《Single Mother: Struggling With The Dangerous CEO》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    It had been a dreary summer night, and the rain poured heavily as the air began to feel humid.


    On the rooftop of Ebony Hotel, a man was holding a woman in a threatening position as he slowly


    retreated towards the dangerous edge of the building.


    "Don''te any closer!" the man roared through the loud rain; his expression was almost like that of a


    lunatic.


    At that moment, Sophia felt like both the sky and the ground were spinning.She could feel the wind


    brushing her back.


    The man''s rapid breathing blew over her head, and his thick arms tightly strangled her neck.


    With every step he took, frightened screams erupted from the horrified onlookers.She knew why they


    were terrified.


    Falling from a high-rise building that scaled hundred of meters was enough for anyone to die in a


    horrific manner of their blood and flesh sttered on the ground below.


    The expressions on their faces changed rapidly.They looked at Sophia with sympathy or pity.Their eyes


    seemed to show that they had never thought that one day, one of the beloved lovers would be a


    ticking time bomb that would explode at any time.


    In contrast to their shock, she was remarkably calm.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Sophia was neither crying nor making a fuss.


    "He is likely to be having his honeymoon abroad by now.Even if you lose your life like this, it would


    mean nothing to him.Zack, listen to my advice.Let go.He will note for me"


    Sophia reasoned to her captor in a calm voice.


    However, the man refused to give up and was adamant about his n.


    "Shut up...Shut up! He wille.He will definitelye''¡¯ Zack''s arm tightened around her neck.


    He turned his attention back to the people in front of them who were slowly trying to approach.


    "Step back! Step back, all of you! Or I will take her down with me right now!"


    The policemen quickly stepped back when they heard this.


    They patiently tried to defuse the situation and said, "Zack, calm down.If the business fails, we can


    start again.There''s still hope for another chance if we stay"


    Zack shook his head and roared, "That''s impossible! I have nothing...Stop trying to feed me with lies!


    I''m sick and tired of hearing them! Hurry and call Patrick! Now!"


    As he spoke, he took a step back in rage.


    Seeing the faces of the crowd turning more horrified, Zack looked even angrier.He dragged Sophia


    along as he continued to retreat.


    As cold as the endless darkness of the night, the wind continued to howl from behind them.


    The rain was still pouring heavily as Sophia, and her captor stood faceoff with the authorities.The


    people could do nothing except watch in despair.


    Sophia closed her eyes and resigned to her fate as she waited for death to approach her.


    "Zack, don''t do anything impulsive..."


    Before Sophia could continue to speak, a man walked out of the shadows.


    The man''s slender figure was barely visible under the dim light of the streemps.


    He was holding a ck umbre that obscured his face in the shadows.


    "Mr.Evans, you are finally here!"


    The crowd eximed in crazed tion.


    Everyone made way for the man toe closer.


    When Zack saw who it was, heughed maniacally.His voice filled with the desire to seek his revenge.


    "Patrick Evans, because of you, my wife lost everything.Now, I will let you experience the pain of losing


    your wife and child."


    As he said this, his grip on Sophia tightened even more.


    The man took out a cigarette from his pocket and held it in his mouth.


    He lowered his head, his hands cupping around his mouth to shield the me of his lighter from the


    harsh winds.


    Then, smoke filled the air, and his eyes were indifferent as he shifted his attention back to them.


    "Sophia, didn''t I tell you to get rid of the child as soon as possible? If you had done so earlier, you


    wouldn''t be in this mess."


    The man turned his gaze to the man behind Sophia and said, "And he wouldn''t have thought about


    threatening me with two lives at stake"


    Zack''s eyes widened, his expression turning manic in disbelief.


    "Patrick Evans, you are fucking crazy!"


    Then, Zack took another step back.


    But they were both already at the very edge of the building with nowhere else to go.


    The wind blew on Sophia''s face.


    The harsh cold breeze, along with the sharp drops of rain, was stinging her skin, I but she still refused


    to shed a single tear.


    "There are still twenty minutes left¡± the man casually said.


    He approached a little closer; his voice was as elegant as a cello''s somber tune as his words floated in


    the air.The man brought his cigarette back up to his mouth.He took a deep breath and let the smoke


    float past his lips, the smell wrapping around Sophia and her captor.


    Zack stood in stunned silence as he dumbfoundedly stared at the man.


    The man smiled and casually yed with the wedding ring on the finger of his left hand.


    "I said, I still have twenty minutes left before my ne takes off.If you want to jump, please hurry up.I


    don''t have much time¡±


    At that moment, everything and everyone went quiet.


    Only the silent darkness of the night surrounded them.


    However, despite the utter silence, Sophia''s heart was thumping loudly in her ears.


    It was as if something heavy had crashed down onto her heart and shattered it.


    As though someone reached in to push the shards of her broken heart deeper, it made her bleed


    inside.


    Was it because of the pain in her heart? Or was it more than pain? Zack copsed and roared,


    "Impossible! How could you have this kind of reaction? You''re only pretending to make me look like a


    joke, right? Yes, that must be it"


    Sophia looked at the dark and dim face through the curtain of rain.


    Even though she knew the answer to the question, she still couldn''t help but ask.


    "Patrick, you...Have you ever loved me for even a second?"


    "No¡±


    His answer was curt and cold.


    "Well, Zack, did you hear that? He never loved me at all''¡¯ Sophia said as she smiled bitterly at the irony


    of the situation.


    She felt like her heart dropped to her stomach at his words.


    The wind whistled, and then there was the sense of weightlessness of her body falling rapidly.


    The whole world was spinning, and then it went calm.


    Five yearster.


    The summer rain in Frostford City was continuous, and the foggy mist on the window ss blurred the


    initially bright sunlight into a more bleak color.


    It was a new morning, and Sophia was gloriouslyte because she couldn''t sleep wellst night.


    After punching in at work, before she could even sit down at her desk, she was called over by her


    manager, Samuel Myers.


    Sophia walked into his office and asked, "Mr.Myers, are you looking for me?"


    Samuel smiled and nodded.He pointed to the chair opposite his office table.


    "Sit down, and let''s talk."


    It was the first time that Sophia''s manager called for her to talk alone.She felt slightly nervous, already


    anticipating the worst.


    "You should have heard of the Evans Enterprise, right?" Samuel asked, getting straight to the point.


    She was stunned for a few seconds before answering truthfully, "Yes, Garry is following themercial


    evaluation case""


    She did not only know this, but she also knew that the current leader of the Evans Group was Patrick


    Evans.


    The conglomerate he led was rated as a business giant in Frostford.


    Evans Group was a media Group, and the percentage of people reached by theirpany catered to


    78% of the entire city.


    Patrick Evans himself was regarded as a rare business genius in recent years in Frostford City.


    He stood at the top of the pyramid of the bourgeoisie and was famous for his decisiveness and


    strategies.


    However, who would have thought that someone as insignificant as her was once married to this


    legendary god-like man for five years.


    Sophia was brought out of her thoughts when she heard her boss Say, "Yes, Garry asked for a leave


    yesterday.He said that something had happened in his hometown and he would not be back for a


    while.On that note, you should continue to follow up on this business evaluation case.After this, we will


    triple your bonus"


    "Me?" Sophia eximed in disbelief.


    "Manager Myers, I can''t do it.I just got transferred back from the headquarters.I am not familiar with the


    domestic evaluation market at all."


    Sophia tried to reason her way out of his decision, but he was quick to interject her.


    "Hey, don''t hurriedly turn it down.Only when you put yourself in that position will you know whether you


    can do it or not.I think highly of you, Sophia"


    Samuel encouraged her.The implication was that she had no choice but to go

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Sophia''s mind was running a hundred miles per minute as she thought of a way to get the job done


    without any unnecessary problems.


    After taking two steps, Samuel seemed to have thought of something.


    He suddenly said, "By the way, I forgot to tell you that the marketing department of the Evans Group


    requires the evaluation consultant of the cooperativepany to participate in the new staff interview


    of their group.In other words, if you want toplete the evaluation work for these two months, you


    have to think about how to pass the interview of the Evans Group first."


    Hearing this, Sophia realized why Garry suddenly took an extended leave.


    Anyone from Frostford could attest to the borderline abnormal difficulty of the interview for Evans


    Group.


    Sophia also found it strange how such a big project was given to her since, ording to the


    qualifications, it shouldn''t be for her.


    Everyone knew that this kind of challenging big project was like a gamble, and if you did it well, you


    were likely to be a hit in the field, while on the contrary, you might also be infamous.


    Hence, Garry and other experienced people did not want to gamble with Evans Group.


    She wondered if she should also take an extended leave like Garry and push this project to the next


    poor, unsuspecting employee.


    But Sophia did not live afortable life like Garry.


    She was the only breadwinner of her family, so for the sake of her mother''s medicine and Emma''s


    tuition fees, she could only suppress the uneasiness in her heart and deal with what was toe.


    Time passed by quickly, and then it was already the afternoon.


    The clock on the wall indicated that it was already 5:00 PM.


    Sophia quickly turned off herputer and got off work.


    Perhaps it was because she hadn''t lived in Frostford City for a few years that she forgot to bring an


    umbre.


    She gritted her teeth and had to rush out of thepany building in the rain, rushing to pick up her


    daughter, Emma.


    When she arrived at the school''s entrance after she took the bus, she saw Emma alone by the school


    gates with her little bag on her back, looking very pitiful.


    The little girl had seen her mother from far away and thenughed at how disheveled she looked.


    "Mom.."


    Emma was mature for her age.She knew that her mother was busy with work, so she never


    comined whenever she would pick her upte.


    Sophia felt like the luckiest mother to have such a considerate daughter like Emma.


    Sophia walked over to pick up Emma and thanked the security guard for looking after her.


    During the days when she woulde back to this city, she was usually busy with work and had to


    take care of her sick mother.


    So Sophia was the first to send her child to school and thest person to pick her up almost every day.


    Fortunately, she had the help of the security guard every time.


    Otherwise, she had to spend more time picking up her daughter, which would affect her job.


    The sky had already cleared up on their way home.


    Sophia held Emma''s hand and slowly walked towards the bus station.She listened to Emma''s soft


    voice as she talked about what happened in school today.


    "Mom, I have a boyfriend today.I heard the teacher say that he looked just like his dad.She said that his


    dad was also a president of a bigpany.I heard that his family is very, very, very rich!"


    Emma''s vocabry was still quite limited, so she used her hands to make exaggerated


    gestures.Emma looked really cute and funny.Sophia couldn''t help butugh.


    Sophia felt the exhaustion escape her body because of her daughter''s adorable actions.She bent over


    and lovingly tapped her small nose, asking in amusement, "Is that so? Then what is his name?"


    "Quentin! His name is Quentin Evans" Emma said with a wide innocent smile.


    Sophia''s body stiffened as she felt her heart clench.


    Evans? The CEO of a bigpany? There weren''t many people with the surname Evans in this city,


    and there were even fewer wealthy presidents with the surname Evans.


    This made her think if it was Patrick Evans.


    But how could this be? The kindergarten Emma was studying at was just an ordinary public bilingual


    kindergarten.


    How could a child of a wealthy family take this kind of kindergarten? Sophia shook her head.


    Perhaps it was because he had deeply hurt her in the past that she felt nervous for no reason when


    she heard that particr surname.


    Perhaps she was just overthinking.


    Three dayster, Sophia had gone to Evans Group, where she took the interview.


    "First of all, congrattions to the seven of you for being able to participate in the third round of


    interviews at Evans Enterprise Media.This will also be the final interview.The topic this time is


    straightforward.I will ask you to answer one by one"


    The HR manager, ire Williams, held a straight face with no emotions.


    Just when everyone thought she was about to start asking questions, her expression immediately


    changed into rm as she lowered her head regarding the person who had just walked into the room.


    "President¡± she acknowledged the man respectfully.


    "Well..." Patrick replied coldly.


    The facial features of the man who was called president were distinct and chiseled.He wore an Italian


    handmade designer suit and leather shoes of the same color.His handsome face and stoic figure were


    all indicative of the elegance and nobility of a high-ranking person.


    "Has it started?" the man offhandedly asked the woman in charge as he strode further into the room.


    ire immediately shook her head and said, "Not yet, President."


    Then she quickly stood to the side to allow more room for the man.


    Patrick Evans took the resumes of today''s interviewees and swept his gazezily over them, his fingers


    casually flipping through the pages.


    When he flipped to the seventh page, his body froze, and his fingers were suspended over the page''s


    edge.


    Then, he asked the interviewees casually, "What shorings do you guys think you have?"


    The interviewees present had delicate makeup and wore well-dressed clothes.


    After hearing the president''s question, not only did they not show any signs of nervousness, but they


    were able to answer calmly.


    "The workce is like a battlefield.We can see winning and losing, even the superior and inferiors,


    every day.I think my biggest shoring is that I do not easily admit defeat.I dare to try anything, and I


    am always willing to try...


    The interviewee''s few words both praised the Group''s hiring quality and spoke of his awe for the future


    while also expressing his own daring spirit.


    Just like that, all the other interviewees listed their own shorings.


    But they eloquently rted their weaknesses to their strengths.


    Each one of them had potential based on their airtight answers.Sophia stood uneasily at the end of the


    line as the person next to her was almost done.


    She did not expect that Patrick would personally oversee the interview.


    He seemed to change a lot and also became more mature and restrained after those five years.


    Perhaps the only thing that hadn''t changed was his face that was as fascinating as before.


    She had thought that she could be indifferent and looked perfectly calm when she saw him again, but


    she had overestimated herself.


    Sophia did her best to calm herself down despite her nervousness.


    Patrick was the kind of person who would forget about a person''s existence the next second.


    They hadn''t seen each other for five years, and perhaps he had long forgotten her name.


    There was really no reason to be nervous.


    But at that moment, Patrick''s gaze seemed to faintly sweep over her direction, unexpectedly causing


    her palm to sweat instantly.


    It turned out that even though five years had already passed, he still could weaken her with just a


    nce.


    Sophia wanted to escape, but she had nowhere to hide.She knew that if she didn''t pass this interview,


    everything would be for nothing.


    Since she had alreadye this far, she could not fall back.


    "I am veryzy"


    After a long time, as the person rankedst, she took a stiff step forward and answered.


    Patrick looked up and said, "Oh, besides beingzy, what other shorings do you have?"


    He seemed to have given her a chance to answer again.He didn''t seem to recognize her as she had


    expected.


    Sophia replied, "I am persistent"


    Patrick raised an unimpressed brow and asked, "Is that supposed to be a shoring?"


    The other interviewees looked at each other and snickered amongst themselves.They thought Sophia''s


    answer was kind of self-ttering.


    "Give me an example.What did you do to reflect your persistence?"


    Patrick returned the file in his hand to ire.He seemed to show interest in her answer finally.


    Sophia took a deep breath as she stated, "Men!"


    Sophia''s chest rose and fell at a fast pace as she huffed air.


    Hearing Sophia''s answer, everyone almost made a sound of surprise.


    Even ire, who was always serious and mean, changed her expression as if she thought Sophia''s


    answer was inappropriate.


    "Go on¡± Patrick goaded Sophia with an interesting glint in his eyes.


    Looking fearlessly at Patrick, Sophia gathered her emotions and said, "I once pursued a man for five


    years and finally ended up with him¡±


    "What about now?" he asked.


    Sophia watched his reaction as she said, "We separated."


    Her determination wavered, and she lowered her eyes to the floor.She couldn''t act as calmly as


    Patrick.When she had mentioned the past, her feelings wereplicated.


    "So this is your example of persistence."


    Patrick only smiled faintly at her, but she couldn''t see it because she still had her eyes downcast.He


    opened his lips but then changed his mind at thest second and clenched his jaw instead.His sharp


    features were intimidating to others, making them feel inferior.His voice was almost cold, and there was


    a hint of ridicule in his words.


    Patrick seemed to be dissatisfied with her answer but chose not toment on it.He turned to look at


    the HR personnel to address her.


    "Continue, he instructed ire expressionlessly.After Patrick''s figure disappeared, the other


    interviewees couldn''t help but snicker at Sophia again.Though this time, they made no effort in trying to


    hide it.¡± Sophia thought that she was smart and wanted to use this kind of unexpected answer to win


    the attention of the president, but Patrick''s reaction seemed to prove she was wrong; thought the other


    interviewees rather smugly.


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    Sophia thought that she messed up the interview and was sure that she didn''t pass, so imagine her


    surprise when she received a phone call from ire the following day.


    "Miss Hill, please report to Evans Enterprise Media on time at eight o''clock tomorrow morning.In


    addition, the president asked me to tell you that not every persistence can represent love, especially


    the persistence of giving up halfway."

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Sophia felt appalled after hearing what Patrick wanted to say but chose to ask ire to deliver his


    message instead.


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    Patrick was still the same as he was five years ago.


    Even if he said something bad about someone, he could still say it so subtly.


    His word had always easily put all of one''s efforts to hell, negating all of them.


    Sophia took a deep breath to calm herself down before replying, "Then, Miss Williams, please tell the


    president that being young and naive is the only exnation for my persistence."


    Yes, when she had been young and naive, she would chase after him for five years without caring


    about the consequences.


    It wasn''t until muchter that she realized that he had another woman in his heart.


    But she still chose to be the moth to his me as she willingly epted her role as a bystander in their


    rtionship.


    In the end, what she got in return was his unapologetic dismissal of their shared past.


    Now, she didn''t want to get her hopes up and end up hurting herself for the second time.


    The past was already in the past, and the current Sophia had already lost her pride and arrogance.


    She lived a mediocre and peaceful life, just like the majority of the poption.


    Now, her only hope for the future was to have a stable life and to earn more money so she could afford


    to give Emma a better life so that her mother''s illness could stabilize a little.


    She sealed her desires and pointless hopes tightly in her heart, and the rest, she just treated it as a


    wild and absurd dream in her youth.


    Her dream of a fairy tale romance was long gone; the magic slowly faded away with time.


    The next day, she officially stepped into the building of Evans Enterprise Media as a temporary


    employee.


    Sophia looked around at the sleek interior of the building in awe as she made her way to the data


    center evaluation department.


    The manager, Lianna, was wearing a fashionable ck suit with thick makeup and red lips.


    She stood in front of everyone with her back straightened as she held the morning meeting.


    "This month''s performance has been deficient.Was I being too lenient with everybody? Do you think it


    is eptable if you arrivete then leave at an earlier time? If you only have this kind of working


    attitude, then I am sorry.The Evans Group will not keep such an employee.Please think about it if you


    guys did enough work, or do you just want to get your sry without any performance?"


    Lianna walked back and forth in her seven-centimeter high heels.


    When she spoke to the point of excitement, she had almost used all of her body movements and


    gestures to make her points.


    The atmosphere in the evaluation department was gloomy.


    The employees of the evaluation department were almost all women.


    Such as the popr saying goes, "Females are always starting the drama"


    When there were more than twenty women in one department, the working environment would be


    nothing more thanpeting for fame and profit every day.


    Thepetition was between women who wanted to see who dressed better and who wore the prettier


    makeup.


    The people from thework engineering department once joked that every time they came to the


    evaluation department, they would get suffocated by the smell of perfume and wouldn''t be able to smell


    anything for a week.


    These words had been 60% exaggerated and 40% truth.


    Sophia was the only external transfer employee here.


    She already anticipated that the petty chores like buying drinks, recing the water dispenser, cleaning


    the office, and running small errands would naturally be her responsibility.


    To prove her prediction, Lianna sent her to the General Manager''s office to get a document as soon as


    she finished the morning meeting.


    The General Manager''s office was on the top floor of the building, the same as where the President''s


    office was, but on the other side of the floor.


    Unfortunately for Sophia, she had an abysmal sense of direction.


    Lianna told Sophia to exit the elevator and then go left, and the innermost door was the General


    Manager''s office.But she couldn''t tell which side of the floor was east at all.She was a directionless idiot


    who could only distinguish left and right after leaving the house.


    Sophia looked around, hoping to ask someone for direction.But the corridor was tranquil, and there was


    no one to ask.She couldn''t just walk around randomly, but she couldn''t go back and ask Lianna, either.


    Fortunately, one of the doors swung open at that moment, and a man in a suit walked out.She quickly


    stepped forward and asked, "Excuse me, sir"


    The man kept his gaze down at the file in his hand before he hurried away.He didn''t even hear her


    finish asking and casually pointed to the direction behind him.


    Sophia instantly felt relieved.


    "Thank you!" she called after the man, but she doubted he even heard her.


    Sophia was amazed at how easily she had gotten to the top floor.


    She lightly knocked on the pearwood door of the nearest office she found, not even ncing at the


    words on the door to distinguish whether they read the General Administration Office or the President


    Office.


    She pushed the door open and entered.


    "Hello, Ms.Parson asked me to..."


    Several people who were signing contracts looked at her simultaneously, and one of them had a sharp


    re in his eyes.


    Sophia didn''t remember how she exited the room.She only knew that she kept saying sorry over and


    over again.


    Sophia was afraid that she had interrupted a severely important contract signing.


    Even if she lost her life, she wouldn''t be able to pay back the losses they would have if that contract fell


    through.


    In the end, Lianna was also summoned to the President''s office because of Sophia''s mistake.


    "Sophia, are you an idiot? You have been a working adult for a few years already, but you still managed


    to make this kind of inconvenient mistake.Didn''t you see the words written on the door? Or do you not


    even know how to read English?"


    Sophia lowered her head in embarrassment.It was the first time she had been scolded badly by her


    immediate superior.She couldn''t even say anything to defend herself.


    Sophia felt annoyed with herself.


    It was all because of this damnck of direction that got her in trouble.


    While Lianna scolded her, several men in suits at the end of the corridor suddenly walked out.


    Patrick, who was walking in the front, had one hand in his pocket.His eyes were indifferent, and his


    footsteps were heavy.He did not stop despite the numerous people crowding in the corridor.


    Behind him was his assistant, John Ward.


    John nced curiously at Sophia, who had her head lowered.


    Upon seeing her face, he was puzzled.He seemed to have seen this woman somewhere before.


    Then, it dawned on him; he had seen a picture of this woman in the President''s phone.But he was still


    unsure.


    "Sophia, did I not tell you clearly, or were you just not listening?"


    Lianna continued to scold her aggressively.She did not even bother restraining herself despite the


    group president, Patrick''s presence.


    "Are you so stupid to not even distinguish north, south, east, and west?"


    Patrick''s figure was getting closer and closer until he was just by Sophia''s side, but then, he passed by


    just like that.


    Sophia''s eyes watered in disappointment.


    To prevent him from seeing the sad expression she had on her face, she lowered her head even more.


    Even so, she could still feel his powerful presence as he walked by.


    The spotless ck leather shoes stepped on the high velvet carpet and seemed to make a sound.


    Every step he took was like a stomp on her heart.


    Five yearster, he was still in a high position and had control of the Evans Group, but on the contrary,


    Sophia had to be busy working every day to earn a living.


    It was six o''clock in the evening when Sophia decided to go to a coffee shop and catch up with her best


    friend.


    "No way! So you''re saying he didn''t recognize you? You were together with him for five years! He is too


    heartless."


    In the coffee shop, her best friend, Fiona Sheepe,ined loudly, feeling unhappy for her.


    "This is not the first time you heard of his ruthlessness."


    Sophia shrugged her shoulders as if she didn''t feel hurt on the inside by his behavior.


    When he had forced her to abort the child in her belly back then, she already lost all hope that he''d


    be a changed man.


    In the past few years, to support her family, she couldn''t even eat a mouthful of food when she was


    busy, let alone put on makeup.


    Sometimes, she almost couldn''t recognize herself.


    It was no wonder that he also didn''t recognize her when he had seen countless people.


    Moreover, it had been five years since theyst saw each other.


    It was neither long nor short, but it was just enough to forget a person.


    Fiona had been Sophia''s friend for many years.


    Fiona was very clear about Sophia''s love experience.


    Sometimes, she often wondered if she could find another woman in this world who was as silly and


    persistent as Sophia.


    "To be honest, if you had a chance to turn back time where I let you know beforehand that your cousin


    is the one he loves, would you still fall in love with him?"


    Fiona looked at Sophia with sad eyes.


    Sophia didn''t want to answer, so she opted by saying, "There are no ifs in this world."


    For the sake of the conversation, let''s just pretend there is, Fiona pressed.Sophia stirred her coffee


    with her spoon absentmindedly.


    "Who knows.No one can stop a fool in love.This was Sophia, a fool in a five-year-long unrequited


    love.Fiona wanted to crack open her best friend''s head to see if something was wrong with her, but she


    held back.It was her fault when she chose to ask Sophia.Fiona sighed before deciding that the best


    course of action would be to change the topic.


    "By the way, I have contacted the part-time job hiring you asked me to contact.If you have time, you


    can be on duty this Friday."


    "Thanks."


    Sophia smiled happily.


    Fiona was just about to throw things over toin about her politeness when Sophia''s cellphone on


    the table began to ring.


    It was her mother, Maria Hill''s number.


    Sophia made a shushing gesture to Fiona and picked up the call.


    Her mother''s voice spoke through the phone, "Sweetheart, why haven''t youe back yet? Didn''t we


    agree that you are going to that blind date today?"

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    Sophia had to find an excuse to reply to her mother.


    "I just arrived at a newpany, and I need to spend more time to get familiar with the work and


    environment.Moreover, I am new in thepany, though it''s time to get off of work; if my superior


    doesn''t leave yet, then I can''t leave too"


    Maria also understood that her daughter was between a rock and a hard ce in the job.


    "Well, then, I will help you reschedule it for another day.Make sure youe home straight after work


    that day"


    Sophia tried to stifle a smile at her mother''s antics.


    "Sure, mom.¡± After hanging up the phone, Fiona rubbed her heart over her chest.


    "Your mother doesn''t know anything, right? Why does she keep calling you to know what you were


    doing when you didn''te home after work?"


    Fiona paused for a moment to think before she continued, "But then again, are you really going to go


    along with your mother''s arrangements for a blind date andpletely forget that god awful ex-


    husband of yours?"


    The expression on Sophia''s face didn''t change much.


    "He''s a person that I should have forgotten a long time ago.Besides, you said that he was awful.Why


    would I still be thinking about him?"


    "Yes, that''s right!" Fiona agreed wholeheartedly.


    But Sophia knew that despite what she said, it was not that easy to do.


    Unknowing to the two women, two men were sitting beside their coffee table not too far from them.


    One of them was so attractive that everyone would pay attention to him even if they had just passed by


    him.


    Even those who had seen many handsome men would also be attracted to him.His appearance


    couldn''t help but make everyone sigh at the unfairness of God.His facial features were sharp and


    chiseled.He was inexplicably handsome.He tightly pursed his lips as he sat there in brooding


    silence.He gave off a sense of a professional businessman.


    "President Evans, this contract..." The other man wiped the sweat from his brow in nervousness.


    Patrick merely smiled and did not say anything.


    The man knew that Patrick was an expert in psychological negotiation, so he would not readily reveal


    his thoughts.He could only tentatively ask questions.


    "We will meet again next week for an auspicious meeting¡± Patrick suddenly announced.


    He abruptly stood up and closed the button of his suit.


    Hoping not toe off as rude, he promptly ended their meeting and walked out of the coffee shop.


    It was not until Patrick was far away that the man still seated at the table came back to his senses and


    scratched his head anxiously.


    ¡®''That man was tough to deal with; the man who just talked to Patrick thought to himself.It was tough to


    negotiate a contract with Patrick¡± he had to be cautious every minute because he couldn''t afford to


    offend Patrick easily.


    The man felt annoyed.


    When would he be able to sign this contract? He remembered that the atmosphere was excellent at the


    beginning of their meeting.


    Why did it seem like he had suddenly be cold when the two women at the table next to them had


    left? Was he perhaps imagining things? When she returned to their rented apartment in the evening,


    Sophia barged into the room and immediately copsed on the bed.


    She thought that today might be the most miserable day in her life.


    Not only was she scolded by her superior, but she was also evidently ignored by her ex-husband.


    Just thinking about it made her feel hurt.


    Suddenly, the sound of knocking interrupted Sophia''s thoughts.


    Someone was knocking on the door outside the room.


    "Sweetie, are you asleep?" her mother, Maria, asked from outside the door.


    "Not yet.Come in, Mom" Sophia said, forcing back the tears in her eyes.


    Maria pushed open the door with a ss of lemonade in her hands.


    "The summer heat is bing unbearable nowadays.Drink some iced lemonade to cool off."


    Sophia gave her mom a gentle smile and took the ss from her hands.


    Her mother settled down at the foot of her bed, and then she took out two lists and ced them on


    Sophia''sp.


    "This is the bill given by Emma''s teacher.She said that it was the fee for the second half of the


    year.Also, I need to buy medication for my heart.Do you have enough?"


    Sophia calcted that it was barely enough, but she did not have the heart to tell her mother the truth.


    "Yes, I have enough.I found a part-time job this weekend"


    Maria nodded, though she could not help but nag, "I told you to find aman quickly.You keep dragging


    things out.At this point, you will be exhausted from raising your own family.You just have to hang


    on.Hurry up and drink the lemonade, and then you should go to bed early"


    Her mother did not seem to notice her sad disposition.She was just d to see her mother in


    somewhat high spirits, so she didn''t bother exining.


    Sophia nodded and said, "Got it"


    Five years ago, Fiona had rushed her to the hospital just in time before she almost had a miscarriage.


    Fortunately, the child was saved.Her mother had opposed her being together with Patrick in the


    beginning.


    After learning that her cousin liked him, her objection towards their rtionship was more persistent.


    Since Sophia was a child, her mother had favored her older cousin more than her.So her mother had


    strongly urged her to abort the child.


    At that time, she was weak because of her pregnancy.


    But for the sake of the child, she knelt in front of her mother almost every day.She begged her to let her


    keep the child.She had just gone through a divorce, but she did not care about anything else except the


    child in her womb.


    After begging for days, Maria had finally agreed to her request, but she asked Sophia not to have


    anything to do with that man.


    Sophia promised her mother that she would listen to whatever she said as long as she could keep the


    child.Her mother did not break her promise and helped her keep the child using her connections with


    other people.


    However, her mother was worried about her day and night despite having a severe heart problem


    herself.


    When Sophia thought back to that night, she felt like her mother was the one who felt the most guilt.


    During the past few nights, Sophia kept having nightmares, and she almost had no energy to work


    during the day.


    While at work, she also felt uneasy.She was not worried about Lianna taking revenge on her because


    of her mistake on that day.She understood that Lianna was a thoroughly professional woman.


    Although she was picky about her subordinates, it was not to the extent that she could not distinguish


    between work and private.


    She was apprehensive about whether the contract had been smoothly carried out or not and whether it


    would have any setbacks because of her intrusion.


    As the saying goes, bad news traveled fast.


    Her colleagues in the evaluation department often gossiped, betting on when she would be sent back


    and whether she would lose her job because of this.


    Anyway, it was just to watch the show, and it was not a big deal.


    Initially, she nned to finish the evaluation case while keeping a low profile and then leaving quickly.


    But she didn''t expect that there would be so much inconvenience in the middle of her temporary


    employment.


    The whole situation made Sophia''s head throb with a terrible headache.


    Rumors began to spread like wildfire, but the truth couldn''t have been farther from it.


    Fortunately, there was no sign of action from the upper management, making her feel at ease.


    Sophia swore that she needed to be more careful in everything and not be as reckless as before.


    Later that day, Sophia had just finished the morning meeting when she received a call from Samuel.


    "Sophia, you have been in Evans Group for almost a week.You should be familiar with the content of


    the evaluation case, right? I wille over in a while, and you will personally exin the evaluation


    case for us.I also heard the news that Mr.Evans will also attend.


    This news shows that he still values ourpany''s evaluation case very much, so you must perform


    well.


    Sophia was ovee with cold nerves.


    She was caught in a situation where she was unprepared.


    It would be the first time for her to present an evaluation case alone after returning to the country.


    It was inevitable for her to feel nervous.


    After preparing the necessary documents that she needed, Sophia rushed to the conference room


    without stopping.


    Since she was the main speaker, she reviewed her materials from beginning to end to avoid any


    blunders in the presentation process brought by her nervousness.


    The people participating in the meeting came at the appointed time.


    Sophia clenched her fists as she tried her best to calm herself down.


    Samuel and Lianna came in almost at the same time, nodding at each other.


    As the time for Sophia to start her presentation was getting closer, her heart was also beating faster.


    Maybe it was because she had a good hearing, or she might have been familiar with the sound, but


    she heard Patrick''s distinctive footsteps as he approached the conference room.


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    A momentter, he pushed the door open and came in.


    The people within the room stood up to greet him respectfully.


    Patrick came into the meeting room on time.


    Sophia didn''t know if it was intentional or not, but he picked the seat opposite her and sat down.She


    could see him as soon as she looked up.


    After Patrick sat down, everyone also sat down one after another.


    Lianna announced, "We can start now.¡±


    Sophia nodded and began her presentation.


    "Hello everyone, I am Sophia, an employee of the data evaluation department.The evaluation case I


    will present today is about the value of the food development field in the media market.."


    Half an hourter, Sophia sessfully finished her presentation.


    She turned back to address the people in the room with a graceful smile.


    "Thank you for listening.That ends my report on the evaluation.If there are points that need further


    improvement, I would highly appreciate suggestions."

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Sophia made a humble remark, indicating the end of her presentation.Since it was an analysis report


    about the food field, Sophia had little exposure to it, but thankfully, she was well prepared.She


    performed well and finished the presentation very smoothly.


    Patrick, who was seated across from her and should have been concentrating on the presentation, was


    intensely staring at her as if sizing her up.


    This caught Lianna''s attention when she lifted her eyes.She was also quite surprised by the intensity of


    Patrick''s gaze on Sophia.She silently wondered, ''Could it be that the President knew Sophia?'' Then,


    she remembered ire''s detailed summary of what happened during that interview.She emphasized


    Sophia''sck of confidence when answering Patrick''s questions.


    Strictly speaking, given the high qualification for this position, she had no way of passing the interview.


    Unless...


    Quite intrigued, Lianna inquisitively gazed at Patrick and Sophia and scrutinized every subtle


    movement they made that might convey the rtionship between them.


    Samuel suddenly interrupted the pervading silence inside the conference room by asking, "President


    Evans, Manager Parson, what do you think of this analysis report?"


    Having been in the workce for some time, Lianna naturally wouldn''t steal the spotlight from her


    superior, so she simply kept her silence and let him speak.


    Patrick began indifferently, "Miss Miller, this analysis¡­¡±


    Deep inside, Sophia felt embarrassed, but she still politely interrupted him by saying, "I apologize for


    interrupting President Evans, but my surname is Hill"


    Then, she deeply looked at him as if trying to figure out whether he was just pretending or he had truly


    forgotten about her.


    Patrick was not flustered when he heard this.


    Even his expressions didn''t change for a bit.


    Upon sensing her prating gaze, his eyes moved slowly towards hers.


    There was an obvious contempt in his eyes, though he tried to conceal it with his gentle smile.


    Only then did Sophia truly understand that even though he clearly remembered her, he was doing this


    method to draw a line between them and simply remind her of her position.


    Since that was what he intended to do, then she''d willinglyply.


    After all, she was just a stranger to him.


    While he appeared to be enlightened when he heard of this, anyone in the conference room could feel


    hisck of interest when he carelessly continued, "Oh, so your surname is Hill.Then, I''m sorry, Miss


    Hill, but I am not quite pleased with this analysis report."


    He paused and then ordered Lianna, "Lianna, carefully analyze it for Miss Hill and make sure she


    knows why we''re not satisfied with it"


    Sophia could discern the insincerity behind his words, but she had no right to question him.She could


    do nothing but only ept the ming nces from Samuel.


    After saying this, Patrick, with a calm yet emotionless expression on his face, didn''t even bother to look


    back as he unhurriedly strode out.


    Under his solid mask, one could never know how many hidden thoughts he had nor how profound they


    were.


    Who could perceive it? The people in the conference room had nothing else to do, so they also left.


    Only Lianna and Samuel remained.


    Lianna started to pack her things on the table and bluntly said, "As a certified data analyst, if you can


    onlye up with such a poor proposal, then I apologize; I''m afraid our cooperation will have to end


    here."


    Although Lianna''s mouth was poisonous, Sophia clearly understood that in argepany, no one


    would be willing to adjust to your growth.


    You only had yourself to rely on, and you had to make sure you had apetitive advantage to stand


    amongst others.


    Otherwise, you would likely be eliminated.


    Samuel''s demeanor shifted when he realized the weight of the situation.


    He seriously said, "Sophia, this analysis report is rted to the sess of our department for the next


    six months, so you have to try your best to meet their demands, understand?"


    Sophia was embarrassed but had no choice but toply.


    Only when Samuel was in thefort of his car did he loosen his tie, noting how his palms were


    profusely sweating.


    He had also been in the business world for several years, but he had never seen such a formidable


    businessman like Patrick.


    Every word and every action of Patrick seemed to be profound but also seemed unintentional.


    Samuel couldn''t guess even a little.


    Samuel put Sophia in charge of this because of the urgency of this report.


    If Sophia screwed this up, he couldn''t guarantee that he wouldn''t lose his job.


    But what could he do? Those professionals in thepany who could be mobilized had a lot of work


    on their hands.


    Furthermore, the job in Evans Company was not something that ordinary people were willing to ept.


    Definitely, he would not be able to find someone to handle this analysis report in such a short period if it


    hadn''t been for Sophia, who was timid and easy to bully.


    He sighed.


    "Let''s go."


    Samuel pondered for a bit but realized that he had no choice but to simply ept their current


    dilemma.


    Meanwhile, in the president''s office of the Evans Group.


    Assistant John put a few documents to be signed on the desk.


    "Mr.Evans, this is a promotion n that anotherpany sent to us, and Sophia''s detailed information


    you asked for is here too"


    "Hey, no wonder she seems familiar.Isn''t she your ex-wife? She has no means of surviving in this harsh


    world, so she used work as an excuse to get closed to you, her ex-husband?"


    John yfully taunted him.


    Patrick asked coldly, "You have a lot of work to do, but you also have the time to make fun of me? "


    John felt sheepish.


    Just now, he could feel the frigid air surrounding him.He tried to conceal it by chuckling.


    "No, no, I''m just curious.."


    After working for Patrick for so many years, John often wondered what pushed a clever guy like him to


    marry a woman he didn''t love and could still tolerate her for five years.


    Furthermore, after five years of divorce, his ex-wife could still appear in front of him, so it was his


    choice not to chase her away.


    Considering the situation from two days earlier, Patrick definitely went to great lengths for her.


    Usually, he would not allow such a person to be in thepany.


    It was totally out of his character to prioritize a woman over his business.


    Thus, John was quite interested in what games Patrick was ying.


    "Do you remember what you are here for? Have you brought the advertising n of Hurricane Group?"


    John regained hisposure and serious expression as he passed the document to Patrick.


    Patrick stretched out his hand to take it.


    He was very careful when reviewing it.


    He further asked, "Is there anything else?"


    As he recalled an important matter, John couldn''t help but to lightly smack his forehead and say, "Miss


    Adriana called several times to ask if you could apany her to pick up Quentin from school before


    going to Golden Pavilion to celebrate her birthday..."


    Quentin was Patrick''s son.


    John always admired that clever and aloof little guy.


    Patrick paused and then lightly asked, "How long has it been since Ist saw her?"


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    "It''s been a week" John quietly replied.


    "Well, reschedule any nned appointment for tomorrow and help me prepare a birthday present.Have


    it delivered to my desk by five o''clock, are we clear?"


    "Yes, President Evans¡± John said as he turned around and left quickly.


    At five o''clock, Sophia grabbed her bag and decided to go.


    Today was Friday.She hadn''t picked up Emma for a week.


    Last night, the little girl, Emma, had grumbled to Sophia for a long time about her grandma not allowing


    her to eat whatever she wanted, and Emma felt aggrieved by this.


    Emma was still young, and she enjoyed eating some snacks, but her mother usually couldn''t buy them


    to save money.


    Her grandma rarely bought them for the little girl too.


    Sighing deeply, in times like this, she sometimes thought that it might be a good idea to find aman that


    she could rely on.


    At the very least, the little girl didn''t have to experience such hardships because of her shorings.


    Sophia stood in front of the elevator, waiting for it to descend from the top floor.


    Suddenly, the door of the conference room opened.


    "President, the exclusive elevator malfunctioned today.Let''s go this way"


    John reminded Patrick, holding an exquisite pink paper bag.


    Patrick, who had walked in another direction, stopped for a moment, and then his footsteps hastened


    towards Sophia, who was walking to the opened elevator.


    On the other hand, before Sophia could enter the elevator, she heard a familiar voice and decided to hit


    the button to close it quickly.


    Sadly, she was still stopped by John, who said loudly, "Please wait a moment"


    Feeling helpless, Sophia could only ept that not everything would go her way.


    She then walked to the side and respectfully said, "Mr.Evans..."


    Patrick simply responded with, ''Hmm"


    The enclosed space was extremely silent, so quiet that she could inly feel his rhythmic breathing.


    After some time, the elevator quickly arrived on the first floor.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Since Patrick and the others exited the elevator first, Sophia was thest to leave.Her sharp eyes were


    eventually drawn to the exquisite pink paper bag in John''s hand.She could tell it was for a woman even


    without looking closely.She suddenly realized that today was Adriana''''s birthday and bitterly thought,


    ''Even if Patrick is extremely busy, he will get off work just so he wouldn''t miss a chance to celebrate her


    birthday and would even make time to prepare a present for her: She couldn''t help but ponder what he


    did for her throughout their five years of marriage.


    In the end, her mind came up with nothing.


    Indeed, she was nothing to himpared to Adriana.


    As she walked out, the hall was so brightly lit that she was momentarily blinded.


    As soon as he stepped outside, Patrick was immediately surrounded by people.His 185cm height


    particrly stood out amongst the crowd.


    This was his world, so extraordinary and brilliant that no speck of dust could be seen, and it was


    exclusive to those people he allowed to enter.


    Even someone like her, who had been his wife for five years, had never gained ess to it.


    It was a pity that it was toote when she realized this.


    Perhaps, she and Patrick were really not meant to be, and he was only destined for Adriana, who was


    favored by heaven.


    In an ordinary bilingual kindergarten in Frostford City was a serene yet chaotic scene.


    While waiting for their parents to pick them up, Emma and her desk mate, Quentin, sped their hands


    and stood closer together.


    "Emma Hill doesn''t have a father because her father doesn''t want her..."


    Several children approached Emma and started mocking her.


    Quentin, on the other hand, was enraged when he heard of this.


    "Ignore them, Quentin"


    Emma whispered angrily.


    Her mother had taught her that if someone were insulting her, she''d just let them say what they wanted


    to say.


    Because if she fought with them, she would be stooping down to their level.


    "Why aren''t you saying anything, Emma? Do you think we''re terrified of you simply because Quentin


    supported you?"


    Seeing Emma''s unresponsiveness, Harvey couldn''t help but be angry.


    Harvey was like a leader in kindergarten, so practically every child feared him.


    "Emma is a fatherless child! Emma is a fatherless child! Emma is a fatherless child! Emma is a


    fatherless child..."


    The children repeatedly shouted, in a singing voice though it was quite hurtful in Emma''s ears.


    Harvey encouraged a handful of children, who frequently yed with him, to yell together.


    Soon, the entire kindergarten was filled with their yells.


    Quentin was quite protective of Emma, so he took a step forward and shoved Harvey down.


    "Emma is my girlfriend; if you want to bully her, you have to ask me for permission first, whether I agree


    or not!"


    This was the scene Sophia witnessed the moment she arrived at the kindergarten school.


    How could Harvey let himself suffer from Quentin''s hands? So, without hesitation, Harvey swiftly stood


    up and angrily fought back.


    When Sophia noticed this, she hastily stepped forward to hold him back.


    "Children should only love each other.Why are you two fighting?"


    "That''s because Harvey bullied Emma! He even made fun of Emma for not having a father¡± Quentin


    snarled.


    Sophia''s face paled hearing his answer.Her heart ached for her daughter, and she was extremely


    shocked because she hadn''t expected that even these children knew how to make fun of other


    people''s imperfections.She was a terrible mother.


    Before she gave birth to Emma, Sophia simply knew that when she decided to divorce him, her


    daughter was destined not to get the fatherly love she deserved.But seeing this situation, she couldn''t


    help but me herself.


    She always insisted that she could give Emma a warm and pleasant childhood even without her father,


    but it didn''te to her mind that Emma had to pay for the selfish decision she made five years


    ago.She had to endure so much at such a young age.She suddenly felt distressed for her daughter.


    But what could she do in their situation? Nothing! Quentin''s face had been bruised, and Harvey was no


    better.


    When he saw that Quentin and Emma had an adult to help them, Harvey''s momentum immediately


    weakened but still arrogantly said, "I''m going to go home and inform my father.


    You guys, just wait and see.


    Harvey then loudly cried while walking away, feeling wronged.


    Emma''s wide eyes turned to her mother.


    To gain sympathy, she stepped towards her mother and pretended to apologize as though she had


    been deeply wronged.


    "Mom, it''s my fault.Quentin got into a fight with Harvey because of me."


    "No, Ma''am, if you have to me someone, then me me" Quentin said, looking like a responsible


    adult.


    Sophia turned and took a closer look at the small guy standing next to Emma.


    He was indeed a miniature version of that person.


    His distinctive facial features were quite pronounced with his expressive eyebrows and prominent nose.


    "Auntie, this has nothing to do with Emma.As a man, one must ept responsibility for what he does."


    Even his overbearing temper, as well as his other attitudes, were very simr to that person.


    The most crucial thing was that he, too, had the surname Evans.


    Through these clues, Sophia was sure that this was the child of Patrick and Adriana.


    Although she deliberately avoided everything rted to him and decisively walked away five years ago,


    she was aware of the engagement ceremony that shook the entire Frostford City.


    Maybe they would have held the wedding ceremony if not for the fact that Thomas Evans, Patrick''s


    father, hadn''t reached his three-year-long mourning period.


    The wedding had to be dragged on for five years, but still, the Frostford City gossip columns'' never


    ceased talking about this child.


    Now, when Sophia had seen this little guy with her own eyes, surprisingly, she didn''t feel any aversion


    towards him.


    It was strange, but she could feel a deep sense of familiarity with him.


    Perhaps he was Patrick''s child, so she inexplicably wanted to get close to him.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    "Are you hurt? Auntie will bandage you up, okay?"


    Sophia brushed her tear-filled eyes.


    But Quentin was not concerned about his injuries and continued to defend Emma.


    "Auntie, then let''s agree that you can''t me Emma!"


    "Okay, Auntie will promise you" Sophia said, touching his silky hair.


    A ck Rolls-Royce was moving steadily along the road.


    With his eyes closed, Patrick leaned in his seat with his legs crossed to rest for a bit.


    There was a faint shadow under his eyes, indicating that he hadn''t gotten enough restst night.


    Adriana, his fiancee, was also seated next to him.


    She was the sole heiress of Clifford Real Estate, Inc., the first-in-line sessor of Clifford Financial


    Group, and a typical rich daughter born with a golden spoon in her mouth.


    In addition to her exceptional family background, she possessed both beauty and intelligence that


    made all women envious.


    With facial features as delicate as a fairy and her fairplexion that deeply emphasized her gentle


    figure, one could tell that her beauty was otherworldly.


    She was the infamous Gentle Fairy of Business and Medicine.She had a Ph.D. in business and had


    recently returned from studying abroad.


    Without a doubt, her elegance and grace were deeply ingrained in her bones.


    "Patrick, have you been busy with thepany recently? Did you always eat on time?"


    Adriana reached out to take hold of hisrge hand on his calf.His touch felt warm that she couldn''t help


    but be mesmerized for a moment.


    She truly treasured every minute and every second she spent with him.


    No one in Frostford City couldpete with this man''s noble background.


    He was destined to stand out amongst others.


    As he calmly sat there, every cell in his body exuded a certain level of coldness and sharpness that


    could intimidate others.


    The Frostford City news forum once featured him as such.


    Although everyone dreamed of getting close to him, this kind of self-made individual was truly difficult


    to approach.So, she was delighted that only she could get close to him like this.


    "Don''t worry¡± he said.


    He then stretched out his hand and gently took her soft, boneless little palm in his own.He seemed


    exhausted.


    Adriana was well aware that managing such argepany required a lot of effort and energy.


    He dismissed her concerns by saying that everything was fine, but she was certain that he''d been busy


    all night long.He was always like this.


    Even if it were a serious matter, he would not tell her so she would not be so concerned.


    About ten minutester...


    The car slowly came to a halt, and the driver stepped out and opened the door for them, respectfully


    saying, "Sir Evans and Miss Clifford, we''ve arrived."


    Aman stepped out of the car, followed by a woman.


    Everyone''s attention was quickly drawn when an attractive man and a lovely woman suddenly


    appeared.


    Thetest Rolls-Royce Phantom was parked across the entrance of the kindergarten, revealing the


    prominent background of the owner.


    This was the time when parents had to pick up their children from school, so it was quite crowded.


    Soon, the attention of everyone was solely focused on the couple.


    Even though Quentin was a reserved child, he couldn''t help but get excited seeing his parents.


    He shyly asked, "Are you here to pick me up? You two are not busy?"


    His question was not without reason.


    Previously, it was only the drivers who picked him up.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    "Baby, how did you get the wounds on your head and arm? Does it hurt?" Patrick asked Quentin.


    Adriana noticed that Quentin was wounded, and some ces were even bandaged.She quickly bent


    down and pulled him over gently to ask.She was distressed, and it was evident.


    "It doesn''t hurt.The prettydy has already bandaged it for me.Besides, this injury is nothing for a man!"


    Quentin said in an unmistakable and firm voice.


    Patrick''s demands for Quentin were exceptionally stringent.


    Over time, Quentin developed the same personality as Patrick when he was a child.


    Although he was patient and independent, he never showed weakness quickly.


    And people with this kind of personality usually felt very cynical in their hearts.


    Patrick did not want his child to repeat the same mistake he had made.


    Nevertheless, the trajectory of destiny had always been so simr.


    Patrick patted Quentin''s head.His fingers stroked the wound on Quentin''s forehead unconsciously.


    Then, he thought, ''The way his wound is bandaged is very familiar, very simr to the way that woman


    bandaged it''


    "Come on, get in the car, and let''s go eat."


    It was the path of sce between father and son.


    There was no need tomunicate too much verbally.


    Although Adriana did not understand, she saw the smile on her son''s face and no longer looked into it.


    All three got in the car, and the Rolls-Royce quickly hit the road.


    There were many vehicles on the road as it was rush hour.


    The car sometimes sped up and sometimes slowed down until they reached the bus stop.


    Quentin was sitting in the middle of his parents and was looking around.


    Suddenly, he saw Emma and her mother standing next to the bus stop sign and shouted, "Dad, mom,


    look! That''s the beautifuldy who helped me and bandaged my wounds!"


    He pointed outside.


    The two followed Quentin''s finger and only caught a sh passing by.


    "Oh, I can''t see her anymore!"


    Quentin wondered where Sophia went.


    The car''s upants were silent again, and soon, the car started again and slid into traffic.


    Sophia was d that she was smart enough to remember the car she saw at the school entrance in a


    hurry.She saw the same car at the bus stop and quickly pulled Emma behind the bus stop sign.


    Emmabed her fluffy hair.Her ck almond-shaped eyes followed her mother''s movements, and


    she looked back at Sophia.She wanted to know what had happened to her because her mother looked


    flustered.


    "Mom, did you see any bad guys?"


    Emma was also very nervous and looked around frantically.She didn''t even dare to breathe loudly.


    It was only then, when she saw the Rolls-Royce drive away, that Sophia let out a sigh of relief.She


    tidied up her hair and concealed her worry, "No, the sunlight was suddenly ring, so I hid behind the


    sign."


    Emma opened her mouth with exaggeration and pointed at the sunlight on their west side.


    "Mom, this side seems to be facing the sunlight!"


    "Do you think I am as easy to deceive as a three-year-old child? I am already a grown-up!"


    Both mother and daughter were silent for a while.


    Sophia unconsciously looked in the direction where his car drove off.She knew that she was not going


    to be this lucky every time.


    If Patrick found out that she had secretly kept this child, she did not know how furious he would be.


    Because everyone knew that having Patrick''s child was equivalent to having a close bond with him and


    his family, that was why he had strongly suggested aborting this child.


    Sophia thought that she would have to change Emma''s kindergarten school.


    Although the cost of Emma''s enrollment in this kindergarten was slightly cheaper, there was no way


    around it if she wanted to avoid Patrick.


    Sophia mumbled, "My family is so rich; how can we let our childrene to such an ordinary


    kindergarten? The world of rich people is really iprehensible..."


    When Emma heard this, she seemed to understand and said, "Didn''t grandmother always tell us that


    even if we have money, we have to save it?"


    "Em, you are right.You have your grandma''s ghost spirit in you"


    She pinched Emma''s little nose lovingly.


    Sophia''s heart was heavy as they traveled home.


    When they arrived home, Sophia was stressed that she ate a lot.


    "Mom, I am full.The part-time job that Fiona helped me get will start today.Next time, after youe


    back to pick up Emma, eat.You don''t have to wait for me every day"


    Sophia took her bag, put on her shoes, and ran out of the house.


    Maria had initially wanted to tell her that she had already paid for the second half of Emma''s


    kindergarten tuition fees.


    But before she could say it, Sophia was already out of the house.She shook her head, picked up a slice


    of pork, and put it on Emma''s te.


    "Emma, eat well.¡±


    When you grow up, don''t be like your mother Maria said.Emma made a salute gesture and said in a


    childish voice, "Yes, Grandmother.I understand!"


    Sophia took a cab to Golden Pavillion.She went to meet George.


    He was the building manager and head of the housekeeping services.


    "This is the administrative level special service area.You are responsible for the housekeeper service


    from seven to midnight.There is only one private room on this floor, and it is often reserved.You have to


    focus on this one room, and you shouldn''t be too tired.


    As the name implied, the housekeeper service was responsible for all the services of the guests in the


    private room, from minor to big dishes to the finest wine, and they had to be served perfectly.


    George''s smile was very gentle.


    Perhaps it was because he had been in the workce for a long time, but the smile on his face was not


    as peaceful as his demeanor.


    On the first night of Sophia''s shift, this floor was reserved by someone.


    It was reserved by a wealthy businessman to celebrate his girlfriend''s birthday.


    Sophia thought, ''Why do so many rich people celebrate their birthdays today?'' At seven o''clock, a


    Rolls-Royce stopped at the entrance of the Golden Pavillion.


    The parking valet was well-trained and opened the door.


    His attitude was very respectful.


    Adriana handed over a few bills to the parking valet as a reward.


    The two of them came here after ensuring that Quentin was settled at home.


    Everyone had been waiting for a long time, and the atmosphere in the private room was already full of


    excitement.


    Patrick''s dark suit was casually draped on his body, and he stood tall and proud.He caught everyone''s


    attention in the room.


    Every man and woman in the room looked at the pair simultaneously.


    Their eyes were filled with envy, and most of them sighed.


    It was as if they did not believe that there was a man as perfect as Patrick in this world.


    "Patrick, let me introduce you.This is Brandon Phillips, the CEO of Phillips Corporation."


    Adriana clung tightly to Patrick as if she was marking her sovereignty, and she even did not hide the


    proud look on her face.


    "Nice to meet you." Patrick stretched out his hand.


    Although there was a smile on his face, it was hard to tell whether he was happy or angry.


    "I''ve heard a lot about you, President Evans.Today, I see that you are indeed worthy of your reputation.


    If there is a chance to do business together, please let me know.


    "I am honored.But please, I am hardly perfect.Let''s work together"


    Patrick pulled out a chair for Adriana.


    Patrick''s action made the women on the table swoon.


    And he seemed used to those kinds of reactions.


    There were also a few people on the table that Patrick did not know.


    Greeting and introductions had been made, and everyone took their seats ordingly.


    Because Adriana was the star of the night, Patrick and Adriana sat at the head of the table.


    This is also to show their hospitality.


    Sophia and another girl were standing by for any orders outside the private room.


    Sophia was not in an excellent state tonight.


    Perhaps because she was in a hurry earlier when she ate, so her stomach was aching, she had run to


    the toilet several times now in a span of half an hour.


    The girl in charge of the private room service thought she was cking off.


    "They said they wanted two dozens of wine; you go and get it.I also have to go to the bathroom" The


    other girl said.


    Sophia apologized and quickly went to get the wine.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Sophia resisted the difort and used almost all her strength in her body, and carried the two dozens


    of wine inside the private room.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    "Hello, two dozens of wine..."


    Sophia never thought that this world could be so ridiculously small.It was as if she could see that man


    as soon as she raised her head.


    The moment she pushed open the door, she saw Patrick, who was sitting at the head of the table.


    Tonight, he was dressed in a ck suit, and his thick ck hair was set with wax.


    He looked steady and striking.


    His eyebrows were slightly knitted because of the dazzling overhead light, but that did not affect the


    aristocratic aura from his chiseled face.


    He was smoking, and she could not see Patrick''s expression in the haze.


    Adriana was sitting beside Patrick.She happened to nce at the door and saw Sophia.


    Adriana seemed to have been struck by lightning.


    She froze, and her face registered disbelief.


    ''How could it be her?'' Adriana thought.


    "Sophia?'' Someone at the table eximed.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    All the good friends who knew the rtionship between the three people looked at Patrick, sitting at the


    head of the table.


    They didn''t know what to do.


    The excitement brought about by the birthday celebration quickly turned to ice because of the


    appearance of Sophia.


    It was so quiet that even a falling needle could be heard.


    The strobe lights overhead slowly centered on Patrick.


    He was wrapped in warm light, and it entuated his body''s cold and hard edges.He looked at Sophia


    indifferently.


    No matter where she went, she could feel the intense light in his eyes, as if he wanted to burn her


    whole body.


    Sophia felt guilty for no reason when she saw Patrick looking at her.


    At this moment, the most embarrassing thing in her heart was not meeting her ex-husband and his


    fiancee.


    She was most worried about whether she could continue working in Evans Enterprise.


    If she remembered correctly, the Evans Enterprise employee handbook clearly stated that employees,


    including contractual ones, were forbidden to engage in any form of part-time work.


    Although she needed to work for the person she disliked the most, she did not want to give up this


    high-sry job because she wanted to be financially stable.


    But, after tonight, the peace she wanted to protect would be broken.


    It was only because his eyes reflected too many emotions.It was as if he wanted to do a lot of things at


    the same time.


    So be it to ridicule her, ask her questions, or be indifferent.


    There were even more that she could not understand.


    But it was apparent that Patrick would not let Sophia go easily this time.


    Finally, Brandon stood up and greeted her, "Hey, Sophia, long time no see"


    A trace of embarrassment shed across Sophia''s face.Her face stiffened as she forced out a smile.


    "Long time no see, Brandon.


    In addition to her embarrassment, Sophia did not forget that she was working that night.


    She uncorked the wine bottles one by one and gently ced them on the table.


    Her movements were graceful and smooth.


    When she finished, she turned around to leave.


    "Since we happened to bump into each other, let''s have a chat!" Adriana suddenly said.


    "Patrick, you don''t mind me doing this, right?"


    "It''s your birthday.You can decide who you want to be here."


    The man''s cultured and mature voice was pleasant to hear, and there was no hint that Sophia and


    Patrick had a past together.


    Patrick''s expression was so elegant.


    It was breathtaking.


    That was good.


    She could tolerate indifference as this was what she wanted from him.


    Sophia''s rtionship with Patrick should have been forgotten a long time ago.


    They were not from the same world, so why should they force themselves to be together? That would


    make everyone tired, and it was not worth it.


    It had been five years, and she had already learned her lesson.


    "No, I don''t want to disturb you, and I am working!" Sophia''s answer was neither obsequious nor


    arrogant.


    On the contrary, she was so calm that she even surprised herself.


    Just as she was about to turn around, Adriana spoke again, "Sophia, we are sisters.No matter what,


    you have to wait for me to blow the candle and make a wish before you go."


    Adriana implied that if she still didn''t stay, it would appear that she was not reasonable.It would make


    people feel that she was running away and had not let go of the past.


    Sophia was beyond the age ofpetition with others.


    Instead, being able to have enough to survive now was the most important thing to her.


    Adriana saw Sophia''s hesitation and took it as she agreed to stay.


    Adriana suddenly became excited.


    "By the way, before blowing the candle, Patrick, could you please get me your gift?"


    Patrick nodded with a vague smile as if he would consent to all of Adriana''s requests.


    He gently took out the high-end brocade box from the pink paper bag and opened it.


    A dazzling ruby ne was nestled in the velvet case and was revealed in front of everyone.Though


    Sophia did not know much about jewelry, she knew that it was a rare ruby ne made by a famous


    person, the only one in the world.


    A while back, it was reportedly bought by the Frostford City Museum, but unexpectedly, it was now in


    the hands of Patrick.


    As for the amount he paid for it, only he knew.


    But it must be worth a lot.


    Sophia just stood there.She was unable to express any emotions and could only suppress the


    bitterness from her soul.She told herself she didn''t care, but how could shepletely ignore this? His


    well-defined hands took the dazzling ne from the box.


    Adriana moved sideways and gathered up her loose hair.


    She revealed her perfectly curved neck.


    Patrick put the ne on Adriana''s neck expertly.


    The delicate pale corbone of thedy matched the ruby ne.


    It made Adriana even more dazzling.


    The cooperation between each other was a tacit understanding that had been umted over the


    years.


    It was as if no one else was there.


    Adriana took the opportunity to hold Patrick''s hand and put it on her shoulder.


    She turned around, and they looked at each other.


    "Thank you, Patrick.I like this birthday gift very much."


    Then, she kissed Patrick on his cheek, "It''s so good to have you, Patrick"


    Adriana nced sideways and was satisfied to see Sophia''s already paling face.


    Only then did she feel a little better.


    ''So what if Sophia had been Patrick''s wife for five years? I am still the one he cared about the most,


    right?'' Adriana asked herself.


    "Sister, aren''t you going to wish me a happy birthday?"


    From Sophia''s point of view, Adriana''s gaze conveyed a little bit of hostility, but Adriana was good at


    concealing emotions so the other guests would not notice.


    Sophia had worked all night and was now tired of dealing with all these people.


    She just wanted to end this encounter, which was both mentally and physically torturous, as soon as


    possible.


    "Of course."


    Sophia took a clean ss from the table, "I wish the two of you to grow old and enjoy eternal love."


    Then, she downed the ss of wine in one big swallow.


    ''It was over.It was all over'' Sophia thought bitterly.


    A secret crush at the age of seventeen, then marriage, and then divorced at the age of twenty-two.


    Then, they met again at twenty-seven.


    It was ten years of her youth.


    ''I can finally move on and forget Patrick¡± she said to herself.


    She turned to leave, but a wave of cramps and stomach ache hit her.


    The more painful it was, the calmer she got.


    She walked out and closed the door.


    The pain made her copse to the ground.


    But life did not give her the right to give up.


    So, she endured the pain and found two pieces of stomach medicine and took them.


    After a while, it finally eased.


    She had returned to herself, invulnerable to hurt and heartaches.


    The activity in the private roomsted until one o''clock in the morning.


    Then, Sophia and another girl in charge of the private room service cleaned up the room and carried


    out the trash bags toplete the night''s work.


    By the time Sophia changed clothes and walked out of the entrance of the Golden Pavillion, it was


    already past one and a half in the morning.


    Although it was summer, the night in Frostford City was still cold.


    She did not wear any heavy coat and could not help but shiver.She raised her head slightly and looked


    at the stars.


    They were exceptionally bright.


    The streetmp was ced every few meters by the side of the road and themp lightsbined with


    the starlight cast emotions in her heart.


    It was a mixture of sadness and despair.


    Something fell from her eyes.She touched her face and wiped her eyes.She did not even realize she


    was crying.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Sophia smiled bitterly.


    ¡®''Why am I suddenly so sentimental?¡¯'' she asked herself.


    ¡®''Didn''t I already know that Patrick doesn''t love me?¡¯'' Sophia continued asking herself.


    ¡®''Why am I still hurting?''¡¯ Sophia pondered.


    She was very angry with herself.She took a few deep breaths and tried sorting out her emotions.


    Sophia continued to walk forward, but she was blocked by a woman.


    The person who came was Adriana, and it was as if she was deliberately waiting for Sophia toe


    out of the hotel.


    "Patrick went to the south of the city to buy my favorite choctes for me, so I decided to wait for him


    here." She exined.


    Sophia nodded, expressionless, "Oh, I''ll go ahead then"


    Adriana took the lead and blocked Sophia, who was about to continue forward, "Wait!"


    Knowing that she couldn''t escape, Sophia stood there and waited quietly for the next part.


    Adriana organized her thoughts and said, "Sophia, I know that all these years, you have always cared


    about Patrick''s love for me.I admit that when I left him before, I didn''t expect that he would marry you in


    order to provoke me'' "Of course, that can''t be med on you.It could only be med on the fact that


    we were too young at that time.Moreover, my parents always put pressure on you and your child, which


    led to you leaving home for so many years.You left your sick mother alone in the country.It is inevitable


    that there is resentment and hatred in your heart."


    "However, so many years have passed already.Let''s move on.I am a generous person, and I will not


    make things difficult for you because of what happened in the past"


    ''So, everyone is innocent, and I am the only guilty?'' Sophia asked herself.


    ''Was Adriana thinking that I suddenly returned to the country for another purpose?'' She continued


    asking in her mind.


    Adriana was wrong.


    Sophia was more resigned to her fate.She would never miss anything that did not belong to her.


    Moreover, she could not do so.


    "Sorry to interrupt you.I think you misunderstood.If not for your reminder, I would have almost forgotten


    that I still have an ex-husband." Sophia told Adriana.


    "So, you can rest easy.I am not that kind of woman'' The Rolls-Royce slowly stopped by the side of the


    road.


    The two women did not even hear the rumble of the engine.


    The window in the back seat lowered slowly and revealed Patrick''s intense and frosty eyes.


    Patrick''s cold expression indicated that he heard what Sophia said.


    Adriana raised her eyebrows and smiled arrogantly, "Patrick is here.Nice talking to you, Sophia"


    Sophia cursed herself for being stupid.


    It looked like Adriana was nning this all along.


    Adriana had nned this and used Sophia''s own words to express her disgust for Patrick.


    By doing so, he, a patronizing person, would lose face.


    She did not care that Patrick knew what she was thinking, but a person must be humbled when trapped


    in a bad situation.


    Everyone should have one more solution for a problem, and everything should have another way to be


    solved.


    He was a businessman, and the nature of a businessman was to haggle over every penny.


    Sophia knew that Adriana was more inclined to learn more than her.


    It was hard to protect her job before, and now it seemed even more dangerous.


    She looked up and inadvertently met Patrick''s eyes; there was a strange gleam in them.


    His eyes were full of emotions, and warning was one of them.


    After Adriana got in the car, the Rolls-Royce drove away quickly.


    Then, like an arrow, it disappeared in a sh and left behind exhaust which almost choked Sophia.


    She sighed and continued walking to the side of the road.


    Just as she was about to stop a cab, a luxury car stopped slowly in front of her.


    The man stepped out of the car elegantly.


    The dim yellow light of the streemp cast a silhouette of a slender figure, and his straight posture


    seemed to be suffused with a faint glow.


    He was dressed in white and looked like a prince charming at midnight.


    "Let''s go; I''ll drive you home."


    Brandon opened the passenger door.


    The Phillips and the Hill families were old friends.


    Since they were very young, she and Brandon had known each other and almost grew up together.


    They shared everything.


    If Patrick did note into her life, she thought she would fall in love with this man in front of her.


    "No, I want to go home by myself"


    She decided to return home permanently because she wanted to live a quiet life and did not want


    anything to do with the people she knew in the past.


    "If you want to waste time with me until dawn, go ahead¡± I don''t mind the two of us standing outside like


    this.


    Brandon was very patient and leaned against the car as if he was sure she would not refuse.Sophia


    was cold and sleepy, and she just wanted to curl up in bed and go to sleep.She couldn''t waste his time


    and hers, so she had to get in the car.


    The road was quiet at midnight, and except for the traffic lights, the car almost did not stop.


    Brandon and Sophia were silent.Brandon only spoke when she was out of the car.


    He said dotingly, "Sophia, I have stood and waited for you for a long time.Remember that I am always


    here for you"


    Sophia pretended not to understand, "Drive carefully!"


    Then, she immediately went inside the house.Her heart was in a mess.


    Perhaps, this was destined to be another sleepless night.


    Time passed quickly.


    The two rest days seemed to pass by in a blink of an eye.


    Early Monday morning, Sophia was called up by her mother.


    "Go and dress up quickly! Pick out a dress that makes you look younger.Thest time, you didn''t go on


    the blind date your aunt Kate arranged for you! This time, Kate said that no matter what, you have to go


    on this date¡±


    "Oh, got it!" Sophia responded dazedly.


    "Let''s talk when you get home tonight.It seemed that man''s status is good and his attitude as well.Make


    sure you get to know him well."


    Her mother continued to nag.


    As a result, Sophia was forced to get up, put on makeup, and wear a delicate pink dress.


    Then, she was pushed out of the house by her mother.


    In the past few years, her clothes were almost all ck, white and gray.


    It was rare for her to wear such bright colors.


    For a moment, she was very ufortable.


    She felt that everyone was gawking at her.


    Perhaps because she was old, she always felt that wearing pink gave people the impression that she


    was pretending to be young.


    When she arrived at thepany lobby, she saw Patrick in the crowd.


    He was still wearing a ck and exquisite handmade suit.


    His powerful legs were moving with steady and sturdy steps, and wherever he went, there would be


    cries of surprise from women.


    When he passed by, he had one hand in his pocket, and his eyes exuded indifference and arrogance.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    "Find a way to get rid of her''¡¯ Patrick told his assistant.


    Naturally, he was referring to Sophia.


    Patrick instructed John, who was following behind him, with a cold and solemn voice.


    "Why so sudden?" John was puzzled.


    Patrick sneered, "Why are you so unhappy about it?"


    Sophia also seemed to feel the coldness emitted by Patrick.


    Although her heart thumped, she hoped it was not because of what happened the other night.


    She did not feel less guilty until she walked to her seat.


    Monday was generally the busiest day for the evaluation department.


    They had meetings to review and make amendments, and the process would take at least four or five


    hours.


    Lianna said that the case in Sophia''s hand was urgent and could not be dyed.


    So, Sophia sat at her desk all morning and did not even take a break.


    At one o''clock in the afternoon, she finished thest page of the case in her hand andpleted it


    perfectly.


    Just when she was about to rx and stretch, she received a call from Samuel.


    "Sophia, what''s going on? The evaluation case I gave you was still unfinished"


    "Is it still reflecting as unfinished?"


    Sophia was flustered, "Samuel, I haven''t received the notification yet.I will check and get back to you¡±


    Samuel''s demeanor had changed, his usual gentle manner was gone, and through the phone, Sophia


    could feel his anger.


    "Sophia, if this case is messed up, you can directly pack up and leave!" Samuel shouted.


    Sophia put the phone down and thought for a bit.


    There was a nagging feeling in her heart.


    Patrick must have done this because what she saidst night made him ufortable.


    ¡®''That''s right, a high and mighty person like him would definitely feel that I am against him and does not


    respect him, to say the least''¡¯ Sophia thought grimly.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    Sophia first went to Lianna to figure out the reason but was told that Lianna had gone to the branch


    company for a meeting.


    Samuel was still there, waiting.So, Sophia couldn''t dy any longer.


    For the time being, she could only inquire about it in the president''s office.


    The president''s office was on the top floor.


    Sophia paused for a few moments outside the door.Her hand, which was reaching out to knock on the


    door, never dared to drop.She finally summoned the confidence to open the door, but it was opened


    from the inside.


    For a brief period, John was surprised when he saw Sophia, but he quickly recovered.


    "Which department are you from?" he asked, his face solemn.


    "Have all the General Manager Office secretaries gone on vacation?" he further added, wondering why


    no one stopped her from entering.


    Sophia didn''t dare to admit that she had been begging the Secretary of the General Manager Office for


    a long time, so they finally let her in.


    "I need to speak with President Evans about an urgent matter¡­¡±


    "What urgent matter can you and President Evans have?" John insisted, refusing to back away.


    Patrick couldn''t help but walk over, perhaps because themotion outside was too loud.


    "Let her in."


    After that, John opened the door and let Sophia in, but he fled in terror as he came in touch with


    Patrick''s eyes.


    "What is it?" Patrick asked.


    He then turned around and loosened his tie.He seemed a little disturbed.


    "What I saidst night was too much, and I apologize if I made you feel ashamed; she stated tly.She


    should have known what she needed to apologize for¡± it was what she said the night before out of


    impulse.


    Five years ago, Patrick had the right to decide for her life.


    And five yearster, he was still able to do whatever he wanted with her.


    That was what she had thought!


    "Do you think I can do that?" Patrick said.


    Patrick''s smile appeared.


    "Do you think I care?" he asked, putting one hand in his pocket and approaching her gently.


    On the tip of Sophia''s nose lingered a fresh and pleasant scent of a man''s shaving cream.


    It mingled with the smell of wine as if he had juste from a dinner party.


    "Then, why was my evaluation case suddenly revoked?!" Sophia asked, lowering her voice as much as


    she could.


    Patrick reclined on the wide table''s edge as his arms sped across his chest.


    "Sophia, tell me why you''ve returned."


    He abruptly changed the subject as if the tense atmosphere had vanished.


    "I believe this is a personal topic that I cannot discuss with you, Mr.Evans"


    In all honesty, what she meant to convey was that ¡®''Whatever reason I returned, it was not for you¡±


    She was able to restrain herself when the words reached her mouth.


    He appeared to have consumed far too much alcohol.He took a deep breath and lit a cigarette with the


    lighter on the table.


    The man became wholly engulfed in the bright blue vapor, and his face was bewildered.


    "I should have known better than to ask you!"


    He appeared to be dissatisfied with the response.He inhaled deeply again and smashed the half-


    burned cigarette into the metal ss jar.


    "Sorry, the liquor must have gotten into me."


    This sentence encapsted all of his peculiarities at the time.


    He turned around and returned to his office chair, where he sat.His slim fingers hit the phone''s shortcut


    key button.


    "Inform Lianna toe up, Lisse."


    "Right away, Mr.Evans"


    He crossed his fingers and looked up at the ceiling with a pleasant yet tired expression after hanging


    up the phone.


    "I will investigate what happened.You can go now! "


    Sophia mistook all of this for Patrick''s instructions.


    The error in this segment appeared to be on Lianna''''s end.


    "I''m sorry to bother you" she apologized as she turned to leave.


    Patrick had already bowed his head and buried his face in the paperwork.He didn''t even lift his head to


    remind her.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    "Just because we were once married does not imply you have any special rights toe and go inside


    the president''s office at your will.I hope you refrain from doing this again next time¡± he said.


    Sophia gave a bitter smile.


    Their rtionship had never been exposed to the public before.


    No one knew he used to be married.How could she possibly regard it as a privilege?


    "Don''t worry.I wouldn''t step in unless necessary"


    "I''m hoping you''ll follow through on your promises" Patrick responded coldly.


    As she closed the door, his figure slowly vanished in front of his eyes along with the closed door.


    ''Look, Sophia, you can do it so nice when you''re facing him¡­¡± Sophia returned to her office and waited


    until she got off work without receiving an answer.


    So, she was distraught.


    Samuel did not call again, which was gratifying.She didn''t want to go on another blind date because


    she was in such a poor mood, but her mother kept nagging her via phone call.


    She couldn''t risk enraging her mother, so she had no choice but to ept the appointment.


    Sophia hurriedly exited the room after she turned off theputer.


    When she walked through the conference room door, she didn''t expect to bump into someone.


    Sophia''s bag was shattered, and the contents were strewn across the ground.


    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry!" eximed the other party.


    Sophia was unconcerned.She gathered her belongings and continued on her way.She didn''t notice that


    something was missing from her bag.


    The blind date venue was picked to be a French Cuisine Restaurant close to Sophia''s workce.


    The interior was decorated in romantic and exquisite French architecture.


    Sophia entered the restaurant, and with the waiter''s help, she walked in front of the blind date.


    Finn Bower was a senior executive at a softwarepany.


    They were the same age, divorced, and had a child.


    "Miss Hill, please sit down.I heard from your mother that you enjoy French cuisine.I hope you don''t


    mind that I chose this one without asking for your opinion?" he asked as he stood up to greet her.


    ''How chivalric and considerate¡± Sophia thought, feeling a little giddy because of his gesture.


    She wasn''t stupid; she knew how to cater to her needs.


    "No, it''s fine.I''m not picky about food as long as I can eat" Sophia said and shook her head.


    She wasn''t a young high school girl.She enjoyed the romance and was pragmatic as long as she could


    eat to her heart''s content.


    Finn wasn''t particrly chatty, but it wasn''t enough to make the room feel chilly.


    Finnid down the te, pushed his gold-rimmed sses on the bridge of his nose, and paused to talk


    halfway through the meal.


    "Do you mind if I ask you about the reason for your divorce, Miss Hill?" Sophia was taken aback a little.


    "It''s all my fault.I was arrogant.If I made you ufortable, I apologize, Finn chuckled dryly, a little


    agitated because he was being rash.


    "No, you can ask everything." Sophia quickly exined.


    "The truth is, my ex-husband didn''t really love me."


    She believed that no matter what excuse she came up with, it would not be sufficient to exin the


    reason for the divorce.


    She would rather tell the truth than a lie.


    "You are very sincere.If it were for any other woman, even if it were for something like this, they might


    not admit it," Finn stared at her after saying that.


    "Thank you" Sophia whispered as she averted his searing eyes.


    The two of them finished their supper and left until after eight o''clock in the evening.


    Finn requested to send her home.She didn''t say no.


    They didn''t seem to dislike one other, so they tried to get along.


    At her age, she didn''t expect anything grand and spectacr but rather an ordinary rtionship.


    On the other side, inside a Rolls Royce car, Patrick scratched the gap between his brows as he leaned


    tiredly against the rear seat.


    John sat in the driver''s seat, and before he could respond, a couple going out of the restaurant blocked


    his view.


    "Isn''t that Mr.Bower, who runs the Bower Group? How can he be walking alongside Sophia?"


    "Drive, Patrick, who had been sleeping with his eyes closed the entire time, said, looking even


    gloomier.


    "Look at them.Sophia got into his car''


    Through the rearview mirror, John caught a glimpse of Patrick and abruptly stopped talking.


    It was because he had heavy coldness in his sloppy eyes.


    Throughout the years of working alongside Patrick, John never had the chance to figure out what he


    had in mind as the cold eyes Patrick possessed were too deep and hard to read.


    This time, however, John saw a sh of brimming wrath.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    The weather wasn''t very good.The sky above was full of ominous, dark, and ragged clouds.The


    evaluation department was especially quiet today.


    It was unknown if it was because of the rain outside or due to the high-level inspection that would be


    conducted today.


    As soon as Sophia arrived at the evaluation department, Giselle hurriedly informed her, "Lianna is


    looking for you"


    She sounded a little annoyed.


    Giselle''s expression told Sophia that she didn''t want to get dragged into her mess and that she must


    deal with it by herself.


    Sophia nodded and thanked her as she went to Lianna''s office without dy.When she arrived, she


    found Lianna reviewing some documents.


    Thetter saw her standing at the doorway and gestured for her to sit on the chair across her.


    It was silent at first, and it prolonged the tension in the atmosphere.Then, Lianna finally raised her


    bowed head.


    Her eyes bored on Sophia''s body.


    "Sophia, you seemed to get special treatment the moment you entered thispany."


    There was a hidden meaning in her words.


    Sophia''s gut feeling told her that the connection between Lianna and Patrick wasn''t just a simple boss-


    employee rtionship.


    "I''m sorry, I don''t understand."


    She gave Lianna a puzzled look.


    Sophia didn''t understand what she was saying all of a sudden.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    "Tell me, were you rted to someone in the top management, and that''s why you''re able to get


    special treatment ?"


    Lianna didn''t beat around the bush and directly questioned her.


    Lianna''s tone of voice seemed to be light, but in fact, every word was meant to mock her.


    "No, I don''t know anyone." Sophia denied.


    "If I have to be honest, youck the ability to be the representative that can be temporarily transferred


    to anotherpany.However, the higher-ups insisted that I shouldn''t rece you."


    Lianna narrowed her eyes at Sophia, obviously dismayed that the top management didn''t agree with


    her.


    Sophia had no idea what Patrick said to Lianna.


    It was obvious that Lianna didn''t mention the whole matter.


    "Of course, I don''t know if the higher-ups deliberately went easy on you or if you are someone that had


    some unknown secret." Lianna snickered.


    Lianna was clearly mocking her, and if she continued to be passive and take all the insults, she would


    be seen as a pushover who was easily bullied.


    "You mean to say that President Evans is the one giving me the special treatment?"


    Sophia decided to retaliate a little and throw her a question.


    Suppose Lianna wanted to trick her into admitting the truth, then Sophia also wanted to do the same


    thing.


    Lianna stayed silent as she gave Sophia a deadly stare.


    "I called you here today to give you this."


    Lianna took out the documents from the drawer and ced them in front of Sophia, "This is the


    evaluation report of the client we are going to cooperate with.Review it, and I want to see a brand new


    evaluation case before the weekend" she said sternly.


    Sophia nervously took the documents.


    Lianna forced a smile before she ordered her, "Go and get to work!"


    With that, Lianna ended her meeting with Sophia.


    However, she didn''t get anything that satisfied the questions in her mind, and her mood turned worse


    because of that.


    When Sophia returned to the evaluation department, tension and nervousness still lingered in her body,


    which made her stiff.She could not rx and kept thinking about what was Lianna''s intention.


    In the afternoon, the evaluation department still remained silent.


    In addition to the sound of typing, the only noise that could be heard were the asional creaking of


    office chairs and the cking of high-heels against the floor.


    At two o''clock, Patrick entered their office to inspect, and behind him were the managers from various


    departments.


    There was a majestic air around him as he walked into the room.


    As they started, Lianna introduced the recent work of the evaluation department and the progress of


    the project as well.


    Just as everyone was focused on work, a voice disrupted the serious atmosphere.


    Everyone turned to look at the person who wore a uniform simr to an employee of a flower shop.


    The man asked in a gruff voice, "May I ask who is Ms.Sophia Hill?"


    Sophia reluctantly stood up, and she caught everyone''s attention with thismotion.


    The man acknowledged her presence, and he seemed to grab something from behind.


    "Flowers for Ms.Sophia, please sign here and receive it!"


    He presented the item and a clipboard for Sophia.


    The bouquet was huge, bundled up prettily with silken ribbon thatplemented the gorgeous pattern


    of the wrapping paper.


    The enchanting blue roses appeared in everyone''s sight, and the fragrance of it quickly spread inside


    the room.


    The females in the room were in awe when they saw the gorgeous flowers.


    But for Sophia, it was a moment of extreme embarrassment.


    Her expression was stiff, and she awkwardly walked forward, signed her name, and finally received the


    flowers.


    However, the man was still not done, and he added, "By the way, Ms.Sophia, Mr.Brandon Phillips told


    us to bring this flower from Hond overnight.It''s exactly a hundred flowers, representing his hundred


    percent love for you"


    It was incredible that the man''s professional expression didn''t even shift when he spoke those words.


    With that, the flower shop employee left the room.


    The room was covered in awkward silence until they realized something "Brandon Phillips? Isn''t that


    the new CEO of Philips Corporation?'' was what everyone screamed in their heads.


    All the department managers looked at Sophia with surprise.


    They couldn''t believe that a small transfer employee like her could actually have a rtionship with a


    CEO; she was not simple! But they still didn''t dare to speak as they saw that the president remained


    silent with an unfathomable expression.


    Even their breathing was low for the fear that it might aggravate the situation.


    Patrick shifted his gaze to Sophia and spoke coldly, "Ms.Hill, was it necessary to show off to the entire


    company that someone was pursuing you?"


    To be scolded by thepany''s president was really a big blow for an employee.


    Sophia could only lower her head and bite her lips in shame as she was reprimanded in front of


    everyone.


    What was Brandon trying to do? She was already in a mess, so why did he have to add to her


    troubles? After a few seconds, an office chair squeaked, and Patrick''s voice rang out.


    "Let''s go to the next department."


    Then, all the department managers followed him and walked out of the room.


    Even if she didn''t lift her head, Sophia could feel his scorching gaze on her when he left as well as the


    sound of Lianna''s high-heels as it intentionally cked against the floors due to her repressed anger.


    In the hallway, Patrick continued to discuss with thepany''s higher-ups about the reorganization of


    the department, as if themotion earlier didn''t happen.


    But, Lianna could clearly see in Patrick''s eyes that he was being tolerant.


    During the entire afternoon, Sophia spent her time working with low morale.


    Before she got off work, her phone beeped twice, and she found two messages on her screen.


    She tapped on the first message, and it was sent by Brandon: [Did you like the flowers?]


    After she read it, she directly deleted it.She was angry that he boldly sent her flowers to thepany.


    Why wouldn''t he consider her situation first? It would be extremely awkward and ufortable for her.


    Then, she read the second message.It was from Finn.


    Finn: [Sophia, are you free to have a meal tonight?]


    Sophia casually made up an excuse to refuse his invite.She didn''t have enough energy and time to


    deal with others right now.


    After work, she was supposed to swipe her employer entrance pass.She rummaged inside her bag to


    look for it, but she failed to find it.She could only sign on the guard''s logbook to indicate that she was


    already off from work.


    Sophia felt strange.


    It was in her bagst night; why did it go missing today? The logistics department said that she had to


    spend about fifteen dors topensate for the lost employee pass.


    Although it was a bit time-consuming for her to log off manually, she thought that it wouldn''t be long


    before she returned to her previouspany anyway.


    Therefore, that fifteen dors could actually be saved to buy food for Emma.


    As Sophia thought of that, she felt that it was eptable.


    At the building entrance, Patrick walked to his private car with several people surrounding him.


    The employees of various departments hurriedly made way for the president when they saw him.


    They all bowed and retreated to the side, waiting for him to go over.


    Adriana was waiting in the ck VIP car when she saw all of it.


    And among the crowd, she caught the familiar figure of Sophia.


    John rushed to the front and opened the door for his boss.


    He politely gestured for Patrick to climb in.


    Patrick nodded at him and sat inside.


    There was an usatory look in Adriana''s gaze, and she instantly scooted closer to him.


    "Patrick, why didn''t you tell me that Sophia works in yourpany?"


    Adriana interrogated him, and she was clearly unhappy.


    He gave her a side nce and answered, "Does it matter? I don''t even care about it at all."


    He grabbed a box of cigarettes and a lighter from the sidepartment.


    Patrick pulled one stick out and lit it up.


    Then, he pressed a button on the side, and the windows slowly rolled down.The box of cigarettes and


    lighter were returned to its ce, and he ordered John, "Let''s drive!"


    His vague words couldn''t be considered an exnation, which made Adriana choke in anger.She


    red at him and looked petty.


    "Why? Are you jealous?" he asked, and it evoked an ugly expression from the female beside him.


    A little! Do you remember when you met her every day in the past?


    She forced a smile on her face and waited for his answer.


    "What would you do if I said that I remembered?"


    Patrick expertly evaded her question, which irked that hell out of Adriana.


    "Patrick, you''re so annoying.Why do you always make jokes like they''re real? If that''s the case, I''ll let


    go because you didn''t love me wholeheartedly"


    Adriana spoke seriously.


    Smoke curled up between his fingers and up to his head, which shrouded his face in white mist,


    making it tricky for Adriana to discern his expression.


    His voice was slightly hoarse because he was smoking, but it was still attractive and hypnotizing to


    listen to


    "You will really let go?"


    His tone sounded a little off, nearly nostalgic.


    The smoke gradually dispersed, and the man was pulled back to reality from his daydreaming.


    Adriana panicked when she heard this.His choice of words made it difficult for her to understand


    "Can''t you talk to me properly? Don''t use the tricks you usually do to your business partners when you


    were dealing with them and handling the business¡± she pleaded.


    "When you''re being like this, it''s difficult for me to guess what you say every time, and I feel that


    whatever I answer will be wrong!" She continued to voice out herints.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    usations  Adriana couldn''t help but blurt out her thoughts.She spoke too carelessly but soon


    realized that what she said was a little too much.So, she quickly exined, "I''m sorry for my outburst.I


    just...I care about you too much.I''m afraid I might lose you."


    Patrick replied with a faint smile as if it was the only way to appease her.Adriana sighed and wrapped


    herself around his arm.


    She continued, "Dad is forcing me to take over Clifford Financial Group again.I don''t even have any


    experience running a business.The old man said I could go and learn from you.I''ll being to work


    for yourpany, okay?"


    Instead of answering, Patrick asked her, "Didn''t you say that you''re not interested in any of that?"


    Adriana didn''t respond with a yes or no.


    "That was before, but I am interested again now.What do you say about us working together at your


    company?"


    She tugged at his arm, waiting for an answer.


    "It''s up to you, '''' Patrick replied and went along with the idea.


    Adriana gave him a coy smile and said, "You''re the best.I knew you couldn''t say no to me"


    In between her work at Evans Group and her part-time job, Sophia had two hours to arrange for


    Emma''s transfer to another kindergarten.


    She went to fill up the paperwork, but they told her that her mother had already paid the fees for the


    second half of the year.


    And if she still wanted Emma to transfer out, she could only receive 70% for the refund.


    With a pointed look and an impatient tone, the teacher evenined, "Emma and Harvey got into


    an argument, and the boy''s parents came here to make a scene.If Quentin wasn''t involved and if his


    family didn''t settle the matter privately, that bit of kindergarten fee would not be enough topensate


    his family at all"


    Sophia was furious, but she knew that the teacher only spoke the truth.


    Without money, she wasn''t able to do anything.


    She warned, "Ms.Brown, I hope that you will treat the children equally in the future.This way, you won''t


    have to deal with more incidents like this"


    After the minor altercation with Emma''s teacher, Sophia led her daughter out of the kindergarten.


    Emma tugged at her mother''s hand and pouted her little mouth.


    Using her sweetest voice and making puppy-dog eyes at her mother, she said, "Mom, I''ll be good.


    Please don''t be angry at me'' Sophia answered, "I''m not angry, baby.Nothing else matters as long as I


    have you by my side¡±


    Her heart warmed at her daughter''s expression.


    Emma was her life.


    As long as she was okay, she wouldn''t be worried about anything else.


    "Mom, how about we have a date sometime? Quentin said they have family dates every two days.His


    parents take him to the children''s park.They also have big meals together"


    Emma suddenly suggested.


    While looking at her daughter''s pure and innocent smile, Sophia felt her heart tighten for some reason.


    She suddenly felt sorry for her daughter.


    Theck of paternal love meant that Emma''s growing environment would be different from other


    children.


    It broke her heart to know that Emma would always long for that missing piece of her identity.


    After Sophia sent her daughter back home, she immediately rushed to her part-time job.


    She had already beente to her part-time job once because of the blind date, so she couldn''t afford to


    bete again today.


    On Wednesday morning, as soon as Sophia walked into thepany building, she felt the thick


    tension in the air.


    It was stifling to see how everyone was in a panic.


    When she arrived at the elevator, she saw Patrick and John talking to a group of people from afar.


    It seemed that there was an emergency, and they were discussing how to solve it.


    Just as the elevator door opened, her eyes locked with Patrick''s.


    Before she could look away, she caught the conflicted look he was giving her.


    His eyes had always been hard to fathom.


    No one could tell his thoughts when they stared into the seemingly endless depths of his eyes.


    When she arrived at her department''s office, she saw a huge bouquet on top of her table.


    Upon closer look, she saw a hundred blue roses that looked as expensive as they were extravagant.


    She picked up the card and found that the flowers were from Brandon.She immediately ced the


    flowers in the corner of the room, but they still drew the attention of her colleagues.She knew she


    couldn''t avoid being the topic of their conversations.


    Giselle evenmented, "Hey Sophia, Mr.Phillip''s way of showing his affection is as expected from a


    big shotpany president, huh?"


    The sarcasm was evident in her tone.


    She didn''t understand what a man such as Brandon Phillips liked about the in and unremarkable


    Sophia.


    She continued, "I guess that''s how he is usually.I really envy you, you know? As a woman, you can''t


    really resist these kinds of stuff, right?"


    At Giselle''s words, a few female colleagues quickly surrounded her and began to gossip more before


    work.


    "If you like it, then take it.I''m allergic to pollen anyway"


    Sophia offered.


    She didn''t like how Brandon sent her flowers to her office.She was even somewhat resistant to the fact


    that he was showing her interest.She wanted things from the past to stay in the past,whether it was


    Adriana, Patrick, or Brandon.


    While she was lost in her own thoughts, a tall figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of their


    department.


    "Ms.Hill, I need you toe with me for a moment.John was calling her.He had an unpleasant look on


    his face as if he was about to face a storm.Sophia thought of how Patrick looked at her just now, and


    her heart started to beat erratically.Was he finally going to fire her from thepany? "Mr.Ward, do you


    need anything from me?" she asked warily.


    Sophia tried to keep up with John''s pace, not understanding where his anger wasing from.


    "Ms.Hill, President Evans may be a bit sentimental about your shared past, but it does not mean that


    he will tolerate you" John warned.


    Sophia was slightly stunned.


    "Mr.Ward, are you saying..."


    John sneered at her and interrupted, "You will know soon enough They were now in the security


    department of Evans Group.The head of security, Mike Simmons, and two subordinates sat in the


    middle of the table.John stood at the side and listened with his arms crossed as they started to


    question Sophia.


    "Ms.Hill, may I know where you were and what you didst night? Who were you with?" Mike asked


    with a serious expression.


    Sophia was startled.She asked, "What happened exactly? I think I have the right to remain silent before


    I know what happened."


    Mike exined, "Last night, someone sneaked into thepany''s data room and stole arge amount


    of data from us.Unfortunately, our system shows that thest person to swipe her employee ID and


    enter the room was you, Ms.Hill"


    "An employee ID?"


    Sophia began to panic.She quickly added, "My employee ID is missing"


    Mike smirked and probed further, "Are you sure, Ms.Hill? Will you tell me that the fingerprints on the


    door were fake, too?"


    In argepany like the Evans Group, every employee had their blood collected and fingerprints


    recorded.


    These were preventive measures to keep anyone from leaking thepany''s secrets.


    Mike took out the fingerprint sample he had collected and said aggressively, "Unfortunately, the


    fingerprints that were left on the door match exactly with yours."


    Sophia''s eyes were brimming with tears as Mike continued, "Ms.Hill, please cooperate with us in our


    investigation.We don''t want to escte this matter to the police.If word got out, it would be bad for you


    and thepany"


    So this was why John called her? Was this Patrick''s n all along? Sophia was speechless.


    Coincidentally, all the signs pointed to her.She wasn''t stupid.


    Perhaps this was Patrick''s ultimate goal.


    He wanted to force her out of thepany in the worst way possible.


    Just as he was five years ago, he never did anything sloppily.


    Mike scratched his head in frustration.


    They were not making any progress.


    Just then, the door opened to reveal a man''s tall and broad figure.


    "Mr.Evans."


    When Mike and the others saw who it was, they immediately stood up to greet him.


    "Mr.Evans, please take a seat" Mike offered.


    "Very well, Patrick replied.He went around to the center of the table and sat face to face with Sophia.


    "Mike, you guys continue.Don''t worry about me" he instructed.


    Patrick spoke in a light tone as if he didn''t feel the added tension by his own authoritative presence in


    the room.


    Mike nodded and started to speak, but Sophia opened her mouth to interrupt.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    "Mr.Evans, can we talk privately for a moment?"


    Patrick took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.He tacitly agreed and waved his hand to the other


    people in the room.


    "You guys go out first"


    Mike led his subordinates and went out in a hurry, while John mmed the door as he left.He never


    liked the way his boss acted towards Sophia.


    The way he saw it, the president might have been protecting her since she came to work for the


    company.


    When everyone else left the room, Sophia grumbled, "Enlighten me, Mr.Evans.Does it please you to


    see a woman humbly beg you for her life? Do you take pleasure when she loses both her pride and


    dignity in front of you? Are you having fun? Huh?"

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    Sophia felt powerless and disheartened as tears welled up her eyes.It had been a few years, but she


    had never felt this way.


    "As the president, I think being able to sit here and listen to the words of a lowly transfer employee is


    already very condescending.Please understand your identity and your etiquette!" he eximed


    "Also, I am not a phnthropist..." he continued.


    His suspicion of her grew stronger.


    A deafening silence came between them as a cloud of thick smoke surrounded the room.


    "Tell me, Sophia, what is your purpose ining to Evans Enterprise?"


    After a few seconds of hesitation, Sophia spoke.


    "Well, as what you expected, I came here for money, power, and you..." Sophia replied.


    Sophia stood up angrily.


    No matter how much she tried to exin, it would be futile as he had already determined the truth.


    "Just treat me as a person who only cared about making ends meet and nothing more.This way, it


    would be easier to deal with!" she cried.


    She admitted it.


    "Wait a minute!" Patrick eximed.


    He threw the cigarette butt away and caught up to her quickly.His long and slender hand grabbed her


    arm with force.He turned her halfway and mmed her into the wall, almost breaking her back.He held


    her head on one side and looked down on her from above.


    "So, it really wasn''t you?" Sophia shifted her gaze away from him.


    "Will you believe me?" she asked with a trembling voice.


    Patrick lowered his head.


    His breathing was extremely close that she could feel the heat on her face.He held her chin tightly,


    forcing her to face him.


    She resisted, but he was even more forceful.


    His thin lips came close to Sophia''s face, stopping just beside her ear.


    Her body became tense and stiff because of his approach.


    "There is only one chance, Sophia."


    His casual tone was filled with a strong warning.


    His maic voice seemed to have an endless prating force, directly pounding at her eardrums.


    "Mr.Evans, do you think an ordinary employee like me who is busy earning for living and speaks


    insincere words to tter colleagues have any reason for telling lies?" she uttered with a rising tone.


    Sophia''s eyes were filled with tears, but she forced herself to smile.


    "Sophia, I hope this will be thest time that we meet alone.This is almost more than I can tolerate" he


    said firmly.


    "What a coincidence! I couldn''t agree more, Mr.Evans"


    She was not to be outdone.


    "I''m d we came to that agreement!"


    These might be thest words he would ever say to her.


    Being strangers to each other might be the best andfortable state for the two of them.


    He would not allow any more mishaps to happen.


    It didn''t matter what Sophia''s goals were.


    On the highest floor of Evan''s Group building...


    John entered the door of Patrick''s office, holding a stack of information in his hand.


    "Mr.Evans, I have checked all the video recordings yesterday about Sophia Hill.It was nk.Even the


    surveince footage on her way home from the workce waspletely nk; he notified.


    "So she has no evidence to prove her innocence.Do you think we should call the police?"


    John continued.


    Patrick''s eyes raised when he heard this.


    "Don''t disclose this yet.Try to collect all the data before it leaks"


    Patrick instructed John.


    "Also, reset and encrypt all employee passes.If others know that some of the employees'' passes that


    can easily open the group''s confidential document room, we will be in trouble." Patrick continued.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Suddenly, an idea came to Patrick''s mind, and he took one look at John.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" John asked, befuddled.


    "You didn''t instruct me to kick Sophia out of thepany.How could I act on my own without your


    permission?"


    "Besides, to be able to delete all the video information in such a short time takes a lot of skills that


    cannot be underestimated!" Patrick lowered his head.


    "All in all, it was all my fault? ¡° he muttered.


    Patrick rubbed his forehead and continued to instruct.


    "It''s not the time to me someone.


    First, since they deleted the video remotely, investigate the IP address.


    Also, inform thework engineering department and all department managers.I want to hold an


    emergency meeting; Patrick said in a firm tone.


    "Yes, right away, Mr.Evans." John quickly turned to do all his tasks.


    As soon as he touched the door handle, Patrick made onest request.


    "Wait, decentralize the control of the evaluation department.Let Lianna make the decision directly.No


    need to ask me anymore¡± he said.


    "Noted on that, sir'' John confirmed.


    As soon as Sophia returned to the evaluation department, a few female colleagues from neighboring


    seats surrounded her, trying to get information from her.


    "Why is Mr.Ward looking for you? Thepany''s higher-ups seem to be very concerned.What


    happened?" they queried.


    Sophia shook her head, "I have no idea.Mr.Ward is just asking about the evaluation case of my original


    company¡±


    "Oh, have you heard? Mr.Evans'' fiancee is going to work in our group.She will be a vice president


    despite the fact that she has no experience.I have to say that the president''s fiancee is truly different to


    normal people, always enjoying the special treatment!" one chattered.


    "Really? Doesn''t his fiancee have her own family business?" another one inserted.


    "Of course, it is true.He is rich! He can''t think the same way as us, ordinary employees"


    As everyone was busy chit-chatting, an angry voice came screaming from behind.


    "Don''t you have some work to do?!" Lianna shouted.


    Lianna just came out of her office to go to a meeting when she spotted three or five employees


    gathered just to chat.


    That was when her anger immediately rose.


    "I repeat, the Evans'' Group doesn''t tolerateziness! If I find you gathering to chat next time, prepare to


    hand out your resignation!" she said furiously.


    Everyone hightailed when Lianna spoke.


    Sophia didn''t know if it was an illusion, but she felt how Lianna was looking at her.


    It was somehow deep and meaningful.


    As Sophia was about to get off work in the afternoon, Giselle approached her with a painful expression.


    "Ms.Hill, can I ask you for a favor? I have a really bad stomachache today.¡± Lianna asked me to send


    her the meeting information.


    Can you help me send it? I am really in a hurry? Giselle hastily said.Her colleagues in the office were


    more or less the same.Most of them would call her Ms.Hill only when they were asking for Sophia''s


    help because, in this way, they could show her respect.


    The truth was, Sophia was the oldest in the evaluation department.


    She was just 27 years old! Would that be considered old? Perhaps, it would!


    "No problem, Giselle.Go and take some medicine.That would ease your stomachache" she


    comfortingly said to Giselle.


    "Got it.Thank you, Ms.Hill.I owe you one!"


    Due to the heavy atmosphere in thepany today, everyone was unusually tense and in a bad mood.


    The conference room for the emergency meeting was on the 27th floor.


    When Sophia went to deliver the meeting information, she got lost.


    Although the area of each floor was the same, theyout waspletely different.She just got a


    headache looking at each and every department or floor.


    It was not that she was beingzy, but her sense of direction was pretty bad.


    Suddenly, she heard a voice.


    "Since everyone says that you love Adriana, why don''t you marry her yet? Thomas has been dead for


    three years.Please don''t use that as an excuse for not getting married"


    The voice came from the door of the stairway, which was half-open.


    "This voice sounded very familiar..."


    Sophia thought to herself.


    Sophia kept on thinking, who was that familiar voice she heard.


    Then, suddenly, it came up.It was Lianna.


    "This is my business.I don''t think the whole world needs to know about this.Let''s go; this meeting is


    over"


    Patrick dered.


    Patrick walked out to smoke halfway through the long meeting.


    He did not expect Lianna to follow him.


    As he turned to leave, Lianna grabbed his arm firmly.


    "Sir, what are you hiding from us?"


    Lianna stared at him in the eyes.


    "Miss Parson, we have such a great rtionship both personally and professionally.I don''t think we can


    aplish our job doing such things.Please remember that I am your leader, he firmly stated.¡±


    Using his harsh words, Patrick implied that if Lianna wanted to maintain her rtionship with him, he


    had to make it clear between them.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Patrick shot a sharp gaze unto Lianna''s hand that had been stopping him from walking away.As if she


    was hurt by such a gaze, Lianna swiftly pulled her hand away from Patrick''s arm.


    "Mr.Evans, you have to understand my intentions," she retorted, formally addressing him again as not


    to get ahead of her rank.


    There was silence because Patrick took his time before responding to her.


    "I''m sorry, Ms.Parson¡± Patrick replied, which seriously meant  ''That''s it.It''s over¡±


    Patrick never thought there would be any other feelings between them other than being in the


    employer and employee rtionship.


    John had always referred to Patrick as a workhorse who didn''t recognize his rtives, and an essential


    distinction was that he never had any emotional ties to his employees.


    "I understand" Lianna concurred.


    Lianna was a woman, after all, and she couldn''t hide her emotions well.She dashed out the door before


    her tears began to fall.


    Sophia was relieved that Lianna wasn''t heading straight in her direction.


    The door was slightly ajar and was blocking her from their view; hence they didn''t see her as she


    eavesdropped.


    Sophia held her breath and let the time pass by before she decided to walk away from where she was


    hiding.


    But as she was on her way, her moment of peace was disrupted when she suddenly heard someone


    speak.


    "How long have you been listening?"


    Patrick''s tall figure suddenly came into view.He always had a strong personality which would usually


    intimidate anyone he met.He exuded confidence and amanding presence even by simply standing


    there.


    But Sophia tried so hard not to show how she was affected by his presence and acted like nothing was


    amiss.She needed to act the way a stranger would act.


    "I was just here to drop these documents.It was not my intention to eavesdrop, Mr.Evans" Sophia


    retorted.


    Sophia felt so stupid.


    How could she forget that Patrick was sharp when it came to things like this? Maybe she was


    transparent enough that even Patrick could see through her and used it to his advantage.


    Sophia tried to move around Patrick and nned to go on her way.


    Patrick, being persistent, had also moved in her direction, saying, "How about now? Was this also a


    coincidence?"


    "What do you think? I don''t have any interest in your personal life, Mr.Evans." Sophia replied.


    "I certainly hope so¡± Patrick concluded.


    He finally gave her space and let her move along.


    Sophia heaved a sigh of relief and walked away without looking back.


    As she was consciously counting her steps inside her mind, Patrick tried to warn her, "I hope you won''t


    go around talking about what you heard today"


    Sophia continued to walk without even bothering to turn around.


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    What did he expect? There was nothing to talk about anyway.


    Patrick and Lianna were in an intense conversation which made them unaware of everything else that


    was happening around them.


    They didn''t realize that anyone could have heard their exchange.


    Sophia had just talked with Finn when Fiona called her.


    Ever since their blind date, Finn and Sophia had been in constant contact with each other.


    However, there was nothing passionate about their exchange.


    It was all just normal and friendly calls and messages.


    It was a good thing that Fiona called her.


    Since there were things that Sophia couldn''t share with Finn, she felt relieved now that she could open


    up to Fiona about what happened in thepany.


    "Are you saying that someone stole your employee ID card and gained ess to thepany''s files?


    Why did you wait until now to tell me about this? What was Patrick''s reaction to all of this?" Fiona


    asked.


    Sophia was in the middle of her shopping at the grocery.She couldn''t control her outburst since she


    was shocked by what she heard.


    "It''s so hard to describe.You should have seen the look on the security head''s face.He thought that I


    hadmitted a great crime.He was questioning me, and it felt like I was inside a torture chamber¡¯''


    Sophia exined.


    "And then, what else? Did he say anything about a follow-up? Or just like that, it''s done?" Fiona


    continued to ask.


    "I have no idea.I suppose they didn''t find any evidence yet.Because if they do, I won''t be talking to you


    now.I''ll be in the police station instead?" Sophia replied.


    Patrick could let this situation go without any furtherplications because it involved Sophia.


    But she didn''t have the courage and confidence to ask Patrick about the development of such a matter


    directly.


    And now, Sophia wouldn''t pray for anything but to hope that her two-month designation period would


    be over soon so that she could go back to her originalpany.


    Sophia was in a much better mood when she ended the call.


    As she continued her shopping, she arrived at the Children''s Section aisle.She then saw all kinds of


    toys and stuff that any child would enjoy seeing.


    Sophia couldn''t help herself but be amazed at everything around her.


    She stopped for a long time and eventually decided to buy Emma''s favorite doll.


    When Sophia imagined how Emma would be happy when she received it, the worry inside Sophia''s


    heart immediately disappeared.


    Sophia then pushed her cart to the counter to pay and check everything out.She walked out of the


    supermarket and went together with the crowd.


    The streets were full of charming and happy people, perhaps because the Street Caravan was


    approaching.Sophia felt envious just by looking at them


    ¡°What did I do when I was their age?'' Sophia thought to herself.


    "You''ve been hiding from me for quite a while now.It must be hard on you" a deep voice suddenly said.


    Sophia turned her head and looked for the source of the voice.


    Under the light, the man''s handsome face slowly appeared.


    "What made you say that?" Sophia replied.


    Sophia awkwardly smiled as she slowly hid her grocery bag, wary of the man in front of her who could


    be interested in seeing what she had bought.


    Brandon walked towards her and quickly took the grocery bag from Sophia''s arms, and voluntarily


    carried it himself.


    "Well, you won''t answer my text messages, and you''ve been ignoring my calls.You didn''t even return


    any of it¡± Brandon retorted.


    "I''ve been busy these past few days."


    Sophia tried to snatch her grocery bags from Brandon''s grip but failed, for he moved them away from


    her reach.


    "I''m on my way to 5th Avenue for a business deal.Let me drive you home¡± Brandon offered.


    Sophia wanted to say no, but Brandon had already walked away and turned towards his parked


    car.Sophia sat upright in the passenger seat.She thought that she could hide from his scrutiny if she


    would just sit tight and look outside his car.


    "Howe you bought so many child''s stuff?" Brandon inquired coolly


    "ls Brandon now aware that I already have a child?'' Sophia thought to herself.


    "It was just a favor, actually, for a friend" Sophia replied nervously.


    After that awkward exchange, there was a brief moment of stillness inside the car.


    Sophia was determined to make everything clear between them when they arrived at her ce.


    "Brandon, I have to be honest with you.You cannot do this anymore.I''m with someone¡± Sophia


    exined.


    Brandon just smiled and looked at her as if he was not rejected by Sophia.He believed that Sophia was


    just making an excuse.


    "Well, he''s not your husband yet, right? We both have the same chances.I don''t mind having a


    competition, you know¡± Brandon said as he gave his sweetest and adorable smile.


    Sophia wanted to say something more, but Brandon interrupted her.


    Brandon just calmly said, "Hey, rx! One day, I''m gonna have to meet with Mr.Bower and have a meal


    with him someday."


    As Brandon drove away, Sophia couldn''t help but feel annoyed.But, she then decided to just let it go,


    for she understood Brandon.


    If he still insisted on pursuing her, there was nothing she could do about it.


    However, what Sophia failed to realize was how patient Brandon could be.She underestimated


    Brandon''s sincere intentions towards her.


    Friday swiftly came, and it was the day where Lianna would give her review of Sophia''s evaluation


    case.


    Lianna had been demanding a daily meeting every morning.


    Nobody knew what happened, but Lianna was not in a good mood that morning.


    "Rookies can''t stay newbies forever; you have to learn to do your job on your own! Don''t expect me to


    oversee you all the time.Otherwise, just hand in your resignation, and I''ll dly ept it!" Lianna


    blurted out.


    Lianna was in such a bad mood that her staff was so nervous and agitated that morning.


    The entire Evaluation Department was in a panic.


    As she was wrapping up her meeting, Lianna called on Sophia, "Ms.Hill, I need to see you in my office"


    Sophia took a deep breath and quickly followed Lianna, feeling a little nervous herself.


    The moment that they both disappeared from everyone''s view, the staff immediately gathered and


    gossiped around.


    "What the hell does Ms.Parson want by giving such an important case to Ms.Hill to work on? I''ve been


    in thispany for ten years, which made me a senior staff.I am jealous, for I deserve to have that


    project!" a redheaddy whispered.


    "You''re so clueless! Think about Ms.Parson''s true intention.How could she give Ms.Hill, a newbie, an


    important case? Maybe Ms.Parson wants to use this case just to bully her.Well, if Ms.Hill can smoothly<pplete the case, she will be praised for a job well done.But if something goes wrong, she will take all


    the me, and she will be fired right away¡± thedy in heels said.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    "Tsk, tsk.Lianna is so ruthless¡­¡±


    When John walked past the entrance of the evaluation department, he could hear the employees


    gossiping in the hallway.


    He just raised his eyebrows and walked to the elevator as if nothing had happened.He was headed to


    an executive meeting.


    Meanwhile, in Lianna''s office.


    "Sophia, is this the best you can do for this case?" Lianna asked with a disappointed tone.


    Lianna sneered as she threw Sophia''s evaluation report across the table as if it didn''t matter.


    "Go get your sry from the finance department. You are fired! "


    "Ms.Parson, please let me know what I did wrong..." Sophia pleaded.


    Suddenly, Lianna''s expression went from meaningful to sharp.


    It seemed that Lianna''s dissatisfaction was on purpose.It reminded Sophia of Lianna''s conversation


    with Patrick that day.


    Could it be that Lianna had also discovered that she eavesdropped that day? She couldn''t risk a blind


    guess and had to probe.


    "If it''s for any other reasons, please give me at least a reasonable exnation."


    "There isn''t any other reason!" Lianna directly answered.


    Sophia remained motionless.


    With a sneer, Lianna said, "Do you want me to go find someone to drag you out?"


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    Sophia, despite her gentle and forgiving nature, also had a temper.


    "No need, my legs are in good shape.I am capable of walking on my own."


    Her heavy footsteps could be heard as she mmed the door behind her.


    Sophia felt resentful, but she knew there was nothing she could do to change the situation.


    Lianna had the right to fire someone.


    Even if Patrick were to disagree, nothing would be altered, not to mention that the person Lianna


    wanted to dismiss was Sophia.


    How could rich people like them understand what it was like to be a poor person who needed to earn a


    living? While the evaluation department was packing up, everyone couldn''t help but rush to her side


    and offer her a hug.


    "Sophia, please don''t hesitate to call us if you need anything in the future.Whether we can help or not,


    at least we''re trying."


    "Yes, yes.Besides, there is plenty of work.Why hang yourself here?"


    Sophia smiled; what her colleagues said made sense.


    Once she had finished packing, she said her goodbyes to everyone and walked out with the box in her


    hands.She had no idea how Samuel would react if he found out about what had happened.


    Samuel seemed to oppose her going back to the originalpany because she messed up this


    case.So she had to think of another way to find new jobs.


    After packing her things and taking the elevator, Sophiaforted herself.It felt good to put an end to


    it.


    At the very least, she wouldn''t have to deal with it any longer.


    After losing a high-paying job, she could still find additional part-time jobs to earn a living.


    As she stepped out of the elevator, she adjusted the heavy box in front of her chest and looked up.She


    was surprised to see Patrick.


    He seemed to have just arrived at work.


    The smooth lines of his clothes defined his tall and straight body like a model.


    As he walked, a gentle breeze blew at the corner of his suit, adding to his elegance.


    They didn''t even bother to look at each other as they passed as if they had agreed on the same thing,


    that they were strangers


    "Just remember that if you ever run into this man again, he will just be a random stranger" Sophia said


    to herself.


    After the executive meeting, John followed behind Patrick and reported the progress of the


    investigation in the past two days.


    "I hired a localwork expert to help me recover the data that had been lost that night.I discovered


    that the IP address indicated Australia."


    "Australia?" Patrick stopped in his tracks.


    John also slowed his pace.


    "Yes, could it be that Sophia has offended someone in that ce and is plotting this to get revenge on


    her?"


    Patrick didn''t say anything and kept walking.


    "Although we didn''t find any evidence to prove that it was Sophia who did it, we still can not be sure


    that she is indeed innocent.Mr.Evans, do you think we should keep an eye on her?"


    While speaking, John observed Patrick''s expression.But Patrick''s face remained unchanged; it was still


    as cold as ice.


    "Don''t tell anyone until we find evidence.Also, you must deal with this matter as quickly as possible.I


    don''t want to hear your question.I want to see the result before the situation gets out of hand¡±


    "Got it, Mr.Evans."


    The two took the special elevator back to the president''s office, one after the other.


    Patrick loosened his tie and pondered for a moment before saying, "Ask Sophia toe up"


    "Sophia? Liana had already fired her." John notified Patrick of the news that he had just received.


    "When did it happen? Why didn''t anyone tell me?"


    "I thought you said before the meeting this morning that the evaluation department was decentralized


    and allowed Lianna to make her own decisions?"


    There was a hint of mockery in John''s words.


    Patrick waspletely speechless.He did say it, after all.


    It seemed that the consequences of his words had backfired on him.


    Patrick walked over to the chair and sat down.He didn''t mind that John was teasing him.


    "Call Samuel Myers and ask him toe to Evans Company"


    "Alright, got it" John turned around and left.


    After John had left, Patrick sat on his chair, pondering deeply.It was the weekend, the day after she lost


    her job.


    Sophia didn''t dare sleep in and woke up early to look for a job.She didn''t have time to be depressed


    about losing her job, let alone reminisce about the days when she used to work so hard.She needed to


    keep earning money.


    After all, she still had a family to take care of.


    Otherwise, no one would share her burden.


    Maria woke up very early and brought breakfast to the dining table.


    "Sweetheart,e over and eat breakfast before going out."


    "Okay!" Sophia sat down and took a sip of milk.


    Maria, on the other hand, asked her, "How are things with Finn these days?"


    "We''re still trying to figure each other out¡± Sophia responded.


    Maria followed Sophia and sat down, earnestly saying, "Well, the blind date your Aunt Kate set up for


    you is a nice man.He has a decent job.He''s attractive, modest, and has a good manner.You have to


    seize the opportunity, you know?"


    "Yes, I know.Mom, I am full!" Sophia said.


    Sophia then grabbed her bag and left the house in a hurry.


    Over the weekend, the atmosphere of Valentine''s Day grew stronger on the streets.


    It seemed that everyone who passed by her seemed to be with someone, making her look even more


    lonely.


    While she was lost in her thoughts, her phone rang.She immediately checked it and saw it was Finn.


    "I saw you out on the street" Finn said over the phone.


    Finn''s voice could be heard on the other end of the line.


    Sophia took a few steps back and looked around.


    "Where are you?"


    "The restaurant right next to you" Finn replied.


    Sophia turned around and saw Finn waving at her from the window of the nearby restaurant.She


    responded with a gentle smile.


    "I was going to have lunch alone but didn''t expect to run into you.If we eat together, I won''t feel lonely


    anymore."


    Finn''spany was just a few blocks down this road.


    He was the type of person who demanded a high standard of living and frequently chose this


    restaurant for lunch.


    The two of them sat at the table next to the French.


    During their conversation, Sophia overheard a familiar voiceing from the table just a few steps


    away.


    She turned her head unconsciously only to meet a man''s piercing gaze.She had to avert her eyes in a


    panic.


    "Why? You know someone?"


    Finn, too, looked in that direction.It turned out that the voice belonged to Patrick.


    "It''s Mr.Evans.Do you want to go over and say hello? After all, you are subordinates" Finn asked very


    thoughtfully.


    Sophia grimaced, "I don''t think so.He probably doesn''t know someone like me"


    About half an hourter, the conversation from the nearby table came to an end.


    When she passed by their table, she intentionally lowered her head to avoid being recognized.


    The smell of tobo drifted through the air, a scent that Sophia was once familiar with five years ago.


    She pretended not to care and continued to breathe normally, but the memories still caused her pain.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    When Sophia received the call from Samuel, she was on her way to Golden Pavillion.


    Sophia, I told you that if you failed to have this evaluation case signed, you would pay for the damages


    it would cause, and believe me, it would be a hefty sum.How can you make such a huge mess?!


    Samuel''s tone was already upset and frustrated as he yelled over the phone.It looked like both of the


    companies had given him a lot of pressure.


    "If you can sessfully sign the evaluation case of the Evans Company, it would make you a rising star


    in the appraising world.Why couldn''t you endure it and have to get fired? Can''t you try to finish this


    case?!"


    Sophia bit her lip; she couldn''t reply to his words.


    Yes, these past few years of hardships had also done a lot of mental damage to her, yet how could she


    not endure it this time? ¡®Was it because the person who made things difficult for me...was Lianna?¡¯


    Sophia couldn''t figure out why.


    However, at this moment, there was no turning back for her anymore.


    Sophia didn''t regret what she did.


    "Samuel, how much is the penalty fee?" Sophia''s voice was calm and resolute.


    Samuel could not believe what he heard.He looked at the screen of his phone in disbelief.


    "Sophia, do you know what you''re saying?"


    "How much is it?"


    Sophia continued to press for an answer.


    Samuel thought that if he soothed the anger of both sides with the troublemaker''s apology, this matter


    would just pass in a blink of an eye, without trouble.


    Unexpectedly, a variable named ¡®Sophia¡¯ popped up with her strong-willed personality, wrecking his


    efforts in attempting to appease thepanies.


    "About 100,000 dors, Sophia,e with me to apologize.This matter would be over in a sh if you


    just say sorry."


    Sophia''s heart was heavy like a big stone was being pressed down as she heard the sum she would


    have to pay, "When is the deadline for the payment?"


    Sophia had her own set of principles.


    Some of the events that happened to her life she could endure easily, and there were some she


    absolutely couldn''t.


    "I''ll give you half a month to pay for it" Samuel sighed and said in a defeated tone.


    Sophia made a sound of acknowledgment and hung up.She would try her best to raise it, and if she


    couldn''t make it in time, she would have to sell her precious ne.


    Sophia touched the diamond ne that she had put in her wallet.


    The jewelry was so clean that it dazzled on her hands when the rays of the sun hit it.


    Within the week after she was dismissed and chained with a huge debt to pay, Sophia quickly found a


    part-time job.


    Every day, she would go out minutes before her shift for her work, and at night, she would return home


    when her shift ended and her coworker who would rece her was present.


    Every time she returned home, she would thoroughly wash off the smell of smoke left from her part-


    time work.


    Otherwise, if she was discovered by her mother...


    Sophia shuddered fearfully.


    She wouldn''t dare to imagine the consequences.


    Finn learned from Aunt Kate that she was working part-time in Golden Pavillion in the evening.


    As long as he didn''t have any prior engagements to attend to, he woulde to pick her up.


    Sophia felt bashful every time he would pick her up and wanted him to stop, but Finn was very


    persistent and wouldn''t receive no for an answer, so she didn''t continue on objecting even if she turned


    red from embarrassment.


    After all, they were lovers; it was normal for him to act like that.


    After Sophia got in the car, the Mercedes-Benz quickly started, and they drove off in the streets with the


    midnight sky above them.


    John sat inside the Rolls-Royce car.He was confused and had to put up with Patrick''s abnormal


    behavior these past few days.He apanied Patrick for three consecutive days, attending to him


    with his every need.


    Every time after the dinner meeting, he had to take a big detour to the Northern Twin Road.


    It was not until they saw Sophia getting on Finn''s car did Patrick react in horror.


    "It seems that Mr.Bower and Sophia''s rtionship is going swimmingly.."


    John carefully said he was afraid of looking to his side, where the scary man was sitting.


    Patrick turned his head to the side and looked out the window, acting like he didn''t hear what John


    said.


    "Just drive!" John smiled in contempt and started the car.


    The frame of the car disappeared in a sh in the streets under the midnight sky.


    On the day of Valentine''s Day, Finn came early to pick up Sophia to have a romantic dinner with her,


    celebrating this holiday for couples.


    Finn was mature and steady.


    He was a man that was very punctilious when it came to rtionships.


    If not for Sophia experiencing a heartbreak, making her wary of love, with Finn''s caring actions that


    would make your heart beat thrice, she would have already been taken down by the other party.


    She didn''t know whether it was a coincidence or fate was ying with her, but she once again ran into


    Patrick.


    The man looked busy while partaking in a meeting with a client, and he was paying close attention to


    the person seated in front of him.


    He listened to what the other party said and would asionally open his mouth to say a few words of


    response.


    Most of the people they were with were silent.


    When Sophia and Finn walked past his table, both of them overheard him remark, "If it is for this kind of


    price, there is no need for the Evans Company to involve itself.


    Strictly speaking, anyone involved with business would want to make small investments with a big


    return."


    Sitting down at a table not far from him was Sophia, and her seat was just across from him.She noticed


    his heated gaze drifting now and then over to their table.


    "What would you like to eat?"


    Finn looked down at the menu and thoughtfully asked her.


    "I''ll leave it to you; anything is fine.I''ll go to the restroom first! ¡° Sophia found it hard to breathe because


    of a certain person''s presence.


    She decided to escape and go to the restroom to take a breather.


    The coldness hit her face when she turned on the faucet and sshed the water that ran down onto


    her face.It was refreshing, cooling her face, and it made her calm down.It helped a lot.It was not until


    her state reverted to normal and her face didn''t look anxious anymore in the mirror, did she wiped her


    hands and prepared to go back.


    Patrick could be seen from a distance, smoking a cigarette with his figure leaning on the chair.


    It seemed that he had already smoked a few, given the area he was in surrounded by a cloud of dense


    smoke that you could mistake for fog.


    Sophia walked past the smoking man who she didn''t want to greet, but he opened his mouth and


    uttered for her to hear loud and clear, "Date?"


    Sophia turned to him.


    She nodded and responded politely, "How about you? A meeting with a client?"


    Patrick also nodded in response.


    Sophia made a reserved smile and immediately cut off their conversation, "I see, then I''ll best be going


    first! I don''t want my boyfriend to wait. The lights on the ceiling shone down on the pitiful man, and the


    lights wrapped themselves around the man''s misty eyes, which were encased with emotions that were


    simr to unwillingness.


    Patrick let out a sound of mockery, not to her but to himself.


    The poets were right; drinking too much alcohol was not good for you.


    Time continued on moving to wee the bright tomorrows.


    The world was still spinning around for the people that were busy with their work or life.


    After a series of draining meetings, the day quickly shed by, and it was already eight o''clock in the


    evening.


    Patrick originally nned to go back to the Evans family house to see his mother and Quentin, but he


    was reminded by John that he wasn''t free.


    "Mr.Evans, Ms.Clifford''s flight willnd today.Didn''t you promise to pick her up at nine o''clock?"


    "It was today?"


    Patrick sat in the car and felt his head painfully throbbing.


    "Yes, today is the day Ms.Clifford receives her Ph.D.7 diploma and returns to the country."


    How did time rush by him before he could even notice? "Then, let''s go to the airport to pick her up?


    Patrick said, sounding a little tired.


    "Okay."


    John didn''t say anything more and started the car, driving off in the direction of the airport.


    On the way to the airport, Patrick had been resting with his eyes closed, hoping to doze off before


    arriving at their destination.


    Other than waiting for the traffic lights to turn green, the drive was smooth, and they didn''t meet any


    obstacles.


    Another traffic light turned red.


    John looked outside, his eyes widened, and he eximed, rousing Patrick from his slumber, "That''s


    weird.Why did I see Mr.Bower with another woman?"


    John wiped his eyes, thinking it was a mistake, but it wasn''t.


    "Could it be...he''s cheating?!"


    His voice was loud, and it naturally fell into the ears of the man sleeping in the back seat.


    Patrick sat up and looked in the direction where John was staring.


    "Go and investigate what exactly happened."


    "Yes, sir!"


    Although John couldn''t hear the joy and anger in Patrick''s voice, he knew that he had be more


    and more concerned about his ex-wife, even though it looked like he still had not found out.


    Perhaps it was because Patrick had been acting too strange recently that John began to wonder if the


    President had always had Sophia in his heart and mind, but he just failed to notice.


    Another day of part-time work ended.


    After Sophia changed out of her work clothes, she walked out and stood at the side of the road, waiting


    for her boyfriend toe to pick her up.


    Finn called her in the afternoon and said that he would pick her up in the evening.


    However, he waste than usual today.


    It was almost two o''clock in the early morning, and not a trace of his hair could be seen.


    Sophia took out the phone from her bag and called Finn, but he couldn''t be contacted, his phone was


    turned off.


    The summer air in Harrow City was cool and refreshing at first, but after a long time of standing


    outside, it was starting to feel a little cold.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Sophia didn¡¯t want to put malice in Finn''s action, thinking to herself that it was possible that Finn had


    been dyed by something and couldn''t tell her, so she decided to take a taxi first and contact him


    tomorrow.


    Before she could make a move to call for a taxi, a dazzling Rolls-Royce car stealthily parked in front of


    her.


    The window of the car was lowered and revealed the handsome face of the man inside.


    Why did the handsome face belong to someone she didn''t want to see?


    "Get in the car"


    Patrick looked and said to the woman outside the window.


    Sophia shook her head in refusal.


    "No thanks¡± Since she decided to move onpletely from the past, she didn''t want to have any


    rtions with him anymore.


    Besides, the woman who should be the one to sit in the passenger seat of his car could not and would


    never be her.


    Sophia was already aware that it wasn''t meant to be.


    "Finn won''te to pick you up tonight; Patrick continued, looking like he wouldn''t drive away unless


    she got in.


    Sophia was surprised that he actually knew that she was waiting for Finn, but she didn''t bend to his


    will, "I''ll take the taxi, you can go now, Mr.Evans.I don''t want to owe you anything"

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    She walked past the front of the car and was about to get into a cab, but Patrick hurriedly got out of his


    car and grabbed her wrist.He forced her to get into the passenger seat of his vehicle.He immediately


    locked the door so Sophia could not get out.


    Sophia worked the whole day and was already tired to the point that she had no strength to be angry or


    to fight him, so she thought, ¡®Let him do what he wants¡¯


    The car was swift.


    Sophia and Patrick were both quiet.


    The only sound that could be heard was the sound of the rubber wheels on the pavement.


    Though the car was at high speed, John''s driving was impable, making the atmosphere quite


    tranquil.


    On the other hand, Patrick also smelled like his old after-shave cream.


    Sophia''s absent-minded heart calmed down for a moment, and she felt so peaceful that she could fall


    asleep in the next second.She closed her eyes for a bit.


    Then, Patrick asked suddenly, "Do you get along well with Mr.Bower?"


    Sophia turned her head and looked at Patrick''s face.He did not look surprised at all.So Sophia could


    not help but ask, "How did you know his name?"


    "We did some business together" he exined vaguely.


    After a long while, he asked again, "Are you nning to marry him?"


    She was puzzled by Patrick''s actions and words tonight.


    Whether it was his questions or his manner, it gave her an illusion that Patrick was acting like a


    husband right now.


    Sophia looked out of the window and at the scenery as they passed.Her heart seemed to skip a beat, "I


    don''t know, I will let nature take its course.


    How they looked inside the car was like a beautiful scene in the movie.


    However, neither of them noticed that this was the first time they had interacted peacefully with each


    other in many years.


    They also didn''t know that their world would change after this night.


    She still had one day before she needed to pay the fine for the breach of contract.


    Sophia looked at the money she had raised and was sad that it was not even half of what she


    needed.She took out the diamond ne that had been sealed in her wallet for five years.She could


    pawn it for her n to get through.


    Evening came, and Sophia could not sleep.She turned on themp and subconsciously touched the


    wallet on the bedside table.She suddenly remembered that she had pawned the ne.


    There was an emptiness in her heart.


    That ne had been with her for so many years, and she was reluctant to part with it.


    "Youngdy, it seemed that this ne is very important to you.The contract will take effect before


    tomorrow afternoon, which shows that you still have one night to get this back."


    The owner of the pawnshop said.


    The owner offered these words of advice when he saw Sophia''s reluctance.


    She didn''t sleep the whole night.


    The following day, she ran to the pawnshop and waited for the owner.


    Finally, she decided to get the ne back.


    When the owner saw her, he was not surprised.


    On the contrary, he looked as if he knew that she woulde back.


    "Sorry, Ms.Hill, that ne has been bought by someone."


    Sophia was anxious, "How could you do this? Didn''t you say that the contract would only take effect in


    the afternoon? Why did you sell my ne?"


    The man spread out his hands and said helplessly, "I knew the rules, and I told that to the buyer, but


    the man who bought it said that he would bear all the consequences.Please understand, my store is


    small, and I could not argue with the man who looks wealthy and powerful."


    Sophia had never felt so dejected.


    It was as if she had lost the most precious thing in the world.She btedly realized that she should


    have kept it.


    It was toote.


    "The gentleman left a phone number and said that if you want to take back the ne, you can call


    him; The owner said.


    Sophia nced at the number on the slip of paper.She didn''t need to look twice to know who it


    was.She had long since memorized the man''s phone number because he had never changed that


    number in the past ten years.


    The moment she got through, her hand trembled, "Patrick speaking"


    "You bought the ne?"


    She finally spoke after a long silence.


    Patrick remained silent.


    "Do you want to take it back?"


    But, unfortunately, his voice was calm, and she could only hear the sound of aptop keyboard.He had


    guessed her intentions, or rather, there was no need to think.


    Her phone call had already exined everything.


    "Will you return it to me?" Sophia asked silently.


    Her hand holding the phone turned pale, like a prisoner waiting for a sentence.


    "If you want to get the ne back, wait for me at my apartment building tonight, '''' Patrick said


    suddenly.


    He didn''t even allow her to say no.


    Patrick hung up the phone.He expected that Sophia would wait for him at his apartment because of the


    ne.If it were for something else, Sophia would feel contempt.


    But that ne was different.


    Although it could be sold for an obscene amount of money, its significance was not limited to this.


    The importance of the ne could not be measured by money.


    She was furious and had nowhere to vent it, which caused the situation she was in.


    The weather was very nice in the morning, but it was very darke nightfall.


    The breeze in Harrow city carried with it a portent of a storm.


    The luxury apartment where Patrick lived was famous in the entire Frostford.


    The people who lived here were either rich or an aristocrat.


    Because of this, the security measures in themunity were also of the highest level.


    She did not have any credentials and could only stand and wait foolishly at the outermost part of the


    building.


    Patrick''s car appeared outside the apartment building at nine o''clock in the evening.


    He seemed to have drunk wine, and his eyes were darker and deeper than before.


    "Have you been waiting for a long time?" He walked over.


    His breath carried the smell of alcohol.


    But even if the smell was very strong, it was not unpleasant.


    Instead, it made people feel that Patrick was a man with story and depth.


    "No, I just arrived."


    Sophia shook her head and answered.


    He was standing very close to her.


    He looked at her hair that had been messed up by the wind, and he unconsciously raised his hand to


    tuck her hair behind her ear.


    She felt the warm temperatureing from his fingertips.It made her blush.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    She stepped back a little bit.


    This scene was somewhat awkward but enigmatic as well.


    "Can you return it to me?" Sophia stretched out her hand.Her fair palm looked very tempting in Patrick''s


    eyes.


    His Adam''s apple involuntarily moved.


    The corners of his mouth twitched as if to smile.


    He didn''t know why, but he was not normal tonight.


    He thought that it was because of the alcohol, but he wanted to see her.


    "Why are you so anxious about this ne? Sophia, why do you care about it?"


    He stepped a little closer to her until there was no gap between the two of them.His eyes examined her,


    and it seemed that he could easily see through her.


    She was speechless and confused.


    ''Why am I so anxious and nervous?¡¯ Sophia asked herself.


    Perhaps it was because of that ne that she had treasured for many years.


    Perhaps it was because it was the first time he had given her something.


    Although Patrick did not personally pick it, and it was very superficial of him at that time, Sophia had


    always regarded it as a treasure.


    Did she not need money? Yes, now she needed money more than anyone else.


    "Since you intended to sell it, you should have thought first that it might never belong to you again¡±


    Patrick said.


    His reminder hit the nail on the head and quickly brought her back to reality.Sophia bit her lips in


    silence.What he said was true.


    The ne he gave, including Patrick himself, had never truly belonged to her.


    "I can give it to you, but you need to pay ten times the price I bought it for"


    He offered a condition to make things difficult for her.


    Sophia was shocked by his words.


    Ten times the price was incredible.She widened her eyes and reminded him, "Patrick, it''s my ne!"


    "But I already bought it back!" He implied that no one couldpete with him if he saw something he


    fancied.


    "I knew I shouldn''t havee!" Sophia snarled.


    ¡®Why I am so silly, I should not have had any expectations for him from the beginning¡± Sophia thought


    forlornly.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    It was a lie to say that she was not disappointed and sad.However, this was the result of her


    eptance.


    Even if she was feeling both emotions right now, she could only swallow it because no one would do


    anything for her.


    "What? Are you going to give up after a small challenge? Sophia, is it your specialty to give up when


    you are halfway there?" Patrick asked mockingly.


    He seemed to have drunk too much.


    She had never seen this kind of emotion in his eyes.


    It was simr to hatred, and it was so intense and intimidating.


    In his words and actions, he spoke as if he was the one who had been abandoned five years ago.


    Sophia was speechless.


    When arguing with a drunk person, you wasted words because all the things you said were


    meaningless.


    "If I remember correctly, five years ago, this ne was sold by your mother.She doesn''t know that


    you bought it at ten times the price she sold in private, right?" Patrick asked.


    He was satisfied to see the sparkle in her eyes, "If it is something that I don''t care about anymore, why


    does it have to be it? Sophia, you make me unable to understand"


    Patrick took a cigarette out and lit it up.He took a puff and calmed down a bit.


    "Sorry, I really drank too much tonight"


    He med his rude and offensive behavior on alcohol.


    The corners of his mouth were tightly pursed.


    His fingers were holding a half-lit cigarette.His tall body leaned against the fence.


    The wind ruffled his hair.


    When you looked at him from afar, he seemed very lonely.He took out the ne from his suit pocket


    and ced it in her hand.


    "Come back to work tomorrow.I have already checked the reason why you had been fired.The case


    assigned to you was beyond what you could havepleted.But I don''t care about the conflict


    between you and Lianna.Just do your originalpany evaluation and don''t dy the progress"


    Patrick said in a business-like tone.


    In the blink of an eye, he returned to the high and mighty Patrick Evans, as if everything that had just


    happened did not ur.


    "To be honest, I am a person who can distinguish between personal and business transactions.In


    contrast, I also hope that you are a person who can distinguish between public and private matters¡±


    Patrick added.


    In other words, he only regarded her as an ordinary employee and hoped that she would only consider


    him as the boss who provided food, clothing, and sry for her.


    Sophia understood that clearly.


    Although working in the Evans Company was not an excellent job for her, her sry was iparable


    with other jobs in the city.


    Sophia clearly knew that what Patrick said was to help her.It was the best choice after all.


    Her two-month period of working in the Evans Company was about to end.


    Once her contract ended, she needed to go back to her originalpany so that she would not need to


    see Patrick anymore.


    Moreover, this was her best way out now.


    Sophia realized that she was realistic, more realistic than anyone else.


    "Sophia, did you know? Finn also lives in this building?¡¯ Patrick asked.


    Sophia turned around and wanted to leave, but Patrick''s voice came again.


    "Don''t you find it strange that a small executive like him can actually live here?"


    She intuited his words that the reason why Patrick asked her to meet here tonight was not really about


    the ne but to tell her about Finn.


    ¡®He wasn''t a talkative person, so why did he say that?¡¯ Sophia kept wondering.


    Walking into the Evans Company building again, she felt as if she was in a different world.


    "Good morning!"


    She smiled and greeted every passing colleague.


    At the morning meeting in the evaluation department, the mood was still bleak.


    Today, Lianna was wearing a knee-length skirt.


    It outlined her figure perfectly.


    Her face had make-up applied delicately, and her whole persona exuded a professional characteristic.


    When she saw Sophia, she looked as if she had long known that Sophia was not simple.


    Lianna thought that Sophia was able to resume work immediately because Sophia had some


    connection or rtionship with Patrick.


    "Sophia, wee back."


    Lianna''s voice was neither warm nor cold, but none of Sophia''s colleagues dared to wee her back.


    It was as if they knew that they should not wade over dangerous waters.


    Sophia was dismissed abruptly and then returned just as suddenly.


    Everyone was wondering what happened between them.


    However, everything that happened was enough to show that Lianna and Sophia were not on good


    terms.


    The employees of each department obviously knew something though they were not vocal about it.


    It was just Sophia did not know the reason why Lianna disliked her so much.


    At the end of the meeting, several of her colleagues walked to Sophia''s side and said, "Look at


    Lianna''s beautiful appearance, she is almost thirty years old, but she still does not have either a


    boyfriend or a husband.Don''t mind her firing you; she is a weirdo."


    "That''s right, that kind of lunatic deserves to be single; Another colleague piped in.


    Some of the employees of thepany disliked Lianna¡¯s domineering appearance.


    But because they were beneath Lianna¡¯''s status, they only ventured toin within themselves and


    could notin in public.


    Sophia smiled.She did not feel wronged, and her state of mind was calm.


    As for her colleagues, it seemed that they had been angry for too long and finally seized an opportunity


    to release the feelings in their hearts.


    Recently, there were many significant cases in the evaluation department, and everyone was very


    busy, except for the continuous use ofptops and the printer''s sound; no one else spoke.


    The evaluation case of the previouspany that Sophia had been following was close to an end, and


    the only work left was the trivial work to re-check and sign.


    Sophia''s phone, which had been quiet all morning, suddenly rang.It was a text message from Brandon.


    Brandon: [I went on a business trip for half a month and just came back.Did you miss me?]


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    Sophia didn''t reply.


    Another text messagended on her phone.


    Brandon: [I will pick you up for dinner tonight.]


    Sophia put the phone into silent mode and pretended that she had not heard anything.


    When lunch break came, Finn invited her to meet at the restaurant next to theirpany building.


    Sophia swiped her card in a hurry and walked out of the building.


    Ever since her employee pass was stolen, she had always carried the key card with her.She could not


    afford to be careless again.


    Because it was only a lunch break, the employees of the I Evans Corporation who came here to eat


    were everywhere, including Patrick.He was chatting with John.


    Although there was no smile on his face, it could be seen that he was in a much better mood thanst


    night.


    She tried to step slowly to muffle the sound of her high-heeled shoes, but she still caught John and


    Patrick''s attention.


    As Sophia passed by them, she pretended to nod as if she had met them by chance, "Mr.Evans,


    Mr.Ward."


    John did not speak.


    Patrick just gave a slight nod.


    At the same time, Finn also saw her.


    He stood up and greeted her, "Sophia, darling.Let''s sit here."


    After going on a few dates, Finn had already figured out Sophia''s likes and dislikes.


    As long as his gestures weren''t too excessive, Sophia would notin.


    However, a lot of people still looked at them, including John and Patrick.


    Sophia was a bit embarrassed.She always felt that they were not that familiar with each other yet to


    use endearment.She did not know whether she was too conservative or if Finn was trying hard to make


    the rtionship work.


    "I was a little busy with work these past few days.I was not able to pick you up from work.I''m sorry"


    Finn said apologetically.


    Sophia shook her head, "It''s nothing.I am used to it"


    Finn was silent for a while and proposed, "Sophia, why don''t you move in with me?"


    Sophia subconsciously shook her head.She did not want this as she was an extremely conservative


    person.


    Finn¡¯s pronouncement made Sophia a little ufortable.


    "Sorry to disturb you" Patrick interrupted.


    Patrick had walked over at some point.


    It was apparent that he heard what Finn mentioned just now.


    Sophia lowered her head and felt a little embarrassed.


    In the past few years, Patrick had been doing well, and on the other hand, she was aplete mess.


    "Hi, Mr.Evans!"


    Finn greeted Patrick awkwardly.


    "May I ask what is your rtionship with Ms.Hill?"


    Patrick looked at Finn questioningly.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Finn and Patrick had some interactions in business before.


    Last time, when he and Sophia ran into Patrick, she said that this man didn''t know her, so Finn didn''t


    think much about it.


    After all, how could someone like Patrick Evans care about the personal life of one of his employees?


    Finn didn''t know Patrick personally.


    He thought that Patrick wouldn''t bother to interfere in this matter.


    After all, this involved the privacy of a man and a woman''s rtionship.


    However, he might''ve underestimated his kindness.


    "Mr.Evans..."


    Finn blurted out and hesitated.He found it difficult to answer Patrick''s question.


    Sophia also seemed to have noticed Finn''s hesitation, which made her confused.She looked at him


    and waited for an answer.


    After a long moment of pause, he finally managed a few words, "She''s...my client."


    No matter how much he thought about it, Finn didn''t know how to answer Patrick.


    He didn''t know how to define his rtionship with Sophia.


    Patrick raised his eyebrows and looked at Sophia, but she did not return his gaze.


    "Oh, so it''s just a client.At first look, I thought it was Mrs.Bower.


    He turned his head to look at Finn, who seemed to want to run and escape at any moment now.


    "I just met her two days ago, apologies if I don''t remember¡± Patrick added.


    Still, the couple sat in silence, and so Patrick continued to say, "I just wanted toe over and say


    hello, and I didn''t mean to disturb you from your work meeting.Again, I apologize¡¯


    After that, Patrick strode out of the restaurant with his long legs.


    The scenario earlier seemed like it was just a coincidence, and there was no special meaning.


    But on the other hand, Sophia''s mind whirled thinking about this discovery.She had a gentle nature, but


    that did not mean that she was a fool.


    Now, she finally understood what Patrick meantst night.


    It turned out that Finn never had a divorce.


    ¡®Then why has he been thoughtfully apanying me these days?¡¯ Sophia thought.


    ''Was it because of that suggestion just now? Living together?¡¯ She was almost grateful that Patrick left


    her five years ago.


    Because of the trauma, she was able to remain calm at several frustrating moments, such as this one.


    Sophia stood up without a word.She walked out, leaving Finn alone at the table, and she did not bother


    anymore to say goodbye.


    For this kind of man, saying one more word would be an insult to herself.


    When she returned to the Evans Company, her eyes caught Patrick walking into the president''s


    exclusive elevator.She hurriedly ran to catch up.


    Luckily, she was able to step inside the elevator before the doors closed.


    When she came face to face with Patrick, there was no hesitation in her voice, "You knew what kind of


    person Finn was, right? Did you ask me toe to your apartmentst night just to warn me?"


    Patrick''s face remained passive.


    "Well, we live in the samemunity, and I asionally meet him and his wife; he said like it wasn''t


    new information to him.


    "They never had a divorce."


    "Then why didn''t you tell me earlier?" She retorted.


    Patrick sighed.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    "Look, if you can''t ept it, I''m sorry.Most of the time, Sophia''s ex-husband could be an absolute


    gentleman.He would just immediately apologize rather than respond with more cruel words, even


    though he didn''t do anything wrong.


    This might be one of the three good personality traits that made him most popr in Frostford City.


    But for Sophia, this time, he was wrong.


    It wasn''t because she could not ept the truth.


    Heck, she did not even care about Finn''s feelings.


    Just the thought of being deceived made her boil with anger.


    It could be said that this kind of deception was uneptable, not only for Sophia but for any woman.


    Sophia did not realize that she had forgotten to click the button for the middle floor, as the exclusive


    elevator kept rising straight to the top floor, where the president''s office was located.


    It wasn''t until John began to report his work schedule to Patrick that Sophia snapped back into reality.


    She realized that she had been too impulsive, barging in the exclusive elevator just like this.


    If rumors about this spread, it would only make her situation as a small employee in thispany even


    more awkward.


    Meanwhile, Patrick was just silent, not saying another word.


    No one was able to know what he was thinking.


    His expression was always so deep that it was hard to determine what was inside his mind.


    With a "ding" sound, the elevator slowed to a stop.


    Patrick strode out of the elevator, and John followed closely behind.


    Sophia awkwardly stood inside the elevator.


    She wanted to say "thank you" to Patrick, but he put on a reproachable look that would make you want


    to stay a thousand miles away from him.


    Plus, now he seemed to be a different person from the man she had encountered earlier in the


    restaurant.


    Also, Sophia was afraid that her unnecessary actions would cause misinterpretation on his side and


    thought that she had any ulterior motives behind it.


    ¡®¡®It''s probably better to go home¡± she pondered.


    With that in mind, Sophia thought she''d better know her ce, so when she recalled her life in the


    future, there would be some warmth in her memories with Patrick rather thanplete


    indifference.She clicked the button that would get her back to the evaluation department.


    As the elevator began to descend, she fished out her phone to text her friend, Fiona, about what


    happened.She just needed someone to vent to.


    When she finally got there, Fiona called.


    Sophia ran to the bathroom to answer the call, but before she could even say hello, her friend''s voice


    cut her off.


    "I saw your text! My gosh, why is my neighbor so immoral?! Ugh, introducing someone new to that Finn


    when in the first ce, he isn''t even divorced!" Fiona exasperatedly vented.


    "But speaking of which.."


    Suddenly, she changed her tone into a curious one, "Why do you think Patrick did that?"


    Sophia leaned on the bathroom counter.


    "I''m not sure, really.But I think he doesn''t mean anything about it.After all, I am an employee of his unit,


    and Finn is also in his business circle.If something happens, he will have to deal with the aftermath,


    whether he''s involved or not"


    She paused for a second, reassessing the whole situation.


    "I''m sure he has reasons for doing so."


    Sophia decided not to think about it too much.She just thought that it might''ve been instinctive care for


    his employees, especially for his business.


    "You"


    Fiona¡¯s voice had an obvious sound of disbelief.


    "How can you be so naive?"


    Before Sophia could answer back, Fiona seemed to have thought of something and gasped, "Sophia,


    do you think that Patrick still loves you?"


    Sophia interrupted in a cold voice, "Nothing happened between us before.There''s nothing he needs to


    get over with.Alright, I''m hanging up now.Bye"


    Upon pressing the end call button, Sophia''s mind whirled again.


    She felt confused about this whole situation in addition to Patrick''s actions.


    However, she consoled herself that not long from now, she would be able to leave this ce


    immediately.So, she needed to wait patiently for that time.


    At five o''clock, Brandon''s ck VIP car stopped at the entrance of Evans Company building on time,


    waiting for Sophia to get off work.


    On the other hand, it was rare for Patrick to get off work on time.


    Just as he walked out of the hall, John followed behind him and said, "Mr.Evans, Zandra called to say


    that Quentin is sick!"


    "Isn''t Adriana taking care of him?" Patrick asked.


    "I heard that she is preparing to enter thepany recently.I guess she''s very busy, so..." John


    faltered.


    Patrick seemed to not care about this.


    "So, she doesn''t have time to take care of my son?" he asked.


    John went silent, and so, Patrick did not speak anymore.


    The two of them stepped down the stairs, one after the other.


    Outside, Brandon, who was half leaning on his car, noticed the two men walking out of the building.


    "Mr.Evans" he greeted.


    "What a coincidence."


    "Mr.Phillips; Patrick greeted back and asked politely, "are you waiting for someone?"


    "I''m waiting for Sophia to get off work.We''ll be having dinner together, '''' Brandon answered.


    Patrick raised his eyebrows.


    And for a moment, his eyes seemed to darken a bit, but eventually, he blinked and nodded.


    "I see.Well, I would love to talk with you, but unfortunately, I still have something to do.If you''ll excuse


    me" he said and went right to his car.


    Brandon understood and just waved goodbye.


    The Rolls-Royce had just started when he saw a woman walking towards Brandon''s car.


    He could not hear what they were talking about, but she seemed to be in a good mood, judging from


    the smile that stayed on her lips.


    Patrick forced himself to turn around, ignoring the unknown emotions stirring up inside him.


    And then, he ordered, "Drive back to the Evans family house."


    Sophia stretched his arms when she got out of the building, rxing her body after hours of work.She


    wasn''t surprised to see Brandon waiting for her outside.


    After knowing him for many years, she expected him to keep his word.


    "Are you eating well these days?"


    Brandon raised his hand to pinch her face, "You seem to have lost weight"


    Sophia leaned her head back to avoid his hand, "I have been eating and sleeping soundly recently.I am


    extremely well¡¯ she said with a t tone.


    "Are you angry?" Brandonughed.


    "Why would I be angry?" Sophia retorted.


    "I''m not angry, as long as you don''t follow me around" she joked.


    The more Sophia resisted, the more Brandon desired to make her his.


    Five years ago, he had personally seen Sophia get deeply hurt and travel far away for several years.


    Every night, he would remember how much of a coward he was in the past and a fool for being hesitant


    to show his affection for the woman.


    He loathed himself for it.


    Five yearster, he, Brandon Phillips, bid farewell to his immaturity and cowardice.


    He was so powerful now, and all that he could think of was how he could easily get a hold of the


    woman he badly wanted and protect her with all his life.


    No matter what or who was in her past, he would make sure that from this day onwards, only one


    man''s name would appear in her name and life, and that was him, Brandon Phillips.


    "Let''s go.I''ll take you to dinner"


    Brandon said as he opened the car door like a gentleman and made a gesture of invitation.


    But Sophia''s eyes didn''t fall on the car in front of her, instead, she saw the road that led to the bus stop


    not far away from where they were standing.


    The bus waiting at the stop was the one she had taken earlier.


    Without a second thought, Sophia retreated slowly, turned around, and ran fast.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    "I am sorry, I still have plenty of things to do..." Sophia''s voice sounded like it wasing from


    nowhere.


    It did not feel very genuine, but Brandon was relieved that she hadn''t changed so much.


    After all these years, she was still the same girl he remembered in his memory.


    Sophia boarded the bus, panting, and refused to look out the window.


    ¡®Just let it go¡± Sophia thought to herself and continued, ¡®we all have been living well these past five


    years; it would be better if we had nothing left to do with each other¡¯¡¯


    She was mentally drained with all of these.


    Maria was feeling a bit sick today. She called Sophia before she left work and asked her to pick up


    Emma.


    Sophia was exhausted as a result of her mother''s illness.Her only two hours of free time in the


    afternoon, from 5 to 7 PM, were likewise taken up.Her mother was seated on the sofa when she arrived


    home with Emma.


    Only the sound of the kettle in the kitchen boiling water could be heard because the TV was turned off.


    "Wash your hands and then go do your homework" Sophia advised Emma after noticing Maria''s


    solemn expression.


    "Mom and your grandmother will talk for a while, okay?" she added.


    Sophia sat beside her mother as Emma walked away respectfully.


    "Is everything okay, Mom?" Maria sighed, her tone filled with dread.


    "I do not know how long my illness will persist.Sweetie, mom only wants you to live a happy life.Your


    Aunt Kate just came in and stated that you and Finn just broke up? Tell me the truth, haven''t you


    forgotten about him yet?"


    Her words had emphasis, and Sophia knew who she was pertaining to, but she chose to evade that


    last question.


    "Mom...Finn does not like me"


    Sophia grimaced, "So, I don''t want to waste any more time with him.Besides, Emma and I already


    depend on each other to continue living, and I no longer look forward to having a perfect marriage with


    the perfect husband these days.It''s all good."


    "Then use your mother''s good health to have the wedding early and try to make Finn like you as much


    as possible"


    It seemed that her aunt Kate, who lived next door, nagged a lot to her mother about her rtionship


    with Finn.


    In the past, Maria forced Sophia into dating Finn, but she would not have imagined that it would go so


    far as to make them assertively marry each other.


    "Mom, Finn, and I are not cut out for each other...Sophia was afraid to confront her mother with


    facts.She was terrified that she might be enraged once more.If something were to happen, she


    knew she would take it on herself.


    "How are you so sure that the two of you are notpatible? As long as you canmunicate well


    with each other, it will be great! At your age, you do not have to worry about love.It is more important to


    find a decent guy to marry!" said Maria in a concerned tone.


    Sophia took her mother''s hand and casually said, "I know.Do not worry about it.I will indeed live a


    wonderful life."


    She then continued, "Mom, I do not have enough time.I will have to go first."


    Before departing, she did not forget to turn around and advised her, "If you are not feeling well, then


    please rest early"


    She snatched the apple from the coffee table, having it as dinner on the way, and scurried out of the


    house.


    The next day, word of Patrick''s absence from work for the first time spread like wildfire throughout the


    company building.


    The president''s son was said to be unwell.


    In these years, the tale of Patrick having a child kept circting, but no one saw it with their own eyes.


    No one knew if it was true or not, but there was no such thing as a baseless rumor.


    There must not be something like that.


    Sophia remained silent during the conversation with her colleagues.


    Instead, she took advantage of the few minutes before work to bask in the sunlight filtering in through


    the window.


    "The typhoon has finally receded!"


    Giselle exhaled as she observed it through the window.


    Sophia meekly grinned as she said, "It''s like the end of the world has finallye and gone¡¯ "Hey,


    Sophia, do you think that the president has a child? Does he truly love his fiancee? I just wish that he


    would only be alone all the time..."


    Giselle supported her cheek with one palm, her mind drifting farther away.


    Although Sophia was well aware that many people in the assessment department admired Patrick, this


    was the first time Giselle expressed a hint of sadness.


    "Well, with his identity, I do not think that he would have stayed by her side for so many years if she


    was a woman that he did not love!"


    Sophia''s remarks reverberated in Giselle''s ears.


    Giselle groaned and resumed her daily routine.


    "I need to hurry up and finish the case in my hands before the weekend; otherwise, it will all be too


    late."


    The two people exchanged smiles with each other.


    "I also need to speed up.I only have five days left before I return to my originalpany; Sophia


    replied with a sigh.


    A day went past quietly and impermanently.


    Sophia got off work and clocked out before walking towards the bus stop.


    It was evident that there were no clouds in the morning, but it appeared that it was going to rain when it


    was time to leave work.Sophia had forgotten to bring an umbre.


    It seemed that she had to hurry up and pick up Emma before it rained.


    The torrential rain pelted down as she got home with Emma and raised her little hand to the entrance of


    the residential building.


    Fortunately, they managed toe home before it rained.


    Sophia pushed through the door and found her mother lying on the living room floor.


    Her surroundings were aplete disaster.


    Sophia''s face turned pale from fear.She dialed the 911 emergency contact right away and rushed her


    mother to the hospital.Her mother was rushed into surgery.


    Sophia was concerned with the thought that Emma would be all alone at home, so she requested


    Fiona to take her for a few days and look after her for a while.


    Maria''s operation was finished at two o''clock in the morning.


    "Her ailment had rpsed.Fortunately, she was taken to the hospital in a timely manner, although the


    treatment period would be very lengthy.


    Maybe a year or two from now, or if worsees to worst, she might need an entire lifetime; said the


    doctor who handled the operation in a piteous tone.


    Sophia could not help but burst into tears as she gazed at Maria''s passive state on the bed.


    "Just this once, please, allow me to have a moment to breathe and vent some things out..."


    Sophia murmured to tired herself.


    After a long while, Sophia managed to calm down.


    She took the bottle next to her mother''s bed and went to get some hot water so she could wipe Maria''s


    hands and feet.


    At night, the hospital corridor was deafeningly quiet.


    The lighting was dim.


    She did not go that far beforeing face to face with Patrick.


    He was still dressed like a prosperous businessman.He was wearing a decent suit and had polished


    yet slightly wet leather shoes.He must have been caught outside in the rain.


    There were some drops of water on his hair and clothes, but he did not appear to be in any kind of


    distress.


    Instead, it demonstrated his exceptional personality and charm.


    Sophia was taken aback when she first saw him.


    He was very surprised as well when he stumbled towards her.


    "What are you doing here thiste at night?" he frowned as though pondering.


    Sophia''s eyes were puffy and red.She bowed her head unconsciously.She did not want him to realize


    how scared she was.She felt inferior, no matter how horrible things were at that time.


    This man, on the other hand, might not give a damn at all.


    This, however, was a woman''s natural trait.


    She overshadowed her helplessness and infirmity by appearing strong on the outside.She could read


    between the lines of his words, and she was worried that he might be overthinking things.She


    exined in a light manner.


    "My mother is unwell.


    I did not expect it to be so coincidental that your sick family member was admitted at the very same


    hospital..."Her response was imprable, dispelling any notion that she had approached him on


    purpose.


    Sophia was a bit uneasy because of Patrick''s silence.She forced a smile as though a sense of


    respectfulness must be shown to her boss.


    "Then I will go get some water first since if I''m a tad toote, there won''t be any more hot water left for


    me."


    Patrick did not utter a sound until she was away.


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    After a few seconds, his steady andpelling footsteps followed behind her.


    She was not sure if it was just her imagination, but his footfall tonight seemed a little irritable.


    Sophia could only sleep a wink for what seemed like three hours a day after her mother was admitted


    to the hospital.


    She needed to work, and in addition to that, she had a part-time job.


    She could only visit her mother at the hospitalte at night after her shift ended.


    The dark circles beneath her eyes became more prominent as days passed by, and she also became


    raddled.


    She barely had two days left before being transported back to her former workce.


    She was finishing up her review of the evaluation case since she nned to present the entire


    evaluation caseter that very same afternoon.


    She did not dare to ck off in the least, even though she did not know if she would be able to sign this


    deal eventually.


    She gazed at theputer, going through the numbers one by one and double-checking the words


    and numbers on the way, fearful of making any kind of mistakes, both trivial and major.


    The morning came to an end, and it was time for lunch.


    Before daring to leave her seat, Sophia stowed the document once again.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    There wasn''t much food left when Sophia arrived at the cafeteria that was on the basement level.She


    ate a few bites of whatever was left and then dashed back.


    A person dressed as she worked in General Administration Office walked over and stopped her as she


    approached the elevator.


    "Mr.Evans has requested for your presence in his office, Ms.Hill?¡± the person said.


    Sophia looked around her and then hesitated, "Are you sure he called for me, and you didn''t confuse


    me for someone else?"


    Despite the fact that the General Manager''s Office was filled with secretaries, Sophia was certain that


    she had never seen the person in front of her.


    Was she a transfer employee? Furthermore, she had the impression that Patrick was not the type to go


    out of his way to find his subordinates.


    But even if he did, John would be the one to look for them.


    "I''m not wrong, and you''re the one that''s being called.Now, go!" the person told her.


    The woman had a very confident appearance.


    Afterpleting the task, she turned around and walked in the opposite direction.


    Sophia considered whether she had anything else that she wanted to tell her, but she also felt the


    difort between them.She felt that it was inconvenient to talk to her further, so she obliged and


    went to Patrick''s office instead.


    Sophia thought that it was better if she met with Patrick as an employee and president of thepany


    in his office rather than in private.


    It was the most reasonable thing to do.


    The secretary on duty was not present as Sophia took the elevator to the top floor, confirming her


    suspicions.


    It was just that she didn''t know what he was going to say.


    She thought they had previously stated everything clearly, whether in work or rtionship.


    The president''s office door was half-closed, and it appeared that Patrick was already aware of


    someone arriving, so he had left it open.


    Sophia knocked on the door a few times, waiting for a response, but after a few seconds, there wasn''t


    anything but silence.She stopped knocking and stepped aside.She thought about waiting for the lunch


    break to be over; after all, it wasn''t going to take long.


    However, no one was around.The huge office was empty.


    Sophia had a frown on her face.


    If Patrick had summoned her, he should at the very least wait for her to arrive in his office.


    He had to stay there, right? A familiar voice came from inside the half-closed door as she started to


    turn back and go.


    "Patrick, that dish that the French restaurant offer is authentic.You''ll have to eat with me there in the


    future.When Sophia turned around and looked for the voice, she saw that it was Adriana who talked.


    An indistinct voice sounded from beside hering from a man.


    Sophia could imagine that he had a smile on his lips that carried a lot of indulgence and patience, even


    if she didn''t hear it very clearly.


    The corridor was styled with a velvet carpet, very elegant and expensive.


    Despite the carpet, which should be silencing the footsteps of the two, Sophia could still hear it.


    Sophia was reluctant about seeing Patrick and Adriana at the same time because she was alone in


    Patrick''s office.


    She feared that Adriana would misunderstand.


    So, Sophia thought for a second before she clenched her teeth and retreated to the inner lounge.


    Sophia regretted doing it as soon as she had shut the door.


    She thought about why she was hiding as if she had done something wrong.


    It would make her seem more suspicious as she hid from them.


    Outside, a crystal-clear voice had sounded.


    She couldn''t go out, and she knew that what she had done was a mistake.She hoped that as the two


    spoke for a while, Adriana would leave the office.


    If they didn''t, she would stay in this lounge for a long time.Then, she would regret her choice to hide in


    this lounge.


    "Patrick, can I go to your ce tonight?" Adriana asked with her hands on the man¡¯s neck.


    "I haven''t been there since you moved" Patrick didn''t shove the woman away in front of him.


    Instead, he stayed silent in response to her tempting statement as she flirted with him.


    "Is it inconvenient?" Adriana asked, her face pleading as she waited for his response.


    Patrick pulled her hand away from him and then sternly told her, "Don''t be silly.I am obsessed with


    cleanliness; you know that.


    Patrick couldn''t help but pull out a cigarette and light it as he walked to the window.


    Blue smoke surrounded him, and his shoulders dropped in rxation.


    Adriana walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.


    "But Patrick, I missed you very much" Adriana said, acting all cute and child-like.


    She had a lot of things that she wanted to say, but she could only condense it all into one sentence.


    Sophia could easily hear the two people''s chat in the office.She wasn''t sure if she was anxious or if it


    was because it was her first time eavesdropping on someone.Her chest felt tighter, and her breathing


    became more uneven.


    The woman circled the man and then tiptoed to meet his lips.She had tried to kiss him.However, the


    man frowned.He didn''t respond, though; he didn''t dodge as well.


    The entire office appeared to be even more silent once they stopped talking.


    They were quiet, so quiet that Sophia could clearly hear the sound of the two people''s ragged


    breathing as they kissed for quite a while.


    Their kiss sounded of urgency, some kind of disorder that had appeared.


    Despite Sophia warning herself over and over again not to feel the tiniest disappointment for Patrick,


    she couldn''t help but feel sadness, and the corner of her eyes welled with tears.


    She thought about biting her lower lip hard enough, hoping that the tears wouldn''t stream out of her


    eyes.


    "I''m not in the mood today."


    The man turned his head away and avoided the girl.


    From the reflection of the bookcase''s ss, Patrick identally noticed a ck cloth.He had realized


    that it was a woman''s skirt.


    "Alright, you go first.I''ll be thereter.The meeting is about to start, and I hope that what I''ve done for


    thepany''s employees has always been an example¡± Patrick told Adriana.


    Patrick yanked her hand away once again.


    In his eyes was profound fatigue.He strolled over to the huge table and put his cigarette out.


    "Got it, Mr.Evans" she responded delightfully, imitating the tone of her staff.


    Patrick, Adriana knew, was a person who knew how to separate personal and business matters, and


    he was also self-disciplined.


    Patrick reclined back against his office chair and lit another cigarette after Adriana left.


    He was agitated as he looked at the corner of the cloth that reflected in the ss.


    "Come out" he ordered.


    Sophia held her breath, intimidated as she wondered who he was ordering around.She didn''t want to


    come out of where she was hiding.


    The sound of his footsteps grew louder and louder as he approached her, and then the door swung


    open.


    Sophia had nowhere to hide now.


    A huge and tall man towered over her, and behind him, showed his room.


    There was a big bed, and the room was spacious, doused with a scent that would inadvertently tell you


    he owned it.


    There was an excruciating moment of silence, filled with awkwardness and painful wondering of what


    would happen next.


    Sophia tried to keep her fear hidden as much as she could and met his gaze as if she wasn''t


    intimidated.


    However, his gaze was drawn to her reddened eyes that seemed fresh from crying and her bruised lips


    from biting.


    Her lips still bled from her bite.


    He looked at her, observed her deeper, and noticed that there was a mixture of delicate and scared


    emotion stered across her face.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Sophia felt blood rushing through her head, and she was ashamed.


    We could say that she felt her conscience filled with guilt rather than embarrassment.


    In any case, she wanted to keep her mouth shut.


    She didn''t want to exin anything, so she held her tongue and just waited for him to say something.


    "Is it a coincidence that I found you, hiding in my office to creepily peep?" he asked.


    The smell of smoke that surrounded Patrick still lingered.


    When he spoke, she felt like she was choking.


    In the past, she remembered that he never drank or smoked.


    However, upon seeing him again, his cigarette addiction grew stronger, and she couldn''t put her finger


    on what had started it.


    Upon hearing Patrick''s question, Sophia realized he didn''t ask her to his office.She had a suspicion that


    someone else asked her to his office deliberately.


    However, she had no idea who the other party was, and no one would believe her if she told them.


    In this circumstance, she could say thousands of true words, and no one would believe anything that


    she had just said.


    Patrick sneered and continued, "Or have you always been carrying double standards with your words?


    You said that we''d better have nothing more to do with each other, and yet, you are still hiding here


    because you want to see me?"


    Although Sophia didn''t mean to peek, she knew that it was weird.


    She knew that any other normal person would be irritated in this situation.


    "I am utterly sorry,'''' she said in a low voice.


    She would be transferred anyways, so it was better to have less trouble, put up with it.It would all be


    over soon.


    "Sorry?"


    He was propped against the door and looked at her as if he wasn''t interested at all.


    "Nothing else?"


    "Mr.Evans, it''s probably best if we get to work."


    Sophia firmly shook her head, standing up straight.


    Adriana''s footsteps suddenly sounded once again from outside as the two of them finished talking.


    She then asked, "Patrick, are you in there?"


    Sophia felt anxiety crept into her skin, and she quickly turned pale at the sound of Adriana¡¯s voice.


    Patrick, who was in front of her, quietly stood as he looked down on her.


    Sophia waited for him to respond, but he didn''t.


    "Patrick, what are you doing in there?" Adriana asked again, noticing the strange silence that urred


    upon her question.


    "Can Ie in?"

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Sophia was a little anxious and stamped her feet nervously.Patrick had apletely indifferent attitude


    as if seeing Sophia anxious was an enjoyable thing.


    "If you don''t speak, I will go in." Adriana threatened.


    Adriana''s hand was already touching the handle.But then, she heard Patrick say, "I''m changing my


    clothes.Wait for a bit"


    Outside the door, Adriana made an "Oh" sound and said doubtfully, "Just now, Lianna said that the


    meeting was about the evaluation case that Sophia worked on.Sophia hasn''t arrived yet at the meeting


    room, and you as well.Everyone is specting..."


    Sophia did not know if Adriana knew already or was just suspicious, but Sophia was so nervous that


    she mped her hands over her mouth.This was a dilemma.Sophia regretted her decision.If she had


    known earlier that this would happen, she would not hide.


    However, she was alone in there initially andplicated things when Patrick arrived, followed by


    Adriana.


    "Why don''t youe in and take a look!" Patrick said lightly.


    Sophia wanted to shout that he was crazy.


    But, instead, the calmer he was, the more flustered she got.


    Adriana seemed to hesitate for a moment and said faintly, "It''s okay, Patrick, I believe you"


    Sophia wore thepany uniform for female employees.She was wearing a white shirt.


    Because of her nervousness, she was sweating bullets.


    The fabric of the shirt stuck to her skin and outlined her perfect figure.


    Patrick crossed his arms over his chest.He admired Sophia''s worried expression and was in high spirit.


    "Now you know the result of hiding from me" Patrick said.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Patrick leaned and whispered in Sophia''s ear.He was boasting.


    Sophia could not think of any reason why he was happy.And she did not want to know.


    "Tell her to leave!" Sophia whispered back.


    Patrick disagreed, "Why? I didn''t do anything wrong¡¯ Sophia opened her eyes wide.


    He spoke as if she had done something wrong.


    "It''s better to avoid trouble.Anyway, I''m about to be transferred.President Evans doesn''t want to cause


    trouble, does he?" Sophia asked.


    "Transfer?"


    Patrick frowned, "Your two-month work in Evans Group is finished?"


    Sophia nodded, utterly unaware of what her ex-husband was nning.


    Sophia anxiously paced back and forth while the man opposite her still had the same gloating


    expression on his face.


    Patrick seemed to enjoy her distressed and embarrassed expression.


    And clearly, it was making him happy.


    "I am the president; it doesn''t matter."


    Patrick would not care about anything because he was the president of Evans Group, but Sophia could


    not afford to becent.She was afraid that if she werete for the meeting, she would lose her job.


    "Patrick!"


    No matter how patient Sophia was, she lost it this time.


    Adriana was just about to go down and wait when she heard the sound inside and immediately


    returned.


    "Patrick, I seem to have heard a woman''s voice!" Adriana called out.


    Sophia saw a mischievous gleam in Patrick''s eyes.


    Then, when Sophia saw that he was about to speak, she was so frightened that she quickly tiptoed,


    ced one hand on his shoulder, and the other covering his mouth.


    She lowered her voice and warned, "What are you going to do? If you have something to say, just say


    it.If there is nothing, go out quickly.It is not a good thing to cause a misunderstanding"


    Sophia pleaded.


    Patrick raised his eyebrows, and the corners of his lips slowly straightened, "Misunderstanding? What


    misunderstanding can there be between an employee like you and me?"


    The soft sound of voices inside was muffled, and Adriana could not hear very well.She wanted to leave,


    but she was afraid that there was a woman inside with Patrick.


    On the other hand, if she didn¡¯t go, she was worried that Patrick would get mad at her if she did not


    follow his instructions.


    ¡®Forget it, go to the conference room and wait¡± Adriana told herself.


    She didn''t believe that the two of them would not appear in the meeting.


    Sophia listened for any sounds from outside the room.She calmed down when she did not hear


    anything and sighed in relief.Then, she said, "Mr.Evans, go first, please.I will follow you in a little


    bit.Patrick sneered.He suppressed the inexplicable feeling of depression in his heart, "You have the


    potential to be a mistress.It was unfortunate that I am not interested"


    Patrick''s chilly words were harsh in Sophia''s ears, but she did not care at all.What she cared about was


    getting a copy of the evaluation document and reviewing it.


    There was no need to let everyone wait.


    Sophia returned to her seat.She didn''t have time to check the document on her desk, so she copied it


    in her sh drive and rushed to the conference room.


    When Sophia arrived in the conference room, it was packed with people already.Patrick was already


    seated at the head of the table.


    His clothes were neat.


    And there was no trace of arrogance and frivolousness that could be seen from him that he showed


    Sophia earlier in his lounge.


    Adriana was sitting beside Patrick.


    All the managers from various departments were also seated in the conference room.


    Sophia hesitated until Lianna opened her mouth to speak, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up


    and start!"


    Sophia nodded.She walked to the front of the microphone tform and began to make


    preparations.She talked about her experience for thest two months and then began talking about the


    case that she was reviewing.


    Patrick had been looking seriously at the giant projection screen in front of him.


    His tall and lithe body was covered by a ck suit, but that did not hide his aristocratic aura.


    He was sitting leisurely, but hemanded the room nheless.


    Adriana tilted her head and looked at Patrick''s face.


    She wanted to observe if there were any emotions on it, but she did not see anything.


    Sophia took a deep breath and tried to look very confident.


    Then, she inserted the sh drive into theputer, opened the Powerpoint file she prepared in


    advance, and began narrating.


    The presentation was veryprehensive.


    Every part Sophia talked about was matched with a picture.


    Her voice was beautiful and resonant.


    Excitement could be seen in her eyes, and she made a lot of progress.


    Even Lianna, who had always been known for being picky about cases and presentations, had to admit


    that Sophia had done a perfect evaluation this time.


    If Lianna were the one who handled this case, she would not be able to produce this kind of material.


    The meeting went on for about an hour.


    Sophia spoke until her mouth was almost dry.


    Although she tried to sound calm and confident, her limbs and mouth continued to stiffen from time to


    time.


    Fortunately, Patrick interrupted her.


    "Let''s take a fifteen-minute break and continue after."


    Sophia was thankful that Patrick had a habit of taking a break midway through the meeting.So she was


    given a chance to catch her breath andpose herself.


    After Sophia had rxed for five minutes, she returned to the podium and prepared for the following


    slides.


    She continued to flip through the documents on theputer, only to find a significant nk page.


    The contents inside had disappeared.


    Sophia couldn''t believe it.She had checked this document so many times.


    How could there be such a problem? And on the day that she had the presentation.


    Unless...


    Someone had been observing her and nned this whole nightmare.


    ¡®But who could it be? I am not someone who is worthy of being an enemy, let alone be a threat?¡¯


    Sophia asked herself.


    After the break, people came back to the conference room.Sophia reached the part where the file was


    nk.


    There were talks around the room, and everyone wondered what had happened.


    But Sophia didn''t stop.


    Instead, she bit the bullet and continued to exin.


    The worst thing already happened, and she was not a person who eitherined or whined about


    stuff like this.


    Although she seemed to be gentle and weak, in terms of work ethics, she liked to face the problems


    head-on and resolve them instead of running away.


    It waspletely different in how she dealt with her feelings.It was said that women had a thousand


    faces.


    This sentence was confirmed in Sophia; though she was fragile and panicked in dealing with the


    rtionship, she was cautious and professional at work.


    Her mind refined the content she remembered quickly and tried to transform it into a perfect narration.


    There must be some obscure parts in the process, but fortunately, she persisted.


    After she said the presentation¡¯s conclusion, what awaited her was not indifference but thunderous


    apuse.


    Her appraisal case had received the affirmation and support of most people.


    But everypany had rules; it was the foundation of how they manage the staff.


    Even though Sophia¡¯s presentation was perfect, some of her slides were nk, and it was her


    mistake.So, Sophia needed to be punished.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    As the vice president, Adriana was the first to speak.


    "The evaluation work is the key development department of the Evans Group.Today''s meeting involved


    a hundred-million contract.Yet you presented an iplete document"


    "I don''t think I need to say it, but everyone knows that at such an important meeting, even if you make


    a single mistake in the document information, it may affect the overall situation.Especially your


    document can not be described as wrong.It ispletely nk"


    Although Adriana was only a vice president, she managed a business for many years and had


    extensive learning experience.


    So even if she could not understand one hundred percent of the presentation, she knew that this kind


    of mistake was fatal for an employee like Sophia.


    No enterprise could tolerate it, especially Patrick, who was a businessman.


    It was said that Patrick, the president of Evans Enterprise Media, was never close to people, and there


    was no room for a single mistake in his eyes.


    Previously, there was an employee in the evaluation department who made a small mistake.He wrongly


    typed the price on the file a dor less than the correct one, and he was dismissed immediately.


    However, in this meeting, Sophiamitted a big mistake.


    Furthermore, Patrick was very urate at reading people, which meant that all his decisions were


    right.


    Adriana continued, "Mr.Evans, in my opinion, we better make sure that nothing will go wrong with this


    contract.But, unfortunately, one mistake of a person can ruin an entire department orpany.I really


    cannot imagine where we will be if we tolerate this kind of mistake."


    Lianna did not speak.She was also waiting for Patrick to make a decision.


    Samuel and severalpany representatives sat at the side.


    They were sweating and were very nervous.


    They could not imagine the consequences if the contract was not signed.


    When someone made a mistake in a document, they had to report it no matter who it was.


    So it was a big taboo to make mistakes such as the one Sophiamitted.


    Patrick remained silent.He did not speak for a while, and no one dared to ask him.


    After what seemed like a long time, he spoke.


    "Although thetter half could not be seen, it is undeniable that this evaluation case is very valuable,


    and she was able to present it concisely."


    This one sentence left everyone speechless.


    Samuel breathed a sigh of relief and asked tentatively, "Mr.Evans, then this contract¡­¡±


    "Make a new one.Everything is perfect except thest part.After the contract is signed, let her continue


    to stay in the Evans Company as a permanent employee"


    Everyone wondered what the purpose behind Patrick''s decision was, but no one asked.


    "Alright, the meeting is over.Patrick got up, buttoned his coat, and walked out of the meeting room.He


    did not spare one nce on Sophia.The other executives stood one by one and left, leaving Sophia


    and others in an orderly manner.


    Samuel led severalpany representatives over to congratte her, "Sophia, congrattions, you


    have contributed greatly to signing this contract.When I attend the executive meeting, I will ask them to


    double your bonus and give you a sry increase."


    "Thank you, Mr.Myers." Sophia expressed her gratitude.


    Then, she asked hesitantly, "Can I really be a permanent employee of thispany?"


    Samuel frowned, "Sophia, President Evans personally asked you to stay.There is no reason for you to


    leave.You should be d that although Mr.Evans is filthy rich, he knows how to use people very


    well.He is very urate in reading people and knows that you have a talent and with great potential."


    Samuel had been in the business world for many years, and his words were primarily true.But Sophia


    had misgivings and could notpletely believe what he said.


    "You are joking!" Sophia responded awkwardly.


    Samuel smiled gently, "Work hard.I will return to thepany to report the news first¡¯ While Sophia


    was arranging her things, she could not help but wonder why Patrick was willing to sign this contract


    though she hadmitted a mistake.


    Just as Adriana said, this was a contract worth several million.


    However, if she were destined to continue to work in Evans Enterprise, she would have to pay more


    attention in the future.


    Some of the people in her workce were traitors, but she did not know who they were.


    She did not want to walk on eggshells every day and feared that she would lose her job again one


    day.She was also the breadwinner of her family, and it was not easy to do.


    In addition to that, since her leaders were all mean to her, it meant that she was required to pay more


    attention to her work.


    Sophia walked out of the conference room and walked to the elevator.


    She was ready to return to the evaluation department.


    When the elevator door opened, there was already a woman standing inside.


    "Ms.Clifford" Sophia greeted her with respect.


    "Sophia, when we were in the conference room, I just pointed out the mistake made.Are you mad at


    me?" Adriana asked.


    In just those few words, Sophia understood that Adriana was considering the problems for the


    company''s interest as a vice president.Even though Adriana was harsh to Sophia just now, it was


    reasonable from a vice president''s point.


    Adriana had the right to be strict with Sophia.


    No one would think that Adriana was criticizing Sophia on purpose.If the others heard about this, no


    one could say that Adriana was wrong.


    "How can I be angry? Of course, documents should be wless."


    Sophia said nonchntly Whether it was deliberate or not, it made no difference for Sophia.


    There were oversights in work, and it was inevitable to be criticized.


    However, this was a very normal working situation.


    Thepany paid its employees with the work they produced, and the managers and team leaders


    drove performance.


    The rtionship was mutual.


    Moreover, Sophia never thought that she would be more memorable than others.


    "It''s good that you don''t me me.Of course, you know already that Patrick will be running both the


    Evans Company and the Clifford Financial Group.If we turn a blind eye to every mistake, then there is


    no reason for thepanies to remain open, right? Patrick is a strict president; I can only stand at his


    side as a vice president.I hope you can understand"


    Adriana stated.


    Sophia smiled, "Ms.Clifford, you are too serious."


    Adriana always had a smile on her lips.


    When she got off the elevator, she did not forget to say, "Oh, Sophia, I talked too much about work, and


    I forgot to say the most important thing.After you are back in Frostford City, you''ve never visited


    Grandpa and Grandma.They missed you.You should visit them when you have time"


    "Sure, I will go when I have the time."


    For some reason, when Sophia talked to Adriana, her nerve was always frayed, and she could not


    understand it.


    She automatically looked at other women with suspicion or considered them as potential rivals,


    especially when they worked in the same ce.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    After all, every woman looked at each other very suspiciously, especially when there was so much past


    behind them.


    The afternoon sun was bright and beautiful.


    It was shining through the French window and fell on the delicate back of Adriana.


    The elevator door closed slowly, and Adriana¡¯s figure disappeared gradually.


    Sophia felt something hot in her eyes, and when she touched her face, she found out that she was


    crying.


    After her mother was hospitalized, Sophia''s three meals a day were simple.


    In the past, when she had enough money to buy food, she sometimes lunched on steak and potatoes.


    But now, she did not have enough money and saved what she could.


    Giselle stretched her body and smelled the vor of the soup.She couldn''t help but frown.


    "Sophia, you ate instant soup again this afternoon? How many days have you eaten that? Aren''t you


    tired of it?"


    "Not tired, instant soups are delicious and practical.I like it very much¡± Sophia had no appetite, but she


    couldn''t work with an empty stomach.


    So every time her colleagues asked her, she would pretend that her food was delicious.She was very


    tired of it, but she had no choice but to endure.


    "Is your mother better? I know that you are short on money, but eating soup is not the best way to save


    money.Don''t harm your body" Giselle asked worriedly.


    "She''s better now.She can get out of bed easily." Sophia answered.


    Sophia ate thest mouthful of instant soup, and as if she hadpleted a difficult task, she breathed


    a sigh of relief.


    Giselle knew that Sophia was the family''s breadwinner.She had to pay rent and provide for her family


    with her sry in thispany.


    Her mother was sick again this time, so she definitely did not have enough money to buy good and


    nutritious food.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    "If you are short on money, I still have some.I can let you borrow it, Giselle offered


    enthusiastically.Sophia was grateful for Giselle''s help in her most challenging situation, but she still


    refused.


    "No, I have enough money.She disliked having debts the most, and it was hard to repay favors.She had


    already experienced it before.It was enough for her to experience it once in her life.Lunch break was


    not over yet, but Lianna¡¯s high heels rang through the evaluation department.


    The employee who wanted to take a nap quickly rushed to theputer and looked like she was


    working hard even during lunch break.


    Lianna pped a few times and attracted everyone''s attention.


    "Attention, everyone! Please make sure your desks are clean.President Evans wille to the


    evaluation departmentter.When they heard that Patrick wasing, the listless women employees


    became spirited and quickly tidied up their makeup and clothes to wee him.


    Giselle was the most excited.


    She ducked under her desk and took the mirror to fix her eyebrows, and added a bit of lipstick.


    After she examined herself in the mirror and was satisfied, she re-emerged.


    Sophia tidied up the table and pretended not to see anything.


    But this time, she finally saw the effect Patrick had on the female employees.


    Sure enough, he lived up to his reputation.


    Patrick entered the evaluation department at two o''clock.


    Although people surrounded him everywhere he went, he was admittedly the most good-looking person


    in the crowd.


    Patrick was all the female employees¡¯ dream lover in the evaluation department.


    No, it should be he was all the female employees¡¯ dream lover in the entire Evans Company.


    Every woman in the building considered Patrick a gift from the heavens.


    "I came to announce a personnel change.The general manager''s evaluation consultant, Lilith, was


    transferred to the Australian branchpany and will serve as the evaluation manager of the overseas


    branch.The next evaluation consultant will be voted in by the evaluation department¡± It was said that


    Lilith had been the head of the evaluation department group andter was rmended to the


    general manager''s office to be an evaluation consultant.


    Although Sophia had been in the Evans Company for quite some time, she had only seen Lilith


    once.She was Patrick''s close-range assessment consultant.


    The previous business trip budget evaluation was allpleted by her, following Patrick''s instructions.


    Therefore, she could be considered Patrick''s second inmand.


    Although her position was lower than Lianna¡¯s, her ability to work was not inferior at all.


    Everyone erupted into thunderous apuse.


    The sounds of envy were endless.


    However, Sophia looked at Lilith, and she could sense that she was not happy about the decision.


    In a normal situation, Sophia would not worry about such things.


    Perhaps, she was overthinking things.


    After office hours, everyone suggested a gathering.


    The evaluation department had not had a gathering for a long time, and it was also requested by Lilith.


    Originally, Sophia wanted to finish the work in her hands and then go to the hospital to visit her mother.


    But a gathering was a group project.


    If she used her work as an excuse, other colleagues would think it was far-fetched, and she would be


    perceived like she was not a team yer.


    To take care of her mother, she took a few more days off from the part-time work she had at night.


    Otherwise, she would be embarrassed to ask for time off again.


    The venue was a private room in a restaurant not far from the Evans corporate building.


    Usually, everyone wore the same attire that they had in the office.


    By the time everyone arrived at the restaurant, they were all wearing casual clothes.


    They looked young, and most of them were women.


    They were like a different set of people from what they were at the office.


    Sophia was not good with words.


    Most of the time, she just listened.


    Sometimes, when she was asked, she would say a few words in agreement.


    During the dinner, Lilith drank quite a bit of wine.


    On the other hand, as the supervisor, Lianna did not drink too much.


    It was unknown whether it was because they were usually too depressed or because they rarely had


    this kind of opportunity to have dinner, but most of the colleagues were very satisfied and drank


    heartily.


    Everyone finished dinner at nine in the evening.


    It was unknown who suggested that they have some fun at a bar, but Sophia did not have a chance to


    see Emma earlier and was thinking of going straight to the hospital after dinner.


    However, apart from her, everyone else was in high spirits and wanted toe.


    Since none of them said that they wanted to leave first, she was too embarrassed to open her mouth.


    Meanwhile, they went to The Hideout.


    In the booth, Sophia''s colleagues sat next to each other.


    Some were singing, some were chatting, and some were ying with their phones.Under the effect of


    alcohol, some were rowdier than usual.


    Those who were not familiar with each other sat together and discussed thetest lipstick, the hottest


    tourist attraction, and the most popr online clothing link.


    Sophia sat at one side.She did not sing along, nor did she y with her phone.


    Instead, she just sat and watched everyone quietly.


    Sometimes, a colleague woulde over and ask her to drink, and she would drink a few mouthfuls as


    a response.


    Lilith''s alcohol tolerance was low.


    She was tipsy after she drank two more shots of alcohol.


    For the first time in her life, Lianna had forgotten her position as a manager.


    Everyone insisted and cheered as she picked up the microphone to sing an old song.


    Frank Sinatra''s [The Way You Look Tonight] Someday, when I''m awfully low when the world is cold, I


    will feel a glow, just thinking of you...


    And the way you look tonight...


    The song was sweet and melodic, as if it were foretelling the love story that she had experienced.


    Everyone listened as if they were drunk, and everyone sang at the chorus.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    You''re lovely, with a smile so warm...


    And your cheeks so soft...


    There is nothing for me but to love you...


    Giselle also drank a lot and had already run to the bathroom several times, but it took her a little longer


    this time.


    Sophia just remembered to get up and tried to find Giselle, but Sophia saw her run back like a gust of


    wind and was shouting excitedly.


    "Hey! Everyone, guess who I just saw? You definitely won''t believe me.I saw President Evans and a


    few men enter the private room next door.It did not seem to be a regr meeting!"


    Everyone was worried about Lianna and never dared to act like a love-struck fool in front of her.


    But sure enough, when people had some alcohol in their system, they would be bolder.


    "Mr.Evans, do you want to invite me over? I''ve never seen Mr.Evans attend any staff gathering!" One


    employee blurted out.


    "Yeah, I really want to know what President Evans is like in private.I can''t stand it just thinking about it"


    another one piped in.


    Lianna had been a leader for many years and was well-versed in the way of doing things, so she didn''t


    mess up.


    "Mr.Evans is entertaining people, so don''t disturb him¡± Lianna said.


    Lianna¡¯s words quickly extinguished the excitement of the employees.


    All of them were disappointed and continued their previous activities but were not as enthusiastic as


    before.


    They continued singing, drinking, and ying with their mobile phones.


    Sophia felt that the private room was a little stuffy after staying there for a long time, so she got up and


    went to the bathroom.She tried to rx a little.She didn''t know if it was because it would rain, but the


    air was very thick and muggy tonight.She turned on the tap and sshed the water on her face.


    It was cold and made Sophia feel a lot morefortable.


    She stayed for a few more minutes and went back in the direction of the private room.She had just


    turned a corner when she bumped into Patrick, who was leaning on the wall and smoking.


    He had one hand in his pocket and the other hand holding a cigarette.


    The sleeves on both sides of his shirt were slightly rolled up and revealed his wheat-colored skin.


    His eyes were half-closed due to the smoke from the cigarette.


    He seemed to like this corner and often went there to hide and smoke.Could it be considered a type of


    peculiarity?


    "Mr.Evans..."


    Sophia hesitated for a moment but felt that she should be the one to greet him first.


    Patrick murmured a hello, and the overhead light hit his body.


    Sophia could not see his chiseled face but witnessed the highlighted robust muscles under his white


    shirt.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    His presence was barely noticeable, even if he was smoking.


    Before she could say anything, Patrick asked her, "What are you doing here?"


    "The Evaluation Department is having a dinner party here tonight¡± Sophia replied sinctly.


    Sophia wanted to get back to her group, for she didn''t want them to notice that she was gone for so


    long.She was about to leave when Patrick called her again.


    "Wait, I''ll just go there.I need to see the staff and join them, anyway, Patrick suggested.Patrick put his


    cigarette out and threw the butt into the trash can.He then walked towards Sophia with his hands inside


    his pockets.Sophia trailed behind him consciously.Suddenly, a gust of wind sted across her face,


    messing up her hair.It also messed up her thoughts, and she was out of it for a minute.


    "Which room?" Patrick blurted.


    Patrick came to a halt so quickly that Sophia didn''t have time to react, causing her entire body to collide


    with his back.


    "What are you thinking about?" he asked, a little mockingly, but the truth was he wanted to reach out


    and soothe her bruised nose.


    re felt so familiar with how Patrick showed his tenderness towards her.


    And like what he just did, it felt like he had done it to her many times; to touch and feel her soft skin


    with his hands.


    Sophia somehow guessed what Patrick was about to do and consciously avoided his touch.


    Although his hand stopped in midair, his expression remained unchanged.


    The air around them suddenly felt hot, like it was sucked out of them.


    "Mr.Evans, it''s this room..."


    Sophia breathlessly said as she nervously pointed at the door on her side.


    Patrick put his hands back into his pockets and nodded to Sophia.


    She quickly understood what he meant and led him inside the room.


    Patrick couldn''t help but act professionally as what was expected of him as a leader for so many years.


    Sophia flung open the door and turned sideways, allowing Patrick to enter.


    The staff inside the room were suddenly shocked as they realized who had just entered.


    Seconds passed before they were sucked out of their trance and tidied up, rising to greet him.


    "Everyone, good evening.This is an informal gathering, so please just rx.We just happened to bump


    to each other outside, so I decided toe and join you, guys" Patrick said calmly.


    "Mr.Evans, please have a seat¡± one of the senior staff offered.


    "Everyone, please, take your seats, Patrick replied as he walked over to the couch and sat down.


    "Mr.Evans, do you really have a son with your fianc¨¦e?" Giselle couldn''t stop herself from asking him.


    The entire room fell into strange silence as soon as she finished her question.


    As they awaited their boss¡¯ response, everyone held their breaths and became anxious.


    Some of the department staff reacted and harshly grabbed Giselle, who was bing agitated.


    "Giselle, what the hell were you thinking?" a bespectacleddy asked.


    "Mr.Evans, we are so sorry.She didn''t mean it, for she drank too much already" the woman in ponytail


    begged.


    "Mr.Evans, you still haven''t answered my question¡± Giselle insisted as she pushed away from her


    colleague, who had been stopping her from falling.


    Nobody really knew if she was really drunk or was just drinking alcohol to help boost her courage to


    ask their boss.


    There were still no visible drastic changes in Patrick''s expression as he answered calmly.


    "Although I don''t usually answer questions about my personal life, I have to say this.I don''t want any of


    you to be concerned about my personal rtionships.Ever since you all know that I don''t want to have


    kids out of wedlock,"


    Patrick concluded.


    re felt so familiar with how Patrick showed his tenderness towards her.


    And like what he just did, it felt like he had done it to her many times; to touch and feel her soft skin


    with his hands.


    Sophia somehow guessed what Patrick was about to do and consciously avoided his touch.


    Although his hand stopped in midair, his expression remained unchanged.


    The air around them suddenly felt hot, like it was sucked out of them.


    "Mr.Evans, it''s this room..." Sophia breathlessly said as she nervously pointed at the door on her side.


    Patrick put his hands back into his pockets and nodded to Sophia.She quickly understood what he


    meant and led him inside the room.


    Patrick couldn''t help but act professionally as what was expected of him as a leader for so many years.


    Sophia flung open the door and turned sideways, allowing Patrick to enter.


    The staff inside the room were suddenly shocked as they realized who had just entered.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Seconds passed before they were sucked out of their trance and tidied up, rising to greet him.


    "Everyone, good evening.This is an informal gathering, so please just rx.We just happened to bump


    to each other outside, so I decided toe and join you, guys" Patrick said calmly.


    "Mr.Evans, please have a seat" one of the senior staff offered.from her chair and walked out of the


    room.


    On the other hand, one of their office mates, Lilith, drank even harder and fell next to Sophia.


    Sophia wasn''t sure if Lilith was talking to her or to herself when she said, "Do you know what kind of a


    person Mr.Evans is?"


    Sophia simply shook her head and said nothing.


    "Well, he is the type of person who cares about his employees.He sends anyone home anytime if


    there''s heavy rain.If an employee drank too much, Mr.Evans would send him home.He remembers


    everyone''s birth dates.And if he somehow forgot to greet someone, no matter howte it was, he would


    still call that person to greet them on their birthdays.Do you think this lucky person held a special ce


    in his heart?" Lilith exined.


    Sophia was still silent and just listened to Lilith''s monologue.


    "Tell me, why is he not fond of me? I worked hard all year for I wanted to help him with his burden.I


    would be satisfied even if I had to stare at him from a distance.But why can''t we be together?" Lilith


    cried helplessly.


    Sophia felt pity towards Lilith, for she knew that she was just voicing out what she was feeling and that


    it was all real.


    "Lilith, you drank too much."


    "Ms.Hill, everything''s fine.I am feeling so fine right now"


    re felt so familiar with how Patrick showed his tenderness towards her.


    And like what he just did, it felt like he had done it to her many times; to touch and feel her soft skin


    with his hands.


    Sophia somehow guessed what Patrick was about to do and consciously avoided his touch.


    Although his hand stopped in midair, his expression remained unchanged.


    The air around them suddenly felt hot, like it was sucked out of them.


    "Mr.Evans, it''s this room..."


    Sophia breathlessly said as she nervously pointed at the door on her side.


    Patrick put his hands back into his pockets and nodded to Sophia.She quickly understood what he


    meant and led him inside the room.


    Patrick couldn''t help but act professionally as what was expected of him as a leader for so many years.


    Sophia flung open the door and turned sideways, allowing Patrick to enter.


    The staff inside the room were suddenly shocked as they realized who had just entered.


    Seconds passed before they were sucked out of their trance and tidied up, rising to greet him.


    "Everyone, good evening.This is an informal gathering, so please just rx.We just happened to bump


    to each other outside, so I decided toe and join you, guys" Patrick said calmly.


    "Mr.Evans, please have a seat; one of the senior staff offered.it''s not real.


    Lilith smiled, "You have a point too, but let''s be honest.Do women still care if it''s not real?"


    Sophia simply nodded.She didn''t want to admit to herself that what Lilith just said was true, but it was


    the sad truth.She was just an ordinary woman.She would be tempted, too, when an opportunity came


    knocking.


    However, once was enough.She couldn''t afford to be stupid again, not this time.


    "It goes to say that Mr.Evans is not for any of us.Even if he shows interest to anyone, it wouldn''t mean


    anything.He was just looking for someone to waste his time with; maybe he was feeling bored¡¯¡¯ Sophia


    said.


    Sophia had just finished her litany when she heard someone calling her name.Patrick was suddenly


    there, inside his car.He lowered the window just to be able to talk to her.His eyes were filled with


    confidence.


    Sophia wasn''t quite sure how long he was there or, even worse, whether he heard everything that she


    and Lilith just said.


    Sophia felt guilty for she just mentioned how inconsiderate he was, and now, he was in front of her,


    "Mr.Evans..."


    "Get in the car; I will drive you both home" Patrickmanded.


    Sophia wanted to refuse but was concerned with Lilith''s re felt so familiar with how Patrick showed


    his tenderness towards her.


    And like what he just did, it felt like he had done it to her many times; to touch and feel her soft skin


    with his hands.


    Sophia somehow guessed what Patrick was about to do and consciously avoided his touch.


    Although his hand stopped in midair, his expression remained unchanged.


    The air around them suddenly felt hot, like it was sucked out of them.


    "Mr.Evans, it''s this room..."


    Sophia breathlessly said as she nervously pointed at the door on her side.


    Patrick put his hands back into his pockets and nodded to Sophia.


    She quickly understood what he meant and led him inside the room.


    Patrick couldn''t help but act professionally as what was expected of him as a leader for so many years.


    Sophia flung open the door and turned sideways, allowing Patrick to enter.


    The staff inside the room were suddenly shocked as they realized who had just entered.


    Seconds passed before they were sucked out of their trance and tidied up, rising to greet him.


    "Everyone, good evening.This is an informal gathering, so please just rx.We just happened to bump


    to each other outside, so I decided toe and join you, guys" Patrick said calmly.


    "Mr.Evans, please have a seat¡± one of the senior staff offered.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    "Do you think I''m that kind of person?"


    Patrick suddenly blurted out, interrupting Sophia''s thoughts.His well-defined hands maneuvered the


    steering wheel deftly.Patrick''s question bothered her in so many ways.


    "I just said those things to tease Lilith, Mr.Evans.You don''t have to take it seriously" Sophia exined.


    She then lowered her head after she said those words.


    There was a moment when Sophia felt like she was about to show her true feelings, so she


    immediately hid it.


    Just like what she just told Lilith, even if Sophia knew that it was true, she would still deny the truth.


    Sophia was used to hiding and ignoring the truth.It became her habit and a sort of shield, among


    others.


    Even if the person sitting next to her was Patrick, she couldn''t have great expectations.


    "Oh, is that it?"


    The car abruptly stopped when Patrick suddenly stepped on the brake that almost made Sophia hit her


    head on the dash.


    "Get out, '''' Patrick ordered without any emotion visible on his face.Sophia kept her head down so she


    could keep her face hidden from Patrick.


    Before her tears fell, she quickly opened the door and got out.She had no sense of direction and had


    no idea where she was, but she walked in the opposite direction of Patrick''s car unconsciously.


    As Sophia walked away from his car, Patrick still looked at her in his rearview mirror.He had no idea


    where his sudden outburst came from.


    However, he had to admit that he had lost control of his emotions tonight.The gloomy sky darkened


    even more.


    As the rain began to fall, thunder erupted, and lightning shed in all directions.


    The city''s neon lights looked blurry, and the cold weather started to get heavier.


    Sophia slowly raised her head and looked directly at the sky.She liked the feeling of the raindrops as


    they touched her face.


    Somehow, she felt refreshed and satisfied with just standing in the rain.


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t have any other options to let go of her frustrations, and it would just be bottled


    up inside of her, which could eventually make her crazy.


    As she was enjoying the rain, another car slowly pulled over and stopped at where she was standing.


    Was this the same car that had been following them earlier? Sophia couldn''t see anything on the inside


    because the car''s windows were tinted.


    Suddenly, the car door opened and out came a man who opened an umbre for her.


    It took so long for her to recognize the man, but she realized that it was Brandon.He immediately pulled


    her into his arms.


    "Sophia, what are you doing? Is this your way of letting out your sadness and problems?" Brandon


    carefully asked.


    Sophia felt so lonely.


    Howe it was so easy for Brandon to understand her? Her stubbornness, sadness, worries, moods,


    and even her heart? While the other person who she cared for the most was the exact opposite of what


    Brandon was.


    Patrick couldn''t understand her at all.


    "We are not together anymore.What happened in the past stays in the past.But it still hurt me so much


    even if I pretended that it didn''t bother me anymore¡± Sophia desperately said.


    Sophia pulled herself away from Brandon with a sad smile on her face.She felt fresh tears start to fall


    down her cheeks.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Sophia swiftly wiped it with her hands.Sophia had already learned to be strong.She didn''t need anyone


    to hold an umbre for her every time there was rain.She didn''t need someone to take care of her


    when she was sick or helpless.


    And most especially, she didn¡¯t need anyone tofort her when she was lonely.


    All she needed to do was sleep it off.


    For when she woke up the next day, all the pain she felt would be buried deep inside her heart.


    That was how Sophia survived after all those years of suffering.


    Sophia didn''t refuse Brandon''s offer to take her home, for she was so tired and cold.She didn''t need to


    pretend about anything when she was with Brandon.


    He was always there for her, no matter what she was going through.


    "You have to dry your hair, or you might catch a coldter,'''' Brandon said.


    He then offered her a clean towel which Sophia immediately pulled to wipe her hair and body.


    "Sophia, thest time we met, you told me that you bought those kids¡¯ supplies for your friend.Is it okay


    to ask which friend were you talking about?" Brandon casually asked.


    Sophia was baffled that Brandon had remembered that incident, so she simply answered, "It was for


    Fiona.I believe you know her?"


    Brandon looked at her meaningfully.


    "Oh, really? Thest time we met, she said that she didn''t have a boyfriend" Sophia paused for a


    moment.


    "Oh, what else did she say?" she asked warily.


    Brandonughed while asking, "Why are you so nervous? Could it be that you''re hiding something from


    me?"


    "What do you know, Brandon?" Sophia asked.


    Sophia had not seen Brandon for weeks; was it because he discovered that she had a child? That was


    a possibility because nowadays, some men were unwilling to ept the woman they liked because


    they had a child with someone else.


    Sophia never had a steady and responsible lover after all these years because of having Emma.


    On the other hand, she had no regrets about living this life.


    It was an amazing feeling that she couldn''t bear the thought of changing anything about it.


    "Are you worried that I will be discouraged?"


    Brandon wondered as he noticed her unusual stillness and realized that she was thinking about it.


    "You won''t see me hanging around with you if I''m easily discouraged, Sophia," Brandon said.


    ¡®Why would I still be doing difficult things only to be with you if I could easily give up on you?¡¯ Brandon


    only finished it in his head.


    But Brandon knew that he didn''t have the courage to say it out loud in front of her.


    The moment Brandon heard that Sophia gave birth to a child in Frostford City, he spent most of his


    days drinking, for he couldn''t initially ept such fact.


    But he realized something important when he finally became sober; his feelings towards her were


    sincere and real.


    Brandon''s feelings towards Sophia could not be easily swayed by any other reason.


    Brandon drove faster, and in the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the darkness and wet streets.


    In one night, anything could change, including people''s hearts.


    The following day, Sophia went to work with dark circles under her eyes, for she couldn''t sleepst


    night.


    Being drenched from the rain, she was a bit ill and did not feel well, and even lost her appetite.


    When she arrived at the office, everyone greeted each other enthusiastically, as if they had forgotten


    anything that had happenedst night.


    During their usual morning meeting, Giselle asked for an early leave since she wasn''t feeling well due


    to hangover, same with Lianna.


    The meeting ended earlier than the usual schedule.The entire morning, it seemed that everyone was


    not in the mood to work.


    This had something to do with their department head, Lianna, being sick.


    So, most of the employees gathered to gossip secretly.


    The gossip escted when one of their colleagues who submitted a report in the CEO''s office came


    back with an announcement.


    "The General Manager said that Mr.Evans was caught in the rainst night and had a cold and


    fever.He wasn''t able to report today" one of the staff said.


    "Well, I saw Ms.Clifford early today, and Mr.Evans was not with her.They usually report to work every


    day" a younger employee confirmed.


    Sophia was napping on her table, but her attention was caught with what her colleague said, ¡®Caught in


    the rain¡± Sophia was confused.


    Wasn''t he the one who drovest night? Why did he have a cold and a fever? She immediately felt


    relieved after realizing that she had nothing to do with it.


    Besides, what was the point of thinking so much about it? Did it really matter? Patrick was still unable


    to report to work after three days.


    His phone had been shut off, and no one was permitted to visit him, which made the employees of


    Evans Enterprise anxious.


    The executive meetings kepting one after another, and no one knew why it was so difficult to


    reach a decision, leaving everyone stumped.


    Frankly speaking, Patrick had always been the backbone of Evans Enterprise.


    They relied on him too much that his absence caused a major crippling effect in thepany.


    Not having Patrick in thepany was unimaginable, resulting in a vague future.


    The position as an Evaluation Consultant for the General Manager Office had always been vacant ever


    since Lilith was transferred to Australia.


    Lianna had already rmended two applicants to the management but was instantly rejected


    because they were not satisfied with their qualifications.


    It was unclear, but someone must have influenced them that Sophia was the best candidate for Lilith¡¯s


    position.


    Sophia being an obedient employee became her advantage because it was consistent with Mr.Evans''


    most basic requirement when it came to hiring.


    So with this as a general rule, people would not assume the worst if Sophia reced Lilith.


    Some of her colleagues even tried to tease her, "Ms.Hill, please promise that you won''t forget about us


    if you get promoted, okay?"


    Sophia thought they were all a load of crap.How could a temporary employee be promoted to a position


    under the General Manager''s Office?

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    To add, Patrick would never allow this to happen.


    He preferred avoiding her altogether.


    ¡®It''s only a joke.It''s fine just to listen and not react¡± she thought to herself, brushing the promotion


    rumors off.


    It had been four days, and Patrick still had note back to work.He had no clue just how serious his


    illness was.


    All the more, he didn''t know the exact number of days his body needed to recover fully.


    Like a snail moving every minute, Sophia was as busy as ever.


    Later that day, Sophia started packing up the files on her desk.


    She was just about to turn off theputer and go home after a day''s work when John suddenly


    appeared by the door of the evaluation department.


    "Sophia,e out with me for a moment.I need you to do something"


    John had a heavy and worrisome look all over his face.


    Patrick had been away for so long already.This might have caused an extra strain on John''s part.


    ¡®¡®Without the guidance of Patrick onpany matters, John must be exhausted by now¡± Sophia


    thought to herself.


    Just around the corner by the stairs, John handed over a document to her.


    "You have to go to President Evans¡¯ apartment right now and give him this document.Be there before


    six o''clock; he must decide by then¡± John instructed her firmly.


    Sophia felt shocked and annoyed by this sudden task.


    "It''ste already.It''s time to get off work and go home, Mr.Ward¡¯¡¯ Sophia replied, wanting to end the day


    already.


    "But this is work¡± John raised his eyebrows and looked over the file he was holding.


    "You could''ve asked other employees to do this for you.Why does it have to be me?"


    Sophia tried to protest in a low voice.She was telling the truth.


    Other employees would be so quick to jump at this opportunity to go to their boss'' apartment.


    They''d do it in an instant before John could even finish the instruction.


    Also, Adriana regrly visited Patrick at home; she could do it instead.


    "Are you my boss now? Do I have to listen to you? I don''t seem to remember that being the case."


    John''s face went even darker as he said those words.


    Already impatient and concerned over the ticking time, John shook the document, indicating Sophia to


    ept it and do the task.


    Sophia remained hesitant, but she knew she had no choice but to do what she was told.John said it


    perfectly; this was work, and she was merely a lowly employee.


    Despite official work hours being finished, she had no reason to refuse.


    John gave her the ess card to Patrick''s ce.


    After that, she made her way to the luxurious apartment building.


    She got his floor and stood in front of Patrick''s unit for quite some time.She was obviously hesitant


    about this whole ordeal, hence, her unmoving stance.She was feeling all sorts of things.


    It was impossible to put them into words.


    Everything feltplicated for her, not understanding them herself.


    After that previous rainy night, she had a lot of thinking to do.


    She put aside the unpleasant divorce from five years ago, including the resentment and hatred she felt.


    Aside from all these, Sophia knew Patrick was a person that was difficult to hate.


    He was a simple man who handled problems smoothly and carefully.


    He was intelligent but not cunning, ensuring fairness in all matters.


    He had a lot of positive attributes, more than enough to swoon any woman to fall in love with him.


    Even though he was engaged, it didn''t stop women from falling for him.


    He was exceptional at everything, except for the fact that he did not love her.


    Sophia was the one who couldn''t ept the truth.


    Patrick had his easily? Do you think I''m willing to be with any man without thinking of what''s right? Who


    do you think you are, Mr.Bower?"


    Finn didn''t expect to hear this from Sophia.


    She talked about him in such a bad light, hurting his self-esteem and ego.


    At this point, his face sunk and turned pale, prompting him to say the next words with the same


    harshness.


    "How are you any better, then? You are simply an employee who does everything her boss wants.Isn''t


    that what you came here for? Aren''t you aware that a divorced woman is already worthless, Miss Hill?


    Honestly, we had gotten along just fine when we were dating, but looking back, I wonder if what you


    showed back then was even true."


    "Or, you must be so confident that you and Mr.Evans might end up together? You must already think


    he''ll marry you.If that''s the case, the joke''s on you.It''s obvious he''s only ying around¡¯¡¯ Finn said, not


    holding back.


    Hearing all these, Sophia felt her entire body go cold.She could feel her existence drain out as her


    blood flowed the other way.Her head was all over the ce.She suddenly went numb.


    A person''s heart was indeed hard to predict.


    She was aware of her current situation, and she couldn''t help but feel hurt.


    "You both are already at my door.Why don''t youe in and do the talking inside?"


    As if on cue, the once tightly shut apartment door opened and revealed Patrick standing just inside.He


    wore a simple grey V-neck shirt that loosely hugged his chest.He wasfortably leaning against the


    door.


    "I didn''t expect to see Ms.Hill here.So, we talked quite a bit before I went up, Finn innocently said.


    "Oh, what did you talk about?" Patrick queried.


    Finn did not expect him to ask more about it.


    "Nothing!" Finn shook his head awkwardly.


    "Oh, I almost forgot! I have some things to do.I''ll go ahead and leave now?¡¯ Finn hurriedly said, wanting


    to escape the sudden interrogation.


    "Mr.Bower, do you know the reason why yourpany''s Astra Sophia, already annoyed, continued to


    press the doorbell and sneered, "So, you mean to say that a fragile woman can be deceived easily? Do


    you think I''m willing to be with any man without thinking of what''s right? Who do you think you are,


    Mr.Bower?" Finn didn''t expect to hear this from Sophia.


    She talked about him in such a bad light, hurting his self-esteem and ego.


    At this point, his face sunk and turned pale, prompting him to say the next words with the same


    harshness.


    "How are you any better, then? You are simply an employee who does everything her boss wants.Isn''t


    that what you came here for? Aren''t you aware that a divorced woman is already worthless, Miss Hill?


    Honestly, we had gotten along just fine when we were dating, but looking back, I wonder if what you


    showed back then was even true."


    "Or, you must be so confident that you and Mr.Evans might end up together? You must already think


    he''ll marry you.If that''s the case, the joke''s on you.It''s obvious he''s only ying around¡¯¡¯ Finn said, not


    holding back.Hearing all these, Sophia felt her entire body go cold.


    She could feel her existence drain out as her blood flowed the other way.Her head was all over the


    ce.She suddenly went numb.


    A person''s heart was indeed hard to predict.She was aware of her current situation, and she couldn''t


    help but feel hurt.


    "You both are already at my door.Why don''t youe in and do the talking inside?"


    As if on cue, the once tightly shut apartment door opened and revealed Patrick standing just inside.


    He wore a simple grey V-neck shirt that loosely hugged his chest.He wasfortably leaning against


    the door.


    "I didn''t expect to see Ms.Hill here.So, we talked quite a bit before I went up, Finn innocently said.


    "Oh, what did you talk about?" Patrick queried.


    Finn did not expect him to ask more about it.


    "Nothing!"


    Finn shook his head awkwardly.


    "Oh, I almost forgot! I have some things to do.I''ll go ahead and leave now?¡¯ Finn hurriedly said, wanting


    to escape the sudden interrogation.


    "Mr.Bower, do you know the reason why yourpany''s Astra development case could not be


    approved after all this time?" Patrick started.


    You could already feel the tension rising.


    After a few seconds, Patrick spoke calmly, "It''s because you are a snob who would look down on


    people."


    Finn chewed more than he could take, and knowing he had no power; he didn''t dare to fight back and


    left immediately.


    Sophia lowered her head and remained silent the whole time.


    "I''ve never seen a fight like yours where you piss yourself first.It''s a rare sight, actually" Patrick said to


    Sophia.


    "I don''t need your help.I can handle things on my own.I''m perfectly capable of fighting for myself? she


    made herself clear.She was not grateful for his help.This was not the first time she was put in a difficult


    position.She had experienced her share of conflicts with people, and each time, she handled it herself


    without needing anyone to stand up for her.All her life, she had no one to rely on except for herself.This


    meant she could not let herself depend on others.


    "Who said I was helping you? We both heard him say my name¡± Patrick said.


    While speaking, he could not help but cough, covering his mouth with one hand.He was still sick, after


    all.


    Sophia said nothing in return.She felt he still didn''t understand.


    There were a lot of things that made her ufortable.


    She felt wronged in more ways than he knew, and if sheined about these all the time, she


    would simply not be able to live.


    On the other hand, Patrick did not look good himself.He had watery eyes, and his hair was still


    messy.His voice sounded a bit more hoarse than normal.He must have woken up only recently.


    "What are you doing here?"


    He switched the topic to Sophia''s sudden presence.


    Sophia handed the document she had been holding for quite some time now.


    "Mr.Ward instructed me to give this to you.He said you need to make a decision as soon as possible"


    she ryed to him.


    Patrick grunted after hearing this.


    However, he didn''t take the document.


    Instead, he opened the door and said, "Let''s talk about it inside ¡°


    "I won''t go in.I have to be home now."


    Sophia tried to give the document once more, moving closer to him.She remembered the conversation


    Patrick had with Adriana.


    He mentioned he had a serious obsession with keeping things cleaned and organized.His fiancee,


    Adriana, had not even been inside his apartment.


    Sophia felt it was better to remain outside.


    First, there was no reason for her to be inside his apartment, and second, it was inappropriate toe


    in since she was a single woman while Patrick was already engaged to another woman.


    He took a deep breath and said, "What? Are you afraid that I will eat you?"


    He wanted to say more, but he stopped himself.


    Before Sophia could even say anything, Patrick grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her inside his


    apartment.


    "My head is throbbing badly right now.Come in and talk."


    He closed the door behind him and locked it.


    As Sophia heard the door lock, she couldn''t help but jump in shock.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Everything happened so quickly.


    The apartment had a ck and grey theme for the interior, fitting closely with Patrick''s taste and


    personality.


    Sophia could see that it was simr to how he treated people, gentle and elegant yet profound and


    thought-provoking.


    "Feel free to sit¡± he offered.


    Patrick remained at the other end and leaned against the living room wall with his eyes slightly closed.


    He wasn''t sure if it was because he didn¡¯t have much strength to lean against the wall for support fully


    or if he enjoyed giving others an intimidating feeling.


    After a few more moments of silence, he opened his eyes and lit up a cigarette, taking a deep breath.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    "Read the contents of the document." Patrick''s face was a little sickly pale, beads of sweat poured from


    his forehead.


    Every movement appeared to be excruciatingly painful.


    After roughly summarizing the document''s contents, Sophia waited for a while, but she didn''t hear a


    response.


    Patrick''s vision was already blurry, his ears were ringing, and he was suffering from a terrible


    headache.


    He pretended to be clear-headed, but there was a limit to everything.He was exhausted by the pain


    brought by the cold.


    "Mr.Evans..." Sophia approached him.


    Patrick stood on his feet.He supported himself with one hand on the wall and walked towards the


    bedroom.He sauntered as if he would copse at any moment.


    "Mr.Evans." Sophia wanted to help, but Patrick waved his hand.


    "Don''t worry.I''ll just sleep for a bit.You can just help me make a decision on the documents¡¯


    "This is not a small matter.I can''t make a decision for it!"


    Sophia bit her lips in frustration.


    Patrick ignored her words and said, "Figure it out yourself"


    It was unknown whether Sophia just got lucky or it was her destiny.


    But the document easily won the favor and approval of the business partners.


    "Mr.Evans, you''re a bit too stubborn these past few days.If I hadn''t dealt with the work, this cooperation


    would''ve turned into ruins." John said to Patrick.


    John drove early to pick Patrick up at his luxurious apartment.


    The drive was fast yet careful, eager to get by on time.


    After recovering, Patrick''s body visibly got thinner.Other than that, he didn''t talk as much as before.


    "When do you n to leave for the business trip?"


    Patrick was not saying anything, so John tried to talk about something else.


    "She can do it¡¯¡¯ Patrick replied as if John asked something irrelevant.


    John was stunned for a moment before answering, "You really sunk yourself deeper and deeper when


    ites to your involvement with Sophia."


    When Lianna walked confidently in her high heels, it was the start of the morning meeting.


    From time to time, she would stand in front of Sophia, unable to know what to say.


    "Most of them say that I didn''t like neers and that I refused to rmend them.I''m afraid you will


    be disappointed this time.There was news from the top that Sophia would be promoted as an


    evaluation consultant presiding over in the President''s Office.She was promoted as a manager.In the


    future, you can call her Ms.Hill, apud!"


    Everyone within the department knew that Lianna and Sophia didn''t get along well.


    But this time, Lianna didn''t try to avoid it.Rather, she sarcastically confronted Sophia in public.


    The apuse was sparse, which made Sophia feel ufortable.


    As soon as one entered the workce, it would be like facing the depth of the sea.It was like a


    battlefield without smokes that could make one''s heart go cold.It was natural for people to climb


    unachievable heights.


    Like there was room for improvements, there was also room for promotions.


    Sophia didn''t want to be a hypocrite.


    Moreover, she really needed the money.


    Sophia didn''t want to ruin her reputation; therefore, she thanked her.


    "Thank you very much, Ms.Parson."


    "Oh please, Manager Hill! You can pack up and go after the meeting is over" Lianna sneered.


    The two stared at each other after Lianna put emphasis on the word Manager Hill.


    Then, she announced the end of the meeting.


    While packing her things, everyone came over and helped.


    After all, Sophia was promoted.


    If human rtionships wereplicated, then so were people''s hearts.


    Who knew how many people in the office were sincerely happy for her? Sophia didn''t expect much


    from them.


    However, they could be on good terms as long as they retain this attitude on the surface.


    Moving up for her first day in that department, Sophia felt that the General Manager''s Office was really


    busy.


    From the assessment of the recorded meeting to setting up the schedule of the business trip to


    reviewing the case evaluation, every single one of them could make people go crazy with work.


    Brandon often called her.


    Sometimes he even personally went to the Evans Company.


    He sent either coffee or ice drinks.


    Sophia didn''t have much reaction at the beginning.


    Perhaps, she was too tired and numbed by life that when someone suddenly treated her well, it made


    her feel refreshed.


    Every day at noon, Sophia¡¯s lunch was the same; either instant noodles, milk, or an apple.


    Anyway, she often ate small meals that could satisfy her hunger.


    When a colleague asked her, she smiled and replied that she wanted to lose weight.


    They then wouldment that she was not fat and ask why did she have to go along the trend?


    Sophia smiled without exining anything.


    It was never easy for her to tell how difficult it was for her.


    After a few days of observation, the work in Frostford City was busier than anywhere else.


    Although they were working on the same floor, there would be times that she wouldn''t see a glimpse of


    Patrick for a few days.


    This made Sophia sigh from relief.


    Since they didn''t often have a chance to meet each other, the two of them could be at ease.


    By noon, Sophia walked to the workstation holding instant noodles.


    Suddenly, she heard one of her colleagues, Jenelyn Collins, confront her.


    "Sophia, you''re still eating instant noodles? I heard that if you eat that once, the toxins won''t be flushed


    out for a week.It''s not good for your health,"Jenelyn said to Sophia.


    "It doesn''t matter; I''m perfectly healthy" Sophia smiled.


    In fact, she knew that Jenelyn didn''t like the taste of instant noodles, but she never knew that she could


    be this blunt about it.


    It seemed that the days that she could eat instant noodles would be over.


    She could change into drinking milk.


    Anyway, her appetite was so small that she could eat anything.


    Patrick just came back from lunch and passed by the pantry.He nced at Sophia, who was eating


    instant noodles.


    During the lunch break, he seemed to have seen this scene numerous times.


    When he came back from lunch, Patrick entered the General Manager''s Office.


    "In the future, I don''t want to see any snacks, instant noodles, or other food in the General Manager''s


    Office.It will affect thepany''s image"


    "Ms.Collins, in the future, the staff lunch of the General Manager''s office will be distributed by the


    outside restaurant and reimbursed by thepany¡± Patrick said.


    After Patrick''s figure disappeared for a few seconds, Jenelyn looked at Sophia, "Mr.Evans¡¯ meaning is


    that in the future, all the staff''s lunch of the General Manager''s office will be reimbursed by the


    company? Can I interpret it as a free lunch?"


    Sophia didn''t think too much about it.


    "It seems like it"


    The next day, the weather was a bit dark.


    Sophia just got off the bus and walked through the Evans Enterprise.


    Suddenly, she was stopped by John, who seemed to have waited for a long time.


    "Ms.Hill, get in the car"


    Sophia nced in the direction he pointed and saw the low-key luxurious Rolls-Royce parked on the


    side of the road.


    Without thinking, she knew who was sitting inside.


    Subconsciously, she did not want to go.


    "I haven''t clocked out yet." Sophia found an excuse.


    "When you have a business trip, you don''t need to clock out.There''s not much time left; get in the car


    quickly!" John urged.


    Sophia hesitated.


    John frowned after he saw that she didn''t move.


    Then, he reminded her, "Don''t you know that the General Administration Office''s evaluation consultant


    will often go on business trips with the president?"


    Sophia knew it, but she did not expect that she would not be informed in advance.She did not prepare


    anything.


    In the end, she still got in the car.


    She originally wanted to sit in the back seat, but when she knew that Patrick would personally drive the


    car, she dispelled the idea.However, would it just be the two of them on the business trip?


    "Fasten your seat belt, '''' Patrick reminded.


    Sophia replied, "Okay."


    Patrick and pulled over the seat belt and fastened it.


    John told her some rundowns about the business trip through the half-lowered window.


    "Sophia, Smith Group is our important client¡± they are significant to ourpany.


    Before signing the contract with them, you must prepare all of the documents.


    You can not make any mistakes, especially not to bete."John said to Sophia.


    Sophia nodded.


    Patrick habitually frowned, started the car, and instantly cut into the driveway.


    The location of the business trip was Hillwood City, 500 kilometers away from Frostford City.


    Sophia had been there once before when she was in college.


    On the highway, Patrick quietly drove.


    asionally, his mobile phone would ring, and he would press the earphone to answer.


    Sophia was the type of person who was always at ease.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    After getting on the car, she kept looking out of the window, asionally closing her eyes to rest.


    The car moved at a constant speed for seven hours.When they arrived at their destination, the sun was


    about to set.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    When Sophia and Patrick got out of the car, they saw a group of people not far from the hotel.


    They saw that they were all executives of the Smith Group of Companies.


    There was also the founder of the Smith Group of Companies, Chris Smith.


    Based on their clothing and appearance, a person could tell that they were all elites.


    The legend of the Smith Group of Companies in Hillwood City was like the legend of the Evans Group


    in Frostford City, a myth that could not be surpassed.


    This was also the first time that the two listed groups¡¯ leaders cooperated to meet.


    Both sides seemed to attach great importance and had a friendly conversation.


    Sophia stood next to Patrick in a very professional manner.


    The people from the other party would asionally nod at her, and she responded politely.


    The two parties separated after a simple meal.


    Perhaps the otherpany executives considered Patrick and Sophia to be too tired to talk business


    tonight after they had been on the road for seven hours.


    Chris personally told Patrick and Sophia to rest at the hotel, and they could have the meeting in the


    afternoon the next day.


    Sophia followed Patrick and entered the hotel lobby.She took the key cards for the two presidential


    suites and then took the elevator going up.


    When they arrived at the door of the room, Patrick said, "Get up early tomorrow.You have to go to the


    signing ceremony three hours in advance"


    Sophia nodded.She swiped the key card for the room and opened the door.


    Patrick grabbed her hand suddenly and said, "Have a good dream"


    "You too." She was stunned.


    Ever since she went to his apartment that night, their interaction seemed to have entered a strange


    circle, and there was no longer the usual tension.


    She didn''t know if it was because he did not look at her coldly or because she advocated for peace, but


    their rtionship had evolved into this.


    After she finished washing up, Sophia lied down on the bed, very tired but unable to sleep.


    Her mind was filled with the mess of the past.She closed her eyes, and hot tears flowed out.She asked


    herself, "Could I ever forgive him?"


    ¡®¡®No, I couldn''t...not right now¡± Sophia thought sadly.


    Sophia woke up with a wave of pain, and her intuition told her that she was having menstrual


    cramps.She didn''t have any strength in her body.


    It was as if there was a blunt knife being dragged back and forth in her abdomen.She was utterly


    drenched in a cold sweat.She struggled to get out of bed.


    If she remembered correctly, there would be waiters on duty on every floor of this high-ss hotel.She


    needed a hot water bag.


    When she opened the door, a terrible pain suddenly hit her.She curled up and squatted.She closed her


    eyes to wait for the pain to pass.


    When Patrick came out of the smoking area, he saw Sophia, almost curled up into a ball.


    He did not think twice.


    Instead, he ran over and asked Sophia.


    "What''s wrong?" Sophia didn''t answer.


    Patrick frowned and couldn''t help but get nervous.He bent over and picked her up.


    She was very light, like a feather.


    Sophia couldn''t say anything.


    It was so painful that she couldn''t distinguish between dreams and reality.


    She was not sure if Patrick was holding her right now.


    Finally, she felt the heating from Patrick''s body and passed out.


    Patrick sat on the bed with her in his arms.


    He reached out and wiped the tears on Sophia''s face.


    His big hand covered her lower abdomen and rubbed it skillfully.


    When the hotel maid sent over the hot water bag and medicine to relieve pain, she saw that Patrick


    was tucking the woman in bed.


    The woman seemed to have fallen asleep in pain.


    The hotel maid couldn''t help but take another look and found blood on the man¡¯s white shirt.


    He didn''t seem to feel dirty.


    Instead, he sat on the side of the bed and lit a cigarette.


    The hotel maid could not fathom what Patrick was thinking.


    When Sophia woke up, it was already noon the next day.


    She looked out the window, and she saw thunder streaked the sky.


    The rain was as heavy as a grey curtain that blocked her sight.It was a gloomy day.


    She didn''t dare to dy any longer.


    So instead, she hurriedly fixed herself, quickly grabbed the bag containing the document, and walked


    out of the room.


    Patrick was pacing back and forth outside the door of her room.


    He held an ashtray in one hand and a cigarette in the other.


    From the cigarette butts, she could deduce that Patrick had been waiting a long time and was already a


    little impatient.


    Sophia knew that the afternoon contract signing was crucial.


    She should have arrived three hours in advance, but it was very likely that she would bete because


    of what happened to her.


    "Mr.Evans..."


    She wanted to say something to exin, but she felt pale and powerless.


    Patrick didn''t say anything and just said, "Let''s go."


    When they were in the car, Sophia felt the car''s speed constantly elerating.


    Patrick was clearly in a hurry.


    Sophia understood Patrick''s principle.


    They could not afford to bete.


    The rain was heavy.


    Patrick drove quickly and turned on the wiper.


    The visibility was low, but they did not slow down.


    The car''s speed now was at one hundred miles per hour.


    He did not step on the break once.


    Sophia was also worried.


    If they werete, what would the consequences be? She dared not think about it.


    She looked out of the car.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    There was only a vague outline of the buildings and pedestrians on both sides of the street.


    At the same time, Sophia saw a dog lying on the side of the road and on the verge of death.


    When she saw it, she remembered herself five years ago.


    Back then, it was also a rainy day.She squatted on the side of the road.She was crying helplessly.


    "I want to save it? Sophia whispered.The car quickly passed.


    Patrick frowned, "Sophia, we don''t have time:"


    "Then you go first, I promise that I willeter!"


    Her eyes were sparkling with tears, and she looked at him persistently.


    "Sophia, don''t push your luck!" Patrick frowned even more.


    However, Sophia felt that he was hesitating.His hands were gripping the steering wheel tightly.She did


    not know how she could tell, but she was sure that he would stop the car.


    "Patrick, I am not a willful person.Never ever.So please, please stop the car" Sophia pleaded.


    Patrick stepped on the brake and put the car in reverse.


    The car stopped next to the dog.


    Its body was covered in dirt, and from its fur color, it was hard to tell if it was white or gray.


    When the dog saw Sophia, its tail wagged.


    Even though the dog shivered from being abandoned on the side of the road, it still tried to wee


    those who approached it.


    "Don''t be afraid.You have me now.I will take care of you"


    Sophia patted the head of the dog.She was like a child.


    Sophia petted the dog tenderly.


    When Sophia picked it up, she thought, ''What was the difference between her and this dog?¡¯


    She looked back at her twenty-seven years of life.She had never been willful towards the person she


    loved nor willful towards the things she liked.


    Instead, she was permanently restraining herself.


    Over time, everyone thought she could not be hurt or in pain.


    So she would not fight them and would not fight over the things she wanted.She was just wearing a


    mask for everyone to see.


    But behind her smiles, some wounds never healed.


    Patrick saw all of this, and his heart hurt profoundly for some reason.


    He had warned himself that everything that had to do with this woman was already in the past.


    They would never have a future again.


    ¡®But...why couldn''t I help it? I couldn''t help but want to get close to her and care about her."


    Patrick thought to himself.


    When the Rolls-Royce arrived at the hotel, they were already a minutete.


    Patrick got out of the car and handed the car keys and the dog to the valet attendant, and then he led


    Sophia to the private room in a hurry.


    The Smith Group of Companies was called the legend of the Hillwood City because of the founder,


    Chris Smith.


    When Chris first came to Hillwood City, he was just a nobody.


    Later on, he fell in love with the daughter of a wealthy family, and when he proposed, thedy


    abandoned her.


    Perhaps he was tired of love.


    So he began to build his business from scratch.


    He had been in the business world for decades and had been involved in legal and illegal forces.He


    had be a significant figure in Hillwood City nowadays.


    It was said that he was fair and honest, but he did not reveal himself.


    However, he had three distinct characteristics.One was he never waited forte guests.


    Two, if he were generous in the business but got a small return from his investments, he would never


    do business with the other party again.


    Three, he did not like people who were hesitant.


    Patrick knew in his heart that he had alreadymitted one of Chris''s taboos.He was afraid that some


    other troubles would follow and lose this opportunity for his business.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    The reserved private room was set on the sixty-seventh floor of this hotel.


    As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, Sophia felt uneasy.


    Because the entire hallway that led to the private room were bodyguards in ck suits and dark


    sunsses, standing at regr intervals.


    She suddenly understood a little about John''s instructions and Patrick''s hesitation when he helped her


    save the dog.


    However, it was very likely that the other party was aplicated character to deal with this time.


    She also understood a little why he only brought himself and her with him on this business trip.


    From her point of view, it was not difficult to see that the other party was cautious, and the instinct of


    self-preservation was very strong.


    If Patrick took more subordinates, it would give the other party a sense of oppression.


    So Patrick deliberately kept a low profile and only took Sophia.


    Just one person.


    Patrick tried to restrain himself as much as possible.


    Patrick wanted to give the other party a perfect impression, but Sophia ruined everything Patrick


    prepared for.


    They walked to the door of the private room.


    Patrick took off his suit jacket and handed it to Sophia.


    "Because we''rete, I have to drink more wer as a form of apology.You have to help me get


    some hangover medicine outside and give it to me while I am still sober.Then, you can go ahead and


    leave me here.You can go back to the hotel"


    Sophia was inexplicably disgusted with his reaction at this time.It sounded like he was taking care of


    her.


    If he just med her with just a few words about how she helped the dog, it would make her feel better


    in her heart.


    They were now nothing more than an employer-employee rtionship, and it seemed a bit


    unreasonable for Patrick to take such care of her.


    "I will bear the consequences¡¯¡¯ Sophia took his suit jacket.


    The clear and pleasant smell of his body filled her nose.


    "Do you know the difference between the boss and ordinary employees?"


    Patrick said slowly, "It is when everyone is helpless and does not know what to do, the boss still has a


    way."


    Sophia was feeling incredulous.


    Was it an illusion? Why did she think that these words of his wereforting her? Patrick approached


    the door.


    The bodyguards at the door opened it in a well-trained manner.


    Chris, who was sitting at the head of the table, was smoking a cigarette.


    The other Smith Group of Companies executives were seated at the table, and their expressions were


    slightly serious.


    "One minute and seven seconds.President Evans, you''re a bitte.Fortunately, I haven''t finished


    smoking this cigarette.Otherwise, you would only see an empty private room."


    Chris'' words sounded like he was giving in to his anger.


    Even Sophia, a lowly employee, felt extremely ufortable when she heard it, let alone Patrick, who


    was a proud and arrogant man.There were only two empty seats on the entire table.


    Patrick walked to one of them and pulled out the chair.He indicated that Sophia should sit first.


    "A second is extremely precious to Mr.Smith.Unfortunately, I am not that talented, so I will punish


    myself with wine and drink a ss every second that I amte.How about that?" Patrick offered.


    Chris took a puff and exhaled the smoke slowly.


    "Well, Mr.Evans, don''t misunderstand me.It''s better for me that you arete tonight rather than you


    being drunk.Too much wine will hurt your body¡¯


    "I will be fine with several sses of wine, don''t worry about me.If I drink this wine, then please excuse


    me for my beingte"


    As he spoke, Patrick picked up the wine ss in front of him and emptied it.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Chris was a person who could read another human being pretty urately.He knew that Patrick''s


    actions were full of sincerity, so he smiled.


    "Young people are always impulsive.If I were your age, I would never choose to hurt my body.Sit down"


    Chris gave him a way out, so Patrick naturally had to back down.


    "Mr.Smith is really broad-minded.I can''t bepared to you"


    Although Chris said he would spare Patrick, he told his subordinates to toast Patrick.


    But unfortunately, after a round of drinking, Patrick had already drunk more than ten sses of wine.


    The social activities at the table seemed to be prepared for men.


    They smoked and made polite remarks that others would have difficulty understanding.Their topics


    ranged from domestic to foreign, and there was nothing they could not talk about.


    Sophia took advantage of the bathroom break to buy hangover medicine.She handed it to Patrick


    under the table.


    Patrick''s left hand was resting on the table, and his fingers were holding a cigarette.


    When his right hand felt something, he subconsciously held it.


    His palm was very dry and warm, and Sophia''s hand was cold.


    She wanted to pull her hand back, but he didn''t let her.


    Instead, he leaned over and heard his voice on her ear.It was a little low, and he sounded enigmatic.


    "I''ll take a few more sses of wine.You''ll take the opportunity to leave first.No one will notice"


    Her ears heated up as if the words from his lipsbined with the alcohol on his breathe were like fire.


    Sophia smiled as she withdrew her hand.


    She didn''t say anything and just followed his instructions.


    No one noticed the difference in how they treated each other, or even if they did, they pretended that


    they didn''t see it.It was already evening when they returned to the hotel.


    Sophia had bathed the puppy.It was still feeble, and it couldn''t walk.


    Nevertheless, she had managed to save his life.


    Sophia was pleased.Sheid down on the bed and looked at the puppy.She would touch its soft fur and


    pat its little nose.


    It was a very magical thing to think that one word from her could determine the length of the dog''s


    life.She thought that since she had given it a new life, she had to give it a new name.


    So, Sophia guessed that since she picked the puppy during heavy rain, she should call the puppy


    "Typhoon."


    "You will be called Typhoon in the future, understand?" Sophia touched its soft belly again.


    Only then did she get into bed contentedly and close her eyes to sleep.She heard some movement


    outside the door.She wanted to move and look, but she fell into a deep sleep in the next second.


    The following day, Sophia woke up and saw Typhoon.The puppy had also just woken up and was


    wagging its tail.


    She patted its head and got up.She went to the bathroom and washed up.


    Then, she readied herself to ask Patrick about his schedule for the day.


    At eight o''clock, the hotel staff came in to clean up.Sophia did not go out.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    "That woman is so vicious! The man was so drunk and yet, she didn''t evene outside to look! But


    the man kept on telling others not to wake her up!"


    "Exactly! At first, I thought that they were a couple but based on what I am seeing right now, it turns out


    that they were not"


    "How could you say so? You didn''t see how dirty the man¡¯s shirt was because of the woman''s vomit!


    However, he was too concerned about her that he didn''t even mind how dirty his shirt was! I saw it with


    my own eyes when I went to give her brown sugar water!"


    Sophia had shut the bathroom door, that was why the two cleaning staff walked away mumbling as


    they failed to open it.


    Sophia heard one of the women say, "Did you know that the one who gives the most affection in a


    rtionship will get hurt the most in the end?"


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Sophia''s lips formed a smile.


    She also agreed to what the cleaning staff had said.


    Yes, it was true, that if you showed too much affection to a person, you would always be disappointed


    in the end.


    And between the two of them, who was the one who showed too much affection? Who was the


    heartless one? Andstly, who was disappointed? The next day''s schedule was still tight.


    And because of the incident that happenedst night, the contract signing was easily postponed.


    Originally, three days was enough for the contract to be terminated.


    However, like what Sophia had predicted, it would be a week.


    Fortunately, everything was going well.


    The idea was still evolving, thus, the hotel became the temporary office for the two people.


    Frostford City provided them with a huge framework to work with.


    At this time, Sophia would be in charge of filling in the details.


    They split the job and worked together.


    Everything was still considered to be going on smoothly at this time.


    As if both of them had silently agreed, Sophia and Patrick never dared to mention what happened


    yesterday.


    For them, it was taboo, and no one was allowed to mention it.


    In the afternoon, Chris went out with Patrick.


    While Sophia stayed alone inside the hotel room and yed with Typhoon until she got bored.


    This tiny fellow was more active than yesterday, he started to get up and was able to take two steps.


    To let it walk more, Sophia opened the door and let Typhoon walk back and forth and yed with him


    some more.


    "Typhoon,e here quickly! Sophia is already here." Patrick returned with a reek of alcohol all over


    his body.


    And that was when he noticed the scenario when he passed through her door.


    Sophia''s smile froze when she turned around and saw Patrick at her door.


    "It''s starting to walk a bit" Patrick nodded in agreement.


    "And you already gave it a name?"


    He often heard her call it "Typhoon."


    Sophia bobbed her head and retorted, "Well, in the future, it will be called Typhoon¡¯


    "The name is quite nice and Imend you for that.Besides, it also has amemorative meaning."


    Patrick couldn''t help but take out a cigarette from his pocket and light it up.


    Memorial significance? Was he talking about the day when we picked Typhoon up on a rainy day?


    Sophia could feel that his words somehow contained a deeper meaning, that was why she chose to


    remain quiet.


    Meanwhile, Patrick seemed like he didn''t care if she responded or not, he just chose to shrug it off, so


    he said that he would return to his room and rest.


    Sophia observed the lightning and thunder of Hillwood City again on the third day of nightfall.


    The heavy rain was pouring massively and the dark sky appeared to be copsing.


    A series of muffled thunder was followed by flew shes of lightning one after another.


    Sophia believed that if it weren''t for the hotel windows¡¯, she would probably be shouting at the top of


    her lungs in fear.


    Patrick knocked on the door after another p of thunder.


    His trousers and shirt were being illuminated by the unique light that made him look like a god.


    "Do you want to join us? Chris asked me to go out." He gently told her.


    Sophia might have wanted to deny it, but she must admit that she needed someone to be with at this


    moment, instead of letting herself endure the shock and counting the number of thunder that went off


    on her own.


    She didn''t care who the other person was, what mattered to her was that someone was beside her.


    It was good enough.


    Sophia''s face was void of any emotion and was quite restrained.


    However, her body was more truthful than her heart, and before she knew it, she had already nodded.


    A waiter that was waiting outside of the hotel lobby came over and held an umbre.


    Patrick walked towards the former and Sophia followed behind.


    Sophia subconsciously covered her ears when a dull thunder sounded from the sky.


    Suddenly, a big hand covered her waist tightly, as if he was reassuring her that she was safe with him.


    The man easily wrapped his other hand around her as the other held the umbre.


    "Are you a fool?"


    Sophia was aware that she was afraid of a few things ever since she was a child, but she was sure that


    thunder was one of the things that scared her the most.


    She didn''t know if she must be grateful that he still remembered some details about her.


    If that was the case, then, he still hadn''t forgotten everything in the past! Chris had chosen a concert


    hall this time, it was more casual, unlike the hotel where Sophia had stayed previously.


    Perhaps, considering that Patrick was a man, he chose a ce where a lot of women could be seen.


    The music inside the private room was extremely loud when Patrick and Sophia entered.


    Regardless of whether they were singing or not, or if anyone dared to listen, the two upper members of


    the Smith Family were pouring their hearts out as they sang their favorite love songs.


    Both of them greeted Chris as well as the upper echelons before they sat down.


    Chris appeared to be a little warmer than usual, and Sophia was never sure if it was just her


    imagination about the way Chris looked at Patrick with a somewhat hot gaze.


    It was like a man looking at a woman with affection.


    The two higher-up members from the Smith Family were finally done singing and walked out together


    after a long time.


    Sophia took a nce at their hands and saw a pack of cigarette boxes.


    Maybe they would go out for a smoke.


    The private room was quite silent without any music on.


    Suddenly, Chris told her, "Miss Hill, do you want to sing for everyone?"


    She must admit that somehow her singing was not out of tune, but still, for her, it wasn''t pleasing to the


    ears.


    Besides, she didn''t want to make herself a fool in front of everyone.


    Sophia shook her head and was about to refuse the offer when Patrick said, "Since it was President


    Smith¡¯s request for you to sing, why don''t you show your talent to President Smith and let him hear you


    sing?"


    She had no other choice but to look for a song, Sophia felt helpless at this time.


    Slowly, the apaniment began the y as it filled the whole room.


    And it was up to Frank Sinatra to express his feelings.


    For some reason, after she heard Lianna sing this song one night, it never left her mind.


    It was hard to forget...


    The first time I saw you...


    A pair of charming eyes...


    In my mind...


    Your figure...


    Is like a mirage...


    During the intermission between the songs, Sophia couldn''t help but think about the old saying that


    went, "If a woman sings you a song, you must pay attention and listen to it because partly, the lyrics will


    tell you what she wants to say to you, And these words, who did she want to say it to? Or was it to no


    one? Once she finished the song, Chris, and Patrick politely apuded.


    Sophia uttered her thanks and smiled as she returned to her seat.


    The private room where they were located had no windows and was a closed space.


    In addition to that, the smoke that came from the cigarettes made the air inside the room a tad bit


    thinner.


    Sophia felt like she was being suffocated and couldn''t stand it anymore, that was why she got up and


    walked outside to breathe some fresh air.


    It was clear that a few executives from the Smith Family came out to get some fresh air.


    They didn''t notice her because of the 360-degree swivel chair that served as a partition in the middle.


    "You''re still not aware of President Smith''s special hobby? Just so you know, he didn''t seed with his


    n in the past few days, that was why he didn''te up with a ruthless n and just began to drug


    her."


    "It seems that this Patrick won''t stay away from him.However, we are aware that President Smith is


    gay, and it gives us pressure.God! I can''t imagine if one day if he will have an affair with one of us!"


    Sophia finally realized something after she had listened to the conversation between the two men.


    Somehow, she still felt odd.


    Why did Chris look at Patrick like that? To be honest, she didn''t expect that a tycoon in the business


    world would actually be gay.


    ¡®Wait, they mentioned drugging- Sophia hurriedly went back to the private room.


    There, she saw Patrick quietly ying with the ss in his hand as the crystal liquid inside seemed to


    glimmer inside.She wanted to remind him...remind him that his wine was drugged by Smith.


    Fortunately, Patrick just yed with his ss and did not drink it, even if after a long time had passed.


    Not until¡­


    "Mr.Evan''s without a doubt is experienced and knowledgeable.I admire you.Come, cheers!"


    Sophia could feel her heart in her throat when she saw Patrick also raising his wine cup.


    At this time, she didn''t know how to stop him.


    But her mouth couldn''t help but shout.


    "President Evans!"


    "I believe that you''re not feeling well.


    Give it to me and I will help you drink this ss of wine¡¯ In fact, she didn''t have to think long to realize


    that drinking this wine was the best way to save Chris¡¯ face as well as to remind Patrick of the danger


    too.


    Sophia didn''t even think of what she was doing was right or wrong, but her instincts told her that she


    should do it.


    In the end, Chris was a person who was well known in the business industry for the past few years.


    Chris'' face remained nk as if nothing had happened.


    Patrick looked at Sophia intensely and chose not to utter anything.


    Instead, he continued chatting with Chris.


    Not long after, Chris excused himself that he was tired and that concluded the meeting for tonight.


    On the way back, Sophia could feel that her body was getting hotter and hotter.


    It seemed like the drug had already taken its effect on her body.


    However, as she gritted her teeth, she was also trying her best to stop herself from making an


    ufortable sound.


    Patrick''s face frowned as he heavily stepped on the elerator.


    Normally, it would take them half an hour to travel, but since the situation was different, it only took him


    ten minutes.


    However, Sophia didn''t notice that Patrick was driving fast because she was in so much pain, and at


    this time, she really felt sick that she was oblivious to her surroundings.


    However, it seemed like she couldn''t control her body anymore, it was as if someone was controlling


    her.


    Sophia slowly walked and she could feel that her footsteps were already unsteady.


    Patrick who was watching her couldn''t stand it anymore, he walked towards her and picked her up like


    she was a sack of wheat.


    "Who asked you to be so brave? May I remind you that you''re not a hero?"


    On the other hand, Sophia swore that she didn''t intend to scream or shout, but she could no longer


    control herself from doing so.


    Her hands firmly gripped the cloth in front of his chest tightly as she tried to fight the terrible fire that


    was slowly burning her body to no avail.


    The next thing she knew was that her hands were already slipping into the gap between his shirt''s


    buttons, randomly exploring what was inside.


    The man''s eyes darkened as his body stiffened with her touch.


    Patrick immediately put her down when they entered the room.


    He was about to call the doctor when suddenly a pair of soft and delicate hands wrapped around his


    waist.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    Sophia''s body was too ufortable, she felt hotter and hotter as seconds passed by.It felt as if she


    was being constantly burned by fire.


    "Sophia, wake up!" Patrick said as he broke free from her embrace.


    He immediately walked towards the door to leave, but the moment his hand touched the doorknob,


    Sophia''s delicate hands wrapped around him again.


    She walked around him and tiptoed as she tried to kiss his lips.But to no avail, she couldn''t reach it,


    and that made her groan in frustration.


    Patrick leaned against the door, as he tried to restrain himself from kissing her.


    Plus the fact that she smelled nice and her body was throbbing too.It was really hard for him to do so.


    On the other hand, he thought that if he wouldn''t react to what she was doing then probably, something


    was wrong with him.


    "Sophia, you choose.Do you need my help? or the doctor''s?"


    Patrick couldn''t help but turn around and press her against the door.


    His pair of big hands held her moving arms, as he looked at her pathetic appearance.He was aware


    that her reasoning at the moment was quite fragile, but still he wanted her to choose.


    Meanwhile, Sophia''s eyes were focused on his lips as they moved, she knew that he was telling her


    something, but it seemed like, she couldn''t understand it.


    With all her might, she struggled to break free of his hold on her, but no matter how hard she tried to,


    Patrick was more powerful than her.


    Sophia felt helpless that she could only bite her lips as her tears unconsciously fell.


    Patrick was a little startled by her tears that he sighed.


    "I don''t want you to regret everything when morninges"


    Slowly, he loosened his grip on her.But the moment Sophia broke free, she dashed towards him again.


    Sophia felt that he was too tall, so she wrapped her hands around his neck, and that made Patrick


    bend down and meet her lips.


    Patrick was very tired of Sophia''s actions, but he was helpless because he didn''t know what to do with


    her situation.


    He gently held her waist with both hands and he had the urge to respond to her kisses, but somehow,


    he felt that something was not right.


    If he didn''t take advantage of herst night, then why did he give her up five years ago? He pulled


    away from her and uttered, "Sophia, I will call the doctor"


    As much as he wanted to have sex with her now, he couldn''t do it.


    Patrick knew that if he did, it would just worsen everything.


    Furthermore, he didn''t want to see the regret on Sophia''s face when morning came.


    Sophia felt like her head was about to split into two the next morning when she woke up.


    And the memories of what happenedst night were still vague to her.Those kisses fromst night were


    still vague to her as if they happened a long time ago.


    But, she was aware that Patrick didn''t take advantage of the situation.


    Sophia was relieved that he was rational at that time and that he stopped himself when everything was


    going too far.


    Now that she had thought about it.


    Wasn''t she a little overconfidentst night? Perhaps he could have easily refused the ss of wine that


    contained an unknown liquid fromst night.


    But because of what she did, everything becameplicated.


    Sophia went to open the door when someone knocked, she nced at her clock and saw that it was


    nine o''clock in the morning.


    She was surprised to see John who was standing outside her door, it seemed like he drove all night


    just to get to her ce.


    "Hello, Miss Hill.Mr.Evans has sent me here to take you back to thepany.Please pack your things,


    we''re about to leave in a few minutes."


    Sophia was perplexed for a while and nodded.She wanted to ask him something, but she swallowed


    her words in the end.Besides, she didn''t even think that it was necessary.


    Sophia suddenly felt tired as she sat in the car with Typhoon in her arms.She felt that not only her heart


    was tired, but also her baby.


    Sophia returned home after her business trip.She rushed towards Fiona''s apartment with Typhoon in


    her arms to see Emma.


    However, Emma seemed to have gained a lot of weight.


    Because she was eating a lottely.


    Emma had not seen Sophia for a few days, and Emma missed her greatly, that was why she kept on


    pestering her with questions.


    "Both of you looked like lovers who haven''t seen each other for a long time.I am amazed at how the


    both of you are so affectionate with each other¡¯ Fiona jokingly said as she watched the interaction


    between the pair of mother and daughter.


    "Yes, that''s right! I felt so miserable these past few days without seeing her.I really missed her"


    Sophia said with a smile as she looked at Emma and Typhoon ying happily from the side.


    Emma yed like crazy for the whole day.


    Sophia also yed with Emma for the night, and when she was tired, she fell asleep on the sofa.


    Sophia took Emma to bed in the guest room with care.She went out after tucking her in and turning the


    lights off.


    Fiona sliced apples and ced them on the fruit te and gave Sophia one.


    This served as their dessert for dinner.


    "Why do I feel like you are very tired? You only went on a business trip for a few days, yet why do you


    look so tired? Did something happen between you and Patrick? Come on, tell me."


    Fiona could easily tell that Sophia was acting strange.She was a keen observer that was why she could


    tell what was wrong with Sophia with a nce.


    "What are you thinking? Your imagination¡¯s too broad.Besides, nothing is going on between us! You


    dummy!"


    Sophia said as she ate the apple and knocked on Fiona''s head.


    For a moment, Fiona thought.


    "Yes, you''re right, what happened between you and Patrick is already in the past and what was bound


    to happen had already happened.There is nothing left to happen."


    Sophia remained silent.


    Her face flushed inexplicably.


    As she recalled what happenedst night, she couldn''t help but feel an indescribable feeling in her


    heart.


    Sophia couldn''t literally point out what it was but even if she remained silent, it didn''t mean that nothing


    had truly happened.She couldn''t help but wonder if she would still be able to face Patrick in the


    company normally in the future.


    If Patrick could do it, should she also pretend that she was capable of doing the same? Wouldn''t that


    be too embarrassing for her? Sophia returned to the General Manager''s Office the next day to settle


    the sales leave after she officially returned from her business trip.


    Jenelyn was envious that Sophia could go on a business trip with Patrick.


    As soon as Sophia returned, she grabbed the opportunity to ask her all kinds of questions.


    Sophia felt like dying when listening to the curious ramblings of Jenelyn.


    "Did you and President Evans have the opportunity to eat together? Or did both of you ate alone? His


    car is a limited edition Rolls-Royce, right? Was itfortable?"


    "Eating alone, and the car, they''re nothing much.Everything''s just like that¡¯ Sophia tidied up the facts.


    Jenelyn sighed, "Tsk, it''s said that you are one of the rare female employees of the Evans Company


    who has no feeling towards Mr.Evans! Like what I expected, you really live up to your reputation!"


    ¡®That''s right!¡¯ Sophia eximed in her heart as sheughed.


    She had already given up on him.


    Thus, how could she still have any feelings for that man? Brandon invited her out for dinner after work


    and requested to bring Emma along with her.


    She didn''t want to agree, but she felt that it was pointless if she didn''t ept his invitation.


    She would just simply meet him.


    Emma was not someone whom she could conceal nor wanted to conceal.She was her lovely baby girl


    that everyone would like.She was her darling and her everything.


    Emma wasn''t quite shy like she had anticipated.


    Instead, she enjoyed herself with Brandon''spany.


    Later on, she started calling him, "Uncle Brandon."


    "What is your rtionship with my mother? You still haven''t told me about it"


    Emma tilted her head and asked Brandon.It was obvious that her daughter wanted him to be her father.


    "Emma! That''s not polite.You shouldn''t be rude towards the adults!" She reprimanded.


    Emma quieted down and could only utter "oh" and obediently ate her food.


    Brandon shed a smile and hugged Emma.


    "Your mother and I were very good friends.So, in the future, uncle wille to see you much often, is


    that okay with you Emma?"


    Emma didn''t respond but instead, nced at her mother and nodded carefully.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Brandon returned the mother and daughter home after their dinner.


    Sophia got out of the car, while Brandon also followed as he personally carried Emma out of the car.


    "Shhh, she''s sleeping.I''ll carry her upstairs for you," Brandon gently said.


    Sophia saw that Emma was sleeping soundly.


    Besides, they lived on the seventh floor, and she didn''t have the heart to wake her up, so she nodded


    and agreed to Brandon''s suggestion.Now that Emma was settled in her bed, Sophia walked Brandon


    out.


    She could only sigh as she watched him leave with his car through the window.


    Sophia couldn''t bring herself to think about the past, but what about the future? She really didn''t want


    to set expectations, especially for herself.


    The weekend began the following day.


    Sophia slept in a littleter than usual.She prepared herself to see her mother in the hospital when she


    was interrupted by a text message.


    The screen showed the sender of the text message, it was Patrick.


    [Come down for a while.Let''s talk.]


    After the incident that night, she returned to Frostford City first.She didn''t have a clue where he went


    and she didn''t give a damn about it either.


    ¡®Talk? What are we going to talk about? Are we going to talk about the kisses that we shared that


    night?¡¯ Sophia couldn''t help but think about the reason why Patrick would want to talk to her.


    He suddenly disappeared after that night and simply sent John over to fetch her.Needless to say, she


    knew exactly what he meant by his actions.


    She knew that she shouldn''t think of everything that happened between them that night! Instead,


    Sophia should focus on her work, as well as on her own life too.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    But it was good to talk about it.It was better to discuss it now than to keep avoiding and hiding away


    from Patrick.


    In the underground parking lot of Evan Enterprise, Sophia arrived ten minutes earlier than the agreed


    time.It was the first time Sophia came into the said building.She had heard before that the overall


    design of the Evans Enterprise building was very shy and bold.


    The top twenty-seven world architects from fifteen different countries pooled their minds together and


    designed the building.


    Understandably, the underground garage was designed perfectly and creatively, using charming colors


    and modern lines to increase the three-dimensional space of the garage.


    Unfortunately, Sophia was not in the mood to appreciate it.She just wanted to quickly talk with Patrick


    and then rush to the hospital.


    When she was patiently waiting quietly at the side, a clear sound of a face being pped came from


    one of the building pirs at her side.


    Sophia was so shocked and couldn''t do anything but keep silent while she overheard everything from


    the side.


    "Lianna, I didn¡¯t rmend you to Patrick to fall in love with him.I didn''t give you this opportunity for


    you to cross me.Don''t you dare test me!"


    Adrianna crossed her arms over her chest after she said her warning.She didn''t know if the parking lot


    was too quiet, but her voice sounded especially gloomy.


    Nevertheless, she seemed dissatisfied with what she had uttered and added, "Remember that Patrick


    is only mine.The others are just flings and nothing more.So, keep your interest off him.


    Liliana covered her swollen left cheek as she wickedly smiled and asked, "Since Patrick is yours.What


    are you afraid of?"


    Adrianna gave her ast warning look and meaningfully said, "Do you really think that you can handle


    me? Remember to take what happened today more seriously."


    After her warning, her shiny and luxurious high-heeled shoes stepped on the ground and its sound


    gradually disappeared from the area.


    Sophia initially wanted to hide until Lianna was gone to spare her the embarrassment.


    Still, she didn''t expect that she would take the initiative toe over, or did she notice her from the


    start? "Lianna; Sophia muttered.


    She looked as if she wanted to leave right there and then.


    "Sophia, if you want tough at me, thenugh."


    Lianna¡¯s cold voice sounded behind her.


    Sophia frowned and nonchntly rolled her eyes.


    "What is there tough about?" she asked.


    "You''re nning to just let him go?" Sophia guessed it correctly.


    Lianna''s prejudice against her came from Frosford City.


    Sophia didn''t try to pretend to be confused, "My apologies, but I don''t want to answer that question"


    "You don''t want to answer it, or you don''t have the courage to answer it? Poor Sophia, are you sure


    that you don''t have any improper thoughts about him?"


    Lianna¡¯s voice was already a little strained.


    Sophia understood her feelings, but she disagreed with Lianna''s way of doing things.


    "Lianna;'' she said, "what right do you have to ask me this?"


    Sophia demanded, throwing away Lianna''s status as a superior to her.


    "I don''t care who you like and who you love, and I don''t give a damn.On the other hand, who I like is


    also none of your business, right?" she boldly asked.


    Sophia sighed and took a deep breath.She felt that her visit to Frostford City today was a bad idea.


    "Mr.Evans should not know that Adrianna is so bossy in private, right?" Liliana questioned.


    Then she continued walking forward and added, "Your cousin is an expert in disguise.Otherwise, how


    could she defeat anyone, including you? Am I right?"


    "Do you want to say that all of these things happened because Patrick loved her and trusted her?"


    Lianna added.


    "Well, it''s pointless, Lianna.It''s useless for you to provoke me.I can''t use you as a shield topete


    with Adrianna.You''ve already seen the answer, Sophia muttered.


    Sophia hated herself.She had seen everything too clearly.It was too evident.


    But maybe it was better to be confused sometimes? Walking out of the parking lot, the torrential rain


    began to wreak havoc in the city again.


    Frostford City''s was still so cold and rainy despite it being summer.It had always been like this for many


    years.It seemed that the only one who could be relied on in this world was herself.


    Patrick stood at the elevator entrance of the underground parking lot.


    His tall figure was half leaning on the car, and his fingers were holding a cigarette.


    He had already smoked half of the cigarette he was holding.Adrianna had just walked over from the


    other end when she saw him from afar.


    "Oh dear Patrick, why are you here?" Her voice sounded so soft and sweet.


    "It''s nothing.I just went to watch a show¡± Patrick said as he inserted one of his hands into his pocket.


    Adrianna asked, "What do you mean? What show?"


    "A show about two sisters fighting over a man¡± he answered meaningfully.


    Adrianna couldn''t tell whether he said these words in jest or if he was serious.


    "Are those kinds of shows what you''re into nowadays?"


    Adrianna walked over and embraced Patrick''s arm intimately.


    "Because I recently concluded that to see is to believe that''s why I''m here.You have to be careful¡¯


    Patrick answered.


    "When I was young, it was always easy to believe stories which were just made up.I felt that I was at a


    disadvantage and would miss out on many things that should be cherished in my life.I regret my


    decisions back then."


    "Patrick, what are you talking about? Why can''t I understand you?" Adrianna frowned.


    "It doesn''t matter¡¯ Patrick said as he pulled another cigarette and lit it up.


    After Sophia was transferred to the General Manager Office, her workload increased by who knew how


    many times, so she was forced to quit her part-time job at night.


    Fortunately, her current sry was enough to pay for her mother''s medical and Emma''s daily


    expenses.


    Otherwise, she would feel distressed if she could not provide for both fees.


    The cooperation with the Smith Group was not over just yet.


    Because of this matter, Patrick had been working overtime these days, and even everyone in the


    General Manager Office worked overtime with him.


    Sophia was newly transferred and was still a novicepared to the old staff members of the General


    Manager Office.


    So, she had to learn everything from scratch.


    After a long time, her workday ended at eight o''clock instead of five o''clock at night.Her fingers typed


    quickly on the keyboard until she typed thest word.


    When she was done, she raised her head and stretched her waist.


    Only to find out by looking from left to right that everyone from the General Manager Office had left, she


    was now alone in the building.


    ncing at the clock, it turned out that it was already 8:30 in the evening.


    No wonder everyone had left.If Sophia continued, no bus would be avable for her to ride home


    later.So, she quickly decided and stored the documents.


    Sophia fixed her messy desktop, turned off theputer, and got off work.


    After confirming that the power was turned off, she immediately locked the door.


    However, she did not expect to see Patrick when she walked to the elevator entrance.


    Sophia felt a little embarrassed.


    There was a president''s special elevator designated only for his use.


    Why did he not use that? Why did he have toe and squeeze into an elevator with the employees?


    "You just got off work? Why?" Patrick asked her.


    "I had a lot of work to do" she briefly responded.


    This was the first time they were alone after that ridiculous night.He lookedpletely unaffected by


    her presence while Sophia felt so ufortable.But she could not exactly tell why she felt like this.


    The two entered the elevator together.


    Sophia deliberately stood in the inner side to keep a distance from him, but the space was closed, and


    everywhere was filled with his intimidating male aura.


    Patrick reached out and directly pressed the button on the first floor, but she had to go downstairs.


    She had no choice but to lean over and reach out to press the button, but she was easily held by his


    big hand.


    "I''ll send you back,'''' he quickly said.


    Sophia drew her hand back as if she had been shocked by electricity.As sheughed softly, the corners


    of her lips twitched.


    "How can I trouble President Evans?" she asked with honorifics.


    "No trouble, you don''t need to be polite."


    Patrick cut off her act of courteousness.


    His tone was neither light nor heavy, but it was filled with extraordinary elegance.The corners of his lips


    held a gorgeous smile as he leaned over to look at her.


    Sophia wondered if this man was trying to seduce him with his charming vague stares? However, her


    thoughts were interrupted by the sudden shaking of the elevator.


    The lights went on and off several times before the elevator was covered by the darkness that even a


    person''s fingers could not be seen even if they stretched it out.


    Every woman had their fair share of weaknesses or fears.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    For Sophia, she was afraid of total darkness and thunder.


    "Pat...Patrick, " she stammered as she called out to him.


    Just a while, she was disgusted with the expression on his face.But now, at this time, Sophia


    surprisingly needed him.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    ¡®Are all women afraid of the dark?¡¯ Patrick thought to himself.


    "Don''t be afraid.You are not alone.I''m here!"


    Patrick eximed to reassure Sophia.


    As a result, Sophia subconsciously moved closer to him, towards the exact source of his voice to look


    for a sense of security in his arms.


    From her side, warmth gradually enveloped her.


    Every word that came out of his thin lips was surprisingly pleasant to hear, putting Sophia at ease.He


    extended his arms and Sophia''s body was instantly engulfed in a powerful embrace.


    She was dumbfounded.


    When she recovered, she tried to struggle out of his arms as she exerted strength.


    Only then did she realize how strong and frightening this man''s arms were.


    "What are you doing..."


    Sophia''s unfinished words and protests were drowned in Patrick''s sudden passionate kiss.His lips and


    tongue were soft and possessive.He greedily seized her scent and explored every nook and cranny of


    her mouth.He tasted her like he was deprived of food for weeks.


    While she could not help but feel him and notice how manly his scent was with the faint smell of smoke


    lingering about.


    Sophia noticed something different about his attitude toward her, especially with the way he was


    kissing her.She knew it was just a kiss between two adults.


    What difference could there be? But she felt from his passionate kiss that he cherished her.


    He moved carefully in an effort to avoid hurting her.


    This alone showed how gentle he was to her.


    She forgot about her fears, their current situation, the darkness of the elevator, and everything around


    them.


    What remained was their warmth and passion as they made out.


    Sophia instinctively drove away all her worries at this moment.


    Sophia had no idea that she could be like a man, that she would be able to bravely and honestly move


    to satisfy her urgent physiological needs.


    Was it because she hadn''t done it in a while that she was longing for it? After a long time, Patrick finally


    let her go when he realized that they were both gasping for breath.


    "Sweet!" he muttered as he stared at her lips.


    ¡®What does he mean by that? Is he saying that I am being sweet to him?¡¯ Sophia thought to herself.


    "What are you talking about, Patrick?" she voiced her thoughts.


    Sometimes, she couldn''t understand him.


    Was he making fun of her? When he wanted to do it, he would be overbearing and force himself


    unto her, and if Patrick didn''t want it, he would just put her behind as if nothing had happened between


    them.


    It was like she was just a toy, waiting to be yed and used whenever a child was in the mood to y.


    "The literal meaning, Sophia.You tasted so sweet" Patrick bluntly said, dismissing her thoughts.


    She was a little surprised.


    This time Patrick was honest and directly admitted what he was thinking.


    Sophia was surprised by his acquiescence.


    "Do you think that I''m an easy woman? Who made you think I''d foolishly engage in another love game


    affair with my ex-husband?"


    ¡®This is a joke, right? I''m dreaming, right? What happened here didn''t actually happen in the real world,


    right?¡¯ Sophia tried to convince herself.She thought that she was not dumb enough to fall for his tricks


    again.


    "I''ll provide you with a reasonable exnation.Can you please give me some time?"


    Patrick pleaded.His hands were still tightly wrapped around her waist.His grip was so strong that she


    couldn''t help but frown.


    Sophia bitterly smiled as tears welled up in her eyes.


    "Exin what? Exin why you suddenly and unexpectedly divorced me five years ago? When you


    told me to abort our child, or the pain and despair I felt when the cold scalpel cut through my


    abdomen?" she asked, aggrieved.


    "You make me feel sick, Patrick¡± Sophia muttered.


    Every word she said was heavy and filled with disgust.


    She was disgusted with him, and what happened between them today made her feel like vomiting.


    "Do you know why my mother was blind and why she spent the rest of her life in the dark, losing her


    husband''s love and her initially perfect family?!"


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Patrick suddenly roared in the darkness.


    Sophia couldn''t see what he looked like in the darkness, but it was easy to tell from his hoarse voice


    that he was hurting deep inside.


    Bewildered, Sophia asked, "What are you talking about?"


    "Nothing, never mind.I just shouted at you.Are you not afraid of me?"


    Patrick asked when he regained his calm andposure again.


    Sophia immediately stepped away when she heard his words, believing it was best to keep a safe


    distance from him.Her mind was still chaotic, and she could not clearly think just yet.She needed time


    to calm down.


    "I''m not sure when someone will find out that people are trapped in this elevator.We won''t be here all


    night, will we?" she muttered.


    Sophia didn''t want to be confined in the same space with him any longer.


    After their fight, the elevator seemed particrly quiet.


    Patrick lit a cigarette.


    The cigarette butt reflected light on his face.


    "So, President Evans frequently gets involved in this type of game with his previous women?"


    After a long silence, Sophia seemed like she had regained her calm and wits.


    "I have never once yed with a woman''s heart, but that doesn''t mean I''m not good at it" he said with a


    yful smile.


    Was he trying to tell her that she enjoyed what they shared? ¡®Wow, look at how confident he looks!¡¯


    Sophia sneered in her heart.


    All of a sudden, the elevator started to function again.


    The light was restored, and it was now steadily descending.


    Sophia was glued to the side of the elevator.She could see herplete reflection on the elevator''s


    wall that was made of golden aluminum steel.She was in a mess, her cheeks were flushed, and her lips


    were swollen.


    How intense was the kiss they shared just now? Thinking about it, Sophia''s breathing which had


    calmed down instantly became chaotic once again.


    She realized that she could not think about him and what they shared without getting distracted and


    addicted.


    The elevator steadily stopped on the floor with a "ding" sound.


    Sophia did not move.


    She was waiting for him to go out so that she could take the elevator to the first floor once it returned.


    Patrick knew her intentions.He gently pulled her out of the elevator with his big warm hands.


    "That night, I didn''t want to do you wrong.It wasn''t because of some shallow reason" he suddenly


    exined.


    He was being cautious, afraid that she would not hear him out.


    And he was also being patient.


    She wouldn''t strongly resist because she already knew what had happened that night.


    If she had been awake that night, she would have regarded what happened as a form of goodbye.


    But he was holding back.


    What did this mean? Was it disgust? Disdain? Sophia couldn''t understand.


    Sophia did not dare to think about his actions.She kept trying to forget it.


    That night was so wrong.


    But in the end, she was grateful for it.


    Sophia thought she should thank him for that matter and be proud of herself for not losing her sanity.


    She wouldn''t be able to raise her head in front of him again otherwise.


    When Patrick drove the car to the apartment building where Sophia was staying, it was already nine


    o''clock in the evening.


    Sophia unbuckled her seat belt and exited the car without saying anything because she was at a loss


    for words.


    Saying goodbye would sound too intimate, and if she would say that his driving was slow and the entire


    journey was a disappointment, it would be better to say nothing at all.


    Patrick followed her out of his car and leaned against its side.He raised his eyebrows and lit a cigarette.


    "Off you go.I''ll take another cigarette before I leave¡± Patrick said.


    Sophia remained silent and nodded before she walked towards her apartment building.She had been


    busy for the past few days, and Emma requested Fiona to take care of her because her child also liked


    her best friend.Sometimes, she felt that Fiona had taken over her motherly duties.


    Sophia went into the bathroom to take a hot bath.


    When she came out, she put on a facial mask and pressed her fingers t on her face.


    When she identally touched past her swollen lips, she couldn''t help but think of their kiss.


    Forbidden activities were always unforgettable.


    That was all Sophia could think.


    Or rather, she never had that kind of experience before.


    But of course, it was easy for healthy young men and women to let themselves run wild if they were in


    a confined ce.


    Sophia shook her head and went to pull the curtain to sleep.


    But when she nced at the Rolls-Royce that was still downstairs, her heart thumped loudly against


    her chest.She didn''t know what was wrong with her! Patrick stood by the car.


    There were many cigarette butts lying down under his feet while he stood there as he waited for Sophia


    to turn off her room''s lights to sleep.


    Once he made sure that she was going to sleep, he nned to take his leave.


    Sophia couldn''t understand.


    Until today, she couldn''t understand what happened five years ago.


    What really happened? Meanwhile, when Patrick lit another cigarette, he looked up and saw that the


    lights on the seventh floor had already been turned off.


    This meant Sophia had fallen or was about to sleep.


    So, when the smoke came out of his nostrils, he suddenly felt satisfied.


    He never thought that he could have second chances in life.


    He took thest puff of his cigarette, got into his car, and drove away from themunity''s small and


    narrowne.Not far away, under the shade of a tree, there was a Rolls-Royce car identical to the one


    that had just driven out of themunity.


    Aside from the license te, it was nearly impossible to tell the difference, they lookedpletely the


    same.


    "Miss, do you still want to follow?" the driver in the front seat asked.


    The woman in the back massaged her be.


    "Don''t follow too closely.Let me think about it"

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    "Okay" The driver answered.


    The driver started the car and soon drove away from the neighborhood.


    Patrick had not returned to the Evans Residence for a long time.


    When he received a call from his mother, he agreed to go back for dinner without hesitation.


    Although his mother''s voice didn''t indicate that something was going on, Patrick, as her son, knew that


    this was a happy reaction.


    Walking out of Evans''s building, he saw Sophia bending over to get in the car.


    The man in the main driver''s seat was Brandon.


    Sophia had always been in contact with Brandon, and it seemed that they got along very naturally.


    Sitting in the car, Patrick took out his mobile phone andposed a message.


    He typed a few words, deleted them, and then typed again.He repeated this a few times before he


    eventually gave up and put away his phone.


    Patrick was afraid that Sophia would be disgusted.He was also afraid that he would start to have a


    weakness.


    John liked to chat with people, especially when driving, but Patrick was in a bad mood today.


    "I still need to find a way to break through Mr.Smith''s list, but he doesn''t have any weaknesses other


    than men, is that right?"


    Patrick looked out of the window, but he was thinking of the curve of Sophia''s mouth when she got


    inside and sat in another man¡¯s car.


    Recently, he thought of her frequently when she walked, when she sat in the car, and even during


    meetings.


    He did not like this feeling of losing control, but strangely, he did not find it annoying.


    At the Evans¡¯ Residence...


    His mother, Mrs.Evans, was sitting in a wheelchair.Her blindness and many years of paralysis made


    her look very thin.


    She was looking up as if basking in the sun.


    It was said that people who could not see had enhanced senses like enhanced hearing.She could hear


    and identify Patrick''s footsteps.


    "Hmph? You brat, it''s good that you still know your way home"


    Patrick walked forward and easily pushed his mother''s wheelchair into the house.


    "I''m busy with work.There''s nothing I can do about it¡¯ Patrick replied guiltily.


    This sentence made the olddy speechless.She knew her son too well.


    He was good at convincing others.


    The Evans Manor had everything from a butler and governess to a maid.


    When they saw Patrick, they greeted him warmly.


    The food was already prepared, and the maids had already arranged it.


    Adriana had arrived that afternoon and yed with Quentin for a while.


    But when she found out that Patrick was there, she went downstairs in a rush.


    "Patrick, Adriana was wearing thetest makeup trending on the Inte and waited the whole


    afternoon for Patrick to take a look.Patrick nced at her, but his face was emotionless.


    "Do you see anything different about me today?" Adriana twirled in front of him.


    "Is there anything different?" Patrick frowned.


    " I am really at a loss here, Patrick.I am wearing a new dress and makeup!" Adriana eximed.


    "Adriana, don''t bother with him.My son has a good eye for investment, but he doesn''t have a good eye


    for other things"


    "I think so too" Adriana alsoughed.


    Quentin finished setting up a group of building blocks when he heard theughter downstairs and ran


    down hurriedly, It had been a long time since Patrick returned to the old residence.


    Every time Patrick was here, he would only stay for a while, so Quentin did not have time to be with his


    dad.He could only watch from afar.


    "Dad!" Quentin greeted him.


    Patrick patted his head, "Be good!"


    Adriana took Quentin¡¯s hand and sat down on one side of the table.


    "Grandma, tonight''s dishes look delicious!" Quentin eximed.


    Mrs.Evans was so old, so she was happy as long as the house was lively.


    "Then our Quentin will eat more"


    "Yes, grandma!" Quentin nodded obediently.


    Dinner time passed quickly, and Patrick left with the excuse that he still had business to attend to.


    Before he left, he did not forget to remind his mother, "Your health seemed fragile.Don''t always go


    outside to get fresh air.I wille when I have time"


    "I know.You should also pay more attention to your body.Don''t just focus on making money, do


    something meaningful for yourself"


    Patrick nced at Adriana while listening to his mother.


    "I will? Patrick promised.¡± John drove to the Evans Residence very quickly.


    "I said you looked so restless when you went home for a reunion dinner.You called me at just a few


    minutes into dinner" Patrick looked at his watch.


    It was indeed a little early at six-thirty in the evening.


    When John picked him up in the past, it was always eight o''clock.


    As John drove, he teased Patrick, "I said something is wrong with you recently!"


    "What''s wrong with me?"


    Patrick lowered his head and rubbed his phone, asking casually.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    "It''s like you lost your soul.It seemed that it has been like that since you came back from the previous


    business trip" Patrick said softly.


    John drove while trying to recall when he started to feel strange.


    "Wasn''t it just you and Sophia on thest business trip?"


    John nced at Patrick through the rearview mirror.


    "It couldn''t be.Did something happen when you guys were on a business trip in Hillwood City?"


    Patrick was editing a text message.


    "What could have happened? It was all about business, not a date!"


    He read the text message repeatedly and thought it was okay.He sent it out, and it said, [Have you had


    dinner?]


    He was holding the phone and was getting a little bit excited.He did not know where this feeling of joy


    wasing from.Not long after, the phone vibrated.


    [I''m eating.]


    The other party replied.


    [Where?] Patrick texted again.


    This time, the other party replied quickly, [I am at thepany.We are working overtime.]


    "Turn around and go back to the office" Patrick told John and put away his phone.


    "Why?" John asked in a surprised tone.


    "There is something that needs to be sorted out" Patrick answered tly.


    Sophia was sitting on her desk at the office.She was looking at her mobile phone dazedly.


    ¡®What is going on?¡¯ Sophia mumbled inside.


    She felt that Patrick was restraining himself and was ambiguous at times.


    That day, he said in the elevator to give him time.


    What the time was for or for how long, he had never specified.


    They were separated by a lot of obstacles and by so many people.


    How could they still arrive in this situation? She had once thought they would not have any more


    interactions.


    It was somewhat unexpected that things had developed to this point.


    Just as she was lost in her thoughts, her phone vibrated again.


    [Come downstairs.I''m on the basement one.]


    She bit her lip and replied, [I still have to work overtime.]


    [The boss has approved you to get off work.] Patrick quickly replied.


    When she reached basement one, she got into his car hurriedly.She did not want to pretend.


    He had indeed changed his mindset in the past few days, but it was still a small change.


    Just like how you discovered a new recipe, there was a sense of freshness.


    Of course, it did not mean anything special.


    "Patrick, moving forward, I hope that we will only have an employee and employer rtionship and


    nothing else?¡±  Sophia said.


    Patrick drove the car in silence.


    "I know that for people like you, you will still feel possessive of me, or maybe for all the women in your


    past.Because you saw that she no longer wants to be with you and loves you, but you are still unwilling


    to let go.It was like when you threw something and have seen some passers-by pick it up, you will still


    feel ufortable as if they had stolen that thing from you"


    Sophia felt that her conclusion was on point and that this was the current situation for the two of them.


    "What, are you starting to be afraid of your feelings?"


    Patrick finally broke the silence.


    Sophia nodded, "Perhaps."


    He was right.


    She was very nervous.She was afraid of repeating the same mistake five years ago.


    Sophia was terrified that she would fall in love with him again.


    She was frightened that she would no longer have the courage to resist Patrick.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    When the situation was irreparable, you have to stop.


    They were all adults now, and they understood the principle of not going too far.


    "That''s good.After we have a meal together, we shall separate and move on."


    Patrick agreed, but he did not rx.


    Regret? No, she had never been able to control a man like Patrick.


    Besides, many things had happened, and there were so many people and things between them now.


    Patrick parked the car outside the restaurant and threw the keys to the waiting valet.


    Then, he led Sophia in.


    He brought her to the tallest revolving restaurant in the city, with a height of 380 meters.


    Sitting here, she could look around and see the enchanting night view of the entire Frostford City


    without moving.


    "This ce is lovely" Sophia sighed with emotion.


    But she also realized that this was not her life, and she always felt that it was too unreal.


    "Can you check first what you want to eat?"


    Patrick called the waiter over and pushed the menu to Sophia.


    "Can you order for me, please? I am not a picky eater"


    Sophia looked at the shockingly expensive dishes on the menu, and her head began to hurt a little.The


    people who were born with a silver spoon did not understand the hard work of the working people.This


    meal was probably worth half a year''s sry for Sophia.


    "Please bring us two of your signature dishes and a bottle of 1992 Lafite Rothschild" Patrick ordered


    through the waiter.


    "I don''t drink" Sophia reminded.


    Patrick raised his eyebrows, "I will drink it myself.I won''t force you."


    Sophia was slightly relieved, but when she thought of the year and brand of the wine, she thought, ¡®It


    should be costly, right?¡¯ She smiled bitterly.


    She felt like Cindere, wearing ss shoes who would eventually return to her original form at


    midnight.She knew that the social status gap between her and Patrick was huge, and she felt


    pressured.She was young and naive enough to think that love conquered all in the past.


    Now that she was old enough to think rationally, she felt that her status in life was truly holding her


    back.


    She felt that she had learned her lesson from the past years.


    Sometimes, she wondered, what did it mean to mature? It was growth, perhaps.


    Because you knew that you would die from the pain, but you still had to endure that pain and smile.


    You still had to try and be brave, because no one would care about what you had experienced in the


    past.


    Frost ford was a big city with millions of people, so who would care for someone as insignificant as


    Sophia?


    ¡®Stop joking around.You are not a little girl anymore¡± Sophia said to herself.


    They sat for a while in silence, and Patrick could not help but take out a cigarette and light up.


    Sophia felt that it was fortunate that this was an outdoor dining room.


    If they were indoors, it would be inappropriate if he lit a cigarette.


    "Did you mean what you said when we were in the car?" Patrick asked.


    Patrick suddenly opened his mouth as if he had thought it through.


    Sophia nodded and lightly reminded, "Don''t forget that you have a fiancee and a child!"


    "Who told you that I have a child?" Patrick frowned.


    "Thest time my mother was hospitalized, and then I ran into you, was it your child who was


    hospitalized with a cold?" Sophia asked.


    Sophia did not dare to say that she had met Quentin before preparatory school.


    If she told him that and he followed the trail back to Emma, she could not imagine his reaction.Patrick


    took a puff of smoke and said in a low voice, "His health isn''t excellent.He often has the flu."


    Sophia understood that every time Emma had a cold, she would be in a great bustle to take care of the


    latter.


    "It ismon for a child to get the flu.He must develop a habit of ensuring that he is covered properly


    when sleeping and he must not take a cold shower"


    Patrick looked at her, "You seem to know about children very well"


    Sophia smiled, "I have a friend who is a single mother.I sometimes help her out, so I know a little"


    Sophia was an exceptionally sensible woman.


    He knew that Patrick did not want to talk too much about Quentin, but she insisted on saying more.


    Once he understood the difficulties, he would stop pursuing her.


    She was deliberately subduing him, and he epted her suppression.


    After a while, the waiter served the restaurant''s specialty dishes.


    Sophia ate in small bites.She didn''t think it was very delicious.


    But every meal became extravagant when served in a high-end restaurant.


    The dishes were like this, and so were the people.


    Sophia had been forcing herself these past years to forget about Patrick, but it was not easy.


    She felt that it was already pretty good to push herself to this extent.


    When Patrick took Sophia home, he did not say anything else but goodbye.


    He watched her walk into the lobby of her building, watched her elevator climb up to her floor.


    And when he went outside to smoke, he watched as she turned on the lights on the apartment she was


    in.


    Patrick stood downstairs for a very long time.


    The cigarette box in his car had been empty for a while now.


    So he had already smoked so much without realizing it? He was not sure if he was upset or hesitant.


    Sophia sat on the chair by the window.


    At midnight, his car''s engine finally started, and Patrick left.


    Why was it that Patrick did not know how to love her five years ago, but now he was reluctant to part


    with her? She smiled and felt the irony of the events.


    However, she also knew how difficult it was topletely take back a restless heart.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    The following day...


    When Sophia woke up, she saw that the sky outside the window was gray and it was raining again.


    She sighed.


    The sunny weather only stayed for a few days and now it was cloudy again.


    After cleaning up, she walked out of the house to the bus station.


    She was so anxious that she did not realize a ck Rolls-Royce was behind her.


    When she arrived at the General Manager''s Office, everyone talked about something before starting


    the day.


    Her colleague Meredith said, "It''s true.Last night, I was sure that I saw a woman get into President


    Evans''s car.She had long hair and a medium height, but I couldn''t see her face"


    Jenelyn widened her eyes in surprise, "Which department do you think she was from? Oh my god, you


    are truly bold! Vice President Clifford is still in the Evans Group"


    "Vice President Clifford also doesn''te here often; her colleague Theresa chimed in, "she won''t be


    able to see it."


    Sophia concentrated on tidying up the documents, and she pretended that she had not heard their


    gossip.


    At noon, there were meals sent out to their department.


    Each of them received a portion, but they noticed some extra ones.


    Jenelyn thought about it, "President Evans said before that he wanted to eat a meal from this


    restaurant, so he asked us to bring an extra portion when we order¡±


    "Then who''s going to bring it to him?"


    Sophia''s colleague named Theresa said, "I heard that President Evans made a bigmotion this


    morning.I don''t know which part of the project thework engineering department was working on


    went wrong, but he talked about it during the meeting¡±


    Her colleague Meredith said, "President Evans rarely makes such a big fuss.It has been a long time


    since an issue like this happened"


    "Could it be rted to the woman who went to President Evan''s car yesterday?" Jenelyn lowered her


    voice and asked conspiratorily.


    "Hey, don''t say that.It''s quite slick if you think about it"


    "That''s not right.Do you really believe that there''s still a woman that Sir Patrick can''t take down?"


    Sophia''s colleague Meredith retorted.


    "You don''t know this, but women nowadays are too scheming.They want to y hard to get, do you


    understand?" Jenelyn said.


    Theresa and Meredith nodded and agreed with what Jenelyn said.


    Therefore, the task of delivering food, in the end, fell on Sophia.


    Sophia sighed.She didn''t know if Jenelyn and the others just exaggerated the news.


    Or if she was just in a bad mood.


    For now, she just didn''t want to get involved.


    However, they didn''t give her a chance to refute at all.


    They all fled to the bathroom together.


    They were really a bunch of disloyal colleagues.


    When she walked to the door of the president''s office with the meal, she struggled in her heart before


    finally knocking on the door.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    The man inside said in a deep voice, "Pleasee in"


    Sophia pushed open the door and walked towards the table.


    The man was sitting at his desk, reading documents.


    "President Evans, this is the meal sent by the General Manager for lunch.I am here to bring your share"


    She addressed him as President Evans to show her respect and kept her distance.


    Patrick frowned and replied with a grunt.


    Sophia realized that she was not told to go just yet, so she politely stood for a while.


    But she also saw that he was seriously reviewing the documents as if he had no intention of speaking,


    so she chose to turn around and go out.


    Just as she was about to leave the room, Patrick asked, "How did you sleepst night?"


    "I slept well!"


    Sophia replied, "One night without dreams¡¯


    "Is that so? You didn''t wake up in the middle of the night to turn on the lights?" Patrick asked.


    Sophia shook her head firmly, "No, I did not wake up in the middle of the nightst night."


    She lied.She had insomniast night, and she liked to turn on the lights every time she had


    insomnia.She was afraid of the dark, and someone said that people afraid of the dark tend to feel


    lonely.


    "Sit on the sofa first.I will give you a document to work onter.Help me arrange it in the afternoon."


    Patrick instructed Sophia.


    Sophia felt that they had finally entered a formal business rtionship.


    Thus, she walked over happily and waited for him to bring her the documents.


    After a while, the man picked up the lunch box she brought and walked to her side to sit down.


    He pointed to the stack of documents on the reception coffee table, "Take a look at these documents


    first.I have to use them in the afternoon.Hurry up and sort these out."


    Sophia nodded, "Yes, President Evans."


    When she walked out of the General Manager Office with the documents, she found out that the


    documents could not be sorted out in a week, let alone in an afternoon.


    It seemed that she would have to work overtime again every night this week, and just thinking about it


    made her headache.


    Meredith, Theresa, and Jenelyn finished their work and disappeared like wisps of smoke in the


    evening.


    Sophia was still young.She should be enjoying a night out after work.


    But here she was, living like an old person every day.


    Sophia didn''t like staying upte.


    She wanted to read books, drink tea and y chess.


    These seemed to be the things that older people wanted to do.


    Patrick was also working overtime.


    On the way to the beverage room, he passed by the General Manager Office entrance.


    Sophia saw Patrick was on the phone.She did not know who the other party was because he talked in


    a low voice.


    Sophia concentrated on locking at the screen, but she still heard his voice like he was just beside her.


    At half-past eight, she walked out of the Evans''s building.


    It was raining outside, and she forgot to bring an umbre.


    Sophia cursed herself for being forgetful.


    She lost count on how many times she forgot to bring an umbre which always ended up in her being


    drenched in the rain.


    Patrick''s car stopped in front of her at this moment.


    He opened the door and said, "Get in.


    I''ll take you home¡¯ Sophia bit her lip and subconsciously distanced herself from him.


    "No, Mr.Evans, I''ll just take a cab."


    Patrick frowned, "Get in the car."


    Sophia shook her head.


    Patrick didn''t say anything anymore.


    He closed the door and stepped on the elerator as the car shot out like an arrow.


    The car disappeared in a sh.


    Sophia smiled, but she felt something about to fall from her eyes.She knew it was tears, but she was


    still trying to hold it back.She was d that she pulled back in time and didn''t have any more fantasies


    about him.


    When she got home, Sophia was already drenched.She took a hot bath and climbed into bed.She


    thought that her feelings were like a dam breaking.


    Once it cracked, the water inside it would gush out continuously.


    When she got up the next day, Sophia felt that her head was heavy and she felt dizzy.


    Her experience told her that she had the flu.


    If only she knew that she would catch the flu after being drenched by the rainst night, she would


    have stayed in the office for the night.


    She was barely able to get up.


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    After she washed up, Sophia looked at herself in the mirror and saw someone unfamiliar.


    She found herself looking at the mirror and saw someone unfamiliar because something inside had


    changed.


    She was no longer a simple person but a greedy woman who wanted more.


    Over the weekend, Sophia had juste out of the hospital after visiting her mother when she


    received a call from Fiona.


    "I wonder if Miss Hill has the time to apany me for shopping today?" Fiona asked.


    It was rare that Sophia didn''t work overtime on the weekend, so Sophia felt exceptionally good today.


    "For the sake of your hard work, I approve."


    Fiona whispered on the other side of the line with a smile.


    The two of them promised to meet at the entrance of the Century Mall''s department store on 10th


    Avenue.


    Although it was not a particrly high-end shopping mall, it was not bad either.


    It was just suitable for people like them with regr jobs.


    The price was not that high, and there were often discounts.


    Fiona and Sophia had simr sries and tastes, so they often made an appointment to go shopping


    together at a nearby mall.


    It was just that Sophia was very busy in the past few months and has rarely apanied Fiona since


    then.


    Standing at Century Mall''s Department Store entrance, Sophia looked around, but Fiona was nowhere


    to be found.


    Just as she was about to call Fiona, Sophia''s phone rang.


    "Sophia, please wait a little longer.


    There is a traffic jam¡¯ Sophia smiled, "Alright, but you must treat me to ice creamter as an apology


    from you."


    Fiona also smiled, "You will only dare to say that to me, right? If it were someone else, don''t even think


    that they''ll agree to your unreasonable request.The two of them spoke a few more words before


    hanging up the phone.Sophia walked to the bench on the side and sat down to wait.


    Suddenly, she saw a piece of news on themercial screen across the street.


    "The Huntington Construction Group has issued a public rtions announcement this morning that


    they will be stationed in Frostford City at the beginning of this month.The actions of the saidpany


    will undoubtedly revive and bring a big change to Frostford City''s economy.Its scale and coverage are


    so wide that it is unheard of? This news was being reported in real-time.Sophia was bored waiting, so


    she watched the news very seriously.


    Thus, she overlooked a car slowly creeping at her from nearby.


    If you looked from the outside of the car, one would notice how dark the ss was, and it was


    impossible to see whether the person inside was aman or a woman.


    The mobile phone in the bag vibrated.


    Sophia retracted her gaze from the news, thinking Fiona had called her again.


    But it was not who she was expecting to call.


    It was Patrick calling.


    Sophia stared at her phone for a long time, but she decided not to pick it up.


    She just let it vibrate.


    After that rainy night, the two had not seen each other for half a month.


    They worked on the same floor, but their paths did not cross.


    It was not hard to imagine that they were avoiding each other deliberately.


    They just avoided meeting physically.


    What about their feelings? Could they avoid what was in their hearts? After the shock ended, she


    thought he would not call again, but unexpectedly, he called her again.


    Sophia didn''t want to answer, but her mobile phone kept on vibrating.


    She thought, ¡®Why won''t he stop? Don''t push me! She struggled not to answer the call.She felt that


    both of them did well in avoiding each other these past few weeks.


    Why would he call her now and waste those weeks of effort?


    ¡®Does he still love me? How could he?¡¯ Sophia thought bitterly.


    He already had a lover, and she no longer had any hope for him.The hurt she experienced five years


    ago was so deep and painful.


    How could she forgive and forget? She could not do it.She could not ept him, mentally and


    physically.

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    Sophiaughed, "You don''t sleep until midnight, and you don''t get up until eight in the morning.Your life


    is so irregr.What are you talking about?"


    "You make it sound like I''m useless¡± Fionaughed as well.


    "But you are very good at taking care of me¡± Sophia praised Fiona.


    "Hmph, it''s good that you know¡¯'' Fiona retorted, but she said it with a smile.


    The two of them walked together into the mall.


    The people in the car looked at Sophia''s profile, their thoughts unfathomable.


    In such a big city as Frostford, shopping malls were everywhere.


    Thepetition was very fierce.


    Even if there were no festivals, the store owners would still make many activities to stimte


    consumers to buy.


    "What kind of activity is that? It''s called ''Dear Husband¡¯ this shopping mall is so unscrupulous.They


    even have this kind of activity?"


    Fiona pointed to the exhibition hall diagonally opposite them.


    The activity slogan was written on the advertisement poster.


    Sophia looked over and felt that businesses here were really having a hard time.


    She had heard of the parent-child day but had never heard of the parent-inw day.


    "Isn''t this obvious discrimination? What about the couples who aren''t married yet? Are they not allowed


    to buy?"


    Fiona always liked to get on the wrong side of things and find out the truth.


    It was her disadvantage.


    "It''s just an activity, Sophia said softly.Fiona shook her head, "It can''t be so simple.Let''s go.I want to go


    inside and take a look."


    Sophia couldn''t resist Fiona, so the two of them walked in.


    Inside were all-male products, the price was intermediate, but it could be seen that the target consumer


    group was between the age of twenty-seven to thirty-five years old male.It was said that men were


    animals who did not like shopping.


    This was indeed true.


    Sophia saw that the people who picked clothes were all women.


    On the contrary, the men sat to the side to rest.


    When the women chose the clothes, the men went to try them.


    When the men were satisfied, they would buy them.


    If they were dissatisfied, they would simply leave.


    "The way the wife can choose clothes for the husband in this mall can enhance their feelings with each


    other!" Fiona couldn''t help but notice the intricacies behind what was happening.


    Sophia nodded.


    When she passed by a shirt, she couldn''t help but stop.


    It was a light blue shirt with a very stiff cor.


    She didn¡¯t know why, but she felt that the person who would wear this shirt would look excellent.


    "How much is this shirt?"


    Sophia stood on her tiptoes and asked the salesperson through the clothes rack that was taller than


    her.


    "After the discount, it''s one hundred and fifty-two dors¡¯ The salesperson replied as she nced over.


    Fiona walked over.


    "This shirt is not bad.But why bother asking when you have no one to give it to?"


    Sophia did not say much.


    "I just feel that it is quite nice, and the fabric is also of excellent quality."


    "You want to buy it?" Fiona asked again.


    Sophia thought for a moment, "No, I will not buy it, but I do like it."


    "Then buy it! It is rare to see an item that you like so much!" Fiona''s words somewhat encouraged


    Sophia.


    Yes, it was rare for her to take an interest in something.


    She often suppressed herself, which included her desires.


    As such, being monotonous seemed to have be part of her daily life.


    Why did she always overthink and hesitate? When she liked or hated something, she should be sure of


    her feelings.


    It was supposed to be simple.Why did she have to put a different exnation for what she felt?


    "Hey miss, help me pack one.I am going to buy this" Sophia told the salesgirl.


    When the two walked out of the store, Sophia had a shopping bag in her hand.


    She was delighted to carry it.She didn''t know if it were because she bought a set of clothes that she


    liked at a nce or because she spent her money without a second thought.


    In the end, she regarded it as being willful.


    If this had happened in the past, she would feel distressed.


    The two strolled for a long time.


    Fiona bought a lot of clothes.


    Sophia felt that she already had enough clothes for the summer.


    It would be a waste to buy more.


    Therefore, her only purchase today was a man''s shirt in her hand.


    "Dear Sophia, I feel that whoever wants to marry you in the future will die of happiness" Fiona said.


    Sophia didn''t understand and asked, "Why?"


    "Look, our monthly sry is almost the same.I have never saved up any money, but look at you."


    Sophia pointed at her nose, "What are youpeting with me for? I am my family''s breadwinner, and


    there is no pressure on you on that front.Women¡¯s youth onlysts for a few years.You might as well


    enjoy it¡¯


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    "I did not know that you have the potential to be a philosopher!" Fiona said jokingly.


    "Thank you for your praise" Sophia bowed, showing a gesture of thanks.


    As they talked and joked, the day passed by quickly.


    After Sophia and Fiona parted ways, she took the bus on the way home.She sat in thest row with the


    bag of clothes in her arms.


    Her eyes looked at the neon lights outside the window.


    For some reason, she felt a sense of loneliness.


    Was it because this city was too big, or did she feel no sense of belonging here? Then, how could she


    move on from the past, and why was she only feeling the loneliness now? When the bus arrived at the


    station, Sophia got out and walked into a pharmacy not far from where she lived and bought some cold


    medicine.


    After she was drenched in the rainst time, she had been coughing a little for two days now and even


    experienced a loss of appetite.


    She bought half a month''s worth of medicine this time, and she hoped to eliminate the flu virus as fast


    as possible.


    On the way to her apartment building, the street lights were dark, but she still walked at a leisurely


    pace.


    Perhaps when people were preupied with something, they could not feel fear.


    This was uncharacteristic of her, who was incredibly afraid of the dark.


    If this had happened in the past, then she would have already run to the entrance of the building.


    She turned a corner and walked a few more steps when Sophia stopped.She noticed a familiar car


    stopped near the building entrance where her unit was.


    The man in the car was smoking, his deep eyes hidden by the curling smoke.


    Sophia continued to walk forward, and she had no intention of speaking or greeting him.


    When she walked into the lobby, her ex-husband got of the car and grabbed her wrist.


    "I guess you didn''t see me?" Patrick asked.


    Sophia stepped back and pulled back the wrist he was holding in his hand and said, "I saw you"


    "I thought you didn''t see me" Patrick said.


    ¡®What he means was that he thought I didn''t see him, so he especially got off the car to greet me?¡¯


    Sophia asked herself.


    ¡®Or is this his new skill of striking up a conversation with women?¡¯ Sophia asked herself.


    Sophia had a heavy heart and an itch in her throat.She couldn''t help but cough a few times.


    "You haven''t recovered from your cold yet?" Patrick asked again.


    Sophia thought he had seen the medicine bag she bought and answered, "Much better.


    It''s just that I didn''t take medicine on time.I bought half a month''s worth of medicine.


    It should eliminate the virus this time: When she finished speaking, she felt awkward.


    Patrick did not speak, and she did not know what to say.


    After a long while, he smiled and said, "It''s just a cold.


    Why are you talking about it like it''s some incurable disease?"


    "I don''t like the feeling of having a cold or being sick!"


    She answered but also hinted that she did not like his feeling right now.


    It was as if he was pursuing her.


    But, how could it be? It was a ridiculous thought.


    "I called you today¡± Patrick said.


    The man lit another cigarette.


    His hands trembled with nervousness, but he concealed it well that Sophia did not see it.


    "Oh, is that so? My mobile phone had been on vibrate.Maybe it was too noisy outside, and I did not


    hear it."


    Sophia denied seeing Patrick''s call.She thought he was here because she did not pick up any of his


    calls, but she felt that it did not seem right.


    Then what was his purpose foring here tonight? Could it be that he was trying to chat with her face


    to face? Patrick didn''t speak.


    His expression and movements like frowning and smoking denoted impatience.


    Sophia also saw it, but she did not n on asking why.


    She then said, "Then I will go up now.After walking at the mall all day, I feel exhausted."


    "Wait..."


    Patrick grabbed her wrist again, "Why did you buy a man''s shirt when you went shopping earlier


    today?"


    In the end, he still found out.


    Sophia smiled, "I just thought that it was pretty nice, so I bought it.The reason was somewhatme and


    absurd, but it was still an exnation.¡±

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    Even though she bought it, Sophia couldn''t give it away.She had never thought of giving it away to


    anybody else.


    "Can I have this shirt?" Patrick asked her.


    "This...is very expensive." Sophia panicked for a bit.She did not expect him to be this straightforward.


    "Even if this is more expensive than real gold, someone still has to wear this.It will be a pity to throw it


    away somewhere."


    Patrick reached out his hand to take the shopping bag from her hand.


    Sophia didn''t stop him or rather, the walls that she built in her heart were slowly copsing.


    Sophia had to admit that she wanted to see him wore that shirt.Would it be the same as she had


    imagined or would he be more charming than what she had in mind?


    "Let''s go up, it''s gettingte.Patrick took the shopping bag and put out the fire of the cigarette.He stood


    up straight and watched as she went up the stairs.Sophia nodded, turned around, and went


    upstairs.Patrick put the shopping bag in the driver''s seat and leaned against the car to smoke a few


    more cigarettes.Somehow, his mood was lifted up.


    The lump on his throat vanished in an instant.


    ¡®Seeing that she gave me the clothes, does this mean that I still have a ce in her heart and she is


    just struggling and hesitating?¡¯ Patrick thought


    There were a lot of things that were bothering Patrick''s heart that he couldn''t tell her.


    About their divorce, the child that was nearly aborted, and his helplessness in those situations.


    But this was already a great leap for him.He couldn''t expect anything more.


    Patrick walked carefully.He was afraid that if his footsteps were too fast, it would scare her.


    Then, his rtionship with Sophia would develop slowly.


    If Patrick had been too anxious to return to their past sweet rtionship, he might not have achieved


    his original goal.


    Suppressing the pain that she felt for so many years, Patrick was not afraid that days would pass by.


    As long as Sophia was happy, he would be satisfied.


    Sophia entered her room and directlyy down on her bed.She was upset and also felt that she was a


    little indecisive.


    Although the child in her belly was saved, if the child in her belly died back then, she would most likely


    want him to die right now.


    People said that when there was hatred, there was love.


    But now, Sophia was confused about what she truly felt for him.


    Love could not be turned into hate, but Sophia didn¡¯t have the strength to figure it out.


    It was ufortable to be stuck between love and hate.


    The first step was into the abyss.


    The next thing you know, you''d be in hell.


    ¡®Why is it so difficult to be a human?¡¯ Patrick thought


    There were still a few days until the tenth anniversary of Evans Enterprise.


    They witnessed the growth of thepany for ten years.


    Of course, it was guaranteed that the anniversary celebration would be grand and everyone in the


    company would dress up.


    Patrick walked into the building and it was crowded as usual.


    Sophia didn''t eat her breakfast therefore her stomach felt a little sore from hunger.


    She really wanted to buy something to eat for breakfast.


    When Sophia went out of the elevator, she bumped into Patrick''s entourage.


    Patrick was wearing a light blue shirt that did not differ as much from what she had in mind.He was


    even more dazzling wearing it.Indeed, Patrick could look natural in any clothes.


    "Good morning, President!" Some of Sophia''s colleagues passed by.


    They stopped in front of him and respectfully greeted him.


    Patrick''s expression lit up like a lightbulb.


    Clearly, he was in a good mood as he responded to their greetings.


    "Good morning!"


    Sophia stepped out of the elevator and stood at the back of her colleagues following the wave of


    greetings.


    "Good morning, President!"


    Patrick paused for a moment and said, "You''re early."


    Her other female colleagues looked at Sophia one after another.Their eyes were full of envy and


    jealousy.


    ¡®Why did he have to stop in front of her?¡¯ They thought the same Sophia walked out after Patrick''s


    entourage disappeared.


    The weather was clear outside.It was a bit windy that prevented her from feeling too hot.


    How good would it be if the weather was clear every day? After buying her breakfast, Sophia returned


    to the General Manager''s Office.


    Jenelyn, Meredith, and Theresa were gathered together.


    They seemed to be discussing something.


    "Sophia, you''re back. Come here for a bit." Jenelyn called her.


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    Sophia walked over and asked, "What''s wrong?"


    "Isn''t there a lucky draw event at the tenth anniversary of thepany? Mr.Evans prepared a big


    surprise.He said that whoever gets the card with his name on it can sing a song together with him on


    stage."


    Sophia bit her bread and blinked her eyes.


    "Isn''t that good? Aren''t the female staff of thepany longed for the president to give them some


    benefits?"


    Jenelyn sighed, "It''s good but who would have that much luck and have the confidence to say that they


    can get it?!"


    Meredith and Theresa sighed.


    "You''re still okay.With your position, you can pull some strings but small employees like us will probably


    have the short end of the stick.How many more chances would be left when the timees? It''s


    clearly not fair!"


    Even Jenelynforted them, "Even if you''re at the front of the line, you''re not necessarily the one that


    will be blessed with that luck.You shouldn''t worry about it as much."


    For a while, Meredith and Theresained, and Sophia felt weird.


    "It doesn''t matter.I won''t draw a card when the timees.I''ll let you get your cards first so that I won''t


    jinx it with my unlucky hand.At worst, I might draw a card that says to clean up the venue"


    Sophia told them the truth.She had been quite obsessed with buying lottery tickets before but she only


    won 5 dors at most.


    From then on, she felt that she had no luck when it came to luck-rted stuff.


    Therefore, she never believed in luck and relied on effort and hard work.


    Meredith and Theresa warmly hugged Sophia.


    "Our Sophia is still the best."


    They had their fun until nine in the morning before they officially started their work for the day.


    Today, several executives of the subsidiarypany came to the headquarters for a meeting.


    After the meeting, they arrived at Patrick''s office.


    It was unknown what they were talking about.


    All day, Patrick''s office door was closed.


    Sophia sat in front of herputer and seriously analyzed the case that she had finished writing.She


    felt a little thirsty and took the cup of water.


    When she put it in her mouth, however, she found out that there was no water in it.


    After saving the document, Sophia got up and walked into the tea room.


    Right after drinking water, she turned around and was shocked by the person standing by the door.


    He was tall enough that he almost blocked the light from outside.


    "Do you have any ideas for thepany¡¯s anniversary?" Patrick asked Sophia.


    Sophia shook her head.


    ¡®What ideas can I suggest? Isn''t there a special team responsible for the event?¡¯ she thought.


    "It''s an event worth remembering after all? Patrick exined.


    "I see.My colleagues are looking forward to interacting with you.They''re thinking about ways to draw


    your name and sing together with you on stage."


    "How about you? Do you want to sing with me?" Patrick asked.


    Sophia shook her head, "I¡¯m not good at singing¡±


    "That can''t be.You''re not bad at singing" Patrick said.


    Sophia''s eyes flickered a bit.


    On the business trip that day, she had no choice but to sing.


    She couldn''t tell her superiors that she didn''t want to sing and refuse the others¡¯ requests.


    Sophia thought Patrick was talking to Chris that day and couldn''t focus on listening to her singing.


    Maybe, he misunderstood her purpose in choosing the song.


    Maybe the song lyrics felt a little bit different when he heard it.


    It was confusing, thoroughly confusing.She felt tired thinking about it.


    "Is that so? Maybe because the quality of the microphone was good that day and my voice luckily


    sounded good." Sophia was a little bit embarrassed.


    "It doesn¡¯t matter.At the anniversary, I''ll send someone to prepare a set of sound equipment with


    special effects so you don''t have to worry."


    Sophia felt a little bit dizzy hearing him say this.


    ¡®Why did it sound like he wants to sing along with me?¡¯ she thought.


    Sophia looked at him directly.


    Patrick did not intend to dodge nor deny it.


    "I think the song, ¡®Love Has No Other Choice¡¯ must only be sung by you.It''s also suitable for a duet."


    He emphasized the name of the song, "Love Has No Other Choice" as if he was expressing his


    feelings to her, and he had no choice but to love her.


    A love that was out of his control? Sophia returned to her seat in a daze.


    Only after she experienced it herself that she knew that Patrick was an expert in love.


    The words of love that he uttered were romantic, charming, and pleasant to the ears of the receiver.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    It was understandable but not frivolous.


    How many women had fallen for his candied words before he became this experienced? Sophia


    boasted before that she had a long and rough road regarding men.


    But with her behavior right now, what was the difference between her and a little girl? But she was still


    helpless to ttery and candied words.


    It seemed like her experience was still not enough! Or rather, no one could really refuse Patrick when


    he said things like that.It was really heart racing.


    Jenelyn looked at Sophia who was in a daze.She thought that she was idling around.She violently


    comined.


    "I don¡¯t know why but it seems like the office is a bit suffocating today.It looks like it''s almost


    October.Why is that the weather''s a bit too hot?"


    Sophia was snapped out of her senses.


    "It can''t be helped.October is the season tail of summer.It''ll be hot for quite a while.It''ll be hot in autumn


    too.As you know, there''s no winter in Frostford City,"


    Except in summer, the weather in Frostford City was almost as warm and humid as in spring, and wet


    nkets were hard to dry.


    Jenelyn was an outsider.She had stayed in Frostford City for a few years already but she still couldn''t


    tolerate the weather.


    "My hometown has four seasons a year.I can buy new clothes when the seasons change.Unlike


    Frostford City, no matter how many clothes I buy, it''s still the same season, same style, with no


    originality nor innovation."


    Look, everyone was the same.


    Everything you like at first sight was your favorite, and this feeling was also the most unforgettable.


    It felt the same, it always felt beautiful and unforgettable.


    However, you couldn''t go back to the past even if you missed the person you like throughout your


    lifetime.


    Even if you want to go back in time, it was basically impossible.


    Sophia was about to get off from work when Brandon called her and asked her for dinner.She hadn''t


    finished her work at hand just yet, so she had to work overtime.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Brandon replied that he didn''t minding up to apany her while waiting.


    Brandon easily saw through her excuse.


    Although it was true that she had a job to be done, she could still avoid it, but she did not want to.


    Sophia shut down herputer and thought, ¡®Am I lucky in love this year?¡¯


    Otherwise, how did she have a lot of encounters with men this year? Each one of them wasn''t easy to


    deal with.


    Sophia walked out of the Evans Enterprise building and saw Brandon leaning against his car with his


    hands in his pocket.He looked casual and natural.


    Her female colleagues passed by and saw them.She couldn''t help but raise her eyebrows and whisper


    to one another.


    Sophia approached him and Brandon smiled.


    "We haven''t seen each other for a few days.Did I be more handsome?"


    "Indeed, we haven''t seen each other for a few days now but your ability to tter others has improved a


    lot" Sophia replied with a smile.


    It was rare to see Sophia let down her guard and simply go along with him like an old friend, friendly


    and casual.


    "Sweetie, you''re quite good at this.This reminds me of the old times when you were still seventeen.You


    have a simple smile, simple love, and an uplicated life"


    Brandon''s words froze Sophia for a moment but she quickly collected herself.


    "I was seventeen back then.You want toplicate things but I won''t make it worse.At that time, I


    followed you behind.I watched you be more and more outstanding as girls surrounded you."


    "me me for treating you like a kid.But I¡¯ve always wanted to wait for you to grow up, sadly, I waited


    for you to be someone else''s wife."


    Brandon was Sophia''s one and only crush throughout her entire life.


    When Sophia''s father was alive, his family was still rich.


    Although he could notpare with Adriana¡¯s father, who was also her second uncle, the two families


    were simr in wealth.


    Students from private schools were either secretly in love or writing love letters every day.


    Sophia wrote a very, very long love letter for Brandon.


    Now that she had thought about it, she could only sigh.


    That letter was full of love and sincerity.


    Unfortunately, Brandon rejected her.


    Brandon said that Sophia was too young and that she didn¡¯t know how to be a good girlfriend.


    He said that he would focus on his studies in the meantime so she could give her a good future if ever


    they be together.


    Who knew that her family would undergo big changes? Before she could even say her goodbye,


    Sophia was taken abroad by her mother.


    The moment she came back, she had already be Patrick''s wife.


    Due to his own decision, Brandon missed out on Sophia.


    He was not qualified to regret.


    Sophia teased him and said, "That''s what you call fate.If it''s not meant to happen, everything will stay


    the same"


    Brandon felt that this topic was too heavy for him.


    After all, the past was the past.


    No matter how much he regretted that he missed his shot, he could never go back and change it.


    "What do you want to eat?" Brandon asked, changing the topic.


    Sophia was a little embarrassed.


    "I still have something to do at home.I''m not really free tonight."


    "What?" Brandon frowned.


    "I adopted a puppy recently.If I don¡¯te back and take care of it, it will go hungry."


    "I remembered you didn''t like raising small animals, right? You even said before that animals are dirty


    and messy."


    "Typhoon is very sensible.It was love at first sight!"


    In the end, Brandon drove Sophia home to pick up Typhoon before they went to the dining room to eat.


    Sophia wasn''t just boasting around when she said that Typhoon was very sensible.


    Typhoon knew how to go to the toilet, which other animals did not, and Typhoon moved around the


    house just like a human being would do.


    They said that the animal mirrors its owner''s character.


    It seemed that this sentence had a scientific basis.


    When they arrived at the restaurant, Sophia put Typhoon on the ground.


    Typhoon raised her head as a person dressed as a waitress approached their table.


    "I¡¯m sorry, Ma¡¯am, Sir.This restaurant prohibits pets from entering"


    Sophia knew that high-end restaurants had a lot of rules.


    Just as she was about to go out, Brandon pulled her back.


    "Go ahead and tell your boss what kind of absurd rules he set.Can''t you see who brought this dog


    here?"


    Brandon looked a lot different from his usual gentle and refined appearance.


    Sophia didn¡¯t want him to be in trouble because of her just for a meal.She pulled his sleeves and


    spoke.


    "Forget it, let''s go and look for another restaurant to eat"


    "It doesn''t matter.I am familiar with the owner of this restaurant"


    The waitress saw that the man was indeed extraordinary so she didn''t dare to defy him.


    She quickly went back and asked for her manager.


    The manager was a smart man.


    As soon as he heard about this issue, he quickly ran over to take a look at the situation.


    Sure enough, Brandon was a big shot.


    The manager sweated.Why were there so many big shotsing here tonight at this restaurant?


    "Madam, I''m sorry if she did not recognize you.It''s all my fault.Sir Brandon is here.I should have gone


    out personally to wee you.It was just an ident, purely an ident"


    Brandon was not an aggressive person, "Prepare the private room that I always use"


    The manager responded with a smile and quickly sent someone to clean up.


    Sophia picked up Typhoon and said, "It''s really good toe out with people like you.I won''t


    experience any discrimination with you!"


    "People like me?"


    Brandon instantly understood the meaning behind her words.


    "You ate dinner with other people like me? Who else is like me?"


    "No one.I''m just blindly saying it without any meaning."


    Sophia subconsciously denied it.


    The rtionship between her and Patrick was currently unclear.She didn¡¯t want anyone she knew to


    know about it.


    "Let''s go upstairs."


    When they got upstairs, Sophia felt that Typhoon was struggling in her arms.She put Typhoon down


    and let it walk by itself.


    Typhoon felt free and wagged its tail violently.


    Sophia looked at its plump body and said, "Fortunately, you''re only a dog.If you were a child, you''ll


    definitely be so fat that no one would ever want you"


    "No matter how big it might be, as long as I love it, I can ept it.These things mainly depend on


    how people think"


    Brandon lowered his head slightly to look at her.


    Reading between the lines, his words were full of warmth and deep affection.


    Sophia bit her lip.She couldn''t continue to read through Brandon''s words.


    If she did, how should she answer him? Good thing, Typhoon suddenly barked, relieving the


    awkwardness between them.Sophia quickly walked over and picked up the dog in case it hit someone.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    Sophia assumed that anyone who could enter this restaurant was either wealthy or from a well-known


    family.


    Otherwise, it was unreasonable for the waitress downstairs to stop her and order her around.


    Despite the waitress''s politeness in addressing them as Sir and Ma''am, she still dared to order her a


    while ago, probably because the waitress saw her casual attire.


    Sophia felt that she has lowered Brandonr¡¯s level as a result of this.Maybe if Brandon showed up on


    his own, the treatment would undoubtedly be different.


    Brandon approached Sophia and gently caressed Typhon, who was in her arms.As Brandon caressed


    the dog''s head, it tilted slightly.


    After a while, Brandon felt a piercing gaze from behind him.


    When Brandon turned around, he saw Patrick staring at them.


    As if he didn''t see anything, Brandon turned back to Sophia and wrapped his arm around her back.


    If this movement could be seen from afar, it would appear that Brandon was embracing a woman''s


    waist warmly and possessively.


    The woman, on the other hand, had her head lowered and a smile hung on her lips.


    John followed behind Patrick and witnessed everything.


    Logically speaking, Patrick would definitely feel ufortable when he saw his ex-wife hugging


    another man.


    This was a perfectly natural reaction.


    As a man, how could he not have any feelings for the woman he once had? However, judging from the


    expression on Patrick''s face that instantly darkened, the situation that he had just witnessed was


    extremely ufortable for him.


    After Brandon and Sophia returned from a business trip to Hillwood City, Brandon admitted that there


    was something going on them, but Patrick still refused to ept it.


    After following Brandon for a long time, as long as he was not blind, he could see his peculiarity.


    Patrick stayed for a few seconds before heading down to the other corridor.


    Sophia had been minding her own business the entire time, entirely oblivious to what had just


    happened.


    Sophia''s phone vibrated twice while they waited for the meal to serve.


    Because the private room was quiet, the vibration from the phone could easily be heard.


    Sophia took out her cell phone from her bag.She saw a short message in her inbox.


    It was from Patrick.


    "What is it?" Brandon asked Sophia.


    Sophia pressed her phone screen a few times before deleting the message she had just seen.


    Then she put her phone back in her bag.


    Brandon was intrigued by her hesitation and asked, "Who is it?"


    "It was just a spam text message¡± I want to scold the sender, but I don''t see the point in wasting my


    time to send back a reply to him"


    Brandon smiled as he said, "It really is a typical Sophia''s style"


    In a private room not far from them, Patrick was discussing a coboration with a few foreign shopping


    mall owners.


    Patrick was the same as he had been in the past when negotiating.He was professional, calm, and


    responded promptly to every question.


    However, it was noticeable tonight that he was not as focused as he had been in the fast.


    He would lower his head from time to time and frequently take out his phone to nce at it.


    Some of the businessmen around him were clever people, and they all simply smiled.They said nothing


    in response to Patrick''s behavior.


    Men were often more thorough and rational than women when it came to technical matters.


    But of course, a woman with capability was not someone who should be ignored.


    Especially a woman who could read the mood.


    Everyone understood that President Evans was in this state because the excitement hadn''t worn off


    just yet.


    Two hours hds passed by the time the meeting ended.


    Several businessmen shook Patrick''s hand and said their goodbyes before getting into their cars.


    As he sat in the back seat, Patrick drank some wine and became dizzy.


    Then Patrick asked himself, ¡®Why didn''t I drink much tonight?¡¯


    Didn''t he agree that everyone should be drunk if they weren''t drunk just yet? John waited for


    Patrick to sit down before starting the car.


    At the same moment, another car drove away from the parking spot next to them.It was Brandon''s car.


    "Do you want to follow?" John inquired when he saw it.


    Patrick instructed, "Follow them and see where they are heading!"


    The man in the back seat massaged his brows as he spoke with a hoarse voice.


    It was not until they saw the car in front of them driving into the area where Sophia resided that Patrick


    signaled to John that he might proceed in the direction of his apartment.


    Sophia returned to her house.


    When she pushed the door open, she saw Fiona and Emma were seated on the sofa.


    She had no idea what they were studying with their heads lowered as the two of them kept on arguing.


    Fiona mumbled to herself, ¡®Why are we even fighting over this?¡¯


    "It''s wrong for you to argue like this, Aunt Fiona.This is a leaf, and a leaf can''t be yellow." Emma


    replied.


    Emma pointed to the side, where there was aplete photo of a jigsaw puzzle.


    The leaf she was pointing at was indeed green.


    Sophia put down Typhoon and moved closer.


    It turned out that they were both upied with a jigsaw puzzle.


    The sudden appearance of Fiona and Emma did not surprise Sophia.


    During these past few years, she and Fiona had nearly confided everything that happened throughout


    their lives to each other.


    Sophia had the key to Fiona¡¯s house, and Fiona had the key to Sophia''s house as well.


    It was just that these days, she was really thankful to Fiona.


    She would not have gotten her overtime pay back then if Fiona didn''t assist her in taking care of


    Emma.


    Fiona pretended to be deep in thought by slightly turning her head.


    She was taken aback when she noticed someone.


    "Hey, you scared me to death; when did youe back, and why didn''t you make any noise?" Fiona


    inquired.


    Emma turned around and saw that it was her mother.She dashed over in a hurry.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Emma eximed excitedly, "Mom, you''re finally back!"


    "As expected, she''s your biological child¡± Fiona sighed, "but this treatment is truly too different."


    Sophia smiled, but she continued to listen to Fiona.


    "Your youngdy has been talking to me for a long time tonight, and she said she missed you and that


    she wille back to the amusement park no matter what.I couldn''t stand it any longer, so I brought


    her back."


    Sophia lifted Emma up and sat down on the sofa, feeling somewhat guilty in her heart as she said,


    "When Mommy is free for a while, I''ll take you to the amusement park to y"


    Emma nodded and fell asleep quickly in her mother''s arms.


    Sophia returned to the sofa after settling Emma and stared at Fiona, who was still attempting to


    assemble the jigsaw puzzle.


    Sophia questioned, "Why are you suddenly ying this? Practicing your patience?"


    Fiona nodded, "My colleague said that I have horrible temper management, so she came up with this


    method to allow me to develop patience; otherwise, she said that she is really afraid that one day I will


    lose control of my temper and fight with the supervisor"


    "Did you run recently into trouble at work?" Sophia questioned her again.


    Sophia took two ice-cold beverage cans from the refrigerator and handed one to Fiona.


    "It''s no trouble.Working for others has always been like this.


    To be suppressed all the time is the norm now¡¯ Fiona said while looking at Sophia then she added, "It


    was clearly the fault of the two departments who were unable tomunicate in time.The project also


    had a fatal w in the first ce, but when things went wrong, I became the scapegoat.Will you believe


    me if I said that I was innocent?"


    Sophia leaned against the sofa, one holding an iced drink and the other supporting her head while


    leaning on the sofa.


    Sophia replied, "I understand; thepany has many major projects, and there are many things that


    will inevitably happen"


    "It''s almost eleven, how many days can you rest?" Fiona asked as she sat up.


    "I''m not sure; the Chief Research Department isn''t like the Quality Control Department; there are so


    many things to do that I feel like I need to have three more heads and six arms to keep up on the things


    I should do every day"


    Sophia was exhausted as well, but she realized that working in this industry was not that difficult at all.


    "Okay, once it''s my time to take a break, let''s go on a trip together.I haven''t left Frostford City this year,


    and I''d like to improve my mood." Fiona chuckled.


    Sophia nodded, "Then I''ll ask my colleague how thepany handles leaves for their employees in


    previous years.After that, I''ll give you a response when the timees.Now that you mentioned it, I


    suddenly want to go out and rx."


    "Then it''s settled." Fiona smiled.


    The two of them chatted until midnight.


    It was not until they couldn''t open their eyes anymore that the two got into their beds.


    The next day, as Sophia got off the bus she identally sprained her ankle.It was all Fiona''s fault.


    She insisted that she should change into these high heels and dress this morning.She also imed


    that she always liked to wear short heels that did not look good on her.


    And she did not hid her displeasure and insisted on letting her wear these shoes.


    She couldn''t get used to wearing such high heels because she was used to wearing short heels.


    It was the busiest time of day, and Evan Enterprise employees were rushing to work from all directions.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    Sophia walked slowly and was hit by someone by ident.She leaned back but was supported by a


    pair of hands.


    Sophia straightened her posture, and the aroma of a guy she knew drifted from the tip of her nose.


    "Thank you, President Evans¡¯ she said as she hurriedly retreated.


    She didn''t want her colleague to notice anything unusual.


    Patrick''s gazended on Sophia''s dress, "The dress you are wearing today is very beautiful"


    He said softly before taking a step forward and walking inside.


    Sophia felt warm and touched her face.She didn''t think her dress today was particrly noteworthy.


    Why did he praise her then? When she arrived at the General Manager Office, Jenelyn was ying


    with her phone.


    Perhaps she noticed that someone arrived in the office so she raised her head.


    At that time Jenelyn couldn''t help but widen her eyes when she saw Sophia.


    Jenelyn remarked, "Wow, Sophia, you look very different today!"


    "What''s wrong?" Sophia asked as she lowered her head and tugged her skirt, feeling ufortable.


    Fiona was the one who helped her choose out her outfit today.


    She was a particrlyzy person who disliked unting, therefore she never put in any effort into the


    clothes she was wearing.


    She abruptly changed her style today.


    On the way to the office she was ufortable and felt as if everyone was staring at her.


    Jenelyn said, "I feel that you''ve transformed into a different person with this dress and these high heels!


    It''s so gorgeous!"


    Jenelyn couldn''t help but stand up and circle around Sophia a few times before saying, "So our Sophia


    is a great beauty, why didn''t I notice it before?"


    "How can it be as exaggerated as you say?" Sophia said while smiling.


    "I only changed into a new style of clothing, and now you two say that I look gorgeous..."


    With a shake of her head, Jenelyn expressed her disapproval of Sophia''s statement.She really didn''t


    lie.


    Today''s Sophia looked really attractive.


    Sophia put down her bag and sat on her chair.She couldn''t help but take a deep breath and wished that


    this frantic morning would end soon.


    At lunchtime, Jenelyn, Theresa, and Sophia sat together at the dining table of the general manager''s


    lounge to eat.


    Jenelyn had a lively personality and loved to gossip and chat the most.


    Of course, she would not miss such a good opportunity to relieve herself to her heart''s content.


    "Hey, I heard some rumors recently, do you want to hear them?"


    Both Theresa and Meredith had recently graduated from university.


    They were quite interested and agreed to listen right away.


    "Didn''t I say before that my sister''s boyfriend''s cousin used to be old friends with President Evans? He


    said that the main reason why President Evans and Vice President Clifford aren''t married yet despite


    being in love for so many years is..."


    Jenelyn paused for a moment before continuing, "because President Evans was married before and


    was deeply hurt by his ex-wife, so he was afraid of getting married, so he dragged it out."


    Theresa expressed her surprise, "Really? Didn''t you say that President Evans is equal to the Pope


    himself? Didn''t you say that he has a pure body and mind and is worthy of our desires?"


    Meredith nodded, "But I want to know more who is President Evans¡¯ ex-wife.Why did she hurt our


    President so badly? My heart hurts so much for him."


    While the three of them were chatting enthusiastically, Sophia couldn''t help but say lightheartedly,


    "Perhaps what happened is the contrary, perhaps President Evans seriously hurt his ex-wife, so he


    hesitated to get married again."


    After she finished speaking, the three of them all looked at Sophia at the same time, as if to warn her


    that she had said something wrong.


    "Sophia, don''t tell me you know some inside story?" Jenelyn detected a scent of rumor and followed


    quickly.


    "I was only guessing" Sophia said, shaking her head.


    "You guys eat slowly.I''m done eating."


    After Sophia had left, the three of them exchanged a few nces before returning their attention to


    their meal.


    Theresa took a bite of a vegetable from her dish and swallowed it whole.


    Then she wondered after taking a piece, "Why is this vegetable not cooked? This will easily cause food


    poisoning"


    Jenelyn and Meredith didn''t react since they did not like to eat vegetables.


    "Fortunately, Meredith and I do not particrly like vegetables" Jenelyn said, "but didn''t Sophia eat one


    just now?"


    Jenelyn assumed it was just a casual discussion during their mealtime, but she had not expected


    Sophia to show signs of mild food poisoning in the afternoon.


    Sophia had always boasted about how healthy her body was.


    This time, though, she experienced dizziness, nausea, and fatigue over her entire body.


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    And she was worried that she wouldn''t be able to keep it together.


    After taking a leave, Sophia immediately went to the hospital.


    After the examination, the doctor assessed that she was not in a serious condition, so he prescribed


    medication and advised her to drink more water and sleep in a bed.


    Sophia thanked the doctor walked out the door but she didn''t expect to bump into someone.


    The other party was dressed like a doctor, was very young, and was also tall as Sophia barely reached


    his shoulder.


    Sophia''s line of sight inadvertently swept over his work card, which had the words attending doctor¡¯


    written on it.


    Sophia could only think of one adjective to describe the male doctor, "promising."


    The male doctor apologized, "Sorry, Miss Hill.I didn''t look where I was walking..."


    "You know who I am?"


    Sophia was certain that she didn''t know the man in front of her, but how did he know herst name?


    "I entered your data in the medical records and your information was also written on your medical


    insurance card" the male doctor said, "and it just so happen that I am the type of person with a good


    memory."


    This was simply the perfect exnation.


    Sophia felt ufortable and walked away without saying anything.


    The male doctor just came to his senses when he saw Sophia walking away.He walked over to his


    teacher, Doctor Eugene Davis, who was sitting at his desk.


    Although Doctor Davis was busy with his head down, he still clearly heard the conversation between


    the two.


    Doctor Davis said to the male doctor who had just entered, "I didn''t expect that you have a good


    memory.


    It''s been five years and you still remember her?"


    The male doctor joked, "Well, I told her that I have a good memory."


    Doctor Davis adjusted his sses and took time to look at him.


    "I know who you are, young man.But a pitiful person like Patrick has probably forgotten you long ago;


    but then again, as you can see, Patrick''s ex-wife is back¡± The male doctor frowned and asked, "How


    can you say that my brother is ''pitiful?"


    "Isn''t he pitiful?" Doctor Davis asked.


    The male doctor thought for a moment and sighed, "But to be honest, I still find it hard to understand


    why my brother won''t simply exin to her everything."


    "Exin what? Let''s assume you are Sophia and I am Patrick.


    After everything is done and over, I''ll tell you this.


    ¡®The truth is I have my own difficulties and I don''t want to keep the child¡¯ Do you think you''ll forgive me


    if I say this?"


    Doctor Davis¡¯ exnation was quite sensible and the male doctor was speechless.


    It was said that their rtionship was bitter at first, then itter be sweet.


    But in the end, he hoped that the two of them would not suffer anymore.


    When Sophia returned home, she climbed into her bed in a daze.


    Perhaps because the medicine prescribed to her was strong, she felt extremely sleepy after consuming


    it and simply wanted to have a good sleep.


    She had a really long dream after falling asleep.She dreamed about the day she left for Australia and


    met Patrick.


    He was a senior foreign student at Melbourne University.


    She was used to seeing beards and muscles on foreigners and then when she saw aman with the


    same skin color and hair like her in a foreign country.


    The feeling was simr to that of finding an oasis in a desert.


    In addition, she did not have any other identification document except for her passport that had expired


    long ago.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    Fortunately, she was able to speak fluent English and finally found a job in Porterhouse Cabin.


    The manager might have noticed that she was alone and miserable, so he provided her with


    amodation.


    Providing amodation was simply a surprise to Sophia than giving her anything.


    Gradually, she adapted to her life abroad and no longer missed her mother that quickly, nor could she


    remember her father''s death.


    Until one night, when the restaurant was about to close, the manager came back drunk.


    He pulled her hand and said many intimate words, and then came to hug her.


    She was so scared that she wanted to run but was tightly wrapped in his arms.She felt despair that she


    could not breathe.


    At that moment, her mind was full of thoughts.


    If she died, she would not need to worry anymore.


    Fortunately, the heavens had blessed her and met Patrick, who wanted to eat supper.


    At that time, his personality was not as cold as it was now.


    After saving her, he even led her to buy a few clothes and many daily necessities.


    When people were in despair, the dawn that appeared after the ckest night was easy to fall in love


    with.


    For Sophia, Patrick was her hero.


    From then on, she gradually fell in love with Patrick, but her path of love was destined to be rough.


    Later, she always thought how good it would be if life were just like the first time they met.


    When she woke up from this dream, it was already pitch ck outside.


    Sophia felt that her entire body was covered in sweat.She turned on the light and looked at her watch.


    It was two fifty-eight in the morning.She couldn''t go back to sleep, and many things were bothering her


    heart.Sophia took the cell phone at the bedside and called Fiona.


    When Fiona picked up the phone, she was still in a daze, and her voice was low and hoarse when she


    answered.


    "Did you dream again?" Fiona asked sleepily.


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    Fiona understood her very well, but then again, every time Sophia woke up from a dream, she could


    not fall asleep anymore, and she needed someone to talk to.


    At times like this, the person she called was always Fiona.


    Sophia was fortunate to have a friend like Fiona.


    "Yes, I dreamt that he was wearing a white shirt and walking along the streets of Australia with me.It


    was hot, and he would slow down and wait for me.I dreamt about the smell of popcorn we bought when


    watching a movie, the smell of fresh air while holding an umbre when it rains, and when we were


    shopping in the supermarket, we could not reach the things on the shelves.The pride he had when he


    was able to take them..."


    Sophia''s voice was a little choked up at the end of her words.


    Themp at the bedside was dark like an old photo, and it reminded her of her old life.


    There were too many memories, and most of them were apanied with pain.


    Fiona sighed.Her voice was much clearer now.


    It was as if she had turned on the light and was sitting up on the bed.


    "Don''t think about it.People have changed.If they always look like they are in love, then how can there


    be so many people in the world who are distressed for love?"


    "Fiona, do you think from the start of our rtionship until now, he had never been true to me?"


    "When you were abroad, it was only you and him.If he did not love you, he wouldn''t be able to do so


    much."


    Sophia was silent.She felt that she had been very hypocritical recently.


    Fiona asked again, "Did hee to find you again? What else did he say?"


    "No, we didn''t talk much.When we met, we just nodded and greeted each other perfunctorily.I didn''t


    answer his calls, and I didn''t reply to his text messages."


    Sophia''s thoughts were chaotic, but Fiona easily saw through her thoughts.


    "Two days ago, you told me that he always looked for you, sent text messages to remind you to eat,


    and even kissed you.At that time, I wanted to ask, did you do something to make him misunderstand?


    Did you think that there was still a possibility between you and him? Or did something happen? Did you


    not tell me everything?"


    Sophia thought and told Fiona about what happened on the business trip.


    Fiona sighed again.


    Her emotions were in a mess, and she could not give any good advice at all.


    "You are both unclear about your rtionship with each other.And maybe you are both unsure about


    your feelings.Besides, who can get into the heart of the other person to see what''s in there?"


    Fiona told Sophia.


    "However, Sophia, I still have to say one more thing.Patrick is a prominent person now, and he is vastly


    different from when he studied in Australia.At that time, his family background was not worthy of the


    Cliffords, and it was even worse than the inheritance left by your father.Now it is different.He now


    stands at the peak of power and he even said that he would only love one woman.Isn''t this too


    ridiculous?"


    Fiona asked Sophia.


    "Also, it is reasonable that he cannot forget her because Adriana is his first love.It is also right for him


    to be together with Adriana again.However, it has been three years since her father died, and he still


    hasn''t married Adriana.Does it mean that he does not love Adriana deeply enough? Or should I say,


    what he values the most now is his career and not his feelings? Just a feeling of something new and


    not real love?" Fiona said a lot, and Sophia listened seriously.


    Sophia summed up Fiona¡¯s words in her heart.


    Perhaps Patrick was only with Adriana because he was his first love and not because he loved her


    deeply.


    He was now famous and had everything he wanted.


    Therefore, it was impossible to say how serious he was about his feelings.


    Sophia turned on the air conditioner, and the heat in the room was reduced a lot.


    The coldness of the room made her mind clearer.


    "Well, I know what to do now.I always thought about how good he was to me in Australia and ignored


    his indifference when he divorced me.Now that I think about it, it''s a bit ridiculous." Sophia concluded.


    After hanging up the phone, Sophiay on the bed and thought for a long time.


    She still couldn''t think of the reason why he suddenly wanted to divorce back then.


    He only said divorce, but Patrick did not give her any reason.


    If it were because of Adriana, he would clearly say that.


    Patrick was not a dishonest person, after all.


    Sophia always had this doubt in her heart so that when he approached her, she didn''t immediately


    avoid him.She wanted to know the reason, but she didn''t dare ask.She had no idea what to do next.


    It was hard to find out why Patrick asked for a divorce.


    It seemed too difficult for her to forget him now.


    The next day was Friday.


    Sophia''s food allergy situation had improved, but her body was still frail, so she took another day off.


    In addition to the weekend, she could take three days off in a row.


    She thought she would take Emma to the amusement park if she felt better tomorrow, She had


    promised Emma a lot of things, but she had never brought her to the amusement park before.


    She hoped that they could go this time.


    At the exact moment, a car slowly stopped downstairs.


    The man in the car lit a cigarette and looked up.It was unknown what he was thinking.


    After a long while, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.


    "How was the investigation?" Patrick asked.


    "Mr.Evans, I checked the flight manifest and the living arrangements Ms.Hill had in Australia.I did not


    find anything suspicious.But there is one very fishy thing.Someone anonymously helped Miss Hill get


    an Australian permanent residence certificate.The person who helped her must be well-connected in


    that country to do that.


    "Yes¡± Patrick responded, but he felt that the person on the other side of the line wanted to say


    something else but stopped.


    "Mr.Evans, there is one more thing.I found out from Miss Hill''s documents that she had a prenatal


    examination in a hospital; The investigator added.


    ¡®Prenatal examination? Didn''t Sophia have a miscarriage?¡¯ Patrick asked himself.


    ¡®Or did she have another man?¡¯ He continued to wonder.


    An unknown emotion enveloped him, but he could not distinguish if it was jealousy or not.


    Patrick hung up the phone and stayed for a while before stepping on the elerator and driving away


    from the neighborhood.

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    Sophia had beenzy for several days.


    When she came to work on Monday, she slept at the bus station and was almostte.


    After getting out of the bus and walking to the Evans''s building entrance, Patrick''s car stopped slowly


    by the roadside, only a few meters away from Sophia.


    The driver got out of the car and opened the door for him.


    He took a few steps forward and saw her, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.


    Sophia didn''t understand his expression.


    She greeted the president hurriedly and then walked inside.She didn¡¯t know whether it was because


    her pace was too slow or because her pace was too fast.


    He followed her, and there were people behind him as well.


    When she went to take the elevator, she heard someone behind Patrick remind him, "Sir, the special


    elevator is undergoing maintenance today¡±


    Sophia thought, ''How could his exclusive elevator undergo maintenance today of all days?¡¯


    Sophia stood at the front of the elevator.


    With a pinging sound, the elevator stopped.


    It was unknown who pushed her behind, but she was the first one to enter the elevator.


    And sadly, except for her, all the employees were waiting for the president to get in first.


    Sophia blushed.She wanted to step out but was frightened by Patrick''s expression and intimidated by


    his tall figure.


    After Patrick stepped inside the elevator, an employee said, "President Evans, you go up.First, we will


    wait for the next one."


    Patrick did not stand on ceremony and pressed the button for the elevator to close.


    Only Sophia and Patrick were in the elevator.It was so quiet that they could even hear each other''s


    breathing.


    He did not speak, nor did she.


    After a long while, Patrick walked up to her and faced her.


    Sophia was surprised by his actions and looked at him with wide eyes.


    The corners of his lips lifted into a smile.


    It was not much, but she noticed that it was not a sincere smile.


    He raised an arm to her side, trapping her between his chest and the elevator wall.He was very tall,


    and she only reached his shoulder.


    Because he was tall, she could only look up to him.


    "Mr.Evans, we are almost on the top floor¡¯ She reminded him to pay attention to where they were.And


    they were inside thepany building.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter.Maybe the elevator will malfunction soon, and we will be trapped here.No one


    will find out" Patrick said nonchntly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, the elevator stopped running, and the light above his head also lost


    its light in the next second.


    "Weren''t you informed by the head of maintenance that there will be a ckout in the building today?"


    Sophia asked, almost in a panic.


    Sophia could feel Patrick''s breath fan her face.She thought that he had be somewhat different


    today, but she couldn''t tell exactly what the difference was.


    "Sophia, back then in Australia, there was a time when we couldn''t help ourselves in the small room of


    our rented house.Do you still remember?" Patrick asked softly.


    Sophia didn''t answer.She didn''t know if this topic was too taboo or if he was too close, but she


    inexplicably felt that it was getting difficult to breathe.


    "At that time, you fainted from the pain, and my entire body was left with traces of you.When you woke


    up, you cried.You also asked me if you were my first woman.Could it be that you would be myst


    woman as well? Would I be responsible for marrying you in the future? How did I answer?" Patrick


    asked in quick session.


    "Why did you suddenly ask all of these things? It''s been so long.Is there any meaning in bringing it up


    now?"


    Sophia deflected.


    Sophia felt that she had finally adjusted her state of mind with great difficulty, and was once again


    made numb and confused by him.


    He was always like this, always giving her a fatal blow when she wanted to withdraw.


    "Back then¡± I said, ¡®You are my first andst.I will definitely marry you¡±


    Is this right?" Patrick asked again.


    He continued, "Whenever you had menstrual cramps, I had always massaged your lower abdomen


    and I always hugged you to sleep.Back then, you asked whether only you will be able to sleep in my


    arms in the future.How did I answer back then? In the rainy seasons, you almost always forget to bring


    an umbre, so I always picked you up in the rain.You ran into my arms and asked me if you would be


    the only woman whom I would send an umbre to in the future.How did I answer back then? When


    our first child died, you cried and asked me if I would only want our child in the future.How did I answer


    back then?"


    "Enough, what exactly do you want me to say?" Sophia interrupted him, her eyes filled with tears.


    "What does it matter even if I can remember those? What will change? Can the damage that has been


    done be undone?" Sophia asked Patrick.


    "The answer is that it cannot be undone.Since nothing can be changed, why bother remembering?"


    Sophia asked emotionally.


    Patrick did not stop because of this but he continued to speak.


    "I said, I will only sleep with you in my arms in the future.Whether it is spring, summer, autumn, or


    winter, I said that I would only hold an umbre for you in the future.No matter where you are, I said


    that I will only want your child.I want my child to look like you"


    Patrick continued to say.


    Patrick was on a roll and did not stop.


    Sophia revealed a wry smile.


    "So, are you trying to show off how brilliant your words of love were back then?" Sophia asked


    incredulously.


    He lowered his head and seemed to be a little closer to her.


    In the darkness, she felt that his breath was a little ragged.


    He was suppressing his feelings, and she heard the sound of his Adam''s apple moving up and down


    as he swallowed a mouthful of his own saliva..


    "Sophia, I only want to tell you how much I love you" Patrick confessed finally.


    ¡®Absurd¡±


    This was the only word that Sophia could think of in her chaotic mind.


    Why was he suddenly like this? He used to be indifferent and noble, but now he kept a low profile, just


    like a fragile child.


    This was simply difficult to connect with the indifferent and noble man he usually was.


    She thought self-deprecatingly, he didn''t drink today, but he spoke like he was drunk.


    She sneered, "What do you mean? Do you want me to be your lover, or do you want me to be your


    mistress so you can enjoy flirting with different women at the same time?"


    As she spoke, she felt a dull pain in her chest.


    Something fell from her eyes.She raised her hand to wipe her cold face.


    There were not many tears, but it was bitter tears.He frowned as if he had not expected her to cry.


    His heart was also beating very fast.His long arm hooked through her waist, and his big palm touched


    her back.


    Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    He pulled her close and held her tightly in front of his chest, he wanted everyone to know that Sophia


    belonged to him.


    "Why are you speaking in such a weird tone?" Patrick asked.


    As if his mood was inexplicably good, his lips slowly slid to her ears and blew a breath of hot air, "If I


    wanted approval from other people, I would not have waited until today to tell you."


    Sophia put her hands in front of his chest and tried to push him away, but he exerted even more force


    and easily restrained her.


    Sophia thought that this was the difference in strength between men and women.


    Just like how she consistently failed whenever she tried to forget him after so many years.


    This thought made her angry and also helpless, she felt that she couldn''t do anything to refuse him.


    Perhaps it was because they were in an elevator and had limited space, so the touch was a hundred


    times sensitive.


    Even through the clothes, she could feel the heat from his hand.It was very hot.


    "So, what you meant to say is that you still love me? It was fake that you wanted to divorce me five


    years ago.It was also fake that you asked me to abort the child.The pain and uneasiness I suffered


    were all fakes? Tell me, is that so?" Sophia asked.


    This time a trace of panic was in her voice.


    Her entire body was bound by him and she could not move.She could only raise her head and


    speak.She was even a little hysterical towards the end of her sentence and could not continue


    anymore.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    "I''m sorry¡± Patrick had thousands of words prepared in his heart, but he could not say them all.


    Patrick knew the weight of those three words.


    Once he said them, there was no way out.


    However, he knew that she needed to vent, and she needed to find a reason to vent her feelings.


    It was not difficult to calm her resentment and anger.


    It was difficult to heal the wound in her heart.


    For the first time in so many years, Patrick admitted that he had done something he was unsure of.


    Whether it was sess or failure, he had no way of knowing.


    They were both silent for a while.


    Sophia closed her eyes, and she suddenly felt exhausted.


    Just like the belief that had supported her for so many years had suddenly copsed.


    She waited for so many years and did not expect that he would only give her this exnation.


    What could an apology change? Could it change thest five years of her drifting from ce to ce


    and enduring many hardships at that time? Or was he doing it to clear his conscience? Sophia didn''t


    know what he was thinking at the moment.


    But why was love always so hurtful? Her body went soft all of a sudden, and she lost consciousness.


    When Sophia woke up, it was nighttime already.


    There was only the wallmp on the side of the bed in the room, which emitted dim yellow light.


    She looked around at the unfamiliar decorations in the room.


    She was slightly startled for a few moments.


    Everything in the room was orderly, symmetrical, and straightforward yet unexpectedly steady.


    The spaces between the furniture and theyout reflected the serious and rigorous style of doing


    things.


    The only person who could decorate like this was Patrick.


    Was this his home? She pulled the nket from her body and wanted to get out of bed only to find that


    the clothes on her body had been changed.


    The original gray dress had been changed into a man''s id shirt.


    The shirt was very long, about the same length as her skirt.


    But she was not wearing anything besides it.


    She walked barefoot but heard a low male voice.


    He was on the phone, and his voice was very low.


    "I know.After being separated for so long, it''s normal for her to have her own life," Patrick said on the


    phone.


    The other party seemed to ask something again, and he did not answer immediately.


    After a few seconds of silence, he still said, "Even if she gave birth to another man''s child, I don''t mind"


    Patrick continued.


    The other party spoke a lot more, and from his breathing, it could be seen that the other person was


    criticizing Patrick.


    He was silent until the other party hung up the phone.He seemed very upset and wanted to turn back


    to get the cigarette, but then he saw her.He walked over and said, "You''re already awake?"


    Sophia retreated and tried to avoid him.


    "Where are my clothes?"


    "Your clothes were wet with sweat, and I was worried that you would catch a cold if you continued


    wearing them."


    He calmly exined the reason for her change of clothes.


    He reached out his hand, and she continued to dodge, but he stubbornly checked her forehead.


    "The fever has finally subsided.After sleeping for a day, you must be hungry, right? What do you want


    to eat?" Patrick asked softly.


    The night after this big quarrel was a little confusing.


    They both had strong emotions in their hearts, but neither of them wanted to open that can of worms.


    Because the moment they touched it, they would be in so much pain that they would be drenched in


    blood.


    There were scars in their hearts that would bleed if they reopened them.


    He didn''t want to hate orin anymore when he was tired.He just wanted to hide and have a good


    sleep.


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    "I''m not hungry¡± Sophia shook her head and asked him, "Did you change my clothes?"


    Patrick didn''t deny it, and his smile was a little ring.


    In this world, only Patrick could say some hooligan things without offending people.It was the same as


    his confession of love.


    No one could resist him.


    The night wind blew into the floor-to-ceiling window, and she trembled because of the cold.


    She was holding back a cough and covered it with augh.


    "What are we doing?" Sophia asked.


    Were they ex-husband and wife or an employee and an employer? The definition was bing


    unclear, as well as the boundaries between them.


    It was just that even she did not know when it had unknowingly evolved into this.Patrick walked over,


    closed the window, and could not help but light a cigarette.


    "What do you want to eat?" He asked again.


    Sophia shook her head.


    "It''s toote.I want to go home."


    She felt exhausted.She wanted to forget her worries and sleep well in her bed.


    Patrick did not force her.He took the long coat from the sofa and put it on her.


    She refused, but he did not budge.


    "You''re not wearing anything behind that shirt.It is cold at night, and you might catch a cold" Patrick


    exined.


    When he said this, his expression was very natural.But he had different feelings when he was in


    Australia.


    She wore his long coat.She looked like a naughty child who stole someone else''s clothes.


    It did not fit her well, and it was also very long.


    When they arrived at her apartment building, Sophia did not utter a word.She just got off the car and


    went to the building entrance.She wrapped her clothes tightly, but she was still cold because of the cold


    wind.


    Her heart also felt cold.


    The following day, she also caught a cold.


    What was even funnier was that she had just recovered from one not long ago.


    She changed her clothes and was about to go to work, but she saw the shirt and the long coat on the


    rack by the door.


    They were wrinkled.


    She thought she ought to wash them first before returning them to him.


    When she arrived at the General Manager Office, Jenelyn saw Sophia and rushed over quickly.


    "How did you feel about being trapped in the same elevator with the president yesterday?"


    Sophia''s voice sounded heavy and hoarse, "It was difficult to be trapped in the same elevator with the


    president."


    "How could it be difficult?" Jenelyn didn''t believe her.


    That was the president! The dream lover of many female employees of the Evans Company.


    Staying in the same enclosed space with him, it would be a miracle if she didn''t faint.


    Jenelyn couldn''t help but doubt.


    "Sophia, to be honest, do you like women?"


    Sophia had just sat down, but she couldn''t help butugh when she heard this, "Yes, I like you!"


    Jenelyn shook the goosebumps on her body, "No, no, no.We cannot ruin such a beautiful scene.Don''t


    joke around!"


    Sophia shook her head, then buried her head in work.


    At half-past eleven, John came to the evaluation department and asked who was busy with work.


    Everyone looked at Sophia at the same time.


    Because she was a neer, she had the minor project documents in her hands.


    After calling her out, John instructed her, "Send this document to President Evans.He is now in the


    Evans Company.He has to go to the inspection project in the afternoon.It is not convenient for him to


    come back.You can go on a trip and give him these documents then!"


    It was official business, so Sophia had no reason to refuse.


    The other subsidiary of the Evans Company was in the eastern part of the city.


    The bus ride would take two hours if the traffic were good.To save time, John asked her to take a cab.


    When he saw her frown, he added, "He needs this sooner than you think: It took half an hour to get to


    the subsidiarypany by cab.After paying the fare, she got off the car and saw Patrick walking in her


    direction.He was talking to a group of people.She took a few steps forward with the documents in her


    hands and handed them to him, but he did not take them.


    "Come with me to inspect a projectter¡¯ Patrick said.


    The head of the subsidiarypany looked at her intently.


    Sophia got into Patrick''s car and sat side by side with him in the back seat.


    Only when he ordered the driver to drive away that she feel the ufortable gazes weaken.


    Patrick''s legs were crossedzily.His hands held the document she brought over.


    He frowned and carefully flipped through it.


    There was only silence in the car.


    The department manager quickly handed over the safety hats when they arrived at the inspection site.


    This was a film and television center that the Evans Company was building.


    Thepany itself relied on media to start its business and expand its new territory.


    Of course, there was nothing wrong with it.


    The building was expected to have one hundred and eighty floors.


    It was envisioned to be higher than the revolving restaurant they went tost time.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    It was bound to be anotherndmark building in Frostford City.


    Sophia followed behind Patrick professionally and astutely.


    asionally, she would hand over documents and sometimes take them from him.


    After spending a long time in the General Manager Office, she would always hear her colleagues tease


    Patrick for being a working machine.


    He had already umted an impressive amount of wealth at such a young age.


    What other people didn''t know was how hard he worked.


    Before, she didn''t understand.


    Until now, he followed the manager and the construction site director to inspect the ce.


    The road hadn''t been repaired yet, and it was full of dirt and sand.


    When the wind blew, it rolled up a cloud of dust.


    He didn''t frown but seriously discussed what to pay attention to and what to do next with the manager.


    From a public expense exchange student to today''smercial noble, he went through a lot before he


    had everything.


    Sophia felt that it was too hard to imagine.


    It took them three hours to do a round of inspections on the construction site.


    Although Sophia wore short heels, she walked for a long time and now had blisters on her feet.


    It was excruciating to walk.


    In addition, she did not have the time to eat lunch before she was sent to deliver documents to Patrick.


    She was now hungry and thirsty.


    As a result, when Patrick and the on-site construction manager arrived at the next inspection point,


    Sophiagged and was still twenty meters away from them.


    It was unknown what the two were talking about.


    Patrick subconsciously stretched his hands back, preparing Sophia to hand over the documents.


    When he turned around, he saw that she was limping over.


    Gritting her teeth, Sophia tried to run.


    She was sweating from the pain.


    If not for the safety hat helping to block the sweat, she would have been discovered a while back.


    Patrick didn''t say anything.


    He took the document, pointed at the blueprint, and then pointed at the construction site.


    They talked about professional matters, and Sophia did not understand the terms they used in their


    conversation.


    After a long while, Patrick said, "Let''s stop here for today.The most important thing for this construction


    site is still personal safety.You must make sure that the workers know the safety measures while


    working.I don''t want any idents to happen."


    The construction manager nodded in agreement.


    Patrick talked to him for a while before he prepared to leave.He put the document in Sophia''s hand and


    said, "Let''s go."


    Sophia nodded, thinking that it was finally over.


    On the road, only the two of them were left.He was in the front, and she had been behind him all the


    time.


    His footsteps were not fast, but she was far behind because her feet were sore and too painful.


    Patrick seemed to ask her something.


    But she was far away and could not hear him clearly.She wanted to take two steps forward to catch up,


    but he turned around already.


    He asked, "Are your shoes worn out?"


    Sophia bit her lip.


    "It doesn''t matter.I can still walk."


    Patrick grunted in agreement and continued to walk forward, but his pace was much slower.


    This way, she could keep up with him.


    When they arrived at the car, Patrick raised his wrist and looked at his watch.


    It was already half past four in the afternoon.


    Unknowingly, they had already spent a lot of time in this ce.


    After getting in the car, he asked her, "What do you want to eat?"


    "Aren''t we going straight back to thepany?"


    Sophia was puzzled.Her foot was now very painful, and she didn''t want to go anywhere else.She just


    wanted to go back to thepany to stamp a time out and then go straight home.


    "Well, let''s have a meal first¡± Patrick insisted.


    He told the driver the restaurant''s address and didn''t give her any chance to refute at all.


    Soon, the car stopped slowly outside a restaurant.


    Sophia looked through the window.


    From the looks of it, it was not a high-end restaurant.


    The exterior decorations were not very good, but she could see that the owner had put her heart into it


    from the intricate details.


    When they entered the restaurant, not many people were eating in the hall.


    Many of the customers seemed like they were students.


    The restaurant owner was a woman, and she looked like she was in her thirties.


    Patrick seemed toe here often as even the waitress acted enthusiastic to him.


    "Yo, Patrick, this is the first time you brought your girlfriend over for a meal?" The woman asked.


    Sophia was surprised.She called him Patrick.


    Because they were familiar with each other, it was impossible that she did not know that he had a


    fiancee.


    Soon, the waitress came out with a tray, which contained two exquisite dishes of simple soup and rice.


    "The madam here is lovely.You look good together with her, Patrick¡± the woman said with a smile as


    she brought their food to the table.


    Sophia was embarrassed, but Patrick introduced her, "This is my sister, Kirstine, and she is Sophia


    Hill."


    Sister? Patrick had a sister? She had known him for so many years, but she had never heard him


    mention her.


    "Hello, Miss Hill¡¯ Kirstine greeted her politely.She swept a nce at Patrick with a look of understanding


    in her heart.


    Sophia recovered herposure quickly and politely said, "You don''t have to call me Miss Hill, just call


    me Sophia."


    Patrick took the spoon and fork and handed them to Sophia.


    "In a while, go to the room with my sister to clean your feet.The size of your shoes is simr to hers.Let


    her find you a pair offortable shoes¡± Sophia was still hesitating when she heard Kirstine say, "It


    doesn''t matter, Sophia.It is my pleasure to help you, no need to thank me."


    Just like that, she was brought upstairs to Kirstine''s room.


    Kirstine was a person with a gentle personality.


    They were almost the same in that aspect.Thus, there was a sense of familiarity between them.


    Kirstine''s room was decorated in a very feminine manner.


    The color theme was primarily pink.


    From this, Sophia deduced that Kirstine was a simpleton.


    "Sophia, you can sit anywhere you want.I''ll bring the medicine box to you first, and then I''ll find you a


    pair offortable shoes" Kirstine said graciously.


    Kirstine was busy, and Sophia felt embarrassed.


    "Sorry for the trouble."


    "What trouble? Patrick''s friend is my friend.Besides, you are the first girlfriend he brought here for me


    to see"


    Kirstine said happily.


    Sophia pretended not to understand the hint in Kirstine''s words.


    Kirstine should know that Patrick had an ex-wife and knew that it was her.


    However, Kirstine was smart, and she was afraid that Sophia would be embarrassed, so she did not


    pry into it.


    "Maybe he is too busy to bring someone over" Sophia said.


    "Yes, he is very busy.I can count on one hand the number of times I see him all year round" Kirstine


    comined.


    "Put it on and see if it fits your feet; Kirstine said as she took a pair of slippers.It was a pair of white


    slippers with no restraints around them.It lookedfortable to wear, and the size seemed fitting too.It


    appeared that Kirstine had chosen the slippers properly.Thebel on the slippers hadn''t been removed


    yet.


    It was a brand new one.


    Kirstine saw that Sophia was hesitant to take it.


    So she said, "Put it on.I have a lot of these.I usually buy a lot every month but I can''t wear them all,


    after all.I still have a lot of these in the cab that I haven''t even worn just yet."


    Unable to resist Kirstine''s enthusiasm, Sophia thanked her and put it on.


    Sophia got up and took tentative steps.She saw many photos hanging next to the cab.


    They were all from Patrick when he was young.


    He looked nice and warm, and there was even a smile on his lips.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    "At that time¡± Patrick was still in high school.


    Before his mother met an ident, you could see that he still had a smile on his face, Kirstine narrated.


    "His mother?" Sophia asked.


    She sensed the ambiguity in Kirstine''s words.


    "Yes, Patrick and I share the same father but different mother¡¯ Kirstine exined.


    Sophia nodded in understanding, but then she heard Kirstine say, "His grades in school were excellent,


    and he almost couldn''t hold all the awards he took home every year.In his second year of high school,


    he was epted by Melbourne University.


    Then, he left for five years.


    "I heard him say that you and he met in Australia?" Kirstine asked tentatively.


    "Yes, I was also in Australia many years ago" Sophia answered.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    She didn''t mention what happened in the past, nor did she talk about how she and Patrick met each


    other.She didn''t want to recall those memories and she knew that she shouldn''t live on them.


    Sophia had just been quietly listening the whole time.She only nodded and answered when she heard


    Kirstine asked a question.


    Meanwhile, Kirstine stared at Sophia.


    Sunlight shone in from outside the window and hit her face, which looked so soft and must have been


    comfortable to touch.


    Sophia''s beauty was simple but it surely made people stare at her for a long time.She felt that Sophia


    was at the peak of her youth.She was mature, confident, and beautiful.


    However, she was not ostentatious.


    She was elegant like a cup of tea, full of fragrance, and would never lose its essence even after along


    time.


    Perhaps now, Kirstine finally understood, that only with Sophia could Patrick throw away all doubts in


    his heart and let down his guard.


    With Sophia, Patrick could be himself.


    It was as if she possessed some kind of magical power.


    Being with her would give one a full sense of security.


    Kirstine saw that Sophia''s gaze didn''t move away from the photos, so she walked to her side.


    She smiled as she took one of the pictures from the wall and handed it to Sophia.


    Her words were somewhat emotional.


    "To tell you honestly, Patrick has a wounded heart.Outside, it seems like everything''s fine.With money


    and power in hand, you''ll think he can get everything he wanted.But the truth is, the things he wanted


    the most had always eluded him¡± Sophia lowered her gaze.


    In the photo that Kirstine handed over, a young Patrick was wearing a school uniform.


    His white shirt under the sun shone with exquisite light.


    There was a smile on his face.


    Though it was very faint, she could tell that it was genuine.


    Sophia took another look before returning the photo frame to Kirstine.


    She smiled and said, "Life is long.He still has plenty of time to get what he wants, there''s no hurry;


    Sophia said, trying to lighten up the mood.She couldn''t understand why Kirstine was telling her


    this.Perhaps she wanted to let her know subtly that Patrick had not been happy these past few years.


    But women always had the ability to understand fellow women more clearly than men.


    Kirstine was an intelligent and rational woman, full of emotions.


    She should be able to understand that there was no love for no reason, nor would there be hatred for


    no reason.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    ¡®Only after love will there be hatred.Will there be forgiveness after hatred?¡¯


    ¡®Life is so long, God knows what will happen?¡¯


    All these thoughts whirled around Sophia''s mind.


    ¡®Perhaps, only God knows the result!¡¯


    "But maybe you''re right.After all, it can be lonely being in a high position.That''s where he is now,


    right?"


    Sophia teased.


    Kirstine simply smiled at her and thought, ¡®Sophia''s a woman who knows how to leave a way out for


    herself.If Patrick won''t do his best efforts, it will only be in vain¡±


    ¡®If he wants to win her back, he should give all his time and energy¡¯ Kirstine helped her younger


    brother summarize the key point to improve his rtionship with his ex-wife.


    "L really like you, Sophia, '''' Kirstine said warmly.


    "Can we still keep in touch?" she asked.


    Kirstine was very kind to her even though they just met.


    She seemed to be a calm and quiet woman that would tell honest words from the bottom of her heart,


    and Sophia liked that kind of personality.


    So, she couldn''t refuse Kirstine''s request, even though she knew her intentions.


    Additionally, the more she refused, the more it would seem that she still hadn''t let go of her past.She


    hated this.


    The feeling of being at a disadvantage, especially if it was in front of Patrick''s family.


    So, she just smiled timidly and nodded at Kirstine.


    It was really ufortable for her to keep in touch with her ex-husband''s sister.


    Though she didn''t refuse now, it didn''t mean that she would always respond to her invitation.


    Moreover, as long as they didn''t meet, she could just say that she was busy as an excuse to refuse.


    Simple as that.


    ¡®¡¯This will work¡± Sophia thought.


    It was reasonable and both of them wouldn''t be ufortable about it.


    Sophia noticed that it was already dark outside.


    So, she looked at her watch and saw that it was already eight o''clock in the evening.


    Sophia remembered her promise to her mother that she would go to the hospital tonight.


    "I''m sorry but I should be going now" She told Kirstine.


    "I need to visit my mother at the hospital."


    "Oh, is that so? I''m so sorry for taking your time"


    Kirstine apologized and Sophia waved her hands telling her not to worry.


    Before they went back, Kirstine suddenly asked, "By the way, if you don''t mind, can I ask you to go


    shopping with me during the weekend?"


    Another request that Sophia knew she wouldn''t be able to refuse, so she just nodded again, almost


    mechanically.


    "All right" she said.


    She didn''t know if Kirstine really needed someone to apany her while shopping but she hoped


    that she didn''t notice her perfunctory action.


    When they went downstairs, Sophia didn''t see Patrick around anymore.She thought that he might have


    already left.


    After all, there were manypany matters to handle.


    As the president, it was rare for him to be idle! Sophia walked out of the door and turned around to


    thank Kirstine.


    "When we go shopping this weekend, I will buy you a pair of slippers."


    She looked down for a second and then, back to Kirstine.


    "You haven''t even worn this pair, and I''m already wearing it, '''' she added and grinned sheepishly.


    After all, they only just met, so it was difficult for Sophia to ept the slippers without getting anxious.


    In addition to that, she knew that Kirstine helped her out on behalf of Patrick.


    Without knowing the whole story, other people would think that Sophia was purposely trying to get


    close to Patrick''s family.


    But Kirstine was, indeed, an intelligent woman.


    She quickly dispelled Sophia''s doubts by saying, "You don''t have to treat me like a stranger,


    Sophia.When I asked for you toe shopping with me or when I gave you those pair of slippers, I


    was just being friendly.You don''t have to think too much about it.Let''s just take things naturally, shall


    we?"


    Sophia only smiled.


    She didn''t really know what to say but, eventually, she said, "Thank you for your slippers.They are very


    comfortable"


    Kirstine smiled back.


    She was about to say something but was interrupted when her phone rang.She picked it up.


    Although Sophia didn''t know who was on the other end of the line, it wasn''t hard to guess from


    Kirstine''s expression that it must be Patrick.


    "Yeah, she needs to visit her mother at the hospital, but she is still here"


    Kirstine nced at Sophia.


    She didn''t know what Patrick was saying on the other line but whatever it was, it made Kirstine frown.


    "Okay, thene over, but don''t drive too fast"


    Kirstine hung up and turned to Sophia.


    "Patrick said that he had some business around the neighborhood; she said while pocketing her phone.


    "But he''s done now and he said he''ll drive you to the hospital."


    Sophia was about to refuse, but before she could do that, the sound of a brake sounded on the road


    five meters away from them.


    Patrick got out of the car and walked towards the two women.


    He obviously had a drink.


    His eyes were dark and gloomy, and they were particrly obvious under the streetlights.


    When Kirstine saw himing towards them, she found this as an excuse to return to the restaurant


    first, leaving the space for the two of them.


    "What did you two talk about that it took you a long time toe back down?" Patrick asked.


    He stood opposite her with his back to the streetmp.


    Against the light, his expression seemed vague.


    She could only smell the mixed scent of his shaving water and smoke emanating from him.


    "Just a story about people that cannot have their cake and eat it at the same time," she simply replied,


    but Patrick knew what Sophia was talking about.


    It was a popr saying which meant that you cannot have the best of both worlds.


    Through her bright eyes, he could always capture her various emotions.


    Quiet, warm, and sensitive.


    These were the adjectives that could describe Sophia''s temperament.


    But for some reason, he always failed to capture her true feelings.


    "If you were to choose, what would you pick? Sess or love?" He could not help but ask.


    "I won''t choose anything, because, in the end, it won''t belong to me!" Sophia smiled.


    He was silent.


    He wanted to take out his cigarette but he realized that he left it in his car.


    A frown spread on his face out of irritation.


    In the end, Sophia found herself sitting inside his car, looking at the shing neon lights outside the


    window, and for a moment she was amazed at herself.


    How brave she was for getting inside a car with a drunk driver.


    Would this be considered as ying with fire? However, this was only in her mind.


    She would not say it out loud.


    And to be honest, even if he was drunk, he could still drive the car steadily, though the elerator was


    a little heavy.


    Patrick suddenly rolled down the window and let the night wind blow in.


    Sophia couldn''t help but shrink back because of this.


    "It''s cold," Sophia reminded him with a frown.


    Patrick didn''t say anything and just silently rolled up the window.


    There it was again, that strange twist in his heart that he couldn''t figure out.


    It seemed that she really meant it when she said she wouldn''t choose either between sess or love.


    Well, he always knew that she was an understanding, mature, and rational woman.


    She was not the type to envy other people just because they had what she didn''t have.


    But it was just that deep in his heart, he wished that sometimes she could be the opposite.


    He hoped that she would be a little confused or greedy, even just for once.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    If she could be that kind of person, he could have an excuse.


    But now that she was like this, he simply had no chance of giving her any information.


    At the entrance of the hospital, Sophia got out of the car and stopped by the driver''s window side.


    She thanked Patrick out of courtesy.


    "Thank you for the pair of slippers!"


    She wondered that if he had led her directly to the mall to make her buy a new pair of footwear, they


    wouldn''t end up like this.


    Of course, if Patrick did that, then she wouldn''t agree.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t.


    Instead, he led her to his sister.


    Well, she could clearly see the reason now.


    This was indeed more favorable to him than the one she wanted to happen.


    Why? Because Sophia and Kirstine were too simr.


    Sophia would understand her more than him.


    He needed someone to be a bridge right now, and her sister was obviously the perfect choice.


    "Why does it seem like he has suddenly be enlightened about this kind of thing? Did someone


    give him pointers?¡¯ Sophia wondered.


    Patrick opened the car door and got out of the car.


    He stood in front of her, face-to-face, and looked her in the eyes.


    "Sophia, do you know what the consequences are once a man desires a woman?" He asked with a


    serious face.


    Why was he asking this? Perhaps, was he trying to say that¡­ he wants her? What was there for him to


    want? Her looks were very ordinary.


    If she was thrown into a crowd, it would be impossible for her to be picked out.


    She was the kind of person that would never stand out.


    Maybe it was her body? No, he had already obtained that long ago.


    Where was this desireing from then? Sophia couldn''t understand him.


    Patrick suddenly felt the urge to smoke, so he went back to the car and lit up a cigarette.


    When he turned back to face her again, Sophia''s gaze followed the smoke drifting away, passing in


    front of his dark and intimidating eyes.


    "I don''t give a damn about the price¡± Patrick said, not waiting anymore for her to answer his question.


    He was expecting her to be scared of what he said, but she onlyughed.


    "No matter what the price is, there is nothing you cannot afford¡¯ she said, "you have the money,


    authority, and status.It is just easy as moving your fingers if you want a woman.Tell me if I''m wrong"


    "Unfortunately, yes, you''re wrong."


    Patrick paused to puff at his cigarette and exhale the smoke.


    "I want that woman to be willing."


    Sophia could tell that he drank too much tonight.


    This was a meaningless debate.


    She took a step back and tried to leave but he immediately caught her wrist and she was pulled back.


    It all happened too fast, she didn''t have much time to react.


    His soft lips touched hers and she felt his right palm holding the back of her head firmly, almost as if he


    didn''t want to let go.


    Something snapped in her mind and her chest felt heavy, She blinked a couple of times, for her eyes


    felt painful and bitter.


    His kiss went from shallow to deep, and then from deep to shallow again.


    His lips brushed against hers tenderly and full of affection, which was extremely inconsistent with his


    usually indifferent personality.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    The heat of the kiss was scorching but the lips that were touching hers were cold.


    The man kissing him was drunk and she waspletely sober.


    Suddenly, Patrick felt her protesting against him.He didn''t even flinch, maybe because of the alcohol,


    but he only knew that he didn''t want to let her go at this moment.He didn''t want to stop.


    Not until he felt a warm liquid when he touched her face, and so he slowly ended the kiss.


    Their lips parted with several silver threads between them.


    She felt him lean down to rest his forehead against hers, and his hands touched her face to wipe away


    her tears.


    Sophia''s eyes were shut and the only thing she could hear was his breath, which was slightly erratic.


    "That night, in Hillwood City¡± Patrick said.


    "Do you know why I managed to control myself from touching you?"


    Sophia slowly opened her eyes and looked at his frowning delicate face which was very near to hers,


    their noses were almost touching.


    Looking again into her eyes, they seemed to ask him, ¡®didn''t you say that you were afraid of wronging


    me?¡¯


    Patrick didn''t break eye contact when he continued to say, ¡®Afraid of wronging you is one aspect.I


    remember when we first rented a room in Australia, you told me not to touch you if there was already a


    woman that owns either my heart or body because I wouldn''t be aplete person by then.But there


    was no one who owned either of the two at the time.I touched you since no one owned either my heart


    or body back then.Not even Adriana."


    "But it''s different in Hillwood City, Patrick continued.


    "I was already engaged to Adriana.No matter from which angle you look at it, it was inappropriate that


    you gave yourself to me that night"


    Sophia understood what he said.


    Once there was physical contact between men and women, their feelings would definitely change.


    Especially women.


    Every time they fall for a man, it was not different from their first times.


    The feeling of ecstasy from spending the night and connecting bodies would never be forgotten.


    If she really wanted the man, his touch would be etched in the deepest recesses of her heart and mind.


    Perhaps most women had this kind of mindset.


    As long as the man was loyal, she would be the same.


    There was no exception.


    ¡®So, what exactly does he want to say?¡¯ Sophia wondered.


    Patrick was silent for a few seconds before he slowly opened his mouth.


    "Sophia, I''m still the same man you met in Australia.There was no other woman in my heart.It has


    always been empty until you came back.."


    "These days, I didn''t know what to do with you, but I have been thinking carefully.I know that you have


    feelings for me, and I also know that you understand what I mean.Don''t say that I never thought of


    firing you.I thought about it.When you first entered Evans Enterprise, I thought that I wouldn''t mind and


    that! could be calm like usual.For five years, I thought that making myself busy would suppress


    everything.But, when I identally discovered Finn''s secret and saw you take that diamond ne I


    gave you as coteral, everything just went out of hand.I couldn''t control it anymore"


    "I began to pay attention to everything you do.You work life, your emotions, everything.That''s when I


    realized that I wanted to get close to you again.If you''re not in my sight, I would feel empty.I would miss


    you so much that I couldn''t focus on my work anymore.I couldn''t keep myself busy.Otherwise, I would


    end up thinking about you."


    Patrick paused to take a deep breath and then continued, "However, I knew that you were better than


    me in this aspect.When ites to feelings you always deal with them neatly and decisively.I thought


    about that and did not dare to act rashly.


    "But just as you said, it seemed that you no longer love me.I was indeed unwilling and ufortable


    but in my heart, I knew it wasn''t just that"


    "As I told you, I have been thinking carefully about all of these.I realized that in my heart, I am terribly


    afraid.I''m afraid of what would happen to me if I didn''t manage to get you back.Please forgive me,


    Sophia.For asking you toe back, despite all that happened between us in the past.Please


    understand that I am being sincere here."


    He practically begged her but Sophia was too stunned to speak.


    Then, he carefully examined her face before saying, "There will be a celebration for thepany''s


    tenth anniversary.After that, I can take a few days off and go back to Australia.Will youe with me?"


    Sophia met his gaze but remained silent.


    He gulped.


    "We could talk about everything that has happened five years ago and we''ll share whatever burden you


    have inside, okay?"


    Frostford City was rich, and it was here where the Evans family ruled.


    The world envied him for being affluent and the most sessful man in town.


    However, they did not know that he could also be helpless.


    There were many people that were far more capable than him.


    He wasn''t the best at everything.


    In the business world, any careless mistake would consign him to eternal damnation.


    He had no choice but to be careful in calcting his every step in order to protect him and hispany


    against any trouble that woulde at any time.


    Thinking about it clearly now, he realized that he had always been dealing with his problems from his


    own perspective.


    He never once thought that he could be the problem.


    The one who was wrong.


    But now, he definitely felt that he was in the wrong.He held his breath, waiting for a response from the


    woman in front of him.


    Sophia wanted a bit of time to think about it first.She tried to push him slightly but he did not allow her


    to move one bit.


    His hands tightly restrained her.


    She could do nothing but re at him.


    Patrick saw it but he merely smiled and kissed her forehead with the softest touch, like a dragonfly


    skimming the surface of the water.


    Although her thoughts were all over the ce, she still tried to summarize the meaning of his words


    earlier.


    He meant that he did not love Adriana.


    All these years, he made himself busy with work.


    When she came back from abroad, he thought that he could face her without any problem.


    However, he did not expect that things would go out of control because of Finn and that ne.


    After that interaction, he realized that he was still madly in love with her and no matter how hard he


    tried, he was never able to forget her.


    Now, he was asking for forgiveness? He wanted her toe with him to Australia and listen to his


    exnation about what happened five years ago?

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    However, Sophia managed to retain her senses.


    A bitter smile crept up to her face and then sheughed mockingly.


    "So what if you tell me about everything that happened five years ago? Even if I forgive you, will that


    change anything? Will you leave Adriana? Will you stay with me without hesitation?"


    Sophia already knew the answer.


    It wouldn''t change anything.


    If the answer to all her questions were yes, then she wouldn''t have been hurt five years ago.


    That was why she didn''t need to hear his exnation.


    After all, was there a difference between whether it was exined to her or not? Although she


    convinced herself like this, she still felt an unknown emotion stir in her heart.She wasn''tpletely


    indifferent to the idea.


    Was it anxiety or something else? Sophia couldn''t deduce it.


    A long slim finger pressed against her lips.


    "Shh."


    Patrick''s thin pink lips started moving, releasing a deep husky voice as he said, "When we arrive at


    Australia and you''re still not happy with all of this, I promise that I will not force you and I will follow


    what you want"


    The temptation in his words was too great.


    No matter how hard Sophia tried to disguise her real feelings, she had to admit that she hadn''t


    forgotten about what happened five years ago.


    She wanted to know, but, at the same time, she was afraid to know.


    It might seem contradictory and nonsensical, but that was the most urate description of what she


    was feeling at the moment.


    Outside the shop across the hospital, the old stereo outside suddenly started ying.


    It was a ssic love song duet from the ¡®80s.


    "Love is a problem that makes people dizzy~"


    "It may be possible to forget the pain, but it''s not possible to forget you~"


    "You have never really left.You''re always here in my heart~"


    "I still have feelings for you, but there''s nothing I can do about myself~"


    "Because like how I still have dreams, I still ce you in my heart~"


    "It''s always easy to be moved by the memories, and it always hurts for you~"


    Perhaps it was because the mood of the song matched Sophia''s state of mind at this moment, but she


    felt like the lyrics perfectly matched the description of her rtionship with Patrick.


    Eight o''clock at night.


    Frostford City.


    The crowds still bustled, the traffic was still knitted, and the lights from shops, streets, and cars still


    shed like flowing stars.


    In the middle of high-rise buildings, two figures stood in the middle of it.


    A woman was held tightly in the arms of a man, looking very intimate.


    For quite a while, Sophia remained stunned on the side of the road.


    Only when Patrick''s car disappeared from her sight did she regain her senses.


    She turned around, hesitantly took a step, and slowly walked towards the hospital building.


    The image of his face was stuck in her mind.


    She felt like her mouth was still full of his residual taste.


    Deep inside, she still thought of the bittersweet words he had told her.


    He said, "With every day that passes by, my mncholy deepens and my heart bes emptier.I am


    always distracted, even when I''m working.But it''s not because I am thinking of you that I am often


    distracted.It''s because I am missing you."


    She silently repeated to herself, ¡®But it''s not because I am thinking of you that I am often distracted.


    It''s because I am missing you¡¯ She repeated to herself again, ¡®But it''s not because I am thinking of you


    that I am often distracted.It''s because I am missing you: Sophia took a deep breath as she berated


    herself, ¡®All he said were those cliche cheesy words.Why am I already like this?¡¯ Sophia berated


    herself.


    It became obvious that she had underestimated herself.


    Her mood inexplicably became a lot better.


    If someone asked her who got her smiling like this, she wouldn''t know how to answer.


    When Sophia entered her mother''s ward, she saw her mother standing by the open window as she


    looked outside.


    At that angle, Maria could see the entrance of the hospital where Patrick had hugged her daughter.


    She walked over towards her mother''s bed.


    Her hand reached for her mother''s hand that rested on the windowsill.


    It felt a bit cold and almost didn''t feel like a living person''s temperature.


    Maria turned around and withdrew her hand.


    Without a smile on her face, she went to her bed and sat on its edge.


    Sophia thought she might have felt cold so she hurriedly closed the window.


    With no smile on her face, she walked to the bedside and sat down.


    Sophia thought that she had caught a cold and hurriedly closed the window.


    She told her mother, "The wind is cold at night.Don''t always stand by the window and expose yourself


    to the cold wind outside."


    After Sophia closed the window, she walked to her mother and sat down next to her.


    There was a smile on her face as she said, "Are you angry? I had something to do earlier, so I came


    late"


    "You don''t even have a boyfriend.Is there anything that can even dy you?"


    Maria''s tone was cold.


    Sophia didn''t reply right away.She tucked her mother''s scattered hair behind her ears.


    It was only now did she realize how much her mother had changed.


    Maria lost a lot of weight and now looked way more haggard than before.


    Her originally shiny ck hair had turned dull and some of the strands turned white.


    Sophia felt her eyes sting.


    She tilted her bady, leaning on her mother''s shoulder, closing her eyes in satisfaction as she felt her


    warmth.


    "Mom, you''re good enough for me.I just know that even if I remain single for the rest of my life, as long


    as I have you and Emma with me, I''m happy"


    Maria''s face was a little pale.


    She sighed and said, "That''s enough then.Hurry and get up, your head is so heavy"


    Sophia pretended to not hear her.


    On contrary, she hugged Maria even tighter and rubbed herself to her mother like a spoiled child.


    "Ah, sweetie, it''s not that Mom wants to talk about you.It has been a few years, and you are always like


    this.Is it so difficult to find a suitable partner? What will you do if Mom doesn''t wake up one day?"


    Maria choked a few times when he said this.


    Sophia tilted her head.


    The tears she tried to hold back escaped from the corners of her eyes, falling on her mother''s shoulder.


    Her arms were still tightly wrapped around her mother and her hands were rubbing back and forth on


    one side of her mother''s arm in an attempt tofort her.


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    "Mom, don''t always worry about me.I''m fine.All you have to do is take care of yourself and rx.Okay?"


    Maria nodded, and her hand stroked Sophia''s face.


    "My poor child."


    Her mother''s hands felt warm and kind.


    She really wanted to snuggle in her mother''s arms forever, fantasizing that she was a child again.


    She silently prayed in her heart.


    ''Mom, as long as you''re healthy and safe, I''m willing to give up my lifespan in exchange for a hundred


    years of good life for you! It was already ten o''clock in the evening when Sophia left the hospital.


    Originally, Sophia wanted to stay in the hospital for the night.


    Anyway, she could just directly go to thepany the next day.


    Maria firmly refused.


    First, there was no bed for her in the ward.


    Second, Maria felt that Sophia always had a fresh face which was one of the reasons why she couldn''t


    find a boyfriend.


    By fresh, she didn''t mean it positively.


    Maria meant she was in and she should at least change into good clothes and wear light make-up.


    She had plenty of male colleagues in thepany.


    There was a chance- a chance that someone would like her.It was said that.


    ¡®Mother is always right.Even if she''s wrong, she''s right¡¯ Sophia didn''t mean that Maria was wrong but


    that she finally understood thetter part of that saying.


    When she got home, Sophia took a simple shower, theny on the bed.She took out her mobile phone


    and sent a message to Fiona.


    Sophia: [Princess Fiona, are you asleep?]


    As Sophia felt it wasn''t enough, she added two smiling faces at the end of her message.Fiona did not


    take long to reply.


    Fiona: [Not yet.Why? Does Miss Hills have any instructions?]


    Sophia looked at the bright screen, thought for a long time, and typed a series of words.


    Sophia: [Today, I was assigned to go with Patrick to the construction site to patrol the project.I wore


    short heels and walked on an uneven road which resulted in my feet getting blisters.He probably


    noticed that I was ufortable, so he took me to his sister.Then his sister gave me new footwear.I''ve


    known him for so long, yet I never knew that he had a sibling.You tell me, isn''t that so tragic? ]


    Five minutes after Sophia sent the message, Fiona still hadn''t replied.Sophia assumed that she had


    fallen asleep so she was about to send a good night message when Fiona sent a message over.


    Fiona: [I just went to the bathroom and found out that my monthly visitor came to see me.Is his sister


    beautiful? To be honest, since Patrick is so handsome, his sister must not be bad.Fickle emoji.Fickle


    emoji.]


    Sophia frowned, her fingers quickly typed a series of words on the keyboard.


    [Shouldn''t your focus be on the fact that he has a sibling? Surprise emoji.]


    When Fiona received the message, she quickly replied.


    [Then let me ask you, five years ago, besides knowing that his mother was in poor health and that his


    father was an official who failed in his business venture, what else do you know? What else did he tell


    you?]

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    Sophia thought for a moment, only to find that she could not think of anything.She thought self-


    deprecatingly that perhaps, right from the start until the end, she had never be a part of Patrick''s


    world.


    After chatting for a bit more, she and Fiona said goodnight to each other.


    Sophia didn''t turn off the lights.She looked up at the ceiling and recalled everything that had happened


    today.She felt that it was like a slow-motion scene in a movie.


    It kept reying in her head.


    Patrick said, "I thought about it carefully.It was a kind of fear.I was afraid that you would no longer want


    me and love me.Please forgive my hindsight"


    He also said, "Sophia, in a few days, thepany''s ten-anniversary celebration will begin.After that, I


    can take a few days off, and you can go back to Australia with me.I will tell you everything that


    happened five years ago, and then we can shoulder the burden together, okay?"


    Then he added, "If you are not satisfied with all of the exnations when we arrive in Australia, I will


    not force you.I swear."


    After he forced her into this kind of situation in their rtionship, this seemed to be the only remaining


    path for them to walk on.


    She was not sure if this was goad or not, but Australia was where they began, and perhaps it would


    also be the final ce to end everything.


    At this time, the cell phone next to the pillow vibrated a few more times.


    Sophia thought that Fiona had sent something again, but when she looked at it, Patrick sent her the


    text message.


    [Are you asleep? Sophia, I miss you!]


    She did not know if Patrick was still drunk or he was deliberately ying ambiguous with her to bother


    her heart.


    She remembered Patrick saying, "Sophia, I miss you!"


    This sentence was like a lifetime ago.


    The following day was cloudy, and the air was a little stuffy as the clouds threatened to pour rain over


    thend.


    Sophia washed up and changed her clothes.


    When she passed by the hall cab, she remembered that the coat and the shirt she borrowed from


    him were still with her.She had already washed it and ced it in the bag.She was thinking of finding


    the perfect opportunity to return it to him.


    ¡®Why don''t I give it to him today?¡¯ she asked herself.


    The miracle was that a few people were on the bus, and there was no need to stand.


    This was already exciting enough for an ordinary office worker.She found a seat near a window and sat


    down.She had always known that this city was huge and prosperous, but she had never taken a proper


    look at it ever since she returned to the country.


    Today, she suddenly became interested and perused the city carefully.She realized that other than it


    was always raining here, there was nothing terrible about it.


    The temperature was excellent, and it was spring all year round.


    Except for the snow and fallen leaves, everything seemed to be perfect.


    This weather was like Patrick.


    He was a very good person, except that it was impossible to read his mind and intention when doing


    things.


    After getting off the bus and just taking two steps forward, Patrick''s car approached slowly from the


    back of the bus and stopped in front of Sophia.


    The driver got out of the car and opened the door for him.


    He stepped out of the vehicle.


    This time of the day had always been the rush hour for thepany.


    The employees about to enter the building abruptly stopped to greet Patrick.


    Sophia held the bag of clothes in her hand and hid behind the crowd.


    Was it awkward? A little.


    Apart from being embarrassed, she also seemed to be a little helpless.


    Although she didn''t know whether his words were true or not, no matter who he said it to, they couldn''t


    resist believing him for a while.


    Moreover, she, Sophia, was the most ordinary woman among all the ordinary women.


    When she walked to the elevator entrance, Sophia was still standing behind the crowd of people,


    quietly waiting for the elevator.


    She was somewhat lost in her thoughts.


    Only when her phone vibrated did shee back to her senses.


    [Come to the special elevator]


    It was Patrick.


    Sophia didn''t move.She didn''t want to go over there.


    Two secondster, her phone vibrated again.


    [If you don''te, I will go to you.I will do what I say.]


    It was still him again.


    Sophia frowned.


    Patrick was a man of his word.


    She had no choice but to walk over there.


    Jenelyn had just arrived at the elevator entrance and saw that the elevator had just arrived.


    Jenelyn noticed that Sophia had left.She wanted to call out, but she was afraid that she wouldn''t be


    able to squeeze in.


    Jenelyn thought about it for a while but didn''t open her mouth.


    Patrick''s dedicated elevator was set at the corner of each floor.


    It was a sealed space.


    Perhaps he had already considered the President''s elevator when the building was designed.


    The quieter it was, the better.


    He leaned against the elevator wall with his hands crossed over his chest.He was wearing the blue


    checkered shirt Sophia gave him and wore a light blue tie.His entire being looked nobler, like a prince


    charming.


    "What''s that in your hand?"Patrick asked.


    Sophia felt that he was too at ease when talking to her, which naturally made her ufortable.


    She handed the bag over with one hand.


    Sophia replied, "I washed the clothes I borrowed from your apartmentst time.I am returning them to


    you now"


    Patrick did not take it but asked her, "Did you wash it with your hands?"


    Sophia nodded.


    His clothes were all handmade.


    If she didn''t hand wash them, they would be ruined.


    "How long did you wash it with your hands?" he asked again.


    Sophia frowned, "How long does it take to clean a piece of garment? I washed it until it¡¯s clean, of


    course"


    All of a sudden, Patrick stood up straight and took two steps towards her.


    Then he leaned over and looked at her from above with a smile.


    "Sophia, did you not see the text message fromst night? I said I missed you, and I wanted to spend


    more time with you¡± Patrick stood too close to herfort.


    The breath that fanned her face was filled with the fresh and pleasant smell of mint.His scent could


    easily drown people.


    Sophia looked at him.She stared as if memorizing his face.


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    He had dark and deep eyes, long and dense eyshes, a straight nose bridge, and thin lips with a nice


    curve.His handsomenessplemented with his slender but strong figure made him perfect.


    She looked down.


    The sleeves of the blue checkered shirt on his body were slightly exposed from his suit jacket.It was t


    and spotless, showing his rigorous dress style.


    On his wrist was a limited edition openwork watch.


    Every movement he made was elegant and precise with a gentleman¡¯s demeanor.


    He had a prominent family background and good taste.


    Everything was reflected on this man.


    Who would have thought that such a man, who made all the women in Frostford Citye to him,


    would stand before her and say that he missed her? This feeling was like people from two worlds


    meeting suddenly.


    The difference in status caused a myriad of negative emotions.


    But Sophia knew that it was not fear but inferiority.


    It was not that she was not confident, but that she was too self-aware.


    Or, in the face of such a man, everyone would be timid.


    She did not want to have any more unattainable dreams, nor did she want to miss people she should


    not miss every day.


    How about forgetting the emotional entanglements that happened five years ago? Wasn''t this a road of


    no return? Perhaps, their lives would return to normal as long as Sophia stopped thinking about it and


    Patrick stopped talking about it?


    "Sorry, I can''t," Sophia simply replied.


    Sophia rejected the temptation he offered with three simple words.She didn''t want to find out the truth


    anymore.


    The pain from five years ago had already caused her so much suffering.


    Even if Sophia did not want to forget the memories and lose Patrick, what could she do to change the


    situation? No matter how good Patrick was to her now, he already belonged to Adriana.


    And they even had Quentin who looked so much like the two of them.


    Sophia smiled bitterly and thought, ¡®How could her mind suddenly wake up after one night?¡¯


    In other words, she had already been tempted by Patrickst night, hadn''t she?

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    "Are you throwing a tantrum?" Patrick asked.


    He came closer to her, the tips of his handmade leather shoes touched the tips of her shoes.His face


    was filled with gentleness, but Sophia still felt that she was about to be suffocated.


    Sophia lowered her head slightly.She ignored the sudden pain in her eyes.


    The words she was about to say were easy and simple.


    "Patrick, I''m not throwing a tantrum.Don''t you feel that our way of getting along is bizarre? It''s like two


    strangers jumping from the first step to thest step of marriage.There is no process at all in between¡±


    Sophia exined.


    "So, do you want to test me because youck a sense of security?" Patrick interrupted her, his voice


    cold.


    Patrick''s mood changed.He was now emitting coldness and a sense of restraint and alienation.


    All the warmth a while back vanished.


    His lips curved into a cold and indifferent smile.


    The corners of his mouth were slightly pursed.


    Sophia could not imagine what he was thinking right now.


    Sophia bit her lip, "Don''t misinterpret the meaning of my words.I am just making an analogy"


    She knew that above her head was his intimidating gaze, but this kind of rtionship problem did not


    mean that she would ept it! Her world had long been revolving around him, hadn''t it? After a pause,


    she said, "For you, I have really given up."


    Calm, objective, and clear, Sophia had always handled her feelings that way.


    Should he be d that she met such a sensible woman? Patrick didn''t know whether to be grateful that


    she met a woman like Sophia or not.


    "Sophia, are you saying that from the start, I was the only one overthinking things?"


    He went around her side, got a cigarette from his pack, and lit it.


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    In the light blue smoke, Patrick stared at Sophia and realized that he could not understand the woman


    in front of him.


    "I''m sorry¡± she said in a low voice.


    Disappointed? Of course, he was disappointed.


    It was not easy to calm down a heart that had already been stirred up.


    He asked himself if there was any better way to deal with it than this.


    The answer was no, Sophia.


    She was indeed ruthless enough, much more ruthless than him.


    After she parted unhappily with Patrick at the elevator, Sophia took the employee''s elevator and


    returned to the General Manager Office.


    She sat on her chair, and for some reason, her eyes suddenly felt sour.She raised her hand to touch


    her eyes, and they were already filled with tears.


    Sometimes, it was not shameful to go against one''s own principle and do things without limits.


    It was a shame that such efforts were often without results.


    She asked herself, ''Was it all worth it?¡¯ It should be worth it.


    At least in the future, she did not have to worry about her rtionship with him being exposed, nor did


    she have to worry about him discovering Emma.


    She should be happy.


    ¡®There is nothing to cry about¡± Sophia told herself.


    Her deskmate Jenelyn noticed Sophia''s odd behavior.


    She couldn''t take it anymore as she stood up and walked up to her.


    "What''s wrong, Sophia? Why are you crying? Did you break up with your boyfriend?" Jenelyn asked


    curiously.


    There were only two ways for a woman to cry.


    One was to be moved by love, and the other was to suffer from heartbreak.


    Sophia wiped away the tears on her face and smiled stubbornly.


    "I have never been in love before, so how could I cry because of a heartbreak? I am just crying


    because of work-rted stress."


    Jenelyn understood that the work in their department was hard and sometimes depressing.


    A neer like Sophia would have difficulty adapting to it for a while.


    "Alright, stop crying.You can do it" Jenelyn said encouragingly.


    Sophia nodded.


    Yes, wouldn''t it be over after a while? She had already endured for so many years.


    What was there to be afraid of? During the lunch break, the various departments of the entire Evans


    Enterprise had received a notice.


    Due to thepany''s executive changes, thepany''s ten-year anniversary celebration would be


    dyed for a month.


    Jenelyn looked at the printed notice and cried sadly, "The original notice said that the celebration will be


    held in three days, and I even have the evening dress ready, but now I am told that it got postponed,


    which is simply too cruel."


    Although Theresa''s reaction was not as exaggerated as Jenelyn¡¯s, she did not forget to try and find out


    the truth.


    "Do you think the reason for the sudden dy is really because of the executive changes? How big of


    a high-level change could dy thepany''s ten-year anniversary celebration? Could it be that we


    now have a new president?"


    Theresa spected.


    Meredith knocked Theresa on the head, "Are you stupid? President Evans built and owns this


    company.He can do anything he wants, maybe he suddenly has some other ideas."


    Sophia sat quietly in her seat.She was also thinking of something that might have affected the


    celebration.


    Last night, he told her that he would take a few days off after thepany''s ten-year anniversary


    celebration and then go to Australia with her.


    She had just made it clear to Patrick that she would not go with him this morning.


    Wasn''t it a little too much of a coincidence that the celebration would suddenly be postponed?


    ¡®From three days to one month, what is he nning?¡¯ Sophia thought.


    However, she felt that it might be her own wishful thinking as she thought about it.


    Perhaps there really were some executive changes that happened today.She patted the sides of her


    cheeks with both hands, reminding herself to be sober and to erase any unrealistic fantasy in her mind.


    At four o''clock in the afternoon, John walked into the president''s office with a stack of documents and


    ced them on Patrick''s desk.


    "The executives of the Smith Group will arrive at Frostford City at six o''clock in the evening.This is the


    information I have prepared.I will inform Sophiater and ask her to bring the document packet and go


    with you."


    Patrick was busy looking at the documents until he heard Sophia''s name.


    He frowned slightly.


    "There''s no need for Sophia.Change her to someone else" Patrick said tly.


    After hearing this, John was a little surprised and asked, "Why change her to someone else? Isn''t her


    job to apany you to socialize with others about the assessment work? Who do you want to


    change her to?"


    Patrick did not answer and continued to read the documents.


    Although John couldn''t grasp Patrick''s mood, he thought that his current state definitely had something


    to do with Sophia.


    He joked, "I have never seen you so afraid of avoiding anyone before.But why are you avoiding her


    now? Are you afraid that it will be harder to forget Sophia if you spend more time with her?"


    Patrick smiled, "Am I so indecisive when dealing with feelings?"


    John thought about it and agreed, "Then why don''t you tell Sophia? If the General Manager Office has


    no one else qualified for the job, then I will have to go to the Quality Control Department to find


    someone else"


    Patrick thought for a moment and said, "Forget it, let''s talk to Sophia"


    John nodded, "Uhm.Then I will tell Sophia now.Do you need to exin it in particr?"


    John had been by Patrick''s side for many years.


    He saw a sh of hesitation in thetter''s eyes.


    As if Patrick and Sophia didn''t want to have any contact with each other, but because of work, they had


    to have contact.


    This was definitely a difficult situation.


    Sophia was a subordinate and Patrick was the president.


    Instructions were followed by the employees while they were given by the executives of thepany.


    If Sophia were to know that she was working for Patrick tonight, maybe she would think that Patrick


    had arranged it deliberately.


    Therefore, John asked Patrick if he needed to exin that Patrick did not deliberately arrange for her to


    work with him.


    "No need, it''s unnecessary"


    John nodded knowingly and walked out.


    Just as he arrived at the entrance of the General Manager Office, he met Sophia, who was holding a


    ss of water and looked like she was going to the pantry.


    "Hello, Secretary John" Sophia greeted him.


    Meeting her head-on, Sophia, as a subordinate, naturally had to greet him first.


    "Hello" John softly replied, his eyes clearly revealed a yful light.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    "After work, take these Smith Group''s information downstairs.At six o''clock in the evening, you have to


    go to the airport with Sir Patrick to pick up the executives and then from there go to dinner"


    Sophia bit her lip and didn''t say anything, but she heard John say, "The job of helping the president


    with the assessment is one of the roles of a general management consultant.Don''t read too much into


    it"


    John couldn''t help but add that sentence, making Sophia think more of it.


    Sophia smiled.


    Although she did not know what Patrick and John had talked about, she was not an unreasonable


    person.


    She worked on the same floor and in the same building.It was impossible to avoid meeting each other.


    Besides, Patrick and Sophia just made things clear, and it was not like they would die if they did not talk


    to each other.


    They were both adults, and she was not immature.


    "I don''t overthink about it.Secretary John, I think you are overthinking"


    Sophia walked around John.She raised her ss and shook it.


    "Then I will go get that water first.I know what is going to happen tonight. Sophia walked towards the


    pantry.


    John touched his head.


    Her response made him feel that the added sentence was unnecessary.


    When it was time to get off work, Sophia tidied up Smith Group''s information one by one and put them


    into a document bag.


    Then, she turned off herputer and walked out of the General Manager Office with it.


    She got on the elevator and got off on the first floor.


    The moment she stepped out of the elevator, Sophia told herself that since she had already made her


    stance clear with Patrick, she must be firm and remain steadfast in her decision.


    The low-key but luxurious Rolls Royce was parked below the steps outside of the Evans¡¯ building.


    Since she was still far away and since the car had heavily tinted windows, Sophia did not know if


    Patrick was already inside.


    She went down the steps and approached the car slowly.


    It was not until she was two meters away that the driver came out of the car and opened the passenger


    door.


    She looked inside.


    Patrick was flipping through the documents with his legs crossed, he was ignoring her, and it was as if


    he did not notice her arrival.


    Sophia took a deep breath and got in the car.


    After sitting down, Sophia greeted him out of courtesy, "Mr.Evans."


    Patrick gave a very light grunt, and he continued flipping through the files.He then instructed the driver.


    "Drive."


    The car drove steadily on the road.


    It was so quiet except for the sound of paper being flipped through.


    Sophia felt suffocated because of the silence.


    It wasn''t until they reached the airport that the driver, Leroy, said the first sentence inside the car,


    breaking the silence.


    "Sir, there is a section of the airport road ahead that seems to be blocked.There might be a traffic jam."


    ¡®A traffic jam? Does that mean that we still have to stay in the car for a while?¡¯ Sophia nearly fainted


    after hearing this.


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    Patrick looked up and thought for a moment.


    "Then let''s take a detour and go around the 9th Avenue.We can''t bete today"


    Sophia looked at the sky that gradually became dark.She felt a pang of pain in her heart.


    He said that they couldn''t bete today, which made it difficult for her not to associate it with her


    willfulness on the night of their business trip in Hillwood City.


    Was he ming her in his heart? Previously, he tolerated it because he was still fond of her.


    Now, there was nothing between them, and Patrick had no reason to tolerate her stubbornness.


    The car windows reflected the man''s delicate and wless profile.


    Sophia sighed and thought, ¡®What was I thinking? Did I expect to be special in his heart?¡¯


    ¡®Sophia, are you not thinking straight? You already know that after refusing him, this man will end his


    thoughts of you and return to his normal life¡¯


    She scolded herself.


    Perhaps it was because her mind was too preupied with the thoughts of Patrick recently that she


    couldn''t sleep well.


    It seemed that a good night''s sleep was a must for her after tonight.


    When they arrived at the airport, the two of them shook hands with the executives of the Smith Group


    and exchanged a few words of wee.


    Then, Patrick took them to the cars he pre-arranged earlier and asked the drivers to take them to the


    hotel they booked for the guests.


    Patrick was an excellent host, overall.


    The road on the way back was unimpeded.


    Leroy drove steadily and quickly as they soon arrived at the Golden Pavillion hotel.


    Sophia nced at the ce where she had worked part-time for a few months.


    Everything seemed to be the same.


    If there were any changes, it would be her state of mind.


    It was unknown whether Patrick had done it on purpose or not.


    The reserved room was the one that Adriana hadst held her birthday party, and it was also the same


    one she had been in charge of.


    The few executives of the Smith Family who hade were all around forty years old, and their figures


    were all leaning towards obesity.


    The years of attending these kinds of business entertainment made their stomachs bulge, which


    genuinely showed their age.


    After everyone sat down, Patrick started the conversation with his opening statement and began to talk


    about what benefits the two sides would bring to each other if they pushed through with the


    partnership.


    Sophia was not good at socializing.She knew nothing about the socialnguage between men.


    It was very strenuous for her to listen on one side.It was inevitable to drink at the dinner table.


    Patrick drank a lot, but he still sat upright.He looked not any different from when he was sober.


    During this time, the executives noticed Sophia sitting beside Patrick.


    One of them smiled and said, "This youngdy is the one you brought with you on a business trip to


    Hillwood Cityst time, right? President Evans has such a good eye.She must be very good at


    work.That''s why she is your assistant, right?"


    Sophia responded awkwardly, "I''m ashamed.It''s just that I was only lucky to be able to assist President


    Evans."


    "s, don''t say that.I didn''t expect this youngdy to know how to be modest at such a young age.I am


    sure you are a blessing to President Evans."


    This senior executive said a lot of words of praise to Sophia.


    It was nothing more than disguised ttery for Patrick.


    As a man, who didn''t like to be praised for having good taste? Patrick slightly tilted his head.His eyes


    rested on her for the first time tonight.


    After drinking a lot of wine, his eyes remained bright and full of meaning.


    "I also think that my taste is quite good¡¯ Patrick agreed.


    Then, Sophia changed the topic and asked, "What is Mr.Smith busy doing in Hillwood City? Why didn''t


    hee with you this time?"


    What the other party answered, Sophia, didn''t hear it.It was as if someone had suddenly covered her


    ears.


    Except for the roaring inside her mind, she couldn''t hear anything else.


    His words kept shing through her mind.


    ¡®I also think that my taste is quite good¡±


    Although she knew that it was to agree to the executive''sment, why did her heart skip a beat? This


    situationsted for a long time until someone called her name, and she came back to her senses.


    "Ms.Hill, President Evans and I drank a lot tonight and ignored you.I will punish myself with a ss of


    wine.You have to bear the responsibility, though"


    One of the executives said.


    The executive might have thought that Patrick had asked her toe to entertain guests so that she


    could drink the wine for him.


    In the end, they only cared about drinking with Patrick and ignored her.


    Subtly, they told Patrick that they did not do it on purpose.


    They thought that Sophia was a unique existence for Patrick.The social engagements at the table were


    no different from real life.


    Every step she took, she had to be careful.


    Patrick said timely, "She is just an assistant, and she is here to record important information.There is no


    need for her to drink"


    Patrick''s simple response had two meanings.


    One was that Sophia did not have any special rtionship with him, and the second one was that she


    was not here to drink.


    Although what he said was obscure, the few executives of the Smith group were all listening.


    They realized that Patrick had some undisclosed rtionship with Sophia, but of course, none of them


    dared to specte out loud.

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    It was already ten in the evening when the dinner party ended.


    Patrick had already arranged for the next event.


    Several Smith executives were drunk, but none of them objected as they tacitly agreed to his


    arrangements.


    When they went outside the hotel, Patrick said to her, "You should go home now.Our next stop is not


    suitable for a woman like you."


    Sophia could only imagine what kind of ce it was.


    They would visit a world of debauchery filled with women and alcohol.Men were animals that used their


    lower body parts to think.


    Patrick might not be an exception to this.


    Patrick frowned when he saw that she was not leaving and said, "Leroy has arrived.You can go and


    use the car"


    Sophia nodded and was about to walk away when a high-ranking member of the Smith Group


    staggered over.


    "Mr.Evans, are you not bringing this youngdy along? It''s alright.We will have our own fun, and we


    won''t bother her!"


    Patrick was silent.


    He wanted to refuse again, but he knew that he had already shown impoliteness when they were in


    Hillwood City.


    Now, he had no reason to reject the invitation.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    If he did refuse, he could not bear the reproach of others.


    Sophia saw Patrick''s silence and knew that if this matter were not handled properly, it would make the


    other party feel very embarrassed.


    Putting aside other things, if she was not in Evans Enterprise now and worked in anypany in


    Frostford City, she could not do anything that would make it difficult for her superior.


    Moreover, Patrick had already done enough for her as her superior.


    She could not hope for anything else.


    "Yes, sir, I have nothing to do at home.It is good for everyone to go out and have fun!"


    Sophia came to his rescue.


    Patrick nodded.


    The executives of the Smith thought that they had done something to help Patrick.


    They were so happy that they couldn''t close their mouths.


    They staggered drunkenly as they walked towards the car waiting by the roadside.


    Leroy drove over to get them.


    Patrick and Sophia got into the car.


    They were also awfully silent the entire way.


    Patrick drank wine during dinner.He was not drunk, but he was tipsy.


    Those guys from the Smith Group came prepared.


    Their alcohol tolerance was so high that it was difficult for him to drink with them.


    Sophia was excellent at observing.She wanted to ask him about the situation after drinking, but she


    decided to forget it.


    He had a sense of decency in doing things.


    She should not need to worry about him.


    Besides, he would also call people for help if he had enough.


    Just like what he said that night in Hillwood City.


    ¡®Do you know the difference between the boss and ordinary employees? Even when everyone seemed


    unsure on how to resolve the issue, the boss will still have a way to resolve things.


    Patrick would always have a way to sort things out.


    Patrick seemed to have inquired about the executive''s preferences and age in advance and chose a


    ce even more scandalous than the ce Mr.Smith had chosen in Hillwood City.


    When they arrived at the private room, a few executives of the Smith Group called over the manager.


    It seemed that they were familiar with these kinds of ces already.


    Not longter, many beautiful women came in to apany them.


    Sure enough, it was no different from the social engagements that Sophia had imagined.


    Patrick sat at the corner of the sofa.


    His upper body leaned forward, his elbows supported by his long legs.


    One of his hands was holding a cigarette, and from time to time, he listened to the words that the


    executives of the Smith Group asionally said.


    He listened very carefully and sometimes responded with a few words of his own.


    Sophia could not hear what his response was.She only saw his beautiful thin lips open and close.


    After a while, the private room door was pushed open again, and two beautiful women walked in,


    heading straight to the direction where Patrick was sitting.


    Sophia sat on the sofa two seats away from Patrick.


    Seeing this situation, she tactfully moved to the side to make room.


    Patrick raised his eyebrows and looked in her direction but did not speak.


    Although these women were only there to cheer them up or be assigned to the side of a big shot like


    Patrick, they looked intelligent and had a sense of decency.


    Patrick still maintained his previous posture and did not move at all.


    The two women sitting next to him naturally did not dare to approach rashly and sat in a well-behaved


    manner.


    The music in the private room roared, the lights flickered, and coupled with the thick smell of smoke,


    they soon gave Sophia a headache.She stood up a little impatiently.


    Because of the loud music, she could only walk to Patrick and point outside; she indicated that she


    needed to get some fresh air.


    Patrick did not look at her as if he had been observing her movements from the corner of his eyes.


    He waved his hand to acknowledge that he knew what Sophia wanted to do.


    Unfamiliar, cold, and restrained, these were all the things Sophia wanted to get from him.Now, he had


    also done it thoroughly.


    These actions embodied what her words were to Patrick when they were in the elevator.


    ¡®Yet, why do I feel bitter in my heart?¡¯ Sophia thought.


    She couldn''t figure out her feelings.


    But she was entertaining the possibility of her getting to know the world of men for the first time, so she


    thought that she could also have a romantic life.


    She also realized that these men with high positions would not be bound to a woman.


    They were all just ying along and nothing more.


    Was there even sincerity involved in these rtionships? She was d that she understood it in time.


    Sophia went out of the private room and finally breathed smoothly.


    When she was out of the room, she saw a group of people by the elevator.


    Sofas were precisely ced for women like her who wanted to catch some fresh air.


    She thanked the designer in her mind for being humane and careful enough to consider the


    possibilities of people going out of the private rooms to breathe.


    After walking for a while, she was about to reach the corner of the elevator when she bumped into the


    person who came out of another private room along the hallway.


    It was a man, Sophia realized.


    Sophia rubbed her nose that was hurt from the collision.


    She raised her eyes to look at the other person and was stunned for a moment.


    The man looked down at her and smiled, "Sophia, why are you here?"


    The person who spoke was Brandon, who came and went into her life from time to time.


    Sophia could tell that he already drank a lot of wine.His eyes were sharper and darker than usual.


    "I am here because my Mr.Evans is here to entertain some guests.How about you?" Sophia asked


    Brandon.


    The time when they bumped into each other, she could distinguish clearly that the room Brandon had


    been into was as extravagant and licentious as the one she was just in.


    It was almost as noisy, and the women¡¯s voices were so loud when Brandon pulled the door open.


    "Well, I was just apanying some business partners, and I was just looking at those girls"


    Brandon curved the corners of his mouth and cleverly exined.


    Sophia''s expression indicated that she understood.She waved her hand, which meant that Brandon


    didn''t need to say more.She walked past him and found a sofa where she could sit down.


    Brandon followed him and sat beside her on the sofa while looking at her.


    Just as he was thinking about someone, she just happened to appear in front of him.


    It was excellent timing.It was said that people who drank alcohol could not control their emotions and


    would always tell the truth.


    This was true in Brandon''s case.


    He could not suppress the feelings he had kept bottled all this time.He felt like he was on the verge of


    exploding.He was looking for a chance to say it without them being ufortable with each other.


    Sophia sat quietly.She felt restless as Brandon continued staring at her.She felt an air of oppression


    from Brandon.She thought it was the natural response a man would give off when they were drunk.And


    she thought that the Brandon she met tonight was different from the Brandom of the past.


    His gentleness was gone, and he looked pretty tough.

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    After a long time, Brandon slowly opened his mouth.


    "Sophia, can you help me? There is this woman who always pesters me.She hovers around me


    helplessly that I don''t even know what to do about her¡¯ Sophia was surprised by what he said because


    she had known Brandon for a very long time.


    He grew up with her, and they were childhood friends.


    They were as good as families.


    Although Sophia knew that Brandon was modest and often low-key, he had been in the business world


    for a long time and had learned many ways to refuse excessive demands.


    With his years of experience, a woman shouldn''t pose that much of a problem to Brandon.


    But still, since Brandon was her friend, she decided to believe and remind him at the same time.


    "Who is it? If you are tired of her, you can tell her directly that you do not like her, and tell her to stop


    bothering you again, Sophia told Brandon.


    Brandon was silent for a while, and the emotion in his eyes was so strong that Sophia did not know


    how tofort him.


    "Her shadow has trapped me for more than ten years.They all said that time will change everything, but


    why is it that after so many years, she can still bother me?" Brandon said emotionally.


    Sophia had an idea which woman Brandon was talking about.Her heart was already in chaos, and she


    was even more confused by his words.


    "Sophia, tell me, how many more years will her shadow trap me?" Brandon asked.


    Sophia bit her lip, "Brandon, don''t be affected by things that had already happened.It was all in the


    past"


    "A person''s lifees with loneliness.Even if you feel that you have a lot of friends, it is just an illusion


    caused by the noise surrounding you.This principle is the same as feelings.You feel that you can''t let


    go of this person, and the unwillingness in your heart guides you.You can love, but you cannot let go"


    Sophia continued.


    "This is a matter of how you think about things.You have to adjust to it because no one else can


    help.Keep this up and you will be but a prisoner of your heart, Sophia added.While Brandon and


    Sophia were talking, another private room door opened.On the other side of the corridor, the door was


    opened by a tall man.He walked towards the elevator entrance and guessed that the woman he was


    looking for would be there.Back to Brandon and Sophia...


    Brandon smiled sincerely, but there was bitterness in his smile.


    "Are you still unwilling to give me a chance?" Sophia shook her head.


    It was not that she did not want to give him a chance because she did not like him.


    It was because she still had Patrick in her heart, and her heart still wasn''t ready to ept anyone else.


    She was afraid that she would only bring her despair if she gave him hope.She did not have many


    friends in her life, and there were fewer friends she could talk to.


    So she wanted to cherish Brandon''s friendship for many years.She did not want to lose him if they did


    not work out.


    "I''m sorry" Sophia felt a little guilty.


    Sophia knew that she was only twenty-seven years old, however, it seemed as if she had already


    walked down the road of love for a lifetime.


    Her journey so far had been long and exhausting.


    "What I want is not your apology, Sophia.What I want is your heart"


    Brandon looked at her in pain.


    Suddenly, she was pulled into his arms forcefully.Her breath was taken away.


    Brandon''s warm lips pressed against her lips, and she could feel the hotness of his breath.


    Sophia was shocked and was not able to react immediately.


    She was utterly stunned by the overwhelming power of the man in front of her.


    Immediately afterward, Sophia felt anxious.


    From the day she knew Brandon, he had the image of a perfect gentleman.


    He smiled a lot, and when he smiled, two shallow dimples would appear on his cheeks, bringing


    additional warmth to his already excellent personality.


    So, whenever his name was mentioned, the words ¡®modest, low-key, peaceful, and warm¡¯ would pop


    up in her memory and they almost became his signature features.


    But who would have thought that that same man would imprison her in his arms and would kiss her


    fiercely like what he was doing right now? Sophia recovered her senses.


    She struggled and was finally able to push Brandon away from her.


    "Brandon, stop!"


    Her eyes were red, but she held back her tears.


    Sophia stood up and quickly walked to the corner.She wanted to hurry back to the private room, but


    she saw Patrick standing at the corner of the elevator.She didn''t know how long he had been standing


    there.


    ''Did he see what happened just now?¡¯ Sophias asked herself.


    She didn''t have the time to think about it, nor did she care whether he saw it or not.She just wanted to


    escape.


    Sophia ran quickly.


    It was as if a beast was chasing her.


    When she arrived at the private room, she gasped for breath.


    A few of the executives of the Smith Group were enjoying themselves, one of them hugging two


    beautiful women and ying with their alcohol.


    Whoever lost had to gulp the entire ss of alcohol.


    Sophia wiped her mouth.She could still taste Brandon''s kiss in her mouth.


    Patrick saw Sophia''s reaction who had just entered the room.


    She looked over, and her eyes met his.


    There was no emotion on his face as if he had not seen anything a moment ago.


    Patrick strode back to the sofa and sat down.


    Then, he lit a cigarette and took a few puffs.He went back to the same posture he was in before she


    left.


    asionally, he would talk to the executives about random things.


    The party ended at two in the morning.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    Several executives were drunk, and some were already unconscious.


    Patrick called someone assigned to this task beforehand and helped them back to the hotel.


    Sophia followed behind him and walked out of the venue.


    He did not speak, nor did Sophia.


    The two walked to the side of the road, and Leroy, Patrick''s driver, appeared.


    Sophia and Patrick got in the car.


    She looked outside the window the whole car ride.


    Patrick looked tired, and he did not want to talk.


    Until the car stopped at the entrance of Sophia''s building, Patrick didn''t speak.


    He remained silent the whole time.


    Sophia unbuckled her seat belt and wanted to say goodnight, but when she saw his gloomy face, she


    simply stayed quiet.If she spoke, it would only make him ufortable.


    Thus, it was better not to speak.


    After getting out of the car, Sophia walked quickly to the stairs and climbed up the seventh floor.


    After entering her house, she changed into her slippers and walked to the window.


    The car was nowhere to be seen.


    It was nice that Patrick followed what they talked about.


    After a simple shower, shey on the bed, and Sophia''s frantic heart finally calmed down a little.


    She closed her eyes and told herself, ¡®Everything is now over.¡±


    Tomorrow will be a bright and beautiful day! The next day at work, Sophia arrived at the General


    Manager Office when Jenelyn pulled her over.


    From her expression, Sophia deduced that something significant had happened.


    "Sophia, help me with something, please, Jenelyn said, her voice somewhat choked.¡± Sophia patted


    her back nervously.


    "Okay.What is it?"


    Jenelyn nodded and said slowly, "Last night, I fought with my boyfriend.It was a fierce fight.We have


    been together for three years, and this is the first time this happened to us.I thought it was just a simple


    fight where we would admit our mistakes and apologize to each other afterward.I did expect him to call,


    but he said he wanted to break up.I can''t...I can''t bear to part with him!"


    "So, Sophia, can you help me by attending thepany''s daily meeting in a while? These are the


    notes that I have prepared.It will help if you familiarize yourself with it, and there shall be no problem at


    all.I want to take a personal leave and ask him what he meant by what he said"


    In the face of love, women would often lose their rationality.


    Even Jenelyn was not an exception, she was usually smart and clever, but thanks to love, she lost her


    ability to differentiate between good and bad.


    She became irrational, thanks to love.


    Those who are not involved in this scenario could see things more clearly than those experiencing it


    firsthand.


    Sophia felt that if a man wanted to break up, then he really wanted a break-up.


    This was the difference between men and women.


    When a woman wanted a breakup, it could be just one way of saying that the man had to coax her


    back into his arms.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    Men were different.


    When they said they wanted to break up, they really wanted to break up.


    Sophia secretly thought that Jenelyn''s rtionship had probablye to an end.


    However, even if she wanted to think about it, she definitely wouldn''t say it aloud.


    Sophia nodded.She took the packet in Jenelyn''s hand.


    "Then go ahead and have a good talk with him.If you want to make this rtionship work again, try to


    apologize.Try to solve your issues"


    Jenelyn wiped the tears on her face, thanked her, took her bag, and hurriedly left the General Manager


    Office.


    Sophia looked at the packet Jenelyn gave her and went hurriedly to the meeting room at forty minutes


    past nine.


    The meeting was a daily meeting with the various department heads and supervisors of the Evans


    company.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    The host of this meeting was none other than Patrick himself.


    When Sophia arrived, most of the department managers had already sat down.She found a seat and


    sat down only to find out that she was sitting opposite Lianna.


    When Lianna raised her head, their gazes met.


    Sophia lowered her head to look at the packet she was holding.She pretended that she did not see the


    sh of contempt on Lianna¡¯s face.


    Patrick walked in and was clearly under pressure.


    Today, he was wearing a ck suit.


    His suit jacket was slightly open, revealing a white shirt underneath.


    He was also wearing ck trousers that made his slender legs even straighter.He walked to the head


    of the table and sat down.He gestured for everyone who stood up to greet him to sit down again with a


    lazy wave of his hand.


    After everyone sat down, John walked to the microphone tform and began the meeting.


    "Good morning, everyone.ording to the summary of various departments, the overall performance


    of the Evans Group this month had declined.Whether it was in terms ofmercial media coverage or


    sub-industry.


    John talked with little nonsense.


    His speech was about identifying the issues and how to resolve them.


    It was Sophia''s first time attending this kind of daily meeting.


    Before she figured out the process, she listened to the various department heads talk about their ns


    and talking points.


    They argued every other second.


    No matter how fast she wrote, she couldn''t write everything, so she could only pick up key points and


    try to remember as many as possible.


    Another department ended their talking points.


    Next up was Lianna¡¯s Quality Control Department.


    "I think the difficulty of the Quality Control Department recently depends on the uracy of the staff to


    grasp the market sales.Although the HR department has recruited some experienced evaluation


    personnel, the experience for big cases was too little andcked sharp vision.I hope that everyone will


    participate in the big cases in the future.Although it will be a little troublesome, it is beneficial for the


    overall development of the Quality Control Department and thepany in terms of training talent."


    Lianna''s words were sharp and concise and pointed straight to the crux of the issue.


    It allowed the people listening to it to quickly understand and achieve a clear idea in a short period.


    Sophia had once stayed in the Quality Control Department and knew that Lianna was the said


    department manager.


    The subordinates¡¯ opinion of her was not favorable, mainly because she was usually too arrogant,


    overbearing, and unreasonable.


    But one thing could not be denied, Lianna was highly efficient in her work, decisive and opinionated,


    and had a strong sense of urgency.


    Therefore, the executives loved her deeply, and she hade today prepared.


    Lianna was able to have such a day.


    Sophia felt that this was not by chance or luck.


    Speaking of Lianna, she suddenly remembered that time in the parking lot.She overheard Adriana


    saying that she did not put Lianna in Evans''s Group to make her fall in love with Patrick.


    Sophia''s mind was filled with doubts.


    But she had too many things to do before, so she forgot about this matter.


    Now that she thought about it carefully, she asked herself, ''Did Adriana arrange for Lianna toe


    here to monitor Patrick and prevent the female employees from plotting against him?¡¯ But it seemed


    that it was not going smoothly.


    After all, thepany was an office building.


    Even if there were women who wanted to get close to Patrick, many employees in the building could be


    eyes and ears.


    After all, Patrick was considered a star in here, and there were countless pairs of eyes secretly


    watching him.


    If there were even the slightest movement or talk, the news would spread from the basement to the top


    floor in no time at all.


    Sophia couldn''t figure it out at the moment, but she didn''t know if Patrick knew about this matter.


    ¡®Should I tell him?¡¯ Sophia wondered.


    This matter would be a little tricky to deal with.


    First, Adriana was his fiancee, and Patrick probably knew what Adriana arranged in private.


    The second situation was that he didn''t know anything.


    If she ran over and told him in private, but he thought that she was ying some trick to break his


    rtionship with Adriana, it wouldn''t be good.


    In short, it wasn''t easy to choose between the two situations.


    At the end of the meeting, Patrick stood up.


    She didn''t know if it were an illusion, but Sophia felt that he nced in her direction.


    Her days returned to the state when she just entered the Evans'' Company and worked as before.


    After work, she ate and walked by herself.


    Although it was monotonous and dull, she was delighted.


    It was cloudy with light rain when Fiona brought Emma back.


    Fiona held an umbre, and Emma also had a small umbre with her as they walked back to the


    apartment building.


    Emma was delighted that she had finally returned to her mother''s side.


    She wasughing along the way.


    "Are you that happy?"


    Sophia smiled and looked at Emma.


    Emma nodded, her cute little bun swayed along with her movements, and her short legs took quick


    steps.


    "Of course, I listen to my ssmates every day how their parents are, but I live at Auntie Fiona¡¯s ce,


    so I have nothing to say to them."


    Sophia sighed at the child¡¯spetitiveness.She owed this child too much.


    "Emma, Mommy promises that we will always be together in the future.We won''t be separated


    anymore" Sophia said seriously.


    Emma was even happier after hearing this.She lifted her little foot and stepped on the puddle as she


    skipped and bounced.


    "Mom, that sentence sounds familiar.It seems that Quentin also said this to me; Emma said.Sophia


    couldn''t help but tease Emma.


    "Why did he say that? It''s not like you''re boyfriend and girlfriend."


    Emma blushed and pouted.


    "When the teacher wanted us to split up and pair with another ssmate, Quentin disagreed.He said


    that to me after that event."


    Sophia felt that children and adults needed someone to apany them.


    However, Quentin and Emma were destined to be separated in the end.


    When they got home, Sophia quickly put the bathwater on for Emma.


    It was raining outside, and Emma''s hair was wet.


    Sophia was afraid that Emma might catch a cold, so she took thetter a bath.


    When Emma lived with Sophia, she needed to wake up early and sleepte.


    Sometimes, she had to work overtime, and she had to trouble Fiona to help her pick up Emma.


    On this day, she worked until six o''clock in the evening.


    After picking up Emma from school, Fiona called her.


    "Are you still at work? Let''s have dinner together tonight.I haven''t eaten with you and Emma for a long


    time."


    Sophia hadpleted her work.


    After turning off herputer, she grabbed her bag and walked out.


    Before she reached the elevator, however, Fiona''s words came from the other side of the line.


    Sophia carefully thought about it and felt Fiona was correct.She could no longer remember thest time


    they had eaten together.


    She said jokingly, "Well, it is an honor for us mother and daughter to have dinner with Princess Fiona."

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    After she hung up the phone, she raised her eyes and met a sharp gaze.The man''s figure was half-


    hidden in the dark, and there was an unfinished cigarette between his fingers.


    Sophia bit her lip, not sure if he had heard the words "mother and daughter"she had just said.


    "Sir Patrick,"


    Sophia greeted and nodded in his direction.


    Patrick put out the cigarette in his hand, threw it into the trash can, and walked over, "You''re going out


    tonight?"


    Sophia nodded nervously, "I am having a meal with a friend"


    Patrick put his hands in his pockets and did not say anything else.


    Before leaving, he only said, "Have a good meal."


    Sophia breathed a sigh of relief.She felt that he did not hear any of it aside from the dinner ns.


    However, even if he heard it, it was nothing.It had been five years.


    He should not be able to associate Emma with him as his child.


    Although she told herself this, Sophia still felt a little scared.


    She was terrified that if Patrick knew about it, he would take Emma away.


    It seemed that she had to be more careful with her conversations in the future.She must not be


    discovered that she had a child.


    Sophia and Fiona agreed to meet at a very ordinary fast-food restaurant.She originally wanted to


    change it to a better ce and appropriately reward Fiona for taking care of Emma.


    But Fiona disagreed, "Don''t change ces.I will be satisfied after eating a meal at a fast-food


    restaurant.I am not a capitalist.I won''t let you buy me expensive meals¡¯


    Sophia smiled and ordered two pizzas, a hamburger, and some c, enough for three people to eat.


    Emma was a child.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    After eating, she would go and y.


    Sophia sent her to a restaurant corner to y in a park specially built for children.


    Then, she called the waiter and changed the table to the other side, so she could see Emma through


    the window.


    Fiona also had no appetite.


    After eating a little, she was already full and asked her, "How have you been in thepany recently?


    Is the pressure still so great? Do you two still talk?"


    Sophia shook her head.


    "After adapting to it, I don''t feel so stressed anymore.I have no contact with him.Except for the


    necessary meetings and social activities."


    "That is good.At the very least, you have a high sry ie¡± Fiona said.


    Sophia smiled, "Yes, I have a high sry and will be able to support Emma and get treatment for my


    mother.It is excellent"


    Fiona thought about it and said, "Sophia, you said that a man suddenly approached you, but the


    questions he asked you were all about another woman, so what does he mean by that?"


    Sophia frowned and felt that Fiona had something to tell her.


    Fiona blushed.


    "It''s also a recent event.He shows up from time to time.Chatting with me about unimportant things, and


    finally, he will return to the topic about that woman.I can''t understand him!"


    "Then who is the woman he wants to find out from you?" Sophia asked.


    "She is a friend of mine" Fiona answered.


    Sophia thought for a moment.


    "He approached you.Could it be that he likes your friend, and bying to you, he would understand


    more about that friend of yours?"


    "I think so too!" Fiona sighed.


    Sophia quicklyforted her, "But it is hard to say.Men are different from women, from their speaking


    habits and how their minds think.It is hard to guess."


    Fiona realized that she had lost herposure.She quickly smiled at Sophia, indicating that she was


    okay.Then, she moved.


    She held her chin with one hand and shook the ss of c on the table in boredom.


    Fiona''s thoughtful appearance was reflected in Sophia''s eyes.


    Sophia didn''t ask in detail.


    It was simply impossible for outsiders to understand this matter about feelings.


    Even if she said a lot today, Fiona might not listen to it.


    These kinds of emotions would have to be realized by Fiona herself.


    It was just that Fiona hadn''t been in a rtionship before.


    She was more or less worried that she would suffer a loss if these continued.She was afraid that once


    she fell into it, she would not recover from it.


    Their dinner ended just at about seven o''clock.


    Because she ate a lot that night, Fiona suggested walking back.


    In any case, the dinner location was not far from Sophia''s apartment building, and it would take no


    more than ten minutes if they walked it from where they were right now.


    Sophia had no objections.


    Usually, she was busy with work and rarely exercised, so she could take this opportunity to move her


    muscles and bones.


    The three of them walked together.


    They had Emma between them, and they were holding Emma''s hands.


    They would let Emma jump and hang between them from time to time.She yed happily andughed


    a lot.


    Frostford City was a coastal city.


    The difference between day and night was huge.


    Nighttime was never as hot as daytime.


    There was wind blowing, and it was a little cool tonight.


    The weather was veryfortable.


    On both sides of the road were tall palm trees.


    The bottom of the trees was covered with green grass.


    In the middle, there were also various kinds of wild roses.


    Under the light of the streetmps, they were even more beautiful.


    Scattered along the road were multi-shaped purple and red flowers which were enchanting in their own


    way.


    Everyone said that the big city of Frostford was beautiful and charming.


    However, Sophia felt that the beauty of this city was sometimes a kind of poison to young people.


    How many young people had lost their minds because they fell in love with the beauty of this city? Ten


    minutester...


    The three arrived outside of the building where Sophia and Emma lived.


    Fiona stopped and said, "Sophia, let''s go to the supermarket for a walk.I always wanted to buy


    something, but I have no one to go shopping with.I don''t like to go there by myself, so I have never


    bought anything¡±


    Sophia nodded.


    Some of the daily necessities at home had been used up, So it was good to buy some now.


    The supermarket closest to Sophia''s house was the family mart on 7th Avenue.


    It had a total of three floors, and all kinds of goods were avable.


    Someone once joked that getting lost after entering this building was easy.


    Although it was a joke, one could read the vastness of the supermarket between the lines.


    The two of them deposited their bags and picked a cart to carry children.


    They let Emma sit in it as they pushed the cart into the supermarket.


    The first floor was primarily vegetables and fruits.The second floor was the daily necessities.


    They both needed to buy some of what they needed daily, so they didn''t stay on the first floor.They took


    the esctor to the second floor.


    The supermarket was big, there were many goods, and many discounts avable.


    Naturally, there were many people, too.


    Sophia pushed the cart with difficulty and followed behind Fiona.


    Fiona decisively took three big bags when they walked to the area where the sanitary napkins were


    ced.


    The amount she took couldst her for a year.


    "Are you sure about buying that much?" Sophia asked.


    Fiona nodded and continued to go to the next aisle.


    Sophia frowned.


    Only then did she realize that Fiona was not short of things but she simply used shopping to vent the


    emotions in her heart.


    A woman''s way of venting was different from a man''s.


    A man could smoke and drink, but a woman seemed to vent by spending money.


    Sophia bought a bottle of soy sauce and a few pairs of socks.


    When she looked up again, the cart was almost full.


    ¡®Did it have to be so exaggerated?¡¯ Sophia told herself.


    She couldn''t believe what she was seeing.


    Fiona also felt that it was a bit excessive and scratched her head.


    "I will take some back." Sophia reached out to stop Fiona¡¯s hand.


    "Since you put it here, there is no need to take it back.They can be used anyway" Fiona smiled.


    It seemed that the frustration in her heart had passed.


    She regained a bit of her rationality.She no longer frantically went to the shelves to take things and put


    them into the cart.


    Instead, she began to follow Sophia.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    The two walked side by side for not more than ten meters.


    They saw the men''s daily necessities, and the most popr area was the shelves with condoms neatly


    ced in rows.


    Sophia was the first to realize the oddness of the situation and backed up immediately.


    She tried to push Fiona, but she seemed stuck in ce.


    Following Fiona¡¯s line of sight, Sophia looked over and was also shaken for a moment.


    When she reacted, Sophia quickly pushed the cart to Fiona and told her in a low voice, "Fiona, quickly


    push this cart with Emma and leave"


    As soon as she finished speaking, the man on the other side saw her and walked over.


    "President Evans, don''t you have something else to do than visit the supermarket?"


    To hide her panic, Sophia tucked her hair behind her ear.


    Patrick was dressed differently than usual.


    He was dressed ina casual outfit.He wore a white, casual shirt with a short sleeve, revealing a small


    portion of his arm.He had an indescribable sexiness.He was also wearing a simple pair of ck pants


    wrapped around his long and slender legs.His eyes looked even more profound and charming under


    the light of the supermarket.


    A faint smile hung on his lips as he looked at her.She had always known that this man had a mature


    and cold aura that had been polished by time.


    However, her heart seemed to skip a beat after seeing him again tonight.


    "Yes, I want to buy some things" Patrick replied casually.


    Sophia looked at the condoms rack behind him, then looked at the clothes he was wearing.She


    guessed that he might havee especially to buy those things.


    Sophia did not know which woman he would use them with, but she was relieved.


    Because no matter who it was, it had nothing to do with her.


    It was not a rare thing for a sessful businessman like Patrick to have three or four women


    simultaneously.


    "Hey bro, I found it! I want this brand.Stacey said that she likes the taste of bananas"


    At this time, a male voice suddenly came from behind Patrick.


    From the voice and the way he spoke, it could be said that the owner of that voice was still young.


    He was most likely a university freshman.


    Skyler did not see Sophia.


    When he walked over, he did not forget to show off in front of Patrick that he had picked the banana-


    vored condoms.


    It was not until Skyler walked over that Sophia saw his appearance.


    If her memory was correct, ''Wasn''t he the doctor who had bumped into me when I asked for a doctor''s


    rmendation for a personal leave in the hospital that day? At that time, she did not look at his name


    tag carefully.She only saw the ¡®attending physician¡¯ part on the name tag.She thought that this person


    was rtively young and promising.


    ¡®Wait, did he just call Patrick "Brother?"


    Sophia thought to herself.


    Patrick observed the expressions on Sophia''s face and said with a smile, "This is my younger brother,


    Skyler.You have never seen him before¡¯


    "Hello, sister-inw!" Skyler chuckled.


    Because of his young age, in front of the mature Patrick, he always had an immature young man¡¯s


    shyness.


    This call of sister-inw made Sophia feel highly embarrassed.


    It was just that she never thought that besides having an elder sister, he also had a younger brother.


    If one day he told her that she had other brothers and sisters, she might not even be surprised, "Just


    call me Sophia.We divorced a long time ago¡± Sophia said.


    Sophia did not know why Skyler called her like that.


    Perhaps Patrick had not told him the fact that the two had already divorced? Or had he never known


    that his brother had been married?


    "Whether you have divorced or not, since you were once my brother''s wife, I have to call you sister-in-


    law¡± Skyler insisted.


    Sophia was speechless.


    "Skyler, that''s enough,'''' Patrick said.


    Skyler did not speak anymore.


    "Then you go shopping now.I still have some things to do so I won''t bother you with idle chat anymore"


    Sophia told Patrick.


    Sophia turned around to leave, but Patrick grabbed her wrist, and she heard a low and pleasant voice,


    "I seem to have seen you with a woman just now? Where is she? It''s not good to leave her alone.Can


    you call her over to introduce her?"


    The warmth from his palm made the panic in Sophia''s heart intensify.


    She thought about it and said, "My friend is shy in front of strangers, so please just forget it!"


    Skyler frowned.He disagreed with Sophia''s point of view.


    In his opinion, they had already met.


    They should also introduce each other out of courtesy.


    There was no excuse to evade this kind of thing unless that person was very impolite.


    "The first meetings give the moststing impression since we have met today, then we should be


    more familiar with each other, what do you think?" Skyler asked.


    Patrick looked at Sophia.


    Skyler also looked at Sophia.


    At this moment, she had the sudden urge to run away.


    However, she did not do so in the end.


    She smiled and said, "Whether I introduce my friend or not, the result is the same.Because Mr.Evans


    and my friend will not have much contact in this life."


    Sophia was impolite with her words.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    It was unknown whether it was because he forced her too hard or because of the fear and resistance in


    her heart.


    Skyler was about 1.8 meters tall, wearing a beige sports hat.He was whiteplexioned, and his facial


    features were not as handsome as Patrick''s.His hair was trimmed very neatly, and he was standing


    side by side with Patrick, but he looked a little thin and weak, understandably so for he was still young


    and most probably a student.


    Perhaps because they were family, Skyler also had that sharp and noble aura.


    Or probably because her tone was not polite enough that his eyes emitted a cald light when he looked


    at her.


    The person that Skyler admired the most since he was a child was this brother who was ten years older


    than him.


    To Skyler, he was not only a family but also a guide in his life.


    As long as he looked up at him, his life would have a direction.


    Sophia''s action was like saying that his idol was not good to a child in school.


    That was undoubtedly the most serious attack on Patrick, which aroused a strong desire in Skyler¡¯s


    heart to protect thetter.


    Skyler wanted to say something, but he gave up after seeing the look Patrick gave him.


    "Patrick, I think you two should talk.I still have things that I need to buy"


    Skyler curled his lips into a half-smile and left.


    There were many customers in the supermarket.


    Many people came and went.


    The radio would broadcast today''s specially priced goods from time to time.


    The whole supermarket was noisy.


    "Pardon him, he is but a child!" Patrick said as a way to exin Skyler''s actions.


    Sophia shook her head.She did not take it to heart.


    If she were Skyler, she would not be happy with her, too.


    After all, an outsider was being impolite to his family.


    No matter who it was, it was not a matter to be happy about.


    "What I mean is that you have to take his expressions and actions as it is" Patrick exined further.


    She looked at Patrick.


    ''Did he mean that I shouldn''t overthink? Skyler''s words didn''t have any special meaning.Was Skyler


    protecting him out of instinct?¡¯ Sophia asked herself.


    "It''s okay, I understand," Sophia said.


    Skyler was his younger brother.She didn''t care what Skyler''s attitude towards her was.


    When she finished speaking, both of them smiled.


    Sophia had a strange smile on her face.She looked at him and saw that Patrick had that kind of


    mysterious smile on his face.


    That pair of eyes that were like dawn seemed to be dyed with ayer of exhaustion.She didn''t know if it


    was just an illusion, however.


    Sophia looked away and checked the time.It was already twenty minutes past eight in the evening.


    "I''m in a hurry, so I won''t chat with you anymore."


    After saying that, she turned around and left.

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    The woman''s back gradually faded into the crowd in the packed store.


    Her small figure was covered in white light from the ceiling, which reflected a soft and warm glow.


    Patrick stood still, unable to resist the urge to take out his cigarette box and light up a cigarette.


    However, he was stopped by the staff of the supermarket who said it was a smoke-free mall.


    He smiled as he ced the cigarette box back.


    The temptation of smoking was insignificantpared to the turmoil in his heart.


    When Skyler returned, the shopping cart was nearly filled.


    He was pleased that Kirstine would not use him of being ungrateful this time.


    He only knew he had to get it for Skyler and had no idea that he was supposed to give it to her too.


    He went out and got a lot of delicious foods for Kirstine.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    "Patrick, is Sophia gone? She is my sister-inw, right?" He asked.


    He looked up and saw that there was no one around Patrick.


    Patrick put his hands in his pockets as if he was happy with the term "sister-inw, and his lips curved


    into a smile.


    "She just left." He answered.


    Skyler smiled and hugged his brother as he walked forward.


    "Do you want to know a secret, Patrick?" Patrick raised his brows and pulled Skyler''s hand away from


    him.


    "What is it?" Skyler put his hands on Patrick''s shoulders and pretended not to notice Patrick''s


    objection.


    "Last time, I ran into Sophia at the hospital where I was interning.Her skin was having an allergic


    reaction, so she went there for a check-up.I wanted to call you to inform you, but you didn''t pick up"


    Patrick lifted his brows and nced at Skyler.Skyler understood that he was ming his afterthought.


    "But Patrick, I still have another secret about Sophia that I''d want to share with you.Do you want to


    hear it?"


    Skyler leaned in close to Patrick''s ear and smiled.


    "Thest time your wife went to see the doctor, I took advantage of the opportunity to read her medical


    records.One of the records said that she went to check her dysmenorrhea, and she told her doctor that


    she hadn''t had sex in the past five years.In other words, she had been alone for the past few years.You


    know what I mean, right?"


    "What else do you remember?" Patrick asked.


    "I''ve already made a copy of it and I''ll send it to your emailter!¡¯ Skyler said, with an expression that


    said, "You do not need to worry." Patrick gave a steady nod.


    Even if he was ecstatic in his heart, his expression was difficult to read.


    Perhaps it was because he had spent the entire year in the corporate sector.


    Even a pleasant smile became a rarity over time.He could not even recall thest time he hadughed.


    Skyler walked behind Patrick after exiting the supermarket.


    He carried tworge shopping bags.


    "Patrick, can''t you help me carry these bags?" Skylerined.


    Patrick turned around and said, "The things that you carry are almost all yours and Kirstine"


    Skyler mumbled, "Hey, I bought you a share this time"


    Patrick softly smiled.


    asionally, he felt that it was really good to have siblings.


    He had an older sister who could look after him and a younger brother who could be fun to y with.


    Although they were brothers and sisters of the same father and different mothers, it was good that they


    did not be cold and distant because of thisplication.


    The ck Rolls-Royce was parked in the parking space of the supermarket.


    Patrick walked over, took out the key, unlocked the car, and opened the trunk.


    Skyler used his leg to instantly put the shopping bag in.


    "I swear I won''t buy so many things in the future.I am literally draining energy right now.I''m so tired."


    Skyler leaned in close to the vehicle.


    He was gasping heavily.He did not exercise on a regr basis and had never done any manualbor,


    which exined why his physical strength was so weak.


    "Patrick, when can you help me to exercise so that I won''t be embarrassed in front of Stacey when


    we''re in bed together? Otherwise, she''llin that I don''t have enough physical strength every time,


    even though I canst for about forty minutes every time we do it.Do you think women are born to be


    dissatisfied creatures?"


    Skyler got a headache just thinking about his girlfriend, Stacey.


    Stacey was extremely picky.She was particr not only when it came to clothing, but also when it


    came to eating and walking.


    Most significantly, she was always picky in bed.


    Could he, as a man, tolerate her being picky all the time? Patrick taunted him.


    He crossed his arms and said, "Are you sure it''s really forty minutes?"


    Skyler was about to open his mouth when he decided to draw the number three with his fingers


    instead.


    Skyler was a little embarrassed when he added, "Thirty minutes is already long enough, okay?"


    "If you want your woman to be satisfied, there is only one way¡± Patrick said naughtily as he paused for


    a while, "You have got to have a good figure with a perfect hundred points in physical strength"


    "Patrick, how about I move into your apartment and exercise with you every day?" Skyler eximed


    nonchntly.


    Patrick had the practice of exercising every day, which Skyler was aware of.


    He would also run in the park early in the morning andte at night.


    Despite the fact that he cked off from time to time due to work, Skyler knew that even if Patrick did


    not run, he would make time to go to the gym or swim.He was a very self-disciplined individual who


    always exercised to keep his body in good shape.


    Patrick had no objections and said, "No problem, you may stay if you like."


    Skyler was taken aback.


    Patrick, who had a severe case of mysophobia, was thest person he expected to give in to his


    demands.


    He simply could not believe it.


    "Patrick, will I be the second person to enter your house?" Patrick shook his head in disapproval.


    "No, you will be the third."


    "Then who was the second one?"


    Skyler asked without giving up.He was curious about it.


    "Sophia¡¯ Patrick found this word very easy to say.


    Why couldn''t he utter it before? Patrick closed the trunk and walked around the car with Skyler.


    They were seated in the automobile, their seat belts fastened.


    Patrick started the car, put it in reverse, and activated the clutch.He was a skilled driver.


    Skyler sat in the passenger seat at the front.


    He was still ecstatic that Patrick had agreed to live with him.


    Patrick steered the wheel and drove smoothly down the road.


    After driving for a while, Skyler looked out of the window and his attention was caught by a specific


    figure.


    "Isn''t that Sophia? Why is she holding the hand of a child?"


    Patrick frowned, but subconsciously slowed down.He noticed another woman strolling down the street,


    holding the hand of a small child.He was far away and could not clearly see the little girl.


    "Maybe she is her friend" Patrick responded ndly.


    His beautiful brows were slightly entwined, and there was a faint worry between his eyes as if he was


    deeply thinking about something.


    "That little girl looks to be around four or five years old.She looks silly and cute!"


    "Patrick, if you and Sophia''s child had not been aborted, it should have been as old as that little girl


    there right now.Time really flies fast"


    Skyler''s sentiments were well-founded.


    Five years ago, the family had to deal with a lot of changes.


    Because of a financial failure, their father, Thomas,mitted suicide by jumping off a building and


    died.


    Skyler was a sixteen-year-old teenager at that time.


    Patrick sent him to an elite school to study in istion.


    He was only allowed to return home once every six months.


    The Evans family was not an established, honorable family.


    Thomas had worked at Frostford City''s government department when he was younger.


    He did not want to interact with others because of his upright and stubborn demeanor.


    In the end, he made the decision to leave his stable job and pursue a career in business.


    However, because of the low economy, the global financial crisis not only affected the small and


    medium-sizedpanies in Frostford City but alsorgepanies like Thomas¡¯, who had worked


    hard for many years.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    Overnight, the Evans family went bankrupt, and all their properties vanished into thin air.


    Their family was then harassed by a slew of debt collectors.


    He recalled that, besides crying, Skyler had followed Patrick to acquire a loan at that time, and had


    received the cold shoulder and hardships alongside him.


    People, though, were yed by fate.


    His father, Thomas, could no longer withstand the mental torment in Frostford City.He could not take it


    anymore.


    He ended his fifty-eight-year life by jumping from the top floor of the Evans Group''s original location


    before it was relocated.


    The blood that flowed out of his body was washed away by the heavy rain.


    He left behind the huge debt that he owed and a thin will.


    A lot of things happened after that.


    C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    For a moment, it was uncertain.


    As for what exactly happened to Patrick and Sophia, he did not really know, but he reckoned that it had


    something to do with this issue.


    Skyler''s eyes kept staring out the window.


    The car slowly passed behind Sophia and the others.


    He looked back at her.


    "The more I stare at that little girl, the cuter she is.She looks a little like Sophia¡¯ Skyler cheerfully said.


    He was not kidding at all.


    Patrick could not say anything.


    While they waited for the traffic signal, he could not help but take out a cigarette box and light up a


    cigarette.


    The thin white smoke dissipated slowly.


    His hands trembled, but he managed to hide it so well that Skyler did not notice.


    Previously, he ordered someone to check on Sophia''s whereabouts in Australia in thest five years.


    That person told him that during that time, Sophia got pregnant and had a prenatal checkup in the


    hospital, then eventually delivered a child.


    She had stayed there since the divorce, ording to the time.


    He was certain, though, that the child from back then had been aborted.


    Could the child she was holding, then, be the child that he found during his investigation? Did she have


    an affair with another man and give birth to a child? How did they get to know each other, love each


    other, and be willing to have a kid together? Did it mean that she loved that third party very much? He


    had a lot of questions and wanted to get them answered.


    He was well aware, though, that it was not that simple.He could not put into words how he felt just


    now.He simply knew that his heart was uneasy and he felt nervous.


    The traffic lights shifted for a minute.


    Patrick stepped on the elerator, and the car started to run again.


    "Patrick?" Skyler called him.


    Skyler felt sad when he remembered what had happened five years ago.


    "Huh?" Patrick reacted gently.


    His deep eyes were fixed on the road ahead of him.


    "I remember Kirstine saying that when you and Sophia were in Australia, she was already pregnant.But


    it was an ectopic pregnancy.When the child died, it almost took her life."


    "Was it because she had poor health that she thought that she wouldn''t be able to feed the child? Or


    was it because aborting the child meant not having any burdens on her shoulder, and she could keep


    living her life?"


    Skyler had had this question in his heart for the past five years.


    Despite the fact that Patrick was the one who was involved, he had never asked him.


    He only asked Kirstine whenever he thought about it.


    Kirstine, on other hand, would merely shake her head and say that it was none of his business.


    He only had to concentrate on his studies.


    Skyler had mentioned the aborted child in front of him for the second time tonight.


    He would not have neglected his feelings as much in the past.


    "You''re still a child.Little children know nothing¡¯ Patrick looked at him with the expression of a parent


    who adored his child.Those who knew him well, on the other hand, could see a deep sense of


    tiredness between his brows.


    "Patrick, please don''t treat me like a child all the time.I am already twenty-one years old.I am a medical


    student who is about to graduate.I know how damaging a miscarriage can be to a woman.Some are


    even too old to have a child in this lifetime"


    Skyler was not really trying to terrify people.


    When it came to abortions or miscarriages, the damage to a woman''s uterus was immeasurable.


    Some women were lucky and did not suffer from anysting impact.


    Some women would learn to live a normal life, get married, and have children again, but some women


    were not so fortunate.


    Their uterus would be weak because of the miscarriage and they wouldpletely lose their


    chance to be a mother.


    Some women would even die before the fetus could bepletely removed.


    "It doesn''t matter" Patrick denied.


    Skyler let out a sigh.


    Before, he did not clearly understand Patrick''s way of doing things, but now he felt that it was


    reasonable.


    Could it be that because he had grown up? Patrick had to be cautious and monitor his every step back


    then even though he was the Evans family''s eldest son and with their family in such a terrible situation.


    He needed to be certain that each step he took was wless.


    Skyler was now pointing to his current self as an example.


    He would have to let go of Stacey if he unexpectedly lost everything and was no longer the second son


    of a wealthy family.


    Skyler could not offer or give her anything.


    He might as well just watch her from afar and silently be happy for her rather than let her suffer with


    him.


    It was already ten in the evening when they arrived at Kirstine¡¯s vi in the mountains.


    The vis in the wealthy district were next to each other.


    When it was veryte at night, the sound of cars could be heard.


    Some of the pet dogs raised outside would let out a bark that could be heard clearly.


    Skyler took out the things he bought from the trunk and followed behind Patrick into the vi.


    Kirstine was not yet asleep.


    She was sitting in the living room watching TV.She was wearing a simple nightgown. and her long hair


    was casually tied up.


    The face mask on her face had not yet been taken off.


    Although she was already thirty-eight years old, it was impossible to see the wrinkles left on her face by


    the passing of time.


    Instead, as time went on, she became more gorgeous and charming.


    Just like wine, after a long period of time, it would get tastier.


    Kirstine felt strange and curious when she saw them appear together.


    She took off the mask on her face and stood up from the sofa as she patted her face.


    She pulled on her slippers and walked closer to the two of them.


    "Why are you two brothers together? Don''t tell me you guys went to have fun together and left me


    behind?"


    Sometimes, Kirstine was quite childish when she was in front of her two younger brothers.


    Maybe because she was the one who raised them, and her love and dependence on them were self-


    evident.


    "Skyler told me that he wants to move to my ce to live." Patrick smiled.


    Patrick walked past Kirstine and sat down on the sofa.


    He took the cigarette and lit it up, then began to smoke.


    Kirstine¡¯s eyes instantly turned red when she heard what Patrick said.


    Skyler was different from Patrick.She had raised him since she was young.She felt like a mother to


    Skyler.


    They were more like mother and son.She always cared about his food, food, amodation, and


    transportation.She loved him with all her heart and could not leave him alone.She stared at Skyler with


    tears in her eyes.


    "Why do you suddenly want to move away? What did I ever do wrong?"


    Skyler put down the big shopping bags and reached out to hug Kirstine.


    "Look, you did nothing wrong, but you''re always like this.I''m already a grown-up, yet you still don''t trust


    me enough? When I was a child, you were worried about me.It wasn''t easy for me to grow up, but I


    grew up well thanks to your love and care.Now, I am giving you your freedom.You can finally take a


    rest and date a lot of guys."


    Kirstine raised her hand and ced it on Skyler''s shoulder.


    "Ever since I was young, I was the one who raised you.You can''t tell me to just rx and not worry


    about you, you''re my youngest brother, but you are like a son to me.Kirstine felt like crying again the


    moment she was done talking.Skyler tightened his arms around Kirstine.Since he was a child, he had


    never seen his mother.


    His sister was the one who took great care of him.He recalled the first day he went to kindergarten


    when he was a child.


    That was the first time that he had truly left his big sister''s side.She was also in the same state as he


    was in that kindergarten back then.


    Just how he cried so much that day, Skyler was also crying so hard today.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    ¡°Hey, please stop crying.I know that you are a strong person, and you are the only person in the world


    who treats me better than my mother"Kirstine''s mood simply changed when Skyler mentioned the word


    "mother."


    "Alright, I''m just going to stay at Patrick''s apartment for a while.It''s not like I won''te back.Don''t cry,


    just imagine me going out on a field trip.I''ll be back soon."


    Skyler said as he reached out to wipe Kirstine''s face and took out the things he had purchased for her


    from the shopping bag.


    "Didn''t you say that you didn''t like the cup-mat you boughtst time? This time, I got you a new one


    that''s pink and soft, the same color as your room, and a few headbands since I noticed your usual ones


    are too basic and clean.It''s so wonderful to see you with a little color like this!"


    Patrick smoked while sitting on the sofa.


    "Kirstine, Skyler has truly grown up!" He said as he turned around.


    Kirstine was a little flushed.


    Despite the fact that she was ufortable in her heart, she forced herself to nod.


    "Skyler has indeed matured.In the blink of an eye, he is about to graduate from college and is even in


    love.Now, he has begun his internship and is going to work someday.Maybe it is time to let go."


    She looked like she was talking to herself while simultaneously telling herself something.


    The weekend began the following day.


    Sophia returned home after waking up early and sending Emma to the kindergarten bus, and she


    continued to sleep for a bit.


    It was alreadytest night when Sophia and Fiona returned from the supermarket.She did not allow


    Fiona to walk back alone at night because she was afraid she might be in danger.


    They didn''t have to go to work because there was no need to, so they slept in.


    Sophia stared at the clock on the wall in a trance till the sun rose very high.


    It was ten o''clock already.


    Sophia had not slept in such afortable andzy manner in a long time, and she had not moved


    even when they were awake.


    For a brief moment, Fiona woke up.She got out her phone when she noticed Sophia wasn''t moving.


    Whether she was looking through WhatsApp or sending text messages was unknown.


    Her fingers slid nimbly across the phone''s screen.


    It was clear from the frequency that her typing pace was really quick.


    What she saw was a mystery.


    A stifled vibration emerged from her throat.


    Sophia could tell that Fiona was holding back herughter even if she closed her eyes.


    Looking at the current circumstances, it was obvious that she had fallen in love.


    It was only that she wasn''t sure if that man was treating Fiona with sincerity.


    Sophia was aware of everything that was happening in her head, but her awareness was blurred.


    Until a harsh ringtone abruptly startled her, making herpletely awake.


    It was an unusual number, but it appeared to be a Frostford City local number.


    She did not have a lot of contacts on her phone, so she knew the majority of the people she saved.


    All of a sudden, a phone number that she did not recognize rang.


    She had a strong suspicion that it was a pyramid scheme.She didn''t answer the phone, but the other


    party persisted and called again.


    Sophia pressed the call button.


    "Sophia, this is Kirstine, and today is the weekend.Is it convenient for you toe out and go shopping


    with me?"


    The other party said, in an elegant tone.


    She remembered asking Kirstine after she left her shop that day if she was interested in apanying


    her out on a weekend.


    Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org.


    Back then, Sophia absent-mindedly answered.


    She simply assumed that Kirstine understood what she was saying, but she didn''t anticipate that


    Kirstine would actually ask her out.


    Left with no choice, Sophia could only respond, "Okay..."


    She was surprised to learn that Kirstine had requested her to meet at the Century Mall''s department


    store on South Ring Road, which she frequented.


    The shopping mall appeared to be too regr for people like Kirstine.


    They didn''t pass by certain stores nor follow a path.


    Sophia, of course, wouldn''t say anything more now that Kirstine had brought it up.


    After she said that she had something to do at thest minute, Fiona immediately understood her. If


    you have something to do, you can leave quickly.I still have to stay in bed.Don''t worry about me, I


    promise that I won''t starve myself.But you still have to bring some takeout food when youe back at


    night."


    "Good girl? Sophia said, smiling and reaching out to rub her unkempt hair.Sophia simply showered and


    cleaned up before going out because this was the first time she would genuinely meet Kirstine in


    private.It was over a half-hour before the agreed-upon time.


    The waiting period was quite tedious.


    Sophia just walked back and forth at the Century Mall''s department store''s entrance, waiting for


    Kirstine.


    Kirstine arrived around five minutester.


    She appeared to have arrived here in a special vehicle.


    She turned back and muttered something to the driver when she got out of the car.


    Sophia assumed that she told the driver to pick her up after a certain amount of time had passed by.


    The content and development of this year''s selection of great entrepreneurs were broadcast on arge


    commercial screen across the street, and the mostpetitive contender among them would be


    Patrick.


    His picture shed on the screen.


    It appeared to be a photograph taken at the beginning of the year when he was interviewed by a


    leading financial publication in the country.


    He leaned aside and looked out of therge French window in the photograph.His figure was


    enveloped in a warm glow by the sunlight streaming in through the window.


    It was simple to be drawn to the entire picture because it was so delicate.She could not help but be


    curious about the other males in the photo.


    The entrepreneur selection festival was still going strong this year.


    Of course, the most well-known was Mr.Evans of Frostford City, the CEO of Evans Enterprise Media


    Group.


    The snapshot was being yed on the TV, which was being apanied by the lovely voice of the


    female announcer.


    Kirstine, on the other hand, noticed Sophia''s gaze on Patrick''s image.


    With a sweet smile on her lips, she approached Sophia.


    Perhaps she spent the entire year in an upper-ss social circle, making her voice seem graceful and


    delicate, like a flower in spring water.


    "If Patrick continues to be an excellent entrepreneur this year, he will win this award for the fifth year in


    a row"


    Sophia was not trying to disguise her interest right now.


    "I really envy President Evans.He has a fantastic career and a wonderful love life" she added earnestly.


    "There''s no reason to be envious of him.For him to have reached this step was because of the


    magnitude of the sacrifices he made and the effort he put in to seed.No one saw him still holding a


    video conference in the middle of the night to discuss improvement ns.No one saw him fly all over


    the world for a big contract.He only slept for three hours a day, and no one saw him fall into sickness


    because he didn''t eat on time.I don''t think people would be envious of him if they knew what he went


    through just to achieve his current status"


    "Also, do you honestly believe Patrick''s rtionship is going well? If it were, that woman would have


    been his legal wife five years ago, not his fake fiancee."


    Kirstine''s words had two implications.She talked about Patrick''s career efforts on the one hand, and his


    current emotional state on the other.


    Sophia was a little agitated.


    She couldn''t go back on her promise by saying that it was all a misunderstanding when she decided to


    be Kirstine''s friend with a casual attitude.


    However, she now deeply regretted her decision.


    Patrick had already been dealt with in a pretty direct manner by her.


    She didn''t want to be swayed by the opinions of others.


    Wouldn''t all her previous efforts go to waste then? Kirstine was clever enough to recognize that she


    was rushing to make amends.


    "Sophia, I only said this to let you know of his condition.It has no special meaning, but it just so


    happens that I want to make friends with you.It is my heartfelt idea.It has nothing to do with you and


    Patrick, and I have always been very supportive of your rtionship with him.I will not intervene, and I


    do not want to get involved.I hope you understand, and don''t get the wrong idea"

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    Kirstine was expressing her honest thoughts.


    It wasn''t for Patrick''s sake that she wanted to get close to Sophia.She genuinely wanted to be friends


    with her because she liked her as a person.


    It had absolutely nothing to do with him.


    Although Kirstine''s words seemed unreasonable, there was one thing that Sophia was pleased with.


    It was when Kirstine stated that she would not intervene in what was going on between her and


    Patrick.She supported and agreed that they should settle the matter amongst themselves.


    Sophia liked how things were going at the moment, so she got along and keptmunicating with


    Kirstine.


    Their friendship was simple, natural, and light.


    She would not act overly cautious around her because of Patrick.


    However, she still feared that Kirstine might misunderstand any words that mighte out of her


    mouth, and then she would tell it to him.


    Sophia was nothing of importance to them.


    They were siblings.


    Kirstine would naturally favor him.


    That fact would not change.


    Instead of tiring herself out, Sophia might as well sleep at home.


    ¡®Why would she spend her time and meet with me?¡¯ Sophia thought to herself.


    Kirstine had a grasp of Sophia¡®s thinking.


    Patrick told her before that she and Sophia had a lot inmon, especially their personality.


    She also thought the same.


    Now, it seemed that it was confirmed that they shared the same character based on how she read her.


    "Let''s go inside! I have a lot of shopping to do; Kirstine muttered excitedly, She was smiling the whole


    time like an ideal, warm, and friendly sister.


    Observing her, Sophia took a deep breath to make herself look more rxed around her.


    Meanwhile, Kirstine walked over to her and naturally wrapped her arms around Sophia''s arm on one


    side.


    Her embrace was so light and natural.


    It was neither too soft nor tight like an old friend having no apprehension or distant attitude towards her.


    Kirstine''s actions were not forced.


    Taking notice of their height, Sophia stood about 5 feet and 3 inches tall, while Kirstine was 5 feet and 5


    inches.


    Kirstine was slightly taller than Sophia.


    Adding Sophia''s dislike of wearing high heels and having the same daily routine of ying sports in her


    leisure time, her height only reached Kirstine''s ear.


    So, every time Kirstine looked at her, Sophia felt as if she was being looked down on.


    It made her ufortable.


    ¡®Perhaps, things or people above us often gives us a feeling that we are being belittled or oppressed,


    such as Kirstine, who is a beautiful, tall, and confident woman¡± Sophia thought to herself.


    After entering the mall, Kirstine didn''t rush to buy clothes.


    Instead, she dragged Sophia straight into the shoe section to make a purchase.


    She removed her 10cm high heels and reced them with a pair of white, thin, andfortable shoes.


    The shoes had a unique shape, and it was the most popr style at the time.


    The seven-colored flower embedded in the center of the shoes was the most eye-catching feature of


    the pair.


    It looked like a shoewear for youths with a fresh and trendy design.


    "Miss, you indeed have good taste! This new and trendy shoe model is our store''s new arrival.You


    know how dynamic Frostford City weather has always been.Even though autumn is about to begin, it


    will be hot for a long period after winter.If you buy this pair of shoes, you don''t need to worry about


    wearing them for a few days before the season ends.Plus, we have good news.Today, our shopping


    mall is having a special sale.We can offer you a 70 to 80 percent discount.This purchase will be worth


    it."


    A woman wearing a sales store manager tag said when she approached them.


    She did her best to use her sales andmunication skills to properly introduce their products and


    invite customers like them to purchase something.


    This sales representative, who had three to five years of experience and knowledge, might have


    noticed Kirstine¡¯s expensive clothing.


    So, she kept speaking.


    "Miss, the designer of this pair of shoes, is a famous Italian man named Copperfield.He is a genius in


    shoe designing.His aplishments prove it.All the shoes he hand-painted and designed have all


    been sold out without reported problems after purchase.The customers¡¯ feedback for his designs is


    also excellent.There was never a problem with his designed shoes..." she added.


    She paused for a while and suddenly stared in the door''s direction.


    They followed her stare.


    There was another customer who just pushed the door and walked in.


    Some of the other sales representatives weed him, but they quickly stopped when the female


    sales manager assisting Sophia and Kirstine, who had just finished a sales pitch, warned them.


    "Stacey, that''s an old customer of mine.Go find someone else."


    Kirstine was already tempted to buy this pair of shoes, but when she heard how bad the sales manager


    was towards her coworkers, her mood changed sour.


    Sophia nced at Kirstine, and Kirstine also looked at her.


    They stood up, and Kirstine said, "Let''s go, Sophia!"


    It seemed like they had the same thoughts at the moment.


    Sophia nodded.


    Kirstine smiled and still held her arm.


    When the female store manager noticed Kirstine was about to leave, she continued following her from


    behind, refusing to give up.


    Kirstine didn''t say anything until they were far.


    "I don''t like her bossy attitude.What she did was terrible.Everyone is equal, and no one is born to be


    treated indifferently like what she did.An overbearing person like her will have a sad life.How


    disappointing¡¯¡¯ she uttered and sighed.


    Sophia smiled.She found out that Kirstine and her were indeed alike.Her thoughts were exactly simr


    inside her mind just now.


    They exchanged smiles as they continued to walk forward.


    Kirstine hadn''t given any thought to what she wanted to buy.


    She thought about the pair she was about to purchase earlier, but she refused to do so.


    "Then, how about buying canvas shoes?" Sophia suggested.


    "Those shoes aren''t tiring and hurtful to wear.Thefort brought to the feet ismendable.Let''s try


    it?"


    "Really? Then, let''s go and take a look at it" Kirstine said and nodded.


    On cue, the two walked into another footwear store.


    Kirstine quickly purchased a pair of white canvas shoes based on Sophia''s suggestions this time.


    They were in and didn''t have any interesting or fancy patterns, but Kirstine still liked the shoes.


    Walking out again, the two of them held hands as they made their way, exploring more into the mall.


    When they passed by the first footwear store they had walked in, the sales manager was still


    reprimanding her girl coworker for weing her old customer without permission.


    The girl had her head bowed and hands sped together, looking like she was being taught a lesson.


    When in fact, she shouldn''t be bowing her head because weing and assisting customers was her


    job.


    Kirstine couldn''t help but take another look at them as they passed by.


    The girl''s name, Stacey, was the one that the store manager called out the most.


    For some reason, she felt it was especially familiar, as if someone had always mentioned it to her.


    She couldn''t remember anything, so she gave it up and focused on her time with Sophia.


    Kirstine purchased two shirts and a pair of pants, while Sophia did not buy anything.


    Kirstine wanted to buy her some clothes, but she politely declined her kind offer with a smile.


    Kirstine patted the back of her hand and uttered with a smile, "It''s just a friendly offer.Let''s give and


    take.Next time, you can buy me other things, like how I buy you clothes now.We are friends.So, you


    don''t need to feel like you owe me."


    Because Kirstine was older than Sophia, her experience and convincing skills were naturally beyond


    Sophia''s reach.


    She pushed Sophia into the ditch, leaving her no room to disagree with her offer.


    Kirstine chose a few outfits for Sophia, while thetter didn''t refuse the clothes she chose.


    However, that didn''t mean she wouldn''t refuse her payment.She was stubborn.


    Things were different when it came to money, no matter how perfectly Kirstine said it.


    But Kirstine was one step ahead of her.She immediately swiped her card and paid for a few clothes she


    chose for Sophia.


    Sophia bit her lower lip.She felt uneasy, as if she suddenly owed Kirstine many things at the expense of


    the paid clothes.


    Kirstine noticed it and said, "Sophia, my birthday will be next weekend.


    You can return the favor.


    Words like calctive and ufortable were not in the dictionary between goad friends, right?"


    Sophia understood where Kirstine wasing from.She had a point and exined it well, but she still


    felt that she owed Kirstine a lot.


    When they exited the mall, they carried many shopping bags in their hands.


    The sky was already dark, indicating that time had flown by and that it was nighttime.


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    They were shopping for so long that they had forgotten about the time.


    Kirstine looked at the bags in her hands.


    Some were for her, others for Patrick, and the rest was for Skyler.She had spent a lot.


    In short, this just meant that Kirstine had always acted as a mother for her younger brothers.


    She would never forget them whenever she bought something.She always thought of them.


    Walking the side of the road with her hands holding the bags, Sophia felt heavy deep inside.


    She knew that she was still hesitant and uneasy.


    This was not fine to her.


    However, she was unable to exin why.


    Perhaps she truly owed Kirstine a favor because she epted the clothes she bought for her.


    However, this was the first time she felt that way.


    So, Sophia was uneasy.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    Sophia reminded herself that this would only happen once in a lifetime.It wasn''t every day that she''d


    meet Kirstine and go shopping with her.


    After some time, Kirstine eventually suggested having dinner outside.


    However, Sophia shook her head and refused.


    She thought it was inappropriate to dine out while Fiona was busy fetching Emma from the


    kindergarten and driving her home.It was unfair for them.


    "Maybe on another day? My friend is waiting for me at home" Sophia muttered.


    "If it''s your boyfriend, call him over.We are friends.It''s not bad that we get to know each other, right?"


    Kirstine said with a smile.


    "I''d love to, but he''s not a boyfriend.She''s a female friend of mine," Sophia quickly answered.


    After she said it, she stepped towards the road''s edge and raised her hand to stop a taxi.


    She observed that the lighting on the street at night was poor, and the vehicle''s headlights that kept


    passing by were so bright that people couldn''t open their eyes if a car approached.


    When Sophia realized a car was quicklying, it was toote to avoid it.


    Sophia automatically closed her eyes and waited for a few seconds.


    The pain and impact she expected to feel because of the car didn''te; instead, Sophia felt that she


    was pulled over to the side.


    In a sh, she fell on the road, dragged by the inertia of Kirstine¡¯s hands.


    The shopping bags were scattered across the ground while Sophia''s world spun around her as she


    landed on a soft surface.


    It belonged to Kirstine.It was her body.


    Sophia''s body pressed her down because Kirstine saved her subconsciously.


    However, she was not able to avoid getting injured.She didn''t even know that she was hurt.


    It was only when Kirstine felt the pain in her entire right foot that she knew she seemed to twist her


    ankle when she fell to the ground.


    Sophia quickly stood and pulled Kirstine up after hearing her muffled groan.


    "How are you? Are you okay?"


    she asked nervously.


    Kirstine didn¡¯t dare to step her right foot on the ground and just hopped with her left foot so she would


    not get more hurt.


    "I''m fine.I just twisted my ankle; she said and winced in pain.Sophia heaved a sigh of relief when she


    heard it.She picked up the scattered shopping bags on the ground and helped Kirstine walk to the chair


    on the side.


    "I''ll call 911.Please, bear the pain for a while" she said in worry.


    After Sophia helped her sit, she raised her hand to call for help.


    Before she could do it, however, she was immediately stopped by Kirstine.


    "This injury is not serious.I''ll be fine after some medication at home.If you''re worried and want to


    compensate, treat me to a nice meal.I am famished after all that shopping" she said.


    "No, let''s confirm first if your bones are not ruptured through a hospital, '''' Sophia insisted with a frown.


    Kirstine smiled at her.


    She understood her concerns and said, "I''m fine.If my bones were ruptured or had terrible damage, I


    would feel the pain that I wouldn''t speak properly.So, this is not serious.I am fine.I am not that delicate."


    Because Kirstine persisted, Sophia brought her to a restaurant close to the shopping mall.


    It was a medium-ss restaurant, and each person''s entry cost around 400 dors.


    Sophia gently guided Kirstine to a seat near the window.


    After Kirstine sat down, she called the waiter and ordered.


    "Uhm...can we order two signature steaks, two fruit sds, two sses of red wine, baked cheese


    shrimp, and a serving of cream soup.These are our first orders.Thank you" Kirstine said.


    After ordering the dishes, Kirstine waited for the waiter to leave before saying something to Sophia.


    "I want you to order for us, but I know you''re not going to agree.So, I directly ordered as a sort of


    compensation for me" she uttered and winked.


    Sophia was aware that Kirstine said that to make her feel better, but she still felt she owed her big time.


    Kirstine''s phone rang on the table, interrupting Sophia''s thoughts.She picked it up while Sophia had no


    idea who the caller was.


    Based on Kirstine''s tone of voice and how she spoke towards the caller, it sounded like they had a


    close rtionship.


    "Yes, I''ll head home by myselfter at night.I am fine.It''s just that I sprained my ankle, but this is


    nothing serious.You don''t need toe over.I am okay" Kirstine argued.


    She kept ncing at Sophia a few times.


    "You don''t need toe here, Patrick.I had a little situation going on.I am working on it.So, if you


    come, I am unavable.Just keep working.Don''t mind me¡± she insisted.


    It turned out that it was Patrick.


    Sophia wondered why Kirstine was being so secretive.


    Kirstine sprained her foot because of her, but she cared about Sophia''s feelings, so she refused to let


    Patricke over because she thought Sophia would feel awkward if he did.


    This was unreasonable, and Sophia felt terrible about it.


    Besides, she was concerned that Kirstine was only acting strong.


    What if she was indeed hurt and was just afraid of speaking up? Sophia could not bear to think about it.


    "Let hime over.He can drive you home after he arrives in a while"


    Sophia whispered to Kirstine.


    Kirstine confirmed that Sophia didn''t mind Patrick knowing their location before giving the address of


    the restaurant they were in.


    But she also made sure that when she told him about it, Kirstine didn''t say she was with Sophia.


    "Patrick just looks cold outside, but I know he is worried.Even though he won''t directly admit it, he is


    thoughtful.But does this doesn''t bother you?" she asked.


    Although she was hurt, Kirstine was more worried about others.She was too kind, indeed.


    Sophia''s lips curled into a smile.


    "No, you were injured because of me.He is your rtive.If he heard your condition, it was natural that


    he would want to rush over.I don''t mind.I am more worried about you.Are you really okay?"


    In the end, their friendship was still shallow.


    Sophia was practically a stranger whom Kirstine had only met a few times.


    They were not close andfortable around each other.


    There was awkwardness between them.


    Suddenly, Sophia thought about a word to describe the awkwardness and the sense of distance


    between them, which was "suspicion"


    Because she could not easily understand Kirstine, she was suspicious if she indeed told the truth.


    ¡®Is she really fine, or she''s just acting around me because we are not close? Besides, I''m practically


    just a stranger!¡¯ she thought.


    "Sophia, I am not a pretentious person.I cry when I am hurt.Iugh if I feel likeughing.I am honest


    about my feelings, and I do what I want.I can assure you that every word and sentence I say is true


    without lies.But I also hope that you will be honest with me.I would not tell Patrick anything about us, as


    long as you have trust in me; Kirstine said convincingly.Momentster, Patrick arrived at the restaurant.


    Kirstine looked at her phone.


    It had only been fifteen minutes since she had hung up the phone.He was so quick.


    The road to Frostford City was infamously known for being overcrowded.


    The traffic was always heavy.


    Regardless of where he came from, Patrick might have driven extremely fast because he made it to the


    restaurant within a few minutes.


    Kirstine frowned.


    Meanwhile, Patrick suddenly crouched down and raised one of her feet when she was about to speak.


    He also frowned while he examined her foot carefully.


    "Which ankle was sprained.Why are you being so careless?" Patrick quickly asked.


    He almost sounded angry at Kirstine because of worry.


    After a while, Skyler followed and walked into the restaurant.It was clear from his footsteps that he was


    scared.His steps were sloppy and hurried.


    Skyler was all over the ce.


    Then, he also knelt beside Patrick and nervously stared at Kirstine''s foot.


    Kirstine nced at Sophia.Her face was flushed with embarrassment as she awkwardly drew back her


    foot from Patrick''s hold.


    "This is nothing.I just identally sprained it.Stand up¡± Kirstine muttered.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Patrick, who just walked over, was only focused and concerned about Kirstine''s injuries.He didn''t notice


    his surroundings when he came over earlier.


    So, when he stood up, moved his gaze, and followed Kirstine''s line of sight, he found out Sophia was


    there.


    This made his body stiffen.


    However, he was good at hiding his reactions and didn''t let anyone see his unusual response.


    "Sorry, Kirstine was hurt because of me"


    Sophia apologetically said as she bit her lip and stood up.


    "How about you? Were you also injured?" he quickly asked.


    Patrick didn''t pause to wait for Sophia to respond.


    His big hands yanked her out of control.


    He wanted to examine her, but she fought him off.


    "I wasn''t hurt.I was standing by the roadside waiting for a taxi when a car rushed over from the corner.I


    can''t evade it in time.Fortunately, Kirstine managed to pull me¡± Sophia exined.


    After her exnation, there was an awkward silence.


    Kirstine grabbed Patrick''s arm and spoke at the right time.She ended the awkward atmosphere, which


    lasted for a few seconds.


    "Enough, it''s nothing.You and Skyler can sit.Sophia has been shopping with me all day and hasn''t


    eaten yet" she said.


    Skyler made a smart move when he chose to sit next to Kirstine, leaving the seat next to Sophia for


    Patrick.


    Patrick couldn''t help but take out his cigarette box, and light one after the two of them sat down.


    Kirstine stopped him, but he smiled and uttered, "It doesn''t matter.I often smoke inside the restaurant."


    Even so, Kirstine couldn''t help but nag.


    "I think your cigarette addiction is getting worse.Don''t smoke too much.It''s bad for your health" she


    warned.

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    Patrick only smiled as if he was used to being in this situation.


    Kirstine ordered two more meals because there were more people.


    Sophia sat beside Patrick, but she could not breathe properly.


    So, she stood up and told them that she needed to use the restroom.


    Sophia, who was hurrying away, seemed to be panicking inside.


    Patrick got up and followed her after he finished smoking.


    He knew that Sophia was stubborn and good at hiding her pain, so maybe she didn''t tell them that she


    was injured.He was right.When he walked to the corner to the restroom, Patrick saw Sophia rubbing


    her wrist.Her expressions implied that she was in pain.


    Patrick took a few steps forward.


    His high-ss ck leather shoes made a sound as theynded on the marbled floor.Sophia


    immediately stopped what she was doing when she heard it.


    "Where are you hurt?" he asked.


    Patrick approached her, grabbed her hand, and pulled her closer to him with no exnation.


    Sophia couldn''t help but cry out as she felt an intense pain in her wrist.Her eyes puffed and turned red


    with crying.


    "Come on, let''s go.I''ll take you to the hospital to take a look if you are seriously hurt¡± Patrick urged.


    Sophia could still hear Patrick''s faint and inaudible sigh.


    It made her suddenly say, "I did not intend to get your sister hurt, okay?"


    She thought Patrick sighed because of that reason? How well did she believe she knew him?


    "Who would want to talk to you about this?!" Patrick eximed.


    His only concern was if Sophia had an injury, nothing more.


    Sophia noticed he was dressed simply in a casual shirt and trousers today.His perfect physique was


    disyed as the shirt hugged his body tightly.


    With one hand in his pocket and his eyes filled with sadness, the minty scent followed Patrick wherever


    he went.


    When he was close, he still reeked of cigarette smoke.It seemed that he just had one.


    "Your sister suddenly called me today and asked me out.But, I believe even if she likes me and wants


    to be friends, we will always meet and be involved.So, can you please tell her not to ask me out to


    meet me again in the future?"


    Sophia softly requested.


    Patrick took out another cigarette from his pocket and lit it.


    Swirls of white smoke rose in spirals from it.


    When he spoke, his voice sounded a little hoarse and low.For Sophia, it was pleasant to hear, though a


    bit domineering.


    "That is your business.If you have anything to say to Kirstine, tell it straight to her.You don''t need to go


    through me to deliver your message¡± he muttered.


    Sophia nodded.


    Patrick was right.


    This was her own business.


    If she had something to say to Kirstine, she should be the one to say it.


    How could she ask him to say it? So, Sophia felt stupid saying those words.She thought her brain was


    pretty useless and felt regretful.


    "Okay, I will" she briefly said.


    Then, Sophia nodded politely and walked towards the table without saying anything else to him.


    The waiter had already served the dishes they ordered when she sat down.


    However, Kirstine and Skyler didn''t start eating yet.They patiently waited for her and Patrick.


    "I''m sorry.I''ve been gone for a while¡¯ Sophia apologized.


    Patrick also came back and sat down.He called the waiter over with a snap of his fingers.


    "Prepare all the dishes and divide them in small proportion before bringing them up.Thank you" he


    demanded.


    When Patrick finished speaking, he still wanted to smoke.Kirstine noticed it and put weight on her tone


    when she warned him.


    "Patrick, stop that.We are going to eat.Stop smoking" she said.


    Patrick didn''t say anything and put away the pack of cigarettes back in his pocket.


    People who never smoked wouldn''t get it.Smoking would be more addicting if others kept suppressing


    it.


    That was what Patrick thought, but he kept silent.


    The waiter served all of the dishes into small portions and served them again.


    The four of them ate quietly until Skyler''s phone rang.


    Even though Skyler was still a year away from graduating, Kirstine and Patrick knew that he had a


    girlfriend.It was the one calling.


    Skyler was deep in love, and none of his elder siblings objected.


    Moreover, he had already reached the age when he should have fallen in love.


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    Besides, a young man needed to fall in love and have someone to be with him until he grew old.


    So, when he aged, he would not look pitiful and sad being alone.


    Skyler excused himself and picked up his phone.


    His voice suddenly became gentle.


    "Yes, I am eating outside.What''s wrong, Stacey? Please, don''t cry¡¯ he mumbled.


    Skyler looked bossy and domineering most of the time.


    But who would have guessed he''d be so patient, obedient, and caring when it came to his girlfriend?


    Kirstine frowned.She acted like a mother, worried that her patient and kind son would get bullied by


    others if he kept acting like this.She wanted Skyler to be stronger.


    Who wouldn''t want their rtives to be the boss or dominant in their rtionships? Their rtives


    should wear the pants rather than be led by the other party, which Skyler failed to do because he was


    so into Stacey.


    It turned out that the things he usually told his sibling about his rtionship with Stacey were all just


    bragging! Skyler hung up the phone, and Kirstine casually chimed in.


    "Was that your girlfriend? What happened? Why is she crying?" she asked.


    "It''s nothing.My girl has a soft personality.She only knows how to cry when she''s being bullied."


    Skyler only said a few words and then checked his watch.


    He appeared to be in a hurry, but he did not say anything rashly because they were eating.He was


    curious, though.


    Sophia ate the food in front of her, her mind only hoping that the time would be faster so that she could


    end this meal early.


    Patrick was already full.


    His stomach would ache if he continued.


    So, he stopped eating after a few bites and quietly sat.


    Absorbed with their thoughts, the four of them kept eating.


    However, Kirstine couldn''t help but ask Skyler when she noticed he looked at his watch again.


    "Skyler, I knew you had a girlfriend before.But I still don''t know her name and where she works?"


    "Her name is Stacey, and she works in a department store nearby; Skyler answered after thinking


    about it.


    ¡®Stacey? Stacey? That name rings a bell? Kirstine thought that this name was familiar.She suddenly


    remembered a footwear store they visited while shopping earlier.


    "Is she a sales agent at a footwear store in the mall? Is she thin and tall?" she asked.


    Skyler nodded and also inquired, "Have you seen her?"


    Kirstine was right.


    Kirstine put down the utensils in her hand and couldn''t help but say, "That girl has such a weak


    personality.What do you like about her? When I was shopping with Sophia earlier, I saw her being


    reprimanded by their sales manager for quite a while.But, I didn''t even see or hear her refute a word.If


    she bes your wife, I will not be happy about it.I can''t stand her personality, Even though I don''t


    care about the social status, I hope in the future, your girlfriend will be strong and wealthy enough to


    help you in your endeavors."


    She had a point, but Skyler disagreed.


    "That''s because you don''t understand Stacey.She only put up with it because she wanted to make


    money.I told her before that I didn''t want her to work.Just live silently and easily as my woman, but she


    refused to listen.She stayed on her work and insisted on staying despite the bullying.I remember you


    said that my current internship sry is enough for her two months of sry to support her.Why does


    she have to do that? I am so stressed!"


    Patrick had always understood and tolerated Skyler''s behavior as the older brother.


    However, Kirstine was different.She had been strict with Skyler.


    Skyler didn''t get a response from Kirstine.


    She seemed angry, but Sophia stared at him and answered instead, "The girl choose to stay with you


    not because of money.So, she genuinely likes you.It''s not because you can give her any material


    things.What you have to bear, you have to endure it yourself.If she was like this from the start, you


    wouldn''t even like her so much."


    Skyler nodded and felt that what Sophia had said sounded reasonable.


    Then, he asked her with a smile, "If there is anything wrong with Stacey and me, can I ask you an


    advice?"


    Sophia also responded with a smile, but she refused.


    "It''s not like I''m an expert when ites to love!" Skyler nced at Patrick and stared back at Kirstine.


    He heaved a sigh.


    After the meal, Sophia finally felt free of her worries and doubts in mind.


    Meanwhile, Skyler rushed to go to Stacey and left immediately.


    Kirstine''s foot was injured, so Sophia helped Patrick guide her to get inside the car.After that, she was


    ready to bid goodbye.

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    "It''s toote now.Patrick and I will send you home first" Kirstine said and clutched Sophia''s hands


    tightly.


    "There is still public transport avable.You don''t have to.You should return home immediately and


    wrap your foot with a towel and ice to reduce swelling.Otherwise, you will be unable to walk tomorrow"


    Sophia insisted.


    Kirstine still disagreed, but Patrick uttered, "It''s not a big deal.She is not a child.Let''s go."


    Then, Patrick walked around the car to move back to the driver''s seat after closing the door.


    In a matter of seconds, the car vanished from Sophia''s sight.


    Sophia looked in the direction where the car had vanished and finally let out the deep breath she had


    been holding.Sophia had a difficult day.She had been tormented by the events a lot.


    It was nearly ten o''clock when she got off the bus.


    After getting off the bus, Sophia noticed that the pharmacy at themunity''s entrance had not yet


    closed, so she dashed in to buy some medicines and pieces of gauze.


    She subconsciously looked for some aid because she fell to the ground due to the strong force earlier.


    However, she didn''t anticipate that her wrist would take a toll and receive the damage from the


    ident.


    She thought she had sprained her wrist.It was painful and swollen, but it would hurt worse and get even


    more swollen in the morning.


    Sophia went into a small supermarket that had not yet closed after leaving the pharmacy.


    She bought some snacks that Fiona and Emma liked and walked to her apartment''s entrance with


    satisfaction.


    When she got home, Emma had already fallen asleep.


    Fiona was sitting on the sofa in the living room, watching TV.It seemed that she had just woken up.It


    was evident because her hair was a little messy.


    "I knew it! Sophia is the best.I know you''re going to bring me some delicious food" Fiona excitedly


    muttered.


    "Don''t tell me you stayed up all night and didn''t sleep to wait for me to buy snacks? Eating at night will


    make you fat"


    Sophia retorted with a warning.


    "It doesn''t matter.I won''t get fat no matter how much I eat¡± Fiona said as she opened a bag of potato


    chips.


    Sophia raised her eyebrows, but she knew that Fiona was telling the truth.


    Fiona indeed had a body that couldn''t absorb fat easily.She had a fast metabolism.


    Sophia went to bed early after she washed up.She took the medicine and wrapped the gauze on her


    wrist.


    Sophia closed her eyes.She felt so tired today and wanted to sleep early.


    The next Monday morning, Frostford City had good weather, which was rare.


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    The sky was blue and clear as if an endless sea.


    The pine trees in the neighborhood looked vibrant under the sunlight.The bright sunlight shone through


    the gaps between the thick leaves, forming pirs of light.


    Since the weather was good, people around Frostford City would also have a better mood.Sophia


    arrived at her office building.


    When she got out of the bus, she passed by Patrick''s car.


    As usual, he took rigorous care of himself from head to toe.


    Patrick looked fine in the morning.


    Sophia took the employee elevator to the top floor and didn''t expect to meet himing from the


    exclusive elevator.


    Of course, he was followed by a crowd that kepting and going.


    Like her other colleagues, whom she ran into, Sophia stood aside and avoided them.She patiently


    waited for them to walk over first.


    When they arrived at the General Manager Office, Jenelyn was already there, holding a business


    magazine in her hand.


    It was the photo that Sophia had saw on the screen at the department store entrance.


    "Tell me, how can President Evans be so handsome? He''s too handsome, right? Sophia, I''ll tell you the


    truth.If I can sleep with that kind of man in this life, I can die right now.I''ll immediately feel like my life is


    worth it.I''ll have no regrets"


    Sophia nced at the magazine in her hand and asked, "Don''t you have a boyfriend?"


    Jenelyn''s smile instantly froze.


    "Don''t bring it up.We broke up¡± she quickly answered.


    Sophia was right.She had anticipated it before, but she didn''t expect to see Jennelyn move on


    quickly.She worked in her usual mood and condition in just a few days.


    "In the future, I will be a fine single woman living her life.I won''t have anymitments for now.In short,


    I am free.I can sleep aste as I want to, and if I like to do something or anything, I can do it without


    someone stopping me.I''ll travel a lot and go shopping at my will.Finally, I won''t feel guilty about


    appreciating and staring at good-looking men''s faces"


    Maybe it was because the weather was nice, or Jenelyn had immediately recovered from a breakup


    that Sophia felt unusually warm and good this morning.


    Sophia smiled and leaned back in her chair.She turned herputer on while Jenelyn didn''t return to


    her seat.


    Instead, she continued to inspect and hold the magazine in her hands.


    "There is nothing special in the photo.Do you have to look at it so seriously?"


    Sophia couldn''t help but tease Jenelyn because she still held the magazine.


    Jenelyn answered, "You don''t know.If I don''t appreciate and enjoy his handsome face, I''m afraid I won''t


    have a chanceter on"


    Sophia looked confused, so Jennelyn exined, "After all, he already has a fiancee.If one day


    President Evans suddenly feels that the time has arrived to announce a marriage, then I won''t have a


    chance to keep doing this."


    When she finished talking, Jenelyn lowered her head to Sophia''s ear and teasingly said, "You know


    what, they say that the more perfect a man is, the smaller the size he got in that area.Do you think


    President Evans is like that?"


    Sophia was taken aback when Jenelyn suddenly said this, and she looked flushed from her ears to her


    neck when she thought of Patrick''s you-know-what.She pushed Jenelyn away.


    This was a sensitive and taboo subject.


    How could a female employee think of something like this about her boss? Sophia''s day began with


    this embarrassing kind of situation.She wouldn''t forget about it.


    At lunchtime, the meal ordered by the general manager had arrived.


    Usually, Jenelyn, Theresa, and Meredith would decide who would be the lucky woman to give Patrick''s


    lunch by who would win a game.


    However, the three suddenly lost interest today, so the task fell to Sophia.


    Sophia thought that Patrick scolded someone in the other department, which caused the three of them


    to be like this! Sophia couldn''t do anything about it.


    So, she walked into his office and knocked on his door a few times.


    Without hearing him say, "Pleasee in" the door directly opened from inside.


    She saw Patrick, who was having one of his hands in his pocket and the other on the phone.


    He was talking with someone, and his voice was low.


    When he saw Sophia, he opened the door and walked over to the window.


    Outside the window, the sunlight was warm and natural.


    When its light fell onto his body, it softened his physique and made him look angelic.


    Patrick looked so handsome as he was d in fashionable clothing.It was a pure ck Italian


    handmade suit.


    The design and the quality were not only excellent, but it was also perfectly tailored, intricate,


    innovative, and thorough.


    In front of the suit''s decorative pocket was a folded white handkerchief.


    This showed the pocket''s level with consistent straight tailoring, which was about a centimeter long.


    Inside his suit was a white shirt, and along the cor of the shirt was an elegant tie.


    This made Patrick look more ssy and captivating.


    Sophia somehow heard a faint female voice when he was talking over the phone.


    The woman had a soft and thin voice.She didn''t know what the woman was saying on the other end,


    but Patrick''s voice seemed not fine.


    He was a bit upset, but he was suppressing his temper and uttered, "I''ll think about it carefully.I


    know...After all, marriage is an important matter"


    Seconds followed soon after that.


    It seemed like they reached an understanding, which made Patrick say, "Okay, I will"


    That was what Sophia thought, but they kept talking and Sophia heard him murmur, "Hm."


    After some time, Patrick ended their conversation with an, "Okay: Meanwhile, Sophia ced the food


    on arge pear wood table.


    The smell of mint on his body became more noticeable as she got closer.


    Patrick''s back was broad, but some sunlight shone through his shoulder.The light was too bright and


    blinding.


    Sophia didn''t stretch out her fingers to block the sunlight until the corner of her eyes was affected.


    However, the sunlight still shone through the gaps between her fingers.She found Patrick''s voice deep


    and pleasant, especially when he uttered, "After all, marriage is an important matter."


    ¡®Marriage? Is he going to get married?¡¯ Sophia thought to herself.


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