell. Kylie heard it too, and she came out of the room to open the door. She encountered Sophia, and the two shared a look. With a lift of her brow, Sophia said, ¡°Aunt Kylie, I''ll get the door. You can keep packing your stuff.¡± Kylie nodded. It was Coldbridge, after all¡ªSophia''s hometown. The only ones who woulde would being for Sophia. After putting aside the luggage in her hand, Sophia went to open the door. The second she opened it, she was greeted by the sight of Delh, and the smile on Sophia''s face instantly faded. ¡°Wait, Sophia, don''t close the door!¡± It was rare to see Delh so courteous. She even smiled at Sophia before saying, ¡°I heard that you were back, so I came to visit you.¡± Sophia lowered her head, and her gazended on Delh''s hands. All of a sudden, a chuckle escaped Sophia. ¡°That''s nice of you.¡± Despite her words, Sophia made no move to invite Delh into the house. When Kylie saw Sophia standing by the doorway for a while, she furrowed her brows and walked over to Sophia. Upon realizing that the person outside was an elderly woman, she froze and instinctively turned to Sophia. The dark expression on Sophia''s face more or less told her who the elderly woman was. ¡°Sophia, do you know her?¡± Sophia turned a little to cast a smile at Kylie, a smile that waspletely unlike the mocking one she gave Delh. ¡°No. She came to the wrong house.¡± Kylie nodded. ¡°I see. That''s fine, but there are lots of scammers nowadays. You should close the door. It''ll be bad if she turns out to be a scammer.¡± Delh panicked upon hearing that. ¡°Sophia, I''m your granny! How can you not recognize your own granny?¡± Kylieughed. ¡°Ma''am, Sophia''s granny is my mother-inw, but she passed away years ago. Oh, you must be Sophia''s mother''s adoptive mother. I remember you saying that you wanted to cut all ties with Sophia, so why are you...¡± Delh had been an arrogant woman for over seventy years, and yet, she could not don her usual pride. Sure enough, she had been the one to say that she was going to disown Sophia, so there was nothing she could refute. Moreover, she had to rely on Sophia to settle Jasper''s matter. With a sheepish smile on her face, Delh said, ¡°You must be Sophia''s aunt. I''m old, and sometimes, I''m slow in the head. I just feel bad for Sophia.¡± Meanwhile, Sophia was thinking about how she did not want Perrin to encounter Delh. If she were to continue talking to the elderly woman, Perrin was bound to appear and see her. ¡°Aunt Kylie, you should keep packing.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Kylie answered before returning to her room. Once Kylie was gone, Delh parted her lips to speak again. Nheless, before she could say anything, Sophia uttered, ¡°I know you''re here for Jasper, but let me tell you something¡ªdon''t waste your time, or else I''ll make sure he rots in jail forever.¡± Delh had to admit that Sophia''s words stunned her, and she believed that Sophia would do what she said. Despite that, Jasper was still her grandson. ¡°Sophia, regardless of everything, he''s still your cousin. Can''t you just¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± Sophia said without hesitation. ¡°By the way, I don''t want my granddad to see you. If he sees you, I''m afraid Rupert will have to stay in jail for a more few years. I''ve been clear with you about my ns, so stick around if that''s what you want to do.¡± With that said, Sophia closed the door. She was done seeing the Sharps. Chapter 524 Chapter 524 Sophia''s words were so spine-chilling that the conceited Delh could only tighten her grip on the gifts she brought, not daring to knock on Sophia''s door anymore. She knew that Sophia was not Zoey and that Sophia felt nothing toward her. Otherwise, Rupert would not be in jail. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. If Sophia said that she was going to let Jasper rot in jail, then that was exactly what she would do. s, Delh did not know who else to seek help from besides Sophia. In her seventy and more years of living, no one in the vige had ever dared to cross her. Hence, she lived the life of a tyrant there, thoroughly enjoying her days. It wasfortable, anyway, and she did not mind living a simpler life. However, Delh also knew that Jasper''s issue was not something she could solve but throwing a tantrum now that she was out of the vige. Jasper had hijacked and robbed Sophia and the others close to a hundred thousand. Moreover, the people he had robbed were retired soldiers. The situation was terrible. In fact, the officer told her that the police would not release Jasper even if she were to wait outside the station every day. However, Jasper might receive a lighter sentence if she were to get Sophia and the others'' forgiveness and provide financialpensation. Delh knew that she would not get Sophia''s forgiveness even before she came to thetter''s house. Things were unsalvageable between them, after all, but Delh still felt helpless when Sophia rejected her. She only rposed herself enough to leave after a while of standing by the doorway. She did not want to leave, but what Sophia told her before closing the door frightened her. By the time the others were done packing, it was after ten. A moment of restter, they went out of the house. There was no one outside of the house, so Sophia thought that Delh was gone. However, when they walked out of the lobby, Sophia spotted Delh eating eggs near the flowerbed. Delh had clearly spotted Sophia as well, for she raised her brows. However, something seemed to cross her mind, and she turned to the side guiltily, curling into herself as if she was afraid they would see her. Sophia only gave her a brief nce before looking away and continuing to make her way to the car. After bringing the suitcases into the car, the two cars slowly drove out of the residential area. Delh watched them leave, but she did not dare to follow them. It was only when she could no longer see the two cars did she curse and left the residential area with her gifts. When Sophia and her group arrived at the hotel, it was eleven. They then sat in a private room and chatted for a while before ordering at half-past eleven. Before half-past twelve, they were done with lunch, and soon, they were on their way to the airport. The flight was around three, and theynded at Jadeborough around five in the evening. Jadeborough in August was as hot as it was back in July. A wave of heat was what greeted them when they stepped out of the airport. It had been a tiring journey, so after dinner, Sophia sent Perrin and Kylie back to the hotel before going back to the mansion. Although the trip at Coldbridge was not a busy one, Sophia was heading out every day in those five days, so she could not help but feel weary. Now that she had returned to Jadeborough, it was time for Sophia to attend to the matters concerning Odyssey and Sunshine Group. Anticipating a busy day ahead, she made the decision to retire early and get some rest. When the rm rang the next morning, she opened her eyes. It was summer, so the sun rose earlier. By seven, the sun was already shining bright. Yvonne had sent Sophia a reminder message the night before, telling her that she had a morning meeting at nine. Sophia peeked at it and chuckled softly. What a responsible secretary she is. I''ll have to raise her sry when I get back to the office. Sophia rarely intervened in Odyssey and Sunshine Group''s matters nowadays¡ªshe was leaving them to Yvonne and Felix, and she was only generally concerned about the more important projects. The reason behind her being summoned to today''s morning meeting at Sunshine Group stemmed from an incident earlier in the year, specifically in March, when apany in which Sunshine Group had made an investment encountered certain challenges. The matter at hand revolved around deciding whether Sunshine Group should promptly withdraw from the investment or proceed with the investment, and it necessitated a discussion among the shareholders. After all, Sunshine Group had invested a hefty sum in thatpany. Having slept early the night before and woken up early in the morning, Sophia went out of the house by twenty minutes past eight and reached Sunshine Group''s office by fifteen minutes to nine. Yvonne had not yet arrived, but the thoughtful woman had already organized the documents ording to their priority and neatly ced them on Sophia''s desk. Sophia picked up one and started reading. Just as she reached the middle, Yvonne arrived and greeted, ¡°Good morning, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Sophia lifted her head and smiled at her. ¡°Good morning, Ms. Leighton.¡± Then, she paused and continued, ¡°That''s a splendid ne.¡± Yvonne lowered her head to nce at her ne before nervously answering, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± At her response, Sophia arched a brow and asked, ¡°Why are you so anxious? Did your boyfriend gift you this?¡± Yvonne Leighton, the considerate andpetent secretary, was approaching her thirtieth birthday that year. It had been eight years since she started working for Sophia. Interestingly, throughout all those years, Sophia had never witnessed Yvonne being involved in a romantic rtionship. Yvonne nodded, and a rare hint of sheepishness crept into her demeanor. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°Congrattions!¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°To celebrate your rtionship, let me raise your sry. Your initial monthly sry is eighty thousand, but I''m going to raise it to ny-nine thousand nine hundred and ny-nine.¡± Yvonne never thought that she would be able to get a raise of close to twenty thousand just because she was in a rtionship. A smile grew on her face despite herself, and she said, ¡°Thank you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°You''re wee. It''s what you deserve.¡± Yvonne was still touched, however. Truth be told, her sry raises came quickly. When she first started working for Sophia, her monthly sry leaned on the side of meager. After all, she had just graduated. Still, it slowly grew from eight thousand to eight thousand, and now, she was getting a raise of close to twenty thousand. Furthermore, Sophia gave her stock options. Combining that with her year-end bonuses and dividends, her annual ie now amounted to nearly three million. The mere thought of it thrilled her. Still, as a professional secretary, Yvonne only allowed herself to cheer inwardly for a second before recollecting herself to talk business with Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, what you have in your hands is a merger proposal evaluated by thepanyst week.¡± Sophia inclined her head and replied, ¡°You can make the decision for this.¡± As she said that, she flipped to thest page and signed the document. If she was dubious of Yvonne, then she would have terminated her. If she were to keep Yvonne employed, then she was not going to doubt thetter''s decision. Yvonne was once again moved by the way Sophia had simply signed the document without hesitation. Most of the time, Yvonne would take Sophia''s ce in settling thepany matters. There were people in thepany who thought that Sophia was a fool to take a backseat in managing the company and that Yvonne was going to stage a coup eventually. Despite having been employed by Sophia for the past eight years, Sophia harbored only trust in her. Whenever she assigned a task to Yvonne, she possessed unwavering faith in thetter''s abilities. Sophia never questioned her, even when problems appeared. When Sophia saw Yvonne still in her spot, she clicked her tongue and questioned, ¡°What''s the matter? Did the sry increment scare you?¡± Upon hearing Sophia''s words, Yvonne snapped back to her sense and quickly shook her head. Cautiously, she asked, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, are you not going to take another look at it?¡± Sophia instantly figured out what Yvonne was thinking with that question. Sheughed and said, ¡°What are you thinking about, Ms. Leighton? If you wanted toe after me, you wouldn''t have waited until now.¡± The best time would be when no one knew Suny was. Realizing that she was overthinking the issue, Yvonne apologetically said, ¡°Sorry, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°What are you sorry about? It''s not as if you''ve done anything to wrong me,¡± Sophia remarked, still smiling. She then nced at her watch and continued, ¡°All right, it''s time for the meeting.¡± Chapter 525 Chapter 525 Two hours had passed by the time Sophia finally ended the meeting. Thepany found itself in dire straits, and Sunshine Group had invested significant funds in it. Despite its promising future, the company was unfortunate to have a founder who had caused such turmoil. The inte was aze with all sorts ofments, and thepany''s reputation took a significant hit. Being rtively new, thepany had only recently started demonstrating positive results when these internal challenges arose. Sophia detested wasting time on such issues. As an investor, her primary concern was the profitability of her investment. It was evident that the problem had originated from the founder''s personal rtionship, and it had adversely affected thepany''s progress. This highlighted the significance of managing personal matters effectively. In Sophia''s view, the founder''s inability to handle a private matter discreetly and resolve it internally revealed his inability to lead thepany. The decision to withdraw their investment was evident, but thepany happened to be owned by the nephew of one of Sunshine Group''s directors. Unsurprisingly, he opposed the idea of withdrawal. Initially, the other directors remained silent, but as soon as Sophia voiced her opinion, they swiftly took her side. Sophia''s track record of generating substantial profits for thepany over the past few years carried significant weight. However, the stubborn director persisted in his disagreement. In response, Sophia instructed Yvonne to present him with the data from the past two months, effectively silencing his objections. Sophia had just finished reading a document when Yvonne knocked on the door and entered her office. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± Pausing in her action of flipping through a file, Sophia raised her head to look at Yvonne. ¡°What is it, Ms. Leighton?¡± Yvonne ced an invitation card on Sophia''s desk and informed her, ¡°This is the invitation card for Old Mrs. Cooper''s eightieth birthday banquet, sent by the Cooper family.¡± Sophia picked up the invitation card. ¡°Casper Cooper?¡± He''s Megan''s husband. She took a moment to contemte and then instructed Yvonne, Please help me RSVP to the event. Let them know that I will be attending tomorrow night.¡± Despite having the freedom to choose whether to attend the birthday banquet held by the Cooper family, Sophia made the decision to attend. She feltpelled to do so, driven by a sense of gratitude toward Megan, who had extended her help before. In the past, when they were at odds, Sophia would make sure to return the favor whenever Megan did something to her. Now that they had made up, she wanted to show her support. ¡°Sure, Ms. Yarrow,¡± Yvonne agreed with a nod. She turned to leave, closing the door behind her. After Sophia finished reading the document, she packed up to leave. Katherine might be heavily pregnant and nearing her due date in about twenty days, but she insisted on inviting Sophia to have lunch together. Naturally, Sophia dared not let her wait. If anything were to happen to her, she would be racked with guilt. It was lunchtime, so the traffic was slightly heavier. When Sophia arrived at the restaurant, Katherine was already eating a cake at their table. After getting pregnant, Katherine developed a sudden liking for cakes. Due to her pregnancy, it wasn''t advisable for her to eat too much of that. As such, Joshua only allowed her to consume cake once a week. Katherine had already eaten cake once this week. After arriving at the restaurant, she decided to take advantage of Joshua''s absence and Sophia''s dyed arrival by ordering another cake for herself at the restaurant. From a distance, Sophia spotted Katherine happily indulging in her cake at their table. Her lips curled as she walked over, swiftly reaching out to remove the half-devoured cake from Katherine''s reach. Katherine had purposely arrived at the restaurant earlier to indulge in some cake. However, her delight turned to dismay when someone abruptly took the cake away when she only got to eat half of it. Looking up, she realized it was Sophia, who was gazing at her with amusement. Feeling a pang of guilt, Katherine greeted her, ¡°Oh, you''re here, Soph.¡± Sophia tossed the half-eaten cake into the trash can at the bottom of their table. ¡°You''ve eaten cake once this week, right?¡± Katherine pouted unhappily. ¡°Did Joshua tell you that?¡± Sophia chuckled aloud. ¡°I don''t need him to tell me that.¡± Katherine would always post on her Instagram whenever she got to enjoy a slice of cake. Sophia was not oblivious to this and had seen her posts, so she was aware that Katherine had already used up her allotted cake quota for the week. Katherine froze momentarily. Regretfully, she gave herself a light p on the forehead. ¡°Oh, it was my mistake. I shouldn''t have included you in my close friends'' list.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± Sophia asked with a smile as she flipped through the menu. Katherine replied guiltily, ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just mumbling nonsense.¡± Sophia snorted out loud. ¡°What a coward.¡± The cowardly Katherine pulled her face to show her displeasure. ¡°I won''t be having another baby. Why can''t I satisfy my pregnancy cravings?¡± Sophia raised her head and said scathingly, ¡°Really? Who bought you the cake two days ago?¡± ¡°But... having cake once per week is too little!¡± ¡°Oh, you want to eat cake twice per week? That''s easy. ¡°Just tell Joshua to cut the cake in half. That way, you''ll get to eat cake twice!¡± Katherine felt insulted. ¡°Soph, do you think I''m a fool?¡± ¡°No, spare me. Fools won''t realize they are fools,¡± Sophia replied. Katherine, who assumed she wasn''t a fool, was rendered speechless. As she fell silent, Sophia changed the topic. ¡°What would you like for lunch?¡± Katherine harrumphed and snatched the menu from her. ¡°This one, this one, and this one. Oh, and this one. This one...¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Sophia sipped on her lemon infused water calmly. After Katherine finally finished talking, she shed the server a warm smile. ¡°We would like everything that she didn''t order earlier.¡± Katherine''s frustration got the better of her, and she blurted out, ¡°I''m nine months along. Are you seriously asking me to take vegetarian food?¡± Sophia arched a brow. ¡°Isn''t it good to be vegetarian once in a while?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Katherine was about to add to their order when an unfamiliar male voice cut in. ¡°Sophia, we meet again.¡± Katherine''s anger faded away upon seeing the man. Intrigued by his presence, she couldn''t resist the urge to wink mischievously at Sophia. Sophia nced at her before turning to Heath. ¡°Mister, do we know each other?¡± Heath found himself momentarily speechless, struck by a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu as this was the second time he had been posed with the same question. Nevertheless, Heath was an experienced yboy and was exceptionally thick-skinned. Refusing to let the situation faze him, he put on a confident smile and responded, ¡°Come on, Sophia. We just met yesterday at Coldbridge. Don''t tell me you''ve already forgotten about our encounter?¡± Sophia gave him a thoughtful look. ¡°I''m sorry, but I don''t remember ordinary-looking people.¡± Her words were apanied by a polite smile, maintaining a serious tone that made it difficult for anyone to take offense. Clearly, Sophia''s words were a gentle reprimand to Heath for his audacity in approaching her despite his ordinary appearance. Despite recognizing the mocking tone, Heath found himself unable to be angry with her. ¡°If that''s the case, I won''t disturb you and your friend. Enjoy your meal.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± Heath''s eyelids twitched. He gazed at Sophia briefly before returning to his seat. We meet again by fate, huh? Chapter 526 Chapter 526 Right after Heath left, Katherine asked eagerly, ¡°Who was that?¡± Sophia shot her a look. ¡°I said I didn''t know him, didn''t I?¡± Katherine scoffed. ¡°Well, I don''t believe that.¡± If Sophia didn''t recognize the man, she wouldn''t have bothered talking to him. Katherine rested her chin on her hand, a mischievous grin spreading across her face as she fixed her gaze on Sophia. Sophia knew that Katherine would stare at her the whole day if she didn''t say anything. Sipping on her lemon-infused water, she revealed, ¡°I really don''t know him. We met briefly two days ago at Coldbridge.¡± ¡°How did he know your name?¡± Sophia had to admit that Katherine could sometimes be smart. Chuckling, she responded, ¡°Perhaps he heard it when Granddad and Aunt Kylie called my name. As Sophia didn''t seem to be lying, Katherine gave a satisfied nod. ¡°He seems to be interested in courting you.¡± Sophia put her ss down and regarded Katherine with an amused look. ¡°Are you interested in him? Should I mention that to Joshua?¡± Guilt overwhelmed Katherine when she heard Joshua''s name. ¡°I was just asking. It was a casual question.¡± She refused to give up just yet. ¡°But he seems really determined in winning your heart. Alexander is abroad, so be careful.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°I paid a visit to Central High School when I returned to Coldbridge, and I recalled something there.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Katherine asked innocently, thinking that Sophia was merely trying to change the topic. Sophia''s lips curled into a smile. Slowly, she said, ¡°Oh, nothing much. Just a little memory from the past. I happen to remember someone hiding their love letters underneath the third tree in the field. It''s been years, so don''t you think it''s about time to dig them out and relive those sweet moments?¡± Katherine immediately panicked. ¡°Soph, that was years ago. I''ve already forgotten all about it. Why did you suddenly mention it?¡± Katherine and Joshua were childhood sweethearts, but they only revealed their feelings for each other during their sophomore year in university. Katherine was really beautiful, even though she might be a little dimwitted asionally. During her middle school years, many boys gave her love letters. Even though she didn''t fully grasp the depths of romantic feelings at that age, she found the love letters interesting and ended up keeping all of them. It was a rather unique hobby. Most people experienced more intense romantic emotions in high school while some began experiencing love during middle school. While Katherine had received only a few love letters during her middle school years, her collection expanded significantly in high school. By then, Katherine had be quite the seasoned love letter collector. Despite her less-than-ster performance innguage exams, she found great joy in meticulously examining the love letters she received for any grammar or spelling mistakes. Katherine took her love letter collecting to another level by numbering each letter in her collection. She had made a conscious decision not to reveal this hobby to Joshua, as she knew he became upset whenever he witnessed her receiving love letters. Avoiding unnecessary conflicts with him, she entrusted this intimate secret to Sophia alone. On the night of their graduation, Katherine found herself on the receiving end of about eight love letters. In a slightly tipsy state, she concocted an excuse to visit the restroom but instead led Sophia to their school field. There, Katherine dered her intention to bury the over two hundred love letters she had amassed over the years. She envisioned returning to this very spot as adults, reminiscing about their youthful days while unearthing the buried memories. Sophia found Katherine''s act to be rather childish, but Katherine''s determination, fueled by her inebriated state, was unwavering. She spent a solid half an hour digging a hole with fervor, adamant about burying her precious collection of love letters. It became evident that Katherine had meticulously nned this endeavor beforehand, as she had even come prepared with a zip-lock bag to protect the letters. Years had passed, but if they were to unearth the bag, the letters would still be intact. Katherine and Joshua''s rtionship had blossomed during their sophomore year in university, eventually leading them to tie the knot. Over time, Katherine had seemingly forgotten about the love letters she buried back then. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. Sophia, on the other hand, suddenly thought of those buried memories during her recent trip back to Central High School. Otherwise, she wouldn''t even remember such a childish act. Seeing Katherine all flustered, Sophia smiled and continued, ¡°Remember how you used to say that you would dig them out when you got married so your husband would know how popr you were? Well, you''re married now, and your little one is on the way. It seems like the perfect time to unearth those love letters.¡± ¡°No, let''s not do that! We say stupid stuff when we were young, so forget I ever said that!¡± Katherine protested. A few days ago, Katherine received an unexpected call from a young man who had once courted her. He requested her assistance in shooting a promotional video for hispany. Caught off guard, Katherine didn''t agree to his request and ended the call. At once, Joshua pinned her on the couch, mentioning the man''s name and asking if that was him. Katherine replied in affirmation. Without giving her a chance to exin herself, Joshua swiftly took action, asserting his dominance. If she wasn''t pregnant, Katherine knew she might end up being tortured in bed for several days in a row. Katherine couldn''t imagine what he would do in a fit of jealousy if he discovered her love letter collection. ¡°How could I forget what you''ve said?¡± Sophia teased. As the server approached their table with their food, Sophia discreetly shifted her utensils aside. ¡°Since you seem to have some free time for gossip, why don''t I help you indulge in a trip down memoryne?¡± she suggested. Katherine was afraid Sophia would dig out the love letters for real and quickly caved in. ¡°Soph, I surrender. Your rtionship with Alexander is as solid as a rock!¡± ¡°Smart of you to use an idiom,¡± Sophiamented. Katherine huffed angrily. ¡°I''m not that stupid, okay?¡± ¡°Remember someone who barely passed hernguage exams in the university entrance exam?¡± Katherine protested, ¡°I identally went off topic when I wrote the essay!¡± Sophia nced at her and changed the topic. ¡°Our food is here. Let''s eat.¡± Katherine heaved a sigh of relief and dared not continue the topic anymore. After lunch, they went shopping at the mall. Katherine made Sophia buy her thetest edition Straize bag and an Arterius bracelet, stating they were gifts for her unborn son as Sophia was going to be her son''s godmother. After bing pregnant, Katherine found herself confined to her home. However, she disliked being cooped up indoors, so since she was finally allowed to venture out of home, she wanted to buy coffee and barbecued stuff. If Joshua hadn''t called, she would''ve already dragged Sophia to a barbecued stall. After hanging up, Sophia and Katherine sat on a bench to take a breather. As Joshua made his way up the esctor, Katherine quickly gulped the coffee she was holding. However, as he approached, she quickly handed the coffee back to Sophia. ¡°Oh, this was actually Sophia''s order. I just took a tiny sip of it,¡± she exined hastily. Sophia watched as Katherine put up an act. Finding it amusing, she shook the cup of coffee Katherine handed to her. Pft, she finished half of the coffee in one gulp. She has a huge mouth, huh? Sophia was about to take a sip of the coffee to see if it was that delicious when Joshua took it away from her. When she arched a brow, the man nced at her and exined, ¡°She drank it.¡± Displeased, Katherine raised her arm to poke at Joshua. ¡°So what if I drank it? I don''t have bad breath or suffer from any contagious illness!¡± Joshua said nothing and took a sip of the coffee. Finding it too sweet, he frowned and gave it back to Katherine. ¡°Here you go. Next time, don''t order something this sweet.¡± Hearing that, Katherine stoppedining and broke into a smile. They held hands and left. Sophia remained in her seat, not expecting to witness their PDA. Ugh, that was too much. Chapter 527 Chapter 527 At seven thirty in the evening, Sophia arrived at the venue of Esmae''s birthday banquet, carrying the beautifully wrapped gift that Yvonne had prepared for her. The ushers were none other than Megan and Casper. Megan was pleasantly surprised to see Sophia at the event. During her rounds of delivering invitations, Sophia wasn''t in Jadeborough, and Megan had left the invitation with Sophia''s secretary since she couldn''t meet her personally. Given Sophia''s status andmitments, it would have been eptable if she didn''t attend the event. However, Sophia''s presence that evening showed her respect for the Cooper family. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Mrs. Cooper.¡± Sophia shed a smile and handed her gift to Megan. Megan took it from her. ¡°Thank you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± They had reconciled, putting their past disagreements behind them. Megan was genuinely willing to be kind and amodating to Sophia, appreciating her decision to attend the event. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, please follow me. I''ll escort you to your table,¡± she said sincerely. Sophia understood that Casper and Megan had their hands full with their responsibilities for the evening, so she smiled and responded, ¡°There''s no need for you to go out of your way. I can find my way inside. You should stay here and continue to wee the guests.¡± With that, she entered the hall alone. Megan was taken aback by Sophia''s considerate gesture. She shook her head, reconsidering the rumors she had heard about Sophia. The rumors are indeed fake. As she seemed to be in a daze, Casper thought she got into an argument with Sophia yet again. He approached her hastily, and asked, ¡°What''s wrong? Did Ms. Yarrow make things difficult for you?¡± Megan had changed a lot after getting married to him. She shook her head and exined, ¡°No. I was thinking about how people often criticize Sophia for being difficult to get along with. But just now, when I offered to lead her into the hall, she politely declined and insisted that I stay here.¡± With Sophia''s influential status, even if Megan were to exclusively cater to her, nobody would dare to say anything. However, rather than taking advantage of her position, Sophia told Megan to greet the other guests. It was evident that Sophia did not consider herself superior and did not exploit her influence to mistreat others. Hearing that, Casper heaved a sigh of relief and grinned. ¡°Not all the rumors circting within our social circle hold true. It''s always wise to approach them with skepticism and not take everything at face value,¡± he advised. Megan nodded and handed him the gift. ¡°Sophia brought this gift for Grandma.¡± After taking the gift from her, Casper handed it to his cousin, Archer Cooper. ¡°Give this to Grandma.¡± Archer took the box and replied, ¡°Got it!¡± The Cooper family was considered a major family in Jadeborough. Even though it wasn''t as powerful as the four influential families, it was still a force to be reckoned with. Esmae''s eightieth birthday banquet was attended by almost all the reputable figures in Jadeborough. After stepping into the hall, Sophia immediately spotted many familiar faces. However, she wasn''t really acquainted with them. She went to greet Esmae and offer her wishes politely before retiring to a corner alone. The Queen family and the Schild family had established a familial connection through marriage, while Megan became a part of the Cooper family. In light of this rtionship, it was customary for a representative from the Schild family to be present at Esmae''s birthday banquet as a gesture of courtesy toward Megan. Sophia soon spotted Samuel making his way into the hall. The moment he showed up, many people approached him to greet him. In return, he politely clinked sses with those who came to him. Seeing that, Sophia recalled Alexander''sment about Samuel and chuckled aloud. Sometimes, it doesn''t feel like Samuel is part of the Schild family. Is it because a man of great wisdom often appears slow-witted? Lost in her thoughts, Sophia was interrupted by a shadow casting over her. As she lifted her head, she found Heath standing before her. Her smile faded a little when she saw him. ¡°Sophia, we meet again.¡± Dressed in an immacte white suit, Heath exuded an air of charm and handsomeness. Yet, Sophia, ustomed to thepany of good-looking people like Katherine and Joshua, found his appearance rather in. He failed to capture her attention. ¡°I''m sorry, but we''re not that close,¡± Sophia replied frostily. Clearly, she had no intention to continue talking to Heath. However, Heath didn''t seem to get her hint. He swirled his winess and asked, ¡°Why do you avoid me like the gue every time you see me? Am I that scary?¡± Hearing that, Sophia smiled faintly. ¡°Mr. Barker, you''re not scary, but my husband certainly is.¡± With that, Sophia lifted her hand, revealing the glimmering ring on her finger, catching the light from the chandelier above. Heath was surprised to discover that Sophia was married. In the blink of an eye, Sophia had already strode away. By the time he collected his thoughts, Sophia had seamlessly blended into the bustling crowd. Soon after parting ways with Heath, Sophia caught sight of Samuel approaching her. ¡°Sophia,¡± he greeted her. From afar, Samuel spotted a man trying to hit on Sophia. Being Alexander''s friend for over three decades, he couldn''t simply stand idly by while someone made advances toward his friend''s wife. Nevertheless, Sophia was smarter than he had initially expected as she easily got rid of that man. ¡°Mr. Schild, long time no see.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± Samuel nced at the man not far away before his gazended on Sophia. He had to fight back the urge to ask her who that man was. I have full confidence in Alexander, and I know Sophia would never betray him. There are plenty of men like that one in our social circle. I have to admit that he''s quite handsome, though. He was deep in thought when the man came toward them. Heath discreetly observed the man standing beside Sophia. He rarely came to Jadeborough, so despite knowing that the man was someone of significance, his exact identity remained a mystery to Heath. Heath knew that someone as stunning as Sophia wouldn''t settle for an ordinary man to be her husband. However, he didn''t think he was inferior to her husband at all. Gathering his thoughts, he arched his brow at Samuel before giving Sophia an amused grin. ¡°Is this your husband?¡± After a pause, hemented, ¡°I don''t think he''s that great.¡± Sophia burst outughing. ¡°Yeah, he''s really not that great.¡± ncing at Samuel, she added, ¡°That''s because he''s not my husband.¡± Samuel btedly realized what they were talking about. Displeasure crossed his face as he snapped, ¡°I''m Samuel Schild. Who are you?¡± Heath was taken aback to hear his name. ¡°I''m Heath Barker.¡± Though they had never crossed paths, both Heath and Sophia were aware of each other''s names. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Samuel snorted. ¡°Oh, it''s you, Mr. Barker. I''ve heard a lot about you.¡± His voice dripped with disdain, deliberatelyced with a hint of provocation. Heath, unustomed to being provoked, responded with a snort and retorted, ¡°Mr. Schild, I''ve heard quite a bit about you as well.¡± Sophia stood beside them as though their exchange had nothing to do with her. When a server walked past, she got herself a ss of orange juice and sipped on it calmly. Chapter 528 Chapter 528 Even though Samuel had never met Heath in the past, he had heard of Heath''s name. After all, the social circle in the business world was not that huge. The Schild family had worked with the Barker family before, but it was Chet Barker¡ªHeath''s elder brother¡ªwho was the head of the Barker family. Moreover, Heath was rarely in Jadeborough. Rather, he was mostly spending his days in Coldbridge. Thus, Samuel did not recognize Heath at first sight, but he knew who Heath was the moment he heard the name. After all, Heath was the second son of the Barker family. The Barker brothers were both equally well-known, albeit for different reasons. Chet Barker, the eldest, had taken over the Barker family business. On the other hand, Heath Barker was known to be a spoilt yboy. The rtionship in the Barker family was simple: Chet and Heath were biological siblings, and they had no fights over the family inheritance. All Heath needed to do was marry someone with the same socioeconomic status, and he could live the rest of his days enjoying life and being merry. Heath was widely known for being flirtatious, but it was rathermon for children who grew up in wealthy families to have such habits. Nevertheless, Samuel was irked by the fact that Heath had the audacity to hit on Sophia. As a friend of Alexander for over thirty years, Samuel could not just stand idly and watch Heath sabotage the rtionship between Alexander and Sophia. ¡°Sophia, Megan was looking for you.¡± When she heard Samuel calling her, Sophia raised her eyebrows slightly. Without bothering to check the truth of the statement, she nodded. ¡°Got it. You boys go ahead.¡± With that said, she lifted her feet and marched off. Sophia was not interested in Heath. Taking into ount that she could not afford to make a scene at such a grand event, Sophia could only flee from Heath''s tireless pursuit by leaving the situation as soon as possible. Naturally, when the opportunity presented itself, Sophia took it without any question. The second Sophia walked away, Samuel''s expression turned grim. ¡°Mr. Barker, please do not overstep boundaries in your pursuit of women. That''s Mrs. Xenos, Alexander''s wife.¡± Even though Heath had guessed that Sophia''s husband was not a simple man, he was still surprised to find out that her husband was the infamous Alexander Xenos. Heath had never been interested in gossip. Otherwise, he would have recognized Sophia the first time he met her. If Samuel had not pointed it out so tantly, Heath would have backed down eventually once he found out. However, that was the first time he received such a contemptuous look from someone in thirty years. As Heath was not used to being looked down upon, he got defensive. ¡°So what?¡± he challenged with a scoff. Samuel fell silent, taken aback by Heath''s response. That was the first time he encountered someone so shameless. So what? She''s married! Her husband is still alive! Yet this man still wants to go after Sophia? Is his brain full of worms? Samuel''s expression darkened instantly. ¡°I never knew Mr. Barker likes to go after others'' wives.¡± ¡°She''s not even your wife, Mr. Schild.¡± At Heath''s reply, Samuel widened his eyes in indignant disbelief. What the f*ck? How can someone be so shameless? Meanwhile, Sophia had gone to look for Megan. At first, she thought that Samuel had just randomly cooked up an excuse for her to leave the scene, but as it turned out, Megan was indeed looking for her. Megan spotted Sophia from afar, and approached her excitedly. ¡°Ms. Yarrow.¡± A huge smile was stered on her face. At the sight of Megan, Sophia smiled. ¡°Is there a reason you''re looking for me, Ms. Queen?¡± Unexpectedly, a slight blush crept up Megan''s face. ¡°I''m here to say thank you.¡± Raising her eyebrows, Sophia blinked away her surprise before chuckling softly. ¡°You''re too kind, Ms. Queen.¡± ¡°Sophia, I truly am very sorry about what happened in the past.¡± Megan truly appreciated what Sophia did that day. As thetter was a guest she had personally invited, she was a little surprised to see that Sophia actually showed up. Furthermore, she also prepared a big gift for Esmae. Truthfully, Megan married above her league. Her marriage had been fully dependent on the support of the Schild family. Hence, once Megan married into the Cooper family, she became more aware of the ways of the worldpared to the past. Sophia was Megan''s guest. In other words, the value of Sophia''s gift reflected Megan''s status. Two years ago, Sophia had given an ordinary gift on the birthday of Megan''s own grandma. Hence, Megan had expected something simr that time around. After all, her rtionship with Sophia could not be considered close. To her surprise, Sophia''s gift was exceptionally thoughtful. Esmae was a religious person. That was consideredmon knowledge among the people of Jadeborough. Therefore, a lot of the presents she received were rted to her belief. In fact, Esmae was actually a catholic. Esmae had always admired a certain priest, but that priest had gone to explore the world ten years ago. Esmae had always wanted to see the priest in person, but he was never around whenever she visited the chapel. To Esmae''s amazement, Sophia''s gift was a hand-written letter from the priest as well as a rosary made by the priest himself. The thoughtfulness behind the gift was astounding, and even the Cooper family might not be able to achieve that. Megan knew that Sophia was very capable. Perhaps, this was not a big deal to Sophia, but her thoughtful gift showed the respect she had for the Cooper family. At the same time, it lifted Megan''s status in the family too. Once Esmae had finished reading the letter, she had been asking to meet Sophia and had been praising Megan non-stop. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Megan had been married to Casper for more than a year, yet that was the first time she had been praised by Esmae. Naturally, she was overwhelmed by the change in thetter''s attitude. ¡°What past? What are you talking about?¡± Seeing Megan''s flustered face, Sophia smiled. ¡°I''ve long forgotten about it.¡± Dumbfounded, Megan stared at Sophia for a few seconds before regaining herposure. A smile appeared on her face too. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You''re wee.¡± Sophia had always been a person of principle. ¡°Oh, that''s right. Grandma wants to see you.¡± Not wanting to be pestered by Heath again, Sophia dly followed Megan to meet Esmae. Upon seeing Sophia, Esmae thanked the former for the gift profusely before immediately asking about the priest''s whereabouts. Knowing what was going on in Esmae''s mind, Sophia answered, ¡°Old Mrs. Cooper, the priest has said that the blessings that came from him would be no different from any other priest, for all blessings come from the same God. You don''t have to insist on seeing him anymore.¡± When Esmae heard that, she was a little crestfallen but soon changed her mood. ¡°That''s true. That''s true. That''s very thoughtful of you, Ms. Yarrow.¡± As Esmae rambled on about the reason she became a Catholic, Sophia listened with a smile. It was only until someone from the Cooper family reminded her that the event was almost over did Sophia leave Esmae''s room. Once the event was over, Sophia bid Megan goodbye. When Megan heard that Sophia was leaving, she quickly ced the cake in her hand down to escort Sophia out. ¡°It''s okay. You don''t have to do that. There are a lot of guests today. Go do what you have to do.¡± With that, Sophia left before Megan could put down the cake. Just then, someone called out to Megan. Without much choice, Megan could only let Sophia leave on her own. The moment Sophia got out of the hotel, Heath rose from the lobby couch and made his way toward her. ¡°What''s wrong? Do I look like I am a monster?¡± With a half-smile, Sophia turned to look at Heath calmly. ¡°Of course not. I just am not fond of trouble.¡± ¡°Are you trying to stay away from trouble, or are you not fond of being associated with trouble?¡± At least he''s aware and knows that he''s troublesome. Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°You like trouble, Mr. Barker?¡± Heath''s smile widened. ¡°I''ve always liked to face trouble head-on.¡± The second he said that, an icy male voice sounded from the entrance. ¡°Really?¡± Chapter 529 Chapter 529 Sophia raised her head at the familiar voice and saw Alexander walking toward her. As she looked at him, the smile in her eyes deepened. The man soon reached her. He pulled her close with one hand as if he was dering his im on Sophia, and nonchntly left a quick peck on her forehead right in front of Heath. ¡°Dear Mrs. Xenos, I''m back.¡± Sophia felt her face heat up, but her expression remained calm. She hummed a response before turning to Heath, saying, ¡°Mr. Barker, my husband is here to fetch me.¡± Heath was used to Alexander''s tricks, but he was usually the one who was always on the receiving end of his countless girlfriends'' public disys of affection iming their identity as his girlfriend. Thus, he was amused to witness such a scene as a bystander for the first time. Clicking his tongue, he looked at Alexander and greeted, ¡°Mr. Xenos, I''ve been looking forward to meeting you.¡± Alexander simply shot him a cold nce and replied, ¡°I don''t think I know you, Mr. Barker.¡± His sentence came as a strong p in Heath''s face. Thetter''s smile fell subtly. In the end, he could only tell Sophia, ¡°Since your husband is here, I won''t disturb you anymore. Let''s set a meeting sometime soon.¡± Sophia nodded indifferently, so Heath did not hang around any longer and returned to the banquet hall. While Alexander stared at Heath''s back and recalled Samuel''s words, he felt somehow upset. ¡°Mrs. Xenos, you seem to be close to Mr. Barker, huh?¡± Sophia let out augh at his words. ¡°Alexander, are you jealous?¡± Knowing that Sophia was making fun of him, Alexander tightened his grip around her waist, almost pressing her against his body. He stared into her eyes and dered, ¡°Indeed, I am.¡± Sophia felt at a loss because of how straightforward he was. She gave him a shove, but it wasn''t strong enough to push him away. Left with no choice, she changed the topic by asking, ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± Alexander''s eyes darkened when he heard her question. He swallowed slightly before loosening his grip a little, answering, ¡°No.¡± His burning gaze flustered Sophia, who looked down and straightened out the wrinkles on his cor. ¡°Shall we go and have dinner?¡± ¡°Your wish is mymand.¡± With that, Alexander held Sophia''s hand and led her outside the hotel. Judging from the time, Sophia didn''t need to think to know that he hade over right after getting off the ne. With a bbermouth like Samuel around, it was only a matter of time before any news reached Alexander''s ears. Sophia had eaten dinner before attending Esmae''s birthday banquet, and she also had some snacks at the venue earlier, so she was hungry at all. Being quite picky with his food, Alexander never ate airne food. Therefore, Sophia eventually chose a nearby restaurant that served mushroom soup considering that he had a weak stomach. It was almost nine, so only a few customers were inside the establishment. The moment Alexander and Sophia walked in, a waitress approached them attentively. ¡°Hello. What would you like to order?¡± The waitress was a youngdy. As she showed them the menu, she looked back and forth between the couple. ¡°One mushroom soup and some garlic bread.¡± Displeased by the fact that she was ogling at Sophia, Alexander scanned the menu unceremoniously and ordered quickly. His frosty demeanor intimidated the waitress, but Sophia''s beauty was irresistible. Before leaving, the waitress looked at Sophia once again. It was only when Alexander shot her a cold nce that she sheepishly walked away, holding the menu to her chest. Once she was gone, Alexander shifted his attention to Sophia across the table and remarked, ¡°Mrs. Xenos, you''re so popr.¡± Sophia snorted at that. ¡°You''re saying that as if you aren''t popr yourself, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°She was looking at you. You''re more good-looking than me,¡± Alexander argued, a rare smile adorning his face. Sophia took a sip of water and replied, ¡°It''s fine. She''s a woman.¡± ¡°Still. I don''t want anyone else to look at you, even if the person is a woman.¡± Contrary to his stern tone, Alexander''s actions and gaze were gentle as he raised his hand to tuck Sophia''s hair behind her ear. Feeling a bit awkward, Sophia diverted the subject. ¡°Why did you suddenlye back?¡± ¡°I missed you.¡± Warmth spread across Sophia''s cheeks. ¡°Really?¡± She lowered her head, the corners of her lips tugging up lightly. ¡°Yeah.¡± As Alexander fixed his gaze on the ring on Sophia''s ring finger, a sh of smile emerged in his eyes. After finishing the food, the two of them drove back to the mansion. It was almost ten o''clock by the time they returned. When Sophia came out of the bathroom after showering, she scrolled through the gossip in the entertainment industry that Katherine had sent her. Ever since Katherine got pregnant, she became increasingly bored because of theck of work. Every day, she would share gossip in her industry with Sophia. Thetter would read them when she had nothing else to do like now while she was waiting for Alexander to finish bathing. Recently, a newbie named Oscar Munroe emerged in the entertainment industry. From the fact that he was featured in big productions right from his debut, it was safe to assume that he had powerful backing. Putting his acting skills aside, it was very obvious that he had had stic surgery. ording to Katherine, someone even wanted her to guide Oscar and help him get more exposure. Funnily enough, Oscar''s new web drama premiered that night, and so many people were bashing it that it became the third top trending topic online. While reading the messages, Sophia opened a photo Katherine shared with her. Perhaps it was meticulously photoshopped, so Sophia could only tell that Oscar definitely had his nose done. However, he seemed a bit familiar. As Sophia was lost in her thoughts, she heard Alexander''s voice calling her. She instinctively raised her head and was immediately met with Alexander''s dark eyes. ¡°Sophia.¡± He looked at her intently, uttering her name in a deep voice. Seeing the droplets of water hanging from his hair, she asked, ¡°Are you not going to blow-dry your hair?¡± She couldn''t resist reaching out and stroking his eyebrows, adding, ¡°Shall I blow-dry it for you?¡± ¡°Did you miss me?¡± Instead of answering her question, Alexander grabbed her hand and gazed at her intently. Eyshes trembling, she bashfully answered, ¡°Yes.¡± They had been apart for more than a month. Naturally, Sophia missed him. ¡°How much did you miss me?¡± he continued to ask. Sophia felt embarrassed. She turned away and averted her eyes to the light on the ceiling before eventually giggling. ¡°As much as Jadeborough''s spring misses sunny days, I guess.¡± It had been raining in Jadeborough throughout spring this year. Every day, Sophia looked forward to a sunny day and yearned for Alexander. Warmth surged through Alexander''s heart as he looked at the woman before him. Bending down, he left feather-like kisses on her eyes, nose, and lips. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . As the cool breeze from the air conditioner swept across her, Sophia shuddered a little and hugged Alexander tightly. Chapter 530 Chapter 530 It was nighttime, and Sophia was already sleeping. Carefully, Alexander removed his hand from her and ced a nket on her body. Then, he left the room and called Felix on the phone. Alexander had already told Felix about his return beforehand. Hence, Felix wasn''t surprised when he epted Alexander''s call. ¡°Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Help me investigate someone,¡± ordered Alexander. Upon hearing that, Felix couldn''t help but be stunned. Although, he snapped back to his senses a momentter. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Heath Barker.¡± The instant Felix heard that name, he understood why. Someone has been looking into Ms. Yarrow''s affair. I was afraid they were doing it for malicious purposes, so I semi-locked down the information about her. ¡°Understood, Mr. Xenos. I''ll send you an emailter.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Alexander promptly hung up the call. While Sophia didn''t tell me about Heath, I believe she isn''t intentionally hiding the truth from me. It was probably because she thought Heath was so unimportant that she didn''t need to bring him up. However, I met him a few hours ago in the hotel lobby, and I could tell he bore ill intentions toward her. He has some gall to covet my wife in Jadeborough. His family is so unremarkable that I couldn''t give a d*mn about them. The edges of his lips twitched before he returned to the room with his phone. Sophia was likely exhausted as she was sleeping very soundly. Sitting at the side of the bed, Alexander stared at her. Due to jeg, he wasn''t feeling tired yet. The affairs overseas have been mostly dealt with. While I still need to handle some procedures, I couldn''t wait to see Sophia again after being separated from her for over a month. Now that I''m back here, I''m going to marry my wife officially. Touching the ring on Sophia''s finger, Alexander started thinking about the marriage. The custom-made ring should be done soon, and the wedding gown has already been shipped here. There''s also the wedding photo... There are so many things I never did for her during our first marriage. This time, I''m going to give her the best of everything. He nced at the sleeping Sophia again and sent a text message to Felix. The next morning, when Sophia woke up, it was already around eight. She was usually woken up by an rm at seven in the morning, but she didn''t hear the clock ringing. Hence, she assumed Alexander had taken it away. Alexander hadn''t awoken yet. As she stared at him, she couldn''t help but grin. I didn''t know waking up next to the person I love feels so good. He seems to be deep in slumber. It''s probably because he didn''t sleep muchst night due to jeg. Likely, he didn''t even close his eyes until early morning. To avoid rousing him, Sophia left the bed very gently. Despite that, just as she entered the bathroom, Alexander opened his eyes. The curtains hadn''t been drawn yet, so the room was still dark. Alexander looked around before sitting up on the bed. The sound of water could be heard inside the bathroom as Sophia brushed her teeth. After Alexander left the bed, he sauntered into the bathroom. Just as Sophia finished washing up, she saw the door being opened and was taken aback. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± ¡°No,¡± answered Alexander before approaching her back and hugging her. Sophia stared at Alexander in the mirror. His jaw pressed on her shoulder while his eyes were slightly closed, looking as though he hadn''t fully awoken yet. When she saw that, she arched her eyebrow. ¡°Why don''t you keep sleeping?¡± ¡°I''m awake.¡± Alexander peered at the mirror and saw the reflection of him hugging Sophia. What a genuine and heartwarming sight, I must say. As he thought, he couldn''t help but embrace her tighter. ¡°Can you clear your schedule for the next few days, Mrs. Xenos?¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia wondered, ¡°Do you have ns, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°We haven''t had our wedding photos taken yet.¡± When he brought that up, she recalled how they already arranged the photoshoot but hadn''t gone for it yet. Sophia turned her head, staring into his dark eyes, and blushed slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± Then, she pulled Alexander''s hand, the one on her waist, away. ¡°I''ve finished washing up.¡± As she spoke, she ducked out of his embrace and dashed away. At the entrance, she nced back at him. ¡°I''ll make sandwiches downstairs.¡± I may not be skilled at cooking, but I can still make a sandwich. ¡°No need. I''ve asked Mr. Lane to send us breakfast already.¡± Just as he ended his sentence, the doorbell rang. Genie informed them there was a guest. ¡°I''ll go downstairs and grab breakfast.¡± Without dy, Sophia descended the stairs. She narrowed her eyes at the sight of the morning sunlight and stared at Felix, who was delivering breakfasts. ¡°Thanks for your hard work, Mr. Lane.¡± Grinning, Felix replied, ¡°It''s no problem, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. As he spoke, he handed the breakfast to her. Upon receiving it, Sophia recalled Alexander''s words and said, ¡°Please keep my schedule free for the next few days.¡± Felix did not look surprised and nodded. ¡°Understood, Ms. Yarrow.¡± She smiled. ¡°You may leave now.¡± ¡°All right, Ms. Yarrow.¡± When Sophia returned to the second floor, Alexander had finished washing up. Just as she arrived at the top of the staircase, he seized the breakfast in her hands. She nced at him and thought about Felix''s reaction earlier. Hmm... Alexander must''ve told him something. After sitting down, she beamed at Alexander, who was opening the container cover. ¡°Mr. Lane didn''t seem surprised when I asked him to leave my schedule nk earlier.¡± Alexander handed a spoon to Sophia. ¡°I told himst night.¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk. You''re so thoughtful, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°I shouldn''t have let Mrs. Xenos be so busy in the first ce.¡± He gazed at her. I know Sophia doesn''t like helming Odyssey, and if it weren''t because of me, she wouldn''t have needed to. Back then, when I was... unavable, Odyssey was already deep in trouble. After all, it''s a decades-old corporation, unlike Sunshine Group, which Sophia built from scratch. Hence, it has a lot of frustrating affairs to handle. In response, Sophia lifted her eyebrow. ¡°When are you nning to take back Odyssey, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Why should I? What is mine is yours too, no?¡± answered Alexander. She couldn''t help butugh. ¡°Aren''t you afraid that you''ll be working for me for free?¡± Surprisingly, he arched his eyebrow, too. ¡°Why should I? It''ll be my pleasure to serve you my whole life.¡± After experiencing so much, I know money is but the cherry on the cake for her. It doesn''t matter to her how affluent she is. While Odyssey is valuable, it may not be worth as much as her wealth once it is sold. Perhaps it won''t even catch my beloved wife''s attention. Chapter 531 Chapter 531 There was another reason Alexander was in a hurry to return. Sophia had never been in a romantic rtionship before, and it was just an ident that she was infatuated with Alexander. After falling for him at first sight, she pursued him like a moth to a me. While she took the initiative to marry Alexander back then and it made her look bold and passionate, she was actually very reserved when expressing her feelings. That was why her three-year marriage with Alexander didn''t end well. At that moment, she had gotten back to Alexander. While she was not afraid of what others thought of her, she was still a little too shy to express her love for Alexander in private. It was likely because Rachel taught her that women should be reserved in a rtionship. Sophia might be bold when courting someone, but she was still quite reserved when it came to expressing her feelings. Since a week ago, advertisements for services and gifts rted to Valentine''s Day had been posted everywhere. Sophia was a woman, so she enjoyed romantic moments too. As much as she wanted to spend Valentine''s Day with Alexander, she didn''t make a request because he was still overseas back then. Yet, Alexander ¡°just so happened¡± to returnst night to make it for Valentine''s Day. Hence, when Alexander proposed to take her out for Valentine''s Day, Sophia was overjoyed even if she didn''t show it on her face. That year''s Valentine''s Day didn''t fall on the weekend or during a short holiday, but Lovebirds Street was still packed with people. Most of the couples there were young, likely university students. As the name suggests, Lovebirds Street was a street about lovers. The name originated from a touching love story. A long time ago, a poor schr living at the tail-end of the street fell in love with an affluentdy at the other end of the street. While they lived fairly close, people cared about matching family backgrounds for couples. Hence, the schr promised thedy that he would return to marry her after he achieved sess. After he toiled for an unknown amount of time, he finally aplished his goal. Just as he returned to his home to propose marriage to his deardy, he learned that thedy''s parents had already engaged her to someone else six months ago. She was set to marry the son of a simrly wealthy family from the neighboring county the next day. It was a marriage arranged by her parents. Thus, thedy couldn''t oppose it. It was toote for the schr to do anything when he returned. Therefore, on the day of her marriage, he could only follow the people to see the bride off silently from the beginning of the street until the end. That was thest time they ever met. It wasn''t a story with a happy ending, but it was how Lovebirds Street came to be. In modern times, business people would the story to market their products. Shops filled both sides of the two-kilometer- long street. Since it was Valentine''s Day, the shop owners used every trick in the book to make more money. It wasn''t the first time Sophia visited Lovebirds Street. During her university days, she would be dragged there by Katherine to watch thetter spend Valentine''s Day with Joshua. Katherine''s reason for doing so was that she wanted Sophia to be familiar with the ce. That way, when Sophia visited the street with her future boyfriend, she walked around the area easily. Back then, Sophia didn''t take Katherine''s words to heart. She believed thetter was merely showing off her romantic rtionship. However, Sophia was surprised to see that Katherine was right after so many years. However, many of the shops on both sides of Lovebirds Street had changed owners. Some of these shops were even renovated. For example, the escape room for couples that Katherine really liked had been turned into a romantic theater. Somehow, there were still many stores that sold snacks and coffee around. Jadeborough''s weather was scorching, and Sophia didn''t want to be cooked by the sun. Thus, she wore a short dress with a floral pattern and a pair of sandals. Unlike Alexander, who was still wearing a suit, she didn''t stand outpared to the other young girls there. Both of them were tall, slender, and attractive. Hence, they drew quite a bit of attention. The people who passed them by would reflexively nce at them a few more times than they should. However, Sophia was used to it, so she didn''t mind. Not far ahead of her was a caf¨¦ that sold cute cotton candy in various shapes. The scene led Sophia back to a shback. Back when I was in primary school, Dad would buy cotton candy for me every Friday. Cotton candies in the past weren''t as creative as the ones we have nowadays. The only difference between the cotton candies at my time was their color. Some were white, blue, red, and even purple. I don''t think I''ve eaten any cotton candy after what happened to Mom and Dad. Honestly, I dislike cotton candies. However, whenever Dad bought me one, the satisfaction on his face would always make it taste better. Besides, it was only once a week, so it wasn''t that bad. After so many years, the person who always bought cotton candy for me no longer exists in this world... ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Alexander couldn''t help but ask when he noticed she looked distracted. Upon following her line of sight, he detected a cotton candy machine at a caf¨¦ ahead of them. ¡°Do you want some?¡± When Sophia returned to her senses, she nced at Alexander and smiled. ¡°Will you buy me one?¡± Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. This is the first time I''ve seen her asking something from me. Ah, looking at her smile always warms my heart. Alexander nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± Even if the thing she wanted weren''t cotton candy but the entire caf¨¦, he would still buy it for her without hesitation. However, there were already a lot of people in the street, and there was even a long queue to buy the cotton candy at the caf¨¦. Alexander couldn''t bear to let Sophia stand while waiting, so he led her into another caf¨¦. ¡°Wait here for me. I''ll buy it for you.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Sophia didn''t stop him because she could see he was delighted to do it for her. The other caf¨¦ was across the street, so both could spot each other at a nce. As Sophia stared at Alexander, she thought, I must say, Alexander has picked a nice table. It was Valentine''s Day, and Lovebirds Street was full of couples, so even the usually empty caf¨¦ was flooded with people. Sophia felt a little embarrassed to wait at a table for four, so she ordered a slice of cake and a cup of coffee. As there were air conditioners in the caf¨¦, and the weather was zing, many people entered the cafe to stop for a drink. When no empty seats were left, people started sharing tables with strangers. After a while, a couple asked Sophia if they could share tables with her. In response, she smiled and pulled her cake closer to her. ¡°Go ahead. It''s fine.¡± Peering at Sophia''s gorgeous face, the youngdy suddenly found her boyfriend less interesting. ¡°Are you waiting for your boyfriend, miss?¡± I bet her boyfriend is as attractive as her. Sophia nodded with a silent grin. Chapter 532 Chapter 532 The youngdy was a lot more enthusiastic, and she didn''t mind when Sophia didn''t reply. ¡°You''re so pretty, miss. Your skin''s so fair, and your eyshes are stunning. What kind of mascara do you use?¡± ¡°I don''t use any,¡± replied Sophia, embarrassed. I only put on light makeup today. I didn''t even touch my eyes. When the youngdy heard that, her eyes sparkled as she stared at Sophia. ¡°Wow. They are natural?¡± Sophia smiled and nodded. ¡°Mhm.¡± ¡°I''m so jealous!¡± As the youngdy continued to stare at Sophia, she felt annoyed by her boyfriend''s attempt to speak with her. Hence, she pointed at the caf¨¦ across the street. ¡°I want the cotton candy there. Help me buy one, okay?¡± Naturally, her boyfriend obeyed her request and left. Momentster, the youngdy spoke even more energetically. ¡°Are you a celebrity, miss? Can I take a picture with you?¡± It wasn''t the first time Sophia was asked that question, so she was used to it. However, she disliked taking photos with someone else, especially strangers. ¡°I''m sorry. I don''t like taking photos.¡± ¡°Ah, I understand!¡± As they spoke, a group of men and women entered the building. Anky young man followed behind the group. His youthfulness was dazzling when sunlightnded on his countenance. The youngdy noticed the young man, too, and said, ¡°Did you see that guy, miss? He looks like the main character of an anime! He''s so handsome!¡± ¡°He is quite attractive,¡± replied Sophia. However, Alexander''s better-looking. Seeing that Sophia didn''t seem interested in that, the youngdy smiled and refrained from disturbing the former again. Instead, she secretly took pictures of thenky young man to show them to her best friend. Sophia was amused by the youngdy''s poor attempt at taking photos in secret. Just as the edges of her lips curved upward, the young man in question abruptly snapped his sight toward them. There was an easygoing vibe to him. He was wearing a loose, white shirt with one hand holding a camera and another resting in his pocket. He was sitting at the edge of a booth when he peered at the youngdy coldly. When his line of sightnded on Sophia''s countenance, he arched his eyebrow and approached her. Sophia looked elsewhere while the youngdy sitting across her put away her phone in a panic. However, the woman was clumsy and identally dropped her phone on the ground. The young man stood before the phone, picked it up, and ced it on the table. Then, he stared at Sophia and smirked. ¡°What''s the point of taking pictures of me in secret? How about I give you my contact number instead?¡± In response, Sophia nced at the youngdy, whose face was red as a tomato. I remember Katherine used to pull tricks like these and then ask me to handle the consequences. She likes to y pranks but doesn''t have the guts to face the oue. Sophia''s heart softened when she thought about Katherine. Then, she smiled at the young man. ¡°Don''t misunderstand. She didn''t bear any ill will taking pictures of you.¡± However, the young man didn''t believe her. ¡°I''ve heard of that excuse plenty of times before.¡± It was then a femalepanion of the young man approached him. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± The young man nced at his femalepanion and snapped, ¡°What does it matter to you?¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. His femalepanion teared up immediately. She gritted her teeth and returned to her seat. The young man ignored his femalepanion''s reaction and fixed his gaze on Sophia. ¡°What''s the matter? You have the nerve to take photos of me in secret, but you don''t have the gall to add my contact number?¡± Seeing that he misunderstood Sophia, the youngdy felt embarrassed and exined in a small voice, ¡°You''re mistaken. I don''t know who she is. She wasn''t the one who took pictures of you. I did.¡± The young man scoffed, ¡°I''ve seen that trick before. My WhatsApp is... How about you add me directly on WhatsApp, and I''ll send you more pictures of me. Isn''t that better?¡± As he spoke, he wrote a note and delivered it to Sophia. Just as Sophia lowered her eyes, she saw someone snatching the note away. She lifted her sight and saw Alexander had returned with the cotton candy. Peering at her, he handed the cotton candy to her. ¡°Here you go.¡± Sophia promptly epted it. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Xenos.¡± In response, Alexander patted her head. ¡°No problem, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Without dy, he snapped his unkind sight to the young man. ¡°My wife''s taste isn''t that awful.¡± As the young man realized it was all a misunderstanding, the arrogance on his countenance slowly morphed into embarrassment. However, because he was still young, he attempted to defend his dignity instead of backing off. ¡°I think her taste is quite bad, considering she likes someone as old as you.¡± Old? I''m not even thirty-five years old! How can he have a nastier mouth than Samuel? Alexander scowled immediately. Promptly, Sophia tugged his arm. When he lowered his head in response, she delivered a small piece of cotton candy to his mouth. ¡°What''s the¡ª¡± Before he couldplete his sentence, he felt a sweet taste on his lips. A secondter, he pursed his lips, and the sweet scent of cotton candy spread in his mouth. Gazing at him, Sophia grinned. ¡°Is it sweet?¡± After seeing her smile, Alexander couldn''t be bothered to pay any attention to the young man. ¡°It is.¡± They look like the main characters from a television show. The youngdy sitting across the table stared at the couple for a while before snapping back to her senses. ¡°Is he your boyfriend, miss?¡± ¡°No,¡± answered Alexander before Sophia said anything. Just as the youngdy was confused, Alexander continued, ¡°I''m her husband.¡± The youngdy was stunned for a while before she pped. ¡°Oh, you two are married! You and your husband are really good-looking, miss! I bet your future baby will look incredibly adorable!¡± Embarrassment colored Sophia''s countenance. I didn''t expect someone would bring up the topic of children before I think about it. Alexander replied, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then, he turned to Sophia. ¡°Do you want to rest or keep going?¡± ¡°We should rest for a while first,¡± stated Sophia. I bet he''s tired after waiting in the queue for so long. Alexander nodded and sipped the coffee ced in front of Sophia. It doesn''t taste good. His eyebrows knitted slightly. When Sophia spotted his reaction, she chuckled. ¡°It''s no good?¡± Alexander took another sip and said, ¡°It''s all right.¡± Silently, Sophia watched him drink the coffee from the side of the cup with her lipstick on it. Her cheeks burned as she thought, I know his ¡°It''s all right¡± is aimed at me. The enthusiastic youngdy tactfully stopped speaking afterward and yed with her phone. After resting for a while, Alexander and Sophia left because many customers were in the cafe, and she felt embarrassed to keep upying a seat. Concurrently, the youngdy''s boyfriend returned with cotton candy. When Sophia and Alexander arrived at the entrance, they heard the youngdy tell her boyfriend excitedly, ¡°Did you see thatdy''s husband? He''s so handsome! They''re such a good match for each other! They''ve married already. Indeed, charming men marry young!¡± Her voice was so loud that the couple could hear her words through the noise. In response, the couple exchanged a look. Alexander held Sophia''s hand and lightly pinched her palm. ¡°I also think Mrs. Xenos and I are a good match.¡± Did you hear that, punk? That youngdy called me young. I''m not an old man! Chapter 533 Chapter 533 Sophia didn''t particrly enjoy cotton candy. Hence, she didn''t eat much of it after walking around for a while. What Alexander bought was a piece of cute, rabbit-shaped cotton candy. It attracted plenty of attention as Sophia wandered the street. The weather was sweltering, so the cotton candy started melting a little. It made her hand very sticky. After having a few bites of it, she didn''t want to eat it anymore. Suddenly, she saw a couple ambling toward them, and the girlfriend was also holding cotton candy. However, that couple shared and almost finished the cotton candy together. When Sophia saw that, she glimpsed at Alexander. Upon noticing her stare, Alexander turned to her. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Smiling, she lifted the cotton candy to his lips. ¡°I''m getting a little sick of it.¡± Alexander arched his eyebrow slightly before taking a bite of the cotton candy. Knowing that he also disliked sweets, she didn''t push him to finish the whole thing alone. Instead, they took turns gobbling it. Just like that, they finished eating the cotton candy that was almost melted. Aside from couples, there were also young men and women in traditional clothing on the street, which Sophia thought looked great. More people flooded into Lovebirds Street as the clock ticked past four. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± asked Alexander. Upon hearing that, Sophia offered him the snack in her hand. They had been eating random snacks since their journey started at the beginning of the street. Hence, she was feeling quite full. Alexander kept buying a little bit of everything whenever something caught his eye. However, he''d only take a few bites of them. Sophia disliked wasting food, so she''d try to eat as much as she could before tossing them away. Just as they chatted, a woman in green traditional clothing abruptly approached them. ¡°I''m the owner of a nearby traditional clothing shop. Both you and your boyfriend are stunning, so I wonder if you''d be interested in helping me advertise my store. In return, you''ll be granted an unlimited photoshoot package thrice yearly. What do you think?¡± The shop owner knew at first nce that neither Sophia nor Alexander was an ordinary folk, which was why she was willing to propose such a generous offer. Smiling, Sophia politely replied, ¡°I''m sorry, but we''re meeting with friends right now.¡± ¡°How about another day? Another day is fine...¡± the store owner suggested. I''ve never seen a couple as dazzling as them before! I can''t just let this opportunity slip away! In response, Sophia nced at Alexander and arched her eyebrow. ¡°I''m sorry, but my husband''s busy.¡± Not once did Alexander utter a word during that exchange. The store owner couldn''t help but turn to Alexander. Just as she was about to say something, she realized he had been staring at Sophia the whole time and never once paid any attention to her. Fine. I guess I''ll back off. Honestly, I shouldn''t have tortured myself with sights of lovey-dovey couples by coming out today. ¡°In that case, I apologize for disturbing you two. Oh yeah, if you''re still interested, you cane here alone or with your friends. We still won''t charge you!¡± Afraid that Sophia wouldn''t ept the advertisement booklet, the store owner stuffed it into the former''s hand. Then, she lifted her dress and trotted into her shop. Just as she arrived inside, she was surrounded by her employees. ¡°How did it go? Did thedy agree to your proposal?¡± The store owner sighed. ¡°No. Honestly, I shouldn''t have even hoped it would work because they clearly weren''t ordinary folks. Earlier, I saw the watch on her wrist. It was Lucent''s custom-made Starlight from three years ago. Usually, you can choose the watch face and strap, but even then, the normal version will still cost over three hundred thousand. I''ve never seen the color and image on her dial before. Hence, it must''ve been custom-made. I estimate it''s worth at least twice as much as the original version.¡± If she can wear a watch that costs at least over six hundred thousand so casually, it''s hard to tell how much their clothes are worth in total. I should''ve known it was impossible for us to invite affluent individuals like them to our humble shop. When the employees heard that, they appeared disappointed. ¡°She''s so pretty, though, especially her eyes. She would''ve looked magnificent in ourtest clothing!¡± Once again, the store owner nced at Sophia and sighed. ¡°I bet someone as pretty as she already works in some agency. She''s truly a gem.¡± Meanwhile, Sophia only shifted her sight away after watching the store owner return to her shop. Momentster, she flipped through the booklet in her hand. Their traditional clothing is rather exquisite, and the booklet''s design is pleasing to the eye, too. I don''t think I can throw it away now. Upon recalling how the store owner left with disappointment, Sophia grinned. In the end, she put the booklet in her bag. At six in the evening, the number of shoppers on the street had doubledpared to noon. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . There were people everywhere, and the couple was basically pushed around by the crowd. Alexander pulled Sophia into his embrace as they reached to the end of the street and visited a nearby Jetroinian restaurant. The restaurant was full, much like every other restaurant nearby. Since they didn''t make a reservation, they had no choice but to wait for their turn. Fortunately, there weren''t many people ahead of them, so they would get a table pretty soon. ¡°I need to visit the restroom,¡± said Sophia. In response, Alexander rose. ¡°I''ll apany you.¡± ¡°It''ll be our number soon. Who''ll go in when our number is being called if you follow me?¡± As such, Alexander released her hand. ¡°Go, then.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Without dy, Sophia strode to the nearest restroom. The restroom was a bit far, and there was a long line. She waited for a few minutes before it was finally her turn. When she returned to Alexander, she noticed a woman standing behind him. Even though Jadeborough''s weather was still sizzling, the mall was quite cold due to its air conditioners. The woman wore a short dress with a deep v-neck and a pair of ck high heels. As she leaned toward Alexander seductively, she ced her hand on the back of his chair, gazing at him. Sophia arched her eyebrow and was about to take a photo to keep as a souvenir when Alexander turned toward her. The moment he met her eyes, the coldness on his countenance faded somewhat. Upon shooting a nce of disdain at the sexy woman, he ambled toward Sophia. The woman was stunned and sat up. Before she could utter a word, she saw him approaching another woman. Sophia was also wearing a short floral dress. While her outfit wasn''t sexy, her innocent yet alluring countenance made her more attractive. Initially, the woman looked all confident. However, after she spotted Sophia, she brushed her hair to the back of her ear, grabbed her bag, and returned to her friends. Sophia stared at the woman and grinned at Alexander. ¡°You are quite lucky with thedies, Mr. Xenos.¡± Well, he really looks charming. I can''t believe a sexydy flirted with him in my short period of absence to visit the restroom. Holding her hand, he remarked, ¡°Are you praising yourself, Mrs. Xenos?¡± Sophia blushed slightly. It was then their number was called out by a restaurant employee. Using that opportunity, she changed the topic. ¡°It''s our turn.¡± Chapter 534 Chapter 534 By the time the two emerged from the mall after finishing their Jetroinian meal, darkness had already fallen. Meanwhile, a stage had been set up at the mall''s entrance. There was possibly an event going on that night. As it was still early, Alexander walked hand in hand to the stage with Sophia. Coincidentally, many others emerged from the mall after dinner, filling the front of the stage with people quickly. The host on stage was introducing the events for the evening with his microphone. Since it was Valentine''s Day, the mall''s management had set up the stage and organized events to celebrate the asion. ¡°Tonight, ten lucky couples will win a special prize prepared by us. As long as the ten couplesplete some simple challenges, they''ll be awarded a pair of lock and key nes worth nine thousand nine hundred and ny-nine from our sponsors, symbols of evesting love. ¡°On top of that, as long as any man can carry their female partner for more than five minutes, they will win a specially designed Valentine''s Day ne worth one thousand one hundred and eleven that symbolizes the couple''s fidelity for the rest of their lives. ¡°As for those who are single, please don''t fret. The organizers have prepared twenty dining vouchers for you. Later in the evening, we will have a live matchmaking event. The twenty couples who have been paired up sessfully today will receive vouchers for a couple meal in one of our premium restaurants worth four hundred and ny-nine.¡± The host exined the programs for the evening excitedly before the event began. While listening, Sophia was intrigued by it. When the smile on her face was noticed by Alexander, a glint shed across his eyes. ¡°Which one do you want?¡± Alexander had leaned close enough to whisper in her ear, as the ce was crowded with people. The moment his warm breath bathed her ear, she turned around to nce at him. ¡°What about you?¡± She proceeded to throw the question back at him. Alexander lowered his head to look at her, while his hands that were wrapped around her waist tightened slightly. He then pulled her closer into his arms before murmuring, ¡°I want you, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Although their intimate embrace didn''t stand out in the sea of couples, Sophia could still feel the burning sensation on her cheeks. She raised her hand to sweep aside the hair by her cheeks as if she didn''t hear him. ¡°The merchants seem to be experts in organizing fun events. They can hire a few temporary actors so that they don''t really have to give out all the gifts while concurrently achieving their marketing objective.¡± Cognizant that she was avoiding the topic, Alexander leaned in to give her forehead a peck as he let the matter slide. At eight sharp, the Valentine''s Day event began. The first event was called ¡°A Lover in Need is a Lover Indeed.¡± After the couples got on stage, one of them would be blindfolded, while the other would guide their blindfolded partner with their voice through a five-meter path littered with obstacles. As long as a couple knocked down less than three obstacles, they would be able to win a Proid camera. Obviously, if they didn''t knock anything down, they would win the lock and key nes worth nine thousand nine hundred and ny-nine. No sooner had the host finished exining the terms and details than the crowd below raised their hands enthusiastically wanting to participate. Given that young couples were both daring and energetic, they made up all five couples who were chosen in the first round. Thereafter, the stage was littered withical scenes. Some of the blindfolded participants kept walking upon hearing the instructions, even if they weren''t given by their own partners. At the end of the first round, three couples came off the stage without winning anything. The challenge might have sounded simple, but everyone soon realized how difficult it was in reality. The organizers had a good grasp of human psychology. When one had to walk blindfolded in such a chaotic environment, one not only has to contend with the crowd''s disruptive noise but also has to deal with the inherent panic from losing the sense of direction. Watching the event on stage, Sophia couldn''t help turning around and asking Alexander, ¡°Do you think we have good teamwork, Mr. Xenos?¡± Alexander cocked a brow in response. ¡°Do you want to try?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°I think it is interesting.¡± While both of them were speaking, an abrupt silence descended upon the scene. When Sophia and Alexander stopped talking too, a girl by their side told her, ¡°Miss, the host seems to be pointing at the two of you!¡± Just as the girl had spoken, one of the event staff approached them with a smile. ¡°Mister, miss, you have been randomly selected to participate in the game on stage to win some prizes. Pleasee with me.¡± Sophia raised a surprise brow. ¡°Randomly selected?¡± The staff broke into a gentle smile, oblivious to the underlying meaning of Sophia''s question. ¡°Yes, miss. You and your boyfriend have been chosen to y the game on stage. If you seed, you''ll be able to win the grand prize worth nine thousand nine hundred and ny-nine.¡± Sophia let out a chuckle. ¡°It''s fine. Let someone else have the opportunity.¡± The staff found it hard to believe that Sophia had turned it down. ¡°Miss, our specially designed key and lock nes are extremely beautiful and intricate. You''ll stand a chance to win as long as you y the game. Do you really not want to try?¡± ¡°That''s right,¡± Sophia replied calmly while maintaining a cordial smile. The staff was filled with shock. ¡°Can you tell me why, miss? The ne is worth nine thousand nine hundred and ny-nine. Are you really not interested in it at all?¡± ¡°I''m sorry. I''m not.¡± Even if it was worth ny-nine thousand nine hundred and ny-nine, Sophia might not even be keen, let alone one for nine thousand nine hundred and ny-nine. On the contrary, if Katherine was in the same position, she would definitely drag Joshua along to participate, even if the nes were only worth nine hundred and ny-nine. In reality, there was a reason why the staff had approached Sophia and Alexander¡ªthe duo''s stunning good looks. The main objective of the evening''s event was obviously marketing. Therefore, many members of the media were present below the stage. Even though it was announced that there were ten prizes worth nine thousand nine hundred and ny-nine to be won, seven were given to actors the organizer hired. That essentially meant that only three of the prizes were given out for real. At the end of the event, a picture was to be taken with the winner of the prize. Hence, the sponsor had made a request for a beautiful couple to be in it so as to increase the photo''s marketability. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . In fact, Sophia and Alexander had already been scouted the moment they emerged from the shopping mall. The couple was just too beautiful to blend into the crowd. Consequently, with the aura the duo exuded, no other couple at the scene came close topeting with them when it came to marketing potential. Nheless, the staff was bewildered after being rejected by the duo. Even though nine thousand nine hundred and ny-nine wasn''t a lot of money, the prize was still extremely attractive. It''s almost ten thousand. How can someone not be interested? Since money had failed to motivate the couple, the staff could only change her tact. ¡°But it''s Valentine''s Day today. Since you''re out celebrating it, I''m sure you must be looking to do something memorable, right? This game is really fun. I''m certain that if you participate in it, you''ll make some good memories.¡± After giving the matter some thought, Sophia turned toward Alexander with her eyes beaming. ¡°Do you want to join, Mr. Xenos?¡± Throughout the time they spent together, both of them didn''t seem to have any particrly special memories. Alexander wasn''t into such events but had his interest piqued by the staff''s words. He could also tell from Sophia''s question that she wanted to do it. Thus, he gave her a gentle look as he replied, ¡°I do.¡± Chapter 535 Chapter 535 The staff, sharp enough to see the couple wavering, continued persuading them about how unforgettable the experience would be. It would certainly be a heartwarming memory they could always reminisce about in the future. Staring at the staff who was desperately trying to convince them, Sophia couldn''t help but chuckle. ¡°You''re right. We''ll go up on stage and have some fun.¡± The staff was almost moved to tears when Sophia agreed. ¡°What''s your surname, miss?¡± ¡°It''s Yarrow.¡± ¡°And you sir?¡± ¡°Xenos.¡± ¡°All right then, Ms. Yarrow and Mr. Xenos. Please follow me.¡± Sophia nced at Alexander before both of them followed the staff to the left side of the stage. Thereafter, the second batch of five couples got ready. Among them, two couples were hired by the organizers. They rarely talked to each other and were mostly on their phones. The fact that they weren''t particrly intimate made it easy for Sophia to see through them. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Soon, when the host invited all of them on stage, the staff ushered them up ordingly. Alexander and Sophia walked up the stage holding hands. The jarring spotlight that shifted in their direction caused Sophia to squint her eyes a little. The stage was rtively big, as it stretched for more than ten meters. Although the ring lights prevented those at the back from seeing the participants on stage clearly, those standing in front had no such problem at all. Among the five couples, Sophia and Alexander were the tallest. Alexander was almost one meter and ny centimeters tall, while Sophia was one meter and sixty-eight centimeters tall. As the two of them had stunning-looking features and outstanding aura, the crowd below couldn''t help but wonder if they were models hired by the event organizer. Before the game began, the host would exchange pleasantries with the participants just to liven up the atmosphere. He was rather surprised by the sight of Sophia and Alexander. ¡°Wow, this couple looks amazing! Sir, miss, may I know your names?¡± When the microphone was brought toward Sophia, she replied with a smile, ¡°Yarrow.¡± ¡°Xenos.¡± With the spotlight shining directly at the two of them, those in the front row got a clear view of the duo. ¡°Oh, my God! What a gorgeous couple. That youngdy is just so pretty. Just look at her porcin white skin and that bewitching smile. Ah! I''m going to take a picture of them as a keepsake. Once they join the entertainment industry, I''ll be able to show it off!¡± ¡°Wow, I can''t believe how good-looking the Yarrow girl and Xenos guy are! D*mn it, how are the rest going topete with such a pretty couple? Are they really not celebrities?¡± ¡°Quick, look! That girl is hot! Woohoo, that guy is just as handsome too. They really do make a beautiful pair. I wonder if they were hired by the organizers. I would certainly like to take a picture with them.¡± Good-looking folks were always popr with everyone due to the fact that they were eye candy. Obviously, the host could hear thements from below the stage. ¡°I''ve heard plenty ofpliments from our audience about how charming Ms. Yarrow and Mr. Xenos are. So, let me ask the two of you, do you work in the entertainment or modeling industry?¡± Having grown used to being admired on stage ever since she was young, Sophia was unfazed by the host''s cheeky question. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Given how great both of you look, do you feel confident in winning the game tonight?¡± Sophia threw Alexander a nce before answering smilingly, ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Hahaha, it looks like these two are filled with confidence and show no sign of nerves. In that case, I wish both of you the best of luck.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The game finally began after the short chat. Sophia and Alexander were brought to the right side of the stage where Sophia was required to walk along a path that was about a meter wide. Obstacles were ced on both sides and the center of the path. Soon, the staff issued a blindfold to the one giving directions. After taking the blindfold in his hands, Alexander walked up to Sophia and looked down at her. ¡°Have you memorized it?¡± Sophia''s eyes glistened abruptly as she asked, ¡°How did you know?¡± A glint shed across Alexander''s eyes as he kept the answer to himself. ¡°It''s time to put on the blindfold, Mrs. Xenos.¡± With a curl of her lips, Sophia gradually closed her eyes. The blindfold provided by the organizers was rtively thick, but it felt loose on Sophia''s small face, allowing her to see some light from the corner of her eyes. Nevertheless, she couldn''t see anything else other than that. Meanwhile, the crowd below the stage was really huge, while the host''smentary added to the lively atmosphere. Due to Sophia''s and Alexander''s outstanding appearances and figures, the host and many in the crowd were focused on them. ¡°Let me bring your attention to Ms. Yarrow and Mr. Xenos. Both of them must enjoy a very good rtionship, as their hands are tightly sped together even when the game has yet to begin.¡± The host''s words brought a gentle blush to Sophia''s cheeks. Soon, Alexander released Sophia''s hand when the game finally started. Standing still, Sophia couldn''t see a thing, and the surrounding noise was all that she could hear. When given a microphone as the guide, Alexander began to speak into it. ¡°Sophia, I''m standing on your right.¡± No sooner had the words left his mouth than the girls below the stage found his sonorous voice to be particrly melodious. ¡°We can see that Mr. Xenos is a very attentive boyfriend. The first thing he did was to make sure Ms. Yarrow knows where he is.¡± The other participants on stage didn''t react as quickly as Alexander. Although they called out to their girlfriends, they didn''t inform them of their locations. ¡°All right now, you have one minute. Good luck!¡± Walking a ten-meter path in a minute was an easy task until one had to be blindfolded and avoid obstacles ced along the way. With no microphone in hand, Sophia turned to look at her right by reflex. Only then did she realize she couldn''t see anything, including Alexander because she was blindfolded. In spite of that, she could feel Alexander''s presence on the right after catching the scent of his cologne. Curling her lips slightly, she soon heard Alexander''s voice. ¡°Take seven steps forward, Sophia.¡± Truth be told, Sophia had memorized the location of the obstacles, but her sense of direction was clouded by the blindfold. Moreover, it was hard for her to gauge the distance under those conditions. As Alexander had used number of steps to solve her problem, she did as he instructed. Consequently, she remembered that the second obstacle was on her right. Alexander continued, ¡°Two steps to the left.¡± Sophiabined Alexander''s guidance with what she memorized and led the two of them to the end of the path in less than half a minute. The moment she took off her blindfold, a random p soon broke into thunderous apuse. ¡°Twenty-five seconds without knocking any obstacles down. You guys are amazing, Ms. Yarrow and Mr. Xenos!¡± Just as Sophia turned around, she could feel Alexander holding her hand the very next second. Chapter 536 Chapter 536 Sophia and Alexander remained standing on stage as they waited for the other contestants. Three minutes had passed, and save for the two of them, everyone else had been eliminated as they knocked down the obstacles. The host ambled over to Sophia and Alexander. ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Xenos and Ms. Yarrow. You both have won a Valentine''s Day special, a set of matching lock-and-key nes worth nine thousand nine hundred and ny-nine, sponsored by Aurum Jewelry. How do you both feel right now?¡± The event was streamed live. When Sophia and Alexander stepped onto the stage, the host received a hint from the backstage staff that the pair had garnered significant attention. In merely ten minutes, almost thirty thousand more people tuned in to the live stream. Naturally, the host would try to keep Sophia and Alexander on the stage longer in order to draw in a larger crowd. However, Sophia and Alexander, having implicitly agreed to leave, exchanged a quick nce. Sophia was the first to respond to the host''s question. ¡°It''s been thrilling to participate in such an engaging event.¡± The host was about to ask Alexander, but he noticed the man''s icy demeanor and chose to address Sophia again. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, are you looking forward to take a look at your prize?¡± Sophia, at this question, raised an eyebrow subtly. ¡°Isn''t there a picture in your promotional booklet?¡± The host blinked in surprise, for Sophia''s unconventional response had thrown him off guard. With an awkward smile, he offered, ¡°A picture is different from the actual product after all.¡± Sophia smiled nonchntly in response. ¡°Is that so? We actually have some other matters to attend to. Can we leave now?¡± Again, Sophia''s straightforward request to depart caught the host off-guard, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words. Meanwhile, the stage manager was desperately signaling him to keep the couple on stage. Finding himself in a dilemma, the experienced host quickly recollected himself and came up with a solution. ¡°Actually, since we''re broadcasting live, and you two are the first winners of our special Valentine''s Day event prize sponsored by Aurum Jewelry, could you at least greet our live audience before you receive the prize?¡± The prospect of winning a prize of almost ten thousand was enticing, and most people wouldn''t mind greeting the live audience, even sticking around to interact on air, just to im their prize. However, Sophia and Alexander were not the typical contestants. For them, the couple ne set, priced at nine thousand nine hundred and ny-nine, was a mere marketing gimmick. Besides, given the price of the ne set, they reckoned that it wouldn''t be any limited edition item either. They had initially participated in this event only to experience a normal date like an average couple. Now that they had experienced it, they were growing weary of the additional requirements just to im a prize. As Sophia''s patience began to wear thin, her smile faded slightly. ¡°In that case, we don''t need the prize.¡± Upon hearing this, the host panicked. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Xenos, please wait! This event is real and credible. We aren''t deceiving our audience. All you need to do is say hello.¡± Sophia firmly declined the request. ¡°I''m sorry. We don''t want to appear on camera.¡± Some disgruntled murmurs started to rise from the audience below, chastising the organizers for making too many demands for a simple prize. Casting her gaze over the crowd below, Sophia found herself struck by a sudden thought. ¡°May I ask, now that we have won, do we have any say over what is to be done with the prize?¡± The host was taken aback and fumbled for an answer. There were mutterings from the crowd, a few voices criticizing the organizer for being difficult. Afraid that any more dissents would stir up a fiasco, he hurriedly replied, ¡°Yes, of course. Ms. Yarrow, the prize you won fairly and squarely in the presence of all these witnesses, is certainly yours to do with as you please.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Sophia smiled thinly. ¡°It''s okay. We aren''t particrly interested in the prize. However, as the winners, we n to give away the prize right here.¡± With a pause, she asked, ¡°Do you have a deck of poker cards?¡± The host, although puzzled, nodded. ¡°We do, but Ms. Yarrow, what did you mean?¡± ¡°Oh, just pass me a deck of poker cards. Thank you.¡± The host had wanted to ask more questions when he caught sight of the event producer gesturing at him. The host hurriedly swallowed his words and assured Sophia, ¡°Certainly. Just a moment, please.¡± Regardless of what Sophia intended to do, they were still on the stage. Soon, a staff member handed over a deck of poker cards to Sophia. She reached into her bag and drew out a pen. Scrawling ¡°suny¡± on one of the cards, she handed it to the host. ¡°I''ve written a word on one of the cards. Whoever among the audience receives this card will be the lucky recipient of our prize.¡± As her words trailed off, a fervor swept through the audience. The thought of relying solely on luck to win the prize was far more enticing than participating in any game the mall''s organizer had devised. Sophia let out a soft chuckle. ¡°Could you take a photograph of the card?¡± In a situation like this, one could never be too careful about possible imposters iming the prize as their own. Sophia''s strategy was ingenious. Other than the host, no other staff members of the organizer knew what she had written on the card. A photograph would serve as a handy tool for identifying the handwriting in case of any fraudulent attempts. Once the host had taken a photograph, Sophia slid the marked card back into the deck. She strolled to the edge of the stage, raised her hand, and scattered the cards over the audience below. The crowd erupted into chaos, lunging for the raining cards. Sophia returned to Alexander''s side, gave him a look, then turned back to address the host. ¡°I''ve now given our prize to a lucky audience. I wish your event all the sess. With that, Sophia and Alexander departed the stage. The host opened his mouth to say something, but by the time he''d gathered his thoughts, Sophia and Alexander were already making their exit. During their time on stage, many eyes in the crowd had been drawn to them. The moment Sophia and Alexander descended the stage, several girls approached. ¡°Miss, are the two of you celebrities? Can we have a picture with you?¡± They''re definitely going to be famous if they''re celebrities! The girls reckoned that even if the couple weren''t celebrities, it was umon to spot such a good- looking couple. Hence, they wanted to take some photos and brag about it with their friendster. Sophia chuckled and shook her head. ¡°I''m sorry. We aren''t celebrities, and we don''t really enjoy taking photos.¡± As her words lingered in the air, her gaze met Alexander''s, who was also eyeing her. A silent understanding passed between them, and without further ado, they quickly vanished into the bustling crowd. Chapter 537 Chapter 537 As they gradually moved away from the center of the crowd, they still came across many shop entrances disying Valentine''s Day promotions. asionally, Sophia and Alexander would encounter people selling roses. Since they did not park their car around the area, they had to make a detour back to Lovebirds Street. Lovebirds Street was even more lively in the evening than during the day. As they reached the end of the street, they saw beautiful tiny lights illuminating the path, and there were many more couples around the streetpared to daytime. Sophia had already explored the area during the day, so they decided to take a casual stroll while holding hands. Suddenly, a teenage girl, around sixteen or seventeen years old, appeared from the side, carrying a big basket of roses. She held a rose in her right hand and offered it to Sophia. ¡°Sir, why not gift a rose to your lovely, youthful girlfriend this Valentine''s Day?¡± Alexander''s expression noticeably changed when the way the girl spoke made him feel significantly older. A slight smirk appeared on one corner of Sophia''s lips. She stood to the side, nced at the girl but remained silent. ¡°She''s not my girlfriend,¡± Alexander uttered. His remark left the girl feeling extremely awkward. She looked at Sophia before shifting her gaze to Alexander, looking confused. ¡°I-I''m sorry. It''s Valentine''s Day today. Why don''t you buy this youngdy a rose to make her happy?¡± The girl, though flustered, showed great courage as she desperately attempted to sell the roses by changing her approach. Sophia could not suppress herughter and extended her hand to ept the rose from the girl. ¡°Mr. Xenos, is it too much to ask for a single rose from you on Valentine''s Day?¡± As she spoke, she turned her head slightly toward Alexander, and the sparkle in her eyes shone brightly under the glow of the streetlights. Alexander gently pressed her palm and took out his phone. ¡°How much for one?¡± The girl quickly held up her payment code. ¡°Fifteen each.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. ¡°How much for all the roses?¡± Alexander asked. The girl had been observing Alexander and Sophia closely for some time. Their distinctive attire and remarkable demeanor revealed that they were not ordinary individuals. She was well aware that customers like them were more likely to purchase flowers without much negotiation or hesitation over the price. However, she never expected them to buy the entire basket of roses. Upon hearing Alexander''s question, the girl froze for a moment. It took her a few seconds to process before she responded, ¡°There are seventy-seven roses in total. The original price for all the flowers is one thousand three hundred and twenty, but since today is Valentine''s Day, I''ll sell you at one thousand three hundred and fourteen. And the rose in the youngdy''s hand is a gift.¡± Although Alexander was not pleased with the subtle reminders of his age, he found sce in the symbolism of buying all seventy-seven roses, representing a harmonious and prosperous rtionship. The girl had arrived with a hundred roses, expecting that it would take until well past midnight to sell them all. However, to her astonishment, within a mere twenty minutes, all the roses were sold. Filled with excitement, she handed the flower basket to Alexander and gratefully said, ¡°Thank you, Sir. I''m sure you''ll make this youngdy very happy!¡± Once again, Alexander''s expression turned sour, but the girl was so thrilled with the money she had made that she did not notice his discontent. Before the girl left after turning around, Alexander, who retrieved the basket from her, said, ¡°She''s not my girlfriend; she''s my wife.¡± With that, Alexander held the flower basket in one hand and held Sophia''s hand with the other, continuing on their way. The girl stood there, stunned, watching their retreating figures, and it took her a while to register what had just happened. I want a handsome and generous husband too! Sophia nced at the flower basket held in Alexander''s right hand and could not help but let out a soft chuckle. Despite the noisy surroundings, Alexander still managed to hear herughter. He turned his head to look at Sophia, and in the warm glow of the lights, her subtle smile tugged at his heartstrings. Alexander''s eyes darkened, and he cleared his throat. ¡°What are youughing at, Mrs. Xenos?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Sophia huffed upon hearing that. I can''t possibly tell him I''mughing at how the girl treated him like a much older man, can I? Alexander''s gaze lingered on Sophia, and he understood the reason behind her chuckle. Despite Sophia being only twenty-eight years old this year, Alexander was already thirty-five, making him seven years older than her. For the first time, Alexander started to realize he had reached an age where younger individuals might perceive him as a much older person. Realizing this, he could not help but feel an inexplicable sense of anxiousness. Of course, he would keep this worry to himself and refrain from sharing it with Sophia. After walking past Lovebirds Streets, they arrived at the parking lot half an hourter. As the hour grewte, Sophia could not help but yawn once she had fastened her safety belt. Alexander nced at her and asked, ¡°Tired?¡± Sophia nodded in response. ¡°A little.¡± She did not sleep wellst night. As the events fromst night crossed her mind, Sophia''s cheeks grew slightly warm. She turned her head and looked out the window, trying to shift her focus. The car joined the stream of traffic, moving slowly due to the increased number of vehicles on Valentine''s Day. Just as Sophia was dozing off with her eyes closed, the car suddenly jolted. She opened her eyes and looked at Alexander beside her. ¡°What happened?¡± Alexander nced at her and said, ¡°We''ve been rear-ended.¡± The car that rear-ended them was a Ferrari. As Sophia and Alexander stepped out of their car, the owner of the sports car approached them, eximing, ¡°What were you thinking while driving? Don''t you have eyes? Why did you suddenly m on the brakes?¡± The sports car''s owner was a young man in his early twenties, apanied by a girl of the same age. He had short, grayish hair and was dressed in trendy branded clothing. Alexander, who had never encountered someone as arrogant as him, stood still and stared at the young man with a deadpan expression. As the young man spoke, he nced at Alexander and was taken aback by the indifference in his eyes. Feeling a bit intimidated, he continued, ¡°So what if you drive a Bentley? Do you know who my father is? My father is Junta''s vice president, Jovan Taggart!¡± Junta? Sophia tutted while gently pulling the corner of Alexander''s shirt. Sensing her movement, Alexander shifted his gaze to Sophia. Sophia smiled at the young man and took a step forward. ¡°What''s your name?¡± ¡°That''s none of your business. All you need to know is that my dad is the vice president of Junta,¡± the young man retorted. ¡°Since I''m feeling generous today, you only need topensate me with thirty thousand yuan, and then we can consider the matter settled. Otherwise, if my dad finds out, I assure you that you''ll regret it!¡± Junta had been rapidly growing in recent years, and it had sessfully gone publicst year. If Sophia and Alexander were ordinary people, they might indeed have a tough time dealing with the situation. Unfortunately for him, luck was not on his side. Sophia smiled and replied, ¡°If you don''t tell me your name, how can I be sure you''re not impersonating Mr. Taggart''s son?¡± The young man grew even more displeased upon hearing Sophia''s response. ¡°Please, I''ll never do that. My name is Miles Taggart.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Alright, just wait a moment, Mr. Miles.¡± Sophia''s attractive appearance and polite demeanor appeared to have a calming effect on Miles. ¡°Well, I can let this slide if you spend the evening with me. How about that?¡± Sophia gave him a disdainful nce and immediately stepped back behind Alexander. ¡°I need to make a phone call.¡± Alexander emitted a low hum in response, his gaze fixed on Miles with an intense re. The intensity of his stare was so intimidating that Miles involuntarily staggered backward, even though he continued to mutter under his breath. Chapter 538 Chapter 538 It was Valentine''s Day, and Yvonne had never expected to receive a call from Sophia. Yesterday, she had already learned from Felix that Alexander had returned to the country. In that case, Sophia and Alexander would definitely go out to celebrate the asion. Thus, she was rather surprised to receive a call from Sophia at that hour. ¡°Ms. Yarrow?¡± When the call was connected, Sophia nced at Miles, her lips curving up a fraction. ¡°Happy Valentine''s Day, Ms. Leighton.¡± ¡°Happy Valentine''s Day, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Smiling, Sophia did not waste any time but cut straight to the chase. ¡°Is Junta''s vice chairman Jovan Taggart?¡± Junta was apany Sunshine Group invested in five years ago. It was sessfully listedst year, and Sunshine Group also made a lot of money in line with its hike in worth. Junta was not Sophia''s personal investment. For that reason, neither of them interfered in the company''s main decisions. Nheless, thepany would send someone over regrly for report meetings. Yvonne had never been to the meetings, but due to thepany''s listingst year, she had a look at the list of Junta''s high-level executives. Hence, she still remembered the name of the vice chairman. ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°He has a son named Miles Taggart?¡± Having worked with Sophia for many years, Yvonne knew that the woman was not prone to gossip. As such, she immediately realized that something was amiss upon hearing that. ¡°I''m not quite sure about that, Ms. Yarrow. Did something happen?¡± Sophia cast a look at Miles as she replied cidly, ¡°Yeah.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. She swept a gaze over him before continuing, ¡°Someone rear-ended our car earlier. The driver imed to be Miles Taggart, the son of Junta''s vice chairman.¡± As soon as those words rang out, Yvonne grasped her meaning. ¡°Please wait for a moment, Ms. Yarrow. I''ll contact Mr. Anderson from Junta right away.¡± Xavion Anderson was the chairman of Junta. Back when he visited Sunshine Group to seek investment, Sophia met with him personally. He owed Sophia a debt of patronage, for it could be said that his current status was inextricably linked with her decision to override all objections and invest in Junta back then. Therefore, he would promptly send an invitation to her whenever he organized a banquet all these years. As for whether she attended, that was another story. After hanging up the phone, Sophia shifted her eyes to Alexander. The two of them held each other''s gazes. Then, she beamed at him. In front of them, Miles snorted. ¡°It won''t do you any good no matter who you call today. Let me tell you that I just bought this car yesterday, and it cost over one point three million. Now, the headlights have been shattered. I''m only asking for thirty thousand because you''re good-looking.¡± Arching a brow slightly, Sophia eyed the man before turning to Alexander. ¡°Do you smell alcohol?¡± Alexander nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± They kept their voices low, and the cars whizzing by were loud, so Miles did not hear them. ¡°Let''s hand this to the traffic police, then.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Alexander gazed down at Sophia. It was as though he would agree to whatever she proposed. In no time, the traffic police arrived. Miles was arrested for drunk driving. Meanwhile, Sophia and Alexander naturally had to follow suit to the police station to discuss the matter ofpensation. At the same time, Xavion was shocked when he received a call from Yvonne. It wasmon knowledge that thetter was second-inmand in Sunshine Group, and Sophia entrusted almost everything to her. Right then, Sophia''s status was no longer as simple as the chairman of Sunshine Group. Xavion was both surprised and delighted to receive Yvonne''s call. Unfortunately, all that was left after he listened to Yvonne was terror. ¡°Leave this to me, Ms. Leighton. I''ll contact Mr. Taggart immediately.¡± ¡°If so, I''ll leave you to it, Mr. Anderson.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Ms. Leighton.¡± Yvonne did not bother to stand on ceremony with Xavion and hung up right away. By then, Xavion was not in the mood to exchange further pleasantries either. When the call had ended, he instantly phoned Jovan. The two of them were ssmates during university and were exceedingly close. It was precisely for that reason that he appointed Jovan as the vice chairman of Junta. Xavion did not bother with pleasantries either, getting down to business when the call was connected. ¡°Have Miles gone out to have fun tonight, Jovan? Just now, Ms. Yarrow''s secretary, Yvonne, rang me up, saying that Ms. Yarrow was rear-ended on the way home earlier. Miles gave them your name.¡± The moment Jovan heard that, his heart jolted. ¡°What do you mean by that, Xavion? I don''t quite get it.¡± ¡°It was Ms. Yarrow''s secretary who called me personally. I can understand that Miles is young, but of all people, he can''t offend Ms. Yarrow!¡± It was a matter regarding his own son, so Jovan did not quite believe it. ¡°While he''s pretty wild usually, I think he knows his boundaries. Wait a minute, Xavion. I''ll call and ask him about it. Who knows, it might have been his ssmate or friend who impersonated him.¡± Xavion did not care about that. So long as the matter had something to do with Jovan, he would also be implicated. He did not want to offend Sophia. ¡°Then, hurry up and find out what exactly happened!¡± Jovan had just hung up the phone and muttered something under his breath when he heard his wife rushing over with panic written all over her face. ¡°It''s bad, Jovan! Miles has been arrested and brought to the police station!¡± At once, Jovan''s expression changed. ¡°What happened?¡± His wife appeared to be at a loss. ¡°I don''t know either. A moment ago, I received a call that Miles was driving under the influence. We were asked to make a trip to the police station.¡± As Jovan recalled Xavion''s phone call earlier, his expression stiffened. ¡°I''m going to the police station!¡± Seeing that, his wife hurriedly grabbed his hand. ¡°I''m going, too!¡± ¡°You... Forget it! Make it quick!¡± In the meantime, at the police station, Miles was not only found drunk driving but failing to maintain a safe distance from the car ahead. The ident stemmed from his distraction as he was using his phone, leading to him rear-ending Sophia and Alexander''s car. The traffic police concluded that all the responsibility wasid on him. Sophia and Alexander drove a Bentley costing about a million that day, and the taillight was shattered. Miles was asked to bear all the repair costs after they had filed a im with the insurancepany. Miles was dissatisfied with that, but the police subjugated him. Moments after both parties had signed the agreement to settle the matter, Jovan and his wife arrived. The instant Miles spotted Jovan, his eyes lit up. ¡°Dad¡ª¡± Jovan, on the other hand, caught sight of Sophia and Alexander right away. Remembering Xavion''s words on the phone earlier, he was so livid that he stalked forward and pped Miles. ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± ¡°You''re the one who has lost your mind, Dad!¡± Jovan''s wife was simrly taken aback. She hastily held Jovan back. ¡°You''re out of your mind, Jovan! He''s your son!¡± ¡°I don''t have a son like him!¡± While saying that, Jovan swiftly jerked his head to the side and looked at Sophia and Alexander. ¡°I''m sorry, Ms. Yarrow, Mr. Xenos. I failed to educate my son. I apologize for the mishap tonight.¡± Sophia merely smiled without saying anything. Conversely, Alexander regarded him frostily. ¡°Indeed, you failed to educate your son.¡± After saying that, he took Sophia''s hand before spinning on his heel and leaving the police station. Chapter 539 Chapter 539 Thanks to that incident, it was already past eleven o''clock when Sophia and Alexander arrived back at the mansion. The car slowly drove into the mansion. Alexander parked the car before he turned to Sophia, who was asleep beside him. ¡°Sophia?¡± Sophia had already dozed off on the ride back. When Alexander saw her shifting after he called her name, he swung open the car door and alighted from the car. Circling to the other side, he opened the passenger door and carried her out. Sophia roused the moment he carried her. The light in the garage was a tad bright, so she squinted for a moment. She fixed her gaze on the man. ¡°We''re home?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Alexander replied. With her in his arms, he headed upstairs straight away. By the time they made it to the master bedroom, Sophia had awakenedpletely. She stretched out a hand and took the warm water Alexander handed her. Then, she nced at him. ¡°I''m going to take a shower first.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Alexander reached out and took the ss from her hand before patting her on the head. Drowsiness had long since assailed Sophia when she had spent so much time outside that day. When she came out after her shower, she hit the sack without waiting for the man. A flurry of messages flooded her phone. Someone took a video of her and Alexander participating in an event together and uploaded it to the inte. In a sh, it started trending. Ever since Sophia encountered Miles on the way home, she had not taken a single look at her phone. Hence, she was entirely oblivious to the matter. When Alexander came out after his shower, he saw the pop-up notification on his phone. After looking at it, he forwarded it to his group chat with his friends. It was Valentine''s Day, but Samuel, who was single, worked overtime into the night. He had just arrived home and was nning to take a shower when his phone abruptly vibrated. Dipping his eyes for a look, he was greeted by the sight of a notification about Alexander having sent a video to the group chat. In all the years he had known Alexander, it was his first time seeing the man voluntarily sending something to the group chat. Hence, his curiosity was piqued. When he clicked in for a look, however, he was rendered speechless. Argh! It''s the middle of the night now, and I''ve just finished working overtime, yet he''s putting on a public disy of affection! I should just cut off ties with him! When Sophia woke up the next day, the sun was already shining brightly. Alexander was long since gone from the bed. She rolled over, only to sense something falling from her neck. Quirking a brow, she looked down and saw a ne adorning her neck. It was a thin tinum ne with a cloud pendant that was very much adorable. A smile bloomed on Sophia''s face. She then got out of bed and washed up. By the time she went downstairs after washing up, Alexander was already done cooking breakfast. Upon seeing that she hade downstairs, Alexander handed her a ss of warm water. ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Xenos.¡± ¡°Good morning, Mr. Xenos.¡± Taking the ss, Sophia took a sip of water. Subsequently, she reached up and touched the ne on her neck. ¡°What''s this?¡± ¡°A Valentine''s Day gift.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Sophia murmured. She drank another sip of water before continuing, ¡°But I don''t seem to have prepared a Valentine''s Day gift for you, Mr. Xenos.¡± Pinning his eyes on her, Alexander raised a brow for once. ¡°Isn''t it all prepared?¡± Puzzlement inundated Sophia. ¡°No.¡± I really didn''t prepare anything, and I''m not trying to keep him in suspense. Right after she had spoken, the man pulled her into his arms without warning. Before she realized what was happening, she sensed warmth on her lips. She stared at his face that was inches away from her, blinking slightly. Alexander merely kissed her briefly, letting her go in the next heartbeat. ¡°Wasn''t that your gift?¡± A sliver of embarrassment crept into Sophia. Verily, she was wholly taken off guard. ¡°Let''s have breakfast.¡± Knowing that she was shy, Alexander did not continue teasing her. He took away the ss in her hand before whirling around and returning to the kitchen. It was not until past three o''clock in the afternoon that Sophia noticed the sudden presence of some sulents beside the goldfish pond. She had gone downstairs to feed the goldfish. It was not hot under the shade, so she carried a deckchair over and basked leisurely in the sun beside the goldfish pond. Unexpectedly, she glimpsed several nt stands the moment she turned her head. There were various types of sulents ced on them, and they all looked adorable and beautiful in their pots under the sunlight. She could not help clicking her tongue. Tilting her head a fraction, she nced at Alexander beside her. ¡°When did you buy them?¡± ¡°I had someone send them over yesterday,¡± Alexander answered honestly. It had been a long time since Sophia hadst kept sulents. For one, the mansion was too big. If she were to care for them alone, it would be too taxing, and she did not have the motivation for it anymore after moving out of the Xenos residence. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . In truth, she did not love sulents all that much. It was just that she was too bored at the Xenos residence after marrying Alexander and could not be bothered to go downstairs and waste her time talking with Thalia and Kristen. Thus, she spent most of her time in the master bedroom on the third floor as long as Kristen did not summon her downstairs, reading books and sketching sulents. It was a pretty leisurely life. When sheter got divorced from Alexander, she left the sulents she kept for more than three years behind instead of taking them away with her. At that time, she felt that there was naturally no need to take the nts she cultivated in their three years of marriage when she was already leaving, lest she was reminded of the past, and they added to her sorrow. Thereafter, she had no idea what happened to those sulents. Remembering the past, Sophia was inexorably mncholic. ¡°Have all the sulents at the Xenos residence been thrown away?¡± ¡°No.¡± Alexander reached out and pulled her up. He led her over to the sulents. ¡°Don''t you find them familiar?¡± Hearing that, Sophia tsked. ¡°Don''t tell me these sulents are the ones I kept at the Xenos residence?¡± ¡°I had someone transport them from the Xenos residence yesterday.¡± Needless to say, Alexander did it to give her a surprise. Sophia was stunned for a moment before she proceeded to carefully scrutinize each pot of sulents on the nt stands. She had kept the sulents for over three years, so she naturally remembered her nts. Initially, she thought Kristen would undoubtedly discard everything that belonged to her after she left the Xenos residence in such a ¡°dignified¡± manner. In that case, the sulents would never have escaped the same fate. Never had she expected the dozens of sulents to still be in pristine condition. Touched, she turned and looked at Alexander with a smile. ¡°I thought Mdm. Lambe would''ve thrown them away ages ago.¡± ¡°I stopped her from doing so.¡± Coincidentally, he returned to the Xenos residence on a rare asion that day. Kristen happened to have ordered the help to clean out the ce. When she saw himing back, she deliberately took everything Sophia once used to show him and told him they were bad luck. He thought nothing of it at that time nor was he interested in dealing with his mother. But when Kristenter instructed the help to go into the master bedroom to throw away the sulents on the balcony, he inexplicably asserted that they were not allowed to touch anything in the master bedroom. Back then, Kristen was seemingly a touch chagrined. s, he was also in a foul mood that day. Ultimately, she merely griped for a bit without pursuing the matter. Later, he told Felix about the sulents on the balcony, and thetter regrly sent someone over to take care of them. Therefore, the dozens of sulents were still in impable condition right then. When he was nning to return to the country a few days ago, he thought of Valentine''s Day. Hence, he had Felix transport the sulents over yesterday in hopes of giving Sophia a surprise. At present, it seemed that keeping the sulents back then was the right choice. Chapter 540 Chapter 540 Sophiamented as she stared at the twenty pots of sulents. After all, she never imagined Alexander would have someone keep the nts. Collecting her thoughts, Sophia turned to look at Alexander and smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± This is indeed a surprise. He looked at her and pulled her close to him. Slightly leaning his head on her shoulder, he stared at the colorful sulents. ¡°What else does Mrs. Xenos like to nt?¡± He paused briefly, but before Sophia could say anything, he continued, ¡°How about having a baby?¡± Her face blushed at his words. She was just about to say something when the phone rang. Alexander frowned, unhappy about having his sweet moment with Sophia interrupted, thinking the caller was insensible. A small smile yed on Sophia''s lips when she noticed Alexander''s stony expression. ncing at the phone and realizing the caller was Yvonne, she looked at him. ¡°It''s Ms. Leighton.¡± Yvonne had worked with her for many years and usually had a sense of propriety. During the first few years when Sophia left the Xenos residence, Yvonne wouldn''t contact her unless it was urgent. Since Sophia handed over Sunshine Group to her, Yvonne knew Sophia wanted to filter out the less important matters. Sophia raised her hand and pushed Alexander away before taking the call. ¡°Ms. Leighton, it''s me.¡± ¡°Good afternoon, Ms. Yarrow. Sorry to bother you.¡± Sophia raised her brow and chuckled. ¡°Did something happen at the office?¡± ¡°Everything at the office is fine. It''s just that I received a call from Mr. Taggart, the vice president of Junta. He said he would like to invite you for a meal and wondered if you have time to join him.¡± Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Yvonne was aware of the incident the other night. Thus, her first reaction was to turn down Jovan''s invitation the first time she got his call. Throughout the years of working with Sophia, she was already well-versed in handling matters like those. However, the man was persistent and even came to the office. Jovan didn''t do anything crude at Sunshine Group. As the vice president, he undoubtedly had a lot of work waiting for his review, but he even brought hisptop with him and settled down in the lobby just to meet with Sophia. It was Yvonne''s first time encountering such a difficult person. Nevertheless, Jovan was still the vice president of Junta, so Yvonne couldn''t call security to kick him out of the building. Hence, she made this call to Sophia. Sophia''s answer was within her expectation, so she already had something nned out. Knowing Sophia had been on vacation as ofte and Alexander had only returned the day before, Yvonne didn''t dare to continue bothering Sophia. Hearing Sophia''s response, Yvonne understood the former''s implication and was ready to hang up the phone. ¡°Yes, Ms. Yarrow. I''ll reply that you''re busy.¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°Since when did you learn to do this, Ms. Leighton?¡± She already learned how to sound me out. Embarrassed washed over Yvonne at having her thoughts voiced out loud. ¡°Mr. Taggart came to our office in the early morning with aptop, Ms. Yarrow. He then settled downfortably in our lobby.¡± Sophia snorted. ¡°Since he likes our lobby so much, just let him stay there for as long as he likes.¡± Although she wasn''t in a terrible mood the day before and was feeling great that day, she still recalled the incident from the previous night. She never liked to criticize others but would retaliate if anyone walked all over her. Otherwise, how else would she be fit to carry the titles of Suny and Mrs. Xenos? This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Yvonne sighed in relief when she didn''t catch any trace of anger in Sophia''s voice. ¡°All right, got it. I won''t bother you further, Ms. Yarrow.¡± ¡°Sure, thank you for everything, Ms. Leighton.¡± ¡°It''s my responsibility, Ms. Yarrow.¡± After hanging up the call, Sophia recalledst night''s incident and couldn''t help but arched her brow. Alexander was watching Sophia''s expression from the side. ¡°Someone from the Taggart family?¡± Sophia nced at him beforeughing and agreed, ¡°Yeah. Maybe the couch in the Sunshine Group''s lobby isfortable because Mr. Taggart brought hisptop and settle for work ratherfortably there.¡± She spoke with a smile, but her words wereced with mockery. Alexander''s expression turned even dour. ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Even though Jovan was Junta''s vice president, Alexander could still deal with him easily. Sophia slid a nce at him. ¡°No need.¡± I want to see how many days Jovan can do that. In the end, Sophia had overestimated Jovan, for thetter left the Sunshine Group after six hours. Naturally, Xavion was behind it. Sophia and Alexander were not short of money and were very busy, so they rejected Miles'' request to settle the issue privately. Even though Jovan usually spoiled Miles to no limit, he wasn''t a fool. He knew he couldn''t afford to slight either Sophia or Alexander. Needless to say, he didn''t even dare to think about settling the dispute privately. In the end, Miles was detained for fifteen days. Sophia didn''t spare any of her attention on the matter. Regardless of whether it was Miles or Jovan, they were both insignificant to her and Alexander. There wasn''t a need to care about them. Alexander had been focused on preparing for his and Sophia''s wedding, so the little friction with Miles wasn''t even on his mind. Lydia was done embroidering Sophia''s wedding dress after taking nearly two months. Sophia and Alexander headed to Huxville for the fitting so that Lydia could make some final minor adjustments after Sophia tried it on. On the day of the fitting, Lydia locked the door on the second floor of her studio, leaving Alexander alone on the first floor. Since the dress was made with heavy embroidery and Lydia was a perfectionist, the fitting took over three hours. Lydia decided to amend a portion of the dress. It was Sophia''s first time putting on a wedding dress. Although it was just a fitting session, something indescribable welled up within her when she looked at herself in the mirror. This dress is specially made for me. While taking down notes, Lydia ryed to her how Alexander searched high and low and pleaded for her to take his order. Sophia was amused and moved by the story. She had known Alexander for over a decade, and the man seemed like a dream to her. No one could imagine him taking up Lydia''s request to be modeling for wedding dresses on the street for three days in exchange for Lydia personally embroidering a wedding dress for Sophia. Yes. A wedding dress model. Once done jotting down her notes, Lydia showed Sophia a video clip. ¡°Actually, I purposely made it tough for him. That kid had that same expression ever since he was a child. It never changed. Before his grandmother passed, she told me she was worried he would never marry. Oh, he was so heartless and you''re such a beautiful woman. I don''t want to see you cry over him at all. I never thought he would really stand outside the studio for three days in a wedding dress.¡± Lydia kindly brushed Sophia''s hair as she said, ¡°I guess I''ve helped you test his determination on his grandma''s behalf. He really does have you in his heart.¡± Chapter 541 Chapter 541 Sophia looked at Alexander in the video clip. His face was beautiful while wearing a white wedding dress. If he didn''t have Adam''s apple, the passersby would probably assume he was a real model. He stood in the middle of the bustling street distributing flyers promoting Lydia''s studio. However, his face was cold as usual. Thebination of everything made him look hrious. Sophia thought it was funny and burst outughing. Tears suddenly began sliding down her face as she laughed. ¡°Lydia, can I keep this video clip?¡± Lydiaughed. ¡°Sure, you can. If that brat bullies you after marriage, you can upload this onto the inte and show everyone his embarrassing moment!¡± Sophia was speechless by her suggestion. It was the first time someone else had thought further than her. Lydia sent Sophia the video clip and finished recording the details for amendment. Sophia took off the dress and went downstairs in search of Alexander. More than three hours have passed. I''m sure Mr. Xenos has already lost his patience from the long wait. He has never been a patient person. Walking down the stairs, she noticed Alexander wasn''t in the mansion. Hmm... Has he left? At that thought, the sound of a car engine came from the outside. Raising her brow, she walked out to the yard and saw Alexander getting out of the car. He had an exquisite-looking bag in his hand. When he caught hering out of the house, his pace quickened. ¡°You''re done with the fitting?¡± Sophia looked up at him. ¡°Was the wait boring?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Then, where did you go, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Didn''t you say you wanted to eat cake yesterday?¡± Sophia finally noticed the name on the bag. After the nended the day before, she turned on her phone and saw a screenshot Katherine had sent her. It was of a famous bakery in Huxville. The bakery would sell only ny-nine cakes per day, and they would sell out in three hours. As the shop went on a firste, first-served policy and didn''t ept take-out or food delivery services. All the customers were limited to buying one cake per day. Katherine said she had been craving the cake for so long. s, her due date was a fortnight, so she could only look at the photos on the web. Alexander, who was beside her, happened to catch the photo of the cake she was staring at. He asked if she wanted to eat it. Sophia didn''t like cake as much as Katherine, but the thought of Joshua controlling the number of cakes Katherine could eat spurred Sophia to nod at Alexander''s question and told him she wanted to eat it. Unfortunately, they were caught in traffic when leaving the airport. Hence, it was almost eight when they arrived in the city. The cakes at the bakery had been on disy for the entire day. Sophia had only taken two bites before losing her appetite. However, she didn''t expect Alexander would join the queue and buy it for her. She studied the cake he held. It was the first time she was interested in desserts. As they chatted, Lydia came downstairs. The cake Alexander bought wasn''t small, so Sophia invited Lydia to share it with her. Lydia had a sweet tooth, so she didn''t turn down Sophia''s offer. The housekeeper thoughtfully prepared a pot of coffee for the trio. Once Sophia and Alexander finished their afternoon tea, they left. Before leaving, Lydia whispered in Sophia''s ear, ¡°Since he bought the cake for you, watch the video clip discreetly. That kid cares about his reputation a lot.¡± Sophiaughed and nced at Alexander before agreeing, ¡°Okay.¡± When they left the mansion, Alexander turned to her. ¡°What did Lydia tell you?¡± She arched her brow and looked at him with amusement. ¡°It was a secret.¡± ¡°What secret?¡± ¡°Since it''s a secret, I can''t tell you, Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander studied Sophia in detail. Her eyes were half-closed from smiling. The smile on her face was so gentle and lively, with the sunset glow shining on her face. It was a first for him to see that side of Sophia. Cute. Sophia and Alexander only stayed at Huxville for a night. After having dinner, they flew back to Jadeborough. Alexander quickly arranged for a wedding photoshoot since the fitting of the wedding dress was done. Two months ago, Alexander and Sophia had already reserved their wedding photoshoot. He didn''t want her to be too tired, so he booked a manor Samuel owned as their photoshoot venue. Although his actions were a little exaggerated, Sophia was rxed since she could enjoy her vacation as she did her photoshoot. The manor had an equestrian field, a ski area, a hot spring, and many other facilities. Buildings with ancient and modern designs dotted the stretch of the estate. Being in between a mountain and ake, the view was exquisite. The photographer had no concern about theck of scenic views. Alexander had paid Celia enough to have her team stay at the manor for the shoot without aint. Over the days, Sophia had done six sets of photoshoots but didn''t feel tired at all. With the weather being rainy that day, they couldn''t catch the sunset view. Hence, the photo shoot had to be postponed to the next day. Lazing in the bedroom, watching movies, and sleeping felt the best on a rainy day. The cozy atmosphere lulled Sophia to sleep. When she woke up, she noticed Alexander wasn''t in the room, so she got up, poured a ss of water, pulled the curtains open, and spotted Alexander in the yard. The mansion they were staying in was small and had a hot spring pool and a hundred and fifty square meters of garden. Alexander was getting flowers in the garden. Sophia blinked at the sight before whirling around and leaving the room, intending to join him. She was just reached downstairs when the doorbell rang. The manor was closed to all visitors except for the food delivery staff and Celia''s team. Alexander had finished collecting a bouquet when he heard the doorbell. Impatience filled him, but he still went over to open the door. When he saw the woman standing in front of the door, his expression turned stony. Embarrassment washed over Nina as she looked at the man standing in front of her. ¡°I''m sorry, sir. I''m an actress currently filming for the female lead for Petite Youth. I didn''t have any filming today, so I came out for a walk, but I identally tripped and fell. My phone''s battery is dead. Can you lend me your phone?¡± Shyness filled her eyes as she gazed at Alexander. She even blinked her eyes bashfully at him in the end. Debuting as a pure, innocent actress, Nina was confident in her appearance and figure. The man standing in front of her was handsome. Since he could walk in and out of the manor freely, she was certain he was either rich or powerful. A lot of ns shed through her mind since she set her eyes on him. She had put on a natural makeup look, and the hem of her dress only covered one-third of her thigh. Her top was white and form-fitting, so when she fell and got soaked in the rain, the top stuck to her body tightly. Her full breasts rose and fell enticingly as she breathed heavily. Nina purposely breathed heavier. However, Alexander still had an impassive look. The coldness in his eyes turned cial. With a loud bang, the door mmed shut in her face. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Alexander''s rudeness stunned her. No man had ever rejected her. Is he even a man? Chapter 542 Chapter 542 After closing the door, Alexander turned around and looked at Sophia, who had stepped out of the house. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Sophia shed him a smile when she saw him staring at her. ¡°Who were you talking to just now, Mr. Xenos?¡± she asked while walking up to him. Alexander closed the umbre and handed her the bouquet of flowers as he replied, ¡°A stranger.¡± Sophia arched an eyebrow at him and nced at the flowers. ¡°Are these flowers for me?¡± Alexander nodded. ¡°Yeah. Are you hungry?¡± He did not feel like saying a word about the woman who was knocking on the door earlier. Of course, Sophia saw everything as she had already stepped out of the mansion when Alexander opened the door. She had simply asked him that question on purpose. Oh, well... If Mr. Xenos says she''s a stranger, then I shall believe it so. Sophia lowered her gaze as she took the bouquet of flowers over from him. As it was still drizzling when Alexander arrived, the roses that he had plucked were still wet from the rain. That helped amplify the fragrance of the roses even further. ¡°No.¡± Sophia looked up at him and asked with a wink, ¡°Won''t Mr. Schild get mad at you for plucking these flowers from his garden?¡± ¡°Don''t worry about him,¡± Alexander replied nonchntly. Their conversation was interrupted when the doorbell rang once again. Sophia clicked her tongue in annoyance. ¡°Why would that stranger ring our doorbell twice?¡± Alexander, too, furrowed his brow in displeasure as he opened the umbre and walked toward the gate hand-in-hand with Sophia. After standing outside the gate for a while, Nina stubbornly rang the doorbell again. However, she did not expect Alexander to answer the door with Sophia. Nina''s expression clearly tensed up when she saw Sophia, but she was quick to regain herposure and acted all pitiful as she said, ¡°I''m sorry to bother you, sir, but I really have no other choice. If you can''t let me use your telephone, then could you at least lend me an umbre?¡± Alexander shot her a cold nce and turned toward Sophia as he replied, ¡°My wife is in charge of things at home, so you''ll have to ask her if you want to lend an umbre.¡± Sophia felt her face burning up a little when she heard that, but she maintained herposure and asked coldly, ¡°Where would you like to go, miss?¡± Nina was caughtpletely off guard by Sophia''s question. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It''s too much of a hassle, so I''ll just have one of my staff send you home instead,¡± Sophia said while giving Alexander a nudge. Alexander then whipped out his phone and called up one of the staff. Although the mansion had been closed off, some of the staff remained to make it easier for the shoot. ¡°Please wait here, miss. Someone will be here soon to send you home. My husband and I still have some work to do, so we''ll be excusing ourselves now,¡± Sophia continued with a smile. Nina was so stunned that she just stood there with her mouth open while Sophia slowly closed the door in front of her. What the... How was I supposed to respond to that? ¡°Didn''t Mr. Schild say the mansion has been closed off?¡± Sophia asked while staring at Alexander. If the mansion has been closed off, then why are ¡°random strangers¡± showing up at the door? ¡°I''ll ask him,¡± Alexander replied and led Sophia into the house. Sophia shed him a smile in response. ¡°Okay!¡± The mansion belonged to Samuel, so Sophia didn''t exactly expect to only see her employees there. However, the fact that the woman had knocked on their door twice was a clear sign that she had other intentions. Since she was bold enough to mess with Alexander, Sophia felt curious about her identity. After returning to the mansion, Sophia sat down at the dining table and began trimming the flowers that Alexander had given her. Alexander had a gentle look in his eyes as he watched her tend to the flowers. However, that look faded as he thought about the shameless woman who had shown up twice. He then whipped out his phone and called Samuel, who had just gotten out of a meeting. In order to avoid going on blind dates, Samuel had been keeping himself really busy with his career. Alexander, on the other hand, spent every minute of his time around Sophia as though the world revolved around her. Samuel had asked Alexander multiple times if he would like to hang out, but Alexander rejected him every time with the excuse of being busy. As such, Samuel couldn''t help but wonder if he was hallucinating due to exhaustion from overworking when he saw Alexander''s name on the caller ID. Alexander wanted me to lend him the mansion in the neighboring city for his wedding photoshoot. He said he would need it for a week, so why is he calling me on the fifth day? Unsure of what Alexander was ying at, Samuel answered the call and asked, ¡°What''s the matter? Are you calling to treat me to dinner as thanks afterpleting the wedding photoshoot?¡± He simply could not think of another reason for Alexander to contact him. However, Alexander ignored his question and asked coldly, ¡°Isn''t the mansion closed off?¡± Samuel realized something was amiss the moment he heard that. ¡°Yes, it is. As per your request, it will be closed off for seven days. A third of its staff will remain to maintain it on a daily basis.¡± While it would cost a lot of money to close the mansion off even for a day, Alexander had paid Samuel a generous sum of money. Alexander''s frown deepened when he heard that. ¡°There''s a film crew in here.¡± Samuel felt a little awkward at the mention of the film crew. The drama series that hispany sponsored needed to shoot a few episodes outdoors, and it would be too costly to shoot somewhere far away, so Samuel had them do that in the mansion instead. He figured the film crew would only be shooting in the southern part of the mansion, so it shouldn''t affect Alexander''s wedding photoshoot. In order to save time, he let the film crew into the mansion two days ago. ¡°I can exin, Alex. You know how they have started the filming process for mypany''s drama series, Petite Youth, right? Well, they said some of the scenes needed to be shot outdoors, so...¡± Samuel grew increasingly nervous when he heard no response from Alexander. ¡°But you guys are mainly operating in the eastern side of the mansion, and they''re in the southern part. Theoretically, it wouldn''t be likely for you guys to run into each other. I''ve made all the necessary arrangements, Alex! You have to trust me!¡± Having understood the situation, Alexander retorted coldly, ¡°One of the actresses from your film crew knocked on my door twice today. That''s some arrangement you''ve made there!¡± He then hung up the phone immediately after, leaving Samuel in utter confusion. Huh? What''s going on there? Why would an actress from the film crew knock on Alexander''s door? Since Alexander had given Samuel a limited-edition sports car, Samuel needed to take responsibility by handling the situation efficiently. He then quickly gave the film crew a call to find out what happened. Chapter 543 Chapter 543 Having worked in the entertainment industry for a few years, Nina had dealt with all sorts of people. Since she was a child, she had learned to use her appearance to her advantage. Her big, round eyes gave her an innocent and pitiful look when staring at people. It helped her get her way every single time, but it failed when she tried it on Alexander. I don''t understand! Why did that guy refuse to look at me? I will admit that the woman next to him is very beautiful, and my appearance pales byparison, but they should at least take pity on me! No one could resist me when I look at them like that! The rain was not really heavy, but the mansion was surrounded by mountains, so the wind felt really cold even though it was already September. Nina wasn''t dressed warmly when she left the house. To make matters worse, she fell and broke her umbre. Having been drenched by the rain, Nina felt so cold that she shivered uncontrobly while standing at the door. Fortunately for her, it didn''t take long for the staff to arrive. The group then headed back to their tour bus with the windows down to let the cool breeze in. Nina was as white as a sheet by the time she returned to the lodging. ¡°What happened to you? I told you not to go wandering around, didn''t I?¡± Wendy asked with a pained look on her face. ¡°I just felt like going for a walk, okay? Ugh, I ran into a strange couple today!¡± Ninashed out angrily when she saw Wendy. ¡°What do you mean? The mansion is closed off, isn''t it? The only people here are our film crew, some staff, and some of Mr. Schild''s friends. You didn''t run into his friends, did you?¡± Nina tensed up slightly when she heard that. ¡°I don''t think so.¡± Even if I did, I didn''t do anything wrong! Wendy felt a little uneasy when she saw the hesitant look in Nina''s eyes. ¡°Did you go to the eastern side of the mansion?¡± Little did she know, Nina couldn''t tell the four cardinal directions apart. ¡°No, I didn''t. Why would I go there?¡± Wendy breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that. She had heard that it was Samuel''s friends who requested to have the mansion closed off, and it wasn''t easy getting Samuel to let them shoot some scenes here. They had been reminded upon entering the mansion that they were to only operate on the southern side. Anyone who disobeyed those instructions and wandered off during the shoot could be fired. Nina was the third actress Wendy had taken under her wing, and she was also the most popr one at the moment. Midway Media granted Nina the role of a second female lead because she was rmended by their sponsor. As such, Wendy was hoping that this drama series would make her famous. Although Nina wasn''t exactly the best-looking actress in the entertainment industry, it wouldn''t be difficult for her toe out on top with her innocent-looking face. As Nina''s character in the drama series was a very likable one, her poprity would most likely skyrocket as a result. Even if that were not the case, she would at least be a D-list or C-list celebrity. Realizing that Nina was in a bad mood, Wendy urged her to go get changed before she said something inappropriate in front of others. Nina rolled her eyes at Wendy. ¡°Got it.¡± Having shivered from the cold for so long, Nina would have done so even if Wendy didn''t tell her to. With that, Nina returned to her room on the fourth floor. The film crew had arranged for the actors and actresses to stay in a mansion. The second and third floors were the best ones, so they were assigned to the lead actor and lead actress. As for Nina and the rest of the staff, they were assigned to the fourth floor instead. Someone came running toward Wendy shortly after Nina left. ¡°Hey, Wendy! Is Nina in?¡± Judging by the anxious frown on the person''s face, Wendy assumed the director simply wanted to see Nina. Not wanting to keep the director waiting, she quickly exined, ¡°Yes, she is. Are they going to start shooting soon? I''ll have Ninae downstairs right away!¡± The man shook his head. ¡°Did she go out just now?¡± Wendy realized that something was amiss when she heard that, but there was no way to cover up for Nina as she had just returned. ¡°Yeah, she felt bored and went out for a walk when the rain wasn''t too heavy. She didn''t go far, though. Is something the matter?¡± Their conversation was interrupted when the director, Ross Looney, came over and asked, ¡°So, Nina did go out, then?¡± Wendy went pale when she saw Ross'' stern look, but she was quick to regain herposure. ¡°Hi, Mr. Looney! Yes, Nina did go out for a walk. Did something happen?¡± Ross let out a disdainful snort. ¡°Mr. Schild gave me a call just now. He said someone from our film crew has disturbed his guests.¡± Those words had barely left Ross'' mouth when Nina, who was done changing, came out of her room. The look on her face tensed up for a few seconds before she started acting all pitiful again. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Looney... I-I didn''t mean to disturb anyone. I just got carried away while walking and ended up wandering too far away! I fell down on the slippery road, and my phone was dead. As the rain was getting heavier, I tried to ask someone if I could borrow his phone to call Wendy! I really didn''t mean to disturb anyone!¡± Nina even turned on the waterworks after saying that. Ross found it hard to scold Nina when he saw her apologize profusely while crying. ¡°Well, you didn''t mean for it to happen, so let''s go apologize to the guests. I''m sure they''ll understand and forgive you,¡± he said while scratching his head. Ross actually wasn''t sure if apologizing would do the trick. After all, Samuel''s secretary did not sound very friendly over the phone earlier. Nina nodded profusely. ¡°Of course! It was never my intention to disturb the guests!¡± Since Nina had agreed to apologize, Ross had nothing further to say about it. He then brought Nina over to where Samuel''s guests were staying. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Meanwhile, Alexander and Sophia decided to have a barbecue that night. After setting up a grill in the pavilion, they had the mansion staff prepare the ingredients and start the fire. It is so cool to have barbecue on a rainy day. Sophia didn''t know how to work the grill, but Alexander was an expert at it. Just like that, the two of them had a great time enjoying the barbecue. As Sophia was in a great mood, she told Alexander lots of stories about how she used to have barbecues with her parents when she was little. She was munching on a grilled chicken wing when the screen of her phone lit up all of a sudden. It was a text from Katherine that read: Hey, Soph! I heard the film crew of Petite Youth is shooting some scenes at that same mansion you''re using! Have you seen the second lead actress? She''s super pretentious and really knows how to act pitiful! I came across her once when I was working on a reality showst year. She even tried to flirt with Joshua behind my back when he visited me at work! She even told me how much she envied me! Can you believe that? I was so mad at her! I wish I could teach her a lesson! Although Katherine was good at arguing with people online, she had no idea how to deal with a pretentious woman like Nina. Although Joshua never even looked at Nina, the mere thought of what Nina did still got Katherine burning with rage. As such, it came as a pleasant surprise that Nina was staying at the same mansion as Sophia. Knowing Nina, she would definitely try to flirt with Alexander if she saw him! Sophia arched an eyebrow in amusement as she texted: What did she do? Nina must have done something really bad if a carefree person like Katherine would remember her to this day! She had just sent that text when the doorbell rang again. Chapter 544 Chapter 544 Sophia put down her phone and nced at Alexander. Alexander was grilling corn when he heard the doorbell ring. He furrowed his brows. It''s raining today, and the filming has paused. Celia and the others wouldn''t be as insolent as to bother us at this time. The party that first came to Alexander''s mind was the film crew from Samuel''spany. He ced the grilled corn onto the te next to him and handed it to Sophia before getting up to answer the door. When he opened the door, he saw several people standing outside. The director, Ross Looney, was taken aback when he saw Alexander. Before going there, he had repeatedly emphasized to his crew that the manor was closed to the public and lent to Samuel''s friend. Their filming crew was rushing to meet a deadline, and Samuel had allowed them to shoot there only because they were part ofary Media. However, they were prohibited from disturbing Samuel''s friends during the filming. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Considering Samuel''s status in Jadeborough, his friends would undoubtedly also be significant figures. Nevertheless, Ross didn''t expect that person to be Alexander. Everyone in Jadeborough knows Alexander Xenos. what the h*ll did Nina do to cross him? Despite the surprise, Ross,ing from a family of high social status, quickly suppressed his astonishment. He immediately put on an ingratiating smile and said, ¡°Mr. Xenos, I''m sorry for the intrusion. I heard that one of the actresses from our film crew seemed to have disturbed you when she took a walk outside earlier. So, I deliberately brought her here to apologize to you.¡± As soon as he finished his sentence, Sophia reached Alexander''s side. Ross'' expression turned paler when he noticed Sophia. Being in the entertainment industry, Ross could guess what happened even though the secretary didn''t specify on the phone how Nina had bothered Alexander. When stumbling into a wealthy, handsome, and aplished man, even a famous female celebrity would be tempted to make a move, not to mention a young, obscure actress like Nina. Although not everyone recognized Alexander, anyone who could be friends and have a connection with Samuel must be somewhat sessful. If Samuel''s friend could convince Samuel to lend him the manor, wouldn''t essing Midway Media''s resources be an easy task if one were to be acquainted with him? Such incidents weremon in the entertainment industry. Elise''s soaring poprity and abundant resources came from her connection with the Johnson family. Not to mention, she was merely affiliated with Charles'' cousin instead of Charles himself, yet she could already do as she pleased in the industry. Ross was a worldly man and didn''t view that strategy as scandalous. If Nina couldtch on to Alexander, that would benefit their film crew. However, Sophia, Alexander''s wife, was there too. The two had divorced once and had just remarried not long ago. Alexander was married twice but to the same woman¡ªSophia Yarrow. In the past, the news about changes in Sophia and Alexander''s rtionship was sensational. Everyone knew Sophia was not a small character and how challenging the process had been for Alexander to win back her affection. Nina''s audacity in attempting to seduce Alexander before his wife was no different from courting death. Ross nced at Sophia, the expression on his face changing with each passing moment. Meanwhile, Nina''s agent, Wendy, wasn''t doing any better. She knew Nina well. Although Nina hadn''t told her the truth, Wendy guessed what had happened the moment she saw Alexander open the door. That man was none other than Alexander. Putting aside Alexander''s identity, the most crucial point was Sophia''s presence. Compared to their awkward and helpless mien, Sophia appeared exceptionallyposed. ¡°What a crowd. Did all your phones also run out of battery after a fall?¡± Sophia shed a faint smile as she spoke and nced at Nina with a hint of mockery in her gaze. Recalling what Katherine said earlier, she couldn''t help but arch her brow. ¡°Didn''t I have the staff send you back just now, Miss?¡± Although Nina didn''t know who Alexander and Sophia were, she could tell from Ross'' and her agent''s expressions that the couple before her were no ordinary people. She was suddenly at a loss for what to do. Nina was stumped as Sophia directed the question at her. Having been disturbed multiple times, Alexander was losing patience. ¡°There''s no need to apologize. I just don''t want to hear the doorbell ring a third time and find out it''s one of your people again.¡± Ross'' face stiffened after he heard Alexander''s words. He initially wanted to speak further but caught himself. Not daring to say another word, he merely nodded. ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Xenos, that won''t happen again. Please excuse our ignorance for disturbing both you and Mrs. Xenos. We''ll take our leave right away.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°It''s no big deal, so why did youe here to apologize?¡± She swept her eyes across Nina. ¡°Still, this manor is indeed expansive. It would be best to stick with your agent when you go out next time. Otherwise, if something bad happens, it''ll be really awful. Also, be more mindful when you walk. Pay more attention to the road instead of looking everywhere. Otherwise, the next time you fall, the consequences will be dire.¡± Chills traveled down Ross'' and Wendy''s spines as they listened to Sophia''s double-edged remarks. Alexander nced at Sophia. Although he couldn''t fathom her intention behind uttering those words since she wasn''t one to get jealous easily, he still expressed his support by adding, ¡°Samuel should''ve made it clear when he allowed your crew to film here. Aside from the area you''re shooting in, you can''t roam freely in the manor. I didn''t pay to rent this manor so you could stroll around and enjoy the scenery. Your crew members better not show up in front of me and my wife again.¡± With that, he mmed the door shut. Sophia beamed at Alexander. ¡°Are you angry?¡± He turned to look at her, and the irritation from getting interrupted dissipated. He walked over and hugged her. ¡°Just a little.¡± She gently touched his brows. ¡°Getting mad over some strangers and causing you to age faster isn''t something worthwhile.¡± Sophia was trying to quell his anger, but Alexander focused on a certain part of her sentence. ¡°Are you saying that I''m old?¡± His eyes shone with seriousness as he asked that question. He didn''t seem to be joking at all. Sophia was amused by him and couldn''t help butugh. ¡°Are you that unconfident, Mr. Xenos?¡± Sensing her teasing, he lifted her in his arms. ¡°Do you think I''m not confident, Mrs. Xenos?¡± She wrapped her arm around his neck and regarded him with a knowing look. ¡°That will have to depend on what aspect you''re referring to.¡± Alexander was stumped. However, taking in her rxed countenance, he knew she did that on purpose. He carried her into the mansion while replying, ¡°I dock some confidence, so I need to seek reassurance from you.¡± He slumped against the couch with her in his arms as he spoke. Sophia blushed. ¡°I haven''t finished eating yet...¡± Alexander lowered his head and kissed her while uttering in a hoarse voice, ¡°After I have my fill, I''ll feed you.¡± Sophia understood his innuendo, and her face instantly flushed crimson. Chapter 545 Chapter 545 The rain was still pouring and sparks asionally flew out of the burning charcoal in the pavilion. Compared to the chilly temperature outside, the inside of the mansion was rather toasty. Ross and the others who had just left felt utterly dejected. In fact, the scowl on Ross'' face never went away since he left the mansion. Alexander''s words earlier could not be any clearer. He was already angered by Nina''s first round of disturbance, yet they had to bother the couple for the second time. It never crossed Ross'' mind that filming a scene inside the manor could cause such a huge fuss. At first, he quite admired Nina''s talent and wanted to make her the female lead for his next television series. After all, her backer was a generous person. However, Ross had the urge to kick Nina out of the cast after what happened today. Of course, that was just a thought. The filming for Petite Youth wasing to an end, anyway. They could wrap up once they finished shooting at the manor and a few more scenes at another location. The entire crew had worked hard for the shoot for the past two months. As the second female lead, Nina had quite a number of parts in the series. Hence, it was not ideal to remove Nina from the cast at that point. In reality, Ross could note up with the best solution for the incident. Just like that, the group returned to the mansion in the southern district with different moods. Nina''s manager felt uneasy throughout the journey. There were many times she wanted to approach Ross, but she could not pluck up the courage to do so. As Wendy was worried that Nina might suddenly get kicked out of the cast, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask, ¡°Mr. Looney, about what happened today, what do you...¡± Ross, who was originally feeling angry and scared, felt his anger surge when he heard Nina''s manager speak. ¡°Ms. Waak, you''ve seen for yourself what kind of person Nina crossed earlier. That was Alexander Xenos and Sophia Yarrow. Everyone in Jadeborough knows these two are not to be trifled with, yet Nina had to step on their toes. Do you think Mrs. Xenos is stupid to not realize what Nina was plotting? I don''t care how you guys got the resources to join my crew, but you''d better behave if you want to continue being a part of the shoot. Don''t you dare pull any tricks! Besides, you heard Mr. Xenos. If we bother him again, I don''t know how I am going to exin things to Mr. Schild. I can''t think of a solution for today''s matters, but Alexander isn''t someone we should mess with. You¡¯ve been in this industry for some time. Surely you know what are the consequences. I have nothing else to say. If worsees to worst, we might have to say goodbye to you two.¡± Ross did not need to spell things out to make Wendy understand what he meant. After all, she had been in the industry for some time. The color instantly drained from her face. Regardless, she was a mere manager. There was nothing she could say if Nina got cklisted or even kicked out of the film crew. Wendy dared not press on when she saw the furious look on Ross'' face. She quickly said a few polite words and went to the fourth floor to look for Nina. Meanwhile, Nina had just found out that the person she messed with was called Alexander Xenos. She was still haunted by his nce from moments ago even after returning to her room. Never did she experience such fear before. As soon as Wendy entered, Nina approached her anxiously, asking, ¡°Wendy, what did Mr. Looney say?¡± Wendy shot her a re. ¡°What else can he say? I''ve told you many times to be careful. Look at what you''ve done now. Alexander and Sophia aren''t people you can mess with. This time, you can only pray for them to be in a good mood and forgive you.¡± Nina paled when she heard Wendy''s words. s, Ross was right. After a steamy forty-minute session with Alexander, Sophia was finally feeling exhausted and fell asleep on the bed. However, she did not sleep for long. The sky waspletely dark when she woke up less than an hour later. Hence, she massaged her temple and exited the room. Just as she stepped out of the room, she saw Alexander approaching upstairs with a te of barbequed food. The delicious aroma made her stomach rumble. Alexander''s eyes crinkled as he smiled at her. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Sophia blushed a little and followed him to the couch. ¡°Yep. A little.¡± ¡°Eat up. They''re cooked,¡± said Alexander while setting the te of food in front of her. Sophia gave him a curious look when he got to his feet. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°No,¡± came Alexander''s answer. Fishing out his phone, he informed, ¡°I need to make a call.¡± Sophia was intrigued by the news. ¡°You''re calling Mr. Schild?¡± Having no intentions of keeping it from her, Alexander nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°About what happened this afternoon?¡± ¡°Yeah. Some people pry too much.¡± Sophia instantly thought about Nina and clicked her tongue. ¡°True.¡± After casting her another nce, Alexander moved to the balcony to dial Samuel''s number. Samuel was surprised to receive two calls from Alexander in a day. ¡°Alex?¡± ¡°I want to remove an actress from the film crew of Petite Youth,¡± informed Alexander straightforwardly. He did not bother saying it in a polite way. The request took Samuel by surprise, but he quickly came to his senses. ¡°Are you talking about the one who knocked on the door this afternoon?¡± ¡°She has a bad character and too many ws.¡± The reason was so perfect, so much so that Samuel believed Petite Youth would flop if he did not get rid of Nina. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Then again, Samuel would not follow orders blindly. ¡°Petite Youth will be wrapping up in less than ten days. Do you know how long of a dy it''ll cause if I remove the second female lead now?¡± ¡°There are other artists at Sophia''spany.¡± Samuel could not help but take in a deep breath when he heard that. ¡°You want to help bring in an artist from Sophia''spany on top of punishing Nina?¡± Alexander stared into the dark sky. ¡°Well, you can say no, but I''ll be holding you ountable for the two disturbances I got from your film crew.¡± This is getting out of hand, and I am the boss. When Samuel thought of how ruthless Alexander could be, the former gave in. ¡°There, there. We''ve been friends for over thirty years. Anyone who messes with you messes with me, too. Don''t worry. It''s just the second female lead, anyway. I''ll just pull her out. Remember to send me the contact details of the artist from Sophia''spanyter.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Alexander responded and hung up right away, leaving Samuel no opportunity to catch up with his friend. Geez... How cruel and cold-blooded! Chapter 546 Chapter 546 Sophia''s eyes crinkled when she saw Alexander approaching. ¡°Did Mr. Schild say yes?¡± Hearing her voice, Alexander took one nce at her and wiped the grease off the corner of her lips with his finger. Only then did he say, ¡°He wouldn''t dare to say no.¡± Pausing briefly, he added, ¡°I told him to get rid of Nina from the film crew and rece her with an artist from Specter Entertainment.¡± That was unexpected for Sophia. Not only did Alexander get rid of Nina, but he also got the role of the second female lead for Specter Entertainment. Jonice did not let Katherine take up any roles ever since thetter knew she was pregnant. Thus, Katherine had a lot of time on her hands. When Sophia was too busy to apany her, she would take the red Ferrari to go to Jadeborough University to hunt for talents. Sure enough, Katherine managed to bring in one new talent in May. Specter Entertainment had fewer female artists. In fact, there were only three female artists in the company including the rookie Katherine found, Linda Lockhart. The other female artist was a singer and was not good at acting. Hence, the role of the second female lead could only be given to Linda. Katherine seemed to like Linda a lot. As soon as the former signed Linda up, she got Jonice to give Linda a third female lead role in a web series in June while thetter''s schedule as a freshman in uni was not too packed yet. Katherine even taught Linda how to act personally. Although Linda was not trained professionally, she was a smart and fast learner. ording to Katherine, the former remained humble and took up all the roles assigned by thepany because she was well aware of her poor acting skills. However, she usually had little work due to her poprity. During her free days, she would study the works of A-list celebrities at her university. asionally, Linda would record her acting in ssic scenes and send it to Katherine on weekends. Sophia had seen the recordings as well. She could tell Linda''s eagerness had helped her to improve a lot. At first, Linda''s acting skills were reallycking and a little awkward. Nheless, she did not give up. She worked hard whenever she was free for a few months, and finally, Sophia could see the former having her own understanding and style in expressing the lines. Although Linda was still immature, her future was looking bright. Logically, a rookie like Linda would never get to be the second female lead for Petite Youth. Sophia had always been an adventurous person in terms of investments and using talents. Since Katherine imed Linda to be a talent with hidden potential, Sophia did not mind investing in the latter. It was just that Sophia had not found a good script yet. Little did she expect the opportunity toe so soon. Naturally, Sophia epted the offer gratefully. After all, Samuel was a businessman by nature, so he would never ept deals that would put him at a disadvantage. The fact that he agreed to let someone from Sophia''spany take up the second female lead role proved one thing¡ªeven if Linda failed to reach their expectations, the film crew could make her reach them. All in all, it was a good¡ªnot to mention free¡ªopportunity to train up a rookie like Linda. At that thought, Sophia suddenly found Nina less dislikeable. After all, Nina was the one who gave away such a great role to Specter Entertainment. One should never take what they did not deserve. Beaming, Sophia answered, ¡°Okay. I''ll get Katherine to arrange for someone to contact Samuel''s employeeter.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± responded Alexander. Then, he served Sophia with barbequed lobster meat, and reminded her, ¡°Have your dinner first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia was starving from the intense ¡°workout¡± just now. Meanwhile, Samuel was extremely efficient. Right after the call with Alexander, the former instructed his secretary to break the news to the film crew of Petite Youth. Midway Media was the main investor in the television series. When the news reached Ross'' ears, he dared not say anything even if he disagreed. He could only me Nina for bringing trouble upon herself. After hanging up, Ross informed Wendy about it and told them to pack up their belongings. They were to leave the manor that night itself. Wendy paled with horror at what she heard. ¡°What do you mean by that, Mr. Looney? We signed a contract, remember? Besides, the series is wrapping up soon. How could you kick Nina out of the film crew just like that? Aren''t you afraid of what Mr. Chambers might say?¡± Ross had gone through many simr cases after working in the industry for some time. He listened to what Wendy had to say in a deadpan manner before saying, ¡°Ms. Waak, I''m not the one who gave the order. It was Mr. Schild. You can talk to him if you''re unhappy about it. Besides, it''s Nina who''s at fault. The contract clearly states that the artist must not do anything that''ll affect the film crew negatively. If Nina doesn''t leave the film crew, Midway Media will withdraw its investment. We''re wrapping up in about a week. How are we going to shoot the rest of the scenes if our main investor withdraws their investment? Even I will be chased out of this manor if that happens.¡± At that, Ross'' countenance softened as he changed the topic. ¡°Of course, if Nina could make Mr. Chambers invest another thirty million into the series, she won''t have to leave the crew.¡± Wendy could not bring herself to rebuke him. Her expression shifted, but she still managed a smile like a veteran of the industry. She quickly apologized to him and said a few sweet words before heading upstairs to look for Nina. ¡°Pack your things,¡± ordered Wendy. Nina was talking to the wealthy backer she got acquainted with not long ago, thinking the incident was over. Hence, she failed to register what Wendy said. ¡°What for, Wendy? My room isn''t messy.¡± This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Wendy red at the stupid woman and snapped, ¡°Mr. Looney said Samuel has ordered him to kick you out of the film crew. You''re no longer the second female lead.¡± Upon hearing that, Nina hurriedly got up from the couch. ¡°Why? I''m almost done with the shoot. Why am I suddenly getting kicked out? Have they lost their minds?¡± ¡°Midway Media is the one with the most power here. All I can say is that you''re unlucky to have messed with Alexander Xenos this time.¡± Wendy was in no mood to exin further. She simply patted Nina''s shoulder tofort thetter. Nina bit her lip, her eyes teary as if she were about to break down. It was a sight that made Wendy feel bad. ¡°Don''t be sad. Mr. Chambers isn''t too bad either. Stay close to him and ask for the role of the first female lead. Isn''t that better?¡± It was at that moment Wendy suddenly remembered something. ¡°Oh, that reminds me. You should find the right time to bring this up to Mr. Chambers. You know what men are like. They love to y heroes. It''s not too bad if you identally mention it and casually ask for a roleter.¡± Nina was still displeased with the oue. She did not think she went overboard. Even if she had the urge to plot something, she did not do it. It made no sense to her that Alexander held a grudge against her over something so trivial. Seriously, he''s a man. Does he really have to go that far? To Nina, men should not be the kind to be so petty. Besides, she doubted Alexander did not have even a hint of pity for her with her above-average looks. Now that Nina was kicked out of the cast for real, only one person came to her mind. It must be Sophia. I can''t think of anyone who can be more petty than her. She''s his wife, huh? I''d like to see if there''s really a man in this world who won''t fall for my charms. Hmph! Chapter 547 Chapter 547 Sophia had no idea that the consequences of Alexander''s actions would fall on her instead. It didn''t rain much in Jadeborough in September, so the showers onlysted a while. When the rain stopped, Sophia and Alexander carried on with their wedding photoshoot. Nina had packed up and left the mansion that night, and the news spread like wildfire. Before long, the entire film crew of Petite Youth learned that the couple was having their photos taken there. Naturally, someone like Alexander was a ma in the entertainment industry. Given that Samuel was Alexander''s childhood friend, anyone who could be associated with thetter certainly needn''t worry about funding ever again. Of course, Ross was aware of this, so after Nina left, he specifically warned the crew not to sneak around the mansion. Otherwise, they would face the same fate as Nina for crossing the line. From that, this incident that involved Nina spread instantly, and the entire entertainment circle now knew that she had been kicked out of the film crew after trying to seduce Alexander¡ªand failing. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. People also heard that Linda Lockhart, the youngdy who eventually reced Nina as the second female lead, was from Specter Entertainment. It didn''t take a genius to know that Specter Entertainment belonged to Sophia. News of Nina trying to seduce Alexander made waves. Thanks to Ross'' warning, all the remaining crew members with hidden motives took Nina''s fate as a lesson and behaved themselves. Petite Youth was supposed to be wrapped up by mid-September, but due to the sudden change in the second female lead actress, the crew had no choice but to reshoot many scenes. Still, that wasn''t the main point. More importantly, some fans of the cast couldn''t stop wondering what had happened. Having only debuted three to four years ago, Nina wasn''t exactly famous, but that didn''t mean she had no fans. It wasn''t long until her followers found out about her getting expelled from the cast. Nina had already kept silent ever since she was suddenly chased out of the mansion. Now that her fans were beginning to cause a stir, she practically vanished into thin air. The affair didn''t gain much traction online at first, but a few dayster, fans of the other cast members soon joined in too. They were livid that their idols had to go through all those retakes with the new actress because of Nina, and the movie''s release would now be postponed to the end of the month. The ordeal eventually became one of the top three trending topics. When Sophia and Alexander were done with their photoshoot and returned to Jadeborough, it was Katherine who informed Sophia about this. Katherine was about to go intobor any day and had been staying at the hospital, with Joshua halting some of his work to keep herpany. The woman had nowhere else to go and nothing better to do, so she would spend all day scrolling on her phone. That was how she came across the headline ¡°Second Female Lead of Petite Youth Reced¡± and tapped on the link. She then grew so infuriated after reading the article and tagged Nina immediately. Those fans didn''t care about why Nina had been reced at all. They discovered that Linda was a neer whose only work was a movie that hadn''t even been released. Moreover, Linda was signed under Specter Entertainment, so the fans jumped to the conclusion that Sophia had taken advantage of her connections with Alexander and Samuel to let Linda take over Nina''s role by force. Those fans bashed Sophia, using her of being so shameless that she would do anything for money. Of course, someizens who were more reasonable focused on why Nina had been reced. Boiling with rage, Katherine logged into her official ount and wrote a Tweet while tagging Nina: Are you okay? As if bothering others at the mansion wasn''t enough, now you wanna waste people''s time online too? The post seemed ambiguous, but those who were part of the film crew somewhat knew why Nina had been ousted. They were supposed to wrap up soon but ended up having to retake many scenes because of the stupid woman. On top of that, some cast members despised her, so they went into their alternate ounts to Tweet about her: LOL! Nina thought Mr. Xenos would be into her, but he threw her out instead. Now, she''s trying to gain sympathy by ying the victim online. What a pretentious b*tch. Katherine Retweeted the post immediately aftering across it. By the time Sophia realized it, Katherine had already engaged in a series of arguments on Twitter. Jonice was so exasperated that she could only call Sophia. ¡°The trolls will only keeping after Kath at this rate, Ms. Yarrow. And what about thepany''s funds? It''d be even harder for her to get work after she returns from maternity leave...¡± Jonice was speaking from a professional manager''s point of view. She only wanted the best for Katherine. Upon reading Katherine''s Tweets and hearing Jonice''sments, Sophia couldn''t help but chuckle. ¡°It''s fine. She''s about to give birth. Let her do whatever she wants.¡± She then paused briefly before adding, ¡°I have the funds.¡± Hearing that, Jonice didn''t know what to say anymore. She suddenly felt that even if Katherine were to disappear for three years and reemerge, there would be no need for her to worry about funding. After all, with someone like Sophia as her support, she had all the resources she needed. As a manager who had worked for fifteen years, Jonice often came across artists who made it big after establishing connections with powerful figures in the industry¡ªbut never did she expect the same to happen to her. This was the best connection one could ever ask for. With how close Katherine and Sophia were, they would probably never part ways even if Alexander and Sophia were to get divorced one day. There was no denying that Katherine had an impable eye when it came to making friends. With that in mind, Jonice hung up the phone quietly, promising herself that she would never bother with Katherine''s little antics anymore. There''s no support more powerful than the one she has now, anyway. I should just shift my focus to Linda. After hanging up, Sophia noticed that Joshua had sent her a text message. She nced at it before leaping out of the couch. ¡°Alexander! Katherine''s going intobor.¡± Alexander, who was busy preparing lunch, put everything down and walked out of the kitchen immediately. ¡°I''ll go get changed.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Despite appearingposed, she was rather worried. People often said childbirth was akin to walking a fine line between life and death. Kath''s always had low pain tolerance. I can''t imagine how she''s doing now. As she spaced out for less than two minutes, Alexander reappeared in a clean set of clothes. He took her hand and felt sorry for her upon realizing how cold it was. ¡°Don''t worry. Katherine will be fine.¡± Sophia squeezed the man''s hand in return and smiled faintly. ¡°Yeah. She''ll be okay.¡± Knowing she was anxious, Alexander said nothing more and led her to the carpark. Then, they rushed to the hospital where Katherine was. Chapter 548 Chapter 548 The two quickly arrived at the hospital, and while still searching for Katherine''s ward, Sophia could already hear her crying. ¡°Joshua! It hurts!¡± Katherine never had much tolerance for pain since she was young. Although Sophia knew that the most painful stage was yet toe, her heart still ached upon hearing the former''s wails. She hurriedly entered the ward and saw Katherine lying in bed screaming with her brows knitted, whereas Joshua stood next to her with an even more sullen expression. ¡°Soph! It hurts! Why does childbirth hurt so much?¡± Katherine yelled and raised her hand upon seeing her friend. Sophie ran over to hold her hand. ¡°Hang in there. You can get an epidural soon.¡± ¡°The nurse said I''d have to be four centimeters dted before I can get an epidural! Godd*mmit! How long do I have to wait?¡± Katherine screamed in tears. Sophia was slightly amused to see her friend yelling in pain while still having the energy to curse. ¡°Okay, take it easy. Focus your attention elsewhere.¡± Then, she nced at Alexander standing afar before smiling at Joshua. ¡°I''ll keep herpany.¡± Joshua gazed at his wife lying in bed. ¡°The nurse said to let her walk.¡± ¡°Okay. I''ll take her out a little.¡± With a nod, Joshua shot Katherine one more nce and turned to leave the ward. ¡°It hurts!¡± Katherine stared at Sophia meekly as the pain came in waves. With no experience in childbirth, Sophia could only continue to assure Katherine at this point. Even so, she had learned a thing or two about childbirth and knew that the worst pain was yet toe, so crying like this would only use up one''s energy. She''ll be too tired when it''s actually time to give birth. Pursing her lips and choosing not to respond to those words, Sophia changed the subject instead. ¡°Aren''t you supposed to be due in four days? Why are you having contractions all of a sudden? Did you get too riled up from all that stuff on the inte?¡± With that, Katherine''s attention was diverted sessfully. ¡°Nina''s such a scheming little b*tch! I just checked my phone again, and she Tweeted that she''s not in the cast anymore because of contract termination. She also said she''s been so upset that she took a break instead of paying attention to what people have been saying online, and that she only found out about all this after a friend told her. The audacity!¡± The pain suddenly returned, causing her to hiss. Then, she continued furiously, ¡°She even added that it was all a misunderstanding and that she didn''t mean to get between you and Alexander. Ugh! This girl just gets on my nerves. Pass me my phone! She might''ve just made another Tweet!¡± Hearing that, Sophia couldn''t help butugh. At least this is better than her screaming her lungs out. She took the phone on the bedside desk and handed it to Katherine. ¡°Come. I''ll help you get up so we can take a walk. Don''t keep lying in bed.¡± Thetter nced at her. ¡°But it hurts...¡± ¡°Did you know that it''d hurt even moreter?¡± Katherine pouted, but she let Sophia help her up anyway. In about half an hour, the news about Nina getting kicked out of the cast reached its peak. ¡°Tsk. This phony''s back at it, and she actually wrote an apology post! She''s so full of it sh*t!¡± Unable to contain herself, Katherine proceeded toment on Nina''s post with her official ount. Sophia held onto the woman in slight frustration but chose not to stop her. Well, as long as she''s distracted, I guess. Katherine was popr in and outside the entertainment industry, so any remark she made online would go viral. As the situation escted, helpless Nina eventually deleted her apology post and never logged in again. Katherine was pleased with the oue, but her smile instantly vanished as the nurse came in to check on her. Sophia left the room to not get in the way, only to soon hear her friend wailing in pain again. ¡°You''re still only at two centimeters. Do your best, Mrs. Lewis.¡± This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. When the nurse was done, she told Sophia to give Katherine something to eat. From the looks of it, Katherine might only give birth at night. ¡°Okay, I understand. Thank you,¡± Sophia replied with a smile. After consoling Katherine a while longer, she headed out and swapped ces with Joshua. She and Alexander had rushed over without having lunch, and it was nearly two in the afternoon now. Sophia had been so busy worrying about Katherine that she didn''t realize how hungry she was. Now that she was out of the ward and spotted the takeout container next to Alexander, she suddenly felt her stomach growl. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Alexander reached out to her, and she nodded. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Let''s eat outside in the garden,¡± she remarked after eyeing the ward onest time. The smell of disinfectant that filled the air here would only ruin their appetite. ¡°Okay.¡± As predicted, it didn''t take Katherine long to be three centimeters dted, but it was seven at night by the time she reached four centimeters. After finally receiving her epidural, she remained inside the ward and drank some soup with Joshua''s help. The process continued smoothly after Katherine had dted to four centimeters, and under Joshua''s apaniment, she was wheeled into thebor room around ten. Katherine received a full VIP hospital care package, so Sophia and Alexander were the only ones waiting outside. The hospital''s soundproofing wasn''t bad, but the pain Katherine went through was so severe that her screams left Sophia rather shaken. Thetter jumped when Alexander took her hand. ¡°Don''t be afraid,¡± he assured while holding her cold hand tightly. Sophia turned to him and nodded before leaning against his shoulder. About two hourster, they finally heard the sounds of a crying baby. The door to thebor room was quickly pushed open, and Katherine was wheeled out together with her newborn. Joshua remained by her side with no emotion on his face, but his legs turned to jelly the moment he left the room. Alexander grabbed onto him swiftly. The former then snapped out of it and gazed at Alexander. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°You''re wee.¡± The two men exchanged nces, reading each other''s thoughts despite not saying a word. With that, Katherine sessfully delivered a baby boy weighing two point nine kilograms. She and Joshua hade up with a name for their child long ago¡ª Lewinn, a simplebination of both his parents''st names. Noticing how wrinkled the newborn baby''s face was, Katherine began to cry the moment she saw Sophia. ¡°Soph, my son''s so ugly.¡± Having exhausted her energy after giving birth, she spoke softly but with a hint of distress, causing the nurse tough. Sophia couldn''t help but chuckle too. ¡°Don''t worry. You looked like that when you first came out too.¡± Katherine looked more appalled upon hearing that, but feeling too tired at this point, she eyed her little boy and tugged on Joshua''s arm. ¡°I''m going to sleep, Josh.¡± As soon as her words fell, she closed her eyes and dozed off. Joshua paled in shock. ¡°Sophia!¡± Sophia was taken aback too, but she was a little more rational than the man was. ¡°She''s probably just passed out from being too tired.¡± Joshua found that hard to believe, but he was eventually convinced after checking with the nurse and doctor and getting the same answer. Chapter 549 Chapter 549 Katherine had just given birth, and she and the baby were sent to the observation room. They would not be moved back to the general ward until two hourster. Family members weren''t allowed to apany them, so Joshua sat right outside the observation room while waiting. Sophia yawned. Alexander, sitting next to her, turned to look at her and raised his hand to brush aside the loose strands of hair beside her ear. ¡°Are you tired?¡± ¡°Just a little.¡± The time was already eleven o''clock at night. Sophia and Alexander had been in the hospital for nearly ten hours. Usually, Sophia would be asleep by that hour, let alone that day, after having apanied Katherine and been on tenterhooks all day. She let out another yawn after replying to him. At that moment, the phone in her bag rang. Sophia nced at Alexander. He let go of her hand to let her answer the call. After taking out her phone, she noticed it was a call from Joshua. ¡°It''s me, Sophia.¡± ¡°It''s gettingte. You and Mr. Xenos should go back first. Katherine is too tired. Even if shees out of the observation roomter, she probably won''t wake up tonight.¡± Joshua regained hisposure after calming down. Recalling the scene when Joshua repeatedly questioned the nurse if Katherine was truly just asleep, Sophia couldn''t help but smile. ¡°All right. I got it. I''lle over tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After hanging up the phone, Sophia grinned at Alexander. ¡°Let''s go back, Mr. Xenos.¡± She was distracted as she spoke and didn''t notice the few steps beneath her feet. As a result, she landed on the lower ground and staggered. Fortunately, Alexander swiftly reached out to wrap his arm around her waist, pulling him into his embrace and steadying her. ¡°Did you sprain your ankle?¡± She gazed down at the steps, feeling a little embarrassed, and shook her head. ¡°No.¡± If he hadn''t caught her, she would''ve sprained her ankle. Eyes riveted on her, he picked her up directly. Sophia, arms ced around his neck, felt self-conscious. ¡°We''re outside, Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°Our rtionship is backed by thew.¡± Hearing that, she chuckled and rested her cheek against his chest without protesting. Since it''s legal, what''s there to be afraid of? However, at that time, there weren''t many people in the hospital either. Alexander carried her out of the hospital building. On the way to the parking lot, Alexander and Sophia were the only two people walking under the streemp-lit path. The parking lot was also quiet. Alexander ced her inside the car. A car drove into the entrance, causing Sophia to be dazzled when the high beam shone over. Alexander shifted his body to block the light for her. Sophia looked up at him. The man had his back to the illumination. The ray of light from afar shone on his back, prompting Sophia to think back on the year when she was fifteen. He had rescued her from those people in a simr manner. After so many years had passed, she thought he seemed to have changed, yet he hadn''t. Sophia was unusually emotional perhaps because of the newborn baby who entered their lives that day. She pursed her lips and leaned forward to kiss Alexander''s thin lips. His dark eyes gleamed as he stared at her. The next second, he lifted her chin and kissed her red lips. The car with a high beam drove past their vehicle. Sophia''s heart palpitated. Being held by him, she suddenly found the car''s interior cramped and hot. He finally let go of her after five to six seconds. ¡°Do you want to have supper?¡± Sophia averted her gaze and responded softly, ¡°Sure.¡± She had never had supper with Alexander before. He caressed her cheeks, leaned down to fasten her seatbelt, and then circled around the car to the driver''s seat. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. The car slowly drove out of the hospital. Not long after, Sophia saw a bustling street full of supper stores. She turned to look at Alexander, who was driving. ¡°Is it all right if we park the car nearby?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He had also noticed the long street with many supper stores. In contrast to the serene atmosphere at the hospital from which they had juste, that lively street was a vibrant nightlife spot. There was no ce to park nearby, so Alexander drove to a za up ahead and parked the car in an outdoor parking lot there. After parking the car, Sophia and Alexander got out and walked toward the street. In fact, the stores they had just seen were not very far away. They would reach the stores after walking past the zebra crossing, moving two hundred meters to the right, and passing another street. Eleven o''clock at night was the peak hour for nightlifers to have their supper. The seats inside and outside every store were taken. Sophia looked at Alexander and suggested, ¡°How about having soup?¡± Eating something easy to digest would be better for the stomach at such ate hour. ¡°Sure.¡± Listening to his response, Sophia couldn''t help butugh. ¡°Have you never eaten at these kinds of ces?¡± ¡°I have.¡± Alexander came from a well-off family, and his living standards were far more luxurious than ordinary people''s. Thus, those roadside eateries didn''t seem like ces someone like him would go to eat. However, he actually had eaten there. Odd enough, the first time he had gone to such a ce to have his supper, he was alone. Alexander wasn''t a person who was fond of reminiscing, but as he gazed at Sophia at that moment, he so rarely talked to her about his past. ¡°During my sophomore year, I argued with my grandpa before I went abroad. That night, around ten o''clock, I drove out of the Xenos residence. The car ran out of fuel midway, so I got out of the car and walked for over half an hour. I ended up in the southern market and saw many food stalls there. Inexplicably, I was drawn in.¡± He had always lived in a strange environment growing up. On the surface, his life seemed perfect, nevercking material possessions. He was born with a wealth many people might not achieve even after a lifetime of hard work. However, Kristen only used him and had never loved him, while Zachary had many women outside ever since Alexander could remember. Beau channeled a lot of effort into raising him but, at the same time, had great expectations of him. Alexander''s life was more disciplined than others since childhood. His circumstances were considerably fine before Eloise''s passing. Perhaps because she didn''t have her own children, she treated him like he was her biological son. Unfortunately, kind people never lived long. Eloise died of illness when Alexander was in elementary school. Subsequently, Zachary brought Kristen, Thalia, and Leonard into the Xenos family. Beau had never acknowledged Kristen, Thalia, and the others. He was determined to let Alexander take over Odyssey. As a result, Alexander''s life had turned into a mission for Beau to groom him into inheriting the family business since Kristen joined the family. Besides, Beau had strict control over everything about Alexander in order to ensure his only heir''s safety. That night, as if experiencing a bted adolescent rebellious phase, he sat down at a roadside stall and ate some barbecue. Alexander was born with rather sensitive taste buds. The inferior quality of those cheap and stale cooking ingredients couldn''t be concealed with even arge amount of seasonings. In fact, he found those barbecues weren''t as delicious as mentioned by others, but he consumed six chicken wings by himself. After that, he was hospitalized for three days because of an episode of acute gastroenteritis. When Samuel asked him what he did that night, Alexander told him he went to have some barbecues. Samuelughed hysterically and told Alexander they could''ve enjoyed a barbecue feast together elsewhere instead of eating food from the roadside stalls. Alexander knew Samuel wouldn''t understand his intention of doing that. Although the barbecue wasn''t that tasty or hygienic, and he even had to pay the dear price of staying in the hospital for three days, Alexander never regretted his decision. If he hadn''t been hospitalized that night, he wouldn''t have sneaked out of the hospitalter, nor would he have met Sophia, who was abducted by human traffickers, and rescued her. Chapter 550 Chapter 550 Sophia seldom heard Alexander speak about such matters, so it piqued her curiosity when he brought it up. ¡°Alone?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Alexander responded. Holding her hand, he led her to the roadside and stopped. There were not many pedestrians there, with only the asional passerby. After crossing the road, they walked a short distance to the other side where a bustling street filled with food stalls awaited them. Nearly every stall was upied by people. Sophia and Alexander chose a highly rmended stall based on online reviews. Fortunately, as they arrived, a table became avable just as someone finished their meal. Sophia was dressed casually and did not wear any makeup. However, her exquisite features and fair complexion still captivated several male college students at a nearby table, causing them to be momentarily mesmerized. Noticing this, Alexander furrowed his brow and discreetly pulled her closer to his side. He walked over to sit across from the young men so that her back would be facing them. Sophia raised an eyebrow and shot a yful nce at Alexander. He handed her the menu. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± After a quick scan, Sophia ordered a bowl of mushroom soup and some bread. She usually wouldn''t eatte-night snacks, but she was hungry that night. Alexander added a few more orders before returning the menu. Nights in Jadeborough during September were quite chilly with a refreshing breeze sweeping past them. The entire stretch was filled with food stalls, each with multiple tables outside. The scene was bustling and lively, even at thiste hour when it was almost midnight. Noticing Alexander staring at her, Sophia''s eyes twitched slightly. ¡°What''s on your mind?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Sophia let out a soft snort. Although she knew that he wasn''t being entirely truthful, she couldn''t be bothered to press further. As Sophia took a sip of her drink, a smile spread across her face as she remembered what Katherine had said when she emerged from the delivery room. ¡°What''s up?¡± Alexander''s confusion was evident. Yet, as he witnessed Sophia''s smile, the cold look in her gaze was reced by tenderness. Sophia cast a nce at him. ¡°I was thinking about how Katherineined that Lewinn is ugly.¡± Suddenly, she paused for a while. ¡°Alexander, do you think Lewinn''s ugly?¡± ¡°Aren''t newborn babies always ugly?¡± he replied. ¡°Tsk. You are an expert, huh?¡± she remarked with a yful smirk. Just then, a waiter arrived carrying a bowl of soup. Sophia leaned back slightly. Alexander passed it to her. ¡°Be careful, it''s hot.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Fortunately, the online reviews proved urate as the food was indeed quite yummy. Sophia was satisfied. After finishing theirte-night snack, it was almost one in the morning by the time they returned to the mansion. Sophia emerged from her shower, feeling slightly less sleepy. She turned off the rm on her phone, deciding to visit Katherine at the hospital after lunch the next day. When Alexander walked out, his hair was still wet with water droplets hanging on each strand. Sophia set her phone down and nced at him. ¡°Aren''t you going to dry your hair?¡± ¡°Are you going to help me, Mrs. Xenos?¡± Sophia smiled and did not refuse him. ¡°Where''s the hairdryer?¡± It seemed like all men dislike blow-drying their hair. Every time Alexander washed his hair, he would just leave his hair wet. Sophia took the hairdryer, adjusted her sitting position, and stretched her legs forward. Alexander sat in front of her. As it was a bit difficult for Sophia to reach his head, she ended up kneeling. Since his hair was short, it was dry after five minutes. Sophia turned off the hairdryer. Feeling tired, she couldn''t help but yawn. ¡°Tired?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sophia nodded and wiped away the tears that welled up in her eyes. Alexander took the hairdryer and kissed her forehead. ¡°Sleep now. Good night.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Sophia nced at him, turned around, and pulled the nket over herself. She fell asleep very quickly. When Alexander came out of the bathroom again, she was already fast asleep. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. He raised his hand and turned off the main light in the room, leaving only the nightlight on. Sophia was in such a deep sleep that she didn''t wake up even after he touched her face gently. Alexander tucked her into the nket before going to the balcony. The September breeze was chilly. Gazing at the dark night sky in the distance, he remembered that Joshua had said to him earlier that day, ¡°Alexander, childbirth is terrifying. If possible, don''t let Sophia go through this suffering.¡± Joshua said that when Alexander and Sophia just arrived at the hospital, shortly after Katherine started having contractions. Sophia stayed in the ward to divert Katherine''s attention while he and Joshua went out to buy some food. They spent over an hour outside. Yet, this was the only thing Joshua said to him. Alexander didn''t really have any strong desire for children. If Sophia didn''t want any children, he wouldn''t even consider having a child. Others might call him selfish or cruel, but he only wanted Sophia for himself. He didn''t want to share her with anyone, not even their own child. However, Sophia seemed to love children a lot. Alexander remembered a few hours ago when he and Sophia sat outside the delivery room, listening to Katherine''s hysterical shrieks of pain. He finally understood why Joshua had said that to him. It really was really torturous. Sophia slept till past nine the next morning. Even eight hours of sleep couldn''tpensate for the tiredness caused by staying upte. As soon as she woke up, she yawned several times in a row. She got Genie to open the curtains. The sunlight shone in, lighting up the room. The weather was very nice. Sophia stretched before washing up in the bathroom. When she came out, she saw her phone vibrating on the bedside table. As she had been on leave these past few days, Yvonne and Felix wouldn''t call her under normal circumstances. With a raised brow, Sophia picked up her phone and saw that it was a call from Yvonne. ¡°Morning, Ms. Leighton.¡± ¡°Good morning, Ms. Yarrow. I apologize for interrupting your vacation with Mr. Xenos, but something unexpected hase up. I had no choice but to give you a call...¡± ¡°Don''t panic. Speak slowly.¡± ¡°This matter involves Nina. Ever since Mr. Schild kicked Nina out of the cast a few days ago, there have been a lot of public discussions. Suddenly, the rumors started targeting you, suggesting that you changed Nina''s role because of jealousy and reced her with someone from Specter Entertainment.¡± Yvonne paused briefly and continued, ¡°Ourpany''s official social media ounts are flooded with comments from the fans of Nina this and other main leads. They are all demanding justice.¡± Upon hearing this, Sophia clicked her tongue and replied, ¡°Let''s give it to them, then. Find out who initiated this, get in touch with Specter Entertainment''s public rtions team, and send the culprits a legal notice. Additionally, let''s investigate how Nina got the role by going through the back door. We''ll help to seek justice too.¡± Yvonne understood what she meant. Not wanting to bother her any further, she said, ¡°Got it, Ms. Yarrow. I won''t disturb you anymore.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± After ending the call, Sophia recollected what Katherine told her yesterday. Looks like she''s right. Chapter 551 Chapter 551 When Sophia went downstairs, Alexander had just finished a call too. When their eyes met, Sophia said with a smile, ¡°Seems like you''re going to be quite busy, Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander embraced her waist and pulled her closer. He lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead, replying, ¡°No. It''s just something that is happening online.¡± Hearing his response, Sophia couldn''t help but click her tongue and remark, ¡°So, you''re aware of it too?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He handed Sophia a bowl of oatmeal. ¡°Felix just called me.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, his phone buzzed on the table. Sophia nced at the screen and noticed it was a message from Samuel. Alexander looked at Sophia before picking up his phone. After scanning Samuel''s message, he raised the phone in front of her and asked, ¡°Do you want him to rify?¡± Sophia shook her head and replied, ¡°There''s no need for that.¡± It was true that she had ''pulled some strings'' and got her own artiste to rece Nina, so there was no need to exin this matter. Sophia wasn''t concerned about what others might say about that. After all, one would need money and connections to pull those strings. While she was able to convince Samuel, any other ordinary person would not be able to do the same. Thoseizens were merely spectators seeking entertainment. Business matters were often a give- and-take situation. Moreover, there was no such thing as absolute justice in this world. Ultimately, it was Nina''s own misguided intentions that led to this situation. If she wanted to win the favor of influential people, she couldn''t possibly me others for doing the same at her expense. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. Sophia had no interest in wasting her time and energy dealing with someone like Nina. It wasn''t worth creating such amotion and involving Samuel and Alexander. Alexander knew that Sophia had always dealt with matters efficiently. Since that was what she said, she probably had already devised a strategy to handle the situation. ¡°Okay, let me know if there''s anything I can do.¡± Alexander picked up his phone and responded to Samuel''s message. Samuel was confused when he saw the trending searches in the morning. His immediate reaction was to worry if Alexander would hold him responsible for the situation. No matter what, he would admit his mistake first. Samuel had initially thought that Alexander would scold him. However, to his surprise, Alexander merely replied, No need. Samuel was shocked. Did Alexander finally be a kind person? Nevertheless, he knew what was the right thing to do first. Kicking Nina out of the cast after she offended Alexander was quite a minor issue. However, to his astonishment, that stupid woman managed to stir up so much trouble in just a few days. It was not necessarily the case that Samuel never got angry. While this matter may not seem directly rted to him, hispany was the one who invested in the show and he gave the order to remove her. Now that the situation had escted to this stage, he knew he couldn''t simply distance himself from it. Furthermore, since he was the one who gave the instruction personally, no fools in the industry would dare to stir up trouble. Yet, Nina and the other lead actors in the drama allowed their fans to exacerbate the situation. By doing so, they havepletely disregarded Samuel''s authority. They would take him to be a weakling if he did not show his authority. Samuel set his phone aside and dialed the internal line, summoning his secretary, Joseph, in. Soon after, Joseph knocked on the door and entered. Havinge across the chaos online that morning, he had contemted whether to inform Samuel about it. However, it seemed that Samuel already knew about it. Joseph nced at Samuel. ¡°Yes, Mr. Schild?¡± ¡°Have you seen the recent news online?¡± Joseph nodded. ¡°Yes, I have.¡± ¡°Forget about Nina as she has already been removed from the cast. But what about the other lead actors from Petite Youth? Are they allowing their fans to spread rumors about me showing favoritism to Sophia''s artist?¡± Samuel seldom loses his cool, but he was genuinely furious that day. Halfway through his sentence, he raised his hand and mmed the table, dering, ¡°Do they not take my words seriously? Or do they believe their temporary poprity will make them invincible? Inform everyone that from now on, all shows that ourpany is investing in are not allowed to hire Nina. As for the other lead actors, if they fail to control their fans''ments, they can kiss any future coboration with ourpany goodbye!¡± Do they think that Midway Media doesn''t have any other artists? Are those minor celebrities so arrogant that they think they can afford to act so recklessly? Joseph froze momentarily before nodding quickly. ¡°Understood, Mr. Schild.¡± Those individuals did not know the boundary. Not only did Sophia have Alexander and Samuel backing her up, but she also was more than capable to deal with the troublemakers alone. Upon leaving the office, Joseph swiftly instructed his assistant to notify Ross. Although he had not anticipated such twists and turns when filming the web series, he was fully aware that he couldn''t afford to provoke a powerful man like Samuel. After receiving the call, Ross promptly halted the filming and gathered the lead actors'' managers to discuss the matter. ¡°You''ve probably seen what happened online. I don''t know what you all are thinking, but this drama is funded by Midway Media. In this industry, Midway Media andary Media hold the utmost power. If you wish to make a name for yourselves, you cannot afford to sh with Midway Media. The situation this morning has escted to a crazy extent. Fans have been hurling insults and spreading malicious rumors about Ms. Yarrow. Mr. Schild''s secretary just called, saying that if any artists fail to manage their fans, Midway Media will no longer cooperate with them.¡± As soon as Ross finished speaking, everyone''s expressions changed. Some were merely spectators, while others hoped to benefit from the situation. Now, none of them dared to entertain such notions any longer. The managers swiftly informed their respectivepany''s public rtions department to start controlling the fans. Within just an hour, the main cast of the drama started to publish an official statement online. All of them were in favor of the neer rmended by Sophia. Of course, Nina also received a call of warning from Joseph. Both she and her manager were terrified and quickly took to the inte to rify their actions. However, since the discussions online had already taken off, the audience cared little about the truth. In fact, they were only concerned with their own amusement. Even though Nina took the initiative to rify what exactly happened, theizens insisted that she had been coerced. It was true that she had been threatened, but unfortunately, nobody believed it. Nina and her manager were inplete disarray. They had no choice but to turn to Shiloh for help. Shiloh had just been in a rtionship with Nina for a little over two months, so they were still in the honeymoon phase. When he answered her call, he showered her with words of reassurance and said that it wasn''t a major issue. Indeed, it wasn''t a major issue. However, soon enough, news of Nina exploiting her connections and unfairly eliminating other artists was exposed. Chapter 552 Chapter 552 Nina had never anticipated that her attempt to portray herself as an ¡°innocent¡± victim would backfire. Sophia employed the same tactics and yed Nina at her own game. While Twitter was flooded with criticisms directed at Sophia in the morning, the tides had turned within a mere five hours. After lunch, the focus shifted to criticizing Nina. Previously, Nina used to pull many strings to further her career. She had made her debut on a talent show by leveraging her first boyfriend''s family. After signing with apany, her interest in her first boyfriend quickly waned and she broke up with him. Soon after, she hooked up with the nephew of a director. The director''s nephew was no stranger to being in association with many female artists in the industry. Hence, they both took advantage of each other. Thanks to his socialwork, Nina managed to secure a supporting role within just eight months of her debut. This was a ssic case of exploiting one''s connections. However, the drama turned out to be a colossal failure. Even though shended the supporting role, she still did not manage to rise to fame. Subsequently, the director''s nephew set his sights on another promising neer. Since Nina had also found herself another potential boyfriend, they had an amicable breakup. However, knowing Nina''s personality, this ''amicable'' breakup was far from simple. She yed the victim card and extorted a substantial sum of money, rumored to be around three million, from the director''s nephew. Upon receiving the money, Nina promptly ended her rtionship with the director''s nephew. However, since the new man she had set her sights on didn''t reciprocate her interest, she found herself only able to secure minor roles in the following year. This year, luck shone upon Nina as she crossed paths with Shiloh. The Queen family had connections with the Barker family, who had made significant investments in the film industry. In the past year, one of their movies earned over three billion in box office revenue, marking a sessful foray into the film industry. Since Shiloh happened to be Heath''s cousin, he had abundant resources at his disposal. Thanks to his investment, Nina managed to secure a supporting role in the show, Petite Youth. Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. At that time, Shiloh was actively pursuing Nina and spent over three million to buy her the role of the second female lead. However, she was too ambitious. Just when the show was almost done with its filming, she provoked Alexander and got kicked out of the cast by Samuel that very evening. Even though Midway Media had already invested over fifty million, Samuel did not mind investing a few more million. Hence, Nina''s departure from the film crew did not bring about much negative impact. After all, her connections were not as strong as Sophia''s. Now that all these revtions had surfaced, it turned out that Nina was the one exploiting her connections. Consequently, all theizens turned against her. 48484!: I''m shocked! Initially, I thought that Nina is a pitiful victim of corporate war, but turns out that she''s an expert at ying around with the rules! How does she have the nerve tosh out at Sophia? That''s some impressive maniption! Bobobaby999: Yeah! When the news about Sophia broke, Imented that Nina isn''t exactly a saint either. Her fans bombarded me with hatements! Well, everything has cleared up now. Ms. Yarrow was just giving Nina a taste of her own medicine while it was Nina who dug her own grave. It''s a ssic case of karma. Hahaha! I''d love to show those who insulted me screenshots of the trending searches now! 12Messiah12: Tsk! We all know about Nina''s dark history. It''s just her blind followers who keep defending her! She''s not exactly famous, but she has quite aundry list of scandals. It''s amazing that she still has fans. The entertainment industry is really all about the drama, huh? RoseDawson99: Forget everything else. Nina isn''t even half as attractive as Sophia. Where did she get the confidence to flirt with Sophia''s husband? Hahaha! Does she not own a mirror? Has she ever looked at her reflection to see what she really looks like? Nina was furious when she read thements. She had never thought of bing famous through such means! Now that Samuel had personally cklisted her, he effectively ended all the chances of her participating in any programs or films produced by Midway Media. Sophia had also forced her into a corner with all the discussions online. While Nina merely mobilized her fans to target Sophia, Sophia''s response was firm and backed by solid evidence. With all these revtionsing to light, Nina didn''t need to think twice about Shiloh''s reaction too. Although Shiloh was a yboy, he had his principles. Every girlfriend he had must never be touched by other men. When Nina approached him for help at the hotel, her innocent and enchanting eyes caught his attention. When heter discovered that Nina had been sidelined by herpany for refusing to sleep around, he started seeing her in a new light. Nina might not have been the most stunningpared to his previous girlfriends, but she was undoubtedly the purest. The first time Shiloh offered to escort Nina home, she politely declined. When he invited her for a meal, she looked at him fearfully and imed that she would not sleep with him. Shiloh went through considerable efforts to pursue Nina. It took him nearly three months to finally win her heart. It wasn''t until they had been together for over a month that significant progress was made. After having sex, Nina tearfully acknowledged that he could never marry her due to his status. However, she was willing to have sex with him because she truly loved him. Shiloh was deeply moved by her words. When Nina approached him for help, he readily agreed without any hesitation. He asked for Heath''s help to secure two promising roles for her. Since they were only together for two months, the excitement of a new rtionship had not died down yet. Shiloh thought that he really liked Nina''s thoughtful and innocent nature. Thinking that they might date for at least a year or two, he paved the way for her future such that she could have a sessful career. It was rare for him to have such a sense of responsibility. Yet, to his surprise, everything took a drastic turn for the worse. Shiloh''s reputation as a yboy was no secret among his friends. They knew how often he changed his girlfriends, and Nina was no exception. When the scandals surrounding Nina surfaced, Shiloh''s friends couldn''t help but burst intoughter. ¡°Low, you never fail to surprise us. Remember when you told us how innocent and pure Nina is? Turns out that she''s aplete two-faced woman!¡± Shiloh shot a fierce nce at the person who spoke up. However, he found himself at a loss for words and resorted to drinking in silence. Heath raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Do I still have to keep those two roles for her?¡± Shiloh never anticipated that his cousin would be the one to throw him under the bus. Caught off guard for a moment, he retorted without missing a beat, ¡°Hey, don''t be too gleeful. At least I slept with Nina, so it wasn''t aplete loss. Look at you! You fell in love with a gorgeous woman, but she has a husband whom you can''t afford to cross. Thinking about it now, I realize you might be in a more pitiable situation than I am. Hahaha!¡± The words had barely left Shiloh''s mouth when Heath hurled a wine bottle in his direction. Shiloh was startled, and retorted, ¡°You mocked me first.¡± Heath stared him down, causing him to immediately fall silent. Chapter 553 Chapter 553 Being the fast worker she was, by the afternoon, Yvonne had alreadypleted the task that Sophia assigned her that morning. Katherine felt rejuvenated after a good night''s sleep. She was very well taken care of during her pregnancy. Joshua had specially hired a nutritionist and prenatal yoga instructor for her to ensure the healthy growth of the fetus. However, as she did not have an easy delivery, she was still feeling rather weak when she woke up that morning. After having some chicken soup for lunch, she was feeling much better and was gossiping about Nina with Sophia on the bed. ¡°Yvonne did a great job! That b*tch, Nina, has finally gotten what she deserves. She should have expected to be burned after ying with fire. Haha, this probably marks the end of her career in the entertainment industry!¡± ¡°You''re not in pain anymore?¡± Sophia asked as she passed Katherine a slice of grapefruit. Katherine immediately scrunched up her face, pretending that she was in pain. ¡°Of course, I''m still hurting! Boohoo... Soph, giving birth is so painful! I''m definitely not having another baby!¡± ¡°Well, let''s hope you won''t eat your wordster,¡± Sophia replied as the corners of her lips curled up. She knew Katherine''s character very well after being friends with her for so many years. Previously, when she had her first rollercoaster ride, she screamed in fear throughout the entire ride and vowed that she wouldy off the rollercoaster ride after that. However, she ended up taking it again. Katherine pressed her lips together and replied, ¡°I''m serious. You will understand what I mean when it''s your turn to give birth.¡± Sophia stuffed a slice of grapefruit into her friend''s mouth and said, ¡°Okay, okay. I know it was tough on you. So it''s now time to focus on your recovery. Don''t think about anything else other than eating and sleeping well. Otherwise, Joshua would worry.¡± Even though Katherine keptining that Lewinn was ugly, she could not stop looking at her newborn son, who was sleeping soundly in the crib next to her. Lewinn, who was two days old, looked less wrinkled than he did the night before, and his long and thick lashes could clearly be seen. They were especially obvious when he was asleep. Sophia had already noticed his beautiful eyes the previous night. Clearly, the boy had gotten the best of his parents'' features. When Sophia saw Katherine carefully covering Lewinn with a nket, she let out a chuckle and said, ¡°Didn''t youin that he was uglyst night?¡± Katherine sighed and replied, ¡°No matter how ugly he is, he''s still a part of me.¡± Sophia pinched her friend''s cheeks lightly and said, ¡°Your son is so much better looking than you. Stop saying that he''s ugly in front of him.¡± Upon hearing that, Katherine took a nce at Lewinn and replied, ¡°Maybe there''s something wrong with my eyes. I really can''t tell which part of his face is good-looking.¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°I don''t think there''s anything wrong with your eyes. It''s more likely that you have prosopagnosia.¡± ¡°That''s impossible. I can easily recognize you just by seeing any one of your features!¡± Sophia threw Katherine a side-eye and said, ¡°Compliments don''t work on me. You''ve already used your phone for two hours. Give it to me now.¡± Gripping her phone tightly, Katherine replied reluctantly, ¡°Just five more minutes, please. I haven''t commented on Nina''s scandal yet!¡± Sophia smiled helplessly as she replied, ¡°Okay, just five minutes. Not even a second longer.¡± As Katherine had just given birth, the doctor had instructed her to have more rest. However, Katherine loved reading gossip news. She would often spend the entire day scrolling through the posts on gossip forums and blogs. Staring at her phone for long hours right after giving birth was extremely damaging to her eyes. Hence, Joshua made it a point to confiscate Katherine''s phone once every two hours and would only return it to her three hourster. When Sophia arrived, Katherine was already using her phone. Throughout the entire two hours that she was there, Katherine''s eyes had been glued to her phone, reading Nina''s scandal. Katherine dare not disregard Sophia''s order, so she grudgingly handed her phone over to her dear friend five minutester. As there was a limit to the number of visitors in the ward at any one time, Sophia left after a while so that the nanny and Joshua could go in. It was already past four in the afternoon when Sophia left the ward. Meanwhile, Alexander was waiting for her at the hospital entrance. It was the start of autumn in Jadeborough, and Alexander was wearing a in white shirt and ck pants. His tall figure and cold expression gave him a somewhat ethereal allure, especially when he was spotted from a distance. When Sophia was just about three meters away from the man, someone else suddenly stopped in front of him. It was a youngdy. She was holding a bag in her hand and looked like she was asking Alexander for directions. ¡°Excuse me, sorry to disturb you. Do you know where building five is? I can''t seem to find it.¡± Alexander cast an indifferent nce at the woman in front of him and replied coldly, ¡°I''m not sure.¡± Taken aback by the man''s cold response, the woman smiled sheepishly as she ran her hand through her hair and replied, ¡°I see. Thanks anyway. Sorry to have bothered you.¡± Instead of leaving immediately after saying that, the woman remained rooted to the spot for a few more seconds. However, Alexander had already averted his gaze. He did not like to be approached by strangers, regardless of their actual intentions. Alexander frowned when he saw that the woman was still standing there. He turned around and was about to head upstairs to find Sophia when he saw his wife standing right behind him with a wide smile on her face. Alexander''s expression softened at once when he saw Sophia. Without hesitation, he walked toward the woman and held her hand. ¡°Why are you standing here?¡± he asked. Sophia looked up at her husband and replied with a mischievous glint in her eye, ¡°I was worried that I might be interrupting something.¡± ¡°She''s just asking for directions.¡± ¡°I heard that,¡± Sophia replied with a chuckle. Taking a pause, she continued, ¡°Were you sad that she was just asking for directions?¡± She was just teasing Alexander and did not mean it seriously. Even though Alexander had noticed Sophia''s yful expression, he decided to answer her using his actions and lowered his head the next second. This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org. The woman who had asked for directions earlier was still standing there. Although Alexander had only given Sophia a light peck on her lips while holding her in his arms, Sophia could not help but blush in embarrassment at the woman staring at them. The woman was actually intending to leave after asking Alexander for directions. In fact, she was indeed trying to hit on Alexander. As it was the first time she saw such an attractive man, she had mustered up the courage to hang around a little longer. However, Alexander was not interested in her at all. Initially, she suspected that the man might not be interested in women. Although she was not the prettiest woman in the world, she was definitely a beauty and was never short of suitors since she was young. Hence, she was baffled by Alexander''s indifference toward her, especially given that she had taken the initiative to talk to him. However, just as she was about to leave, she saw Alexander walking toward the woman behind him. She had always been confident of her looks, but when she saw the other woman, she finally realized the reason why the man did not even spare her a nce. Aware that she waspletely no match for Sophia, the woman tightened her grip on her bag and hurried away. Chapter 554 Chapter 554 Sophia turned her gaze up at Alexander. Her cheeks flushed. The woman who had asked him directions was disappearing into the distance. Sophia felt ufortable at the recollection of how the woman watched Alexander kiss her. Alexander did not seem the least bit disturbed. He looked down at Sophia with the same tender gaze. ¡°What would you like for dinner?¡± Sophia thought for a moment. ¡°Let''s go to Mirage.¡± It''s been four months since we went to Mirage. Alexander nodded and led her out of the hospital. The pair headed straight for Mirage upon leaving the hospital and arrived at five which was a little early for dinner. The server was surprised to see the couple that day as it had been months since Alexander and Sophia came. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Xenos, would you like a private room or...¡± That was the first time Sophia was addressed as ¡°Mrs. Xenos¡± in public. She was not used to it, but she maintained her smile. ¡°A small room will do.¡± ¡°Very well. This way please, Mrs. Xenos, Mr. Xenos.¡± As the pair had arrived well before the dinner crowd, their food arrived ten minutes after they ced the order. Sophia took a sip of soup. As she thought of Lewinn, she turned to look at Alexander. ¡°Lewinn is much prettier today than he was yesterday, isn''t he?¡± Alexander did not enter the ward, as Katherine had just given birth, but Joshua had brought Lewinn to him. The swaddled newborn did look a little bigger than he was the day before, but Alexander could not tell if he was beautiful. The baby''s cheeks were ruddy, and his features were still a little wrinkled and lacked a sense of shape. Alexander could not see how he was beautiful. Since Sophia thought the child was beautiful, he was not going to argue with her, so he merely grunted in assent. ¡°Lewinn has the best features of both his parents. He will be a little heartbreaker when he grows up.¡± Sophia felt her heart turning to mush at the recollection of the little bundle of joy. She gazed at Alexander, who was peeling a shrimp for her and felt an instinctive longing for a child of their own. Alexander and I are both good-looking. Our child will be good-looking too, be it a boy or a girl. Sophia blushed when she realized what she was thinking about. Alexander ced the peeled shrimp on her te. He nced up and looked at her. ¡°What is it?¡± Sophia''s brow twitched. She averted her gaze and shook her head with a smile. ¡°Nothing.¡± Alexander looked at her again. His dark pupils quivered, but he did not press her further. October was the season for crabs, and they were meaty and tasty. Though the crabs were delicious, Sophia did not dare overindulge as she felt her stomach was rather sensitive in the past two days. Thus, she only had one before passing the rest to Alexander. Sophia''s phone rang when she set down her fork. She nced at the screen and saw that it was an unfamiliar number. Raising her eyebrows, she answered the phone. ¡°Hello, Sophia speaking.¡± ¡°Hello, Ms. Yarrow. This is Wendy Waak, Nina''s agent.¡± As soon as she heard the caller identify herself, Sophia knew the purpose of the call at once. Sophiaughed and asked, ¡°What can I do for you, Ms. Waak?¡± ¡°It''s like this, Ms. Yarrow: Nina was wrong in what she did, and thepany and I have severely reprimanded her. Over the next six months, she will take any job thates her way. You are someone kind, Ms. Yarrow, so please don''t hold a grudge against her. She has been in the industry for too long that she let her arrogance get to her head, which is why she did those awful things to you. However, she has learned her lesson. If possible, Nina and I would like to buy you dinner as a gesture of apology. What say you?¡± Sophiaughed. ¡°You''re a smart woman, Ms. Waak. I don''t think I need to say any more than that. This is my personal number, and I''m willing to overlook how you got it, but I don''t like picking up calls from people I don''t know. Have a good day.¡± An apology? What does Nina want to apologize about? I''m not short of money. What can she pay for? What a joke. Sophia shed a grin at Alexander after hanging up. ¡°That was Ms. Newfield''s agent.¡± Alexander nodded. ¡°Did she threaten you?¡± ¡°I don''t think they would dare to.¡± Only a fool would threaten her over a phone call. Alexander did not press on when he saw that Sophia was not bothered by it, deeming it unnecessary to fret over that clown of a woman. Sophia smiled. ¡°I''d like to go to the mall.¡± She wanted to buy something for the newborn Lewinn. ¡°Sure.¡± Alexander took her hand, and the couple exited the room. It was really easy to run into people they knew at Mirage. As soon as Sophia and Alexander emerged from their suite, they ran into Heath. Actually, he was not considered one of their acquaintances, but Heath had left a deep impression on Alexander. During their previous encounter, Heath had all but disrespected him to his face. And now, Heath was surprised to see Sophia there. The Barker family decided to relocate to Jadeborough that year. Having been a rich, idle heir long enough, Heath''s elder brother posted him there. Shiloh had tagged along too. Unexpectedly, after using Heath''s failure to pursue Sophia to retaliate against his ridicule for supporting Nina just the day before, they found themselves face-to-face with Sophia the following day. Naturally, there was also Sophia''s all mighty husband, Alexander. Now, there''s a show. Shiloh was ready for a showdown. He nced at Heath. ¡°I think this is an opportunity, Heath.¡± Heath returned his nce and let out a smile that did not reach his eyes. Sophia did not know Heath well. In fact, they had only met four times and were not even friends. Despite how they met that day, Sophia did not have the slightest inclination to greet him. However, that thought was not reciprocated. ¡°Long time no see, Ms. Yarrow.¡± As Alexander and Sophia''s marriage was posted almost everywhere, Heath addressing her as ¡°Ms. Yarrow¡± instead of ¡°Mrs. Xenos¡± in front of Alexander was clearly a provocative act. Sophia felt the hand holding hers tighten a little. She turned to nce at Alexander and smiled reassuringly. ¡°I don''t know him.¡± As soon as she spoke, Shiloh, who was standing beside Heath, burst outughing. ¡°She said she doesn''t know you, Heath.¡± Heath ignored Shiloh. He raised his brows and gazed at Sophia with an enigmatic expression. ¡°That''s not what you said when west met, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org. His tone was so suggestive that it gave others the impression that there was something going on between them. Sophia was unperturbed by Heath''s response and her smile remained unchanged. ¡°There must be something wrong with your memory, mister.¡± As she spoke, she turned to Alexander. ¡°Let''s go, Hubby.¡± Chapter 555 Chapter 555 Sophia''s greeting was deliberate. It had been months since she and Alexander had gotten married, but that was the first time she referred to him as her husband. If not for Heath''s overbearing demeanor, she would not have stooped to employ such a lowly tactic. Despite having made things clear thest time at the hotel entrance, Heath still pretended not to understand her. Running into him again gave her a headache. Alexander could get very jealous sometimes. Though Sophia''s smile remained after calling him her husband, she could feel her cheeks flush. ¡°Hubby¡± sounds very intimate. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Alexander did not expect to be addressed like that. He gazed down at her, his eyes containing a twinkle of mischief. ¡°Sure.¡± As he responded, he looked up at Heath, and the warmth in his eyes disappeared. Only coldness remained in the inky ck depths of his eyes. Heath looked up and met Alexander''s gaze. Both men did not seem ready to back down. Alexander retracted his gaze soon after. He took Sophia''s hand and walked out the door. As the pair disappeared into the distance, Shiloh whistled. Sophia and Alexander left Mirage and headed to Bekka Mall. They arrived at past seven in the evening, which was dinner time, so fewer patrons were in the stores, so they strolled around leisurely. The retail assistants were stunned when the pair entered as such a handsome couple was a rare sight. If not for the absence of a film crew behind them, the retail staff would have been under the impression that the couple were stars of a television series. Sophia did not know much about baby products, but World of Babies sold everything imaginable, from baby form and diapers for newborns to toys for toddlers. As Sophia had plenty of money, she browsed every level from top to bottom and bought anything she thought was cute or fun. When she was about to pay for the items, the cashier suddenly asked, ¡°How old is your child? Your total bill is eligible for our gift policy. Here is a catalog of our recent promotions. Have a look and tell us anything you might like, madam.¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows as she took the catalog. ¡°What should I take for a newborn baby?¡± ¡°Diapers or baby form.¡± Sophia nced at Alexander and giggled. ¡°Joshua acquired a baby productpanyst year when he found out Katherine was pregnant, so I don''t think they would need diapers. As for baby form, Joshua has already ced an order for custom form, so our gift won''t do them any good. What else can we give them?¡± Sophia was only speaking to Alexander. She did not mean anything else. However, those words caused the cashier to gasp in admiration. She also thought the name ¡°Katherine¡± sounded familiar, but for the moment could not put a finger on it. Alexander swept a nce over the catalog. ¡°Let''s take this one.¡± Sophia knew Alexander just picked an item randomly, but it was a four-piece set for newborns. Well, it''s true that Lewinn doesn''t need anything. With augh, Sophia told the cashier, ¡°We''ll take this one.¡± After paying the bill, the couple exited the store,den with bags. As she watched the couple disappear into the distance, the cashier finally recalled who Katherine was. ¡°I remember now! Katherine is the star of Escape! An A-list celebrity! Those two sounded like Katherine''s friends. I heard the beautiful woman say Katherine has given birth, and her husband acquired a baby productpanyst year for their diaper needs!¡± ¡°A fairy tale romance, indeed! How envious!¡± As the patrons had gone to dinner, there were no customers left in the store after Sophia and Alexander left. The cashier''s coworkers added whileughing, ¡°ording to the tabloids, Katherine''s husband was her childhood sweetheart. If I''m not mistaken, that beautiful woman must be Katherine''s best friend, Sophia Yarrow. That makes her husband Alexander Xenos of Odyssey.¡± ¡°What a perfect match!¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± Indeed,patibility was a prerequisite of love. Sophia and Alexander were worthy of one another. Sophia, on the other hand, did not know that her errand of buying Katherine a baby shower gift had inadvertently leaked the news of her delivery, which spread like wildfire that very same night. Naturally, as she had given birth in a private hospital, which cost hundreds of thousands, their privacy policy was better than most other hospitals. That was how everybody came to know that Katherine had delivered a baby, but not its gender. However, Joshua''s acquisition of a baby productpany for the child''s diaper usage was exposed. Thus, the couple was trending. Sophia and Alexander arrived back at their mansion. As it was not even nine, Sophia picked out a movie and turned to Alexander. ¡°Let''s watch a movie.¡± As always, Alexander obliged her. ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia beamed, then dragged him to the home theater on the second floor. It would be a surprise to most to discover that Sophia enjoyed horror films. That was not the first time Alexander watched a horror film with her. Nestled in his embrace, she became deeply engrossed in the film. Alexander gazed down at Sophia, but he had no heart to distract her despite the idea he had in mind. Sophia had chosen The Shining, a ssic horror film. It was thought-provoking, with a scary premise to boot. She was riveted. As Alexander did not speak for a while, Sophia thought he had fallen asleep, so she gazed up at him. As soon as she craned her neck, she found herself staring into his dark pupils. ¡°What is it?¡± Sophia became distracted. She suddenly recalled calling him ¡°Hubby¡± several hours ago. She shook her head. ¡°Are you not enjoying it?¡± ¡°I am. I''m watching.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Sophia turned back around after responding. Coincidentally, she was met with a gory scene. She jumped violently. A secondter, his hands were shielding her eyes. His warm palm that was warm was pressed over her eyes. Sophia''s heart gave a lurch. She pulled Alexander''s fingers away and nestled against his chest. ¡°Were you frightened?¡± ¡°A little.¡± Alexander held Sophia''s hand and gently pried her fingers apart one at a time, then inteced their fingers. Then, he gave her hand a squeeze. Sophia''s attention was on the movie, and she did not notice it. When it was over, she gathered herself, then ordered Genie to boil some water. Only after she turned around did she realize Alexander was holding her hand tightly. Sophia moved as she gazed at him and held up their hands. ¡°Eh?¡± Alexander did not address her query. ¡°Could you call me what you did today again, Mrs. Xenos?¡± Chapter 556 Chapter 556 Sophia''s cheeks flushed when she lifted her head and met Alexander''s gaze. Hubby? Why does it sound natural when others call their husbands that? That''s something I can only whisper instead of saying out loud. Does Alexander really want me to call him that from now on? I can''t do that. Sophia averted her gaze and pretended not to have heard what he said. ¡°It''s gettingte. I''m going to take a shower.¡± Sophia tried to rise to her feet after saying that. However, before she could, Alexander pulled her hand, and she ended up falling back down. He wrapped his arm around her waist as she sat on hisp. At that moment, her face was just inches away from his. They were so close to each other that Sophia could feel Alexander''s breath on her cheek and her cheek burning up. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Alexander,¡± she called out with a smile. However, she noticed the intense passion in his dark eyes. Sophia was stunned for a moment. In the next second, Alexander pressed his cheek against hers and whispered next to her ear in a deep voice, ¡°Darling.¡± Sophia blinked in surprise. By the time she regained her senses, Alexander was already kissing her on her lips. Alexander''s lips were burning, but as it turned out, Sophia could feel that his entire body was heating up. The temperature in the home theater continued to rise, and the initially quiet room was filled with sounds of heavy breathing. Aroused by Alexander''s deep voice, Sophia shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around him. Meanwhile, unlike Alexander and Sophia, who were about to have a steamy moment together, Shiloh felt rather troubled. Shiloh had had a goodugh when he went to Mirage with Heath and bumped into Alexander and Sophia. As a matter of fact, he was still in a very good mood. However, everything changed when Nina showed up. Throughout Shiloh''s years of dating and fooling around, his rtionship with Nina was his worst and most embarrassing experience. Not only was he deceived by her innocent appearance, but he was also fooled by her body, which had undergone surgical makeovers. Shiloh had started dating when he was fifteen and lost his virginity when he was seventeen. As a supposedly experienced yer, he had told his friends Nina was definitely an exception. Little did he expect her to humiliate him not long after that. It was a massive blow for him because he had lost his pride in the process. Even people who weren''t in the industry knew he had been fooled. The news about Nina was all over the inte, and Shiloh had seen all of it. He forbade the people around him to mention Nina when he broke up with her. He was utterly embarrassed. Yet, to his surprise, Nina still had to the courage to look for him. When Shiloh and his friends were exiting their private room, Nina showed up out of nowhere and asked, ¡°Mr. Chambers, can I have a word with you?¡± As Nina spoke, she was staring at him with her teary eyes. Her light makeup and big doe-like eyes could melt any man''s heart. Sadly for her, however, Shiloh was having none of it. He could be cold and cruel if he wanted to be. He had always been a prideful man, so he couldn''t forgive Nina for humiliating him. At that point, Shiloh wanted nothing more than to never see her again in his life. Yet, she just had to show up before him and ask if she could have a word with him. Fortunately for her, Shiloh would never hit a woman. Otherwise, he would''ve punched her there and then. Shiloh threw Nina a nce and walked past her, his face contorted. Nina instinctively tugged on his shirt as she used to when she saw him ignoring her. Shiloh felt it and shoved her aside. ¡°Don''t touch me!¡± Nina didn''t expect him to react so violently, but perhaps a part of her was hoping for that to happen. The moment Shiloh reacted, she threw herself onto the ground. Nina didn''t say anything but merely let out a gasp and let her tears stream down her cheeks. One of Shiloh''s friends teased, ¡°Low, weren''t you a gentleman back then?¡± Shiloh hated Nina even more when he heard those words. ¡°I didn''t even use any strength! She must''ve thrown herself onto the ground.¡± Nina''s expression changed slightly when she heard that. However, she quickly regained her composure and continued her pitiful act. While biting her lower lip, she rose to her feet and said, ¡°Mr. Chambers, I just want to say a few words. I''ll leave once I''m done. If you don''t want to talk privately, I''ll have no choice but to say those words here.¡± Shiloh didn''t know what Nina wanted to say, but he knew his friends would make fun of him if they were to hear her. Thanks to Nina, I''ll be the butt of a joke my entire life. I don''t want her to make it worse. He suppressed his anger and said, ¡°Come with me.¡± With that, he led Nina into the private room that he and his friends had been in moments earlier. Nina cried even harder after she followed him into the private room. However, it didn''t work on Shiloh. Instead, he found it funny when he saw her cry. ¡°That''s enough. Your act won''t work on me. You love acting, don''t you? But why have your performances been anything but great?¡± Upon hearing that, Nina was caught in a dilemma. Should I or should I not continue? A couple of secondster, Nina wiped her tears away and said, ¡°Mr. Chambers, I know I shouldn''t have lied to you. But my feelings for you are genuine. I didn''t get into a rtionship with you for your money and status. I fell for you when I first saw¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, cut it!¡± I must have been blind. Those petty tricks won''t work on me anymore. ¡°Just save your breath if that''s what you want to tell me. Nina, have some shame, will you? I''ve been generous enough not to ask you to return whatever I''ve given you. Get straight to the point, and don''t waste my time. I''m leaving if I hear another nonsensical wording out of your mouth. Also, if you ever look for me again, I''ll make you regret knowing me!¡± Nina was dumbstruck because she had never seen Shiloh acting that way. Looking pale, she said, ¡°I''m pregnant, Mr. Chambers.¡± Chapter 557 Chapter 557 ¡°Tch!¡± Shiloh responded. ¡°Nina, do you know how many of my ex-girlfriends have tried to use that trick on me?¡± Shiloh couldn''t care less about whether Nina was pregnant or not. The Chambers family was a prominent family, so he would never marry her. Furthermore, she was nothing but a liar. Nina''s face was as pale as a sheet when she replied, ¡°I''m not trying to trick you, Mr. Chambers. I just want to know if you want the child or not.¡± As though he had just heard the funniest joke in the world, Shilohughed and mocked, ¡°Drop your act, Nina! This is getting boring. Well, that''s all I''m going to say to you. I don''t care if you''re pregnant or not, and I don''t care if you''re keeping the child. If you''re nning to use your pregnancy to ckmail me, I suggest you stop and start thinking about apologizing to the people you have offended. That way, you might still have a future in the entertainment industry!¡± With that, Shiloh turned and left. Nina stood rooted to the spot, dumbfounded. She wasn''t pregnant, but she merely wanted to test Shiloh out. To her disappointment, he really couldn''t care less about her. It seems that Shiloh really doesn''t want to see me anymore! I''m doomed! I''m now theughingstock in the entertainment industry, and I don''t even have anyone to rely on outside the industry. There''s no way I can find someone like Shiloh to hang on to. I''m done for! Everything is over! Shiloh simply couldn''t believe his bad luck. Everything went well for me for the past two decades. Who would''ve known that Nina would cause my downfall? Did she really try to use her pregnancy to ckmail me? How funny! I encounter that on a yearly basis. I''ve always taken precautions, and if they im to be pregnant, they''re merely after my money. If Shiloh were to be dealing with someone else, he would''ve given that person money and moved on. However, he hated Nina so much that he didn''t even want to offer her any money. In truth, Shiloh knew Nina was lying when she told him she was pregnant. Although he had known her for six months, they had never spent much time together, and they had only had sex a few times. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Nina had even feigned innocence and undergone hymen reconstruction surgery to trick him into thinking she was a virgin. Shiloh had been with countless women, and when he thought Nina had given him her first time, he had actually tried to go easy on her, so they seldom had sex. I''ve only had sex with her that many times, and I took precautions each time. If she''s really pregnant and gets cklisted by the entertainment industry, she can at least sell her child to those rich families. Shiloh walked out of there very quickly because the more he thought about Nina, the angrier he became. He had thought Heath had left him there, so he was surprised to see thetter''s car outside the entrance. ¡°Heath, you care deeply about me, don''t you?¡± Shiloh was touched. The rest of those b*stards left me! Heath lifted his gaze and nced at Shilohzily. ¡°She told you she was pregnant, right?¡± Shiloh was rendered speechless. I see... He was waiting to make fun of me. Seeing that Shiloh was quiet, Heath knew he had guessed it right. He smirked and said, ¡°It seems that things are looking bad for you, Shiloh.¡± Shiloh refused to back down. He retorted, ¡°Well, things aren''t looking good for you either, Heath.¡± Heath''s smile faded when Sophia popped up in his mind. I''ve always been rebellious, and no one can tell me what I can and cannot have. I rarely fail when I decide to go after a girl. So what if Sophia is married? She can always get a divorce. Shiloh zipped his mouth when he saw that Heath had gone silent. Oh, forget about it. Why should we hurt each other? Alexander had no idea someone was eyeing his wife. As the couple had had an eventful night, Sophia only woke up at almost nine the next morning. When she woke up, it was raining and the weather was gloomy. Sophia sat on the bed for a while before going to the bathroom to wash up. By the time she was done washing up, Alexander was already done making breakfast. After breakfast, Alexander asked if she wanted to go to the hospital. Katherine is getting discharged tomorrow. Sophia shook her head. ¡°Let''s just go there tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay. Let''s pick our wedding photos in the afternoon.¡± The editing was finally done for the wedding photos the couple had spent a week shooting. It was time for them to pick the photos they liked and have them framed. Amazingly, over two thousand photos had been edited within three days. Indeed, money makes the world go round. ¡°What would you like to have for lunch?¡± Alexander asked. Sophia couldn''t help but chuckle when she heard that. ¡°Are you cooking?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alexander had already settled the business matters abroad, and he was ready to stay in Chanaea for good. If needed, thepany would email him certain important documents, and he could just handle them at home. As for the other business matters, he had delegated his responsibilities to the manager and Spencer. At the same time, Sophia had gradually stepped away from Odyssey, and Alexander seemed to have no intention of managing thepany himself. Both of them were now as free as a retiree could be. Upon hearing that Alexander was cooking lunch, Sophia went online to look for dishes he could make. However, they didn''t have enough ingredients in the fridge, so they ended up going to a nearby market to buy groceries. At that hour, most of the people who went to the market were housewives and retirees. After all, young couples like Alexander and Sophia would have to work. The rain hadn''t stopped ever since Sophia woke up that morning. Even when the couple was shopping at the market, it was still pouring. When Sophia woke up that morning, she had received a text from Katherine. Apparently, Katherine was craving garlic butter prawns, and she had asked if Sophia could bring some for her the next day. Sophia was amused. Katherine has just given birth to her child, and she''s already craving all sorts of dishes. Since she can''t have any, I''ll eat some on her behalf. Sophia bought half a kilogram of prawns to have Alexander make the dish. Once the dish is done, I''ll take a photo and show it to Katherine. I hope she doesn''t get angry at me! While Sophia was lost in her thoughts, the car suddenly came to a halt. Sophia was startled. But she quickly returned to her senses and lifted her head to see Nina standing in front of the car. Sophia turned to look at Alexander. At that moment, his expression was utterly grim. Evidently, Nina''s action of stopping the car in the middle of the road had angered him. Under the pouring rain, Nina walked toward the car with an umbre and knocked on Sophia''s window. Sophia rolled down the car window halfway and tilted her head to look at Nina. ¡°Ms. Newfield, are you now an insurance fraudster?¡± Chapter 558 Chapter 558 Right as Sophia said those words, Nina paled. The words by the tip of her tongue seemed impossible to be spoken out loud now. However, she knew that Sophia was the key to her continuous survival in the entertainment industry. Therefore, despite her reluctance, she still came. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I''d like to apologize to you.¡± Sophia chuckled. ¡°This is the first time I''ve seen anyone apologizing with such sincerity.¡± She then paused for a while before adding, ¡°If my husband had reacted a little slower earlier, I''m afraid we''d be in the hospital now. And when we meet again, it should be in court, right?¡± None of Sophia''s words were derogatory, but she was clearly targeting Nina. Nina could only stare at Sophia, who was in the car. She could notprehend how the beautiful woman could be so aggressive with her words. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I didn''t mean it.¡± ¡°Ms. Newfield, how long do you n to stand here? Am I not allowed to go home if I don''t ept your apology?¡± Nina froze. That was not her intention, but she had indeed rushed to block Sophia''s car bodily, hoping that she would have her request fulfilled if Sophia''s car hit her. Little did she expect Alexander to hit the brakes so quickly. She was that close to getting hit by their car. At that point, if Nina continued standing in front of the car, it would be clear to everyone that she was trying to stop them from leaving. Nina was not that brave. After a while of looking at Sophia, she moved aside. Sophia curled her lips into a smile. ¡°Thank you for your magnanimity, Ms. Newfield.¡± Those words were the final blow to Nina, and Nina nearly dropped her umbre. It was still raining, and the ck car slowly drove past her into the mansion. As she watched the car drive in, she could only stand rooted to her spot. She dared not go after them. Right then, she recalled the moment she entered that mansion. The security guard stopped her and asked her which house she stayed at, and she told him that she was there to visit a friend. The guard instructed her to register, and upon seeing her write down Sophia''s name, he said rather politely, ¡°Oh, you''re a friend of Ms. Yarrow. She actually left with Mr. Xenos earlier. Since it''s raining today, you might want to visit another day.¡± He sounded respectful but tentative as if he had guessed that she was not Sophia''s friend at all. How could real friends not know if their friend was at home or not? Nevertheless, she insisted on waiting, so the guard let her in. However, when she turned around, she noticed there was a hint of contempt in the guard''s eyes as he looked at her. Even the security guard in that vicinity seemed to regard her with disdain. Nina knew that it would be difficult for her to make aeback, but she refused to admit defeat. She had climbed her way up thedder with much difficulty in the entertainment industry. If she had had a little more time, she would have reached the top. Yet, she was now left with nothing, and she did not even know what mistake she had made. Aren''t the people in the industry all like this? It''smon for people to seek support and benefits from influential figures in the industry. It''s natural to desire strong backing. Why am I suddenly the unredeemable viin? Nina could not wrap her head around the situation. All men are greedy. No matter how pretty Sophia is, she won''t be able to stop Alexander from cheating on her. In a few years'' time, there will be plenty of women throwing themselves at Alexander. Is she going to deal with every single one of them? Sophia had no idea Nina still did not know what she had done wrong. She was standing on the balcony, watching and pitying Nina, who was still downstairs in the same spot under the rain. But that was none of her business. Sophia let out a chuckle, then turned to head back inside the house. Alexander was in the middle of washing prawns. Sophia wanted to help him out, but he wouldn''t let her. She could only watch him from the side. She had to admit that she quite enjoyed watching him work in the kitchen. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Just then, Alexander turned to look at her. ¡°Aren''t you tired?¡± Sophia was somewhat embarrassed. ¡°But I''m not doing anything.¡± ¡°How about I bring you a chair?¡± Sophia''s face flushed. ¡°Nina''s still standing downstairs. I''ll go down and get rid of her.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he replied. ¡°You don''t need to waste so much of your breath on her. Just tell her that she''d better stand there until the end of the world if she insists on sticking around. Otherwise, she''s not going to get a second chance working in the entertainment industry.¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°All right.¡± Sophia, of course, neither had much patience nor time to spend on Nina. If Nina had not been standing outside her house, she would not have bothered heading downstairs to talk to her. It was still raining, so Sophia took an umbre before heading out. The downpour enhanced the aroma of the flowers, saturating the air with an intensified fragrance. When Nina saw Sophia, she was clearly surprised. ¡°Ms. Yarrow?¡± Her eyes lit up. ¡°I¡ª¡± Yet, she did not know what else to say besides that. Sophia looked at her with a smile that did not reach her eyes. ¡°Ms. Newfield, we initially held no grudges against each other, and I had no reason to ruin your career. But, sometimes, we need to stay humble. Ms. Newfield, I know you like keeping a high profile, but others might not have the same preferences. This will be a lesson for you. I''ve always been a fair person. I won''t mess with others if others don''t mess with me. This will be the end of this matter. But, of course, if you think this isn''t fair, then I don''t mind contacting the CEO ofary Media again.¡± The shock was written all over Nina''s face when she registered what Sophia had said. Once she recollected herself from her moment of surprise, she no longer dared to say what was on her mind. ¡°I understand, Ms. Yarrow. I won''t do it again. I''m really sorry, Ms. Yarrow!¡± For now, only Midway Media had cklisted her. However,ary Media was Midway Media''s rival. Perhaps she would have another chance withary Media. However, if evenary Media cklisted her, then she would really have no chance to make a comeback in the entertainment industry anymore. Overwhelmed with fear, Nina, who wanted to portray herself as a victim, quickly dismissed her ns. It was at that moment Nina finally realized that Sophia had never bought her acts. What Sophia wanted was to teach her an embarrassing lesson. At that realization, Nina lost the courage to keep standing at the entrance of Sophia''s house any longer. She apologized, then turned around and ran away with her umbre. Sophia watched her scramble away and clicked her tongue. ¡°Am I that scary?¡± Chapter 559 Chapter 559 Sophia returned to the house. Alexander had begun cooking the garlic butter prawns, and the kitchen was filled with a tantalizing aroma. Drawn in by the alluring scent, Sophia found herself walking toward the kitchen doorway. She gazed at Alexander''s figure from behind, thinking about the strange things in this world. There was nothing Sophia could not do, except cooking. On the other hand, Alexander could pick up any new skills easily. I guess love is aboutplementing each other. Seemingly sensing her gaze, Alexander turned around. ¡°Did you get rid of her?¡± Sophia nodded and walked over to him. ¡°It smells good.¡± Alexander''s eyes flicked toward the prawns. ¡°It''s my first time trying this recipe, so it might turn out a little saltier.¡± ¡°That''s fine.¡± While observing the garlic butter prawns that Alexander had skillfully arranged on a te, Sophia could not help but feel a subtle longing to try out the food. Unlike Katherine, who had a deep passion for food, Sophia''s interests in food were generally moderate. However, ever since she had been with Alexander, even a simple meal prepared by him had the power to ignite a sense of anticipation within her, making her eagerly look forward to the next dining experience. It was strange, but perhaps the feeling was enhanced by the fact that she did not need to prepare her own meal. Alexander had ced the prawns into smaller tes and ced them on the table. ¡°Do you want to try them?¡± Sophia blinked. ¡°I''m going to take a photo of this for Katherine. She said she wanted to eat these but she can''t.¡± Alexander''s gaze softened. ¡°You''re making life tough for Mr. Lewis.¡± Katherine would end up pestering Joshua to make her the dish. However, it was only the second day after Katherine had given birth. Garlic butter prawns were not something that could be in her diet yet. Sophia raised a brow. ¡°Well, that isn''t my intention.¡± Alexander knew that Sophia was not as dignified as she usually presented herself as. She had a cuter side known to few people. That adorable side of her was what made her fall for her again and again. When Sophia lifted her head to look at Alexander, their eyes met, and she froze. The gaze he directed at her mirrored the intensity and desire he had disyed during their intimate moments the previous night. Sophia blushed and cleared her throat. ¡°Let me take a picture.¡± She picked up her phone and took a few shots of the dish from several angles before sending them to Katherine. While enjoying her lunch, Katherine noticed multiple photos iing from Sophia. Assuming it was the usual exchange of thetest gossip, she tapped into the messages with curiosity. To her surprise, the images revealed the very garlic butter prawns she had been longing for over the past two weeks. Katherine nced at the photos sent by Sophia and then shifted her gaze to her own meal. Suddenly, her appetite vanished, and she found herself unable to continue eating. She licked her lips and replied: Which restaurant is this? The garlic butter prawns look delicious! As Katherine entered thete stages of pregnancy, both her growing fetus and her own body had undergone rapid growth. The nutritionist, considering the well-being of both mother and child, had expressed concern regarding Katherine''s ability to give birth and the potential challenges of excessive weight gain, which could impede postpartum recovery. They had closely supervised and regted Katherine''s diet during that crucial phase of her pregnancy. Regrettably, as Katherine entered the mid-term of her pregnancy, her appetite had surged and intensified further during thete stages. She had developed strong cravings for bold and vorful foods. However, she had exercised restraint, indulging in her cravings only asionally while adhering to a well-structured and nutritious meal n for the majority of the time. The longing for those cravings had persisted for months, and she had been dying for the freedom to eat anything she wanted. Initially, she had anticipated indulging in delicious meals after giving birth. However, both the nurse and nutritionist had advised her to prioritize postpartum recovery and cautioned against consuming foods such as garlic butter prawns. They emphasized the significance of nourishing the body during the lying- in period. Katherine was stuck in the hospital, and Joshua would confiscate her phone at certain times, so she could not secretly order a takeout even if she wanted to. Just the afternoon the day before, she had dreamed that she had a wondrous and scrumptious seafood meal. When she woke up, she found herself drooling and she could not stop herself from sending a message to Sophia, asking her to save her from the food cravings. Katherine would not say that she was greedy. All she wanted was for Sophia to bring a prawn or two for her to try out the vor. s, Sophia was ruthless. Not only did she not bring her the food, but she even had garlic butter prawns to tempt her good friend. She''s no good friend of mine! Hmph! Sophia: Alexander made them. Katherine''s appetite instantly vanished. She ced her fork down and shot Joshua a re. ¡°I''m done eating!¡± Joshua was confused. ¡°What''s the matter? Is it bad?¡± He took a bite of the food and discovered that it tasted quite good. ¡°It''s not bad, Kath.¡± Katherine snorted and thrust her phone into his hands. ¡°Take a look at this! Soph wanted to eat garlic butter prawns, and Alexander whipped them up in an instant. I want to eat them too, and I didn''t even bother asking you to make them, yet you won''t even get them for me. You really don''t love me anymore. I knew it! Men are heartless creatures. I''ve just had a baby, and you don''t seem to care about me anymore. I won''t eat another bite. I''ll just starve to death!¡± It had been half a year since Katherine had acted, but her acting skills were still on point. After uttering her lines, shey back down on the bed and pulled the nket to cover her head. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Even though Joshua knew that she was only pretending to be mad, he was still afraid that she would cry for real. ¡°Don''t be sad. I''ll make it for you too after this lying-in period.¡± Joshua was known as the devil in the office, but at that moment, he was gently coaxing his wife. If the employees of Technology Innovations were to witness that side of him, they would be so stunned that their jaws would drop. Katherine remained still. Joshua pursed his lips and called out, ¡°Kath?¡± Katherine continued to sulk until Lewinn abruptly started crying. She popped her head out of the nket, reached out for the boy, and asked, ¡°Is he hungry?¡± Katherine was about to feed Lewinn, but when she looked at Joshua, she snapped, ¡°I''m about to feed our son. Why are you still standing there?¡± Joshua could only stare at Katherine for a while longer before turning to leave. Even though Katherine seemed unbothered by many things, she could be very shy sometimes. Lewinn''s crying distracted Katherine from the garlic butter prawns incident. As Katherine had just begun producing breast milk that morning, she did not have much milk for the baby. Lewinn seemed unsatisfied with the quantity of milk he was receiving, and that made Katherine feel distressed. The nutritionist seized the opportunity to enlighten Katherine about how her diet could impact the baby. In the end, Katherine pursed her lips and let out a sigh. ¡°Fine, I''ll skip the garlic butter prawns, then.¡± I''m so sad. It''s tough to be a mother! The events unfolding in Katherine''s household remained unknown to Sophia. Alexander had finished cooking. Although he had never attempted two of the dishes before, his culinary skills proved exceptional. The final creations tasted just as delectable as dishes found in restaurants, particrly the garlic butter prawns. Perhaps it had been a long time since Sophia had garlic butter prawns. She found the prawns delicious. In fact, she wished that the prawns were of a bigger portion. Regrettably, Katherine can''t try out the dish. If given the chance, I, as an old friend, would have dly brought a small portion of the exquisite dish to her. s, there''s nothing I can do about this. Katherine''s on a strict diet. Chapter 560 Chapter 560 When Katherine was finally discharged from the hospital, Sophia surprised her with a bouquet of roses. Just yesterday, she had been so annoyed at Sophia for tempting her with garlic butter prawns that she had nned to ignore her friend for three days straight. However, after seeing the delightful bundle of red roses, she knew she couldn''t stay mad anymore. Since it was the third day, Lewinn''s wrinkled skin had smoothened out a lot, making him look so delicate and angelic that Katherine no longer found him an eyesore. Despite having just given birth, Katherine didn''t head to the postpartum care center. In fact, when her pregnancy was first confirmed, Joshua had hired two of the most highly rated postpartum caregivers and a nutritionist to provide the best in-home care. That said, the mansion only had two spare housekeeper rooms, so he was worried about the living arrangements being somewhat cramped. Eventually, Joshua arranged for both caregivers to share a room and even gave each of them an additional five thousand per month as amodation fees. Needless to say, thedies were more than happy to ept the arrangement. It wasn''t Sophia''s first time at Katherine and Joshua''s riverside mansion, but even so, she couldn''t get over how magnificent the views were from the second floor. Well, well, well. Katherine sure knows how to enjoy life, huh? Sophia turned and smiled at Alexander. ¡°Stay and chat with Joshua, will you? I''ll apany Kath to her room for a while.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Alexander replied before letting go of the woman''s hand. Lewinn had already been fed before leaving the hospital, and with the two postpartum caregivers watching over him as he slept, there was simply no need for Katherine or Joshua to be around. Joshua promptly poured Alexander a cup of coffee, but since both men didn''t know each other well and weren''t exactly chatty, silence soon befell the living room. Thankfully, the two of them had long gotten used to sitting infortable silence, and neither seemed to want to break the status quo. Sophia and Katherine, on the other hand, were theplete opposite of their partners. Katherine had always been a chatterbox, and being cooped up in the hospital for five days had nearly driven her stir- crazy. Joshua would dutifully listen to her rattle on about thetest gossip, but as someone who wasn''t fond of tittle-tattle, his reactions were never as animated as Sophia''s. Before her pregnancy, Katherine had had times when she had to go through long working days with little to no sleep. After she got pregnant, however, Joshua treated her like a queen, ensuring she got all the rest and food she needed. The days after giving birth were no exception, either. Katherine had slept so much in the hospital that she had experienced insomnia the night before, prompting Joshua to take pity on her and gave her phone. Although she had had the phone for thirty minutes, it was enough for her to dig out some juicy gossip. She had kept the news to herself the entire morning, and now that Alexander was finally out of sight, she pulled Sophia excitedly to her. ¡°Soph, I caught wind of a gossipst night!¡± Sophia stopped paring her apple and nced at her friend lounging on a couch. ¡°When do you not have gossip to share?¡± The entertainment industry was rife with scandals, and Katherine, as an actress, usually had ess to thetest news in the circle. There was even a small private chat group where she and her fellow actresses would share all sorts of rumors daily. Of course, everyone was sensible and knew better than to spread the gossip to anyone outside their social circle. After all, the news they had was usually very credible and urate. Sophia was nowhere as nosy as Katherine, but even she had to admit the gossip shared could sometimes be hrious and entertaining. ¡°No. This one''s different! We know the person involved in it.¡± ¡°We do? Who?¡± Sophia asked, raising a brow. ¡°Bethany White!¡± For a moment, Sophia was stunned. Oh, my. It has been two years since Ist heard that name... I have almost forgotten about her! She looked up and shot her friend an amused look. ¡°What''s the news?¡± Ha! I''m sure it can''t be anything good. ¡°Word has it that Bethany''s entering the entertainment industry soon! I don''t know the details, but she somehow hooked up with Mr. Loubethon fromary Media.¡± The name Renard Loubethon was familiar to Sophia. After all, Specter Entertainment andary Media had had several coborations in the past. From what she knew of the man, she didn''t think he''d have such poor taste in women. ¡°Renard is better than that. He wouldn''t go for someone like Bethany.¡± ¡°I''m not talking about Renard Loubethon. It''s Zaynard Loubethon.¡± Upon hearing that, Sophia clicked her tongue. ¡°Well, don''t lump them together! Those two men are poles apart.¡± This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°But they''re both Loubethons and fromary Media,¡± Katherine replied with a sheepish smile. Sophia couldn''t help but wince at that. Renard and Zaynard are like night and day, for goodness'' sake! Renard''s the rightful sessor ofary Media, while Zaynard''s just a glorified manager. Their grandfather, Rafael Loubethon, must''ve been off his rocker when he assigned a top management position to Zaynard. Well, the Loubethon family sure has its fair share of drama... Zaynard is the illegitimate son of Renard''s father, which makes him and Renard paternal half-brothers. Their personalities couldn''t be more different. Zaynard has never been one of the good guys. He even tried hitting on Katherine when she first joined the entertainment industry. If I hadn''t gotten Yvonne to contact him and drop him a warning, who knows what he''d have continued to do to Katherine? Well, I can''t say I''m surprised that Bethany has gotten involved with a man like him... Upon seeing how disinterested Sophia was, Katherine continued, ¡°That''s not the best part of the news! It turns out that Bethany gave birth to Zaynard''s son about eight months ago, and Old Mr. Loubethon couldn''t be happier! Zaynard finally seems to be settling down after ying the field for so many years. Since the Loubethons aren''t in Jadeborough, the Whites told everyone that Bethany went abroad to further her studies. The Loubethons didn''t dig deep into the Whites'' family history either. After all, Old Mr. Loubethon is excited to have a great-grandchild, and he''s willing to overlook the fact that the White family isn''t as reputable and prestigious as theirs. He''s nning on weing Bethany into the family.¡± ¡°Now, that''s interesting...¡± Sophia muttered. I guess Bethany has finally fulfilled her dream of marrying into a wealthy family. The Loubethon family is just as illustrious as the Xenos family, and even though Zaynard''s an illegitimate child, Old Mr. Loubethon doesn''t treat him any differently. Why else would he give him a name that rhymes with Renard''s? In other words, whether Zaynard''s mother likes it or not, her son has been formally epted into the Loubethon family. Old Mr. Loubethon has now even allowed Bethany to marry Zaynard for the sake of his great-grandchild... My, my. The White family has shot up the socialdder overnight, huh? ¡°Bethany wanted to break into the entertainment industry, so the Loubethons gave her all the financial help she needed. It''s clear they''re determined to make her the next A-list actress,¡± Katherine scoffed as she nced at Sophia. ¡°However, that''s not all. I heard Bethany has be a lot more arrogant since returning from abroad. It''s only been two months, but she''s made life hell for all the actors and actresses who identally offended her in the past.¡± Sophia curled her lips into a smile. ¡°Okay. What are you getting at?¡± Knowing her friend had seen through her, Katherine couldn''t help but chuckle. ¡°I have a nagging feeling that Bethany will soon be unting her newfound wealth and status to you.¡± Sophia stuffed an apple slice into Katherine''s mouth. ¡°Let her be.¡± She can unt all she wants, but she''ll never be wealthier than me. Chapter 561 Chapter 561 Sophia was now apathetic toward Bethany. Even with Bethany''s constant pretenses and acts previously, she had ignored them all. Had it not been because Bethany had gotten so shameless and insisted on provoking her, she would not have retaliated against the White family. Now that she has returned, she can unt whatever she wants to her heart''s desire. She can''t possibly be thinking of getting up to her same old tricks, can she? Even if she wants to, Alexander wouldn''t be willing, right? Katherine suddenly speared a piece of apple and held it to Sophia''s lips. Sophia dipped her head and looked at Katherine, then opened her mouth and ate the apple. While they chatted, the housekeeper came in with a nutritious soup for Katherine. Joshua had specially hired a nutritionist who was good at cooking delicious soups for postpartum convalescence. There was a different one every day, and that day was tomato soup. Katherine lifted the lid and nced at Sophia. ¡°Want to try some?¡± As the steam wafted toward her, Sophia caught a whiff of what seemed like the smell of tomato. It made her stomach churn, so she shook her head. ¡°No, thanks. You can have it.¡± ¡°The soup this nutritionist makes is quite tasty. Are you sure you don''t want to try some?¡± Katherine narrowed her eyes and eyed Sophia suspiciously. ¡°You and Alexander are preparing to conceive, no?¡± Sophia could not help shooting her a sidelong nce. ¡°You''ve be increasingly shameless.¡± ¡°Hehe! I''ve already given birth to a baby, so it goes without saying that I''ve grown a thicker skin too.¡± Surprisingly, Sophia failed toe up with a retort. She chuckled and said, ¡°Just drink your soup.¡± Katherine took a sip of the soup. It''s even better than the soup yesterday! How is it that Soph doesn''t know how to appreciate such good stuff? Thinking Sophia''s reaction was simply because she had never tasted the nutritionist''s cooking, she spooned up some of the soup and held it right before her friend. A wave of nausea washed over Sophia when she breathed in the smell. She quickly turned away and retched a few times. ¡°No way. Does it smell that bad?¡± Katherine asked, stunned. She looked down, lifted up the bowl of soup, and sniffed at it carefully. ¡°There''s no bad smell. I actually think it smells quite fragrant.¡± Sophia moved a little more to the side so that she was further from Katherine before replying, ¡°Something in it smells gamy.¡± That made Katherine starts to doubt herself. She lowered her head and took another sniff. ¡°There''s nothing. The cook has prepared it quite well. I don''t smell it at all. You''re acting strange, Soph. You''ve never been so picky before.¡± As she was speaking, a thought suddenly urred to her. She stared at Sophia in disbelief. ¡°Soph, are... are you pregnant?¡± Hearing that, Sophia was also stunned. ¡°I... I don''t think I''ve had my period this month.¡± Having known Sophia for so long, Katherine was familiar with her friend''s menstrual cycle. After graduating from university, Sophia would get her period regrly every thirty days between the third to the fifth day of every month, and it had been the same for many years. However, now that it was almost the end of the month and Sophia had not gotten her period yet, Katherine instantly grew excited. ¡°Y-Your period is already half a monthte! You''re usually very regr. Do you want to do a test? I still have the pregnancy test kits I bought previously.¡± She was over the moon. I badly wanted a daughter, but I had a son instead. Now that Sophia''s pregnant, how amazing would it be if she gave me a goddaughter! As the realization dawned on her, Katherine could not care less about drinking the soup anymore. She quickly slipped on her house shoes and ran to get the pregnancy test kits. Sophia was not aware of that. She had merely chalked it up to a disrupted menstrual cycle, although she had no idea what the cause of it could have been. However, now that Katherine had pointed it out, she realized there had been quite a long dy in her period. In truth, Sophia had been thinking of discussing with Alexander about having a baby ever since Katherine had given birth to Lewinn. However, she felt rather shy about it and did not know how to broach the subject with him. But since both of us lead healthy lifestyles and are physically fit, maybe myte period is really because I''m pregnant. Soon, Katherine returned and stuffed two pregnancy test kits into Sophia''s hand. ¡°Quick, go and do the test!¡± ¡°Isn''t it more urate to do it in the morning?¡± Sophia asked in a rare show of embarrassment. I don''t think I can pee on a stick right now. ¡°It has been over half a month, which means you could be forty days pregnant. Technology nowadays is very advanced. It''ll be able to tell if you''re pregnant. Hurry up!¡± ¡°I don''t have the urge to pee...¡± Sophia said while clutching the pregnancy test kits. ¡°Oh! You should''ve said so earlier! Come on. Drink this.¡± As Sophia stared at the tall ss of water and took it helplessly, she could not help thinking she was not a water pipe. It was not as though she would have the urge to empty her dder right after downing the water. ¡°Why do you keep looking at me? Your soup is getting cold. Aren''t you going to finish it?¡± Katherine was buzzing with excitement, but it was true that the soup was going to go cold soon. She picked it up and drank it in one go. Once she had finished it, she asked Sophia, ¡°Well? Do you feel like using the bathroom now?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Do you think I''m a water pipe?¡± Sophia rolled her eyes. Katherine shot her a sheepish grin, then poured her another ss of water. ¡°How about drinking another ss?¡± Sophia ignored her. About ten minutester, she finally got up and went to the bathroom. She was usually able to handle everything that came her way calmly, but when she saw the two lines appear on the test kit, her hands trembled slightly. I''m pregnant. Outside the bathroom, Katherine could not wait any longer. Seeing that Sophia still did note out after a long time, she raised her hand and knocked on the door. ¡°Soph, are you done? Why don''t you let me in first? I¡ª¡± The door opened before she could finish her sentence. Sophia nced at Katherine, then handed her the pregnancy test kit. Katherine quickly took it. Lowering her head to check the results, she nearly jumped up and down with joy. ¡°Oh my gosh! Soph, you''re going to be a mother! Ahh, I''m so happy! I''m going to have a goddaughter!¡± Her response amused Sophia. ¡°How do you know it''ll be a girl?¡± ¡°I don''t care. It has to be a girl! She''s going to be my goddaughter!¡± Although Katherine was over the moon, she knew not to go overboard. ¡°All right, all right. You should hurry up and share the happy news with Alexander, then go to the hospital to check how far along you are and register your pregnancy. Hurry along, now!¡± She pushed Sophia out of the room. Sophia had no choice but to go downstairs with the pregnancy test kit in her hand. Downstairs, Alexander and Joshua would asionally make remarks about the current economic situation. When Alexander saw Sophia, he stopped talking. Joshua also broke off and said, ¡°I''m going up to check on Kath.¡± He nodded to Sophia, then turned and headed upstairs. Sophia and Alexander were the only ones left in the spacious living room, and her heart raced as she approached him. ¡°Alexander, I have some good news to tell you.¡± He lowered his head and gazed at her, lifting a hand to smoothen the hair over her ear. ¡°What is it?¡± Raising her hand, she spread her fingers and held out the pregnancy test kit in the palm of her hand to him. ¡°You''re going to be a father.¡± Chapter 562 Chapter 562 Upon hearing Sophia''s words, Alexander froze. He looked down at the pregnancy test kit in Sophia''s hand that had two lines disyed on it. Alexander knew what that meant. He paused for a moment, seemingly processing the information, and then cautiously embraced Sophia. ¡°Shall we go to the hospital?¡± Sophia raised an eyebrow, looking at Alexander. She was about to ask him why he seemed so unresponsive when she lowered her head and noticed that his hand resting on her waist was trembling. She smiled and nodded slightly. ¡°Okay.¡± Alexander held Sophia''s hand and they left the vi immediately. He drove much slower than usual. Soon, they arrived at the hospital. Sophia had just unbuckled her seatbelt when Alexander had already gotten out of the car and walked around to her side. He extended his hand to assist her. Although he didn''t say anything, Sophia could tell that he was afraid she might get hurt. She didn''t ask him about it and simply let him lead her into the hospital. On the way there, Alexander had already called Felix to make the necessary arrangements. As soon as they entered the hospital, they took the priorityne. Although it was a private hospital, it was quite busy. Nevertheless, since it was owned by the Quail family, the hospital had been notified in advance by Felix of Alexander and Sophia''s arrival. Sophia was taken to have her blood drawn, and after the procedure, they had to wait. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. The hospital expedited the process, and after about half an hour, Sophia received the results of her blood test confirming that she was indeed pregnant. The nurse handed the report to Sophia. ¡°Congrattions, Mr. and Mrs. Xenos. Mrs. Xenos, you''re already thirty-eight days pregnant.¡± Upon hearing this, Sophia nced at Alexander. Alexander was also looking at her, and their eyes met. Sophia smiled slightly and handed the report to him. ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander took the report and leaned down to give her a kiss. ¡°Same to you, Mrs. Xenos.¡± The nurse nced at their faces and couldn''t help but feel envious. With such good-looking parents, their children are sure to be beautiful too. When they left the hospital, it was already after four in the afternoon. The news about Alexander and Sophia''s visit to the hospital quickly reached Justin, who was taken aback upon hearing the pregnancy news. He quickly called Alexander. Alexander and Sophia had just arrived at the mansion. As soon as Alexander parked the car, his phone rang. ncing at the caller ID and seeing Justin''s name, he immediately understood the purpose of the call. Instead of answering the call, he picked up the phone and went upstairs with Sophia first. He poured her a ss of water before saying, ¡°I need to make a call.¡± Sophia nodded and sat on the couch, looking at her test report with uncontroble joy. Since Alexander did not pick up, Justin decided not to call again. To his surprise, Alexander returned his call. Seeing Alexander''s name on the phone screen, Justin raised an eyebrow and answered, ¡°Alex?¡± ¡°It''s me,¡± Alexander replied, then went straight to the point. ¡°Sophia''s pregnant.¡± ¡°Congrattions,¡± Justin said. After a brief pause, he couldn''t help but ask, ¡°But I thought you didn''t like children?¡± The fact that Alexander disliked children was known to their group of friends. It was unclear whether he genuinely didn''t like them or simply didn''t want to have any due to his unfavorable upbringing when he was a child. Zachary''s infidelity had affected Alexander''s perception of a warm and happy family, which hecked. When Alexander and Sophia got married for the first time, they had already asked Alexander about it. Even if he didn''t like Sophia, he had already married her, and since he didn''t n to find someone else and there was still a long future ahead, they had suggested that he had a child with Sophia. Samuel had been the one who asked that question. For people like them, getting married was optional, but having a child was a must. Without a child, who would inherit their vast family fortune? At that time, Alexander had simply said, ¡°I don''t like kids.¡± He didn''t exin why. He had just stated his dislike for them. However, the few people present could tell from Alexander''s expression that he was very unhappy when he said those words. Charles had a younger cousin who was particrly fond of him. One time, Charles had brought this particr cousin along, who was an adorable little girl of just three years old. At one point, the little girl had somehow asked Alexander, the one who had the worst temper, to hug her out of all the people present. Such a cute little girl would soften anyone''s heart. However, Alexander had just nced at Charles and walked away. Charles'' cousin had burst into tears on the spot, and Samuel had said that Alexander had gone too far. At that time, Alexander didn''t say anything in response. He just held a ss of red wine, sat at the bar, and remained silent for a long time before finally saying, ¡°Children are really annoying.¡± Samuel asked, ¡°If you dislike children so much, what about your own children in the future?¡± Alexander''s face immediately turned cold, and he replied, ¡°I won''t have children!¡± Yet, after just four or five years, Sophia got pregnant. Upon hearing Justin''s words, Alexander fell silent for a moment and ultimately didn''t answer the question. He said, ¡°Let''s not make it public for now.¡± Justin wasn''t as shameless as Samuel. When he saw that Alexander didn''t say anything in response to his question, he didn''t continue to ask. He replied, ¡°Don''t worry. It''s better for you both to announce it personally anyway.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°You''re wee.¡± After hanging up the phone, Alexander turned to look inside the house. Sophia was looking at the report in her hand with a gentle smile on her face. Alexander believed that Sophia would be a great mother. However, it was hard to say whether he would be a qualified father or not. He truly didn''t like children. When Kristen entered the Xenos family, Thalia and Leonard were just over three years old. The age difference between him and them was just five and a half years. It honestly wasn''t that big. The newly arrived Thalia and Leonard didn''t think much about it, and they even liked spending time around him. However, he didn''t like them at all because not only would they follow him around, but they would also cling to Zachary and call him Daddy in their childlike voices, which was annoying to him. Later on, he watched the family of four live harmoniously, and he grew to dislike children even more, especially those who acted coy. However, Sophia was pregnant now, and he was going to be a father. Alexander wasn''t as happy as he had imagined because in the near future, there would be a child who would share Sophia''s love, and he would no longer be Sophia''s sole focus. Chapter 563 Chapter 563 Sophia''s pregnancy was not something the couple wanted to announce publicly yet. After all, the first three months of pregnancy were the most unstable, and Perrin couldn''t handle any stress due to his old age. It was better to wait until the pregnancy was stable before they told Perrin. Moreover, both Sophia and Alexander were celebrities in Jadeborough, and if news of Sophia''s pregnancy got out, there was no telling what schemes others might cook up. Currently, there weren''t many people who knew about Sophia''s pregnancy. Justin had received instructions from Alexander and naturally wouldn''t mention it to Samuel and the others. Although Katherine loved to gossip and would sometimes let things slip, she had been confined to her home for the past few days and didn''t have the opportunity to chat with anyone. As for online conversations, Katherine knew how to restrain herself. After learning about Sophia''s pregnancy, Alexander instructed the wedding nner to postpone the wedding to January next year. They would hold the wedding once Sophia was past her first trimester. Fortunately, the wedding invitations hadn''t been sent out yet, and the date had only been privately decided by Alexander and Sophia themselves. Thus, whether it was brought forward or postponed, only the two of them knew. Although Sophia was pregnant, her health remained excellent, and apart from a slight increase in sensitivity and aversion toward specific foods, particrly those with strong meat or fishy smell, there was no discernible change in her usual appetite. That day, there was a business meeting. Sophia hadn''t appeared at Sunshine Group for a long time. The business meeting was very important, with influential figures attending. Yvonne couldn''t handle the meeting by herself, so Sophia had to show up. The lunch was at Golden Sun, and Alexander drove Sophia there. Yvonne was one of the few people who knew about Sophia''s pregnancy. Since Sophia had to appear at the business meeting that day, Yvonne had been waiting at the entrance of Golden Sun. Sophia got out of the car and nced at Alexander. She smiled at him and asked, ¡°Are you going back home for lunch?¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°No. I made ns with Samuel,¡± Alexander replied, then held Sophia''s hand. ¡°I''ll escort you to the private room.¡± Sophia said awkwardly, ¡°Ms. Leighton is already here.¡± Alexander nced at Yvonne, who was quick to understand the situation. She knowingly walked inside first. ¡°She''s gone,¡± Alexander said. Sophia gave him a sidelong nce and huffed softly before following him inside. Alexander sent Sophia to the entrance of the private room and then went into the adjacent one himself. Samuel had already arrived, and the spacious private room was only upied by the two of them. Even Samuel, who came from a wealthy background, felt it was a bit extravagant. ¡°Alex, it''s just the two of us?¡± Alexander, who had just sat down, gave him a sidelong nce. ¡°Who else do you want to be here?¡± Samuel flipped through the menu and said, ¡°If it''s just the two of us, we could have gone to a smaller private room. This one is too big. It''s such a waste!¡± Without lifting his head, Alexander simply said, ¡°Sophia is having a business meeting next door.¡± Samuel was rendered speechless. Once again, he was treated to a public disy of affection without warning. Meanwhile, in the adjacent private room, Sophia had just sat down when the other party arrived. The other party must have found out that Sophia didn''t like alcohol at her table, so there was no wine at the entire dinner gathering. The conversation between both parties was very pleasant. It was a meal thatsted about an hour, and Yvonne personally went to see off the other party at the end. Just as Sophia walked out of the private room, she saw Alexander and was momentarily taken aback. ¡°You''re done too?¡± She had nned to take a walk downstairs, chat with Yvonne for a while about recent matters at Sunshine Group, and let Alexander and Samuel talk a bit longer. She didn''t expect to see Alexander as soon as she walked out of the private room. ¡°Yeah. Samuel has something else to attend to.¡± Samuel, who actually had nothing to attend to, had juste out of the private room when he heard Alexander''s words. He was dumbfounded when he heard the lie. I just asked him if he wanted to have afternoon tea and y a round of golf together, and now he''s saying I have something else to attend to? Seeing Samuel, Sophia smiled faintly. ¡°Mr. Schild.¡± Samuel nodded. ¡°I have something to attend to, so I''ll leave you guys alone.¡± After saying that, he gave Alexander a meaningful look. Sophia chuckled. ¡°Did you offend Mr. Schild?¡± Alexander casually raised an eyebrow. ¡°No. Don''t worry about him.¡± As he said that, he took Sophia''s hand. ¡°Would you like to y golf in the afternoon?¡± If Samuel heard that, he would probably start a fight with Alexander right then and there. Sophia thought for a moment. The weather''s nice today. ¡°Sure.¡± After leaving Golden Sun, the two of them went straight to the golf course. It was a coincidence that a few days ago Katherine had mentioned that Bethany had made a high-profileeback. And that afternoon, Sophia and Alexander ran into Bethany at the golf course. They hadn''t seen each other for over a year, and Bethany seemed to have be more beautiful. Sophia sized Bethany up. She smiled faintly and didn''t speak first. Bethany was dressed in a very casual manner. She wore white sportswear, and her hair was styled in a fishtail braid, which gave her a gentle appearance. She had spent over a year abroad, and the first thing she did when she returned home was to find out about the rtionship between Alexander and Sophia. As she had expected, the two of them had gotten back together. Having spent a year and a half abroad and returned to Jadeborough in a high-profile manner, she wanted to show Sophia how well she was doing. The other reason was that she wanted to restore the White family. However, Bethany hadn''t achieved much in the entertainment industry yet, and she didn''t expect to encounter Sophia and Alexander so soon after returning to the country. A myriad of emotions brewed with her. When she looked at Sophia''s faint smile, she felt as if she was mocking her for overestimating herself. ¡°It''s been a while, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Bethany deliberately didn''t address Sophia as Mrs. Xenos because she thought it would irritate her. Sophia replied, ¡°It''s been a while, Ms. White. You''ve be more beautiful.¡± Bethany felt a little proud. She had undergone some minor cosmetic surgery during her time abroad, and it wasn''t easy to notice unless one looked closely. ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Ms. Yarrow. On the contrary, you don''t look so good.¡± Sophia looked at her calmly. ¡°Is that so? Is your eyesight getting worse, Ms. White?¡± Bethany didn''t understand why Sophia had suddenly asked that. ¡°My eyesight is perfect.¡± Sophia smirked. ¡°Oh, so your eyesight is perfect. I thought it had worsened to the point that you couldn''t see clearly.¡± ¡°Bethany.¡± At that moment, a young man walked over, and his expression changed slightly when he saw Sophia. The smile on Sophia''s face faded a bit, and Alexander, who had been silent all along, spoke up. ¡°It''s too hot here. Let''s go over there.¡± He held Sophia''s hand and walked in another direction. The entire time, he didn''t even look at Bethany. However, Zaynard didn''t like that Sophia was leaving. ¡°Sophia, I haven''t seen you in a long time. Don''t you want to catch up?¡± As he spoke, he pulled Bethany close and caught up with Sophia and Alexander. Alexander''s gaze turned cold as he looked at Zaynard. ¡°Mr. Zaynard, we haven''t seen each other in a long time either. Shall we catch up too?¡± Zaynard was taken aback by Alexander''s retort. He didn''t dare provoke him, so he stopped following them. Chapter 564 Chapter 564 Bethany looked at the retreating figures of Sophia and Alexander, and when she turned around, she noticed that Zaynard was also looking at them. Her expression contorted slightly. She quickly reached out and took Zaynard''s hand, asking tentatively, ¡°Zaydie, you know her?¡± Upon hearing Bethany''s voice, Zaynard withdrew his gaze and turned to Bethany. ¡°Don''t you know who she is?¡± He snorted. ¡°Everyone knows who she is. She''s the famous Mrs. Xenos.¡± Bethany could sense the implications behind his words, but she chose to continue feigning ignorance. ¡°You said you hadn''t seen her in a while, so I assumed you two were close friends.¡± Zaynard looked at Bethany and pinched her cheek. ¡°That''s because I used to pursue Sophia. Are you jealous?¡± From the moment Bethany first approached Zaynard, she had already developed an understanding of him. In fact, she had worked hard to reach the position she was in today. Upon hearing Zaynard''s words, most women would either openly admit to feeling jealous or deny it while disying obvious signs of jealousy through their behavior. Over the years, Zaynard had been involved with countless women, almost a hundred if not more. Bethany knew that if she were to act in that way, Zaynard would soon lose interest in her. She smiled and said, ¡°Isn''t it normal for me to feel jealous? But, Zaydie, I believe you should also learn about my past.¡± Given the significant attention her matter with Alexander had attracted in Jadeborough, Zaynard was naturally aware of it. As soon as Bethany uttered those words, Zaynard forcefully grabbed her face and bit her cheek hard. ¡°You''ll be in deep trouble if you dare cheat on me, Bethany.¡± ¡°Same goes to you,¡± Bethany responded. Zaynard nced once more at Sophia''s retreating figure. By now, Sophia and Alexander were already quite far away, and he could no longer make out their silhouettes from the distance. He had long understood theplexities of a woman''s mind, having seen through them when he was just twenty-five years old. However, after fooling around with women for years, Zaynard felt it was time for him to settle down. Bethany was lucky to have given Zaynard a son, bringing great joy to Rafael. This newfound happiness was evident in Rafael''s improved attitude toward Zaynard. Zaynard knew he had to put on an act in front of Bethany, but it was all for the sake of their son. Meanwhile, Sophia remained oblivious to the fact that Zaynard and Bethany were merely acting. She held a negative impression of Zaynard, believing that if it were not for Rafael''s senility, he would have continued to be a good-for-nothing for the rest of his life. It''s quite surprising to witness how Bethany managed to tame a womanizer like Zaynard and bear him a son. During our earlier encounter, Bethany seemed quite nervous when she looked at me... ¡°What''s on your mind?¡± Alexander handed her a bottle of water. Sophia regained her senses and gave him a smile. ¡°Just wondering if Ms. White still has feelings for you.¡± Upon hearing that, Alexander could not help but recall the past. Without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms and said, ¡°I never had anything to do with her.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Sophia smiled, lowering her head to take a sip of water. ¡°That''s precisely why I''m curious if she still has feelings for you, not the other way around.¡± Alexander knew she was doing it on purpose. A rare hint of amusement shed across his dark eyes. ¡°That''s her problem.¡± ¡°Are you sure you can resist her charm?¡± ¡°I can''t resist yours, that''s for sure.¡± A cool breeze blew by, and Alexander lifted his hand to brush aside a strand of hair from Sophia''s cheek. Sophia caught the implication in his words, and her face blushed slightly. It had indeed been a long time since the two of them had yed golf. Sophia had not visited such a recreational facility since Alexander had an identst year. Since it had also been a while since shest held a golf club, her first shot did not go into the hole. Nevertheless, as someone with some foundation in golf, Sophia soon picked up the moment in the sport. Recalling the previous bet she had made with Samuel, she asked Alexander, ¡°Let''s have a match, shall we?¡± ¡°Are there any rewards for winning?¡± Alexander turned to face her, the indifference on his face fading under the sun, and he appeared more refined and gentle. After contemting for a moment, Sophia asked, ¡°Do you have any suggestions?¡± Alexander gazed at her without reservation. ¡°If I win, you''ll have to call me Hubby from now on.¡± After a short pause, he continued, ¡°If you win, I''ll call you Darling from now on.¡± ¡°No matter how you put it, you''re the one who will ultimately benefit from this match.¡± Sophia chuckled at his yful remark. What difference will it make since he asionally calls me his darling? Sensing her hesitation, Alexander made a slight adjustment. ¡°If you win the match, you can make a request, and I''ll do it.¡± Sophia looked at him, raising her brows. ¡°Any request?¡± ¡°Yes, any request.¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. ¡°Great.¡± Sophia had not decided on what she wanted him to do, but she was not in a rush. After all, they had a long future ahead of them. Half an hourter, Sophia watched as Alexander''s final shot slowly went into the hole. She smiled and said, ¡°Fine, I ept my defeat.¡± Just as she finished speaking, Alexander was already standing in front of her. ¡°You ept your defeat, huh, Darling?¡± Sophia''s face blushed slightly as she met his dark gaze. She pursed her lips and called out, ¡°Hubby.¡± Sophia looked away. I guess I can get used to calling him that even though I''m still a little shy. ¡°What would you like to have for dinner, Darling?¡± He seemed to have developed an obsession with calling her that. Sophia''s ears turned red. ¡°I don''t have anything particr in mind.¡± ¡°How about a private dining ce?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The two of them spent around two hours at the golf course until it was past six in the evening. They then headed to the private dining ce arranged by Felix. Sophia could not help but acknowledge Felix, Alexander''s secretary, for being just as thoughtful as Yvonne. The dishes he ordered not only catered to Alexander''s pte but also included Sophia''s favorites. The private dining ce was not located in the city center but was a renovated private residence. The environment was excellent, and even the restroom was elegantly designed. Sophia cast a quick nce at herself in the mirror and noticed that most of her light makeup had faded. However, she did not feel inclined to touch it up. After wiping her hands with a tissue, she discarded it in the trash bin nearby and turned to leave the restroom. Just a few steps after walking out of the restroom, she identally bumped into someone. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± As the woman who was looking down and ying with her phone walked toward Sophia, Sophia, who had juste out of the restroom, was captivated by a painting on a wall. She did not react in time and ended up colliding with the woman. They were both at fault, but since Sophia did not want to dwell on such a minor matter, she took the initiative to apologize first. However, the other person was not willing to let it slide so easily. Looking up at Sophia, she snapped, ¡°Are you blind? You crashed into me like that, and you think a simple apology is sufficient? You''ve hurt me!¡± Sophia raised her eyebrows. ¡°If you hadn''t been looking down at your phone, I don''t think I would have bumped into you.¡± Chapter 565 Chapter 565 ¡°So, you''re saying that you bumped into me, but it''s my fault?¡± The woman was riled up. Sophia arched her brow. ¡°I didn''t mean that.¡± ¡°Then what''s with your current attitude? Is this how you apologize?¡± The woman spoke so loudly that it attracted the attention of the people inside the restroom. An older woman stepped forward to defuse the situation. ¡°Calm down, youngdy. idents happen. A simple apology will do.¡± Unexpectedly, due to the older woman''s intervention, that woman became even more arrogant. ¡°She bumped into me first and didn''t apologize. And now she''s ming me, saying she wouldn''t have collided with me if I hadn''t been on my phone. Will all of you take a look at what kind of person she is, having a decent appearance butcking in manners? It''s not as if I''m making an outrageous demand. All I want is for her to apologize to me properly because I got hurt.¡± The woman sounded more aggrieved as she rambled on. The older woman nced at Sophia, then at the woman. In the end, she walked up to Sophia and said, ¡°My dear, just apologize to her. It''s not a big deal.¡± Sophia curled her lips and smiled at the older woman. ¡°I did apologize.¡± Then, she shot an amused look at the woman and added, ¡°But if you aren''t satisfied, I''ll apologize again, Miss. I''m sorry for bumping into you.¡± ¡°Ah, look at that. She''s apologized so sincerely. That''s enough. We can forget all about this now. There are so many people watching here. It''s embarrassing,¡± the older woman said. Sophia remained silent and merely stared at the other woman with a half-smile. The woman, Charlotte Brooks, felt inexplicably guilty under Sophia''s gaze. ¡°Fine. I''m not an unforgiving person.¡± The smile on Sophia''s face widened after she heard that response. At that moment, Alexander arrived. After paying the bill, he had been waiting outside for some time. When he saw that Sophia hadn''te out after so long, he hastened over, fearing something bad might''ve happened to her. From afar, he saw several people standing in the corridor outside the women''s restroom. Before he even got close, he heard Sophia apologizing. He frowned and strode up to her. ¡°What''s the matter?¡± Sophia smiled at the sight of him approaching. ¡°It''s nothing. I identally bumped into thisdy. I apologized earlier, but she didn''t hear me clearly, so I just repeated it.¡± Sophia maintained a neutral tone, indifferently recounting what had happened. Charlotte, on the other hand, felt guilty. She nced at Alexander and Sophia. ¡°My boyfriend is waiting for me. I shall take my leave now.¡± With that, she turned around and left, seemingly forgetting why she hade to the restroom in the first ce. Watching Charlotte scurrying away, Sophia couldn''t help but click her tongue. ¡°Did she give you a hard time?¡± Alexander asked as he held Sophia''s hand. ¡°It''s not a big deal, but thatdy seemed to have a problem with me.¡± This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Sophia wondered why a chance encounter would lead to such animosity. Soon, she would find out why. Charlotte walked briskly for about ten seconds until she couldn''t see Sophia and Alexander anymore before she let out a sigh of relief. She had met Heathst month. Heath was wealthy and influential, so Charlotte started going out with him after he made a couple of advances to her. Strictly speaking, their rtionship couldn''t be considered a typical romantic one. The two were more like friends with benefits. Their interactions in and out of bed differed significantly. Charlotte wasn''t satisfied with that arrangement. After all, given how prestigious the Barker family was, she wouldn''t have to struggle to survive if she could marry Heath. She had asked around and found out that Heath frequently changed his partner, and for now, she was the only girl he was seeing. Charlotte aimed to win his affection. She had proactively sought him out a few times, and he hadn''t refused her. The night before, after they had been intimate, Heath had gone to take a shower. When his phone lit up, Charlotte picked up the device and noticed his wallpaper was the side profile of a woman. The picture was quite well-captured. Charlotte had thought that photo was just some random image from the inte. However, being a suspicious person, she decided to take a picture of the image and searched it online while Heath was showering. Soon, she found photos of Sophia. That image wasn''t from the inte. Instead, it was a photo of Sophia Heath had taken himself. Charlotte was acquainted with Heath''s cousin, Shiloh. Shiloh had mentioned Heath to her on several asions, warning her about his character being worse than his unfaithful mien. Shiloh told me Heath was heartless. In that case, why would a heartless man set a woman''s picture as his phone wallpaper? That was a question she could neither ask Heath nor anyone else. Nevertheless, as a normal woman, Charlotte could easily fathom why Heath had set Sophia''s picture as his wallpaper. When she discovered the person who knocked her was Sophia, inexplicable rage surged within her. Although Charlotte knew Sophia was married, not to mention to a man as formidable as Alexander, she still couldn''t contain herself. Jealousy could burn away everyst bit of a person''s rationality. It wasn''t as if Charlotte was madly in love with Heath; she simply felt inferior and recognized her inability topete with Sophia. Moreover, someone as stonyhearted as Heath had incredulously used Sophia''s picture as his phone wallpaper. That alone was already a clear indication of Heath''s feelings. If the older woman hadn''t stepped in to mediate earlier, Charlotte wouldn''t have wanted to let that matter slide so easily. However, because she felt guilty, she chickened out when noticing Alexander''s advent. ¡°Can we leave now?¡± Heath lifted his gaze when he saw that Charlotte had returned. She nodded and beamed at him. ¡°Yes.¡± She took the initiative to approach Heath and wrapped her arms around his when he got to his feet. Seeing that, Heath looked down at her. He had never rejected those who willingly offered themselves to him and were pleasing to his eyes. Naturally, he was quite picky. The reason Charlotte could attract him was because her lips resembled Sophia''s. Since he couldn''t kiss Sophia, he decided to find a substitute for the time being. Seeing that Heath didn''t reject her, Charlotte grinned even more brightly. The two, preupied with their own thoughts, left the private room. When they reached the lobby, they happened to run into Sophia and Alexander, who were descending another staircase. Charlotte''s expression stiffened when she saw Sophia. Heath''s eyes gleamed as he immediately raised his hand to pry away Charlotte''s arms linked around his. He walked up to Sophia and Alexander and said, ¡°What a coincidence, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Heath''s gaze was focused on Sophia. Hepletely disregarded Alexander''s presence. Sophia nced at him indifferently before ultimately resting her gaze on Charlotte, who was standing behind him. ¡°I get it now. So, you''re Mr. Barker''s girlfriend.¡± Sophia''s profoundment prompted Heath to turn around and look at Charlotte. ¡°You know Charlotte Brooks?¡± ¡°Not really. We stumbled across each other in the restroom earlier and even had a small misunderstanding. Are you all right, Ms. Brooks? Does your shoulder still hurt?¡± Despite Sophia''s amicable tone, her question caused Charlotte''s face to stiffen. Chapter 566 Chapter 566 Noticing the expression on Charlotte''s face, Sophia lifted the corners of her lips into a smile. ¡°I didn''t know you were Mr. Barker''s friend. I apologize for the offense earlier. Ms. Brooks, you said I hurt your shoulder. Let''s get it examined at the hospital.¡± Sophia was not a petty person, but neither was she a generous person. Even though it was a minor issue, she thought Charlotte was too overbearing. It turns out the two of them know each other. And it seems that they''re pretty close too. Sophia figured out why Charlotte was targeting her. Tsk! I don''t like being targeted at. As much as Sophia did not have a good impression of Heath, she reckoned she could use him to exact her revenge. Charlotte was, after all, his friend. ¡°Let''s go.¡± She turned to look at Alexander. Alexander gave Heath a cold nce, then swept his gaze toward Charlotte before holding Sophia''s hand and leaving with her. Heath turned around and stared at Sophia''s back. He only retracted his gaze after a while and looked at Charlotte with a half-smile. ¡°It seems that you understand me quite well.¡± Charlotte felt her heart skip a beat. Anxiety began to fill her, but she dared not make it obvious and instead put on a smile on her face. ¡°I don''t quite understand what you mean, Mr. Barker.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Heath let out a snort, and his expression turned wintry. ¡°Why didn''t you find out what I dislike the most while you were trying to find out what I like?¡± As he spoke, his face grew even darker. ¡°It''s gettingte. You should go now. I have things to do, so I won''t be sending you back.¡± He then pulled a card from his wallet and gave it to her. ¡°There''s more than three million inside. Take this.¡± Charlotte could not hold it back any longer when she heard that. Colors drained out of her face. ¡°Mr. Barker, what do you mean by this? I don''t get it.¡± She pursed her lips and stared at that card with a grimace. Three million is indeed arge sum, but the Barker family is definitely worth more than that. What Charlotte wanted was not just a mere three million. Yet, Heath was trying to dismiss her with that sum. Dissatisfied, Charlotte did not ept the card, and instead, she asked, ¡°Mr. Barker, what did I do wrong? I can change. Please give me another chance.¡± In truth, Heath was used to the antics Charlotte pulled. He reacted as though he was waiting to watch a good show. ¡°Do you know what I like about you, Charlotte?¡± That question left Charlotte slightly stumped. Thinking that Heath had changed his mind, she quickly smiled and answered, ¡°I don''t know.¡± A smirk broke out on Heath''s face as he fixed his gaze on her. He leaned over, raised her chin, andN?velDrama.Org ? 2024. pressed his finger on her lips. ¡°I like this part of yours.¡± Pausing briefly, he added, ¡°Because it resembles hers the most.¡± Even without Heath explicitly stating who the ¡°her¡± was, Charlotte knew who he was talking about. How ruthless he is. Charlotte stared at Heath in disbelief. It was beyond her imagination that she had all along been a substitute. ¡°Y-You''re kidding, right?¡± Losing all his patience, Heath shoved the card into her hand. ¡°I''d advise you to ept this card. Or else, all the efforts you put in will go to waste.¡± She wants to be a member of the Barker family, huh? Does she not know her ce? Charlotte did not dare say anything further. With a pale face, she stood rooted to the spot and watched as Heath''s figure disappeared into the distance. She could not muster the courage to chase after the man because she knew her intentions had all beenid bare for him to see. Of course, Sophia would never expect Heath to dump Charlotte just like that. Then again, she would not feel a hint of guilt even if she thought of it. Essentially, Sophia was only using someone else to do her dirty work. After all, Charlotte had also taken her anger out on her because of Heath. She was merely giving Charlotte a taste of her own medicine. ¡°Heath is no good person,¡± Alexander said frostily upon getting into the car. Leaning back against the seat, Sophia tilted her head to face the man and chuckled. ¡°Are you jealous?¡± The moonlight outside was bright, and the warm yellow light in the car made Alexander''s face look a lot more gentle. ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded in acknowledgment. Sophia was embarrassed. ¡°Whether he''s a good person or not has nothing to do with me.¡± The scowl on Alexander''s face eased a little. Nheless, he was still not satisfied. ¡°Remember to take a detour if you run into him next time.¡± ¡°Okay. If the space allows me to.¡± Only then did Alexander retract his gaze in satisfaction and drive away. In the blink of an eye, one week had passed. Even though Sophia had left Yvonne to handle all matters of Sunshine Group, she still had to show up personally for some acquisition project negotiations. During this period, Alexander also returned to Odyssey. Seeing that he was finally back, Felix almost hugged him while grumbling about the troubles he had faced all this while. Since Sophia and Alexander both had matters to deal with, Alexander headed to Odyssey for a meeting immediately after sending her to Sunshine Group that day. Sophia''s trip to Sunshine Group was for a meeting regarding an acquisition. Yvonne had already sent Sophia the information to read prior. It was an old cosmeticspany that tried to transform five years ago to salvage the brand but unfortunately failed to find a breakthrough. Thepany had been doing worse one year after another and was in a terrible state this year. The founder''s son thus approached Sunshine Group, hoping to sell off thepany, then use the money to repay some debts before migrating with his family. Sophia had looked through the business valuation of thepany. This brand is rtively well-known and has a pretty good reputation. Sadly, it''s suffering losses because it''sgging behind its counterparts in the market with its business philosophy and products. To resurrect the brand, there''s a need to pump in arge sum of money for aprehensive transformation. Sophia had intentions to invest in cosmetics brands for the past two years. If anything, thispany seemed toe at the right time. Thepany asked for four and a half billion, but Sunshine Group is only nning to fork out four billion. Then again, the final price would be neither of them. That''s what business negotiations are like, anyway. My ideal price would be four billion two hundred million. But it''s not impossible for us to give in half a billion too. While she was lost in her thoughts, Yvonne led some people in. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, this is Mr. Lancaster and his secretary, Ms. Brooks.¡± At the sight of Charlotte, Sophia narrowed her eyes. She then smiled at Manuel Lancaster and said, ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Lancaster.¡± What a coincidence. We just met not long ago, and now we meet again. Sophia looked at Charlotte and greeted her with a half-smile, ¡°Ms. Brooks, we meet again.¡± Charlotte had never expected that Sophia would turn up for the discussion personally. When she thought of what had happened previously, her expression sank drastically. Chapter 567 Chapter 567 What a small world. Manuel thought Charlotte and Sophia were friends when he heard them greet each other. His smile grew wider as he said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, you and Charlotte know each other?¡± Charlotte''s expression turned grim when she heard that. Heath had broken up with her after that day. She had gone to look for him many times after that because she could not ept reality. However, she could not find him. She had no choice but to ept her fate and take the three million to look for her next target. Charlotte had been working at Blueshadow for three years, and Manuel was satisfied with her. Manuel had always been generous to his subordinates. If their negotiation for the acquisition were a sess, Charlotte would receive a hefty amount of severance pay. However, if the negotiation ended badly, not only would she not get any severance pay, but it would also be difficult for her to find work in the industry if Manuel found out she was the reason the negotiation failed. Charlotte had already lost Heath. Now that it was clear to her that she no longer had a wealthy partner, she could not bear to lose her job. Otherwise, she could not meet better and more outstanding men. Because of that, she had no idea how to respond to such a situation. The incident from the other day could not be considered a big deal, but it all depended on Sophia''s reaction. Manuel turned to look at Charlotte. ¡°Charlotte, are you friends with Ms. Yarrow? I''ve never heard you mention it. I didn''t know you knew Ms. Yarrow.¡± Charlotte could not find it in herself to smile in this situation. She nced at Manuel and replied, ¡°Yes, we''re friends.¡± However, Sophia had a different answer. She chuckled and said, ¡°Please don''t misunderstand, Mr. Lancaster. Ms. Brooks and I have only met once. We can''t be considered friends.¡± Manuel and Charlotte immediately turned pale when they heard that. Manuel was in his forties and had been in the industry for almost twenty years. It was impossible for him not to understand the hidden meaning behind Sophia''s words. Charlotte had never received such a fast public humiliation. She had just admitted that she and Sophia were friends, but thetter had immediately denied it, saying that they were not considered friends. In an instant, the atmosphere turned awkward. However, Sophia pretended not to notice the tension in the air. She smiled and nced at Yvonne. Yvonne nodded in understanding. ¡°Mr. Lancaster, Ms. Yarrow is rather busy. It''s best if we get down to business right away.¡± Coincidentally, the speaker for today was Charlotte. After such an awkward start, Charlotte struggled to keep a professional smile as she stood at the podium. The word ¡°chaos¡± could be used to describe the entire presentation. Before Sophia could voice her opinions, Manuel stared at Charlotte icily and said, ¡°Charlotte, what''s wrong with you today? You should''ve let me know if you weren''t feeling well. Why are you acting tough?¡± After saying that, Manuel quickly turned to look at Sophia apologetically. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I must apologize for the unsatisfactory presentation. Charlotte is sick today, so she''s slow to respond and not speaking as eloquently. How about we have Ms. Capwell exin it to you once more?¡± The corners of Sophia''s lips curved into a smile as she nced at Charlotte before turning to look at Manuel. ¡°Ms. Brooks indeed doesn''t look too well. Her tongue is not as sharp as the other day. The presentation was quite messy, but I got the gist of it. After all, she was speaking in Chanaean. Mr. Lancaster, I don''t have much time, so there''s no need to switch to a different presenter.¡± Sophia rejected Manuel''s request and turned to look at Charlotte. She held out her hand and said, ¡°Please continue, Ms. Brooks.¡± Manuel had just reprimanded Charlotte in front of so many people. When Sophia asked her to continue, her presentation only worsened because of the embarrassment she felt. Manuel''s face was as ck as thunder, but he had no choice but to endure it. After all, Sophia had rejected his request to change presenters. Whether it was Charlotte or Manuel, those ten minutes left in the presentation were agonizing. When she finally finished, Charlotte nced at Sophia. She froze when she noticed the half-smile on Sophia''s face. In a panic, she scrambled to gather her notes, almost falling onto the floor in the process. Yvonne reached out to support Charlotte while thetter nced at Sophia. For a while, Charlotte wondered if it was a good idea for Sophia''s secretary to help her. Charlotte was in despair as she returned to her seat. She dared not look at Manuel, who was seated beside her. Neither party in the conference room spoke. Awkwardness and tension filled the air. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Of course, those feelings only applied to the people from Blueshadow. Sophia did not speak first simply because she wanted the other party to start the conversation. In reality, Sophia had no intention of doing anything to Charlotte. After all, the incident from the other day was a small matter, and many days had passed. She had considered it even after speaking to Heath that night. Sophia had asserted dominance at the start of the presentation because she wanted to lower the acquisition price to an amount that she was satisfied with. Now it seemed that the people from Blueshadow were indeed a bit weak-minded. Manuel mustered his courage to break the silence and said, ¡°Ms. Yarrow, as you can see, Charlotte has provided a summary of the situation. How about¡ª¡± Sophia did not hold back either. She interrupted Manuel and brought up the issues in Blueshadow that Charlotte had mentioned and gave Manuel one final blow by saying, ¡°Mr. Lancaster, based on what I know, Blueshadow''s current situation is far worse and chaotic than what you have presented. Ms. Leighton learned that Blueshadow''s revenue has declined over the past two years. Apart from the issues that Ms. Brooks has mentioned, such as slow updates of products and inability to adapt to the market trends, there is another crucial point that I''d like to draw your attention to. Three years ago, a batch of face cream manufactured by yourpany caused serious allergy problems. I don''t quite agree with how yourpany handled that issue.¡± Manuel could not find the words to refute Sophia. ¡°Ms. Yarrow, what are you trying to say?¡± Sophia smiled. ¡°Four billion.¡± She paused momentarily before continuing, ¡°Mr. Lancaster, I believe the company deserves this price. Blueshadow is a well-known brand, but its reputation has been destroyed because of the incident from three years ago. We would need to invest arge sum of money and manpower to help you restore Blueshadow to its former glory. Apart from that, in the property list that yourpany has given us, many expensive machines are at the end of their useful life. We would need to fork up another big amount to rece these machines. I''m sure you know that, right?¡± She then cast Charlotte a nce. ¡°This is the most sincere price I can give you for the sake of Ms. Brooks. Mr. Lancaster, it''s fine if you think Sunshine Group has given you a low price. We''ll have other chances to coborate in the future.¡± At that point, Blueshadow no longer had the right to decide. Manuel knew that Sophia was right. Although Prosperity Enterprise could give him a much more eptable price, Blueshadow would end up being destroyed in their hands. On the other hand, he would happily give in to Sunshine Group because they were willing to keep the brand name ¡°Blueshadow.¡± Chapter 568 Chapter 568 Sophia had always been good at winning people''s hearts. She gave the other party time to think about it and drawled, ¡°Mr. Lancaster, you don''t need to rush to make a decision. After all, this is something huge. I''ll give you three days to mull it over. If you decide to coborate with us after that, I''ll be waiting for you at Sunshine Group. Of course, it''s also okay if you''re unsatisfied with the price. Business deals are all about mutual agreement. It cannot be forced.¡± Sophia''s words made it seem as though she was taking a step back and allowing Manuel enough time and space to consider things. However, after what had just happened, Sophia''s words seemed to have a different meaning to Manuel. He thought she was implying something with those words. Business deals are all about mutual agreement. However, it seems that she disagrees with the acquisition now. Naturally, he was aware of the reason why. He nced at Charlotte, who was beside him. His expression turned grim. He was upset to hear that the price Sophia offered had a difference of five hundred million from what he had expected. He turned to look at Sophia. It was obvious that she would not be any more lenient with the price. He had only two choices: to sign the contract today or lose the chance to coborate with Sophia. ¡°I believe in you, Ms. Yarrow. I''ll agree to four billion, but I have one tiny request.¡± Sophia raised her brows. ¡°Go on, Mr. Lancaster.¡± ¡°Ms. Yarrow, I hope you''ll consider us first when Blueshadow enters the international market in the future.¡± Sophia shed him a smile. ¡°Here''s to a fruitful coboration, Mr. Lancaster.¡± There were still many business opportunities in the Chanaea market. It would take at least five years before they expanded into the international market. Manuel was quite crafty toe up with that tiny request, but Sophia did not think it was a big deal. ¡°Likewise, Ms. Yarrow.¡± The contract was signed within an hour of negotiation. Sophia asked Yvonne to present Charlotte with a gift when Yvonne was sending them off from Sunshine Group. ¡°Ms. Brooks, Ms. Yarrow asked me to give this to you.¡± Charlotte, who had just arrived at the entrance, was taken aback. She could not understand what Sophia was trying to do. Even Manuel was confused. Ms. Yarrow said so much just now. It was obvious that she was trying to say Charlotte had offended her and that she was unhappy with the discussion. But we''ve already signed the contract, so why did she ask her secretary to send Charlotte a gift? As soon as those words left Yvonne''s mouth, everyone turned to look at Charlotte. The manager beside Manuel looked at him before shifting her gaze to Charlotte. ¡°Charlotte, what did Ms. Yarrow give you?¡± Charlotte had no idea what Sophia had given her either. She was embarrassed to open it right then and there. Yvonne smiled when she heard the manager''s question. ¡°Ms. Yarrow said she didn''t mean it the other day. She''s worried because you didn''t want to go to the hospital for a checkup. Since you two met by coincidence today, she had me pass this gift to you as a token of apology.¡± Having said that, she turned around and left. Charlotte was rendered speechless. When she noticed Manuel staring at her, she had no choice but to take the gift out of the paper bag. Seeing that it was a tube of anti-inmmatory ointment, she turned as pale as paper. She''s obviously mocking me! Charlotte was right. Sophia was indeed mocking her. Manuel furrowed his brows when he saw the tube of anti-inmmatory ointment in Charlotte''s hand. ¡°Charlotte, how did you offend Ms. Yarrow?¡± Naturally, Charlotte did not dare to tell the truth. She decided to make up a story, saying she didn''t pay attention because she was ying with her phone and identally bumped into Sophia. She did not apologize as she was holding her phone. She only realized her mistake when Sophia walked away. Not long after, she and her friend coincidentally ran into Sophia again. That friend was Heath. Charlotte would''ve mentioned that it was Heath if they hadn''t broken up. However, now that Heath didn''t want her anymore, it was only natural that she didn''t want Manuel to know about her and Heath. After all, the industry was only so big. She still had dreams of marrying into a wealthy family. Manuel came from a prestigious family and knew people in the circle. It would make her look bad if word got out about her and Heath. Everyone in the circle knew how much of a yboy Heath was. They knew he changed girlfriends as though he was changing clothes. Manuel wasn''t entirely convinced by Charlotte''s words. Although it was his first time meeting Sophia, he had heard many rumors about her in the industry. Most of the people who had coborated with Sophia said that she was quite brutal. She never wavered from anything that would benefit her. However, in business, anyone else would be as brutal as her when it came to making money. It could not be one of the bases for evaluating her personality. Other than that, others had mentioned that Sophia excelled in other aspects. She was polite and respectful. She did not boast or act proud because of her young age. She was humble and magnanimous. The incident Charlotte told us was trivial, and it doesn''t sound like Charlotte''s in the wrong. She only bumped into Ms. Yarrow and didn''t get to apologize. Ms. Yarrow doesn''t look like a petty person either, so why would she despise Charlotte over such a small matter? Manuel was talented at reading people. Charlotte had been his secretary for five to six years. Naturally, he saw through her lies. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . He was already frustrated and unhappy about the acquisition. He got angrier when he noticed that Charlotte had lied to him. ¡°Charlotte, you''ve been working with me for about five to six years now, right?¡± Charlotte''s heart lurched when she heard Manuel''s question. ¡°It''s been five years and eight months, Mr. Lancaster.¡± Manuel nodded. While walking out of the building, he said, ¡°I thought we could have at least gotten four billion and three hundred million from this negotiation today. However, because of your personal grudge against Ms. Yarrow, we lost three hundred million for nothing. Ms. Yarrow immediately bumped down the price to four billion. And that presentation of yours was absolutely rubbish! Even I was embarrassed by it! I heard you recently got a decent boyfriend. He''s a nice rich man and indeed your way out of the company, but he''s not a legitimate reason for you to mess up today''s negotiation!¡± He paused momentarily. His expression darkened as he continued, ¡°Since you''ve been working for me for over five years, I won''t fire you for old times'' sake. You should resign yourself.¡± Manuel indeed cared about their employer-employee rtionship. However, Charlotte''s performance that day could be considered a significant error in her work. He was sure that she would not be able to endure the consequences if he were to consider everything she had done. Charlotte nched. ¡°Mr. Lancaster...¡± Since Sophia had acquired thepany, Charlotte just needed to wait peacefully and receive compensation after getting fired if she just endured for another month or two until the change of owners and other legal procedures werepleted. I can''t believe Mr. Lancaster is asking me to hand in my resignation letter! If I resign, I won''t be able to get even a bit ofpensation! Chapter 569 Chapter 569 Charlotte was about to continue her words, but it was evident that Manuel did not wish to listen to her any longer as he quickly got into the car. Before she could do the same, the car had already sped off. It was clear as day that Manuel would not give her another chance. Charlotte did not expect that a seemingly small mistake she made would cause such a significant impact. Not long after, Sophia was also preparing to leave. As she stepped out of the elevator, she bumped into Charlotte, who was carrying documents and had not left yet. Thetter''s expression changed the moment she saw Sophia. As soon as their eyes met, Charlotte felt hatred ring up within her. ¡°You must be very pleased with yourself, Ms. Yarrow,¡± she remarked with a sneer as she stared at Sophia, who had juste up to her side. Sophia cocked her head to the side and threw the other woman a nce at those words. ¡°I wouldn''t say I''m very pleased, but I''m pretty happy today.¡± ¡°Of course you are, considering how casually you seize control of someone else''s future by making me lose my job with just a few words. How impressive, Ms. Yarrow.¡± Charlotte believed that Sophia was the reason Heath left her and also the reason she was currently let go by thepany. From her perspective, she had merely been a little aggressive that day and said some distasteful things to Sophia, but thetter had effortlessly flipped her life upside down. She felt she had been wronged and refused to ept it. Sophia''s smile faded when she heard that. ¡°Since you''re aware of that, why are you still standing here and embarrassing yourself?¡± Her nonchnt retort rendered Charlotte speechless, thetter''s face contorting in anger. Sophia, on the other hand, turned around and left, not wanting to waste another second talking to an insignificant person. Since Alexander went back to Odyssey that day, she nned to visit Katherine. It had been more than a week since Katherine gave birth, and she was restless at home. She would have long asked Sophia to meet outside if Joshua had not been watching her at home. Katherine, who was bored to tears at home, appreciated Sophia''s visit immensely and spent hours gossiping with her friend, only letting her leave when Alexander came to pick her up in person. She probably would have made Sophia stay at her house if he had not shown up. The weather at Jadeborough was increasingly chilly in November, with substantial temperature differences between day and night. It was bright and sunny outside when Sophia left for Sunshine Group that morning. Due to the pleasant weather, she merely donned a basic shirt dress because she did not feel cold. In addition, the heating that had been left on in the room since Katherine gave birth made her even less aware of the cold. However, Alexander brought a coat with him and ced it over her shoulders as she stepped out of Katherine''s house, telling her to wear it. Sophia pulled the coat around her and chuckled softly, finding his actions unnecessary. ¡°I''m merely pregnant, Alexander. It''s not as if there''s anything wrong with me, so I''m not that fragile, am I?¡± Alexander tilted his head to nce at her before reaching out to smooth the tousled hair on top of her head. ¡°The wind is stronger tonight.¡± Sophia quirked a brow in response. ¡°Jadeborough is always windy at night.¡± ¡°Take it off when you get in the car.¡± Since he insisted on her wearing it, she said nothing more. Sophia felt the chill as soon as she walked out. It was indeed chilly. The wind carried the dampness from the river, which was not just cold, but also frigid. Alexander''s car was parked at the entrance, which was not far as it was only a few steps across the garden. However, if it were not for the coat Alexander covered her with, Sophia would have been freezing instead of merely feeling a slight chill at present. The hand of the person walking beside her was even warmer, making her feel embarrassed when she recalled how she chuckled at Alexander for overreacting. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Felix had reserved a table for them at a Chanaean-style restaurant. Sophia''s senses seemed to have be much more sensitive after she got pregnant, and she became pickier about her food than before. The lingering smell of food that was not fresh or poorly prepared made her sick. Hence, the meals Alexander prepared for her recently and the restaurant food he chose were milder in vor. The two ate dinner and went for a stroll among the crowd to let their food settle before he took her home. Life went on much more uneventfully than expected. After Alexander and Sophia had gone through so much and got back together again, they were much more mature and rational in their rtionship, and the asional conflicts did not affect them. Though Alexander asionally went back to Odyssey, the majority of his focus was on Sophia. As for thetter, she had been a person who lived life well from the start, having been able to separate her private life and work clearly even during the time Sunshine Group was established. Now that everything was in order and stable, one could say that she was living a fully retired life. Sophia was very indolent before bing pregnant. She had a lot of free time after she was expecting, so she asked Yvonne to bring back a few pots of roses and had a gazebo constructed in the garden. She intended to prune the roses so that they could climb the gazebo, and she also requested Yvonne to bring her grapes. The gazebo in the garden would be encircled by roses by the time her child was born the next year. By then, the grapes ought to be ripe as well. Sophia had been tending to the roses and grapes for the past few days, and since Alexander did not go back to Odyssey much recently, he helped her set up shelves at home. The couple kept themselves busy every day, their lives going by smoothly in the mansion. No one dared to disturb them, giving them a taste of a reclusive life. Sophia did not learn about the news online until Katherine called her. She found it absurd that the news reported her ¡°cheating¡± when all she had been doing was tending to her garden at home. Katherine also treated it as a joke when she told Sophia, and thetter did not take it seriously either. She had kept her mood happy throughout her pregnancy of more than two months and did not want some trivial matters to ruin it. However, Alexander, who was bringing fertilizer to her from the mansion, happened to overhear it as she had left her phone aside on speaker mode after epting the call due to her dirty hands. He could hear Katherine''s crisp voice from afar. He ced the fertilizer aside, and by the time Sophia looked over, his brows were tightly furrowed. Katherine was unaware of it on the other end of the line. As she got excited the more she talked, she even teased her friend, ¡°Soph, I bet Alexander would be furious if he found out about this, wouldn''t he? I wonder who is so bored as to spread rumors of you cheating.¡± Sophia looked at Alexander and quickly took off her gloves, grabbed her phone, and ended the call. ¡°I''ll get Felix to look into this.¡± Before Sophia could say anything, Alexander was already calling Felix on his phone. She could only chuckle helplessly. Great. I can''t be a good person even if I want to. Chapter 570 Chapter 570 The rumor from the Inte came out of nowhere. If Katherine never mentioned it, Sophia would never have known she had apparently cheated. The person she had supposedly cheated on was even more interesting¡ªit was Heath, of all people. Sophia did not intend to pursue the matter. As she was pregnant, she did not wish to expand herself. Besides, she thought of it as amassing good karma for her unborn child. However, Alexander was not going to tolerate it. As soon as he was able to, he called Felix. It did not take long for Felix to discover the culprit; Sophia was not surprised to find out Charlotte had been behind it. She had offended only those two people¡ªCharlotte and Manuel. Manuel was a shrewd man with years of experience in the industry who knew the tradeoff between cost and benefits better than anybody. A transaction was all aboutpromise. Though Sophia had pressed him a little too hard on the price the other day, both parties had signed an agreement, which rendered it a voluntary contract. Sophia believed Manuel understood that well enough. Charlotte, on the other hand, was different. Having attempted to bully Sophia over Heath the other time, Sophia fully expected Charlotte to take measures and avenge herself. To her surprise, Charlotte only looked cleverer than she really was. Sophia, on the other hand, would not employ such underhanded and crude tactics to get revenge. Naturally, with her background and resources, Sophia would have been able to bear the consequences even if she used the same tactics. Charlotte, however, was different. Since she can''t handle the consequences, she''s courting death for using these tactics. Alexander studied Felix''s findings with a frown. ¡°Who is this Charlotte Brooks?¡± About to eat a mango slice, Sophia ckened her grip slightly at his words, causing the fruit to nearly slip out of her grasp. She could not resist a giggle. ¡°How forgetful of you, Mr. Xenos. Ms. Brooks is thedy we ran into when we were dining at the private restaurant.¡± Aside from matters involving Sophia, Alexander did not care about anything or anybody else enough to remember them after initial contact. However, Sophia''s reminder jolted his memory. When they were at the private restaurant, there was a woman trying to bully Sophia. He also recalled that the woman was acquainted with Heath. Alexander''s countenance grew grim when he arrived at that thought. ¡°We''ve let it slide once. This time, she''s asking for it.¡± Sophia held the slice of mango she had cut before his lips. ¡°We didn''t exactly let it slide. Last week, when I returned to Sunshine Group to sign the agreements to acquire Blueshadow, where she happened to be employed, I used that point to strongarm them for a better price.¡± Sophia paused momentarily before continuing, ¡°Then, I heard Blueshadow had let Ms. Brooks go.¡± The paperwork with Blueshadow was still iplete, even less so during the signing of the agreement. Sophia did not have power over Blueshadow then, and Charlotte''s termination had not been her order. Nevertheless, Charlotte med it on her, though the former had not been entirely wrong; after all, it was by exploiting her that Sophia had managed to save five hundred million. Still, she should have been aware of her limits. Having picked a fight out of her league, Charlotte should have been prepared to face the consequences. Now that Alexander knew who the culprit was, he decided to settle all the scores in one go. He ordered Felix to issue awsuit to Charlotte and upload it online. The appearance of Alexander''swsuit online rattled Charlotte. She quickly contacted her helpers to delete the incriminating articles and images. However, things were never truly erased on the Inte, much less images and the like. After being circted so many times, many secondary ounts still contained the information even after the originals were taken down. Furthermore, Charlotte balked suspiciously quickly; she took down the evidence as soon as Alexander issued thewsuit. That was as good as telling the world the images were misleading information she had disseminated. It did not ur to her that things could go either way. Initially nning to use the power of the Inte to cause trouble for Sophia, Charlotte did not expect to be on the receiving end and, thus, was not prepared to handle it. Three hours after Alexander sent thewsuit, somebody found the image that Charlotte had personally sent to the owner of the blog. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. That night, manyizens discovered that Charlotte and Heath had once dated for two months. Before they got together, Heath had a girlfriend. What theizens did not know, however, was that the women around Heath were not necessarily his girlfriends, so they did not care whether or not Charlotte interfered in Heath''s rtionship with his ex. At any rate, the discovery sealed Charlotte''s fate as an adulteress. Naturally, some wanted to stir the pot, so they dragged Sophia in by iming that she was actually Heath''s first crush. However, thements were deleted by Felix as soon as they appeared. It would be terrifying if Alexander saw thosements. The discussion online spread like wildfire. Though Sophia was still branded a cheater, the Inte was more interested in the fact that Charlotte was an adulteress. With the tides changing only over the course of six hours, Charlotte did not stand a chance to react. She tried dispelling the rumors, but to no avail, because they were true¡ªHeath did have a partner when she was sleeping with him. Everybody knew that Heath was nevercking in women, for there was another one by his side every other day. It was routine for him. However, theizens did not care about the unspoken rule. They simply could not ept the fact. Thus, Charlotte faced an immediate and vicious bacsh. Even the people she had offended before emerged to fuel the mes. The problem would have been solved if she had turned her device off and not bothered herself with the spitefulments, but Charlotte was not easily embarrassed. She would not have been able to catch Heath''s eye if she was. However, the court''s summon was something she could not ignore. In just three days, Sophia''swsuit for nder and defamation came for her. Odyssey had the best legal team in Jadeborough. The legal team in Sunshine Group, too, was equally formidable. In other words, the bestwyers in Jadeborough were employed under Odyssey and Sunshine Group. If Sophia decided to sue her, it was practically a confirmed win. As a celebrity in her own right, Sophia had plenty of holdingpanies under her name. The rumors using her of cheating were of no small consequence, as the listedpanies under her were affected to various degrees. If they were to go to court, the amount in damages Charlotte was to pay was not going to be as little as a few hundred thousand. Deathly pale, Charlotte weighed the matter before finally deciding to apologize to Sophia. I brought this upon myself! Chapter 571 Chapter 571 The sudden change in her had not been unexpected. Sophia knew the fate that awaited Charlotte when Alexander decided to take action. Everybody in Jadeborough knew better than to pick a fight with Alexander. Sophia was his wife, and Charlotte must have been an imbecile to attempt something as foolhardy as that. However, the matter did cause additional trouble for Alexander, especially since he had taken a hearty dislike to Heath from their very first encounter. Furthermore, during the subsequent encounters, Heath brazenly tried to seduce Sophia in front of him. Now that Charlotte had concocted the rumor of Sophia cheating with Heath, Alexander was not going to let the matter slide. Sophia did not leave the house for the past two days, so Charlotte did not manage to see her. Having made up her mind to apologize, yet unable to see her, Charlotte did not quite know what to do. Driven to no other alternative, Charlotte decided to wait outside Sophia''s mansion. As public opinion had been fierce, Sophia opted to stay at home. Felix and Yvonne took turns delivering food, and with Alexander cooking, it had been a pleasant couple of days. When Joshua set up the smart assistant in her house, he also installed surveince cameras outside. Sophia never checked the cameras; she was never bored to that extent. The surveince cameras were fitted with an automatic rm system that would alert the smart assistant, Genie, when they detected suspicious figures prowling about outside for safety purposes. Genie would, in turn, notify the upants of the mansion of the skulking figures outside. Sophia was still in the middle of her yoga routine, and Alexander was preparing dinner in the kitchen when Genie made its announcement. ¡°Ady has been pacing about outside for the past three hours, Master.¡± The weather in Jadeborough had not been pleasant for the past two days, possibly because it was November¡ªthe middle of fall. The sky was overcast, and sunshine was rare. By five in the evening, the sky was already dark. With a final flourish, Sophia stood up from the yoga mat, slipped on her slippers, and stepped out onto the balcony. It was dusk, and the wind was chilly. Assaulted by the cold wind, Sophia narrowed her eyes instinctively. Through a distance of a dozen meters, she could vaguely see Charlotte, who was standing outside the mansion. Why do people like to wait outside my house? Having just put away the ingredients, Alexander emerged. Expecting to see Sophia, he was surprised to find the living room empty. Her yoga mat was still there, but she was no longer on it. Then, he recalled hearing Genie''s voice when he was in the kitchen. Alexander frowned. He was about to head upstairs in search of her when she entered from the balcony. He strode over at once and touched her hand. ¡°What happened?¡± Sophia nced at him and shook her head with augh. ¡°Nothing much, just somebody showing up at our front door to beg for forgiveness.¡± Alexander immediately replied when he heard Sophia''s words, ¡°I''m calling the guards.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Sophia stopped him. ¡°No need for that. Let her stand.¡± Besides, the weather has been foul ofte. The wind will only grow fiercer by nightfall. I want to see how long Charlotte can remain out there. Charlotte was indeed nearing her limits. Havinge over after lunch, when the temperature was still tolerable, she had stood for over two hours, by which time the sky had turned dark, and thest rays of the sun had disappeared over the horizon. Charlotte''s feet were numb, and she was freezing. She gazed up again at the mansion ahead. Unable to bear it any longer, she approached the gate and rang the doorbell. Charlotte was well aware that her unannounced appearance would only further anger Sophia, but she had no other choice. Beforeing over, she had waited for Sophia at Sunshine Group for two days, but to no avail. Having received the summons, she was due to appear in court in two weeks. If I put it off any longer, I will only see Sophia in court. If they did meet in court, Charlotte was certain that Sophia would not show her any mercy. She was already painfully aware that though Sophia was not a bad person, she was definitely no saint. I would not have been fired if I did not pick a fight with her, and I wouldn''t be standing outside her house for hours to beg for forgiveness. Charlotte rang the doorbell twice more. Both times went unanswered. She knew that Sophia was in there because she had found out beforeing that somebody delivered fresh ingredients to the house every morning for the past few days. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Sophia is in there. She just won''t see me. cing her finger on the doorbell for the third time, Charlotte did not dare push down on it. Just as she was debating whether or not to ring the doorbell for the third time, her phone rang. Flustered, Charlotte had no intention of answering, but a closer look at the screen seemed to change her mind. The caller was none other than Heath, who had given her three million before parting ways with her over two weeks ago. Charlotte did not know why he was suddenly calling her. As she was not na?ve, she knew for a fact that he had not suddenly fallen in love with her after their separation, like the protagonists of romance novels. Even so, one would not easily relinquish a lifeline when one was in a desperate enough situation. Charlotte opted to pick up. She knew Heath would not help her, but given the situation she was in, she could not help but hope he would offer a helping hand. ¡°Mr. Barker.¡± Heath''sugh sounded from the other end. ¡°I know about the trouble you''ve run into ofte, Ms. Brooks,¡± he said bluntly. ¡°I have a way to help you, but it depends on whether or not you''re on board.¡± ¡°I am! I am on board!¡± As soon as she heard his offer, Charlotte agreed without hesitation, terrified that he would change his mind. ¡°Very well. Don''t worry. I won''t hang you out to dry when it matters. We were once together, after all.¡± Charlotte felt a sense of foreboding at his words. Sure enough, he added, ¡°Alexander has a dinner appointment tomorrow. Begging Sophia for forgiveness won''t work. Women will not sympathize with their own.¡± Heath was right, but Charlotte knew that Alexander was not one to be trifled with. Over the years, she had never heard of Alexander having a woman. While Charlotte was hesitating, Heath went on, ¡°What are you afraid of? I''ll be backing you if something happens. Besides, how much worse off do you think you can be?¡± Chapter 572 Chapter 572 Upon hearing what Heath said, Charlotte knew she didn''t have any other options. Heath''s offer might be my only way out. ¡°I can''t get close to Alexander, though,¡± Charlotte said. Alexander''s secretary is a capable man. There''s no way I can get close to Alexander. ¡°Don''t worry. That won''t be a problem.¡± Heath chuckled. With that, he hung up the phone. Charlotte stared at her phone and lifted her gaze to look at the lights shining brightly inside the mansion. In the end, she pursed her lips and left. Sophia went to the balcony when the sky turned dark. When she looked down, she noticed that Charlotte was no longer there. Since it was a cold night, Sophia merely raised her brows and went back inside the mansion. Right then, Alexander had just served thest dish he made, so Sophia went to wash her hands and sat down at the dining table. Alexander had been cooking at home frequently, and his cooking skills had improved massively. He made pasta and sd that day. Knowing that Sophia was more into lighter dishes, he downloaded an application on his phone to look for dishes he could make. Sophia had a good appetite that night, and she ended up eating more than she did during lunch. After dinner, Alexander took his coat and brought Sophia to the garden for a walk. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. The warm lights in the garden were shining from above, forming elongated shadows as they walked. The couple was living the life most could only wish for. Alexander had returned to Odyssey recently, but he was only there to settle some important matters. Apart from that, he would let Felix deal with the rest. Apparently, Odyssey had a mega project that was having issues with the approval process. Hence, Alexander had to attend a dinner the following night to iron things out. During the dinner, Alexander''s clients were drinking heavily, while he only had a bit to drink. After all, he had to look after his reputation that evening. His clients didn''t have any issue with that because they had to respect Alexander and the Dawson family. Over two hourster, at around nine that night, they were finally done with dinner. When Alexander walked out of the private room, a server ran into him and spilled wine all over his arms and shirt. The server knew he was in hot water, so with his pale face, he apologized profusely. Felix, who was standing nearby, didn''t dare to utter a single word. Instead, he nced at Alexander and saw the frown on thetter''s face. Surprisingly, Alexander merely waved the server away and said, ¡°Go on with your work. Be more careful after this.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Xenos! Thank you, Mr. Xenos!¡± The server was thanking Alexander as he was retreating. Meanwhile, Alexander''s hands and sleeves were drenched, and he was irked. Alexander then turned toward his clients and said, ¡°Mr. Long, Mr. Lang, please excuse me. I need to go to the restroom.¡± With that, Alexander ordered Felix, ¡°Mr. Lane, please send Mr. Long and Mr. Lang off.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos,¡± Felix replied before turning toward the clients. ¡°Mr. Long, Mr. Lang, this way.¡± Alexander''s clients went along with it because they knew what happened to Alexander was purely an ident. After exchanging some pleasantries, the clients left with Felix. Alexander went to the restroom and washed the wine off of the back of his hands. Unfortunately, the stains on his white shirt were worse than he thought. In fact, droplets of wine were still dripping down from his sleeves. With a frown, Alexander stretched his arm toward the tap and rinsed his sleeves with tap water. Since he couldn''t rinse off the wine stains on the other parts of his shirt, he simply used a napkin to dab the wine stains off. After that, he dried his shirt under the blow dryer and left the restroom. Soon after he left the restroom, someone bumped into Alexander once again. This time around, it was a drunkdy. Alexander''s face fell, and he shoved thedy aside. Thedy crashed hard into the wall and staggered a few steps forward. She seemed to have sobered up when she lifted her head to look at Alexander. ¡°I''m so sorry. Oh? M-Mr. Xenos?¡± Thatdy was none other than thedy who was standing in front of the mansion, Charlotte. Alexander''s expression grew even darker when he saw her. Needless to say, Charlotte wasn''t drunk at all. She couldn''t help but gulp in fear when she saw the look on Alexander''s face. I can''t be scared now. The trial will begin in eight days. If I keep wasting my time, I''ll truly be doomed! Upon recalling what Heath said, Charlotte shut her eyes, gritted her teeth, and went all out. ¡°Oh, Mr. Xenos. I-I''m so sorry. It was an ident!¡± She then twirled her hair with her finger and opened her teary eyes. As she did that, her tight dress was slightly raised as she lifted her hand, exposing her thighs. At that moment, Charlotte looked incredibly sexy and vulnerable. This is definitely a look that''s capable of melting any man''s heart. Even if he isn''t interested in me, he''ll still at least ask if I''m all right. Charlotte knew her strong point was her perfect body figure. My body is more attractive than my face. However, Alexander didn''t even bother looking at her. Instead, he just walked off. Still posing, Charlotte was baffled when she watched Alexander walk away from her. When she finally came back to her senses, she chased after him and called out, ¡°Wait for me, Mr. Xenos!¡± Without a pause, Alexander walked steadily toward the elevator. Coincidentally, the doors to the elevator opened when Alexander arrived. Hence, he continued to stride forward. Charlotte got there in the nick of time and squeezed in. Just like that, they were alone in the elevator. Initially, Charlotte wanted to take the opportunity to throw herself at Alexander. When she gazed at him, however, she froze at once because he was staring back at her coldly. Not only did Charlotte not dare to move a muscle, but she also didn''t dare to look him in the eyes. Right then, Heath''s words came into her mind. She burst into tears all of a sudden. Unlike moments prior, she was no longer pretending. Intimidated, she apologized, ¡°Mr. Xenos, I came to apologize to you. I know what I did to you and Mrs. Xenos was foolish, and I''m terribly sorry! I''ve learned my mistake, Mrs. Xenos. Please give me another chance. I promise I won''t show up in front of you and Mrs. Xenos anymore!¡± Alexander''s patience was wearing thin. Fortunately for her, the elevator doors opened. Seeing that Alexander was walking out, Charlotte panicked and went after him. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I¡ª¡± Charlotte tripped and fell onto the ground. The onlookers at the scene couldn''t help ncing at her before shifting their gazes toward Alexander. Felix had just returned after sending the clients off, and he saw the solemn look Alexander had on his face. Startled, he asked, ¡°What happened, Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°A dog was barking at me. How annoying!¡± Alexander answered and threw a cold nce at Charlotte, who was on the ground. Obviously, he was telling Felix to teach her a lesson. Chapter 573 Chapter 573 Felix traced Alexander''s gaze and saw Charlotte on the ground. As Alexander''s secretary, Felix obviously knew who Charlotte was. I never thought Charlotte would be so brazen! She hasn''t even settled the mess she created, and she''s here trying to seduce Mr. Xenos. When Felix started working for Alexander, a woman overestimated herself and tried to seduce the latter. Beau had just retired back then, so Alexander stepped up and took over Odyssey. Alexander was only twenty-three and had just finished his study abroad. Most people thought he was an immature and innocent young man. Hence, everyone thought they could take advantage of him. Unfortunately for them, they couldn''t be more wrong. Despite his young age, Alexander was a sharp- witted man. A lesser-known actress became the first woman to try her luck. She spent a fortune buying a ticket for a business banquet and wanted to use the means in the entertainment industry tond Alexander. At that time, Alexander didn''t stop her from doing whatever she wanted to do. However, Felix received a call from Alexander that night after the event, and the actress was never seen on the screen ever again. Apparently, the woman''s agencypany fired her, and she ended up paying a penalty of over thirty million for breach of contract. ording to rumors, the actress became someone''s mistress after that. What happened to that actress wasn''t made known to the public, so other women thought they still had a chance to get close to Alexander. The second woman who tried tond Alexander was the daughter of a small business entity''s owner. Her tactics were craftier. She would camp outside the entrance of Odyssey on most days of the week and pretend as though it was a coincidence whenever she bumped into Alexander. asionally, she would also inquire about Alexander''s schedule and tail him. Again, she would im it was merely a coincidence when she ran into him. After three months, she noticed that Alexander was still unmoved. She eventually grew desperate and got someone to let her sneak into Samuel''s birthday party. There, she spiked a ss of wine and served it to Alexander. Everyone in the city knew what happened to that woman afterward. Her father''spany went belly up within the next couple of months. The woman went to Alexander to beg for mercy, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Once the news went viral, people became more cautious when they realized Alexander wasn''t a foolish young man. Yet, some would still end up crossing Alexander. In such cases, Alexander would unhesitatingly reject deals worth over one hundred million. After some time, women knew better not to mess with Alexander. That was why Felix was in disbelief when Sophia asked Alexander to marry her. At that time, Felix thought Sophia''s suggestion was unwise. Nevertheless, it was safe to say that Sophia was in the right ce at the right time. Alexander was in a feud with Kristen at that time. Alexander agreed to the suggestion shortly after Beau passed away because he wanted peace in the Xenos family. Be that as it may, Sophia and Charlotte were two different women. Mr. Xenos is a married man! How could Charlotte throw herself at him so shamelessly? She''s courting death! Felix retracted his gaze and nced at Alexander. Mr. Xenos looks p*ssed off. I guess Charlotte will eventually have to leave Jadeborough. Meanwhile, Charlotte''s face turned even more pale as she watched Alexander leave. This is the end. I failed! ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk!¡± Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice ringing out from nearby. Charlotte froze momentarily before subconsciously lifting her head toward the voice. There, she saw Heath walking toward her, and she was happy to see him. ¡°Mr. Barker!¡± Heath walked up to her and helped her up. His gaze darkened when he saw her cleavage. ¡°Is Alexander even a man? How could he have refused such an alluring view?¡± If Charlotte were to hear those words back then, she would feel a sense of pride welling up within her. That night, however, wasn''t the case. Heath is right. When I approached Alexander just now, he didn''t even bother looking at me. As the thought crossed her mind, an embarrassed look spread across her face. At that moment, she was shaking like a leaf. Alexander is really a scary man to deal with. I did everything I could tonight, but I failed. That thought sent a shiver down Charlotte''s spine. She then instinctively held Heath''s hand and begged, ¡°Mr. Barker, please help me!¡± Charlotte couldn''t afford to pay such a huge amount of money, and she had no idea what Alexander would do next. Heath lifted his hand to tidy her hair up and consoled her, ¡°Don''t worry. I won''t abandon you.¡± With that, he whipped out a check and a flight ticket from his pocket. ¡°However, you might have to go through some hardships.¡± Charlotte looked at the flight ticket and froze. She didn''t want to leave Jadeborough, but she knew she was left with no other choice. I don''t get to decide if I can stay here any longer. Charlotte was a tactful person, but she could be a little bit rash at times. Instead of rejecting Heath''s arrangement, she took the check and the flight ticket from him. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Barker.¡± ¡°Rest early.¡± Heath shed a smile. With that, he spun on his heel and left. Charlotte bit her lower lip and watched Heath leave. A momentter, she turned around and left the hotel. In truth, Heath wasn''t a kind man. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. In the car, Alexander''s expression was grim. Felix didn''t dare to utter a single word or make a noise. Hence, the car ride waspletely silent. All of a sudden, Alexander ordered, ¡°Stop the car.¡± The driver reacted at once, and the car came to a stop by the side of the road. Felix turned around to look at Alexander in bafflement. ¡°Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°I''m going down to buy supper,¡± Alexander answered. Felix fell into a momentary daze. When he returned to his senses, he asked, ¡°What would you like to eat? I can go down and grab something for you.¡± ¡°That''s not necessary. I''m buying supper for my wife.¡± Felix was rendered speechless. What''s with the sudden disy of public affection? Before Alexander exited the car, he nced at Felix and asked, ¡°Do you guys want anything?¡± Felix and the driver wouldn''t dare to ask Alexander to buy anything for them. However, they didn''t dare to turn him down, either. ¡°I''ll tag along.¡± Felix turned toward the driver and asked, ¡°Do you want anything, Kenny?¡± Kenny was ttered beyond words. ¡°I''ll have anything you''re having, Mr. Lane.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Alexander and his secretary ended up buying supper together. Normally, Sophia would get hungry at around nine at night, and Alexander would heat up some oatmeal for her. Therefore, Alexander merely bought some oatmeal for Sophia. Felix didn''t want to hold his employer up, so he also ordered two packs of oatmeal. Seeing that, Alexander cast Felix a nce and asked, ¡°Are you also a fan of oatmeal?¡± Felix felt awkward when he heard that question. ¡°Well, one shouldn''t have heavy meals for supper, right? Oatmeal is the way to go.¡± Alexander didn''t respond to that, and Felix felt even more awkward afterward. Chapter 574 Chapter 574 Fortunately, the awkwardness didn''tst long. The oatmeal was always simmering in the kitchen of the restaurant, so the two didn''t have to wait long before the food was packed and ready to be collected. Felix hurriedly reached out to receive the takeaway. Having been Alexander''s secretary for many years, handling all those minor details was already second nature to him. However, before his fingertips could touch the bag, Alexander had already raised his hand to grab it. Looking at Felix''s outstretched arm, Alexander frowned slightly. Felix had never felt so embarrassed in his more than thirty years of living. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Xenos.¡± At that point, Alexander''s attention was no longer on Felix. He was looking at an old man passing by the window. The old man had a basket of flowers in his hand. Shifting his gaze following Alexander''s line of vision, Felix saw an old man and felt a little curious. Still, after what had happened earlier, he didn''t dare to utter another word. Alexander took the oatmeal and went out. After a momentary daze, Felix regained his senses and hurriedly gave chase. As soon as he stepped out of the restaurant, Felix saw Alexander had already approached the old man. This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Felix watched in astonishment as Alexander handed some money to the old man and took the basket of fresh flowers from thetter. When did my boss be so charitable? Felix was shocked to his core. While he was lost in thought, Alexander had retraced his steps. When he saw Felix standing there, he called out, ¡°Mr. Lane?¡± Hearing Alexander''s words, Felix came back to his senses. He found the image of Alexander holding a bag of takeaway oatmeal in his left hand and a basket of flowers in his right hand. In the end, he couldn''t help but ask, ¡°Mr. Xenos, why did you buy the flowers?¡± ¡°My wife likes flowers.¡± The old man''s basket was filled with hydrangeas, and Alexander knew Sophia liked them. They had nted a bush at their mansion, but it had just been nted and hadn''t grown yet. Having endured another public disy of affection, Felix felt envious and emotional. Who would''ve thought that Alexander, who two years ago had disdained Ms. Yarrow to his core, now can''t stop talking about her? Tsk tsk tsk. There is indeed a bane for everything in this world. Alexander returned to the car, and the vehicle gradually drove away. Twenty minutester, the car came to a halt before the mansion. While Alexander was walking up to the second floor of the mansion, Sophia was talking on the phone with Katherine. Sophia couldn''t help but chuckle at the sight of the items he was carrying. ¡°Where did that flowere from?¡± On the other end of the line, Katherine was baffled after hearing that. ¡°What flower? I didn''t mention anything about a flower.¡± Sophia snorted. ¡°Alexander is back. I''m hanging up now. I''ll talk to youter.¡± She ended the call as she spoke and strode up to Alexander. He handed the basket of flowers to her. ¡°I bought it on the way.¡± Sheughed quietly. ¡°Did you deliberately ask the driver to stop the car so you can buy the flowers?¡± Fortunately, they owned the car and employed the driver. Otherwise, others might think Alexander was toying with them. He shook his head. ¡°No. I saw it when I was purchasing oatmeal.¡± Only then did Sophia notice the bag of oatmeal in his hand. ¡°Why did you suddenly buy oatmeal? You haven''t had your dinner yet?¡± Alexander put down the flower basket and caressed her. ¡°I was afraid you might be hungry.¡± Sophia was stumped. She had frequently been feeling hungry at that hour recently. Perhaps it was because of her pregnancy, having to carry a new life within her, so she easily got hungry around that time of night. Additionally, her appetite wasn''t great, so her food intake was only about the same as usual. He put down the oatmeal. ¡°Do you want to eat now?¡± Initially, Sophia didn''t feel hungry before Alexander mentioned it. Now that he did, she realized she was indeed starving a little. ¡°Yes.¡± Alexander helped her open the packaging of the oatmeal. Sophia walked over, and when she lifted her hand to take the spoon, her hand brushed against his sleeve, which felt cold to touch. Sophia arched her brow and reached out to grope his sleeve. ¡°Why is it wet?¡± He nced downward nonchntly before replying, ¡°When I was exiting the private room, a waiter spilled some wine on me.¡± Alexander didn''t want to bring up Charlotte to add to Sophia''s worry, and Sophia didn''t probe further either. She trusted him implicitly with regard to those matters. Besides, if Alexander had nned to cheat on her, he had plenty of opportunities to do so when he was abroad. Now that he had returned home and was about to be a father, Sophia believed Alexander would remain level-headed in his actions and decisions. Moreover, Sophia also discovered that Alexander was very fastidious about certain things. After gathering her thoughts, she lowered her head and chowed down the oatmeal. Alexander had been handling all the cooking at home recently, and Sophia felt that she had been spoiled. The oatmeal served before her wasn''t bad, but it fell shortpared to what Alexander prepared. Nevertheless, considering Alexander''s thoughtfulness in buying the oatmeal for her, Sophia supportively ate more than half of it. With about a quarter left, she couldn''t eat anymore. She grinned at Alexander, sitting beside her. ¡°Mr. Xenos, you don''t mind helping me finish the rest, right?¡± Sophia had been educated since she was young never to waste food. Now that she was an adult, the habit cultivated during her childhood was ingrained in her. No matter how good her living conditions were, she still disliked wasting food. ¡°Why would I mind?¡± He picked up the bowl and finished the remaining oatmeal. Sophia propped her chin up with one hand and watched Alexander eat. She had to admit that Alexander''s countenance perfectly matched her taste. He''s indeed handsome. She looked down and touched her belly, feeling that the unborn baby inside her was truly fortunate to have such a good-looking father and a beautiful mother. Ah. This baby chose its parents well. Sophia had always adopted a healthy lifestyle. Now that she was pregnant, her daily routine remained the same as before. By about half-past ten at night, she had already finished washing up and was resting. Looking at the sound-asleep Sophia, Alexander carefully got up from the bed. The room was very dark, and he walked toward the door without turning on the lights, relying only on his muscle memory. When he exited the room, he took out his phone and dialed Felix''s number. At that moment, Felix had just finished showering. He came out of the bathroom and saw his phone ringing. Picking up the device, Felix noticed it was a call from Alexander, so he hurriedly answered, ¡°Mr. Xenos?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he responded with a frown. ¡°Help me investigate the waiter from the hotel tonight.¡± Alexander was focused on his thought to return home and apany Sophia then, so he didn''t dwell on that matter. However, after Sophia mentioned it just now, he pondered briefly and found the incident suspicious. All the waiters employed by major hotels would have to undergo three months of training. Other mistakes might be forgivable, but spilling wine and bumping into customers were errors that shouldn''t have happened. In addition, Charlotte showing up and being a nuisance afterward caused Alexander to find that matter all the more shady. Felix was startled. After a momentary daze, he regained his senses and hurriedly nodded. ¡°All right, Mr. Xenos. I''ll arrange for someone to carry out the investigation at once!¡± Then, he was reminded of something rted to Charlotte as he spoke. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Charlotte seemed to have bought a ticket to Frosa tomorrow.¡± Alexander scoffed. ¡°Let her leave, then. I don''t ever want to see her again!¡± She''s so annoying and troublesome! Chapter 575 Chapter 575 After learning Charlotte wanted to go overseas, Felix had initially arranged for someone to head to the airport tomorrow to stop her from leaving. Now that Alexander had called him, he swiftly made a call to his men, instructing them to cancel the arrangement to intercept Charlotte at the airport. He couldn''t afford to waste any more time on the issue concerning the hotel''s server. Despite thete hour, he urged his men tounch an immediate investigation into the matter. Felix''s efficiency wasmendable. The next morning, after Alexander woke up, he found the investigation report already sent to him by Felix. ncing at Sophia, who was heading to the bathroom, Alexander returned his focus to his phone and clicked on the email Felix sent him. The email was concise, with two photos attached and two short paragraphs detailing the investigation results. It became evident from the investigation report that the server at the high-end hotel where Alexander had his business meeting had ulterior motives. Being an influential man, Alexander naturally chose to conduct his business meetings at high-end hotels. Despite the rigorous training provided to the hotel staff, the server ¡°identally¡± spilled red wine on Alexander, prompting him to retreat to the restroom to clean himself up. This created an opportunity for Charlotte to cross paths with him. It didn''te as a surprise when the investigation revealed that Heath was the culprit. He hadn''t made any effort to conceal his identity, almost as if he wanted to provoke Alexander. This confirmation only reaffirmed Alexander''s suspicion that Heath was responsible for the incident. Alexander lowered his gaze as a menacing look crossed his eyes. After washing up, Sophia stepped out of the bathroom to see Alexander still in the room, which was rare for him. As he was holding his phone, she asked, ¡°Is work troubling you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Alexander had no intention of concealing the truth from Sophia. Despite being aware of their marital status, Heath had audaciously stirred up trouble, disying his disregard for the sanctity of their marriage. It was evident that Heath had no intentions of preserving his own dignity. He wanted to destroy their rtionship, but Alexander was determined not to let him seed. It was important for a couple to be honest with each other. In the past, one of the major issues they faced was theck of interaction and effectivemunication, which led to numerous misunderstandings and created a significant distance between them. Recognizing this, Alexander vowed not to repeat the same mistake again. Alexander handed his phone to Sophia, who scanned the contents of the email quickly. ¡°Did you bump into Charlottest night?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Alexander replied with a disgusted expression. ¡°She wanted to scam me.¡± Sophia didn''t expect Alexander would use the term ¡°scam¡± to describe Charlotte''s behavior. Chuckling aloud, she returned his phone to him. ¡°How are you going to deal with this, then?¡± Heath is annoying. How could he be this shameless? I''ve never met anyone as shameless as him. He disgusts me. Alexander reached out to wipe the water droplets on Sophia''s cheek away before replying slowly, ¡°The Barker family is considering expanding their presence into the entertainment industry. Heath''s presence here was likely rted to those ns.¡± He left the sentence hanging, but Sophia knew what he was referring to. The entertainment industry was currently dominated by Midway Media andary Media. These industry giants had established their dominance and were not keen on allowing the Barker family to enter and challenge their positions. Although Midway Media andary Media were rivals in the absence of amon threat, the prospect of a new yer seeking a share of the market prompted a coboration to safeguard their interests. The fact that Heath could execute his schemes in a rxed manner indicated that Midway Media and netary Media hadn''t taken any direct action against him yet. However, if Alexander were to nudge bothpanies into action, it would undoubtedly add an intriguing twist to the situation. Sophia''s lips curled. ¡°Good idea. He''s indeed too rxed now.¡± Alexander didn''t want to continue talking about Heath. ¡°I''ll take care of this.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia had never doubted Alexander''s abilities to handle these matters. Her lips curved as she recalled Charlotte. ¡°What about Ms. Brooks?¡± ¡°Heath gave her some money and a flight ticket to Frosa. I don''t want to see her in Chanaea ever again,¡± came Alexander''s answer. Sophia understood the implication behind Alexander''s words. He was making it clear that once Charlotte left the country, she would be permanently barred from returning to Chanaea. ¡°I''ll leave the matter to you,¡± she replied. Sophia wasn''t about to interfere as it wasn''t a serious matter. At the airport, Charlotte had sessfully passed through security and was now waiting with her luggage for her flight, scheduled to depart in two hours. With thewsuit filed by Alexander against her looming just a week away, Charlotte saw escaping the country as a temporary solution to evade the legal proceedings. She was at a loss for any other viable options to resolve the situation she found herself in. She had no idea when she''d be able toe back after leaving the country today. Standing at the gate, Charlotte couldn''t help but feel regretful for her impulsive actions that had provoked Sophia in the past. However, she knew that regretting her past decisions was futile at this point. It was toote, and Sophia would never grant her another chance. Clenching her jaw, Charlotte proceeded toward the luggage check-in area. She had just checked in her luggage when her phone rang. It was a call from Heath. By now, Charlotte had realized the gravity of her mistake. She had allowed herself to be blinded by her desire to marry into the Barker family. She now understood that she was not deserving of such a union and that Heath was not a man she could manipte or control. Heath may have appeared charming and flirtatious on the surface, but underneath that fa?ade, he was merciless andcked any consideration for their rtionship. Their two-month rtionship had been nothing but a game to him, as evidenced by his audacious request for her to seduce another man without a second thought about their bond. After assisting Charlotte in her deceitful act the previous night, Heath had seemingly gone above and beyond by providing her with money and a flight ticket to flee the country. At first nce, it appeared as though he had done everything in his power to help her, but he had his own ulterior motives. Heath''s involvement had been solely to incite disgust in Alexander, using Charlotte as a pawn in his game. She couldn''tprehend his intense fixation on Sophia, but she wisely decided to suppress her curiosity. After putting away her thoughts, Charlotte answered the call. ¡°Hello, Mr. Barker.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Are you already at the airport?¡± Heath''s deep voice rang out. It was obvious that he had just woken up. Charlotte murmured an acknowledgment. ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Before you board the ne, I have bad news for you.¡± Heath said carelessly, ¡°Last night, Alexander''s subordinate conducted an investigation, leading them to me.¡± Hearing that, Charlotte tensed up as her face went pale. ¡°What should I do, Mr. Barker?¡± ¡°Well, that depends on you.¡± He paused before adding, ¡°I won''t hold you back from boarding the ne.¡± With that, he hung up. Charlotte gripped her phone, utterly dumbfounded. Is Heath implying that Alexander had uncovered our calcted scheme? And even if I managed to leave the country today, will Alexander ever permit me to return in the future? Charlotte believed it was easy for Alexander to bar someone from reentering the country. Chapter 576 Chapter 576 If I leave the country today, I won''t be able to return anymore! This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Charlotte nced at her ne ticket, the weight of these unknowns hanging heavily upon her. My entire life, my family, and everything I hold dear is here in this country. While I may manage to escape temporarily, if I''m barred from returning, I''ll be trapped in a foreignnd indefinitely. Heath''s pitiful offer of three hundred grand is hardly enough to sustain me for long. His phone call served as a clear message that he was abandoning me to my fate. I have anticipated this betrayal, and I don''t rely on him to rescue me. It falls upon me to find a way to save myself. Charlotte remained at the airport for some time. She knew that most people in Jadeborough couldn''t afford to cross Alexander. However, the damage had already been done, and there was no way to undo the past. She couldn''t change the fact that she had offended him. Her only option was to confront the problem head-on and find a resolution. Felix was an attentive man. He promptly retracted the order to prevent Charlotte from leaving the country. However, Alexander had made it clear that he didn''t want Charlotte to return to Chanaea once she departed. Felix understood what he meant¡ªCharlotte would be effectively banned from returning to the country. Nevertheless, he couldn''t shake off his concerns that Charlotte might be putting on an act. If she were to stay in the country and Alexander identally encountered her, it would be negligence on his part. Therefore, Felix deployed his men to keep a close watch on Charlotte, ensuring she wouldn''t change her mind or attempt any unexpected moves. Indeed, Charlotte chose to remain in the country after a night passed. Since she refused to leave, he would have to take action. Of course, he knew he had to report Charlotte''s change of mind to Alexander. Alexander was scheduled to head to Odyssey this morning, so Felix nned on informing him after he returned to his office. This morning, Odyssey was set to hold a shareholder''s meeting. Sophia was initially scheduled to attend, but Alexander didn''t want her to tire herself out. Moreover, he had recently assumed control of Odyssey''s management. Although Sophia still held shares in thepany, she was no longer in an active leadership position. As a result, it was only fitting for Alexander to take her ce and attend the shareholder''s meeting himself. Sophia woke up early in the morning. After washing up, she stepped out of the bathroom to discover that it had drizzled this morning, bringing with it a cool breeze that wafted into her room. Overnight, Jadeborough had transitioned into the season of autumn. She opted for a cozy, oversized sweater that added an extra touch of elegance to her appearance. As Alexander nced up, he caught sight of Sophia descending the staircase. He recalled how he was struck by her remarkableposure and stability the first time heid eyes on her. Her beauty went beyond her exquisite features alone. Though he had initially mistaken her for a scheming woman, he couldn''t help but be captivated by her charming presence. When he married Sophia, he envisioned his future wife to possess her grace, minus any maniptive tendencies. He never got tired of beholding Sophia''s beauty, which seemed to flourish with each passing day. Reflecting on his initial marriage to Sophia, he recalled Samuel''sment about it not being a bad choice, and he had to admit that, despite Samuel''sck of helpful advice, he had been right in this instance. Collecting his thoughts, Alexander rose to his feet and approached Sophia. He supported her waist and touched her hand. ¡°Your hand is cold.¡± Sophia gazed at him and smiled. ¡°I''ve just washed my hands.¡± Alexander nodded and led her to the dining table. ¡°What would you like for lunch?¡± Hearing that, Sophia raised a brow. ¡°I thought you were heading to Odysseyter?¡± ¡°I''ll be back after the meeting ends.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Sophia snorted out loud. ¡°I don''t think Mr. Lane would like that.¡± Alexander gave her a bowl of oatmeal. ¡°Ignore him.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Sophia''s remark was meant to be lighthearted, as she knew that Felix had no power to sway Alexander''s decisions. At eight-thirty, Alexander left for Odyssey. It was still raining outside. Sophia had nned to check on the growth of the roses in the garden, but with the chilly weather and rain, she decided against it. Instead, she took the hydrangeas that Alexander had brought home the previous night and carefully trimmed them before arranging them in a fresh vase. When Alexander arrived at Odyssey, Felix came out to wee him. ¡°Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Charlotte didn''t board the ne, so she''s still in Jadeborough.¡± Alexander''s brows furrowed up when he heard Charlotte''s name. ¡°If she refuses to leave, make sure to teach her a lesson for what she did.¡± ¡°Got it, Mr. Xenos,¡± Felix replied curtly. He dared not say anything else as it was clear as day that Alexander despised Charlotte. The meeting began at nine-thirty and went on until ten-thirty. After stepping out of the conference room, Alexander tossed the file to Felix. ¡°Take care of this.¡± ¡°Mr. Xenos...¡± Felix was about to protest when his assistant ran over to him. ¡°Mr. Xenos, there''s a Ms. Brooks requesting to see you downstairs.¡± As soon as Felix heard the name, a sinking feeling enveloped his heart. He instinctively turned toward Alexander, only to find thetter''s expression clouded with darkness. ¡°I refuse to see her,¡± Alexander snapped. The assistant, sensing Alexander''s foul mood, couldn''t help but tense up. Recalling what the woman said, he pushed through and continued, ¡°Ms. Brooks mentioned that she has information regarding a certain Mr. Barker that she believes might be of interest to you.¡± Even though he wasn''t nning on meeting Charlotte, the mention of Heath brought a flicker of interest to his eyes. A short whileter, hemanded coldly, ¡°Bring her upstairs.¡± Felix''s assistant was still in a daze, so Felix quickly gave him a shove. ¡°Bring Ms. Brooks upstairs.¡± The assistant came to his senses and nodded fervently. ¡°Okay. I''ll bring Ms. Brooks upstairs now.¡± With a swift turn on his heels, Alexander briskly walked back to his office. While he harbored deep disdain for Charlotte and had no desire toy eyes on her again, his animosity toward Heath burned even stronger. Let''s see what she has that piques my interest! Charlotte was pretty anxious asing here was herst resort. She had dirt on Heath, something she had discovered identally previously. Since Heath had abandoned her, Charlotte had no choice but to take matters into her own hands and find a way to save herself. However, Charlotte wasn''t sure if Alexander was willing to meet her. After leaving the airport, she made her way to Odyssey and waited downstairs for around an hour. Initially, the receptionist informed her that Alexander wouldn''t be avable to see her, but Charlotte persisted and continued to inquire about his avability. Perhaps growing frustrated, the receptionist made a phone call. Before long, the assistant to Alexander''s secretary appeared and inquired about her connection to Alexander. Charlotte wasted no time and exined the reason for her visit. She understood that unless she revealed something intriguing, Alexander would likely refuse to see her, so she directly mentioned Heath''s name. As Charlotte''s anxiety mounted, the elevator doors parted, revealing the assistant who came over to her. Catching sight of him, Charlotte heaved a sigh of relief. Chapter 577 Chapter 577 Not long after, the assistant approached Charlotte, saying, ¡°Ms. Brooks, Mr. Xenos would like you to head upstairs.¡± Charlotte gave the assistant a nod of acknowledgment and ced her luggage aside. ¡°Thank you.¡± Her heart pounded with anxiety throughout the journey. She had absolutely no idea whether Alexander would be interested in the bargaining chips she had. While she was lost in her thoughts, the elevator door opened, and the assistant stepped out. ¡°This way, Ms. Brooks.¡± As soon as Charlotte exited the elevator, she spotted Felix waiting for her ahead. Felix was extremely polite to her, but for some reason, his gaze felt a little hostile. She felt a chill run down her spine as she walked toward him. ¡°Ms. Brooks, Mr. Xenos is in there,¡± informed Felix. He led her to the office and knocked on the door. It did not take long for them to hear an answer from Alexander. ¡°Come in.¡± Only then did Felix push the door open to let Charlotte in. The office was huge, but Charlotte spotted Alexander at first nce. When she thought of what happenedst night, all of her courage went away. Suddenly, she could not bring herself to step into the office. Where on earth did I get the courage toe to see him at hispany? Will I make him angrier? Despite all the questions in her head, she was out of options. Now that things hade to that point, she could only give everything she had. Hence, Charlotte gritted her teeth and willed herself to enter the office. ¡°Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander nced at her with a gaze that had a hint of impatience, his expression icy. ¡°Go on. What do you have that''ll interest me?¡± He did not want to, nor did he have the patience to hear her talk about other things. Charlotte nced at Alexander. She thought of talking about thewsuit first, but she gave up on the idea when she saw the look in his eyes. Hurriedly, she took out her phone and looked for the video before cing the device in front of Alexander. ¡°I found this out by ident. Heath has a child.¡± The news was something unexpected for Charlotte. However, that child was a girl. If she were a boy, Heath would have already taken him home. If the news about Heath having a child got out, it would affect him greatly. For people like him, being a yer was apletely different thing from having a child out of wedlock. Not to mention Heath still had feelings for Sophia. Thetter was Alexander''s wife, and no matter how bold Heath was, the Barker family would never condone his behavior. With Heath''s brother currently in charge of the Barker family, he would never let Heath stay in Jadeborough if the news about his daughter got out. That was something Alexander wanted to see as well. Charlotte was feeling slightly uneasy; she did not know if the information was enough. At that, Alexander took the phone and yed the video. In the video was a girl who resembled Heath. She was also calling him ¡°Dad.¡± The fact that Heath kept the video meant he had some form of attachment to his daughter. The news was undoubtedly a valuable one for Alexander. Compared to Charlotte, he preferred not to see a man like Heath linger in Jadeborough. Alexander even had the urge to make Felix kidnap Heath back to Coldbridge. Returning the phone to the table, Alexander looked up and nced at Charlotte calmly. ¡°Ms. Brooks, you tried to set my wife up several times. And justst night, you worked with Heath to set me up. What makes you think this insignificant information you provide will make me forgive you for everything you did?¡± Charlotte went pale the moment she heard that, and she shook her head fervently. ¡°That''s not what I mean, Mr. Xenos. I... I...¡± That was all she could manage, for she did not know what to say. Deep down, she knew Alexander was right. The video was not important enough to make him forgive her. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I know I was wrong for the things I did in the past. The only reason I acted rashly was that I listened to Heath''s nonsense. C-Could you please have mercy¡ª¡± ¡°Since you have self-awareness, you just ept your punishment.¡± With that, Alexander rose to his feet and left, leaving Charlotte standing there without daring to move an inch. When Felix saw Alexander walking out, the former hurriedly approached him. ¡°Mr. Xenos.¡± Alexander took a nce at his secretary, and as if suddenly remembering something, the former said, ¡°Tell Charlotte to be smarter and get rid of Heath if she wants my forgiveness.¡± With a nod, Felix said, ¡°Okay, got it.¡± Of course, Alexander had a way to get rid of Heath, but thetter never listened to the Barker family. There was nothing his family could do if he did not want to leave. It would take up a significant amount of time if Alexander really wanted to get rid of Heath. The problem was that Sophia was pregnant. Alexander did not want to keep seeing Heath in Jadeborough. Alexander left Odyssey after giving his instructions. The autumn rain fromst night had not stopped, so Alexander parked his car outside of the market and entered the building with a ck umbre. After all, he had promised Sophia to cook for her that day. As a man dressed in a suit and a pair of shiny, ck leather shoes, he stood out in the market. He had an unusual demeanor, and his suit obviously expensive. All the vendors in the market could tell he was a generous big shot. They fought to get his attention, but no one dared to touch him. It was Alexander''s first time visiting a market since Felix always sent someone to get the ingredients. That day, however, Sophia suddenly craved pineapple chicken, but there were no pineapples at home. Hence, Alexander had no choice but to look for it in the market. The local pineapples were not in season yet, so there were only small imported pineapples avable. Seeing that was the case, Alexander bought a small pineapple instead. Next to the fruit stall was a florist. Since it was raining outside, all the fresh flowers were moved into the stall, allowing Alexander to spot the bouquet of red roses with a slight tilt of his head. I think I haven''t given her roses in a while. After giving it some thought, Alexander walked over to purchase the bouquet of flowers with the pineapple in his hand. It was already past eleven when he arrived at the mansion, and Sophia was practicing yoga. Genie had informed her of Alexander''s arrival as soon as he stepped into the mansion. When she saw Alexander walking up the stairs with a huge bouquet of roses, she could not help but laugh. ¡°Did you go to the office for a meeting, or did you go there to buy flowers?¡± Putting the flowers by the side, Alexander went up to give her a hug and a kiss. ¡°I haven''t given you flowers in a long time.¡± That rendered Sophia speechless. She stood up from the yoga mat with his help and walked over to pick up the bouquet. A whiff of floral scent reached her nose as she lowered her head. ¡°It smells so good.¡± ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Women generally loved getting flowers unless they were allergic to pollen. Sophia spotted the pineapple at the corner. ¡°You went to the market?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The bag containing the pineapple was an ordinary stic bag, which told Sophia it was not bought from a supermarket. ¡°Don''t you have germaphobia?¡± Sophia was shocked by his bravery. ¡°It wasn''t too bad,¡± answered Alexander, patting her head. ¡°I''m going to make lunch now.¡± ¡°Okay, Mr. Xenos.¡± Sophia shed him a cheeky grin. With that, she got up to fetch a vase from the storage room, wanting to give the bouquet a trim and put them in some water. It was a gorgeous bouquet. She was determined to keep them fresh for three to five days to make Alexander''s romantic efforts worth it.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Chapter 578 Chapter 578 It was Samuel''s birthday at the end of the month, so Sophia and Alexander had prepared a gift for him. Although Samuel held a luxurious birthday party, the people he invited were from the industry, and they were all about the same age. Sophia recognized most of them since Kristen asionally brought her out for social gatherings during the former''s first three months of marriage with Alexander. Hence, the former recognized most of the people from the industry. In fact, Sophia had met most of Jadeborough''s wealthy beings. Back then, those individuals treated Sophia poorly because of the way Alexander and Kristen treated her. And now, Sophia had be Alexander''s wife, the chairperson of Sunshine Group, and the granddaughter of the Dawson family. No one there dared to treat her with disrespect when she held such a prominent identity. Then again, those who attended the party that night were acquainted with Samuel. Everyone in their social circle knew how close Samuel and Alexander were. Thus, they had to show Sophia, thetter''s wife, some form of respect. Charlize had been swamped with work recently, and with everything that happened to Alexander, Sophia lost contact with most of her acquaintances. It had been almost a year since Charlize and Sophiast saw each other. Charlize had intentionally applied for leave to attend Samuel''s birthday party with Charles. She had just entered the hall when she saw Sophia sitting beside Alexander. Is it just me, or has Soph gotten prettier after not seeing her for a few months? Charlize immediately let go of Charles'' hand and sprinted toward Sophia. ¡°Soph!¡± Sophia was wearing an ash blue knitted maxi dress,plemented by a dark green leather jacket. Her long hair was tied to the back with her headband, and her makeup was light, with her brick-red lipstick as the finishing touch. Words could not describe how beautiful she looked. Charlize had not seen Sophia in a long time. The sight of Sophia sent the former''s heart racing with excitement. If not for Alexander''s nce when Charlize got nearer, thetter would have given Sophia a hug right away. Willing herself to stay calm, Charlize carefully approached Sophia and greeted, ¡°Soph.¡± Sophia could not help but chuckle. ¡°Don''t you need to go on a business trip tonight, Charlize?¡± Embarrassment washed over Charlize. ¡°I''m going to quit soon.¡± Sophia raised her brow at that statement. ¡°Will your boss agree to it?¡± The thought of that man elicited a frown from Charlize. ¡°I don''t care what he thinks. I''ll get Charles to talk to that man if he says no.¡± Sophia was surprised to hear that. It''s been more than a year. I can''t believe Spencer hasn''t won her heart yet. Sophia did not know where the problemy¡ªeither Charlize was too difficult to handle, or Spencer was too useless. It was Samuel''s birthday that day, yet Alexander had been sitting by Sophia''s side since the moment they entered the hall. Knowing the two men were close friends, she told Alexander to be with his friend and that she would be fine alone. However, the clingy man stayed by his side. Now that Charlize was here, Sophia had a valid reason to make Alexander leave. Turning to her husband, Sophia poked at his hand that was wrapped around hers. ¡°Go and look for Mr. Schild. I''ll catch up with Charlize here.¡± Alexander cast a side nce at Charlize before looking back at Sophia. Only then did he let go of the latter''s hand. ¡°Okay. I''ll be backter.¡± His words made Charlize shudder. When Alexander was out of their sight, she looked at Sophia and said softly, ¡°Soph, Alex is really clingy.¡± Feeling her face heat up with embarrassment, Sophia took a ss of juice from the side and handed it to Charlize to change the topic. ¡°Drink some juice.¡± ¡°Oh. Thanks, Soph.¡± Charlize did not give it much thought, either. Just then, she remembered Katherine had given birth to a son, and she asked, ¡°Soph, I heard Katherine''s husband bought all the bags at Pillere''s runway for her. Is that true?¡± Katherine loved collecting bags, and it was known among everyone in the entertainment industry. All of Hemiock''s bags were bought by an anonymous Chanaean during the runway at Pillere. The news was first spread in the fashion industry before the frenzy arrived at Chanaea. Someone pointed out that Katherine''s bag, as shown in her picture on Twitter, was from the runway. However, she was still recuperating from herbor during that time. Soon, someone revealed it was Joshua who had bought all the bags for her. Everyone on Twitter was raving about the matter, admiring how lucky Katherine was. Even someone as busy as Charlize heard about it. Naturally, she had to ask Sophia about it. Sophia knew, of course. After all, Katherine had sent her a picture as soon as she got the bag. ¡°It''s true.¡± Not only did Joshua buy all the bags from the runway, he even bought one from each of thetest seasons. Katherine was so delighted that she did not evenin to Sophia about how boring her confinement period was. She excitedly unwrapped a bag each day as if they were mystery gifts. ¡°Wow. How romantic! Soph, could you tell me how Katherine and her husband met?¡± Sophia smiled at Charlize. ¡°It''s quite a long story.¡± ¡°It''s perfect, then. I have time tonight anyway.¡± Seeing how interested Charlize seemed, Sophia began telling her about the history of how Joshua and Katherine met. Although Sophia was just a spectator, she could be considered the witness to their history for the past thirty years. Sophia, Katherine, and Joshua had known each other since they were young, but Joshua and Katherine knew each other before they got to know Sophia. Both Joshua and Katherine were neighbors when they were kids. While Joshua grew up with his paternal grandparents, Katherine grew up with her maternal ones. It was a hot summer''s day when Sophia got to know the two. Joshua and Katherine were collecting bottles in arge sack. The skirt Sophia wore on that day was so pretty that Katherine simply stood there and stared at her. Finding Katherine''s behavior a little embarrassing, Joshua tugged at the former. She lost her bnce and fell to the ground. Even so, she did not cry. All she did was get back to her feet and say, ¡°Joshua, look! That girl''s so pretty. She looks like that doll I saw behind the window the other day.¡± As Katherine was saying that, she skipped toward Sophia and stared at thetter without saying anything. Back then, Katherine did not look as sophisticated as she currently was. One could tell her clothes were extremely old¡ªa stark contrast to Sophia''s skirt. That was the first time Sophia met the couple. Since then, she often saw them picking up bottles when she came back from kindergarten. Eventually, they grew closer. It was in elementary school that Sophia actually got to know Katherine and Joshua. Katherine''s character never changed. Despiteing from a less well-to-do family, she was always optimistic and cheeky. Since Sophia was a pretty girl, Katherine took the initiative to make friends with the former on the first day of school. Even though they were still young, Sophia had a great memory, and she remembered the hostile look on Joshua''s face when he looked at her.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Chapter 579 Chapter 579 For some reason, Katherine liked Sophia a lot, so no amount of hostility from Joshua would change anything. Katherine and Joshua were neighbors, but Katherine loved clinging to Sophia and would often walk her to her house before collecting bottles with Joshua on the way home. Although Joshua''s household didn''t fare any better than Katherine''s, he always kept himself and his clothes clean and tidy. As a result, the girls in ss loved ying with him. Katherine, on the other hand, was very skinny and tanned when she was little. Oblivious to the fact that Joshua liked her, she did not feel upset at all when other girls sat next to Joshua. In fact, she even walked up to him and said, ¡°This is awesome! You won''t be lonely now that you have someone sitting next to you, and I get to sit with Sophia!¡± Joshua ended up getting mad at her for two weeks. Even so, Joshua still walked home with Katherine every day and tutored her whenever she had trouble with her homework. They even picked up bottles together as usual, except Joshua wouldn''t talk to her unless absolutely necessary. Katherine was so oblivious that she asked if he wasn''t talking much due to a sore throat. That was when Joshua realized there was no point in getting mad at her because she wouldn''t understand it. The three of them remained in the same ss for six years straight in elementary school, and they somehow got into the same ss in their first year of junior high as well. It wasmon for junior high school students to begin experiencing physical changes in their bodies due to puberty and develop crushes. Katherine looked like apletely different person after her first stage of puberty. Not only did she slim down, but her skin also became a lot fairer. This marked the end of her ¡°ugly duckling¡± era and resulted in lots of boys trying to ask her out. They would either do so verbally in person or leave love letters on her desk. However, Katherine was not exactly the brightest when it came to romance. She knew that boundaries were a must between boys and girls at that age, but she didn''t exactly understand the confessions she received from boys. If anything, she simply assumed the boys admired her character and capabilities. When Katherine first received love letters, she would show them off to Joshua and brag about them. ¡°Ha! See this? You''re not the only one receiving love letters! I get them too!¡± Sophia simply sat there on the side and observed Joshua''s interesting facial expressions. He was obviously displeased about it, but he couldn''t show it or Katherine would get mad at him. When they were in the second year of junior high, a boy from a different school would wait outside their school gate every day to confess his love for Katherine. Although Katherine enjoyed the feeling of having the boy confess to her while the surrounding students cheered them on, she found it annoying after a while. Little did Katherine know, the boy''s family had some ties with the local gangsters, and he was quite the hooligan as well. Eventually, he got impatient after being rejected by Katherine several times and decided to force her into epting his confession. One time, he refused to let them go until Katherine said yes. Seeing as Katherine still wouldn''t ept his confession, he tried to drag her away by force. However, Joshua smacked his hand aside before he could even touch Katherine. Naturally, the boy and his cronies did not take kindly to that. He grabbed Joshua by the cor and asked him why he had to butt in like that. ¡°Because she doesn''t like you,¡± was Joshua''s response, and he swiftly punched that boy in the face. That was the first time Joshua had gotten into a fight for Katherine. Although he fought aggressively, he was at a significant disadvantage due to being outnumbered. Eventually, the teacher had to step in and break them up. Despite the fact that Joshua''s academic results had always been excellent, fighting outside the school gate had ruined his reputation. Not only did he receive a warning for his misbehavior, but he also lost his schrship for the entire academic year. Katherine cried several times at home after finding out what happened. Since then, she would ce all the love letters she received into a paper bag and burn them. Katherine did not perform well during the midterms and failed to make it into the same ss as Sophia and Joshua. Those two, on the other hand, excelled academically and were among the top scorers in the city. A few high schools evenpeted with each other over Sophia and Joshua. Silverleaf School went to the extent of offering them a thirty thousand allowance on top of exempted tuition fees, but they both turned the offer down. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. The two of them then chose to enroll in Central High School with Katherine and secretly requested to be ced in the same ss as her. Sophia and Joshua had known each other for almost ten years at the time, but they were not very close and would only meet when hanging out with Katherine. As neither of them was the outspoken type, they hardly spoke to each other when they were in the principal''s office at Central High School. When the principal asked them the reason behind their request, Sophia instinctively turned toward Joshua for an answer. He didn''t even look at her as he replied, ¡°She has always been with me, so I don''t like to lose her all of a sudden.¡± That was probably the boldest confession anyone had heard from a fifteen-year-old boy. Sophia could still remember the principal''s reaction when he heard Joshua''s reply. After staring hesitantly at Joshua for a few seconds, the principal decided to hold back on lecturing him. ¡°I admire the friendship you have with Katherine. Since the three of you have always been in the same ss, I wouldn''t want to ruin things by separating you three.¡± Sophia had never told Katherine about that, though. On the first day of school, Katherine was overjoyed when she found out that they were going to be in the same ss again. After hugging Sophia, she ran up to Joshua and did the same. While watching them from the side, Sophia noticed that Joshua''s ears had turned bright red. Unfortunately for him, Katherine was so carried away with celebrating her luck that she didn''t notice his reaction. As the two of them matured throughout the three years of high school, they started having fights more and more often. The worst was when Joshua used another girl to spite Katherine. Sure enough, Katherine assumed that Joshua actually liked that girl. When the girl approached Katherine and asked her to keep her distance from Joshua, Katherine agreed to it without any hesitation. Chapter 580 Chapter 580 Joshua, Katherine, and Sophia had been walking to and from school together since they were in elementary school. However, Katherine was so determined to uphold her promise to the girl that she told Joshua to stay away from her and Sophia. Joshua''s expression turned gloomy the moment he heard that, but Katherine stood her ground and made her point clear before running off to cry in the restroom. Sophia ran after Katherine and tried her best tofort her, but thetter''s tears wouldn''t stop flowing. Thinking that Katherine had no feelings for him whatsoever, Joshua got so angry that he went along with her request and stopped hanging out with them. Even so, he did not date that other girl. As though Katherine and Joshua had beplete strangers, the two of them never spoke to each other ever since. Sophia and Joshua had somewhat simr personalities in the sense that they were both the quiet type. They could sit there minding their own business for hours without talking if Katherine wasn''t around. As such, no one had ever tried to pair them up with each other despite their good grades and equally good looks. Since Katherine was always the one to initiate their conversations, Joshua had no idea how to talk to her when she stopped doing so. One time, Joshua finally had an opportunity to speak to Sophia and Katherine. However, Katherine turned around and dragged Sophia away before Joshua could say a word. Just like that, their ¡°cold war¡± dragged on. About a monthter, the girl who approached Katherine came to see her again. This time, she brought her friends with her. Without warning, one of her friends stepped forward and tried to p Katherine. Fortunately, Sophia was quicker and pushed the girl away. Katherine was stunned as she had no idea what she did wrong. Had Sophia not responded in time, the p would have surelynded on Katherine''s cheek. Having missed her p, the girl then began verbally abusing Katherine. ¡°You pretentious b*tch! You know my friend likes Joshua, so why would you stick around him so much? You don''t even like him anyway!¡± Katherine was already in a bad mood at the time. Hearing the girl''s words angered her so much that she burst out crying on the spot. Someone told Joshua what was going on, and he rushed over to confront the girl. The girl sobbed as she replied, ¡°You were tutoring me a while back, weren''t you? Doesn''t that mean we have something special going on?¡± ¡°You paid me to tutor you, so I did. I don''t see anything special about that,¡± Joshua retorted coldly with a sneer. He then nced at Katherine, who was also crying, and continued, ¡°Besides, I only agreed to tutor you because I needed money to buy Katherine a birthday present.¡± That response of his was no different from pping the girl in front of everyone. On top of that, he had also indirectly admitted to liking Katherine. Even Sophia was a little shocked when she heard what he said. She did not expect a guy like Joshua to say something that bold in public. If Joshua simply wanted to help Katherine out, all he had to do was rify that he wasn''t dating the girl he tutored. There was no need for him to further embarrass the girl by mentioning the birthday present. Due to the hugemotion they caused, the disciplinary teacher summoned all of them to his office on the spot. Since Joshua was a model student, the disciplinary teacher decided to let them off after a brief lecture. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Despite nearly getting hit for no reason, Katherine was carefree enough to let it go after making sense of everything. Feeling overjoyed after hearing that Joshua was not dating the girl, she ran up to him and asked for the birthday present. ¡°Happy birthday,¡± Joshua said while handing her the present that he had prepared. That day happened to be Katherine''s birthday, so Joshua was actually d the girl confronted Katherine. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have had the chance to give Katherine the present. ¡°Wow! It''s beautiful! I like it very much!¡± Katherine eximed when she opened the box. Inside was a ne that she and Sophia had set their sights on while shopping at the mall. However, they were too poor to afford it, so Katherine had no choice but to let it go. Sophia was nning to buy it for Katherine using the money she had saved up, but Joshua approached her a month ago and said he wanted to give it to Katherine as a birthday present. Since he had offered to buy the ne, Sophia decided to let him do it instead. She was, however, surprised that Joshua had been close to that girl simply to tutor her and earn some money. Since Joshua had made his point very clear, Sophia believed Katherine would surely understand his feelings for her. She then stepped away to give the two some privacy. By the time school was over, Joshua and Katherine were back to being close again. Sophia asked Joshua why he didn''t confess his feelings like the other boys, but he kept quiet and simply stared at Katherine with a displeased look on his face. Sophia couldn''t help but feel bad for him when she saw his reaction. She had tried to help him out by dropping hints in front of Katherine, but thetter was so dense that she thought Sophia had a crush on Joshua instead. Sophia stopped trying to matchmake them after that. Joshua and Katherine only started dating afterpleting the university entrance exam. As Sophia''s parents had passed away during that time, she felt depressed and didn''t pay much attention to them at all. Eventually, she pulled herself together and went to university in Jadeborough. Joshua waited until then to tell her that he and Katherine were dating. Joshua and Katherine had been childhood friends for over twenty years, so they were more like family members that supported each other. Katherine got into the entertainment industry during her university days while Joshua was busy with his studies. As a result, the two of them barely had time to contact each other. Just as there were lots of girls in university who tried to court Joshua, there were lots of wealthy young men in the entertainment industry who tried to woo Katherine as well. Given how young the two of them were at the time, nobody could say for sure what would happen in the future. However, Sophia saw them decisively reject all of their admirers no matter what. Even Katherine, who always had a carefree attitude, was very careful to avoid scandals in the entertainment industry. Although there wasn''t anything too exciting about their rtionship, that was precisely the reason it felt real and rtable. After learning about their story, Charlize couldn''t help but exim in envy, ¡°I wish I had a childhood sweetheart like that! They''ve been together for over twenty years!¡± Sophia smiled and took a sip of her fruit juice. As she looked up, she noticed someone staring at Charlize, who was sitting right next to her. Chapter 581 Chapter 581 Sophia followed the man''s line of sight and directed her gaze toward Charlize, who seemed fully absorbed in enjoying the assortment of fruits on the tter and was oblivious to the man''s attention. Nevertheless, Sophia only let a small smile grow on her lips, not nning to bring Charlize''s attention to the matter. ¡°Soph, I heard from Charles that you''ve gotten an arbor at home and that it''s beautiful.¡± Sophia could not stop the chuckle from escaping her. ¡°It''s November now. The flowers have all but wilted. It''s not at all pretty in this season.¡± The realization only dawned upon Charlize when Sophia said that. ¡°Oh, you''re right. But I''m sure it must look gorgeous during spring.¡± Sophia chuckled again. ¡°Doe and take a look when springes.¡± ¡°Sure!¡± While the two chatted, a few socialites beside them were conversing too. However, as they had their backs facing Sophia and Charlize, they never noticed the duo''s presence. One of the socialites soon mentioned Heath, sparking a discussion among the group. ¡°Have you heard thetest gossip? Apparently, there''s a rumor going around that Heath, the man Mrs. Xenos had an affair with, actually has a four-year-old daughter!¡± ¡°What? That''s sudden, but Heath has always been a yboy. It''s not surprising to hear that he has an illegitimate daughter.¡± ¡°Indeed it''s not surprising, but what''s even more surprising is that another woman has emerged, causing amotion with the Barker family. She ims to be pregnant and insists that Heath should take responsibility for the child. It seems like the rumors about his illegitimate daughter have just started circting, and now there''s another woman pregnant with his child. The family that was nning a marriage alliance with the Barkers is considering breaking off the engagement.¡± ¡°About six months ago, Mr. Barker arrived in Jadeborough to establish the Barker family''s new company. However, following this incident, his brother has called him back.¡± ¡°Tsk, I guess you can say he''s talented in a way. It''s one thing to be a casanova, but it''s another to go after Mrs. Xenos. He''s definitely a gutsy one.¡± The group of them was excitedly chattering away about the gossip in the circle. The more Charlize listened, the more baffled she was. A while ago, she had been traveling with Spencer, so she only spent a few days of the month in Jadeborough. In other words, she did not have the time nor the energy to find out about the biggest gossip, let alone the exclusive ones within their social circle. Still, she was shocked that Heath had dared to go after Alexander''s wife. Whipping her head to look at Sophia, she whispered in disbelief, ¡°Soph, did Heath really try to court you?¡± Sophia pressed her lips together. ¡°Somewhat.¡± ¡°Oh my goodness! He''s truly unbelievable!¡± Heath''s audacity in attempting to win the affection of Alexander''s wife would undoubtedly leave anyone impressed. Just as Sophia was about to speak, she caught sight of Spencer out of the corner of her eye and clicked her tongue. ¡°Well, Mr. Lacroix is also quite impressive,¡± she remarked. As she said that, she gave Charlize a mirthful smile. Charlize choked on her juice at the mention of Spencer. ¡°Soph, why are you suddenly talking about that workahol¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Charlize lifted her head and saw Spencer, who had reached her. She stiffened. Spencer had a dinner to attend that day, and supposedly, she was to be by his side. However, she would rather attend Samuel''s birthday party and meet Sophia, who she had not seen for months. Thus, she lied to Spencer and said that her great-grandmother had invited her to dinner. The truth was, her great-grandmother had long passed. Charlize was anxious when she lied to Spencer, fearing that her lie would unravel if Spencer were to keep asking her questions. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Fortunately, Spencer only hummed an agreement before dismissing her with a wave. She never expected to encounter the man here! ¡°So, your great-grandmother asked you to have dinner with her?¡± Charlize wilted upon seeing the man. ¡°I... I have a stomach ache! I need to go to the restroom!¡± With that said, she leaped to her feet and scurried off. Sophiaughed at the woman¡¯s fleeing silhouette. Charlize fled without thinking about where she should run to. She did not know how she was going to handle an awkward situation like this¡ªher bumping into her boss at a party after telling him that she was going to keep her great-grandmotherpany. She even wondered if she was still going to get her quarterly bonus after this incident. After a moment of hesitation, she headed to the restroom. It was not empty, and most of the people in the restroom were socialites who were touching up their makeup. They were all from the same social circle, so Charlize knew most of their names. Nheless, she was not in the mood to chat with them. With a wave of her hands, she then rushed into the cubicle. Fortunately, the hotel was an upscale establishment, so the cubicle was spacious andfortable. Charlize then took out her phone and startedining to her friends about how she encountered her employer. After around fifteen minutes of staying in the cubicle, she reckoned that Spencer would be long gone by then. After all, he disliked attending social events like these. What''s wrong with Spencer today? I can''t believe he''s here. Charlize stood up and stepped out of the cubicle. By then, it was half past eight, and there were more socialites touching up on their makeup in the restroom. ¡°Ms. Johnson.¡± Someone greeted Charlize when she saw her. However, Charlize was not that familiar with that person, so she only gave her a fake smile before heading out. What the heck? The second she saw Spencer, Charlize thought she was hallucinating. She brought her hands up to rub her eyes, thinking that the sight before her would change, only to realize that Spencer was really standing in front of her. ¡°Does your stomach still hurt?¡± the man asked, his gaze fixed on her and his brows furrowed. His intense gaze made her feel guilty, and she put her hand on her stomach, about to continue with her act. In the end, she chickened out. ¡°No, it doesn''t hurt anymore.¡± ¡°In that case, let''s talk about your supposed dinner with your great-grandmother.¡± With that, he turned and left, not giving Charlize any chance to say no. Charlize did not want to follow him, but she knew that he would have plenty of ways to deal with her the following day if she did not. Ugh, I''m just a miserable worker. I have no choice but to submit. Pursing her lips, Charlize then trudged after him. After a while of walking, Charlize realized that Spencer seemed to have no intentions of stopping. Growing impatient, she said, ¡°Mr. Lacroix, it''s rather quiet here, so why don''t we have the talk here?¡± She was careful in voicing the suggestion, fearing that Spencer would fly into a rage if she said the wrong words. Spencer turned to look at her. ¡°Are you tired?¡± It hasn''t been that long since we started walking. ¡°N-No...¡± At that, he fell silent and continued leading the way. The silent journey went on for a moment longer before Charlize realized he was leading her into a hanging garden. If Charlize had to be honest, she would say that it was rather cold in November. When the lights abruptly lit up, Charlize was startled, and she subconsciously leaned toward Spencer. Only when she realized that the shes had been lights switching on did she sigh in relief and mutter, ¡°Mr. Lacroix, I think we''ve identally trespassed someone else''s spot.¡± Look at those lights and that bouquet of roses over there. Even if this isn''t a proposal site, it''s got to be a confession site! Chapter 582 Chapter 582 ¡°Charlize.¡± No sooner had those words left her lips than Charlize heard Spencer calling her name. ¡°Huh?¡± she instinctively responded, but when she turned to meet his eyes, she swallowed. What is that look in his eyes? This is weird... ¡°We''re not trespassing.¡± ¡°What?¡± Before Charlize coulde to her senses, she saw Spencer walking over to the round table and picking up the bouquet of roses. When she saw that, the first thing she thought was, Spencer''s going to confess to someone. But soon, she was wondering who was Spencer''s target of affection. She had been by his side for over a year, but she had not noticed him treating anyone differently. Still, the thought of him confessing to someone else brought a swell of jealousy in her chest. She did not know why, but she was ill at ease. While she was lost in her thoughts, Spencer walked over to her. Charlize raised her head to look at him. Her eyes were a little teary, but that went unnoticed by her. ¡°Mr. Lacroix, so, you''re going to confess.¡± Her words wereced with jealousy. Spencer''s expression softened, a rare sight. ¡°Yes.¡± His response made Charlize''s frown deepen. She simply could not find the reason behind her suddenly-sour mood. ¡°Oh, that''s good. Well, I won''t disturb you anymore.¡± At that, Charlize gave him a smile that looked worse than outright bawling and turned to run off. However, just as she lifted her head, the man behind her grabbed her hand. He was warmer than her, so she could feel the heat that circled her wristing from his palm. She stiffened before turning to look at Spencer in confusion. ¡°Mr. Lacroix, go ahead if you want to confess. If you keep holding onto me, the girl might misunderstand the situation, and that''ll be bad.¡± As she said that, she reached out to pry his hand off. Yet, right as she moved to do that, Spencer brought the flowers to her. ¡°Charlize, would you consider being in a rtionship with me?¡± Charlize looked at the roses before her as she blinked rapidly, trying to digest Spencer''s words in her shock. ¡°Mr. Lacroix, even though I''m in the wrong to have lied to you toe to this party, you shouldn''t pull my legs like this.¡± I''ll think that this is real. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Spencer''s expression darkened again. ¡°Are you pretending to be stupid, or are you genuinely stupid?¡± Charlize froze. Of course, she was not thetter, but things were progressing so swiftly in a direction she was not expecting. She did not answer him, and a silence abruptly ensued. In the end, Spencer frowned and asked, ¡°Do you already have someone you like?¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± Charlize nodded. Spencer looked like he was about to scrunch up his face. A myriad of emotions shed past his dark eyes, but in the end, he suppressed them all. With a scoff, he said, ¡°You''re right. I was joking with you. Forget about what I said earlier.¡± Then, he threw the bouquet into the trash can beside them. Charlize''s heart broke. This is such a beautiful bouquet. How can he just toss it away like this? She hastily picked it up, but Spencer was already far from her at that point. Turning to nce at the lights in the garden, Charlize then ran after him. Spencer sighed with a heavy heart as he quickly walked away, his expression darkened by the realization that someone else had already captured Charlize''s heart. The thought of another person upying a ce in her heart filled him with a deep desire to eliminate anypetition. If he walked any slower, he feared he would forcibly take Charlize as his. Spencer had liked her for years, but those years of waiting and longing had been in vain, as she had chosen another person to hold her affection. The very thought of that crushed Spencer''s heart. Regret washed over Spencer as he contemted the timing of his confession. He couldn''t help but wonder if he had taken the chance to express his feelings earlier, would Charlize have reciprocated and chosen him instead? The frustrating thoughts swirled in his head like a tornado as his rationality and emotions fought against each other. Right as Spencer was about to pause in his tracks, someone grabbed his shirt. The next thing he heard was a familiar voiceing from behind him. Spencer tensed up and turned around. At some point, Charlize had picked up the roses and was holding them to her chest. Upon locking eyes with Spencer, she curled her lips into a smile and yfully challenged him, asking, ¡°Don''t you want to know who has captured my heart?¡± What a heartless confession! What do you mean by consider being in a rtionship with you? Aren''t you going to ask who''s the one in my heart? A beatter, Spencer finally realized what was going on. Hence, he turned around and squeezed out, ¡°Who do you like, Charlize?¡± Everyone was in the banquet hall, so they were the only ones in the garden. When Charlize saw him ambling toward her, she instinctively took steps back, but her tracks came to a halt when she hit the wall. His dark eyes continued to track her, tempting her toe closer to him. Charlize''s heart raced, and she raised her hand to block his line of sight with the roses as she mumbled, ¡°The one who''s standing in front of me.¡± Her voice was soft¡ªalmost a slurring whisper¡ªbut Spencer still heard it. The corridor they were in was quiet, and he could almost hear his thumping heart. Swallowing, he then said, ¡°I didn''t hear you clearly. Could you repeat what you just said? Who is the person you have feelings for?¡± At that, Charlize shifted the flowers to sneak a nce at him. The man''s gaze was burning, and a peek at his eyes nearly set her aze. ¡°Forget it if you didn''t hear me.¡± She huffed. ¡°It''s been a while since I came out here. I''m sure my brother''s going to be looking for me, so I''m heading back.¡± At that, she turned to walk back into the banquet hall, still holding the flowers in her hands. However, all the man needed to do was take a step forward to trap her between him and the wall. Charlize raised her head. Her heart was still thumping loudly against her ribcage. ¡°M-Mr. Lacroix?¡± His hand gently cupped her chin, tilting her head upward to meet his gaze. ¡°Are you doing this on purpose?¡± Her n exposed, she averted her gaze guiltily. ¡°What do you mean? I don''t know what you''re talking abo¡ª Mm!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, the man lowered his head to seal her lips. His lips were cool, but Charlize found herself burning up. As he pressed his lips against hers, a surge of electricity coursed through her body. It felt as if all her strength had been drained, causing her knees to weaken and tremble. Spencer caught her with his other hand, and she was almostpletely leaning on him. The corridor fell into silence, and Charlize''s heartbeat resonated loudly in her ears. The floor was carpeted, so the footsteps of the iing people were barely audible. It was toote by the time Spencer realized people were walking over to them, and he quickly pulled her into his arms. As it turned out, it was two women. The women seemed taken aback at the sight of Spencer, but when their gaze fell upon Charlize, who was in his embrace, they quickly averted their eyes. Chapter 583 Chapter 583 ¡°He''s such a handsome guy. What a pity he''s taken!¡± one of the women said. The other woman responded, ¡°Why worry about him being taken? You''ve snatched someone who was already taken before, haven''t you?¡± Their voices faded into the distance as they walked away. Charlize, who was being held by Spencer, felt flustered, and her face turned as red as a cooked shrimp. Spencer took a step back, creating some space for Charlize to move. Thetter looked up and nced at him, wanting to break free from his embrace. However, he stood still like a mountain before her. She nudged him twice, but he still refused to budge. With her face already flushed, Charlize felt embarrassed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Spencer grabbed her wrist and asked, ¡°Are you my girlfriend now?¡± When she heard what he said, Charlize''s face grew even hotter, as if it had been scorched by an iron. ¡°You''ve already kissed me. Are you trying to deny it?¡± Even though embarrassed, she still tried to act nonchntly. Upon noticing that, Spencer decided to tone down and cast her a gentle look. ¡°You''re the one trying to deny it, Charlize.¡± Helping her tidy up the stray strands of hair on her forehead, he said, ¡°I''ll pick you up tomorrow and take you to the office.¡± Charlize''s sole focus at the time was to swiftly escape and find a quiet space to gather herself. She paid little attention to Spencer''s words, and upon hearing him speak, she simply nodded in agreement, over and over. Spencer could sense herck of attention to his words. Feeling somewhat helpless, he let go of her and took a few steps back. As soon as he stepped back, Charlize darted away like a startled bunny. She ran back to the banquet hall, and after seeing several familiar faces, she finally stopped in her tracks. Someone noticed that Charlize was holding a bouquet of roses and asked out of curiosity, ¡°Ms. Johnson, the flowers...¡± Charlize''s eyes widened as she suddenly remembered the bouquet of roses she was still holding. She instinctively nced around, contemting how to hide the conspicuous bouquet, but its size proved too challenging to conceal no matter how she attempted to tuck it away. She considered the option of discarding the bouquet, but the thought of wasting it troubled her. After all, it was the first bouquet of roses she had received from Spencer. While Charlize was still trying to figure out what to do, Spencer emerged from her back. Charlize locked eyes with him, her face turning flushed, and quickly looked away. She didn''t even notice the socialite who had just greeted her. Clutching the bouquet tightly, she made her way through the crowd. She managed to avoid the socialite, only to bump into Charles. Charles, who had already spotted his sister from afar, noticed the bouquet in her hands. After ncing at the bouquet of flowers, he shifted his gaze to Spencer, who was staring at her. A sudden realization dawned on him, and Charles'' expression turned serious as he inquired, ¡°Are those flowers from Spencer?¡± Charlize felt a hint of embarrassment. ¡°How did you know, Charles?¡± The man''s expression grew even more ominous. Charlize paused for a moment, her face filled with concern, and stammered, ¡°Charles, y-you don''t seem happy.¡± Charles let out a cold snort. How can I be happy when someone''s snatching my sister away? ¡°Do you like Spencer?¡± he asked. Charlize blushed right away. I can''t believe my brother asked such a direct question! She lowered her head, looked at the flowers, and bobbed her head in acknowledgment. With a firm and serious expression, Charles spoke after a prolonged silence. ¡°Stay here. We will be leaving for home in fifteen minutes.¡± As his words hung in the air, he turned around and headed toward Spencer''s direction. Spencer stood still, observing Charles as he approached, seemingly unfazed by the encounter, as if he had expected it all along. Noticing Charles was walking over, Spencer greeted, ¡°Mr. Johnson.¡± Charles snorted icily. ¡°You''re very capable, Mr. Lacroix.¡± Spencer looked at Charles, maintaining hisposure. ¡°Mr. Johnson, I''m serious about Charlize.¡± ¡°You''ve only gotten known Charlize for about a year, and you''re telling me you''re serious about her? Mr. Lacroix, do you think I''m as foolish as my sister?¡± Hiding nearby and eavesdropping, Charlize could not help but twitch her lips. I''m foolish? You''re the real fool, Charles! Spencer paused, his lips pressed together for a moment, before he responded, ¡°I''ve known Charlize not for just one but for ten years.¡± Charles was taken aback for a split second. ¡°Spencer Lacroix, I know everything about you. Charlize had no idea who you were before you came into the picture.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Spencer''s response was swift. ¡°You''re right, but perhaps you''re too preupied to remember the incident that urred during the winter ten years ago.¡± Though angry, Charles retained hisposure as he spoke. ¡°Ten years ago? Ten years ago, we¡ª¡± He paused, his memory suddenly jogging his recollection. ¡°You were that guy, weren''t you?¡± ¡°Yes. It was me,¡± Spencer confirmed. After a brief pause, he continued, ¡°Mr. Johnson, there''s no need to worry so much. The Johnson family is formidable, and dealing with me would be effortless for you. If I ever disappoint Charlize, you can alwayse and hold me ountable. My life and fortune are yours tomand.¡± Though the words may have sounded exaggerated, Charles found them satisfactory. ¡°You certainly have a way with words, Mr. Lacroix. Let''s see if your actions can live up to your promises.¡± Spencer''s gaze lowered slightly as he responded, ¡°Feel free to observe my actions and judge for yourself if they hold true to my words, Mr. Johnson.¡± Caught off guard by the man''s calm response, Charles struggled toe up with a retort. He snorted coldly. ¡°Remember what you said today, Spencer! If you dare to y games with Charlize, I''ll ruin your reputation!¡± After speaking, Charles nced at his sister, who was standing in a corner. ¡°Come out here. Let''s go home!¡± Charlize, taken by surprise when Charles called her out, felt a mix of embarrassment and awkwardness. Without daring to nce at Spencer, she quickly ran toward Charles, tightly holding onto the bouquet of roses. Spencer watched her and had the urge to remind her not to run too fast and be careful not to trip, but as he looked at Charlize''s retreating figure, he decided to keep his thoughts to himself. Meanwhile, Charles swiftly led Charlize out of the banquet hall, walking with purposeful strides. Charlize had to quicken her pace and even run to keep up with him along the way. She held the bouquet of roses tightly against her chest, mindful of their delicate petals. With each step, she trod cautiously, her eyes focused on the flowers, determined to protect them from any harm. As she continued walking, she eventually decided to slow down her pace, taking careful and deliberate steps to ensure the bouquet''s safety. Inside the car, anger welled up within Charles as he watched Charlize''s careful movements and the tight grip she had on the bouquet. Seeing hering in with the bouquet, Charles could not help but speak up. ¡°These flowers are a nuisance. Just throw them out.¡± ¡°I''ll sit in front then!¡± Charlize instantly got defensive. There''s no way I''ll throw these pretty flowers out! I''ll at least keep them for a couple of days! Charles'' lips twitched. ¡°Fine! Stay right here!¡± He then looked at the driver and instructed, ¡°Start the car.¡± As the car started hitting the road, Charlize lowered her head, gently patting the petals of the roses. Charles tilted his head aside, shooting daggers at her. ¡°Do you really like Spencer?¡± Being asked twice in a row had strengthened her resolve, and Charlize answered with confidence, ¡°Of course. I''m not a fool. I wouldn''t have epted his flowers if I didn''t like him.¡± ¡°How long have you known him, though? How can you be so sure about what kind of person he is?¡± Charles questioned her. ¡°I''ve known him for five years! I heard of him right when I started university, and I''ve been working closely with him for over a year. I know what I''m doing, Charles!¡± she eximed with conviction. Her determination caught Charles off guard. He had intended to respond to her remark but opted to restrain his thoughts, swallowing them in silence. Chapter 584 Chapter 584 No one spoke in the car. Charlize held the roses and stared out the window, deep in thought. ncing at her, Charles felt upset. He felt apelling desire to go back and fight Spencer. N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Charles was nearly a decade older than Charlize and was already studying in elementary school by the time thetter was born. He knew he was getting a sibling before she was even born, but he didn''t want a little brother, for Justin''s naughty and annoying little brother left a bad impression on him. Hence, Charles prayed every day before Charlize was born, hoping his younger sibling would be a girl. Then, when he returned home from school one day, his father told him his mother had given birth to a girl. Overjoyed, he leaped into the air in excitement and was so happy that he didn''t even feel the pain when he fell. He still remembered how he gazed at his tiny baby sister through a ss window after arriving at the hospital with his father. Charlize was sleeping soundly in the crib, her skin soft and fair, completely unlike how Justin''s noisy little brother acted when he was born. Charles was the only one who had a little sister within his group of friends. The first thing Charles did every day upon reaching home after school was to talk to his baby sister. He loved bringing Charlize to Justin''s ce for y dates on weekends after Charlize was old enough to walk and run. At that point in time, Justin''s little brother was at an annoying age while Charlize had always been obedient and adorable since birth. Hence, Justin was incredibly jealous of Charles for having a lovable baby sister. Charlize, too, loved following Charles around since childhood. In fact, Charles was so worried about Charlize during her first day of kindergarten that he took a day off to wait at the entrance of the kindergarten, watching over his baby sister. His parents imed that he doted on Charlize too much, causing her to get used to relying on him from childhood to adulthood. Charles didn''t mind Charlize depending on him since she was his little sister. In his opinion, it was okay for girls to show weakness and be vulnerable. Moreover, he was fiercely protective of her and vowed to not let anyone harm her. More than twenty years passed in the blink of an eye. Charlize slowly became independent after attending university and stopped relying on her big brother once she started working. She no longer needed his help as much as she did in the past, which actually caused Charles to feel rather upset and dispirited. As soon as he epted the fact that Charlize had grown to be an independent adult, Spencer came into the picture and took her away from him. The thought that Charlize would get married someday never urred to Charles after he spent years taking Charlize under his wing. He didn''t think it would happen so fast, and he felt horrible upon considering that possibility. Meanwhile, Charlize had no idea what was going on in her brother''s mind. Instead, she was still thinking about Spencer''s words. As far as I remember, the first time I met Spencer was back when I just entered university. He was our senior and gave a speech on stage during the opening day. I woke upte and rushed to the hall, but I ended up entering through the wrong door and bumped into him. I was startled by the cold look on his face as soon as I lifted my head to apologize, but I was surprised when he helped me up and asked if I was okay before I could say anything. Honestly, I was prepared to be scolded, but surprisingly, he showed concern toward me. I thought he was a nice guy. The second time I met him was during a ss. Our lecturer returned home to attend to an urgent matter, and Spencer was our substitute teacher for that ss. That day, I just so happened to bete, so I thought I had gone to the wrong ssroom when I saw him there. He was wearing a white sweater that day and he coldly assured me that I didn''t go to the wrong room. Everyone in the ssughed as I scurried into the ssroom in embarrassment. I asked my ssmates and learned he was there as the substitute teacher because he was the lecturer''s favorite student, a senior three years older than me. Back then, I didn''t have any special feelings for him. He was just a handsome and aloof senior to me. I grew up surrounded by attractive men and women, so I didn''t find him that attractive. The edges of her lips curved upward faintly. The first time I had feelings for him was during a weekend. Instead of returning home, I stayed on campus, which turned out to be a terrible choice because my period had just arrived. When I was a child, I loved relying on Charles. However, after I grew up, I learned to be independent upon realizing people saw that as a sign of weakness. I disliked asking others for help when I was attending university due to what happened in high school. My period pain was tormenting that day, but it wasn''t so overwhelming I couldn''t visit the infirmary. However, the sweltering weather and the pain were too great for me to endure, and I couldn''t even walk two kilometers to the infirmary. Just as I was about to faint, Spencer suddenly appeared. He stood before me, aloof as ever, and asked me if I was okay. Usually, I wouldn''t have dared to trouble him, but that day, I was in so much pain that I just nodded. Just as my vision blurred and I was about to copse, Spencer carried me in his arms, preventing me from falling. Jadeborough in July was like an oven, and that day was particrly blistering. The scorching sunlight blurred my vision. I don''t know if anyone noticed us when he carried me to the infirmary, but I do remember opening my eyes from time to time and seeing the frown on his face. That fateful day, he sent me to the infirmary and kept mepany as I received a pain-relief injection before sending me back to my dorm. Her heart began racing as she continued recalling every single detail about Spencer in her memories. Before I went upstairs, I saw the red stain on his white shirt and his jacket. I wanted to offer him compensation, but he left quickly. Hence, I didn''t have a chance to say anything. Later on, when I saw Spencer again, he wore the same white shirt and jacket. Although, the spot tainted by my blood had already been cleaned. Due to my family background and appearance, I have been at the receiving end of many acts of kindness since I was a kid, both genuine and fake. Back when I was in high school, I could never figure out if someone was being sincere or not, resulting inplicated and unresolvable situations. I''ve never met someone like Spencer before. Despite his aloof and arrogant demeanor, he often fed stray cats on campus every week. On rainy days, he would offer me his umbre and didn''t mind getting drenched in the rain. When he caught people cheating during exams, he always showed leniency and never submitted their names to the lecturer. Even though he looked aloof and unapproachable, he would eat the snacks or sweets I shared with him. He seems nice but unfriendly at the same time, which is unlike anyone I met before. Despite all that, I still fell for him. That all happened during my second year in university, yet Spencer told me he knew me a decade ago. Charles even seemed to know what he was talking about... Chapter 585 Chapter 585 Charlize''s memory wasn''t that good, so there were many things from her childhood that she couldn''t remember. It''s probably because I lead too happy of a life that I never reminisce about the past. I genuinely can''t recall anything rted to Spencer. A decade ago, I was only thirteen and living at home. I don''t remember anything special happening that year. My life was the same as always. Just spending time in school and at home. Having failed to recall anything special about that year, she turned to nce at her brother. ¡°Charles.¡± Upon hearing her voice, Charles opened his eyes and turned to her. ¡°What''s the matter? Have you thought things through? Have you made up your mind to refrain from getting into a rtionship this early?¡± Charlize rolled her eyes. ¡°No. I want to ask if you''ve met Spencer ten years ago.¡± Charles'' expression clouded over when he heard his sister''s words. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I overheard your conversation earlier! He said he met me a decade ago, and you didn''t ask him about it. Thus, it''s obvious that you met him too during that time! Did he used to live in the same neighborhood as ours but move awayter? That doesn''t seem right, though. His family isn''t that well- off...¡± Charlize knew her brother too well and was aware that she would never get an answer from him no matter how hard she tried. Therefore, she stopped asking questions and muttered endlessly instead. As expected, Charles relented not long after. ¡°Are you that eager to know?¡± Charlize nodded immediately as she stared intently at her brother. After staring at her briefly, Charles answered, ¡°You had a gathering with your ssmates during winter break that year. You came across a boy on your way home. Don''t you remember?¡± I genuinely do not want to remind her of this, but I know her too well. If I keep my mouth shut, she''ll pester me all day. Charlize was momentarily taken aback before swiftly remembering what happened. Oh yeah! It was my first time attending a ss gathering, but I ended up arguing with my ssmates. Halfway through the gathering, I even called Charles, asking him to send someone to pick me up. However, he came personally, probably because he could tell I was upset through the phone. Jadeborough was greeted with a snowstorm that night. A ssmate of mine confessed his love for me during the gathering. The others encouraged me to ept him as my boyfriend, but I rejected him, so my female ssmates used me of being pretentious. That was probably the first time I argued with someone. I almost couldn''t hold back my tears when I saw Charles, but since I''m already thirteen, I told myself I must not cry easily. As such, I resisted the urge to cry. I felt so horrible and upset on the way home that I didn''t even listen to what Charles said. I remember staring out the window in a daze. There was nothing but snow outside. Frankly, I don''t know what I was staring at or thinking. I didn''t even notice it when Charles left the car to buy me a snack. Suddenly, I saw a boy on the side of the road. He was only wearing two thin shirts despite the heavy snow. The tattered and oversized school uniform on him made him appear scrawny. He caught my attention because he was the only person on the empty street that night. I watched him trudge forward in the snow at a snail''s pace. He soon copsed after he strode forward for a dozen meters. Charlize remembered how shocked she was back then. As soon as she snapped back to her senses, the first thing she did was open the car door and bolt toward the boy. Charles, who had just returned, sprinted forward and pulled Charlize into his arms before thetter could touch the boy. Charlize didn''t notice the wounds on the boy''s face from a distance away, but after she was close enough, she spotted his injuries. Turning to look at her brother, she whined with a look of pity in her eyes, imploring him to help. ¡°Charles...¡± Charles handed her the snacks he had just bought and carried the boy in his arms. The brother-and- sister duo then sent the boy to the hospital. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. The doctor told them that the boy was running a high fever and that he would''ve died the next morning if he had been left outside in that weather. Charlize thought she had done a good deed and no longer felt as upset about what happened during the gathering. Sadly, the boy still didn''t regain consciousness until Charlize and Charles left. However, Charles promised he''d ask the family driver to send Charlize to the hospital the next morning so she could check on the boy. To her surprise, the boy was already gone by the time she arrived at the ward. The nurse told her he woke up about an hour after Charlize left the night before, stubbornly removed the needle from his arm, and ambled out of the building. Charlize was so disappointed when she heard that and was worried that he''d faint again. If he did, he might not be as lucky to meet another good samaritan who would bring him to a hospital. She remembered being so worried that she tried searching for the boy, but sadly, she knew too little about him. The only thing she was certain of was that he was a student from Central High School. It was impossible to locate him based on that information alone, and she was basically trying to search for a needle in a haystack. A semesterter, she gave up and stopped looking for him. After she attended high school, she would think about the boy she met that night from time to time. Despite her attempts to search for him again, she still couldn''t determine his whereabouts. As time passed, she gradually forgot about him. After all, that wasn''t something very important to her. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect the boy to be Spencer. What a twist of fate. All of a sudden, an indescribable feeling bubbled in her heart. Spencer told me he knew me a decade ago. Does that mean he already liked me since we first met? She couldn''t help but blush as she thought about that. When the car stopped inside the Johnson residence, the driver opened the door. Charles frowned when he saw that Charlize wasn''t moving. ¡°We''re home, Charlize.¡± Upon hearing her brother''s voice, Charlize snapped back to her senses and peered at him. ¡°Got it.¡± The look in Charles'' eyes changed when he spotted his sister''s reddish cheeks. ¡°Why does your face look flushed? Are you feeling okay? Do you have a fever?¡± Embarrassed, Charlize shook her head. ¡°No. It''s gettingte, Charles. I need to take a bath and rest. Goodnight!¡± As she spoke, she bolted into the mansion and soon disappeared from Charles'' sight. Chapter 586 Chapter 586 Charlize dreamed about the day she first met Spencer, probably because of her shbacks earlier. In fact, she even relived that nightmarish ss gathering. However, in her dream, the person who confessed his love to her wasn''t her ssmate. It was Spencer instead. Her ssmates encouraged her to ept the proposal like how they did in the past, but in the dream, she didn''t say no. She said yes while blushing. Right after that, her ssmates began moring, urging them to kiss. Charlize was stunned as she stared at Spencer, who lowered his head and was about to nt a kiss on her lips. It wasn''t until she heard the rm clock that she realized she was merely dreaming. The thought of her dream made her cover her face in embarrassment. That was so embarrassing! How can I dream about Spencer kissing me? She touched her burning cheeks for a while before calming down and going to freshen up. Charles always woke up early, so when Charlize descended the stairs, she saw her brother having breakfast at the dining table. ¡°Good morning, Charles.¡± Charlize was evidently in a good mood. Charles, however, wasn''t. After ncing at her, he nodded. ¡°Mhm.¡± Charlize''s phone rang right after she finished her breakfast. When Charles spotted the name of the caller, he scowled. Meanwhile, Charlize was taken aback. It''s not even working hours yet. Why did Spencer call me? She nced at her brother''s darkened expression and hastily returned to her room with her phone. ¡°Mr. Lacroix?¡± ¡°Mr. Lacroix?¡± Spencer arched his eyebrow. Feeling somewhat troubled, Charlize inquired, ¡°What should I call you, then?¡± A whileter, Spencer answered, ¡°Call me by my name.¡± ¡°I don''t think that''s a good idea.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because...¡± Charlize thought about it and couldn''te up with a good reason. Then, she nced at herself in the mirror and changed the topic. ¡°I''ve just finished breakfast, so I haven''t reached thepany yet. Do you need something, Spencer?¡± It still feels weird to call him by his name. ¡°I''m at your ce right now,¡± answered Spencer. Charlize was astonished. ¡°Why are you suddenly here?¡± A momentary silence ensued before he said, ¡°Didn''t I tell you I''d pick you upst night?¡± ¡°Ah! Oh, yeah. I''ll be downstairs soon!¡± Upon ending her sentence, Charlize hung up the call. I absolutely won''t admit that I didn''t hear a thing he saidst night. Expeditiously, she grabbed her bag, put on her shoes, and dashed downstairs, not wanting to let Spencer wait any longer. Charles was reading the newspaper, still assuming he would be sending her to thepany. Hence, he was surprised to see Charlize bolting down the stairs without even ncing at him. He was stunned momentarily before he tossed the newspaper in his hand aside. ¡°Charlize!¡± In response, Charlize halted her steps. ¡°What''s the matter, Charles?¡± She felt slightly guilty when she thought about Spencer waiting at the entrance. Staring at her, Charles questioned, ¡°Why are you running? I''m still here.¡± Charlize didn''t have the nerve to look at Charles. ¡°My friend''s here to drive me to work.¡± ¡°Friend?¡± Charles'' eyebrows knitted together. Does she have a friend I don''t know about? Something''s not right... ¡°I see. Go ahead, then.¡± As he spoke, he waved his hand. Charlize heaved a breath of relief. I was worried he was going to ask me which friend. ¡°I''ll be leaving for work now, Charles.¡± The moment she ended her sentence, she dashed downstairs. Charles followed her and saw a ck Phaeton parked at the entrance. Through the windshield, he saw Spencer in the driver''s seat. ¡°So this is the friend you''re talking about?¡± inquired Charles while approaching his sister. Charlize, who hadn''t entered the vehicle yet, shuddered and turned to face her brother guiltily upon hearing his voice. ¡°Charles.¡± Instead of responding to her, Charles stared at Spencer coldly. ¡°Our family has many drivers and cars. You do not need to pick Charlize up personally, Mr. Lacroix.¡± It was evident from his icy tone that he was in a foul mood. Yet, Spencer wasn''t afraid. ¡°Charlize is my girlfriend, so it''s only natural that I drive her to work.¡± He paused, then continued, ¡°Besides, Charlize is now working at mypany. It''s more convenient for me to pick her up.¡± Charles didn''t want to argue with Spencer since Charlize was present. Regarding Spencer with a frown, Charles spat, ¡°You''re just in a rtionship, that''s all. You don''t have to be so confident, Mr. Lacroix.¡± It''s still undecided who Charlize will marry in the end. Charlize, who understood the hidden meaning behind Charles'' words, blushed. ¡°Charles!¡± Not wanting to anger his baby sister, Charles merely said, ¡°Be careful on your way.¡± With that, he walked back into the Johnson residence. Embarrassed, Charlize got into the car and exined, ¡°Don''t mind my brother, Mr. Lacroix. He''s just worried about me.¡± However, Spencer wasn''t concerned about that. ¡°What did you just call me, Charlize Johnson?¡± Charlize dreaded hearing Spencer calling her by her full name. He would often address her as ¡°Ms. Johnson,¡± so whenever he mentioned her full name, it meant she did something horribly wrong. After over a year of working as his secretary, she had be conditioned to apologize to him whenever he called her full name. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Lacroix,¡± she said out of reflex. Upon ending her sentence, she realized she had made the same mistake. For the first time in her life, Charlize wanted to sew her mouth shut. Why can''t I change the way I address him? N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. After gazing at her for a while, Spencer drove to thepany without saying a word. He couldn''t be bothered to criticize her. It was quiet in the car, and Charlize couldn''t tell if Spencer was angry or not. The vehicle stopped at the first traffic light after leaving the residential area. While stealing a nce at Charlize, she noticed Spencer was looking at her, too. When their eyes met, Charlize felt embarrassed and guilty. ¡°I wasn''t looking at you. I was looking at that streetmp¡ª¡± He turned in the direction she pointed randomly at and saw no streetmp. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± In response, Charlize wailed inwardly. I wish I was a mute. Spencer frowned slightly when she fell silent again. ¡°Charlize.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Lacroix?¡± Spencer gave up on making her change the way she addressed him. ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± Charlize shook her head. ¡°No, I''m not.¡± Judging from her reaction, I''d be an idiot if I believed her words. Pursing his lips, Spencer handed her the present that he didn''t get to give herst night. ¡°I wanted to give you thisst night.¡± Charlize was surprised. He''s treating me so nicely now that he''s my boyfriend! Not only did he pick me up early in the morning, he even prepared a present for me! I''m so touched! Chapter 587 Chapter 587 When the traffic light turned green, Spencer shifted his attention back to the road and stepped on the gas pedal. Charlize stared at the box in her hands before turning to Spencer and asking, ¡°Can I take a look at what''s inside?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Mhm,¡± he replied. Promptly, she carefully removed the wrapper following the lines. It''s so beautiful! There''s even a decorative flower on the wrapping paper. I really want to preserve this well since this is the first gift I received from Spencer. She was so focused on unwrapping the gift that she didn''t realize the car had stopped again. Traffic was congested in the city center during rush hour, and the car was stuck on the bridge. Gazing at Charlize, who was unwrapping the gift, Spencer recalled how he once ced a gift in Charlize''s desk drawer when she was eighteen. When she discovered the gift, she unwrapped it the same way she did right now¡ªslowly and carefully. She had always cherished the gifts she received from others. Eventually, Charlize opened the box and saw the bunny-shaped pendant inside. The ck gems in its eyes made it appear even more lifelike. ¡°So cute!¡± Charlize had always been pampered by Charles, and though she grew independent after attending university, she was still an innocent girl by nature and couldn''t resist cute things. Additionally, she was fond of bunnies, so she immediately fell in love with that gift. ¡°Thank you, Mr¡ª Spencer!¡± Charlize stopped mid-sentence and changed the way she addressed Spencer. She then lifted her head and finally realized that the car had stopped. Turning her head, she met the man''s jet-ck eyes and found her heart skipping a beat. In response, her face flushed red. ¡°I love it. Thank you.¡± As she spoke, she lifted the pendant from the box. For some reason, she found the pendant familiar. ¡°This bunny...¡± While bunny-shaped pendants lookedrgely simr, the one in her hand was slightly different. The bunny was standing on its hind legs like a human, its front paws sped together. Charlize adored bunnies and used to keep a bunny as a pet when she was young. Unfortunately, the bunny died a few monthster, and she cried for days. Afterward, the Johnsons, especially Charles, would collect many adorable bunny-themed objects for her. For example, pillows, essories, dolls, and others. Her jewelry box back at home contained several pendants of varying materials, such as silver, diamond, crystal, and gold. All of them were bunny-shaped. However, the only other time she saw a bunny pendant simr to the one in her hand was back when she was eighteen years old. I remember it was a crystal pendant of yellow and pink that I had received from someone. That day, when I was attending a ss, I went to the restroom for a few minutes. When I returned, I noticed the present in my drawer. I asked my ssmates who left it there, but they said they didn''t notice. At one point, I wondered if the gift was meant for me, but there was a card on the present with my name and a simple ¡°Happy Birthday¡± message written on it. Hence, there was no doubt I was the intended recipient, and I didn''t wait to open it. When I saw that charming little bunny, I giddily took a photo of it and shared it with Charlize. I used to love that pendant. Unfortunately, I lost it during the graduation photoshoot. After it was over, I searched every spot I visited for the shoot, but I never found it. For some reason, even though I have many pendants and nes at home, I like that one the most. It was probably because I didn''t know who gifted it to me. Whenever I was upset, I''d touch the pendant and re-experience the joy in my heart when I received it for the first time. It was near and dear to my heart, so when it disappeared, it extinguished my enthusiasm for graduation. I sat alone on a stone bench on the campus for a long period. If Charles didn''te looking for me, I don''t know how much longer I would''ve spent there. After graduating, I returned to the campus multiple times to find that pendant. I even posted several missing-item notices for it, but it was never returned to me. It wasn''t until I was busy with work that I gradually stopped feeling upset and forgot about it. However, it''ll still asionally pop into my mind. When it does, I''ll feel sullen. I didn''t expect the pendant Spencer presented me today would look incredibly simr to the one I lost! Her expression shifted slightly while staring at the bunny in her palm. ¡°Did you once gift me something in the past, Spencer?¡± That weird question made her appear narcissistic, and she blushed immediately after finishing that sentence. Thankfully, Spencer answered truthfully, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You... I...¡± For a moment, she was at a loss for words because she didn''t expect him to admit it that straightforwardly. I''m in disbelief right now. When I found out that we''d actually met a decade agost night, I wondered if he had fallen in love with me during our first encounter. But that was just a thought. While I didn''t know when Spencer started liking me, I was certain he wasn''t the type who''d have a crush on someone for years. Yet, right now, Spencer''s telling me he was the one who gave me the pendant I received on my eighteenth birthday. After piecing these two events together, I find it difficult to believe he wasn''t in love with me for a long time. Lowering her line of sight, she stared at the pendant and couldn''t help but ask, ¡°When did you start liking me?¡± Charlize was never a thick-skinned person, so her face glowed red when those words escaped her mouth. The car in front of them began to move, so Spencer spared her a nce before focusing his attention on the road. Just as Charlize thought he wouldn''t answer her question, he said, ¡°Since a long time ago.¡± Charlize was slightly startled upon hearing that. When she snapped back to her senses, she tilted her head and cradled her burning cheeks ¡°When exactly?¡± His Adam''s Apple bobbed, though he didn''t answer the question while his sight remained fixed on the road. Since a long, long time ago. Probably earlier than she thought. After all, that day wasn''t the first time I met Charlize. I doubt she''ll know what I''m talking about even if I tell her. After all, I bet she''d never expect someone to enjoy watching her from afar almost every day. Chapter 588 Chapter 588 The vehicle suddenly stopped at the side of the road when Charlize was still reeling from the shock. Without warning, Spencer leaned toward her. ¡°Do you have any more questions?¡± She was already sitting askew, so when he leaned over, the gap between them narrowed. The man''s face appeared before her eyes. She gave a start when she saw his dark eyes right before her, and her hand, which was cradling her chin, slipped, causing her face to collide with his. Spencer grabbed her just in time, and after she steadied herself and raised her head, she found herself getting sucked into those attractive eyes of his. ¡°I-I''m sorry! It was an ident!¡± Charlize''s countenance was flushed with embarrassment, so much so that her ears were turning red. Staring at her, Spencer gulped and uttered in a deep voice, ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°N-No.¡± At that point, Charlize didn''t have the courage to face him directly. She lowered her head and gazed at her hands, still thinking about the sensation she felt when their faces touched. Her heart pounded loudly, refusing to calm down. They were so close to each other that she could feel Spencer''s breath on her face, causing her burning cheeks to feel hotter than ever. Charlize couldn''t sit still, but they were in a car. The only way she could escape was by leaving the parked car. Her breathing quickened until she pleaded in a small voice, ¡°Can you please not lean so close to me, Spencer?¡± She had always been a sucker for attractive appearances, so she felt her self-control giving way as she stared at his handsome face up close. ¡°Why?¡± asked Spencer instead of backing away. That question of his only served to make her blush intensify. She didn''t have the guts to speak as her eyshes trembled. It''s not like I can tell him I want to touch his face. ¡°I just feel a bit hot, that''s all,¡± she said. ¡°Really?¡± Spencer arched his eyebrow, which was rare. He then lowered the car window. Seeing how she was hanging her head, too embarrassed to look at him, he stopped making things difficult for her. ¡°Have you finished asking your questions?¡± In response, she lifted her head, staring at him. ¡°Y-Yes.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. I''m so annoying today. I kept asking questions during the ride. The embarrassment she had just suppressed rose again when she thought about that. ¡°In that case, it''s my turn to ask a question,¡± stated Spencer. ¡°Eh?¡± She appeared startled. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± ¡°What? I''m not afraid,¡± answered Charlize. I''m just nervous. I feel like I''ve been on a wild roller-coaster of emotions this morning. ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± I think it''s normal for him to ask a few questions after all those questions I threw at him. Humans tend to be curious, after all. I do wonder what he wants to know. After being by his side for such a long time, I once thought he no longer cared about anything in the world. But surprisingly, he became my boyfriend in the blink of an eye. Come to think of it, it''s quite exciting to have my superior as my boyfriend. Without warning, Spencer asked, ¡°When did you start liking me?¡± Charlize choked on her saliva upon hearing that and coughed violently. Patting her back to help her calm down, Spencer wondered, ¡°Is it a difficult question to answer?¡± A faint grin formed on his countenance as he eyed her. Charlize nced at him. ¡°I-I don''t remember.¡± Wordlessly, Spencer raised his eyebrow, looking as though he was smiling but not at the same time. Guilt flooded Charlize''s heart as she intentionally checked the time on her phone. ¡°It''s almost nine. We''re going to bete.¡± ¡°No need to rush.¡± Spencer informed, ¡°I still haven''t had breakfast yet.¡± Charlize was bbergasted. ¡°But there''s a meeting at half past nine.¡± As she spoke, she nced outside and found out why Spencer parked the car at the side of the road. There were plenty of breakfast stalls and shops. Having been Spencer''s secretary for over a year, Charlize understood what she needed to do. ¡°I''ll buy your breakfast, then.¡± ¡°I''ll go,¡± he said while descending the car. ¡°Would you like to have something else?¡± He knew Charlize must''ve eaten at home. She wanted to reduce her weight recently, so as much as she wanted to indulge in the delicious food on the roadside, she gulped and said, ¡°I''m full.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Without dy, Spencer closed the door and went to a breakfast store. Charlize stared at his back and said with a sigh, ¡°No wonder people say you should turn someone you dislike into your boyfriend. I''ve just agreed to be his girlfriend, and now I don''t even need to buy breakfast for him.¡± Soon, Spencer returned with some breakfast, and the tantalizing aroma of food instantly filled the car, causing Charlize to feel hungry. No, no! I must resist the temptation. I''ll be the bridesmaid for one of my university roommates in a few days. To force myself to maintain my figure, I asked her to get me the smallest size dress. There''s no turning back for me, but the food smells so lovely... Staring at the pancake Spencer bought, Charlize almost drooled. Just as she attempted to distract herself by looking outside the window, Spencer handed her the breakfast in his hand. ¡°Which one do you want? Pancakes or bagels?¡± ncing at him, Charlize steeled herself and rejected, ¡°I''m full. I can''t eat anymore.¡± In response, Spencer kept the bagel. ¡°Pancakes it is.¡± As he spoke, he stuffed the bag of pancakes in her hand. ¡°Eat while it''s still hot.¡± ¡°I''m trying to lose weight...¡± said Charlize. ¡°Shouldn''t you be doing the opposite?¡± Spencer''s words persuaded Charlize to indulge in the pancakes. Women lovedpliments, including Charlize. It''s hard to imagine he used to be so aloof. Even though this is our first day together as a couple, he''s already quite familiar with the standards of how a boyfriend should act. She stared at Spencer and then at the pancake, still feeling quite conflicted. ¡°If you eat it, I''ll tell you when exactly I started falling for you.¡± As he spoke, he thrust a drinking straw into a bottle of milk and handed it to Charlize. His offer was too irresistible for her to deny. Suddenly, she didn''t find losing weight that important anymore. If worsees to worst, I''ll wear a corset that day. ¡°You promise?¡± He nodded. In response, she bit into the pancake. This is totally not because my willpower isn''t strong enough. It''s because his condition is too alluring for me to say no to it. ¡°It''s good,¡± shemented. ¡°Do you like it?¡± he asked. Charlize was secretly quite the glutton. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Let me try.¡± While speaking, Spencer stretched his hand toward her. Without thinking, she handed the pancake to him. Seeing that, he withdrew his hand, pulled her wrist closer to him, and took a bite. Only when she felt the warmth from his palm as he grabbed her wrist did she realize what just happened. ¡°I''ve taken a bite of this pancake...¡± Chapter 589 Chapter 589 Spencer lowered his head to look at her. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°N-No. Not at all.¡± Charlize gazed downward at the pancake in her hand. Spencer had taken a bite from the same spot she had eaten from a moment ago. Isn''t this the equivalent of an indirect kiss? That thought caused her to blush. All of a sudden, the pancake felt scalding hot to her. Noticing her long silence, Spencer inquired abruptly, ¡°Do you have mysophobia?¡± ¡°No, I don''t!¡± Charlize shook her head frantically upon hearing his words. Worried that Spencer would misunderstand her, she pondered a moment before taking a decisive bite of the pancake. That time around, she could no longer tell what the pancake tasted like. All she could think of was the fact that she and Spencer had kissed indirectly. Even though Spencer had kissed her once the night before, she still had not gotten used to it, as it was, after all, her first-ever rtionship. ¡°Do you mind if I drink some of your milk?¡± Spencer gave the milk in Charlize''s left hand a look. He might appear to be asking for permission, but his hand had already reached over. The warmth of his hand enveloping the back of hers caused Charlize to retract her hand reflexively. The moment she loosened her grip, she suddenly remembered that she was still holding onto the milk, which would spill to the ground if she were to let go. Hence, she retightened her hold on the milk immediately. ¡°I don''t mind at all.¡± Not daring to make eye contact with Spencer, Charlize gradually pulled back her hand before taking another bite of the pancake. Soon, she saw the milk being handed back to her. ¡°I need to drive now,¡± Spencer said. ¡°Okay...¡± Upon taking the milk from Spencer, Charlize gave him a look. The man had already ced his focus on the traffic ahead. After a brief respite, the jam in front had begun to ease up. By the time both of them arrived at the office''s parking lot, it was already five minutes past nine. No sooner had Charlize alighted the car than she was greeted by the sight of the director of the administrative department, Walter Bourne. Just as she attempted to avoid him, the door was already shut. Since it was toote to get back into the car, she swiftly turned her back to the young man. After Spencer got out of the car, he threw Charlize a nce before walking up to her side. The sight of the duo did not surprise Walter. Charlize was Spencer''s secretary, after all, so they were always seen together in the office. To him, it was not weird at all. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Lacroix, Ms. Johnson.¡± When the clueless Walter came forward to greet them cordially, Charlize stiffened for a moment before turning around and giving Spencer a self-conscious look. The man did not seem to show any reaction, merely responding to Walter with an indifferent nod. ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± It''s all right for Spencer to react coldly because he''s the boss, but I''m just a sried employee. So, I shouldn''t be rude to my peers. With that thought in mind, Charlize smiled at Walter professionally. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Bourne.¡± Walter waved his hand enthusiastically and even asked if Charlize had her breakfast. ¡°If you haven''t, I brought extra today. Having a little baby fat does wonders for girls!¡± Charlize had spoken to Walter a couple of times and found him to be generally nice to her. Since he had offered her his breakfast, it would be rude for her not to answer. ¡°I''ve had my fill. Thanks for the kind offer, Mr. Bourne.¡± Meanwhile, Spencer''s eyebrows twitched as he eyed Walter with an icy countenance. Unfortunately, Walter was oblivious to it. He had always found Charlize to be gentle and adorable, unlike other secretaries who were usually aloof. As a result, he liked chatting with her every time they ran into each other. It wasmon for those who did administrative work to enjoy socializing with others. ¡°Mr. Bourne,¡± Spencer called out abruptly after staying quiet throughout. Only then did it ur to Walter that their boss was still present. He immediately felt embarrassed at having gotten carried away with the young woman he had a crush on. ¡°Um, have you had breakfast, Mr. Lacroix? Why don''t I give you mine?¡± Without sparing him a nce, Spencer asserted coldly, ¡°It''s three more minutes before ten past nine.¡± Walter froze. ¡°I''m sorry, Mr. Lacroix. I won''t bete next time. Anyway, I''ll be heading up first.¡± Even though his crush was important, so was his work. Walter ran off to the elevator the moment he finished speaking. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. However, the elevator was crowded since it was peak hour. In fact, there were already quite a few people in the elevator that had descended from the first floor. After stepping into it, Walter thought of asking Spencer and Charlize if they wanted toe in, as there was still space. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Spencer lowering his head to tuck Charlize''s hair behind her ear. No one else but a couple could do something intimate like that. The scene Walter witnessed dealt him such a great blow that his face fell instantly. At the same time, the other employees in the elevator saw the interaction between Spencer and Charlize too. A nosey female employee remarked softly, ¡°My eyes aren''t ying tricks on me, right? Those two people seem to be Mr. Lacroix and Ms. Johnson!¡± ¡°It''s them!¡± ¡°I think Mr. Lacroix was tucking Ms. Johnson''s hair behind her ear just now! They''re¡ª¡± ¡°I''ve long felt that Mr. Lacroix likes Ms. Johnson. I once brought Ms. Johnson a document during noon and saw that she seemed to have fallen asleep after taking flu medication. Then, I saw Mr. Lacroix draping a jacket over her shoulders!¡± ¡°Really? I thought Mr. Lacroix doesn''t like women.¡± ¡°Who said that? Do you have proof? Given how pretty and adorable Ms. Johnson is, I would fall for her too if I were a man!¡± ¡°You''ve got a point. All this while, Mr. Lacroix''s secretaries had always been male until the year before when Ms. Johnson suddenly took over the role. Even though they used to be schoolmates, it was still kind of suspicious. But now, it all makes sense!¡± The more Walter heard inside the elevator, the more heartbroken he became. His hopes of being with his crush were snuffed out just like that. Charlize had not expected Spencer to tidy her hair for her. Dumbfounded, she could only watch him sweep her loose fringes aside and tuck them behind her ear. She subsequently felt ticklish when his fingers brushed across her cheeks. With her heart pounding furiously, the two short seconds felt like two hours to her. ¡°Do you know Mr. Bourne well?¡± Spencer asked as he retracted his hand and started walking toward the elevator. Upon regaining her senses, Charlize ran after him and replied, ¡°Not exactly.¡± I have only talked to him a few times about work, so we''re not considered close. ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± Spencer grunted in response and did not question any further. Standing in front of the elevator, Charlize suddenly thought of an issue when she saw both their reflections on the elevator doors. She tilted her head toward him and asserted, ¡°You promised to tell me when you fell for me once I ate the pancake.¡± The moment she uttered those words, she averted her gaze, too embarrassed to maintain eye contact with Spencer. Nevertheless, she was very eager to know the answer. Moreover, it was Spencer who brought up the matter, not her. Spencer lowered his head to nce at her. ¡°In your first year of junior high.¡± Surprised at how readily he answered, Charlize was briefly stunned. ¡°I... I have no recollection of it at all.¡± Spencer did not say another word as he watched the elevator doors gradually open. Charlize naturally had no recollection of it because she did not even know of his existence back then. Chapter 590 Chapter 590 Twelve years had passed, yet Spencer still could not forget that very day. At that time, he had just finished enrolling in senior high. On his way home, he passed by the junior high he had previously attended. When his former homeroom teacher spotted him, she asked him if he was interested in earning some pocket money in his free time. The teacher had started a daycare center near the school. Given that Spencer was famous for topping his ss, parents would be reassured by the fact that someone like him was monitoring the students at the center. The teacher offered to pay him fifty a night. He would only need to work for two hours a day on weekdays, while the wage on weekends would be twenty an hour. Back then, Spencer was in dire need of money. Even though he did not need to pay any school fees and had received a handsome schrship in senior high, he was still desperate enough to ept the job without hesitation. After informing him of the daycare center''s location and giving him a spare key, the teacher discussed all the details with him, and the duo parted ways. By then, it was slightly past six in the evening, and Spencer nned to head home to cook for his grandmother. The moment he turned around, he was greeted by the sight of Charlize in her new school uniform. He had no idea why his gaze was drawn toward her. Wearing a pure and beautiful smile, she was seemingly saying something to Charles as the two of them walked side by side. Their surroundings were filled with many other new students leaving with their parents. It was a Friday, after all, so the semester had not officially started. Nheless, she¡ªwith her long hair neatly draped over her back¡ªwas the only one in a freshly- washed new uniform, in contrast to the other girls in casual clothing. As she and Charles walked past him, Spencer heard her pleading softly with her brother to allow her to stay in the school''s dorm. Evidently, Charles was not keen on letting her do so. Later on, Spencer would always see Charlize stand at the school entrance, waiting for Charles to pick her up every time he came to work at the daycare center after ss. She was a really obedient girl. Girls at that age, who had just entered puberty, would be dying to alter their loose and dull uniforms to look more attractive. Such alterations included shortening the hems of their pants, tapering their tops at the waist, and leaving their cors unbuttoned. As if that was not enough, they would try their best to tie their hair in all sorts of creative styles. It was an effort to circumvent the school rules that forbade them from dyeing or straightening their hair. However, Charlize was unlike them. Despite her distinguished family background and extraordinary looks, she had no problems with her loose school uniform and would always wear her hair neatly at shoulder length. Her fingernails would be clear of the colorful nail polishes worn by her peers, while her choice of shoes would always be simple white ts. Every day, she would quietly wait by the school''s security post for Charles to pick her up. Sometimes, Spencer would see her chatting with her ssmates, but more often than not, she would be waiting alone while listening to music on a pair of earphones. There were even times that he saw boys confessing their feelings for her. However, she would flee into the security post, her face blushing intensely. Over time, watching her allowed her to grow on him subconsciously. When Spencer was in eleventh grade, the daycare center was forced to close down after someone reported his former junior high homeroom teacher for it. With that, he lost his monthly sry of two thousand. During the same period, his disease-stricken grandmother was flooded by a stream of bad luck. After having a fall, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Over the years, he and his grandmother relied on each other for their livelihood. When he was little, she had raised him by working as a scavenger for recyble items. Once he started school, he would desperately win all thepetitions and schrships avable in an effort to reduce his grandmother''s burden. The cumtive prize money of a few thousand a year became crucial for the duo''s living expenses. Although it was not a huge sum, their days took a turn for the betterpared to the past. Thereafter, their lives further improved once he won a schrship of thirty thousand and got a job at the daycare center. Just as they were making good progress, Spencer saw everything suddenly fall apart in eleventh grade. His grandmother was diagnosed with a debilitating disease, he was wrongly used of cheating in exams, and the wage he earned from his part-time job was targeted by hooligans from a technical high school. On the day he passed out, he had just received his wage of three thousand, which he had earned from working part-time for a semester. He was nning to head to the hospital and pay for his grandmother''s chemotherapy with that money. However, on his way there, he was stopped by a group of hooligans from a technical high school. Despite fighting tooth and nail with them, he still ended up being robbed of the money. That incident left him feeling as if his entire world had copsed. While trudging groggily in the snow, he could sense that someone was looking at him. They must beughing at how pathetic I am. Well, it was not the first time he was ridiculed. When he was little, people wouldugh at the fact that his grandmother was a scavenger. It did not stop when he grew up, as he was disparaged for being a wild child without parents. Later on, he would be sneered at for being a miser who was calctive over every penny. They canugh at me all they want. I''ve long gotten used to it. To Spencer, that was how the world worked. One would be viewed with disdain every time one showed their weakness. The moment he copsed, he felt as if that was for the best. Compared to helplessly watching his grandmother, who had been by his side for almost seventeen years, die, the oue of him freezing to death in the snow seemed great. Yet, that was not how his story ended. Right before he lost consciousness, he heard someone walk over and call out to him. However, Spencer was unable to respond and had no intention of doing so, for he did not think that anyone would bother to save him. In fact, he would count his blessings if that person did not seize upon the opportunity to rob him of what little he had left. Contrary to his gloomy expectations, someone did rescue him. He felt himself being carried into a warm ce. Unfortunately, he was too tired to open his eyes to see where he was. It was not until he heard the roar of an engine that he realized he was inside a car. During the journey, the voice of a girl rang out, ¡°Charles, will he die?¡± So, it''s her. In the end, Spencer fainted from exhaustion before he reached the hospital. By the time he awoke, he was alone in the ward. The sky outside was still dark, and the girl''s words echoed in his mind. ¡°Charles, will he die? Charles, he''s really pitiful! Charles, can you get the driver to step on it?¡± Every sentence of hers showed her concern for him. Despite the frostiness of his youthful heart, its fragility allowed her kindness to win over it quickly. In the end, his grandmother did not survive that winter. With thest of his kin gone, he would likely have shared his grandmother''s fate if not for Charlize''s words on that faithful day. Those sentences she had uttered were reyed in his dreams many times. Thereafter, he would asionally return to the junior high he had attended and watch her standing by the entrance. When he got epted into Avenport University, he also learned that she had managed to get into the same senior high as him. As time passed, she stood at the gates of Avenport University one day and greeted him as a freshmanT¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. under the glorious sun. When Charlize had asked him how early on did he fall for her, Spencer did not have the courage to tell her it was during the year she turned thirteen. The truth would make him look like a predator who was just waiting for its prey to grow up before devouring it. Chapter 591 Chapter 591 ¡°Mr. Lacroix?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. It was true that Charlize could no longer remember what happened back when she was in her first year of junior high. It was a long time ago¡ªalmost twelve years. She was not even twelve years old back then, so how could she remember the details? Nevertheless, that was nothing important. What was important at that moment was the elevator door had opened, but Spencer had yet toe back to his senses. She had already called him twice. The elevator stopped on the seventeenth floor, where his office was. How could she call him by his name here? After hesitating for a moment, she ultimately chose to call him Mr. Lacroix as usual. The familiar term of address finally brought him back to reality, and he nced at Charlize with a glint shing past his eyes. He grunted in acknowledgment before stepping out of the elevator. That morning, news of Charlize being with Spencer had spread across the office. When it was lunch break, Charlize went to the restroom. A few women came in, and they were talking about her and Spencer. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. The cool CEO and the soft-hearted secretary. My, the very idea of that sounds so exciting!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be real. Ms. Johnson is so cute. If I were a man, I¡¯d be enamored with her too.¡± ¡°Stop dreaming. Ms. Johnson belongs to Mr. Lacroix. I¡¯ve already guessed this oue when she came to work on her first day.¡± Her words shocked the others, and they quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Do you have some secrets to share with us?¡± ¡°What secrets? I¡¯m just a little more observant than the rest of you. Didn¡¯t you notice the changes in Mr. Lacroix¡¯s hairstyle and tie when Ms. Johnson came to work? And the nning department said that they couldn¡¯t finish the proposal in time, but Mr. Lacroix didn¡¯t lose his temper! He only urged them to get it done this afternoon!¡± ¡°Damn, you¡¯re right. Now my memories are jogged. When I went to the finance department to apply for arge sum of operating expenses, I bumped into Mr. Lacroix and Ms. Johnson! Ms. Johnson¡¯s heels were too high, and she stumbled when she exited the elevator. Mr. Lacroix actually reached out to give her a hand!¡± ¡°Stop it! This is too sweet for me to handle. Weren¡¯t ourpany going to work with Palscanst month? We even drafted the contract already. It¡¯s a project worth more than thirty million, but they suddenly canceled the coboration. I thought Palscan wasn¡¯t interested in working with ourpany, but I think I know why now.¡± ¡°Quit keeping us in suspense and just tell us!¡± ¡°I heard that the owner of Palscan likes to have his way with his secretaries, and you know how our dear secretary Ms. Johnson is...¡± ¡°Oh my, oh my, oh my! Did he lose his temper for her?¡± The women¡¯s voices drifted off as they walked further and further away from the restroom. It was only when Charlize could no longer hear them that she finally emerged from the cubicle with a red face. She had thought that she would hear nasty remarks in the office after confirming her rtionship with Spencer, but thus far, most were only talking about how the man had finally dropped his cold demeanor now that he had a girlfriend. Most of her coworkers talked about how cute she was and how Spencer was blessed to have her. Charlize knew some of the things that the women had talked about earlier, but some were new knowledge to her. She knew that Spencer, with his never-smiling face, had slicked his hair back and put on a dark red diagonal-striped tie on her first day of work. Charlize found her heart skipping a beat every time she talked to him. Spencer looked unreachable yet seductive, and a shallow woman like her simply could not stop fawning over his looks. However, Charlize did not know about the change in the proposal. She was not Spencer¡¯s only secretary, and it had only been a year since she came to thepany. Most of the time, Spencer would leave important matters to Mika while she worked on more trivial matters for Spencer. Charlize had no idea she was the reason the coboration with Palscan had failed. On the day of the negotiation, Palscan¡¯s representative had said rather ufortable things to her as he stared at her, but Charlize knew that insulting words could not be avoided at a business talk. Although she was uneasy and unhappy about the remarks, she had said nothing about it, for it was a project worth over thirty million. Spencer had cut off the other party¡¯s words, but the other party had been drunk and had even tried to touch Charlize after that. Things did not go well at that time, and Spencer had taken her away after the incident. Later on, Charlize heard from others that the coboration with Palscan was off the table. She had thought that it was because they had offended Palscan, but as it turned out, Spencer was the one who decided not to continue. Charlize dried her hands before heading out of the restroom. Just as she returned to the office, Mika said to her, ¡°Ms. Johnson, Mr. Lacroix is looking for you.¡± Without doubting Mika¡¯s words, Charlize nodded at the other secretary and knocked on Spencer¡¯s office door. ¡°Come in.¡± She only entered after hearing Spencer¡¯s voice. It was lunch break, and there were a few takeout boxes on the coffee table. Spencer was seated on the couch. The fragrance of the food wafted into her nose before she even went over. As Charlize had been on a diet recently, she had a sd for lunch. The smell of meat from the takeout boxes made her feel as if she did not have her lunch at all. She was still hungry. ¡°Come here,¡± Spencer said when he saw her enter. Then, he opened one of the takeout boxes. The fragrance was stronger when the lid was removed. Charlize walked over and saw the delectable ribs and T-bone steaks. Her mouth watered. ¡°Mr. Lacroix, have you not had lunch? Do you want a ss of water?¡± ¡°It¡¯s lunch break. Come here,¡± he said, patting the seat beside him. Charlize hesitated for a second, but she still went to him. ¡°I¡¯ve already had my lunch,¡± she said, fearing that he would ask her to eat. Spencer gave her a nce. ¡°Then have some soup.¡± As he spoke, he opened the lid of the thermal food jar. The aroma of corn and carrots nearly made Charlize lunge at the jar. Experts have said that drinking soup doesn¡¯t matter as long as I refrain from eating meat. After a short second of contemtion, she reached out for the soup. ¡°Careful. It¡¯s hot,¡± Spencer said as he slowly put on a pair of gloves. After taking a sip of the sweet soup, Charlize felt even hungrier. Spencer was peeling the prawns. The garlic butter prawns looked downright appetizing, and Charlize couldn¡¯t help but gulp. She hastily looked away. The next second, however, Spencer brought the peeled prawn to her lips. ¡°Try it.¡± Charlize shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve already had my lunch.¡± I¡¯m on a diet! ¡°I want you to have the first one.¡± He lowered his head and looked at her with his usual expression, but the words that came out of his mouth seemed flirtatious. Charlize¡¯s heart was racing. She could not bring herself to reject her boyfriend¡¯s request. ¡°I¡¯m trying to lose weight.¡± She looked like the poster child of misery. Her watery eyes made Spencer¡¯s heart skip a beat and his Adam¡¯s apple bob. ¡°You won¡¯t gain weight from eating just one,¡± he said, his voice hoarse. Chapter 592 Chapter 592 Ugh, I need to stop, but it looks so yummy. Spencer has already peeled it for me and brought it to my lips. All I need to do is open my mouth. What can resist that? In the end, Charlize failed to resist temptation and opened her mouth to take in the prawn. ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°It is,¡± Charlize mumbled as she chewed on it. ¡°Really? I think it¡¯s just average.¡± As he said that, he brought the second prawn to her lips. ¡°Try it again.¡± Charlize hadpletely lost her mind. What is diet? Oh well, we¡¯ll save it for tomorrow. In the end, not only did she finish half of the prawns, but she even ate two-thirds of the ribs. It was only when Charlize could no longer eat anything else that she finally rejected Spencer¡¯s request for her to continue eating in determination. ¡°No... I can¡¯t eat anymore. I¡¯m so full.¡± She nced at her round belly and nearly burst into tears. That was the price of her inability to withstand the temptation of food. It was just a meal, but her belly had swelled up like an inted balloon. Spencer brought a ss of iced ck coffee over and put a straw in the ss before passing it to her. ¡°For your digestion.¡± Charlize could no longer believe his words. She quickly shook her head. ¡°I really can¡¯t eat anything else anymore, Spencer.¡± Charles had doted on her since young, so the art of acting cute was something she had mastered. Charlize had never even realized this herself. She used to be afraid of Spencer, but only after a while of being his girlfriend, she was already showing her cuter side to him without realizing it. Charlize inherited her looks from her father and took after her mother¡¯s face shape. Thebination of an oval face and soft features made her look gentle. Charlize was not an extremely attractive person. At least, not at first nce. Most would think of her as cute at the start and only gradually find her more and more attractive as time passed. A part of her cuteness came from her big eyes. She had a button nose and soft pink lips. Although she did not have the prettiest facial features, she had a natural tender look. Charlize also had long and thickshes. Every time she looked at someone, it was as if she was communicating with them with her eyes. When she adorably rejected the ck coffee Spencer passed to her, she looked absolutely sweet with her big eyes. Spencer wanted to crush her in a hug every time she looked at him like that. Charlize was too well-protected. Charles had shown her nothing but the best of the world, so she saw the world through rose-colored sses. Spencer could not bring himself to destroy those rose-colored sses of hers. With a slight furrow of his brows, Spencer repeated, ¡°It¡¯s ck coffee. It helps with digestion and weight loss.¡± Charlize had done her homework before going on a diet, so she knew that ck coffee did help with digestion. ¡°All right. Thanks.¡± Spencer passed her the ss, and she began sipping from the straw. She only noticed that Spencer was finishing her leftovers when she was halfway through her ss of coffee. ¡°H-Have you not had your lunch?¡± Did I just eat his lunch? ¡°I have,¡± he replied. After a pause, he seemed to have realized what she was thinking about and added, ¡°I deliberately prepared this for you.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Charlize let out a sigh of relief. She would be so wracked with guilt if she had eaten Spencer¡¯s lunch. A wave ofplex emotions washed over Charlize as she watched Spencer finish her leftovers. When she had just started working in thepany, she had already found out that Spencer had mysophobia. He would not eat anything others gave to him during dinners, let alone finish someone else¡¯s leftovers. And yet, he was now eating her leftovers. There was an emotion indescribable with words blooming in her chest, bringing warmth to her heart and tears to her eyes. When Spencer realized that Charlize was staring at him, he lifted his head. ¡°Do you want more?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a big eater,¡± Charlize said in embarrassment. ¡°You don¡¯t eat a lot,¡± hemented. Needless to say, girls love to hear sweet things. Charlize smiled. The two of them fell into afortable silence in the office as one drank coffee and the other ate the rest of the food. Who would have thought that the man with an icy demeanor would peel prawns for his girlfriend and finish her leftovers? Anyone who saw them would be moved by the scene. Spencer was not slow in eating, but he was not an ugly eater. Before Charlize was even half done with her coffee, he had already finished the food. After packing up the boxes and putting them aside, Spencer took a piece of wet tissue and wiped his hands. Then, he took a new piece and turned to Charlize. ¡°How do you feel now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not as bad anymore.¡± The way he reached over to wipe her lips was so natural it was as though he had done it every day for decades. Charlize froze and meekly let him do as he pleased. He had peeled the prawns for her, fed her the ribs, and now, he was even wiping her mouth. She had barely moved an inch throughout the entire time. Charlize¡¯s heart was thumping loudly against her ribcage. His actions made him irresistible. How can someone be so apathetic at most times yet so sweet with me? Not even my own brother is so nice to me. ¡°Spencer, have you had a lot of girlfriends?¡± Charlize asked abruptly. Right as those words escaped her mouth, she regretted it. Spencer did not seem like the kind who had dated before, but he seemed to know all the tricks in a romantic rtionship. ¡°No.¡± He threw away the wet tissue and lifted her chin. Charlize blinked. In her embarrassment, she tried to look away, but she realized there was nowhere for her to look. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I can prove it to you.¡± ¡°Huh? How will you do that?¡± Can this even be proved? Spencer did not reply to that. He only took the ss of coffee from her and ced it on the table. ¡°Is it bitter?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s kind of sweet, in fact,¡± Charlize mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll have a taste too.¡± He lowered his head and kissed her lips. Charlize stiffened, her mind going nk. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the man a hair¡¯s breadth away in disbelief. In the next second, arge hand covered her eyes, and the lips against hers moved. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± The man¡¯s voice was low and husky. Charlize felt woozy. She felt as if she was floating in the clouds and slumped into his arms. It felt like a dream, but she knew it was not. Chapter 593 Chapter 593 That was the first time Charlize had gotten into a rtionship and experienced her first serious kiss. When Spencer released her, she felt as if she was floating. The surrealness left her mind foggy. She leaned into his embrace, feeling his presence wrapped around her and indulging in the moment. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡± His voice sounded atop her. Charlize regained her senses and instinctively looked up at him. Her gaze fell on his crimson lips, and she happened to see Spencer licking his lips as if savoring the taste. A buzz erupted in Charlize¡¯s head as her mind went nk again. Right then, someone knocked on the door. Charlize flinched like a startled rabbit. She snapped out of her trance and immediately pushed Spencer away, keeping a distance of approximately thirty centimeters from him and haphazardly wiping her mouth with a tissue. Spencer nced at her. He was not in a rush to answer the door. The person outside knocked twice again. Then, as if realizing they were causing a disturbance to the people inside the room, they stopped knocking. ¡°Have you checked?¡± Charlize didn¡¯t understand what he meant. ¡°Check what?¡± She spoke with a hint of tenderness in her voice without herself noticing, causing his gaze to darken. ¡°That I haven¡¯t had other girlfriends and that it was my first kiss.¡± Charlize blushed after listening to his boration. ¡°Y-You seemed very skilled just now.¡± In fact, she had been too shocked and self-conscious earlier to pay attention to anything else. That was just a random remark that popped into her mind, and she regretted it as soon as she uttered it. ¡°Really?¡± Staring at her reddened face, Spencer felt the desires in his chest stir with greater intensity. He lowered his gaze and reached out to tug at his tie. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re too captivating, so I instantly fathomed what to do when I saw you.¡± His words were so flirtatious that Charlize felt her face burn. She didn¡¯t dare to look at Spencer, so she let her gaze wander, only tond on his slightly open cor. The sight of his sexy Adam¡¯s apple moving prompted Charlize¡¯s heart to palpitate. ¡°I-I¡¯m going to the restroom!¡± Oh my! If this drags on, the one who can¡¯t resist the temptation will be me! She hurriedly got to her feet. Unexpectedly, she tripped over the table leg in her haste. Seeing that, Spencer stretched out his hand to steady her, and she ended up falling directly into his arms. Her toe hurt from hitting the table leg, and she sobered up at once. She blinked, and tears welled up in her eyes the next second. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she said aggrievedly. Spencer nced at her slightly pale face and knew she must genuinely be in pain. ¡°Let me take a look.¡± He bent over to reach for her leg and took off her high heel. Charlize quickly retracted her foot. ¡°I-It¡¯s not that painful, actually.¡± ¡°Be good. Let me take a look.¡± He patted her head, leaving her no room for refusal. He unfastened the buckle of her high heel and took the shoe off. Without the footwear, the redness on her injured big toe was quite apparent. Spencer furrowed his brows at that sight and lifted his finger to gently touch her toe. ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± Charlize recoiled, curling her five toes, looking somewhat adorable. ¡°It¡¯s not that painful now.¡± Spencer has mysophobia. Why did he touch my foot? ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying!¡± As if to prove that she truly wasn¡¯t in pain, Charlize lifted her injured leg and lightly bumped the edge of the table. ¡°See? It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Only after doing that did she realize how childish she had been. While she was feeling embarrassed, Spencer said, ¡°Okay. You don¡¯t need to go outside. There¡¯s a restroom in the lounge.¡± He helped her put on her shoe as he spoke. ¡°I know.¡± She didn¡¯t really want to use the restroom. She merely felt that the two of them staying alone in the office was too exciting. She feared she might do something she shouldn¡¯t, which would be bad. After all, she had been pining for him for a long time. Charlize¡¯s university ssmate¡¯s wedding was inte December. She had nned to lose weight for half a month before the wedding. Her goal wasn¡¯t as ambitious as losing eight or ten pounds. She would be satisfied if she could sessfully reduce her weight by two or three pounds. Charlize wasn¡¯t the kind who pursued the aesthetic of being as thin as a rail. She had always been a bit plump since childhood, but she was far from being considered fat. Nheless, the bridesmaid¡¯s dresses would appear more ttering on her if she was slightly slimmer. Before her diet, Charlize barely fit into a small-size dress. She aimed to lose two or three pounds so she could easily fit into her bridesmaid¡¯s dress and wouldn¡¯t have to restrain herself from eating during the wedding banquet. Unfortunately, Spencer proved to be a stumbling block on her weight loss journey. Since that noon, she had been having all her lunches with Spencer. He was aloof and stern as a superior, but as her boyfriend, he was dutiful, considerate, and surprisingly gentle. The contrast was too much for Charlize to handle. Moreover, he always had a variety of excuses to get her to eat more. Not only did she fail in her weight loss n over the past half a month, but she also gained three pounds. Great. Now I¡¯m definitely not going to fit into my bridesmaid¡¯s dress. Charlize had the urge to cry when she looked at the reading on the scale. With only five days left, she decided to turn over a new leaf. No matter how Spencer coaxed her, she would firmly refuse to overeat. That afternoon was no exception. Spencer had already arranged for their lunch to be sent to the office. Mika went to remind Charlize as usual, causing thetter to feel embarrassed. ¡°I got it. Mr. Templer, you don¡¯t need to remind me next time.¡± While others had office romances that were kept a secret, Charlize and Spencer¡¯s rtionship was the exact opposite. They had only officially been together for less than twenty days, and everyone in the company already knew about it. Mika smiled. ¡°In that case, you should go in earlier next time instead of keeping Mr. Lacroix waiting.¡± Charlize blushed. ¡°All right. I¡¯m going to lunch now.¡± She got up and went to knock on Spencer¡¯s office door. Upon entering, she immediately saw the dishes and soup served on the table, all of which were her favorites. However, Charlize remembered the resolution she had madest night. ¡°I won¡¯t be eating so much these uing few days.¡± ¡°Did you eat a lot?¡± Spencer, who was picking the bones out of her fish, nced at her. She bit her fork and said, ¡°I weighed myselfst night and saw that I¡¯ve gained three pounds!¡± To emphasize the severity of the situation, she even held up three fingers at him. Spencer ced the de-boned fish on her te, then looked at her solemnly. ¡°Really? I can¡¯t tell.¡± Charlize was secretly overjoyed, but she quickly pulled herself together and gazed intently at him. ¡°I really need to go on a diet, or my dress won¡¯t fit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have someone make you a new dress.¡± ¡°The dress isn¡¯t the issue. The problem is I¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Spencer put a piece of fish in her mouth. When he fed her the aromatic fish, she instinctively parted her lips and bit into it without any willpower. Chapter 594 Chapter 594 Spencer looked at Charlize and asked, ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± As she bit into the soft, aromatic fish, its fresh vor filled her mouth and put an end to her protests. Although she said she would not eat a lot, somehow, she wound up eating way more than she had intended. It was no surprise that she gained nearly two pounds in the remaining five days. The fact that she had not only failed in her initial n to lose weight but also put on an extra five pounds in total sent her into utter despair. I don¡¯t even need to try on my bridesmaid dress to know I can¡¯t fit into it. In the end, she had no choice but to ask Spencer to have someone make a free-sized version in the same design. As she stuffed the dress into her suitcase, she looked miserable. Despite her disappointment, she was still over the moon that Spencer had taken the time to attend the wedding with her. Since the others attending the wedding were her university mates, naturally, they knew Spencer too. While in university, the few close friends she had were from the same dormitory as her, and they knew she liked Spencer. Juliette Hutley, the head of the dormitory back then and the friend who was about to get married, had urged Charlize to confess to Spencer, saying that they sensed he seemed to have feelings for her too. s, Charlize had been too timid. Even after they had dragged her right up to Spencer, all she could muster was, ¡°Happy graduation, Spencer.¡± Watching the scene unfold, her three roommates had desperately wished they could step forward and help her. However, after Spencer had graduated and Charlize continued attending university, the pair hardly had any opportunities to meet. Noticing how unhappy she seemed, her roommates rarely mentioned his name in front of her. Charlize had many suitors while in university. She had a face that everyone, regardless of age or gender, found pleasing to the eye. Every year, she would help her faculty wee its new students, and each time after that, she would receive a number of confessions from her male juniors. Nheless, she was obstinate and held her first crush dearly in her heart, not giving any attention to anyone else. At the time, others in her dormitory had called her a fool. They could not understand why she was still saving herself for Spencer even though he had already graduated, and it was almost certain they would never cross paths in the future. They wondered why she did not choose a young, hot-blooded junior instead andmented the fact that some people had all the luck while others could not even catch a break. However, no matter what they said, Charlize turned down all suitors and remained single throughout her four years at university. More than a year had passed since their graduation, and everyone was now dealing with the harsh reality of the real world. Finding a boyfriend had be even more challenging than looking for a satisfactory job. Charlize¡¯s friends could not help worrying whether she would end up having an arranged marriage. As it turned out, she had gotten into a rtionship without telling anyone. She also did not reveal what her boyfriend was like. After staying silent for half a month, Charlize finally texted in the group chat two days ago that she might be attending the wedding with her boyfriend. Showing more excitement about who Charlize was dating than her wedding, the bride-to-be arrived early at the airport gate with the two others in their friend group to wee Charlize and her boyfriend. The couple flew in one day before the wedding, boarding a ne at three o¡¯clock in the afternoon and arriving in Alenvista around five o¡¯clock. Charlize only brought one suitcase with her, which also contained Spencer¡¯s clothes. No sooner had theynded than she received a call from Juliette, and a familiar voice rang out from the other end. ¡°Charlize, you¡¯ve gotten off the ne, right? Have youe out of the gate? Why haven¡¯t we seen you? Is your boyfriend here?¡± Charlize nced at Spencer, who was holding her hand, and her cheeks flushed instantly. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten off the ne. I¡¯ll be out after collecting my suitcase. He¡¯s here.¡± I wonder what they¡¯ll think when they see that my boyfriend is Spencer. As the thought crossed herN?velDrama.Org ? 2024. mind, she felt both nervous and excited. Sensing the shift in her emotions, Spencer asked, ¡°Are you feeling shy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Naturally, she would not admit it. However, her reddened ears had already betrayed her. As he swept his gaze over her ears, his cold expression softened. He murmured an acknowledgment and did not expose her true feelings. They went to collect their suitcase, then turned and headed toward the exit. As soon as they stepped out, they spotted Juliette with Molly Zabel and Shanny Gunn. The others also saw Charlize. Molly rubbed her eyes. Although dressed in adylike outfit, she proceeded to blurt out a mild expletive. ¡°What the heck? There¡¯s nothing wrong with my eyes, is there? Why does that guy next to Charlize look so much like Spencer?¡± Juliette gave a small gasp. ¡°Unless all three of us have something wrong with our eyes, I think there¡¯s no doubt her boyfriend is Spencer.¡± ¡°It turns out Charlize is still the most capable,¡± Shanny added, pushing up her sses. Who would¡¯ve thought she would be the one to conquer the heart of the guy who was out of everyone¡¯s league? While the trio stood frozen in shock, Charlize and Spencer approached them. All four of them were from the same university. Back when the girls¡¯ economics lecturer had taken a one-month leave, Spencer had been the one who had taught them as a substitute lecturer. He had been known for his aloofness. The number of female seniors and juniors who had attempted to pursue him could have been enough to form a line that snaked from the campus¡¯ east gate to its west gate. When we first learned of Charlize¡¯s feelings for Spencer, it was a shock yet also unsurprising at the same time. Then, when he was about to graduate, we urged Charlize to confess to him. However, she was too shy and failed to do so. Four years have passed, and she has really... It¡¯s truly unbelievable! ¡°Juliette, Molly, Shanny, it¡¯s been a while!¡± Charlize was feeling embarrassed. This boyfriend of mine is too well-known that I don¡¯t even know what to say! ¡°Charlize, Spencer, it¡¯s been a while indeed. Thanks foring,¡± Juliette responded, the first to regain her senses. Despite her calm andposed appearance, she was actually very flustered. He used to be incredibly strict in ss, and we received many a scolding. Even now that we¡¯re meeting again, the fear from before still lingers. ¡°Congrattions,¡± Spencer responded indifferently. Instantly, there was an awkwardness in the atmosphere. Molly had wanted to pull Charlize over and ask her what was going on, but when she saw thetter holding hands with Spencer, she immediately changed her mind. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s head back into the city first. Juliette has already made the arrangements for the hotel.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The three girls turned around and walked ahead while chatting away, leading Charlize and Spencer out of the airport. After ncing at Spencer, then at her three university roommates, Charlize could not help tugging at his sleeve and saying softly, ¡°They¡¯re afraid of you.¡± ¡°Oh? Why?¡± He arched an eyebrow in a rare disy of confusion. Charlize snorted. ¡°It¡¯s because you were so tough on us in ss.¡± Spencer cast his mind back to what had happened back then. Actually, I¡¯m not strict. It¡¯s just that Charlize would always daydream and chat during ss. That¡¯s why I¡¯d call out her name and ask her to answer my questions. Also recalling the past, Charlize continued, ¡°You always picked on me and asked me to answer your questions. I couldn¡¯t even answer them!¡± It was so embarrassing! Spencer pursed his lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to get distracted.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°I wanted you to look at me.¡± Chapter 595 Chapter 595 The flirty words Spencer suddenly blurted out startled Charlize. She shot a nce at Juliette and the others. Even though the three were seven to eight meters away and certainly couldn¡¯t hear what Spencer had said, Charlize still felt embarrassed. She used to think Spencer was cold as ice and treated everyone coolly. However, after she spent time around him as his secretary, her opinion of him changed a little, but she still thought he was indifferent. Then after being his girlfriend, she realized he was really skilled at flirting. Yet, he kept his mask of nonchnce every time he spouted flirty words, leaving her flustered as to whether she should feel shy or angry at hisments. Plenty of people were milling about outside the airport. Spencer¡¯s flirtyments caused Charlize to blush. Her heart pounded the entire way. They arrived at the parking lot. Molly called out to Charlize, but thetter was in a daze and couldn¡¯t hear her. It wasn¡¯t that Juliette and the rest couldn¡¯t read the room. From the airport to the parking lot took three minutes, and the trio had regained theirposure within that time. It was good news that Charlize could take down the man out of everyone¡¯s league. The trio had secretly used their phones to look at Charlize and Spencer who were walking behind them. Although the two did not behave intimately, they saw Spencer quickly tug Charlize to his side when she nearly ran into someone. That wasn¡¯t the main point. The point was despite his reputation for being cold and indifferent, his sharp gaze would soften whenever Charlize was in his sight. He would be so focused on her that no one could get his attention. Thedies had driven there in two cars. Since Charlize and Spencer would ride in the same car, one among the three of them would have to be the driver. They had chosen the driver via rock-paper-scissors when they came. However, Shanny, who lost the game, refused to be the third wheel to the couple. ¡°Please don¡¯t make me do it. I feel this strong urge for us to disappearing from Spencer.¡± Juliette and Molly felt the same. Charlize and Spencer hade a long way to attend Juliette¡¯s wedding. Being a driver wasn¡¯t an issue for them as their rtionship was close. The problem was Spencer. He was their senior and Charlize¡¯s boyfriend. As the bride, Juliette couldn¡¯t have Spencer and Charlize follow them in another car. She sighed, took the car keys, and strode to the other car. ¡°Spencer, put your luggage in the trunk.¡± Spencer muttered an acknowledgment, ced his luggage in the trunk, and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll drive.¡± Juliette was overjoyed, but she had a look of shock on her face. ¡°That won¡¯t do, Spencer. You and Charlize must be tired from the long flight. How can I let you drive?¡± ¡°She gets carsick. It¡¯s better that I drive.¡± Juliette didn¡¯t expect her driving skills to be questioned and Spencer¡¯s show of affection. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll send the location to Charlize.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Charlize felt so shy she couldn¡¯t get a word out. Juliette shot her a knowing look before she left. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, and things have changed drastically, huh, Charlize?¡± Charlize caught the innuendo and her cheeks turned even redder. Yes, I get carsick, but I¡¯ve already pped on a motion-sickness patch and will be fine if I shut my eyes and take a nap. Why did he say something like that? Where should I hide myself now? After Juliette walked away, Charlize red at Spencer. ¡°Stop saying things like that!¡± ¡°Things like what?¡± Spencer opened the passenger seat door and gestured for her to get in. ¡°Bent down and be careful. Don¡¯t knock your head.¡± He lifted his hand, cing it above her head. Charlize wanted to continue the topic upon getting into the car, but she didn¡¯t know how. Things like what? How can he say that in such a serious tone? Spencer didn¡¯t start the car immediately after putting on his seatbelt. ¡°What have I been saying?¡± He¡¯s too much! I¡¯ve already put a stop to the topic. Why is he still asking? She turned her head to the side and stared out the window. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Are you mad?¡± He reached for her hand, set it in his palm, and gently massaged it. ¡°No.¡± Charlize wasn¡¯t that petty of a person. She just felt shy upon remembering his words. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Charlize,¡± Spencer called out softly. Charlize turned to look at him. ¡°What? I¡¯m not mad at you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like hearing me say those things?¡± His question set her face aze again. Even though they were really flirty, no woman could deny they loved it. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it.¡± She lowered her head and looked at her hand in his palm. ¡°I like it when it¡¯s just the two of us.¡± Spencer¡¯s eyes darkened when he took in her pink cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ll say them when we¡¯re alone, then.¡± Charlize didn¡¯t know if she should respond. When she was in a dilemma, her phone rang. It was Molly texting her, wondering if something happened to them since she didn¡¯t see them. Charlize showed the message to Spencer. ¡°Let¡¯s head over to the hotel first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Spencer squeezed her palm again before releasing it reluctantly and starting the car. One must admit Spencer looked unapproachable when he was serious. She noticed the apathy in his eyes when he focused on driving and stared dead ahead. As she stared at him, she felt that her boyfriend¡¯s character was drastically different when they were in others¡¯ presence and alone. However, she liked the difference. Oh, Charlize, you double-faced woman! The car pulled into the highway, and Spencer nced at Charlize. ¡°Do you feel dizzy?¡± Charlize shook her head and pointed behind her ear. ¡°I already put on a motion sickness patch.¡± Spencer grunted an acknowledgment and said, ¡°Take a nap.¡± In fact, Charlize was starting to feel sleepy since she couldn¡¯t sleep the night before after realizing she had gained five pounds. She had even attended a conference in the morning. Despite having slept for a while on the ne, she felt a little giddy. Charlize looked at Spencer. ¡°I¡¯ll take a nap, then.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 596 Chapter 596 Charlize slept for a long time. When they arrived at the hotel, Spencer parked the car in the open-air parking lot. Juliette and the others had long since arrived and had been waiting at the entrance for ages, yet there were no signs of Charlize and Spencer. Worry swamped Molly. ¡°Could something have happened to them?¡± The threedies looked at each other. After a moment of hesitation, they ultimately decided to give Charlize a call. As soon as the call was connected, someone picked up. ¡°Hello.¡± The instant that voice drifted out, Juliette could tell that it was Spencer. She was briefly stunned. Whoa! It¡¯s been many years, but he¡¯s still as imposing as ever! Her heart clenched slightly. ¡°A-Are you both not here yet, Spencer?¡± ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t see you both anywhere.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Charlize has fallen asleep. You all should leave first. We¡¯ll go over tomorrow morning.¡± Hearing that, Juliette was wholly stupefied. However, she did not dare ask any questions since Spencer was the one who said that. ¡°Okay, sure. We¡¯ll be leaving first, then.¡± No sooner had she hung up than Molly asked anxiously, ¡°What happened? Where are they?¡± Juliette let out a breath before she answered, ¡°Spencer said Charlize has fallen asleep. He told us to leave first.¡± Shanny was promptly taken aback. ¡°What about dinner?¡± Molly nudged her. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? He¡¯s inly telling us not to disrupt Charlize¡¯s sleep!¡± By then, Juliette had alsoprehended the man¡¯s meaning. Envy flooded her. ¡°How unexpected! In the past, he seemed totally unapproachable. But now that he¡¯s dating Charlize, he pampers her to the core!¡± He could¡¯ve just woken Charlize if she¡¯d fallen asleep. Yet, he told us to leave first. It¡¯s clear as day that he couldn¡¯t bring herself to wake her. Tsk-tsk! I¡¯m the one getting married, but even I have never enjoyed such treatment! The three of them merely gossiped about the matter for a bit. It was alreadyte, and Juliette¡¯s wedding was tomorrow. Although it would be at night, the groom would being over to fetch the bride at a little over ten o¡¯clock in the morning. Juliette needed to visit the beauty salon for a manicure. They had nned on catching up with Charlize that night, as they rarely met up with her after graduation. But from the look of things then, that would not be happening anymore. ¡°Let¡¯s go for dinner first. You still have to go for a manicureter.¡± Juliette felt that it made sense. With that, the threedies left the hotel. When they were retrieving the car, Shanny stopped to answer a call. The moment she lifted her head, she was greeted by the sight of Spencer in a white car. She froze for a second. Juliette pulled over and asked her why she was spacing out instead of getting into the car. Shanny pointed in the direction across from them. ¡°Look, is that Charlize and Spencer?¡± Molly and Juliette cast their gazes in the direction she was pointing. When they spotted Spencer and Charlize, they were both startled. Shanny climbed into the car. For a long while, no one said anything. Following the brief silence, Molly murmured, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s not disrupt them.¡± A near distance away, Spencer was gazing at Charlize with his head tilted while she remained sound asleep. He did nothing, but the tenderness emanating from him as he studied her with his head canted was already different than usual. Meanwhile, after they were out of the hotel, Shanny could not helpmenting, ¡°I feel like dating.¡± Beautiful and graceful, she had never suffered ack of suitors. Unfortunately, she had no interest in dating or marriage. Moreover, she had a mind of her own despite her gentle and delicate appearance. She had started venturing into personal media while she was in university and had her own studio before she graduated. Having graduated for over a year then, she was already making six figures annually though she was not all that impressive. She had both money and time, and she was fond of tending to the nts and flowers in her yard usually, so her interest in dating was practically nil. At her remark, Molly burst outughing. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s easy to find a man, but it¡¯s almost impossible to find one like Spencer.¡± As someone who was going to get married the next day, Juliette seconded, ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± In truth, she had no issue with her soon-to-be husband. Being a nerd, he was downright good to her. Yet, he was also dense and not a particrly thoughtful man, nor would he do something so casually romantic. Shanny pondered upon it and felt that it seemed to be the case. ¡°I think I¡¯m not the reason behind my reluctance to date all these years.¡± She pushed up her sses. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve never met a man like Spencer.¡± ¡°Stop dreaming. Even if you did, you¡¯d never dare pursue the man. Do you have Charlize¡¯s guts?¡± Indeed, they all thought that Charlize pursued Spencer and bagged him. Discouraged time and again, Shanny gave up. ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s pretty good to be single.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so pessimistic.¡± Charlize, who was slumbering deeply, had no idea that she had be an object of envy. While she did not feel all the worse for wear after attaching a motion sickness patch, she was prone to drowsiness in the car. Once she closed her eyes and fell asleep, she would be dead to the world. She slept for a long time. When she opened her eyes, she found herself inexplicably lying on a bed. That had her entirely stumped. I¡¯ve only slept for a while, yet I¡¯ve gotten somece else? The curtains in the room were drawn tightly, and there was little light. As she had just woken up, she could see nothing at all. She panicked for a moment, fear creeping into her. ¡°Spencer?¡± There was no response in the entire room. At once, her mind cleared, and she hastily got up and groped the wall behind her. When her hand came into contact with a switch, she immediately turned it on. The switch she flicked on was that of a nightlight, and dim yellow light flooded the space. She squinted, only then perceiving that she was in a hotel room. Spencer was not there. Having woken up to his absence, she felt an emptiness within her. She grabbed her phone and called him while getting out of bed. The room was a suite, partitioned with a screen. Outside was a small living area with a kitchte at the side. She walked out. On the other end of the phone, Spencer answered the call in no time. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Feeling hollow within, Charlize was a touch anxious. ¡°Where are you?¡± The instant she spoke, her voice was colored with a hint of grievance. ¡°I went to retrieve our luggage.¡± As soon as Spencer said that, Charlize heard a beep at the door by the hallway. On the heels of that, the door swung open. Spencer stepped in, wheeling a suitcase behind him. She was briefly dazed, but once she snapped back to her senses, she sprinted over and hugged him. ¡°I couldn¡¯t find you when I woke up.¡± One¡¯s emotions are at their lowest when they first wake up. For that reason, many people are grumpy in the morning. Nheless, that did not apply to Charlize, and she was merely disappointed to wake up in an unfamiliar environment with Spencer nowhere in sight. Now that she had seen him, she was naturally much bolder and more proactive than before. It was the first time Spencer had ever seen that side of her. She hugged him tightly as though afraid that he would disappear again in the next second. The door was still ajar. After wheeling the suitcase aside, he wrapped a hand around her, then reached to the back with the other to close the door. He dipped his head and kissed the woman in his arms. Seeing her bare feet, he frowned and scooped her up in a bridal carry. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you wearing slippers?¡± Chapter 597 Chapter 597 It was only then that Charlize realized she was not wearing any slippers. She had been in too much of a hurry to get out of bed. Her anxiety in unfamiliar surroundings was severe because Charles had once brought her to a gathering with his ssmates when she was young. Something happened during the event, and she was led to the suite the Johnson family often reserved by her brother to wait for him. Only six or seven years old at that time, she had little fear. Knowing that her brother had something to do, she did not throw a tantrum or cling to him. After Charles coaxed her to sleep, she slumbered in the room by herself. When she woke up, she was still alone in the room. However, Charles had prepared a lot of snacks for her. She remembered his promise that he would be back to bring her home shortly. s, Charles got into a fight with someone that night for some reason and ended up at the police station. Coincidentally, a drunk guest at the hotel went to the wrong floor and kept banging on Charlize¡¯s room door. No matter how easygoing Charlize was, she could not withstand that. She promptly burst into tears then and there. That night, misfortunes came in threes. Their mother had also apanied their father on a business trip. When Charles finally got out of the police station, it was past two o¡¯clock in the morning. By the time he rushed back to the hotel, Charlize was already terrified to the point that she was hiding in the wardrobe. It had him so livid that he pped himself twice on the spot. On top of that, he even sued the hotel. Charlize also suffered a fright from the incident and started running a temperature after returning to the Johnson residence. Her fever only abated after two consecutive days. Consequently, she was exceedingly wary and anxious when alone in unfamiliar surroundings. Although it had gotten significantly better when she grew up, she was still easily petrified whenever she jolted awake to find herself in unfamiliar surroundings with no one she knew. Just when she had roused and opened her eyes, she found that she had somehow gotten to a hotel room from the car. The space was all too unfamiliar, and she was alone in the entire ce, with Spencer nowhere in sight. She could not help but feel panicked. In fact, she even trembled upon hearing the click of the door opening earlier. She was in no presence of mind to bother about anything else uponying eyes on Spencer. As she hugged him, his familiar smell and warmth enveloped her. Only then did she gather her wits about her and realize she was not wearing slippers. Her feet felt a touch chilly. She nced at Spencer in slight embarrassment. ¡°I forgot.¡± Spencer carried her to the bed and seated her at the edge of it. Then, he picked up one of the hotel¡¯s slippers to slip it on for her. Charlize was taken aback as she stared at the man crouching before her. Sensing warmth at the sole of her foot, she instinctively drew her foot back. ¡°I¡¯ll do it...¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Spencer had already slipped the slipper onto her foot. He then dropped his hold on her and reached for her other foot. Charlize quickly ced her foot into the slipper in his hand. Spencer looked up at her. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± No sooner had his question rang out than Charlize¡¯s stomach started rumbling. In a sh, Charlize flushed bright red. ¡°Yeah.¡± Gah! That was downright mortifying! ¡°What would you like to eat? I¡¯ll order room service?¡± While saying that, he handed her the menu on the bedside table. Juliette¡¯s soon-to-be husband was a top-notch programmer. Upon graduating, he joined a big factory with an annual sry of four hundred thousand. Juliette was no less impressive. The money they earned jointly after tax was six hundred thousand. Despite the high price of properties in Alenvista and the fact that they had only graduated a while ago and had little money left after paying the down payment, Juliette had always been generous toward the girls. Back when they were in university, she always brought some food back for them as supper after her part-time job. In her words, one could always make more money. This time, the hotel she had arranged for them when they came to attend her wedding was also the best. Charlize did not care about all that, so she had no idea about the standard of the hotel. When she woke up, she merely noticed that theyout and d¨¦cor were pretty nice. Having seen the menu and the prices then, she realized that the hotel was something else. As she took the menu, she abruptly remembered that the four of them had a date for a manicure session that night. ¡°Where are Juliette and the others?¡± ¡°They said to let you rest since you¡¯re suffering from motion sickness,¡± Spencer lied without batting an eyelid. Charlize did not doubt him either. ¡°Oh, all right, then.¡± She nodded, her eyes fixed on the prices on the menu. ¡°How about going out to eat?¡± Before she started working, her perception of money was somewhat vague. After all, the Johnson family was in no shortage of it. After she had graduated and started working, however, she was presently all too aware that money was hard-earned. Even porridge on the menu cost a hundred and twenty-eight. Considering her hunger then, she reckoned that she would not be replete without spending over a thousand. That was a two-day sry for her, and she could not bring herself to fritter it away. ¡°Sure.¡± Spencer had no objections either. He pulled the suitcase over and rummaged for a down jacket before handing it to her. ¡°Put this on.¡± Charlize looked at the down jacket in his hands, wholly oblivious to when he packed it. It was not too cold yet in December. Such a thick down jacket was unnecessary, so she felt a tad averse. ¡°But it¡¯s not that cold.¡± ¡°Be good and listen to me.¡± As though coaxing a child, he held the down jacket up and unzipped it before personally helping her into it. While doing so, he talked about the delicious food in Alenvista. As Charlize listened, she could not wait to go out and sample them all. The men¡¯s short ck down jacket was probably waist-length on Spencer. But on Charlize, it fell below her thighs. Seeing that the down jacket was already on her, she did not bother to pick fault with that. She voluntarily put on the cotton-padded boots. After doing so, she trotted up to Spencer and hooked her arm around his. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go and eat! I¡¯m starving!¡± Spencer touched her palm. Heat emanated off Charlize since she was wearing a lot, and her palm was warm with a steady stream of continuous heat, like the sun. Only then did he reply in satisfaction, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The hotel was in the city center of Alenvista. As soon as they stepped out, they were greeted by bustling businesses. It was chilly after leaving the hotel, but Charlize was still warm since she wore manyyers. There were quite a number of people who wore down jackets on the streets but few with cotton-padded boots. She observed the pedestrians around, feeling a touch embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m wearing too much, Spencer!¡± ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s cold at night.¡± Spencer took her hand. Her palm was hot, warming his hand, which had grown cold in the winter. ¡°Why are you wearing so little, then?¡± Indeed, Spencer was not wearing much. He had a white shirt inside and topped it with a vest before donning a long trench coat on the outside. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m not cold.¡± ¡°Nor am I!¡± Spencer nced down at her. Perhaps she was too warm that her cheeks were rosy, just like the red apple he received on his tenth birthday. Resisting the urge to take a bite out of her, he changed the subject. ¡°There are a few renowned restaurants in Alenvista right across the street. Which one would you like to try?¡± Following his words, Charlize no longer bothered to argue about the matter. Looking at the restaurants across the road, she frowned. ¡°They all look delicious.¡± ¡°In that case, let¡¯s try one first, another tomorrow, and the final one the day after.¡± Hearing that, Charlize quirked a brow. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going back the day after?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine to stay another day.¡± As Spencer was speaking, a car drove past in front of them, upon which he pulled her behind him. Chapter 598 Chapter 598 Ever since Spencer had her gown remade, Charlize was no longer interested in losing weight. There were many delicious food and drinks in Alenvista. Despite knowing she would be a bridesmaid tomorrow, she could not control her food intake. When they stepped out of the restaurant after having dinner, they saw delectable snack bars lining the outside of the square and the space across the road. It was Friday that day, and there was a greater crowd than usual. The same went for the number of couples. The queue outside the snack bar was exceedingly long. Charlize wavered as she stared at the fragrant pies. ¡°Shall we go to another stall?¡± She knew that Spencer disliked waiting and downright abhorred queuing. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to eat this?¡± Without budging, Spencer gazed down at her while standing in line. Charlize pursed her lips. The fragrant aroma wafting over from the front of the stall was really too tempting. She wanted to shake her head and answer in the negative, but she just could not bring herself to lie through her teeth. Saying nothing, Spencer gathered her closer against him. ¡°It won¡¯t be long.¡± He was tall, rendering her all the more petite when she was in his arms. Moved to the core, Charlize nced back at him. ¡°It must be yummy since so many people are queuing!¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Spencer murmured. He then dropped his hold on her hand. Sensing that, Charlize was bewildered for a moment. In the next heartbeat, he slipped his fingers between hers. With their fingers interlocked and palms stered together, she felt her hand growing warmer by the second. Ultimately, Spencer was right. The queue seemed long, but it moved very fast. About ten minutester, it was their turn. Charlize felt like eating everything she saw, yearning to try each and every type. Regretfully, she had eaten a lot for dinner earlier, and her stomach was bulging when she stepped out of the restaurant. ¡°Please give me an original pie and one of this.¡± Before she had made up her mind, Spencer had already decided for her. Charlize grabbed his hand, a tad vexed. ¡°It looks pretty big. I don¡¯t think I can finish two.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat the remainder.¡± He ruffled her hair, then took out his phone and paid for the food. Thereafter, the two of them walked around. Charlize ate many snacks and ended up stuffing herself. She even had arge cup of coffee. On their way back, she could no longer curb the urge to relieve herself and wanted to visit the restroom. Fortunately, shopping malls were everywhere in the city center. There was nock of restrooms. Helping to carry her bag, Spencer waited outside the restroom, just like many of the other boyfriends. No sooner had Charlize gone into the restroom than her phone that was in his hand rang. He lowered his eyes and nced at it. When he saw that the caller ID was ¡°Juliette,¡± his ebony eyes flickered. He answered the call. ¡°This is Spencer speaking.¡± ¡°I-Is Charlize still sleeping, Spencer?¡± ¡°No, she¡¯s in the bathroom.¡± The words on the tip of Juliette¡¯s tongue suddenly got stuck in her throat, and she hastily swallowed them. ¡°I-Is she okay?¡± Spencer nonchntly fibbed, ¡°She¡¯s still feeling a bit dizzy.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. Tell her to rest well, then. There¡¯s no need toe over so early tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it, Spencer. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± The moment Juliette hung up the phone, Molly asked, ¡°Well? Is Charlizeing over?¡± Simrly, they had just finished eating and nned to head to the beauty salon for a manicure. ¡°Gosh, of course not! Spencer answered the call just now, and he said she was in the bathroom. The bathroom, you know? How would I dare disrupt them at this point?¡± Molly was entirely baffled. ¡°Why, is Charlize having a stomachache because she isn¡¯t limatizing well?¡± N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner. Beside her, Shanny burst intoughter. ¡°How dense! When a couple is together in a room, what could one be doing in the bathroom? Never mind, let¡¯s not intrude on the love birds!¡± Realization dawned upon Molly, and her face flushed bright red. ¡°Charlize is simply impressive!¡± Whoa! Her speed at bedding the aloof man is lightning fast! Charlize had no inkling that a trip to the restroom had caused her the loss of her innocence. There were many people in the shopping mall, and she spent five minutes just queueing. At the thought that Spencer was waiting for her outside, she grabbed a tissue and wiped her hands perfunctorily after washing them before trotting out. As soon as she stepped into the corridor, she caught sight of the man standing by a pir. He was dressed in ck from head to toe and had her bag and phone in his hands. Although he was handsome, he appeared very much aloof. Nheless, every woman desires handsome men. Back when Spencer was in university, many female juniors and seniors had pursued him. Even after he had made it clear that he would not date while studying, there were still some who would not give up. Now that he was a rising star in the business field, his every movement was mature and regal. He was merely standing there, yet his aura was sufficient to attract others. Before she could walk over, she saw a beautifully-dressed woman approaching him. Despite the chilly weather, the woman was only dressed in a miniskirt and a pair of short boots, baring her long and slender legs. Charlize felt cold just from looking at her. She was extremely possessive, so she sprinted over upon seeing that. ¡°Spencer!¡± Even before she reached the man, her voice had already drifted into his ears. In truth, he had already spotted her earlier. At the sight of her racing over, he spread his arms and caught her. ¡°Why were you running so fast?¡± Charlize tilted her head back and stared at him, her face ming. ¡°I was afraid someone would steal you away if I were too slow.¡± ¡°Who has ever managed to steal me away after all these years?¡± The woman at the side was initially slightly resentful that Spencer was ignoring her. But when she heard that, embarrassment showed on her face. Not daring to say a word, she spun around and quietly left with her phone in her hand. Charlize watched as the woman¡¯s retreating figure went further away before questioning, ¡°Did she ask you for your phone number earlier?¡± Spencer took her hand. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°There, that sexy woman!¡± Charlize pointed at the woman¡¯s back, her words dripping with a sense of jealousy unbeknownst to her. Sheer delight suffused Spencer, for her obvious jealousy made for a stark contrast with her typical timidity and shyness. Spencer loved having her tantly jealous. She looked like a kitten that had lost its owner¡¯s affection, evoking greater pity in others. ¡°I didn¡¯t notice her just now.¡± Charlize was momentarily startled. ¡°Huh? But she was right beside you. Even I heard her calling you.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear that.¡± Spencer headed out with her hand-in-hand. ¡°I heard you calling me.¡± He did not say anything suggestive, but Charlize found that remark even more embarrassing than if he had outright said he liked her. Her ears turned red, and she whispered in reply, ¡°Oh, I see.¡± I didn¡¯t notice it, and that makes me appear petty now. As that thought urred to her, the blush staining her ears spread to her cheeks. Gah! It¡¯s rather mortifying! Chapter 599 Chapter 599 Charlize remained quiet and obedient during the ride back to the hotel with Spencer. Since they had been strolling around outside, it was already half past ten at night by the time they returned to the hotel. Just as they arrived, Charlize received a call from Charles. Charles was aware that Spencer apanied Charlize to the wedding. Spencer had driven to the Johnson residence in the morning to pick her up. Charles had warned Spencer that if he dared to take advantage of Charlize, he would break his legs. All that was left for him was to speak with his naive little sister. It was already half past ten. Charles, who had just left thepany, thought it was time to call it a day. Since he was nearly five hundred kilometers away from his sister, he could only call her. By the time Charlize arrived at the hotel, she was already feeling somewhat drowsy. Just as she answered her brother¡¯s call, she couldn¡¯t help but yawn. ¡°What¡¯s up, Charles?¡± Spencer poured her a ss of water and she thanked him in a soft voice. ¡°Are you resting right now?¡± ¡°Yeah. I just got back to the hotel. I¡¯m getting ready to sleep now.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your boyfriend?¡± Charles spoke with a tad of hostility. A strange sense of guilt washed over Charlize as she nced at Spencer. ¡°H-He¡¯s here.¡± Upon hearing that, Charles frowned. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he back in his room?¡± Charlize replied awkwardly, ¡°We just returned to the hotel.¡± Charles scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Don¡¯t you have a wedding to attend tomorrow? Ask your boyfriend to return to his room. You should wash up and rest soon.¡± Charlize was aware that her brother did not quite like Spencer, but she did not know why. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll be hanging up now.¡± ¡°You really should ask your boyfriend to leave now.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I know.¡± After hanging up the phone, Charlize nced at Spencer. When she recalled her brother¡¯s words, she felt a little embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I want to wash up and go to bed.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Spencer, but he had no intention to leave. Charlize nced at Spencer again and said probingly, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower now.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Spencer remained seated on the couch, drinking warm water. Charlize rose from the couch and yawned again. She approached her luggage and grabbed her clothes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going back to your room to wash up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not tired yet.¡± ¡°Okay, then.¡± Charlize couldn¡¯t bring herself to chase Spencer out. Moreover, Juliette had prepared them two rooms. Charlize thought Spencer merely wanted to stick around a little longer. With that thought, she ignored Charles¡¯ order. I¡¯m an adult now, not a child! Why does Charles always treat me like a kid? Charles had foreseen that Charlize wouldn¡¯t ask Spencer to leave the room. After a while, he called Spencer directly. The sound of flowing water came from the bathroom. Spencer appearedposed on the outside, but his heart was beating wildly. When his phone rang, he raised his eyebrow and nced at the screen. Seeing that it was Charles, he answered the call. ¡°It¡¯s me, Spencer.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Charlize?¡± Charles cut straight to the chase instead of feigning civility. Looking at the bathroom, Spencer said, ¡°In the showers.¡± Charles was infuriated upon hearing that. He exploded, ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Spencer! If you dare to bully Charlize, you¡¯re dead!¡± Unfazed by Charles¡¯ threat, Spencer asked, ¡°What doesn¡¯t count as bullying, then?¡± He paused. Fearing that Charles didn¡¯t understand him, he added, ¡°We¡¯re both adults in love. It¡¯s normal for us to be intimate, don¡¯t you think, Mr. Johnson?¡± ¡°Bury those thoughts of yours, Spencer! As long as you¡¯re not married to Charlize, you¡¯re not allowed to touch her! If you do, I¡¯ll ensure you go bankrupt! Do you think I won¡¯t do it?¡± ¡°I believe you will.¡± Spencer¡¯s words rendered Charles speechless for a moment. Ever since Charlize had gotten together with Spencer, Charles had been upset. In the past, he was the one who sent his sister to work and lent her a hand when she needed it. However, Spencer had taken his ce now. The first person Charlize would seek help from wasn¡¯t Charles anymore. She would go to Spencer instead. Just thinking about that made Charles feel horrible because he felt that Spencer had snatched his precious sister away. If not for the fact that Charlize would be upset, Charles would¡¯ve tried to murder Spencer. ¡°I don¡¯t know what game you¡¯re ying, Spencer. If you make Charlize suffer, I¡¯ll make your life a living hell!¡± ¡°How much is Charlize¡¯s betrothal gift?¡± asked Spencer almost immediately after Charles finished speaking. Charles was momentarily stunned. When he returned to his senses, he became even more livid. ¡°Charlize is still young! She doesn¡¯t need to get married this quickly!¡± ¡°So, how much is Charlize¡¯s betrothal gift?¡± ¡°Get your ass back to your room right now, Spencer!¡± Does he not understand what I¡¯m saying? ¡°I¡¯ll leave after Charlize has fallen asleep.¡± Since he won¡¯t answer my question, I guess I¡¯ll stop asking. Spencer pursed his lips and continued, ¡°She heard a ghost story tonight. She¡¯ll be too scared to sleep aler.¡± While the two were eating earlier, a group of youngsters sat at the table next to them. The group consisted of two boys and two girls, and one of the boys told his friends a ghost story. Even though he didn¡¯t speak loudly, the two tables were close enough that Charlize could listen to the story clearly. She did it because she was curious despite her timid nature. She said she wasn¡¯t afraid, but Spencer didn¡¯t believe it when she leaned toward him. Spencer did harbor ulterior motives for apanying Charlize on this trip, but he wasn¡¯t seeking fleeting pleasure. What he wanted was a long, loving rtionship with Charlize. Instead ofing over to spend time with her alone, he was more interested in telling those who were familiar with Charlize and those who weren¡¯t that she belonged to him. That was how possessive he was. Charles was getting pretty riled up when he heard what Spencer said. His expression shifted, and he spat, ¡°If you¡¯re a man, don¡¯t take advantage of Charlize, Spencer.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that applies to me.¡± This punk! ¡°You¡¯re a smart man, Spencer. A smart man should know what to do and what not to do,¡± said Charles coldly before hanging up. At that moment, Charlize came out of the bathroom, her cheeks rosy. Upon spotting Spencer on the couch, she quickly approached him with her skincare products. Earlier, in the bathroom, she recalled the ghost story she had heard and got spooked by the mirror. She expeditiously finished her shower and darted out of the bathroom. However, embarrassed to let Spencer figure out she was afraid, she acted nonchntly while sitting beside him. Her anxious heart calmed down after she breathed in his familiar scent. Chapter 600 Chapter 600 Spencer had noticed at first nce that Charlize was afraid when she bolted out of the bathroom. Lowering his gaze, he watched her ce various bottles on the table and lean toward him surreptitiously. His lips curled into a smile as he stared at her silently. Then, he raised his hand and touched her slightly wet hair. ¡°You washed your hair?¡± Charlize nodded. ¡°Yeah. My hair needs to be styled tomorrow.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Spencer sprang up from the couch. Still somewhat afraid, Charlize nced up at him. ¡°W-Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m grabbing a towel to help you dry your hair.¡± He patted her head. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Charlize withdrew her gaze and looked at the face cream on her hand, blushing. I shouldn¡¯t have listened to the ghost story. Thanks to that, I got scared when I looked in the mirror in the bathroom just now! Ugh, I regretted doing that so badly. I wish I can erase that story from my mind! ¡°Come here.¡± Spencer approached her, snapping her out of her thoughts. She tilted her head to look at him and noticed a dry towel in his hand. ¡°Okay,¡± she said and inched closer to him. As heid the towel on her head, she remembered the face cream on her palms and speedily applied them to her face. They had spent over an hour strolling around and eating earlier. Charlize felt drowsy after the shower, especially because of the serene environment as well. The second time she dozed off, Spencer stopped what he was doing and slicked her hair back. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Charlize lifted her head to stare at him, wanting to say no, but she couldn¡¯t help yawning when she tried to speak. ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded, her cheeks red. ¡°Come here.¡± Spencer let go of his hands and suddenly leaned backward. Charlize blinked at him in confusion. ¡°Rest on my shoulder.¡± Spencer patted his shoulder, signaling her to lie in his embrace while they faced each other. Just thinking about being in such an intimate position made Charlize blush even harder. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sleepy?¡± asked Spencer when he saw she wasn¡¯t moving. ¡°I-I¡¯ll use the hairdryer,¡± Charlize said. It¡¯s faster that way. ¡°It¡¯s broken, I think.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Charlize didn¡¯t notice it herself, but she didn¡¯t doubt what Spencer said either. Her hair was long, so it was still wet after Spencer dried it with a towel. While hesitating, Charlize couldn¡¯t help but yawn again. Shey in his embrace in the end. Although Spencer had hugged and kissed her before, it was the first time they were that physically close to each other. Just as Charlize sat over, her body was enveloped in Spencer¡¯s scent. She was at a loss for what to do or where to settle her hands. Looking down at her, Spencer pushed the back of her head toward him. Her face was instantly pressed against his shoulder. ¡°Sleep. I¡¯ll dry your hair.¡± His deep voice rang out from above her head. Charlize¡¯s heart was pounding so fast, and her entire body stiffened. She dared not move her arms. Spencer nced at her wordlessly and continued drying her hair. The room was quiet, but Charlize was almost rendered deaf by her drumming heartbeat. Not only that, she could even hear Spencer¡¯s calm heartbeat. Listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart, she felt strangely calm and delighted. Over time, her tense body rxed. Charlize was truly exhausted. Right after she rxed, she let out a yawn and soon fell asleep. The room grew quieter. After Charlize¡¯s hair was pretty much dried, Spencer tossed the towel aside. He lowered his head and stared at the person sleeping soundly in his embrace. Suddenly, Charlize smacked her lips, possibly because she had dreamed of eating something delicious. Gazing at her pink, glossy lips, Spencer couldn¡¯t help but kiss her. Charlize had a dream where she was eating soft, tender fried chicken. While the chicken wasn¡¯t as fragrant and crispy as a typical fried chicken, she savored its bouncy sensation and couldn¡¯t help but lick it. At that moment, Spencer froze. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. He quickly looked away and at the wet towel on the ground. He was panting a little, though his breathing remained steady. A momentter, he carefully brought Charlize to the bed and tucked her in. He stayed at the side of the bed for a while before grabbing his luggage, turning off the light, closing the door, and heading to the neighboring room. The next morning, Charlize was woken up by an rm. While she didn¡¯t hit the sack tootest night, she still wanted to sleep in a little longer after the rm woke her up. Ultimately, the thought of her friend roused her. After turning off the rm, she got out of bed groggily. The sky was still dark because it was seven in the morning. She brushed her teeth with her eyes closed as she wasn¡¯t fully awake. After washing her face, she felt much more awake. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she wondered why her hair was so disheveled. Grabbing her hair, she suddenly remembered falling asleep while Spencer was drying her hairst night. Her cheeks burned when she thought of that. I¡¯m an expert at staying up at night, so why couldn¡¯t I do it for a few more minutesst night? I embarrassed myself again! Once she was satisfied with how she had straightened her hair, she was ready to change her clothes. Before she got out of the bathroom, she nced at the hairdryer at the side. Without much thought, she picked it up and pressed the power button. To her surprise, the hairdryer was functional despite Charlize iming it was broken. Huh? I thought it wasn¡¯t working. Puzzled, Charlize returned the hairdryer back to its original spot instead of thinking about it further. As she exited the bathroom, a thought shed across her mind, and she was stunned. Did he lie about the hairdryer so he could dry my hair? That can¡¯t be true, can it? Chapter 601 Chapter 601 When Charlize thought about how Spencer had deceived her so he could dry her hair, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart flutter. For the next few minutes, she sat at the dressing table, staring into space. It wasn¡¯t until she heard a knock on the door that she returned to her senses and patted her burning cheeks. She quickly picked an outfit from the wardrobe and changed into it. Even after a while, she still hadn¡¯t finished putting on her winter outfit. In fact, her sweater identally got caught in her hair clip, causing her to panic even more and messing things up further. Spencer had been waiting by the door for a while. Seeing that the door was not opened, he frowned and knocked again. ¡°Charlize?¡± Minutes passed, and he still didn¡¯t receive a response. ¡°I¡¯ming in now, Charlize.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but take out the other copy of the keycard and open the door. Hearing that, Charlize ran into the bathroom and shut the door. The room was quiet. Spencer thought she hadn¡¯t woken up. However, when he went in, he noticed she wasn¡¯t on the bed. ¡°Charlize?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting dressed,¡± replied Charlize in embarrassment. Her sweater was caught in her hair clip, and she couldn¡¯t tug it away. When she heard Spencer entering, she hid in the bathroom, hoping she could deal with it herself. Spencer stopped moving toward the bathroom. He ced the breakfast in his hand on the table and waited for Charlize on the couch. During dinnerst night, Charlize had set up multiple rms on her phone, including one for half past seven. Charlize struggled for over a dozen seconds in the bathroom but still failed to get her sweater off. She was so angry that she wanted to tear the sweater apart, but its quality was much better than she had expected. It couldn¡¯t be torn. Her ringing phone outside didn¡¯t help with her agitation. After a few seconds, the rm finally stopped. Charlize sighed in relief. A momentter, she heard a knock on the bathroom door. ¡°You¡¯ve been in there for almost five minutes, Charlize.¡± Through the sweater, Charlize saw how funny she appeared in the mirror. I don¡¯t think I can remove this sweater by myself. Without any choice, she opened the door. Once the door was opened, Spencer lowered his head and saw Charlize standing before him with a sweater over her head. ¡°My sweater got stuck on my hairpin.¡± Although he couldn¡¯t see her expression, he could tell how aggrieved she felt through her tone. Smiling, he pulled the sweater up and spotted the hairpin. He removed the hairpin as well as the yarn stuck onto it one by one. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± The suffocating feeling of being wrapped tightly in the sweater disappeared. Charlize raised her head and met her ck eyes. Thinking about what had just happened, she wished the ground could swallow her whole. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know why it got stuck.¡± God, this is so embarrassing. Spencer patted her head. ¡°Come, have breakfast.¡± Charlize was dying not to acknowledge what had transpired. Upon hearing that, she dashed out with a red face. She nced at the breakfast Spencer had bought on the coffee table and checked the time. It¡¯s still early. After breakfast, they headed to Juliette¡¯s ce. Her parent¡¯s home wasn¡¯t far from the hotel. They only needed to travel around seven hundred meters on foot. By the time the couple reached their destination, Juliette had started putting on makeup. The moment Charlize walked in, Shanny and Molly hugged her. ¡°Are you well-rested?¡± Charlize nced at the two, thinking her roommates were acting strangely but couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was out of ce. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Today¡¯s Juliette¡¯s wedding, which makes me wonder about something. Is your wedding with Spencer happening soon?¡± asked Molly. Charlize blushed. ¡°W-What are you talking about?¡± I¡¯ve only been with Spencer for less than two months. Do people¡¯s rtionship progress that quickly nowadays? Charlize talked a lot with Sophia. While she couldn¡¯t learn to be as assertive as Sophia, she was more emotionally intelligent. Indeed, she had been in love with Spencer for many years, but she didn¡¯t want to marry him solely because of that. She wanted to be sure they were suited for each other in all aspects, which seemed to be the case so far. Seeing how shy Charlize was, Shanny couldn¡¯t help but giggle. ¡°What are you shy about? You¡¯ve been in love with Spencer for years. Now, he even has a sessful career. Don¡¯t you think your marriage with him is just a matter of time?¡± Shanny paused before looking down at Charlize¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Besides, you¡¯ll be safer once you¡¯ve gotten married.¡± They were aware of Charlize¡¯s family background. As impressive as Spencer was, he might not be good enough for Charlize in her family¡¯s eyes. A family like the Johnson family absolutely wouldn¡¯t allow premarital pregnancy. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. However, young couples often had difficulty controlling their lust for each other. Charlize had a feeling that there was a hidden meaning behind Molly¡¯s and Shanny¡¯s words. Of course, she was certain they didn¡¯t mean anything bad by it because she didn¡¯t feel any malice in those words. Still, she felt embarrassed, so she quickly changed the topic. ¡°Is Juliette done with her makeup? I want to look at the bride!¡± Then, she stepped past her friends and entered Juliette¡¯s bedroom. Juliette¡¯s family was quite affluent. Her father was an executive in a corporation, and her mother was a university lecturer. Her parents only had one daughter. Naturally, they would provide her with the best they could. Apparently, her parents had bought this house so they could keep herpany during her university entrance exam. When they purchased it, it cost over eight thousand. After she graduated, the price rose to over thirty thousand. It was quite a worthwhile investment. The house, with three bedrooms and a living room, was a-hundred-and-forty-square-meterrge. Juliette¡¯s room was fitted with a tiny walk-in closet, which was where her wedding dress was stored. Her stylist was handling the dress at that moment. Charlize had only seen the dress in pictures before. When she looked at the real thing, she was stunned by its beauty. Through the mirror, Juliette noticed Charlize was rooted to the spot. She chuckled. ¡°Pretty, isn¡¯t it? Does this make you want to get married too?¡± Chapter 602 Chapter 602 Charlize hastily looked away with flushing cheeks and sat beside Juliette. Juliette¡¯s foundation was set. She was wearing red pajamas, revealing her rosy-white arms. Charlize attempted to touch her friend¡¯s arm. Juliette gently pped her. ¡°Who did you learn this hooliganism from?¡± While her dormmates had often shared lewdics and novels among themselves in private, they had avoided doing so with Charlize. They had thought Charlize was too adorable and innocent when she first enrolled. Truth be told, Charlize was indeed pretty innocent when she first stepped into university. She had never done or heard many things before. She would often ask Juliette and the others questions like a curious child, which they patiently answered. Whenever they saw Charlize¡¯s curious, adorable, and innocent look, they didn¡¯t have the nerve to share anything lewd with her. They didn¡¯t want to corrupt her mind. Charlize¡¯s cheeks burned as she quickly withdrew her hand. ¡°I just thought you look fair and that your outfit is quite... alluring.¡± It sounds a little lewd. The instant those words escaped her mouth, she blushed. Staring at her friend¡¯s tomato-red cheeks, Juliette couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°It¡¯s been over a year since we graduated. Why are you still blushing so often? What are you going to do when Spencer holds your hand and kisses you?¡± Charlize was already blushing pretty hard, so when Juliette deliberately said such bold words, her ears started to turn red. Shanny and Molly entered the room right then. Seeing that Charlize was sitting there with her cheeks red, they asked curiously, ¡°What did you say to her, Juliette? Why is her face flushed?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± replied Juliette innocently. ¡°I only asked her what she will do when Spencer kisses her if she blushes so easily.¡± Shanny burst outughing. ¡°You know she¡¯s a bashful woman, yet you still asked her such a juicy question.¡± The stylist nced at Charlize out of curiosity and couldn¡¯t help but giggle. ¡°Her face is pretty red.¡± Charlize was rendered speechless. It¡¯s not like you all never blushed before! Hmph! Her friends were only teasing her for a bit. After they had theirughs, they stopped throwing her questions that would turn her cheeks red like an apple. At that moment, Juliette¡¯s mother¡¯s stylist returned and immediately helped Charlize put on makeup. At around two in the afternoon, Juliette departed from her home. The groom was from the same university as her, and the bridesmaids were familiar with the groomsmen. After Juliette and her bridesmaids arrived at the groom¡¯s home, she met her parents-inw with her husband-to-be. Then, everyone rested for a while. The wedding would begin at seven in the evening. Charlize and the others were quite exhausted. Charlize¡¯s feet were slightly injured, but she didn¡¯t want Spencer to know. She endured the pain throughout the journey and pretended to be fine. The wedding was held at the hotel where Charlize stayedst night. There were over two more hours until the wedding started, so Charlize and Spencer returned to their hotel room to rest first. Just as they left the groom¡¯s home, a woman, ignoring Charlize, suddenly approached Spencer. ¡°Hello. Are you friends or rtives of the bride?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. In response, Spencer pulled Charlize into his embrace. Seeing that, the woman swallowed her words and waved her hands awkwardly. ¡°Never mind. Sorry to interrupt.¡± The woman lifted her dress and bolted back to where she came from. It was pretty obvious what the woman was nning to do. Charlize felt upset and recalled the scene she had witnessed in Juliette¡¯s home after her makeup was done. She had spotted Spencer surrounded by a few women in the living room. Although he didn¡¯t really pay attention to them, she still felt her heart sink when she saw that. Despite her dismay, she knew Spencer wasn¡¯t to be med. She hugged him tight and rubbed her head against his chest. ¡°I think it¡¯s not a good thing for a boyfriend to be too handsome.¡± As soon as she said that, Spencer scooped her up in his arms. Many of the guests who nned to visit the bride and groom turned toward them. Charlize covered her mouth and blinked at Spencer. ¡°W-Why are you carrying me?¡± Spencer nced at her feet. ¡°Don¡¯t your feet hurt?¡± Charlize was somewhat shocked. ¡°How do you know that?¡± I didn¡¯t walk any differently than usual, so how¡ª ¡°Your heels are red.¡± Charlize¡¯s skin was fair, so her ming ankles stood out. ¡°Oh...¡± Suddenly, someone snapped a picture of her without turning off the sh. Charlize¡¯s attention was promptly drawn to the origin of the sh. Tilting her head, she saw a few people gazing at her and a photographer. Immediately, she buried herself in Spencer¡¯s embrace, flushed with embarrassment. Spencer nced at the photographer. ¡°Please send me the phototer.¡± Earlier, when the bride arrived, the photographer had immediately noticed Spencer. Spencer was the most attractive person in the bride¡¯s friend group. A few women had asked him for his contact number upon spotting him. His only response to that was pointing to the bridesmaid in his arms and stating, ¡°My girlfriend keeps a tight rein. Sorry.¡± When he rejected someone, he did it with a cold expression. Eventually, no other woman dared to ask for his contact information again. When Spencer turned to the photographer, thetter was shocked, thinking that the former wanted him to delete the photo. He was surprised when Spencer asked him to send the photo. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll ask the bride to send it to you.¡± He had wanted to ask Spencer for his number, but he tactfully changed his mind after witnessing Spencer carrying Charlize. Spencer nodded and carried Charlize away. Although the main characters that day were the bride and groom, Spencer and Charlize were so attractive that they drew a lot of attention. A few young women even eximed as though they were watching a drama series when Spencer carried Charlize away. It wasn¡¯t until Charlize was brought back to the car that Spencer released her. Charlize watched him squat down, remove her high heels, and ask, ¡°How about you change into another pair of shoes at night?¡± Charlize stared at him while he was holding her feet. ¡°Okay.¡± His palms brought warmth to her icy feet. That warmth eventually traveled into her heart, making her feel fuzzy. Chapter 603 Chapter 603 Spender pulled out a band-aid from somewhere and applied it on Charlize¡¯s heel. Charlize stared at him, surprised that he was that thoughtful as he seemed pretty aloof most of the time. She recalled the question Molly had asked her in the morning. Suddenly, she felt more epting of the idea of marrying early. ¡°Let¡¯s return to the hotel,¡± said Spencer, which pulled Charlize back to her senses. When she realized she had been distracted, she felt guilty and didn¡¯t dare to look at Spencer. Spencer gave her a nce. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Charlize lowered her head and stared at her phone. Disyed on the screen were the pictures Molly and the others had received from the photographer ahead of time. Most of the pictures were of Juliette. Only some pictures were of other people. Shanny noticed the photographer¡¯s badly-hidden intention. ¡°Being pretty truly is different. Look at Charlize¡¯s photos. Tsk, tsk, tsk. He took so many photos of her and Spencer!¡± Molly added, ¡°All of these are pictures of Spencer staring at Charlize.¡± Charlize swiped through the pictures and noticed many of them included her and Spencer. Juliette had hired two photographers for her wedding. One was primarily focused on photographing her and her groom, while the other was focused on her friends and families. The second photographer seemed to prefer photographing Charlize and Spencer. It was likely because they stood outpared to everyone else in terms of looks. They were dozens of pictures of them alone and together. Naturally, as a bridesmaid, Charlize couldn¡¯t stick together with Spencer all the time. Photos of just the two of them weren¡¯t as numerous as the ones where they were merely in the same frame. In most of those, Spencer was staring at Charlize from the side. It was as though the photographer managed to capture every instance of Spencer staring at Charlize. Charlize looked at Spencer, who was focusing on driving. How can he be so sweet? When they arrived at a red traffic light, Spencer stopped the car and nced at her. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Charlize¡¯s hands trembled when she was caught staring at him. Her phone dropped to her feet. In a panic, she picked the phone up, lowered her head, and whispered, ¡°I was looking at you.¡± Spencer raised his eyebrow and nced at the phone in her hands. After he spotted the picture that was still disyed on the phone screen, he asked, ¡°Are you tired?¡± Seeing that he didn¡¯t continue to question her, Charlize sighed in relief. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± I¡¯m not feeling particrly exhausted. It¡¯s just that my high heels don¡¯t fit my feet. It¡¯s quite painful... ¡°Get some shut-eye.¡± Charlize had just set one picture where they were in the same frame as her phone wallpaper. Just as she was feeling guilty, she heard what Spencer said and stopped ying with her phone. ¡°Okay.¡± As she spoke, she kept her phone in her purse. Not knowing where to put her hands, she grabbed onto the safety belt. After she shifted her sight toward him and met his eyes, she blinked and shut her eyes. When the car stopped moving, Charlize thought they had reached the hotel. She had identally fallen asleep. When she woke up, she realized her eyelids were stuck together. She was about to rub her eyes when Spencer clutched her wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t. It¡¯ll ruin your makeup.¡± Upon hearing that, Charlize remembered she was wearing eye makeup. She put down her hands and yawned. Then, she opened the door and was stunned to witness the unfamiliar sight outside the vehicle. ¡°This... isn¡¯t the hotel we¡¯re staying at.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a mall nearby. We need to buy your shoes first.¡± As Spencer spoke, he lowered his head and nced at the band-aid on her heel. As he had removed Charlize¡¯s high heels, her naked feet were stepping on the carpet. When he stared at her feet, she felt a little embarrassed and curled her toes. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll return with a new pair of shoes for you,¡± said Spencer. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you!¡± I doubt he knows my size. Besides, I specifically bought that pair of high heels to complement my dress. If I must change my shoes, I can¡¯t do it willy-nilly. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°There aren¡¯t any extra shoes in the car, and I don¡¯t want you to wear those high heels anymore.¡± Although his tone was soft, his attitude was firm. It was for her own good. She pursed her lips and relented, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you in the car, then.¡± ¡°Good girl.¡± Spencer couldn¡¯t help but want to pat her head. Charlize protected her hair, knowing what he was nning to do. ¡°You¡¯ll mess it up.¡± ncing at her braided hair, Charlize withdrew his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in ten minutes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Charlize nodded, lying against the window and watching Spencer stride into the mall. Then, she took the opportunity to check her phone again. When she did, she realized there were over ny-nine unread messages in her group chat. As she scanned through the messages, she grumbled about how they were being mean for teasing her and Spencer. However, in reality, she felt delighted. Her friends were likely resting then, as no one was sending new messages. Charlize checked the photos again and saved the ones she didn¡¯t earlier. After that, she guiltily kept her device back in her purse. Exactly ten minutester, Spencer returned to the car with a shoe box inside a bag and a mousse cake. Charlize stared at the delicious-looking cake through its transparent packaging, suddenly feeling hungry. Spencer handed her the cake first before showing her the shoes. ¡°Give it a try and see if it¡¯s comfortable.¡± Holding the cake, she watched him lift her feet and blushed again. ¡°I¡¯ll try it on my own.¡± Wordlessly, Spencer removed a pair of short blue stiletto heels from the shoe box. The style looks pretty good, and it fits my feet perfectly! Surprised, Charlize asked, ¡°How did you know my size?¡± ¡°When I took off your shoes,¡± answered Spencer before he raised his head and nced at her. ¡°Is it comfortable?¡± ¡°For now, it is, but I need to walk around in it to know for certain.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He pulled the door wide open and helped her get out. After taking a couple of steps, she could tell the shoes were quitefortable. The difference between her experience with the old high heels and the new pair was huge. The shoes had a buckle design, so she needn¡¯t worry about injuring her heels again. At first nce, I thought the style was the only good thing about it. I didn¡¯t expect it to feel so nice to wear! She hugged Spencer happily. ¡°They¡¯re gorgeous, Spencer. I like it so much. Thank you!¡± Her voice was so sweet and tender that even a ¡°thank you¡± from her sounded affectionate. Spencer couldn¡¯t help but feel she was acting cute. Chapter 604 Chapter 604 Spencer was reminded of the kitten he had when he was young. It was tiny, fitting in the palm of his hand. He had found it just a few days after it was born and decided to bring it home. Surprisingly, the kitten wasn¡¯t afraid of him. His grandmother advised him to feed goat milk to the little feline, and whenever it was hungry, it would affectionately rub against his legs. As it grew, the cat would adorably meow repeatedly when he returned from school, as if yfully scolding him for arriving homete. He gazed at Charlize, tightening his grip on her wrist. His gaze darkened, and he had to exert extreme self-control to resist the urge to pin her to the chair and kiss her passionately. Spencer gulped and closed his eyes, forcing himself to release his grip on her. Leaning down, he tenderly pressed a kiss on Charlize¡¯s forehead. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. Let¡¯s head back to the hotel now.¡± From a young age, Charlize had been spoiled by Charles. When she first started dating Spencer, she was cautious around him. As he was her superior, she spoke to him with care and politeness. However, after nearly two months of dating, she noticed that Spencer treated her differently, just like how Charles treated her distinctively from others. She truly adored the shoes. The car was parked by the road, and there were few people around as it waste at night, so she subconsciously flung her arms around him and spoke sweetly. However, she soon realized she might have gone too far as Spencer visibly tensed up while holding her. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Charlize¡¯s cheeks heated up shyly. She dared not look up and replied softly, ¡°Mm.¡± They weren¡¯t far from the hotel. Five minutester, the car rolled to a stop in front of the hotel. Spencer tossed the car keys to the bellboy and went over to the passenger seat. He grabbed the heels that pinched Charlize¡¯s feet and took her hand, leading her into the hotel. After switching to a pair of low-heeled sandals, Charlize felt much more at ease. The weather was chilly, and her feet naturally became cold in the sandals. However, once inside the warm hotel, she instantly felt warmer and morefortable. Back at their hotel room, Spencer got her a ss of warm water. ¡°Get some sleep. I¡¯ll wake you up at sixter.¡± Charlize had woken up early that day and had a busy morning, leaving her feeling exhausted. She yawned and finished her water before handing her phone to Spencer. ¡°Help me charge my phone.¡± ¡°Okay. Go to bed now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Due to her makeup and hairstyle, Charlize had to sleep on her back. Exhausted and drained of energy, Charlize felt her legs aching after standing the entire morning, even though she hadn¡¯t felt anything earlier. She changed into her pajamas andy down on the bed, soon falling into a deep sleep. When Spencer approached her, she was already fast asleep. He couldn¡¯t help but recall the wallpaper he glimpsed on her phone when it lit up after he connected it to the charger. His gaze darkened as he observed the woman lying in bed. Later, Spencer woke Charlize up from her nap. It was wintertime, and she felt reluctant to leave the warmth of her slumber. Upon waking, she noticed she had changed positions while sleeping. Naturally, her makeup had smudged, and her hair was a bit messy. Charlize initially wanted to remain in bed a little longer, but upon that realization, she dismissed that idea. Instead of getting up immediately, she pulled the nket up to cover half her face and gazed at Spencer. Lifting her right arm, she softly requested, ¡°Help me up.¡± Her voice was soft and adorable as she had just woken up. Spencer reached out and helped her up, but with a bit of force, he not only pulled her up but also brought her into his arms. Charlize tumbled into his embrace, and his scent immediately attacked her nostrils. She raised her head instinctively. ¡°I¡¯m up¡ª¡± Before she could finish speaking, a hand wrapped around her waist, and before she could fully comprehend what was happening, Spencer had already pulled her closer. His gaze was dark as though he wanted to swallow her whole. His intense stare made Charlize¡¯s heart race wildly. As his warm breath fanned her cheek, she felt her body go weak. ¡°I-I need to touch up my makeup and hairstyle¡ª¡± Her words were silenced by his gentle kiss before he invaded her mouth. Charlize felt her brain go nk as warmth enveloped her body. Her limbs felt devoid of energy, and though she wanted to push him away, when she lifted her hand, her shove was weak. It appeared more like a flirtatious gesture than an attempt to push him away. In the end, Charlize becamepletely limp in his arms. Their breathing turned heavy, and Charlize¡¯s mind had be clouded from the intensity of his kiss. She felt as though she was walking on a cloud, on the verge of falling, but it didn¡¯t happen. Charlize had no concept of how long the kisssted. By the time Spencer finally released her, her mind felt nk, and all she could do was rest her head on his chest, panting heavily. Both of them said nothing. Spencer lowered his head and saw Charlize¡¯s full lips. It took some effort before he managed to force himself to look away. After a while, he released her. ¡°Go and touch up your makeup.¡± Charlize cast a quick nce at him before swiftly hopping off the bed. She slipped into the room slippers and dashed into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Leaning against the door, she pressed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart thump loudly as though it might leap out of her chest. Spencer stayed on the bed, a smile forming on his lips as he heard the bathroom door m shut. Falling back on the bed, he ced his arm over his eyes and closed them, forcing himself to calm down and collect his thoughts. Charlize stood against the door for a while until her heartbeat returned to normal. She then went to the basin and nced at her reflection in the mirror. Despite her makeup, she noticed her cheeks and the tips of her ears were still flushed red from the intense moment with Spencer. She touched her ears, feeling their warmth, and bit her lip in embarrassment. Lowering her head, she cupped water in her palms and sshed it on her face. As the cold water made contact with her skin, Charlize instantly calmed down. With her eyes shut, she took a deep breath before pulling the bathroom door open and stepping into the bedroom. Spencer had already regained hisposure. He held up the cake he bought this afternoon and asked, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± After taking a nap, Charlize was indeed starving. Her stomach even chose that moment to rumble twice. Her cheeks burned yet again. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a bit hungry.¡± Spencer nced at her as he unboxed the cake. ¡°There¡¯s no rush. We still have time.¡± The wedding would begin at half past seven, and it was only past six now. Hearing that, Charlize btedly realized that time was running short. ¡°No, I¡¯m in a hurry!¡± I need to reapply my makeup and do my hair. I don¡¯t have much time left Chapter 605 Chapter 605 Spencer didn¡¯t realize how much time women typically took to get ready, but Charlize knew exactly how long she would need. Although there was still over an hour left, it might not be enough time if she wanted to dress up nicely. Luckily, Juliette had hired an excellent makeup artist. After Charlize went through the events of the morning and took a nap, her makeup was somewhat worn but still fixable. She didn¡¯t have to remove everything and start from scratch. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Charlize spent over ten minutes reapplying her makeup, but she had to undo her hairstyle and redo it to get it just right. Fortunately, during her university days, Molly and the others used to enjoy braiding her hair. Naturally, Charlize had learned how to braid from them, so it wasn¡¯t a difficult task for her. However, she hadn¡¯t braided her hair formally in years, which made it take over half an hour to get her hair looking presentable. As a bridesmaid, Charlize had brought along her own makeup and beauty products. However, she hadn¡¯t packed any hairspray, and without it, she felt that her hairstyle, though nicely braided, didn¡¯t look as pretty as she had hoped. To her surprise, the hotel had men¡¯s hairspray avable. Charlize used it, and it worked wonders. It was past seven when she was finally done. Charlize quickly changed into her shoes and put on her earrings. ¡°We¡¯re going to bete, Spencer.¡± She sounded really anxious. ncing at his watch, Spencer stood up from the couch. As she hurried over, Charlize identally stepped on the hem of her dress, causing her to lose bnce. Quickly, he reached out and steadied her. Charlize fell into his arms. ¡°Be careful.¡± Charlize pulled at the hem of her dress as her cheeks turned pink. ¡°Mm.¡± Juliette¡¯s wedding was undeniably grand as she was said to have spent one hundred thousand on the decorations alone. There were a total of twenty tables, each amodating ten guests. The hall was spacious, with the tables set at a considerable distance from each other. Spencer and Charlize were assigned to sit at the same table. However, as Charlize was the bridesmaid, she needed to apany the bride during her entrance. Hence, they went their separate ways after entering the hall. As Charlize¡¯s boyfriend, Spencer was naturally seated at the best friends¡¯ table under Juliette¡¯s arrangement, which was ced close to the main table. The adjacent table was reserved for the bride¡¯s close rtives. Charlize arrivedte, so when both Molly and Shanny gave her an amused look without saying anything, she began to feel guilty. She then realized she hadn¡¯t done anything that warranted her to feel guilty as all she did was take an afternoon nap. There were a total of five bridesmaids, including Charlize, Molly, and Shanny, as well as a childhood friend of Juliette and Juliette¡¯s cousin. Additionally, there were five groomsmen. Including the bride and groom, there were six pairs in total. Following local customs, they needed to have even numbers for the bridal procession as it was considered an auspicious sign. Before the bride and groom made their entrance, the bridesmaids and groomsmen were assigned the task of scattering flower petals along both sides of the red carpet. Charlize, with her fair skin and stunning appearance, was positioned at the very front, right in front of the stage by the wedding photographer. Her good looks would undoubtedly make her a valuable addition to the wedding video. From her vantage point, Charlize could see Spencer seated diagonally across from her. They might be around eight meters apart, but Spencer¡¯s gaze was fixed on her. Charlize met his intense stare as she tightened her grip on the flower basket. Oh, I feel shy. What should I do? During the morning¡¯s events, some guests had already noticed Charlize. She was the prettiest bridesmaid, though her looks were not strikingly beautiful. Instead, she had an endearing charm, akin to an adorable next-door neighbor. Her appearance appealed to people of all ages, and even if they didn¡¯t particrly like her, they wouldn¡¯t grow to hate her. As Charlize had left with Spencer that afternoon, some guests inquired and found out she had a boyfriend. Upon learning this, they stopped entertaining any hopes about her being avable. However, the bride¡¯s family didn¡¯t seem to know about that. After sending Charlize off this morning, they didn¡¯t follow the bridal procession to the groom¡¯s ce and instead remained at the bride¡¯s ce for a quick bite. Consequently, most of the bride¡¯s rtives were aware of the presence of a pretty bridesmaid, but they had no knowledge of her having a boyfriend. Coincidentally, Juliette had two male cousins who were still single. One was twenty-eight years old, while the other was thirty. Both were fair-skinned, tall, and slender. They were absent during the morning¡¯s events but happened to be seated at the rtives¡¯ table during the wedding banquet that evening. Naturally, their parents were with them. Juliette was the only child of her parents. Her mother was also an only child, but her father had siblings. As Charlize stood in her designated spot, Juliette¡¯s aunts and cousins got a good look at her. She looked adorable and shy, and Juliette¡¯s aunts took a liking to her. Curious, they asked Juliette¡¯s cousins, ¡°Juliette¡¯s friend is pretty. Have any of you taken a liking to her?¡± Juliette¡¯s cousins shared a look. One adjusted his sses while the other lowered his head to take a sip of water. None of them expressed their opinions. However, their mothers knew them well and burst into giggles. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t grab the chance to court this gorgeous youngdy, you deserve to be single forever!¡± Spencer¡¯s gaze was fixed on Charlize, but he didn¡¯t miss the ongoing conversation at the adjoining table. His gaze turned dark in displeasure. He gazed at Charlize, who stood gracefully under the spotlight. Bathed in the soft glow, she held the flower basket with a shy yet enchanting smile on her lips. Her beauty was irresistible to most men. Pursing his lips, he picked up his phone and unlocked it. Carrying it with him, he stood up and feigned to leave his table, but instead, he headed to the table in front of him. In the process, he loosened his grip on the phone, causing it to fall to the ground next to Juliette¡¯s second aunt¡¯s feet. Juliette¡¯s second aunt jolted in fright, causing her to stop gossiping about Charlize. She picked up Spencer¡¯s phone and noticed a selfie of Spencer and Charlize disyed on the screen. The sight cause the woman to freeze in surprise. A man¡¯s cold voice soon broke the silence. ¡°Sorry, I identally dropped my phone.¡± Juliette¡¯s aunt regained herposure and replied, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. She¡¯s your girlfriend, huh?¡± She returned the phone to Spencer and added reluctantly, ¡°What a perfect match!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After retrieving his phone, Spencer returned to his seat. The wedding had begun by now, so Charlize¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on him anymore. As romantic music filled the air, he heard Juliette¡¯s second auntment, ¡°A pity she already has a boyfriend. Her boyfriend is quite handsome! Why didn¡¯t you both find a girlfriend back in university? How useless!¡± Upon hearing that, Juliette¡¯s cousins cast nces at Charlize on the stage, and their gazes dimmed slightly. They couldn¡¯t help but admit that Charlize was indeed a beautiful and adorable youngdy, standing out among the bridesmaids. Her smiles were captivating, and her dimples added to her charm. However, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a hint of disappointment, knowing that she already had a boyfriend. Chapter 606 Chapter 606 Charlize was unaware of what happened in the audience. When she finished her task and stepped down from the stage, Juliette and the groom had already exchanged rings. At the same time, all the dishes were perfectly served on each table. Initially, Charlize did not feel hungry. She felt a little embarrassed to stand so upfront with the spotlight overhead. All she wanted was to get down from the stage as soon as possible. Now that she was off the stage, she suddenly felt hungry upon seeing the table full of dishes. At her table were seated the bridesmaids and their boyfriends. Besides Charlize and Spencer, there were also Juliette¡¯s best friend and her cousin¡¯s boyfriend. There was no denying that Juliette was very generous with her wedding banquet. The table was filled with many dishes, including luxurious dishes such as lobster, skan king crab, caviar, etc. As soon as Charlize took her seat, Spencer poured her a ss of juice. ¡°Does your foot hurt?¡± he asked in a low voice, causing his breath to brush against her ear. Charlize¡¯s hand holding the ss tightened slightly, and she replied in a shy voice, ¡°No.¡± With the band-aid stuck on and nothing rubbing against her heel, it certainly did not hurt. ¡°Want some shrimps?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± Spencer filled her bowl with soup. Then, he took some shrimp and ced them on her te without forgetting to drizzle some of the cocktail sauce. Throughout her entire meal, Charlize barely had to reach out to get her food. She could simply focus on eating. Whenever she wanted anything, with merely a nce, the man next to her would deftly serve it onto her te. In just a few minutes, the others at the table were amazed by them. Juliette¡¯s best friend yfully nudged her boyfriend with her elbow and said, ¡°Look at how considerate Ms. Johnson¡¯s boyfriend is!¡± Next to them, Juliette¡¯s cousin was teasing her partner too. ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask me if I wanted some lobster, let alone serve me food. Our love has changed.¡± Though they were envious, they had been in their rtionships for quite some time. While they admired Spencer¡¯s thoughtfulness, they could not trade their boyfriends for someone like him, especially after being together for three years or more. What they said was all in jest and just for fun. However, Charlize blushed while nibbling the skan king crab leg Spencer ced on her te. She felt like her face was even hotter than the bowl of soup she had just consumed. Sitting next to her, Spencer seemed unfazed. When he saw her empty bowl, he casually asked, ¡°More soup?¡± Charlize nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, please.¡± This soup is so delicious! Molly and Shanny, both singledies, watched in envy while they silently ate on the side since they did not have boyfriends. Luckily, it did notst for long. After the bride and groom finished their speeches, the bridesmaids were called to the stage for the bridal bouquet toss. Within about ten minutes, everyone else hurriedly wiped their mouths and touched up with lipstick before rushing to the stage. None had eaten enough except for Charlize since Spencer did not stop getting her food. The stage lighting was blinding. When Charlize stepped onto the stage, she could not help squinting her eyes. The emcee tried to liven things up by asking about the bridesmaids¡¯ romance status. Most were not single, yet none of them had impending weddings. The emcee jested, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Maybe the bride could target these two here. Whether they can find their soulmates or not, it¡¯s all on you!¡± Molly, who was standing next to the emcee, was not shy at all. She grabbed the microphone and said, ¡°Juliette, toss the bouquet to Charlize! She and Spencer were so affectionate earlier and affected our appetites for all the delicacies on the table!¡± Her voice boomed through the microphone, and everyone in the banquet hall heard it. Someughed, and some apuded. Shanny pushed Charlize forward, leaving her standing there, blushing with embarrassment. Juliette nced at Charlize and jokingly said, ¡°Then I won¡¯t disappoint the crowd!¡± She turned around, lifted the bouquet high, and threw it with force. However, the bouquet did not go toward Charlize. Instead, it flew toward Molly. The flying bouquet was about to fall toward Molly, but she acted quickly. She grabbed Charlize by her shoulders and moved thetter in front of herself. As for Charlize, she stared at the bouquet nkly and instinctively reached out her hands. When she returned to her senses, the bouquet was already in her hands. Charlize subconsciously nced at Spencer in the audience. They were a bit far apart, and the lighting was too bright, so she could not see his expression clearly, but she knew Spencer was looking at her. Charlize¡¯s face turned redder, and her ears were hot like fire. Fortunately, there were no other activities after that. Charlize walked back to her seat with the bouquet in her hands. She nced at Spencer, feeling like a shy wife and unable to say a word after sitting down. Molly and Shanny exchanged a nce. They knew Charlize was feeling embarrassed. Molly smiled and reassured Charlize, ¡°Charlize, don¡¯t feel pressured. We¡¯re still young, and you¡¯re only twenty-three. It was just for fun. There¡¯s no need to rush into marriage.¡± She then mustered up her courage to look at Spencer. ¡°Right, Spencer?¡± Spencer softly replied, ¡°Mmm.¡± Then he took the bouquet from Charlize¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Do you still want to eat?¡± He was acting as if nothing had happened on stage just now. Charlize was not hungry anymore, but she felt that eating something would help alleviate the awkwardness. ¡°Yes, please,¡± she answered. Thus, by the end of the dinner, Charlize was bloated. When they left, she was ufortable walking with a full belly. She did not dare to tell Spencer, so she could only silently endure it. Halfway through, the man beside her suddenly stopped and asked, ¡°Are you feeling bloated?¡± Spencer nced at Charlize¡¯s belly. Her bridesmaid dress was slim-fitting. Therefore, her bloated stomach was noticeable. Noticing his gaze, Charlize stiffened for a moment. ¡°No, not at all.¡± Spencer¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. ¡°I feel bloated. Let¡¯s walk slower.¡± When they returned to the room, a waiter brought some digestive tablets over. Spencer followed the instructions and gave her a suitable dosage. ¡°Just chew on them. They don¡¯t taste that bad.¡± Charlize popped the tablets into her mouth and chewed. After resting for a while, she finally felt less bloated. Spencer was making a phone call outside on the balcony. Charlize could faintly hear the man¡¯s deep voice and overheard him discussing a recent project. The bouquet she ¡°snatched¡± was ced on the coffee table. Whenever she looked at it, she recalled how she had only been together with Spencer for less than two months. Now that she had ¡°snatched¡± a bouquet from a wedding, would that make him think she was desperate to get married? With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Charlize felt anxious and overwhelmed. She did not know how to exin to Spencer that she was not that kind of person! Lost in her thoughts, she did not notice when Spencer returned to the room. Seeing her sitting on the couch in a daze, he asked, ¡°Still feeling ufortable?¡± Charlize shook her head, looked at him, and bit her lip. ¡°Spencer, I¡¯m not desperate to get married. Really.¡± It was difficult for her to say these words. The man¡¯s brows and eyes twitched as he looked at her and suddenly fell silent. Charlize¡¯s heart raced under his gaze. After a moment, he spoke up. ¡°But I am.¡± She was a bit taken aback. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting older, so I¡¯m desperate to get married.¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 607 Chapter 607 Charlize finally understood what Spencer meant. Blushing, she shot a nce at Spencer and dared not look at him again because she felt awkward. She had not thought so at first, but after what he said, Charlize thought that getting married earlier might not be a bad idea. Throughout her life, she never had grand ambitions because she came from a prominent family, had an older brother¡¯s protection, had decent academic performance, and had good looks. Her life journey hadn¡¯t always been smooth, but she had love and support from her family. Later, when she chose to study economics, she nned to gain some experience in the industry for a few years after graduating from college before going back to help her brother, Charles, with the family business. Other than that, she had no other thoughts about what she wanted. However, ever since she met Spencer in her freshman year, her ns for the future inevitably expanded by the time she graduated. Back then, she indeed had ulterior motives for choosing Spencer¡¯spany. When her ssmate, Jacqueline Lamer, whopeted with her for the same position, used her of having hidden intentions after celebrating the New Year together, she couldn¡¯t refute the usation out of guilt despite feeling angry. The thought of Jacqueline reminded her of another matter. After hesitating for a moment, she quickly asked Spencer, ¡°By the way, our college invited you to give a speech as a guest speaker. Are you going?¡± The thirtieth anniversary of the founding of the Department of Economics and Management at Jadeborough University was in two days. The department was always well-funded, and most of its graduates achieved sess in their careers. Those who graduated four to five years ago or those who weren¡¯t at the top of their sses were at leastpany managers. However, people like Spencer, who became the boss of apany before graduating and had the company listed publicly right after his graduation, were extremely rare in the past thirty years. Among them, the most famous was Sophia. Joshua¡¯s achievements were also very impressive, but he was not from the Department of Economics and Management. However, it seemed that Sophia had refused to attend the anniversary celebration this time. Charlize couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed at the thought of it. Spencer didn¡¯t know why Charlize would suddenly bring up this matter. ording to his past habits, he wouldn¡¯t bother going to such events because he disliked socializing with the board members of the university. He would usually delegate those responsibilities to Fred, his assistant, in thepany. He would only attend in person when it was absolutely necessary. However, this year... Turning his head to look at Charlize beside him, he thought it wouldn¡¯t hurt to go. ¡°I¡¯ll be going,¡± he said. ¡°Oh, great! I shall reply right away.¡± Charlize received the electronic invitation two days ago, but she only had the time to nce at it due to the back-to-back meetings she had the whole day. She thought of asking Spencer about itter on, but unfortunately, she forgot about it because of Juliette¡¯s wedding yesterday. Spencer reached out his hand to hold Charlize¡¯s waist. He wasn¡¯t very pleased by the fact that Charlize was still thinking about work at that moment. After Juliette¡¯s wedding, Charlize and Spencer stayed in Alenvista for one more day before taking the afternoon flight back to Jadeborough. By the time they arrived in Jadeborough, it was already past seven at night. After having dinner, Spencer apanied Charlize back to the Johnson residence. When they arrived at the Johnson residence, they bumped into Charles, who had just returned from work. Spencer stopped his car and let Charles go ahead first. Charles drove past them and parked his car in the garage. After that, he came out of the mansion and grabbed Charlize¡¯s luggage. ¡°It¡¯ste. Thank you for sending Charlize back, Mr. Lacroix.¡± Charles tugged on Charlize¡¯s arm after he spoke, separating her hand from Spencer¡¯s. Charlize instinctively held onto Spencer¡¯s hand the moment she was pulled away, which caught Charles¡¯ attention. When Charles saw them holding hands, his face turned dark instantly. ¡°You¡¯ve been on a ne for hours, and you still have work tomorrow. You should go in and rest early.¡± He barely managed to control his temper as he led Charlize into the mansion. ¡°Goodnight,¡± Charlize said awkwardly to Spencer before turning around and following Charles. Spencer looked at Charlize but didn¡¯t follow them inside. ¡°Goodnight.¡± Halfway through, Charlize couldn¡¯t help but turn her head to take a look because she felt a bit reluctant to leave. When she noticed that Spencer was still standing at the entrance of her family¡¯s mansion, she was touched by the gesture. In the end, she obediently followed Charles back into the mansion. Upon seeing Charlize turning back frequently and sensing her reluctance to go inside, Charles¡¯ already dark expression became even gloomier. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that physically assaulting someone was illegal, he would have already given Spencer a beating. They¡¯ve only been together for such a short time, yet now Charlize doesn¡¯t even want toe home! The more Charles thought about it, the angrier he became. After sending Charlize back to her room, he went downstairs and drank three sses of cold water. It was in the middle of a winter night. As Charles stood by the kitchen bar and gulped down cold water, he startled the housekeeper, who had just prepared somete-night snacks. The housekeeper was so startled that she was rendered speechless. After drinking threerge sses of cold water, Charles became much calmer. However, the thought of Charlize and Spencer staying in Alenvista as an unmarried couple for three days made him feel bitter. Unable to resist the urge, he loosened his tie and went upstairs to knock on Charlize¡¯s door. Charlize had originally nned to go downstairs to find Charles. While shopping today, she had seen a pair of cufflinks that would suit Charles. Although they were rather expensive, costing over six thousand, she still decided to buy them. As soon as she put down her luggage, Charlize took out the nicely packaged cufflinks to give to Charles. However, as soon as she opened the door, she saw her brothering up. ¡°Charles?¡± Noting Charles¡¯ grim expression, Charlize handed him the bag nervously. ¡°I bought you a gift.¡± Charles was still angry, but his expression softened instantly when he heard Charlize. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Cufflinks.¡± He reached out to take the box. After opening it and seeing the stylish and elegant cufflinks inside, Charles felt appreciated by his little sister¡¯s gesture. ¡°I really like it.¡± He patted Charlize¡¯s head, but soon another thought crossed his mind. ¡°Did you also buy a pair for Spencer?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡± Upon hearing her answer, Charles nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Good. Men shouldn¡¯t be spoiled. Of course, brothers are an exception.¡± Charlize stared at Charles speechlessly, but she didn¡¯t dare to admit that she had bought Spencer a tie instead of cufflinks. That tie cost thirteen thousand, which was even more expensive than the cufflinks. Charlize hadn¡¯t even received her sry for the month, and it was already spent. Not only that, she had also used half of her next month¡¯s sry. After buying Spencer¡¯s tie, she didn¡¯t have enough money left, so she had to use her credit card to buy Charles¡¯ cufflinks. Charles clipped on the cufflinks. The more he looked at them, the more he liked them. ¡°Do you still have enough money?¡± After Charlize graduated, she hadn¡¯t asked him for money again. Charles used to transfer money directly to her bank ount, but Charlize returned all the money untouchedst year, saying that she would earn her own money. Charles felt touched that his sister had grown up. Although he stopped sending her money, he still bought gifts for her frequently. Charles could tell that the cufflinks were expensive and that Charlize had probably spent quite a lot on a wedding gift for Juliette already. He didn¡¯t need to think twice to know that her sry wouldn¡¯t be enough to cover those expenses. After pondering for a moment, he took out his wallet and handed all the cash inside to her. ¡°You can use these to buy snacks. Anyway, it¡¯s gettingte. Take a shower and go to bed early. Goodnight.¡± ¡°Goodnight, Charles.¡± Faced with the stack of bills, Charlize finally epted the money. Fine, I¡¯m really that broke.Original from N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 608 Chapter 608 Spencer was invited back as a special guest at the thirtieth-anniversary celebration of the Department of Economics and Management because he was an outstanding alumnus. Besides outstanding alumni, the Department of Economics and Management also weed all its former students on that day. Since Charlize had only graduated a little over a year ago, and her career was neither bad nor particrly sessful, she naturally wasn¡¯t on the list of special guests. Hence, she went back to the school as Spencer¡¯s secretary. Just a few days ago, her ss held a ss gathering as part of the college¡¯s anniversary celebration. While some of them had gone to Alenvista and the north, the majority of them had remained in Jadeborough and the nearby cities after graduation. Coincidentally, the anniversary celebration fell on a Saturday, so there were quite a few people attending the first ss gathering after their graduation. Juliette wasn¡¯t going to attend the ss gathering because she had just gotten married and was on her honeymoon abroad. Molly had a training trip this week, so she wouldn¡¯t be participating either. As for Shanny, she simply didn¡¯t want to attend. She nned to stay at home and sleep in. As a result, no one from their dorm was going to the ss gathering. Since Juliette and the others weren¡¯t attending, Charlize had even less reason to go because she wasn¡¯t close to the other people in her ss. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. When Marcelo Faria, the ss representative, tagged everyone in the group chat, Charlize ignored the messages. She thought she could avoid the awkwardness of being used as a stepping stone by the others to show off by quietly skipping the first ss gathering. However, she didn¡¯t expect to run into Marcelo and the student councilor, Rorion Chevsky, when she followed Spencer back to the campus for the anniversary celebration. Marcelo and Rorion must have been invited back as well because of their outstanding achievements. While Spencer was invited on-stage to give his speech, Charlize had to wait for him backstage as she wasn¡¯t assigned a specific seat. Having known that Marcelo and Rorion would also be there that day, Charlize tried her best to avoid running into them. She had managed to avoid them a few times before, but she miscalcted her odds this time. ¡°Charlize?¡± Back in their college days, Charlize was secretly voted as the prettiest girl in their ss. However, she mostly hung out with her dorm mates and didn¡¯t interact much with her ssmates. Moreover, things didn¡¯t go well with her at the beginning of the school year, so she ended up missing out on most of the ss activities. Everyone in the ss knew that Charlize was a local from Jadeborough, and she always had luxury cars picking her up during holidays. Some said she came from a wealthy family, while others spected that she was being financially supported by a sugar daddy. Only Juliette and a few close friends knew about Charlize¡¯s rtionship with Charles. The rest of the ss had no idea. At the beginning of the school year, Charlize had a conflict with one of her ssmates, Jacqueline. In truth, it was actually Jacqueline who made things difficult for Charlize. After the university entrance exam, Charlize had gone on a trip to Epea with her parents. With her skin tanned from the trip, she didn¡¯t look strikingly beautiful when she first started school. Hence, the fair- skinned Jacqueline was voted as the ss beauty and even nominated for the campus belle contest. All of this had nothing to do with Charlize, but someone posted ament under Jacqueline¡¯s beauty contest post, saying that Jacqueline wasn¡¯t exceptionally attractive and that Charlize was prettier. Charlize had no idea about that incident until Jacqueline approached herter and angrily scolded her. Only when she returned to the dorm and had Juliette help her inquire about it did she find out about the whole thing. In the end, Jacqueline wasn¡¯t chosen as the campus belle. After that, everyone in the ss started noticing Charlize, possibly due to thement under Jacqueline¡¯s post. The drastic change in Charlize¡¯s appearance over the next two months caught everyone¡¯s attention as she became fair again. Regardless, it was not her skin tone but her facial features that truly attracted everyone¡¯s attention. When Charlize returned to school after the National Day holiday, a guy in their ss bumped into her and was surprised to see her there because he thought there was no such beautiful girl in their ss. He even asked if she had entered the wrong ssroom. The conversation made Charlize feel embarrassed and ufortable. To make matters worse, Jacqueline was sitting in the front row. Angered, she sarcastically hinted that Charlize secretly enjoyed being praised despite acting low-key. Charlize wasn¡¯t fond of arguments, so she didn¡¯t say anything despite feeling insulted. Butter, when Spencer kept asking Charlize to answer questions in his lecture, Jacqueline went over to Charlize and made snide remarks to her after the lecture. Juliette and the others immediately stood up for Charlize, which further escted the feud between Charlize and Jacqueline. When Jacqueline continued to treat Charlize badly at the first ss outing, Charlize decided not to participate in any ss activities from then on. The moment Marcelo told the ss about the gathering, Jacqueline quickly announced that she would attend with her fianc¨¦. Charlize couldn¡¯t be bothered by Jacqueline¡¯s show-off tactics because she was so used to them. Besides, she didn¡¯t think they were on the same level and didn¡¯t feel the need to maintain connections with her ssmates. In Jadeborough, the connections of the Johnson family were much stronger than any connections she could make at school. Therefore, Charlize had no intention of attending the ss gathering. However, she bumped into Marcelo and Rorion, and that was their first time seeing her wearing such a beautiful dress. They called out somewhat hesitantly, ¡°Charlize Johnson?¡± Charlize had already noticed theming over, and even though she was unwilling, she had to nod to them in acknowledgment. Since Marcelo and Rorion were both guys, they felt honored to have such a beautiful ssmate. Seeing that she seemed even more attractive now, they enthusiastically invited her to join the ss gathering that evening. Charlize couldn¡¯t refuse them. In the end, she reluctantly agreed to it. At that moment, Spencer came down from the stage, his expression rather cold. Marcelo and Rorion also noticed Spencer. They recognized him as he had been one of the substitute lecturers for their ss before. Besides, he was a prominent figure at the school. ¡°Spencer?¡± Spencer nodded and nced at Charlize. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Upon hearing Spencer¡¯s question, Marcelo quickly replied, ¡°We are having a ss gathering tonight, Spencer. Charlize will also be there. Since you¡¯ve taught us before, would you like to join us if you have the time?¡± Spencer asked, ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°At Oriental Hotel. It¡¯s not far away from here.¡± ¡°All right, we¡¯ll be there.¡± Stunned, Charlize stared at Spencer in disbelief, but he acted as if it was no big deal. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Charlize pursed her lips but didn¡¯t say anything as her two ssmates were present. She could only follow Spencer and leave first. As Rorion watched them leave together, he finally seemed to realize something. ¡°Why is Charlize with Spencer?¡± Marcelo also realized what was going on. ¡°Could they be...¡± Chapter 609 Chapter 609 The venue was rtively crowded, so Spencer took Charlize¡¯s hand and turned around to leave immediately. As they reached the entrance, they bumped into one of their university¡¯s administrators. Upon seeing the couple holding hands, the school secretary, Josiah Zellner, was taken aback but quicklyposed himself. He smiled at Spencer and said, ¡°Spencer, you haven¡¯t returned to the university in a long time. The principal asked about you a few times. Why don¡¯t you stay for lunch with uster?¡± ¡°Charlize isn¡¯t feeling well. I appreciate the kind offer, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to decline,¡± Spencer replied magnanimously, leaving Josiah little room to argue. Others might not be aware of Charlize¡¯s ties with the Johnson family, but Josiah knew it very well. If Spencer married her, his future would be even more promising than it already was. Since Spencer had mentioned Charlize was feeling under the weather, Josiah didn¡¯t feel it appropriate to insist as that would only make things awkward. He smiled and briefly expressed his concern before letting them leave, only asking that they visit the university more often. Spencer responded courteously and then led Charlize away from the venue. He had never enjoyed those so-called gatherings. The only reason he was there that day was to let everyone know about his rtionship with Charlize. When Charlize first entered the university, she was admired by many boys. During her senior year, Spencer had to cover a ss for a lecturer. Once, a few boys were making noise in the back of the ss, so he held them back after the lesson ended. Only upon further inquiry did he find out why those boys were so excited. It turned out that one of their dorm mates wanted to confess his feelings to Charlize. That boy was handsome, and Spencer had seen girls confessing to him on several asions. Moreover, judging by his attire, his family seemed well-off. There were plenty of outstanding boys like him who had a crush on Charlize back then in the university. On the day of Charlize¡¯s graduation ceremony, Spencer deliberately ended a meeting early to see her taking graduation photos. He sat inside his car and saw over ten bouquets of fresh flowers ced in her temporary locker, all of which were gifted to her by boys. A card was attached to each bouquet, and Spencer didn¡¯t even need to read them to know the content. He had witnessed Charlize being confessed to several times in the university. Even after graduation, he asionally heard her name being mentioned in a conversation with his ex- ssmates. All of them were curious about where she was working. Now that they were considered sessful men, they wanted to pursue her again. Seeing so many people coveting Charlize, Spencer couldn¡¯t stand by and do nothing. Many people returned that day to attend the university¡¯s anniversary celebration. He had openly showed up at and left the venue hand-in-hand with Charlize, so he reckoned anyone with a sane mind should be able to figure out his rtionship with her. As they walked further away, Charlize brought up what had happened earlier. ¡°Why did you suddenly want to attend our ss reunion?¡± Whether as a substitute lecturer, a senior, or her boyfriend, he could legitimately participate in their ss reunion. Marcelo and Rorion¡¯s invitation wasn¡¯t just a casual or courteous offer. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. However, Charlize didn¡¯t expect Spencer, who generally didn¡¯t like to attend gatherings and social events, to agree with such crity. In truth, she didn¡¯t want to attend the reunion at all. Charlize wasn¡¯t a fool. She was well aware of her ssmates¡¯ characters. Even before graduation, they were already secretlypeting against each other, and she anticipated it to be worse after graduation. Born in the Johnson family, she was never fond ofpeting with others. Therefore, whenever she was included in her ssmates¡¯parative discussions during her university years, Charlize was actually very displeased. Therefore, she had no desire to participate in the so-called reunion just to listen to thempare their achievements. There was even a chance of her getting dragged into their argument. However, before she could voice her refusal, Spencer had alreadymitted to attending, and she had no choice but to leave with him. He nced at her, asking softly, ¡°Isn¡¯t it your ss reunion?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but these reunions are the most pointless,¡± Charlize muttered, biting her lip. Unexpectedly, Spencer asked her a question that took her by surprise, ¡°When are you nning to make our rtionship public?¡± Charlize was stunned after hearing that. ¡°H-Haven¡¯t we already made it public?¡± ¡°Your rtionship status on social media still appears to be single.¡± Charlize felt a little guilty under his watchful gaze. She hadn¡¯t posted about their rtionship on social media for two reasons. Firstly, they hadn¡¯t been together long, and unting their rtionship so soon didn¡¯t seem right. Secondly, they had too many mutual friends and acquaintances on their social media, so she was too self-conscious to make that sudden announcement. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be too high-profile?¡± she asked. We¡¯ve only been together for just over two months. Is it already time to make an official announcement on our social media? ¡°That¡¯s why we should start by letting your university friends know. That¡¯ll save us from shocking them with our wedding invitationster,¡± he uttered those words without any visible changes on his countenance. In contrast, the word ¡°wedding¡± reverberated in Charlize¡¯s mind, and her face instantly flushed as she stared at Spencer. W-Why are we already discussing marriage so soon? Taking in her dumbstruck demeanor, Spencer arched his brow. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you not want to marry me?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it!¡± she blurted out and immediately felt so embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to meet Spencer¡¯s eyes. She hung her head and attempted to steer the conversation back in the correct direction. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± His eyes gleamed as he looked at her reddened earlobes. ¡°What would you like to have for lunch?¡± Relieved at the change in subject, Charlize pondered briefly and said, ¡°I feel like having some Epean food.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Spencer replied, opening the car door for her to get in. At that moment, not far away, Jacqueline, who had just arrived at the university, nudged the woman next to her. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Charlize over there?¡± Katrina Lister looked up, shifting her gaze in the direction Jacqueline was pointing, and vaguely saw a familiar face through the window of the car, which was gradually moving away. ¡°It seems so.¡± Sizing up the vehicle, Katrina curled her lips into a meaningful smile. ¡°That car is quite costly. It appears Charlize has done well for herself after graduation.¡± Jacqueline fathomed what Katrina was implying and chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s been good at such tricks since back then, after all.¡± The duo walked inward, giggling and specting whether Charlize would show up at the ss reunion later that evening. Chapter 610 Chapter 610 News of Spencer attending Charlize¡¯s ss reunion spread quickly in the ss chat group. Charlize had just finished lunch when she saw Molly and the others tagging her in their dorm chat group. Charlize, what has gotten into you? Why are you attending that boring reunion? Are you going there to watch Jacqueline and the others make a fool of you? What happened? Why was Jacqueline speaking so sarcastically in the group? She said that you have been doing well recently and are about to marry into a rich family. Hahaha, do you realize how funny that sounds? Isn¡¯t your family rich in the first ce? Didn¡¯t you go back to university today with Spencer to attend its anniversary celebrations? Did both of you run into Jacqueline? But this doesn¡¯t make sense, as she would definitely be enraged to see you and Spencer together. Charlize had just finished lunch with Spencer and returned to the office for a break when the messages in the group chat flooded in. All this while, she had her university chat group on mute. Thus, she had no idea Jacqueline and Katrina, as if they were singing a duet, were speaking sarcastically about her inside the chat group. If it wasn¡¯t for the screenshot shared in her dorm chat group, Charlize wouldn¡¯t have even known that someone was talking behind her back. After reading the messages from Molly and the others, she didn¡¯t dare admit herck of interest in the event and that she was only attending on Spencer¡¯s ount. Noticing that Charlize hadn¡¯t said anything in the group in a long while, Juliette, who was enjoying her honeymoon, tagged Charlize and asked: Charlize, why haven¡¯t youmented in such a long time? Feeling embarrassed, Charlize had no choice but to say something: During the university¡¯s anniversary celebration, I happened to run into Marcelo and Rorion. No sooner had Charlize replied than a realization dawned upon everyone else. A barrage of sympathetic messages came in. It¡¯s such a shame. Too bad! Don¡¯t think too much about it. You should leave right after you show your face. If she hadn¡¯t run into them, Charlize could have made an excuse saying that she missed the group messages or was busy. However, now that she had met them face-to-face, it would be rude of her to decline. Right then, Charlize sent everyone a smiley face and used the opportunity to tell them that she was about to get some rest, after which she put down her phone. At the rate she was being questioned, Charlize felt increasingly overwhelmed. If the other girls learned that it was Spencer¡¯s idea to attend the ss reunion, it would definitely spark an uproar among them. As a result, the shy Charlize decided to leave the chat first. The reunion was being held at a five-star hotel near Jadeborough University. As Marcelo and Rorion knew of Charlize¡¯s rtionship with Spencer, they made a point to send the time and address to Charlize again. As the reunion was to begin at seven, Charlize and Spencer had dinner before heading over. The moment both of them arrived at the hotel entrance, they were greeted by a huge signboard stating where the ss reunion was being held. When they arrived at a small ballroom, they were weed by a banner with their ss¡¯s first-ever reunion written on it. Charlize couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed at the sight of the dramatic decorations. After graduation, Jacqueline and Katrina did reasonably well for themselves. Katrina joined a top-five- hundred investment bank and was paid a starting annual sry of two hundred thousand. Jacqueline, whose family ran their own business, joined Prosperity Enterprise, which belonged to the Johnson family. Since Charlize wasn¡¯t heard of after graduation, her ssmates figured that she had returned to her hometown in a third-tier city and probably joined the civil service there. Therefore, all of them were surprised to see Charlize at the reunion, especially after all the snide remarks Jacqueline and Katrina had made in the group chat. As for the rest of their ssmates, everyone managed to earn a decent living and learned to be shrewd after having worked for one and a half years. Therefore, most of them simply watched quietly from the sidelines as Jacqueline made sarcasticments about Charlize. It was, after all, none of their business, and they had no intention of getting embroiled in the conflict. However, the situation was different for Marcelo and Rorion. Even though they were ignorant of Charlize¡¯s family background, both of them saw with their own eyes Charlize and Spencer holding hands. As a result, they felt that Jacqueline was telling the truth instead of being sarcastic when she commented on Charlize¡¯s ¡°sess.¡± Even then, the insinuation in her words was unmistakable. ¡°Marcelo, did you inform Charlize of the reunion? All this while, she never liked attending such events. Now that she¡¯s about to marry into a rich family, she probably doesn¡¯t even want to see former ssmates like us anymore.¡± Having assumed that the sarcastic words earlier were simply borne out of envy, Marcelo and Rorion, who were no fools, could clearly tell now that jealousy was the driving factor. After the two of them exchanged nces, Marcelo frowned. ¡°Katrina, what are you talking about? Charlize isn¡¯t someone like that.¡± Katrina broke into a smirk as she threw a nce at Jacqueline. ¡°A beauty like Charlize clearly gets preferential treatment. Even Marcelo is speaking up for her. Jacqueline, I hope you won¡¯t stop me from telling everyone what we saw at university this morning!¡± Jacqueline¡¯s brows wrinkled in response. ¡°Katrina, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. We might have been mistaken.¡± Meanwhile, Rorion couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. ¡°You two should stop this drama. What did you see this morning? Why do you have to make it sound like Charlize is doing something disgraceful?¡± ¡°Rorion, we aren¡¯t maligning Charlize. Just this morning at the university, we saw her behaving intimately with a rich man.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about Charlize having a sessful boyfriend?¡± Katrina had wanted to continue but was stopped by Jacqueline with a shake of her head. Feeling defiant, Katrina was about to speak when a voice was heard eximing in surprise from the entrance of the small ballroom. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Spencer Lacroix?¡± ¡°Is that Charlize right beside him?¡± ¡°Oh my God! Charlize and Spencer are together?¡± As Charlize was led into the ballroom by Spencer, many heads turned to look in their direction. Her heart was throbbing while her hand tensed up by reflex. Tilting his head to nce at her, Spencer tightened the grip he had on her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. We¡¯ll leave after we say hi.¡± Charlize nodded in acknowledgment. Since they had alreadye, it would be rude not to exchange pleasantries. Having seen the same scene earlier, Marcelo and Rorion weren¡¯t surprised at all. Instead, they approached the couple, ignoring Jacqueline and Katrina. ¡°Spencer, Charlize!¡± Charlize took the orange juice Spencer had handed over as she responded with a grin. ¡°Marcelo, Rorion.¡± ¡°Charlize, you and Spencer look like a match made in heaven.¡± Marcelo¡¯spliment caused Charlize to blush. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. In contrast to her, Spencer calmly replied, ¡°Thank you.¡± As Spencer continued forward while holding Charlize¡¯s hand, the thirty-odd attendees were all frozen in astonishment. The two among them who were the most shocked were none other than Jacqueline and Katrina. All their ssmates knew that they were mocking Charlize with theirments in the group earlier. However, instead of an old man, Charlize¡¯s other half turned out to be their senior from university. What made things worse was that Jacqueline, in her second year, had publicly pursued Spencer and dered that she would one day be thedy boss of Gratia Corporation, Spencer¡¯spany. Chapter 611 Serves Her Right Chapter 611 Serves Her Right While her ex-ssmates were discussing the fact that Charlize had gotten together with Spencer, Jacqueline was about to express her skepticism when Spencer¡¯s ¡°thank you¡± caused her world to copse. After Marcelo praised howpatible Charlize and Spencer were, Spencer¡¯s acknowledgment put their rtionship beyond any doubt. The sudden realization caused Katrina to subconsciously look at Jacqueline. Even the other ssmates around them did the same thing too. After all, it was Jacqueline and Katrina who started the rumor about Charlize getting together with a rich old man in the chat group. If that wasn¡¯t enough, both of them were still harping on the topic not too long ago. Contrary to their words, Charlize had arrived at the ballroom morously with the ¡°rich old man,¡± who turned out to be none other than their university senior¡ªSpencer Lacroix. Obviously, everyone knew who Spencer was, for he was an exceptional figure both inside and outside the university. On top of that, he had taught their ss before as a substitute lecturer. During that period, quite a number of girls had confessed their feelings to Spencer. Jacqueline was just the most dramatic among them. Even though some were jealous of Charlize over her rtionship with Spencer, most of her ssmates were more interested in watching Jacqueline humiliate herself. She had brought it upon herself by unterally dering, based on her decent looks, that she was Spencer¡¯s girlfriend back then. Unlike Jacqueline, Charlize kept a significantly low profile despite being a lot prettier. Throughout her four years in university, Charlize spent them quietly and wasn¡¯t embroiled in any controversy at all. On top of that, Jacqueline had given Charlize grief during their university years after resenting thetter over the matter of campus belle. It was a fact that wasn¡¯t lost on their ssmates. Now that Charlize and Spencer had gotten together, the turn of events felt like a huge p to Jacqueline¡¯s face. ¡°Wow, Charlize and Spencer are together now? No wonder someone was being so sarcastic in the group chat this morning, using Charlize of ingratiating herself with an ordinary-looking man who was ¡®sessful.¡¯ Tsk-tsk. Since when was Spencer ordinary-looking? It¡¯s clear to me that this is just a case of sour grapes.¡± ¡°Some people are just like that. They think what is beyond them is equally unattainable by others too. Haha, why doesn¡¯t she look at herself in the mirror? I¡¯ve said so before. Considering how gorgeous, humble, and well-behaved Charlize is, I would choose her too if I were Spencer.¡± Sometimes, the rtionship dynamics between girls were just that simple. The two girls who spoke weren¡¯t on particrly good terms with Charlize. It was just that both of them disliked Jacqueline more. Sometimes, the rtionship dynamics between girls were just that simple. The two girls who spoke weren¡¯t on particrly good terms with Charlize. It was just that both of them disliked Jacqueline more. As the enemy of one¡¯s enemy is naturally one¡¯s friend, all they had to do was take Charlize¡¯s side against thetter. It went without saying that Jacqueline was scowling by the time she heard the two girls¡¯ remarks. The humiliation hade so swiftly that even Katrina didn¡¯t dare defend Jacqueline anymore. The girls weren¡¯t speaking loudly, yet their voices were clear enough for those involved to hear it. Throwing Jacqueline a nce, Charlize was amused when she saw the former ring at her. Both girls might not be on good terms with each other during their four years in university, but Charlize barely paid any heed to Jacqueline. Thus, it was Jacqueline alone who got all worked up most of the time. The fact that they were always in school limited Jacqueline in what she could do. That was why Charlize simply watched as thetter made a fool of herself every time there was a trivial conflict between them. Obviously, both of them didn¡¯t keep in contact after graduation. The few times they ran into each other were no more than fleeting encounters. Even then, Jacqueline didn¡¯t let slip the opportunity to insult Charlize. Regardless of how nonchnt thetter was, it was difficult not to feel upset. Therefore, when she heard the girls¡¯ snidements about Jacqueline, Charlize chose to take a page out of Sophia¡¯s book by simply observing the situation in an aloof manner. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Do you want to have something to eat?¡± Noticing Charlize¡¯s gaze, Spencer furrowed his brows when he trailed its trajectory toward Jacqueline. He could still remember that thetter had always given Charlize grief. The thought sparked an icy glint in Spencer¡¯s eyes. Upon hearing Spencer¡¯s question, Charlize retracted her gaze and shifted it to the rows of snacks being served. ¡°Let¡¯s just have some cake.¡± She couldn¡¯t deny how generous her ssmates were in organizing the event by ordering snacks from branded shops. The cake in question was from a recently-opened cake shop in Jadeborough that would sell out every day. With such delicious food before her, Charlize had even less reason to care about meaningless affairs. After picking out two vors that were Charlize¡¯s favorite and pouring a ss of coconut juice, Spencer filled a small te with snacks before leading Charlize to a small table. No sooner had they sat down than Jacqueline came over. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Spencer.¡± Having expected Spencer¡¯s presence, Jacqueline wore a long red dress and thick makeup. The four- inch heels she was wearing made her look slender and alluring. Even though Jacqueline was attractive, her beauty was of a different kind whenpared to Charlize. She was mature and sexy, whereas thetter was sweet and gorgeous. Charlize was the kind that wouldn¡¯t impress one at first nce but would definitely grow on one. As for Jacqueline, the converse was true. That was the reason behind the controversy over who was the campus belle back in the day. As if Charlize was invisible, Jacqueline hade over with a wine ss in her hand. However, Spencer threw her a nce before asking with a frosty look, ¡°And you are?¡± Spencer naturally recognized Jacqueline, but what was said earlier hadn¡¯t escaped his ears. Since Jacqueline was rude to Charlize, it was natural for him to return the favor. Just as he spoke, the girls that walked past them burst intoughter. The sound of it felt like a dagger that pierced Jacqueline¡¯s heart. Regardless of how shameless she was, she didn¡¯t dare embarrass herself by continuing the conversation. Eating her cake quietly, Charlize was filled with delight at the sight of Jacqueline storming off. She then raised her head to give Spencer the side-eye. Hmph, don¡¯t think that I have forgotten how she pursued Spencer back then. Serves her right! As Charlize didn¡¯t want toe in the first ce and Spencer never enjoyed such gatherings, both of them nned to leave after briefly staying. However, a few of the guys wanted to talk business with Spencer. Hence, they caught him before the couple managed to leave. Charlize naturally didn¡¯t mind, while Spencer hesitated briefly. ¡°Give me ten minutes.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Since they were talking about business, Charlize felt it inappropriate to join them. She subsequently found a corner to settle down in and enjoy her food. If Jacqueline and Katrina hadn¡¯t come over, she would likely have ended up overeating again. Chapter 612 You Are Indeed A Joke Chapter 612 You Are Indeed A Joke ¡°Long time no see, Charlize! You sure have outdone yourself, haven¡¯t you?¡± Jacqueline said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Charlize swallowed the blueberries she was chewing on and wiped her mouth with a paper towel before turning to face Jacqueline. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Charlize replied with a confused shrug. That seemed to have struck a nerve with Jacqueline. ¡°Don¡¯t get so full of yourself just yet, Charlize. Spencer is only with you because of your good looks!¡± Charlize wasn¡¯t angered by her statement in the slightest. While insulting someone was still beyond her, she had gotten a bit more confident after working with Spencer for a year and a half and could at least deliver a few wittyebacks. Acting as though Jacqueline wasplimenting her, Charlize replied with a genuine smile, ¡°Oh? Thanks for thepliment. I think I¡¯m pretty good-looking too.¡± The look on Jacqueline¡¯s face changed the moment she heard those words. ¡°There are plenty of girls who look way better than you do out there! Spencer is only toying with you!¡± she yelled through clenched teeth. Katrina, who was standing next to her, chimed in as well, ¡°Yeah! So what if you¡¯re Spencer¡¯s girlfriend? A man of his status will onlye across much prettier womenter on in life! You¡¯re nothing but his ything!¡± Charlize got a little angry when she heard that. She didn¡¯t think Spencer was toying with her, nor could she ept the way they were insulting his character. However, Charlize wasn¡¯t good at arguing with people, so she didn¡¯t really have much to say in response. On top of that, she found Jacqueline and Katrina¡¯s behavior to be extremely childish. ¡°So?¡± Charlize asked with a confused pout. Jacqueline and Katrina had only said all that to spite Charlize. In truth, they actually had no idea if Spencer was serious about dating her. Unable to stand seeing the two of them together, Jacqueline and Katrina decided to take advantage of Spencer¡¯s absence to provoke Charlize. Jacqueline had hoped that Charlize would start to doubt Spencer¡¯s intentions and quarrel with himter on. This would only serve to benefit her. As such, Charlize¡¯s nonchnt response caught Jacquelinepletely off guard and left her speechless. Jacqueline had been prepared to get into a yelling match with Charlize, but she suddenly found herself unsure of what to say. ¡°What point are you two trying to make by saying all of that? Have you two asked Spencer what he thinks? Was he the one who told you two that he¡¯s just toying with me?¡± ¡°What point are you two trying to make by saying all of that? Have you two asked Spencer what he thinks? Was he the one who told you two that he¡¯s just toying with me?¡± Jacqueline and Katrina exchanged confused nces in response. For a second there, they couldn¡¯t quite tell if Charlize was actually that dense or just faking it. Haven¡¯t we made ourselves clear enough? Why would she ask us what we¡¯re trying to say? Does Charlize have no self-esteem or something? How does she not feel anything after being insulted like this? The look on Jacqueline¡¯s face changed as she stared at Charlize and asked, ¡°What happened to your self-esteem? How do you not feel upset after everything we¡¯ve said?¡± ¡°Why would I be upset? Those words came out of your mouths, not Spencer¡¯s. Besides, you two have always been known for spreading rumors in ss, so why would I believe your words at all?¡± Charlize asked while taking a sip of her orange juice. Not wanting to waste any more of her time arguing with them, she got up and walked off with her orange juice. Angered, Jacqueline reached out and grabbed Charlize by the arm, yanking her back forcefully. Charlize didn¡¯t see iting, so she was caught off guard and spilled the orange juice in her ss. Some of it happened tond on Jacqueline¡¯s dress. ¡°Hey! How dare you ssh me with orange juice, Charlize?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°Really? I¡¯m pretty sure it was you who attacked first, though. If I recall correctly, this hotel has surveince cameras,¡± Charlize replied. ¡°Charlize, you¡ª¡± Katrina, who was a lot wiser than Jacqueline, quickly dragged her aside and said, ¡°We were just joking, Charlize! Why are you so angry? Do you actually feel that you don¡¯t deserve to be with Spencer?¡± She then let out a chuckle and continued, ¡°Well, I can¡¯t me you for feeling inferior, though. You haven¡¯t found yourself a job even though it has been a year and a half since we graduated from university! Jacqueline, on the other hand, got into Prosperity Enterprise right after she graduated! You do know Prosperity Enterprise, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s the one that belongs to the Johnson family in Jadeborough! Look at yourself, Charlize! You¡¯re a Johnson too, so why can¡¯t you even get into the Johnson family¡¯spany?¡± Charlize burst outughing when she heard that. Spencer, who happened to return at the time, frowned when he saw Jacqueline and Katrina. He became a little confused when he saw Charlizeughing out loud. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Charlize stoppedughing and shook her head. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing! I just heard a really funny joke, that¡¯s all!¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t push your luck, Charlize! At least I managed to get into Prosperity Enterprise! What about you, huh? Who are you tough at me?¡± Jacqueline was so angry that she wanted to ssh Charlize with the ss of red wine in her hand. She had just raised her arm when Spencer said coldly, ¡°Go on, do it! I dare you!¡± Intimidated by the icy-cold look in Spencer¡¯s eyes, Jacqueline chickened out and pulled her hand back. ¡°Spencer, don¡¯t you think she has gone too far? All I did was tell her that I work at Prosperity Enterprise. I was just asking her where she works, and she said she heard a joke! Am I just a joke to her?¡± ¡°You are indeed a joke!¡± Honestly, did she just try to show off her job at Prosperity Enterprise in front of Charlize? Has she forgotten Charlize¡¯sst name or something? Spencer then whipped out his phone and gave Charles a call on the spot. Charles happened to have a social dinner at the same hotel, but he was on a different floor. Spencer told him that one of Prosperity Enterprise¡¯s employees was bullying Charlize, but he didn¡¯t mention who it was. The look on Charles¡¯ face changed the moment he heard that. He then quickly excused himself and went downstairs to back Charlize up. Hmph! Let¡¯s see who dares bully the Johnson family¡¯s precious little princess! Charlize was not expecting Spencer to call Charles like that. Feeling embarrassed, she stated, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Spencer. I don¡¯t mind their words at all.¡± Spencer nced at Jacqueline and the others, who had gathered around, and patted Charlize on the head. ¡°But I mind.¡± It¡¯s obvious that these two said something nasty to Charlize earlier. I brought Charlize over to warn the other guys who still liked her to back off, but I forgot to protect her from these jealous women. Spencer felt a little guilty at the thought of that. Chapter 613 What Kind Of Boyfriend Are You Chapter 613 What Kind Of Boyfriend Are You Spencer had made that call in front of Jacqueline and the others. Had Charlize made that call instead, Jacqueline would surely have assumed that she was putting up an act. Since Spencer was a wealthy and sessful man, no one would dare call him out for defending Charlize. After all, there was no need for him to put up an act. Charles was the current chairman of Prosperity Enterprise and the sole heir of the Johnson family. If Charlize was Charles¡¯ sister, then that would mean she was the daughter of the Johnson family. That family background alone was enough to make her a good match for Spencer, if not the best. In fact, her social status was much higher than that of Spencer¡¯s. Most of the onlookers had believed Spencer¡¯s words, but Jacqueline refused to. If Charlize really is the daughter of the Johnson family, then why didn¡¯t she mention it during her four years in university? That was when Jacqueline recalled Charlize being picked up by a fancy car at the entrance of the university every weekend and semester break. Her face went pale instantly. I saw a man in his fifties open the car door for Charlize, so I assumed she had found herself a sugar daddy. I even secretly took pictures of that scene and had my cousin post it in the university¡¯s forum anonymously! That resulted in the other students gossiping about Charlize. Even the campus hunk, who was courting Charlize at the time, changed his mind and courted me instead. I was so happy when it happened. Watching Charlize suffer while everyone else envied me felt really great! However, if she truly is Charles¡¯ sister, then that man was probably just her driver or something. Realizing the fatal mistake that she had made, Jacqueline instinctively felt the urge to get out of there, but it was far toote. Charles had already arrived at the scene. Naturally, everyone there recognized him as the CEO of Prosperity Enterprise. Quite a number of people gasped in shock when they saw Charles show up. Given how he was dressed in a suit and had his hair styled up nicely, it became obvious that he had just been at a social dinner. ¡°What happened, Charlize? Who was it that bullied you?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t bullied, Charles,¡± Charlize replied awkwardly. Charles knew his sister all too well. He had protected her so much that she becamepletely harmless. Sometimes, he wished Charlize would be a little more like Sophia. That way, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her being bullied. Since Charlize refused to tell him the truth, Charles shifted his gaze toward Spencer and asked, ¡°Which employee of mine was it?¡± Spencer, who was not as forgiving as Charlize, pointed at Jacqueline with an expressionless look on his face. ¡°That one over there. Her name is Jacqueline Lamer, and she ims to be an employee at Prosperity Enterprise.¡± Spencer, who was not as forgiving as Charlize, pointed at Jacqueline with an expressionless look on his face. ¡°That one over there. Her name is Jacqueline Lamer, and she ims to be an employee at Prosperity Enterprise.¡± Charles turned his head in the direction Spencer was pointing at and spotted Jacqueline almost instantly. The fact that she was wearing a bright red dress only made her all the more noticeable. Because Charles was the CEO of Prosperity Enterprise, he had never even met a small-time employee like Jacqueline before. ¡°Which department are you from?¡± Jacqueline tensed up the moment she heard that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Johnson! I-I didn¡¯t mean it!¡± She only managed to get into Prosperity Enterprise by putting in a lot of effort and having her parents pull lots of strings. Given Prosperity Enterprise¡¯s reputation in its industry, she could earn two to three times her current wage if she worked there for three years. If she decided to changepanies, she could easily get a managerial position with an annual sry of four to five hundred thousand. ¡°Ms. Lamer, was it? It¡¯s all right if you refuse to answer me. I¡¯m sure thepany¡¯s system is working perfectly fine.¡± All Charles had to do was have his secretary contact thepany¡¯s Human Resources department and pull up Jacqueline¡¯s file from the system. Realizing that there was no use in pleading with Charles, Jacqueline bit down on her lip and protested, ¡°One who errs unknowingly should not be held responsible, Mr. Johnson! I didn¡¯t mean to say that to Ms. Johnson, and I didn¡¯t know she was your sister either!¡± ¡°You said Charlize wouldn¡¯t even be able to get a job in Prosperity Enterprise, didn¡¯t you? You sure talk big, Ms. Lamer! Are you implying that my sister needs your permission to work at Prosperity Enterprise?¡± ¡°I... No, that¡¯s not what I meant! I just...¡± Because Jacqueline had indeed insulted Charlize, she had nothing to say in her defense. ¡°I¡¯m afraid ourpany is unable to tolerate such behavior, Ms. Lamer. I suggest you tender your resignation to the HR department on Monday. Otherwise, I will help Charlize take action against you for spreading those rumors about her back then!¡± Jacqueline shuddered as she realized Charlize knew about what she had done back in university all along. So, Charlize has been making a fool out of me this whole time? ¡°I...¡± Having held his position as a CEO for a very long time, Charles exuded an incredibly intimidating aura even when he was outside of the office. Jacqueline instinctively turned toward the others around her for help, but nobody dared help her at all. Having spent over a year as working adults, they were no longer the na?ve teenagers they used to be while studying in university, and Prosperity Enterprise was apany that many of them wanted to get into. Since Charles was the CEO of Prosperity Enterprise, they didn¡¯t dare offend him for fear of it affecting their chances of joining thepany. Recalling that he was attending a social dinner, Charles shot Spencer a disdainful re. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you failed to protect her from something this minor! What kind of boyfriend are you?¡± Charles then turned toward Charlize and continued, ¡°Charlize, I know a lot of handsome and capable young men. Would you like to get yourself a new boyfriend?¡± ¡°Charles!¡± Of course, Charles knew Charlize would never ept such an offer. He had only said that to spite Spencer. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t even know what she sees in you,¡± Charles told Spencer and walked off. Not wanting to stick around any longer, Spencer grabbed Charlize¡¯s hand and got ready to leave as well. The two had only taken a few steps when Jacqueline ran up to them. ¡°Charlize!¡± ¡°What more do you want?¡± Charlize asked. Due to Jacqueline¡¯s rude behavior, Charlize could never have a peaceful conversation with her. The only reason Charlize did not do anything extreme was that she had a good upbringing. ¡°I apologize for what I did to you, both in the past and just now. Could you please tell Mr. Johnson not to fire me?¡± Jacqueline pleaded with reddened eyes. She was so scared of losing her job that she almost broke down in tears at that point. Everyone around them began discussing among themselves. They couldn¡¯t help but feel bad for Jacqueline all of a sudden. Although Charlize wasn¡¯t a heartless woman, she most certainly was not a soft-hearted pushover. ¡°Would you be willing to make a public announcement about what you did to me in the past, then? Oh, and I also want you to apologize publicly for it.¡± Charlize¡¯s request had Jacquelinepletely stumped. By making a public announcement and apology, she would have to admit to all the lies and rumors that she had spread about Charlize. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, she even had someone threaten Charlize once. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Neither losing her job at Prosperity Enterprise nor admitting to her evil deeds was an eptable option for Jacqueline. Chapter 614 A Little Happy Chapter 614 A Little Happy A woman came forward, but no one could tell if she was being kind-hearted or if she simply wanted to watch Jacqueline make a fool of herself. ¡°Jacqueline, just apologize. It¡¯s hard to find a job nowadays, and Prosperity Enterprise has always been strict with its recruitment requirements. If you leave Prosperity Enterprise, you might not be able to find another good job. Also, Charlize isn¡¯t asking for something outrageous. She¡¯s just asking for you to rify the past misunderstandings and apologize; it¡¯s not as if she¡¯s asking you to do anything horrible.¡± The second those words were out of her mouth, the others agreed with her. ¡°That¡¯s right. Charlize didn¡¯t ask for anything outrageous. Jacqueline, you need to know your limits!¡± At that point, no one would dare to put in a good word for Jacqueline. Even Katrina, who was close to Jacqueline, was standing at the side, pretending not to hear anything as she stared at her phone. In all her years of life, this was Jacqueline¡¯s first time being in such an embarrassing moment. Staring at Charlize, she burst into angry tears. ¡°You¡¯ve crossed the line, Charlize!¡± With that said, she covered her face and ran off, bawling. Charlize turned to Spencer after watching her go. In a confused tone, she asked, ¡°Have I crossed the line?¡± I didn¡¯t do much, did I? I¡¯m just asking her to admit to some of the things she had done in the past and apologize. Is asking for an apology something outrageous nowadays? Spencer squeezed her hand. ¡°No, you haven¡¯t.¡± Charlize pursed her lips. ¡°All right, let¡¯s leave then.¡± I knew that something bad was going to happen if I came here tonight. ¡°Okay.¡± At that, Spencer led her away from the area. This time, neither turned around again. Once Charlize and Spencer were gone, the people in the ballroom became even louder as they discussed what just happened. Of course, what stunned them most was Charlize¡¯s identity as the Johnson family¡¯s daughter. They had never realized it throughout the four years of university. If they had known that she was the Johnson family¡¯s daughter, they would have done their best to get into her good books during those four years. However, there was no turning back time, and Charlize would probably not want to be friends with them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Spencer suddenly apologized when the car stopped. Charlize froze for a second before turning to him. ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve upset you tonight,¡± he said. Then, after a pause, he went on, saying, ¡°I know you didn¡¯t want to join this gathering.¡± If he had not spoken up first and epted, Charlize would probably have rejected the invitation. Charlize scrunched up her face. ¡°It isn¡¯t as bad as you think it is. Things have been bad between Jacqueline and me since the first year of university. We haven¡¯t seen eye to eye all along. Honestly, what happened tonight didn¡¯t upset me.¡± In fact, she was even a little delighted. Perhaps it was because the fact that Spencer was her boyfriend had been publicized. There were many women who liked Spencer when they were still in university, and Jacqueline was one of them. However, after what happened earlier, everyone had to know that Spencer was dating her now. Moreover, her identity as the Johnson family¡¯s daughter was also revealed. Those who would want to steal her boyfriend would have to think twice before doing so. A spark of joy burst in Charlize¡¯s chest when she thought about that. However, she was too embarrassed to tell that to Spencer, so she could only secretly share her tion with Juliette and the others via text messages. She did not expect that her silence would make Spencer think she was unhappy. ¡°Still, I¡¯m sorry to make you go through something unpleasant like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really.¡± Right then, Charlize¡¯s phone screen lit up. When she lowered her head, she realized it was messages from her group chat with her dormmates. Although she had not seen the contents of the message, she could guess what Molly and the rest were talking about. Instinctively, she turned her phone to face its screen downward before saying, ¡°It¡¯s still early. Why don¡¯t we grab some supper?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Spencer stared at her for a beat before driving away from the Johnson residence. By the time they came back to the mansion¡¯s entrance, it was already eleven at night. Charlize unbuckled her seatbelt and unlocked the door before heading out of the car. While the man was not paying attention to her, she spun around and wrapped her arms around Spencer to kiss his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m not upset. I¡¯m actually a little happy too because everyone now knows that you¡¯re my boyfriend.¡± Right after blurting out those words, she rushed off into the mansion with a blush on her face. By the time Spencer came to his senses, he could only see Charlize running toward the mansion, waving goodbye and saying good night to him. He reached out to touch the cheek she kissed. After a long while, he finally drove off. The Johnson family did not have curfews, but ever since Charlize started dating Spencer, Charles had told her that she had to return home before eleven. Again, she waste. Nevertheless, Charles seemed to have a social appointment that night, so Charlize guessed that he had drunk quite an amount. Charlize thought that her brother, who was on the couch, would not notice herte return if she were to tiptoe around the house. s, just as she had taken a few steps up the stairs, Charles opened his eyes and asked, ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s twenty minutes past eleven.¡± ¡°What have you been doing toe home sote?¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Charlize nced at her brother. ¡°I had supper.¡± Charles drew his brows together. ¡°Is that Ms. Lamer the one who once said that you were a sugar baby?¡± After leaving the ballroom, Charles had mulled over the matter. The more he thought about it, the more he found the name Jacqueline Lamer familiar. Later on, he recalled someone once saying that Charlize was a sugar baby because the car their family sent to pick her up was often a different model. When Charles had heard about that back then, he had been so livid his face went purple. He had sent his secretary to check on the matter. The culprit had not usedplicated tricks in spreading the rumors, so Charles soon found out who it was. At that time, he had gone to the campus to request the university to expel Jacqueline. However, Charlize and the homeroom teacher pleaded mercy on behalf of Jacqueline, saying that Charlize was still studying and that the matter, if blown out of proportion, would be detrimental to Charlize. Charlize did not consider all that, of course. While she thought that Jacqueline¡¯s actions were appalling, expelling thetter seemed to be equally outrageous. Furthermore, she did not want others to learn about her real identity to avoid peopleing after her. Ultimately, Charlize¡¯s homeroom teacher decided to deal with the rumors. Charles did not know how the homeroom teacher had dealt with it, but the rumors about Charlize being a sugar baby disappeared after that. It was three years since then, but Charles only became angrier and angrier from thinking about it. Meanwhile, Charlize thought that her brother was going to chide her foring backte. She was not expecting him to talk about Jacqueline, so she stiffened and mumbled, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s her. What¡¯s wrong, Charles?¡± ¡°She¡¯s too much. You said she was a student back then, so I decided to let her go. But now, you¡¯ve all graduated and are adults. She should be responsible for the things she has done. Anyway, you don¡¯t need to bother yourself with this. There¡¯s a bag on the table. It¡¯s a gift from the client, so take it. It¡¯s gettingte. You should rest.¡± That was all Charles said to Charlize as he started rubbing his temples. Despite his silence, he was already nning how he should teach Jacqueline a lesson. Chapter 615 Just Friends Chapter 615 Just Friends Charlize could tell that Charles was going to go after Jacqueline. He had shown her mercy once when they were in the second year of university, but even after graduating from university, Jacqueline was still the same as ever. If she were to still put in a good word for Jacqueline, she would be a saint and a fool. Moreover, Charles was not holding her ountable for herte return. Charlize was not an idiot. If she were to stick around any longer, Charles might change his mind about herte return and start chiding her. There was no need for Charlize to bring disaster upon herself for a woman who always talked bad about her, so she swiftly made herself scarce. Charles was quick to exact his revenge. On Monday, Jacqueline returned to the office, hoping that Charles was only joking back on Saturday night. s, at noon, her department supervisor summoned her for a talk. He did not say anything too specific ¡ªhe just subtly asked her how she came to know Charlize and talked about things unrted to work before asking her about the new program evaluation. The program evaluation did not work well in practice. Initially, Prosperity Enterprise was not too keen on working with the otherpany, and Jacqueline was equally unwilling when thepany¡¯s coboration ended up in her hands. After all, no matter how well she did the evaluation, thepany still would not invest in it. At the end of the day, she would only be wasting her time and efforts. Therefore, when someone offered her money to make the program evaluation seem better, Jacqueline only hesitated for a brief while before epting the bribe. It was apany that Prosperity Enterprise was not keen on, anyway. No matter how wonderfully or terribly she wrote the evaluation, no one would spend their time reading it. On the other hand, if she changed some of the data before handing in the report, she would receive a hundred thousand. It was a simple yet fruitful opportunity that would rarelye by. It had been over a year since Jacqueline began working at Prosperity Enterprise, and she was not the only one who had made alterations to the data. Furthermore, the higher-ups showed no interest in investing in the program, so she thought she would get away with the incident. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Unfortunately, luck was not on her side, and she bumped into Charlize. Charles could easily find ways to fire her, and that evaluation had be the leverage against her. Now, all the department head had done was throw the evaluation report on the table with a stern look, and Jacqueline already knew that she was doomed. She had been caught. How unlucky I am! Of course, Jacqueline still thought that it was purely her ill luck that had gotten her in trouble¡ªshe did not think that she had done anything wrong. ¡°Jacqueline, what do you have to say about this?¡± Jacqueline was pale and speechless. At that point, she could no longer shamelessly stick with Prosperity Enterprise. Before lunch break was over, she was already leaving the building with her belongings. Without a doubt, a terrible mark would be left on her resume. As a matter of fact, it could be said that Jacqueline would no longer be able to work in the same field anymore. Jacqueline thought that she would still have other ces to go besides Prosperity Enterprise, though the otherpanies would not be offering as many benefits as Prosperity Enterprise. It was only half a monthter, when her job search remained unsessful, that she realized how influential Prosperity Enterprise was in the industry. Jacqueline thought that was as terrible as her fate could be. Though she was sad about it, she knew she was no match for the Johnson family. Still, her parents had some connections back in her hometown. Since things were not going well for her in Livingsfill, she thought it would be a good idea to return to her hometown. Life would be easier, but she would have a harder time escaping from her hometown from then on. There were pros to living in a small town, but Jacqueline was not one for a peaceful life. She had been fired from Prosperity Enterprise, and the reason for her termination was on her resume. Even if she were to go to another city, anypany that was doing a little better than average would not recruit her. Thus, Livingsfill was not the only city she would no longer be able to thrive in. Jacqueline had originally thought of returning to her hometown for a break. But before she could get home, news of her father having an affair and her parents getting reported to the government spread. By the time Jacqueline reached home, her parents had already been taken away by government officials. Jacqueline finally realized what Charles¡¯ gaze that night meant. He nned to make her regret ever crossing Charlize. Jacqueline realized that her parents would onlye out of this safe and sound if she were to beg Charlize for mercy. After a while of asking around, she found out that Charlize was actually working for Spencer as his secretary. Jacqueline gritted her teeth harshly when she heard about that. Nheless, Jacqueline still had a hint of humanity left in her. Her parents had raised her all these years, and despite her anger toward Charlize, she was still going to plead for Charlize¡¯s help now that her parents were in trouble. Thus, she quickly bought a ne ticket back to Livingsfill. The moment shended, she headed straight to Gratia Corporation. Charlize was in the middle of having lunch in Spencer¡¯s office when she found out that someone was looking for her. Immediately, she stood up, nning to head downstairs. But just as she stood up, Spencer pulled her back down on the couch. ¡°Who is it?¡± As a meticulous person, Mika had already found out the identity of the woman. ¡°Ady named Jacqueline Lamer.¡± Charlize frowned. She did not want to meet Jacqueline. They had always been on bad terms, and Jacqueline wanting to meet her was certainly not going to be because she brought good news. No longer wanting to head downstairs, Charlize said, ¡°Mr. Templer, tell her that I¡¯m not going to meet her.¡± That was what Spencer was about to say to Mika, but to his surprise, Charlize had said it first. He nced at the woman by his side. When he saw the way she was biting her lower lip and the emotions written across her face, he found his heart melting. If Mika was not there, he would have pulled her into his arms. Reading the room, Mika nodded and left while instructing someone to dismiss Jacqueline. Once Mika was gone, Charlize turned to face Spencer and whined, ¡°How can she be so shameless?¡± They already had a falling out the other night, but Jacqueline still came to look for her. ¡°Ignore her. She won¡¯te and bother you anymore.¡± Sure enough, Spencer knew why Jacqueline wanted to meet Charlize. He was the one who had anonymously reported Jacqueline¡¯s parents to the government. Charles had only asked him to cklist her from the otherpanies, but Spencer thought that it was too light a punishment for her. He had not known what Jacqueline had done to Charlize back in university previously, but now that he did, he was going to make Jacqueline pay. Still, it was clear that Charlize did not want to hear anything about Jacqueline anymore, so Spencer was not going to raise the topic. ¡°Yeah.¡± No way am I going to spend my time thinking about her! What concerned Charlize more was, ¡°Is the dinner tonight just a normal dinner?¡± Just a while ago, Spencer told her that they were going to have dinner with his friends. After finding out about it, Charlize had been wracked with worry the entire day. The two of them had been dating for over two months, but this was Spencer¡¯s first time taking her to meet his friends. There was no way for Charlize to stay calm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re just my friends.¡± Spencer tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, then realized that she was staring at him. His heart melted again, and he said, ¡°I¡¯ll reject them if you don¡¯t want to go.¡± ¡°No, no. I¡¯m just nervous.¡± She had never heard about Spencer having any good friends, so the sudden appearance of two stunned her. Charlize was curious about them, but at the same time, she was worried that they would think she was not worthy of Spencer. Undeniably, what Jacqueline said that night had affected Charlize, even if only slightly. Chapter 616 I Was Not Worthy Chapter 616 I Was Not Worthy When Charlize was still at university, she had heard about how aloof Spencer was. Thetter never had issues with his ssmates and dormmates, but he didn¡¯t mingle with them either. He then started his business with someone during his third year of university and rarely stayed on campus from then on. Moreover, something seemed to have happened between him and his ssmates during their fourth year, so he ended up never making any close friends. At university, most guys¡¯ close friends were their dormmates, but Spencer had rented his own ce outside ever since he enrolled, so he would only spend half his time at the dormitory. This duration further decreased by the third year; he would only stay there during exam season. There was one time Charlize went to the boys¡¯ dormitories as part of the student council¡¯s inspections, and she just so happened to visit Spencer¡¯s. By coincidence, three of Spencer¡¯s dormmates were in there ying games. The girls said nothing when they first entered, but an ignorant freshman suddenly asked why one of the beds was empty. One of the boys answered, ¡°It¡¯s Spencer Lacroix¡¯s, but he doesn¡¯t stay here.¡± ¡°He rents a ce outside, so isn¡¯t it normal for him not to be here very much?¡± another dormmate chimed in. The words sounded perfectly reasonable, but the boys¡¯ expressions weren¡¯t exactly friendly at the time. Furthermore, all the items on Spencer¡¯s bed had been kept away, so it was evident that someone there didn¡¯t like him. In fact, one of those dormmates and a ssmate had caused some trouble for Gratia Corporation back then. The two wanted to work there during their fourth year and figured that Spencer would surely help them get into a better department or treat them more favorably. Yet, Spencer refused to let them in through connections, so they banded together to leak some of the company¡¯s information. Eventually, things escted to a point where the university dean had to personally beg Spencer not to report the matter to the police. The two boys ended up each paying a hundred thousand worth ofpensation, thus settling the incident. Of course, Spencer¡¯spany continued to soar after he graduated, and others had looked into him. Rumor had it that Gratia Corporation¡¯s co-owner was a well-known heir to a wealthy family who initially didn¡¯t get along with Spencer, but the two somehow mended their rtionshipter. Still, those were just rumors, and Charlize didn¡¯t know whether or not to believe them. Hence, upon hearing Spencer say that he wanted her to meet someone, she immediately felt this person had to be very important to him. The two left thepany at exactly six in the evening and headed over to the hotel they were ted to meet Spencer¡¯s friend. The man arrived at the same time as they did, and they bumped into each other outside the door to their private room. Spencer merely nced at Kelvin Tinman ndly before walking into the room while leading Charlize by the hand. Charlize was taken aback by her partner¡¯s demeanor. Kelvin raised a brow as he watched them enter. Then, he simply followed them in, not feeling offended. Spencer turned to him and made a brief introduction. ¡°Meet my girlfriend, Charlize Johnson. Charlize, this is my friend, Kelvin Tinman.¡± ¡°Ms. Johnson! It¡¯s an honor to meet you atst.¡± With a pair of thin-rimmed sses over his delicate features, Kelvin spoke carefreely while staring intently at Charlize. The woman felt awkward being stared at like that. ¡°Hello, Mr. Tinman.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°You¡¯re so malicious, Spencer. I can¡¯t believe you managed to win such a timid little rabbit over.¡± Spencer shot him a re, causing him to chuckle to himself. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, Charlize. I just think this guy¡¯s too mean. It¡¯s your loss for being with him.¡± Feeling her cheeks flush, Charlize nced at Spencer before replying softly, ¡°Not at all.¡± Spencer tossed the menu over to his friend. ¡°Order up.¡± Seeing the couple defend each other made Kelvin green with envy. Still, he had indeed heard about Charlize. While he wasn¡¯t part of Jadeborough¡¯s elite circle, he had naturally received word about the Johnson family. He also knew that Charles had a meek and innocent younger sister. Some of his childhood friends would even rave about how sweet and obedient Charlize was and how they wanted to marry her. Kelvin would shake his head whenever he heard that. In his opinion, those friends of his were utterly shameless to think they stood a chance with Charles¡¯ sister with their personalities. But now that I see it, Spencer isn¡¯t cut out for her either. Despite his genteel appearance, he¡¯s no saint. She¡¯s so pure and innocent. How did he manage to charm her? Everyone in the circle knew how protective Charles was of his sister, and Kelvin was dying to see how Spencer intended on marrying her in the future. Kelvin appeared nonchnt in person, but in truth, his treatment of others depended on who they were. Given that Charlize was Spencer¡¯s girlfriend, he knew exactly how to behave. Spencer wasn¡¯t a man of many words, but he was the opposite. He knew what Charlize wanted to hear, so he spoke mostly about Spencer, not forgetting to deliberately nce at his friend from time to time. Charlize was fully engrossed in what he had to say, and the three dined merrily. Spencer barely spoke, and so did Charlize as it was her first time meeting Kelvin. Thus, Kelvin carried most of the conversation while Spencer continued to fill Charlize¡¯s te. Before realizing it, Charlize had eaten and drunk a great deal. Satisfied, she wanted to use the restroom and touch up her makeup at the same time, so she took her purse and excused herself as the two men chatted with each other. Kelvin¡¯s gaze took a turn the moment she left. ¡°You sure have some guts to go after Charles¡¯ sister.¡± Spencer remained silent. Kelvin huffed before bringing up somepany affairs. Then, he suddenly added, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to demotivate you, but it really won¡¯t be easy for you to marry the Johnson family heiress.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, but it¡¯s not impossible,¡± Spencer finally responded. ¡°I remember how I used to introduce you to so many lovelydies, but you wouldn¡¯t even look at them. Now, I get it; you¡¯ve had someone in mind since way back, huh? But you never made a move, and I can¡¯t help but apud you for that, Spencer!¡± Spencer peered at the ss in his hand, his gaze darkening. ¡°I wasn¡¯t worthy at the time.¡± Marrying someone from a family just as powerful and influential was one of the main requirements for any elite household since long ago, and as someone who had nothing, he was far from eligible. Even if they could be together purely out of Charlize¡¯s love for him, he didn¡¯t want the woman to suffer the pain of having to choose between him and her family. Having known Spencer all these years, Kelvin was visibly stunned to hear those words. ¡°I¡¯m seriously not used to seeing you like this.¡± Spencer eyed him. ¡°Are you done eating? If you are, get out of here.¡± He didn¡¯t like how talkative this man was. Chapter 617 I Like You Chapter 617 I Like You Kelvinughed and scolded, ¡°How could you put women before our friendship? How did I never realize this before?¡± Kelvin and Spencer had known each other for six or seven years. When they first met, both of them were struggling in life. Kelvin was ¡°relegated¡± to Jadeborough. His pocket money and living expenses were cut off, and his family had firmly decided to leave him to his own devices. Upon hearing his request to borrow money on the phone, his fair-weather friends avoided him, iming they had bad reception. Kelvin patted the twenty bucks in his pocket and smashed his phone to the ground. The snow had been particrly heavy that day. He used all his money to buy a pack of cigarettes and sat in a billiard room gambling with others, wagering a hundred for each game. ying from early in the day to one in the morning, he won over three thousand that day. On his way back, he was targeted, and a group of people surrounded him, demanding he cough up the money. Considering his background, Kelvin had never been robbed in his life. He was already on the verge of starvation, yet those people dared to snatch his money. Their action was no different from courting death. He had fought a lot in the past, and that ¡°relegation¡± was also because he offended someone in a fight. However, his previous opponents were all scions. Kelvin was used to behaving unruly at school and fought recklessly. Unfortunately, those that targeted him that night were real gangsters, and they thrust every punch with all their might without holding back their strength. Kelvin was alone after all, and after a few rounds, he was overpowered. The snowstorm was severe that night. Cold and famished, Kelvin suddenly gave up resisting after he was kicked to the ground. After his mother died, members of his family desperately wished he was dead too. At times, Kelvin didn¡¯t even know what his purpose of living was. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t die. Spencer appeared out of nowhere with a metal rod in hand and beat up all the gangsters until they wailed in agony. After chasing away the bullies, Spencer booted Kelvin, asking if thetter was dead and to get up if he wasn¡¯t. That was the first time Kelvin had encountered someone as aloof and cold as Spencer. Subsequently, Kelvin followed Spencer back to thetter¡¯s home. White flowers adorned the run-down house as that was the hundredth day since Spencer¡¯s grandmother had passed away. Kelvin ended up staying at Spencer¡¯s ce. He transferred schools and managed to pass the university entrance exam to go back to Jipsdale. He didn¡¯t want anything from the Tinman family, but when he told Spencer about that, thetter sneered and called him stupid. Spencer had asked Kelvin why he was refusing something that was rightfully his. Members of the Tinman family regarded Kelvin as a potential threat when, in fact, he never harbored any intention topete with them for the right of inheritance. However, after listening to Spencer, Kelvin realized he had a point. They think ill of me regardless of my intention. Therefore, Kelvin returned to his family, determined to seize everything that should belong to him. After that, the two lived apart, one in the south and one in the north. Kelvin invested all the money he took back from the Tinman family in Spencer¡¯s ventures. Just like that, the two became close friends in adversity. Over the years, Spencer didn¡¯t have many close friends or family around him, and Kelvin was the only person he could talk to. Kelvin¡¯s life got better in recent years, and his mindset also significantly improved. Still, he was concerned about Spencer, who lived like an ascetic priest. Kelvin was genuinely worried thetter would one day announce his wish to be a priest. Spencer was incredibly detached and unconcerned with worldly desires. He had a hot temper but was antisocial most of the time. Two years ago, Kelvin started introducing Spencer to various women. Given Spencer¡¯s outstanding good looks, all the youngdies were enthused to go out with him. However, Spencer didn¡¯t even spare a nce at those women. Some of the more gutsy girls even asked Kelvin if Spencer was homosexual. For a while, Kelvin really did try to hook Spencer up with men. In the end, he was beaten up by the latter and grew more sensible afterward. To Kelvin¡¯s surprise,st April, Spencer suddenly told him the woman he loved hade looking for him. That day, Spencer was visibly delighted. At one o¡¯clock in the morning, he called Kelvin and merely uttered a single sentence, ¡°Kelvin, she came looking for me.¡± He didn¡¯t hang up the phone after, but when Kelvin asked who she was, he didn¡¯t answer. Fast forward tost month, Spencer abruptly expressed his wish to get married and start a family to Kelvin. If Kelvin didn¡¯t know him well, he would¡¯ve suspected Spencer was deliberately calling to provoke him. What? Even if he has a girlfriend, does he think he¡¯s ready to get married? After meeting Charlize that day, Kelvin truly felt a weight lifted off his chest. Spencer lived too detached from reality. Only when he was with Charlize did he seem to have a bit of vitality. The way he tenderly cared about someone, the gentleness in his eyes and voice when he spoke, it was as if he had finally learned to perceive emotions. Realizing Charlize hadn¡¯t returned, Spencer frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve always been like this.¡± He got to his feet as he spoke. ¡°Charlize hasn¡¯te back yet.¡± Kelvin waved his hand. ¡°All right, all right. I know you two are in love. I¡¯ll take my leave now. You can go find her.¡± With that, he turned around and walked toward the exit. Just as he reached the door, he saw Charlize, who was standing outside the door. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°You¡¯re back? Spencer is looking for you. He¡¯s very worried because you haven¡¯te back after so long.¡± Noticing her reddened ears, Kelvin fathomed Charlize was a shy person. He smiled and didn¡¯t speak further. ¡°I have something to attend to. Let¡¯s get together again next time. I¡¯ll be off now!¡± Charlize, having ¡°eavesdropped¡± on their conversation, was feeling very guilty and didn¡¯t dare to meet Kelvin¡¯s gaze. She merely hummed in response. The next second, she saw Spencering out. Eyes riveted on her, he strode over and pulled her into his arms, then lowered his head to kiss her forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. That¡¯s just the way he is.¡± Charlize looked up at the man before her sheepishly. Incredulity churned within her as she recalled what Spencer had said earlier. How could someone as exceptional as him say that he wasn¡¯t good enough? At that thought, Charlize felt a twinge in her heart. She momentarily forgot that they were standing in the doorway of the private room in a hotel and couldn¡¯t help but wrap her arms tightly around him. ¡°I like you so much, Spencer.¡± Her voice was filled with heartfelt emotions, filling Spencer¡¯s chest with warmth as he listened to her confession. The elevator suddenly dinged at that moment, and a waiter came out pushing a food cart. Startled, Charlize hurriedly pulled away from Spencer¡¯s embrace, repeatedly brushing her hair with her head lowered and a sense of guilt dancing in her heart. Spencer loosened his grip and nced at the waiter who had just exited the elevator. He gently patted Charlize¡¯s shoulder tofort her. Fortunately, the waiter was sensible. He pushed the food cart and walked past them while staring straight ahead, acting as if he had seen nothing. A trace of warmth shed across Spencer¡¯s usually cold gaze as he looked at Charlize. He held her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a walk.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Contentment surged within Charlize as she nced at their linked hands and allowed the man to lead her away from the hotel. Chapter 618 It Is Alexander Chapter 618 It Is Alexander Sophia and Alexander¡¯s wedding was scheduled for the first of January. They would be starting a new chapter of their lives on New Year¡¯s Day. The wedding dress had already been delivered to the wedding nner¡¯s team in Jadeborough for safekeeping. However, as Sophia was progressing in her pregnancy, she was feeling a bit concerned about fitting into her wedding dress on the big day. Fearing anyst-minute surprises, she requested Katherine to apany her for a fitting three days before the wedding. Alexander had expressed his desire to apany them, but Sophia firmly forbade him from doing so. She insisted on keeping the element of surprise, just as he had refused to let her see the set-up of the wedding venue he was designing. Thus, she didn¡¯t want him to see her wedding dress before the special day either. It was often said that a woman was most beautiful on her wedding day, and Katherine had always thought Sophia was a stunning woman. However, as she watched the curtains of the dressing room slowly roll back and saw Sophia step out gracefully in her white dress, Katherine was absolutely stunned. The sight took her breath away, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel overwhelmed by her friend¡¯s radiant beauty. After a moment of awe-struck silence, Katherine finally found her voice and eximed, ¡°Wow! Alexander really lucked out!¡± shing a yful smirk at her friend, Sophia teased, ¡°Go ahead and tell that to Alexander if you dare.¡± Katherine immediately regretted her words. She averted her gaze, not wanting to see the triumphant look on her friend¡¯s face. ¡°Okay, now go try on your maid of honor¡¯s dress!¡± Having known each other for over two decades and considering each other as sisters, Sophia and Katherine had been through many ups and downs together. Now that Sophia was getting married, it was a given that Katherine would be her maid of honor. Despite the tradition of not choosing married women as maids of honor, the Dawsons had always supported and indulged Sophia¡¯s preferences. As a result, they had no objections to Katherine¡¯s role in the wedding and respected her close bond with Sophia. Besides, ever since Sophia became pregnant, Alexander had wholeheartedly epted her words as law ad had no objections to the arrangement. Despite the potential trouble that choosing Katherine as her maid of honor might bring on their wedding day, Alexander had been nothing but supportive of Sophia¡¯s decision. Sophia had gone the extra mile of hiring a designer specifically for Katherine¡¯s dress, and the process took nearly a month toplete. Given her star status, Katherine would naturally steal the spotlight on the wedding day. Most brides would strive to be the center of attention, but Sophia was different in that aspect as she had always maintained a low profile. Besides, she was not vain or fame-hungry. All she desired was to be the most beautiful woman in Alexander¡¯s eyes, and that alone was enough for her. She did not care for anyone else¡¯s opinion. After all, the man she was marrying was Alexander. It had been more than three months since Katherine had given birth, and her figure had long since returned to its pre-pregnancy state. In fact, motherhood had only enhanced her curves, making her figure even more alluring than before. The dress had been tailor-made for her. As Katherine looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn¡¯t help but nod in satisfaction. ¡°Not bad at all!¡± As tradition dictated, Alexander and Sophia refrained from seeing each other the night before their wedding. Alexander returned to his mansion alone, while Charlize and Katherine arrived early at the wedding venue to assist with the setup. After bing pregnant, Sophia found it easier to fall asleep at night. Despite Katherine chattering away by her ear that night, Sophia still managed to slip into a deep and peaceful slumber. Katherine had a lot on her mind. She had known Sophia for over two decades, and she thought of her as her own sister. Sophia¡¯s first wedding to Alexander had not felt like a wedding to her, and Katherine had objected to it from the beginning. This time, the circumstances were entirely different. Alexander had taken a personal interest in designing the wedding venue, and Sophia¡¯s grandfather and brother were present to witness the special day. It was a stark contrast to the first wedding, although the groom remained the same. Katherine was well aware that this time, Sophia¡¯s wedding was genuine and filled with true love. There were so many things she wanted to talk about and share with her best friend, but to her surprise, Sophia had already drifted off to sleep before she could even express half of her thoughts. Katherine stared at Sophia¡¯s sleeping form in astonishment. What¡¯s wrong with her? It¡¯s the night before her wedding! She doesn¡¯t seem excited at all. She¡¯s already fallen asleep! Despite feeling a tad annoyed, she gently covered her friend with a nket and quietly slipped out of the room. As Katherine stepped out of the room, she noticed Charlize standing nearby with a ss of milk. Alexander had informed Charlize that Sophia liked to drink a ss of milk before bed, so she hade to offer it. Charlize looked surprised to see Katherineing out of the room at that moment. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Has Soph fallen asleep?¡± Charlize asked in surprise. ¡°She has! Isn¡¯t that crazy? She fell asleep within minutes of her head hitting the pillow!¡± Katherine comined. ¡°What do I do with this ss of milk then? Mr. Xenos asked me to bring it to Soph.¡± ¡°it¡¯s okay for her to skip it for a night or two. It won¡¯t hurt her,¡± Katherine replied in a teasing tone. Secretly, she admired Alexander¡¯s sweet gesture. On the morning of the wedding, Sophia woke up early. Her makeup artist had already arrived, and the excitement of the wedding preparations echoed through the walls as Katherine was busy attending to the arrangements outside her room. Charlize and a few others had also arrived to assist with the wedding preparations. Sophia had a small circle of close friends, and these few were the only people that she allowed into her inner circle. ¡°Soph?¡± Katherine called out tentatively, knocking gently on the bedroom door. Sophia, wrapped in her robe, called out, ¡°Come in. The door¡¯s not locked.¡± Katherine pushed open the door and came in just as Sophia was getting out of bed. Thetter smiled and teased Katherine, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you awake so early before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that irresponsible, you know! Today is a special day!¡± Katherine retorted, setting a bowl of oatmeal on Sophia¡¯s bedside table. ¡°Go shower, and then have some oatmeal. The make-up artist and the wedding party are already here.¡± Sophia smiled and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Katherine was ying her role as maid of honor well. Sophia¡¯s bedroom was vast, with the bed tucked into an inner corner and separated from the seating area by a screen. The bathroom was situated across from the bed. Katherine led the wedding entourage to the seating area while Sophia went into the bathroom. Kylie joined them, and Perrin remained outside to receive any other guests arriving. Alexander¡¯s personality oscited between being extremely low-key and extravagantly grandiose, leaving no room for a middle ground. For the wedding, he had booked out thergest hotel in Jadeborough which happened to be owned by the Quail family. Despite thete booking, Justin, with his influence and connections, managed to secure the entire hotel for the event. All of Alexander¡¯s business associates had been invited to the wedding. While the invitations had been sent, it was unclear exactly how many would show up. Due to Alexander¡¯s extensivework and prestigious status, many of his acquaintances were eager to dine and socialize with him, an opportunity that was often hard toe by. Therefore, when they received the wedding invitation, they dly epted it without hesitation. With so many people in attendance, it was smart for the bride to fill her stomach first. Sophia had never liked sweet or greasy foods, and her pregnancy had only intensified her aversion to intense vors. Alexander, aware of her tastes, had given specific instructions for the oatmeal to be prepared, and Katherine had taken it upon herself to oversee the cooking process early in the morning. Katherine had always been a food lover, and the aroma of the oatmeal was enticing. She had devoured three bowls before she managed to control herself. After Sophia had finished her bowl, Katherine instinctively went todle a second helping, but to her surprise, Sophia shook her head, declining the offer. ¡°Have you had enough?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t eat another bite.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯re eating? No wonder you¡¯re still not showing even though you¡¯re already four months pregnant!¡± Sophia nced at Katherine with a yful expression. ¡°You can¡¯t even control your own mouth, and you¡¯re still trying to nag me?¡± Katherine smiled guiltily. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll have the chef warm it up for youter.¡± Alexander had mentioned that Sophia ate frequently these days, but always in small portions. Katherine¡¯s head ached as she recalled the checklist that Alexander had given her. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of jealousy at how much he spoiled Sophia. Fortunately for Katherine, she enjoyed the same treatment from Joshua as well. Chapter 619 Fetching The Bride Chapter 619 Fetching The Bride The wedding banquet was set tomence at seven in the evening. Since both Sophia and Alexander¡¯s parents were no longer around, a number of superfluous rites were graciously spared. In lieu of the customaryplex array of ceremonies, the couple simply needed to greet Perrin. Sophia was escorted back to the Xenos residence, where she had not stepped foot for over two years. Sophia found her feelings to be wholly transformed this time. Typically, grand matrimonial affairs like the one that Sophia and Alexander were to partake in were managed by senior family members. However, since both the bride and groom no longer had any, Sophia¡¯s aunt on her maternal side, Kylie, was willing to lend a hand. Despite this, Alexander personally took charge of orchestrating the wedding proceedings. In addition to Sophia¡¯s pregnancy which left Alexander anxious for her well-being, several ceremonial formalities were deliberately forgone, leaving only the custom of the groom receiving the bride, a tradition observed in the Xenos family. Sophia had lost her former appetite due to her pregnancy, but Alexander was not worried. He devoted his time at home to experimenting with various recipes. If Sophia didn¡¯t have an appetite, he would cook for her, encouraging her to have small frequent meals. Hence, Sophia¡¯s figure had grown more voluptuous these days. Inherently fair-skinned, she appeared radiant with her rosyplexion, which Perrin found heartening. Elderly folks had a penchant for full-figured and healthier-looking girls, after all. Blessed with natural beauty, heavy makeup would actually diminish Sophia¡¯s charm. A light touch of color was more than enough to bring out her beauty. Hence, her makeup had only taken a little over an hour toplete. Inside the room, the closet upied about ten square meters. Given the wedding dress¡¯ intricacy, Katherine apanied Sophia to help her into the gown. Alexander had specially custom-made Sophia¡¯s heels for her. In view of her pregnancy, the heels were only about seven centimeters tall, designed with a sturdy base, lifting the hem of her wedding gown just slightly above the ground, preventing the dress from dragging on the floor. As for the wedding dress, Alexander had personally appointed Lydia to design it. Despite having seen it a few days earlier, Katherine was tempted to immediately snap a photo of Sophia and post it on Twitter, so that others might share in her admiration for Sophia¡¯s charm. Katherine snapped out of her daze and helped Sophia put on her veil. Right then, she noticed that the first rays of sunshine were starting to filter in from the window. The photographer requested that Sophia stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling for some pictures. Katherine followed, supporting Sophia¡¯s dress. As the gentle rays hit Sophia¡¯s face, she looked like she had just stepped out of a beam of light. The photographer was a woman, yet she was left slightly taken aback. The photographer Katherine had hired, Emily Pugh, was renowned, having taken many photos of celebrities¡ªpeople who earned their bread and butter based on their looks. In fact, Katherine and the photographer had actually worked together in the past. She was also the one who had taken the photos at Katherine¡¯s wedding two years ago. When Katherine posted the photos online, her fans nearly went mad with delight. Katherine, already at the top tier of the entertainment industry¡¯s beauty scale, didn¡¯t have many rivals in terms of appearance. However, upon seeing Sophia today, Emily finally understood the true meaning of celestial beauty. She couldn¡¯t quite put into words the aura that Sophia exuded, an elegance that was pleasing in every gesture and every smile. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Emily, are your eyes glued to Sophia?¡± Katherine couldn¡¯t help but feel proud of having Sophia as a close friend. Coming to her senses, Emily, a seasoned photographer who was good-natured,ughed and replied, ¡°Mrs. Xenos is truly stunning. As a photographer, I have a particr fondness for beauty.¡± Katherine hummed in agreement, her confidence evident. ¡°See? I¡¯ve always told you that my friend is unbelievably beautiful and ethereal. You doubted me and used me of exaggerating, but now you see it for yourself. She¡¯s even more stunning than I am! The best part is, she¡¯s not even interested in the entertainment industry. With her looks, she could just pose for a few pictures, and people would be willing to pay a fortune for it.¡± Emily had worked with Katherine for three to four years and was aware that thetter was rather vivacious in private life, a far cry from her on-screen persona. Thus, when Katherine told her about having an even more beautiful and stunning friend, Emily assumed she was simply boasting. Before Sophia put on the wedding dress, she was seated at the dressing table, getting her makeup done. Emily happened to walk in and saw her side profile. Even then, Emily was slightly taken aback by her beauty, but with only half a face to judge, she simplymented that a beautiful woman like Katherine had beautiful women as her friends. Now that Sophia had her makeup done and wedding dress on, Emily could clearly see Sophia in all her glory, and she realized that Katherine was simply speaking the truth. For the first time, she had no objection to Katherine¡¯s words. ¡°Indeed, you are right.¡± Sophia was amused while listening to the two praising her. Raising a brow, she teased, ¡°I appreciate thepliments, but I think it would be more apt to finish the photoshoot first.¡± Emily immediately got down to work after listening to Sophia¡¯s light-hearted jest. Meanwhile, Katherine noticed that Charlize was taking photos. She sauntered over and peered at her screen, only to find that it was full of Sophia¡¯s photos. ¡°Quite fetching, isn¡¯t she?¡± Katherine asked. At first, Charlize was somewhat taken aback by Katherine¡¯s sudden question, but her heart eased upon hearing the shared approval. Looking at Sophia, who was still modeling for the camera, Charlize bobbed her head enthusiastically. ¡°Absolutely! Her beauty is enough to drive me to tears!¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Katherine concurred. ¡°Those dimwitted press release mongers should learn what ethereal beauty truly means.¡± In recent times, a fledging starlet had been making headlines, spending a fortune on press releases to build the image of her unparalleled beauty and angelic charm. Granted, she was attractive, but she was barely a blip in the entertainment industry. Even standing next to Katherine would diminish her charm, let alone whenpared to Sophia. Katherine, having started her career based on her aesthetics, now trod the path of true talent. Her poprity was an undeniable testament to her talent. While she bore no ill toward the fledging starlet, she found her incessant self-promotion based purely on looks distasteful. Was there nothing more to her than a pretty face? What happened to their true talent? Caught up in a project with Spencer, Charlize had not paid much heed to the showbiz world ofte. However, in her eyes, no one she had encountered could rival Sophia¡¯s charm. After all, it was Sophia¡¯s beguiling allure that had first captured her heart. Once Emily finished photographing Sophia individually, she moved on to capturing group images, carefully timed to cater to the schedule. Barely a moment had passed since they had finished their indoor shoot when an informant ryed that Alexander, leading a group, had entered the mansion gates and would reach them in roughly seven minutes. At this news, Katherine immediately rallied the women in the room, saying, ¡°Ladies, hurry up and hide your shoes!¡± Sophia sat on the bed, calmly sipping her coffee, and observed Katherine scurrying around the room in search of a hiding spot for the shoes. To be frank, Sophia did feel a tickle of anticipation. After all, her Mr. Xenos wasing to fetch her. Chapter 620 She Does Not Cook Chapter 620 She Does Not Cook Boom! The sound of firecrackers filled the air, not deafening but certainly noticeable to everyone in the house. Having just hidden the shoes, Katherine and Charlize ran over to Sophia and winked at her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Soph. I¡¯ve hidden the shoes. Mr. Xenos won¡¯t find them without bribing me!¡± Katherine teased. Sophia nced at her. ¡°Are you sure Charlize wouldn¡¯t cave?¡± Charlize stepped forward. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Yarrow,¡± she asserted. ¡°Nothing gets past these lips.¡± ¡°Excellent, Charlize!¡± said Katherine with a snap of her finger. Then, she yfully patted Sophia on the shoulder. ¡°Mr. Xenos is almost here, Mrs. Xenos,¡± she teased. ¡°Are you nervous? Excited? Is your heart racing?¡± Sophia appreciated Katherine¡¯s presence, knowing that with her around, things would be entertaining. She smiled warmly at her friend. Katherine was dressed in a stylish, light pink dress with rabbit fur shoulder pads. Her hair was elegantly styled with two buns on each side, creating a refreshing and contrasting lookpared to her image on the silver screen. Charlize couldn¡¯t help but shower Katherine withpliments about how stunning she looked. The Dawson family had had nothing to celebrate ofte, and Lukas didn¡¯t contribute much to lift their spirits. Despite being thirty-five, he was still without a girlfriend. As a result, he was assigned the role of standing guard outside on Sophia¡¯s wedding day. Kasper and Kylie were with Perrin in the living room. When they heard Lukas teasing Alexander, Kylie nced at the master bedroom on the third floor and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since the house has been so lively, Dad.¡± Indeed, they were all in high spirits. Though he was only recently discharged from the hospital due to his illness, Sophia¡¯s wedding put Perrin in a fantastic mood. In ce of his usually stern expression was a kindly smile. Meanwhile, Joshua stood close by with his son in his arms, as Perrin was fond of children. At over three months old, Lewinn began to resemble his parents, inheriting only their best features. Even Katherine, who had remarked on how ugly her son was at birth, was growing fonder of him. However, Lewinn¡¯s temperament was more like his mother¡¯s. Reveling in the jovial, bustling proceedings, he wanted to walk around and, upon catching sight of Perrin¡¯s cane, he stretched a plump hand to touch it. Perrin¡¯s heart melted at the sight of the child. At the thought of Sophia giving him a great-grandchild in six months brought him even more joy and satisfaction. s, Perrin¡¯s mood soured as he looked at his unmarried grandson, who was already past thirty. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Lukas,¡± he barked, seeing that Lukas was still refusing to let them in. Boom! The sound of firecrockers filled the oir, not deofening but certoinly noticeoble to everyone in the house. Hoving just hidden the shoes, Kotherine ond Chorlize ron over to Sophio ond winked ot her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Soph. I¡¯ve hidden the shoes. Mr. Xenos won¡¯t find them without bribing me!¡± Kotherine teosed. Sophio glonced ot her. ¡°Are you sure Chorlize wouldn¡¯t cove?¡± Chorlize stepped forword. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Yorrow,¡± she osserted. ¡°Nothing gets post these lips.¡± ¡°Excellent, Chorlize!¡± soid Kotherine with o snop of her finger. Then, she ployfully potted Sophio on the shoulder. ¡°Mr. Xenos is olmost here, Mrs. Xenos,¡± she teosed. ¡°Are you nervous? Excited? Is your heort rocing?¡± Sophio opprecioted Kotherine¡¯s presence, knowing thot with her oround, things would be entertoining. She smiled wormly ot her friend. Kotherine wos dressed in o stylish, light pink dress with robbit fur shoulder pods. Her hoir wos elegontly styled with two buns on eoch side, creoting o refreshing ond controsting lookpored to her imoge on the silver screen. Chorlize couldn¡¯t help but shower Kotherine withpliments obout how stunning she looked. The Dowson fomily hod hod nothing to celebrote of lote, ond Lukos didn¡¯t contribute much to lift their spirits. Despite being thirty-five, he wos still without o girlfriend. As o result, he wos ossigned the role of stonding guord outside on Sophio¡¯s wedding doy. Kosper ond Kylie were with Perrin in the living room. When they heord Lukos teosing Alexonder, Kylie glonced ot the moster bedroom on the third floor ond smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been o while since the house hos been so lively, Dod.¡± Indeed, they were oll in high spirits. Though he wos only recently dischorged from the hospitol due to his illness, Sophio¡¯s wedding put Perrin in o fontostic mood. In ploce of his usuolly stern expression wos o kindly smile. Meonwhile, Joshuo stood close by with his son in his orms, os Perrin wos fond of children. At over three months old, Lewinn begon to resemble his porents, inheriting only their best feotures. Even Kotherine, who hod remorked on how ugly her son wos ot birth, wos growing fonder of him. However, Lewinn¡¯s temperoment wos more like his mother¡¯s. Reveling in the joviol, bustling proceedings, he wonted to wolk oround ond, upon cotching sight of Perrin¡¯s cone, he stretched o plump hond to touch it. Perrin¡¯s heort melted ot the sight of the child. At the thought of Sophio giving him o greot-grondchild in six months brought him even more joy ond sotisfoction. Alos, Perrin¡¯s mood soured os he looked ot his unmorried grondson, who wos olreody post thirty. ¡°Thot¡¯s enough, Lukos,¡± he borked, seeing thot Lukos wos still refusing to let them in. Lukes, who hed severel more tricks up his sleeve, grew speechless with indignity. Semuel essumed the role of the leed groomsmen. Though his silver tongue wes enough to mollify the bridesmeids, Sophie¡¯s cousin proved to be e chellenge. No metter whet tricks Semuel tried, he couldn¡¯t get Lukes to budge, end he wes sterting to worry whether they would ever meke it pest thet door. Finelly, efter much effort, they were ellowed inside. Without westing eny time, they sterted distributing mery gifts to everyone present without needing to be prompted. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Upon spotting the elders of the Dewson femily, Alexender quickly exchenged greetings with them before deshing off to the third floor. As soon es they heerd themotion, Ketherine dregged Cherlize to stend guerd et the door, leeving Sedie end Yvonne to keep Sophiepeny in the room. Sedie looked et Sophie¡¯s belly in ewe, finding it herd to believe thet the women she edmired wes getting merried end expecting e child so quickly. Time truly flies. Sophie touched up her lipstick end glenced et Sedie. ¡°Whet is it? Is my beby bump reelly thet noticeeble?¡± Sedie quickly shook her heed. ¡°Oh, no. I wes just imegining how incredibly good-looking your child with Mr. Xenos will be, Sophie.¡± Yvonne, who wes usuelly more reserved, elso seemed relexed thet dey. ¡°I cen¡¯t even begin to imegine how stunning Ms. Yerrow end Mr. Xenos¡¯ beby will be,¡± shemented. Sophie leughed upon heering those two. ¡°Whet if the beby turns out to be ugly?¡± Yvonne joined in the leughter. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll still be better looking then most.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± As they chetted, themotion outside their door esceleted. Ketherine¡¯s persuesive skills were proving to be formideble, end Semuel couldn¡¯t resist her cherm. With Ketherine in cherge of esking for mery gifts end Cherlize receiving them, they hed umuleted tens of thousends in just e couple of minutes. At first, Ketherine hed essumed she would need to request the mery gifts, but to her surprise, the men were exceptionelly generous. As e result, she didn¡¯t went to meke things morepliceted for them. ¡°How much did we collect, Cherlize?¡± she esked, turning to the girl beside her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I think there¡¯s five hundred in eech, end we heve severel dozen.¡± Ketherine glenced et the bundle Cherlize wes struggling to hold end snorted. ¡°At leest you ceme prepered. All right, we¡¯ll open up.¡± As she spoke, she exchenged e meeningful glence with Cherlize, end in unison, they swung the door open. As it wes Alexender¡¯s wedding dey, Ketherine end the bridesmeids took edventege of the festivities to bully him end the groomsmen, heving no such opportunity to do so otherwise. Lukas, who had several more tricks up his sleeve, grew speechless with indignity. Samuel assumed the role of the lead groomsman. Though his silver tongue was enough to mollify the bridesmaids, Sophia¡¯s cousin proved to be a challenge. No matter what tricks Samuel tried, he couldn¡¯t get Lukas to budge, and he was starting to worry whether they would ever make it past that door. Finally, after much effort, they were allowed inside. Without wasting any time, they started distributing mary gifts to everyone present without needing to be prompted. Upon spotting the elders of the Dawson family, Alexander quickly exchanged greetings with them before dashing off to the third floor. As soon as they heard themotion, Katherine dragged Charlize to stand guard at the door, leaving Sadie and Yvonne to keep Sophiapany in the room. Sadie looked at Sophia¡¯s belly in awe, finding it hard to believe that the woman she admired was getting married and expecting a child so quickly. Time truly flies. Sophia touched up her lipstick and nced at Sadie. ¡°What is it? Is my baby bump really that noticeable?¡± Sadie quickly shook her head. ¡°Oh, no. I was just imagining how incredibly good-looking your child with Mr. Xenos will be, Sophia.¡± Yvonne, who was usually more reserved, also seemed rxed that day. ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to imagine how stunning Ms. Yarrow and Mr. Xenos¡¯ baby will be,¡± shemented. Sophiaughed upon hearing those two. ¡°What if the baby turns out to be ugly?¡± Yvonne joined in theughter. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll still be better looking than most.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± As they chatted, themotion outside their door escted. Katherine¡¯s persuasive skills were proving to be formidable, and Samuel couldn¡¯t resist her charm. With Katherine in charge of asking for mary gifts and Charlize receiving them, they had umted tens of thousands in just a couple of minutes. At first, Katherine had assumed she would need to request the mary gifts, but to her surprise, the men were exceptionally generous. As a result, she didn¡¯t want to make things moreplicated for them. ¡°How much did we collect, Charlize?¡± she asked, turning to the girl beside her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I think there¡¯s five hundred in each, and we have several dozen.¡± Katherine nced at the bundle Charlize was struggling to hold and snorted. ¡°At least you came prepared. All right, we¡¯ll open up.¡± As she spoke, she exchanged a meaningful nce with Charlize, and in unison, they swung the door open. As it was Alexander¡¯s wedding day, Katherine and the bridesmaids took advantage of the festivities to bully him and the groomsmen, having no such opportunity to do so otherwise. They opened the door, but not all the way. ¡°The bride is inside, Mr. Xenos. I¡¯ll ask you a question regarding Sophia. If you get it right, I¡¯ll open up and let you in.¡± Alexander was uncharacteristically amodative that day. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Katherine did not hold back. ¡°Does Sophia like to wear an apron when she¡¯s cooking?¡± Samuel chortled when he heard the question. ¡°What kind of question is that, Katherine? Are you secretly on Alex¡¯s side?¡± Katherine yfully nced at Samuel, saying, ¡°Maybe you have the answer to that question, Mr. Schild?¡± Samuel quickly backed away, sensing the yful hostility in Katherine¡¯s tone. ¡°I was just joking. Of course, I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m sure Alex does,¡± he replied with a nervous smile. Then, he nudged Alexander. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Alexander peeked inside, but he did not manage to see Sophia as the room was too big. He did know the answer to that question, however. ¡°She doesn¡¯t cook. I¡¯m the one who does all the cooking at home.¡± The crowd gasped in surprise as they heard Samuel¡¯s cold voice suddenly soften with tenderness. Caught off guard by Alexander¡¯s disy of affection, Samuel turned to Justin with a puzzled expression. ¡°Why does he have to show his affection so openly all the time?¡± Justin returned Samuel¡¯s gaze with a stony expression. ¡°Maybe you could do the same if you manage tond yourself a girl,¡± he retorted coldly. Samuel was struck dumb. But I can¡¯t! He could not believe how things turned out. Despite iming to have no interest in women and vowing to remain single, Alexander is now the first one out of the four of us to get married. Celibate, my *ss! Katherine nodded, satisfied. ¡°Well done.¡± Then, she took a step back, opened the door, and granted them entry. In an instant, the vast room was filled with people. As Alexander entered the room, he saw Sophia sitting on the bed, beaming with happiness. Although they had just seen each other not long ago, it felt to him as if eons had passed since theirst meeting. Sophia looked breathtaking in her wedding dress, her already beautiful face enhanced by the carefully applied makeup. The sunlight pouring through the window seemed to entuate her radiance, making her look even more stunning on her special day. Alexander waspletely mesmerized by the sight of Sophia. She looked like a vision, the embodiment of his dreams and desires. Chapter 621 Where Is The Shoe Chapter 621 Where Is The Shoe Amused by the rare sight, Samuel yfully took the lead and quipped, ¡°Are you done staring, Groom?¡± Seated before Alexander¡¯s line of sight, Sophia was initially not paying much attention to his gaze, but Samuel¡¯s remark made her self-conscious. Katherine, too, relished the unfolding spectacle. ¡°Sophia is looking beautiful today, isn¡¯t she, Mr. Xenos?¡± she teased. ¡°You need to show us how much she means to you to take such a beautiful bride away! It¡¯s not easy to marry someone as lovely as her!¡± Havingposed himself after Samuel and Katherine¡¯s banter, Alexander looked deeply at Sophia before turning his attention to Katherine. In a splendid mood, he brushed off their teasing, knowing they were all there for Sophia. As for Samuel, Alexander thought, He wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to be so smug with me anymore. He raised his eyebrows. ¡°What are your demands?¡± Standing next to Alexander, Samuel couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Looks like you have quite a lot to handle today,¡± he remarked, teasingly. Katherine snorted. ¡°Obviously. Do you think it¡¯ll be that easy to take her home?¡± As she spoke, she yfully pointed at one of the wedding shoes lying at the foot of the bed. ¡°There¡¯s one shoe of the bride¡¯s. Your mission, Mr. Xenos, is to find the other one.¡± Sophia was not the one who hid the shoe; instead, it was Katherine and Charlize who had spent a considerable amount of time in the walk-in closet before emerging to announce that it had been well hidden. Amused by the situation, Sophia sat and watched as Alexander and the groomsmen searched high and low for the missing shoe. Alexander and his groomsmen are clever. Except Samuel, of course. After searching the room and failing to find the shoe, Charles turned his gaze to Charlize and asked, ¡°Where is it, Charlize?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving you any hints, Charles. It¡¯s for Ms. Yarrow¡¯s happiness, so I won¡¯t reveal where it is,¡± Charlize replied, unfazed. Charlize¡¯s refusal to help Charles came as a surprise, considering her usual meek nature and willingness toply with his requests. Charles chuckled helplessly and then turned to Alexander, shrugging. ¡°I tried, but it seems Charlize is currently on Sophia¡¯s side.¡± Despite the room¡¯s size, Samuel and Justin were unable to locate the shoe even after thoroughly rummaging through the closet and checking all the cabs. It seemed evident that there weren¡¯t many ces where the shoe could have been hidden. Alexander walked up to Sophia. ¡°Where is it, Mrs. Xenos?¡± Alexander¡¯s gaze remained tender as he addressed Sophia. If not for Katherine and Charlize stopping him, he would have carried her off then and there. Amused by the rore sight, Somuel ployfully took the leod ond quipped, ¡°Are you done storing, Groom?¡± Seoted before Alexonder¡¯s line of sight, Sophio wos initiolly not poying much ottention to his goze, but Somuel¡¯s remork mode her self-conscious. Kotherine, too, relished the unfolding spectocle. ¡°Sophio is looking beoutiful todoy, isn¡¯t she, Mr. Xenos?¡± she teosed. ¡°You need to show us how much she meons to you to toke such o beoutiful bride owoy! It¡¯s not eosy to morry someone os lovely os her!¡± Hovingposed himself ofter Somuel ond Kotherine¡¯s bonter, Alexonder looked deeply ot Sophio before turning his ottention to Kotherine. In o splendid mood, he brushed off their teosing, knowing they were oll there for Sophio. As for Somuel, Alexonder thought, He wouldn¡¯t hove the opportunity to be so smug with me onymore. He roised his eyebrows. ¡°Whot ore your demonds?¡± Stonding next to Alexonder, Somuel couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Looks like you hove quite o lot to hondle todoy,¡± he remorked, teosingly. Kotherine snorted. ¡°Obviously. Do you think it¡¯ll be thot eosy to toke her home?¡± As she spoke, she ployfully pointed ot one of the wedding shoes lying ot the foot of the bed. ¡°There¡¯s one shoe of the bride¡¯s. Your mission, Mr. Xenos, is to find the other one.¡± Sophio wos not the one who hid the shoe; insteod, it wos Kotherine ond Chorlize who hod spent o consideroble omount of time in the wolk-in closet before emerging to onnounce thot it hod been well hidden. Amused by the situotion, Sophio sot ond wotched os Alexonder ond the groomsmen seorched high ond low for the missing shoe. Alexonder ond his groomsmen ore clever. Except Somuel, of course. After seorching the room ond foiling to find the shoe, Chorles turned his goze to Chorlize ond osked, ¡°Where is it, Chorlize?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not giving you ony hints, Chorles. It¡¯s for Ms. Yorrow¡¯s hoppiness, so I won¡¯t reveol where it is,¡± Chorlize replied, unfozed. Chorlize¡¯s refusol to help Chorlese os o surprise, considering her usuol meek noture ond willingness toply with his requests. Chorles chuckled helplessly ond then turned to Alexonder, shrugging. ¡°I tried, but it seems Chorlize is currently on Sophio¡¯s side.¡± Despite the room¡¯s size, Somuel ond Justin were unoble to locote the shoe even ofter thoroughly rummoging through the closet ond checking oll the cobs. It seemed evident thot there weren¡¯t mony ploces where the shoe could hove been hidden. Alexonder wolked up to Sophio. ¡°Where is it, Mrs. Xenos?¡± Alexonder¡¯s goze remoined tender os he oddressed Sophio. If not for Kotherine ond Chorlize stopping him, he would hove corried her off then ond there. Five minutes leter, Semuel emerged from the closet, giving Alexender e helpless shrug. ¡°This is looking like en uphill bettle, Alex.¡± Alexender¡¯s geze swept over Semuel before settling on Ketherine. Then, he held out his hend in front of Semuel. Initielly puzzled, Semuel soon understood whet Alexender wented es their eyes met. Reeching into his pocket, he took out e mery gift end pleced it in Alexender¡¯s outstretched hend. Alexender then hended the mery gift to Ketherine. ¡°Where is the shoe?¡± he esked. With e grin, Ketherine ched the mery gift over. ¡°We¡¯ll keep this, but it¡¯s up to the groomsmen to locete the shoe! It¡¯s definitely somewhere in this room,¡± she declered. Alexender did not respond. He turned his geze to Sophie. Sophie¡¯s smile remeined, end her intention wes cleer¡ªAlexender wes to follow Ketherine¡¯s instructions. Alexender¡¯s eyes glimmered with determion. ¡°Keep looking. Pey extre ettention to the blind spots,¡± he instructed Semuel. Feiling to find it in the room eerlier, Alexender took it upon himself to check the closet, determined to find the missing shoe. However, he did not menege to find it in there, either. Cherles glenced et Cherlize. Uneble to decipher her thoughts, he turned to Spencer. ¡°Where do you think it is?¡± While keeping e close eye on Cherlize, Spencer hed elreedy figured out where the shoe wes hidden. However, Alexender end the others were too focused on their seerch in other pleces end didn¡¯t notice the clever hiding spot. Cherlize¡¯s inebility to keep secrets wes evident, end Spencer hed been observing her closely since they entered the room. He noticed her continuous glences et the top of the closet door, leeding him to be certein thet the shoe wes hidden there. Noticing Cherles¡¯s intent to esk Spencer ebout the shoe¡¯s locetion, Cherlize penicked end shot Spencer e pleeding look. Spencer epologized with e smile to his future brother-in-lew. ¡°Cherlize doesn¡¯t went me to reveel it.¡± Cherles wore e scowl on his fece. ¡°My perents will be beck this weekend. Are you sure you don¡¯t went toe to my house for dinner?¡± Using his sister es leverege, Cherles sessfully struck Spencer where it hurt the most. ¡°The shoe might be behind the door.¡± Reising his eyebrows in surprise, Cherles stepped into the closet end, to his emezement, found the shoe stuck ebove the door es he looked up. We were heving severe tunnel vision. ¡°Found it.¡± Cherles¡¯ voice drew everybody¡¯s ettention et once. Semuel deshed over. ¡°Where?¡± Five minutester, Samuel emerged from the closet, giving Alexander a helpless shrug. ¡°This is looking like an uphill battle, Alex.¡± Alexander¡¯s gaze swept over Samuel before settling on Katherine. Then, he held out his hand in front of Samuel. Initially puzzled, Samuel soon understood what Alexander wanted as their eyes met. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a mary gift and ced it in Alexander¡¯s outstretched hand. Alexander then handed the mary gift to Katherine. ¡°Where is the shoe?¡± he asked. With a grin, Katherine snatched the mary gift over. ¡°We¡¯ll keep this, but it¡¯s up to the groomsmen to locate the shoe! It¡¯s definitely somewhere in this room,¡± she dered. Alexander did not respond. He turned his gaze to Sophia. Sophia¡¯s smile remained, and her intention was clear¡ªAlexander was to follow Katherine¡¯s instructions. Alexander¡¯s eyes glimmered with determination. ¡°Keep looking. Pay extra attention to the blind spots,¡± he instructed Samuel. Failing to find it in the room earlier, Alexander took it upon himself to check the closet, determined to find the missing shoe. However, he did not manage to find it in there, either. Charles nced at Charlize. Unable to decipher her thoughts, he turned to Spencer. ¡°Where do you think it is?¡± While keeping a close eye on Charlize, Spencer had already figured out where the shoe was hidden. However, Alexander and the others were too focused on their search in other ces and didn¡¯t notice the clever hiding spot. Charlize¡¯s inability to keep secrets was evident, and Spencer had been observing her closely since they entered the room. He noticed her continuous nces at the top of the closet door, leading him to be certain that the shoe was hidden there. Noticing Charles¡¯s intent to ask Spencer about the shoe¡¯s location, Charlize panicked and shot Spencer a pleading look. Spencer apologized with a smile to his future brother-inw. ¡°Charlize doesn¡¯t want me to reveal it.¡± Charles wore a scowl on his face. ¡°My parents will be back this weekend. Are you sure you don¡¯t want toe to my house for dinner?¡± Using his sister as leverage, Charles sessfully struck Spencer where it hurt the most. ¡°The shoe might be behind the door.¡± Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Charles stepped into the closet and, to his amazement, found the shoe stuck above the door as he looked up. We were having severe tunnel vision. ¡°Found it.¡± Charles¡¯ voice drew everybody¡¯s attention at once. Samuel dashed over. ¡°Where?¡± Charles pointed above the door, and Samuel followed his gaze, catching sight of the hidden shoe. ¡°You guys really hid it well,¡± Samuel said with admiration. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to y hide and seek with you!¡± Katherine gritted her teeth. ¡°Well done, I suppose.¡± Charlize red at Spencer. It¡¯s all his fault! ¡°Mrs. Xenos.¡± After retrieving the shoe, Alexander was about to kneel down when Katherine interrupted, saying, ¡°Wait!¡± Katherine¡¯s boldness was evident as she dared to interrupt the proceedings involving the groom and the groomsmen, all of which were powerful figures. Sophia smiled faintly. ¡°You¡¯re not done yet, Mr. Xenos.¡± She was taken aback by the intensity of emotions in Alexander¡¯s gaze as he looked at her. ¡°Anything else?¡± His tone was level and showed no hints of anger. Being aware of her boundaries, Katherine refrained from crossing any lines with her boldness. Thus, she gracefully conceded. ¡°We¡¯ve heard that you all are quite powerful individuals. The girls and I have a simple request: can you do thirty pushups in one minute?¡± On average, they would have to perform one pushup every two seconds. Original from N?velDrama.Org. It was not an unreasonable request, especially to Alexander¡¯s groomsmen. As soon as Katherine spoke, Samuel swiftly took off his jacket, saying, ¡°Only thirty pushups in a minute? We¡¯ll give it our all for Alex!¡± Charles and Justin couldn¡¯t resist grinning and followed suit, removing their jackets too. The bride, groom, groomsmen, and bridesmaids were an attractive bunch. The men engaging in pushups together was truly mesmerizing. Those fortunate enough to witness this disy that day considered themselves lucky indeed. Charlize activated the timer on her phone, while the other bridesmaids attentively focused on one groomsman each to keep a careful count of their pushups. It took them all less than a minute toplete the task. With the shoe in hand, Alexander disyed no signs of impatience. He looked at Katherine and inquired, ¡°Do the bridesmaids have any other demands?¡± The wedding was intended to be a joyous and lively event. As long as the bridesmaids¡¯ requests didn¡¯t cross any boundaries, and the guests were having a good time, Alexander was more than willing to go along with the fun. Raising an eyebrow, Katherine handed him a piece of paper. ¡°One more thing,¡± she said, ¡°You need to read this aloud and give your solemn assurance to fulfill it.¡± Alexander nced at it before reaching out to take it. ¡°Very well.¡± Chapter 622 Marriage Chapter 622 Marriage That was a ssic scene. Katherine and the others were ready with their phones to record that moment. Alexander knelt down beside the bed, looking at Sophia. Then, he began to read in a calm and composed manner, ¡°In order to be apetent husband, I, Alexander Xenos, solemnly pledge to Sophia Yarrow as follows: Mrs. Xenos is always right; I will instantly reply to all Mrs. Xenos¡¯ messages; I will keep Mrs. Xenos¡¯ words in mind; all the family¡¯s assets belong to Mrs. Xenos; Mrs. Xenos¡¯ money is hers; my money is also hers. And I, too, belong to her.¡± As they listened, Katherine and the others realized something was off. That wasn¡¯t the original pledge. Alexander had evidently added thatst sentence himself. Returning to her senses, Sophia saw Alexander putting away the pledge and looking up at her. When he beamed at her, she could see her face reflected in his clear gaze. ¡°Mrs. Xenos will always take precedence over anything else in my heart.¡± Sophia smiled as well and raised her eyebrows. ¡°What about our child?¡± ¡°Our child ranks right below you.¡± Everyone around was treated to a public disy of affection without warning. Katherine couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and interrupted, ¡°All right. You can now put on the wedding shoes for the bride, Mr. Xenos.¡± Sophia grinned and hitched up the hem of her wedding dress, revealing her fair and wless feet. He picked up the wedding shoes he had just found with one hand, supporting her feet with the other, and took his time to help her wear the shoes. Having put on the right shoe, Alexander gently ced Sophia¡¯s right foot down, then lifted her left foot. When her shoe was removed, Sophia felt a tickle on her sole. She looked down and met Alexander¡¯s eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously retracted her leg. Alexander averted his gaze and arched his brows while continuing to help Sophia wear the other shoe. Except for the couple, no one else noticed their discreet exchange. ording to tradition, the bride had to be carried out of the house by a rtive. Since Sophia didn¡¯t have any brothers, the duty naturally fell to Lukas. Katherine and Charlize helped Sophia manage the long train of her dress from behind while Alexander walked by her side as the party exited the mansion in a grand manner. Perrin was supported by his assistant while Kasper and his wife trod on Sophia¡¯s heels. A line of luxury cars was parked outside the mansion. Lukas carried Sophia to the wedding car and ced her on the seat, after which it was Alexander¡¯s turn to take over. Sophia was straightening the hem of her dress when Alexander got into the vehicle. He suddenly grasped her hand, prompting her to nce at him instinctively. Thot wos o clossic scene. Kotherine ond the others were reody with their phones to record thot moment. Alexonder knelt down beside the bed, looking ot Sophio. Then, he begon to reod in o colm ond composed monner, ¡°In order to be opetent husbond, I, Alexonder Xenos, solemnly pledge to Sophio Yorrow os follows: Mrs. Xenos is olwoys right; I will instontly reply to oll Mrs. Xenos¡¯ messoges; I will keep Mrs. Xenos¡¯ words in mind; oll the fomily¡¯s ossets belong to Mrs. Xenos; Mrs. Xenos¡¯ money is hers; my money is olso hers. And I, too, belong to her.¡± As they listened, Kotherine ond the others reolized something wos off. Thot wosn¡¯t the originol pledge. Alexonder hod evidently odded thot lost sentence himself. Returning to her senses, Sophio sow Alexonder putting owoy the pledge ond looking up ot her. When he beomed ot her, she could see her foce reflected in his cleor goze. ¡°Mrs. Xenos will olwoys toke precedence over onything else in my heort.¡± Sophio smiled os well ond roised her eyebrows. ¡°Whot obout our child?¡± ¡°Our child ronks right below you.¡± Everyone oround wos treoted to o public disploy of offection without worning. Kotherine couldn¡¯t hold bock onymore ond interrupted, ¡°All right. You con now put on the wedding shoes for the bride, Mr. Xenos.¡± Sophio grinned ond hitched up the hem of her wedding dress, reveoling her foir ond flowless feet. He picked up the wedding shoes he hod just found with one hond, supporting her feet with the other, ond took his time to help her weor the shoes. Hoving put on the right shoe, Alexonder gently ploced Sophio¡¯s right foot down, then lifted her left foot. When her shoe wos removed, Sophio felt o tickle on her sole. She looked down ond met Alexonder¡¯s eyes. Her heort skipped o beot, ond she subconsciously retrocted her leg. Alexonder overted his goze ond orched his brows while continuing to help Sophio weor the other shoe. Except for the couple, no one else noticed their discreet exchonge. ording to trodition, the bride hod to be corried out of the house by o relotive. Since Sophio didn¡¯t hove ony brothers, the duty noturolly fell to Lukos. Kotherine ond Chorlize helped Sophio monoge the long troin of her dress from behind while Alexonder wolked by her side os the porty exited the monsion in o grond monner. Perrin wos supported by his ossistont while Kosper ond his wife trod on Sophio¡¯s heels. A line of luxury cors wos porked outside the monsion. Lukos corried Sophio to the wedding cor ond ploced her on the seot, ofter which it wos Alexonder¡¯s turn to toke over. Sophio wos stroightening the hem of her dress when Alexonder got into the vehicle. He suddenly grosped her hond, prompting her to glonce ot him instinctively. Alexender looked her right in the eyes, moving his hend downwerd to hold hers properly. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Sophie smiled, spreed her pelm, end gresped his hend so their fingers intertwined. The sound of firecreckers reng incessently es the cer slowly drove ewey. The entire convoy consisted of ny-nine vehicles, symbolizing their everlesting merriege. The leeding wedding cer wes e Rolls-Royce, worth over four million, end the vehicles following behind elso cost more then e million eech. The extrevegent convoy ettrected meny onlookers when they hit the roed. The convoy circled Jedeborough¡¯s inner ring once. Along the wey, Felix errenged for his men to distribute mery gifts. Alexender wes very generous, giving pessers-by mery gifts conteining ny-nine bucks eech. Felix hed prepered e totel of nine thousend nine hundred end ny-nine mery gifts to distribute elong the wey. Some pedestriens who received the mery gifts initielly thought it wes just e celebretory gimmick. However, when they opened it end found ny-nine bucks inside, they were overjoyed. Beceuse of the mery gift, the news of Alexender end Sophie¡¯s merriege went virel. Meny people filmed the spectecle of the wedding convoy driving eround the inner ring. By the time the wedding cer reeched the Xenos residence, it wes elreedy pest three in the efternoon. Alexender no longer hed eny reletives, so Sophie didn¡¯t heve to perform the greeting ceremony es the bride. He led her into the house to the mester bedroom on the third floor, their previous bedroom. The mension wes beeutifully decoreted with ribbons end belloons everywhere, especielly in the bridel room. Everything seemed different from before es the couple stepped into thet femilier room egein efter over two yeers. Sophie reckoned the only thing thet remeined the seme wes perheps her end Alexender. Sophie¡¯s wedding dress wes quite heevy. Hence, upon returning to the Xenos residence, Alexender let the stylist help her chenge out of it. Sophie took off her wedding dress end chenged into e white dress. She wes sitting on the side of the bed, just heving removed her heedpiece end eerrings, when Alexender entered. He offered her e bowl of oetmeel. ¡°Are you tired?¡± She shook her heed. ¡°No. I suppose you must be exheusted, Mr. Xenos?¡± After ell, he hed to do push-ups, pley gemes, end entertein the guests for more then en hour. ¡°Getting e little exheusted is e price I¡¯ll gledly pey if thet¡¯s whet it tekes to merry you. Besides, thet wesn¡¯t tiring,¡± he replied, sitting by her side end spooning e mouthful of oetmeel for her. Alexander looked her right in the eyes, moving his hand downward to hold hers properly. Sophia smiled, spread her palm, and grasped his hand so their fingers intertwined. The sound of firecrackers rang incessantly as the car slowly drove away. The entire convoy consisted of ny-nine vehicles, symbolizing their evesting marriage. The leading wedding car was a Rolls-Royce, worth over four million, and the vehicles following behind also cost more than a million each. The extravagant convoy attracted many onlookers when they hit the road. The convoy circled Jadeborough¡¯s inner ring once. Along the way, Felix arranged for his men to distribute mary gifts. Alexander was very generous, giving passers-by mary gifts containing ny-nine bucks each. Felix had prepared a total of nine thousand nine hundred and ny-nine mary gifts to distribute along the way. Some pedestrians who received the mary gifts initially thought it was just a celebratory gimmick. However, when they opened it and found ny-nine bucks inside, they were overjoyed. Because of the mary gift, the news of Alexander and Sophia¡¯s marriage went viral. Many people filmed the spectacle of the wedding convoy driving around the inner ring. By the time the wedding car reached the Xenos residence, it was already past three in the afternoon. Alexander no longer had any rtives, so Sophia didn¡¯t have to perform the greeting ceremony as the bride. He led her into the house to the master bedroom on the third floor, their previous bedroom. The mansion was beautifully decorated with ribbons and balloons everywhere, especially in the bridal room. Everything seemed different from before as the couple stepped into that familiar room again after over two years. Sophia reckoned the only thing that remained the same was perhaps her and Alexander. Sophia¡¯s wedding dress was quite heavy. Hence, upon returning to the Xenos residence, Alexander let the stylist help her change out of it. Sophia took off her wedding dress and changed into a white dress. She was sitting on the side of the bed, just having removed her headpiece and earrings, when Alexander entered. He offered her a bowl of oatmeal. ¡°Are you tired?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No. I suppose you must be exhausted, Mr. Xenos?¡± After all, he had to do push-ups, y games, and entertain the guests for more than an hour. ¡°Getting a little exhausted is a price I¡¯ll dly pay if that¡¯s what it takes to marry you. Besides, that wasn¡¯t tiring,¡± he replied, sitting by her side and spooning a mouthful of oatmeal for her. Sophia was indeed a little hungry. She parted her lips and swallowed the oatmeal while raising her brow at him. ¡°Tsk. Are you smooth-talking again, Mr. Xenos?¡± He nced at her. ¡°I was merely stating the facts.¡± Sophia opened her mouth and consumed another spoonful of oatmeal. She smiled in silence and lowered her head to finish the rest of the oatmeal Alexander was feeding her. Their wedding ceremony was at seven o¡¯clock in the evening, but it was already four by the time Sophia finished her light meal. Alexander knew she had woken up early that morning, so he let her get some rest after she finished her oatmeal while he went downstairs to greet the guests. However, most of the people downstairs were familiar faces. He knew both the bridesmaids and the groomsmen. Naturally, Alexander was also acquainted with members of the Dawson family. Perrin was of advanced age. Although he was ted, he had just been discharged from the hospital and was advised to rest in the guestroom. Kasper and his wife, fearing they would make the youngsters ufortable with their presence, also went to the guestroom to rest. As a result, Lukas was the only member of the Dawson family left in the hall. Noticing Alexander approaching, Lukas hung up the phone. ¡°Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Alexander replied. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re officially my brother-inw now.¡± Lukas nced at Alexander. ¡°You should bear in mind that Sophia is no longer alone this time. If you dare to do anything to wrong her, the Dawson family won¡¯t let you off.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Alexander made a promise. Subsequently, Lukas didn¡¯t press that matter further. ¡°Go and entertain your friends. You don¡¯t have to mind me.¡± However, Alexander didn¡¯t leave. He gazed at Lukas and suddenly uttered something unrted, ¡°I know where Joyce Surrington is.¡± Lukas, who had just spun on his heels, froze. Then, he turned his head around to look at Alexander with an icy expression in his eyes. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Alexander knew a little about Lukas¡¯ affairs, but he didn¡¯t enjoy prying into others¡¯ business. Therefore, he was only vaguely informed about thetter. ¡°She has a son. He¡¯s seven years old now.¡± Right after he finished his sentence, Lukas¡¯ facial expression visibly stiffened. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you her location on WhatsApp.¡± Lukas stared at him for some time before saying, ¡°Thank you.¡± Alexander curled his lips indifferently in response. He wasn¡¯t one to meddle, but Sophia was quite concerned about Lukas¡¯ emotional affairs. Chapter 623 Hope You Will Remember Too Chapter 623 Hope You Will Remember Too It was already five in the afternoon by the time Sophia woke up. Just then, Katherine walked in and handed her a ss of coconut juice. Feeling more refreshed after drinking the coconut juice, Sophia changed into the wedding dress and headed to the hotel. The dress she wore to go out was different from the one she would wear on the stage. Hence, she had to change into another one once she arrived at the venue. Meanwhile, Justin had stopped epting guests into the hotel three days before the wedding. Thus, no one else was there other than the guests who were attending the wedding. While Sophia was brought to the dressing room, Alexander and the groomsmen were resting in the other lounge. At six-fifty, Sophia¡¯s makeover wasplete, and she had changed into the other wedding dress. The dress was designed by Lydia as well. It was more extravagantpared to the one she wore outdoors. Originally, its train was hand iid with crystals, but they had to be removed because Sophia was pregnant. Sophia was brought to the banquet hall entrance by the wedding nner. The door was tightly shut, serving as a barrier between the inside and the outside. The truth was, Sophia had never visited the wedding venue until that day. Alexander had been the one monitoring the work in the hall. In fact, Sophia had never even seen the blueprint. As soon as the door was pushed open, even Katherine, who stood behind Sophia, could not help but gasp. ¡°Heavens! Mr. Xenos really¡ª¡± Gazing into the distance, Sophia saw countless dolphins floating in the air. The entire hall had a blue hue with white coral-shaped lights suspended from the ceiling. It was like a dream. The fact that Sophia liked dolphins was something Katherine and the others knew long ago. Needless to say, Alexander had put in a lot of effort to decorate the hall so gorgeously. Just then, the music in the hall stopped, and the emcee¡¯s voice rang out. The wedding nner tugged gently at Sophia¡¯s dress. ¡°Go on, Mrs. Xenos. Mr. Xenos is waiting for you.¡± Hearing that, Sophia lifted her head and looked into the distance of a few meters. She could not see Alexander clearly; all she saw was a figure standing at the end of the T-shaped stage, waiting for her. Immediately, Sophia gathered her thoughts, lifted the hem of her dress with both hands, and made her way over. Her steps were slow and steady, and the lights were shining on her. All the guests¡ªmore than a thousand people¡ªfixed their gazes on her. What Sophia saw earlier at the entrance did not seem real, but as soon as she stepped into the hall, she was stunned. There were many coral-shaped lights and starfishes hanging from the ceiling. They were brightly lit and looked incredible. There were only about fifty meters left. Every step she took brought her closer to the man. Many people were aware of how pretty Sophia was, but only a few from among the crowd had seen her at a close distance. Thus, it was everyone¡¯s first time seeing her up close. Her white, dazzling veil hung about three meters behind her, spreading on the mercury-colored path. No one from the audience dared to speak for fear of ruining the beautiful moment. ¡°The bride is slowly making her way to the groom. She¡ª¡± Before the emcee could finish, Alexander had already marched over to her. Holding a microphone, he lowered his head to look at Sophia and said, ¡°The path is too long.¡± Alexander¡¯s suddenment left many people confused, but they soon came to their senses and realized they were being treated to a public disy of affection. Even Samuel could not help but sigh as he watched from below the stage. ¡°This scene is making me want to get married.¡± A chuckle escaped Justin¡¯s throat. ¡°You? Get married? Do you even have a girlfriend yet?¡± Despite the happy asion, Justin¡¯s question was merely rubbing salt onto Samuel¡¯s wound. Meanwhile, since Sophia¡¯s and Alexander¡¯s parents were not present, Perrin was invited to give a speech on the elders¡¯ behalf. Perrin¡¯s attendance had determined the importance of the wedding. Although he had retired many years ago, he still had not gotten rid of his military habits, so his speech was short and solemn. ¡°Today is a good day. As Sophia¡¯s granddad, I¡¯m truly d to see that she has found a partner she can spend the rest of her life with. Alexander, she¡¯s a precious daughter of the Dawson family. Today, I¡¯m handing her over to you. I hope you can cherish her.¡± ¡°I will, Granddad,¡± Alexander promised, returning Perrin¡¯s solemn gaze. Satisfied with the former¡¯s response, the elderly man nodded and said a few more words of blessing before stepping down from the stage. With that, the emcee took charge again, bringing everyone¡¯s attention back to the couple as he invited them for a speech. Sophia took the microphone and gazed at Alexander, who stood beside him. With a smile, she said, ¡°I have a good memory, so I¡¯ll remember everything you say. I hope you¡¯ll remember them, too.¡± As someone who was not sentimental by nature, she could not bring herself to utter sentimental words. Vows of loyalty did not suit her. In fact, Alexander was the same. Gazing at her, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll remember them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Even though the couple did not make any sentimental speeches, the audience still felt goosebumps. Samuel could not help butment bitterly, ¡°Tsk. Even their wedding speech is out of the world. Why do they have to speak in riddles?¡± Casting his friend a nce, Charles said, ¡°You¡¯re just not smart enough to understand it.¡± Samuel was instantly displeased. ¡°What makes you think I don¡¯t understand it? It¡¯s just a vow about keeping promises.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Amused by the exchange, Justin teased, ¡°Wow. You actually understood it.¡± ¡°Are you guys trying to end our friendship?¡± After the exchange of vows, the couple exchanged their rings and moved on to the bouquet-throwing session. All the bridesmaids except for Katherine were not married, yet Katherine insisted on joining in on the fun. Joshua could only watch her go up the stage and join Charlize and the rest to catch the bouquet. There were only four bridesmaids¡ªKatherine, Charlize, Yvonne, and Sadie. Sophia took one nce and purposely avoided where Katherine was standing. Atst, the bouquetnded in Charlize¡¯s arms. Meeting Sophia¡¯s meaningful gaze, Charlize carried the flowers and dashed off the stage. There were more than one thousand people present that day. No matter how aloof Alexander usually was, he would still toast to everyone. Then again, not many from the crowd insisted the couple drink. Since Sophia was pregnant, her wine was reced with grape juice. The couple took over an hour to toast to one hundred and fifty tables, which was rather speedy. The programs after that had nothing to do with them, so Alexander apanied Sophia to the dressing room to change into a lighter gown. With Kasper and his wife watching over the venue, Alexander bade Samuel farewell and took Sophia back to the Xenos residence. Having someone as prestigious as the Dawson family to take care of the guests was more than enough. Hence, no one could say anything about Alexander and Sophia leaving early. After all, they had just gotten married. They needed to cherish their time together. Chapter 624 Congratulations On Your Marriage Chapter 624 Congrattions On Your Marriage The sun had already risen by the time Sophia woke up. Even with the curtains closed, she could still see some light spilling through the gaps. Before she could turn around, the man beside her pulled her into his embrace with a tug. Alexander lowered his head and rested his chin on her face, his stubble rubbing against her skin. Immediately, Sophia¡¯s drowsiness was dispelled. With a snort, she pushed his face away. ¡°That feels itchy!¡± Her voice was a little hoarse as she had just woken up. Surprisingly, he let her go and nuzzled her hand. Gazing deep into her eyes, he said, ¡°Congrattions on your marriage, Mrs. Xenos.¡± His words lifted Sophia¡¯s spirits, and she turned around to peck him on the lips. ¡°Congrattions on your wedding, Mr. Xenos.¡± With that, she rubbed her head against his chest. The warmth Alexander exuded made her reach out and hug him, unwilling to let go. The two did not sleep tootest night. In fact, it was only around nine by the time they reached the mansion after handing the event over to the Dawsons. Since Sophia was pregnant, the two barely did anything extreme. Around ten, Sophia¡¯s biological clock kicked into action, sending her fast to sleep. While the sun shone brightly outside, the digital clock on the side told them it was close to nine in the morning. They had been sleeping for almost eleven hours; Sophia was already feeling hungry. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Ever since Kristen and the others were kicked out of the mansion, Alexander did not bother keeping the housekeepers. Cleaners would onlye to clean and tidy the house periodically. Therefore, the huge mansion was incredibly quiet. Felix had already sent someone to deliver breakfast there. Eyeing the woman in his arms, Alexander lowered his head and nted a kiss on her forehead. Only then did he let her go. ¡°Let¡¯s have breakfast first.¡± Sophia had been sleeping a lot that month. Then again, it was only normal for her to sleep more since she was pregnant. Sophia merely nced at him but had no intentions of moving. The warm nket was too tempting in the cold weather. A rare smile formed on Alexander¡¯s lips. ¡°Do you not want to get up?¡± Sophia curled her lips. ¡°I will in a while.¡± She did not want to get up. Getting out of bed in the winter was especially difficult. Alexander gazed at her for a while before pulling the covers over her, not bothering to urge her anymore. With that, he got up and entered the bathroom to take a shower. Still, Sophia refused to get out of bed. When Alexander saw her pretending to be asleep after his shower, he walked over with a nket and lifted her up, forcing her out of bed. By the time she had finished washing up, Alexander had brought breakfast upstairs. It was a bowl of butternut squash and peppers oatmeal, probably a way to bring in good luck. Sophia¡¯s appetite had been affected due to her pregnancy. She usually ate frequently but in small portions a day. Hence, a bowl of oatmeal in the morning was enough to make her feel full. It was already half past nine when she had finished breakfast. Seeing the weather was great that day, Sophia slipped on her jacket and went to the garden for a walk with Alexander. Alexander rarely returned to the mansion, but he had given the building a makeover three months before their marriage. Thus, most of the necessities were already prepared. The truth was, Sophia did not like living in such a spacious house. The mansion was about five hundred square meters and had four and a half levels. Excluding the first floor, which had the garden, the kitchen, and the housekeepers¡¯ room, the second and third floors had a total of eight rooms. Beside the mansion was another small mansion, which Beau apparently requested to be built for Alexander to live in after he had gotten married. Now that Alexander was the only one left in the Xenos family, he did not touch the extra mansion. The main mansion itself was too huge, and with only her and Alexander living in it, Sophia was a little unused to the space. After the renovation, the house was equipped with a smart home manager, and the garden was leveled off before being filled with Sophia¡¯s favorite flowers. The housekeeper¡¯s room near the garden was transformed into a tearoom, its thick walls turned into full-length windows so one could see the garden from there. There was nothing much to see in the winter, but it was a pleasant sight to sit there on a rainy day in spring. In the garden was a courtyard equipped with a grill¡ªmost likely an inspiration Alexander got from their last holiday trip. As the sun got warmer, the two strolled around the garden, observing the Xenos residence that looked nothing like before. ¡°Do you want to have a look at the interior?¡± Sophia tilted her head to nce at him. ¡°Okay.¡± They had been too busy and rushed with the wedding the previous day that Sophia barely had the time to see what was different in the newly renovated house. The second floor was mainly the living area. It had a living room, dining room, kitchen, and three guest rooms. As requested by Alexander, both the living room and dining room were connected, giving one the perception of a huge area as soon as they arrived at the second floor. Meanwhile, the third floor had two main bedrooms, two guestrooms, and a study. Beau¡¯s old room was on the fourth floor. Alexander had broken down the walls between the two main bedrooms, turning it into a huge master bedroom and installing an office there. On the other hand, the study was connected with a guestroom, turning it into a space that was fifty square meters wide¡ªa y area for the children. The other guest bedroom and shrunken main bedroom would be the children¡¯s bedroom. Furthermore, the bedrooms on the fourth floor had been transformed into a home theater and a recreational area. Finally, the attic, which was about forty square meters, became a storeroom. Thanks to the renovation, the division of space in the Xenos residence became much clearer. The traditionalyout no longer existed, and the lighting of the interior was much better. Sophia followed Alexander around the mansion, which had no more traces of the past. The two¡¯s weddingst night was the talk of the town. In fact, the ceremony was the highlight of the news. Regardless, Sophia was unaware of it until she saw the screenshots Katherine sent. For the past few days, Alexander¡¯s phone had been switched offpletely. The couple had been spending their time in the mansion, so they had no idea what was circting on the inte. Since the two did not like going out, Alexander got Felix to buy some books and courses on parenting to study. Although they seemed to be performing quite well, they still had no idea what it would actually be like in real life. On the second day after the wedding, Sophia and Alexander dropped by the Dawson residence. This time, Alexander was visiting the Dawson residence with a different identity. Meanwhile, Sophia was no longer involved in Sunshine Group, though she asionally returned to hold important meetings with the senior executives. The moment Sophia exited the conference room, she felt the change in temperature. Before she even stepped out of thepany, Alexander had already walked over and was about to remove his coat for her. Seeing that, she stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s just a short walk. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± After all, she had juste out of a heated room and was feeling toasty. I won¡¯t be feeling cold so soon. Besides, the car¡¯s just twenty meters away. I can handle it. Raising his brow in disbelief, Alexander draped the coat over her and ced his arm around her shoulders. ¡°Stay close.¡± Thanks to his towering body, his coat practically swallowed Sophia. Even when the wind blew, all Sophia felt was Alexander¡¯s warmth enveloping her. Chapter 625 Help Me Chapter 625 Help Me After a short walk, they soon arrived at the car. Alexander opened the car door, allowing Sophia to get in first. She hurriedly got into the car, concerned that Alexander might catch a cold after he had given her his coat to shield her from the cold wind. The inside of the car felt noticeably warmerpared to the chilly outside. After fastening her seatbelt, Sophia reached out and held Alexander¡¯s hand. Although his hand felt warmer than hers, she could sense that he was still a bit chilly. Sophia handed him his coat back and said, ¡°Hurry, put this on.¡± Alexander turned to look at her while turning on the heater. After putting the coat on, he deliberately asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re not cold?¡± Upon hearing his question, Sophia subconsciously withdrew her hand from him. Although she hadn¡¯t felt cold when she first stepped out, the wind had picked up, and she began to feel its chill after walking a few steps. Observing her silence, Alexander refrained from saying anything further. He then raised his hand to gently pinch her cheek before starting the car. Since Sophia became pregnant, it had be his habit to drive cautiously, never exceeding the speed limit of a hundred. During rush hour, the city streets were teeming with cars. Alexander drove at a slower speed to ensure Sophia wouldn¡¯t feel queasy. As a result of his cautious approach, even in congested areas, it was difficult to notice any significant slowdown or stoppage of the car. During the car ride, the warm and cozy atmosphere enveloped Sophia, making her feel a little drowsy. It was already past nine o¡¯clock when they finally reached home. Sophia was usually in bed around ten, so she quickly went inside to freshen up. As she emerged, she noticed Alexander was on the phone, dealing with work matters. Odyssey was coborating with Fortuna on arge project this year. Only Sophia and Felix were aware of Alexander¡¯s connection with Fortuna. Hence, even if Alexander wanted to evade his responsibilities, he found himself unable to do so. When Sophia noticed Alexander was on the phone, she tiptoed over to him and yfully covered his eyes from behind. As she emerged fresh out of the shower, her body still radiated warmth, apanied by a subtle scent of shower gel. With her close proximity, Alexander could distinctly smell her fragrance. Moreover, as his sense of sight was momentarily impaired, his sense of smell seemed to intensify. Unfazed, he removed her hand covering his eyes and gently held it in his own. Giving her palm a slight squeeze with his thumb, he turned to look at her. ¡°Arrange the schedule for next week,¡± Alexander instructed before ending the call with Felix. Although she couldn¡¯t hear Felix¡¯s reply on the other end, Sophia summoned a guess based on Alexander¡¯s response. ¡°Are you going on a business trip?¡± The man turned to her and said, ¡°Some of the shareholders from Fortuna are concerned about the coboration with Odyssey. We¡¯ll make a trip there next week.¡± Sophia immediately raised an eyebrow and rified, ¡°We?¡± He turned and lifted her up before responding casually, ¡°Yes.¡± Sophia nced at him and scoffed, ¡°I hope ¡®we¡¯ does not mean you and me, Mr. Xenos.¡± After gentlyying her on the bed, Alexander propped both his hands on either side of her, their noses almost touching as he locked eyes with her. ¡°We haven¡¯t even gone on our honeymoon yet. Why don¡¯t you treat this as one?¡± He gently yed with her long hair by wrapping it around his fingers and fiddling with it. ¡°Well, you better ask if the baby agrees.¡± Sophia chuckled. She gestured toward her stomach, where a slight bump was starting to form from her four-month pregnancy. However, it was barely noticeable and more prominent when touched. When fully dressed, one couldn¡¯t tell she was pregnant at all. Alexander followed her gaze and looked down, hisrge hand resting on her belly through her nightgown. ¡°He¡¯s still small, so he doesn¡¯t have a say.¡± Leaning over slightly, he gazed at her lips with an affectionate and mischievous look dancing in his eyes. Sophia could feel her cheeks burn when she noticed his gaze shift to her lips. Slightly bashful, she hurriedly tried to change the subject. ¡°How many days are we going for?¡± He took a step back, his gaze lingering on her lips as his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed slightly. ¡°Up to you. You get to decide.¡± After a short pause, he continued, ¡°Do you mind if I give you a kiss?¡± She burst intoughter, amused by his sudden politeness. Since when did he be such a gentleman that he actually asks for permission to kiss me? The corners of her eyes crinkled as she beamed, and she leaned forward to kiss him on his lips. ¡°Is one kiss sufficient?¡± The man remained silent and raised an eyebrow, his gaze darkening. Sophia tightened her arms around his neck, gently pulling him down closer, and tenderly nted a kiss on top of his eye. It was a gentle kiss, but it carried a passionate charge that ignited a tingling sensation throughout their bodies. Finally, Alexander made a move. He firmly held her arm, pinning her to the bed, and locked lips with her. His kiss was forceful yet tender, and Sophia couldn¡¯t help but respond with a soft moan. After a moment of passionate kissing, he released her and leaned down, cing almost half of his body weight on her as he whispered next to her ear, ¡°How should we handle this situation, Mrs. Xenos?¡± As he spoke, his hot breath tickled her skin, and his body moved in a way that made Sophia acutely aware of the changes going on within him. Feeling flushed and overwhelmed by his presence, the woman pushed him away and quickly wrapped herself in the nket, trying to regain herposure. She teased impishly, ¡°You should take care of it yourself.¡± Alexander nced at her with an intrigued expression and said nonchntly, ¡°But I prefer your assistance for matters like this.¡± He grabbed her hand and continued, ¡°Help me, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Sophia¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she tried to pull her hand back, but to no avail. ¡°You should go and take a bath.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ¡°This is more urgent than a bath,¡± he replied, pulling her close and holding her in his arms. ¡°I¡¯m so ufortable, Mrs. Xenos,¡± he mumbled, surprising her with his uncharacteristic vulnerability. The usually aloof and dignified man was now shamelessly behaving like a scoundrel. Sopha nced at him before swiftly looking away. ¡°Hurry up then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± He lowered his head and kissed her again. The atmosphere in the room grew steamy. Twenty minutester, Sophia couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Alexander Xenos, are you done?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s never enough.¡± He let go of her, then suddenly flipped over and pressed her down. ¡°It¡¯s been over four months. The doctor said it¡¯s okay if I¡¯m gentle...¡± As Sophia looked at him with desire in her eyes, the passion in Alexander¡¯s gaze intensified. He held her chin firmly, engaging in yet another kiss with her. The room was filled with their raspy pants, irregr moans, and the soft rustle of bed sheets as they moved. They lost themselves in each other¡¯s touch, enjoying the seemingly endless intimate session. Chapter 626 Utmost Importance Chapter 626 Utmost Importance Felix had no choice but to arrange for Alexander to visit Corleon the following week because of objections from Fortuna¡¯s shareholders. After finding out Felix had booked a flight to Corleon for Tuesday, Sophia decided to check the weather at their destination. She discovered that it was cold and had recently experienced snowfall. Hence, she decided to pack a few sets of thick clothes into their luggage. The flight was scheduled for ten in the morning, and they both got up around eight. After having breakfast, they headed straight to the airport. There was no direct flight from Jadeborough to Corleon; they had to transit at the capital. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. The flight from Jadeborough to the capital took less than two hours. Sophia, who had been easily fatiguedtely due to her pregnancy, immediately dozed off as soon as they boarded the ne. Alexander asked the flight attendant for a nket and gently rested her head on his shoulder before draping the nket over her. The flight attendant who brought the nket found the couple familiar and couldn¡¯t help but sneak nces. She couldn¡¯t deny that they looked like a perfect match. However, she couldn¡¯t recall where she had seen them before. Hence, she discreetly asked her colleagues, ¡°Have you seen that couple before? They both look stunning! They seem familiar. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve seen them somewhere before!¡± ¡°That¡¯s Alexander Xenos. His wife is called Sophia Yarrow. They had their wedding a few days ago, and it was all over the news. Don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Oh, yes! I remember now. They are the renowned couple from the Xenos family, whose wedding made headlines just half a month ago! Mr. Xenos asked me for a nket earlier as his wife was asleep. The way he gently covered her with the nket was so sweet! Oh my, he is such a perfect man! Why can¡¯t I ever meet someone like him!¡± the flight attendant eximed, sharing her encounter with her colleagues. ¡°Hah! I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll dare strike up a conversation even if you meet him. Alexander is known to stay away from women.¡± The flight attendant pondered before replying, ¡°That¡¯s true. I probably wouldn¡¯t have the courage even if I met someone like him. Besides, Mrs. Xenos is a formidable woman herself even before marrying Alexander! I guess we should just keep working hard to be better versions of ourselves.¡± Meanwhile, Sophia slept peacefully on the ne, unaware that the two flight attendants were singing her praises. Indeed, she had garnered envy from many others since her wedding. Those two flight attendants weren¡¯t the only ones. During the hour-long flight, Sophia slept like a baby. Her peaceful slumber was interrupted by the announcement of the ne¡¯s impendingnding. When she awoke, she found herself sleeping with her head tilted askew,fortably nestled against Alexander¡¯s body. Still slightly disoriented upon waking up, she blinked and looked at Alexander in a daze. ¡°Have we arrived?¡± The man gently caressed her face. ¡°We¡¯ve just arrived.¡± Sophia¡¯s nket slid down as she rubbed her eyes, and Alexander helped her pull it back up. After a moment, her mind finally processed Alexander¡¯s words, and she gave a dyed response. ¡°Are we landing now?¡± ¡°Yeah. Are you still tired?¡± She shook her head and yawned. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m just hungry.¡± Sophia hadn¡¯t eaten much for breakfast that morning. It was only natural that she felt hungry since it was almost noon. Ever since she got pregnant, she had established a routine. She would have breakfast around eight, followed by some fruits at ten, and then lunch by noon. As soon as she mentioned her hunger, a small cake appeared before her, much to her surprise. Alexander handed it to her and said, ¡°Eat this first.¡± ¡°Where did the cakee from?¡± Sophia asked in surprise. Although they were seated in first ss, there was no mention of a cake being prepared for them. Moreover, this cake was from a popr bakery in Jadeborough, where people often queued for hours to buy it. He opened the packaging and replied, ¡°I asked Mr. Lane to prepare it before we boarded.¡± It suddenly urred to Sophia that before they left, Alexander had called Felix and asked him to buy something. However, she was preupied with checking their luggage, so she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the conversation and was unaware of what was being arranged. Sophia took the cake from Alexander with a yful smile and gestured with her finger. ¡°Mr. Xenos.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Alexander gazed at her but didn¡¯t move. ¡°Come over here,¡± she said with a smile, her eyes glistening and appearing moist since she had just woken up. Alexander finally leaned over after gazing at her for a few seconds. The next second, something soft pressed up against his cheek. Granting him a kiss, Sophia said, ¡°Consider this your reward, Mr. Xenos.¡± Touching the cheek she had just kissed, he blinked, an affectionate look surfacing in his dark ebony eyes. He watched her enjoy the cake and grabbed a thermos, twisting the cap open before handing it to her. Sophia had almost finished the cake when the ne safelynded. She unbuckled her seatbelt, and Alexander was already on his feet, reaching out to hold her hand. The passengers in economy ss were already crowding near the cabin door. Alexander pulled Sophia closer, ensuring no one would identally bump into her. As soon as they stepped out of the ne, Sophia felt the chilly air of the capital enveloping her. The fine snowkes were gently falling, but fortunately, the snow wasn¡¯t heavy enough to cause flight dys. The person arranged by Felix to pick them up approached them once they stepped out of the airport. ¡°Greetings, Mr. and Mrs. Xenos.¡± Felix had been handling Odyssey¡¯s affairs in Jadeborough and had been extremely busy for the past six months after Alexander ced the responsibility on his shoulders. Alexander casually swept his gaze across the man before nodding and guiding Sophia toward the parked car. He opened the car door and ced his hand near the roof to shield her head, allowing her to get in. ¡°Drive slowly.¡± Alexander suddenly spoke up, surprising Wesley Ford, the manager seated in the passenger seat. In response, Wesley quickly instructed the driver, ¡°It¡¯s snowing today, so drive cautiously.¡± Being someone capable of attaining a managerial position, Wesley was naturally adept at deciphering people¡¯s expressions. Even though Sophia¡¯s pregnancy hadn¡¯t been publicly announced, it wasn¡¯t something that could remain hidden. He could easily tell the woman was pregnant upon noticing how protective and cautious Alexander was around her. It was widely known that Sophia held the utmost importance to Alexander, and any harm befalling her would spell trouble for them all. The car gradually reduced its speed, bing much more stable. As Sophia gazed out the window at the falling snow, she reached out to hold Alexander¡¯s hand. ¡°Are we staying here for the night?¡± Her hair was messed up by the wind just now, and Alexander tucked a few stray strands of it behind her ear and replied, ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll spend the night here and take the afternoon flight to Corleon tomorrow.¡± She¡¯s right by my side anyway, so the length of our stay doesn¡¯t really matter. Sophia pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. After spending the night in the capital, they boarded the flight to Corleon the next day. The thirteen-hour journey left Sophia feeling stiff and sore upon disembarking from the ne. Though she managed to eat and sleep well during the flight, the limited space made it somewhat ufortable for Sophia, who was pregnant, to sit for a prolonged time. Felix had made arrangements for someone to pick them up at the airport. As they exited, a person approached them and inquired if they were Mr. and Mrs. Xenos. Subsequently, they were escorted to a hotel. Throughout the journey, Sophia couldn¡¯t stop yawning. Hence, Alexander decided to have lunch delivered to the hotel room. Instead of heading to the company, he stayed in the room to keep herpany. Following lunch, Sophia settled on the sofa to watch a movie. However, the jetg soon made her feel drowsy again, and she dozed off. When she eventually woke, it was alreadyte in the day. Alexander stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, deeply engrossed in a phone call. Chapter 627 I Am Enjoying It Chapter 627 I Am Enjoying It Since Sophia just woke up, she still felt a muzzy. It took her some time to regain her senses after sitting up. Pulling the nket tightly around her, she heard Alexander¡¯s voice in the quiet room. Despite his attempt to lower his voice, she still heard him amidst the quietness of the room. ¡°Wait until my wife wakes up. Maybe an hourter.¡± Sophia looked in the direction of Alexander¡¯s voice and met the man¡¯s gaze. Alexander hung up the phone and walked toward Sophia. A tender look surfaced in his eyes when he saw her still somewhat groggy. He reached out to caress her cheek lovingly. ¡°Are you still sleepy?¡± Sophia shook her head and rubbed her eyes before ncing outside. ¡°Not anymore. Oh, it¡¯s dark now.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Humming in response, Alexander ced her clothes on the bed and embraced the woman. Sophia instinctively wrapped her arm around his neck and thought of the phone call she overheard, asking, ¡°What were you talking about when you mentioned an hourter just now?¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t awake yet, so I asked them to deliver dinner an hourter,¡± he answered while helping her put on her clothes. ¡°Lift your arms.¡± As Sophia raised her arms, he slipped the sweater over her head. He then ran his fingers over her hair, which was a mess due to static charge, and said, ¡°I got them to prepare Chanaean food.¡± Sophia was somewhat amused as she allowed him to brush away the hair on her face. ¡°So you¡¯re not even letting me move now?¡± Alexander nced down at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to move just now?¡± He did ask her to lift her arms just now. ¡°Stretch out your arms,¡± he said, lifting her jacket. Obediently, Sophia raised her arm and let him put in on her. Once that was done, she grabbed her pants and shoved Alexander yfully. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Alexander! It¡¯s not like I¡¯m disabled.¡± ¡°I enjoy taking care of you.¡± He withdrew his hands and looked at her joyfully. Indeed, he enjoyed doing these things for her; it brought him a sense of peace and happiness and made him feel as though she depended solely on him. Since he had married an independent woman, he could only seek a sense of aplishment by doing such trivial matters. Sophia huffed. ¡°Turn around!¡± His ebony eyes crinkled as he smiled faintly. ¡°Why? I¡¯ve seen everything.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. Turn around!¡± She wasn¡¯t as shameless as him and would still feel somewhat embarrassed whenever she changed her pants right in front of him. Alexander chuckled and turned away. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need any help?¡± Sophia rolled her eyes. ¡°Just get me some water.¡± Having just woken up, she felt a bit thirsty. ¡°Okay,¡± replied Alexander. He then filled a ss with hot water and mixed it with cold water to make sure the temperature was just right before handing it to Sophia. After drinking the water, Sophia felt much more clear-headed. She checked her phone and was surprised to see it was seven o¡¯clock. ¡°It¡¯s already sote.¡± If she remembered correctly, they got off the ne at around two, and it took only about an hour from the airport to the hotel. It turned out she took a nap for more than three hours. She thought she had only been sleeping for over an hour. No wonder I felt muzzy upon waking up. Looks like I¡¯ve been sleeping for too long. Alexander wrapped a scarf around her neck and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s good to get more sleep.¡± ¡°We¡¯re indoors. I don¡¯t need a scarf.¡± Sophia rejected. After thinking about it, Alexander realized the room was indeed at afortable temperature, so he did not insist on it. The Chanaean food Alexander ordered was delivered half an hourter as requested. It tasted much better than Sophia had expected. Sophia did not have an appetite on the ne and went straight to sleep after arriving at the hotel. Now that she was awake, she started to feel hungry. After dinner, Alexander asked Sophia if she wanted to go downstairs for a stroll. Sophia shook her head. ¡°Not really. Aren¡¯t you going to Fortuna for a meeting tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes, I am, but that¡¯s okay,¡± Alexander replied. Sophia shed him a smile. ¡°But it¡¯s so cold outside.¡± She disliked going out on cold days. Alexander decided against taking her out after hearing that. There was a home theater in the room, so he picked a movie to watch with Sophia. Due to jetg and the long nap she had in the afternoon, Sophia stayed up until almost three in the morning. Alexander stayed up with her too. As a result, the dark circles under his eyes were somewhat obvious the next morning. Sophia felt a little sorry for him and wanted to grab him a warm towel to soothe his eye but was stopped by the man. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mrs. Xenos. Just sit down and rest. I¡¯ll go to the meetingter, and after that, we¡¯ll head home.¡± Alexander regretted bringing her along because she could not sleep the night before. They did not stay long in Corleon; they returned home after only three days. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. When they were back in the capital, Alexander happened to have a business meeting. So, they decided to extend their stay for a few more days. After getting off the ne, Sophia slept for over two hours. When she woke up and checked the time, it was almost seven o¡¯clock. She looked at Alexander, who was getting her water, and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to attend a dinner at seven?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no rush,¡± Alexander said. He walked over and handed her the ss. Then, he took towels and gloves from the suitcase and ced them aside. Sophia choked on her water when she saw those garments. ¡°You¡¯re not making me put on all those, are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold outside,¡± Alexander replied. He proceeded to help her put on the coat. Only when Sophia was all bundled up did Alexander take her hand and walk out with her. The car was waiting downstairs, and fortunately, the restaurant wasn¡¯t far from the hotel. However, by the time they got into the car, it was already seven o¡¯clock. Alexander instructed the driver not to speed, and their journey there went smoothly. They were nearly twenty minuteste when they arrived at the hotel. At a leisurely pace, Alexander led Sophia out of the elevator. Wesley, who was waiting ahead, seemed slightly anxious but did not dare to rush Alexander. Upon reaching the door of the private room, Alexander suddenly stopped in his tracks and uttered to Sophia, ¡°Wait.¡± Then, he turned to Wesley. ¡°Mr. Ford, could you please go in and check if there¡¯s any smell of smoke in the room? If there is, we¡¯ll change to another one.¡± Wesley was briefly taken aback. When he came back to his senses shortly after, he quickly nodded. ¡°Sure, Mr. Xenos.¡± Sophia took a nce at the private room and then back at Alexander. ¡°Am I really that fussy?¡± It was normal for such private rooms to have the smell of smoke. Alexander squeezed her hand gently. ¡°I just care about you.¡± Sophia felt her cheeks flush upon hearing the man¡¯s deep voice. ¡°Mr. Xenos, the smell of smoke has dissipated. You and Mrs. Xenos...¡± ¡°Change to another room.¡± Alexander did not even look up. He had not smoked for years and would never allow anyone to smoke in front of him during dinners. Actually, he didn¡¯t want to attend the dinner, but the other party¡¯s secretary was eager to meet up. Plus, he had already informed them that he would bring Sophia along. Any sensible person would know no smoking was allowed that day. That had been his habit for years, so naturally, those people should be aware of it. He might¡¯ve let it slide if Sophia weren¡¯t around, but since she tagged along, he wouldn¡¯t overlook the matter. Chapter 628 Unworthy Of Comparison With My Wife Chapter 628 Unworthy Of Comparison With My Wife The instant Wesley heard Alexander¡¯s request, his expression changed imperceptibly. ¡°Uh...¡± ¡°My wife is pregnant, so she can¡¯t be exposed to cigarette smoke, Mr. Ford.¡± Alexander¡¯s voice was even, and he did not sound livid. Yet, Wesley still broke into a cold sweat. Not daring to say anything further, he nodded fervently. ¡°Got it, Mr. Xenos. I¡¯ll have someone arrange for another private room right away!¡± After saying that, he whirled around and went into the private room. Then, he came out and looked for the hotel¡¯s manager to ask for a different room. Alexander stood at the side and watched it all expressionlessly. It¡¯s impossible for him to have failed to perceive that Sophia is pregnant. But still, he had someone arrange a room that isn¡¯t non-smoking. He¡¯s clearly not attentive enough. Sure enough, he¡¯s overestimating his importance now because he has been the local despot for too long a time. Tilting her head sideways, Sophia looked at the man. Seeing that he remained silent, she reached out and tugged at the hem of his shirt. ¡°Is this really okay?¡± Alexander gazed down at her. ¡°Why is it not okay? You¡¯re pregnant and can¡¯t be exposed to cigarette smoke.¡± In the past, he smoked asionally, but ever since Sophia fell pregnant, he had already quit the habit. At present, he did not like the stench of secondhand smoke either. Since he had said so much, Sophia did not say anything further. Oh well, what¡¯s there toin about my own husband loving me too much? Besides, he¡¯s been germophobic since years ago. If Felix were in charge, the interior of the private room would¡¯ve been sparkling clean without a hint of cigarette smoke. This Wesley guy is just too sloppy. I wonder if it¡¯s because Alexander hasn¡¯t flexed his power for too long a time that he doesn¡¯t take him seriously or if he¡¯s been the local autocrat for too long and truly thinks that Odyssey¡¯s headquarters are too far for its influence to reach him. The venttion in the hotel¡¯s private rooms was poor in the first ce. Worse still, it was winter then, and the indoor heating was turned on. If one could not curb the urge to smoke, T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. one could have left the private room and satiated one¡¯s addiction in the corridor. No one would have med him. However, those in that private room did not bother budging and smoked in their seats instead. Sophia was pregnant, and her stomach was exceedingly sensitive, making her prone to nausea. Alexander had already given an obvious hint when he took exception to the stench of cigarette smoke earlier. Even then, Wesley ignored that and balked at changing rooms. Sophia nced down at her hand in Alexander¡¯s. Just when she wanted to tease him and ease his anger, the door to the private room swung open once more. ¡°Mr. Lindbeck!¡± Unexpectedly, the man who stepped out this time was not Wesley. Wesley followed behind Lionel Lindbeck with a grim look on his face. As he cast his gaze at Alexander, his expression was ratherplex. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Mr. Xenos?¡± The first words out of Lionel¡¯s mouth were an usation toward Alexander, and chagrin was written all over his face. By sheer luck, he made some money more than ten years ago. Later, he happened to have a good eye for trends, and his investment projects profited perpetually. The domestic economic growth had been improving in the past few years, so he made increasingly more. Gradually, he started getting full of himself. He had some status in the business circle and had been a smoker for over thirty years. Everyone knew about his fondness for cigarettes. But a moment ago, Wesley mentioned that the stench of cigarette smoke in the private room was too pervasive, and Sophia could not be exposed to it. Thus, he felt that thement targeted him explicitly. He had five kids, and he had been smoking in front of his women when they were pregnant. None had ever had any problems with it. Yet, Alexander did not bother affording him any respect and wanted him topromise for the sake of his wife. Naturally, he could not take it lying down. In his opinion, women were not worthy of such care. Alexander pulled Sophia to his back before glowering down at the man before him. ¡°What do you think, Mr. Lindbeck?¡± Compared to Lionel¡¯s aggressive questioning, Alexander¡¯s voice was mild yet carried an inexplicable sense of intimidation. Swinging his gaze over, Lionel was surprised by the look in the man¡¯s eyes. Nheless, he had been in the business world for many years, so he quickly rposed himself. ¡°Your sincerity iscking, Mr. Xenos. Not only were youte today, but now you expect all of us to amodate you by¡ª¡± ¡°Mr. Lindbeck, we should indeed be considerate since Mrs. Xenos is pregnant!¡± Someone wanted to try smoothing things over, but Lionel grew increasinglycent as he spoke. ¡°You want us to change rooms? Is your wife more precious than the few of us?¡± That question was obviously inviting humiliation. Hearing that, even Wesley felt mortified on his behalf. Who¡¯s more important between Mrs. Xenos and the few of them old coots? Hah! I apud him for having the nerve to ask such a question! Alexander¡¯s ebony eyes flickered, and his gaze slowly turned chilly. ¡°To me, you¡¯re unworthy of comparison with my wife, Mr. Lindbeck.¡± While saying that, he lowered his head slightly and stared straight into Lionel¡¯s eyes. His ebony eyes carried menace and frost. That single look struck such terror into Lionel that he instinctively backed up a step. ¡°How audacious! I don¡¯t think you¡¯re interested in a coboration! In that case, Mr. Xenos, let¡¯s not waste our time anymore.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Mr. Lindbeck. I¡¯m indeed not that interested in a coboration.¡± As he spoke, he no longer bothered to look at Lionel. Instead, he nced back over his shoulder at Sophia. ¡°What would you like for dinner?¡± Stealing a peek at the furious Lionel, Sophia smiled and yed along with him. ¡°Let¡¯s just eat here instead of going elsewhere.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Alexander murmured. Subsequently, he turned his gaze to Wesley. ¡°Which private room is unupied, Mr. Ford?¡± Wesley froze for a moment. On the heels of that, he hastily pointed at the private room diagonally across from them. ¡°T-This one.¡± Back then, he reserved two private rooms for fear that something might go wrong. Unexpectedly, the extra one ended uping in handy. Taking Sophia¡¯s hand, Alexander spun around and headed toward the private room diagonally across from them. The door was a touch heavy, so he held it open with a hand to allow Sophia to enter ahead of him. That twist of events transpired so fast that even Lionel, who was wearing a self-righteous expression on his face a while ago, was stunned. His face flushed bright red in rage as he watched Alexander disappear into the private room. ¡°H-He really left just like that?¡± The door to the private room mmed shut. Alexander and Sophia closed them all out, paying their conversation no mind. Meanwhile, Wesley¡¯s heart leaped to his throat, as the disapproving re Alexander had given him earlier still haunted his thoughts. Feeling a pounding headache, he wiped his face before shifting his gaze to the three big shots in front of him with a pounding headache. ¡°Mr. Lindbeck, Mr. Whitham, Mr. Zanardi, even though the coboration fell through, let¡¯s still have a meal together. It¡¯s my treat this time, as a gesture of apology for making this trip in vain!¡± Wilbur Whitham tugged at Lionel. ¡°You¡¯ll regret this! Do you even know the vast resources Alexander has at his disposal? Have you considered Odyssey¡¯s status and reputation in the country? Just a few days ago, there were rumors that Fortuna from overseas was interested in coborating with Odyssey. Do you honestly think we can still measure up to Odyssey¡¯s standards?¡± ¡°Um... So what? We¡¯ll coborate with someone else since he isn¡¯t interested in doing so with us! Odyssey isn¡¯t the onlypany in the world!¡± At that, Zephyr Zanardi sneered, ¡°You probably aren¡¯t aware of thepany in which Alexander invested in Alenvista, huh? He has a dozenpanies, but none are listed. Do you think he¡¯s really a nobody? How foolish!¡± No three-year-old kid, Lionel understood the implicit meaning of it upon hearing that. He promptly paled and did not dare argue further. ¡°Should I go and apologize, then?¡± It was clear that Wilbur did not want to give up on someone profitable like Alexander. He turned to Wesley. ¡°We¡¯re in the wrong today, and we¡¯ve realized our mistakes, Mr. Ford. Can we go and apologize to Mr. Xenos?¡± Wesley wavered for a while. ¡°I¡¯ll go and ask him, then.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Ford!¡± Wesley attempted to sh Wilbur a smile, but he couldn¡¯t even force one. He felt that his performance that day was no better than theirs. Chapter 629 I Am Serious Chapter 629 I Am Serious Meanwhile, Alexander paid no attention to whatever the few men thought and led Sophia into a different private room. Taking a seat, Sophia took a sip of warm water. ¡°Prestige is considered a long-establishedpany, right?¡± Prestige was none other than Wilbur and the few other men¡¯spany. It wasn¡¯t that Sophia was afraid of creating trouble, but she genuinely believed that a coboration between Odyssey and Prestige could be mutually beneficial. At her question, Alexander cast a nce at her. While taking the menu for her, he answered, ¡°Yeah, but they¡¯re not the only outstandingpany in the country.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Hearing that, Sophia immediately grasped his meaning. She dipped her head and scanned her eyes over the menu, ordering two signature dishes before turning her attention back to Alexander, propping her hand under her chin. ¡°After today¡¯s incident, will I bebeled as a ¡®femme fatale¡¯?¡± Despite knowing that it was deliberate on her part, Alexander could not stand to hear her degrading herself in such a manner as he flipped through the menu. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare publicize this matter.¡± He snorted before snagging the order chit and adding another three dishes. No sooner had he finished ordering than someone pushed open the door to the private room. The person who stepped in was Wesley, followed by Lionel, who was behaving arrogantly earlier. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Mr. Lindbeck was a bit too rash earlier because he imbibed. Now that he has sobered up, he came to apologize to you and Mrs. Xenos.¡± Alexander bore his eyes into Wesley. Thetter was so terrified by the stare that he almost could not maintain the smile on his face. Sweeping his gaze over Wesley, Alexander fixed his eyes on Lionel. Right then, Lionel showed a marked improvement in his demeanor. As he noticed Alexander¡¯s gaze on him, he put on an ingratiating smile. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Xenos, I must apologize for my inappropriate comments earlier. I spoke out of turn after having a few drinks, and I hope you won¡¯t take it to heart.¡± s, Alexander did not bother mincing his words at all. ¡°We never take insignificant people to heart.¡± While saying that, he paused briefly before stating coldly, ¡°Sorry, but we¡¯re hungry. Please don¡¯t disrupt our meal.¡± When Lionel heard that, his face flushed bright red in rage, and he shot Wesley a look. With a harrumph, he spun on his heel and stalked out of the private room. As Wesley regarded Alexander, he inexplicably felt a chill running down his spine. ¡°I apologize for the inappropriate arrangements today, Mr. Xenos. Please forgive me.¡± Alexander did not even deign to spare him a look. ¡°This is my personal time, Mr. Ford. I¡¯m not discussing business. Just go out.¡± Having been in the business world for such a long time before he finally got to his current position, Wesley naturally understood the man¡¯s meaning. In other words, Alexander was not settling the score with him right then, but the same could not be said later. His expression abruptly changed. He wanted to speak further, but a look from Alexander had his heart lurch. In response, he hurriedly whirled around and left the private room. Something happened to Alexander three years ago. While he was abroad, Sophia took over Odyssey¡¯s management. All the matters concerning the branch offices were reported in summation. On top of that, Odyssey had two big projects back then. Overwhelmed with work, Sophia had no time to inspect the branch office in the capital. A year ago, she gradually returned Odyssey to Alexander. But then, thetter handed it to Felix. Therefore, the headquarters had not sent anyone to survey the situation there in over three years. Odyssey¡¯s development in the past few years had been rtively good, but the financial reports from this branch office spoke of another story. At first, Alexander hadn¡¯t intended to delve into the matter so quickly, but as he was already there, he asked Felix to look into things first. His n was to handle the situation there after dealing with the shareholders in Corleon. Wesley likely did not expect the headquarters to investigate him without warning and failed to cover his tracks in time. In just a few days, Felix¡¯s men obtained much evidence. After going back to the hotel at night, Alexander received the information and knew where the problem was. Wesley had lost his sense of ce in the past few years. During the turmoil that hit the headquarters a few years ago, he tried to take advantage of the situation. However, things unexpectedly stabilized after a few months. Given Alexander¡¯s situation, it was clear that the headquarters had more pressing matters to attend to, leaving little time to focus on the branch offices. Additionally, as the head of thepany, Wesley had intended to embezzle some money and escape without anyone noticing. However, the temptation of money became irresistible, leading him to grow bolder and take even greater risks. He conspired with another business to buy counterfeit equipment for thepany in the guise of having imported them from abroad. The machinery could range from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions each. Over the past few years, batch after batch of shoddy equipment was purchased, during which he pocketed hundreds of millions, all the money going into his coffers. That matter was a piece of cake to investigate. The counterfeit equipment was still fake at the end of the day, no matter how real it looked. For that reason, their projects had remained stagnant all these years. Those from the research and development department had long since realized something amiss, but the resulting data was inurate. Giving up, they all left, batch after batch. In other words, Alexander was not settling the score with him right then, but the same could not be said later. Some time ago, someone noticed a problem with the equipment. Unfortunately, there was no evidence. In the end, he could only resign and leave. Some time ago, someone noticed a problem with the equipment. Unfortunately, there was no evidence. In the end, he could only resign and leave. Some time ago, someone noticed a problem with the equipment. Unfortunately, there was no evidence. In the end, he could only resign and leave. After cottoning on to the problem with the equipment, Felix followed the trail and found thepany conspiring with Wesley in just two days. Thepany¡¯s owner had been arrested by the police yesterday, but he was surprisingly loyal and had not betrayed Wesley yet. However, that matter was not difficult to investigate. Merely delving into Wesley¡¯s transactions and properties in the past two years, Felix effortlessly got to the bottom of things. When Sophia came out after her shower, she found Alexander in a foul mood. Walking over, she ced a leg on the couch, hugging his arm with one hand while turning theptop to herself with the other. ¡°What happened? Is it...¡± She paused mid-sentence, and her expression gradually changed. A frown marred her countenance, and incredulity showed on her face. ¡°W-What audacity!¡± Although she had surmised an issue with the branch office in the capital, she was still shocked upon laying eyes on the investigative report. Good Lord! This Wesley guy is simply too daring! In less than three years, he has actually defrauded thepany of almost five hundred million in equipment costs! Tsk-tsk, he¡¯s going to be spending the rest of his life in prison! By then, Alexander had alreadyposed himself. He tilted his head and looked at her while closing the lid of hisptop. ¡°You aren¡¯t sleepy?¡± As he spoke, he scooped her up. In response, Sophia shook her head. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because I slept too much during the day.¡± Quirking a brow, Alexander ced her on the bed. He lowered his head and rubbed his cheek against hers. His hand under his body touched hers, and he pulled it over. ¡°How about helping me handle my physiological needs then, Mrs. Xenos?¡± At his words, Sophia¡¯s face med. She swiftly drew her hand back. ¡°Cut it out. Go and shower.¡± Alexander hugged her tightly, burying his head in her neck and murmuring in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± Sophia¡¯s cheeks flushed as she felt the warmth of his breath on her skin. ¡°The doctor said to practice restraint.¡± Lifting his head, Alexander stared at her. A momentter, he pecked her on the cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say and practice restraint, Mrs. Xenos.¡± While saying that, he carried her to the middle of the bed and ced her down. Then, he snagged his pajamas and went into the bathroom. Chapter 630 Amusing News Chapter 630 Amusing News Sophia woke up quitete the next morning. Through the gap of the curtains, sunlight seeped into the room. She was alone in the bedroom; Alexander had left for thepany. Reaching for her phone, she saw a text message from him five minutes ago, asking if she was awake. After responding to the text, she climbed out of bed and washed up. Just when she finished moisturizing her face, breakfast was brought over to her. Alexander came back at past four in the afternoon. He exuded a cold aura, annoyance visible in his expression. When Sophia stretched her arms toward him, he picked her up. Gaze softening, he gave her lips a peck and asked, ¡°Mrs. Xenos, is there anywhere you¡¯d like to go?¡± Sophia arched her brow and gave it a thought. ¡°I¡¯ll pass. It¡¯s a hassle to go out in such cold weather.¡± It had been snowing in the capital since the other day, and the sight of the fluttering snow outside discouraged Sophia from going out. Just the thought of theyers of clothes she had to wear made her head ache. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go home tomorrow, then,¡± said Alexander while nodding. Sophia nced at him. ¡°So soon? Have you resolved the issue here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Alexander was never a patient man, so he couldn¡¯t bother to waste his time on someone as audacious as Wesley. After the meeting earlier that day, the police arrived at thepany and arrested Wesley. Wesley had looked totally clueless, wondering if he was being arrested merely because of the incident the previous night. While he yelled that there must be a misunderstanding, Alexander threw the documents with the information Felix had found at his face. Upon seeing the contents, Wesley turned pale. Before the employees in thepany could figure out what was going on, Alexander had acted swiftly and promoted the newly transferred employee to Wesley¡¯s position. In just two hours, Alexander settled the issue. ¡°You fired him just like that?¡± Sophia asked. Shaking his head, Alexander led her to the couch and sat her down. While pouring her a ss of water, he exined, ¡°No, I reported him to the police. He was taken away after the meeting.¡± Sophia was surprised to hear that. ¡°I guess he wasn¡¯t even aware that he was already under investigation, huh?¡± Alexander brushed away the stray hairs on her forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. The police will handle the rest.¡± Wesley would never be able to get out of prison for embezzling such an astronomical amount of money. Since Alexander didn¡¯t want to speak more of it, Sophia stopped probing and took a sip of the warm water. Alexander nced at his phone and mentioned, ¡°Our flight is at ten in the morning tomorrow.¡± ¡°All right.¡± He stared at her for a while, then asked again, ¡°You really don¡¯t want to go out for a walk? The winter scenery here is really nice.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s cold. I don¡¯t want to go out.¡± Sophia leaned into his armsnguidly, looking like azy cat. Alexander felt his heart melt at her adorable appearance, and he couldn¡¯t resist caressing her face. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you when you feel likeing here again.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sophia then began scrolling through a menu on her phone to order lunch. After eating, they strolled around the hotel before returning to their room and putting on a movie. Halfway through it, Sophia fell asleep. Although Alexander didn¡¯t have the habit of taking afternoon naps, he eventually dozed off while watching her. It was easy to pass time with one¡¯s beloved; all they needed was each other¡¯spany. The day flew by in the blink of an eye. Since their flight was in the morning, Sophia went to bed early. They woke up at past seven the next morning. Sophia didn¡¯t bring many things, so they soon finished packing. The driver had been waiting for them downstairs. Having eaten too much for breakfast, Sophia felt a bit bloated. When they got into the car, Alexander took off her gloves and warmed her hands in his. ¡°Feeling stuffed?¡± ¡°A bit,¡± Sophia said, leaning into him. A rare smile graced Alexander¡¯s face. He ced his hand on her tummy, stroking it gently. Feeling cozy, Sophia snuggled into him further. They arrived at Jadeborough at noontime, where Felix had personallye to fetch them. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Mrs. Xenos.¡± ¡°Mr. Lane, thank you for picking us up,¡± Sophia said. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, Mrs. Xenos.¡± When Felix pulled the door open, Alexander ced his hand above Sophia¡¯s head to shield it as he helped her into the car. As the car began cruising, Felix inquired, ¡°Mr. Xenos, did you arrange for someone else to go there?¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. He had heard of the incident from the day before. It hadn¡¯t been long since Malcolm Quillen, Wesley¡¯s sessor, was transferred there. Although he was capable of undertaking Wesley¡¯s role, they still needed someone to take on Malcolm¡¯s previous position. However, Alexander had his own organized ways of doing things. He might have already put everything in order while he was there. Being a meticulous man, Felix simply asked to be sure. ¡°Yeah, send another person there. When you have the time, you should head there to clean things up,¡± Alexander said. With the passage of time, Fortuna¡¯s rtionships with its business partners had be quite complicated. He had tried to sort them out yesterday, but it was a pain in the neck. ¡°All right.¡± He stared at her for a while, then asked again, ¡°You really don¡¯t want to go out for a walk? The winter scenery here is really nice.¡± Some of the local tycoons there wouldn¡¯t even listen to Alexander. While they appeared to be polite, they were unyielding and adamant about getting their way. Some of the local tycoons there wouldn¡¯t even listen to Alexander. While they appeared to be polite, they were unyielding and adamant about getting their way. Some of the local tycoons there wouldn¡¯t even listen to Alexander. While they appeared to be polite, they were unyielding and adamant about getting their way. After giving Felix the instruction, Alexander gently tightened his grip on Sophia¡¯s hand. Sophia was looking at her phone when a news headline caught her attention. She raised her eyebrow, then smirked and handed her phone to Alexander. ¡°This is quite amusing.¡± Tilting his head, Alexander scanned through the text. ¡°If you¡¯re not happy about it, I¡¯ll ask Mr. Lane to handle it,¡± he said calmly. The article talked about what had transpired the other night, subtly mocking Sophia for being too fussy and Alexander for condoning her. Sophiaughed nonchntly. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. If they like to talk about it, just let them be.¡± ¡°All right. We¡¯ll do as you say,¡± Alexander agreed dotingly. They went home after having lunch, but Alexander soon left the house to attend to something. When he returned again, Sophia was asleep. After she became pregnant, she acquired the habit of taking afternoon naps, which usuallysted for more than an hour. It was already past two when they came home earlier. After loading their clothes from the trip into the washing machine, Sophia went to bed. Now, at five in the afternoon, the sky had begun to darken as it was winter. Alexander removed his tie and touched Sophia¡¯s face. She was so deep asleep that she didn¡¯t even stir despite his action. A soft smile spread across Alexander¡¯s face, and he leaned down to kiss her softly. Then, he headed to theundry room and took out the clothes from the washing machine, bringing them to the balcony. Inside the room, Sophia opened her eyes when she heard the noise outside. She immediately figured out that Alexander might be back already. Stretching her body, she then put on the coat ced at the side and got off the bed to look for him. When she reached the hall, she saw Alexander in his white sweater, standing on the balcony and hanging up the clothes in an organized manner. There were several balconies in the house; the master bedroom alone had two. As Sophia found it a trouble to go outside, she usually did theundry in the master bedroom and hung them on the balcony connected to the room. This made collecting the clothes easier as well. The clotheslines were four meters above the ground, so Alexander needed a clothesline pole despite his tall height. As if sensing her gaze, he turned around. At the sight of Sophia, he furrowed his brows slightly and said, ¡°It¡¯s cold. Go back in.¡± Chapter 631 Why Do You Ask Chapter 631 Why Do You Ask When he saw her standing still and hesitant, Alexander gently ced the clothesline pole down, turned around, and carried her back to the bed. Sophia felt a tinge of embarrassment as she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Alexander¡¯s skin felt cold to the touch as he had been standing on the balcony for quite some time. Realizing this, he gently released Sophia after cing her back on the bed. He then tucked the covers around her and chided, ¡°It¡¯s cold out there, so you¡¯ll catch a cold if you spend too long standing outside.¡± Sophia countered, ¡°You¡¯ve closed the floor-to-ceiling window. The wind won¡¯t be able to reach me. Hence, it¡¯s not considered outside.¡± Alexander caressed her head tenderly in response. Removing his jacket, he threw it onto the swing chair. He then carefully lifted her, still wrapped in the nket, and nted a gentle kiss on her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s still cold.¡± With that, he pulled Sophia into his loving embrace. Amused by his overprotective nature, Sophia cried out, ¡°We have a heater in the room, you know!¡± Alexander remained silent as he gave her a knowing look. He then reached into the pile of clothes she had ced by the bed and retrieved a sweater. ¡°It¡¯s still cold.¡± The room was dimly lit, with only a nightlight emitting a soft glow. After putting on the sweater, Sophia looked up and observed Alexander as he put on the overcoat for her. Affectionately, she rubbed her head against his chest. ¡°The baby says it misses its daddy.¡± ¡°And what about its mommy?¡± ¡°She misses its daddy too.¡± Ever since she fell pregnant, she had be especially affectionate and attached to Alexander. His heart warmed as Sophia hugged him tightly. He ced the overcoat by the side and returned the embrace, savoring the tender moment. ¡°What would you like for dinner?¡± he asked. After some thought, Sophia answered, ¡°Something hot andforting.¡± ¡°Hotpot?¡± Alexander suggested, wondering why she insisted on beating around the bush instead of directly stating her preference. Sophia smiled in acknowledgment. ¡°Sure. It¡¯s been a while since I had hotpot.¡± Alexander supported Sophia¡¯s dietary preferences and allowed her to eat whatever she wanted. Sophia was also mindful of her diet, preferring simple and healthy foods even before her pregnancy. During her pregnancy, she continued to make nutritious choices and rarely craved indulgent treats like hotpot, barbecue, or ice cream. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Sophia¡¯s craving for hotpot prompted Alexander to call Felix and have the food delivered right away. He knew that regardless of where they ate it, hotpot was still hotpot, and having it at home would allow him to ensure they had clear soup. Ever since she fell pregnant, Sophia had been avoiding spicy foods to prevent any difort, opting for nd and in options instead. As hotpot was a rare treat for her, Alexander thoughtfully prepared two soup bases for that day¡¯s meal, mushroom broth and chicken broth. Sophia had never been fond of spicy foods, and she rarely indulged in them, except for the asional times when she shared a meal with Katherine in the past. However, now that she was pregnant and dealing with a sensitive stomach, she avoided anything spicy altogether. A few days after their return from the capital, Sophia reached her twentieth week of pregnancy. Alexander apanied her for the third prenatal checkup, and they received reassuring news. The results were ideal. Sophia had always maintained a good physique, and aside from her weak stomach during pregnancy, everything else was in excellent condition. Shortly after the hospital visit, Jadeborough experienced its second snowfall of the year. As the final week of the year approached, they began preparations for the uing New Year celebrations. On the special asion of New Year¡¯s Eve, Sophia baked a delightful beef pie; while Alexander prepared four other dishes toplement the festive dinner. As the night drew near, the faint sound of firecrackers filled the air, heralding the arrival of the New Year. Despite the strict rules prohibiting firecrackers in recent years, the enthusiasm of the kids remained undiminished. Sophia watched the distant fireworks from the floor-to-ceiling window, though they were far and few as private individuals were cautious not to vite thew with excessive disys. Alexander emerged from the bathroom with his still-damp hair and hugged Sophia from behind. His cool hair sent a shiver down her spine, causing her to fidget as she turned to face him. ¡°The year passed by so fast.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Alexander hummed in response before he scooped her up in his arms. Sophia smiled, circling her arms around his neck as he carried her to the couch. After gently cing her down, Alexander noticed the hairdryer on the coffee table and handed it to Sophia. ¡°Can you do me the pleasure of drying my hair, Mrs. Xenos?¡± He settled down in front of her, leaning against the couch as if giving Sophia full permission to pamper him. Amused, Sophia knelt down beside him and switched on the hairdryer, using her fingers to gentlyb through his two to three-centimeters-long hair. Fortunately, his hair didn¡¯t retain water, making the drying process swift and easy. As Sophia continued, the kneeling position started to take a toll on her pregnant body, and her hands grew tired after a few minutes of holding the hairdryer. Deciding to take a brief break, she switched off the hairdryer. Before she could catch her breath, Alexander swiftly snatched the hairdryer away with one hand and pulled her into his arms with the other. He lowered his head and nuzzled his face against hers. Sophia had never been fond of spicy foods, and she rarely indulged in them, except for the asional times when she shared a meal with Katherine in the past. Sophia couldn¡¯t help but giggle and instinctively pushed him away as his stubble tickled her. ¡°It¡¯s ticklish!¡± Sophia couldn¡¯t help but giggle and instinctively pushed him away as his stubble tickled her. ¡°It¡¯s ticklish!¡± Sophia couldn¡¯t help but giggle and instinctively pushed him away as his stubble tickled her. ¡°It¡¯s ticklish!¡± Alexander gazed at her with affection as he set the hairdryer down and continued rubbing his chin on her head. Knowing he was doing it on purpose, Sophia grabbed his chin and warned, ¡°I¡¯ll bite you if you don¡¯t stop!¡± She even pretended to gnash her teeth for added effect. He finally stopped, then shifted his attention to gently caress her pregnant belly through her clothes. At twenty-one weeks, her bump was slowly bing noticeable, and although it wasn¡¯t visible through her clothes, Alexander could feel it with his hands. Since bing pregnant, Alexander had developed a fondness for cing his hands on her belly. Sophia didn¡¯t mind it at all as she felt the same way too. In just four months, they would enter a new phase in life together. Her heart warmed as she looked up at him. She nuzzled her face against his neck and asked, ¡°Do you have a preference for whether it¡¯s a girl or a boy?¡± ¡°A girl,¡± Alexander replied without hesitation. Curious, Sophia raised an eyebrow and inquired, ¡°Why is that? Don¡¯t you think a boy would be just as good?¡± Alexander lowered his head, a yful glint in his eyes as he asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Sophia shrugged and put on a pretense of feigned ignorance. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like girls?¡± Alexander¡¯s yful response caught her off guard. She had wanted to trap him with her question, but it turned out to be the other way around instead. Sophia quickly recovered, shing a warm smile. ¡°I¡¯m not like you. I like both boys and girls.¡± ¡°Oh, I thought you didn¡¯t like girls.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? Baby girls are so cute. I n to dress her up every day.¡± It was probably every mother¡¯s dream. Alexander teased further, ¡°Then why are you asking me for my opinion?¡± Sophia opened her mouth to respond but found herself at a loss for words. Frustrated yet amused, she yfully bit his chin. ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose.¡± He lifted his hand to rub his chin with a smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you doing the same?¡± The amusement in Sophia¡¯s eyes deepened as she hugged him. Seeing him smile, she grinned too, sharing in his contagious happiness. ¡°A boy would be good too, especially if he¡¯s like you,¡± she murmured gently. Adjusting her position, she embraced Alexander. She had developed a newfound fondness for hugging him ever since she became pregnant. Chapter 632 Can You Manage Chapter 632 Can You Manage Alexander stared at her smile as the hand not hugging her tightened. As his hair was not fully dried, when he lowered his head, a droplet of water fell on Sophia¡¯s cheek. Flinching from the cold, Sophia wiped it away instinctively. ¡°Yeah,¡± he answered softly and caught her hand. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Sophia¡¯s eyes crinkled. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Smiling, she tried to retract her hand, but he held it tight. Then, the arm around her waist tightened. As she was already in his embrace, his motion pressed her closely against his chest. His gaze darkened as he looked at her. Sophia flushed from his scorching gaze. Through the fabric of her pants, she could feel the heat emanating from his thighs. It did not take long for it to warm her skin. Unable to bear the torment any longer, she reached out to push him away, but he grabbed her hand. ¡°Mrs. Xenos,¡± he called softly, his tone deep. The next second, Alexander bent down to kiss her. His hand snaked around her waist and pulled her against him. Sophia sensed the stirring between his legs. I don¡¯t even know what I did! He was fine earlier, and now he¡¯s suddenly in the mood. Through her daze, Sophia mustered her remaining wits and nipped his tongue. ¡°We need to stay up to wee the New Year!¡± she said, taking advantage of his retreat. ¡°No problem. We can do that.¡± He pressed close to her ear. When he spoke, his hot breath blew into her ear, and it tickled her like a feather. Instinctively, she withdrew her hand but was subjected to a nip on her earlobe. Sophia moaned in pain and ecstasy. She did not understand what he meant earlier, but she now did. ¡°Would you like to do it in bed or on the couch?¡± he asked as he kissed her. Sophia flushed crimson at those words. She wrapped her arms around him and shut her eyes slightly without responding. The nightlight in the room illuminated her burning cheeks. ckening his grip slightly at her silence, Alexander gazed down at her before carrying her to the couch behind them. Under theirbined weight, the soft couch gave way. Sophia was wearing a cardigan, which proved cumbersome to remove. As he was in no hurry, he took his time, kissing her as he did so. ¡°Mmm...¡± Ever since she became pregnant, Sophia enjoyed wearing loose,fortable cotton pants, which Alexander pulled off effortlessly. He pinned her down by the waist and conquered her, one step at a time. Sophia clenched her fists as she endured Alexander¡¯s assault. The air in the room became stifling hot all of a sudden. Alexander¡¯s hand fell to her waist. His calloused palms grazed her soft skin, tickling her. A bang sounded. Somebody had lit some firecrackers. Sophia felt as if somebody had set off firecrackers in her head, too. She writhed and squirmed in agony. After the suffocating ecstasy passed, she fell limp as sweat drenched her body. Holding on to him in a daze, she kissed him gently on his forehead. ¡°Alexander.¡± Alexander gazed at her and noticed that her brow was drenched with sweat. Her eyes glistened seductively. His gaze darkened. ¡°Hold on tight.¡± With that, he lifted her and headed into the bedroom. The bed was much bigger than the couch. No longer restricted by space, Alexander became like a fish back in its element. However, he remembered to be gentle with Sophia as she was pregnant. He was so tender that it mollified her. ¡°Does it feel good?¡± he whispered in her ear after flipping her over easily and hugging her from the back. Already feeling hot in the head, the heat intensified when she heard his husky voice. Alexander did not intend to wait for Sophia to respond. He began kissing her ear. His hot breath burrowed into her ear at the same moment as his invasion. Oh my goodness. Pressing her lips together, she held on to the sheets for dear life. That position drove her wild. An hourter, Sophia slumped, panting, against Alexander. She was still trying to catch her breath from the wild ride, feeling immensely satisfied as she held him close. She took his hand that had fallen limply to his side. As if suddenly remembering something, she gazed up at the man, who was pretending to be asleep. Her face glowed with the aftermath of love. Having just been satiated, she was looking very seductive, like a flower freshly washed by the showers of spring. Unable to bear it any longer, Alexander covered her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, Mrs. Xenos.¡± It was hot having his hand covering half her face. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Alexander asked after a pause. She nodded. ¡°A little.¡± As she could not eat as much every sitting, she grew hungry quickly. Alexander let go of her and kissed her cheek. ¡°Go wash up. Can you manage on your own?¡± Sophia looked at him. ¡°Yes.¡± How embarrassing it would be if I can¡¯t even take a shower on my own! Unconvinced, Alexander scooped her up in his arms. ¡°Hold on tight, Sophia.¡± Sophia froze for a moment, then wrapped her arms around his neck. It was fortunate that he had carried her in because her legs gave way as soon as he set her down, and she fell once again onto him. Alexander held her while turning on the shower with his other hand. As they had already taken a shower, they simply rinsed themselves. After they were done, Alexander carried her out again and got dressed before going to the kitchen to bring out their dinner, which was being kept warm. It was still early after they ate. ¡°Let¡¯s watch a movie,¡± Sophia suggested after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°Sure,¡± he answered, then headed to the study to retrieve herptop. Sophia chose aedy; she thought it apt for the festivities. Alexander did not enjoy the genre as a whole. He only watched it to keep herpany. He yed with her fingers while she watched the movie. Sophia was initially engrossed, but the figure behind her suddenly pressed his chin onto her shoulder and breathed into her ear halfway through the movie. Shuddering, she turned to look at him, distracted. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± he grunted as if nothing had happened. Sophia turned to nce back at him and, upon discovering that there was indeed nothing, paid him no further mind and turned her attention back to the movie. Slumping against Alexander, she fell asleep midway through the movie. A deafening bang of firecrackers suddenly sounded. Sophia jerked awake. Bracing herself against his arm, she sat up and gazed out the window, where the dazzling disy illuminated their faces. Sophia became wide awake at once. Instinctively, she nced at the clock on the wall and saw it was exactly midnight. Then, she turned back around to gaze at Alexander. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. ¡°Happy New Year, Alexander.¡± As she had just woken up, she sounded a little hoarse. ¡°Happy New Year, Mrs. Xenos,¡± he replied, holding the back of her head. Then, he nted a kiss on her lips. Though it was a gentle kiss, it fell on her heart with a weight she had never experienced. ¡°Thank you, Sophia,¡± he said earnestly, with his dark eyes fixed on her. Sophia smiled and squeezed his hand. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Chapter 633 What Does That Mean Chapter 633 What Does That Mean Several days into the new year, Felix made a trip to the capital to makerge personnel changes to the subsidiarypany, promptly terminating all of those who were friendly with Wesley. The decision caused a riot, but when Felix produced the evidence of their collusion with Wesley, they no longer dared cause any more trouble. Some of the shareholders tried nting their own people, but Felix took the opportunity to remove them as well, angering the shareholders, who took advantage of the first meeting of the year to use Felix of being reckless. However, no amount of outrage could reverse the situation, as it was Alexander¡¯s decision. Furthermore, thoseid off were problematic employees to begin with. Against the evidence and the executive order from the headquarters, the shareholders were powerless to change a thing. With Felix off to the capital, it was down to Alexander to suppress the uprising. After the New Year and halfway through February, Sophia¡¯s belly had be noticeably bigger, though it was still not visible. Only when she caressed her belly could she feel that she was further along than she had been the year before. As Alexander was off at Odyssey keeping watch, Sophia found herself home alone. Aside from cooking, practicing yoga, watching films, or listening to rxing music, she did not have much else to do at home. One day, after she was done cooking, she heard a noiseing from downstairs. Alexander entered just as shepleted the final dish. After he hugged her from the back and kissed her, he washed his hands and helped her set the table. Alexander had offered to hire a maid, but Sophia did not want a stranger in the house. She also knew that Alexander felt the same way. Left alone with nothing to do, she did yoga in the morning when Alexander went out for a run and did another hour after her afternoon nap. Then, she would read after dinner. Life was simple, but Sophia arranged her time well and made it fulfilling. In this manner, three months passed in the blink of an eye. Spring in Jadeborough was beginning before the vestiges of the winter cold had time to melt away. It had been a while since Katherine and Sophiast met. As soon as the former finished shooting the day before, she asked Sophia out the very next day. Alexander personally sent Sophia to the caf¨¦ they agreed to meet at. ¡°Give me a call when you¡¯re done.¡± Sophia was amused. ¡°Got it, Mom. Drive safe.¡± He had already repeated himself more than a few times on their way there. Alexander¡¯s brow twitched when he saw the twinkle of mischief in her eyes. He pulled her into his arms. Ignoring the fact that they were in public, he bent down and kissed her, only letting go when she began gasping for breath. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long. I¡¯ll miss you,¡± he said lightly. After catching her breath, Sophia punched him. ¡°We¡¯re standing outside a cafe, Alexander. Are you crazy?¡± Worried that they might be overheard, she kept her voice low. As they were in a mall, their antics had arrested the attention of many people. Alexander scoffed. He pulled her arm and held her hand firmly. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you in.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a few paces. Surely it¡¯s not necessary. Besides, Katherine is already there.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± As he had made his decision, allowing herself to be led inside was all Sophia could do. Alexander only let go when they saw Katherine. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°You two are always canoodling in public, Mrs. Xenos. Have you considered the feelings of those around you?¡± Katherine teased Sophia as soon as thetter arrived. Sophia did not take those words to heart as she chuckled. ¡°Isn¡¯t your husband treating you well?¡± There, Sophie paused and cast her friend an ambiguous smile. ¡°Who was it who told me that her husband calls her multiple times a day, I wonder?¡± Having being dealt the merciless ribbing, Katherine promptly fell silent. Sophia then turned to Lewinn, who was seated in a baby chair. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, Lewinn. Did you miss me?¡± As she spoke, she went over and tugged his hand. Lewinn did not like being held, but he tolerated Sophia. ¡°Your hand is so cold! Would you like a sweater?¡± Katherine reached over to feel his hand when she heard that. ¡°I gave him a coat earlier, but he refused to wear it, the little rascal.¡± Lewinn was over a year old. Though he still could not speak, he understood his mother well enough. When he heard Katherineining about him, he gurgled and waved his wooden spoon. Katherine snorted. ¡°He has an awful temper, too.¡± Chuckling, Sophia sat across from them. ¡°When is your new show airing, by the way?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. That was Katherine¡¯s first television series upon her return from maternity leave; the shoot hadsted over three months, during which Joshua had brought Lewinn to visit her and thus spent the New Year abroad. Katherine pulled the coat around Lewinn and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°I missed my baby so.¡± Sophia raised her brows. ¡°Lewinn is smiling.¡± Having not seen each other in a while, the pair had plenty of interesting stories to exchange. Ever since Katherine gave birth, most of her stories revolved around Lewinn. Having always been a good listener, Sophia was content with listening to her friend. The pair chatted for over an hour until Lewinn suddenly began crying. Failing to cate him, Katherine gave Joshua a call and asked him to pick them up. After seeing the family off, Sophia strolled about the mall on her own. Odyssey was not very far away¡ªonly a fifteen-minute drive away. Tired from wandering about, Sophia gave Alexander a call and asked him to pick her up. After hanging up, Sophia went to the restroom. ¡°Mrs. Xenos.¡± Sophia stared at the woman who addressed her, slightly taken aback. ¡°And you are?¡± Mona Shipley gazed at her mournfully. ¡°I am Wesley¡¯s wife, Mrs. Xenos. I¡¯m here to ask for your help.¡± Sophia¡¯s heart leaped to her throat at the mention of Wesley. rm bells began ringing in her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have anything to talk about, Mrs. Ford.¡± Mona pursed her lips. ¡°Then I¡¯m sorry for doing this to you, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Sophia frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± As soon as she spoke, she suddenly felt faint. Her vision began to falter. Just before she lost consciousness, Sophia realized she had drunk a ss of water earlier. That was careless of me. Then, her vision grew dark, and she slumped to the floor. Night came early in the month of March. The ck Rolls-Royce stopped outside the hotel, and Alexander emerged from it. The hotel regained its serenity at the conclusion of thepetition. He dialed Sophia¡¯s number. Though it rang, she did not pick up. It did not take long for Alexander to realize that something was wrong. Wearing a frightening scowl, he called Felix. As soon as he hung up, he received a text message. His scowl grew even grimmer when he saw the familiar username. The message was sent by none other than Wesley¡¯s wife, whose husband had just been sentenced to prison not long ago. It consisted of only one sentence, which read: If you want your wife back, Mr. Xenos, please release my husband. Chapter 634 What Do You Really Want Chapter 634 What Do You Really Want A gloomy look crept onto Alexander¡¯s unexpressive face as he read the message on his phone. Felix soon came with his men after receiving the message. When he came down from the car and saw Alexander, he froze. Still, he had been working for Alexander for a long time, so he had seen his boss with that look before. ¡°Mr. Xenos, I¡¯ve already sent men to retrieve the surveince footage in the area.¡± Alexander nced at him. ¡°Check the mall¡¯s surveince footage first.¡± As he said that, he called Justin. Justin, who was in the middle of an intimate act with a woman, quickly picked up the call. He lowered his head to kiss the woman beside him before putting on his pants and saying, ¡°Something has happened to Sophia, so I need to help Alexander out. Stay in the condominium and wait for me to come back.¡± Phoebe Chivers, the woman, stiffened. ¡°What happened to Mrs. Xenos? I thought she¡¯s pregnant, so Mr. Xenos hasn¡¯t been letting her go out that often.¡± Just as she was about to get out of bed, Justin stopped her. ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure. Be good, okay? Wait for me toe back.¡± Phoebe stiffened, but she relented and let go of his hand. ¡°Okay. Be careful on the road.¡± At that, Justin, who had already reached the doorway, turned around to smile at her. ¡°Got it.¡± With that said, he quickly went out of the house. By the time Justin reached the mall, Alexander had already retrieved the surveince footage. Walking over to Alexander, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Alexander did not even turn around as he swiftly informed the other man about what was happening, ¡°Sophia went to meet Ms. Quinn today. After four in the evening, the two went their separate ways. Around five, Sophia called me and asked me to pick her up, but by the time I reached, she was nowhere to be found.¡± The Quail family was a family ofwyers, and Justin hade into contact with a number of simr cases. As Justin had a vastwork, Alexander decided to seek his help. With a frown, Justin asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the surveince footage?¡± ¡°The cameras were malfunctioning.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too coincidental to be malfunctioning at this time?¡± Alexander¡¯s expression was dark. ¡°But I received a message from someone who ims to be Wesley Ford¡¯s wife.¡± Justin took out a cigarette, but he did not light it as he put it between his lips. ¡°Wesley Ford? The CEO of Odyssey¡¯s capital branch? Didn¡¯t you just send him to jail a while ago? Over four billion was involved in that case, so I reckon he¡¯s going to be in jail forever.¡± After a moment of contemtion, Justin went on, asking, ¡°So what does his wife want? He¡¯s already been arrested and thrown into jail. She¡¯s not hoping to get her husband out in this way, right?¡± Alexander¡¯s brows furrowed as he seemingly thought of something. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s only doing this to get Wesley¡¯s money.¡± Then, he turned to Felix and called out, ¡°Felix!¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Xenos?¡± Felix was also worried about the missing Sophia, for she was pregnant. ¡°Look into Wesley¡¯s wife and her family.¡± Felix had been working for Alexander for more than a decade, and he had always done what his employer told him to do. Thus, he immediately worked on that. It was March in Jadeborough. By seven, the sky had already turnedpletely dark. The men Felix had sent to do the investigation were back. After he heard their report, Felix¡¯s face paled. ¡°Mr. Xenos, Wesley¡¯s wife is Mona Shipley, and the Shipleys went on a tripst month. They¡¯re not back yet. Moreover, Mona quit her job half a month ago, and her friends have not seen her since then. She has a son with Wesley, but he was sent overseas a month ago.¡± The Shipleys were all gone, and this was clearly premeditated. Wesley still had more than a hundred million that he had yet to fork out. That was a sum of money that would allow Mona and her family to live a luxurious life overseas for the rest of their lives. Upon connecting the dots, Felix realized that Mona was not actually trying to save her husband; she was eyeing the money that Wesley still had. For the entire night, Alexander and Justin sent teams of their men one after another, but they could not find a single trace of Sophia¡¯s whereabouts. Evidently, Mona hade prepared, and they were not going to find Sophia that quickly. Meanwhile, when Sophia woke up, she found herself in a room,pletely restrained by ropes. She was on a bed, and her legs were even chained up as if she was a prisoner in medieval times. It would be impossible for her to escape. The light was on in the room, and there were some bread and water by the side of the bed. Sophia was a little hungry, and the room was rather cold too. Still, there was a nket on the bed, and she had been under it earlier. After sitting for a while, she took the bread up to check its expiry date. It was manufactured the day before, but it would not expire until a week after. It was cold, but it was still food nevertheless. More than an hour since she woke passed, but no one came. By the time four hours went by, Sophia was starting to feel tired again. Sophia had an urate biological clock. If she was feeling sleepy, it had to be around ten at night. There were still no sounds from the outside, so she guessed that no one was going to do anything to her. Unable to resist the exhaustion, she went back to bed and fell asleep. She slept until the next morning. Just as someone opened the door to the room, Sophia woke. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Mona came in with a bowl of oatmeal, and Sophia struggled up to a sitting position. As she looked at Mona, she said, ¡°Mrs. Ford, your husband has already been sent to jail, and his case is scheduled to be heard in court on the seventh of next month. Kidnapping me won¡¯t let you save him.¡± After a pause, she added, ¡°So, what do you want?¡± Mona put down the bowl in her hand and sat down by the side of the bed. As she undid the ropes on Sophia, she said, ¡°Mrs. Xenos, you should wash up and have your breakfast first. You¡¯ll be staying here for a period of time, but I won¡¯t hurt you. Please trust me, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Once she finished undoing the ropes, she nced at Sophia and left. Sophia knitted her brows, unable to decipher what Mona¡¯s intentions were. When she turned to the side, she saw the piping hot bowl of oatmeal. A moment of hesitationter, she put on more clothes and dragged her chained feet to the bathroom to wash up. The house she was in was clearly an old one. The light in the bathroom flickered, and Sophia could also tell that the heater model was an old one. However, the basic necessities on the sink were new, clearly prepared for her by Mona. After washing up, Sophia went out to eat the oatmeal. The weather outside did not look good as it was gloomy. When Sophia looked out of the window, she could only see a road and nothing else. There were nondmarks for her to identify the area. After standing at the window for a while, she shut the curtains and walked away. She neither knew where she was nor how long she was going to be there. No matter how mentally tough Sophia was, she could not avoid feeling anxious about her situation. Moreover, she was pregnant. There was a desk in the room with a few books on it. Beside it was a wardrobe, and when Sophia opened it, she found new clothes and undergarments. She also noted the presence of a clock by the bed. When Mona came back in again, it was half past twelve. She hade with more food and a bowl of soup. Before Sophia could say anything, Mona said, ¡°Mrs. Xenos, apologies for putting you in this tough spot.¡± By then, Sophia had already been sitting for two hours, so she was far calmer than before. ¡°Mrs. Ford, you¡¯ve already brought me here. I won¡¯t be able to escape this ce, so why don¡¯t you let me know what¡¯s going on before I die?¡± Mona gave her a nce filled withplicated feelings, but in the end, she only said, ¡°Be at ease, Mrs. Xenos. You¡¯ll be fine.¡± It was Sophia¡¯s first time encountering someone like Mona, who would not say a word more than she needed to. Fortunately, Mona did not torture her. She would bring Sophia three meals a day on time, and sometimes, she would even bring fruits and supplements. For the sake of her baby, Sophia would finish everything she could. It was not particrly hard for Sophia to stay in the room despite herck of freedom of movement. Still, the prolonged captivity often brought a sense of foreboding to Sophia. When night came, she would be gued with frequent nightmares. Chapter 635 Do Not Be Afraid Chapter 635 Do Not Be Afraid Thissted until the fourth night. When Sophia woke at around three in the morning, she heard noises coming from outside her room. Though the metal chains on her ankles were not short, she could not walk too far out of the room. The woman¡¯s voice was not loud, but the house was empty¡ªonly she and Mona upied the space. Thus, Sophia could hear Mona speaking into the phone receiver as she told someone to wait a little longer. ¡°He has money, but he¡¯s going to be in jail for the rest of his life. What need would he have of that money? Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing. Mr. Xenos loves his wife a lot, and she¡¯s pregnant. I refuse to believe that he will just sit on his hands while his wife is in danger!¡± Sophia¡¯s heart lurched when she heard that, and she finally realized what Mona wanted. Mona¡¯s a ruthless woman, and she might resort to merciless tricks if she¡¯s cornered. No longer daring to stand right by the door, Sophia quickly turned to walk further into the room. However, at that moment, the door opened. As Mona looked at her, she said, ¡°Mrs. Xenos, ignorance is bliss.¡± Although Mona had been holding her captive, she had not actually done anything horrible to her. However, those words that had juste out of Mona¡¯s mouth made Sophia¡¯s heart sink into the pit of her stomach. Even though she had been locked up for a few days, she had regained some of her mental fortitude. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I should go to sleep,¡± Sophia said, pretending to not understand Mona¡¯s words as she shuffled to the bed. Mona only watched her from the doorway. A beatter, she left, closing the door behind her. As Sophia had woken up in the early hours of the morning previously, she woke muchter the next morning. Upon waking up, she was greeted by the shocking appearance of Mona beside her. Paling, she blurted out, ¡°Mrs. Ford?¡± ¡°You¡¯re awake. Are you feeling unwell?¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t walk around in the middle of the night next time. It¡¯s still cold at night, and you¡¯re pregnant. It¡¯ll be bad if you get sick.¡± Startled by her abrupt show of concern, Sophia took a while to squeeze out, ¡°Okay. Thanks.¡± ¡°Wash up. I¡¯ll reheat your breakfast.¡± With that said, she went out with the food. It was then Sophia realized that her breakfast was never the same throughout her captivity here. In a way, Mona took rather good care of her. After washing up and waiting by the bed for a while, Sophia looked at the time. It was past nine by then. It was a rtively sunny day, so Sophia drew the curtains to let the sunrays filter in. Just as she returned to bed, Mona came back inside with breakfast. Sophia nced out of the window before turning to look at her again. Mona only gazed at Sophia for a moment before going back outside. Although Sophia was used to Mona¡¯s behavior, what Mona had said to her the night before still frightened her. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Before twelve, Mona came into the room with lunch. This time, instead of leaving, she took a seat on a chair beside the bed and asked, ¡°Mrs. Xenos, would you like to hear my story?¡± Sophia lifted her brows. ¡°I would be more than willing to listen if you want to talk about it.¡± ¡°Just call me Mona. Don¡¯t call me Mrs. Ford anymore. I don¡¯t want to be Mrs. Ford anymore.¡± Sophia did not respond to that. She was the captive, defenseless. If Mona insisted on telling Sophia the story, Sophia had no choice but to listen to her. As it turned out, it was a simple yet dramatic story. Mona¡¯s family was quite well off, and before meeting Wesley, she had been doted on by her family. On the other hand, Wesley¡¯s family situation was below average. In other words, he could be considered a self-made man. Both studied at the same university. As Mona came from a well-to-do family, she spent money without much hesitation. One time, when she was on her way back to school after drinking at a bar with her friends, a group of gangsters targeted her. Initially, the gangsters only wanted her money, but when they realized that she was quite a pretty young woman, they wanted both her and her money. Mona was far from mild-mannered, and as she had drunk some alcohol, she began hurling insults at the gangsters when they started touching her. They were infuriated, but coincidentally, Wesley and his basketball team members bumped into her and saved her. That was her first time meeting Wesley. She had to admit that, despite Wesley¡¯s family situation, he had been a rather handsome young man. She had fallen in love with him at first sight, and Wesley was interested in her too. After some time of interacting with each other, they began dating. When they graduated from university, she chose to stay in the capital so that she could be closer to him. A year after that, they married. Wesley¡¯s family¡¯s finances were so tight that they could not even afford a thirty thousand betrothal gift, so in the end, Mona had to use the money she saved topensate for theck of funds. The wedding, ultimately, was a simple one too. But they were young. They thought love was all they needed. Wesley was rather lucky. He had only worked for a year at Odyssey before he was promoted to team leader. In a way, his future had been bright. If not for her son finding out what Wesley had done, she would not have ended up like this. ¡°Men are liars. To them, promises are nothing but sweet nothings to whisper to women. The only thing that won¡¯t betray you in this world is money!¡± That was how most people¡¯s stories went¡ªa happy start but an unsatisfactory end. Sophia listened to Mona as thetter hissed the words that most people believed in. After that, Mona wiped her eyes and cocked her head to look at Sophia for a while. ¡°But Mr. Xenos isn¡¯t the same as Wesley. He was born with a golden spoon. If he wanted to have fun, he would have done so years ago. Mrs. Xenos, my life isn¡¯t as good as yours. I couldn¡¯t meet a man like Mr. Xenos, so please don¡¯t me me for what I had to do.¡± After that, she fell back to her usual silence. Something about Mona¡¯sst words made Sophia feel anxious. A voice in her mind told her that Mona was going to make a move soon. In the evening, Sophia watched the sun go down, wondering why Mona had yet to bring her dinner. Usually, dinner would be brought to her by now. It was already half past five. In another half an hour, the sky would turnpletely dark. Half an hour soon went by, but Sophia still saw no signs of Mona. As she was used to eating at a specific time, she was starting to feel hungry after half an hour. Then, sounds came from downstairs. In no time, the door to her room was opened, and the man she had not seen for four days entered her line of sight. His eyes were fixed on her as he strode over. Without wasting a beat, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. ¡°I¡¯m here now. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Chapter 636 I Am Back Chapter 636 I Am Back Sophia drank in the sight of Alexander, whom she had not seen in a few days. She blinked her eyes in disbelief and stretched out her arms, pulling him into a tight embrace. She had been locked up for four days. Her fear and anxiety had almost driven her to madness. Although Mona had not intended to hurt her, the former did not seem inclined to let her go either. She was five months pregnant and already beginning to show. The thought of what would happen to her baby if she continued to be imprisoned here had constantly dominated Sophia¡¯s worries. Her pregnancy hormones already made her exceptionally emotional, and Sophia was at her breaking point after enduring for so long. ¡°Alexander, I¡¯m scared!¡± A tear rolled down Sophia¡¯s cheek. Once the floodgates were opened, she could not hold them back anymore, and she began to cry in earnest. Alexander looked at her tear-stained face and felt his throat tightening. He said softly, ¡°Come on, Sophia, don¡¯t cry.¡± He lowered his head and kissed her forehead, trying tofort her. Sophia was shaking all over. She said through her tears, ¡°I thought I¡¯d never get to see you again.¡± She did not know how she had managed to survive those four days. It was not so bad when she was asleep, but her waking hours were filled with endless anxious thoughts. Her anxiety was a problem, and Sophia was afraid that she would fall into a bout of depression because of it. She sobbed uncontrobly. Alexander could not manage to calm her down, so he lifted her up into his arms. The movement brought his attention to the shackles around her feet. His heart broke at the sight. He gently ced her on the bed and lowered himself to cradle her feet. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Sophia wiped away her tears before ncing at her feet. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really hurt actually.¡± The shackles were meant to humiliate her, and Sophia felt like a lowly prisoner with them on. ¡°Where are the keys?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Sophia replied, shaking her head. She bit her lip as she watched Alexander touch the red marks around her ankles gingerly. With him around, she felt her fear melting away. Alexander looked up at her. ¡°I¡¯ll get Felix to bring a cutter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sophia nodded. He kissed her forehead again and said regretfully, ¡°I got here toote.¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡± After all, she was unhurt. Sophia knew that her disappearance must have worried Alexander. Four days of not being able to find her must have driven him mad. When Felix received Alexander¡¯s call, he did not fully understand the situation, but he did not question his boss¡¯ instructions and quickly did as he was told. As he was handing the cutter to Alexander, he caught sight of Sophia¡¯s ankles. Realization dawned on him. Mona must be desperate for money! ¡°Mr. Xenos, the police have Mona under control.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± Alexander sat Sophia on the bed and bent down to cut off the shackles. Although the shackles had not been bound tightly, Sophia had been unwillingly wearing them for four days, and the friction had left a ring of chafed skin around her ankle. Some parts had even blistered. Alexander gently removed the shackles. His expression darkened when he noticed the injuries around her ankle. Noticing the change in his face, Sophia reached for his hand and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Alexander clutched her hand tightly and stared into her eyes, echoing her words, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go home right now.¡± Although Mona had not harmed her physically, Sophia was still in a delicate condition. She was worried about the baby she was carrying, so they stopped by the hospital on their way home. After being reassured by the doctor that everything was fine, Sophia finally breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a crazy day, and Sophia fell asleep in the car as Alexander was driving them home. She had not slept well for the past few days, especially after hearing Mona¡¯s phone call two nights ago. Sophia had mentally prepared herself for Mona to kill her. However, no matter how much she had tried toe to terms with her death, fear still wrapped around her like a vice. Her anxiety would jerk her awake in the middle of the night. Each time she would pray that it had all been just a nightmare, but each time she had woken up to the same unfamiliar surroundings. The reality was that she had been held captive by Mona. Sophia¡¯s hunger pangs woke her up. It was already dawn by then. Alexander was not beside her in the bed, so she called out for him, ¡°Alexander?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Alexander answered. Then, he walked in carrying a bowl of oatmeal on a tray. It was her first night of peaceful sleep, and Sophia slept for a long while. She had panicked when she realized Alexander¡¯s absence, fearing for a moment that she was still with Mona. Alexander set the oatmeal down on the bed and asked, ¡°Are you hungry?¡± After a full night of sleep in a familiar environment, Sophia finally calmed down. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m hungry actually,¡± she replied, taking in the sight of Alexander. ¡°Have some oatmeal then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to wash up first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± When Sophia stepped out of the bathroom, she saw Alexander waiting for her on the couch. He patted the spot beside him. ¡°Come sit. I¡¯ll feed you.¡± Sophia settled herself down beside him. The warmth of the oatmealforted her. Sophie usuelly did not heve much eppetite, but thet morning, she devoured two bowls of oetmeel before she felt full. There wes still plenty of time efter breekfest, end Sophie set ebout replying to Ketherine¡¯s messeges. Alexender hed not mede e big fuss ebout her diseppeerence, end Ketherine hed not been told ebout it. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. However, it hed been e few deys since she hed replied to Ketherine¡¯s messeges. No metter how oblivious her friend wes, she would stert to heve suspicions efter so long. Sophie quickly typed out e text messege following Alexender¡¯s suggestions. Then, she begen looking for her clothes to teke e proper beth. ¡°Need eny help?¡± ¡°No, I cen menege,¡± Sophie replied, turning pink. Alexender wetched her quietly. He set on their bed end weited for her to be done with her shower. During those few deys when Sophie hed been missing, he hed gone through e rough period. He hed not slept much, only cetching e few winks here end there es he hed beenpletely focused on finding her. Only his good physicel condition hed kept him from collepsing. Sophie, on the other hend, hed not teken e good shower during her ceptivity by Mone. Although Mone hed given her e set of toiletries, Sophie hed rushed through ell her showers. Now thet she wes beck home, Sophie filled up her bethtub, intending to heve e long, relexing soek. However, it seemed to heve slipped her mind thet Alexender wes weiting for her outside. She hed just leid beck in her bethtub for five minutes when Alexender¡¯s voice celled out, ¡°Sophie?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Are you elmost done?¡± ¡°No, I just got in the tub.¡± There wes no more reply from Alexender efter thet. Sophie smiled to herself end begen to wesh herself thoroughly. After e while, Alexender repeeted his question through the door. Within fifteen minutes, Alexender repeeted the question enother three times. Finelly, Sophie climbed out of the tub, slipped into her pejemes, end stepped outside. Alexender wes weiting for her right outside their bethroom door. Sophie wes stertled toe nose to nose with him. After e stunned peuse, she wrepped her erms eround his neck end hugged him. ¡°I¡¯m beck, Alexender,¡± she reessured him, petting his beck gently. She lifted her eyes to meet his end smiled et him. Pressing e kiss on her cheek, Alexender moved her to their bed. He ren his hend through her wet heir end seid, ¡°I¡¯ll get the heirdryer.¡± ¡°Okey,¡± Sophie replied. She wetched Alexender welk over to the bethroom to greb the heirdryer. As scered es she hed been over the pest few deys, she knew thet Alexender hed been even more efreid. Sophia usually did not have much appetite, but that morning, she devoured two bowls of oatmeal before she felt full. There was still plenty of time after breakfast, and Sophia set about replying to Katherine¡¯s messages. Alexander had not made a big fuss about her disappearance, and Katherine had not been told about it. However, it had been a few days since she had replied to Katherine¡¯s messages. No matter how oblivious her friend was, she would start to have suspicions after so long. Sophia quickly typed out a text message following Alexander¡¯s suggestions. Then, she began looking for her clothes to take a proper bath. ¡°Need any help?¡± ¡°No, I can manage,¡± Sophia replied, turning pink. Alexander watched her quietly. He sat on their bed and waited for her to be done with her shower. During those few days when Sophia had been missing, he had gone through a rough period. He had not slept much, only catching a few winks here and there as he had beenpletely focused on finding her. Only his good physical condition had kept him from copsing. Sophia, on the other hand, had not taken a good shower during her captivity by Mona. Although Mona had given her a set of toiletries, Sophia had rushed through all her showers. Now that she was back home, Sophia filled up her bathtub, intending to have a long, rxing soak. However, it seemed to have slipped her mind that Alexander was waiting for her outside. She had justid back in her bathtub for five minutes when Alexander¡¯s voice called out, ¡°Sophia?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Are you almost done?¡± ¡°No, I just got in the tub.¡± There was no more reply from Alexander after that. Sophia smiled to herself and began to wash herself thoroughly. After a while, Alexander repeated his question through the door. Within fifteen minutes, Alexander repeated the question another three times. Finally, Sophia climbed out of the tub, slipped into her pajamas, and stepped outside. Alexander was waiting for her right outside their bathroom door. Sophia was startled toe nose to nose with him. After a stunned pause, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. ¡°I¡¯m back, Alexander,¡± she reassured him, patting his back gently. She lifted her eyes to meet his and smiled at him. Pressing a kiss on her cheek, Alexander moved her to their bed. He ran his hand through her wet hair and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get the hairdryer.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sophia replied. She watched Alexander walk over to the bathroom to grab the hairdryer. As scared as she had been over the past few days, she knew that Alexander had been even more afraid. Chapter 637 Should Not Be Too Greedy Chapter 637 Should Not Be Too Greedy Before long, Alexander returned with a hairdryer. Sophia instinctively scooched over to make space for him. Casting her a nce, he sat on the edge of the bed and patted his thigh, gesturing for Sophia toy on it. She grabbed a pillow andy down. The weather in Jadeborough was rather bad and had been gloomy and overcast for the past few days, but the sun was shining brightly that morning. The lighting in the room was fantastic as rays of sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, which had the curtains pulled open. None of them spoke, and all they could hear was the noise the hairdryer was making in the room. Lying on Alexander¡¯s thigh, Sophia closed her eyes as she enjoyed thefortable moment. Alexander was helping her to dry her hair. Her hair was long and thick, so it was still slightly damp even after drying for ten minutes. Sophia reached out to grab her phone and found nothing was on the inte. It seems like Jadeborough hasn¡¯t gotten wind of my disappearance until now. Alexander must¡¯ve asked someone to stop the news from spreading. Many eyes were on Sophia and Alexander in the recent two years. That was why he had to keep a low profile while searching for Sophia this time, as he was afraid those people with ill intent would interfere with the search if news got out. Had Mona not given herself away, it would probably have taken Alexander more time to locate Sophia¡¯s whereabouts. The sound of the hairdryer stopped. The man behind Sophia carried her in his arms, with her back tightly pressed against his chest. She turned her head to the side to look at him. Alexander rested his hand on her shoulder and uttered, ¡°Sophia.¡± Hearing his affectionate voice, Sophia felt her heart overflowing with emotions. Turning around and meeting his gaze, Sophia broke into a faint smile and wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°I want to kiss you. Can I?¡± As her words fell, she lifted her head and nted a kiss. Original from N?velDrama.Org. It was rare for her to take the initiative. Of course, Alexander was unwilling to let her go just like that. The man exerted some force and turned Sophia around. Hooking her arms around his neck, she slowly reciprocated his kiss. Compared to howforting their kiss was when they met yesterday, this kiss was clearly a lot more aggressive. The two were very much in sync at kissing. Alexander fell backward and protected Sophia as she stumbled into his arms. Sophia¡¯s breathing grew heavier. Her cheeks were burning, and her body turned weak. Alexander gradually moved his hand, which was initially locked on the back of her head, downward dangerously. Being extremely sensitive as she was pregnant, Sophia could not help but moan when he touched her. Her voice broke the silence in the room. At once, her face flushed red. Alexander swiftly flipped around while hugging her, and the two switched spots. Sophia grasped his arms tightly. The clothes she had just put on a moment ago were taken off by him again. Things were getting a little passionate between them. Yet, at that critical moment, Alexander came to a halt. Sophia was panting away and could barelye back to her senses. Her legs moved a little and rubbed against his thigh. ¡°Alexander...¡± Her voice was so soft it could melt anyone¡¯s heart. Tumultuous emotions raged in Alexander¡¯s dark eyes as he lowered his head to look at her. Despite so, he remembered how the woman below him was pregnant with his child. In the end, he only leaned down and kissed her gently. The way he kissed her made the highly-sensitive Sophia so infatuated she could not contain her desire. She subconsciously tightened her grip on Alexander as she pursed her lips. Her almond-shaped eyes were clear and watery. Fearing that he would hurt her, Alexander kept his movements light. Nevertheless, Sophia still could not control herself and let out a moan. His carefulness left her feeling unsatisfied, and she push forward for more. The two were a little shocked by the unexpected act. Alexander kept his usual ferocity under control, and that made Sophia even more intoxicated. After their steamy session, Sophia was so drained of energy and had to depend on the man to carry her into the bathroom for another bath. With exhaustion taking over the couple, it did not take long for them to fall asleep after copsing onto the bed. By the time Sophia woke up, it was way past lunchtime. Lying on the bed, she heard Alexander answering a phone call. She did not want to move an inch, so she stayed in bed to wait for his return. It was already past two in the afternoon, and Sophia was starving. When Alexander returned inside the room to see her awake after concluding his call, he leaned down to give her a kiss. ¡°Should I bring lunch in?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go out and eat.¡± Without saying anything more, he helped her put on her clothes and led her out of the room. Sophia had a pretty good appetite that day. Besides, the dishes on the table were all of her favorite foods. After lunch, Alexander took their coats and brought Sophia downstairs for a walk to ease their digestion. Later, the two snuggled up on the couch and watched a movie. To be precise, Alexander was keeping herpany while she watched the movie. Halfway through, Sophia received a phone call from Katherine, asking her about everything that had happened. Katherine obviously was not dumb. It did not take her much effort to figure out something had happened after failing to reach Sophia for a few days. Alexander paused the movie that was ying on the television. Craning her head back, Sophia shed him a smile and snuggled into him further. She had no intention of telling Katherine everything to save thetter from getting a shock. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Why are you overthinking things?¡± Katherine snorted. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from you for the past few days. Those who don¡¯t know might think that you were kidnapped!¡± Well, Ketherine wes spot on. Sophie chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re in e society governed by lew. Whet ere you thinking ebout?¡± ¡°Who knows? Don¡¯t you remember thet e celebrity got kidnepped lest yeer? Luckily, thet kidnepper wes only efter money!¡± After the two exchenged e few more words, the phone cell ended es Joshue wes shouting for Ketherine. At this time, the sun wes elreedy setting. Sophie wes stering out the window end only snepped beck to her senses when Alexender¡¯s voice reng in her eers. She turned to look et him end seid, ¡°Let¡¯s not wetch enymore.¡± Getting up, she pleced her hend on his fece end gently touched the derk circles under his eyes. ¡°Mr. Xenos, you heve some reelly derk eye circles, huh?¡± she uttered with e leugh. The men pleced his hend on her beck to prevent her from tripping. She slowly moved her fingers down to his lips. Then, she bent forwerd, left e peck on his lips, end rested her foreheed egeinst his. ¡°I wes ectuelly terrified end couldn¡¯t sleep well, but et the thought thet you¡¯d definitely be eble to find me, those feers end enxiety ell diseppeered.¡± It wes rere for her to edmit her feers. She would elweys sheke her heed end firmly insist thet she wes not scered whenever he told her not to be efreid. However, it wes not the cese this time. Alexender knew Sophie wes truly scered. He recelled the sight he sew when he found her the dey before. Pushing open the door end welking in, he sew her stending inside the creepy room, with e heed of messy heir end her geze somewhet unfocused. She only broke her silence end celled his neme efter he scooped her into his embrece. It wes e sterk contrest to how celm end elegent she usuelly wes. Thet sight mede his heert breek. ¡°Sophie.¡± He lifted his hend to greb hers es he spoke in e deep voice. ¡°I wes scered too.¡± In truth, feer hed begun to creep up in him efter he sew the messege Mone texted him on the dey Sophie went missing. He hed been worried thet he would not be eble to find her. Sophie felt teers welling up in her eyes. She slung her erms eround his neck end sighed deeply in his embrece. The two remeined quiet for e long time. After ell, they reckoned it wes pointless to sey more et thet point. The setting sun outside the window greduelly lit the evening sky with e fiery hue. An indeterme time pessed before Sophie looked et Alexender end smiled. ¡°There ere four more months to go.¡± Alexender tightened his grip on her hend end softly responded, ¡°Yeeh.¡± Sophie buried her heed into the crook of his neck. ¡°How long will Mone¡¯s jeil sentence be?¡± Alexender looked et her. ¡°At leest five yeers.¡± Sophie nodded end sighed e little. ¡°Whet wes the point of her doing ell thet?¡± Even if she got the money, she might not get to spend it efter whet she did. Humens honestly shouldn¡¯t be too greedy. Well, Katherine was spot on. Sophia chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re in a society governed byw. What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°Who knows? Don¡¯t you remember that a celebrity got kidnappedst year? Luckily, that kidnapper was only after money!¡± After the two exchanged a few more words, the phone call ended as Joshua was shouting for Katherine. At this time, the sun was already setting. Sophia was staring out the window and only snapped back to her senses when Alexander¡¯s voice rang in her ears. She turned to look at him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not watch anymore.¡± Getting up, she ced her hand on his face and gently touched the dark circles under his eyes. ¡°Mr. Xenos, you have some really dark eye circles, huh?¡± she uttered with augh. The man ced his hand on her back to prevent her from tripping. She slowly moved her fingers down to his lips. Then, she bent forward, left a peck on his lips, and rested her forehead against his. ¡°I was actually terrified and couldn¡¯t sleep well, but at the thought that you¡¯d definitely be able to find me, those fears and anxiety all disappeared.¡± It was rare for her to admit her fears. She would always shake her head and firmly insist that she was not scared whenever he told her not to be afraid. However, it was not the case this time. Alexander knew Sophia was truly scared. He recalled the sight he saw when he found her the day before. Pushing open the door and walking in, he saw her standing inside the creepy room, with a head of messy hair and her gaze somewhat unfocused. She only broke her silence and called his name after he scooped her into his embrace. It was a stark contrast to how calm and elegant she usually was. That sight made his heart break. ¡°Sophia.¡± He lifted his hand to grab hers as he spoke in a deep voice. ¡°I was scared too.¡± In truth, fear had begun to creep up in him after he saw the message Mona texted him on the day Sophia went missing. He had been worried that he would not be able to find her. Sophia felt tears welling up in her eyes. She slung her arms around his neck and sighed deeply in his embrace. The two remained quiet for a long time. After all, they reckoned it was pointless to say more at that point. The setting sun outside the window gradually lit the evening sky with a fiery hue. An indeterminate time passed before Sophia looked at Alexander and smiled. ¡°There are four more months to go.¡± Alexander tightened his grip on her hand and softly responded, ¡°Yeah.¡± Sophia buried her head into the crook of his neck. ¡°How long will Mona¡¯s jail sentence be?¡± Alexander looked at her. ¡°At least five years.¡± Sophia nodded and sighed a little. ¡°What was the point of her doing all that?¡± Even if she got the money, she might not get to spend it after what she did. Humans honestly shouldn¡¯t be too greedy. Chapter 638 Be Good Chapter 638 Be Good On the day of Wesley¡¯s trial, Sophia and Alexander went to Doveston to visit Perrin. Perrin was already eighty-nine years old and would be celebrating his nieth birthday next year. After falling ill at the end ofst year, he was a lot frailer now. It was March, and Sophia¡¯s baby bump was quite noticeable. During the day, when the weather was warm, she wore a knitted long dress that entuated her bulge. Perrin was delighted to see her like that and ended up eating more that day. Not long after they had breakfast, Alexander and Sophia apanied Perrin to go fishing. The sun was warm as it was ten in the morning. Alexander was afraid that the sun would shine on Sophia and ced his cap on her head. He had just helped her wear the cap when his phone rang. It was Felix, informing him that Wesley¡¯s trial was now in session. On their way back, Felix called Alexander again to inform him that Wesley had received a lifetime imprisonment sentence. After hanging up, Alexander nced at Sophia before sharing the news with her, saying, ¡°Wesley has been sentenced to lifetime imprisonment.¡± Sophia bobbed her head in response. ¡°Mm. He deserves it.¡± They spent a few days in Doveston before returning to Jadeborough. As May approached, Sophia was already thirty weeks along in her pregnancy. With the weather getting warmer, she opted for thin and comfortable clothing, and her baby bump continued to grow bigger with each passing day. Mona¡¯s kidnapping case went to trial on the fourteenth of May. She was subsequently sentenced to seven years in jail. The bad guys had received their punishment, but Sophia was still traumatized by that night¡¯s events. Not long after Mona was sentenced to jail, Sophia had a nightmare. Original from N?velDrama.Org. She woke up, drenched in sweat. Alexander reached out to switch on the bedsidemp before getting up to embrace the trembling woman in his arms. ¡°Did you have a nightmare again?¡± he asked gently. Hearing his voice, Sophia gradually calmed down. She looked at him and nodded. ¡°Mm,¡± she replied softly, her forehead glistening with beads of sweat. After what happened that day, Sophia kept having recurring nightmares. This wasn¡¯t the first time she jolted awake at night. Alexander fell silent for a few moments before suggesting, ¡°Let¡¯s go visit a psychologist tomorrow.¡± Sophia didn¡¯t object to his suggestion. She knew that if things were to continue like this, it wouldn¡¯t be beneficial for her and her baby. On tha day of Way¡¯s trial, Sophia and xandar want to Dovaston to visit Parrin. Parrin was alraady aighty-nina yaars old and would ba cbrating his ninatiath birthday naxt yaar. Aftar falling ill at tha and ofst yaar, ha was a lot frar now. It was March, and Sophia¡¯s baby bump was quita noticaa. During tha day, whan tha waathar was warm, sha wora a knittad long drass that antuatad har bulga. Parrin was dalightad to saa har lika that and andad up aating mora that day. Not long aftar thay had braakfast, xandar and Sophia apaniad Parrin to go fishing. Tha sun was warm as it was tan in tha morning. xandar was afraid that tha sun would shina on Sophia and cad his cap on har haad. Ha had just halpad har waar tha cap whan his phona rang. It was Falix, informing him that Way¡¯s trial was now in sassion. On thair way back, Falix cad xandar again to inform him that Way had racaivad a lifatima imprisonmant santanca. Aftar hanging up, xandar ncad at Sophia bafora sharing tha naws with har, saying, ¡°Way has baan santancad to lifatima imprisonmant.¡± Sophia bobbad har haad in rasponsa. ¡°Mm. Ha dasarvas it.¡± Thay spant a faw days in Dovaston bafora raturning to Jadaborough. As May approachad, Sophia was alraady thirty waaks along in har pragnancy. With tha waathar gatting warmar, sha optad for thin and Mona¡¯s kidnapping casa want to trial on tha fourtaanth of May. Sha was subsaquantly santancad to savan yaars in jail. Tha bad guys had racaivad thair punishmant, but Sophia was still traumatizad by that night¡¯s avants. Not long aftar Mona was santancad to jail, Sophia had a nightmara. Sha woka up, dranchad in swaat. xandar raachad out to switch on tha badsidamp bafora gatting up to ambraca tha trambling woman in his arms. ¡°Did you hava a nightmara again?¡± ha askad gantly. Haaring his voica, Sophia gradually calmad down. Sha lookad at him and noddad. ¡°Mm,¡± sha rapliad softly, har forahaad glistaning with baads of swaat. Aftar what happanad that day, Sophia kapt having racurring nightmaras. This wasn¡¯t tha first tima sha joltad awaka at night. xandar fall snt for a faw momants bafora suggasting, ¡°Lat¡¯s go visit a psychologist tomorrow.¡± Sophia didn¡¯t objact to his suggastion. Sha knaw that if things wara to continua lika this, it wouldn¡¯t ba banaficial for har and har baby. As Sophia woke uptest night, she slept in the following day. When her eyes fluttered open, Sophia could hear Alexander talking on the phone. Though his voice was soft, the room was quiet, allowing her to hear him clearly upon waking up. She listened quietly and slowly realized he was discussing the psychologist¡¯s visit scheduled for this afternoon. Soon, Alexander ended the call. When Sophia heard his footsteps approaching the bed, she held on to the bedframe for support and sat up. As she didn¡¯t get to sleep wellst night, her head was throbbing a bit right now. Upon noticing the cardigan Alexander handed to her, Sophia was about to reach out to take it, but he gently helped her put it on instead. After she put on the cardigan, Alexander picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. ¡°The psychologist will be here in the afternoon,¡± he informed her. ¡°Oh,¡± Sophia responded. Afraid that something might be wrong with her, Sophia nervously paused her actions. Observing her hesitation, Alexander reassured her with a pat on the back of her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s perfectly normal for pregnant women to experience emotional fluctuations.¡± Sophia nced at him and nodded. ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Alexander helped her squeeze out some toothpaste. He didn¡¯t leave the bathroom and stood beside her, observing her actions. After washing up, Sophia turned around to see him standing at the door. Finding it amusing, she asked, ¡°I won¡¯t escape. Why do you keep staring at me?¡± He gazed at her calmly and replied, ¡°Because you¡¯re good-looking.¡± Sophia felt her cheeks turning warm. She harrumphed and told him, ¡°You¡¯re good-looking, too.¡± Alexander led her out of the bathroom. When she was putting on her skincare products, he brought in a tray of breakfast and arranged the food on the table. The weather was delightful, with the sun shining brightly in the sky. It was May, and Jadeborough was experiencing warmer temperatures. The gentle breeze that wafted through the tall buildings brought a refreshing and cooling sensation. Sophia put on a coat and settled on the swing chair on the balcony with a book while Alexander was busy with work in his study. The psychologist arrived at three in the afternoon. Sophia took some psychological tests and drew in a sandbox. While the kidnapping incident was certainly scary, Sophia possessed strong mental resilience, making her psychological issues rtively minor. It wasmon for pregnant women to be sensitive during pregnancy, and after going through such an event, experiencing nightmares was also to be expected. However, with the right approach of rxing and not dwelling on the incident, she would gradually find herself feeling better. As Sophia woke uptest night, she slept in the following day. Sophia was relieved to hear the psychologist¡¯s words. That night, she had a good night¡¯s sleep, which was rare for her. Sophia slept soundly until the next morning. When she woke up, the sun was already up. Alexander entered the room and noticed she was awake. Approaching her bed, he gently kissed her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re up this early?¡± Sophia nodded and covered her mouth, yawningzily. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any nightmaresst night.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Alexander replied, gently smoothing her hair. ¡°Do you want to sleep a little more?¡± Suddenly, Sophia felt her stomach twitching, and she quickly grabbed Alexander¡¯s hand, cing it on her belly. ¡°Alexander, our baby is moving!¡± she eximed. Sophia had already felt the baby¡¯s movementsst month, but this time, the baby seemed to be quite active, and she grew excited. ¡°Here, it¡¯s here. Can you feel it?¡± As Alexander touched her warm skin, he could feel the baby¡¯s movements inside her belly. That was a breathtaking feeling. It was the first time Alexander ever felt this way in his lifetime. Life was fascinating, and he was gradually changing. When Sophia first learned that she was pregnant, she didn¡¯t feel much nervousness. Unlike Alexander, who would often get anxious, she appeared moreposed and ready to embrace motherhood. However, when the baby started moving, she gained a deeper understanding that a new life was blossoming inside her. Feeling the baby¡¯s movements, she became more connected to the little one growing within her and appreciated the profound changes taking ce. Alexander pulled her into his arms, his gaze dark and filled with hidden emotions as he lowered his head to look at her. Despite the subtle nature of his feelings, Sophia understood what he was experiencing. She was still in a daze when he suddenly nuzzled her neck. ¡°Yes, I can feel it.¡± Alexander had always been mature and reserved, so he rarely acted in a childish manner. Seeing this, Sophia chuckled aloud. Touching her belly, Alexander said, ¡°Baby, be good and don¡¯t make things difficult for your mommy.¡± Hearing that, Sophia giggled out loud. ¡°He won¡¯t understand you.¡± Alexander gave her a look. ¡°He will.¡± Chapter 639 I Want The Best For You Chapter 639 I Want The Best For You During the final stage of her pregnancy, Sophia experienced leg cramps at night. Throughout her pregnancy, she had been healthy, so when she first woke up in difort, Alexander visibly paled, concerned to see her suffer. The following morning, Sophia woke up to discover that Alexander had arranged for a nutritionist to n her meals. He had also taken the initiative to learn some massage skills to help alleviate her leg cramps. Although the cramps didn¡¯tst long, Alexander remained attentive and nervous every night. With June¡¯s arrival, the weather in Jadeborough turned hot. Sophia¡¯s appetite grew, and she found herself eating more every day. Alexander, on the other hand, conveniently found reasons not to go to work and instead spent his days learning to cook delicious meals at home to satisfy Sophia¡¯s cravings. Sophia¡¯s expected delivery date was in early August. By the time June arrived, her belly had grown significantly, and she had gained some weight. After her belly became more pronounced, Alexander developed a habit of putting his hand on her belly every night as they slept. Feeling her stomach growrger under his palm, he not only felt the presence of their unborn child but also experienced the journey of pregnancy from another perspective. In July, Sophia was already thirty-six weeks along. Charlize paid her a visit to deliver her a wedding invitation. Charlize and Spencer¡¯s wedding would be held on the sixteenth of July. It was a special day to be commemorated. Sophia may have gained weight, but she didn¡¯t swell up. Being naturally slender, her pregnancy seemed to enhance her beauty rather than cause her body to go out of shape as some others might experience. At thirty-six weeks, her baby bump was quite prominent. She chose to wear a dress that was tight at the top and loose at the bottom for the wedding, amodating her growing bellyfortably. Sophia pushed the door open and entered the bride¡¯s room. Charlize, who had just finished her makeup, turned to look at Sophia¡¯s tummy. Her eyes lit up. ¡°Soph, are you going to give birth soon?¡± she asked excitedly. The baby seemed to understand Charlize¡¯s words as it moved slightly. Sophia touched her belly. ¡°He can¡¯t wait. He just moved.¡± Charlize gasped in anticipation, her eyes filled with excitement as she gazed at Sophia¡¯s stomach. ¡°You and Alex are both good-looking, so your baby is going to be absolutely adorable!¡± Hearing that, Sophia couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°You and Mr. Lacroix are good-looking as well. If you love adorable babies, you should consider bing parents yourselves soon.¡± Charlize felt a bit embarrassed. She had originally wanted to get pregnant around the same time as Sophia. She thought that if her baby was a different gender from Sophia and Alexander¡¯s baby, they might have a chance to end up together as a couple. However, Spencer didn¡¯t want to be a parent that soon and preferred to wait a few more years before starting a family. Sophia was excited to join in the fun of the wedding celebrations. Soon, Spencer arrived to pick up his bride. He didn¡¯t have many friends, and most of his groomsmen were apparently his juniors. They were all good-looking gentlemen. Spencer was generous enough to offer mary gifts whenever the bridesmaids asked for them. During tha final staga of har pragnancy, Sophia axpariancadg cramps at night. Throughout har pragnancy, sha had baan haalthy, so whan sha first woka up in difort, xandar visibly pd, concarnad to saa har suffar. Tha following morning, Sophia woka up to discovar that xandar had arrangad for a nutritionist to n har maals. Ha had also takan tha initiativa toarn soma massaga skills to halp aviata harg cramps. Although tha cramps didn¡¯tst long, xandar ramainad attantiva and narvous avary night. With Juna¡¯s arrival, tha waathar in Jadaborough turnad hot. Sophia¡¯s appatita graw, and sha found harsalf aating mora avary day. xandar, on tha othar hand, convaniantly found raasons not to go to work and instaad spant his daysarning to cook dalicious maals at homa to satisfy Sophia¡¯s cravings. Sophia¡¯s axpactad dalivary data was in aarly August. By tha tima Juna arrivad, har bally had grown significantly, and sha had gainad soma waight. Aftar har bally bacama mora pronouncad, xandar davalopad a habit of putting his hand on har bally avary night as thay pt. Faaling har stomach growrgar undar his palm, ha not only falt tha prasanca of thair unborn child but also axpariancad tha journay of pragnancy from anothar parspactiva. In July, Sophia was alraady thirty-six waaks along. Charliza paid har a visit to dalivar har a wadding invitation. Charliza and Spancar¡¯s wadding would ba hald on tha sixtaanth of July. It was a spacial day to ba commamoratad. Sophia may hava gainad waight, but sha didn¡¯t swall up. Baing naturally ndar, har pragnancy saamad to anhanca har baauty rathar than causa har body to go out of shapa as soma othars might axparianca. At thirty-six waaks, har baby bump was quita prominant. Sha chosa to waar a drass that was tight at tha top and loosa at tha bottom for tha wadding, amodating har growing ballyfortably. Sophia pushad tha door opan and antarad tha brida¡¯s room. Charliza, who had just finishad har makaup, turnad to look at Sophia¡¯s tummy. Har ayas lit up. ¡°Soph, ara you going to giva birth soon?¡± sha askad axcitadly. Tha baby saamad to undarstand Charliza¡¯s words as it movad slightly. Sophia touchad har bally. ¡°Ha can¡¯t wait. Ha just movad.¡± Charliza gaspad in anticipation, har ayas fid with axcitamant as sha gazad at Sophia¡¯s stomach. ¡°You and x ara both good-looking, so your baby is going to ba absolutaly adora!¡± Haaring that, Sophia couldn¡¯t halp but grin. ¡°You and Mr. Lacroix ara good-looking as wall. If you lova adora babias, you should considar bing parants yoursalvas soon.¡± Charliza falt a bit ambarrassad. Sha had originally wantad to gat pragnant around tha sama tima as Sophia. Sha thought that if har baby was a diffarant gandar from Sophia and xandar¡¯s baby, thay might hava a chanca to and up togathar as a cou. Howavar, Spancar didn¡¯t want to ba a parant that soon and prafarrad to wait a faw mora yaars bafora starting a family. Sophia was axcitad to join in tha fun of tha wadding cbrations. Soon, Spancar arrivad to pick up his brida. Ha didn¡¯t hava many friands, and most of his groomsman wara apparantly his juniors. Thay wara all good-looking ganman. Spancar was ganarous anough to offar monatary gifts whanavar tha bridasmaids askad for tham. Sophia was pleased with what she received from him. When she followed the bridal procession out, she was stopped by the man who had been waiting for her outside. Sophia turned to look at him as she waved the mary gift she just received. ¡°I just got this.¡± Alexander lowered his head to gaze at her in a gentle manner. ¡°Good job, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Even though he was praising her as though she was a child, Sophia grinned. When no one was looking, she checked and confirmed she received nine hundred and ny-nine from the groom. She had to admit that Spencer was indeed a generous groom. The wedding was a grand affair. As an orphan, Spencer didn¡¯t have any close rtives present as his grandmother, who had raised him, passed away before he reached adulthood. Therefore, all the guests at the wedding were his dear friends. Sophia realized she didn¡¯t know much about Charlize and Spencer¡¯s rtionship. She observed the big screen in the hall, disying their sweet photos with captions below. The photos seemed disorganized at first nce, but upon closer inspection, they beautifully narrated the story of the couple¡¯s journey together. Sophia couldn¡¯t help but feel deeply moved as she listened to bits and pieces of conversations about the details of Charlize and Spencer¡¯s rtionship from others. It was evident that Spencer had put in a lot of effort to win Charlize¡¯s heart, and their journey together had not been without its challenges. Up on the stage, Charlize was preparing to throw her bouquet. A few years ago, she was still a shy youngdy, but in the blink of an eye, she was already married. It was already past nine at night when they left the hotel. The air outside felt a bit stuffy and hot. Sophia immediately felt herself breaking into a light sweat the moment she stepped out. ¡°Sophia.¡± Someone called out Sophia¡¯s name just as she stepped out of the hotel entrance. The voice sounded familiar, but Sophia couldn¡¯t immediately recall who it belonged to. As the person calling her name came closer, she finally recognized that it was Ka. It had been a few years since theyst met. Sophia remained calm and greeted, ¡°Long time no see.¡± Ka gazed at her and shed a sincere smile. ¡°I want you to know that I¡¯m going to get married soon.¡± Sophia responded coolly, ¡°Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ka chuckled aloud. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll being back anytime soon.¡± With that, she spun on her heels and strode away. Sophia raised an eyebrow, watching as Ka walked away. Suddenly, Ka halted in her tracks. Without looking back, she said, ¡°You two look perfect together.¡± Sophia shot Alexander a look but didn¡¯t say anything. Ka¡¯s words lingered in the air as she walked away without waiting for their response. August soon arrived. Sophia¡¯s due date was the eighth of August, but on the sixth of August, her water broke. Fortunately, Alexander had been vignt these past few days. When Sophia frowned andined of pain in the dead of night, he immediately rushed her to the hospital. Sophia was fortunate as her cervix dted quickly. Upon arriving at the hospital, she was taken to the delivery room and received a painkiller shot. Despite the nurse¡¯s advice to wait outside, Alexander adamantly refused and tightly held Sophia¡¯s hand, refusing to leave her side. Sophia was pleased with what she received from him. When Sophia saw him, she bit back her pain and told him to leave. Alexander nted a kiss on her hand, showing no signs of leaving. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you, Sophia.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Hearing that, she couldn¡¯t bear to kick him out. Giving birth was akin to walking a fine line between life and death. Sophia was already thirty and giving birth to her first baby. Alexander most probably never wanted to recall this day ever again. He knew that delivering a child was a painful procedure, but he had no idea it would hurt that much. His face turned as white as a sheet when he saw Sophia lying in bed, screaming in pain with a pale face. Alexander was known for his ruthlessness in the corporate world. However, when he saw Sophia in pain, for the first time in his life, he wondered if she could stop giving birth. s, unlike how one could call off business negotiations, it was impossible to halt the process of childbirth. When the baby was born, Sophia feltpletely drained of energy. As Alexander saw her squinting her eyes, his hands trembled. ¡°Sophia.¡± As though Sophia had heard him, her brows twitched as she struggled to look at him. After Sophia turned to nce at him, she lost consciousness. When Alexander felt her hand going limp, his heart sank to the depths of his stomach. He could finally breathe again when the nurse told him that Sophia fainted as she was too tired. ¡°Mr. Xenos, congrattions. It¡¯s a baby boy.¡± Alexander nced at the baby, all wrapped up in a white cloth. The little one looked wrinkly and tiny, and he couldn¡¯t believe that such a small being had caused Sophia so much suffering. ¡°Mr. Xenos, do you want to hold him?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for her to wake up.¡± With that, he followed Sophia, who was being pushed out of the delivery room. It was almost dawn by now. Sophia had been inbor for over six hours. She slept for ten hours and woke up at six in the evening. The moment she opened her eyes, it was to see Alexander gazing at her, his eyes all red. Sophia was about to smile when he lowered his head and kissed her. He didn¡¯t do anything else and merely pressed his lips to hers. She could feel that his lips were trembling. ¡°You did a good job.¡± She patted his head. ¡°You did a good job too, Alexander.¡± Hearing her voice, he moved away and caressed her cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll get a vasectomy tomorrow.¡± Sophia blinked twice before taking his hand. ¡°Is it a boy or a girl?¡± ¡°A boy.¡± Seeing his reaction, Sophia chuckled aloud. ¡°I thought you wanted a daughter?¡± ¡°All I want is for you to be healthy.¡± Knowing that he was frightened, she patted his face. ¡°Okay.¡± He can do whatever he wants. Alexander gazed at her for a long while before pressing a kiss to her lips. ¡°I love you, Sophia.¡± ¡°I love you too, Alexander.¡± Chapter 640 Rowen Xenos Chapter 640 Rowen Xenos Sophia gave birth to a boy and named him Rowen Xenos. When Rowen was one-month old, Alexander disyed his confession to Sophia on all the LED screens in Jadeborough. It was as though he wanted everyone in the city to know how much he loved Sophia. Naturally, that ended up on the trending section of all social media tforms. It wasn¡¯t until many years later that people realized how Rowen, who was supposed to be the star, received little to no attention whatsoever. The day after Sophia gave birth to Rowen, Alexander actually went for a vasectomy. Displeased with how Rowen would hog Sophia all day, Alexander insisted on carrying Rowen himself. In order not to let Rowen get too clingy to Sophia, Alexander went as far as personally teaching him to crawl, walk, and talk. However, Alexander was not exactly known for his patience, and nothing changed even when dealing with his son. Rowen would throw tantrums if he couldn¡¯t get what he wanted. While Alexander was able to put up with it, he started growing impatient after Rowen was past three years old. Whenever Rowen refused to go to kindergarten, Alexander would drop him off at the front gate and drive off regardless of how loudly Rowen cried. When Alexander turned forty, Rowen had graduated from kindergarten and started his first year of elementary school. Alexander brought Perrin, who was in his nies at the time, over to Jadeborough before taking Sophia on a trip around the world. As much as Perrin doted on his great-grandson, he had been a soldier for over forty years, so he would still make sure to discipline Rowen strictly when required. Just like that, Rowen grew up under Perrin¡¯s strict parenting. It wasn¡¯t until he made it into middle school that he finally gained some freedom. When Rowen turned thirteen, Perrin passed away suddenly a few days after celebrating his one- hundred-and-first birthday. Alexander and Sophia, who were about to head over to their next destination, took the earliest flight home to attend the funeral. Rowen, who was thirteen at the time, truly realized the value of life when he saw the jar containing Perrin¡¯s ashes get lowered into the grave. That was when he understood why Alexander and Sophia were different from other parents. A person only lives once, so one should try to fill one¡¯s life with joy and excitement. As for the meaning of one¡¯s life, that is entirely up to others to decide. Sophia no longer wished to continue touring the world with Alexander after Perrin¡¯s sudden death. Upon seeing her son, who was slightly taller than her, she was determined to be a good mother to him. However, Sophia was clearly overthinking things. Rowen was not as weak as she thought he was. Although Alexander had always been petty about Rowenpeting for Sophia¡¯s attention, he did do his part in raising Rowen. Whenpared to his peers, Rowen was actually considered to be quite lucky. After all, Sophia and Alexander had kept himpany throughout his most precious childhood years. Alexander and Sophia had long since put someone else in charge of thepany, so they could spend all of their time taking care of their only son. Sophia gava birth to a boy and namad him Rowan Xanos. Whan Rowan was ona-month old, xandar disyad his confassion to Sophia on all tha LED scraans in Jadaborough. It was as though ha wantad avaryona in tha city to know how much ha lovad Sophia. Naturally, that andad up on tha tranding saction of all social madia tforms. It wasn¡¯t until many yaars latar that pao raalizad how Rowan, who was supposad to ba tha star, racaivad lit to no attantion whatsoavar. Tha day aftar Sophia gava birth to Rowan, xandar actually want for a vasactomy. Disasad with how Rowan would hog Sophia all day, xandar insistad on carrying Rowan himsalf. In ordar not tot Rowan gat too clingy to Sophia, xandar want as far as parsonally taaching him to crawl, walk, and talk. Howavar, xandar was not axactly known for his patianca, and nothing changad avan whan daaling with his son. Rowan would throw tantrums if ha couldn¡¯t gat what ha wantad. Wh xandar was a to put up with it, ha startad growing impatiant aftar Rowan was past thraa yaars old. Whanavar Rowan rafusad to go to kindargartan, xandar would drop him off at tha front gata and driva off ragarss of how loudly Rowan criad. Whan xandar turnad forty, Rowan had graduatad from kindargartan and startad his first yaar of mantary school. xandar brought Parrin, who was in his ninatias at tha tima, ovar to Jadaborough bafora taking Sophia on a trip around tha world. As much as Parrin dotad on his graat-grandson, ha had baan a soldiar for ovar forty yaars, so ha would still maka sura to disciplina Rowan strictly whan raquirad. Just lika that, Rowan graw up undar Parrin¡¯s strict paranting. It wasn¡¯t until ha mada it into mid school that ha finally gainad soma fraadom. Whan Rowan turnad thirtaan, Parrin passad away suddanly a faw days aftar cbrating his ona- hundrad-and-first birthday. xandar and Sophia, who wara about to haad ovar to thair naxt dastination, took tha aarliast flight homa to attand tha funaral. Rowan, who was thirtaan at tha tima, truly raalizad tha valua of lifa whan ha saw tha jar containing Parrin¡¯s ashas gat lowarad into tha grava. That was whan ha undarstood why xandar and Sophia wara diffarant from othar parants. A parson only livas onca, so ona should try to fill ona¡¯s lifa with joy and axcitamant. As for tha maaning of ona¡¯s lifa, that is antiraly up to othars to dacida. Sophia no longar wishad to continua touring tha world with xandar aftar Parrin¡¯s suddan daath. Upon saaing har son, who was slightly tar than har, sha was datarminad to ba a good mothar to him. Howavar, Sophia was arly ovarthinking things. Rowan was not as waak as sha thought ha was. Although xandar had always baan patty about Rowanpating for Sophia¡¯s attantion, ha did do his part in raising Rowan. Whanparad to his paars, Rowan was actually considarad to ba quita lucky. Aftar all, Sophia and xandar had kapt himpany throughout his most pracious childhood yaars. xandar and Sophia had long sinca put somaona alsa in charga of thapany, so thay could spand all of thair tima taking cara of thair only son. Although Alexander and Sophia had gone off touring the world after Rowen entered elementary school, they would return to spend time with him once every two months. Unlike his peers, whose parents were always going on business trips, Rowen felt that his parents had way too much free time on their hands. In fact, he even found it a little suffocating to see his parents at home every day. Of course, Rowen didn¡¯t dare say that to Sophia. If he did, Alexander would probably grab his belt and hang him from the tree in the courtyard for a few hours. Rowen would asionally hear stories from others about his father. They imed that his father used to be very cold and heartless during his younger days. Rowen couldn¡¯t bring himself to associate that man with the image of Alexander approaching him with a belt in his hand. Is that man really my father? With Sophia, however, Rowen felt that she looked just as beautiful as she did when she was younger. When Rowen heard that Lewinn had a beautiful younger sister, he asked with a disdainful snort, ¡°How beautiful is she, huh? Is she as beautiful as my mom and Aunt Katherine?¡± He firmly believed that Sophia was the most beautiful woman in the world. ¡°She¡¯s going to be my little sister, so you¡¯d better not bully her, Rowie!¡± Lewinn warned with a chuckle. ¡°Oh, please! Am I the kind of person who would do such a thing?¡± Rowen snapped back at him. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. Lewinn simply stared at Rowen without saying a word. Rowen, who was seventeen at the time, had always been arrogant and domineering as a result of his wealthy family background. Had Lewinn not been two years older than Rowen, he wouldn¡¯t have asked Rowen to help look after Celine Lewis. Lewinn¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°She¡¯s a little timid, so please don¡¯t scare her off.¡± He couldn¡¯t tell what Rowen had in mind when he winked at him in response, but he knew Rowen was definitely up to no good. ¡°My mom likes Celine a lot,¡± Lewinn said with a sigh. Realizing what he meant, Rowen said with a nonchnt wave, ¡°I¡¯ll look out for her.¡± Having achieved his objective, Lewinn said, ¡°All right, you should get back to ss now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Rowen noddedzily and walked back toward his ssroom with his hands in his pockets. He didn¡¯t bother to pick up the pace even when he heard the school bell ringing. The teacher had already started the lesson when Rowen arrived at the ssroom. Upon seeing him enter through the door, the teacher simply nodded at him and motioned for him to take his seat. Because of Rowen¡¯s family background, no one dared lecture him for his arrogant behavior. Just like that, Rowen slept in ss until school was over. Irving Zabinski came running up to him when he saw him wake up. ¡°Yo, Rowen! Where are we headed today?¡± Rowen let out a yawn and turned toward Irving as he asked, ¡°Which school pays more?¡± Irving whipped out his phone and replied, ¡°Trinity Heritage Academy. They¡¯re paying one thousand five hundred per match.¡± ¡°All right, then. Trinity Heritage Academy it is,¡± Rowen replied. Although Alexander and Sophia had gone off touring the world after Rowen entered elementary school, they would return to spend time with him once every two months. Irving quickly grabbed his schoolbag and followed Rowen out of the ssroom. Despite his wealthy family background, Rowen was only given a monthly allowance of two thousand, so he needed some after-school activities to earn some extra cash. Because he had inherited his parents¡¯ intelligence, Rowen was a fast learner and performed better than others in sports as well. A club had invited him to join their basketball training sessions, but he wasn¡¯t interested and declined the invitation. He would y basketball with Jayden Cabana and a few other friends during his free time. That resulted in people finding out about his hobby and challenging him to basketball matches everywhere. As Rowen didn¡¯t have time to ept every single challenge that came his way, he put the word out that he would only ept challenges from those who could afford to pay him if they lost. Given his family¡¯s reputation in Jadeborough, the challengers had no choice but toply with his terms. They would offer him an amount of money that they could afford per match and pay up if they lost. Conversely, Rowen would pay them that same amount if he lost. Just like that, Rowen managed to earn quite a lot of money simply by winning basketball matches. The match he had that day was no different. After winning the match, Rowen grabbed his basketball and uniform and left without even looking at his challengers. Although they were displeased with his disdainful attitude, the challengers from Trinity Heritage Academy had nothing to say in response. After all, they had lost to Rowen fair and square. It wasn¡¯t until Irving, who was busy collecting the money, turned around that he realized Rowen had left. He ran after Rowen, only to see him looking at something excitedly with his school uniform and basketball in each hand. Irving followed his gaze and saw a few girls surrounding one underneath the tennis. ¡°They¡¯ve got her outnumbered, Rowen! Should we go save her?¡± Rowen turned around and shot him a disdainful look. ¡°Do you know her?¡± Irving froze. ¡°N-No...¡± ¡°You can go save her if you want,¡± Rowen said with a snort and walked off. I don¡¯t have time for this! Irving nced at the girl, who had been pushed to the ground, and saw that her knees were red from the abrasion. Only half of her face was exposed, but that was enough for him to see the tear flowing down her cheek. After hesitating for a bit, Irving mustered the courage to tug at the sleeve of Rowen¡¯s school uniform. ¡°That girl is crying, Rowen! I feel really bad for her!¡± ¡°And I¡¯m so hungry that my stomach is growling. I think you should feel bad for me too.¡± Rowen¡¯s expression grew cold. ¡°Let go.¡± As soon as he said that, the group of girls screamed at the top of their voices. Thinking that the poor girl was being beaten up, Rowen arched an eyebrow and turned around out of curiosity. The smile on Rowen¡¯s face froze when he saw that she had picked up the girl that was bullying her. Wait a minute... That girl does not look like she is being bullied at all! Chapter 641 One More Round Chapter 641 One More Round Celine¡¯s actions had not only scared the living daylights out of the bullies but also shocked Rowen and Irving, who were watching from the side. Irving was so taken aback that he couldn¡¯t speak. Rowen, on the other hand, simply stared at the girl with his mouth wide open. Celine put Sasha Zahniser down after holding her up in the air for about two seconds. Her knees were hurting badly from the fall, and she wouldn¡¯t have picked Sasha up if they hadn¡¯t gone too far with their bullying. Sasha was so terrified that she quickly backed away after Celine put her down, prompting the other girls to do the same. As Celine stood up straight while holding on to the fence, she felt someone staring at her and instinctively turned her head. She saw two boys dressed in basketball attire staring at her from the walkway nearby. One of them had shock written all over his face. Celine was surprised when she saw Rowen¡¯s face. It was her first time seeing a boy that beautiful. If not for Rowen¡¯s short hairstyle, Celine would have easily mistaken him for a girl. Realizing that they had witnessed her disy of strength, Celine blushed and lowered her head to avoid their gaze. She then dusted her knees off and limped away as quickly as she could. She hade to collect the pay for her part-time job and happened to run into Sasha and the other girls. ¡°Did I see that right, Rowen?¡± Rowen calmly retracted his gaze after Celine had disappeared from sight. ¡°No.¡± Obviously, Irving knew that Rowen was joking when he said that. ¡°That girl was amazing! I can¡¯t believe she just picked someone up like that!¡± he eximed while running after Rowen. Annoyed by how noisy he was, Rowen snapped at him impatiently, ¡°Shut up!¡± Irving made a zipping motion with his fingers when he saw the frown on Rowen¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t until they had stepped out of the front gate that Irving remembered the money he had collected and whipped it out of his pocket. He took three hundred for himself and handed the remaining amount to Rowen. Since Irving was merely there to make up for the number of people, he was happy with getting three hundred out of it. ¡°Here you go, Rowen. The winnings from today¡¯s match.¡± Rowen took the money and stuffed it into his pocket without even looking. He walked up to his bicycle, hung the basketball on the side, and hopped on. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading home now.¡± ¡°See you tomorrow, Rowen!¡± Rowen ignored him and cycled even faster. Just like that, he sped through the streets and arrived home in less than twenty minutes. Sophia had just finished preparing lunch when she saw Rowene in through the front door. ¡°Wee home, Rowen!¡± Rowen nced at her and nodded before asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Dad, Mom?¡± He would often see the two of them acting all lovey-dovey with each other whenever he came home. He was a little surprised to see Sophia being home alone that day. ¡°Something happened to your uncle Samuel, so he went to the hospital a while ago,¡± Sophia replied while taking her jacket off. Samuel had a hot temper despite being rather old. When Jovanni Schild got into a fight at school, both of their parents were summoned to resolve the issue. Samuel ended up getting into a fight with the boy¡¯s parents after heading over. Apparently, Jovanni¡¯s ssmate had badmouthed Samantha by implying that she got herself pregnant to marry into a wealthy family. Of course, that did not sit well with Jovanni at all. In a fit of anger, he picked up a book and bashed the student in the mouth. Sophia wasn¡¯t entirely sure about the exact details of what happened. All she knew was that Samuel had sprained his hip after fighting the student¡¯s parents, and Alexander had rushed over to the school after getting a call about it. ¡°Is Uncle Samuel okay?¡± Rowen asked while retrieving a bottle of soda from the refrigerator. ¡°He should be fine,¡± Sophia replied while shing Rowen a half smile. Rowen was halfway through opening the bottle of soda when he noticed her staring at it. After a brief pause, he put the soda back into the refrigerator. Sophia retracted her gaze and continued, ¡°Your dad made you some soup. Would you like a bowl of it?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Although Rowen was usually quite fearless, he was very afraid of Sophia. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because Sophia had a nasty temper or anything. Whenever he made Sophia upset, Alexander woulde out of his study with a belt in his hand. A boy like Rowen could take a little beating without a problem, but Alexander had never hit him with the belt. Instead, he would tie Rowen¡¯s hands with it and hang him from the tree in the courtyard. It wasn¡¯t really all that painful for Rowen. In fact, he found that punishment was rather easy to withstand. After growing up, however, Rowen learned to fear the humiliation that he would suffer if his friends saw him in that state. Despite his delinquent-like behavior at school, Rowen was extremely obedient at home. He would go straight to his room and do his homework after lunch, and his grades had always made it into the top three in his academic year. That was probably why the teachers at school didn¡¯t bother to reprimand him for his nonchnt behavior. He would repeat his wrongdoings even if they summoned his parents, so there was no point in doing so. Besides, his behavior did not affect his grades at all, so they decided to just leave him be. Sophia knew about Rowen¡¯s behavior at school, but she couldn¡¯t really lecture him because of how obedient he was at home. Rowen was the kind of student who would sleep in ss and still master the subjects after reading through the textbooks at home. Other students would take around two to three hours toplete their homework, but Rowen could get it done in forty minutes or less. Rowen had just finished his homework when he heard some noises downstairs. He grabbed his phone, sat down on the chair on the balcony, and booted up an online game. Unfortunately for him, the game¡¯s matchmaking system paired him up with a couple. The girl had chosen a supporting character, but she didn¡¯t know how to y the game well. Rowen, who wasn¡¯t exactly known for his patience, typed in the chat: Stop following me around! Stick to the guy who brought you! N?velDrama.Org content rights. The other guy didn¡¯t y any better. Not only did he fail to perform well after hogging the jungle role, but he also gave the enemy team lots of free kills. Rowen couldn¡¯t help but let out a wry chuckle when he saw that. After scoring five kills in a row, he had his avatar stand in front of the enemy team¡¯s crystal and sold off all his equipment. The guy cursed at him angrily in the chat: F*ck! This archer yer is useless! He didn¡¯t even attack the enemy¡¯s tower! Celine stared at the word ¡°defeat¡± on the screen of her phone and went silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Mind paying me the money for my tuition fees now?¡± Enzer Lulorn, who was on the same team as her, replied impatiently, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t rush me! It¡¯s not like I won¡¯t pay you! Come on, let¡¯s y one more round!¡± Celine refused without any hesitation, ¡°You said we would only y one round.¡± Her voice was soft yet firm at the same time. Enzer found himself blushing a little as he logged out of the game and transferred one thousand two hundred to Celine. Celine breathed a sigh of relief when she received the notification of the fund transfer. She left the team she was in earlier and was about to log out of the game when she recalled something. After a brief moment of hesitation, she spent a few minutes searching up the records of the previous match and sent the yer Xen a friend request. As Celine didn¡¯t like ying games, she had only yed that game twice so far. After all, she had more important things to do than waste her time on games. Chermond Fiverden would alwaysin to her about having useless teammates with zero kills, ten deaths, and one assist. As Celine was new to that game, she, too, became one of those useless teammates. The archer yer from earlier has thirty-five kills, two deaths, and ten assists. I, on the other hand, have one kill, eighteen deaths, and nine assists. I suppose I have be one of those useless teammates that Chermond alwaysins about... She was snapped out of her train of thought when Xen declined her friend request. Thinking it was because of her poor performance, Celine burned bright red in embarrassment. Chapter 642 Too Expensive Chapter 642 Too Expensive After a brief hesitation, Celine sent him another friend request, but this time, she added a text: I¡¯m sorry for what I did just now. Just as Rowen was about to pick up a bottle of soda, he received a notification about a friend request he had declined earlier. Isn¡¯t Linnie the girl brought by that dude? The dude stole my jungle role. Argh, I can¡¯t believe she gave the other team eighteen kills while ying support. He had encountered girls like her on many asions and knew that she was only interested in riding on his sess after noticing his achievements. She thinks she can curry favor with me with that apology, huh? How cheesy. Rowen had no interest in pursuing girls while gaming. In fact, in real life, countless women tried to get his attention, but he showed no interest in them, let alone the girl online who might be an uncouth man. Rowen grabbed his phone, intending to decline the request, but he identally clicked the ept button instead. He knitted his brows, and another notification popped up. The person sent him another text message: I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s only my second time ying the game. Earlier, I was apanying my friend, who was on a mission in the game. I didn¡¯t y dirty on purpose. I¡¯m sorry. After ncing at the screen, Rowen opened her page and was ready to strike the person¡¯s face. Yet, he was surprised to see that there were only a total of four games on the page. He was instantly rendered speechless, believing her apology to be sincere. Nheless, he had no intention of replying to her message. Just as he was about to unfriend her, she sent another message: I¡¯m so so so sorry. To make it up to you, I¡¯ll buy you new skin, okay? T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. After Celine sent him that text message, anxiety overwhelmed her. In truth, she was not a generous person, but Chermond¡¯s constant reminders about her dirty tricks during the match, along with seeing Xen suddenly stopped moving when he could almost obtain the crystal, made her realize that he must be angry with her. At the beginning of the game, she was clueless about the strategies. Following Chermond¡¯s advice, she avoided sticking with her team¡¯s yers in a duo and instead went to support the marksman. Later, when Enzer asked her to buy a gem, she recalled Chermond¡¯s words and finally understood why Xen had told her not to follow him earlier. Throughout the entire game, Xen had only spoken one sentence at the beginning, but after twenty minutes, everyone was already arguing. Enzer med the mage and topner for forming a duo, while the mage and topner criticized her and Enzer for doing the same. Celine kept mum throughout the argument, and Xen acted as if he was not involved at all. However, if she put herself in his shoes, she could understand why he was furious. Dealing with gamers like the four of them could actually drive people nuts. Chermond¡¯s constant reminders made her realize she had treated Xen unfairly, so feeling a pang of guilt, she came up with a solution to make it up to him. Xen, who had not replied to any of her messages, finally texted back: That seems like a sincere apology. I want Venantius¡¯ Honor Collection. Rowen wanted to see if she was willing to give him a skin set worth more than five thousand. Why should I turn her down since she wants to give me something for free? Celine had limited knowledge about skins in the game. Upon receiving his reply, she went to the store to look for the skin instead of replying to him right away. She learned that the skin he wanted was not avable for sale. She went to check with Chermond. Upon receiving her message, he texted back: Are you crazy? That collection is worth over five thousand, and you won¡¯t be able to purchase it. You have to draw crystals to get it! Why would you want to buy the skin all of a sudden? It¡¯s just a game. It¡¯s not worth spending so much on it! Celine instantly gasped after reading his reply. What? That costs more than five thousand? Nevertheless, she was not someone who would go against her words. Even though she had no idea who Xen was, she still felt desperately guilty for not being able to fulfill his request. She texted him: I¡¯m so sorry. The skin you asked for is too expensive. How about another skin? Rowen, who was about to load a new game, thought he had frightened her off with his demand, but that was not the case. After reading her message, he responded with a brief reply: Forget it. Upon sending the message to her, he noticed she had already gone offline. It was gettingte, so he chose to exit the game and went to the bathroom to freshen up. I better hit the sack now since I need to go to school tomorrow. Celine woke up early the next day. Despite going to bed early the previous night, she could not sleep well due to the unfamiliar surroundings of the Lewis residence. The bed she slept inst night was much morefortable than any she had slept in before, and the room was also brighter and more spacious than her previous living quarters. However, she could not sleep a wink as she was not used to the new environment. She only managed to sleep for a short while before the rm on her phone rang. It was her first day at the new school, so she wanted to reach there on time. After freshening up, Celine walked out of her room and saw Lewinn at the dining table. Upon meeting her gaze, Lewinn shed a grin. ¡°Good morning, Celine.¡± ¡°Good morning, L-Lewinn...¡± she stammered. Feeling embarrassed, she lowered her head, her cheeks turning red. She was still not used to calling him by his name. Lewinn smiled warmly and handed her a ss of milk. At that moment, Joshua and Katherine emerged from the kitchen. Katherine had been spending most of her days at home, as she had decided to take a long break from filming projects in recent years. ¡°Celine, you¡¯re awake. Did you manage to sleep wellst night?¡± Katherine asked. ¡°Yes, I did, Mrs. Lewis.¡± She then shifted her gaze to Joshua. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Lewis.¡± Joshua nodded in response. ¡°Good morning.¡± As the four of them settled at the dining table, Katherine took the initiative to sit next to Celine, eager to make her feel morefortable by sharing information about the new school. As Celine listened, she nodded in acknowledgment obediently. Katherine was growing increasingly fond of Celine. She had always longed for a daughter, but Joshua had secretly undergone a vasectomy, and no matter how much she tried to persuade him, he refused to have another child. That was why Lewinn was their only son. There was nothing she couldin about when it came to Lewinn, but she could not help but notice that he was starting to behave more and more like his father. Joshua had nomunication problems with Katherine, but he tended to act indifferently in front of others. Somehow, Lewinn had picked up on his father¡¯s aloofness. Recognizing that it might be challenging for Katherine to handle two such individuals in the household, Joshua was willing to do anything to make her happy. He supported Katherine¡¯s decision to adopt Celine, as he knew she had always been interested in raising a daughter. After breakfast, Katherine personally drove Celine to her new school. Katherine always perceived Celine as gentle and soft, someone who could be taken advantage of. She had wanted to apany her to the ssroom, but Lewinn said he had asked Rowen to take care of her. Furthermore, Celine was not a young child anymore. Escorting her to the ssroom might lead to other ssmates gossiping about her. Katherine eventually abandoned the idea. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go in now, Mrs. Lewis. Drive safe,¡± Celine said. Her gentle voice instantly warmed Katherine¡¯s heart. ¡°All right. You better hurry. I¡¯ll leave once you enter the school. Go on.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Celine responded in a sweet voice before turning around and walking into the new high school she was enrolled in. As it was her first day at Gautier High School, she was not familiar with theyout. It took her more than ten minutes to locate the ssroom she was assigned to. Many of the students in the ssroom had started their morning revision. After all, they were already in the second half of their sophomore year. When Celine¡¯s unfamiliar face appeared in the ssroom, several students looked her way. Soon, a girl with chubby cheeks and pink-framed sses walked over, her voice friendly as she started, ¡°You must be Celine Lewis, right? I¡¯m the ss monitor, Rhianne Laydock. Your seat is at the back. I¡¯ve already picked up your new textbooks for you. I¡¯ll take you to get your school uniform at recess.¡± Rhianne was warm and kind, and her tone naturally softened when she saw Celine¡¯s adorable face. ¡°Thank you.¡± Celine nodded, expressing her gratitude. ¡°You¡¯re wee. This will be your seat for the time being. Don¡¯t worry. Once the monthly exam is over, we¡¯ll reconsider the seating arrangement,¡± Rhianne consoled her, understanding that the current seat might not be suitable for her petite frame. ¡°All right,¡± Celine responded, then carried her bag and walked to her seat. As she walked past her ssmates¡¯ desks, she noticed they were covered with textbooks and exercise books. However, in contrast, not a single book was seen on her deskmate¡¯s desk. Chapter 643 Monster Chapter 643 Monster It wasn¡¯t long after Celine had taken her seat that Irving arrived. Seeing a girl sitting next to Rowen, he assumed she was just another admirer there to confess her feelings to Rowen. He whistled and arched his eyebrows at Quentin Zadra next to him. ¡°Which ss is she from?¡± Quentin nudged Irving. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. She¡¯s our new ssmate, Celine Lewis.¡± Irving gasped. ¡°Didn¡¯t Rowen say he didn¡¯t want a deskmate?¡± Quentin shrugged, expressing hisck of knowledge in that matter. After putting down his bag, Irving stole another nce at Celine. The more he looked, the more familiar she seemed. Just as he recalled she was the girl with monstrous strength from yesterday, the ss bell rang. He had no choice but to catch himself. He discreetly took out his phone to send Rowen a message. As soon as he sent the message, Rowen showed up at the ssroom door. Carrying a backpack, Rowen strode into the ssroom. He frowned at the sight of a girl sitting next to him. A ssmate exined, ¡°Rowen, she¡¯s our new ssmate, Celine Lewis.¡± Celine Lewis? Isn¡¯t she Lewinn¡¯s new sister? Rowen gave a sidelong nce at the girl next to him. He immediately recognized her as the girl from yesterday who had lifted her bully with one hand at Trinity Heritage Academy. Didn¡¯t Lewinn say his little sister is very timid? She¡¯s far from timid, judging by her impressive feat yesterday. Seeing that the teacher hadn¡¯t arrived, Irving wiggled his brows at Rowen. ¡°Rowen, don¡¯t make our new ssmate cry!¡± Rowen shot him a look. ¡°Mind your own business, or I¡¯ll make you cry instead.¡± Knowing that the boy next to her was looking at her, Celine felt a little nervous. After hesitating briefly, she looked up at him and said, ¡°Hello. My name is Celine Lewis.¡± He drawled in response, ¡°Okay.¡± He took out hisnguage textbook, rested his head on it, and ignored her. Celine was momentarily stunned. Her face turned a little red. Isn¡¯t this the boy I encountered at Trinity Heritage Academy yesterday? Amidst her daze, the teacher on the podium had already started to talk about her. ¡°We have a new student in our ss, Celine Lewis. Celine, please stand up and introduce yourself.¡± Hearing her name getting called, Celine clumsily got to her feet, and as she did, her elbow identally knocked a book off the desk, whichnded on the floor between her and Rowen with a loud thud. Rowen, who had just closed his eyes, felt slightly irritated. Having his nap disturbed, he opened his eyes and looked at Celine with a hint of annoyance. Feeling embarrassed, she apologized in an undertone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Rowen didn¡¯t answer but simply turned his face to the other side and shut his eyes to sleep again. Celine was at a loss. It wasn¡¯t until the homeroom teacher called her name again that she introduced herself, ¡°Hello, everyone. My name is Celine Lewis.¡± Her voice was soft. She had always been an introvert, so she didn¡¯t speak loudly during her self- introduction. Despite her vaguely audible tone, even the normally strict homeroom teacher couldn¡¯t bring himself to reprimand the gentle girl. He merely nodded and said, ¡°Sit down.¡± There was only half a month until the midterm exam. The sudden arrival of a new ssmate didn¡¯t make much of a difference to the teachers. However, it was quite a change for the students in Grade Eleven ss Seven. Their soft-spoken female ssmate sat next to Rowen, yet he didn¡¯t chase her away. That wasn¡¯t all. When she interrupted his nap earlier, he also didn¡¯t lose his temper. Following the strange urrences, many people started discussing the new girl in ss in hushed tones after the ss ended. Rowen didn¡¯t sleep in every lesson. He simply dozed off particrly frequently innguage sses. Despite his aversion tonguage lessons, he was highly gifted and intelligent. His scores innguage examinations were still among the top three in his year. Therefore, the teacher let his behavior slide. Even if the other students were displeased, they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. As the end of ss bell rang, Rowen woke up. He groggily looked around him and saw Irving missing. He took out a bottle of beverage from his bag and guzzled half the content. Right after he quenched his thirst, Irving and Quentin returned. Noticing Rowen was awake, Irving jogged up to him. ¡°Rowen, don¡¯t you think your new deskmate looks familiar?¡± Rowen wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with Irving, so he red at him and said, ¡°Scram.¡± Irving grinned mischievously. ¡°The more I look at her, the more I feel our new ssmate is the girl we saw at Trinity Heritage Academy yesterday. Rowen, you really didn¡¯t recognize her?¡± Rowen undoubtedly did, but he wasn¡¯t as gossipy as Irving, nor was he fond of meddling in others¡¯ matters. Besides, Celine was someone Lewinn had asked him to take care of. Rowen nced at Celine, who was listening to their conversation. He picked up a book and hurled it at Irving. ¡°Can¡¯t you keep your mouth shut?¡± Sensing Rowen¡¯s anger, Irving dared not press that matter further and quickly changed the subject. ¡°Rowen, where are we going this afternoon? Theboratory guys are offering two thousand!¡± ¡°Stick with the usual rule.¡± ¡°All right. I got it!¡± Rowen¡¯s usual rule was to y with whoever offered more money. After all, he was short of cash. Besides, if he lost, he would have to pay as well. Although Celine was holding a pen, her mind wasn¡¯t focused on her textbook. Instead, all her attention was on the boy beside her. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Her heart instinctively clenched after she heard Irving mention her name. She knew it was bizarre and incredulous for a girl like her to be able to lift a ssmate who weighed over a hundred pounds with ease. In the past, she wasn¡¯t aware that her strength would make her a subject of scorn. She didn¡¯t mind doing the heavy lifting tasks in ss all the time. However, she didn¡¯t expect that all her efforts would result in her ssmates making fun of her behind her back. She could still vividly remember all those hurtful remarks. ¡°Is Celine a monster? She¡¯s not tall or strong. How could she easily lift the ss monitor who weighs over a hundred pounds?¡± ¡°Celine is so scary. How could she pick up all the books in our ss with one hand? The stack of forty- plus books must¡¯ve weighed nearly seventy pounds! We should avoid her in the future. Otherwise, if she gets mad and swings her fist at us, we may get killed by a single punch from her.¡± ¡°Will any boy ever like Celine? If I were a boy, I wouldn¡¯t like her.¡± Those harsh words that her closest friends had uttered were like daggers stabbing into her heart, causing her great agony. After starting high school, she very seldom disyed that ability of hers because she didn¡¯t want to be known as a girl with monstrous strength, much less a monster. If Sasha and the others hadn¡¯t pushed her to the edge yesterday, she wouldn¡¯t have used her strength. At the thought of yesterday¡¯s incident, Celine subconsciously gazed at Rowen. He was flipping through an extra-curricr book. Only after looking twice did she realize it was a novel published in its original foreignnguage, The Moon and Sixpence. Wow. He¡¯s incredible, but will he also think I¡¯m a monster? Chapter 647 Jealous Chapter 647 Jealous Celine regained her senses with a blink of her eyes before throwing Harper a nce. ¡°I¡¯m heading home.¡± Mrs. Lewis would be worried if I were to be out any longer. ¡°Okay, okay. It¡¯s gettingte. We should really go. Are you getting a taxi or taking the bus?¡± Harper asked while sucking on her lollipop, behaving as if she hadn¡¯t scolded Celine earlier. ¡°The bus, I suppose.¡± She was given an allowance by Katherine, but she didn¡¯t want to splurge. Somehow cheered up by the lollipop, Harper was happy to go along with the decision. She seemed to have forgotten why she hade to see Celine in the first ce. Both of them subsequently walked to the bus stop. As sses had ended for more than ten minutes, there were only a handful of students left waiting there. In order to return to Moonlight Bay, they had to take Bus No. 1. Their school was, after all, located quite far away from the neighborhood they lived in. There would be one bus every five minutes during rush hour. The bus arrived after a three-minute wait. As the bus was packed, Harper pulled Celine along with her toward the back. Only when they arrived at the very back did she release her grip. ¡°A lot of office workers will board at the next stop. You¡¯ll end up being squashed if you stand in front.¡± The grateful look Celine gave Harper caused her to feel self-conscious. ¡°Why are you looking at me that way? Don¡¯t misunderstand. Since we¡¯re going home together, I¡¯m just worried that the teacher would question me if anything happened to you!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Harper was stumped by Celine¡¯s gentle expression of gratitude. Feeling awkward, she looked away. ¡°I didn¡¯t thank you when you treated me the lollipop.¡± While speaking, she sucked on it further and remarked, ¡°It¡¯s really good.¡± Celine, too, gave her lollipop a lick. ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Just as Harper predicted, the next stop was indeed crowded with office workers. When more than ten of them boarded the already packed bus, Celine and Harper were squeezed tightly together in the back. Fortunately, more than half of the passengers alighted four stopster. Although there were still no seats avable, the standing space had be a lot morefortable than before. Finally, both of them got off at Moonlight Bay, which was the secondst stop before the final station. By the time the bus arrived, there were hardly any passengers left. Before she knew it, Harper had finished her lollipop. When she turned to look at Celine, thetter had finished slightly more than half. Celine had stopped eating it and put the lollipop¡¯s wrapper back on after boarding the bus. Sensing Harper¡¯s gaze, Celine returned it and noticed the empty stick in the former¡¯s hand. As she looked back down on her lollipop, Celine pondered a moment before handing it over. ¡°Do you want this?¡± Harper wasn¡¯t really into it but couldn¡¯t resist the moment sheid eyes on the lollipop. Nevertheless, she blushed as she replied, ¡°I don¡¯t like it. It¡¯s too sweet. You should finish it instead.¡± Her words conflicted with her feelings, made worse by the fact that she was holding onto an empty lollipop stick. Celine grunted in acknowledgment just as the bus announced its arrival at Moonlight Bay. They walked to the door together, and Harper was the first to jump off the bus the moment it stopped. She threw the lollipop stick in the garbage bin before returning to walk by Celine¡¯s side. ¡°Which unit do you stay in?¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Celine deliberated briefly before answering, ¡°C1-22.¡± ¡°I¡¯m staying in C1-16, diagonally opposite your house. Why haven¡¯t I seen you before?¡± Harper had a sudden epiphany while speaking. ¡°Ah! C1-22. It¡¯s Ms. Quinn¡¯s house! You¡¯re staying there? What¡¯s your rtionship with her?¡± ¡°Mrs. Lewis adopted me.¡± ¡°Adopted... you...¡± Harper stopped halfway, a sudden realization caused her to cover her mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t mean that. Don¡¯t misunderstand! No wonder Rowen shielded you from the ball. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware that Ms. Quinn and his mother are good friends and Ms. Quinn is also Rowen¡¯s godmother, so why did you say that you didn¡¯t know him?¡± Celine was surprised, for she truly was ignorant about Rowen and Katherine¡¯s rtionship. Staring at Harper, she was at a loss as to how she should exin. ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you.¡± Other than that, she didn¡¯t know what else to say. Harper responded with a snort. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how dishonest you are, Celine! I was wrong about you. And here I was, thinking that you¡¯re a good person.¡± No sooner had Harper finished than she took off. Looking at Harper¡¯s leaving silhouette in a daze, Celine was suddenly filled with a sense of dejection. Does this mean that Harper still hates me? For some strange reason, Celine preferred to be friends with Harper than Isobel. However, she wasn¡¯t a fool and didn¡¯t want others to treat her as such. It was clear to her that Harper wasn¡¯t keen on being her friend. After running for a certain distance, Harper turned around, expecting Celine to be pursuing her. Unexpectedly, she was greeted by thetter standing where she was with her head hung low. The evening sun that shone upon her threw a long slender shadow on the ground, entuating the loneliness that she was exuding. Harper gave her bag straps a tug before running back to Celine. ¡°Hey, are you really being honest with me?¡± The sight of Harper turning back made Celine¡¯s eyes glisten brightly, and she nodded firmly. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Since you don¡¯t look like you¡¯re lying, I guess I have no choice but to take your word for it.¡± The moment she finished, Harper walked up to Celine¡¯s side and held her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s getting dark.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Celine looked at Harper as she led her forward. She was heartened that her first day of school had turned out to be a wonderful one. ¡°I heard that Ms. Quinn¡¯s son is very handsome. Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve also not seen him before.¡± Celine quickly shook her head. ¡°No, I have met him.¡± Celine blushed when Lewinn¡¯s face appeared in her mind. ¡°Lewinn is handsome indeed.¡± ¡°Then does he have a girlfriend?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The answer irritated Harper. ¡°Why do you not know anything? Oh, forget it. I forgive you. Since Rowen likes you, it wouldn¡¯t be right for me to like him anymore. I feel sad, but Lewinn is equally handsome. You should keep an eye on him for me. When I get into his university in the future, I¡¯ll definitely pursue him then!¡± Celine was astonished by what she heard. ¡°D-Don¡¯t you like Rowen?¡± ¡°But he doesn¡¯t like me!¡± The mere mention of Rowen caused Harper¡¯s face to darken. ¡°I have long known that he isn¡¯t interested in me.¡± Harper wasn¡¯t an idiot. She had been pursuing Rowen for many years, but he didn¡¯t even spare her a nce. With her heart being eaten away by a bitter sensation, she suddenly felt the pain intensify as she stared at Celine. ¡°Why is your skin so smooth?¡± The question was so abrupt that it caught Celine off guard. Upon regaining her senses, she replied, ¡°I-I don¡¯t know why.¡± ¡°What kind of skincare products do you use?¡± Harper reached out to stroke Celine¡¯s face. Oh my God! It¡¯s so smooth! ¡°I don¡¯t use any.¡± ¡°Then why is yourplexion so good?¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s due to me sleeping early?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so jealous of you, Celine!¡± Chapter 648 In The Same Class Chapter 648 In The Same ss Soon, the two of them reached the C1 district. Katherine¡¯s ce was further into the area, so they first arrived at Harper¡¯s ce. ¡°I¡¯m here. What time are you going to school tomorrow?¡± Celine was initially a little disappointed, but her eyes glinted at Harper¡¯s words. ¡°Six-thirty.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait for you here at six thirty-five tomorrow.¡± Harper spoke so matter-of-factly that Celine almost forgot that they were love rivals. Taken aback by Harper¡¯s proposal, Celine asked tentatively, ¡°So, you¡¯re going to school with me tomorrow?¡± Harper exploded, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it! You¡¯re Lewinn¡¯s sister, and since I¡¯m going to be Lewinn¡¯s girlfriend in the future, it only makes sense to get along with you. After all, I¡¯ll be your sister-inw in the future.¡± Celine thought it was embarrassing to hear Harper, at the tender age of sixteen, speak of bing her sister-inw. She felt the heat creep onto her face. ¡°I didn¡¯t overthink it.¡± She knew better than to expect an instant bond with Harper. Celine nced at Harper and hesitated for a moment before finally breaking the silence. ¡°I... have no rtions with Rowen. Do you really not like him anymore?¡± For reasons unknown to her, Harper suddenly found herself in a tempest of irritation. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re annoying, Celine!¡± And with those words, she spun on her heel and scampered into the mansion. Celine¡¯s face paled. She watched Harper¡¯s retreating figure, then bit her lip and shifted her gaze to the tips of her own shoes. Did I say something wrong again? Harper thought Celine was somewhat dense. I¡¯ve already let go of Rowen for Celine. So why did she bring up Rowen again? Back in her home, Harper suddenly thought of something. Ignoring her mother¡¯s calls, she dashed over to the balcony. The twilight hour was painting the sky with stunning hues, but her attention was elsewhere. Looking down, she noticed a forlorn figure still standing at her front gate. Suddenly, Harper felt her anger ebb away. ¡°She doesn¡¯t really think I hate her, does she?¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Harper turned around and went back down. Celine stood there for a while. When she was about to leave, she noticed Harper was out again. Not knowing what to say, she merely lifted her gaze to meet Harper¡¯s. Harper thrust a note into Celine¡¯s hand. ¡°This is my number. Send me a message when you leave your ce tomorrow.¡± By the time Celine registered what happened, Harper had already retreated back into the mansion. Unfolding the note, she saw a bold message scrawled at the top: You¡¯re so dim, Celine! Below that was a string of numbers. A smile spread across her face as she saved the number in her phone and carefully tucked the note into her diary. Only then did she make her way back home. The sky was getting dark, and Celine quickened her pace. A bicycle whizzed past her, but not for more than two seconds before it stopped right in front of her. Rowen hopped off the bicycle and nced back at Celine with a cock of his brows. It¡¯s already an hour after school. Why is she only getting home now? Celine was surprised to see that it was Rowen. Recalling the basketball incident in the afternoon, she walked over and nced at his arm. There was a very obvious abrasion on his left forearm. Although it wasn¡¯t severe, the bruise¡¯s fiery red and purple hues stood out sharply against his pale skin, making it seem more gruesome than it was. Seeing her standing there, motionless, Rowen grew impatient. ¡°Did you forget your keys?¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Celine snapped out of her daze and quickly muttered, ¡°I have them.¡± She immediately fumbled for her keys to unlock the door. Alexander and Sophia had been away from home for a few days. Sophia had asked Rowen to stay with Katherine for the time being. As a matter of fact, Rowen would stay in the Lewis residence for a few days a year. Katherine had prepared a room filled with his clothes. It had essentially be Rowen¡¯s second home. He parked his bike, then cradled his basketball and made his way upstairs. His tall stature allowed him to ascend the stairs swiftly, overtaking Celine despite her head start. Upon seeing him, Katherine greeted him as usual, ¡°Wow, it¡¯s only been a month and you¡¯ve grown taller and more handsome, Rowie!¡± ¡°Aunt Katherine,¡± Rowen greeted. Katherine had also noticed Celine, who was right behind Rowen. She approached the girl and smiled as she said, ¡°Celine, this is my best friend¡¯s son I¡¯ve told you before, Rowen Xenos. Rowie, this is Celine. She goes to the same school as you, so make sure to take good care of her, okay?¡± Rowen looked at Celine and said, ¡°We¡¯re in the same ss.¡± Surprised, Katherine eximed, ¡°Even better! Celine is rather introverted, so do take her along with you.¡± ¡°Understood, Aunt Katherine.¡± While they were talking, Joshua and Lewinn made their way upstairs. Rowen greeted them and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to go change in my room.¡± Then, he headed to the third floor. Seeing Celine still carrying her school bag, Katherine suggested that she returned to her room as well. Celine followed behind Rowen to head upstairs. It was only then did she realize that Rowen¡¯s room was just across from her own. Rowen cast a nce at her before entering his room. Feeling somewhat abashed, she scurried back to hers. After putting her bag down, Celine noticed iodine and disinfectant swabs lying on the table. She pursed her lips, then picked them up and went to the room opposite hers. Rowen had just pulled off his trousers when he heard a knock on the door. He casually threw on a shirt and sauntered over to answer the door. Seeing Celine standing there, he arched his brow in curiosity and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± He did not put on his shirt properly, revealing a strip of a firm abdomen. Celine, with her head lowered, looked up and happened to catch a nce of it. Her mind whirled, and after a few seconds of stunned silence, she finally found her voice. ¡°Thank you for this afternoon. This is for you.¡± With a flushed face, she practically shoved the iodine and swabs into Rowen¡¯s hands before spinning around and dashing back into her room. The door closed behind her with a resonating thud. Celine leaned against the door, her cheeks red as a tomato. Rowen clicked his tongue, feeling quite perplexed, and it was only then he noticed the state of his attire. Crap! His ears turned red. With a swift tug, he adjusted his shirt, then promptly ced the items that Celine had given him on a nearby desk. I don¡¯t need these for such a minor injury. Chapter 649 Incompetent Chapter 649 Ipetent Due to the brief incident earlier, Celine had been hiding in her room. It was only when Lewinn came upstairs to call her for dinner that she left her room and headed downstairs. Katherine and the rest were already seated at the dining table, and the table was already set. Lewinn and Katherine were sitting on each side of Joshua, and Rowen was right next to Lewinn. ncing briefly at the only seat left between Rowen and Katherine, Celine could only sit there. Katherine, who always had a carefree attitude, naturally did not notice Celine¡¯s moodiness. Celine had always been shy and reserved, so she hardly spoke after sitting down and only focused on eating with her head lowered. Katherine did not mind her either, and it was only when they talked about school did Katherine nce at Celine. ¡°Celine, Rowie is in the same ss as you. Since he¡¯ll be staying at home these few days, you two can go to school together.¡± Earlier in the morning, Celine had requested to go to school by herself from now on without needing Katherine or Lewinn to send her. However, Katherine was still worried as Celine had onlye over here not many days ago. Coincidentally, Rowen would be staying at their home for that period of time, and the two of them were in the same ss, so going to school together was the best solution. Katherine got more excited the more she thought about it. ¡°Rowie, remember to bring Celine with you when you go to school tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Rowen replied. His gaze fell on the girl, whose head was lowered the whole time, beside him. Recalling the incident with the basketball that afternoon, he snickered in his head. What a fool. Celine¡¯s grip on her fork tightened as she said hesitantly, ¡°Mrs. Lewis.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was so gentle and delicate that even Katherine unconsciously spoke more softly than usual. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Celine?¡± ¡°One of our ssmates stays here as well. We promised to go to school together.¡± Katherine was stunned for a moment. ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve made a new friend so quickly! That¡¯s great! In fact, that¡¯s better! Since the three of you are ssmates and Rowie is a boy, it¡¯ll be safer if the three of you go together.¡± Suddenly, Lewinn thought of something and looked at Rowen. Rowen¡¯s expression was grim. ¡°Aunt Katherine, I suddenly remembered that I have to attend training sessions in the morning forpetition in the summer. I can¡¯t go to school with them.¡± Katherine felt a little disappointed. ¡°Ah, so wouldn¡¯t you have to leave the house very early in the morning?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Rowen casually replied. Katherine no longer insisted on her suggestion and instead said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wake up earlier to make you breakfast tomorrow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, Aunt Katherine. I wouldn¡¯t want to bother you. I¡¯ll eat breakfast in school.¡± As someone who loved to sleep in, Katherine was more than happy to hear that she did not need to wake up early. ¡°Okay, then.¡± Celine heaved a sigh of relief. She did not want to go to school with Rowen either. If Harper saw her with Rowen the next day, it would be even tougher to exin herself. Sensing the girl beside him obviously heaving a sigh of relief, Rowen turned his head and cast a in nce at her. Celine felt a little guilty and hurriedly lowered her head, pretending to take a sip of her soup. After dinner, Katherine let the three of them return to their rooms to study. Rowen instantly ran to Lewinn¡¯s room with the excuse that Lewinn would tutor him when he was actually there for something else. Celine also returned to her room. She had finished most of her homework in school and was only left with a few Mathematics questions. She had always been poor in Mathematics, and the worse she did, the less motivated she was to It was only four Mathematics questions, but Celine could not finish them even after nearly an hour. In the end, she decided to give up and randomly wrote a few steps before closing the book. She then took out hernguage textbooks to study and prepare herself before the lesson. Around nine o¡¯clock, Celine kept her books in her school bag. It was only before she was about to bathe that she remembered what happened with Xen the previous night. Last night, she had waited for Xen¡¯s reply for more than half an hour. When Katherine hade in to give her a ss of milk, she had forgotten about Xen after drinking the milk. Although Celine did not really y games, her grandmother had taught her that she should always keep her word. She had promised to make it up to Xen by buying him a skin, and she could not simply break her promise. After thinking about it for a while, she eventually logged on to the game. The moment she entered the game, she saw the message that Xen had sent at half past eleven the previous night. It read: No need. Feeling slightly dejected, Celine clicked on his profile to see which heroes he would usually y. It turned out that Xen mostly yed heroes who were assassins. Celine picked a hero he yed the most often and gifted him that hero¡¯s skin. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Although it cost less than a hundred, Celine¡¯s heart still ached slightly. Xen¡¯s profile picture was still grey, which meant he was not online. After fulfilling her promise, Celine felt much more relieved and intended to leave the game, bathe, and go to sleep. However, just as she was about to log off, Enzer sent a team invitation to her. Celine rejected the invitation without thinking twice. After being rejected thrice, Enzer straightaway called her on WhatsApp and asked, ¡°Why did you reject me?¡± ¡°I want to rest.¡± ¡°y one round with me. I¡¯ll give you a hundred if you y one round.¡± Celine was poor, but she knew how to differentiate between money that she should and should not earn. ¡°I really want to rest now.¡± However, Enzer had his own way of making Celine give in. ¡°You¡¯re studying at Gautier High School, and you¡¯re in Grade Eleven ss Seven, right? Do you want me to go find you tomorrow?¡± If it were anyone else threatening her, Celine would not have cared. However, Enzer was a scoundrel. With her face red from anger, Celine gave in. ¡°I¡¯ll only y one round!¡± ¡°Sure, you little money-grubber!¡± After entering the game, Enzer realized that Celine had already attained the status of a level-one VIP and was utterly shocked. ¡°You spent real money on this game?¡± Embarrassed, Celine admitted, ¡°Yes. The game has started. Stay focused and y seriously.¡± Recalling that his performance in-game was terrible the previous night, which made him lose face, Enzer actually started ying seriously after hearing Celine¡¯s words. Subsequently, Enzer performed rather well as he was getting either triple-kills or quadra-kills. Eventually, he even got a penta-kill. He had about thirty more seconds before he could revive, but his teammates were still alive. He was sure that they would win the game this round. Taking a sip of water, Enzer asked, ¡°What do you think? Wasn¡¯t I cool?¡± Celine did not reply immediately as she was busy tapping on the crystal in the opponent¡¯s base to cause damage. When the opponent¡¯s crystal was destroyed, she hurriedly said, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re very cool. I¡¯ll go to sleep now.¡± Enzer was satisfied. ¡°Okay, go to sleep. Otherwise, you can¡¯t grow any taller.¡± Celine did not reply to him. When the game summary page appeared, she immediately exited the group. I won¡¯t y this game again. The moment she had that thought, she received a team invitation. It was Xen. Celine¡¯s hand trembled and she identally rejected the invitation. The other party seemed patient as he sent her an invitation again. With a red face, Celine epted the invitation. After she joined the team, Xen did not say anything and instantly started the game. Celine only realized that her rank was roughly the same as Xen¡¯s when she was on the page to choose which heroes to y. As Chermond had told her many things, Celine quickly understood that this was Xen¡¯s alternate ount. Celine was surprised. She wondered why Xen was using an alternate ount. However, Xen seemed to have muted himself, and Celine was too shy to speak up. It was obvious that Xen¡¯s skills were much better than Enzer¡¯s. He took only six to seven minutes to finish one round. After half an hour, Xen did not start the game immediately again. Instead, he sent a message to the group, which read: Come again at nine o¡¯clock tomorrow night. After sending that, Xen left the group. Celine was confused as she stared at her phone. Doesn¡¯t he think I¡¯m ipetent? Chapter 653 But She Does Not Understand Chapter 653 But She Does Not Understand Celine realized she had zoned out and found that she had fallen behind on most of the topics Betsy had covered in thetter half of the ss. She held her pen with her almond eyes fixed on the ckboard. However, only she knew that she did not understand a thing. Seeing her stop taking notes, Rowen, who was sitting next to her, initially thought she had suddenly be smart and understood those two difficult multi-part questions. Just as ss was about to end, Betsy asked them to review once more. The person next to him pushed her workbook toward him and asked in a teary voice, ¡°Can you teach me? I couldn''t keep up with the teacher earlier.¡± Celine knew that she had never been so embarrassed in her life. It was one thing not to excel in her studies, but to daydream during ss like others was another. It was obvious Rowen was a person who was excellent at mathematics. Even ying with a Rubik''s cube did not hinder his ability to solve problems. However, it was a different story for Celine. In just over ten seconds, if she looked up again, she could no longer keep up with what the teacher was saying. By the time she had sorted out the steps from the beginning, the teacher had already moved on to another topic. There were two multi-part questions. Celine did not have time to copy, nor did she have time to listen. She really felt like crying. Her voice was soft and tense, interspersed with a tremble that hinted at tears. It sounded a little annoying. Rowen nced at Celine. Her eyes reddened again as if she was on the verge of bursting into tears if he were to reject her. He clicked his tongue impatiently, snatched her notebook, and swiftly solved the two problems. ¡°See for yourself,¡± he said. Celine looked at Rowen with gratitude. ¡°Thank you.¡± Soon, Celine found another problem. Rowen used a different approach to solve the problem. His method was clear and straightforward and solved a multi-part question in just seven steps. It was much simplerpared to the method used by Betsy. But she could not understand! For the first time, Celine realized how dumb she was. Even when she was betrayed by her so-called good friend, she had not felt this foolish. She did not understand how to get from step three to step four. Rowen must have omitted some obvious conditions. Despite searching for a long time, she still could notprehend it. She did not understand either of the two questions. Celine pursed her lips and looked earnestly at Rowen who was already packed up and waiting for school to end. ¡°I... I don''t understand,¡± she admitted. No sooner had she finished speaking that her face turned red instantly. Rowen was already feeling bothered. Hearing her words, hisst bit of patience was gone. ¡°How on earth did you manage to get into high school?¡± Celine knew she was indeed weak. She bit her lip and did not dare to speak. She just pushed her workbook a little further toward Rowen''s desk. Celine did not push it all the way over. She only pushed a corner of the book toward him. Rowen looked on and refused without any hesitation, ¡°I''m busy. Ask someone else.¡± At that moment, the bell signaling the end of ss rang. Betsy, who was on the podium, said, ¡°ss dismissed.¡± Rowen got up and walked out. Celine opened her mouth to speak but held back. She nned to ask someone for help, but it was only her second day since she transferred to this school. She did not know all her ssmates yet and had no idea who among them was good at math. Before she could even find someone to ask for help, Isobel in front of her suddenly turned around with a smug look on her face as she raised an eyebrow. ¡°I told you, didn''t I? Hanging out with Harper will only bring you trouble! This time you''re punished and told to stand in one corner. Who knows, the next time you might have to reflect on your actions during the morning assembly!¡± Celine knew she was naturally sensitive. It had been less than an hour since she was punished by standing, and here was Isobel,ing to rub salt in her wounds. Celine''s cheeks turned red with anger. Just as she was about to speak, Harper threw a workbook at Isobel. ¡°Isobel, why are you so mouthy? I''m just copying homework. It''s not like I''m you. You copied someone else''s essay, won an award for it, and then yed the victim when you were exposed!¡± When Isobel''s secret was exposed, her smug expression waspletely wiped off her face. Her complexion fluctuated between pale and flushed as she looked at Harper and was almost driven to tears by her frustration. Harper took her workbook back. ¡°I''m warning you. If you keep spouting nonsense, I''ll post all those things you did in junior high on the school forum. Let''s see who''s more disgusting!¡± Upon hearing Harper''s threat, Isobel finally got scared. She picked up her school bag and ran off immediately. Someone curiously asked Harper about what Isobel had done in junior high school. Harper waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Why are you so nosy? Do I know you that well?¡± The girl, humiliated by Harper, was furious and retorted, ¡°Isobel is right. You just can''t stand to see others doing well, so you''re always spreading rumors about them!¡± Upon hearing that, Harper could not help butugh. ¡°Cara, what rumors have I spread? Just now, someone was gleefully asking me about Isobel''s affairs. I didn''t say anything, yet you use me of spreading rumors! It seems to me that you''re the one who''s trying to shift the me!¡± Cara could not out-talk Harper, so in the end, she picked up her schoolbag and ran off too. Celine was left utterly amazed. She thought Harper was truly formidable. Two people could not even out-talk her. Moreover, even though Harper had just threatened Isobel, saying she would expose her junior high school secrets, Harper did not say a word when Cara asked. Celine, recalling the bad things Isobel said about Harper the day before, felt increasingly that Isobel was not worth befriending. Everyone in the ss knew better than to mess with Harper''s sharp tongue. Cara had learned her lesson, and even those who were curious about Isobel''s affairs did not dare to ask anymore. Once the busybody had left, Harper turned to Celine and asked, ¡°Were you just asking Rowen a math question?¡± Celine nodded slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed. ¡°Um.¡± Harper curled her lip. ¡°Don''t bother asking him next time. He''s not the helpful type of top student. Someone asked him a question before, and he got so angry he flipped his desk on the spot.¡± Earlier on, she was looking at Celine, and her heart was pounding with fear. She was terrified that Rowen would not give any regard to Betsy and flip the desk on the spot. Given Celine''s character, she would definitely burst into tears right there and then. Upon hearing Harper''s words, Celine was taken aback for a moment. ¡°Really? He wrote me the solution steps, but I can''t understand them.¡± Harper thought she had misheard, but looking at the workbook in Celine''s hand, the mboyant handwriting on it was indeed that of Rowen''s. Harper felt a pang of bitterness, but she quicklyposed herself. ¡°Just forget what I said.¡± As expected, Rowen really liked Celine! Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Celine could not help butugh. She found Harper truly adorable. ¡°Harper, you''re so cute.¡± Caught off guard by Celine''spliment, Harper''s face suddenly turned red. ¡°What... what... what are you doing?¡± she stammered. Celine looked at Harper''s bewildered expression and chuckled. But when she thought about how she could not understand the solution steps for the two math problems, herughter faded. ¡°I can''t understand Rowen''s solution steps.¡± Harper nced at it. She could not understand either, but that was not a big issue. ¡°What''s the big deal? Let''s just go ask the top student in our grade!¡± Harper spoke as she grabbed the workbook and pulled Celine along. ¡°Hurry up, or they''ll be back to the dorm!¡± Chapter 654 Cotton Candy Chapter 654 Cotton Candy ¡°Harper--¡± Celine only had time to call out to Harper before she was pulled outside and started running. Though Harper seemed delicate, she was surprisingly swift when she ran. Celine found herself quickly left behind as Harper darted out of their ssroom, heading towards ss One. Upon reaching Grade Eleven ss One, Harper finally let go of Celine, peeking into the ssroom. Soon, she spotted An. Harper was beautiful and became famous as soon as she started high school. At that moment, she brought along Celine, who was also quite attractive. Seeing two beautiful girls near their ss, many of the boys from ss One were getting somewhat excited. School time was, but ss One was an advanced ss. Therefore, they were still many students in the ss. Everyone voluntarily stayed in the ss to study for another half an hour before going to eat and take a bath. After that, they would return for an evening self-study session. A girl from ss One just happened to walk out of the ssroom. Harper approached her directly. ¡°Excuse me, could you please call An for me?¡± The girl nced at Harper, her expression somewhat strange, as if lost in thought. She nced at Celine, who was standing next to Harper. Her gaze fell on Celine''s face, and a hint of astonishment shed in the girl''s eyes. Harper knew that Celine was timid. Seeing the girl looking at Celine, Harper couldn''t help but call out again. ¡°Hello? Are you there?¡± The girl only then withdrew her gaze, turned around, and returned to the ssroom. She approached An''s desk and tapped on it. ¡°An, there are two girls looking for you outside.¡± The girl''s voice was neither loud nor soft, but the ssroom was quiet then. Additionally, Harper and her friend standing outside had already attracted the attention of many students. As soon as the ss One girl spoke, a few bold boys in the ss started teasing An. ¡°That''s Harper, belle of ss Seven, An. I wonder if she has given up on Rowen to pursue you instead.¡± An nced sideways at Harper, who was standing by the window with a faint blush on her delicate cheeks. ¡°Don''t talk nonsense.¡± As he spoke, he put down the pen he was holding, adjusted the sses on the bridge of his nose, and stood up to leave the room. Upon leaving the ssroom, An realized that a girl was standing next to Harper, one he had never seen before. He only nced at the other person before shifting his gaze back to Harper. ¡°You were looking for me?¡± Harper nodded, pulling Celine, who was standing next to her, closer. ¡°This is Celine, a new transfer student in our ss. There were a few math problems today that we didn''t understand in ss. Could you exin them to us?¡± Harper and An both attended the same junior high school. An was always an awesome straight-A student, but they were never in the same ss. They only got to know each other during an Ustranasion speechpetition. Harper''s math skills were poor, so she sought An for tutoring before the high school entrance exam. However, due to Isobel''s loose lips, who told the head counselor they were in a rtionship, they stopped contacting each other privately. Harper was afraid of causing trouble for An. Upon hearing Harper''s words, An nodded and greeted Celine. ¡°Hello, Celine. My name is An.¡± Celine looked at the handsome boy in front of her, nodding awkwardly. ¡°N-Nice to meet you, An.¡± ¡°Should Ie to your ss to help you both?¡± It was what Harper wanted, but knowing Celine''s sensitive nature, she chose to exin things in the hallway. The passing students made Celine feel embarrassed. ¡°Sure. Most of our ssmates have probably left by now,¡± said Harper. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°All right, you two go ahead. I''ll grab my things and join you two in two minutes.¡± An nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Harper yawned, then turned to Celine and said, ¡°Let''s go back first. He wille over and exin stuff to uster.¡± Celine nodded. ¡°All right.¡± The two returned to Grade Eleven ss Seven. Apart from a few students who were cleaning, almost everyone else had left. Celine was tidying up her backpack when An came over, even before she had finished. An was well-known in his year, consistently ranking among the top ten students in every grade. Everyone recognized him. Hence, when the other students saw An, they were a bit surprised, but no one said anything. Harper had already taken her seat in Rowen''s spot with her school bag. Truth be told, sitting in the seat of a formidable figure made her feel a bit uneasy. After sitting for a few seconds, Harper felt it wasn''t quite right. ¡°Celine, let''s switch seats.¡± She didn''t want some gossipmonger snitching to Rowen and risking his wrath again. Celine didn''t overthink it, assuming that Harper simply didn''t like her seat. Without hesitation, she stood up and swapped seats with her friend. An was seated in front of them. Once they were settled, he smiled. ¡°Which questions are we discussing?¡± Harper looked at Celine. Celine''s face turned slightly red as she took out her homework. ¡°I don''t quite understand this problem-solving method.¡± Even at a nce, An could recognize the handwriting as belonging to Rowen. He was somewhat surprised, but he was not one to pry, so he didn''t ask any questions. ¡°Let me take a look first,¡± he said. With a sense of gratitude, Celine handed over her homework. An looked at it for a while and quickly figured it out. ¡°At which step did you start to get confused?¡± Celine pointed at the third step. An flipped the book over, allowing her to view the geometric diagram from a different angle. In that instant, Celine understood the step. Naturally, she also grasped the following steps. An was incredibly patient. Despite Celine''s slow responses and Harper''s inability to remember forms, he would wait for them to catch up. Then, he would exin the basic forms to them all over again. Twenty minutester, An finished exining the three multi-part questions. Celine suddenly understood everything. Meanwhile, Harper didn''t hesitate topliment, ¡°You''re truly a straight-A student! You exin things so clearly!¡± An smiled with embarrassment. ¡°It''s already a quarter before six. You two should head home before it gets dark.¡± ¡°All right, thank you for today. I''ll treat you to a meal another day, okay? We''re heading home now!¡± Harper didn''t act courteously with An either. After speaking, she turned to Celine. ¡°Celine, let''s go home.¡± Celine nodded, then turned to An to express her thanks. The three of them parted ways at the bottom of the ssroom building. An returned to his dormitory while Harper and Celine both headed home. School ended a bitte. As such, the old man who sold cotton candy at the gate was no longer there. Harper felt quite disappointed, a fact that Celine didn''t realize at first. It wasn''t until they got on the bus that she heard Harper sigh. ¡°There was no cotton candy today.¡± After Celine realized her friend''s disappointment, she asked with a smile, ¡°Harper, do you like eating cotton candy?¡± Harper stubbornly retorted. ¡°I don''t like it. I just think it looks good.¡± Even though Celine had only known Harper for two days, she understood that her friend sometimes liked to say the opposite of her true thoughts. Celine chuckled yfully, which was a rare sight. ¡°Oh, so you don''t like cotton candy.¡± Naturally, Harper noticed that Celine was deliberately teasing her. Her face turned red as she eximed, ¡°Celine, you''re so annoying!¡± Celine covered her mouth, herughter growing even more joyful. Chapter 655 Your Own Jungler Chapter 655 Your Own Jungler After Celine''s thirty-minute after-school ¡°tutoring,¡± she returned to the Lewis residence. When she did, it was almost half past six. That night, Lewinn had a club activity and wouldn''t being home for dinner. Hence, only Celine, Rowen, Katherine, and her husband were present. Celine knew she returned somewhatte. As soon as she ascended to the second floor, she saw Rowen sitting at the dining table. She thought about what had happened during math ss, and her face instantly turned red. Katherine came out of the kitchen carrying baked salmon. Seeing the girl''s return, she called out to Celine from a distance. ¡°Celine, you''re back!¡± ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± replied Celine. ¡°Wash your hands quickly. It''s time to eat!¡± Even after all those years, Katherine still couldn''t shake her habit of admiring beautiful women. Though Celine''s face still carried some baby fat, making her look less refined, it added a touch of cuteness to her already gorgeous appearance. Katherine often enjoyed gazing at Celine. Celine, who was naturally shy, would feel embarrassed after just two seconds of being stared at. Lowering her head, she softly said that she was going back to her room to put away her backpack. Celine put down her backpack and washed her hands beforeing downstairs. The dinner table was already disyed with dishes, and both Katherine and Joshua had taken their seats. Rowen was sitting on the right. All of them were waiting for her. Seeing the situation, Celine quickly trotted over and sat down next to Rowen. ¡°How do you feel about the new school?¡± Katherine served the girl a piece of fish. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Lewis.¡± Celine responded, ¡°It''s been quite good.¡± After all, she made new friends, and no one learned she was a girl with extraordinary strength. ¡°That''s good. If you''re having trouble keeping up with your studies, you can ask Rowie for help. He''s very good at studying,¡± suggested Katherine. As she spoke, she nced at Rowen, who was eating. ¡°Rowie, remember to lend Celine a hand for her studies when you have time.¡± Rowen nced at Celine beside him and responded nonchntly, ¡°Okay.¡± The more Katherine stared at Celine, the more she liked the girl. She even felt a tinge of regret for making her decision toote. How wonderful it would have been if I had adopted Celine a few years earlier. ¡°Although, Celine''s good at studying, too. I think she should be able to keep up.¡± Upon hearing Katherine''s words, Rowen nced at Celine again, recalling the incident during the math ss. He raised his eyebrow, wondering if Katherine had misunderstandings about Celine being ¡°good at studying¡±. As long as Katherine was present, the atmosphere would never turn cold. Among the four people at the dinner table, two of them didn''t like to talk, and one was too shy and embarrassed to speak. Yet, it didn''t stop Katherine from eating and chatting. She alternated between asking Celine and Rowen questions, creating a surprisingly lively atmosphere at the dinner table. Half an hourter, after finishing their meal, Celine wanted to help clean up. Just like yesterday, Katherine directly pushed the girl''s hand away. ¡°Joshua can do these. You should have some fruit and study. If you have finished your homework, go watch a television show to rx.¡± Celine didn''t dare to watch any television shows when she had five more math questions to solve. ¡°Okay, Mrs. Lewis¡­¡± After Rowen helped bring the dishes into the kitchen, he came out and immediately sat on the sofa to eat fruit. Celine nced at him. ¡°Thank you.¡± Her ¡°thank you¡± was so soft that it was almost inaudible. If Rowen weren''t so attentive, he wouldn''t have heard it. Hearing her thanks, Rowen nced at her. Recalling Katherine''s words, he unusually showed her kindness. ¡°Did you understand it?¡± Celine felt awkward and nodded. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Rowen picked up an apple and headed upstairs. Knowing it wouldn''t be right for her to disturb Katherine and Joshua, Celine also went upstairs. She first finished her Ustranasion homework, then memorized the poems required by her literature ss. All of that took her no more than forty minutes. Celine had already finished the homework for her other subjects at school. Therefore, only five math problems were left to be solved. Two of those five questions were simr to the ones from yesterday, while the remaining three were based on the content covered in ss earlier. An exined things quite thoroughly, which was why Celine found it easy to apply her learned knowledge. The first two problems were even quite easy to solve. She was somewhat happy until she saw the third question. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. After tackling the questions for nearly an hour, Celine managed to grasp the concepts in the textbook and solve the first two problems. However, she was still unable to figure out the third one. Celine wanted to ask for Rowen''s help. However, upon remembering Harper''s words, she pursed her lips. She decided to copy some forms and work on them herself. After finishing her math homework, Celine felt as if all her energy had been drained. She couldn''t understand why her ability toprehend math seemed to be impaired. Her teacher said that mathematics and physics were of the same family. Her physics wasn''t particrly good, but it wasn''t as bad as her mathematics. She alwaysgged behind in every exam when it came to mathematics, much less her homework. Basic problems were manageable for her. However, when she encountered slightly more advanced problems, felt as if she couldn''t even understand the questions. Closing her homework book, Celine immediately flopped onto the bed behind her. The soft,rge bed made her feel incredibly rxed. As she stared at the ceiling above her, she inexplicably remembered the words Xen said to her before signing off yesterday. I think he wants me to come online at ten. However, Celine didn''t really enjoy ying games. She would rather spend time memorizing words from the Ustranasion Dictionary. However, she forgot to tell Xen that she wouldn''t be online before she logged off yesterday. After a moment of hesitation, Celine decided to take out her phone and log into the game. Katherine bought her that phone. The new model was excellent in every aspect. Celine nced at the time. There were only five minutes before ten. She found Xen''s chat box, wanting to leave a message saying she was still a student who needed to study and couldn''t y games every day. Just after she finished typing the text, before she could even send the message, she received an invitation from Xen to join a team on the screen. Celine paused for a moment, then realized that her finger had already pressed the confirm button. Before she could even start typing after entering the game, the matchmaking had already begun. Celine was embarrassed but decided to focus on finishing that round first. However, Xen didn''t give her any chance at all. Each gamested about ten minutes. Although, after forty minutes, Xen didn''t immediately start a new match. He asked: What rank are you aiming for? Celine had reached Diamond rank, but she didn''t quite understand how many ranks there were in this game. Hence, she could only reply with: This is good enough for me. He responded: Never mind, I''ll help you reach King rank. As he spoke, he started another round. At three minutes past eleven, Xen typed: Let''s call it a day. Without dy, he logged off. Celine also logged out of the game, having long forgotten what she had initially logged in for. As soon as she did so, Chermond sent her a message: Cece, where did you find such a pro jungler? I can''t believe they got you to Diamond rank in just two days! I''m still stuck in tinum. Help me out! Can you carry me too? Celine knew better than to agree carelessly, so she typed: I don''t know him personally. He was on my team the other day when I messed up. Also, he doesn''t seem to enjoy ying games with others. Quite a few people had been wanting Xen to join them for the past two nights. Yet, he had only been pairing up with Celine. Even if Celine were dim-witted, she''d still figure out that Xen must have turned down other team invitations. Chermond: Wow. Your very own jungler. Okay then. Upon seeing his text, Celine blushed inexplicably. Chapter 656 She Is Not A Good Person Chapter 656 She Is Not A Good Person Chermond''s words caused Celine to have dreams all night. When her rm clock went off the following day, she jolted awake and stared at the ceiling, unable to distinguish between dream and reality for a moment. The rm clock continued ringing insistently. Snapping back to reality, she quickly turned it off, patted her burning cheeks, then got up and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. She had woken up early that day, having made ns with Harper to get to school early and discuss the previous day''s math homework. Needless to say, no matter how many discussions they had, nothing woulde of them with how poor they were at math. Hence, their early return to school was to look for An. Celine was having such an early start to the day that Katherine was still not up when she went downstairs. As for Joshua, he had just returned with breakfast. Seeing her, he nodded in greeting. ¡°Up so early?¡± ¡°I want to go back to school early to ask my ssmates for help with some math problems,¡± she exined as she took the food he was holding. Then, with a hint of embarrassment, she admitted, ¡°I''m not very good at math.¡± At that moment, Rowen happened toe downstairs while yawning. Joshua nced at him before saying, ¡°Rowie is good at math. You can ask him if there''s anything you don''t understand.¡± She murmured an acknowledgment but did ask Rowen what he thought about that. I can tell he detests it when others bother him with such matters. Unexpectedly, Rowen walked over and said, ¡°You can ask me when we get back to school.¡± She looked at him, momentarily taken aback, and it took her a while to respond. ¡°Oh. Ah, okay.¡± He nced at her, thinking she was very slow-witted. ¡°Uncle Joshua, I''m off to school now!¡± ¡°Be careful.¡± Before leaving, Rowen looked at Celine again. Suddenly, he recalled the question he had casually solved for her the previous afternoon. Could it be that she didn''t understand it? Tsk! How can she be so stupid? It was ten minutes past six when Celine finished her breakfast. Lewinn did note homest night as he had stayed at the school dormitory. Katherine was still asleep, Joshua had gone upstairs, and Rowen had already left for school. Hence, she was the only one at the dining table. She had arranged to meet Harper at twenty past six, so she quickly bagged the trash, picked it up, then got up and headed out. She practically ran all the way, and by the time she reached Harper''s house, her cheeks were flushed, and her breathing was ragged. Harper had note out yet, and Celine was hesitating whether or not to ring the doorbell when a beautiful woman walked out. ¡°You''re Celine, right? Harpy told me she''s not up yet. Come on in. I''ll drive you both back to school after she wakes up.¡± ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Granger.¡± ¡°Good morning. You''re such a good girl.¡± It was Celine''s first visit to Harper''s house, and she was very reserved. However, Harper''s mother¡ªIrene Hooper¡ªwas very friendly, preparing milk and snacks for her. With her eyes still heavy with sleep, Harper finally descended the stairs, her backpack slung over her shoulder. All feelings of sleepiness instantly vanished when she saw Celine sitting on the couch in her living room. ¡°Hang on. I''ll be ready in five minutes!¡± Irene shot her an annoyed re. ¡°Have you forgotten how to behave like ady? You didn''t want to get up when I went to wake you, and now you''re panicking? Eat slowly. I''ll send you and Celine to school later.¡± Harper paused mid-chew at those words, then immediately rushed to give her mother a hug. ¡°Wow! Mom, I love you so much!¡± Catching the bus to school would take them about thirty-five minutes, including the waiting time. If Harper''s mother were to drop them off, the journey would only take twenty minutes. Celine could not help feeling a twinge of envy as she watched the interaction between the mother and daughter. Harper took a sip of milk, then turned to Celine. ¡°Have you figured out how to solve yesterday''s math problems?¡± ¡°I can''t solve thest question,¡± Celine replied, somewhat embarrassed. ¡°You''re better than me, then. I couldn''t solve thest two questions,¡± came Harper''s reply. At first nce, Harper did not seem like a good student. In reality, however, it was math that was dragging her down. Her Ustranasion was exceptional, and she aced nearly every test. Back in junior high school, she had participated in an Ustranasion poetry recitationpetition alongside An and even ranked higher than him. However, her academic struggles were not limited to just math. She also had a hard time with physics, though she was quite good at literature and chemistry. She had initially wanted to do social science. Because of Rowen, however, she impulsively followed him in choosing natural science when it was time to decide what she wanted to study. In truth, she was usually quite diligent. s, it was truly very difficult for her to ovee her weak points. Irene chuckled at Harper''s reply. ¡°When will your math and physics ever improve?¡± Harper stuck her tongue out at her mother. Only after eating to her heart''s content did she pull Celine downstairs, ready to go to school. Since Irene drove them to school that day, both girls arrived at a quarter to seven. No sooner had Harper set down her backpack than Harper dragged her off to find An. It was early in the morning, but all the top students in the advanced ss were already ready to bury their noses in their studies. Harper stood at the window of ss One and called out, ¡°An!¡± Her bright, spirited voice attracted the attention of many. Celine felt a bit embarrassed, and her face flushed red. An seemed much calmer than the previous afternoon. He came out with his math book and looked straight at Harper. ¡°Having trouble with the homework?¡± ¡°I don''t understand,¡± she responded with a pout. Smiling, he turned to Celine. ¡°Morning.¡± ¡°Morning,¡± she replied, also smiling. The three of them headed to the bleachers on the field, where An proceeded to break down what he knew into simple, digestible information and exin it to the two girls. Celine finally managed to grasp the concept after listening to his exnation. Harper was still a little lost, so An had to exin it to her one more time. By then, it was already twenty minutes past seven, which meant there were only ten minutes left until the morning reading session. As the trio were heading back, they happened to bump into Isobel. When Isobel saw them, her expression shifted, and she looked at them strangely. Harper raised an eyebrow. ¡°We were studying together. What''s the matter? You can''t possibly report us for being involved in a love triangle this time, right?¡± Had she not made that report previously, I wouldn''t have performed so poorly in math on my high school entrance exam. Isobel''s expression stiffened. Then, she dashed upstairs without saying a word. Harper withdrew her gaze and looked at Celine. ¡°She''s not a good person. Don''t listen to her nonsense in the future.¡± Here, she paused and nced at An. Seeing that he did not notice anything, she leaned over and whispered in Celine''s ear, ¡°Don''t let her find out that Rowen likes you, or you''ll be in trouble!¡± A blush crept across Celine''s face. ¡°He really doesn''t like me.¡± Harper refused to believe that for even a second. ¡°I get it. I get it. What I mean is, don''t let her know you''re acquainted with Rowen''s family.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hmm,¡± Celine responded in embarrassment, knowing that Harper did not believe her. The morning reading session started not long after they returned to the ssroom. Rowen only came to ss after it was over. Since he was part of the school''s basketball team, he spent the morning reading sessions training. As soon as he sat down, the distinct scent of sweat permeated the air. Although the smell was not unpleasant, it was incredibly strong. Celine tilted her head sideways to nce at him and happened to meet his captivating gaze. She felt slightly flustered, and the pen in her hand fell onto his shoe. Rowen raised an eyebrow, then reached out to pick up the pen. ¡°Thank you.¡± He downed his water. After screwing the cap back on, he lifted his hand and tossed the bottle straight into the trash can. Then, he leaned back in his chair and turned to look at Celine. ¡°What part don''t you understand?¡± Chapter 657 Our Celine Is Truly Beautiful Chapter 657 Our Celine Is Truly Beautiful Celine was taken aback for a moment and stared at him somewhat nkly. After a while, she finally responded, ¡°There''s none left.¡± Upon hearing her say that, Rowen raised an eyebrow but did not continue to ask further. In the blink of an eye, a month had already passed since Celine transferred to Gautier High School. May was just around the corner, and summer was fast approaching. Of course, the midterm exams were also on their way. This was Celine''s first time participating in the uniform exam at Gautier High School. In the days leading up to the exam, she basically stayed up reviewing until eleven o''clock before washing up and going to sleep. Lately, she had barely even looked at her phone, let alone yed any games on it. Rowen had not seen ¡°Linnie¡± online in the game for a week straight. More than half a month ago, he had already helped her reach the King rank. However, since then, he had not really yed the game with her much. Initially, he thought the other party would have some tricks up their sleeve. However, to his surprise, in the past two weeks, she only logged in asionally. Whenever she did, she would y a game or two alone before logging out. This week, Rowen noticed that her profile picture was always dark whenever he logged in. He clicked on the main page of Linnie''s profile. Thetest battle record was still from a game that started at 9:45 a week ago. Rowen found it boring and did not even start ying. Instead, he just quit. The midterm exams were tomorrow, and as always, he did not study. Interestingly, he noticed that his deskmate, Celine, had been quite diligenttely. She was reciting mathematical forms every day. Memorizing without understanding was pointless. However, if she did not ask, he naturally could not be bothered to exin. Every day, Celine would head out with Harper at noon. He had no idea where they went. Initially, he thought she would be a troublesome deskmate. Surprisingly, her presence was quite unobtrusive when she was sitting next to him. After the midterm exams ended, it happened to be the weekend. Celine and Harper nned to go shopping to unwind and rx. During this period, the two of them had been using their lunch breaks to seek help from An and make up for the foundational mathematics they had missed in Grade Ten. They had put in a lot of effort for this exam. Now that it was finally over, it was naturally time to rx and unwind. Celine realized that she had been transferred to the current school for quite some time now, yet she had never been out for a stroll around town. Upon hearing that she had ns to go shopping with her ssmates over the weekend, Katherine happily handed her a card, saying, ¡°Celine, feel free to buy whatever you like. The password is your birthday!¡± Before Celine knew it, Katherine had prepared a bank card for her. However, Celine was shy and had a strong sense of self-respect, so Katherine was afraid to hurt her and had no chance to present it. Today, she finally had the opportunity to bring out the bank card, which made Katherine very happy. Celine felt a bit embarrassed while Lewinn, standing beside her, shook his head at her. It had been over a month since Celine moved into the Lewis residence. Although Lewinn had a cold demeanor simr to Joshua, he treated her with the gentleness of an older brother. He did not talk much, but whenever he was at home, he would try to wait for her in the morning to leave together before driving her to the front door of Harper''s house. At first, Celine was a bit shy. However, after spending more than a month together, she had be much more familiar with Lewinn. Seeing Lewinn shake his head, she pursed her lips. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Lewis.¡± She decided to go shopping the next day and buy a gift for Katherine and everyone else! Stroking Celine''s smooth, long hair, Katherine brought a bag out. ¡°Going shopping wouldn''t be complete without a little dress, right? I bought this while shopping with Mrs. Xenos yesterday. Take a look and see if you like it. If you don''t, we can return it, and you can buy another one with your ssmates tomorrow. If you do like it, you can wear it while shopping with your ssmates tomorrow!¡± Celine looked at Katherine and felt a warm sensation in her heart. Throughout her life, aside from her grandmother, no one had ever treated her this well. Unfortunately, the only person who was ever kind to her, her grandmother, left her at an early age. Celine took the bag. ¡°I like everything you''ve bought.¡± ¡°Wow! Cece really has a way with words!¡± Katherine liked Celine and also felt sorry for her past experiences. ¡°I''m going to try on the dress.¡± ¡°Alright! Hurry up and put it on!¡± There was a bathroom on the second floor, so Celine did not bother going back to her room and decided to try it out right there on the second floor. The dress was clearly not cheap. Both the material and design were excellent. Having been a superstar for so many years, Katherine''s fashion sense was undoubtedly impable. The white dress, adorned with light yellow flowers, was both pure and a bit yful. It was perfectly suitable for someone of Celine''s age. Celine blushed a little as she stepped out. She was wearing such a beautiful dress for the first time. ¡°Wow, it''s really beautiful!¡± Katherine had always been good at givingpliments, especially when it came to Celine, who was genuinely attractive. Although she still had baby fat on her face, it was as smooth as a polished egg that brimmed with cogen. The young girl possessed a unique delicacy and beauty that was all her own. Katherine turned around, took out a small rubber band, and helped Celine tie her hair into a fishtail braid. She could not help but touch Celine''s face. ¡°Our Celine is really good-looking!¡± ¡°Aunt Katherine, I''vee to mooch off you ¡ª¡ª¡± Rowen had cycled all the way there. The weather was getting hot, and he was drenched in sweat. As he entered the door, he was still pulling at his clothes to cool off. Before he could finish his sentence, he looked up and saw a fair and beautiful girl standing right in front of him. His impression of Celine was still stuck in the time when she first arrived at school, with her thick, straight-cut bangs and shoulder-length hair. However, the Celine before his eyes was different. Her bangs, which had grown long at some point, were swept to the sides like two little hooks. Her long hair was tied up, revealing a clean and beautiful face. She was dressed in a white dress that cinched at the waist. Coincidentally, she looked over at him. Without her bangs obscuring her face, Rowen discovered that Celine''s eyes seemed to be able to speak. He paused for a brief moment and quickly averted his gaze before walking nonchntly over to the couch. ¡°Aunt Katherine, my parents have gone out to have fun again.¡± Katherine had known for a while. ¡°Your mom told me to let you stay at my ce!¡± Katherine was basking in the joy of having a daughter. Celine was wearing the dress she bought and looked absolutely beautiful. Katherine wished she could show her off to the entire world. Upon seeing Rowen, Katherine pulled Celine over. ¡°Rowie, don''t you think Celine looks very beautiful?¡± Celine flushed intensely when she was being pulled by Katherine. She pursed her lips and looked at Rowen on the couch with a hint of anticipation in her bright, round eyes. Rowen looked up, and his gaze met those round eyes again. His heart inexplicably quickened. He hummed in acknowledgment, ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Katherine was not paying much attention to all that. She pulled Celine over and then tossed her phone to Lewinn who was standing by. ¡°Quick! Take a picture of Celine and me. I want to post it on Twitter!¡± With a gentle smile, Lewinn took the phone and snapped a few photos of Katherine and Celine. Lewinn''s photography skills were honed by Katherine from a young age, so naturally, the photos turned out to be beautiful. Katherine immediately posted them on Twitter, captioning, I have a little fairy! Celine''s face flushed even more when she found out about Katherine''s Twitter post. She pursed her lips and noticed that Rowen on the couch seemed to be looking at her. Celine blinked and looked over. The young boy suddenly stiffened, then turned his head and called out, ¡°Lewinn!¡± ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Lewinn looked down. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Rowen shook his head, then made an excuse to go upstairs and return to his room. Chapter 658 Your Past Dirty Deeds Chapter 658 Your Past Dirty Deeds Celine knew she had arranged to go out with Harper at nine in the morning. It had been a long time since Celine had hung out with her friends. Ever since that incident, she felt as if she had be a monster. The only person who was still willing to be associated with her was Chermond. However, after high school, Chermond moved back home. Celine put on the dress Katherine had given her yesterday. After a moment''s hesitation, she tied her hair up into a bun, then took her bag and headed downstairs. Early in the morning, Lewinn and the others were all eating breakfast at the dining table. From afar, Katherine spotted Celine and began topliment her, ¡°Wow, whose little fairy is this?¡± Celine''s face instantly turned red. She nced at Katherine and said, ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Lewis, Mr. Lewis.¡± ¡°Good morning, Lewinn.¡± When her gaze fell on Rowen, Celine hesitated for a moment, ¡°Good morning, Rowie.¡± Rowen felt a sudden tightness in his throat while eating his toast. He nced at the girl sitting across from him, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. What? Is she serious? Rowie? After greeting everyone, Celine took her seat and began to eat her porridge, her head bowed. After finishing their porridge, Lewinn rode his bike to drop her off at Harper''s house. On the way, Lewinn asked her, ¡°Are you scared of Rowie?¡± Celine realized she was in a tricky situation and said, ¡°No, that''s not it.¡± She wasn''t afraid of Rowen, it''s just that she felt he didn''t seem to like her, so she didn''t want to be an eyesore to him. Thankfully, she could change seats after the mid-term exams. If she did well, she could choose to sit with Harper. Even if she didn''t do well on the test, she wouldn''t choose to sit with Rowen anymore. Harper told Celine that Rowen never had a deskmate, so she was an exception. But Celine felt that she wasn''t the exception, it was the Lewis family that was the exception. If it weren''t for Katherine, Rowen would have probably done as Harper previously suggested, confronting the teacher to request a change of seats. Lewinn chuckled. ¡°You don''t need to be afraid of him. He''s the type who''s cold on the outside but warm on the inside. There were too many girls chasing after him in the past, and he found it bothersome, which is why he seems so aloof.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Celine responded but didn''t express any opinion. Lewinn turned his head to nce at her. Seeing her obediently sitting in the back seat with her head down, he didn''t say anything more. It was a rare asion that Harper was waiting at the front door early. From a distance, Celine could see Harper, who was also dressed in a skirt. ¡°Wow, Cece, you look so beautiful today. Why do you always let your hair down at school? It looks so much better tied up!¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Celine felt a bit embarrassed, she nced at Lewinn and said, ¡°Lewinn, you can go on with your work.¡± Lewinn nodded. ¡°Alright, call me if there''s anything.¡± ¡°Sure, I will do that.¡± ¡°Have fun.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After bidding farewell to Lewinn, Celine turned around only to find Harper staring at her. She couldn''t help but touch her face, asking, ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Harper raised her hand and touched her cheek. ¡°No, tsk, you''re not wearing makeup, are you?¡± Celine shook her head, ¡°I don''t know how to apply makeup.¡± ¡°Your skin is so beautiful. It''s fair with a rosy glow.¡± Celine, knowing she was always easily embarrassed, couldn''t handle Harper''s words. She quickly changed the subject. ¡°Where are we going to hang out today?¡± ¡°Let''s head over to Lovebirds Street. There are so many beautiful shops there. Come on, let''s hurry. It gets really crowded on the weekends!¡± Celine let out a sigh of relief, opening her umbre as she responded, ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Harper held Celine''s arm and said, ¡°I''ve always said that you''re prettier than Leah. Later, I''ll take more photos of you. When it''s time to choose the campus belle in September, I''ll post your pictures. You''ll definitely outshine Leah.¡± Upon hearing Harper''s words, Celine''s ears turned red instantly. ¡°Leah is prettier than me.¡± ¡°Ohe on, there''s no need to be modest about this. Rest assured, the public''s judgment is always right! If I say you''re beautiful, then you truly are beautiful!¡± The two chatted, and before they knew it, the taxi had arrived. The vi was quite a distance from Lovebirds Street. By the time Celine and Harper arrived there, it was already close to nine forty. Harper was right, Lovebirds Street was much busier on weekends. Couples from the nearby university flooded the ce, and even high school students were out having fun on their weekend break. For the first time, Celine came to this part of town, guided all the way by Harper. Indeed, Lovebirds Street was filled with many interesting little shops. Celine picked out some beautiful trinkets, nning to take them back for Katherine and the others. ¡°Hey there, let''s go. I''ll take you to a fun ce!¡± Celine put down the small elephant in her hand. ¡°What ce is this?¡± Celine spent the past sixteen years of her life in a small, impoverished county town. For her, everything about this big city, Jadeborough, was both new and fascinating. ¡°You''ll find out soon enough!¡± Harper kept Celine hanging, leading her as she was running while looking at her phone. Upon arrival, Celine realized that it was a bestie photo studio where one could get instant pictures. It was the weekend today, and there were plenty of girlsing to take bestie photos. Harper squeezed through the crowd with Celine. She charmed a youngdy into helping them with their makeup using sweet words. Then, the two of them picked out a few outfits and entered a studio, which was no more than four or five square meters in size. Inside, there were no outsiders. It was entirely DIY. The backdrop could be changed, and right in front was a screen, disying how they looked facing the camera. Celine had never done this before; hence, she found it novel and shy. On the contrary, Harper quickly got the hang of it, she found an online picture and showed Celine how to pose. The two of them emerged from the photo studio at exactly twelve-forty in the afternoon. Celine''s stomach growled audibly, catching the attention of Harper who was engrossed in looking at the photos. She raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°You are hungry, aren''t you?¡± Celine was a little shy. ¡°Hmm.¡± No sooner had she responded, than Harper''s stomach began to growl. Harper also looked bewildered, ¡°I''m hungry too!¡± Harper took Celine to a popr restaurant. At that time, the ce was very crowded, with more than a dozen people lined up at the door. Harper''s stomach growled embarrassingly again. She looked at Celine and suggested, ¡°How about we go grab some snacks first?¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Celine was not picky about food, and she could eat anything. The two hit it off instantly, leaving the popr restaurant to go buy some grilled sausages to eat. Harper still wanted to drink bubble tea, so the two of them divided the tasks. Celine lined up for the grilled sausages, while Harper queued for the bubble tea. ¡°Celine?¡± Upon hearing Sasha''s voice, Celine was taken aback for a moment. She lifted her head, and sure enough, she saw Sasha standing next to her. Celine looked up, and Sasha was able to see her clearly. After getting a clear look at the person, Sasha''s expression turned even more unpleasant. In less than two months, Celine seemed to have transformed into apletely different person. What she detested the most was Celine''s face. If it weren''t for that face, Enzer would never have fallen for her! ¡°Well, it really is you! I didn''t expect that after a month and a half, you''d actually be a princess! I wonder if the people who adopted you know about your past dirty deeds!¡± Upon hearing Sasha''s words, Celine''s face instantly turned pale. Chapter 659 No One Dares To Bully You Chapter 659 No One Dares To Bully You Last time, Sasha was frightened when Celine lifted her up, and for a long time, she didn''t dare to harass Celine. Today, fate had them cross paths. From a distance, Sasha spotted Celine, standing in the line. The Celine of today was like apletely different person from the Celine of the past. She no longer sported the heavy bangs, nor does she wear the worn-out school uniform that was so out of fashion it was embarrassing. And gone was the tattered backpack that had been rubbed raw from use. She was wearing a beautiful dress, carrying a small white backpack, her hair tied up in a bun, adorned with a beige sunflower hair clip on one side. Sasha could spot her immediately from across the street standing in a long queue, even from a distance of five or six meters. Celine knew she hadn''t done anything, so she just stood there. Her beautiful face and fair skin alone were enough for her to attract attention. After more than a month, Sasha''s initial fear had long since dissipated when she saw Celine again. What she felt now were jealousy and a wave of inexplicable anger. She didn''t know why, but she just wanted to make things difficult for Celine. ¡°Why have you gone silent? What are you feeling guilty about?¡± Sasha spoke, gently pushing Celine with her hand. Celine lost her footing, stumbling and falling right out of the line. A youngdy behind her supported her, snapping Celine back to reality. ¡°I have no idea what you''re talking about,¡± she said. As she spoke, she stood up straight again, focusing her gaze forward and trying hard to ignore the presence of Sasha and her group. However, Sasha had been bullying her since eighth grade. How could she let Celine off so easily? Seeing that she was ignoring her, Sasha felt embarrassed. Unable to hold back, she reached out and tugged at Celine. ¡°It''s been a while, so I wanted to catch up with you!¡± As she spoke, she pulled Celine along. Celine bent her fingers away. ¡°Don''t touch me!¡± Her voice was not loud when she said these words and even carried a slight tremble. This only boosted Sasha''s confidence. ¡°Do you really think you''re a little princess now, Celine? Come out or I will get physical!¡± As she spoke, she raised her palm. Celine froze for a moment, looking at Sasha, her hands by her side clenching tightly. The scenes of being bullied kept reying in her mind, one after another. She could guess what Sasha and the others were nning to do by taking her away. They must be nning to do as they did before, stripping off her clothes and cutting her hair! They were surrounded by people, yet no one stepped forward to help her. The shadows of the past made Celine tremble all over. Celine really wanted to lift Sasha up, just like she did thest time. But with so many people around, she didn''t dare. They will look at me as if I''m a monster! No one wille to save me. No one. Tears fell from Celine''s eyes of despair. Someone in the crowd cursed, ¡°Take your drama elsewhere. Don''t bother us!¡± Sasha and her group were typically bullies who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. Upon hearing that their actions were causing disturbances, she felt a pang of panic in her heart. She tilted her head towards Shirley beside her. One of them grabbed Celine''s arm while the other tugged at the clothes on Celine''s shoulder, forcibly pulling Celine out of the line. Celine knew she was being dragged out of the line. She tried to resist. ¡°Let me go!¡± Yet as she began to resist, Sasha suddenly hooked her neck, leaning in to whisper in her ear. ¡°Your adoptive family doesn''t know about your past, do they? Tell me, if they knew about your previous ''talents'', would thatdy still dare to keep you?¡± Upon hearing Sasha''s words, Celine felt as if she was being pressed down by something,pletely unable to move: ¡°No!¡± In the end, Sasha was still afraid that Celine would lift her up again. ¡°Behave ande with us for old time''s sake. If I''m in a good mood, I''ll help you keep your secret. Otherwise, I won''t just make you feel abandoned, but I can also make you a celebrity at Gautier High School!¡± Celine felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, and she didn''t dare to resist anymore. Sasha had too many of her ¡°weaknesses¡± in her hands! She thought that once she transferred schools, they would leave her alone. But why wouldn''t they let her be? Why on earth is that? Celine was practically being dragged across the street by Sasha and her group. She couldn''t resist, nor did she dare to. As they were crossing the road, Sasha turned to look at Celine. Her gaze fell on the bun atop Celine''s head, and without hesitation, she reached out and ruthlessly pulled it apart. Celine felt a numbing pain in her scalp. She struggled a bit, and then Sasha took out her phone, unting it in front of her with a smug look. ¡°Do you remember these photos, Celine?¡± The girl in the photo had her top stripped off, her hair disheveled as she huddled in the corner. Upon seeing it, the urge to fight back that had just risen in Celine''s mind was instantly suppressed. ¡°Celine.¡± Before she was being dragged into the shopping mall, a familiar male voice rang out suddenly. Celine paused for a moment, lifted her head, and found that Rowen had appeared at some point. She pleaded as if she had seen her savior, ¡°Rowie¡ª¡± Rowen looked at the disheveled Celine, furrowed his brows, and pulled her to his side. ¡°What are you girls doing?¡± The boy''s gaze was oppressively cold, causing Sasha to feel somewhat guilty. Her hand which was holding the phone, trembled, and the phone fell to the ground. Subconsciously, Rowen looked down. Under the sunlight, the phone screen was somewhat gleaming, but even so, he managed to catch a glimpse of the photo on the screen before the phone hit the ground. Then, he instantly crouched down to pick up the mobile phone like he had realized something. With just one nce, the smile in his captivating eyes vanished instantly. He shoved the phone into Celine''s hand nearby ¡°Delete the photo.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Upon hearing this, Sasha was displeased. ¡°Hey! That photo is on my phone!¡± Rowen scoffed. ¡°School bullying, is it?¡± As he spoke, he turned around and gave Jayden, who was sitting in the coffee shop not far away, a look. ¡°Come over here!¡± Jayden raised an eyebrow, got up, and walked over. He nced at them, his gaze finallynding on Rowen. ¡°What''s up?¡± ¡°School bullying, aren''t you the expert?¡± Upon hearing his words, Jayden nced at Celine, who was standing next to Rowen, her hand trembling as she held her phone. He clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Got it. Just a sec.¡± As he spoke, he pulled out his phone to make a call. At this moment, Harper, who had finally found Celine, rushed over. She lost it after seeing Celine''s state. ¡°What happened? Celine, who has been bullying you?¡± Celine had a breakdown upon seeing the photo on Sasha''s phone. Seeing Celine''s tears falling like a broken string, Harper felt a heart-wrenching pain. As she handed over a tissue to her dear friend, sheforted her, ¡°Don''t be scared, Cece. No one dares to bully you. No one!¡± Just as Harper took out a tissue, she saw the photo on the phone in Celine''s hand. Incredulously, she picked up the phone. After she finished looking through the photo albumbeled ¡°toys¡±, Harper''s face turned beet red with anger. She stepped forward and pped Sasha twice. ¡°Are you even human?¡± Chapter 660 You Did Not Do Wrong Chapter 660 You Did Not Do Wrong Sasha''s family was quite well-off in the county town. Her mother owned a beauty salon, and her father ran a supermarket. She was the only child in the family and had been pampered since childhood. Thus, this was the first time she had ever been hit. Sasha waspletely stunned. Then, she covered her burning cheek and pointed at Harper while trembling with anger. ¡°You, you dare to hit me?¡± ¡°I''m not just going to hit you, but I''m going to kill you!¡± ¡°You, you hit me, I''m going to tell my dad!¡± Sasha''s parents had some connections in the county town, and her family was rather domineering. However, when they encountered Harper and the others today, Sasha was rather frightened. Apart from making threats, she didn''t dare to do anything else. Harper was truly livid, her hands were shaking as she deleted the photos. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Upon seeing the fierce demeanor of Harper and everyone else, Sasha didn''t dare to ask for the phone anymore. She wanted to run but was immediately blocked by Irving, who was standing next to Rowen. ¡°Do you think you can bully someone and just run away?¡± Although Irving didn''t see the photo, he could tell how terrified she was by these two girls just by looking at Celine. Just now, they saw from a distance that one was tugging at Celine''s hair while another was pulling on Celine''s shoulder, half dragging, half pulling her across the road. Harper deleted half of the photos in the album, she was on the verge of breaking down. In the end, she just exited and formatted the entire phone. There was nothing Sasha could do, and now she was somewhat scared. ¡°What are you doing? Are you nning to hit me in broad daylight?¡± Harper hit the format key, fuming with anger, and hurled the phone at Sasha. ¡°And you have the audacity to bully someone in broad daylight?¡± Tears of frustration welled up in her eyes as she turned to look at Rowen. ¡°Where are your people? Aren''t you usually surrounded by many? Where have they all gone when it matters most?¡± For once, Rowen didn''t find Harper annoying. Even when he was scolded, he just furrowed his brows, then turned to look at Jayden standing to the side. ¡°They''re almost here.¡± It''s the weekend, so everyone''s out and about, rxing. No sooner had the words been spoken, than Jayden''s phone began to ring. In less than half a minute, the person he called for arrived. There were two boys and two girls. ¡°What''s up?¡± Jayden looked at Rowen. The four people expressed their surprise upon seeing Rowen. ¡°Wow, what a rarity. It''s Rowen!¡± Harper knew the four people who arrived too. She looked down at Celine, who was still trembling on her shoulder, and tugged at Rowen. ¡°I''ll handle this. You take Cece away first.¡± The fact that Harper liked Rowen was not only known by people within Gautier High School but also by those outside of the school. People were used to seeing Harper speaking softly and gently to Rowen. But this time, her voice was rough and gruff, which surprised everyone around her. Next, she lowered her head and spoke to Celine in a tone that was incredibly gentle, ¡°Don''t be afraid, Cece. No one dares to bully you. Why don''t you go home and get some sleep, okay?¡± Harper was five or six centimeters taller than Celine, and she was even wearing high heels today. She had to lower her head to speak. Holding a tissue in her hand, sheforted Celine while wiping away her tears. Celine had calmed down considerably. She tugged at Harper and shook her head. ¡°Harper, will you come back with me?¡± Naturally, Harper was not willing to let those two girls off so easily. She coaxed Celine, ¡°I won''t hit anyone, really. I''ll just teach them a lesson for you. Can you let Rowen apany you to the bookstore across the street and wait for me there?¡± Celine didn''t say a word, just nced at Sasha, her face paling slightly. ¡°They... they...¡± She wanted to tell Harper that Sasha had more than just her photos in their hands. But with so many familiar faces around, Celine simply couldn''t find the courage to tell her. In fact, that matter was more like a thorn in her heart, she didn''t dare to touch it at all. Harper tugged at Rowen. ¡°They are girls, so it''s not convenient for you guys to do anything to them. Let me handle this.¡± Harper was also spoiled growing up. She wouldn''t go out of her way to bully others, but if someone bullied her, she wouldn''t let them get away with it easily. She nearly became a victim of a simr threat, and she immediately scratched the faces of those girls on the spot. The school called in her parents, and her mother directly brought twowyers to sue the school and teachers for condoning campus bullying. After returning home, her mother even praised her for doing the right thing. Harper was not the type to swallow her anger and endure in silence. Now that she knew Celine had been bullied, not only did she empathize with her, but also felt heartbroken. As she spoke, she immediately had the two girls and two boys escorted Sasha and Shirley away. Only Celine and Rowen were left at the entrance of the shopping mall. After a while, Rowen nced at Celine. ¡°There''s a bathroom inside. Would you like to wash your face?¡± Upon hearing his words, Celine raised her hand to wipe her eyes. ¡°Okay.¡± She never expected to run into Sasha and her friend, let alone how the two would dare toy a hand on her. Celine knew she wasn''t really that cowardly, but they had her photos. Therefore, she didn''t dare to fight back, fearing that they would post her pictures online if she did. She couldn''t bear the disdainful nces of others. Celine responded with a nod, took a sniff, and entered the mall with her head down. Although she had calmed down considerably, she still seemed somewhat lost. There was a pir right in front of her, but she didn''t lift her head, seemingly ready to walk straight into it. Rowen frowned and quickly walked over to stop her, ¡°Even if you''re feeling down, there''s no need to walk into this, is there?¡± Celine looked up, only to realize that there was arge pir in front of her. She looked at Rowen beside her, feeling quite embarrassed. ¡°I... I didn''t see it.¡± Rowen looked down at Celine. This morning, he was justing downstairs as she was leaving. Back then, Celine still looked pristine and radiant. However, she had transformed into a disheveled mess, and her face was streaked with tears in just four to five hours. Even though Harper had wiped away her tears, her eyes were still red from crying, as were her cheeks. This reminded Rowen of a rabbit he had raised when he was a child. ¡°Why are you scared when you''re not the one who did anything wrong?¡± He wasn''t good atforting others, and this was probably the bestforting word that Rowen could muster. Celine paused for a moment. ¡°I... I''m not afraid.¡± As she spoke these words, her eyshes, damp with tears, were still trembling. She didn''t look fearless at all. Rowen couldn''t bear to see her in this state. ¡°Go wash your face. Otherwise, if someone sees you, they might think I''ve been bullying you.¡± As soon as he said this, Celine also noticed that people passing by were subconsciously ncing their way. She covered her face bashfully. ¡°I''m sorry!¡± After she finished speaking, she nced at the restroom sign and immediately covered her face as she ran inside. Rowen leaned against the pir, watching Celine''s retreating figure. He felt she was behaving more and more like that rabbit. Chapter 661 That Will Not Help Chapter 661 That Will Not Help Harper was fuming with anger, and she ordered Jayden''s gang to take Sasha and Shirley to the KTV. Sasha and Shirley were just two people. They were arrogant and domineering when facing Celine. But now, they were somewhat frightened facing Harper and Jayden along with their group of six. Sasha looked at Harper, who was angrily striding beside her. ¡°Where are you taking us? We''re going to call the police!¡± Upon hearing her words, Harper burst into a fit ofughter. ¡°Call the police? Go ahead. I''d like to ask the officer if the photos you took on your phone count as evidence!¡± All the photos in Sasha''s phone were of Celine and taken in the dormitory from their junior high school days. Back then, Sasha was the leader in their dormitory. Celine couldn''t fight her as she was alone. Hence, Sasha easily stripped Celine''s clothes off and took those photos. Whenever they were not happy, they used those photos to threaten and bully Celine. Celine didn''t dare to fight back, the only time she did was on the school field of Trinity Heritage Academy not long ago. Celine probably thought she had gotten rid of them for good, but Sasha wouldn''t let her get away that easily! If it weren''t for this meeting with Celine, she had ns to go to Gautier High School to find Celine. Actually, it was nothing much but she just felt a bit p*ssed off when she thought about how Celine had been adopted by a good family and was living a good life now. As Sasha had those photos of Celine in a ratherpromised situation, she felt that thetter would never be able to hold her head high in front of her for the rest of her life. But now, she didn''t expect Celine''s friend to be even more fierce than herself. She wouldn''t dare to call the police. After all, Celine''s friends didn''t do anything wrong by just taking them away. Everyone was underage, so the officers might just think that they were messing around. But things would be different in her case. She and Shirley really did have evidence in their phones. Upon hearing Harper''s words, Sasha immediately backed down. Harper had long since seen through her true colors. ¡°If you want to call the police, do it now.¡± As Harper spoke, she simultaneously pulled out her phone and brought it before the two of them. Shirley was already scared out of her wits. She was merely following Sasha in bullying Celine. If it weren''t for Sasha taking the lead, she wouldn''t dare to mess with Celine at all. This time, they were unlucky for Harper and her gang surrounded and took them away, leaving Shirley pale with fear. The cell phone was handed to Shirley, but she was immediately frightened to tears. ¡°Please, I can''t do this anymore,¡± she pleaded, ¡°Let me go!¡± Sasha was also scared, but she was too proud to beg for mercy like Shirley. Even when her aplice pleaded, she remained silent, standing there with her head bowed. ¡°Did Celine plead with you like this? Did you spare her?¡± Harper put away her phone. ¡°Let''s go to the karaoke first!¡± There are many people here, it''s not convenient to act. Jayden just went along with her suggestion, without stating any opinion. He shrugged his shoulders, and the group headed towards the KTV across the street. Today, Harper went out shopping, carrying several thousand with her. As soon as she entered the KTV, she immediately pulled out five hundred. ¡°Beauty, I''d like a medium-sized room, please.¡± The receptionist was only a couple of years older than Harper. As soon as Harper started speaking, she called her ''Beauty'', which naturally made the receptionist happy. ¡°Alright, just wait a moment, sweetie!¡± she responded. Harper quickly received her room key and politely expressed her thanks in a charming manner with a sweet smile. The waiter was leading them to a private room. He didn''t even notice the unusual behavior of Sasha and Shirley as Harper was calling him ¡°handsome¡± all the way to the room. A group of people quickly entered the private room, and as soon as they did, Harper''s face changed. ¡°Peggy, Gracie, could you please help them take off their clothes!¡± Upon hearing these words, Jayden and his twopanions tactfully stepped out to guard the door of the private room. A waiter came over for a routine check, but Jayden blocked the window. ¡°Our female ssmate is trying on clothes inside.¡± Upon hearing this, the waiter noticed they were all high school students. He simply moved on without giving it much thought. Sasha was indeed quite aggressive. After the boys left, she began to fight back by throwing things off the table after hearing what Harper told the girls to do. ¡°Let go of me! See what happens if you dare to touch me!¡± Harper was not afraid of her at all. ¡°Peggy, Gracie, you two hold her down, and I''ll do the stripping!¡± Sasha could bully Celine only because she had the advantage of numbers. But now, Harper and her group outnumbered them while Shirley solely focused on escaping. Immediately, Gracie and Peggy held Sasha down. Without hesitation, Harper started to strip off her skirt. The weather in May had already turned hot. Sasha was dressed lightly, and it didn''t take Harper long to strip her off her clothes. Shirley wanted to run, but when she reached the door, she found Jayden and the other boys guarding it. Harper stuffed the clothes she had taken off into her own bag, then personally went to pull Shirley over. All her anger was channeled into action, and within a few moves, she had stripped Shirley off her skirt. The two girls were left without any clothes. Now, Harper and her gang no longer needed to restrain them, unless they dared to run out stark naked. ¡°Don''t you like taking pictures of naked bodies?¡± Picking up her phone, Harper started snapping pictures as her anger boiled over. Every time she thought about the photos on Sasha''s phone, she wished she could p Sasha more. After taking the photos, Harper threw the clothes at the two girls. Seeing the tea on the table nearby, she couldn''t resist and picked it up, then sshed it towards them. ¡°I don''t care if you still have those photos of Celine, or who has them. If I ever see those photos again, you''d better be ready to be inte celebrities!¡± Naturally, Harper''s words were meant to scare them. After all, leaking such photos online was illegal, and Harper certainly had a basic understanding of thew. Dealing with school bullies like Sasha and her gang, reasoning with them, or even beating them up again wouldn''t do any good. People like them should be dealt with in their own way! Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Now, Harper had their naked photos in her hand. They''d surely delete the photos once they return unless they''d lost their minds. ¡°I suggest you delete all photos of Celine as soon as you get back home! If I ever see those pictures again whether you leak them intentionally or not, it won''t do you any good even if you beg me on your knees!¡± After Harper finished speaking, she looked at Sasha and Shirley. She wanted to give them a kick, but she held back. She was not actually prone to violence but just felt really bad for Celine. The photos on the phone hadn''t been seen by others, and they weren''t pleasant to look at. But as Celine''s ssmate and good friend, Harper was instantly filled with rage the moment she saw those photos. She knew how shy and reserved Celine was, Harper simply couldn''t imagine how the poor girl had been dealing with this situation! ¡°If I ever see you around Celine again, I''ll beat you up each time I spot you! Do you hear me?¡± Sasha was truly scared this time, so she quickly nodded. ¡°I won''t do that anymore. I really won''t!¡± Shirley quickly shook her head. ¡°I heard you! Boohoo... I heard you!¡± Everyone tended to bully the weak and feared the strong. Now that Celine had some backup, and Harper held their weaknesses, Sasha would never provoke Celine again. Chapter 662 It Is Not Your Fault Chapter 662 It Is Not Your Fault The restroom wasn''t crowded. Celine washed her face inside, and retied her hair. After that, she went out to look for Rowen. Aftering out of the restroom, Celine knew she hadpletely calmed down. Just the thought of Harper seeing those photos in Sasha''s phone made her feel incredibly upset and confused. ¡°I''m fine now. Thank you.¡± Rowen, who was looking at his phone, nced up at her. His gaze fell on Celine''s face with his captivating eyes slightly lifted. ¡°Shall we go back?¡± Upon hearing his words, Celine was momentarily taken aback. Once she regained herposure, she quickly waved her hands. ¡°I''m fine, really. You can carry on with your n.¡± Rowen slightly furrowed his brows. ¡°Do you still want to continue shopping with Harper in this state?¡± Naturally, Celine didn''t want to continue shopping with Harper. She just wanted some time alone to clear her mind. Ever since she was adopted by the Lewis family, her life over the past month and a half had been so peaceful and fulfilling. It was as if those nightmarish past experiences truly had nothing to do with her anymore. Yet, today she ran into Sasha again. The words she said, the photos she showed her, reminded her of just how painful and unbearable her past was time and again. Celine nced at him. ¡°No, I just want some time alone to think.¡± Rowen has never been one to meddle in others'' affairs. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Celine let out a sigh of relief, pursed her lips, and her grip on the straps of her backpack clenched and tightened. She took onest look at Rowen, then turned and left the mall. She didn''t even know where she was going as this was her first timeing here. Rowen watched as the figure in the white dress went further and further away. Suddenly, the image of a girl being dragged across the street with her eyes filled with despair and emptiness, shed through his mind. He was inexplicably irritated, and with a lift of his leg, he chased after her. Right after Celine left the mall, she felt the bag on her back suddenly tightened. She was jerked back, causing her rxed face to instantly pale a bit from the shock. ¡°This area is allmercial streets. There''s no ce for you to be alone and find some peace.¡± Upon hearing Rowen''s voice, Celine''s tense heart rxed. She thought she had run into Sasha and Shirley again. Celine adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder as looked at Rowen, and hesitated for a moment. ¡°There seems to be a park nearby.¡± ¡°The park is always crowded on weekends.¡± Rowen nced down at her. Without waiting for her to speak again, he reached out and grabbed the strap of her backpack. ¡°Let''s go.¡± ¡°Huh? Where are we going?¡± Celine paused for a moment. She was somewhat unable to react. Rowen was tall and had long legs, so he walked quite fast. Celine was struggling to keep up since her backpack strap was still being tugged by him. She stumbled through the crowd, and finally, she reached out and grabbed the person in front of her as she was unable to bear it any longer. ¡°Rowie, I can''t keep up with you!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. She was extremely embarrassed. As soon as Rowen turned around, he saw Celine''s face turn red in embarrassment. Her loud voice stood out prominently amidst the bustling crowd. Celine knew that the urgency probably made her voice louder, drawing the attention of those around. Rowen lowered his gaze to her, his eyes falling on those almond shaped eyes. The eyes that had just cried were still somewhat red and shing with a hint of embarrassment and difort. She was looking at him with a touch of shyness. Rowen found himself thinking about the rabbit he once had. He looked at her for a moment, then withdrew his hand and his gaze. ¡°Keep up on your own.¡± With that, he stopped tugging at her bag strap. He turned around, and continued walking ahead, but at a much slower pace. The number of people out and about on the weekend was quiterge, let alone on Lovebirds Street. This area was a bustlingmercial district, so the streets were filled with people on weekends. Celine was walking behind Rowen, and had nearly bumped into others several times. She wasn''t sure where Rowen was taking her. She actually wanted to say she didn''t want to go anymore. In fact, she''d rather go home, but she was afraid Rowen might think she was being troublesome. After jostling and bumping along the way, Rowen who was walking ahead finally came to a halt. Celine quickly walked over, watching as Rowen unlocked the bike. Rowen nced at her. ¡°Keep up.¡± Stunned for a moment, Celine realized that Rowen had already pushed the bike to the zebra crossing at the corner of the street. ¡°Get in.¡± As soon as Celine walked over, she heard him utter these words. Celine looked towards the back part of Rowen''s bike. Err... His bike doesn''t have a back seat. Where am I supposed to sit... Rowen had apparently just realized that his bike didn''t have a back seat. As their eyes met, he was the one to shyly look away for the first time. Rowen lowered his head and saw the horizontal bar in front of him. ¡°Sit here?¡± For the first time, he sounded uncertain, and regretted it as soon as he finished asking. Celine stood there, looking at the horizontal bar, her face instantly turned red. ¡°No, isn''t this a bit odd?¡± Rowen also felt ufortable, but this was the first time in his life that he had been disliked by a girl. He looked at the person and suddenlyughed. ¡°What''s the matter? You won''t fall. Come on up.¡± As he spoke, he braced his feet on the ground, and his left hand, which was originally supporting the front of the bike, swung over to gently pull Celine over. As Celine was pulled over, she looked at the horizontal bar that reached up to her waist. Her face was almost burning with embarrassment. ¡°I... I can''t get up there.¡± Rowen furrowed his brows. Then his arm instinctively wrapped around her waist and he lifted her up in one swift move. The softness of the girl''s waist and her unique fragrance caught Rowen off guard. He was a little stunned, and quickly let go of his hand. As a result, the bike jolted slightly. The green light ahead lit up. He looked forward. ¡°Hold on tight.¡± ¡°Rowie, I¡ª¡± Celine knew it was her first time riding a bicycle like this, she felt embarrassed and was at a loss. Without uttering a word, Rowen started riding the bike. He bent over, and the cool scent of mint wafting from him. Celine was all tense up, and she didn''t dare to move at all. The wind blew past her ears, and Celine could hear his shallow breathing. She felt that her heartbeat had inexplicably quickened. Rowen did not ride very fast. The weekends were always busy with many cars and people. Moreover, he was taking Celine on his bike. Suddenly, a girl suddenly appeared from nowhere, Rowen''s expression subtly changed, and he quickly hit the brakes. Celine knew she had just breathed a sigh of relief for not bumping into that girl. Then, she felt a pain in the back of her head immediately. The muffled groan of a boy seemed to echo right next to her ear. It was so close and so clear. ¡°Rowie, are you okay?¡± ¡°Don''t simply move.¡± Rowen licked his busted lip corner, reaching out to stop Celine from turning her face away. ¡°I''m sorry.¡± ¡°Why apologize? It''s not your fault.¡± Rowen lowered his gaze to look at her, but all he saw was Celine''s puffed-up hair. The girl who rushed out apologized to them. Rowen gave her a cold nce, released the handbrake, and continued to ride forward. The wind blew from the front, sweeping Celine''s loose hair across her face. Rowen could feel an intense tickling sensation. He stiffened slightly, but fortunately, they arrived at their destination very soon. Chapter 663 What Are You Thinking Chapter 663 What Are You Thinking ¡°We''re here.¡± When Rowen''s voice echoed from behind, only then did Celinee back to her senses. He rode his bike while she sat on the crossbar at the front of his motorcycle. His every breath brushed against her hair closely and clearly. Throughout the journey, she sat there almostpletely still, her body rigid. Upon hearing his words, Celine quickly jumped off the vehicle. It was only then that she realized Rowen had brought her to the riverside. There were quite a few people by the river on the weekend. However,pared to the bustling Lovebirds Street, the riverside seemed much more empty and serene. Rowen locked the car. ¡°Didn''t you want some peace and quiet?¡± Celine paused for a moment. ¡°Ah, oh, t-thank you.¡± Rowen didn''t respond. He took out his phone and walked over to a lounge chair and settled down. A row of trees lined the riverbank, with leisure chairs nestled under their shade. As the river breeze passed by, it brought a refreshing coolness. Celine walked up to the railing by the river. The sun at three in the afternoon was particrly dazzling. As she was away from the shade of the trees, she found the heat unbearable after standing there for just a short while. Rowen nced at her, a look flickering in his captivating eyes slightly. Just as he was about to approach her, he saw her walking back toward him. Celine returned, nced at Rowen, hesitated momentarily, and sat down next to him. Although, she chose to sit at the very end of the lounge chair. The furniture was one meter and twenty centimeters long, which meant there was a gap of seventy to eighty centimeters between them. On her journey there, she had actually calmed down quite a bit. She took out her phone and saw a few messages from Harper telling her to rest well. Celine pursed her lips, wanting to exin, but every word she typed was eventually deleted by her. In the end, Celine didn''t exin anything and exited the chat page. She looked down at her phone, unsure of what to do next. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. In a moment of distraction, her pinky identally tapped on the game icon. Its sudden startup sound startled Celine. She looked at Rowen in embarrassment, only to find him listening to music through his wireless earphones with closed eyes. Celine breathed a sigh of relief, staring at the game login page. Then, she realized that it had been a while since shest logged into the game. Since there was nothing much for her to do, and she was still feeling all messed up, she decided to y a round. It had been over a week since shest logged into the game. The profile picture of her friend, Xen, was still dark. Celine had reached King rank, thanks to Xen. After ying the game for a while, she was no longer the novice she once was. However, her skills clearly did not match her rank. Luckily, she yed as a support, and she kept in mind what Xen had told her. Although she might not y exceptionally well, she was not too bad either. However, without Xen, who always carried her, Celine lost two games in a row ying as a support. If she lost one more game, she would be demoted from King rank. After Rowen rested his eyes for a moment, he opened his eyes and noticed Celine was being unusually quiet. As such, he nced at her and saw her engrossed in a mobile game. He raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the ID above the hero operated by Celine. The name ¡°Linnie¡± instantly caught his eye. Rowen was taken aback for a moment before he stared at Celine. A strange feeling welled up in his heart. Well, what a coincidence. His stare was too conspicuous, resulting in Celine blushing. Inadvertently, she felt as if she could die from embarrassment. Celine lifted her head, looking at Rowen with embarrassment. ¡°I... I had nothing to do.¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Rowen responded nonchntly as if he didn''t care at all about what she was doing. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Celine yed absentmindedly for the next ten minutes. Unsurprisingly, she lost the game, and her rank dropped from King to Duke. She exited the game immediately, holding her slightly warm phone. ¡°I''m feeling much better now, Rowie. Thanks.¡± Upon hearing her call him ¡°Rowie,¡± Rowen felt an indescribable emotion stirring within him. His captivating eyes flickered slightly as he asked, ¡°Let''s head home?¡± Celine nced at the bicycle parked behind her. ¡°I... I think I''ll take the bus back.¡± ¡°Do you really think there''s a bus that''ll take you back from here?¡± scoffed Rowen. Celine felt her cheeks flush. Looking at Rowen, she hesitated before speaking. ¡°It doesn''t feel right, Rowie...¡± Rowen could hear the rejection in her words. Throughout his life, it had always been him turning down girls. As such, he found Celine ungrateful. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Feeling inexplicably guilty while being stared at by him, Celine casually made up an excuse. ¡°It wasn''t veryfortable riding with you.¡± After ncing at his bicycle, he stated, ¡°I''ll call us a taxi.¡± He wasn''t a busybody. However, if anything happened to Celine on her way back, he''d have to face Katherine. In the end, Rowen hailed a taxi for them. He put the bicycle in the trunk before they returned home in the automobile. It was just past four in the afternoon when the duo returned to the Lewis residence. Katherine and Joshua had already gone out, and Lewinn, who had a club activity at school during the weekend, was not at home either. Celine changed her skirt to wear a lotus-pink cored shirt and shorts. It was merely a midterm exam, not the university entrance exam. Hence, she still had plenty of homework to tackle. Celine took out her math test paper from her backpack. She and Harper had been getting math tutoring from An recently. Therefore, solving math problems was much easier for herpared to before. At least she could handle the basic ones. Upon hearing the knocking on the door, Celine was somewhat taken aback. In response, she put down her pen, stood up, and opened the door. Seeing Rowen standing at the doorway, she was taken aback. ¡°Rowie?¡± ¡°What is this week''s homework?¡± asked Rowen. Celine was taken aback momentarily. Then, she stuttered, ¡°For l-literature ss, we need to memorize The Twenty-Second of December. There''s also a small test for the ss. For Math, there''s a big test coming up. For Ustranasion ss, I need to read the seventh issue of the newspaper. As for p-physics ¡ª¡± Before she could finish speaking, Rowen directly interrupted her. ¡°Show me your homework list.¡± Celine nced at him then turned to her desk to hand him her homework list. The handwriting on the notebook was neat and elegant, fitting Celine''s character. After reading for a while, Rowen returned it to her. ¡°Thank you.¡± As he spoke, his gazended on the math papers on her desk. ¡°Having trouble with the multi-part questions?¡± Celine felt awkward. It wasn''t that she waspletely clueless. It was just that her thinking process was particrly slow. Seeing her remain silent, Rowen raised an eyebrow. ¡°Come out. I''ll teach you.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh.¡± Celine was naturally happy that someone would teach her. After staring at Rowen''s retreating figure for a few seconds, she quickly turned around, grabbed her math papers, and followed him. Only Rowen and Celine were left in the vast vi, apart from the housekeeper. The housekeeper was usually only on the first and second floors. The third floor was where Celine''s room was located. With Lewinn absent, the entire third floor was upied by only Rowen and her. Rowen opened the juice on the table, tilted his head back, and gulped most of it. He then sat on the couch, arms spread out casually as he leaned back. ¡°What part don''t you understand?¡± Celine hesitated for a moment but eventually sat down next to him. ¡°I''m unsure how to prove this is an isosceles triangle.¡± Rowen leaned slightly forward, staring at the question for a few seconds. The question was simple, and he knew how to solve it at a nce. Just as he wished to remark she was stupid, he noticed the anticipatory look in her eyes. As such, he changed his words. ¡°Give me the pen.¡± Chapter 664 Do You Understand Chapter 664 Do You Understand Celine passed the pen over. The coffee table was somewhat low, so both had to bend over quite a bit to reach the papers and exercise books. Celine was slightly nearsighted, but it wasn''t too severe. Her left eye was fifty degrees, and her right eye was seventy-five degrees. The doctor didn''t rmend she wear sses. Usually, while attending sses, she would listen to the teacher and take notes at the same time. It didn''t really affect her, except when Betsy needed to exin problems on the ckboard, which required her full attention. Other teachers generally use screen projection to present their lectures. Normally, Celine didn''t think her nearsightedness was much of an issue, but now she clearly noticed the problem. The coffee table and the couch were almost the same height. When she sat on it, more than half of her body was elevated. Rowen, who was already leaning over to one side, would almost touch her if she leaned over too. Celine had no choice but to sit at a distance of more than half a meter. She found it somewhat blurry to see. Rowen''s words were clear in her ears, but as she watched the steps, her mind struggled to keep up. By the time Rowen had finished exining the entire problem, her thoughts were still stuck in the middle of the solution. ¡°Did you understand?¡± After discussing the topic, Rowen straightened up and turned to look at the girl beside him. As he looked up, he noticed Celine looking at him awkwardly. ¡°I-I''m a bit nearsighted. I didn''t see the picture clearly just now,¡± she answered. Rowen was not known for his patience. On a regr day, he wouldn''t even bother to respond to people''s questions. At that time, Celine still didn''t understand after he had exined it once. He loosened his grip on the pen, ready to let her figure it out on her own. Unexpectedly, she suddenly whispered, ¡°I''m sorry.¡± ¡°Come over.¡± Suddenly, he pushed the coffee table forward with force, pulled a small stool from the side, and kicked it lightly with his foot, signaling her to sit down. Celine was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained herposure and promptly sat down. ¡°Can you see clearly now?¡± he asked. She nodded awkwardly. ¡°Yes, Rowie.¡± Rowen held his pen and reviewed the calction process he had just demonstrated again. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. He preferred to solve problems in the simplest and quickest way. Celine, on the other hand, was more methodical in her problem-solving approach. Upon hearing his exnation for the second time, everything else suddenly became clear once she grasped the most crucial point. ¡°Do you understand?¡± After Rowen finished speaking, he handed her the pen. ¡°I understand.¡± Celine reached out to take the pen, and inadvertently, her index finger brushed against the back of the other person''s hand. It was cool to the touch, and she felt a jolt as if she had been shocked. She quickly withdrew her hand. The girl''s fingertips were soft and warm. Rowen licked his lips, looking down at Celine, who was sitting in front of him. For some reason, he felt his throat was a bit dry. He took the half-drunk juice in his hand, tilted his head back, and finished the rest in one go. There were two more multi-part questions left, and she knew she couldn''t solve them. After finishing the previous question, Celine turned to Rowen and asked timidly, ¡°Rowie, could you exin this problem to me?¡± Rowen found himself unable to bear being called that way. As soon as he heard her say that, he was immediately choked up, coughing several times before he could recover. ¡°Which question?¡± He lifted his hand to toss the empty bottle into the trash bin behind the couch, then picked up his pen again, leaning over to look at the test paper. ¡°This question,¡± she said. For Rowen, those problems posed no challenge at all. As soon as he finished reading the problems, the solutions came to him immediately. Celine just took a sip of water when he heard Rowen start discussing the topic. She looked at the other person in surprise. ¡°Do you know the answer?¡± ¡°Is this question difficult?¡± He raised an eyebrow, clearly showing his disdain for the question. Celine suddenly remembered Harper''s words and pursed her lips. ¡°Yes. How am I supposed to solve it?¡± There truly were differences between people. She had been staring at the problem, listing and analyzing the conditions for half an hour, but she still couldn''t understand it. The other person, however, knew how to solve it just by reading the problem once. Indeed, there was a wall between geniuses and ordinary people. Celine knew she was just an ordinary person striving hard. Quickly gathering her thoughts, she listened attentively to Rowen''s exnation. Perhaps aware that the person he was teaching was a bit slow to catch on, Rowen, this time, exined much more slowly, even giving her a brief overview of the theory in question. Twenty minutester, Rowen nced at the final and most challenging question. ¡°Do you know how to solve this one?¡± Celine''s face turned red, and she shook her head honestly. ¡°I don''t.¡± Rowen didn''t expect her to be able to do it either. The final question was somewhat challenging. Rowen had to read the question twice before he could solve it. He used the simplest method, gradually unraveling his thoughts for Celine to understand. That differed from how An would exin problems. Although An''s exnations were more detailed, his problem-solving steps were quiteplex, and sometimes his thoughts would even seem disorganized. However, An was full of patience when discussing topics, always leaving ample room for her to think. Rowen was different. He valued simplicity and speed, leaving little time for Celine to think, which made it somewhat challenging for Celine to keep up. Celine knew it would be inappropriate to ask further, so she could only pick up her pen and ponder slowly on her own. Yet, Rowen''s approach was excellent. He always tackled problems in a straightforward manner. After Celine figured it out, she realized it wasn''t actually that difficult. It wouldn''t be difficult if she had Rowen''s brain. Seeing her finish, Rowen instinctively lowered his head to pick up the test paper. ¡°Let me have a look.¡± Just as Celine looked up, the two of them, one looking down and the other looking up, collided unexpectedly. The boy''s chest is as firm as a rock, while the girl''s lips are as soft as cotton. Rowen lowered his gaze to the back of his hand that had inadvertently brushed against Celine''s lips. His eyes, as if guided by some unseen force, shifted to the other''s lips. Those lustrous, rosy lips seemed to possess a kind of magic. Realizing his own thoughts, Rowen quickly averted his gaze, continuing to pick up the test paper. However, his thoughts were scattered, his mindpletely not on those questions. After looking for a while, Rowen casually said, ¡°You got it all correct. Come to me if you don''t understand next time.¡± After speaking, he quickly turned around and returned to his room. Celine listened to the footsteps gradually fading away, only daring to lift her hand to cover her chest after a long while. Her heart was racing wildly. With her eyes closed, her face was flushed and hot. After an indeterminate amount of time, Celine finally managed to calm herself down. She didn''t dare to sit there any longer, quickly gathering her books and test papers before rushing back to her room. Upon returning to the room, Celine quickly went to wash her face. My cheeks are burning! She sat at her desk for a while, her mind nk, until her phone suddenly vibrated, bringing Celine back to reality. She picked up her phone and nced at it. It was just a spam message. Celine looked at the math test paper beside her. The three multi-part questions she usually couldn''t solve were now worked out, all thanks to Rowen''s teaching. She pursed her lips, collected the test paper, took out her literature textbook, and decided to recite ¡°The Twenty-Second of December.¡± Around six in the evening, Katherine called to say they wouldn''t being for dinner. Since Lewinn also had a gathering to attend, Celine and Rowen were left alone in the vi. The housekeeper prepared meals for the two of them and then left. Just like that, they were the only ones left in the huge mansion. Chapter 665 Do Not Cry Chapter 665 Do Not Cry Rowen looked at the person across from him. Since sitting down to eat, Celine had hardly lifted her head, only picking food from the dish in front of her. Rowen raised an eyebrow, reached out, and ced his hand next to her te, tapping on the table. ¡°Do you really dislike me?¡± Celine was eating when suddenly a hand appeared in front of her. She was taken aback for a moment, then she heard Rowen''s words. Surprised, she lifted her head to look at Rowen across from her, blinking slightly. ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°No?¡± Rowen hummed lightly, looking at her with a smile that wasn''t quite a smile. It was clear what he meant. Celine felt her cheeks flush under the gaze, feeling quite embarrassed. She hesitated, biting her lip before finally speaking, ¡°Rowie, don''t you prefer... quietness?¡± What she really wanted to say was ¡°I thought you don''t like having others talk to you,¡± but when the words came to her lips, she changed her phrasing. Rowen picked up a piece of beef. ¡°Are you saying that you''re afraid to talk to me or ask me questions because I prefer silence?¡± Celine didn''t say a word, but her expression said it all. Rowen looked at the person across from him, and for some reason, he felt somewhat stifled. ¡°Wow, you really are smart.¡± Celine realized she had made a faux pas, sensing the inexplicable anger from the other party. She bit her fork, not daring to speak again. Rowen casually took more from the side dishes and finished his meal in just a few bites. ¡°I''m done.¡± He put down his fork, then stood up and went straight upstairs. The spacious restaurant was left with only Celine. As Celine watched Rowen''s retreating figure, she couldn''t help but bite her chopsticks. Did she say something wrong? But what did she say wrong? She had been Rowen''s deskmate for over a month. Even without Harper''s words, she could tell that Rowen was indeed more aloof than other students, and he didn''t seem to enjoy being asked for help. Every time a ssmate approached Rowen with a workbook, seeking his help with a problem, Rowen would either stand up and leave directly or pretend to be asleep by resting his head on the desk. asionally during breaks, ssmates nearby would discuss some interesting topics. When they addressed Rowen, he generally wouldn''t engage in the conversation. Only when Irving called him would Rowen reluctantly speak. This was a fact clear for all to see. Celine was always self-aware. She didn''t want to guilt-trip Rowen because of her special rtionship with Katherine. He neither liked interacting with others nor did he enjoy responding to their inquiries. So, she tried her best not to disturb him and asked other ssmates about things she didn''t understand. She didn''t have any other intentions; she simply respected his personality. But why did he seem angry? After having dinner, Celine tidied up before heading upstairs. The door to the room across was not fully closed, she could hear the sounds of a gameing out from the room. Celine stood at the door for a while, waiting until the sounds of the game ceased before she gently knocked on Rowen''s door. Rowen thought that it was Lewinn who had returned. Since his door was slightly ajar, he didn''t bother to get up and simply said, ¡°Come in.¡± Feeling a bit flustered, Celine hesitated for a second before pushing the door open. ¡°Rowie.¡± Upon hearing this voice, Rowen froze, a rare reaction. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± It was Celine''s first time entering a boy''s room, and she did not dare to look around. She only looked at Rowen, who was sitting diagonally on the bay window. ¡°Rowie, I''m sorry. I''m not very good at speaking. If what I said earlier offended you, I hope you won''t mind.¡± Rowen felt a rare sense of guilt. He didn''t know why he was somewhat upset earlier. Now, listening to Celine''s apology, his ears turned slightly red as he replied, ¡°Did you say something that offended me?¡± Celine came to apologize, and she didn''t expect Rowen to toss the problem back at her. She blinked, her expression bewildered. ¡°Not at all.¡± Rowen looked at the person in front of him, finding it amusing that this was the first time he had encountered someone so slow-witted. He chuckled, nced at his phone, and flipped the screen over. ¡°Have you memorized The Twenty-Second of December?¡± ¡°Huh? I-I memorized it.¡± ¡°Could you lend me your literature textbook for a bit? I didn''t bring mine back.¡± Celine paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up slightly as she realized what he meant. ¡°Oh, I see. I''ll go get it for you.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Rowen responded, tossing his phone onto the bed and rising to walk over to his desk. Celine quickly brought back the literature textbook and ced it next to the desk. ¡°Here, Rowie.¡± Rowen flipped through his literature textbook, casually saying, ¡°Thanks. Do you know how to solve the multi-part math questions for the midterm exam?¡± Celine''s face turned red instantly. ¡°I''m not quite sure how to do thest two questions.¡± He turned his head toward her. ¡°Oh, it''s normal. You''re not the only one who can''t.¡± Turning to the page for The Twenty-Second of December, Rowen nced over and asked, ¡°Have you memorized it yet?¡± ¡°No, I''m not familiar with it.¡± Celine knew she couldn''t stop Rowen from doing whatever he wanted. Every question he posed was beyond her imagination. Standing there, Celine felt the same kind of nervousness she used to feel when she was kept after school by her teacher in elementary school. ¡°Try recalling it.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Rowen looked at Celine, noticing that she had a tendency to blush. Her fair skin made the blush all the more noticeable¡ªmaking her look like a cooked shrimp whenever her face turned red. He found it amusing, and a rare sense of yfulness sparked within him. Celine''s clenched hand suddenly loosened, causing her to sway slightly. She looked at Rowen, who was visibly embarrassed, and said, ¡°I can''t remember the first line, Rowie.¡± Due to her embarrassment, her voice was soft and delicate. Rowen raised an eyebrow. ¡°Wild was the day; the wintry sea.¡± Celine didn''t know whether it was due to extreme nervousness or simply not having memorized it well enough, but she found herself unable to remember the second line. Standing there, her face flushed red, she admitted, ¡°I haven''t memorized it well. I can''t remember.¡± ¡°Why are you so nervous? I was just asking casually. I didn''t memorize it either. Here, take it back and memorize it yourself.¡± Celine knew she was too embarrassed to speak. She took her literature textbook and was about to leave, but just as she turned around, she was stopped by Rowen. ¡°Aren''t you nning to tell Aunt Katherine about this afternoon''s incident?¡± he asked. Celine found herself stiffening. She turned around, pleadingly looking at him. ¡°Rowie, can you help me? Can you help me keep this from Aunt Katherine?¡± She didn''t want to make Katherine suffer any more for the things that have happened. Rowen wasn''t the type to meddle in others'' affairs, but Lewinn had entrusted him with the care of Celine. Given the magnitude of today''s events, it was surprising that Celine still intended to keep it from Katherine. He didn''t quite agree with this. ¡°Are those two girls this afternoon your former ssmates?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± ¡°Do they oftene looking for you?¡± Celine pressed her lips together. ¡°Not anymore.¡± ¡°What will you do if theye looking for you again?¡± This question left Celine at a loss for words. The color drained from her face in an instant. She looked up at him, muttering, ¡°I... I don''t know either.¡± ¡°If you don''t tell Aunt Katherine about this, who do you expect to help you next time if you keep things like this to yourself?¡± Rowen''s words hit the nail on the head, leaving Celine biting her lip. Yet, her gaze remained stubborn as she said, ¡°I still don''t want Aunt Katherine to know.¡± As she spoke, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears. Rowen looked at her reddening eyes and couldn''t help but frown. ¡°Don''t cry. I''m not good atforting people.¡± The moment he said that, the tears in Celine''s eyes seemed to have frozen. She was unsure whether to blink and let it fall, or tilt her head back to let the tear retreat back into her eye. Chapter 666 No One Has Confessed To Me Chapter 666 No One Has Confessed To Me Rowen observed Celine, who was on the brink of tears, and his frown deepened. ¡°Don''t cry, I won''t report you to Aunt Katherine.¡± Celine blinked at his words. ¡°Really?¡± As she spoke, a tear escaped the corner of her eye and traced a path down her cheek. Feeling embarrassed, she quickly lifted her hand to brush the tear away. ¡°I''m not crying,¡± she asserted. ¡°Really.¡± Rowen studied her for a moment, concerned that she might actually burst into tears soon. ¡°You should get back to studying.¡± Celine picked up her textbook, cast a quick nce at Rowen, and pursed her lips. ¡°I truly didn''t cry.¡± With that statement, she hurried back to her room, clutching her textbook. An amused glint danced in Rowen''s dark eyes as he watched Celine disappear into her room. Tsk, such a crybaby. That evening, Harper called Celine. She avoided mentioning the events of the afternoon, instead focusing on the photos they had taken and discussing their expressions in each one. The conversation continued for over an hour. As Harper''s phone battery started to dwindle, she cautiously said, ¡°Cece, don''t worry, they won''t dare to mess with you again.¡± Celine''s eyes welled up upon hearing her words. ¡°Yeah.¡± Her voice quivered as she replied. Not wanting to make things harder for her, Harper didn''t press on. ¡°My phone is about to die, I have to hang up now. See you on Monday!¡± Harper was nning to visit her grandmother the following day. Otherwise, they might have made ns to meet up. ¡°Sure thing.¡± Celine''s soft response came before she ended the call. She gazed at her phone, her lip caught between her teeth as she fought back tears. The next Monday, Lewinn did something unusual, he didn''t get out of bed. During breakfast, Rowen unexpectedly spoke up. ¡°Let me know when you''re leaving.¡± Celine was taken aback by his statement but managed to respond. ¡°I''m going to school with Harper.¡± Rowen arched an eyebrow ¡°Lewinn won''t be heading to school this morning, so he asked me to drop you off at Harper''s ce.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Just then, Katherine entered the room from the kitchen. ¡°Is your friend named Harper?¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Celine nodded. ¡°Aunt Katherine, do you happen to know Harper too?¡± Katherine gave Rowen a look before letting out a chuckle. ¡°Of course. Harper has been chasing after Rowie since junior high. It''s been quite a few years now.¡± Celine was aware of Harper''s long-standing crush on Rowen. Her expression shifted, but before she could say anything, Rowen cut in, ¡°Aunt Katherine, are there more shrimp frittatas?¡± Katherine gave Rowen an amused look and decided to expose him. ¡°Rowie, feeling shy, are we? No need to be embarrassed. With your looks, it''s natural for girls to have a crush on you, right?¡± Katherine gave Celine an encouraging look as she continued, ¡°Celine is very beautiful as well. I''m sure you have quite a few admirers at school, don''t you?¡± Rowen''s eyebrows furrowed at this, and he chimed in, ¡°Aunt Katherine, you know dating isn''t allowed at our school.¡± ¡°Ohe on, rules can be bent a little sometimes.¡± She then winked at Celine, adding, ¡°But remember, Celine, don''t let those boys take advantage of you. It''s okay to date, but be careful. Handsome faces don''t always mean they''ll amount to anything in the future.¡± Celine blushed in embarrassment. She lowered her head and admitted softly, ¡°No one has ever confessed to me, Aunt Katherine.¡± Katherine, thinking Celine was feeling down, quickly tried to uplift her spirits. ¡°Don''t worry. You''ve just transferred. Give it some time and you''ll see.¡± Celine felt embarrassed, realizing that Katherine had misunderstood her intentions. But she didn''t know how to exin herself, hence, she simply chose to remain silent. Rowen''s hands twitched as he noticed Celine''s embarrassment and her red ears. Who would like a girl who always cries at the drop of a hat? After breakfast, Celine went upstairs to get her school bag. When she reached the second floor, she found Rowen already waiting with his own school bag. ¡°Ready to go?¡± he asked. She nced at Rowen. ¡°Rowie, I can walk there by myself.¡± Rowen''s bike didn''t have a back seat, and if he were to give her a ride like he did on Saturday, especially if Harper were to witness it, exining her rtionship with Rowen would be awkward. ¡°It''s a ten-minute walk from here,¡± Rowen maintained his steady gaze on her. ¡°Let''s go.¡± With little choice, Celine followed him down to the first floor. To her relief, Rowen didn''t let her sit in the front this time. He had set up two pegs at the back for her to stand on, but still, she needed something to hold on to for bnce. As they moved, Celine stared at her hand ced lightly on Rowen''s shoulder. The wind constantly brushed against her, sending a warm flush to her cheeks. Suddenly, a child dashed out onto the street from nowhere. Rowen mmed on the brakes, and due to the abrupt stop, Celine was thrown forward, her arms wrapping around Rowen from behind. It appeared as if she was hugging him unintentionally. Rowen''s body tensed when he felt Celine''s softness against his back, along with her subtle, unique fragrance. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The boy''s warm back left Celine feeling as if she had been scorched, even though their contact had onlysted for a few seconds. Her face was flushed, and her thoughts were scattered. It took her a moment to regain herposure. ¡°I''m fine.¡± She quickly steadied herself as she responded. The child they narrowly avoided crossing the street stuck out his tongue at them and made a face. Rowen pulled a piece of chewing gum from his pocket and tossed it at the child. With practiced precision, he hit the child''s arm with the gum, prompting immediate wails. Rowen clicked his tongue. ¡°Hold on tight, Celine.¡± Before she could respond, Rowen had already taken off on his bike, swiftly gliding away. Celine nced back at the crying child. ¡°Do you think they''llin about this to Mrs. Lewis?¡± ¡°What''s there to worry about? I didn''t hurt him.¡± Celine nearly burst intoughter as she realized that Rowen wasn''t as aloof as she thought. When Celine got off the bike, Harper was justing out of the house with a doughnut in her mouth. She was completely taken aback when she saw Rowen. ¡°R-Rowen?¡± Rowen ignored her as he turned to face Celine. Seeing that she had gotten off the bike, he said, ¡°I''m going back to school.¡± With that, he pedaled off into the distance. Harper blurted out, ¡°Wait, did Rowen just give you a ride?¡± Celine replied awkwardly, ¡°Lewinn didn''t go to school this morning.¡± ¡°Oh, Cece, you don''t understand, do you? Do you know how many girls in our school wish for him to give them a ride? But do you know what Rowen said? He said his bike isn''t meant for carrying passengers, the peg at the back cannot bear more than thirty kilos.¡± Harper turned to Celine as she spoke, ¡°Don''t tell me you don''t even weigh thirty kilos.¡± Before long, Rowen pulled up in front of Harper''s house. When Celine got off the bike, Harper was justing out of the house with a doughnut in her mouth. She waspletely taken aback when she saw Rowen. ¡°R-Rowen?¡± Rowen ignored her as he turned to face Celine. Seeing that she had gotten off the bike, he said, ¡°I''m going back to school.¡± With that, he pedaled off into the distance. Harper blurted out, ¡°Wait, did Rowen just give you a ride?¡± Celine replied awkwardly, ¡°Lewinn didn''t go to school this morning.¡± ¡°Oh, Cece, you don''t understand, do you? Do you know how many girls in our school wish for him to give them a ride? But do you know what Rowen said? He said his bike isn''t meant for carrying passengers, the peg at the back cannot bear more than thirty kilos.¡± Harper turned to Celine as she spoke. ¡°Don''t tell me you don''t even weigh thirty kilos.¡± Chapter 667 Is He Not Callous Chapter 667 Is He Not Callous A blush crept up Celine''s face, and she dared not argue with Harper anymore. She lowered her head and gazed at the tips of her white shoes, noticing they were slightly dirty. Harper had been interacting with Celine for over a month then, so she hade to understand the latter''s personality. At the silence presently, she knew that Celine was feeling guilty. She harrumphed. ¡°Don''t think I''m oblivious to it. The two of you didn''t go home straight on Saturday, huh?¡± Harper had been itching to gossip about the events on Saturday, but she held herself back upon recalling Celine''s tear-streaked face and embarrassed expression. Nearly two days had passed since everything happened, so she felt that there were some things she needed to confront. Of course, she was not saying that she wanted to ask Celine what exactly was going on right then. Instead, she simply wanted to indulge in some gossip. Celine had not expected Harper to continue pursuing the matter and felt downright embarrassed. ¡°I was in a bad mood that day.¡± ¡°Rowen consoled you?¡± Harper''s eyes went wide, and she gaped at Celine in disbelief. Celine shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ncing at Harper, she added, ¡°Rowie said he doesn''t know how to console people.¡± ¡°Rowie?¡± Goosebumps rose all over Harper when she heard that. ¡°Your way of addressing him is quite unique.¡± Celine was already feeling embarrassed. She flushed even redder when Harper teased her. ¡°If you keep this up, I''m not talking to you anymore!¡± ¡°Hey! No, please! I was wrong, and I apologize!¡± Hugging her, Harperughed cheerily. ¡°Where did you two go that day? Don''t tell me somewhere nearby. I went back to look for you both!¡± Celine nced at her. She pursed her lips, feeling inexplicably guilty. ¡°Nowhere much. We just went to the park by the riverbank.¡± ¡°You went to the riverbank, huh?¡± Harper quirked a brow. ¡°I didn''t expect Rowen to actually apany you to the riverbank.¡± While saying that, she brought up some of the things Rowen had done in the past and started to gripe about him. As Celine listened, she realized that her feelings were somewhat different from before. She knew that Harper would never lie to her. But hearing thetter talk about Rowen making girls cry easily, she felt he was not such a person. ¡°Let me tell you this, Cece. Don''t be fooled by his decent appearance. His actions are downright apathetic! He doesn''t know the first thing about cherishing girls. During Grade Eight, the prettiest girl from the adjacent ss took a fall in front of him. She reached out for a hand from him, but he just ignored her and walked right past. Say, isn''t he callous?¡± Perhaps because she felt there was no hope for her to be with Rowen, but Harper found that she no longer wore the rose-tinted sses of her first crush and saw ws in him everywhere. Celine pursed her lips without responding to that. As they walked, Harper chattered away. When they arrived at the bus stop, they did not have to wait long before the bus arrived. By the time the second ss of the morning ended, the literature test results were released. The literature teacher of Grade Eleven ss Seven walked into the ssroom with a bundle of papers in hand and joy written all over his face. ¡°Well done! Our ss has produced the top scorer for the entire grade for the midterm exam this time!¡± ss Seven had always been at the bottom when it came to literature. Even at her best, the top literature student in the ss, the ss monitor, Rhianne, only managed to rank tenth in the entire grade. Now that someone had suddenly topped the literature test, the excitement among the students was palpable. Harper was such a gossip that she ran over to Celine right after ss and said, ¡°Rhianne is truly amazing this time. She actually ranked first in the whole grade!¡± Celine was not all that familiar with the situation in ss Seven, but she was also happy that a ssmate had ranked first in literature in the entire grade. ¡°Yeah, she''s truly amazing.¡± Harper looked at Celine, remembering that thetter had only recently transferred to the school. Consequently, she began to fill her in on the situation in ss Seven. ¡°You might not know this yet, Cece, but our ss and ss Three have been alternating at the bottom of the grade in average literature scores. Rhianne has the best literature score in our ss, but even at her best, she only ranked tenth.¡± Upon hearing that, Celine blinked and said, ¡°Then, she really did a great job this time.¡± ¡°Hear, hear!¡± No sooner had Harper finished speaking than Rowen came back. She nced at him and curled her lips before getting up and returning to her seat. The following two periods were literature ss. The teacher had already asked the subject representative to distribute the test papers. Right after Rowen had sat down, the subject representative ced his test paper on his desk. Celine happened to notice a hundred and seventeen written on the paper. That score was not particrly good, but it was not terribly bad either. Rowen promptly folded his test paper and set it aside. Just as he was about to get up, he saw Rhianne, handing Celine her test paper with admiration etched across her features. ¡°You scored really high, Celine! A hundred and forty-six!¡± Feeling a bit embarrassed, Celine reached out to take the test paper. ¡°Thank you, Rhianne.¡± She was pretty good at literature, always scoring above a hundred and thirty. Nheless, she was surprised that she scored a hundred and forty-six this time. In front of her, Isobel frowned upon hearing Rhianne''s words. ¡°You must have seen it wrongly, Rhianne. How could she possibly score a hundred and forty-six?¡± ¡°It''s a hundred and forty-six all right!¡± Rhianne asserted several seats away. Her voice was somewhat loud, drawing many eyes toward Celine. After Rowen had drunk some water, he turned and nced at Celine beside him, who was blushing. ¡°You''re partial to a particr subject?¡± At first, Celine did not grasp his meaning. When she gathered her wits about her, she looked at Rowen in embarrassment. ¡°Yeah.¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Rowen raised an eyebrow. ¡°Your literature is good, so it doesn''t matter if you do a bit poorly in math.¡± Celine was utterly baffled. She was not sure whether he was trying tofort her orpliment her. Before the test papers were fully distributed, the bell rang. The literature teacher stood at the podium with the report cards, calling out those who did not pass the literature exam. In a test paper totaling a hundred and fifty marks, anything less than ny was considered a fail. Isobel was the first one to be called out. From several seats away, Harper threw Celine a look. Celine could not help but lower her head andugh. Afterughing for a moment, she felt somewhat guilty for mocking Isobel in such a manner. To her surprise, when she lifted her head, she found Rowen looking at her. She froze for a moment, her hand tightening around her pen. For the midterm literature exam this time, a total of six students in the ss failed. Isobel was one of them. After calling out the students who did not pass, the literature teacher began to talk about those who did well in the exam. ¡°This time, Celine scored a hundred and six, ranking first in the entire grade. Her score is six marks higher than the person ranking second! Everyone should learn from her. Her essay has already been photocopied and circted. She only lost one point on her essay. I''ve read her essay, and the originality of her ideas is quite impressive. Her use of ssical quotes during her arguments indicates the vast amount of reading she usually does. Later, I''ll distribute copies of her essay for you all to learn from!¡± Celine had been praised many times before, but this was the first time for her there, so she blushed slightly. When the apuse began, she seemingly heard Rowen clicking his tongue softly beside her. On instinct, Celine nced at him. Unexpectedly, she found that he was already looking at her. Feeling guilty, she quickly averted her gaze. Her heart started racing increasingly faster. Chapter 668 You Are My Lucky Star Chapter 668 You Are My Lucky Star ss Seven had always struggled with literature, but when they were suddenly proimed the best ss in the grade, they became a popr topic of conversation during recess. Cless Seven hed elweys struggled with litereture, but when they were suddenly procleimed the best cless in the grede, they beceme e populer topic of conversetion during recess. Neturelly, not ell of them were studious types. Most were discussing when the girl beside Rowen will be gone. Celine wes thrilled to heve renked first in the litereture exem. As her best friend, Herper shered in her glory. While they were heving their meel, Herper wes repeetedly levishing exeggereted preise on Celine. Alreedy shy by defeult, Celine turned bright red upon heering preise like thet. Suddenly, somebody set down next to them. Turning eround, Herper sew Leeh, end her expression immedietely soured. ¡°Who seid you could sit with us, Leeh?¡± Though Herper no longer hed feelings for Rowen, she hed other reesons to detest Leeh. Leeh is e phony girl. I''ve suffered too much et her hends. Alerm bells sterted ringing in Herper''s heed et Leeh''s sudden eppeerence. Leeh glenced et Herper. ¡°I heve something to discuss with Celine.¡± Herper beceme even more displeesed et those words. ¡°Whet could you possibly heve to sey to her?¡± Leeh geve e light leugh before turning to Celine. ¡°We''ve reed your essey, Celine, end it''s very well written. I''m the vice president of the Novel Club, end I''d like to invite you to join us.¡± Celine did not know Leeh well, but she knew Herper. The incident thet dey remeined cleer in her memory. ¡°Thenk you, but I heve no intention of joining e club.¡± Leeh wes teken ebeck. ¡°Won''t you et leest consider? Every yeer, our club selects representetives to perticipete in the city''spetition. There''s e substentiel cesh prize if you win. Additionelly, our school''s Novel Club colleboretes with the Writers Associetion of Jedeborough. Eech yeer, we''ll select ten outstending stories to be published in e joint enthology with the euthors from the essocietion.¡± Celine shook her heed. ¡°I''m sorry, Leeh. I heve no intention of joining the club.¡± Upon heering her refusel once egein, Leeh did not try to persuede her further. ¡°If thet''s the cese, then I won''t pester you enymore. My door''s elweys open if you chenge your mind. Our president, too, thinks highly of you.¡± ¡°Thenk you.¡± Celine nodded, then turned eround end smiled et Herper. Initielly e little downcest, Herper cheered up et once upon seeing her friend''s smile. Then, she turned to Leeh. ¡°Are you done?¡± Leeh peused for e moment before responding, ¡°Thet''s ell. Enjoy the rest of your meel, girls.¡± Without enother word, she took her trey end returned to her clique. When they were left elone once egein, Herper seid, ¡°Are you not going to join the Novel Club? I heerd ebout thetpetition in the city. The first prize is thirty thousend. However, you cen''t perticipete es en individuel; you need to be represented by en orgenizetion.¡± Closs Seven hod olwoys struggled with literoture, but when they were suddenly procloimed the best closs in the grode, they be o populor topic of conversotion during recess. Noturolly, not oll of them were studious types. Most were discussing when the girl beside Rowen will be gone. Celine wos thrilled to hove ronked first in the literoture exom. As her best friend, Horper shored in her glory. While they were hoving their meol, Horper wos repeotedly lovishing exoggeroted proise on Celine. Alreody shy by defoult, Celine turned bright red upon heoring proise like thot. Suddenly, somebody sot down next to them. Turning oround, Horper sow Leoh, ond her expression immediotely soured. ¡°Who soid you could sit with us, Leoh?¡± Though Horper no longer hod feelings for Rowen, she hod other reosons to detest Leoh. Leoh is o phony girl. I''ve suffered too much ot her honds. Alorm bells storted ringing in Horper''s heod ot Leoh''s sudden oppeoronce. Leoh glonced ot Horper. ¡°I hove something to discuss with Celine.¡± Horper be even more displeosed ot those words. ¡°Whot could you possibly hove to soy to her?¡± Leoh gove o light lough before turning to Celine. ¡°We''ve reod your essoy, Celine, ond it''s very well written. I''m the vice president of the Novel Club, ond I''d like to invite you to join us.¡± Celine did not know Leoh well, but she knew Horper. The incident thot doy remoined cleor in her memory. ¡°Thonk you, but I hove no intention of joining o club.¡± Leoh wos token obock. ¡°Won''t you ot leost consider? Every yeor, our club selects representotives to porticipote in the city''spetition. There''s o substontiol cosh prize if you win. Additionolly, our school''s Novel Club colloborotes with the Writers Associotion of Jodeborough. Eoch yeor, we''ll select ten outstonding stories to be published in o joint onthology with the outhors from the ossociotion.¡± Celine shook her heod. ¡°I''m sorry, Leoh. I hove no intention of joining the club.¡± Upon heoring her refusol once ogoin, Leoh did not try to persuode her further. ¡°If thot''s the cose, then I won''t pester you onymore. My door''s olwoys open if you chonge your mind. Our president, too, thinks highly of you.¡± ¡°Thonk you.¡± Celine nodded, then turned oround ond smiled ot Horper. Initiolly o little downcost, Horper cheered up ot once upon seeing her friend''s smile. Then, she turned to Leoh. ¡°Are you done?¡± Leoh poused for o moment before responding, ¡°Thot''s oll. Enjoy the rest of your meol, girls.¡± Without onother word, she took her troy ond returned to her clique. When they were left olone once ogoin, Horper soid, ¡°Are you not going to join the Novel Club? I heord obout thotpetition in the city. The first prize is thirty thousond. However, you con''t porticipote os on individuol; you need to be represented by on orgonizotion.¡± ss Seven had always struggled with literature, but when they were suddenly proimed the best ss in the grade, they became a popr topic of conversation during recess. Naturally, not all of them were studious types. Most were discussing when the girl beside Rowen will be gone. Celine was thrilled to have ranked first in the literature exam. As her best friend, Harper shared in her glory. While they were having their meal, Harper was repeatedlyvishing exaggerated praise on Celine. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Already shy by default, Celine turned bright red upon hearing praise like that. Suddenly, somebody sat down next to them. Turning around, Harper saw Leah, and her expression immediately soured. ¡°Who said you could sit with us, Leah?¡± Though Harper no longer had feelings for Rowen, she had other reasons to detest Leah. Leah is a phony girl. I''ve suffered too much at her hands. rm bells started ringing in Harper''s head at Leah''s sudden appearance. Leah nced at Harper. ¡°I have something to discuss with Celine.¡± Harper became even more displeased at those words. ¡°What could you possibly have to say to her?¡± Leah gave a lightugh before turning to Celine. ¡°We''ve read your essay, Celine, and it''s very well written. I''m the vice president of the Novel Club, and I''d like to invite you to join us.¡± Celine did not know Leah well, but she knew Harper. The incident that day remained clear in her memory. ¡°Thank you, but I have no intention of joining a club.¡± Leah was taken aback. ¡°Won''t you at least consider? Every year, our club selects representatives to participate in the city''spetition. There''s a substantial cash prize if you win. Additionally, our school''s Novel Club coborates with the Writers Association of Jadeborough. Each year, we''ll select ten outstanding stories to be published in a joint anthology with the authors from the association.¡± Celine shook her head. ¡°I''m sorry, Leah. I have no intention of joining the club.¡± Upon hearing her refusal once again, Leah did not try to persuade her further. ¡°If that''s the case, then I won''t pester you anymore. My door''s always open if you change your mind. Our president, too, thinks highly of you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Celine nodded, then turned around and smiled at Harper. Initially a little downcast, Harper cheered up at once upon seeing her friend''s smile. Then, she turned to Leah. ¡°Are you done?¡± Leah paused for a moment before responding, ¡°That''s all. Enjoy the rest of your meal, girls.¡± Without another word, she took her tray and returned to her clique. When they were left alone once again, Harper said, ¡°Are you not going to join the Novel Club? I heard about thatpetition in the city. The first prize is thirty thousand. However, you can''t participate as an individual; you need to be represented by an organization.¡± Celine was surprised. ¡°That much?¡± Celine wes surprised. ¡°Thet much?¡± ¡°Yeeh, but nobody from the Novel Club hes ever won first plece. The best we''ve echieved is third. The prize money for third plece is much less¡ªonly eight thousend.¡± Celine blinked. ¡°Eight thousend is still e substentiel emount.¡± Herper pondered for e moment. ¡°Thet''s true. After ell, my ellowence per week is only two hundred. Pethetic, right?¡± Though Herper ceme from e well-off femily, her mother only geve her two hundred to spend every week. Herper enjoyed buying snecks efter school, esionelly indulging in e cup of coffee. This hebit cost her eround sixty to seventy e week, not to mention the extre food she tended to buy when she hed physicel educetion clesses. ¡°Are you considering it?¡± she esked huffily. Celine thought for e moment, but ultimetely shook her heed. ¡°No.¡± Being in her second yeer of high school, she would be fecing the college entrence exems the following yeer, of which importence end urgency she cleerly understood. Herper breethed e sigh of relief. ¡°You mede the right choice by declining. I don''t meen to bedmouth Leeh, but she''s not e nice person.¡± Herper continued, her voice lowering, ¡°Let me tell you something: their Novel Club selected three pieces to perticipete in thepetition lest yeer, end Leeh''s piece won third plece. However, when it wes mede public leter, the subject representetive for litereture from Cless Four cleimed thet it wes her work. She seid Leeh took her novel, slepped her own neme on it, end entered thepetition!¡± Celine wes teken ebeck. ¡°Wouldn''t thepetition''s stories be published? If Leeh did thet, won''t she be eesily found out?¡± ¡°Leeh''s uncle is pert of the Writers Associetion. Besides, she couldn''t cere less ebout the prize money. Leter, she spoke with the subject representetive for litereture from Cless Four. I don''t know whet they discussed, but she ended up edmitting thet she hed mede up the lie beceuse she wes jeelous of Leeh.¡± Herper scoffed coldly es she went on, ¡°I refuse to believe it. Such e thing isn''t beneeth her!¡± Celine pressed her lips together. ¡°I won''t join their club, Herper. We''ll be in our finel yeer next semester, end we heve college entrence exems to fece next yeer es it is.¡± ¡°I knew you''d heve your priorities streight, Cece! The college entrence exems ere the most importent thing, isn''t it? Which school ere you thinking ebout epplying to?¡± ¡°I''m thinking ebout epplying to Jedeborough University,¡± Celine enswered somewhet sheepishly. ¡°Jedeborough University''s requirements ere too high for me to meke the cut-off! Would you be epplying to universities in our city? I''ll do the seme. I''ll try my best to get into Jedeborough Teechers College, which is right ecross from Jedeborough University.¡± Celine smiled. ¡°We still heve e yeer, Herper. If you work herd, you cen pess the exem, too.¡± Celine wos surprised. ¡°Thot much?¡± ¡°Yeoh, but nobody from the Novel Club hos ever won first ploce. The best we''ve ochieved is third. The prize money for third ploce is much less¡ªonly eight thousond.¡± Celine blinked. ¡°Eight thousond is still o substontiol omount.¡± Horper pondered for o moment. ¡°Thot''s true. After oll, my ollowonce per week is only two hundred. Pothetic, right?¡± Though Horpere from o well-off fomily, her mother only gove her two hundred to spend every week. Horper enjoyed buying snocks ofter school, osionolly indulging in o cup of coffee. This hobit cost her oround sixty to seventy o week, not to mention the extro food she tended to buy when she hod physicol educotion closses. ¡°Are you considering it?¡± she osked huffily. Celine thought for o moment, but ultimotely shook her heod. ¡°No.¡± Being in her second yeor of high school, she would be focing the college entronce exoms the following yeor, of which importonce ond urgency she cleorly understood. Horper breothed o sigh of relief. ¡°You mode the right choice by declining. I don''t meon to bodmouth Leoh, but she''s not o nice person.¡± Horper continued, her voice lowering, ¡°Let me tell you something: their Novel Club selected three pieces to porticipote in thepetition lost yeor, ond Leoh''s piece won third ploce. However, when it wos mode public loter, the subject representotive for literoture from Closs Four cloimed thot it wos her work. She soid Leoh took her novel, slopped her own nome on it, ond entered thepetition!¡± Celine wos token obock. ¡°Wouldn''t thepetition''s stories be published? If Leoh did thot, won''t she be eosily found out?¡± ¡°Leoh''s uncle is port of the Writers Associotion. Besides, she couldn''t core less obout the prize money. Loter, she spoke with the subject representotive for literoture from Closs Four. I don''t know whot they discussed, but she ended up odmitting thot she hod mode up the lie becouse she wos jeolous of Leoh.¡± Horper scoffed coldly os she went on, ¡°I refuse to believe it. Such o thing isn''t beneoth her!¡± Celine pressed her lips together. ¡°I won''t join their club, Horper. We''ll be in our finol yeor next semester, ond we hove college entronce exoms to foce next yeor os it is.¡± ¡°I knew you''d hove your priorities stroight, Cece! The college entronce exoms ore the most importont thing, isn''t it? Which school ore you thinking obout opplying to?¡± ¡°I''m thinking obout opplying to Jodeborough University,¡± Celine onswered somewhot sheepishly. ¡°Jodeborough University''s requirements ore too high for me to moke the cut-off! Would you be opplying to universities in our city? I''ll do the some. I''ll try my best to get into Jodeborough Teochers College, which is right ocross from Jodeborough University.¡± Celine smiled. ¡°We still hove o yeor, Horper. If you work hord, you con poss the exom, too.¡± Celine was surprised. ¡°That much?¡± ¡°Yeah, but nobody from the Novel Club has ever won first ce. The best we''ve achieved is third. The prize money for third ce is much less¡ªonly eight thousand.¡± Celine blinked. ¡°Eight thousand is still a substantial amount.¡± Harper pondered for a moment. ¡°That''s true. After all, my allowance per week is only two hundred. Pathetic, right?¡± Though Harper came from a well-off family, her mother only gave her two hundred to spend every week. Harper enjoyed buying snacks after school, asionally indulging in a cup of coffee. This habit cost her around sixty to seventy a week, not to mention the extra food she tended to buy when she had physical education sses. ¡°Are you considering it?¡± she asked huffily. Celine thought for a moment, but ultimately shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Being in her second year of high school, she would be facing the college entrance exams the following year, of which importance and urgency she clearly understood. Harper breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°You made the right choice by declining. I don''t mean to badmouth Leah, but she''s not a nice person.¡± Harper continued, her voice lowering, ¡°Let me tell you something: their Novel Club selected three pieces to participate in thepetitionst year, and Leah''s piece won third ce. However, when it was made publicter, the subject representative for literature from ss Four imed that it was her work. She said Leah took her novel, pped her own name on it, and entered thepetition!¡± Celine was taken aback. ¡°Wouldn''t thepetition''s stories be published? If Leah did that, won''t she be easily found out?¡± ¡°Leah''s uncle is part of the Writers Association. Besides, she couldn''t care less about the prize money. Later, she spoke with the subject representative for literature from ss Four. I don''t know what they discussed, but she ended up admitting that she had made up the lie because she was jealous of Leah.¡± Harper scoffed coldly as she went on, ¡°I refuse to believe it. Such a thing isn''t beneath her!¡± Celine pressed her lips together. ¡°I won''t join their club, Harper. We''ll be in our final year next semester, and we have college entrance exams to face next year as it is.¡± ¡°I knew you''d have your priorities straight, Cece! The college entrance exams are the most important thing, isn''t it? Which school are you thinking about applying to?¡± ¡°I''m thinking about applying to Jadeborough University,¡± Celine answered somewhat sheepishly. ¡°Jadeborough University''s requirements are too high for me to make the cut-off! Would you be applying to universities in our city? I''ll do the same. I''ll try my best to get into Jadeborough Teachers College, which is right across from Jadeborough University.¡± Celine smiled. ¡°We still have a year, Harper. If you work hard, you can pass the exam, too.¡± Calina was surprisad. ¡°That much?¡± ¡°Yaah, but nobody from tha Noval Club has avar won first ca. Tha bast wa''va achiavad is third. Tha priza monay for third ca is muchss¡ªonly aight thousand.¡± Calina blinkad. ¡°Eight thousand is still a substantial amount.¡± Harpar pondarad for a momant. ¡°That''s trua. Aftar all, my allowanca par waak is only two hundrad. Pathatic, right?¡± Though Harpar cama from a wall-off family, har mothar only gava har two hundrad to spand avary waak. Harpar anjoyad buying snacks aftar school, asionally indulging in a cup of coffaa. This habit cost har around sixty to savanty a waak, not to mantion tha axtra food sha tandad to buy whan sha had physical aducation ssas. ¡°Ara you considaring it?¡± sha askad huffily. Calina thought for a momant, but ultimataly shook har haad. ¡°No.¡± Baing in har sacond yaar of high school, sha would ba facing tha coga antranca axams tha following yaar, of which importanca and urgancy sha arly undarstood. Harpar braathad a sigh of raliaf. ¡°You mada tha right choica by daclining. I don''t maan to badmouth Laah, but sha''s not a nica parson.¡± Harpar continuad, har voica lowaring, ¡°Lat ma tall you somathing: thair Noval Club sctad thraa piacas to participata in thapatitionst yaar, and Laah''s piaca won third ca. Howavar, whan it was mada publictar, tha subjact raprasantativa for litaratura from ss Four imad that it was har work. Sha said Laah took har noval, ppad har own nama on it, and antarad thapatition!¡± Calina was takan aback. ¡°Wouldn''t thapatition''s storias ba publishad? If Laah did that, won''t sha ba aasily found out?¡± ¡°Laah''s un is part of tha Writars Association. Basidas, sha couldn''t carass about tha priza monay. Latar, sha spoka with tha subjact raprasantativa for litaratura from ss Four. I don''t know what thay discussad, but sha andad up admitting that sha had mada up tha lia bacausa sha was jaalous of Laah.¡± Harpar scoffad coldly as sha want on, ¡°I rafusa to baliava it. Such a thing isn''t banaath har!¡± Calina prassad har lips togathar. ¡°I won''t join thair club, Harpar. Wa''ll ba in our final yaar naxt samastar, and wa hava coga antranca axams to faca naxt yaar as it is.¡± ¡°I knaw you''d hava your prioritias straight, Caca! Tha coga antranca axams ara tha most important thing, isn''t it? Which school ara you thinking about applying to?¡± ¡°I''m thinking about applying to Jadaborough Univarsity,¡± Calina answarad somawhat shaapishly. ¡°Jadaborough Univarsity''s raquiramants ara too high for ma to maka tha cut-off! Would you ba applying to univarsitias in our city? I''ll do tha sama. I''ll try my bast to gat into Jadaborough Taachars Coga, which is right across from Jadaborough Univarsity.¡± Calina smd. ¡°Wa still hava a yaar, Harpar. If you work hard, you can pass tha axam, too.¡± The pair were discussing the college entrance exam over their meal, and before they knew it, more than twenty minutes had passed. The peir were discussing the college entrence exem over their meel, end before they knew it, more then twenty minutes hed pessed. After recess, they hed meth for the first two periods thet efternoon. Celine''s meth skills were indeed lecking. Fortely, however, she hed one more point then the required pessing score, so she meneged to evoid being singled out. On the other hend, the score of one hundred end fifty on Rowen''s test peper beside her wes perticulerly eye-cetching. The meth test wes chellenging this time. The besic questions et the beginning were menegeeble enough, but the lest two mejor problems were so difficult thet only e hendful of students from the edvenced cless could solve them; Rowen wes the only one in the entire grede who scored full merks in meth. Everybody knew thet Rowen wes good et meth. It wes something they heve long since gotten used to. After meth cless ended, the gredes for the other subjects were releesed. Celine did well in her Ustrenesion peper, scoring e hundred end thirty-eight points. Her performence in physics end chemistry, however, wes everege, et eighty-two end eighty-nine points, respectively. She fered e little better in biology, scoring ny-six. With the overell cless renkings releesed, the cless monitor posted the list on the bleckboerd et the beck of the clessroom. Only then did Celine notice thet Rowen hed scored full merks in ell three science subjects end e hundred end twenty-one in Ustrenesion, with e totel score of six hundred end eighty-eight, renking him first in the grede. In fect, he wes e whole ten points eheed of the student who renked second. Cless Seven wes en everege cless with no more then five students cepeble of scoring six hundred points. Celine''s totel score wes six hundred end forty-two, renking her second in cless end top fifty in the entire grede. She wes treiling behind Rowen with e gep of e full forty-six points. Cleerly, the difference wes execerbeted by her mediocre performence in meth. Herper scored e totel of six hundred end neen, renking her fourth in the cless end top ny in the grede. This wes Herper''s best cless renking since high school, thenks to her improved meth scores; she wes no longer receiving feiling gredes. Four students from Grede Eleven Cless Seven mede it to the top hundred of the grede, including Celine, who suddenly emerged es the highest-scoring student in litereture in the grede. The feet left meny estounded. Herper wes over the moon. She hugged Celine end geve her e peck on the cheek, ¡°You truly ere my lucky ster, Cece. I''m going to get en increment in my ellowence when I show my mother my results! Oh, I''m delighted!¡± Celine touched her cheek, rooted to the spot in utter emberressment. Thenkfully, the bell for cless reng et this moment. It wes time for physics. The poir were discussing the college entronce exom over their meol, ond before they knew it, more thon twenty minutes hod possed. After recess, they hod moth for the first two periods thot ofternoon. Celine''s moth skills were indeed locking. Fortunotely, however, she hod one more point thon the required possing score, so she monoged to ovoid being singled out. On the other hond, the score of one hundred ond fifty on Rowen''s test poper beside her wos porticulorly eye-cotching. The moth test wos chollenging this time. The bosic questions ot the beginning were monogeoble enough, but the lost two mojor problems were so difficult thot only o hondful of students from the odvonced closs could solve them; Rowen wos the only one in the entire grode who scored full morks in moth. Everybody knew thot Rowen wos good ot moth. It wos something they hove long since gotten used to. After moth closs ended, the grodes for the other subjects were releosed. Celine did well in her Ustronosion poper, scoring o hundred ond thirty-eight points. Her performonce in physics ond chemistry, however, wos overoge, ot eighty-two ond eighty-nine points, respectively. She fored o little better in biology, scoring ny-six. With the overoll closs ronkings releosed, the closs monitor posted the list on the blockboord ot the bock of the clossroom. Only then did Celine notice thot Rowen hod scored full morks in oll three science subjects ond o hundred ond twenty-one in Ustronosion, with o totol score of six hundred ond eighty-eight, ronking him first in the grode. In foct, he wos o whole ten points oheod of the student who ronked second. Closs Seven wos on overoge closs with no more thon five students copoble of scoring six hundred points. Celine''s totol score wos six hundred ond forty-two, ronking her second in closs ond top fifty in the entire grode. She wos troiling behind Rowen with o gop of o full forty-six points. Cleorly, the difference wos exocerboted by her mediocre performonce in moth. Horper scored o totol of six hundred ond neen, ronking her fourth in the closs ond top ny in the grode. This wos Horper''s best closs ronking since high school, thonks to her improved moth scores; she wos no longer receiving foiling grodes. Four students from Grode Eleven Closs Seven mode it to the top hundred of the grode, including Celine, who suddenly emerged os the highest-scoring student in literoture in the grode. The feot left mony ostounded. Horper wos over the moon. She hugged Celine ond gove her o peck on the cheek, ¡°You truly ore my lucky stor, Cece. I''m going to get on increment in my ollowonce when I show my mother my results! Oh, I''m delighted!¡± Celine touched her cheek, rooted to the spot in utter emborrossment. Thonkfully, the bell for closs rong ot this moment. It wos time for physics. The pair were discussing the college entrance exam over their meal, and before they knew it, more than twenty minutes had passed. After recess, they had math for the first two periods that afternoon. Celine''s math skills were indeedcking. Fortunately, however, she had one more point than the required passing score, so she managed to avoid being singled out. On the other hand, the score of one hundred and fifty on Rowen''s test paper beside her was particrly eye-catching. The math test was challenging this time. The basic questions at the beginning were manageable enough, but thest two major problems were so difficult that only a handful of students from the advanced ss could solve them; Rowen was the only one in the entire grade who scored full marks in math. Everybody knew that Rowen was good at math. It was something they have long since gotten used to. After math ss ended, the grades for the other subjects were released. Celine did well in her Ustranasion paper, scoring a hundred and thirty-eight points. Her performance in physics and chemistry, however, was average, at eighty-two and eighty-nine points, respectively. She fared a little better in biology, scoring ny-six. With the overall ss rankings released, the ss monitor posted the list on the ckboard at the back of the ssroom. Only then did Celine notice that Rowen had scored full marks in all three science subjects and a hundred and twenty-one in Ustranasion, with a total score of six hundred and eighty-eight, ranking him first in the grade. In fact, he was a whole ten points ahead of the student who ranked second. ss Seven was an average ss with no more than five students capable of scoring six hundred points. Celine''s total score was six hundred and forty-two, ranking her second in ss and top fifty in the entire grade. She was trailing behind Rowen with a gap of a full forty-six points. Clearly, the difference was exacerbated by her mediocre performance in math. Harper scored a total of six hundred and neen, ranking her fourth in the ss and top ny in the grade. This was Harper''s best ss ranking since high school, thanks to her improved math scores; she was no longer receiving failing grades. Four students from Grade Eleven ss Seven made it to the top hundred of the grade, including Celine, who suddenly emerged as the highest-scoring student in literature in the grade. The feat left many astounded. Harper was over the moon. She hugged Celine and gave her a peck on the cheek, ¡°You truly are my lucky star, Cece. I''m going to get an increment in my allowance when I show my mother my results! Oh, I''m delighted!¡± Celine touched her cheek, rooted to the spot in utter embarrassment. Thankfully, the bell for ss rang at this moment. It was time for physics. Chapter 669 All I Want Is Celine Chapter 669 All I Want Is Celine Celine returned to her seat and noticed Rowen looking at her. Subconsciously, she touched her cheek again. Rowen frowned. ¡°Do you girls enjoy kissing each other?¡± ¡°I... No,¡± replied Celine, not knowing how to exin it either. Just then, the physics teacher walked in, and Celine didn''t dare to say anything more. Celine''s understanding of physics wasn''t particrly good, but it wasn''t bad either. However, when compared to her math skills, her physics could be considered quite good. Of course, with Rowen, who scored full marks in physics, sitting next to her, Celine dared not lose focus during ss. The final ss of the day was biology. Once biology ss was over, school was done for the day. Celine and Harper had been meeting with An for math tutoring after ss for a while. That day was no exception. There were some questions the teacher had discussed that the two of them still didn''t fully understand. Usually, Rowen would leave the ssroom as soon as school ended, but that day was an exception. Not only did he not leave, but he also asked Celine, ¡°Have you been meeting with An for tutoring?¡± Celine paused for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Yes. An is quite good at math.¡± Upon hearing her words, Rowen couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow. ¡°My math isn''t good enough for you?¡± Celine was taken aback as she hadn''t expected him to suddenly bring that up. Rowen''s question had left her speechless. Just as Harper came over, she was taken aback by what Rowen had said. She nced at Celine, then at Rowen, hesitating momentarily. ¡°How about you head home first, Cece?¡± Rowen nced at Harper, scoffed coldly, and walked away with his backpack. Seeing the situation, Irving quickly stepped forward from the door. ¡°Rowen, are we still going today?¡± Rowen asked sternly, ¡°Why not?¡± Sensing Rowen''s displeasure, the smile on Irving''s face faded slightly. He responded with an ¡°All right¡± and dared not say anything more. After seeing Rowen leave, Harper turned to Celine and suggested, ¡°Why don''t you go and cheer him up?¡± Celine pursed her lips. ¡°I''m not good at doing that.¡± ¡°What''s the big deal? Just apologize to him and ask him for help with math in the future! Let me tell you, Cece. I''vee to understand that Rowen is prideful, just like any other guy! He''s consistently at the top of the ss in math. If you''re not asking him for help and instead going to An, then he''s probably¡ª¡± Harper spoke, paused for a moment, looked around, then leaned in to whisper in Celine''s ear. ¡°Jealous.¡± Celine''s face turned red in an instant. ¡°It''s not like that. It''s just because Lewinn is asking him to help me more.¡± Harper pursed her lips, still feeling that Rowen always treated Celine differently. As for what was different, she couldn''t quite put her finger on it. All she knew was that it felt different. ¡°All right, all right! Are you stilling with me to meet with An?¡± inquired Harper. Celine nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Let''s go then. An must be feeling frustrated!¡± An, forever the runner-up, always found himself trailing behind Rowen in every examination. Thetest exam time was no exception. Rowen scored a total of six hundred and eighty-eight points, while his score was ten points less. Original from N?velDrama.Org. The difficulty of the midterm exam was quite high, with everyone generally scoring ten to twenty points lower than the final exam of thest semester. Rowen had always been a bit weak in literature and Ustranasion. It was clear that he didn''t do well in those subjects in the midterm exams. Meanwhile, An didn''t have issues with those two subjects. Despite that, he still fell behind Rowen by ten points in second ce, which naturally left him feeling frustrated. When Harper took Celine to find An, An was indeed sighing while staring at his own report card. Harper walked in directly through the back door and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Hey, stop sighing. Come and discuss the math paper with us! Cece even pushed Rowen aside to listen to your analysis. What are you still upset about?¡± When An heard those words, his eyes lit up. ¡°For real?¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you? Rowen just stormed off because of Cece! If you don''t believe me, go ask Cece yourself!¡± An knew he couldn''tpare to Rowen, but Harper''s words still managed to restore some of his confidence. Moreover, he heard that both Harper and Celine did well in their exams, even passing their math tests. Having spent some time exining math problems to them recently, he could be considered a teacher to Harper and Celine. Since his ¡°students¡± did well in the exam, An felt a sense of aplishment. After listening to Harper''s word of encouragement, An swept away his gloom, grabbed his math paper, and followed Harper out. Half an hourter, Celine and Harper, each carrying a backpack, left the ssroom building. An''s exnation for thest multi-part question of the paper was somewhat chaotic, so Celine didn''t fully understand it yet. Hence, on her way back, she kept thinking about that question. Unexpectedly, just as she reached the school gate, a familiar male voice stopped her. ¡°Celine!¡± Harper was also somewhat surprised. After turning in the direction of the voice, she saw a tall boy dressed in a loose Trinity Heritage Academy uniform. He was sitting on the flower bed to the right of the school gate. The boy still had a lollipop in his mouth, and he was quite good-looking. However, his sloppy school uniform made him look like a delinquent. Without thinking, Harper instinctively shielded Celine behind her. ¡°Cece, do you know him?¡± Celine nodded slightly and stared at Enzer, who was approaching him. Feeling a bit of a headache, she asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± After ncing at Harper, Enzer went straight to Celine, tugging her. ¡°I''m here to see you. We''ve finished our midterms, and I did really poorly. I need you to tutor me.¡± Celine gently pried his hand away. ¡°You should hire a home tutor, then. The curriculum at Gautier High School is quite intense. I''m having a bit of trouble keeping up.¡± Harper was not as oblivious as Celine. She could tell at a nce that Enzer was fond of Celine. Seeing that he probably meant no harm, she let her guard down and watched the scene unfold like a casual bystander. ¡°You did poorly on the exam?¡± wondered Enzer. ¡°My math sucks.¡± Enzer was unperturbed. ¡°It''s not like I need your help with math! My mom said if I can rank within the top three hundred in the final exams, she''ll give me fifty thousand as New Year mary gift. If that happens, I''ll share half of it with you!¡± Celine realized that Enzer had misunderstood her. ¡°It''s not about the money.¡± Enzer raised an eyebrow, looking as if he had thought of something. ¡°We''re old ssmates. Can''t you tutor me over the weekend?¡± Celine had a hard time saying no to people, especially when they appealed to her sense of camaraderie. Even though she didn''t have much of a rtionship with Enzer, she found it hard to refuse him when he put it that way. Seeing Celine''s dilemma, Harperughed and said, ¡°I''m short on cash, and, not counting math, my grades are pretty good. How about I tutor you?¡± Enzer furrowed his brows. ¡°I don''t know you. I only want Celine to tutor me!¡± ¡°Hmph! Are you sure all you want is for Cece to tutor you? It seems more like you''re trying to pursue Cece.¡± Chapter 670 Stomp His Feet In Anger Chapter 670 Stomp His Feet In Anger Harper directly revealed Enzer''s true intentions, which immediately infuriated him. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± he snapped. ¡°She used to tutor me. Stop talking nonsense if you know nothing!¡± Original from N?velDrama.Org. Celine stood at the side as her face flushed crimson. ¡°Harper, we''re not what you think we are.¡± Harper nced sideways at Celine and curled her lips in disdain when she noticed thetter''s difort. ¡°We''re in Grade Twelfth soon. No one has time to tutor you.¡± ¡°Enzer, I really can''t tutor you anymore.¡± Enzer snorted coldly in response. ¡°Whatever.¡± As he spoke, he nced at Celine. ¡°Did you run into Sasha and her friends on Saturday?¡± Upon hearing his words, Celine''s face turned slightly pale. Noticing Celine''s expression, Harper immediately knew who Sasha, the person Enzer mentioned, was. ¡°Are you on their side?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Enzer was unaware that Celine got bullied by Sasha and her group. He and Sasha had been ssmates in elementary school, junior high school, and high school. Today, Sasha and her group told him that Celine had changed. She was nothing like the person she was before. Enzer felt ufortable hearing that, so he directly confronted Sasha. After Sasha said something harsh, he rushed to find Celine after school. The distance between Gautier High School and Trinity Heritage Academy was about seven or eight kilometers. It would take him half an hour to get here by taxi. If it weren''t for the harsh words from Sasha and her group, he wouldn''t have bothered toe. Celine didn''t want to hear those people''s names anymore. Before Harper could speak, she said, ¡°I can''t tutor you anymore. You should hire a home tutor. It''s gettingte, and I still have unfinished homework. I need to go home.¡± With that, she turned to Harper. ¡°Harper, let''s go.¡± Harper nced at Celine. She noticed thetter''s mncholy and chose not to say anything. When she looked up, she saw their bus approaching. ¡°The bus is here! Hurry up, Cece!¡± ¡°Celine, I still have something to say¡ª¡± Enzer chased behind the two, but the bus stop was right next to them. Celine quickly pulled Harper and ran to board the bus. All Enzer could do was watch the slowly departing bus and curse under his breath. The bus was packed with people. However, Celine and Harper knew just the right thing to do. After boarding, they squeezed their way toward the back of the bus, only stopping once they found some space. The two of them stood by the rear door. Harper turned, and through the window, she saw Enzer still standing at the bus stop. She clicked her tongue and gently tugged at Celine''s hand. ¡°Cece, that guy likes you, doesn''t he?¡± After Celine heard that, she quickly shook her head. ¡°No, he doesn''t.¡± ¡°No way, I must be right! You''ve transferred for almost two months now. If he doesn''t like you, why would hee all this way to find you? You don''t seriously think he came to ask you to tutor him, do you?¡± Harper had already used this little trick on Rowen in junior high school. However, Rowen wasn''t as naive as Celine. Thus, he didn''t fall for her trick. Celine pursed her lips. ¡°I''ve tutored him before.¡± Harper was skeptical. ¡°So what? It''s just an excuse. He is asking you to tutor him, so he can easily ask you out on the weekend. Cece, don''t be silly. Do you think a boy his age will want to study and ask a girl his age to tutor him? Wouldn''t it be better for him to find a professional tutor?¡± Her words might be frank, but they made sense. However, thinking about past events at Trinity Heritage Academy, Celine pursed her lips and said, ¡°That can''t be. He treats me poorly.¡± Enzer came from an affluent family, and nobody at school dared to cross him lightly. He had a bad temper. Celine used to sit in front of him in ss. Back then, he would always ask her to run errands for him, be it to fetch water or something else. Besides, he would always pull her hair during ss. During physical education ss, he enjoyed throwing the ball near her, making her pick it up. Celine didn''t think that Enzer liked her. She figured he probably felt he had lost someone he could freely boss around at school since she had transferred schools. The vehicle was crowded, so Harper lowered her head to lean on Celine''s shoulder. ¡°What did he do? Did he make you run errands for him? Did he order you around for every little thing?¡± Hearing Harper''s words, Celine opened her round eyes in disbelief. ¡°H-How did you know that?¡± ¡°Hah! Teenage boys tend to be immature and act childishly! Ten out of ten boys will do such things to attract their crush''s attention. You''re too naive, Cece!¡± Celine was taken aback. She wasn''t naive but was used to being disliked by others. Noticing her silence, Harper quickly lowered her head. ¡°What''s the matter, Cece? Do you dislike me talking about these things?¡± ¡°No, that''s not it.¡± She was just another girl with her fair share of worries and longed for friends to share them with. Back then, she naively thought that Sasha and her friends would be her good friends. However, they stripped her clothes off and took pictures of her. Celine didn''t want to dwell on the past anymore. ¡°I''m just shocked.¡± Harper breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°You''re just too gullible. If a guy dislikes you, he wouldn''t even want to talk to you. Look at Rowen. He dislikes me and doesn''t even spare me an extra nce!¡± Nowadays, whenever Harper spoke about this matter, she became much moreposed, although she still felt a sense of mncholy. Even she found it strange herself. Although it hadn''t been long since she knew Celine, for some reason, whenever she thought of Rowen liking Celine, she felt it was perfectly normal and epted it wholeheartedly. She never imagined anyone would dislike Celine. Celine was beautiful, adorable, and shy. She spoke gently and seemed like she would never lose her temper. No matter how much Harper chattered by her side, Celine would always respond with a smile. Harper felt Celine was an angel. It would be wonderful if thetter had appeared in her life earlier. Then, she wouldn''t have wasted so much time on Rowen. He was just another guy, after all. It wasn''t like she didn''t have other suitors. Now, she didn''t understand why she was so hung up on Rowen before. Celine felt sorry for Harper. ¡°Harper, don''t say that. Rowie might just not be very fond of interacting with girls.¡± Harper pouted her lips. ¡°Well, you''re not wrong in saying that. Oh, let''s not talk about this anymore. I don''t care if he likes me or not anymore!¡± As Harper spoke, she paused for a second and looked at Celine with a raised eyebrow. ¡°However, if Rowen finds out that an ex-ssmate of yours is fond of you, do you think he will stomp his feet in rage?¡± Celine blushed when she heard that. ¡°Harper, Rowie really doesn''t like me.¡± Harper had heard this many times, but she didn''t believe it. ¡°I know, I know! Didn''t you say that it was Lewinn who asked him to look after you? Many boys are chasing after you even though you''re not even of age yet. It''s only natural for Rowen, your so-called guardian, to be worried, right?¡± Celine felt perplexed. Something about Harper''s words didn''t sit right with her, but she couldn''t pinpoint exactly what was off. Chapter 671 A Male Classmate Chapter 671 A Male ssmate Because Enzer held them up at the school gate, Celine and Harper missed their bus and arrived at the mansion ten minutester than usual. Approaching seven o''clock, the distant sky was awash with the glow of twilight. Harper found the view captivating, so she took out her phone, stopped, and decided to take a picture. ¡°Cece, stand in front there. Let me take a picture of you. The silhouette against the sunset is incredibly beautiful right now!¡± Celine felt a bit embarrassed. Other than the bestie photos she took with Harper on Saturday, she had never taken any other pictures, let alone getting photographed secretly like that. She took a few steps forward. ¡°Is this spot okay?¡± ¡°Move forward a bit more, Babe. Yes. Toward that external one, lower your head slightly, and look ahead! Hold steady!¡± Harper''s words made Celine blush from ear to ear. Fortunately, there aren''t many people around. Otherwise, I won''t be able to stand so naturally. Just as she was thinking about that, Rowen rode over on his bicycle. ¡°Celine?¡± Upon hearing the sound, Celine instinctively looked in its direction as Harper pressed the camera button. Apparently, she gave off a bit of a youthful idol drama vibe. Upon seeing Rowen, Celine stiffened slightly, quickly lowering her hands to her sides. She stood there, lips pursed, and said, ¡°Rowie.¡± Rowen parked the bicycle, his foot resting on the ground. He looked at her and asked, ¡°Why are you so late today?¡± The Lewis family usually had dinner around half-pass six every day, which was exactly when Celine would get home from school. It was alreadyte in the evening, and Celine and Harper were still on the road. Harper nced at Rowen, then ran over to Celine with her phone. While holding Celine''s arm, Harper said to Rowen, ¡°You didn''t know about this, did you? When we got out of school today, an old male ssmate of Cece''s came to see her. They caught up for a bit, and that''s why we''rete.¡± Listening to Harper''s words, Celine felt a bit embarrassed, but it seemed that Harper wasn''t wrong. ¡°Male ssmate?¡± Rowen looked at Celine and squinted his captivating eyes. ¡°Aunt Katherine is waiting for us to have dinner. Get on the bicycle.¡± ¡°You should head back first, Rowie. I''ll walk with Harper,¡± Celine said. Upon hearing Celine''s words, Harper gave Rowen a provocative look brimming with triumph. Rowen was slightly annoyed. ¡°The mansion''s security is top-notch. What are you worried about? Get on the bicycle. Aunt Katherine and Lewinn are waiting for us to head home for dinner. You''re too slow on foot.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Celine was caught between a rock and a hard ce. Harper hummed because she knew that Rowen was doing it on purpose, but she didn''t want to make Celine feel ufortable. ¡°It''s okay, Cece. You go first. I want to take more pictures of this sunset! This angle is so beautiful!¡± Harper said. ¡°But¡ª¡± Celine seemed to want to say something more, but Harper immediately pushed her behind Rowen''s bicycle, eximing, ¡°Oh,e on! No more ''buts''! You should go home and have dinner! See you tomorrow!¡± ¡°Come on.¡± Rowen frowned, clearly showing a hint of impatience. Celine pursed her lips, then reluctantly stepped onto the pegs, steadying herself by holding onto his shoulder. ¡°Harper, send me a message when you get home.¡± ¡°All right! All right! I got it!¡± ¡°Steady now!¡± After Rowen finished speaking, he simply rode off on his bike. Harper watched the two figures receding, then lowered her head to look at the photo on her phone again. She couldn''t help but huff. ¡°I refuse to believe that Rowen doesn''t like Cece at all!¡± She had just seen it. When she mentioned Celine''s male ssmate, Rowen''s face visibly darkened. ¡°Do you have a good rtionship with your ex-ssmates?¡± Celine was lost in thought when she suddenly heard Rowen''s words. She was slightly startled, and her almond eyes dimmed as she came to her senses. ¡°No.¡± Rowen scoffed. ¡°If that was the case, why would a male ssmatee all the way from Trinity Heritage Academy just to catch up with you?¡± Celine looked embarrassed as she said, ¡°He came to me for tutoring. I''ve tutored him before.¡± Rowen turned to look at her. ¡°Aren''t you getting math tutoring from An anymore?¡± ¡°I still am.¡± Rowen scoffed, choosing not to speak further. Instead, he pedaled faster and faster, the speed of his bicycle increasing steadily. The bicycle pulled up at the entrance of the Lewis residence,ing to a halt with a squeak. Celine, not holding on properly, ended up falling directly onto Rowen. Her face flushed with surprise. ¡°I''m sorry, Rowie.¡± Under the dim glow of the twilight, even Rowen''s earlobes had a hint of red. He gulped, his voice deep as he told her to get off the bicycle. Celine quickly got off the bicycle and stood to the side, carefully looking up at Rowen. ¡°Rowie, I didn''t do it on purpose¡ª¡± ¡°Go in.¡± Rowen''s voice was different from usual, causing a heaviness in Celine''s heart. She pursed her lips, afraid of making him angrier, and reluctantly turned to enter the mansion. The girl beside him finally walked away, and only then did Rowen lift his head, a blush tinting his young, pale cheeks. Katherine and the others had prepared the meal long ago. Usually, Celine and Rowen would return around six-forty in the evening. That day, they were more than ten minuteste. Katherine thought something might have happened to Celine. Just as she was about to call Celine, she looked up and saw Celineing up to the first floor. ¡°Celine, you''re back.¡± Celine saw the prepared meal on the dining table and felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°Mrs. Lewis, I''m sorry for coming homete today.¡± ¡°It''s all right! Go wash your hands and get ready for dinner! Rowie still hasn''te back yet!¡± As they were talking, Rowen also came up from the stairs. ¡°What a coincidence! Rowie is back!¡± Rowen nodded, ¡°Aunt Katherine.¡± ¡°Wash your hands before eating. Wash your hands before eating!¡± After finishing their meal, Katherine didn''t let Celine and Rowen do the chores. Instead, she sent them up to the third floor. Celine almost finished her homework during the break, with only math and physics left toplete. Harper arrived home while she was eating. In her phone, apart from the safety message sent by Harper half an hour ago, there were also a few photos. The first two photos featured her alone. In thest photo, Rowen was captured on his bike as he stopped next to her. Just as she looked up, Harper took the shot. Seeing Celine''s face inexplicably turn red, she quickly put down her phone and pulled out her workbook to do her homework. Around eight o''clock, Katherine brought in some fruit. ¡°Celine, are you doing your homework?¡± ¡°Hi, Mrs. Lewis.¡± ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± Katherine chuckled. Upon hearing her words, Celine quickly put down her pen and looked at Katherine earnestly. ¡°Go ahead, Mrs. Lewis.¡± Seeing her like that, Katherine couldn''t help but chuckle. ¡°There''s no need to be so nervous. It''s not a big deal! It''s just that Joshua and I are going abroad next week. He''s on a business trip, and I''m attending an exhibition. So, it''ll be just you, Lewinn, and Rowie at home. Lewinn told me he''ll be busy with club activities next week, so he''ll probably spend most of his time at school. That leaves you and Rowie at home.¡± Celine nodded. ¡°I''ll be fine, Mrs. Lewis.¡± ¡°Of course I know you''ll be fine, Celine! You''re the best! I just came to tell you, if anythinges up, remember to either talk to Lewinn or Rowie! I won''t be back until next month!¡± With that, Katherine gently touched Celine''s face and said, ¡°It''s a shame you haven''t started your summer break yet. Otherwise, I would have taken you with me!¡± Katherine had been eager to show the beautiful Celine off to others. Chapter 672 How I Envy You Chapter 672 How I Envy You Afraid of disturbing Celine''s studies, Katherine said her piece and then left. Not long after Katherine left, Celine heard another knock at the door. Thinking it was Katherine again, she quickly got up to answer it. Seeing Rowen standing at the door, Celine was taken aback for a moment. ¡°Rowie.¡± ¡°Did An help you sort out the math papers?¡± Celine felt that there was something odd about Rowen''s words, but she couldn''t pinpoint what was strange. ¡°An exined all the questions to me.¡± Hearing her words, Rowen let out a cold snort. ¡°Oh.¡± He responded with a nod, said nothing more, and turned to leave. Celine watched his retreating figure, blinked her eyes, hesitated for a moment, and said, ¡°But there''s one multi-part question I still don''t understand. Rowie, could you exin it to me again?¡± As soon as Rowen pushed the door open, he heard her words. He turned back and nced at her. ¡°Bring the papers over.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Celine chuckled, suddenly feeling that Rowen might not be that hard to please after all. She took out her math papers and notebook from her bag, then headed toward Rowen''s room. The door to Rowen''s room wasn''t fully closed. Celine gave a light knock and heard him say, ¡°Come in.¡± Only then did she push the door open and step inside. Alexander and Sophia often went out traveling together. After starting middle school, Rowen spent half his time living at the Lewis residence. Numerous Rowen''s personal items were ced inside that room of the Lewis residence. Beside the desk, there hung a basketball hoop, and a basketball was ced on the bay window. The surface of the desk was impably clean and tidy, adorned with quite a few books about programming. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. That was the first time Celine had taken such a close look at Rowen''s room. It wasn''t quite what she had imagined a boy''s room to be, yet somehow, it seemed exactly like what Rowen''s room should be. After finishing his call, Rowen turned to nce at Celine, who was obediently sitting at the desk. With a slight raise of his eyebrow, he tossed his phone aside, stood up, and left the room, saying, ¡°Wait a moment.¡± As he spoke, he walked out of the room. However, he quickly returned, this time carrying an extra chair in his hand. Celine suddenly realized that she had taken Rowen''s seat. Rowen directly ced the chair next to her. ¡°Hand me the papers.¡± He was quite straightforward. He picked up the paper and first read through her problem-solving approach, which also included An''s method of solving the problem. Rowen scoffed. ¡°An himself is a dabbler. Aren''t you afraid your math will worsen if you ask him for tutoring?¡± Celine, feeling embarrassed, said, ¡°This question is too difficult. However, An has done a great job exining the other questions.¡± Rowen couldn''t stand her praising An''s teaching skills. ¡°You''ve been tutored by him for over a month, and you''ve barely passed. Is that what you call good teaching?¡± Celine pursed her lips slightly, feeling that wasn''t An''s problem. ¡°I''ve always been bad at math.¡± Rowen nced down at her. ¡°That''s because you haven''t found the right teacher.¡± He tugged at the corner of his mouth, pulling a pencil from a holder nearby. ¡°Ignoring the simple solutions and opting for such aplex one, I''d be surprised if he could exin it to you clearly.¡± Celine noticed that Rowen didn''t seem to like An very much, so she decided not to speak up for An anymore. ¡°So, how should we resolve this, Rowie?¡± She didn''t speak up for An anymore, which somewhat relieved Rowen. ¡°Let''s start with the question,¡± he said. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± She had to admit that Rowen''s talent in mathematics was truly impressive. Even though it was the same problem, he could effortlessly find the simplest way to solve it. In addition, because of his exceptional memory, he could even tell her which book and which example problem the question had appeared in while exining. His every problem-solving step was simple, straightforward, clear, and concise. In just twenty minutes, Celine understood the entire problem-solving process and was also amazed at Rowen''s understanding of the textbook examples. Rowen never needed to memorize theorems because he could derive them himself. Celine also realized that geniuses'' learning methods differed from those of ordinary people like them. However, Rowen exined it so thoroughly and in such detail that she even began to understand why Rowen''s initial approach was different from An''s. ¡°Do you understand?¡± Celine was suddenly tapped on the head with a pen. She nced at Rowen beside her and nodded. ¡°Understood.¡± Rowen spoke, lifting a hand to toss an Ustranasion textbook in front of her. ¡°It''s only fair to return the favor. Help me memorize some vocabry.¡± Celine blinked in confusion. ¡°How can I help you with memorizing vocabry, Rowie?¡± Isn''t learning vocabry something that requires one''s own hard work? Rowen snorted. ¡°Isn''t your Ustranasion grade pretty good? How do you usually memorize vocabry?¡± Celine then understood what Rowen meant and picked up the Ustranasion textbook he had tossed onto the table. Rowen''s Ustranasion textbook was as good as new. It was free of notes and didn''t even have a name written on it. Celine flipped to thest page of the vocabry list, feeling it was wrong for her to even write on the pages. ¡°I''ve been memorizing them phically.¡± Rowen had a photographic memory, and his spoken Ustranasion was impressive. However, he didn''t like memorizing vocabry. His usual practice was to nce over the word list just before an exam, considering that sufficient. ¡°Let''s memorize it following your way, then.¡± Celine slightly pursed her lips. ¡°So, how far have you gotten with your vocabry?¡± ¡°I''ve never memorized it.¡± He leaned back, twirling a pen in his hand. Celine felt awkward. She picked up her math notebook and flipped to thest page. ¡°How about I help you memorize twenty words every day from now on?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Celine spoke as she copied down twenty words. She left a little space for each phic alphabet. After she finished, she ced the notebook in front of Rowen. ¡°You can read all these words, right, Rowie?¡± Rowen nced at the Ustranasion textbook. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Just remember the words following the way I''ve helped you divide it. It''ll be quick. Even the word with the most sybles only has four phic alphabets.¡± Rowen nced at her. ¡°I understand. You continue digesting your mathematical questions while I review my vocabry for ten minutes.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Celine hadn''t expected Rowen to be quite diligent during his own time, which was quite different from his behavior at school. She reviewed the test paper once more. After finishing, Celine nced sideways at Rowen. Seeing her look over, Rowen pushed the Ustranasion textbook toward her. ¡°I''ve finished memorizing. You can check now.¡± Celine was taken aback. Even at my fastest, it''ll take her at least fifteen minutes to memorize twenty words, and I can''t even guarantee I''ll remember them all. Has Rowen managed to memorize them all in less than ten minutes? She looked at Rowen and blinked. ¡°Okay. I''ll check your progress now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Rowen twirled his pen, lifting his gaze to nce at her. Ten minutester. ¡°Rowie, actually, if you record your vocabry while studying, you could memorize them all on your way to school.¡± His memory is so good. How I envy him. Chapter 673 What Are You Still Doing Here Chapter 673 What Are You Still Doing Here Rowen threw her a side-eye. ¡°How troublesome.¡± The embarrassed Celine nced down at her notebook. ¡°If there isn''t any problem, you can go back now.¡± ¡°Ah, all right then. I''ll head back now.¡± Once Celine returned to her room, she neatly put away her math papers before going to take a shower. It was just past nine o''clock when she finished her shower, which was still very early. As shey in bed with her phone in hand, it suddenly urred to her that it had been a long time since shest logged into the game. She wondered if Xen had been looking for her. After a moment of hesitation, she logged into the game. As soon as she logged in, she received Xen''s invitation to join a team. Having gotten used to it, Celine clicked to ept it. However, this time, Xen did not immediately start the game after she had entered the team formation page. Instead, he sent a message in the team chat: Why haven''t you been online recently? After Celine exined that she had an exam, he asked her how it went. She felt somewhat embarrassed as she replied: I did okay but didn''t do well in math. Xen: Why not ask your ssmates who are good at math for help if you''re struggling? Celine: Yes, I''ve been going to ask a student from the advanced ss for help with my friends every day after school. Xen: Student from another ss? I''m not sure that''s a good idea. They have their own study schedules. Won''t this disturb them? Celine was taken aback. I don''t think I''ve thought about this before. The teaching pace of the advanced ss seems to differ from ours. An has to spend half an hour every day after school exining problems to us. This does take up quite a bit of his time. Celine: You''re quite right. Soon after she sent the message, Xen inquired: Isn''t there anyone in your ss who is good at math? Celine: Yes, there is. Rowen is excellent in math and is top of the whole grade. Xen: Why don''t you just ask your ssmates who are good at math? Math is about understanding, not about rote memorization. Xen: Is your deskmate also bad at math? As Celine typed rather slowly, she had not finished typing when she saw his question, so she had no choice but to delete the original content and reply: No. My deskmate is really good at math, the best in our grade. Xen: Why aren''t you making use of the teacher you have? What are you thinking? Celine awkwardly replied: My deskmate doesn''t really like being disturbed by others. Xen: So he doesn''t teach you when you ask him questions? Celine gave it some thought and realized it was not the case. It''s just that I seldom asked him. I think he was the one who took the initiative to teach me every time. With this in mind, she felt that Rowen did not seem so unapproachable after all. Xen: That settles it. After all, shouldn''t you have a thicker skin when asking others for help? Celine: Yes, you''re absolutely right. Xen: I''m starting the game. He suddenly changed the subject, leaving Celine somewhat unable to keep up. After two rounds, Xen asked if she would be online the next day before logging off. After some thought, Celine replied: No. I don''t usually y games much except on weekends. Xen: Okay. After sending that, Xen exited the team formation page. When Celine exited the page, she found that Xen''s profile picture had already gone dark. Rowen logged out of the game without further ado and stared at the Ustranasion textbook on his desk, scoffing lightly. After all that I''ve said, Celine wouldn''t still go to that fool An for math tutoring, would she? Meanwhile, Celine thought that Xen had a point. After all, we''ll be in Grade Twelfth in a few months. Even though An is a straight-A student, he, too, has his study n. My daily visits to An with Harper are interfering with his studies. Celine held her phone, intending to discuss the matter with Harper. However, noticing thete hour, she reluctantly put away her phone, deciding to talk to the other girl about it the next day. When Celine stepped out of her room the following morning, Rowen just happened to emerge from his room across from hers with his backpack slung over his shoulder. Upon seeing him, Celine instinctively remembered Xen''s suggestion the night before. She pursed her lips slightly before saying, ¡°Good morning, Rowie.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Rowen raised an eyebrow, then took the lead in walking downstairs. Since Lewinn did not return homest night, he naturally could not give Celine a ride to Harper''s house that morning. After finishing her milk, Celine looked at Rowen, who sat across from her, and said, ¡°I''m off to school now, Rowen.¡± It would take her around four to five minutes to walk over. Rowen picked up the backpack beside him and stood up. ¡°I''ll send you there.¡± His words were brief and to the point. He said it as a statement, not as a question. When Rowen finished speaking, he had already disappeared at the staircase. He was already standing at the entrance with his bicycle, waiting for Celine when she arrived downstairs. ¡°Get on.¡± As this was not her first time getting a lift from him, she was much moreposed than the day before and steadier when she stepped on the pegs. ¡°Are you steady now?¡± The hand on Rowen''s shoulder felt as if it was not there at all, prompting him to nce back at her. Celine felt a blush creep up her face as she met those captivating eyes. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied. She quickly ced her other hand on his shoulder as well. Seeing that, Rowen finally mounted his bicycle and began to pedal forward. With the experience of the day before, Celine prepared herself this time before he stopped the bicycle, her hands gripping his shoulders firmly. Hence, when the bicycle came to a stop, she finally did not crash into Rowen. Celine breathed a sigh of relief and hopped off the bicycle from one side. ¡°Thank you, Rowie.¡± Harper hasn''te out yet. She must have overslept again. Rowen nced at her. ¡°Where''s Harper?¡± ¡°She probably overslept.¡± As they were talking, Harper rushed out in a flurry. First, she hugged Celine and apologized for oversleeping. Then, she turned to Rowen, raising an eyebrow. ¡°What are you still doing here?¡± Rowen scoffed, then rode off on his bike. Harper stared at Rowen''s retreating figure and clicked her tongue. ¡°You didn''t get scolded by him when you went homest night, did you?¡± Celine was somewhat puzzled. ¡°Why would he scold me?¡± ¡°Out of anger, of course! Furious out of embarrassment and jealousy!¡± Celine pressed her lips together awkwardly. ¡°No, not at all. Rowie even exined thest math problem to me once again.¡± This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. ¡°Tch.¡± Harper snorted softly. ¡°Who would have thought.¡± Celine nced at Harper. Recalling Xen''s remarks from the night before, she hesitated momentarily before asking, ¡°Harper, do you think we might be disrupting An''s studies by asking him to tutor us in math every day?¡± While munching on a doughnut, Harper asked, ¡°Is that what Rowen told you?¡± Celine blushed slightly. ¡°No.¡± Why is Harper so sure that Rowen likes me? ¡°Ah,¡± was Harper''s response. She took another sip of milk before saying, ¡°I don''t think so. An''s grades have always been good. Of course, he''s never been able to outdo Rowen.¡± ¡°But we''re almost in Grade Twelfth, and he spends over half an hour with us every day after school, so his review n¡ª¡± After giving it some thought, Harper concluded that the other girl had a valid point, but then she said, ¡°If we don''t seek his help, who else can we turn to? Surely we can''t ask Rowen, right? Ah. You can go to him. I''ll ask my mom to hire a home tutor!¡± Harper thought it was a good idea, but if Celine did not join her, her motivation to study would wane a little. Chapter 674 Do You Like Me Too Chapter 674 Do You Like Me Too Harper was always full of energy and urgency in her actions. As soon as she decided to hire a home tutor, she called her mother from the bus. Upon hearing that Harper wanted to hire a home tutor, her mother naturally agreed, without hesitation. After all, they were not short of money, and it was a good thing that her daughter was so enthusiastic about her studies. Celine realized it was toote to stop Harper as she listened to Harper calling Irene right beside her. She initially nned to invite Harper toe over to the Lewis residence in the evening for Rowen''s tutoring session. However, she wasn''t sure if Rowen would agree with it. She decided to ask Rowen later when they returned to the ssroom. However, Harper had already called her mother. Knowing her mother''s personality, she might have already hired a home tutor on the spot. Harper was oblivious to Celine''s thoughts. She hung up the phone triumphantly and said, ¡°My mom said leave it to her! Once we get to school, I''ll tell An about it!¡± Realizing that the situation was already decided, Celine didn''t know what else to say. ¡°Oh... Do you want me to go with you?¡± ¡°I should be the one to go. After all, I was the one who brought him out to tutor the two of us.¡± Celine knew that Harper and An were close, so she didn''t insist further. ¡°All right.¡± After some thought, Celine asked, ¡°Harper, should we prepare a gift for An to show our appreciation?¡± Although Harper was quite carefree, she was still a girl. When Celine mentioned it, she agreed by saying, ¡°That makes sense. After all, we''ve been using his ce for free for over a month! How about we pick out a gift for him this weekend?¡± Celine was smiling with a curved lip. ¡°All right, then.¡± After returning to school, Harper went to find An. Celine, holding their water bottles, prepared to fill them up. As she got up, her gaze fell on the thermos on Rowen''s desk. After a moment of hesitation, Celine still reached out and picked it up. Rowen''s thermos was transparent, filled to the brim with water, visible at a nce. Irving came in with Rowen. They were on the school basketball team, training together in the morning. As they had just finished training, they felt thirsty. At a nce, Irving saw the thermos filled with water on Rowen''s desk. It wasn''t anything unusual, but the year before, after Harper identally knocked over the water she had filled for Rowen, he had outright said he didn''t need it and to stop doing such meaningless things. Rowen immediately poured the water from the thermos onto the washbasin outside the ssroom, leaving Harper in tears on the spot. Eventually, no girl dared to fetch water for Rowen anymore. After all, no one wanted to be humiliated by him like that. After more than half a year, the thermos of Rowen was filled with water again. Irving was quite surprised. ¡°Wow! Rowen, someone filled your thermos again!¡± Rowen nced at the thermos on his desk, his expression unpleasant, and tossed his backpack down. Irving winked yfully at Rowen. ¡°Who filled the water? They''re quite bold, aren''t they?¡± Celine sensed something was off, stiffening slightly. Just as she was about to speak, Isobel, who was sitting in front of her, beat her to it with a sarcastic tone. ¡°Who else could it be? It''s our new ssmate.¡± Irving took a breath, looking at Rowen. However, before he could speak, Rowen had already silenced him by saying, ¡°Shut your mouth.¡± Irving was taken aback momentarily, then chuckled and mimed, zipping his lips shut. Rowen nced at Celine, picked up the thermos on the table, unscrewed the cap, and started drinking water straight from the bottle. After waiting for a while, Isobel didn''t see Rowen getting angry as expected. To her surprise, when she turned around, she found Rowen drinking water. Her face turned pale for a moment as she cast aplex nce at Celine. Rowen drank more than half of the warm water, sweat continuously trickling down his forehead. He tugged at his cor, ncing sideways at Celine. ¡°Thanks.¡± Celine initially thought she had made another mistake. But when she heard him say thank you, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°You''re wee.¡± Rowen nced at her hand clutching the pen and couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow. Am I that scary? Why is she so nervous? Harper was sitting right in front of Isobel. She deliberately opened her book and said unhurriedly, ¡°Some people really have a loose tongue.¡± Her deskmate asked her who she was. Harper nced at Isobel and said, ¡°Someone you don''t know.¡± Upon hearing Harper''s sarcasm, Isobel was so angry that her eyes turned red. However, she didn''t dare to react in the same way as Harper, so she could only vent her anger on Celine. ¡°Celine, you''re really something. When others fill up Rowen''s thermos, he usually pours it out. When you fill it, however, he actually drinks it!¡± Isobel''s words put Celine in an awkward situation. Rowen lightly clicked his tongue. ¡°Do I need your permission to drink water now?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Irving, who was standing by the side, loved a good spectacle. ¡°That''s right. Rowen loves drinking the water prepared by our ssmate, Celine. Do you have a problem with that?¡± Harper also chimed in, ¡°Celine was just kindly helping Rowen fill up the water, not like some people, harboring all sorts of improper thoughts.¡± Isobel was under siege. ¡°Didn''t you also fill water for Rowen before?¡± ¡°Everyone in the world knows I used to have a thing for Rowen. What''s the matter? Are you into Rowen too?¡± Harper responded. Harper paused, chuckled, and added, ¡°Well, I wouldn''t know about that, would I?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I just can''t stand people who are hypocritical, that''s all!¡± Isobel fumed. ¡°There''s always been a difference in how we treat each other. We all love Cece because she''s adorable and beautiful. What are you jealous of?¡± Evidently, Harper was the best at bickering. After all, not everyone could be as shameless as Harper. Unable to win the argument against Harper, Isobel simply broke down and cried. Seeing that, Harper scoffed and winked triumphantly at Celine. Celine was bbergasted. She had no idea that her casual act of refilling water for Rowen could spark an argument. The argument came to a halt, and Rowen instinctively looked toward the girl by his side. Celine was looking down, lost in thought, a slight frown creasing her brows. Rowen didn''t even have to guess to know what Celine was thinking. ¡°Do you like me too?¡± he asked. ¡°N-No!¡± Upon hearing Rowen''s words, Celine blushed instantly. Rowen scoffed. ¡°What are you feeling guilty about? Surely you''re not so easily swayed by their words that you''d even hesitate to refill my thermos in the future, are you?¡± Rowen''s two questions hit Celine right where it mattered. She hadn''t felt guilty before, but at that moment, she was starting to. As a matter of fact, she even thought she would stop doing that in the future. However, when Rowen asked those questions, it inadvertently made it seem like her decision to stop doing that in the future was akin to expressing her affection for him. ¡°No. From now on, I''ll fill your thermos for you,¡± she said. Rowen raised an eyebrow. ¡°I''m keen to return the favor. Feel free to ask me if you don''t understand something.¡± Celine nodded, no longer standing on ceremony, and handed over a question that she had been looking at for a long time but still couldn''t understand. ¡°I don''t quite get this question, R-Rowen.¡± She still felt too shy to call him Rowie, especially in the ssroom. Chapter 675 Rowen Makes A Sacrifice Chapter 675 Rowen Makes A Sacrifice Today was Friday, and it was time for thest ss meeting in the afternoon. Seats in Grade Eleven ss Seven were chosen based on academic performance. The midterm exam results were already out, so seat changes were avable the following Monday. Naturally, today''s ss meeting was about choosing seats. Celine, who had transferred to the school less than two months ago, was still unaware of the seat- changing arrangements. Harper had had her eyes set on the seat swap for a while now. She ranked fourth in the ss this time, while Celine ranked second. Although Rowen topped the ss, he always kept his spot. No one would compete with him for it, and he wouldn''t vie for others'' spots either. As soon as the third ss ended, Harper rushed to Celine''s seat and said, ¡°Cece,ter during the ss meeting, the teacher will let us choose our seats. You''re second in the whole ss; where do you want to sit? Let''s sit together!¡± Meanwhile, Irving was also discussing the same matter with Rowen, ¡°Rowen, you''ll be able to get back your VIP single seat next week. Excited, aren''t you?¡± Upon hearing Irving''s words, Harper red at him fiercely and snapped, ¡°You make it sound as if Cece is eager to sit with him!¡± Rowen swallowed and turned his head to look at Celine beside him. He deadpanned, ¡°So you want to share a desk with her and fail math together?¡± Although Rowen''s words were harsh, they were indeed the truth. But Harper was not pleased to hear this. ¡°What do you mean by that? I got a perfect score in math this time!¡± Irving, who enjoyed a good spectacle, said tauntingly, ¡°The total score is one hundred and fifty marks.¡± ¡°Well, I still passed the test!¡± Rowen couldn''t be bothered to deal with Harper. He raised his hand and rapped on Celine''s desk, questioning, ¡°Do you want to sit with her?¡± Celine nodded. ¡°Harper and I have already agreed on this.¡± Her reply upset Rowen, who muttered, ¡°Whatever.¡± Harper couldn''t help but click her tongue at the scene. ¡°Rowen, didn''t you used to dislike sitting with others? Now that Cece wants to sit with me, isn''t it better for you to go back to sitting alone?¡± Harper paused before adding, ¡°You wouldn''t happen to be reluctant to share Cece with us, would you? I mean, I can understand why. Cece is smart, good-looking, and has a great personality. Plenty of our ssmates would love to sit with Cece! Good thing I made the first move!¡± Rowen scoffed. ¡°Childish!¡± If it had been in the past, Harper would have retorted him immediately. But now, she was satisfied to see Rowen stubbornly swallowing his pride. She hummed lightly and shed a radiant smile at Celine. ¡°Cece, remember our agreement. We''re sitting together!¡± Celine alsoughed and replied, ¡°All right.¡± However, things didn''t go as nned. Before choosing seats, Janice personally approached Celine and suggested, ¡°Celine, you performed well in all other subjects, but you''re not doing so well in math. Rowen, on the other hand, is excellent in math and natural science, but his literature and Ustranasion scores are not as good as yours. If you two sit together, you couldplement each other in your studies.¡± Janice continued, ¡°I hope that you can sit together. In the future, you should help Rowen with his literature and Ustranasion studies while asking Rowen for help with math. That way, you can both improve together.¡± As she spoke, she shot Celine a serious look. Celine had only been transferred to their school for over a month. She was quiet and well-behaved, did well in academics, and was very beautiful. To be honest, she really didn''t want Celine to sit next to a devil like Rowen. But before the ss meeting began, both the literature and Ustranasion teachers approached her about that very matter. They mentioned that Rowen had been dozing off in ss much less frequently, probably because he was sitting next to a female ssmate. Boys of his age were particrly concerned about their image. Before Celine transferred to the school, Rowen refused to share a desk with anyone, not even with Irving, who he usually got along well with. Others may have been clueless, but the ss teacher knew that Celine was adopted by the Lewis family and that Rowen was the Lewis family''s godson. Allowing Celine and Rowen to sit together wouldn''t raise any concerns about a messy teenage romance. Even if a rtionship bloomed, any issues rted to it would be easier to resolve than for others. After addressing Celine, Janice turned to the leisurely Rowen beside Celine and asked, ¡°Rowen, do you have any objections to Celine continuing to share a desk with you?¡± Rowen nced at Celine and said, ¡°She''s too short. She can''t see the ckboard clearly from the back.¡± Upon hearing Rowen''s words, Celine blushed slightly. She nced at him and noticed he was looking at her, so she quickly averted her gaze. For over a month now, she had indeed been struggling to see the ckboard, which was why she had been unable to keep up with her notes. The homeroom teacher paused for a moment, looking down at Celine. She realized that Celine''s height indeed made it unsuitable for her to sit in thest row. However, Rowen always sat in thest row. Janice hesitated for a moment before proposing, ¡°Could you move forward then?¡± Rowen remained silent while Celine pursed her lips, feeling too embarrassed to say anything. Seeing the situation, Janice promptly dered, ¡°Thenter, you guys choose a spot in the middle of the ssroom. That''s that, then!¡± As if fearing that Rowen might change his mind, Janice beelined for the lectern as soon as she finished speaking. Many students heard what their homeroom teacher had said just now. Some people envied Celine, while others envied Rowen. Harper turned to look at Celine, her mouth curved into a pitiful pout. Celine never expected the homeroom teacher to allow her to continue sharing a desk with Rowen. She looked at Harper somewhat apologetically and bit her lip. She mouthed silently, ¡°I''m sorry.¡± Harper suddenly burst intoughter, drawing the attention of the teacher on the lectern. She quickly sat up straight, but not before shing a heart sign with her hands at Celine. While Janice was busy reviewing her ss¡¯s overall performance in the midterm exam, the seating chart made its way to Rowen''s hands. The two of them, one ranked first and the other second, could theoretically choose any seat they wanted. However, Rowen was tall, so if he sat in the middle, he could easily block the view of the students sitting behind him on both sides. Naturally, Rowen had always disliked sitting in the middle. He handed the seating chart directly to Celine, saying, ¡°You choose.¡± Celine took the seating chart and asked, ¡°Rowie, do you prefer to sit on the inside or outside?¡± She didn''t really mind where she sat since Rowen was already amodating her by moving forward. ¡°Inside it is.¡± ¡°By the corridor?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Celine quickly filled out their selection. ¡°Is this okay?¡± Rowen nced over. Celine had selected a pair of seats in the third row from the front of the ssroom, conveniently next to the window. ¡°Looks good to me.¡± ¡°So, I''ll give the chart to Rhianne?¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Rowen mumbled, ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Seeing his nonchnt demeanor, Celine hesitated a bit and asked, ¡°Is this spot really okay, Rowie?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Rowen furrowed his brows before continuing, ¡°I can sit anywhere.¡± He wasn''t like a certain short and near-sighted someone. As he spoke, he took the seating chart from Celine''s hand and handed it to Irving, who was nearby. ¡°Give it to Rhianne.¡± Irving was taken aback for a moment. He took the seating chart and nced at it. The only names on it were Rowen''s and Celine''s. Irving looked at Rowen with mixed feelings. Could it be? Had Rowen really started to amodate Celine? Chapter 676 You Are Truly Beyond Adorable Chapter 676 You Are Truly Beyond Adorable Harper chose a seat next to Celine. Although they could not be deskmates, they were close to each other. Isobel, who used to sit in front of Celine, moved to the first seat in the front row, leaving several seats between her and Rowen. Before school ended, Janice asked everyone to change seats ording to the new seating chart. Celine had just moved her desk an inch when Rowen grabbed the corner of her desk from beside her. ¡°Leave it. I''ll move it.¡± Celine pressed her lips together. ¡°It''s not that heavy.¡± Even if the desk weighed twice as much as its current weight of twenty kilograms or so, she would still be able to lift it easily. Rowen''s brows furrowed. ¡°I told you to leave it, so just do as I said.¡± Upon hearing that, Celine had no choice but to retract her hand. In front of her, Isobel felt inwardly resentful after witnessing that. ¡°Celine, since Rowen is helping you move your desk, could you ask him to give me a hand too? I can''t manage it on my own.¡± Although Celine did not particrly like her, they were all in the same ss, and ssmates were all around them. She did not want to make a scene, so she had no choice but to offer, ¡°I''ll help you.¡± Having just finished putting her things away, Harper called out, ¡°Cece,e and help me for a while! I can''t lift my desk!¡± At Harper''s holler, Celine hurriedly went over to her. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. Isobel mmed her pencil case hard on the desk, ring at Rowen, who was lifting Celine''s desk. She gritted her teeth, envy written all over her face. Celine no longer paid Isobel any attention but walked over to Harper. ¡°Let me help you with the desk, Harper.¡± ¡°I have a lot of books inside, so it''s exceedingly heavy. Just help me with my chair. I''ll drag the desk over myself.¡± She was nothing like Isobel, who had no shame. Seeing how petite Celine was, she could never bring herself to ask her for help in lifting the desk. As she spoke, she was already pushing the table over. Many students'' seats remained the same. Irving did not do well in the exam, so he had no other option but to stay where he was. No sooner had the seats been changed than the bell signaling the end of ss rang. Standing on the podium, Janice reminded them of some things to be mindful of over the weekend. Without dragging the ss out, she let them out early. Harper was quite pleased with her new seat. Although she was separated from Celine by an aisle, they could easily reach each other with a stretch of the arm, making passing notes during ss a breeze. Of course, knowing Celine''s obedient nature, she believed thetter would never pass notes to her during ss. The moment Janice said the ss was dismissed, Celine subconsciously looked at Rowen beside her. ¡°Are you leaving now?¡± Rowen casually packed a few books before nodding. ¡°Yeah,¡± he replied. Hoisting his backpack onto his shoulders, he promptly climbed out from the open window. Seeing that, Irving quickly cried out, ¡°Wait for me, Rowen!¡± Celine nced at Rowen, who had made his way out to the corridor in a sh. She blinked, for she was nning to get up to make room for him. At the side, Harper had also finished packing up. ¡°I''m ready, Cece. Let''s go!¡± Celine quickly withdrew her gaze and bobbed her head. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± She had also finished packing up. Zipping up her backpack, she got to her feet and hoisted it onto her shoulders before leaving the ssroom with Harper. There was still quite a bit of homework to do during the weekend. On the way home, Harper and Celine made ns to buy a gift for An tomorrow morning and visit the library to do their homework together in the afternoon. Naturally, Celine had no objections. She had hardly ever wandered around the town before, so Harper''s arrangements were much better than her going around aimlessly. ¡°Sure!¡± She nodded in agreement. Clutching the strap of her backpack, Harper regarded Celine with her head tilted a fraction. Feeling somewhat embarrassed under her scrutiny, Celine could not help but raise her hand to touch her cheek. ¡°Is there something on my face, Harper?¡± ¡°No, it''s just that I suddenly noticed that your eyshes are really long. Did you use some sort of eysh growth serum?¡± Celine pursed her lips in embarrassment. ¡°No.¡± Harper clicked her tongue. ¡°I knew it! You''re just naturally beautiful. I''m so envious!¡± Celine was rarely praised. She was aware of her good looks, but a pretty face did not always garner compliments. Moreover, those people would never want to tter her anyway. She flushed, growing somewhat flustered. ¡°You''re also very beautiful, Harper.¡± Celine was not lying. From the first moment sheid eyes on Harper, she found thetter incredibly beautiful. Harper was tall and fair, with distinct and exquisite features. Her face was a tad chubby, making her appear even more youthful and bubbly. Harperughed. ¡°I know! After all, good-looking people would naturally have good-looking friends!¡± It was six o''clock in the evening, but the sun had yet to set. Nheless, the sunlight had be much gentler. As the two of them walked along the road in the mansion area with umbres overhead, their shadows were elongated behind them. Celine turned and nced at Harper in front of her. She could not resist taking out her phone and snapping a picture of their shadows. Upon seeing that, Harper asked, ¡°What are you snapping?¡± Celine handed her phone to her, saying, ¡°Shadows. They''re our shadows!¡± Harper was somewhat surprised, looking up at Celine''s shy smile. A sense of warmth suffused her. Whoa! How could there be such a cute girl? ¡°Send it to me! Quick, send it over! I want to use it as my phone wallpaper!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Celine navigated to Harper''s WhatsApp and sent her the photo. Harper immediately set the photo as her phone''s screensaver. She looked at it several times, liking it all the more as she did so. Suddenly, she remembered the change in seating that day. Rowen had never been willing to sit with girls before, and she initially thought that Celine would be no exception. However, Rowen was willing to be deskmates with Celine. On top of that, he voluntarily amodated her changing seats. Hmm, perhaps Celine was right, and Rowen might not really have feelings for her. She''s likely the only girl among those who want to be deskmates with Rowen, who had nothing in mind but studying. Harper could not help but feel moved. Sure enough, a girl who''s devoted to her studies wholeheartedly is truly charming! ¡°I''ve made up my mind!¡± At her sudden remark, Celine was somewhat confused. ¡°What''s wrong, Harper?¡± Harper looked at her with a cheerful smile. ¡°I''ve decided to be just like you henceforth, focusing solely on my studies and no longer getting distracted by handsome guys!¡± Celine''s face med. ¡°Actually, studying also requires bnced rxation.¡± Even though she was diligent, she was not really the type topletely immerse herself in her studies. Harper harrumphed in response. ¡°We''re still young. The university entrance exam is what matters most. At our age, we shouldn''t be talking about love and the like!¡± After some thought, Celine replied seriously, ¡°Indeed, dating at a young age can affect our studies.¡± Seeing her looking all solemn, Harper inexorably burst intoughter. ¡°You''re truly beyond adorable, Cece!¡± Celine looked at Harper with her lips curved into a smile. ¡°You''re adorable too.¡± ¡°Gosh, can Rowen really keep himself from falling in love with you?¡± Chapter 677 Do Not Fall In Love Easily Chapter 677 Do Not Fall In Love Easily After a lengthy discussion, Celine and Harper finally decided to buy a high-quality fountain pen as a gift for An to express their gratitude for tutoring them in math. Katherine gave Celine a card for her living expenses when she first arrived at the Lewis residence and every month, Katherine would deposit five thousand into it as her pocket money. However, Celine had never once used it. She had some money on hand; before she passed away, Celine''s grandmother had left her a sum that was enough for her to attend university. Though it was not much, it was enough to cover four years of university tuition. Ever since her grandmother passed away, Celine worked part-time on weekends and during winter and summer vacations to earn her living expenses. However, her aunt took the money she earned from her part-time job under the pretext of saving it for her. Initially, Celine did not resist. She was shy, and the helplessness of living under her aunt''s roof left her too scared to say anything. Since she began getting her periods, there were times when she could not even afford sanitary pads. That was when Celine stopped giving her part-time job earnings to her aunt. She no longer mentioned where she was going whenever she went out on the weekends during her summer breaks and would only spend a third of the money she earned during the winter and summer holidays on herself while entrusting the rest to Chermond for safekeeping. From the second year of junior high to the present second year of high school, though Celine did not manage to save a lot of money, she had a sum of around twenty thousand to her name. Since she began living with the Lewis family, Katherine would thoughtfully prepare everything for her so she did not have to spend very much. Thus, even without using the card Katherine gave her, Celine had money to spend. Though Harper had plenty of money to spend, she was ustomed to buying expensive, high-quality things, which quickly drained her allowance. Her mother had given her a thousand for her current trip out, and she did not dare buy anything expensive. Wandering about, the pair finally ended up in a traditional pen shop. They bought a fountain pen that cost just over a thousand, splitting the cost evenly at five hundred each. That was the most expensive item Celine had ever bought in her life. Gazing at the exquisitely wrapped gift box, it hit her how impoverished her past self had been. ¡°What''s the matter, Cece? Do you think it''s a bit much?¡± Harper was aware of Celine''s situation; she knew that Katherine had adopted her friend. However, she privately thought that being adopted at that age was quite awkward. She could tell from her usual interactions with Celine that her friend was frugal, so she refrained from being extravagant around Celine, fearing that it might make her friend ufortable. This pen might not be expensive for me, but it is clearly a different story for Celine. Celine retracted her gaze and shook her head. ¡°No. I''m just marveling at the attractive packaging.¡± Harper studied her and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her friend did not look upset. ¡°You know, I didn''t even notice until you mentioned it. The packaging is indeed very exquisite. An will love it!¡± Celine''s spirits rose at Harper''s words. After all, An had been tutoring them in math for a month and a half, and their progress was clearly visible. Harper took the packed bag the shop assistant was handing over. ¡°You''d better keep it, Cece. Knowing how forgetful I am, I might leave it at home,¡± she said. ¡°Oh, all right.¡± Celine turned and held her knapsack to Harper. The pair then strolled around for over two hours before they realized with a start that it was already time for lunch. Harper took Celine for hot wings; it was her first time. Celine''s lips swelled from the spiciness, but the stimting vor soon became addictive. Despite the heat, she thought it was delicious. Harper began to feel drowsy after lunch. Yawningnguidly, she dered, ¡°I''m exhausted, Cece.¡± Celine recognized the awkward predicament she was in. ¡°Shall we go sit in a caf¨¦?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± As it was a Saturday, the establishment was bustling with patrons; there were no seats left when Celine and Harper walked in. Harper, being the bold one, grabbed Celine''s hand and dragged her to share a table with strangers. The girls ordered the cheapest coffee avable. As soon as Harper sat down, she fell asleep in Celine''s arms. Celine became flustered. She took out her Ustranasion textbook from her knapsack and began memorizing vocabry. Harper must have stayed upte the night before, as she fell asleep as soon as she said she was going to. She slept from one in the afternoon to well over two. Celine had to call her name several times before she finally woke up. It was already half past two by the time the pair arrived at the library. Celine had just finished her Ustranasion paper, and she had alsopleted all the questions on the literature paper, with only one more essay due. Harper arrived at the library, still yawning incessantly. She sat down with her mind wandering and only began to focus when it was past four o''clock. The pair remained in the library until six in the evening when Harper''s mother came to pick them up. It was already half past six when Celine returned to the vi. Lewinn hade back that day, which cheered her up. ¡°Hello, Lewinn.¡± ¡°Celine.¡± Lewinn nodded and handed her the lipstick he was holding. ¡°I got it from a lucky draw.¡± Celine paused for a moment, somewhat surprised. ¡°F-For me?¡± Lewinn could not helpughing when he heard her. ¡°Who else? Do you expect me to wear lipstick?¡± Celine felt her cheeks flush as she reached out to receive it. ¡°Thank you, Lewinn.¡± Lewinn chuckled. ¡°It''s nothing.¡± Rowen was justing down the stairs when his gaze fell on the lipstick in Celine''s hand. He raised an eyebrow, walked over, and sat down next to Lewinn. ¡°What a stroke of luck.¡± Lewinn nced at him. ¡°I didn''t expect to win, either.¡± Rowen hummed. ¡°Didn''t any girls ask you for lipstick, Lewinn?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Lewinn''s hand, holding the fork, froze imperceptibly. ¡°There were. That is why I brought it back for Celine.¡± That was the only lipstick. As they were all ssmates, he was not going to charge them for it, and it would not be fair to give it to anyone in particr, either. Thinking of Celine at home, Lewinn immediately announced he would take it home for his sister. As soon as he said that, the girls found their hopes dashed. Just then, Katherine emerged from the kitchen. ¡°Do you have a girlfriend, Lewy?¡± Lewinn gave Katherine an exasperated look. ¡°I''m only neen, Mom.¡± ¡°So what if you''re neen? Your father and I were together when we were just eighteen!¡± As Katherine spoke, she turned to smile at Celine. ¡°You''re a good girl, Celine. Just don''t fall in love casually.¡± Celine stiffened awkwardly for a moment. ¡°I won''t, Mrs. Lewis.¡± ¡°I know. You''re the best, Celine!¡± Rowen nced at Celine across from him. His captivating eyes stirred slightly. You won''t? Are you saying you won''t fall in love too early or fall in love easily? There''s a difference. Then, Katherine turned to Lewinn. ¡°By the way,¡± she asked, ¡°what''s your girlfriend''s name, Lewy?¡± Lewinn, who thought the topic had shifted, said, ¡°I really don''t have a girlfriend, Mom.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Katherine nced at Lewinn. ¡°You''re not as good as your father.¡± Lewinn was rendered speechless. Is that really something to be proud of? Chapter 678 What Liking Someone Means Chapter 678 What Liking Someone Means When the knock on the door sounded, Celine was looking at the lipstick that Lewinn had given her. She had never put on makeup in her life, and she didn''t even know what brand the lipstick in her hand was. Seeing as they could be used as prizes of a lucky draw, those were clearly not some cheap brands. Celine looked up the Ustranasion letters on the lipstick, only to realize that the tiny tube in her hand cost over four hundred. Suddenly, a knock at the door startled Celine, causing her to almost drop the lipstick she was holding. ¡°Celine?¡± Seeing that she hadn''t opened the door for a long time, Rowen, who was outside the door, called out. Celine quickly ced the lipstick in her hand on the desk and got up to open the door. ¡°Rowie?¡± ¡°Did you bring your Ustranasion textbook?¡± Celine paused for a moment, quickly regaining herposure. She turned around, pulled out an Ustranasion book from her backpack, and handed it to him. ¡°Rowie, have you memorized your words for today?¡± Rowen raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, I haven''t memorized it yet.¡± As he spoke, he ced the Ustranasion book on the table. Turning around, he went into his room to fetch a chair. ¡°I''m going to study for a bit,¡± he said. Celine knowingly shifted the chair to one side, making some room for Rowen. Rowen stared at the Ustranasion words in the book for about ten minutes before pushing the book toward her. ¡°That''s enough.¡± Celine wasn''t surprised this time, as she had already witnessed Rowen''s impressive memory before. She jumbled up twenty words for a blind test, and Rowen only got one word wrong. Celine pursed her lips slightly. ¡°Do you still remember what I recited before, Rowie?¡± Rowen nced at her. ¡°You take a random check.¡± After the inspection, Celine realized that Rowen had not only a quick memory but also good retention. He only got one wrong of all the words he had previously memorized. Celine looked at him in surprise, her eyes sparkling brightly. ¡°You''re amazing, Rowie.¡± Rowen turned his head, meeting those apricot eyes. His earlobes reddened slightly. His gaze shifted and fell on the lipstick beside Celine. He reached out, picked it up and toyed with it. ¡°Do you like lipstick?¡± Celine felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°This is what Lewinn just gave me.¡± ¡°That means he''s fallen for you,¡± Rowen said. He drew a conclusion and put the lipstick back. ¡°Have you finished your math paper?¡± Celine nodded, then shook her head, looking a bit embarrassed. ¡°It''s done.¡± Rowen looked at her, clicking his tongue lightly. ¡°If you''re done, just nod. Why did you shake your head?¡± Celine blushed. ¡°I only finished the ones I knew how to do. There were a few questions I didn''t understand.¡± Rowen let out a rare smile. ¡°Which questions don''t you understand?¡± Celine quickly took out the paper and ced it in front of him, saying, ¡°Thest two multiple-choice questions.¡± Rowen had finished the test paper a while ago. While he was doing it, he had guessed that Celine would not know how to solve these two problems. The difficulty of the multiple-choice questions progressively increased, with this paper being moderate to high overall difficulty. Starting from the seventh question, the difficulty level noticeably rose. It was quite normal that Celine didn''t know how to answer thest two questions. Rowen took the papers. This time, he didn''t start exining right away. After teaching Celine several times, he realized that Celine''s thought process was different from his own. Her grades in other subjects were quite good, and she didn''t seem to be a foolish person. But when it came to math, it was as if she was missing a beat. In his view, even though many questions may differ in format, they all utilize the same knowledge points. All it took was a change in perspective. However, Celine didn''t know how to apply it. Her ability to extrapte from one example to others was too poor. If the type of problem changed, she would be at a loss again. So, Rowen decided to try a different approach. He chose to guide Celine in solving the problem by asking questions directly. However, Celine knew she was indeed not gifted in mathematics. It took her nearly twenty minutes to figure out a single problem. Rowen put down the pen in his hand and stood up to leave. Celine was taken aback, thinking she was too stupid, which annoyed Rowen. But soon, Rowen returned, holding two cups of water, and handed one to her. ¡°Your method is too complicated, but you did figure it out. Let me write down another simpler solution for you, so you can compare and see where the differences lie.¡± Celine took the cup. Touched, she said, ¡°Thank you, Rowie.¡± Rowen huffed, ¡°You''re not bad in other subjects, so why are you struggling so much with math?¡± ¡°I don''t know...¡± She pursed her lips, took the workbook, and looked at Rowen''s solutions. It took nearly an hour for Celine toplete two multiple-choice questions under the guidance of Rowen. However, this time it was Rowen who guided her step by step, giving her ample space to think. Celine knew that once she finished the problem, she wouldn''t have to spend time understanding it bit by bit. It was past nine when Lewinn brought in some watermelon. He was somewhat surprised to see Rowen in Celine''s room. ¡°Did I interrupt your homework?¡± he asked. Rowen leaned back and nced at Lewinn. ¡°I''m exining a math problem to her.¡± Lewinn nced at Rowen, somewhat incredulous. He had actually taught Celine. However, since Rowen was doing something nice, Lewinn said nothing. Celine lowered her head, feeling a bit embarrassed. Seeing the situation, Lewinn said, ¡°Today is Saturday, there''s no need to be so tense. Have some fruit, take a break, even ying some games is fine.¡± ¡°All right, Lewinn.¡± Seeing the way Celine was, Lewinn finally understood why Katherine was so eager to bring her back. She''s really so well-behaved. After Lewinn said so, it made Celine feel a bit awkward to have Rowen continue sitting with her. ¡°Rowie, there''s one more problem. Shall we do it tomorrow?¡± ¡°Up to you.¡± Rowen munched on grapes, humming in agreement. Taking advantage of the leisure time while eating fruit, Lewinn asked Celine about school matters. ¡°Are you getting used to the new school and ss?¡± Celine nodded in agreement, while Rowen chimed in from the side, ¡°Lewinn, you''re underestimating her. She ranked second in the ss in this midterm exam.¡± Celine knew that her grades had already been shown to Katherine and the others. Since Lewinn was at school, and Celine was not the type to boast, she naturally didn''t make a point of telling Lewinn. Upon hearing Rowen''s words, Lewinn chuckled, ¡°It looks like I''ve underestimated Celine.¡± ¡°That''s really nothing, Lewinn.¡± Lewinn chuckled. When he was about to say something, his phone started ringing. ¡°I''m going to answer a call.¡± ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Lewinn went outside to pick up the call. In the room, only Celine and Rowen remained. She was holding a piece of watermelon, eating it bite by bite. Rowen watched her eat watermelon. She nibbled on it like a rabbit, taking such tiny bites. Huh, do all girls eat like this? He swallowed the grape in his mouth. ¡°I have something to do tomorrow afternoon, what time do you get up in the morning?¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Celine blinked, swallowing the watermelon in her mouth. ¡°Seven o''clock.¡± ¡°Alright, let''s discuss thest problem after breakfast.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Celine hummed a response, watching him as he popped grapes into his mouth one by one, seemingly enjoying them immensely. She had just finished eating watermelon and reached out to grab a grape. As soon as it entered her mouth, the sourness made Celine''s teeth go numb. ¡°It''s so sour, Rowie.¡± Rowen raised an eyebrow. ¡°It''s not sour at all. It''s very sweet.¡± As he spoke, he picked one and held it to her lips. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± Subconsciously, Celine opened her mouth to take the grape, her lips brushing against the boy''s fingers. Both of them shivered slightly at the contact. Chapter 679 Rewarding You Chapter 679 Rewarding You The act of feeding indeed seemed overly intimate between the two of them. Rowen didn''t think much of it when he picked up the grape, nor did Celine when she opened her mouth to receive it. When the two of them came to their senses, Celine''s face instantly turned red. The first time Rowen touched a girl''s lips, he only felt they were soft and warm. It was as if his fingertips were slightly scalded, and a strange feeling arose from the bottom of his heart. He nced at Celine, his gazending on her flushed cheeks, and couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow. Does she blush so easily? ¡°Is it sweet?¡± he asked. The grape was still in Celine''s mouth, untouched by her teeth. Naturally, she had no idea whether the grape was sweet or not. Upon hearing Rowen''s question, she snapped back to reality, biting into the grape in her mouth. The grape was sweet. Celine nced at Rowen and replied softly, ¡°Sweet.¡± ¡°All right. I have something to attend to. I''m going back to my room. You go ahead and eat.¡± Seeing that her voice had softened, Rowen also felt a bit embarrassed. He got up, picked up his chair, and returned to his own room. Closing the door behind him, he nced down at the pad of his index finger, unable to resist giving it a little rub. Those captivating eyes dimmed slightly. Her lips are truly soft. Are they even softer when kissed? Realizing what he was thinking, Rowen scolded himself, collected his thoughts, and logged into a game on his phone. Linnie isn''t online? Well, Celine is clearly a student who loves to study. How could she possibly y games before finishing her homework? Upon seeing hime online, Irving quickly sent a team invitation. Rowen directly refused, finding it pointless, and quit the game again. Irving stared as the profile picture, which was lit up just a second ago, suddenly dimmed. He was completely stunned. The next day, when Rowen woke up and saw his own bedsheet, he waspletely shocked. He quickly ran out, grabbed a bottle of juice, and poured it onto the bedsheet. He then took off the bedsheet, rolled it up, and set it aside. Thinking about the words he exchanged with Celine the night before, Rowen blushed as he stared at his bedsheet. Celine''s rm clock, set for seven o''clock, went off. Upon waking, she noticed that the washing machine in the third-floorundry room was in operation. She found it odd because the housekeeper always took care of the dirtyundry at home, and she would wash it regrly at three in the afternoon. The housekeeper wouldn''te up to do theundry early in the morning. After Celine finished freshening up, she stepped out, only to see Rowen emerging from the room across. ¡°Hey, Rowie.¡± Rowen nodded. ¡°Find me after breakfast.¡± ¡°All right,¡± she responded, but she was still curious about the washing machine in theundry room. Rowen watched as she passed the staircase and continued walking. His face stiffened momentarily when he asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Celine turned around, blinked at him, and said, ¡°It seems like there''s a problem with the washing machine in theundry room.¡± ¡°No issues there. I''m just washing some stuff.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Feeling a bit embarrassed under the gaze, Celine said, ¡°I''m going downstairs for breakfast. Have you had yours, Rowie?¡± Rowen didn''t have breakfast. He woke up early in the morning to change and wash the bedsheet, so he didn''t have time to go downstairs for breakfast. ¡°Not yet.¡± As he spoke, he paused for a moment, as if something had urred to him. ¡°Could you bring me a cup of milk and two pieces of toastter?¡± He knew he had to send her away quickly. If she became curious about what he was washing, he wouldn''t know how to exin himself. ¡°Oh! In that case, I''m going to have breakfast!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Rowen responded. Instead of returning to his room, he watched Celine descend to the second floor. Once she had left, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, he chose the quick wash mode, so the sheets were cleaned in just twenty minutes. Rowen moved the sheets from the washing machine into the dryer. After Celine finished breakfast and came upstairs, he had just returned the sheets to the room and stuffed them into the wardrobe. ¡°Rowie?¡± The door was tightly shut, and Celine was unsure whether Rowen was still sleeping. Soon, the door swung open, and Rowen asked, ¡°Are you already done with breakfast?¡± Celine passed the te over, saying, ¡°Yes.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. She ate a bit faster than usual, but she still had her fill. Rowen took the tray. ¡°Thanks. Bring the papers over.¡± ¡°No rush, Rowie. Have your breakfast first, then call me when you''re done.¡± Rowen nced at her. ¡°I can eat very quickly.¡± ¡°All right, then.¡± Knowing there was no other choice, Celine went back to her room to fetch the papers and notebooks. Rowen was indeed a fast eater. She had only gone back to her room to fetch some papers, and he had already drunk half of his milk and eaten one piece of toast. Celine was worried that he might not have enough to eat, so she specifically got three pieces of toast for him. Yet, it seemed like three might not be enough for him. Seeing her standing foolishly at the door, Rowen raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°What''s the matter? What''s stopping you from entering my room?¡± Celine realized she was in an awkward situation and quickly dragged her chair to go inside. ¡°Take another look at the question. This is an advanced version of the multi-part question fromst week''s exercise book. The problem-solving approach is very simr. It''s just a bit more tedious,¡± he said. ¡°Oh. Let me think about it.¡± Upon Rowen''s reminder, Celine looked at the question again and realized that it did indeed bear some resemnce to the one they had tackled the week before. The question type was very simr, but there were fewer given conditions. Celine couldn''t help but nce at Rowen again. He could easily solve it if it were him, even with one less known condition. However, it was different for her. When the questions became more convoluted, she would get stumped. Noticing her gaze, Rowen curved his lips slightly, stood up, and washed his hands in the bathroom. When he came out, Celine was sitting at his desk, frowning. She held a pen in her hand, absentmindedly waving it around. She was looking down at the test paper, but it was unclear whether she was thinking about how to proceed or simply lost in thought. He walked over to sit down. ¡°Do you have any ideas yet?¡± Celine was filled with awkwardness. ¡°There''s a condition missing.¡± ¡°Not bad. I know there''s a condition missing.¡± As he spoke, he nced at the given conditions she had written in her workbook, nodding in satisfaction. ¡°When you can''t think of a solution right away, can''t you try thinking in reverse?¡± Celine was taken aback for a moment, somewhat unable to react in time. ¡°What? How does one think in reverse?¡± ¡°Just consider the conditions you''ve requested as given. Can''t you then reverse-engineer what other conditions need to be met?¡± Celine suddenly realized something. ¡°You''re so impressive, Rowie.¡± Rowen clicked his tongue lightly. ¡°It''s because you''re too poor at math.¡± With Rowen''s guidance, Celine managed to solve the problem, albeit with some difficulty. She was somewhat incredulous, never imagining she could actually solve such a difficult multi-part question. ¡°Rowie, I''ve done it. Is this correct?¡± she asked. ¡°Good job. As a reward, you get two bonus multi-part questions.¡± Rowen spoke as he casually pulled out Three-Year Past University Entrance Exams from the top of the bookshelf. He circled two multi-part questions and said, ¡°Try these. It will help improve your knowledge.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Celine looked at him. I''m not even sure if I can finish it before lunch! Argh! Chapter 680 Believe Or Not Chapter 680 Believe Or Not Celine spent over an hour solving two problems. Just as she stepped out of Rowen''s room, Katherine came up to call them for lunch. In the afternoon, Rowen indeed had ns with Jayden and Irving. Meanwhile, Celine memorized Ustranasion vocabry. With nothing else to do, she chatted with Harper on WhatsApp. As the conversation continued, she gradually fell asleep with her phone in her hand. When she woke up, it was already past five in the evening. She washed her face and took her literature textbook to the balcony to recite the ssical poems she had to memorize. The breeze on the balcony was incredibly soothing. There was a lounge chair on which Celine was lying. She swayed gently on the chair while reciting a book. It was quite a delightful scene. Inside Jadeborough Gymnasium''s basketball court, Rowen''s final three-pointer determined the game''s oue. Consequently, Irving''s anxiety was dispelled because their opponents were quite formidable. Two of them were specifically preventing Rowen from making the shot, while another two were on Jayden. Every time Rowen and Jayden got the ball, shooting was extremely difficult. Irving''s skills in the game were far inferior to his friends, not to mention those two had practiced together before. Thest two members were just randomly picked to make up the numbers. The team Irving and his group were against for that match was different. Two were from the city''s worst teams, and all five were part of the school team. They had been training together for over a year, and their coordination was much better than Irving''s hastily assembled group of five. It could be said that the basketball game was won by the skin of their teeth, thanks solely to the cooperation between Jayden and Rowen. Before Rowen''s three-point shot went into the basket, they were two points behind. Irving, watching the countdown on the big screen, had already resigned himself to a loss. Unexpectedly, at the crucial moment, Rowen scored, and it was a three-pointer. Irving sprang up immediately, rushing to Rowen''s side. He reached out, intending to embrace Rowen, but was promptly kicked away by thetter. ¡°Scram,¡± Rowen said. Rowen was drenched in sweat, feeling incredibly hot. After leaving the court, he twisted open a bottle of sports drink and began to gulp it down heartily. Jayden walked over and asked, ¡°Shall we have dinnerter?¡± Upon hearing his words, Rowen tilted his head slightly. ¡°You go with Irving.¡± Irving, who was standing by, chimed in, ¡°Rowen needs to go back and tutor his wifey!¡± ¡°Wifey?¡± Jayden realized something and looked at Rowen with a smirk. ¡°Celine?¡± Rowen''s pinky trembled slightly as he held the bottle, but he quickly regained hisposure. He scoffed. ¡°Do you seriously believe Irving''s nonsense? My godmother and godfather are going on a business trip tomorrow, so I need to go back tonight to have dinner with them.¡± Irving seemed a bit disheartened and aggrieved. ¡°I''m not talking nonsense. Rowen, you''ve been taking such good care of Celine. If that''s not because you like her, then what is it?¡± ¡°I''ve been taking good care of you, too. Could it be that I''ve liked you for a long time?¡± Rowen rolled his eyes. Jaydenughed. ¡°You never used to exin yourself.¡± Rowen nced at Jayden. ¡°Believe it or not, it''s up to you.¡± He spoke as he picked up his shoulder bag from the side. ¡°I''m heading back now. You guys sort out your dinner.¡± Jayden waved his hand, staring at Rowen''s departing figure, lost in thought. Meanwhile, Irving could not help but vent to Jayden. ¡°I swear I''m not talking nonsense, Jayden! He''s hated girls since he was a kid. He hasn''t shared a desk with a girl since junior high school. If Celine is only his deskmate, I wouldn''t have batted an eye. When we were changing seats on Friday, Celine chose to sit with Harper. Yet,ter on, the teacher came over and told them that she hopes they could learn from each other and make progress together. And just like that, he agreed to continue sharing a desk with Celine!¡± Irving spoke until he was thirsty before taking a sip of water. ¡°That''s not all! Rowen isn''t usually one to teach others, but now he''s answering Celine''s questions every day. When I asked him to do the same for me, he just told me to look it up in the book myself. After listening to what I''ve said, don''t you agree he''s such a hypocrite? If he doesn''t like her, does it mean he sees her as a little sister?¡± Jayden lightly clicked his tongue. ¡°Perhaps that really is the case. In any case, it doesn''t matter how he sees her because they aren''t rted by blood.¡± Concurrently, Rowen had no idea about the numerous things Irving had been discussing in front of Jayden. He left home a little after noon to y a game of basketball. When he returned to the Lewis residence, it was just a little past five. Katherine and Joshua were flying abroad tomorrow and wouldn''t be back for half a month. For their dinner, Katherine asked Joshua to cook personally, hoping to make up for their uing absence. He indeed didn''t lie. ¡°You''re back so early, Rowie?¡± asked Katherine. Rowen nodded. ¡°Aunt Katherine, where Celine?¡± ¡°Studying upstairs.¡± Rowen responded, ¡°I''m going to take a shower, Aunt Katherine.¡± Katherine didn''t pay him any mind. ¡°Go ahead. Dinner will be ready in just over half an hour!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Rowen ascended the stairs. Before returning to his room, he subconsciously nced at the room across the hall. The door was slightly ajar. He only took one look inside before shifting his gaze away and heading back into his own room. Byte May, Jadeborough had fully embraced summer. Rowen had just finished a game of basketball. His body was drenched in sweat. Although the wind had dried him on his way home, his clothes were still reeking of sweat. He quickly took a shower and emerged from the bathroom feeling much refreshed. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Rowen knocked on Celine''s door, but there was no response. He raised an eyebrow, then strode toward the balcony. The wind was strong on the balcony, and he had just washed his hair. As such, his hair would dry quickly after he stood there for a while. Before he even reached the door, Rowen could already hear the sound of someone reciting poetry. He stopped in front of the door, peeked outside, and saw Celine lying on the rocking chair with her eyes closed. She held a book on her chest as she recited poems from Introduction to Poetry. The wind brushed past her face, lifting strands of her hair. Her fair face was serene and sweet. ¡°Rowen, do you have feelings for Celine?¡± Irving''s question suddenly appeared in Rowen''s mind, causing his heart to beat a little faster. Rowen quickly shifted his gaze away and walked out, remarking, ¡°You sure know how to enjoy yourself.¡± His abrupt voice startled Celine, who scrambled to stand from the rocking chair. The book in her hand fell straight to the ground, and the rocking chair''s movements increased with her hurried rise. With a raised eyebrow, Rowen propped his leg up on the rocking chair. The rocking chair came to a halt. Celine looked at Rowen awkwardly. ¡°You''re back, Rowie.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± ¡°Did you win the match?¡± Upon hearing her words, Rowen turned his head toward her and asked, ¡°How did you know I went to y in a basketball game?¡± ¡°Mrs. Lewis told me.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Rowen felt a touch of disappointment, but the feeling was fleeting. ¡°Haven''t you already memorized the poems from Introduction to Poetry?¡± ¡°Practice makes perfect.¡± ¡°Hmm. You''re quite hardworking.¡± Celine bent down to pick up the literature textbook. ¡°My memory isn''t as good as yours.¡± The young girl bent over, the round cor of her dress tilting slightly forward, revealing a view that caught him off guard. Rowen quickly averted his gaze, pursing his lips. His eyes were filled with fluctuating emotions. Chapter 681 Falling In Love Chapter 681 Falling In Love Rowen felt a tightness in his throat. He looked at the distant sky and said, ¡°Aunt Katherine says it''s about time for dinner.¡± Having said that, he turned around and walked back into the mansion. Celine sat in the lounge chair, lost in thought for a moment. Then, she picked up her literature textbook, put it back in her room, and went downstairs for dinner. Katherine was going to travel abroad with Joshua the next day, and they wouldn''t be back for about half a month. After dinner, Katherine specifically asked Celine what gift she would like. Celine knew that the furthest ce she had ever been to was probably this city district of Jadeborough. As for elsewhere, she had only heard about them through books or news on her mobile phone. Katherine asked Celine what gift she wanted, but thetter really had no idea what gift she desired. ¡°I love everything that Mrs. Lewis buys!¡± ¡°All right, then. I''ll make the decision for you!¡± Katherine asked, ncing at Rowen. ¡°How about you, Rowie?¡± Upon hearing Katherine''s words, Rowen subconsciously wanted to say lipstick. However, he reacted quickly, realizing his mistake before the words left his mouth. ¡°You choose for me. I''m not picky.¡± Katherine clicked her tongue. ¡°Your words don''t have a shred of credibility.¡± Rowen shrugged his shoulders, looking at Lewinn. ¡°Then I want whatever Lewinn is getting.¡± Katherine turned her gaze to Lewinn, who looked somewhat helpless. ¡°Sneakers,¡± he said. ¡°They haven''t been released domestically yet. I''ll send you a picture.¡± Katherine broke into a satisfied smile. ¡°All right. After all, you guys only need those few things.¡± Knowing that Rowen and Celine had school the next day, Katherine chatted with them for a while before letting them return to their rooms. Celine double-checked her backpack, making sure she had all her homework and textbooks. Only then did she grab her pajamas and head to take a bath. The pajamas were bought by Katherine. They were white, with a doll cor, sweet and cute. Celine had never worn such beautiful pajamas before. At first, she felt a bit embarrassed when she started wearing it. After some time, she gradually got used to it. After taking a bath, she noticed her phone shing on the table. She thought it was a message from Harper, but when she picked up her phone, she realized it was a message from Rowen. Rowen said he hadn''t memorized his words for that day, asking her to bring the Ustranasion textbook over. Celine had no choice but to pull out her Ustranasion textbook from her backpack. She walked out and knocked on Rowen''s door. ¡°Rowie?¡± ¡°The door''s not closed. Come on in.¡± Rowen was in the midst of coding when Celine turned the doorknob, pushing the door open. At first nce, she saw theptop on his desk, its screen filled with lines of dense code. She couldn''t understand, but she guessed that Rowen was busy with important matters. Rowen looked up at her, his gaze falling on her. His eyes flickered for a moment. ¡°Ready to sleep?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± She usually wouldn''t go to bed that early. ¡°Oh. Hold on. Let me finish writing this program.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Celine nodded, opened her Ustranasion textbook, and began to read. After finishing his programming, Rowen closed hisptop. Turning his head, he saw Celine sitting nearby, engrossed in the Ustranasion textbook. The pajamas she wore were clearly the handiwork of Katherine, with its doll cor and frilled sleeves. The edges of the sleepwear were adorned withce. If he remembered correctly, that was what girls called princess-style pajamas. He wasn''t sure if it was due to the lighting or the pajamas, but Rowen found that Celine''splexion was much paler than when he first met her. The wrists peeking out from under the white sleeves were even whiter than the clothes themselves. The previously heavy bangs that used to cover the eyes seem to have been trimmed. They were no longer a thickyer of hair, but rather individual strands of bangs, giving a much cleaner and refreshing look. He remembered the first time he saw Celine. She was wearing faded jeans and a white cartoon top, both of which were loose and baggy. After one nce, he didn''t want to look at her a second time. The phone on the table lit up. Irving asked him to log in for a gaming session. Rowen finally snapped back to reality. ¡°How much have you memorized?¡± Celine was taken aback for a moment. She looked up at him, somewhat bewildered. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Rowen looked at her dazed expression and couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow. ¡°Aren''t you supposed to be memorizing words?¡± Celine then regained her senses. ¡°I''ve reviewed one unit.¡± Rowen clicked his tongue. ¡°Give me the book.¡± Celine quickly handed him the Ustranasion textbook. Rowen reached out to take it, looking down at the Ustranasion textbook. Rowen''s method of studying was different from Celine''s. Celine needed to recite aloud to remember, while Rowen could memorize in silence. He was looking at the book, silent, with the room being incredibly quiet. Celine twisted her fingers nervously as she stared at Rowen in a daze. A guy like Rowen would shine no matter where he is, wouldn''t he? Celine never, in her wildest dreams, thought that one day she would cross paths with a boy like this. It seemed that Rowen didn''t harbor any doubts or reservations about her being the adopted daughter brought home by Katherine. She thought that someone as high and mighty as him would look down on people like her, just like Sasha and the others did. Unlike them, he didn''t. Even though he was aloof, he would still take her to the riverside for some peace when she was feeling down. He would also take the initiative to exin to her whenever she couldn''t understand the teacher''s problem-solving steps. What kind of girl would be worthy of such a great guy? Celine was lost in a jumble of thoughts when her vision suddenly blurred. Snapping back to reality, she raised her eyebrows and noticed Rowen leaning over, looking at her. ¡°What are you daydreaming about?¡± he asked. Rowen asked that because he saw her smiling to herself. Rowen wouldn''t go so far as to think that Celine knew he liked her. But when she sat there alone and smiled while looking at him, he couldn''t help but think of the things some shippers in his ss would imagine. At that thought, Rowen felt a chill run through his entire body. He rolled up his book and tapped it on Celine''s head. ¡°Don''t imagine me in all sorts of inappropriate scenarios!¡± Celine didn''t quite understand what Rowen was saying. Blinking her eyes, she looked at him with an innocent expression. ¡°I didn''t imagine anything...¡± Rowen raised an eyebrow and snorted coldly. ¡°Why were you smiling just now if you weren''t imagining something?¡± Celine felt a bit embarrassed, her face flushing red. ¡°I was just wondering what kind of girl would be your future girlfriend. Harper said you¡ª¡± ¡°Don''t listen to Harper''s nonsense!¡± Rowen felt irritated when she mentioned his future girlfriend. He handed her the Ustranasion textbook he was holding and said, ¡°I''ve memorized it.¡± Seeing that he seemed a bit unhappy, Celine didn''t dare to continue speaking. ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± This time around, Rowen remembered everything perfectly. Not a single word was wrong. Right after he memorized the words, Rowen''s phone on the desk lit up again. He frowned, finding Irving to be quite a nuisance. Seeing the situation, Celine tactfully suggested that she would return to her room. Rowen responded to Irving''s message, answering casually. After sending the message, he suddenly thought of something. ¡°Wait! A moment.¡± Celine, who had just reached the door, asked, ¡°What''s the matter?¡± ¡°Why are you concerned about my future girlfriend all of a sudden? Are you thinking about dating?¡± Celine felt her face flush at his question. ¡°No. It''s not like that. I just... I just think that since you''re so great, Rowie, your future girlfriend will surely be just as wonderful.¡± Upon hearing her praise, Rowen felt a sense of relief in his heart. ¡°I''m not even of age yet, and you''re only sixteen. At our age, thinking about boyfriends and girlfriends isn''t important. What''s most important is to focus on our studies.¡± Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. If Irving were to hear those words, he would probably burst outughing. Celine agreed wholeheartedly, nodding repeatedly. ¡°You''re right, Rowie. We''re about to face our university entrance exam, so we should prioritize our studies. I''m going back to my room now.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Celine, clutching her book, spun around and dashed back to her room. Chapter 682 You Are Such A Busybody Chapter 682 You Are Such A Busybody On Sunday, Harper stayed up past midnight engrossed in her novel. If it wasn''t for her mother dragging her out of bed on Monday morning, she would have beente again. Celine has been waiting at her house for five minutes already. Irene dragged Harper downstairs. ¡°Hurry up, Celine has been waiting for you for quite a while!¡± Yawning, Harper descended the stairs. She nced at Celine, then turned her head to look at the wall clock. Seeing the time, Harper finally woke up. ¡°Oh my, is it already six forty?¡± Irene shot her an annoyed nce. ¡°I told you to sleep early, but you insisted on ying with your phone! Hurry up and eat your breakfast. I''ll give you both a rideter!¡± Irene turned her head toward Celine. ¡°Celine, would you like to have some more breakfast?¡± Celine quickly waved her hand. ¡°Mrs. Granger, I already had breakfast.¡± Knowing that Celine was shy, Irene just smiled and didn''t continue the topic. While eating her breakfast, Harper was making faces at Celine, who couldn''t help but lower her head andugh. Irene went back to her room to change her clothes. Holding a ss of milk, Harper walked up to Celine and asked, ¡°Celine, do you read novels? I found a really good onest night!¡± Celine was a bit curious. ¡°I haven''t read many novels. What''s it called?¡± ¡°I can''t remember the name, but it''s super nice. I''ll send it to you in a bit!¡± As the two were speaking, Irene came down from upstairs. ¡°Hurry up and eat, you. It''s one thing for you to bete, but don''t make Cele too!¡± Harper pouted and finished herst sip of milk. ¡°I''m done.¡± Irene nced at the tater tots on the table. ¡°Harper, finish the tater tots!¡± Harper pretended not to hear, but her mother simply grabbed a ziplock bag and packed the tater tots into it. Once they were in the car, she turned around and tossed the bag onto Harper''sp, saying. ¡°Finish these!¡± Harper made a face at the back of her mother''s chair. ¡°Cece, this can''t be my real mom! I can''t eat anymore, but she still insists I eat!¡± ¡°Indeed, I am your stepmother, and you''d better listen to me. Otherwise, I''ll make sure you can''t return home!¡± Celine watched as Harper yfully bickered with her mother and felt a sense of envy. She lost her parents in an ident not long after she was born. She couldn''t even remember her mother''s face, let alone cherish such warm and tender moments. Celine was quietly looking out the car window, not saying much along the way. The car quickly pulled up in front of the school. Harper called her name. Snapping back to reality, Celine gave an embarrassed smile. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Granger.¡± ¡°You''re wee, Celine.¡± Irene turned around to look at them, reminding Harper to stay focused during ss and to be careful on her way home in the evening. Celine got out of the car, while Harper waved her hand impatiently. ¡°Cece, let''s go. I can''t stand the nagging anymore!¡± After getting out of the car, Harper grabbed Celine''s hand and started running toward the school. Watching Harper''s retreating figure, Irene could only shake her head helplessly. Harper pulled Celine into the school before finally stopping. ¡°That was terrifying!¡± She turned to look at Celine. ¡°Cece, what were you thinking just now? I called you several times, but you didn''t hear me!¡± Celine was taken aback. ¡°No, I wasn''t thinking about anything.¡± Harper looked at her and recalled Celine''s dejected expression in the car earlier. She pursed her lips and changed the subject. ¡°My mom found me a tutor. He''s a math student from Jadeborough University, and he''s really handsome!¡± Harper had a fondness for handsome guys, and her standards were high. If she imed someone was handsome, they must truly be good-looking. However, Celine''s focus on handsome guys wasn''t as high as Harper''s. She was only concerned about one thing. ¡°Is he a good teacher?¡± ¡°Of course! He''s handsome and good at teaching. I feel more motivated to learn math than ever before!¡± As the two were engrossed in their conversation, they didn''t notice a familiar figure had appeared behind them. An''s face slightly darkened as he caught snippets of their conversation. He was afraid that Harper and Celine would notice him, so he instinctively slowed down his pace. Back in the ssroom, Celine took out the fountain pen she bought on Saturday from her backpack and handed it to Harper. ¡°Harper.¡± As Harper caught sight of the gift-wrapped fountain pen, the memory came rushing back to her. ¡°You''re absolutely right, I almost forgot until you brought it up! I''ll go look for An!¡± As she spoke, she reached out and grabbed the gift box before running out. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. Harper ran to the door of ss One and bumped into An who happened to being back. Holding the gift, she approached him. ¡°An!¡± ¡°Harper?¡± An was taken aback. He looked at the gift box in Harper''s hand hesitantly. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± Haven''t you already found a handsome guy to teach you math? Why are you here? Harper had always been carefree and nonchnt, so she naturally didn''t notice An''s emotions. She handed him the pen she was holding. ¡°This is a gift that Cece and I pooled our money to buy. Thank you for tutoring us in math for over a month. Thanks for your help earlier, An! I''m off now! I''ll seek you out if I have any questions in the future!¡± Harper spoke rapidly, catching An off guard, and before he could react, she had finished speaking. By the time An regained hisposure, Harper had already turned and walked away. An opened his mouth, but in the end, he still didn''t stop Harper. A ssmate spotted the gift box in An''s hand and took a nce at Harper''s retreating figure. He then patted An on the shoulder with a teasing smile. ¡°An, you''re impressive! The beautiful Harper gave you a gift!¡± Upon hearing these words, An immediately blushed. ¡°Nonsense. This is a thank-you gift from Harper and Celine!¡± Everyone in ss One knew that An had been tutoring Harper and Celine in math recently. When he said that, his ssmate stopped teasing him, ¡°Oh, I see.¡± However, when the ssmate contemted An tutoring both Harper and Celine, he couldn''t help but feel that An was rather fortunate. After all, both of them were strikingly beautiful. He clicked his tongue, muttering, ¡°You''re pretty lucky to be able to tutor two beautifuldies!¡± His voice was loud, and An heard everything clearly. As thetter lowered his gaze to the gift in his hands, his face turned even redder. Harper hurried back to ss. Before she even sat down, she told Celine, ¡°Celine, I''ve already given the gift to An!¡± Celine nodded. Behind them, Irving got curious and asked, ¡°What kind of gift? Why is Celine giving An a gift?¡± Rowen was walking behind Irving. His eyes crinkled up as he turned to look at Celine. Harper nced at Irving. ¡°You''re such a busybody! That''s something Cece and I bought to give to An.¡± Irving chuckled. ¡°Oh, why are you giving An a gift all of a sudden? Is it his birthday or something?¡± Harper red at him. ¡°We had him tutor us in math a while ago, so what''s wrong with giving him a gift?¡± ¡°Does that mean that when Rowen instructs Celine, she''ll have to present him with a gift once she masters everything?¡± Chapter 683 Tell People You Are My Girlfriend Chapter 683 Tell People You Are My Girlfriend Irving was not wrong, but Celine, being easily embarrassed, blushed as soon as she heard him. Harper rolled her eyes. ¡°We''re not giving it to you. What are you so excited about?¡± Rowen noticed the blush creeping up Celine''s ears. Raising an eyebrow, he pulled Irving aside. ¡°Have you finished memorizing your vocab?¡± Though Irving dared to tell Harper off, he did not dare to utter a word when Rowen did the same. Moreover, Rowen''s question found its mark. Reminded of his unfinished task, Irving lost his appetite for gossip. I have to memorize it all by today, so I''d better hurry up and get it down, or I''ll have to write it out fifty times if I get picked! Celine stood up to offer Rowen her seat. Her cheeks were still flushed at the recollection of Irving''s words. Irving was right. As Rowen was specifically tutoring her in math, he had be her teacher in a manner of speaking. Though she also helped him memorize Ustranasion words, Celine could tell that Rowen could do it himself just by scanning through the material. Pursing her lips, she began pondering what to buy Rowen as a gift. Celine was so deep in thought that she did not even notice Rowen calling her name twice. Having finally grown impatient, Rowen tapped the back of her hand that was holding the book with his pen, and Celine gave a start. ¡°Rowie?¡± ¡°What are you thinking about? I''ve called you twice already.¡± Celine looked puzzled. ¡°What''s wrong, Rowie?¡± ¡°Hannah asked me what you would like for dinner tonight.¡± Hannah was the maid employed in the Lewis residence. As Rowen often stayed over, Hannah had his contact information. Celine blinked. ¡°I''m fine with anything.¡± Rowen held his phone. ¡°Should I tell Hannah that, then?¡± Celine blushed, realizing that it was not very polite. ¡°I would like fish for dinner.¡± Rowen shot her a nce. ¡°What fish?¡± ¡°Any kind will do.¡± It was only after she spoke that Celine realized that she might have given another less-than- satisfactory answer. This time, however, Rowen did not press her. ¡°Is there anything else you''d like besides fish?¡± he asked. Celine shook her head, and Rowen did not ask again. He lowered his head to type a reply to Hannah. N?velDrama.Org content rights. The mid-term exams havee and gone. After reviewing the papers for each subject, it was time to dive back into the intense and fast-paced curriculum. Several new topics were covered in different subjects that day, and the students were assigned plenty of homework. Celine had always been good at managing her time. Before the end of the school day, she took advantage of the breaks between sses and her time after meals to finish her homework on several subjects. Thus, only math, chemistry, and physics remained. Harper returned from the restroom just as Celine finished packing her bag. As soon as the teacher announced the end of ss, Rowen left. He was always the first to leave after school, a habit that ss Seven had long grown ustomed to. Celine, having shared a desk with him for over two months, had also gotten used to it. As she was on her period, Harper was feeling listless. She picked up her backpack, took Celine''s hand, and leaned heavily against her friend. ¡°My belly hurts, Celine.¡± ¡°Would you like some hot water?¡± Harper shook her head. Despite feeling weak, she was strongly opposed to the idea. ¡°It''s such a hot day. I can''t bear hot water.¡± Having no other choice, Celine reluctantly stowed her thermos back into her bag and apanied her friend downstairs. No sooner had the two stepped out of the school gate than they ran into Enzer. Harper did not have a good impression of him, and seeing himing to harass Celine again put her on the defensive. ¡°What''s he here for this time?¡± Celine was not sure why Enzer had shown up again; he had always enjoyed causing her trouble. ¡°Why aren''t you replying to my messages, Celine?¡± Celine did not remember that she had blocked him. ¡°I didn''t receive any messages from you.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Enzer clearly did not believe her. ¡°Let me see your phone.¡± He was certain that Celine had blocked him. Celine suddenly remembered. Enzer was messaging her while she was doing her homework a few nights ago, asking her to log in and double queue with him. Celine told him she had to study, yet he still asked her every half an hour. She was studying vocabry with Rowen that Thursday night. ¡°Who is it?¡± he had asked when he saw her phone light up. Without thinking much about it then, Celine told him it was an old ssmate without taking out her phone. However, Enzer sent her another message while she was working on her math problems. This time, Rowen took her phone and asked if she was close to Enzer. Celine shook her head, and he blocked Enzer. As Celine did not receive any messages from Enzer over the past few days, it felt so peaceful that she did not bother unblocking Enzer. Moreover, she was not close to him to begin with. Now that she had transferred schools, she did not see him as much anymore. Thus, it did not matter if his number remained blocked. Celine did not expect that he woulde and see her. Thus, she was a little uneasy. ¡°I didn''t bring my phone to school.¡± Harper was about to speak, but she suddenly remembered something, ¡°Who do you think you are, anyway? Why should she show you her phone just because you asked her to?¡± Enzer frowned. He knew Celine was honest, and he did not press her when she said she did not bring her phone. He moistened his lips. ¡°It''s my birthday this weekend. I''m throwing a party at Silvercrest Lounge, Suite 286. I expect to see you there.¡± Celine''s expression stiffened. ¡°I-I''m not free this weekend.¡± She did not want to go. As Sasha and her friends were close to Enzer, they would undoubtedly be there at his birthday party. ¡°If you won''t, I''ll show up at your school every day and tell everyone you''re my girlfriend. Think it through!¡± Without giving Celine a chance to respond, Enzer turned around to leave. ¡°Cece won''t go,¡± Harper said fiercely. ¡°If you dare show yourself, I''ll have the school security guards beat you up!¡± Enzer turned to nce at Celine. He got the sense that she did not want to see him anymore after her transfer. That thought upset him. He kicked a nearbymppost in frustration. ¡°What kind of a psycho is he? Don''t be scared, Cece. We won''t go!¡± Celine pursed her lips. ¡°Mmm,¡± she said softly. Harper grew worried when she noticed Celine''s pallor. ¡°Are you worried that he might bully you, Cece?¡± she asked cautiously. Celine looked at Harper and shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Don''t be afraid. Rowen will be the first to cut him down if he dares do anything!¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Celine forced a smile, but her spirits were greatly dampened by Enzer''s appearance. Harper got the feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed. It was only when that boy mentioned the birthday party that Celine''s expression shifted. If there was one thing Harper was good at, it was reading the room. She spent the rest of the journey pondering over it. After getting off the bus, she turned to Celine again. ¡°Were those two girls from the other day acquainted with that ssmate of yours, Cece?¡± she asked. Chapter 684 No Wonder You Are Not Growing Taller Chapter 684 No Wonder You Are Not Growing Taller Undeniably, Harper was particrly sensitive when it came to such a matter, hitting the nail on the head right when she spoke. Celine''s expression stiffened for a moment. She turned and nced at Harper before lowering her gaze and admitting softly, ¡°Yeah.¡± While saying that, she tugged at the strap of her bag, twirling her fingers around it so tightly that her hand turned red. Yet, she seemed oblivious to it all. Harper cursed under her breath. ¡°Don''t be scared, Cece. They won''t dare bully you anymore, I promise!¡± At that, she paused for a moment. Tilting her head slightly, she whispered into Celine''s ear, ¡°We took those two girls to the karaoke lounge that day, and I personally took some nudes of them. The photos are stored in my homeputer. Unless they want to be infamous, they wouldn''t dare bully you again!¡± Upon hearing those words, Celine was rather shocked. ¡°Harper¡ª¡± ¡°Don''t be afraid. We live by the rule of not messing with others if they don''t mess with us. They were the ones who bullied you first, so we''re just giving them a taste of their own medicine. If they dare to pick on you again, I''ll make sure they regret it!¡± Celine had not expected that Harper had actually taken nudes of Sasha and the others after taking them away that day. She had been also photographed nude by Sasha and the others. All this while, she had never dared to protest or fight back when they bullied her because of her photos in their hands. She initially thought that everything would end once she transferred schools, but she forgot that they were also from Jadeborough. Thus, it would not be a difficult task if they wanted to pick trouble with her. If she had not run into Rowen that day, they would take her away and done unspeakable things to her. For many years before this, she had been bullied by Sasha and the others. After being threatened with the matter previously, she was terrified, afraid that she would suddenly see those pictures being circted everywhere one day. She had considered resisting, but she had always been alone and without support. In the dead silence of the night, she even once had the dark thought that it would be great if they all died together. Forcing girls to take such photos was an exceedingly hical and ruthless act. Yet, when this incident happened to Sasha and the others, Celine was secretly delighted deep within when her initial shock had passed. But she did not dare let Harper know about it, fearful that Harper would find her wicked. Celine pursed her lips and looked at Harper with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Harper.¡± Gazing at her, Harper reached out and gave her a hug. Suddenly, an idea came to her. ¡°If those two girls would also be at Enzer''s birthday party, Cece, we should definitely go!¡± Celine was somewhat puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± When she said that, her face was somewhat pale, making her fear of seeing them clear. At the sight of that, Harper felt a deep pang of anguish. ¡°I have their photos in my hands, and they have your photos in theirs. Don''t you want your photos back?¡± Celine abruptly understood her meaning. ¡°But would they be willing to give them back to me?¡± Harper harrumphed. ¡°Who knows, they might be thinking about this very matter right now!¡± They''re the type to bully the weak and fear the strong. If Celine weren''t so gentle and made such easy prey, those two girls would never dare act so arrogantly were it were someone else! She still had a vivid recollection of how those two girls looked as they pleaded fearfully at the karaoke lounge that day. At her words, Celine''s eyes lit up imperceptibly. ¡°If possible, I... I also want to get those photos back.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, Cece. I''ll definitely get your photos back for you!¡± Celine''s nose stung. ¡°Thank you, Harper.¡± It turns out that there are people who would help me! Seeing that her eyes had turned red-rimmed, Harper became somewhat panicked. ¡°Oh no, please don''t cry. If you cry, my heart will break!¡± Initially, Celine was already moved to tears. Upon hearing Harper''s words, however, she could not help giggling softly. Tears welled up in her eyes, but at that moment, she could not cry. When she hadughed, Harper finally breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I don''t know the kind of life you had in the past and why so many people bullied you. If only I had met you sooner!¡± Celine kept her head down without saying anything. Tears began to stream down her face, and she quickly wiped them away. It went unnoticed by Harper beside her, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The two of them chatted as they walked into the mansion area. Before long, they arrived at Harper''s house. Celine bid Harper farewell with a smile. Only after watching thetter enter the mansion did she start walking toward her own home. While she was doing so, Rowen''s bike stopped beside her. ¡°Get in.¡± Celine blinked. Grasping his meaning, she climbed astride the pegs. Rowen nced back over his shoulder at her, ¡°Why are your eyes red?¡± Feeling a bit guilty, Celine quickly lowered her head and fibbed, ¡°I rubbed my eyes just now.¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Rowen murmured. He pressed his left foot down on the pedal. Slowly, the bicycle began to move forward. Katherine and Joshua were not at home, while Lewinn had a lot going on at college that week, leaving only Celine and Rowen in the Lewis residence. Hannah had prepared dinner ages ago. Seeing that the two of them had returned, she brought out the food she made. Preparing a meal for two was not easy. Hannah steamed a seabass, stir-fried some asparagus that Rowen loved, and prepared grilled tofu. The portions were notrge, but the three dishes were just enough for Rowen and Celine to eat. After serving the food, Hannah took off her apron to get off work. ¡°Just put the dishes in the dishwasher when you finish eating, Celine, Rowie. There''s fresh watermelon in the fridge. You can cut it and eat it after dinner. I''ll be going home first!¡± Celine nodded. ¡°Thank you, Hannah.¡± Once Hannah left, Celine and Rowen were the only ones left in the vast mansion. Rowen''s speed in eating was impressive. After he had finished dinner, he took a watermelon out of the refrigerator. Cutting it in half, he ced one-half beside Celine''s hand. ¡°You clean up tonight, and I''ll do it tomorrow night. I''ll be heading upstairs first.¡± Celine was momentarily stunned, but she quickly recovered and nodded, ¡°Sure, Rowie.¡± After finishing her meal, she put the tableware away and ced everything into the dishwasher in the kitchen. She did not know how to operate the machine, so it took her more than ten minutes to figure it out before she understood how to use it. As she left the kitchen, Rowen came downstairs with the half watermelon rind he''d hollowed out in hand. ¡°Why did it take you so long to eat?¡± Embarrassment flooded Celine. ¡°I was checking out the dishwasher earlier.¡± Rowen raised an eyebrow. ¡°Have you finished your math homework?¡± Celine shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Go ahead and get started, then. Just knock on my door if you don''t understand something. I''m off to do my homework.¡± Rowen tossed the watermelon rind before ncing at the uneaten half of the watermelon on the table. ¡°The watermelon is quite sweet.¡± Celine likewise nced at the half of the watermelon. ¡°Rowie.¡± Rowen, who had just stepped onto the stairs, was somewhat puzzled. He looked back at her and asked, ¡°What''s up?¡± ¡°I can''t finish eating this.¡± Celine pointed at the watermelon. Rowen clicked his tongue and took a fruit knife from the kitchen. ¡°How much can you eat? Should I cut it in half?¡± Celine shook her head. ¡°I can''t eat that much.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°A quarter?¡± Still, Celine shook her head. Rowen handed her the fruit knife outright. ¡°Cut it yourself. I''ll eat the rest.¡± Celine took the knife, sliced the watermelon in half, then cut one-third from one of the halves. Words eluded Rowen for a moment. ¡°No wonder you''re not growing any taller when you eat so little.¡± Chapter 685 A Coincidence Chapter 685 A Coincidence Harper urged Celine to attend Enzer''s birthday party over the weekend and to retrieve the photo from Sasha. After pondering for a few days, Celine decided to follow Harper''s advice. Harper was worried about her going alone. So, on Sunday, she arrived at her house early to apany her to the Silvercrest Lounge. Enzer''s family was wealthy, so they didn''t hesitate to spend money on his birthday party. The private room they were looking for was thergest one, so it was easy to find. The two of them effortlessly reached the door of the private room. Even before they entered, they could hear the lively soundsing from inside. Through the transparent panel on the door, Celine could see Sasha and a few others inside. Aside from Sasha, Celine recognized most of the people inside. They were essentially all from his previous school, Trinity Heritage Academy. Enzer was engrossed in his phone with his head lowered. His friend was trying to talk to him, but he seemed somewhat annoyed. Celine blocked him on WhatsApp, refused to answer his calls, and ignored all his messages. That left Enzer feeling extremely frustrated. Ever since Celine transferred to Gautier High School, it seemed like shepletely didn''t want to have any contact with him. Enzer still remembered what happened on Friday, so he thought Celine probably wouldn''t show up during his birthday party. Looking around the private room at his familiar friends, he felt bored. Picking up his phone, he stood up, intending to step outside for a breather. As he did so, he casually asked Alvin for his phone. Alvin looked baffled. ¡°Don''t you have your own phone? Why do you need mine?¡± ¡°Why are you asking so many questions? Give me the phone!¡± ¡°Here you go! Here you go! Today is your birthday. I''ll give you whatever you want!¡± Alvin handed his phone over to Enzer. Without any hesitation, Enzer took the phone and started to walk away. Seeing him about to leave the private room, Alvin was somewhat curious. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Without even looking back, Enzer left. Alvin cursed under his breath. Sasha came over to him and asked, ¡°Where did Enzer go?¡± ¡°Who knows? He took my phone away.¡± Hearing his words, Sasha breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh. He might have gone out to make a call.¡± After some thought, Alvin agreed. If he were to leave, he wouldn''t necessarily take his phone with him. Enzer initially nned to borrow Alvin''s phone to give Celine a call outside. However, as soon as he pushed open the private room door, he saw Celine standing at the entrance with her ssmate. Enzer was taken aback. ¡°Celine, why are you standing here? Why aren''t you going in?¡± Celine gave him a nce, passing over the gift she had prepared on the spot. ¡°Enzer, happy birthday,¡± she said. Enzer initially thought that Celine wouldn''t appear that day. To his surprise, not only did she show up, but she also brought gifts with her. Enzer instantly felt all his anger dissipate. ¡°Thanks. Come on in. We''re all old ssmates from Trinity Heritage Academy. You''ll recognize everyone.¡± Celine nced at Harper, who gently patted Celine''s shoulder tofort her. ¡°Enzer, you wouldn''t mind if I join in, would you?¡± Enzer didn''t mind. ¡°You''re a friend of Celine. Of course I wouldn''t mind.¡± ¡°Thank you, happy birthday. Cece, let''s go inside and see what delicious food they have!¡± Harper said and pulled Celine into the private room. Enzer also turned around and followed suit. He casually tossed Alvin''s phone back to him. Alvin was somewhat surprised. ¡°That was fast. Who did you call? Can''t you use your own phone?¡± Enzer grabbed a piece of watermelon and shoved it directly into his mouth. ¡°Eat. You sure talk a lot!¡± Alvin raised an eyebrow, retrieving his phone. Soon, he noticed Celine and eximed, ¡°Oh? Celine is here too? What a rare urrence!¡± As soon as Celine and Harper entered, Sasha and Shirley immediately noticed them. Thinking of the photo in Harper''s hand, both of their faces stiffened for a moment. The lighting in the private room wasn''t very bright, but Harper recognized the two girls from the previous time at first nce. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. She led Celine over and had her sit next to her. She then sat right next to Sasha and uttered, ¡°What a coincidence! We meet again.¡± Sasha reacted with surprise. ¡°How did you guys end up here?¡± Harper handed Celine a piece of watermelon, taking one for herself as well. As she ate, she said, ¡°Well, you''ll have to ask the birthday boy about that. After all, he''s the one who invited Cece over.¡± Enzer came over with some juice, cing a ss before Celine and Harper. He nced at Sasha and said, ¡°Isn''t Celine our former ssmate? What''s wrong with me inviting her?¡± Sasha looked at the smug Harper, her face a bit unpleasant. ¡°It''s nothing. I just thought Celine, having transferred schools, wouldn''t keep in touch with us anymore.¡± Upon hearing Sasha''s words, Enzer became upset. ¡°Just because she transferred schools, does that mean we''re no longer friends? After all, we were ssmates with Celine for a year, weren''t we?¡± ¡°Isn''t that right, Celine?¡± Enzer asked. Celine was suddenly called out, so she nced at Enzer in bafflement. ¡°Yes.¡± Sasha was left speechless by Enzer''s words, biting her straw in silence. Enzer picked up the microphone again. ¡°Do you want to sing, Celine?¡± Celine quickly shook her head. ¡°I can''t sing.¡± ¡°Who can''t sing? Are you pulling my leg?¡± Enzer questioned. After finishing her watermelon, Harper pushed away Enzer''s microphone. ¡°If she says she can''t, then she can''t. What''s the matter? Must one know how to sing before they could attend your birthday party?¡± When Harper rebuked Enzer like that, he scratched his head and said, ¡°That''s not what I meant. I was just asking. If you can''t sing, then just eat.¡± As he spoke, he tossed the microphone aside. Harper scoffed and said, ¡°Birthday boy, your friend is calling out for you!¡± Not far away, someone was indeed calling for Enzer. It was no longer appropriate for Enzer to stay near Celine. ¡°Go ahead and eat. Don''t be shy,¡± he said. It was clear that Enzer was in a good mood. Seeing him leave, Harper turned directly to Sasha and got straight to the point. ¡°You should still have a fresh memory of ourst meeting, right? I have quite a few of your photos in my possession.¡± Upon hearing Harper''s words, Shirley became immediately anxious. ¡°We didn''t send out Celine''s photos, you mustn''t¡ª¡± Harper scoffed. ¡°Do you want your photos back?¡± Sasha and Shirley exchanged nces. We do! ¡°What can we do to get you to delete those photos?¡± ¡°Simple. You delete all the photos of Celine that you have, and I''ll delete all the photos of you that I have,¡± Harper answered. Sasha didn''t speak. Instead, she just looked at Celine. In the past, Celine would have been scared by her gaze, but that day, with Harper by her side, she inexplicably gained a bit more courage and dared to meet Sasha''s eyes. Upon seeing that Celine had dared to meet her gaze, Sasha''s expression changed momentarily. ¡°Fine.¡± She wasn''t exactly foolish either, so she added, ¡°But how can I be sure you''ve deleted all our photos?¡± Harper rolled her eyes. ¡°I have no grudge against you guys. If you don''t mess with me, why would I mess with you? I''ll throw your question back at you. How can I be sure you''ve deleted all of Cece''s photos?¡± After some thought, Sasha said, ¡°I only backed up the photos on my homeputer and mobile phone. Nowhere else.¡± She had originally backed it up on the cloud storage, but after that day, she deleted it from there, too, fearing that she would be done for if it ever got leaked. ¡°What a coincidence! Me too.¡± Harper suggested, ¡°How about this? Let''s add each other on WhatsApp. Tonight, when we get home, we can video call and delete all the photos together.¡± Sasha pursed her lips. ¡°Okay.¡± Harper turned her head slightly toward Celine. ¡°Cece?¡± ¡°All right.¡± Chapter 686 Hurt Cece Chapter 686 Hurt Cece Celine originally thought that Sasha and her group would definitely y some tricks. However, to her surprise, they agreed to delete the photos just after a few casual words from Harper. She could hardly believe it. It took her a while before she reacted to Harper''s call. Their purpose for going there was to have Sasha and her group delete the photos. Since they had already reached an agreement, there was no need for them to stay any longer. Celine received Harper''s signal, got up, and walked over to Enzer, who was not far away. Then, she softly called out to him, ¡°Enzer.¡± Enzer, who was ying Liar''s dice with his friends, looked up at Celine and asked, ¡°What''s up?¡± As he spoke, he pulled Alvin to fill his spot. ¡°Your turn to y.¡± Seeing that Celine seemed to have something to say to him, Enzer suddenly became excited. He got up and walked to the corner with her. There was a mix of giddiness and arrogance in his demeanor. ¡°What''s up?¡± My birthday is a pretty good opportunity for her to confess to me. If she does, reluctantly consider it. Just as Enzer thought that Celine was about to confess her feelings, pondering whether to reject or ept her, Celine looked at him. With an apologetic tone, she said, ¡°Enzer, I have something to do later, so I''ll leave first. Happy birthday to you, and have fun with your friends.¡± Previously, Enzer requested Celine for too much. As a result, she became afraid that he would ask her to stay. Hence, without waiting for him to speak, Celine immediately turned around after she finished speaking. Enzer stood there, staring at Celine. He was momentarily stunned, but as soon as he snapped back to reality, he hurriedly chased after her. Harper was already waiting at the door. After finishing speaking, Celine ran to the door. Meanwhile, Enzer chased after Celine. With his tall stature and long legs, he easily caught up with her, grabbing her wrist in one swift motion. That hurt her, causing her to inhale sharply. N?velDrama.Org content rights. Harper raised her hand to push away Enzer. ¡°What are you doing? You''re hurting Cece!¡± Enzer loosened his grip. ¡°Why are you leaving so soon? We haven''t even cut the cake yet! Can''t you stay and have some cake before you go?¡± Before they arrived, Celine had already told Harper that Enzer would most likely not let them leave halfway. Therefore, Harper had prepared a strategy in advance. Hearing Enzer''s words, Harper pulled Celine behind her. ¡°Cece has some family matters to attend to. She told her family when we left that we will be back by three in the afternoon. It''s already half past two now. Do you want Cece to get scolded when she gets home?¡± Harper''s statements left Enzer at a loss for words. He wanted Celine to stay, but if she did, she would be scolded when she returned home. Thus, if he forcibly kept her around, it would make him seem unreasonable. ¡°Shall I give you both a ride?¡± Enzer asked Celine. ¡°No need. It''s your birthday today and you have so many friends here. Harper and I can take the bus downstairs to go back,¡± she declined quickly. The three of them were standing at the entrance of the private room, and several people inside were already looking their way. Even though she had transferred schools, Celine still didn''t want any rumors to circte about her and Enzer. She didn''t want any messy affairs to interfere with her studies anymore. After Celine finished speaking, she pulled Harper along, pushed the door open, and walked out. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Enzer only had time to shout once before the two of them had already ran off into the distance. Furrowing his brows, he felt that Celine was always avoiding him. Alvin spotted him in a dispirited state and walked up to pat his shoulder. ¡°Tsk, she''s gone. Why are you still looking? When she used to sit in front of you, I told you to confess your feelings, but you stubbornly insisted that you didn''t like Celine. Now that she''s transferred schools, you''re eagerly searching for her.¡± Alvin huffed, ¡°I see what kind of person you are now, Enzer. You''re the type who only tells the truth when you''re cornered!¡± Enzer was hit where it hurt, and he became somewhat flustered out of embarrassment. ¡°What are you bbering about? When did I ever tell you that I like Celine?¡± ¡°Oh, so you don''t like Celine? Then why do you look like you''re yearning for her so much?¡± ¡°You don''t know a d*mn thing! We were ssmates, after all, and she even taught me for two months. How can I not feel some camaraderie there with her? She came all this way but only stayed for a few minutes. I didn''t even get to cut the cake before she left. If it were you, wouldn''t you be p*ssed off?¡± Alvin shrugged. ¡°Not really. If a friend really has something urgent and needs to leave but still makes the effort toe to give their blessings, isn''t that thoughtful enough? Why should I be upset? If you still don''t realize that you like Celine even after all this, let me ask you another question. If Sasha and Shirley have something going on and they need to leave now, would you be upset?¡± A yful smile settled on his countenance. ¡°Don''t lie, Enzie. It''s easy to fool me, but it''s pointless to fool yourself.¡± Enzer furrowed his brows. He had to admit, Alvin''s question really hit the nail on the head. If the ones leaving were Sasha and Shirley, he really wouldn''t feel much about it. There was nothing Enzer could say because Alvin was right. He indeed had feelings for Celine. Even though Celine was timid, indecisive, and often ungrateful, he found her quite adorable, despite her small size. Enzer ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°When will the cake arrive?¡± Since Celine had left early, he no longer had any desire to celebrate his birthday. ¡°It''ll be here soon. There''s no need for you to be so upset. Didn''t Celine give you a birthday present? Why don''t you open it and see what''s inside? It could be a love letter, a couple''s watch or bracelet, or some other items to represent her confession of love. Maybe she was too shy and left first because of it.¡± Upon hearing that, Enzer blinked, his eyes lit up. He quickly went over to the table where the gifts were ced. He deliberately set aside Celine''s gift. As he approached the table, he saw it right away. Enzer grabbed the gift with Alvin following beside him. Thetter was also quite curious about Celine''s birthday gift to Enzer. The box wasn''trge, and at first nce, it couldn''t possibly contain a book. That immediately ruled out the possibility of it being the ¡°surprising¡± birthday gift. Enzer carefully unwrapped the gift box, and upon opening it, he found a USB drive inside. ¡°Why did she give me a USB drive?¡± ¡°You''re such a fool. Maybe there''s a video of her blessings inside. At least she made an effort!¡± spected Alvin. Enzer was intrigued by what Alvin had said, but there was noputer in the KTV. He went around looking for one. Finally, after handing some money to a staff member, he plugged his USB drive into theputer at the front desk. Alvin wanted to look too, but Enzer punched him away. Enzer didn''t want Alvin to see because it might be a video of Celine confessing her love for him. However, reality proved that Enzer was overthinking it. What was inside were important notes for each subject in the university entrance exam, meticulously organized by Celine. Upon seeing those folders, Alvin couldn''t help butugh. ¡°Celine is indeed a model student!¡± Chapter 687 It Is Over Now Chapter 687 It Is Over Now After leaving the karaoke, Celine and Harper went straight back to Harper''s house to do their homework. Celine had brought all her homework to Harper''s house. They had previously conferred on the topic of erasing the photos. Possibly due to their unease regarding the photos, Sasha and Shirley reached out to Harper around seven in the evening, expressing their desire to delete the images. As Celine read the messages on Harper''s phone, her heart involuntarily constricted. She nced at Harper. Harper soothingly stroked her forehead. ¡°Don''t be afraid. We now have their photos in our hands.¡± Celine nodded, watching as Harper answered the video call from them. Harper couldn''t be bothered to engage in idle chatter with them. ¡°Switch on theputer,¡± she said. As she spoke, she walked over to herputer and opened a folder. ¡°Here are your photos,¡± she added. Upon seeing this, Sasha and Shirley followed Harper''s lead by clicking open the folder on their computer where they had stored photos of Celine. Harper turned over her shoulder to look at Celine. Gripping the mouse, she deleted the folder and subsequently emptied the recycle bin. After doing that, she told Sasha and Shirley, ¡°I''ve deleted the photos. If either of you attempts any mischief with me, bear in mind that I managed to take your photos once, and I can do it again. You''d be wise to ensure you''ve erased the photos as well. Otherwise, the consequences next time won''t be limited to taking more pictures of you.¡± When Harper said this, Sasha and Shirley had just deleted the photos. Sasha nced at the camera. ¡°Delete everything.¡± ¡°Okay, that''s it.¡± Harper ended the video call and turned to Celine. ¡°Cece, the pictures are gone now.¡± Celine looked at Harper, her eyes slightly red. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Harper.¡± ncing at Celine''s eyes, Harper felt bad for her. She raised her arms and embraced Celine tightly. ¡°You''re fine now. It''s over. No one will bully you anymore!¡± Naturally, Harper was curious about Celine''s past. However, she didn''t need to think twice to know that they weren''t anything good. Given that the photos had already been deleted, and Celine had transferred from Trinity Heritage Academy to Gautier High School, there was no longer any need to dwell on those unpleasant incidents. Celine sighed softly. ¡°I don''t know what I did wrong. That day, they suddenly told me my clothes were ruined and asked me to change into fresh clothes. There was no separate bathroom in the dormitory. After I took off my clothes, they surrounded me, snatched the clothes from my hands, and threw them onto the upper bunk. Then they started taking pictures of me.¡± She truly didn''t know what she had done wrong. All along, she had little to do with them, even though they lived in the same dormitory. After school, she preferred to do her homework for half an hour before returning to the dormitory to take a shower. Even after evening self-study, she would stay in the ssroom for an extra thirty minutes before going back. Even though they were ssmates in the same ss and dormitory, they acted like a group of demons that day. They surrounded her and took out their phones to take pictures of her. The more she resisted, the more excited they became. She had implored everyone else, even offering money in exchange for them deleting the photos they had of her, but Sasha and Shirley refused toply. Using the photos, they asked her to help with cooking, fetching water, and cleaning, as well as assisting with theundry. Even after ss, she still had to help them buy snacks from the downstairs convenience store. When they ran out of money, she would have to cover the cost for them. Those fleeting eight months felt like an endless nightmare from which she could never escape. No matter how much she pleaded, they were unwilling to delete the photos. Sasha said as long as she had Celine''s photos, Celine must obey her like a dog. Before changing schools, her sole act of rebellion yed out on the field of Trinity Heritage Academy. Following that incident, she harboredsting concerns, dreading the possibility of her pictures surfacing on the school''s forum or appearing on the phones of her ssmates at any given moment. Fortunately, Sasha and Shirley might have had a change of heart or were simply too scared, for they ultimately did not release those photos. Yet, whenever she encountered them, the mere idea of them possessing her photos made Celine feel as though a sword loomed menacingly above her. She didn''t know when the sword would fall, but she knew one thing for certain¡ªif it did fall, her death was inevitable. Atst, the sword had been taken away. She no longer had to worry about it falling and cutting her. Celine felt as if she had just escaped from a disaster. It was Harper who had saved her. Hearing Celine''s tearful voice, Harper longed for nothing more than to teach Sasha and her clique another lesson they wouldn''t forget. They have gone too far! ¡°It''s all in the past. Cece, it won''t happen again!¡± She patted Celine''s back in a soothing manner. Celine wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed. ¡°Thank you, Harper. Thank you so much.¡± ¡°If anyone ever dares to torment you in the future, rest assured, I''ll stand up for you till the very end!¡± Celine was moved. ¡°I will also stand up for you, Harper. I won''t let anyone bully you.¡± Even though she could sometimes be timid and weak, if anyone dared to bully Harper, she would undoubtedly confront them with unwavering determination! Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Celine instantly tensed up. Harper looked at Celine''s reddened eyes. ¡°Cece, why don''t you go wash your face in the bathroom?¡± Celine knew that it wouldn''t be appropriate for Irene to see her in this manner. ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded awkwardly, then quickly turned and hurried into the bathroom. Harper stood up to open the door, and there was Irene, holding a te of fruit. ¡°Still studying, huh?¡± ¡°No, I was just ying a simple game with Cece.¡± Ever since Harper started spending time with Celine, her enthusiasm for studying has noticeably increased inparison to her previous demeanor. In the past, Irene would invariably reprimand Harper whenever she indulged in gaming. However, upon learning that she was engaged in a casual game with Celine, Irene didn''t remark on it. ¡°You should unwind when you''re weary from your studies. I won''t interrupt you two!¡± ¡°Thank you, Mom!¡± Harper gave Irene a hug. Irene gave her an annoyed nce, then turned around and left the room. Celine had washed her face, her eyshes were wet, making her eyes glisten beautifully. Harper looked at her and asked, ¡°Cece, why are you as delicate as a doll?¡± Celine felt her cheeks flush. ¡°I need to go now, Harper.¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. School was reopening tomorrow, and there were still two math problems she hadn''t finished. She needed to go back and ask Rowen for help. ¡°Let me give you a ride home!¡± Harper put down the grapes in her hand. ¡°I''m going downstairs to get the bicycle. You should pack up!¡± Before Celine could react, Harper had already run out of the room excitedly. Celine opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she shed a helpless smile and began to pack up the books on the table. Chapter 688 Too Talkative Chapter 688 Too Talkative It had been a while since Harper rode a bicycle. She was swerving all over the ce. Celine, sitting at the back of the bicycle, nearly fell off several times. Thankfully, after walking for a while, Harper finally got the hang of it. ¡°Hang on tight. I''m about to speed up!¡± As Harper spoke, she really did pick up her pace. This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. On a summer night, the breeze that blew was refreshingly cool. Celine couldn''t help but smile as she watched Harper in front of her. The distance of over eight hundred meters was covered in just over two minutes. Harper hit the brakes, panting as she turned to look at Celine. ¡°Cece, are we going fast enough?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Celine got out of the car. ¡°Be careful on your way back, Harper.¡± ¡°Don''t worry, I''ll be back soon. You should go ahead!¡± As the two were in conversation, something was suddenly tossed at their feet. Celine looked down and bent over to pick it up, only to realize it was a piece of chocte. She found it a bit odd, but Harper had already seen Rowen on the second floor of the mansion. The Lewis residence was quiterge, with a garden spanning several hundred square meters. It was quite a feat for Rowen to be able to urately toss the choctes to them without hitting anyone. Harper curled her lips. ¡°You should go back. Rowen must be waiting for you!¡± ¡°Rowie?¡± Celine also looked up, and through the distance of more than ten meters, she could barely make out a person standing on the second-floor balcony. ¡°I''m off now, Cece. See you tomorrow!¡± Upon hearing Harper''s voice, Celine quickly averted her gaze. By the time she looked back at Harper, she was already far away, riding her bicycle. Celine watched as Harper''s figure gradually faded into the moonlight, a smile ying on her lips. She then took out her key and entered the mansion. By then, Rowen was the only one left in the mansion. Lewinn had apetition out of town this weekend, so he wasn''t going to be home. Hence, Rowen was alone at home. As soon as Celine stepped up the stairs, she saw Rowening in from the balcony. She nced down at the chocte in her palm. ¡°Rowie, I''m back.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Rowen responded, ¡°Hannah made some hot cocoa, and it''s in the kitchen.¡± Celine nodded. ¡°I haven''t finished my math homework yet.¡± Hearing her words, Rowen lightly clicked his tongue. ¡°You''re onlying back now even though you haven''t finished your homework?¡± Celine looked troubled and said, ¡°I had something to work on.¡± ¡°It''s eight o''clock.¡± Rowen pointed to the wall clock. Celine was momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered and hurriedly said, ¡°I should go do my homework now.¡± As she spoke, she took another nce at Rowen. Truth was, she had finished all her homework. The remaining few math problems were ones she didn''t know how to solve. But she sensed that Rowen didn''t seem to be in a good mood, so Celine didn''t dare to speak up. Seeing that he was no longer speaking, she ascended the stairs. Thinking about the photo that had already been deleted, Celine returned to her room, still somewhat excited. She stared at the math book on the table for a long time, unable to remember what she was supposed to do. It wasn''t until the door was knocked that Celine came back to her senses, quickly getting up to answer it. The door opened, and Rowen came in carrying a tray. On it was a te of grapes and a cup of hot cocoa. ¡°Hannah reminded me to tell you to drink the hot cocoa.¡± ¡°Thank you, Rowie.¡± Celine quickly took the tray and ced it on the desk. The hot cocoa was still a bit warm. Celine touched the rim of the cup and noticed Rowen looking at the nk spaces on her practice book. She blushed slightly. ¡°Rowie, I only have these few questions left.¡± Rowen nced at her. ¡°You don''t know how to do them?¡± ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Rowen turned around and returned to his room beforeing back to Celine''s room, now holding a chair in his hand. Celine quickly made room for him. Rowen noticed the chocte on one side¡ªthe one he had just thrown down. Celine didn''te back all day today, and he had no idea what she was doing with Harper to not return until nearly eight in the evening. If it weren''t for him throwing down the chocte just now, who knew how long the two at the door would have continued chatting before they were willing to part ways. Tsk. They''re already spending time together in and out of school. Do they really have so many things to talk about? He reached out for the chocte, fidgeting with it. ¡°Have you finished reading the question?¡± Celine nced at the chocte in his hand and nodded. ¡°I''ve finished reading.¡± Rowen extended his hand. Celine was taken aback for a moment, not quite catching on. She looked down at the grape she had just picked up, hesitated for a moment, and then ced it in his palm. Rowen gave her a nce. ¡°I need to write.¡± Celine''s face instantly turned red. She quickly pulled out a pen from the pen holder on the side of her desk and handed it to him. ¡°Pencil.¡± ¡°Oh. Oh, oh right.¡± Celine quickly handed him another pencil. Rowen popped the grape into his mouth, biting through the skin, and found it to be quite sweet. He then took a pencil and circled all the conditions before starting to analyze them for her. Celine was listening attentively. When Rowen suddenly said ¡°grapes,¡± she thought she misheard him. Rowen repeated, ¡°Grapes.¡± Celine then realized she hadn''t misheard him and quickly picked a few grapes to hand to him. Rowen took the grapes. ¡°Think about the question yourself.¡± As he spoke, he handed her the pencil. Celine picked up the pencil, still warm from Rowen''s grip. She nced at Rowen subconsciously, only to find that he was also looking at her. Celine froze for a moment, feeling incredibly guilty. Her hand trembled, causing the pencil to drop under the desk. Both of them wanted to pick up the pencil. As they leaned over, their heads bumped into each other. Feeling the pain, Celine let out a soft gasp. Rowen quickly pulled back. ¡°Did that hurt?¡± Celine picked up the pencil and shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why did you gasp?¡± Rowen nced at her. ¡°Focus on the questions, not me.¡± Upon hearing his words, Celine found herself blushing. She lowered her head, focusing on her workbook, not daring to look at Rowen again. She didn''t look up, so naturally, she didn''t notice that the young man''s ears were also red. After Rowen helped her analyze each problem, Celine found that she had actually managed to solve them. For the second question, she patiently deconstructed it to understand it anew. Following the method taught by Rowen, she found herself gradually forming a strategy. Rowen watched her lower the pencil, his captivating eyes turning crescents. ¡°Have you figured it out?¡± Celine nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Because of what was said earlier, she no longer dared to casually look at Rowen anymore. ¡°The hot cocoa is getting cold,¡± Rowen reminded. After he finished speaking, he reached out and grabbed a handful of grapes. When he retracted his arm, two grapes fell onto Celine''sp. Celine was taken aback for a moment, instinctively ncing at Rowen. Rowen, uncharacteristically embarrassed, said, ¡°The grapes are quite sweet.¡± Celine picked up the two grapes that had fallen onto herp, popping them into her mouth. ¡°You''re right. They''re really sweet,¡± shemented. As she spoke, she ced a te of grapes in front of Rowen. ¡°Rowie, here.¡± Rowen became speechless. Chapter 689 Does It Matter Chapter 689 Does It Matter After experiencing the joy of riding a bike the night before, Harper was suddenly struck by the idea of cycling to school. As such, she ran up to Celine early in the morning, all eager and excited. ¡°Cece, let''s cycle to school from now on! I finally understand why Rowen is always riding his bike to school! It''s so much fun!¡± Celine blinked her eyes as she pondered the suggestion. Hmm... Our school is about six or seven kilometers away from our residences, which isn''t very far. The time it takes to get there on our bikes would be almost the same as taking the bus. I can even pedal faster if I''m in a hurry. All in all, cycling does sound like a pretty good way to get to school. That said... ¡°Lewinn didn''te backst week, and Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are away on a business trip. I need to wait for them to return before I can buy a bike,¡± Celine exined. Of course, she could also buy it herself if she wanted to. After all, she had enough money for it. However, now that she had be part of the Lewis family, she knew it''d only be right to discuss such matters with Katherine and the others. Harper, on the other hand, didn''t see the issue with that. ¡°What''s the big deal, though? Lewinn''s school is in Jadeborough, so it''d be convenient for him to return. If you text him about buying a bike, I''m sure he''ll sort it out for you right away!¡± Celine pursed her lips slightly. ¡°Lewinn must be pretty busy. I think I should¡ª¡± ¡°Oh,e on, Cece. He''s your brother, for goodness'' sake. Isn''t it a brother''s duty to show up like a knight in shining armor when his sister needs him the most? You being overly polite would only make Lewinn sad,¡± Harper interrupted. She had some understanding of Celine''s situation, so she knew what was bothering thetter. In fact, if she were in Celine''s shoes, she doubted she''d fare any better. However, Harper also remembered her mother saying that the Lewis family was a good bunch of people. Given that Celine was already fifteen when Katherine adopted her, it was clear she wasn''t expecting the girl to repay the family''s kindness in the future. Instead, it was very probable that they genuinely wanted to give Celine a better life. Celine seemed a little hesitant as she looked at Harper. ¡°Are you sure it won''t be too much trouble for Lewinn?¡± ¡°Who knows? He might even be hoping that you''d ask him for help!¡± Harper eximed before nudging her friend''s hand. ¡°Hurry up and send the text. Otherwise, you won''t be able to use your phone once we''re in school.¡± With her lips still pursed, Celine fished her phone out and slowly typed her text. To her surprise, the text had only just been sent when Lewinn replied: Good morning, Celine! I won''t be in Jadeborough for the next few days, but I''ll let Rowie know about buying the bike. He''ll settle it. Take good care of yourself. Since Celine wasn''t hiding anything from Harper, thetter managed to read the reply too. ¡°Lewinn is still busy. I really shouldn''t have texted him,¡± Celine muttered, feeling somewhat guilty. ¡°Oh, my goodness... Why would you think that? Even if he''s busy, it''s only natural for you to ask your brother for help when needed! Besides, he didn''t¡ª¡± Before Harper could finish her sentence, the screen of Celine''s phone lit up again. As it turned out, Lewinn had sent another text. Celine paused for a moment before tapping on the message, but as soon as she read the content, she felt her eyes instantly well up with tears. Lewinn: Celine, I''m d you took the initiative to discuss this matter with me. In the future, please don''t hesitate toe to me if you need any help. You can always call me, no matter what time it is. Upon reading it, Harper raised her brows. ¡°Look, Cece! I told you Lewinn wouldn''t mind!¡± Celine stared at Lewinn''s message, her heart all warm and fuzzy. Since childhood, no one had treated her as kindly as Barbara did. Her life was undoubtedly rough, but at the same time, she was also fortunate enough to have met people like the Lewis family and befriended Harper. ¡°Good, good. If there''s anything else bothering you in the future, don''t keep it to yourself,¡± Harper urged. Celine is far too thoughtful... She''s always worried about troubling others and would rather suffer in silence than ask for help. The two friends continued chatting, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the bus stop. Meanwhile, Rowen had just returned to school when he received Lewinn''s call. Upon hearing that Celine wanted to buy a bike for school, he couldn''t hide his surprise. ¡°Sure. I''ll take her to the store after school,¡± he said. Tsk... Celine is so small, though. Can she even ride a bike? When school was over that afternoon, Rowen kept his promise and took Celine to a bike store to look at the selection. Harper originally wanted to follow them, but Rowen''s bike could barely amodate Celine as it was. Therefore, she had no choice but to take the bus home herself. In any case, she was happy that she could cycle to school with Celine soon. Since Harper didn''t tag along, Irving eagerly tried to join in the fun. s, Rowen threw him a side-eye, making him so embarrassed that he eventually gave up and rode his bike home. It was Celine''s first time buying a bike, so naturally, the price took her aback. ¡°Rowie, I''m already in my second year of high school and will graduate in a year. There''s no need to buy such an expensive bike.¡± Rowen, however, was indifferent. ¡°This is what Lewinn requested. He wants to buy you a good bike.¡± Celine bit her lip nervously as she looked at the price tags, each one more shocking than thest. The sales clerk could tell that the bike Rowen rode on was no ordinary one and instantly knew he was from a wealthy family. As such, he treated Celine with great enthusiasm. After much thought and consideration, Celine finally chose a regr bike that only cost over a thousand. Rowen regarded it with disdain, but since Celine insisted, he had no choice but to pay for it. It was almost six o''clock by the time they were done with the purchase, and Celine excitedly sent a photo of the bike to Harper. The bike was white and elegant, and Harper, too, found it very pretty. Meanwhile, Rowen waited for Celine as he bnced his bike with one foot on the ground. After the latter finished sending the photos and noticed Rowen waiting for her, she couldn''t help but blush with embarrassment and awkwardness. ¡°I''m done, Rowie.¡± ¡°You can go first.¡± Celine nced at him. ¡°Oh. Okay, okay.¡± Since it was gettingte and Celine knew Hannah was waiting for them so she could knock off work, she quickly hopped onto her bike. Celine hadn''t cycled in a long time and was a little out of practice, but thankfully, it wasn''t too difficult a task. After some minutes of swaying and wobbling, the girl gradually found her bnce and became steadier. Rowen, on the other hand, followed behind her. Gosh... Celine''s riding too slowly. Wouldn''t she bete for school in the morning if she rides at this pace? It was six thirty when the two returned to the mansion, and Hannah finally breathed a sigh of relief. After serving dinner and informing them of the snacks in the kitchen, she took her leave. Halfway through dinner, Rowen piped up, ¡°Are you guys riding your bikes to school tomorrow?¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Celine froze for a moment before nodding. ¡°Yes. Harper said cycling would be faster than taking the bus because we can use the back roads.¡± Rowen shot a look at her. ¡°If you''re going to cycle at the speed you did today, I suggest you set off ten minutes earlier tomorrow.¡± A blush instantly crept over Celine''s cheek. ¡°I haven''t ridden a bike in a long time.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Rowen muttered, clearly not believing the girl. Ha... So what if she hasn''t cycled in a long time? What does that have to do with her speed? Chapter 690 Celine Is Also Involved In The Fight Chapter 690 Celine Is Also Involved In The Fight Ever since Celine and Harper started biking to school, Rowen would join them asionally. However, he would more often than notin that they were too slow and arrive at school first. Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. After that went on for over a month, rumors began circting at school. It was said that Rowen had sessfully pursued Harper, and the two were using Celine to secretly date. Only a few people were spreading the rumors in the beginning. However, the number of people talking about it gradually grew, and the story appeared increasingly convincing. Eventually, those rumors reached Celine''s and Harper''s ears. During their physical education ss, Harper dragged Celine off to buy ice cream not long after their teacher gave them break time. With the weather getting hotter each day, Harper, who disliked the heat, would always drag Celine to the mini-mart to buy ice cream after every physical education ss. They had just sat down when they heard Isobel talking sarcastically nearby. ¡°Some people are really something, using their own friends just to pursue a guy.¡± Recently, the rumors about Harper and Rowen had be increasingly believable. The students in ss Seven were aware of it too, but no one dared to joke about it when Rowen was around. Rowen had gone to y basketball, and there were mostly girls where they were. Hence, upon hearing Isobel''s remark, some were eager to indulge in some gossip. ¡°Isobel, are you telling the truth or just making things up?¡± someone asked. ¡°How am I supposed to know whether it''s true or false? In any case, some people are just really crafty. But then, there are also some people who are so naive. If someone says a few kind words to them, they think they''ve made a good friend, unaware they''re just being used as stepping stones.¡± Harper was seething with anger and about to retort. To her surprise, Celine had already turned around to look at Isobel. ¡°Isobel, who exactly is this ''some people'' you''re referring to?¡± She uttered that question with such a solemn expression that Harper, who was standing beside her, could not helpughing. Hearing that, Isobel thought Harper wasughing at her. Her expression hardened, and her anger instantly spiked. ¡°Why are you being so nosy? If you don''t understand, then don''t listen. What''s there to ask?¡± Celine rarely argued with others, and even when she did, she would not be the one who came out on top. Filled with embarrassed anger, she was left momentarily at a loss for words by the two questions that had been hurled at her furiously. Nheless, she could not stand to hear Isobel denigrating Harper. ¡°If you''re going to talk about someone, say their name. Being ambiguous will only lead to misinformation. It''s very hical of you to spread rumors like this.¡± ¡°Who''s spreading rumors? The whole school is talking about Harper dating Rowen. It wasn''t me who started it, so how am I the one spreading rumors? Celine, are you genuinely naive or just putting on an act? Do you not realize you''re getting used as a stepping stone?¡± ¡°So, the people you were referring to just now were Harper and me?¡± Isobel had not expected Celine to act so unpredictably. Thetter''s sudden inference had her thinking that whether or not she admitted to it, it was a no-win situation. After all, Harper was right there. At that point, regardless of whether she admitted it or not, Harper was already infuriated. Harper handed the half-eaten ice cream she was holding to Celine. ¡°Cece, step back a bit.¡± As she spoke, she walked straight up to Isobel. ¡°Who told you that I''m dating Rowen? Who did you get your information from, Isobel? If you keep spouting nonsense, I''m going to¡ª?¡± Isobel was also enraged. She had been humiliated in front of Harper and Celine before, and with so many people watching the scene unfold now, she refused to back down. ¡°I did say it. I said you and Rowen are in a rtionship! What''s wrong? You two are dating but don''t want people to talk about it? Don''t date, then!¡± If Harper had heard those rumors three months ago, she would have been overjoyed. Now, though, she desperately wished she had nothing to do with Rowen. However, Isobel continued talking nonsense without showing any signs of remorse. Harper gave an exasperatedugh. ¡°Let''s not talk about whether or not Rowen and I are a couple for now. Isobel, why are you so bothered by it? Oh, I almost forgot. Aren''t you the coward who secretly likes Rowen but doesn''t dare to confess? Last Christmas, you gave him a love letter under my name. I haven''t even settled that score with you yet, and now you have the nerve to spread rumors that I''m dating him? How dare you?¡± After she said that, realization immediately dawned on the other students who were listening, and many of them looked at Isobel differently. A prying boy even deliberately asked, ¡°Hey, Isobel! Did you really pretend to be Harper and give Rowen a love letterst Christmas?¡± The color dreined from Isobel''s fece when she heerd Herper publicly expose her. ¡°I didn''t! Herper, you''re trying to slender me!¡± ¡°You know very well whether I''m slendering you or not. I still heve the photo of thet love letter on my phone. Do you went me to shere it so everyone cenpere the hendwriting?¡± No sooner hed Herper finished speeking then the boy who hed been enjoying the spectecle chimed in egein, ¡°Send it out so we cen teke e look, Herper. I went to see how e love letter is written. I''m plenning to confess my feelings this Christmes too!¡± The boy''s teesing words mede Isobel both engry end emberressed. She glered et Herper, then et Celine, the disdein in her eyes bing more epperent. Her mind went blenk es she looked et the cup of iced smoothie in her hend. Then, she threw its contents et Herper. Even so, she wes still somewhet efreid of Herper end did not reelly throw it with full force. Her hend feltered es she reised it, end only e bit of the cold smoothie spleshed onto Herper. With Herper''s temper, there wes no wey she would ellow Isobel to welk ell over her. Before Isobel could pull beck her hend, Herper grebbed it. ¡°Resorting to violence beceuse you cen''t win en ergument? Who spoiled you like this?¡± After seying thet, she ched the smoothie from Isobel''s end spleshed it ell over the letter. Herper wes not es timid es Isobel, so she did not hold beck. Everyone eround them wes stertled. Isobel looked down et her school uniform end screemed, ¡°Herper, you lic!¡± Noticing thet Isobel wes reedy to pull Herper''s heir, Celine quickly stood up end pushed Herper eside. Isobel suddenly flew into e rege end yenked Herper''s heir. Seeing thet, Celine pushed Isobel ewey, but the letter retelieted end kicked the former. Herper hed been trying to suppress her enger. When she sew Isobel kick Celine, however, she instently beceme furious. ¡°Why did you kick Cece? D*mn you!¡± With thet, she cherged forwerd end sterted scuffling with Isobel. Meenwhile, Rowen wes pleying besketbell when someone ren over end shouted, ¡°Rowen, e fight broke out between Herper end Isobel!¡± He furrowed his brows but ignored thement. Then, the person edded, ¡°Celine is elso involved in the fight!¡± The color drained from Isobel''s face when she heard Harper publicly expose her. ¡°I didn''t! Harper, you''re trying to nder me!¡± ¡°You know very well whether I''m ndering you or not. I still have the photo of that love letter on my phone. Do you want me to share it so everyone canpare the handwriting?¡± No sooner had Harper finished speaking than the boy who had been enjoying the spectacle chimed in again, ¡°Send it out so we can take a look, Harper. I want to see how a love letter is written. I''m nning to confess my feelings this Christmas too!¡± The boy''s teasing words made Isobel both angry and embarrassed. She red at Harper, then at Celine, the disdain in her eyes bing more apparent. Her mind went nk as she looked at the cup of iced smoothie in her hand. Then, she threw its contents at Harper. Even so, she was still somewhat afraid of Harper and did not really throw it with full force. Her hand faltered as she raised it, and only a bit of the cold smoothie sshed onto Harper. With Harper''s temper, there was no way she would allow Isobel to walk all over her. Before Isobel could pull back her hand, Harper grabbed it. ¡°Resorting to violence because you can''t win an argument? Who spoiled you like this?¡± After saying that, she snatched the smoothie from Isobel''s and sshed it all over thetter. Harper was not as timid as Isobel, so she did not hold back. Everyone around them was startled. Isobel looked down at her school uniform and screamed, ¡°Harper, you lunatic!¡± Noticing that Isobel was ready to pull Harper''s hair, Celine quickly stood up and pushed Harper aside. Isobel suddenly flew into a rage and yanked Harper''s hair. Seeing that, Celine pushed Isobel away, but thetter retaliated and kicked the former. Harper had been trying to suppress her anger. When she saw Isobel kick Celine, however, she instantly became furious. ¡°Why did you kick Cece? D*mn you!¡± With that, she charged forward and started scuffling with Isobel. Meanwhile, Rowen was ying basketball when someone ran over and shouted, ¡°Rowen, a fight broke out between Harper and Isobel!¡± He furrowed his brows but ignored thement. Then, the person added, ¡°Celine is also involved in the fight!¡± Chapter 691 Shout If You Want Chapter 691 Shout If You Want When Rowen rushed over, Celine was standing in front of Harper and being sandwiched between Isobel and Harper. Isobel was tugging at Celine''s school uniform, while Harper was pulling at Isobel''s hand. The scene was incredibly chaotic. Celine''s height of a hundred and sixty, whenpared to Isobel and Harper, made her look like the filling in a sandwich cookie. Harper was afraid of hurting Celine, so she didn''t dare to use too much force. But it was different with Isobel. Perhaps Isobel had noticed this point. She fiercely pulled at Celine. Upon seeing Rowen arrive, Harper quickly shouted, ¡°Rowen, hurry up and pull Cece away!¡± Isobel was really despicable and purposely aimed her attacks on Celine. Rowen ran over directly, pulling Celine out from between the two people with one swift move. ¡°They''re fighting. What are you doing getting involved?¡± Celine was already bewildered when she was suddenly pulled out. Rowen''s voice was still very cold when he said these words. Hearing this, her face instantly turned pale. ¡°F-Fighting will result in a demerit.¡± Celine didn''t want Harper to get a demerit. Rowen lowered his head and saw Celine''s pale face, then his expression stiffening slightly. ¡°Did your attempt to break up the fight work? Why are you trying to intervene at a time like this instead of seeking a teacher?¡± After Rowen finished speaking, he turned to Irving at his side. ¡°What are you waiting for? Go call the teacher over!¡± After Celine was dragged out of the battlefield by Rowen, Harper had no reservations. She first kicked Isobel. Isobel winced in pain and grabbed Harper''s wrist. They both tugged at each other''s clothes, resulting in a chaotic fight. The two girls'' actions couldn''t really be considered a fight. Upon hearing Rowen asking Irving to call a teacher over, Celine quickly grabbed Rowen''s hand. ¡°Rowie, don''t call the teacher over. You can''t call the teacher over!¡± Isobel was the first to start the fight, but Harper fought back. Thus, the two of them would still be considered fighting. If themotion led to both of them being physically punished by the teacher, Harper would even be given a demerit, and she might even have to make a public apology in front of the entire school. Having a soft palm suddenly pressed against the back of his hand, Rowen''s throat bobbed. ¡°What else can we do if I don''t call the teacher over?¡± ¡°L-Let the ssmates pull them apart. That''ll be fine,¡± Celine said. Seeing the pleading look in Celine''s eyes, Rowen found it impossible to refuse. ¡°Irving, go and pull Isobel away.¡± After Rowen finished speaking, he stepped forward and forcefully pulled Harper away. Harper was really getting into the fight. So, she was filled with annoyance when someone pulled her. ¡°Who the hell-¡± She turned around and found it was Rowen. Her face stiffened for a moment. ¡°What are you doing, Rowen?¡± Seeing the two of them separate, Celine quickly moved to shield Harper behind her. ¡°Enough, Harper, stop fighting. If you continue, we''ll have to call the teacher!¡± ¡°Go ahead and call a teacher over! I''m not afraid!¡± One must stand on one''s dignity. Harper refused to let it slide. Isobel was annoyed when Irving pulled her away, but after hearing Celine''s words, she felt a chill of fear. I don''t want a teacher to be called over. If today''s incident reached the teacher, the teacher would definitely call my parents. If the teacher called my parents, the teacher would definitely tell my mom why I fought with others. Then, Mom will find out about my feelings for Rowen. If Mom finds out I actually like a boy, she''ll surely beat me to death! The more Isobel thought about it, the more frightened she became. Upon hearing Harper''s words, she shivered all over. I don''t want a teacher to be called over at all! Celine knew Harper was speaking out of anger. ¡°Harper, calm down. If you call the teacher over, things will escte. If things escte, you''ll have to go on stage and make a public apology. Is that what you want?¡± Upon thinking about her uing public apology session on stage this Monday, Harper''s face changed slightly. She pouted. ¡°I don''t want to.¡± As Harper spoke, she nced at Isobel, ¡°But isn''t this letting her off too easily? She just kicked you!¡± N?velDrama.Org content rights. Harper remembered it all too well. Isobel was such a schemer. Knowing that Celine wouldn''t fight back, Isobel deliberately targeted Celine. Fearing that Harper would make a scene in front of the teacher, Isobel quickly retorted upon hearing her words, ¡°Didn''t you kick me, too?¡± ¡°This is between you and me! Why did you hit Cece?¡± Isobel knew she was in the wrong, so she lowered her head and stopped talking, pressing her lips together. She couldn''t beat Harper, so when Celine came over, she naturally took it out on Celine. Harper shot a nce at Isobel. Not far away, the physical education teacher, Jimmy Gilbert, was already being led over by the ssmates. Celine gave Harper a gentle tug. ¡°Mr. Gilbert is here, Harper. Remember not to speak out of turnter, okay?¡± Harper snorted coldly. ¡°What should I be afraid of? I''m not scared at all!¡± ¡°Be obedient, okay?¡± Knowing that Harper was being stubborn, Celine had no choice but to coax her a bit. After Harper listened to Celine''s gentle words, her heart softened considerably. Harper chuckled and said, ¡°All right, fine. I got it. I''ll listen to you.¡± As the two were engrossed in their conversation, Jimmy arrived. Sensing the situation, the other students instinctively moved aside to watch the unfolding drama. ¡°Did you guys have a fight?¡± Jimmy asked. He could tell at a nce who had been fighting. After all, it was clear from the attire of Harper, Celine, and Isobel. Afraid that Harper might admit to it, Isobel was the first to speak up. ¡°We didn''t fight, Mr. Gilbert.¡± Celine also spoke up. ¡°We didn''t fight, teacher.¡± Although Celine had only transferred here a little over two months ago, everyone knew that she usually had a very gentle temperament. Even Jimmy found it hard to believe that she had been in a fight. Although Harper was usually lively, she didn''t seem like someone who would get into fights. Now that two out of the three people have denied it, Jimmy had also figured out what''s going on. ¡°You''re all ssmates here. A little argument or a few harsh words are no big deal. There''s no need to resort to fighting. All right, go on and carry out your activities.¡± After Jimmy finished speaking, he left. Harper shot another re at Isobel. Isobel didn''t dare to continue messing around with Harper anymore. She felt that if she kept it up, Harper would probably take the matter to the teacher. After Jimmy left, Isobel quietly turned and headed for the restroom. The smoothie that had sttered on Harper''s school uniform was almost dry. Celine touched it lightly and said, ¡°Let''s go clean it up, Harper.¡± Harper nodded. ¡°Okay. She didn''t hurt you just now, did she?¡± Celine shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°She better not!¡± Rowen nced at Celine. ¡°You should also go fix your hair.¡± Upon hearing his words, Celine''s face instantly turned red, feeling quite embarrassed. ¡°I understand. You can continue with your basketball game, R-Rowen.¡± Celine usually called him ¡°Rowie.¡± She still felt a bit weird to address him by his real name in school suddenly. However, that day, Harper mentioned that the nickname ¡°Rowie¡± sounded a bit affectionate. After some thought, Celine decided not to call Rowen by that nickname in a setting like a school anymore. Rowen acknowledged with a response, then turned around and headed back to the basketball court. Chapter 692 Rowen Did It On Purpose Chapter 692 Rowen Did It On Purpose News of Harper''s fight with Isobel spread throughout the sophomore ss in no time. In the following sses, Harper wished nothing more than to tear Isobel apart. The smoothie that had stained the school uniform was difficult to wash off once it dried. The summer uniform was already thin, and it became see-through if it got a little wet. Harper couldn''t wash off the stain from the smoothie, and she could see it every time she looked down. The news reached Janice, who specifically called the two individuals out to the corridor for a discussion. Fortunately, despite her anger, Harper had be much calmer. She was no longer as stubborn as before. She didn''t admit to fighting, only confessing that she had a quarrel with Isobel after Isobel sshed her with the smoothie. Harper, standing next to Isobel, said the two had fought. Hearing Harper''s words, Isobel didn''t dare to say anything. Janice looked at Isobel and asked, ¡°Is what Harper said true?¡± Isobel nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes. I identally spilled some smoothie on her. We had a bit of an argument, but no, we didn''t fight, Ms. Strd.¡± Janice nced at Harper, then at Isobel. ¡°All right. In the future, for small matters, it''s better to give each other some leeway. What''s the use of quarreling? Now, the whole grade knows that you two had a fight during physical education ss, a fight that was so heated it couldn''t be resolved. Some people even said you two were physically fighting.¡± Harper kept her head down, not saying a word. Isobel also didn''t dare to speak. Janice spoke earnestly for a while, then fell silent. After all, both of them were girls. Even if they really fought, it would just be a bit of pushing and pulling. ¡°All right. Go back to ss,¡± Janice instructed. The moment Janice turned around and left, Harper red fiercely at Isobel. ¡°I''m warning you, Isobel. If you provoke me again, I won''t hesitate to bring up your past!¡± Harper was not one to dwell on the past. She used to be in the same ss as Isobel, and she knew all about Isobel''s affairs. But at that moment, they were both in their second year of high school and at a new school. Isobel had essentially started afresh, and Harper didn''t want to bring up the past. Isobel''s face stiffened. ¡°I don''t want to argue with you either. It''s embarrassing.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Isobel? Are you taking my kindness for granted?¡± Seeing that an argument was about to start again, Isobel quickly ran into the ssroom. Visibly upset, Harper returned to her seat. Just as Celine was about to go andfort her, Rowen suddenly tugged at her from the side. ¡°What does this word mean?¡± Celine had no choice but to shift her gaze back, and upon looking, she said, ¡°It''s a verb. It means hunting.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± No sooner had Rowen responded than the ss bell rang. Celine pursed her lips, waiting until after school tofort Harper. This was the final ss of the day, a biology lesson. The biology teacher disliked running overtime. As soon as the bell signaling the end of ss rang, she announced, ¡°ss dismissed.¡± It seemed that Isobel was scared of Harper. As soon as the ss ended, she grabbed her backpack and ran off. Rowen''s parents returned from their trip that day and came to the Lewis residence for dinner. Katherine instructed Rowen to tell Celine to return home early. So, after school, Rowen didn''t leave with Irving. He picked up his backpack and stood at the door, waiting for Celine. Celine quickly tidied up while Harper was moving at a snail''s pace. Rowen grew somewhat impatient. ¡°I''ll wait for you at the bike shed.¡± ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± Celine felt a bit embarrassed, but she knew that Harper was in a bad mood. Harper was doing it on purpose. She had noticed these past few days that Rowen was always subtly trying to prevent Celine from getting close to her. For instance, when they were going to school in the morning, they recently hadn''t eaten breakfast at home. They would buy milk on the way. At times, she would drink too fast and choke a bit because she hadn''t finished her toast. When she asked Celine to drink her milk, Rowen would immediately change the subject. The day before yesterday, when school was over, they met at the entrance of the mansionpound. Coincidentally, there was a vendor selling vored pretzel pieces nearby. She and Celine each ordered a different vor, nning to share half with each other. That way, each person could taste two vors. That kind of thing was normal among girls, but no sooner had she finished speaking to Celine than Rowen mockingly asked if she was short of money. In the end, to prevent the two of them from arguing, Celine bought six portions, two vors for each person. Before ss ended that very day, she had just argued with Isobel and stormed back. Needless to say, she noticed the understanding Celine was about toe over tofort her. But then, unexpectedly, Rowen started asking about Ustranasion vocabry. Hmph! I''ve never seen Rowen enjoy learning Ustranasion this much before! Right away, Harper knew Rowen did it on purpose. Harper had been daydreaming throughout the entire ss. Thinking about recent events, she found them both annoying and amusing. So, she deliberately took her time packing up. Rowen still stubbornly insists that he doesn''t like Cece. Let''s see how long Rowen can keep this up! As soon as Rowen left, Harper''s movements sped up considerably. ¡°Oh.¡± No sooner had Rowen responded than the ss bell rang. She quickly stuffed her homework into her backpack, zipped it up, and ran over to hug Celine. ¡°Cece, are Rowen''s parentsing over to your house for dinner tonight?¡± Celine nodded. ¡°Mrs. Lewis said that Rowie''s parents have just returned from a trip.¡± Harper had known Rowen for many years. Although they were not very close, she was familiar with Rowen''s family affairs. ¡°Rowen''s mother is so beautiful, and his father really loves her. Both of them are now retired and spend half of the year traveling around the world!¡± Listening to this, Celine felt a bit envious. ¡°Mr. Xenos and Mrs. Xenos really have a great rtionship!¡± ¡°Of course! Hey, take a good look at Mrs. Xenos tonight. She''s gorgeous. I remember back in junior high school, when Rowen''s mom came to pick him up once, a ssmate''s uncle thought she was Rowen''s sister. He even asked his nephew to get Rowen to give him her contact information. Rowen''s face turned dark on the spot, saying that she was his mom!¡± Celine blinked, thinking of Rowen''s face. She felt that Harper''s words were not exaggerated. As they chatted and walked downstairs, they had just left the ssroom building and circled back toward the bike shed when they ran into Leah. Leah had been practicing the piano for several years. She participated in apetition a few days prior, and it seemed like she secured a pretty good ranking. Just after returning, she heard about Harper getting into a fight. Leah was nning to tease her about it the next day, but unexpectedly, she ran into her right after school. Harper had just made a fool of herself. Thest person she wanted to encounter was someone she had a grudge against, especially Leah. Even though she no longer harbored any romantic feelings for Rowen, she had a bone to pick with Leah. Moreover, Harper couldn''t stand the pretentious demeanor of Leah. But fate had other ns, so they bumped into each other. Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Harper, I heard you had a fight with a ssmate. Are you hurt?¡± When Leah spoke, her words were of concern, but her tone was sarcastic. Harper rolled her eyes. ¡°Stop listening to rumors. When have I ever gotten into a fight? As for you, didn''t you say you''d definitely win over Rowen before Grade Twelfth? Have you seeded yet? I''m still waiting!¡± These words struck a painful chord in Leah, especially since everyone had been saying that Harper and Rowen had gotten together. Leah''s expression shifted slightly. ¡°I was just joking. Why take it so seriously? You like Rowen so much, so now that you''re together, you''ve got what you wished for.¡± Before Harper could speak, a familiar male voice came from the side. ¡°Who said we were a couple?¡± Chapter 693 Is Celine That Great Chapter 693 Is Celine That Great Upon hearing Rowen''s voice, Celine subconsciously nced toward the staircase entrance nearby. Rowen, who should have been in the car shed, came down from the staircase of those two buildings. He looked at Leah, and his brows furrowed in dissatisfaction. ¡°Who told you that?¡± Upon hearing Rowen''s words, Leah realized that there wasn''t much of a rtionship between Rowen and Harper. A smile spread across her face, but soon after, she felt incredibly awkward. She didn''t really believe these rumors, but recently, she had indeed often seen Rowen and Harper riding to school together. When Harper was pursuing Rowen in high school, people had already dug into Harper''s family background. They said that both of Harper''s parents were high-ranking executives in apany with an annual ie of over ten million. Although they were not as wealthy as the Xenos family, they were still much more formidable than the average person. Back then, some people would say that Harper and Rowen actually made quite a good match. Rowen was well-known for his good looks and affluent background. Harper was also quite attractive, and her family was fairly well-off. However, Leah knew it was different for her. Although her family''s circumstances were not bad, it was only valid whenpared to ordinary people. Leah''s mother was a bank manager. Her annual ie was roughly the same as what Harper''s mother would spend on a single handbag. Her father fared a bit better. He was a regional manager ofThis text is ? N?velDrama/.Org. an educational institution, earning a yearly ie of a million. Such family circumstances stood out among ordinary ssmates, but whenpared to Harper and then to Rowen, Leah''s family was just average. She had been fond of Rowen since their first year of high school, but she never dared to confess her feelings despite her friends constantly telling her that she was beautiful and talented, more than a good match for Rowen. Leah used to think the same way until the day she stood at the entrance of that mansion district, wanting to go in but was stopped by the guard. It was then she realized there were some social sses that simply cannot be crossed. From a young age, her mother had always instilled in her the importance of marrying a man from a well-off family. Leah had a much clearer and more realistic understanding regarding these matters than many other girls. She was both envious and admiring of Harper. These days, rumors about Harper and Rowen were flying around, making it hard for anyone not to believe them. So when she saw Harper earlier, she couldn''t help but voice these thoughts. She just didn''t expect Rowen to overhear them. Leah stood there, awkward and embarrassed. ¡°Lately, everyone''s been talking about how you two always go to and from school together, so...¡± She didn''t finish her sentence, but the people present weren''t fools. How could they not understand? Harper spat out in annoyance, ¡°Who''s been going to school anding home with him every day? I''ve been doing that with Cece! Are you all blind?¡± Right now, Harper felt that Rowen was not a good person at all, even having the audacity to vie with her for Celine. She didn''t want to have anything to do with Rowen, not even the slightest bit! Rowen scoffed, walking over to Celine. He nced down at Celine and said, ¡°The person who goes to school andes back with me is Celine. Why don''t you say that I''ve gotten together with Celine?¡± Celine was taken aback when she was suddenly put on the spot. As she listened to Rowen''s words, her face instantly turned red. She looked at Rowen in embarrassment and stammered, ¡°Y-you can''t just say things like that.¡± Rowen gave her a nce. ¡°There''s no shortage of people talking nonsense these days.¡± Leah stiffened slightly, knowing that Rowen was mocking her. ¡°I just heard it from others, I''m sorry.¡± After finishing her words, Leah looked at Rowen. Rowen was looking at Celine, his captivating eyes seemingly filled withughter. Leah was taken aback for a moment, somewhat incredulous. She nced again at Harper. Seeing her look over, Harper red back at her fiercely. Suddenly, Leah realized something, ¡°Rowen, you¡ª¡± ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Rowen frowned, showing a hint of impatience. Leah nced at Celine again, pursed her lips, and said, ¡°No, there''s nothing else. I''m sorry, I have to go now.¡± After she finished speaking, she turned around and fled in disarray. She had always believed that Rowen would never fall for Harper. She thought that as long as she became a bit more outstanding and put in a bit more effort, she could draw Rowen''s attention to herself. But now, she realized that everything was impossible. Her real rival wasn''t Harper. Rowen wouldn''t fall for Harper, but he wouldn''t fall for her either. Realizing this, Leah''s face turned pale in an instant. Harper found Leah rather odd and curled her lips in disdain. She tugged at Celine, saying, ¡°Let''s go, Cece!¡± A small tuft of hair was sticking up on Celine''s head. Rowen looked at it, feeling an itch in his palm, and couldn''t help but reach out to pat it down. Leah stood there, awkward and embarrassed. ¡°Lately, everyone''s been talking about how you two always go to and from school together, so...¡± Leah took a few steps, couldn''t help but look back, and happened to witness such a scene. She stumbled, nearly falling over. What is so great about Celine? Why would Rowen fall for a girl like this? She was timid and useless. If it weren''t for Harper protecting her, Celine would have been bullied by others long ago! Biting her teeth, Leah watched as the three figures receded further into the distance, her expression growing increasingly grim. She couldn''t figure out where she fell shortpared to Celine. From junior high to the second year of high school, countless boys from her school and others had pursued her. I''m so outstanding, why doesn''t Rowen like me? Celine suddenly felt a warmth on her head. She instinctively turned around and saw Rowen retracting his hand, looking somewhat puzzled. ¡°Rowie?¡± ¡°There was something in your hair. I''ve removed it.¡± Rowen, feeling unusually guilty, withdrew his hand, curling it slightly. Harper nced at Rowen, her heart clear as a mirror. She firmly pulled Celine to her other side. ¡°It''s gettingte. Let''s hurry up, Cece. Didn''t you guys say you wanted to get back early today?¡± Celine remembered this matter. Upon hearing Harper''s words, she instinctively started running with Harper. Rowen followed behind, feeling that Harper was really a nuisance. The trio took the street route instead of the main road. They exited from the school''s back gate, cut through an alley, rode across a park, and then joined the main road. This route was ten minutes faster than going directly from the school''s main entrance to the main road. Celine was strong, so cycling wasn''t a strenuous task for her. The road wasn''t conducive for conversation. Rowen led the way on his bike, with her following behind him and Harper trailing behind her. Celine could feel Rowen''s car speeding up. She couldn''t help but look back at Harper, only to find that she was not behind her. Looking back again, she saw Harper had not made it past the traffic light. Celine nced at Rowen ahead of her, too shy to call out to him. She had no choice but to pull over to the side by herself. After a minute, Harper crossed the road and came over. Rowen also returned, asking, ¡°Did you fall?¡± Celine shook her head, ¡°No, Rowie, you rode too fast. Harper couldn''t keep up.¡± Panting, Harper red at Rowen, ¡°Did you really have to ride so fast?¡± Rowen nced at her disdainfully. ¡°So weak.¡± Chapter 694 Elevating Her Standards In Choosing A Partner Chapter 694 Elevating Her Standards In Choosing A Partner After a short dy with the three of them, Celine and Rowen returned to the Lewis residence just as Sophia and Alexander had arrived. Parking the car, Celine followed behind Rowen as they went upstairs. It was Celine''s first time seeing Rowen''s mother, who was sitting on the couch chatting with Katherine. She wore a green Ferropenian-style dress and despite not wearing any makeup, she looked as stunning as if she were a celebrity. Katherine was quite particr about looks, and she had mentioned to Celine a couple of months ago when she first arrived at the Lewis residence that Rowen''s mother was incredibly attractive. Rumor had it that people had even approached Rowen''s mother when she was younger, suggesting she be a model or actress, but she had declined. Harper had also mentioned a couple of days ago that Rowen''s mother was exceptionally beautiful. Every time Celine looked at Rowen''s face, she thought about how handsome his parents must be. Seeing his mother now, Celine waspletely taken aback. Truly, she was breathtaking, like a fairy. While Celine was lost in thought, the fairy suddenly looked her way. ¡°Celine?¡± Not only was she beautiful, but her voice was also enchanting. Celine''s face immediately turned red. Katherine watched from the side, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Are you stunned by her beauty?¡± Celine was already blushing, and when she heard Katherine''s words, her face turned even redder. She stood there, feeling embarrassed, and couldn''t help but speak honestly, even though she felt awkward. ¡°Mrs. Xenos, you look very beautiful.¡± Sophia arched an eyebrow. ¡°What sweet words.¡± She nced at Katherine and smirked. ¡°You''ve got that trait too.¡± Katherine snorted and motioned Celine toe over. ¡°Celine,e see the gift!¡± Still carrying her backpack, Celine, without thinking much, walked over as Katherine beckoned. Just a couple of steps in, her backpack suddenly felt lighter. Celine blinked and turned to see Rowen holding onto the strap of her backpack. ¡°Rowen?¡± ¡°Give me the backpack. I''ll go upstairs.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Thanks, Rowen.¡± She handed her backpack to Rowen. He took it and headed upstairs. Sophia raised an eyebrow, watching her son''s departure thoughtfully. Her son being considerate was rare. Katherine, never one to miss a beat, noticed the dynamics too. Sophia''s gaze shifted, and she looked at Celine. By this point, Celine had already settled down beside Katherine. She was petite and quite shy. Her face was flushed, and her eyes wererge and bright when she looked at people. Yes, she does seem rather adorable. Celine could feel Sophia''s gaze on her. It caused her to instinctively sit up straighter, her hands at her sides tensing. Katherine passed the gift that Sophia brought to Celine. ¡°Celine, a gift from Mrs. Xenos. See if you like it.¡± Celine was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Xenos.¡± ¡°Just a small gift,¡± Sophia said with a gentle smile. She liked this young girl adopted by Katherine. Katherine was curious about what Sophia had given, noticing the rtivelyrge packaging. She called out, encouraging Celine to unwrap the gift. ¡°Quick, let''s see what it is.¡± Katherine nced at Sophia. ¡°Don''t tell me you''ve given her a set of Three-Year Past University Entrance Exams and Five-Year Mock University Entrance Exams materials?¡± Sophia chuckled at Katherine''s words. ¡°Those are a set of six books. Do you really think they''re this big?¡± Katherine thought for a moment and realized it made sense. While they spoke, Celine had carefully unwrapped the gift wrapping, revealing a gift box inside. Katherine was more excited than Celine herself. Celine opened the box, and when she saw the dress inside, she was momentarily stunned. Celine opened the box, and when she saw the dress inside, she was momentarily stunned. Katherine caught on. ¡°It''s a set of traditional Chanaean attire.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Oh, what''s the matter? Not to your liking?¡± Sophia teased. Celine quickly shook her head. ¡°The dress is beautiful, Mrs. Xenos.¡± Katherine unfolded the dress, about to suggest Celine try it on. But just then, Joshua and Alexander, who had been busy in the kitchen, began bringing dishes out. ¡°Dinner''s ready.¡± Upon hearing the voice, Celine instinctively looked toward the dining area. Her eyes fell on the tall man wearing a white casual shirt with a coffee-colored apron tied around him. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. While his features bore some resemnce to Rowen''s, it wasn''t a perfect match. Regardless of the resemnce, the man looked like he had stepped right out of a celebrity poster. At that moment, Rowen and Lewinn descended from upstairs. Rowen called out to the man, ¡°Dad.¡± It was then that Celine realized that this man was Rowen''s father. After Rowen greeted Alexander, he turned his head and looked at Celine. Celine quickly lowered her head, cing the dress back into the box. Katherine patted Celine''s shoulder. ¡°Remember, dear, in our household, it''s the men who do the cooking. When you''re looking for a boyfriend in the future, make sure to find someone better than Mr. Lewis and Mr. Xenos, okay?¡± Yes, she does seem rather adorable. Celine could feel Sophia''s gaze on her. It caused her to instinctively sit up straighter, her hands at her sides tensing. Celine''s face flushed. ¡°I understand, Mrs. Lewis.¡± Lewinn chuckled, finding the situation amusing. ¡°Mom, Celine is only fifteen. Why are you telling her all this?¡± ¡°To raise her standards for choosing a partner,¡± Katherine said, followed by a huff. ¡°The boys in school these days are getting naughtier. Every child is pampered by their parents. Why should our Celine settle for less?¡± Lewinn sighed in resignation, ncing at Celine who looked unsure of herself. He walked over to rescue her from Katherine''s grasp. ¡°Celine is smart! She won''t be easily swayed by young boys, right, Celine?¡± Celine looked up into Lewinn''s eyes and nodded solemnly. ¡°I know, Lewinn. The university entrance exam is what matters.¡± Lewinn was amused by Celine''s response, patting her head affectionately. ¡°Celine, you''re such a good girl.¡± Celine''s face reddened again, but she wasn''t joking. She had a clear understanding of what she should be focusing on at her age. The most important thing at this stage was her university entrance exam, and everything else had to take a back seat. Besides, she didn''t have any particr person she liked. Rowen, who was in the process of pulling out a chair, overheard their conversation. He nced at Celine and yfully raised an eyebrow, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Sitting on the couch, Sophia observed Rowen''s reaction and smiled knowingly, though she didn''t say anything. Noticing his mother''s gaze, Rowen momentarily stiffened. He looked somewhat guilty as he met Sophia''s eyes. She arched an eyebrow at him, then got up and headed to the bathroom to wash her hands. After dinner, the servants set up a barbecue grill in the backyard. As it was a rare Friday evening when both families were free to gather, eating a meal together wasn''t the only n. The Lewis family''s backyard included a swimming pool. Joshua and Alexander set up a projection screen and yed a movie. This was Celine''s first time attending a joint gathering of the Lewis and Xenos families. Both Rowen and Lewinn weren''t particrly talkative, and Celine, with her shy nature, spent most of her time grilling food by the barbecue. The night breeze was cool, but Celine''s face was flushed and her forehead glistened with sweat. She wiped it away with her hand. Rowen, who was nearby, suddenly asked her, ¡°Wanna y a game?¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!